#for letting norm wander off on his own

[kaseyskat]

it is a little funny seeing people come out as twin haters but also it’s like. what are you even doing here? the twins have been in minor antagonistic roles since s1ep3 and their whole Deal in s1 was being able to defend themselves and maintain control of any situation i don’t really know what yall expected of them in an apocalypse setting tee bee aych

[liloinkoink]

one thing i think people get wrong about Martyn in the life series is he really isn’t loyal

like yeah, we all know him as the Hand, following the Red King as far as their shared grave, but that is… truly the outlier and not the norm with him

i mean, let’s take a brief look at other seasons. i can’t speak to Secret Life, as it came out when i was incredibly busy and i haven’t yet had time to watch it, but what about the others?

he won Limited Life because he’s a chronic traitor! he betrayed Scott, his ally for the whole season, so that he could win, and said he’d been planning it / wanting to do it the whole session. spent a whole season protecting and helping Scott, and laughed in his face to betray as soon as he saw a shot to do so

Double Life was a whole mess of Martyn and weird loyalties. just one example: he spent all of the first session hanging out with Pearl in favor of even looking for either of their soulmates, with no regard for how he’d been putting his soulmate in danger. when their soulmates dumped them due to being ignored all session and stormed off, he dumped Pearl just because. one session in and he’s betrayed both his soulmate and his day one alliance!

Last Life he teamed with the Southlanders and then made the Shadow Alliance in secret, so he was on two teams and never truly committed to either. he tried to kill Grian basically immediately when he got boogeyman, for example, and in the final fight he tried to lure Ren to himself by offering to team and then tried to blow Ren up

of course, i’m simplifying and ignoring a lot. he doesn’t earn the loyal reputation for nothing. he does a lot of things to help his teammates, like giving a life to Ren in Last Life, trying all season to win Cleo over for all of Double Life, or working to protect Scott for all of Limited Life. it’s not like Martyn doesn’t play the part of a loyal friend well, but, well.

the thing about Martyn is that he’s selfish. he’s basically always going to prioritize his own survival over anything else. he’s never going to roll over and die, especially not for another person. he’s good at looking loyal, because having allies will help you survive, and he knows making outright enemies is a bad idea. he knows he can’t make it obvious he’s a traitor, because then he’ll certainly be killed. but, when it comes down to the wire, he will generally bail at the last minute to save his own skin rather than protecting the people around him. when his loyalty is tested, nine times out of ten, he will not only fail, but do so completely without remorse

it doesnt take a lot to become Martyn’s ally, and once you’ve got a foot in the door, he will take his allegiances seriously (at least, to a point). but it takes effort to really earn Martyn’s trust. and, even when it looks like you have, there’s no guarantee he won’t yank the rug out from under you if he decides having you alive is more detrimental to his survival than seeing you dead

and yes, you can especially see all of this in Third Life. Martyn was absolutely not instantly ride or die for Ren—for a lot of the earlier episodes, he won’t say he’s on Ren’s team or that he lives at Ren’s base, and often tells other players he’s simply Ren’s employee rather than teammate and that he’s wandering or homeless. he trusts Ren so little due to Ren’s inability to keep a secret or stand up for himself that even Ren acknowledges in the third session that Martyn is probably going to leave him and find someone else. Martyn’s loyalty had to be earned, and it very nearly wasn’t. if Ren had taken a session more to grow a spine, Martyn probably would have left

but Ren became an ally that Martyn could rely on, who could stand up for himself and keep secrets. it became more beneficial to Martyn’s survival to have Ren around, so he stayed with Ren for the rest of the season, and committed hard to their kingdom. Ren earns Martyn’s trust by becoming a more dependable ally, and because of that, Ren earns Martyn’s loyalty…. probably

(half related, bc i want it in the post and i don’t know where to put it: after the execution, two sessions after Ren officially earns Martyn’s loyalty, Ren admits to being genuinely convinced Martyn was going to take him out of the series as soon as Ren gave him the chance!)

because yes, even here, even after Ren earns his trust and Ren trusts Martyn to execute him and they become King and Hand, Martyn was okay with killing Ren to save himself. Martyn has said he was going to betray Ren in the final session of Third Life. his entire plan was that when he and Ren hit the final 5, he was going to kill Ren. end Red Winter, usher in Red Spring. even the most loyal version of Martyn was a traitor!

now, you can decide for yourself if you believe he could have actually gone through with this—he and Ren were 6th and 7th out of the game, after all. maybe he wouldn’t have been able to steel himself. maybe his loyalty would have, for once, been too strong to kill Ren.

but it’s very possible that even the most loyal version of Martyn—the version of Martyn who has created this “loyal” image of Martyn in fanon—was only loyal because he died too soon to show his true colors

[callmerainman]

Alastor with a pure hearted s/o

a/n I'm fully aware that Alastor is aroace. My scenarios are meant to be interpreted as a deep, unconditional love, not necessarily romantic. I'm not aroace but I'm all for educating myself, so please if something's off let me (gently) know. Hope you enjoy :)

TW! canon typical violence

being a twisted person is not a requirement to reincarnate in Hell. Sins depend on religion, culture, societal norms. You were more of a victim, in fact.

you never got used to being in Hell. Surviving not only the Extermination but also the inhabitants becomes harder and harder every year.

it's kill or be killed, but you just can't bring yourself to do any harm to anyone, even if it means risking your own life.

as soon as you hear about princess Charlie Morningstar's new hotel for souls who want a second chance, your bags are PACKED

it's not like you really need redemption, you are pure hearted already. it's more a matter of understanding the reasons why you ended in Hell and coming to terms with them. maybe then the gates of Heaven would open for you. it's also a safer place for you to be.

Charlie welcomes you excitedly; Angel Dust, Husk and Vaggie aren't that friendly at first since your personalities don't match, but they eventually grow fond of you

and then there's, well...the Radio Demon.

you never met an Overlord before, and Alastor was supposed to be gone for years. But his presence wasn't frightening. A big smile spread across his face, he welcomed you like a gentleman.

you heard stories about his lifestyle and even previous murderous acts as a human, but for some reason you just can't bring yourself to fear him.

at first you were kinda pathetic to him. so naive, out of touch with the evils of Hell. he didn't dislike you. just thought your life was so easy to throw away in a society like that and that you wouldn't last long.

it seems like you two don't have much to share. he just wanders in his den, while you spend time in your room. you greet each other and have small talks, but nothing more than that. that's until he hears jazz music play behind your door.

he mentions it during dinner, and you start talking about your interest in 30s jazz music, especially the one of the Roaring 20s. you come from a later era, but you're very much cultured about jazz and its forms and that's enough for Alastor to develop an interest in you.

he has so many jazz artists recommendations, and you share some of your favourite pieces with him through your gramophone.

without even noticing, Alastor starts spending hours in your room just listening to music. some time even practicing swing dancing. and talking about jazz culture all around the world, and entertainment in general. he has many fun facts about the history of radio too!

the others at the hotel notice your growing bond and low-key support it, in their own, weird way. Angel Dust is especially convinced that you two are hooking up, as Husk not-so-kindly explains that it's more likely for Alastor to ascend to Heaven than express interest in sex.

you would start to open yourself up a bit to the Radio Demon. he doesn't understand why, since it didn't ask or never showed much empathy. but he just can't bring himself to tell you to stop. he wants to listen.

you manage to make him talk about some glimpses of his own life and thoughts. you knew that he was the complete opposite of you. incline to Evil, an enjoyer of all things that made your stomach clench. but he's still the one person who spends hours with you just listening to both jazz and your fears.

one day, Alastor decided that in no way you are walking around the city without him. it's just too dangerous for you. he tries to teach you how to use weapons and demonic powers to defend yourself but he doesn't feel like you can make it into Hell by yourself.

you like strolling through the streets with him, arms intertwined, chatting and laughing even if demons around you are shitting their pants just by seeing the Overlord walking around.

but one day, Alastor can't find you.

you're not in your room, or in the Hotel hall. No one saw you that morning. He starts to feel something he never felt in his life: fear.

he darts out the Hotel, trying to find you. that's when he sees you just a few streets away.

a group of animal-like demons is encircling you. you are on your knees, arms over your head to protect yourself. A lion-demon is holding a knife over you and your arms are covered in cuts. you hold something close to your stomach.

that's when Alastor realized that he had feelings for you.

when he threw himself between you and the demons attacking you.

it's the first time you see Alastor without a smile. his teeth are gritted, face full of unprecedented violence and will to kill, breathing heavily in and out in a sort of animalistic way, but there's no trace of his characteristic smile you love.

his body starts to morph into his full demon form. his horns grow exponentially, his body too as it hovers menacingly on top of your aggressors as they start to feel a pure fear they never felt before.

in a matter of a second, they are gone. Alastor has always been a calculated, elegant killer, but this time he only felt a raw, ferocious instinct to kill.

as he's done, he turns around towards you. he doesn't want to, but he snaps.

"W̶̞̐H̷̻͒Y̷̰̅ ̶̠͛D̸͕́I̸͔̍D̴̿͜ ̷̯̇Y̶̭͌Ỏ̴̬U̵̖̍ ̷̛͎Ģ̷̕O̸̩͑ ̷̹̈́O̶̮͆U̸͍̇T̴̙͆ ̷̧̀W̴͓̅I̷̞͑T̸̗͒H̴̹͒O̴̺̓Ṷ̵̂T̵̺̚ ̵̢́M̴̜̅E̶̬̋?̸̻͋!̸̦͂"

you flinch, you never saw Alastor lose his composure. he was always so calm and collected. his voice was static, choppy.

the tears that were cornering your eyes start streaming down your face "I-I..."

"Ţ̶̈Ḧ̴͙́Ė̵̩Ỳ̷̳ ̷̳̒Ã̸̡L̷̛͚M̶͇̚O̸͈̔S̴̜̎T̸͚̊ ̷̤͝K̷͊͜I̵̺͝L̵͚̎L̴̤̆Ẽ̴͖D̶͍̈́ ̵̻͝Y̵̰̑O̸̜͘Ù̶͍!̵̻͝ ̸͓̾D̴̯͒O̶̅͜Ṉ̶̌'̷̹͒T̵͎͋ ̶̺́Y̴̹͂O̶͍̅U̴̘͌ ̵̘̾Û̷̪N̸̩̊D̵͎̋Ȅ̴͜R̵̮͂S̸̰̄T̸̝̅A̵͓͘N̷̩͂Ḏ̴̀?̵̗̍!̸̭̎"

suddenly, your bleeding arms fall from your head. you expose what you've been protecting all along.

a vinyl, a really old record from Alastor's favourite jazz artist. a rare find.

"I-I know but...tomorrow it's your death anniversary and I wanted to give this to you...as a surprise. I'm sorry"

Alastor's face immediately softens. Eyebrows raised, smile still not seen. He's just surprised and...moved.

He doesn't say anything, he just picks you up in his arms and takes you back to the Hotel where he bandages your arms.

Feeling guilty for putting yourself in danger, you ask Alastor to come to your room in order to apologize to him.

As he closes the door behind him, he says that there's no need to apologize.

"I'm...glad that you are still in your room. Listening to jazz, alive"

words didn't come easy, but he did feel the need to say it. you smile at him.

you propose to put his gift on the gramophone and so you do. music starts to flow between the small space you shared with the Radio Demon.

that's when you and Alastor start slow dancing. his arms around your waist, yours encircling his neck. his smile is back, but soft and...almost loving.

with his silent agreement, you reach for his cheek and graze it.

"Thank you for saving me, Alastor. Even if you are everything I distance myself from in this life...I'm glad you are the person that you are with me. In my next life, I'll make sure to be a sinner again if it means dancing with you like this"

Alastor now understands his feelings. It's something deeper than care. It's love. But not the same love you reserve to a friend and not even romantic. It's something deeper, more visceral.

He doesn't answer, just closes his eyes and leans in to press his forehead against yours.

you later fall asleep on your bed to the quiet sound of the gramophone playing, hands intertwined on Alastor's chest.

[fatuismooches]

a lesson in forgiveness.

The puppet’s plan to save you by deleting himself from the world did not work. You were dead and would remain dead for all of eternity. You were never to be given a second chance, yet he received one, now going by the name Wanderer.

Wanderer had begun to heal, very, very slowly from not only your death but his own past life with the help of the Dendro Archon, but there was not a day where Wanderer didn’t think of you. Sometimes for a little while, sometimes for a long time. Though Wanderer had always kept your gift close to him. The comb you had given him had endured throughout time, not without challenges though. You had given it to him as a good luck charm before he set off on that fateful day. Some of the teeth had been chipped or even broken off. Wanderer always treated it with the utmost care, but time is everything’s greatest enemy, even to immortals.

More recently, Wanderer had decided to create a small doll of you. It was necessary for him, it was a way to cope and come to terms with your death. He remembers centuries ago, you said you had always wanted to see the world. To leave the little village you called home and see Teyvat for yourself. It’s not the same, but perhaps this could be some sort of atonement for letting you die. You’ll be able to see the beautiful sights that he sees with him. Maybe that would make you happy, wherever you were. He would not tell anyone how much time he put into it, for it was an embarrassingly long time. Every stitch and every detail was planned carefully, even making multiple pairs of clothing for you. He didn’t often use them though, but perhaps it was a way to keep his mind off other things. 

Nowadays, Lesser Lord Kusanali had begun to assign him to some bothersome tasks, which he reluctantly carried out. Though, it was mostly a front. He didn’t mind as much as he grunted and scoffed about it. And, Wanderer knows without a doubt that you would adore Nahida. So, he really didn’t mind being the Archons’s shadow. Ah, and the Aranara too, you would absolutely fawn over them. If he was Kabukimono, he would too.

But right now he was taking a break at his usual local cafe. This had become a sort of routine for Wanderer. It was nothing out of the ordinary now. Plus, the coffee here was not bad. The puppet was enjoying his solitude, away from the noise of others when a voice broke his tranquility.

“Hello, is this seat taken?” Wanderer's eyebrow twitched at the disturbance. Couldn’t this person read the room? He thought it would be quite obvious that he preferred to be left alone. He cracked an eyebrow open to retort the person but the sight of them made every part of his body freeze up, and the words died in his throat. This couldn’t be true. It just couldn’t. If he were holding his cup of coffee, he would have dropped it.

For you were standing in front of him again. 

There were not many times Wanderer has been left speechless, for he always has some kind of response to everything, but not this time. What could he say, when confronted with the love of his life after over four hundred years of their death?

“Hello?” You tilted your head, beckoning for a reply. A nervous but genuine smile eased its way onto your lips. “Would you mind if I sat here with you?” Wanderer forced himself to regain his composure.

“…Do what you want.” That came out harsher than the puppet wanted it to, but his stern way of speaking had long been the norm for him. 

“Okay, thanks,” you smiled once again, tension in your shoulders leaving as you pulled out the chair. That smile of yours. That smile was all too familiar. Every part of his body was debating the possibility of this being you. Oh, how he longed for it to be you, but he couldn’t be sure that this was you. It must be just an uncanny resemblance to the you from centuries ago. Because you, [Name], were dead, and you were never coming back.

You began to search through your bag, looking for something. He got a peak of the contents, and there lay some Lavender Melon wrapped up to savor later for a snack. He gritted his teeth at the similarities before deciding to study you more. Your clothes had traditional aspects of Inazuma but also incorporated some styles from Sumeru. Perhaps you were on a trip? His question wasn’t left unanswered for long.

“You know, this is my first day in Sumeru. It’s so much bigger and livelier than I thought,” you hummed happily. “So I thought, the first thing I should do was try some of the local food! I heard it’s quite delicious,” you grinned again finding the Mora pouch in your bag. Then a look of realization appeared on your face. “Oh! How silly of me, rambling to a complete stranger. I’m [Name], by the way.” 

[Name].

[Name].

[Name].

[Name]. The name that had haunted and lingered with him for so long, had come back to the present day. Wanderer’s breath hitched as he could not help but feel a wave of emotions at the reality of the situation. You were back. You were alive again, happy and smiling, looking as if nothing had changed at all. Granted, there were still a few small differences from your past self, but it was wholly and authentically you. [Name]. There was no denying it, and he found himself boring his eyes into your figure. You were still so pretty, so attractive, your beauty not changing throughout time. The way you furrowed your eyebrows as you read through the menu, licking your lips in anticipation of digging into some yummy cuisine.

Wanderer wonders if you still like to cook, the same way the old you loved to. He wonders if you’ll recognize the techniques the old you taught him, how to cut and peel vegetables. Wanderer does it with ease now, no longer cutting his fingers clumsily as Kabukimono did. He wonders if you’d like his own cooking. Much of his knowledge of cooking came from you. He wants to see your face light up in excitement as you relish and praise him for how good he’s gotten without you. If he cooked you the same foods you ate together from those days, how would you react? If he showed you the comb, would you remember? If you remembered, would you forgive him for how he let you die all those years ago? Wanderer’s mind was overloaded with questions. 

He had gone through unspeakable things, but he was extremely strong now, at least stronger than Kabukimono. Wanderer thinks you’ll never be hurt ever again, not by any Treasure Hoarders, Fatui, Kairagi, Nobushi, Hilichurls, or whatever other monsters Teyvat has to offer. No, so long as he watched over you from afar, you would never be injured. But, he questions himself, does he truly deserve this opportunity? No, the better question was, do you deserve to have to deal with him, with him being the person he is now? You looked perfectly fine without him, oblivious to the way he had been suffering for so long after your death. Oblivious to the sins that coated his hands. At the very least, you didn’t meet him while he was Scaramouche. He probably would not have been a good lover to you back then. Your voice interrupted his thoughts. 

“This is my first time trying Sumeru’s coffee. Is it good?” His chest panged once again at how similar your words were spoken now as compared to a few hundred years ago. Wanderer remembers the exact moment, in the bath when you spoke about trying Sumeru’s coffee with him, as if it was yesterday…

“It’s alright,” Wanderer kept his tone neutral despite his thoughts.

“Oh really? Is it bitter or sweet?”

“Neither, it is a good balance. But… I always ask for mine to be extra bitter,” Wanderer admitted to you. Normally, he would never have even entertained a conversation with a stranger, but in a way, you were not a stranger to him.

“Extra bitter, huh? And that doesn’t bother you? Interesting,” you smiled, gaining interest in the conversation as you leaned in closer to him. “I don’t think I could ever handle that!” Wanderer knew that already. In Tatarasuna, you could never stomach the taste of such bitterness. Another look of realization crossed your face as you giggled to yourself.

“It just hit me, I introduced myself but I never asked you. What’s your name?” You smiled once again beautifully, Sumeru’s sun illuminating your features. Wanderer etched your expression forever into his mind before he spoke.

“Just call me… Hat Guy,” Wanderer did not know why he chose to say that name out of all, and he had to stop himself from cringing at himself.

“H-Hat Guy…?” You repeated. You were dead silent for a few seconds before you erupted in laughter, which sounded oh-so-familiar to him, and made his ‘heart’ sing. Your hand flew to your mouth in an attempt to muffle your giggles. “Ah- ahahaha! I didn’t take you for a guy who likes to joke!”

Wanderer didn’t know how things would go from here, but as the wind carried your laugh away, he felt truly at peace after a very, very long time.

lesson 1. lesson 2. lesson 3. lesson 4. lesson 5. lesson 6. lesson 7. lesson 8. lesson 9. lesson 10. bonus lesson.

[scarletttries]

When Fallout Characters Fall In Love... (Fallout Show Request)

Pairings: Cooper Howard/The Ghoul x Reader, Maximus x Reader, Norm x Reader

Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has sent in a request for the Fallout show, please keep them coming as this is definitely the show that I'm thinking about the most at the moment! Also let me know if you want a part two of these headcanons or something similar :)

The Ghoul:

- Cooper Howard couldn't put his finger on exactly when he had accepted that the life he now led would be one devoid of love, but it was a hollow feeling he carried in his chest wherever the wasteland took him. Maybe it was in the decades he'd spent wandering and gaining a reputation as a heartless cowboy without an ounce of mercy. Or the fact that he hadn't met anyone that had stirred up a single emotion inside him, fearing the aching betrayal of his wife would haunt him even as lifetimes passed. Maybe it came to him in the way he flinched each time he caught his reflection in the few unbroken windows he passed, flesh slowly forming caverns and creases where once there were only the faintest of lines that showed endless signs of life. The wasteland was no place for love. That's what he had decided.

- But even in the fall of civilization there's room for a surprise, and you were certainly one of those..

- He heard rumour of you before your bounty crossed his desk, a runaway scientist from a mysterious body known only as The Institute, a target to everyone for the sheer volume of classified knowledge you might possess.

- A life on the run was no easy one, and Cooper knew that better than anyone, so it didn't take long for him to track you down to a small town just on the outskirts of the radiation's no man's land. His gun was cocked as he strutted towards the half open door of the rundown house he'd narrowed your location down to, glancing at the poster in his hand one last time before he burst inside. Even from the poorly illustrated version of you, he could see your eyes were kind, almost hopeful, like you still believed science could make right what had gone so wrong in the last 200 years. He almost felt a tinge of guilt as he steeled himself for a fight, saying a silent prayer that you wouldn't be behind the walls in front of him.

- Stepping in carefully he expected traps, or an army of robots to jump to arms, but instead he found you travelling alone, a small satchel of papers clutched in your arms as you stared him down with a calm resolve that caught him more off guard than any weapon.

"Do you still believe there's hope for this world Mr Howard?" Your voice was soft, not the trembling fear he was so used to hearing. You stared up at him without a trace of disgust in your expression, your eyes locked on his as he considered your question, and then lowered his weapon.

"And what if I do?" His heart ached at the question, so hardened by years of cynicism that even the idea of hope and goodness were almost too heavy to bear. He felt more human than he had in years as you slowly inched towards him, the creaking floorboards beneath you cutting through a tense silence that had The Ghoul feeling like he was back on a movie set, everything so perfectly orchestrated to have his stomach in knots. And then you extended your hand to him and gave him the most genuine smile he could remember receiving in this whole sorry chapter of his after-life,

"Then I think we could really make a difference. Together." Your pip-boy screeched as his irradiated hand stretched out to reach yours, but you didn't flinch, gently squeezing the twisted flesh as you shook on what you bought felt in the depths of your souls was going to be a meaningful partnership.

- It would be a straight forward life trying to use your research to get the world back on track for there to be joy and peace again. But with The Ghoul by your side you can expect; a personal bodyguard who cares more about your safety than his own by far, a gleaming look of pride in his eyes any time you tell him which Cooper Howard film was your favourite, the slow and steady acceptance that he is still worthy of love even in his new twisted form, and Cooper being endlessly grateful that you are the person who wants to give that love to him.

Maximus:

- All Maximus had ever wanted was to be a knight of the Brotherhood. He wakes up every morning and does his best every day just to try and earn his spot in this family of welded metal and unflinching loyalty. It wasn't until you arrived on the base that he started to realise there were other ways he might form a family.

- A nearby village had been half destroyed by raiders until the Brotherhood stepped in, clearing out the violent scavengers and bringing anyone with skills they could utilise back to base for assessment. Maximus was sitting alone, nursing the most recent wounds inflicted by his so-called brothers when he watched you march in alongside two soldiers, the final evacuee of your faded community, a distance in your eyes that he felt akin with from his own home's destruction. You could feel his eyes on you before you spotted him, a rag damp with blood pressed to his nose as he sat huddled against a corrugated iron shack.

- Despite the sheer joylessness of the situation, Max couldn't stop himself from sporting a smile, waving at you like you had locked eyes across the schoolyard not some barren military base. Whatever he hoped for in that moment seemed to pay off as you waved back, a small laugh escaping your lips at the absurdity of his blood soaked grin. He watched as the knights around you escorted you to the medical tent for a check up, waiting until they left their guard posts beside you to sneak behind the off-white fabric, following some unknown instinct he'd never felt call to him before. You bolted upright where you perched on one of the medical beds as he appeared, visibly relaxing when you recognised him from outside and once again waving in his direction. His mouth worked faster than his brain in that moment, heart hammering in his chest as the words gushed out with his new found affections,

"I used to live in Shady Sands. I know what it's like to have your home destroyed, your family hurt, everything changing all at once. But you're safe here with the Brotherhood, and even if it doesn't feel like it today, things are going to be okay eventually. Also I'm Maximus and if you ever need to talk to someone, I'm, like, around all the time, and no one else really wants to talk to me so I'm probably going to be available... " He trailed off as he tried to recover what had ended up a far more embarrassing sentence than he'd hoped, his lungs burning as he realised he'd forgotten to take a breath through his whole winding spiel. But when you smiled at him any shame seemed to float away, and as you patted the bed and nodded for him to take a seat beside you, the once lonely squire suddenly felt much closer to finding a family than he had surrounded by his brothers.

- As you settle into life on the base, you and Maximus only grow closer. Expect; late nights of sneaking out of your dorm so you and Max can stare up the stars and plot your escape from this life, fantasising about what a life beyond these walls and this world could be like for the two of you, someone who has your back no matter how bad things get and how low you feel, and truly some of the most god awful flirting you will ever hear.

Norm:

- Growing up in the Vault, Norm had always been told the value of belonging to a community, and how everyone in the vault was just a big happy family. But none of that stopped Norm feeling like an outsider, like he didn't quite operate on the same wavelength as the rest of the cheerful strangers he shared his deep underground walls with. After a few of the annual exchanges between vaults, he had all but given up on hoping to meet anyone he felt he could actually feel close to.

- When his overseer father had finally decided it was his turn to continue the vault's legacy and be part of what Norm considered an archaic tradition of arranged marriages between the linked vaults, Norm couldn't have been more resistant. He pleaded for the council to reject his nomination, begging them not to force some young hopeful to be subjected to his notable lack of enthusiasm for the rest of their life in this dutiful swap, but with limited options of eligible young men, he soon found himself staring down the doors of your vault. The suit previously used by his fellow bachelors had been tailored to within an inch of its life to try and fit his slight frame, the shoulders still feeling like they hung off him, threatening to swallow him up along with ground as he watched the round door slowly start to roll open.

- He thought this whole thing was stupid and outdated, and he knew there was no way he could actually find someone to love and love him in return behind those doors, so why was his stomach so full of butterflies as slowly your face started to appear in the artificial light of Vault 33. He waited to see you throw him a false smile, going through the motions as much as he had planned to, or even a look of disappointment that he was not the man you had been picturing as the door crept open. Instead he really thought he saw sincerity in your eyes, a thoughtful understanding as he choked out his name, his stammering not going unnoticed by his sister who quietly chuckled behind him.

"It's really nice to meet you, Norm." You spoke each word with intention, like it wasn't just a rehearsed greeting but an honest confession that sent sparks flying in the air between you.

- Suddenly the pressure of matrimony didn't feel so all consuming. And maybe this system was more advanced than he had appreciated. And there might be a small chance that he wasn't destined to spend his life feeling like he was on the outside, that he might finally have someone that could take him as he is, darkness and light, for better or for worse.

- Whether you stay in the vaults, or make your move to the surface world, with Norm by your side you can expect: Sarcastic comments muttered under his breath at inopportune moments just to see the way you fail to contain your laughter, being the sounding board for all of each other's thoughts and feelings no matter how serious or silly they might be, Norm clinging to your side through everything knowing that he only feels himself when he's stood in your light, and being the one person Norm would do absolutely anything for, bringing out the bravery and intelligence that was always just below the surface of this sweet man.

[catscraaatch]

₊˚ପ⊹ put it on my tab

sum: Nanami can't keep his eyes off the pretty little thing across the bar. the way that dress hugs her curves, the way her lips wrap around the straw of her drink...and....is that a ring on her finger?...wc: 2.8k

includes: fem reader, role-playing, strangers to lovers (?) scenario, exhibitionism, praise, cheesy flirting, breeding, bathroom sex mdni.

“rum and coke please.” you’re sat at the bar, the short black dress you’re wearing riding up your thighs as you adjust yourself on the stool, surveying the room. You look around the dimly lit bar, bodies pressed against bodies, moving in tandem to the beat of the music playing over the speakers.

You scan the room, looking around as if you’re on the prowl for someone to approach you; to see the way that little dress hugs your curves, to appreciate all the time spent smudging your eyeliner just right, glossing your plump lips. Looking around as if you don’t feel his eyes on you already.

Nanami is sat at a table a mere 10 feet away from you, lidded eyes peering over the rim of his glass, drinking in the sight of you. pretty thing, pretending to be so nonchalant, so oblivious to all the lingering glances random passerby's give you; scanning you up and down, practically undressing you with their eyes. if only they stopped and looked with their eyes and not their dicks they’d see the ring on your finger– see that despite your vulnerable gaze and lax demeanor, you’re already his.

you and nanamis sex life was amazing– more than that, truly. With a handful of years of marriage under your belt you still kept things exciting, your relentless attraction to each other an undeniable plus. you were more than satisfied. he was more than satisfied, in all aspects of your relationship. but every now and then you both liked to…venture a bit outside of your norm. ‘keep the spark alive’ you’d say. as if the spark could ever dull, let alone die. the man was absolutely enamored with you, bewitched in every way of the word. he thinks obsessed might be a good word for it too.

which is why when you suggested you two go to the bar and pretend to be strangers– he was all in. He stole glances at you as you slipped into your dress for the night, watched you dust your cheeks with blush and toe on your heels, grab your purse and head out of the door of your shared home, wordlessly sending him a wink behind your back. it was all apart of your little game; one that he was not unfamiliar with. Pretending to ‘bump into each other’ when you were at the grocery store, coming into his office at work to bring him lunch, running your fingers over the papers on his desk, asking if there was anything his “secretary” could do for him. it always ended the same. him buried deep inside of you, falling in love with you all over again on his own volition; the roleplay completely disregarded. tonight was no different.

you finally catch his gaze from across the bar, sending him a soft smile and a tinkling little wave. He takes that as his opportunity to approach you, his expression remaining stoic as he slowly stands from his seat, setting his almost empty glass down and sauntering over to you, his eyes darkened by the dim light of the bar. his expression softens as he leans against the bar top next to you, shameless eyes roaming over your form. The bartender sets your drink down, oblivious to the scene playing out in front of him.

 “you just gonna stare at me or you gonna introduce yourself?” you chuckle at nanami’s shameless wandering eyes, grabbing your drink and wrapping your lips around the straw. his gaze follows the action closely before traveling back up to meet yours. 

“Kento.” he says simply, his gazed still locked onto yours. 

something possessive lingers in his stare, one that has your breath quickening just the littlest bit. you tell yourself to pull it together– you don't even know the man for Christ's sake. “that your first name or last name?” you ask, your mind registering it as the latter, wondering why he'd introduce himself informally to a stranger. “first” he says. you squint, smirking as you set your drink down before turning back to him, resting your arm on the bar and propping your chin on your hand. “quite informal of you, ken.” the nickname leaves your glossed lips so heavenly, the sound of it gracing his ears and making his stomach flutter. weak man. 

 he pauses for a beat, his own mouth pulling into that handsome little smirk of his. “figured we'd be well acquainted with each other soon enough.” he quips back. the beat of the conversation goes on like a tennis match, throwing sultry flirts back and forth at each other, all while your eyes stay trained on the other, the music and chatter of the bar muffled by the tension between the two of you. there's something so thrilling about the scenario; playing along with this little game, a secret only you two share. to anyone paying attention it would look like a natural occurrence; two attractive people stealing glances at each other from across the bar, flirting back and forth before eventually heading home together, and everyone knows how that usually ends. 

what makes this even more exciting is the fact that you do know each other– all too well. the fact that you both know just how to make the other tick, know what words and gentle grazes of skin makes your pulse quicken and the room that much hotter– alcohol be damned. nanami knew the way his lidded eyes drank you in, the way he oozes confidence like he knew he was taking you home, knew you belonged to him, made you press your legs together on the bar stool you were sat on. you were doing it right now; his eyes trailed down your body before landing on your clenched thighs. he dragged his eyes back up, taking a step closer to you and leaning in, warm breath tickling the shell of your ear,

 “meet me in the bathroom in 5 pretty girl. you can call me any name you want.”

 his barritone voice and sultry words send a shiver down your back, the arousal pooling in your stomach in a thick wave of heat. all you can do is nod at him dumbly, your previous seductive nature gone with the wind; nanami always knew how to get you going for him. always playing along with the game– there’s no winners or losers, you’d end up fucking each others brains out either way. but if there were, nanami would be the champ. no matter the scenario, he was always gonna get what was his.

like clockwork, 5 minutes later, (4..maybe 3 and a half– patience was not a virtue you possessed in any sense when it came to this man) you find yourself pressed against the locked door of the bar bathroom stall. Nanami’s big hands pulling at the fabric of your dress, your leg slung around his hip as he trails feverish open mouthed kisses down the expanse of your jaw. He was starving for you. the thrill of the chase making all of his blood pump south, straining against the material of his pants as he slowly grinds his hips into you. 

“you look beautiful tonight darling, all dolled up for me” his words following each kiss he leaves on your throat, his hands digging into the fat of your hips as his movements become more impatient. “all for you ken” you breath out, panting as his mouth explores your body, letting out a breathy moan as he trails back up to your ear, tugging at the lobe with a quiet growl. “you feel all those eyes on you sweetheart? feel like you were here alone, just waiting for someone to pull this tight little dress off of you?” his hands trail up your thigh still hitched around his leg, sliding the fabric up, up, up. his fingers danced at the edge of your already soaked panties. you buck your hips into him, throwing your head back against the stall door. 

“impatient little thing” he chides, that familiar smirk on his face. “this needy for a man you just met.” he draws from the crook of your neck, his eyes bore into yours as he reaches down to pull at the buckle of his belt. metal clinking and the sounds of both of your heavy breaths filling the space of the bathroom. “turn around.” he breathes out, the carnal need in his voice unmistakable as you slowly turn to pin yourself against the stall door, bracing your hands on the cool surface, your pulse beating rapidly. he’s on you immediately. pressing you fully against the door, his mouth latching back on to the sensitive skin of your neck and his hard cock pressing against your ass where your dress had ridden up.

“f-fuck ken” you whine, relishing in the feeling of him all over you. he was everywhere, invading your senses completely. his lips on you, the familiar scent of his cologne filling your nose, his deep breaths in your ear, and his hands. god his hands– rubbing wherever he could reach. his fingers dance against your hips before pulling your dress up and over your ass, grabbing at the hem of your underwear where they meet your thigh, tugging them to the side and letting out a gutteral groan from the back of his throat “god, look at you darling” you could feel his eyes on your soaked pussy, making you squirm beneath him, throbbing in want. you were a mess, slick threatening to dribble down your bare thigh just from nanami’s touch. he presses himself impossibly closer against you, his chest flush with your back. “so wet for me, such a messy girl. don’t be shy now baby, tell me what you want. need to hear you say it” you whine quietly, needy hole clenching around nothing as you push your ass against his crotch.

 “please ken, please need you. want it inside.” you mindlessly babble, nanami grinning at your bold impatience. you step it up, craning to look back at him, resting a hand against his cheek and pulling him in for a sloppy kiss, tongues tangling together as you pant into eachother’s open mouth. you pull apart, nanami’s head reeling and his hands gripping at the fabric of your hiked up dress, right at the edge of his limit. so eager, and so, fucking hard. 

“fuck me.” you whisper, and he’s instantly a goner.

he tugs his aching cock out of his slacks, hissing when the cool air hits his leaking tip. he gives himself a few short tugs before pressing the tip against your entrance. nanami is dizzy with the feeling of your warm walls clenching around him, tight heat sucking him in so good he’s shocked his knees haven’t buckled. you let out a moan as he fully bottoms out in you, slapping a hand over your own mouth. he growls as you clench around him, leaning in to speak against the shell of your ear. “let me hear those pretty sounds darling,” he pants, removing your hand from your mouth and gently wrapping his own around your neck, pulling you even further down onto his cock as his hips find a steady rhythm. in and out. “let all those men out there hear how much you love my cock. you love it don’t you?” you can only nod, your jaw slack and your eyes pinched closed as he rolls his hips into yours, swollen tip just grazing that tender spot inside of you.

“words, baby.” nanami breathes out, his fingers around your throat tightening ever so slightly, his thrusts picking up in pace making him hit your g spot dead on, your weak legs already threatening to give out underneath you. “y-yes! fuck. yes ken. love your fucking cock” you force out, moaning and whining freely as he fucks you against the wall. his eyes travel down your spine, watching the way your plush ass bounces and ripples with each thrust of his hips before his gaze lands and where the two of you are connected. he slows his movement down for a split second making you whimper, convulsing around him. he watches your pretty pussy take him so well, your shiny slick covering his entire cock, a combined mess of slick and precum forming a pretty white ring around the base. god, he loved you. 

the sight only made him fuck you harder, angling his hips up to hit that bundle of nerves over and over, wanting to see you add to the mess threatening to drip down his shaft. the cacophony of your desperate moans and soaked pussy hitting the both of your ears, drawing you closer and closer to the edge. you squeeze around him, your eyes fluttering back into their sockets as he pounds you halfway to heaven. 

he notices the way you tense up, your sounds getting higher in pitch, knows you’re right on that edge. his hand sneaks around you, rubbing tight circles over your clit and you nearly scream at the stimulation, your knees buckling under you. “right th-there ken, fuck– ‘m so close” you whine.

“right here darling? you gonna make a pretty mess for me, hm?” his warm breath is washing over your neck in short pants, so close to his own release, his hot tip leaking as he pounds into you, adding to the mess and the lewd wet noises emitting from you. his other hand trails upward, joining the other one and wrapping around your throat, squeezing harder now, using it as leverage to fuck you back into him. just the way you liked. you pulsate around his cock, sucking in gasps of air. you feel the coil in your belly tighten, your orgasm hitting you like a semi truck without warning. spasming all over nanami’s dick like you’re trying to milk him for all he’s worth.

nanami groans at the feeling, swollen cock head nearly slipping out of you at the force of your climax. he fucks you through it, his hips relentless as your shaky legs finally give out on you, one of his hands leaving your throat to wrap around your waist snugly, holding you up as he continues to pound into you. 

“thaaat’s it, atta girl” he says breathlessly, pulling your chin toward him, kissing you sloppily and sucking your tongue into his mouh with a slutty moan– you clench around him at the sound, needy pussy still sucking him in so good even after cumming. he pulls away with a pained noise, his head ducking into the crook of your neck as his thrusts quicken, chasing his release. 

“mm– ‘m gonna cum soon sweetheart, keep squeezing me like that” he pants. he continues to piston his cock into you, breathless moans falling out of him unabashedly, not caring who hears as he buries himself deep inside of you one last time, cursing as the head of his cock kisses your cervix, hot spurts of cum spilling into you. you let out the prettiest noises as he fills you up, your combined mess starting to drip down your thigh, landing in a lewd puddle on the bathroom floor. his head is still buried into your neck as he slows his hips, his chest heaving as he finds his breath.

“god sweetheart–” he sighs, pulling his cock out of you with a hiss, grabbing your hips and spinning you around to face him. he takes in your fucked out face, cheeks flushed and eyes glossy. you look stunning, he thinks. he pulls you in for a sweet kiss, like you’re the most precious thing in the world– which to him you are– like you didn’t just let him fuck your brains out in a bar bathroom stall. you moan into the kiss, trailing your hands down his chest and abdomen before pulling away, staring into his bleary eyes before getting down on your knees in front of him. you smile up at him innocently, leaning in and pressing hot open mouthed kisses to his now softened cock. his gaze is dark as he stares down at you, his lips parting as you take him into your mouth, cleaning up the mess you made.

“oh darling– you fucking minx.” he rasps, his large hand coming down to lay against your cheek, his thumb grazing it softly. you finish your little show, standing to your feet and pulling your dress back down over your ass with a giggle. your husband smiles at the sound, shaking his head and pecking you on the lips again.

“you’re gonna be the death of me one day.” he chuckles.

the both of you head out of the bathroom after getting fixed up. you walk hand in hand, your legs still slightly wobbly as you make your way through the crowd of unsuspecting bar patrons. nanami stops in front of the bar, the bartender looking between the two of you, his eyes stopping on your smudged makeup and once perfectly styled hair now skewed, before turning to nanami– the top three buttons on his shirt undone, his lips slightly stained in a pretty pink color, the same as the lipstick that was once on yours– now long rubbed off.

nanami gives him a friendly smile, sliding his card toward him on the bar top.

“put it on my tab.”

[brailsthesmolgurl]

Remember me?

Preview: You had gotten into a terrible accident. What happens when your memory of him had faded? What would he do to regain your love for him?

Warnings: Angst with comfort. Suggestive as well ;)

P.S: Xavier girlies really be getting a treat because I made sure to make his part a little longer than usual as i always struggled with writing Xavier :,)

ZAYNE

Rushing into the ER, Zayne’s footsteps came to a sudden halt when he watched you getting pushed into a room on a stretcher, a crash cart finding its way next to your side. He had received a call from your colleague Tara, crying on the phone explaining that your heroic actions had been a disastrous one as your were outnumbered by a sudden influx of wanderers. You managed to kill most of them, but in return, you too sustained some severe injuries.

Prior to Tara's call, you had tried to call Zayne, or in fact, just trying to reach out to anyone possible as you knew that you were not going to pull through the next hit. But as you were about to press the green dial button, a wanderer charged towards you from behind and successfully knocked you down. You would have easily avoided that collision if you were not in such a weakened and drained state. When your back hit the ground, your vision immediately turned black like a television that got turned off.

“Dr. Zayne, you have to leave.” The attending instructed the nurses to push him back but Zayne turned, knowing the Hippocratic oath he had taken had to be respected as the other doctors would serve you within your best interest. The man returned to his office, his mind a blank slate as he did not know nor expected to see you in such a condition. You were knocked out cold, blood painting your face as it flowed down from the top of your scalp. Your clothes were torn and roughed up, showing lacerations that calls for infections. Doctors and nurses in the ER swarmed you, tugging off the covers to reveal a gaping hole on the side of your hip.

He could not bring his feet to leave, stagnant at his current spot as he watched nurses intubated you, doctors drawing cultures from your body so it could be tested in the lab. It did not fazed him when this is a norm for him on a daily basis, yet he could not help but to be bothered at the fact he could not do anything as he watched you from the point of a bystander. The memories of you laying in the scarlet tainted bed would never be out of his mind ever again.

The next day, Zayne stopped by your room during his lunch break, a paper cup in his hand, filled with hot chocolate. His lunch break would usually be spent in his room, with one of the nurses stopping by to hand him his meal and he shall eat in peace in his office while going through patient files or simply read a book for his own entertainment. But it is different this time, he had abandoned his lunch break routine just to stand at the window that views directly into your room.

He mentally counted the amount of tubes that were attached to your limbs. Two IV poles stood on each side of your bed, like guards on duty, holding up packs of liquid substances that works to provide nutrients for your injured body. Your face had a couple of plasters on them, mimicking patches of your skin, while protecting your wounds from getting contaminated. Zayne had to constantly remind himself that you were just taking a nap but his logical mind would not let him succumb to those imaginary thoughts. You are in fact, in a concussed state.

It took two days for Zayne to receive a notification from his pager informing him about you regaining consciousness and the cardiologist was quick to dismiss his current patient, jotting a quick prescription and handing it to them. When he was asked why was he in a hurry, he came up with a banal excuse that has something to do with a toilet break and he rushed out of his room with hasty footsteps. Taking the stairs straight to the second floor instead of riding the elevator as he has no time to waste. When he arrived at your room, he waltzed right in. Your attending stood next to you, going through the charts, chatting with one of her cohorts, fingers pointing on the chart from one end to another, perhaps discussing about another possible upcoming diagnosis.

“Y/n.” His voice was surprisingly calm as he approached you but the attending doctor of yours held him by his arm and a shake of her head indicated a warning sign. Zayne looked at the two doctors and back towards you, eyes of hazel-green meeting yours. “What is the diagnostic?”

“She had just woken up from her concussion, head trauma might suggest short-term amnesia. But it was unsure how long it would take for her to recover her memories. So, if she does not remember you, I would suggest taking things slow.” The doctor informed Zayne, her tone professional but certainly held hints of wariness. It was rare to see Zayne being emotional over a patient, let alone this patient who is not even within his care. She surely is a special one to Zayne, the attending assumed and together with her colleague, they both left the room to give Zayne and y/n some space.

You watched the guy doctor approached, his face held no emotions. You caught the black name tag on his coat, ZAYNE. He looked surprisingly young to be a doctor, it made you wonder what department he works in. His raven hair was neatly styled, framing his chiseled features well. For a moment, you had a sense of deja vu, as if you remembered him from somewhere. But the memories vaporised as soon as you tried to recall it, making this man in front of you a total mystery.

“Hi.” You smiled, cheery as ever but with a nasally voice. You figured he must care for you if he were to come and visit you during his working hours right? Zayne’s eyes lit up as he took a seat right next to your bedside. “Thanks for visiting me, although…I am not quite sure who you are. But still, thank you.” The doctor’s emerging smile dropped, realising that your amnesia would have been more serious than what was estimated.

𓆩⟡𓆪

Weeks had passed by, then came along with months but even till now, your memories remained black. You do not recall Zayne at all, his face provided not even a bit of a vague memory of both of your shared past, his voice sounded still as stoic and foreign, but you always had this bubbling feel within your belly, and it only ever comes around when you are with him. This applies for the moments when he would come to your office to pick you up, suddenly stopping by your house to hand you some of desserts that he managed to discover, and spending what you thought was unnecessary effort for someone that he 'barely knew'.

Pushing the glass door open, you stepped into a coffee shop, the waft of coffee beans and freshly baked pastries enveloped your nose. This place looked familiar to you with cosy warm lightings on all corners, booth seatings made out of plush velvet cushions and wooden tables that have carvings on it that surely cost the coffee shop a pretty penny. Your eyes scanned the occupied seats and rested upon a figure in a man in a white button up. His posture was straight, head tilted just low enough to capture the phone's screen.

Once you got close enough, the doctor reacted naturally when he spotted the outline of your shadow. He did chose to sit in an obscure corner, so if someone were to approach, he would automatically assume its you. With a tap of a button, the screen on his phone turned dark and he looked up, adjusting his spectacles that was perched on his nose bridge. “You are late.” He stated as he quietly studied your outfit for today. A white turtle neck with a pair of black jeans, put together with a black leather jacket that compliments your jet black boots. Simple but stylish. “I had already ordered for you, the usual of course.” He held up the ceramic cup and drank from it, feeling the warm coffee hitting the back of his throat, leaving a bitter trail for his taste buds.

“I’m sorry, I just got delayed by traffic but thank you for ordering for me, it was nice of you to do so.” Too nice. Ever since you had regained full range of motion and slowly got back onto your feet, you had became too nice that it was a strange phenomenon for Zayne. Low-key, he missed your borderline witty retorts and occasional petty remarks. That was a part of you that he longed for. “So, why are we here again?”

The young man swirled the coffee in his cup, watching the liquid sloshed around. “I just figured you might remember this coffee shop.” His attempt to make you remember him is still very much present and ongoing. “As this was where we had our first date.”

“Well, it does look familiar.” You looked around, taking in the view of the amazing cafe. “But, still nothing comes to my mind. I am sorry Zayne.” Another failed attempt which was already expected by Zayne the moment you had entered the doors to this cafe. Hearing you addressing his name every time was a comfort and yet a curse because you calling his name did not mean anything anymore.

The doctor sat in front of you provided both you and himself a smile of solace. “It’s alright. You do not have to apologise every time if you do not recall the memories we once had. I will just keep on trying.” The waitress then approached the both of you, laying down the desserts and pastries that Zayne had ordered. “Here, have it as much as you want. It shall be on my tab.”

Staring at the array of desserts, your vision paused at the strawberry roll. The cylindrical delicacy doused in a layer of butter and decorated heavily with fresh whipped cream and strawberries. Before you could manage to taste a piece, your daydream beckoned you, flashes of memories came along, showing visions of you eating desserts with Zayne. The both of you standing side by side, debating on which coffee would match which dessert better and finally deciding on the strawberry roll. The same strawberry roll that earned him a toothache and you eventually accompanied him to the dentist, your nags could be heard through the playback in your head. “Are you alright y/n?” Zayne’s voice interrupted your vision.

“I…I need the washroom.” You pushed your chair back and hurried off into the bathroom. Jamming yourself into one of the stalls, you sat yourself down onto the toilet cover and held your head in your palms. The throbbing pain on your frontal lob causing you to feel waves of nausea. Your breaths started quickening as you felt like you were strapped down to a roller coaster of emotions involuntarily, going through tunnels at light speeds, replaying all of your memories along the way. Then it stopped. You just sat on the toilet cover now, tears stinging your eyes as you take in your surroundings.

The day before you went onto a mission, Zayne and you had a fallout, arguing over the fact he was too busy with his schedule and constantly cancelling his meet ups with you just to attend to his patients. You knew he had an important role to play within the hospital, but his last minute cancellations was the main reason you got riled up when you confronted him about it. Not to mention his indifference further fuelled your anger. The argument that night was inconclusive, the both of you agreed to have your own time, only to result in solemn sighs and quiet cries. The next day, the fight between the both of you partially held the blame when you were in the middle of the battlefield, too drained from your lack of sleep. Then, your inability to focus while fighting Berserk Wanderers made you pay the price.

But when Zayne caught sight of you for the very first time in the stretcher, the fight never mattered anymore. If apologising would bring you back, he would have done it without hesitation. He took the blame too, silently cursing himself, questioning himself if things would have taken a better turn if he chose to hold you close and apologise for that night, to promise you that he would spend more time with you. The promise was only played out when you regained consciousness. How he wished you could have remembered, seeing that he had made time for you just the way you would have wanted him to.

He would always accompany you to your physiology appointments, visiting you often after he is done with his shifts, forgiving you every time you do not remember scenarios or locations that had played a significant part in both of your relationship. It must have been an aching journey for him. From the throbbing pain, your head started feeling heavy and you collapsed in the stall.

𓆩⟡𓆪

Waking up, your hands pushed down against satin sheets in an attempt to sit yourself up. The room you are in is definitely not yours, the pristine white walls with darkish blue accents belong to Zayne’s. Just as you thought of him, he appeared through the doorway, wooden tray in hand as he walked over to you. A cup of water with pills in a transparent plastic cup, and two pieces of bread sat on the tray. “You passed out when you were in the washroom earlier on, but I do not sense anything serious so I brought you home and figured Ibuprofen would settle your issue for now.”

“Zayne.” The way you called him made him perked his ears up as he laid the tray down. “I am sorry for everything.” He looked at you, the lights in his room casting a glow on his face, showcasing the creases in between his brows as he was confused over your apology. “I am sorry I don’t remember you.” The tears of yours got released and they flowed down your face. Your sincerity broke his guard and he leaned forward hugging you, pulling you tautly against his torso. Nobody could explain nor understand the amount of relief that was rushing through his system now, shooting endorphins and dopamines straight through the roof of his head.

He nuzzled into your neck, breaths taken in long and slow drags as he tried to calm himself down. He was never used to showing emotions but just for this one time, he could let himself loose. “You don’t have to be.” He rubbed his palms on the side of your arms, consoling you from sobbing.

“I missed you so much.” Your arms wrapped around him in return, smiling at his overwhelming response. “I really missed you. You did so much just for me.”

He pulled back, hands cupping your face immediately, sighing in relief. “I only did what was deemed necessary to bring you back to me. No matter how long it takes, I will keep on trying.” Lurching forward, your lips caught his in heated passion, thanking him for his efforts through your actions. You had missed his kisses, lips overlapping over one another then parting, allowing tongues to dance for dominance. His arms snaked around your waist and he pulled you to sit onto his lap, a tent evidently pressing against you. His other hand went to the back of your neck and he pulled back, searching your expressions for a confirmation to his further actions. “Would you like me to continue?”

“Yes.” Your one-worded answer approved of his arousal and the both of you continued kissing fervently. This time with your hands exploring the expanse of his upper torso, feeling his muscles with every touch. “I love you.”

Getting to hear those words coming from your mouth again, he picked you up by your thighs and laid you onto his bed, climbing over on top of you as he unbuttoned his shirt slowly, eyes raking through your body, desperately wanting to reveal what was underneath your conservative clothing and wanting to revel himself in pleasing you. “I love you too.” Your hands reached up to cup his cheeks this time, smiling. “Allow me to take this slow, all night. Till you remember me fully.”

XAVIER

“You take the two on your right and I will take on the big one.” Summoning your guns out of thin air, you gripped it familiarly within your palms, the metal grips on your guns cold to your touch. You looked at the wanderer in front of you. The size of it outweighed the wanderers that Xavier was tasked to deal with. The wanderer is shaped like a dragon, floating above the ground, with metallic scales all over its body that forms a shield as part of its defence mechanism. Talons sharp and hard as a diamond came slashing at the speed that could only be counted in milliseconds and you dodged it at the perfect timing, a few strands of your hair suffered the damage of its talons. “Tsk, you are certainly feisty.”

“Are you hurt?” Xavier is already dashing over to you, him dealing with the two wanderers barely took 5 seconds. It was a simple slash and dash for him. You regained your stability, standing up straight and getting into a combative stance, the blond man joining you by your side, sword raised and aimed at the foul wanderer. “Let’s take it down together.”

The both of you moved in sync like a dance is taking place in the middle of battlefield. The wanderer utilised its talons and tail to its best attempt to attack the both of you but the bigger they are, they tend to be slower in motion. That added an advantage to both Xavier and you. The man hollered at you as he jumped up, distracting the dragon and you denoted his instructions, charging in at full speed. The talons of the dragon then came towards you. Yet, everything seems to happen in slow-motion as you kicked yourself off of the ground and did a somersault, counteracting against the movement of the talons and safely avoiding it. Xavier appeared beneath you, his teleportation abilities an extremely useful tactic for displacement.

Dropping on one knee, he reached his hand out and you used the platform on his palm to provide a leverage for you to gain momentum for height, springing yourself up into the air, rotating in circles before angling yourself face-first towards the dragon like creature. The dragon roared as it spotted you, talons now flying upwards to stop your strike. You waved your hand and the guns switched to a blade similar to Xavier’s but with a silver hilt and a red tip. Fast as a bullet, you avoided the attack of the dragon yet again and this time jammed the blade right onto the top of its head. The dragon screeched before fading into dust particles and the Protocore that it carried fell to the floor with a clink. “How was that move just now?” You smirked, awaiting a compliment as you landed onto the ground steadily.

“It can use some work.” Xavier spoke nonchalantly, bending down to pick up the Protocore before crushing it in his hands, not wanting anyone else to get their hands on it, especially those who are not associated with your organisation. You placed a hand onto your chest and gasped dramatically, feigning being insulted. “You deserve that for letting me deal with the weaker ones and with you dealing with the dragon all by yourself. You could easily get hurt.” His display of puppy eyes might fool everyone else other than you. You can see the smirk right through him.

“Well you’re always the show off, it is time for me to grab that spotlight by now.” You huffed, arms crossing over your chest in disappointment and he laughed, walking over to you and pulling your arms away from your torso, his smile genuine this time.

“I can never win an argument against you, so I give up okay?” He raised his hand up and brushed what seemed to be left of the dragon ashes off of your head. The sudden interaction of his got you speechless. “Nothing to say? Cat got your tongue?” He teased and you sent a light punch towards his way, aiming right at his torso. “Ouch.”

At this point, both of you could not hide your feelings for one another. It was so obvious to the point Tara would always mock that the both of you ‘are a force so great that gravity could not even pull you both apart’. Tara’s point was widely agreed by everyone else within the same department and even reaching towards the data mining department and the HR department. Well, looking onto the bright side, at least you guys have more support than rejection. Captain Jenna however, presented her disapproval towards their relationship as ‘business and personal matters are not a good concoction’ as quoted by the superior of theirs. Still, majority decision matters and Xavier have strong beliefs that the both of you would be able to still keep things professional while pursuing a relationship.

“Let’s grab some ramen, I am hungry.” The usual routine ensues. It is not a routine if there are no food gatherings after a mission, or specifically, one that involves you. “This time, it will be on me.”

𓆩⟡𓆪

Xavier’s superbike engine increased in volume as the acceleration increases. Wind hitting the both of your faces like some form of karmic payback for going so fast on the streets. Clouds were being shoved in the skies, eating up the sun light that once provided warmth and exchanging it for clouds of storms. The rain then poured rampantly, wetting everything in its path and coating the tar roads in a sheen of wax-like surface. Xavier twisted the handle further and that pushed the bike faster, you holding on tighter to his waist as he registered himself to be in a race with the rainstorm. Something about Xavier riding his bike like a wild man does something to me :,)

They are almost at their destination, the marker point for the restaurant could be seen on Xavier’s phone screen that had the GPS system running. “We are almost there.” He called out from his helmet, the indicator of his speedometer showing that he is nearly achieving the top speed on his superbike. The good thing about modern technology nowadays is that there are no struggles to speak in a normal tone when there is a built in microphone within the helmet. Back in the days, talking on a motorbike in motion would involve a lot of yelling as the deaden wind noises would act like giant ear plugs in one’s ears, making it difficult to communicate.

Turning a corner, his tyre screeched in rejection, a normal phenomenon for him using wet tyres that provides a better grip on slippery roads during such rainy seasons. What was unexpected however, was the lorry that appeared right in front of them, blaring its horns as the driver was seen stepping onto the brakes, inertia taking over when his body was jerked back, praying for his brakes to take control of the vehicle. “Xavier!” You screamed out as Xavier turned the bike’s head over to the other side to prevent colliding into the lorry but it was too late. A loud bang came through and you just remembered falling harshly onto the ground, landing on back first and darkness took you right away.

𓆩⟡𓆪

Beep. Beep. Beep. Machines were heard, your body struggled to move as if chained down by restraints. Your head felt like it just went through a lobotomy, aching in deep throbbing pain. You slowly opened your eyelids, welcoming the sun light that had invited itself into your room. Your surroundings are clean, smelling like iodine and sterile alcohol. You looked down and realised you are in a loose blue hospital gown. You are in a hospital. For what reason though?

Your mind emitted a high pitched ringing as you tried to recall your last moments that had landed you into the hospital. All you managed to recall was you coming in contact with a wanderer alone, and after you had defeated it, everything else is a mystery. Hearing the door sliding open, you looked over, spotting a man walking in through the entrance. He is wearing a white oversized hoodie, layered over a baby blue T-shirt and matched with a pair of black jeans. This man looked like a model, with blond hair that could easily blend in with the sunlight and with eyes that is twinning with his T-shirt. “How are you doing?” His voice was not as deep as what you had predicted, but it does give it a distinct personality of its own.

“I’m fine, I guess.” You tried to sit up but the pain that jabbed your chest made you winced. The man took a seat next to you and with the press of a button, your bed slowly moved upwards. “Thanks.”

He watched you, eyes holding a glimmer of hope that you could not pinpoint on what he was hoping for. His hand reached out towards your face and you instinctively moved back, eyes widened in shock. He looked at you, face turning pale as he realised the reality of the situation. “Do you know who I am?”

“No.” Your quick response made him blinked twice, not knowing what to say at all. “Are you someone I know?” He could have heard his own heart cracked at that question of yours.

The nurses who were in charge of you had already acknowledged Xavier to be your sole caretaker. The lack of parents and caretakers within your family history indicated that you had nobody to rely on, other than this blond bloke that had constantly been bugging the nurses about your condition. They had informed him about the side effects of a concussion, including a period of amnesia. Xavier had seen this coming but it still hurts, given that he is the one to be held accountable for this outcome.

After that day at the hospital, Xavier no longer rode his bike, the damage inflicted upon the metal piece of garbage was so great that it now sat in the garage of his condo. Other than that, he was also traumatised by his accident that nearly costed the both of your lives. His self-recrimination got to him so much that it had affected his working attitude and causing him to be more closed off than ever.

𓆩⟡𓆪

Having the day all to yourself, you decided to explore the city on your own and hopefully you get to go to an arcade and catch one of those plushies that you have been eyeing for the past few days. The lack of Xavier in your life did not affect you as much. Since you had been discharged he would drop by your house every once in a while and you came to learn that he stays within the same building as you. But what you found interesting was the fact he would always buy you food that you crave for, and seemingly had always presented a liking for. It got you wondering if the both of you actually had a history together but since he did not say anything, you did not find the need to pry either.

The store stood proudly in between a coffee shop and a convenience store, its neon lights and floating holograms of this season's featured plushies made it a fanfare, inviting everyone that catches sight upon the store and kidnapping all of the families who are spending time for an outing. Couples are seemingly reeled in as well, leaving the singletons sticking out like a sore thumb amongst the cramped space. Just like y/n, sliding smoothly in between couples and families to arrive at the back of the store, where the plushies hailing from an older season would be secreted. Crowds would not clump at the back here given that the need to keep up with the latest plushies is a cool trend nowadays. But y/n’s decision to settle for an ‘out-of-the-season’ plushie characterises her to be a sentimental and loyal individual.

You exchanged for a couple of tokens, enough to fill a small bowl and you walked over to the machine of your choice, eyeing the bunny plushie in the middle of the pool of plushies. “Here I come.” You inserted a token into the coin slot and the machine jerked awake, lights flashed in front of you and a fast-paced nursery rhymed filled the silence. You looked into the mirror stationed at the back of the cubicle of the claw machine and a bright light pierced through it, swallowing you entirely. Then you were stood right next to the same machine, but you were focused on the couple manoeuvring the machine you had paid for. You were about to stop them till you realised that it was you and Xavier, standing next to one another, chatting and laughing as you guys watched the claw machine worked its magic.

You could not bring yourself to snap out of your own reverie, not when the presented scenario is full of warmth and …love. Your guts has been right all this while, the fuzzy confusion you get whenever he is near you, the sense of heightened self-awareness when he leans in to study your expressions, a slither of unknown jealousy coursing through you when you realised the nurses were asking for his contact information. It finally placed your brain back into your head. When you are brought back to reality, you blinked away your tears that stung at the back of your pupil and you recollected yourself, walking away from the machine and towards the exit. You are going to look for Xavier.

You knocked onto his door multiple times, series of knocks, pause, series of knocks, pause. Took him a good seven minutes to open the door. His hair is messy, eyes half lidded and yawns so dragged out that he could easily break the world record for being the best yawner. “Is everything alright?” The man in the pyjamas asked, looking concerned. But you dashed through his door and attached yourself into his embrace, the young man awoken in an instant. His arms now beside his torso, halfway upwards into the air when he tried to process what is happening at the start of his day.

“It’s not your fault Xavier.” You mumbled through his shirt, still loud enough to reach his ears. “I don’t want you to blame yourself.” You remembered the day you were deep in your dreamland till you were woken up by muffled sobs, your hands feeling wet to the touch. When you opened your eyes, you saw Xavier’s face was plopped in your hands and his body was jerking to every heave and pants he took. He was crying within your palms, blaming himself for the amount of pain he had inflicted upon you while he gets to walk off unharmed. Just the thought of seeing him cry again pains you.

He gets to reap faster than what he had initially sowed, with a mere expectation that you might get your memories back after a couple of months, but to get your memory back within two months time, he would have kissed heavens if he was allowed to. You felt his weight pressed into you and you stumbled backwards, back hitting against the closed door as a response. His arm now around your waist, steadying you before he pulled you closer, sandwiching you between the door and also his torso. “I wanted to do this for a long time.” His breath fanned your bangs, heating your cheeks up. “Would you mind if I do things to you that nobody else gets to?”

You gained just a tad bit of courage to look up at him and you gulped, seeing his orbs darkened, gleaming lustful desires behind it. He is not the only one with such dirty thoughts in his mind, for you bear the same thoughts as him. You want him just as much as he wants you, but there was just a gap between the both of you the whole time, the hesitant, the doubt and the fear of a mistake that was holding the both of you back. But as of now, perhaps not anymore.

Responding to your eager lust, you pressed your lips against his and he reciprocated it. Your lips parted and he took the opportunity to slip his tongue in, caressing the insides of your mouth. His hand traced to your bum and he smoothed his palms over it, leaving a trail of goosebumps behind. "Did I ever told you how sorry I was about your accident?" He whispered against your plump lips, a passionate emblem brewed behind his cerulean orbs. Gasping, he lifted you up by swiftly hooking his arms under your thighs and pinning you harder against the door. "Tonight, let me apologise sincerely, and allow me to make it up to you." The night then gets darker but younger.

RAFAYEL

Seated on a wooden chair tucked behind a huge desk, the young artist crossed his legs under the table, eyeing the cue cards that he was given so he could get an idea on what answers he could opt for. But as what Thomas has predicted, Rafayel's fish brain would not even appreciate the aid of a script. Rafayel positioned the cue card at the very edge of the table and awaited for the curtains to be withdrawn.

Jazzy tunes started playing and the host of the interview roared out Rafayel's name belatedly. Heavy maroon drapes slowly drew back, revealing a standing ovation from the crowd and a grumpy Rafayel behind the desk. "Welcome Rafayel!" The young woman introduced herself to be Miss Kony. Everyone, Miss Kony even, are in awe with his effiminate features. Men hate his feminine looking features but women dig it. Rafayel on the other hand, knows that he owns the stage the moment he was revealed.

Almost at the end of the interview, MIss Kony was asking some handpicked fan-favourite questions towards Rafayel. "So what if, just what if you found out that someone you love someday had lost their memory about you?" The woman asked, hands smoothed over her yellow chiffon blouse and placing the cue card onto her lap, leaning in to catch his answer.

The young artist shrugged. "I don't know really. I think I would just get disappointed and leave." He was known for his impatience to everything except for his own artwork. "As I do have time for other things other than tending towards someone who barely remembers me. I might just take the time to continue doing what I do."

His answer received praises and whistles, earning admiration from his fanbase for someone being true to himself and also having to think of the 'bigger picture'. The interview that had took place ended on a particularly neutral note but the end of the night seemingly turned sour. Not only was he tailed by paparazzis all the way to his car and that he was late for a movie. The one movie that you would never shut up about, featuring some sappy drama with a very predictable ending. Rafayel wanted to express his distaste towards your movie choices but seeing you getting so excited over something so minute, his heart could not help but to be wrapped around your fingers. Sliding himself into the bucket seat of his hyper car, the artist held up a hand, signifying a blatant goodbye and to cease further questions. Starting the ignition, the car roared to life and he stepped onto the gas pedal and steered out of the parking lot.

You stood at the front of the cinema, eyes darting everywhere to search for a sign of a 6’ tall man with purple hair, good sense of fashion and dashingly good looks, but he was nowhere to be seen. You picked up your phone, squinting your eyes when you checked the time. He is late. Which is unusual of him. Before you could even control yourself, your mind had already started stirring up different scenarios of what could have happened to Rafayel and you got increasingly worried over him. Your fingers hovered over the green dial button, Rafayel’s name on your screen before you were interrupted by the screams of the general public.

Rafayel's phone vibrated for a few times before he picked it up, hearing your voice on the other end through the speakers of his car. "Rafayel, I think there is a bombing happening near—” A huge whirring could be heard and a high pitched ringing sent the call directly to an end note. The line emitting a no-signal dial tone caused Rafayel's heart to plunge. He looked at the phone, your name and profile picture the only thing that filled the screen before it turned off and the young man stepped pedal to the metal, the car’s turbine sound cutting through the quiet night.

His car screeched to a halt when he was greeted with barricades in the middle of the road, fire ablaze on multiple buildings and rubbles filled the once bustling streets. Security and medical forces are already at the scene, scavenging for survivors and treating victims of the unfortunate circumstance. “Tara!” He called out when he spotted a familiar outline of a female similar to your height but with a bob. The girl turned at the call of her name and her eyes widened, probably not expecting your boyfriend to be at the scene. “What happened here? Did you saw y/n?”

Tara looked like she had gagged onto the smoke but minus the coughing and actual physical struggle. Words are not pouring out of her mouth despite she is a proud extrovert. “There was a bombing.” She managed to mutter after a while of silence and intense staring. “We have yet to find her. We don’t know where she is.” She hesitantly looked down to check her hunter’s watch to avoid his gaze. She could tell that he is not taking the answer well.

“She was last seen at the cinema. Have you searched there yet?” He asked and watching Tara being hesitant again, he did not bother asking and he walked right in, getting a clearance from the authorities issued by Tara. He walked past rubbles, hearing for anything that could get him to locate you easier. Then, he stopped at the sight of a hand peeking out from under one of the cement rubble. The promise ring of his laid dormant on your ring finger, the ashen skin nearly similar to the rubble you are laid underneath.

“Y/N!” He shouted, sinking to his knees and started to dig through the rubble, his sudden movement caught the eyes of a few of the fire marshalls stationed at the site. They rushed over with their gear. “Please help, my lover is underneath the rubble!” He called out, still digging through the rubble.

“Sir, we are gonna need you to step back.” One of the man pushed him back, the young man indicated signs of reluctance but he knew that he does not have any tools that could lift up the huge piece of rubble anyways. “Once we get her out, you can be on the ambulance with her.” Another marshall placed a hand on his back, his voice and gaze reassuring enough to get Rafayel to back off to let them do their work. He stood aside, peering over their shoulders every once in a while, wanting to catch a glimpse of what they could manage to find. It didn’t take them long to lift your body out of the piles of rocks. Your body was limp, eyes closed and scarlet red painted a few streaks of colours on your beautiful yet pale face. “Y/n!” He called out to you but there were no responses, his legs matched the pace of the marshalls lifting your injured body towards the ambulance.

He got in right after the stretcher and sat down next to you, grabbing hold of your hand in his. He kept mumbling your name, peppering kisses over the back of your hand as if he was praying to a god. Ironic. The ambulance’s sirens wailed as the paramedics strapped themselves into the driver seats. “Hang on tight.” The driver’s voice could be heard through the plastic pane separating the patient’s mobile room. With the rev of an engine, the force of inertia caused Rafayel to jerk backwards as the ambulance sped through the traffic.

𓆩⟡𓆪

Batting your eyelashes a couple of times, you invited the sunlight into your vision after who-knows-for-how-long it has been. Your body felt sore as if you had been lifting weights too heavy for you, your head felt groggy like your nap had been too good, your hearing sense prickled whenever someone made too loud of a noise. By that, you meant the man in front of you who would not stop calling out your name when he opened the door to see your opened eyes. This man, his lilac-pinkish hued orbs widened with what you may describe as excitement. His smile is nothing less than dashing, he seemed like he is made for the television shows. Everything on him, from his head to his toe, a simple black formal button up, a pair of black slacks, and a pair of normal sneakers looked expensive on him. Maybe he does adorn those branded items, but you could not possibly tell at this moment.

“Do you remember me, my love?” His smile had reduced a little bit, perhaps due to your unresponsiveness when you initially woke up from your days of deep slumber. “Y/n?”

“I don’t know you.” You frowned, gaze avoiding his. You could hear slight shuffling, squeaks caused by the friction between the waxed tiled floor and the soles of his sneakers. “Do I happen to know you beforehand?” You tilted your head up and you watched the young man took a seat next to you, a face of disbelief tattooed onto his features. “Would you like to—”

“I’m Rafayel.” The man in front of you beamed, his sappy look somewhat disappeared into thin air. Although he knew that it would hurt for you to not remember him, but he felt like slapping himself in the face now. Saying something along the lines of not giving two shits to someone he loves if they were to forget him is just plain ignorant when he sits in front of you now, watching the love of his life not remembering him and yet he could not go forth with what was mentioned at the interview a couple of days back.

You still had one of your eyebrows quirked up, looking at him as if he is an alien. Still does not deny the fact that he is handsome according to your standards. "Do you at least remember your name and your job?" He crossed his arms in front of his chest. His shirt was tight enough for you to get a good peek at his taut chest.

"My name is y/n and I am a deepspace hunter. Yeah I guess I remember that bit." Judging at the way Rafayel barely spared a blink your way, you bit your lip and started to stir your memory. A little bit goes a long way when you caught hold of your other responsibility. "I am a bodyguard for someone I think."

Rafayel's lips curled into a smirk, nodding. He relaxed his arms and leaned back against the chair. "Good, we can work with this."

𓆩⟡𓆪

Slamming the oak doors, you gasped in shock when you spotted Rafayel laying motionless on the floor. "Rafayel!" You shouted, grabbing him by his shoulders and shaking him like a cocktail shaker. "Rafayel, are you okay?"

The man's eyes suddenly widened and you dropped him, his head colliding with the hard floor with a thud. "OUCH!" He wailed in pain, rubbing the back of his head immediately. "Why would you do that?"

"You left me 13 calls when I was out at the field, I thought it was an emergency!" You fished your phone out of your pockets, revealing his name highlighted in red with a big number 13 next to his name. "Then I rushed here to see you lying on the floor like a dead fish!"

"It is an emergency." His pout emerged. "I am having a painter's block, I needed your input on my painting." He slowly sat up, dusting imaginary dust off of his shoulders.

Sighing, you stood up from your kneeling position. "Can't that wait till after I am done with work? I took half day off just for your so-called emergency." The annoyance in your tone was not as aggravating as what he had to endure before you had lost your memory. You held your hand out to him still, a frown fell upon your face.

He took your hand and stood up, his height easily towered over you. "I will make it up to you by bringing you out for dinner at any restaurant you want okay?" He placed both of his hands on your shoulders and he slowly guided you towards the corner that he always brainstorms for his pieces. His suggestion made you huffed in objection, but then, you are not entirely rejecting his idea.

Standing in front of the artwork, you analysed it, strokes in wavelike pattern covered most of the canvas, with a sketch of what seem to look like a jetty etched out on the bottom of the canvas. The artwork presents a setting held during twilight, the sunset and night sky bleeding into his art. A sudden high pitched ringing made you winced and you fell to the floor, clutching your head in agony. "Y/N!" You could hear him calling out to you but his voice slowly got muffled, like he was drowning in the waters drawn on his painting.

𓆩⟡𓆪

You woke up to the day you first met Rafayel, at the fair where he did this little trick to catch a small fish for you from the small pool. Your flashbacks then went on, projecting all of the moments you had spent with Rafayel and coming to the day he asked you to be his girlfriend while presenting the promise ring to you and to the moment the bombing happened before you could watch the movie at the cinema.

This time, you actually sat up, gasping for air as you felt cold sweat trickling down your forehead. Your memories of Rafayel had been revived and you could not hold back the tears that came. "Y/n, are you---" Rafayel's voice caught your gaze and you pushed yourself off of the bed and sprinted towards him, ambushing him with a hug so tight the artist nearly fell backwards. "Hey, hey what's wrong?"

"Raf...Rafe..." You sobbed, head buried into his cleavage. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." The artist ran his hands through your hair, feeling the smooth and soft strands to his touch. "I'm sorry I don't remember you."

Rafayel at this moment, with you in his arms, felt nothing but relief crashing over him. One might think that he would be excited, and to pull her into a rib crushing hug to express his excitement. But, he did the exact opposite. His breath was calm, hands still working their way through your hair before he caught your jaw and angled your face upwards. Your eyes looked right into his coloured irises, adoration radiating through his gaze. "I missed you, do you know that?"

Your hands snaked up his forearms and you cupped your hands over his. "I am sorry for making you so worried, Rafayel." His thumbs brushed over your cheeks in sync, wiping off the tears that are coming to a near stop. He did not allow you anymore space to apologise by leaning down and kissing you. He eventually pried your lips opened by darting his tongue out to caress your soft lips for the opening.

His hands heaved you up by your thighs and you wrapped your legs around his waist, the fervent kiss providing a headstart for the long night ahead. Your back hit against the plush beddings and he ran his fingers teasingly up the inside of your thighs, making you hiss in pleasure. He pulled back, pupils dilated and breath ragged, rubicund dusted over his cheeks and ears. "You have to pay for making me so worried over you, yeah?" He danced his fingertips to the fly of your pants, but stopped right at the zipper. "If you do not want me to, tell me to stop."

Now it is your turn to run your finger teasingly down his neck, your nail drag leaving a hot trail on his skin. "I would actually ask you to stop if I do not remember you." You bit down onto your lip, eyeing him as he slowly started to unzip your pants with his skilled digits.

"If it's so, I will take my time all night to prove to you how much I love you until I am satisfied." He smirked and dived his head down to catch your lips once again, allowing his fingers to travel south, already planning to make you cry only his name for the rest of the night.

[gurofushi]

go get 'em, zuko!

𝜗𝜚 prince zuko x fem! reader

summary; loser boy zuko catches himself having the hots for a rich young girl in ba sing se (with it, of course, being the result of uncle iroh's unwavering desire for his nephew to get some action)

warning(s); not proofread!

a/n; had fun w this one! both zuko and iroh have a special place in my heart ><

🦷 (apologies for any grammar mistakes, english is not my first language^^)

“isn't she cute?”

“could you not call girls my age cute, uncle?” iroh laughs at zuko's disturbed expression after he had inquired about his tea shop's regular customer, his sentence coming out a bit wrong as he was attempting to pique his nephew's interest.

after their recent settlement in ba sing se, this had become the norm for iroh to try and set up his nephew with the girls that come into his tea shop. some he was successful in getting zuko out for a date, but so far, none had resulted with anything more than those first nights.

“we just moved into the upper ring, uncle. the girls in the lower ring and here act differently, they probably won't like a guy who looks like me.” he said, motioning to his messy hair and average clothes before he turns to point at the girl's neatly done hair and makeup as well as her beautiful dress. she definitely looked like a daughter of some rich or royal family here.

iroh smiles. he wasn't stupid. he could clearly see the way his nephew's eyes linger on the girl for a moment longer than he usually would other ladies. “i could always give you a haircut!” he says, wiggling his eyebrows as he picks up a nearby pair of scissors and waves it around.

“yeah, no thanks, uncle.”

zuko sighs, he quickly steals another glance at the girl's way before he rubs his tired eyes, momentarily giving himself some shut eye– if you could even call it that. he lets his own brain wander, drowning in his own thoughts as he starts to imagine what it would be like having a partner. what it would feel like to have a special somebody supporting and loving him always. well, he did have uncle iroh. but that's certainly not what he meant.

he shudders, his twisted mind painting a picture of him and iroh, both sitting on the fire kingdom throne. that would be perfectly normal, since it's what he has always wanted, but he grimaces cause all he could muster up was an image of his uncle in the fire kingdom's bridal clothi–

“excuse me?”

‘spirits!’

zuko jumps, blinking rapidly after he opens his eyes to see the same pretty girl, now standing in front of him. his heart thumps against his chest, unsure of how long he'd been zoning out, eyes flickering from the table you were previously on and the actual you who stood upon the cashier.

“sorry for startling you,” you smiled, laughing softly at his bewildered expression. zuko clears his throat, quickly going back to his usually nonchalant and cold demeanor as he starts to ring you up without another word. his actions only make you smile wider, though he couldn't see due to the fan that you held up to cover the lower half of your face.

“actually, i've already paid to your uncle over there.” your words make him stop in his tracks. his wide, confused eyes look back up to you, then to his uncle, who was whistling joyfully as he pretended to sweep the floor close by. he groans, running his fingers through his hair as he averts his attention back to you.

“o– oh, right. my bad,” he swallows a lump in his throat, wiping his sweaty hands on his pants. “so.. is there anything i can help you with, then?”

“actually, i wanted to ask if your free tonight?” and just like a deer in headlights, zuko freezes up again. “me? y– yeah i'm free.” his heart rate picks up again as he sees how your face lights up, a toothy grin plastering itself onto your face. he thought you looked exactly like a little kid who got their first polar bear dog. it was cute.

“great! i was wondering if you'd like to accompany me to see the city lights. of course, only if you want to.” zuko's eyes drift off to his uncle again, getting a bit irked at the way his uncle winks and does a little dance with two thumbs up.

‘this is definitely his doing.’

“ehem– i'd love to.” he responds, looking back to you with a smile, albeit a nervous one. “i'll see you there then,” you smile back, locking eyes with him for a few more seconds before you turn to leave.

as you disappear from his sight, iroh quickly rushes to the tea shop's doors to close them shut, indicating that they weren't accepting any more customers for the day. iroh turns to zuko, an annoying looking smile on his face as he approaches him in slow steps.

“now.. how's about that haircut?”

“no, uncle!”

[ncityprincess]

pick up the phone, baby

plot: phone sex with boyfriend jaehyun

MDNI

you tossed your head back and let out a long sigh of frustration. there you were, stark naked and sprawled out in the middle of your large bed. with your man out for the night, it left you feeling lonely and needy. you were trying to find a way to pass some time all alone in your quiet apartment.

it wasn't like this was your first night alone without jaehyun. you and jaehyun always gave each other the space to have your own separate lives and interests outside of the relationship. jaehyun encouraged you to go to brunches and vacations with your friends, and you made it clear that you respect his lifestyle and friendships.

however, you weren't feeling so understanding this particular night.

you kept rubbing at yourself, itching for your climax like madwoman, but it never came. you just couldn't satisfy yourself the way you wanted to. you decided you needed some extra reinforcement and went to go fish for your trusty vibrator, only to find out it was dead. perfect.

why did jaehyun have to have his guys night tonight of all nights…

"fuck it!" you spat out and retrieved your phone from under the thick comforter. it took you no more than five seconds to unlock your phone and call your unsuspecting boyfriend.

jaehyun reached for his phone in his back pocket when he felt it vibrate. Considering the possibility that it could be you calling, he got up from the couch in search of some quiet and privacy. "yo yuta! you can take my turn." jaehyun said as he tossed yuta his controller. yuta merely nodded at him and picked up the controller so he could get ready to play.

jaehyun walked past the kitchen where Johnny and taeyong were making themselves drinks and headed into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. low and behold, it was your beautiful contact photo gracing his lock screen. jaehyun picked up your call with a smile.

"hi my love, everything okay? have you eaten something yet?" jaehyun rambled into the phone like the attentive and sweet boyfriend he was. his innocent line of questioning almost took you out of your horny haze, the whole reason why you had called in the first place.

"hi." was all you said back in an airy tone.

jaehyun scratched his head softly. "um hi, is everything okay?" he repeated curiously.

"how's your little party with the guys going?" you asked in an even tone, mindlessly twirling a strand of your hair.

jaehyun had to admit, he was stumped. this outing wasn't something out of the norm for him. he always got together with his members. whether it was to play video games and order ungodly amounts of takeout, or sing karaoke until sunrise, this was nothing new. he appreciated you seemingly taking interest in how his night was going, but something was off...

"so far so good. we've just been playing the game and hanging out. we actually just ordered some pizza. I can bring you back a few slices if you want? we ordered from that place that we went to a few weeks ago. you know, the one next to the park. Their mozzarella sticks were......uh y/n?" jaehyun paused when he heard your labored breathing on the other end.

what jaehyun didn't know is that you were running your hands up and down your body while he was talking in that sexy husky voice of his. you always had a thing for his deep voice. it brought tingles all over your body. your hands had settled back on your dripping pussy, right where they were before you had called him.

"mm, mhm?" you moaned out, almost not realizing he had called your name. you were so into how good his voice sounded over the phone...

"what are you doing?" jaehyun questioned.

you let out a soft giggle, running a hand through your hair. "I'm laying down in our big bed, all alone and bored." you replied slowly. seductively.

jaehyun got a whiff of your bedroom voice and didn't waste any time letting his mind wander to darker places. he walked back over toward the bathroom door and locked it.

"aww, you poor thing. what's a girl like you gonna do about that boredom, huh?" jaehyun goaded.

his words shot directly to your core, making you speed up your movements on your buzzing clit.

"what am I gonna do about it, or what am I doing about it?" you purred out mischievously.

jaehyun smirked and ran his hand over his jaw. so that's what his girl was doing this whole time. being a little slut.

"oh you naughty girl. that's why you're calling me, huh? can't stand being alone so you need me to talk you through it?"

"I mean if you're offering, yeah I'd like you to talk me through it actually"

jaehyun glanced at the door. the faint sounds of the video game and the guys' intermittent laughter and chatter seemed to mask over what was going on in the bathroom.

or at least he hoped so.

“baby, the guys are right outside the door.” he said with a warning tone. it only made you wetter.

“i don’t care daddy, need you so bad." There it was, the one word that made Jaehyun go insane.

“fuck. you and that slutty fucking mouth of yours…”

“it's your fault. you made me this way.” you sighed out, spreading your legs even wider.

“oh did i?”

“you know you love it when i talk nasty, daddy.”

jaehyun chuckled incredulously and leaned his back against the cold bathroom wall. “you’re something else, you know that y/n?”

“oh just shut up and make me feel good already” you said with a twisted smirk.

jaehyun groaned softly and shoved his hand down his grey sweatpants, ghosting his hand over his stiff dick.

"what are you doing to yourself, darling?"

you bit your lip, excited to tell him every last detail. "I'm grabbing my tits while I rub my pussy. but I really wish it was you doing it."

"yeah? you wish I was home so I could take care of you? touch all over my little baby and make her feel good?" jaehyun spat on his hand and slid it up and down his shaft. holy fuck he couldn't wait to get home to you.

"mhm. I love it when you put your hands all over me. it's not the same without you."

jaehyun felt a tinge of pride in his chest, knowing that he had a beautiful girl waiting for him at home who craved him just as much as he craved her.

"fuck baby. is that pussy ready to be fucked yet? think you can slide a few fingers in?" jaehyun gritted out, feeling himself get close due to the erotic situation he was in.

you didn't hesitate for a second and slowly slipped two fingers inside of yourself. you let out a slutty moan when you felt your fingers stretch you open.

jaehyun chuckled darkly, "I guess I have my answer then. go on, fuck yourself nice and deep for me. I want you nice and stretched out for me when I come home tonight, ok?"

"yeahhhhhh." you whined out and rocked your hips against your hand. who knew all you needed was the sound of your man's voice to get you off. this was way better than whatever you were trying to do before.

"god Jae I'm sooo wet. need you." you whined out, turning over onto your stomach. you felt your fingers much deeper in this position and let out more lewd sounds of pleasure.

jaehyun wanted nothing more than to bury his face between your thighs and hear all of those delicious sounds in person. he was halfway tempted to leave the hangout without saying a word. could you blame him? the love of his life was at home fucking herself to the sound of his voice.

jaehyun jerked himself off roughly, eager to get himself off quickly. not only was the situation he was currently in extremely hot, he was also mildly aware that his friends were waiting for him to come back and join them.

"alright baby, I need you to cum for me. let me hear how hard you can make yourself cum."

you were so close you could taste it. all it took was a few more bounces on your fingers and you were exploding all over them. jaehyun's face contorted in immense pleasure while listening to you ride out your high and before he knew it, he was blowing his load all over his hand. it took every ounce of self control to not make a sound in this echoey bathroom.

both of you were catching your breath and calming down from the intense highs you experienced.

"well I never thought I'd find myself jerking off in taeyong's bathroom but there's a first time for everything I guess."

you covered your face in your hands, slightly embarrassed thinking about what just transpired not too long ago.

"don't come back too late ok? I'm not done playing with you, daddy." you said lightheartedly.

jaehyun finished cleaning himself up and pulled his sweats back up. "aye aye, honey. call me if you need anything. I love you so much."

jaehyun wrapped up in the bathroom and tried his hardest to act like he wasn't just phone fucking his girlfriend a few minutes ago. jaehyun walked into the kitchen to grab some water. Johnny smirked slightly and grabbed his drink. He exited the kitchen past jaehyun, but not before busting his balls.

“tell y/n i said hi” johnny said with a shit eating grin.

[jsooly]

if you were the sullys' human kid / jake sully & neytiri x daughter!reader

part 2

synopsis, a baby when the na'vi forced the sky people off their planet, jake bonds with you and tries to convince neytiri to raise you as their own. she doesn't agree, unless…

+ takes place during avatar 2009

"hey—who's kid is this?!"

your mother was pregnant with you during her term as an RDA corporal. she commanded her troops from the base and after giving birth to you, she was charged with field work again.

she died in battle before you were even a year old.

orphaned, they powers that were let you stay in her room and put you in the care of the scientists and doctors.

months passed. you learned to walk quickly, learned to yell for attention when you needed something... the RDA base was in no way suited for a child, and no one cared to accommodate you. not when they had na'vi to terrorize and a planet to pillage!

worming your way out of supervision yet again, you found yourself in the fields where the avatars' playing court and farm plants the height of two humans.

you scurried out of the cover the tall stalks provided as an avatar came flying up the path, its knee connecting with your side and sending you flying.

"shit—!"

"jake, i told you you weren't supposed to be running!"

your body must've tumbled 10ft. down the way before you came to a stop. and once you got over the shock, your cries were definitely heard all the way in the command center.

"that's a child!" jake held his head in his hands, relief flooding through him that you were responsive after that collision.

"woah, really?" norm said in a dumb voice before pushing past him and crouching beside you.

"how old is she?! how is she just allowed to walk around on her own?"

"she's turning two soon and her mom died recently in a spat with the na'vi. frankly we don't have the time or resources right now to keep an eye on her at all times." norm cradled you as he surveyed the damage. "thank goodness you just missed her and didn't bulldoze her like an animal."

it ended up fine. you were a tough kid.

poor jake didn't leave your side as you were taken to the med bay and treated, avatar and all.

he fretted as the nurses wrapped your arm with bandages.

"hey, kid." jake offered a sympathetic smile, dusting the dirt off your clothes. his thumb rubbed over your cheeks gently, wiping off the mud that had crusted. "no hard feelings?"

you gave him a wide-eyed look and wrapped your little hand around his thumb as if you were shaking his hand in agreement.

and that was the moment you had him hooked.

sure, his primary objective was bonding with the na'vi, but the times he was on base, his mind would wander back to you. what on earth pandora could a 2 year old be doing to entertain themselves in this weird environment?

curiosity would get the better of him and he'd use the little spare time he had to peek into your room.

seeing you play all alone with your blocks and cars and makeshift dolls made him so unimaginably sad he had to reconsider why he even felt that way.

you caught his figure in the doorway. he tried to retreat, but you'd already made your way towards him.

"jake!" you chirped, stumbling on chubby legs.

"yup." he eased back into view, a warm smile on his face. "that's me." how do you talk to kids? "whatcha up to?"

you mumbled something.

"hm?"

"playing." you shrugged, kicking the invisible dirt on the ground.

"i can see that." he hummed. "is norm gonna let you watch the avatars today?"

you held your chin in thought as you'd seen dr. grace do many times. jake's lips twitched upwards in amusement.

"yeah." you finally answered.

he glanced to the side, unsure what to make of your monotonous replies. "uh... you excited?"

you pointed at him. "you?"

"me?" he asked, pointing to himself also. "am i excited?"

you shook your head. "your... avatar?"

"ohhh." he nodded slowly in understanding. "no, you won't see me much today. i'm gonna be out on a mission."

you frowned and stepped back, shutting the door in his face.

"huh." the rejection stung just as bad as neytiri's.

somewhere down the line, he grew self-conscious, as if his self worth depended on the opinions of a toddler.

the bunch had to listen to him ramble not-so-subtlety and answer all his questions about you, so they caught on pretty quick.

"jake, she's attached to you." grace said with finality. "she's upset she can't spend more time with her favorite person. simple as that."

"favorite person?" jake echoed, distressed. "i almost killed her when we first met!"

grace scoffed. "that's an exaggeration."

"a warranted one." norm mumbled under his breath.

grace whacked him. "you're not helping."

"she slammed the door in my face the other day." jake folding his hands together, resting his forehead against his fists. "you... you think she's mad at me?"

the team groaned.

grace put a hand on jake's shoulder. "don't worry about y/n. you should be focusing on your other girl." she said, referring to neytiri.

the big battle came around, all the tensions and issues snowballing into one decisive moment where the na'vi had the chance to defend what had been taken from them.

jake was over the moon when he finally did what he knew in his heart was right. he embraced neytiri after the battle and he thought he had everything he ever wanted in his hands.

but... a part of his heart was running around the base barefoot.

"ma'jake." neytiri hissed. "no."

"she has nowhere to go." jake pleaded. by the grace of eywa, he was permanently connected with his avatar. his giant hands hooked under your armpits, dangling you in the air in front of his mate.

even neytiri couldn't deny how pitiful you looked. your eyes were sunken from not sleeping enough, frame small from lack of nutrition. what were your caretakers doing?

she shook her thoughts away, retorting, "leave her with her kind! she will be better suited there."

"they're too busy to take care of her properly." jake held you against his chest, stepping towards neytiri. "she needs a proper mother and father."

neytiri growled bluntly in frustration. "i cannot—will not—raise a human child."

jake frowned, unwilling to dismiss her feelings or leave you behind. he loved both his girls too much to deny either one of you. conflicted, he stood there frozen as he tried to think up a compromise.

neytiri studied her husband's face, his brows knit in torment and lips pulled between his teeth. her heart suddenly felt heavy.

“if she matters that much to you… she may stay with us. until those humans can figure out a way to care for her.”

jake lit up like pandora under the night sky. “thank you.” he pulled her in and hugged her right, pressing his lips to her forehead reverently. “thank you.”

within a month, you grew on neytiri. i’m not even joking it was that quick.

she marveled at how light your footsteps were. there were so many times you crept in her shadow unnoticed until she heard that sweet giggle of yours.

you were her fast learner. you were a much better student that your father. being so young, you were able to catch onto the language quickly.

humans were bad. human babies….. eh. this human baby in particular… oh, she could more that spare her prejudice. affection can take its place instead.

it wasn’t bad seeing jake in dad mode either. she didn’t have any doubts, but seeing jake interact so gently with you and entertain you even after a long day made her even more confident in her choice.

a comm came in. neytiri watched jake cross the space as he answered the ringing. as greetings were exchanged between norm, max, and jake, she continued to comb through your hair.

“nga lu… brushing? my nikre?” (you are… brushing? my hair?) you sounded out.

“close.” neytiri said. gently tugging your head back to look at your face, she smiled. “good job.”

you beamed up at her. “irayo nga, sa'nok.” (thank you, mother.)

she paused, peering down at you before tilting your head down and resuming her work on your hair.

in theory, neytiri would’ve corrected you. but that would’ve meant there was something wrong with what you said.

“hey, things have calmed down around here. we can take y/n.” norm said over the phone.

jake glanced at neytiri, who was already watching him.

“they lie. leave this child in their irresponsible hands?” neytiri scoffed and hissed under breath. “she is better suited here with us.”

the knot in jake’s stomach dissipated. “yeah.” he grinned. then, turning back to the phone, “yeah, don’t worry about y/n. she’s good with us.”

neytiri fought back her own smile.

fast forward two years or so, you had a baby brother on the way.

more parts?? idk

© jsooly ‘25.

[sseniita]

is it hot in here or is it just you?

“It’s so nice.” The hero’s voice sounded robotic against the fan blades. “So nice.” 

She was kneeling in front of an oscillating fan and moving with it as it rotated back and forth, letting her hair tangle as it moved uncontrollably in the artificial breeze. Despite the air conditioning and lack of decent clothes, there was a shiny sheen of sweat on her body and bright red flush on her cheeks. The villain’s stare couldn’t help but wander to her bare shoulders and sliver of tummy under her top; why the appearance of a woman in shorts and a tank top gave him the reaction of seeing a woman’s ankle for the first time in the eighteenth century- he wasn’t sure. 

“You’ll dry up if you don’t give that a break.” Truthfully, the villain was getting chilly with every fan in his apartment on and at full speed, “That and you’ll be paying for my electricity bill.” 

“My apartment doesn’t have air conditioning and I can’t afford a fan,” the hero spared him a glance. “What makes you think I can pay a bill?” 

The villain's eyebrow quizzed, “Heroism not paying well?” 

“I’m wealthy in applause and honour.” she shuffled left to follow the fan. “Besides, this is you making it up to me after breaking my wrist last month.” 

The villain’s lip quirked. “Right. Oops.” 

The villain took a seat on his couch near the hero and her designated cooling nest. The floor was strewn with water bottles, ice-filled thermoses and damp towels the hero would rotate through in attempts to get relief from the heat. 

“You’d think having fire powers would make you immune to heat. You could be fighting monsters with the power of a million suns” 

“I know. I swear I’m being pranked by some celestial force. I’m immune to my heat- but the sun’s evil 40 degree weather feels like I’m in a preheating oven” The hero groaned with frustration, running a hand through her hair. “It’s so hot! Can’t you turn me into an ice cube or something?” 

The villain’s ice power complimented the hero very well. Maybe too well, this wasn’t the first time they were in this situation. 

“You know you’ll melt it, Hero.” 

“Can you… freeze the apartment?” she suggested timidly, knowing the answer he’d give her.

“Yes, Hero. I’ll freeze my entire apartment so you can stay cool.” 

“Come on!” She’s splayed out on the floor now, Villain cursed the way her shorts rode up. “Do me this one favour. Please!” 

“I think you misunderstand what one favour is.” He gestured to her cooling nest. 

“Can’t you use your powers or something? Villain, I’m literally burning up. Please.” The villain didn’t doubt it. He wasn’t sure what would happen if she overheated, he assumed being overheated was the norm for her. The hero stared hopefully at him, and the villain knew exactly what she wanted, what she had wanted everytime a heatwave made its way to their city, why she had come here in the first place. Dejected, he started taking off his shirt. 

“I should get paid for this.” He mumbled, the hero quickly made her way over to sit on the couch beside him, a large smile on her face. “You’re shameless.” 

“I’m desperate, Frosty.” She inched closer. “I promise I won’t interrupt your heists for a week.” 

The villain extended his arms, inviting the hero. “A month.” 

As if the act were the most natural thing in the world, the hero jumped on his lap, swinging her legs to his side. The villain automatically (much to his own surprise) wrapped his arms around her, as if preparing to bridal-carry her to the North Pole. Her arms wrapped around his neck, leaning her head in the crook of his neck and comfortably setting herself in place. 

“This is demeaning.” The villain said readjusting her for both their comfort, awakening his power to a satisfactory chill. He could feel the hero’s body temperature immediately cooling, he could have sworn he saw steam. 

“No,” she cuddled closer, “this is nice. So nice.” 

The villain rested his chin on the top of the hero's head and leaned back against the couch, closing his eyes and feeling the pleasant warmth radiating off the hero. Yes, this was nice.

[kurogxrix]

Dating Miles ‘spider’ Socorro HEADCANONS

[ human!reader ]

Be ready for an emotional ass adventure because my boy is a PACKAGE full of trauma and issues.

He’s been neglected by his father and his mother (and father in a way) died, so when he first started getting close to you and found that feeling of comfort that he looked for within you, he knew that you were the one.

He’s the sweetest and most honest boy.

So considering that, he felt guilty at first because he thought that it was kinda like he was using you to get over his own trauma.

You told him that you didn’t care if he did and that you’d always be here for him (lovesick puppy kinda vibes).

Soon enough the both of you grew closer and closer, under the suspicion of the scientist that surrounded you. He couldn’t deny the fast paced beating of his heart each time you’d cross his mind anymore.

You call him Spider too because you know how much he dislikes his actual name </3.

Norm was extremely suspicious of the both of you, so he did his best to keep Spider away from your room whenever no one was around to keep an eye.

He’s just wary of those teenage boys and their spiking hormones ok.

He was right to be hesitant because he was the one that had caught the both of you making out in the janitors closet.

Don’t blame it on y’all there’s really no private spots in this damn lab, plus with Norm watching if it’s only you that enters your room every night.

Plus with those damned exopacks, you can’t really do any kissing stuff outside of the lab.

Max defo had to give y’all the most awkward talk of his entire life after that cause norm was DONE.

PHYSICAL TOUCH is his love language because he didn’t receive much physical love growing up.

If you don’t like it in public then he ain’t even laying a pinky on you, but once y’all are behind closed doors, he’s got you all cuddled up and locked tightly in his arms.

Talking about physical touch, this guy can’t keep his hands from wondering all over your body ever since he found out how amazing it felt when his hands trailed and grabbed.

He’s a TEENAGE boy and not a kid anymore, it’s normal for him to feel this way😭.

He doesn’t seem like the type to lash out when he’s upset so the both of you don’t fight that often, mostly on stupid little things.

Like once the both of you argued on who had to do the dishes so you offered to do a rock-paper-scissors match to make it fair. You won as always and he was left sulking for the rest of the night.

You help him retwist his hair when he needs it, and the boy quite literally melts in your hold. His locs are mature now so you don’t really gotta do it often anymore.

Lo’ak just relentlessly teases Spider for being lovesick so the both of you tease him for being hoeless.

He’ll definitely come with you every time you want to go wandering around the forest. Says something about having to protect you from the ruthless predators.

You picked up on his diet after the both of you started dating, and you have to admit that eating like the na’vi is so much better than the junk inside the lab kitchens.

He has a defined physique and running around the forest definitely isn’t what keeps in in such way. So you accompany him and peacefully read a book while he works his ass off in that lab gym.

Will ask you to sit criss-crossed on his back while he does pushups.

What a show off.

The type of boyfriend to brag whenever he opens a tightly sealed jar for you, while calling you weak, in an endearing way..?

If the both of you spend an entire day or two away from each other, he’ll hug you so tight when he sees you again that you’ll literally have to gasp for air once he lets you go.

You guys have monthly movie night dates where Spider waits until you’ve signaled him that Norm isn’t checking up on that damned room door.

He goes stealing snacks around the lab for those days and nearly gets caught by the other avatars.

Spider wishes he could bring you on dates outside at night like the other na’vi men do but he knows that it’s dangerous as a human so he can’t.

He doesn’t let that discourage him though, if a picnic on the lab outskirts at midnight is the closest that the both of you will get to a nightly date, then so be it.

You know that he’s a na���vi wannabe but you don’t make fun of him for it.

You help him paint the blue stripes on his body because he refuses that anyone else’s does it for him.

At the end of the day he’s just a boy with a lotta shit going on in his life but you guys love each other to no ends so you get through it together 🫶🏽

[ i refuse to age him up in this because it’s normal for teenagers to explore themselves and others and y’all gotta understand that. now writing smut while he’s his canonical age is what’s WEIRD😟 ]

[idorukiss]

Heres a sorta drabble/headcanon of sorts of how I picture MC's relationship with Xavier would devleop~ I'm not much of a writer but the brainrot is real and im working on making similar ones for the other boys too! 1,029 words || You can also read it on ao3

‧͙⁺˚･༓･˚⁺‧͙⁺˚･༓･˚⁺‧͙⁺˚･༓･˚⁺‧͙⁺˚･༓･˚⁺‧͙⁺˚･༓･˚⁺‧͙ Zayne ・ Rafayel ・ Sylus

He would never admit it, but you saved Xavier on that fateful first mission. Not from the wanderers though- He would’ve been able to defeat them all on his own, he’s lost track of how many stronger enemies he's dealt with over the years. What you saved him from was himself.

Life had become dull and monotonous for him- barely floating by and existing for the last eternity of loneliness after losing you the last time. Doing nothing more than throwing away his life against wanderers just to have some sort of purpose. You brought light back into his life once more, Just having you in his life again was more than enough. He didnt even dare to wish for more and let himself get too greedy out of fear of losing you far too soon.

But every day he got to see you for even a moment was everything he wanted and needed, it was a wonderful twist of fate that the two of you ended up being neighbors. He never went out of his way to see you, but you always happened to run into him time and time again whenever he wished to see you the most. Like fate was bringing you together

Between casual hangouts and missions together, you guys clicked hard and fast. You'd think you’ve known this man your whole life instead of just meeting earlier this year with how comfortable and natural everything is between the two of you. When did it become the norm to see him sitting on your couch reading almost every day? You can hardly remember what your life was like before he entered it.

One day the two of you are assigned a mission far away, and despite having separate hotel rooms you found yourself in his bed talking strategy and everything else late into the night. You don’t know at what point you had dozed off, but you found yourself opening your eyes early in the morning due to the sunrise pouring in. There was a sleeping figure next to you as well, with one arm gently draped over your abdomen. He looked absolutely stunning being illuminated from behind, you are almost unable to stop from gazing at his sleeping face.

You carefully reach out a hand to brush some hair out of his eyes to get a better view and he starts to stir a little, pulling you close to him while muttering that it’s too early to get up. Your heart is racing at the closeness. You could spend the rest of your life right there in his arms, it just felt it was where you belonged. Wrapping your arms around him in return, you press a gentle kiss on the top of his head.

Xavier doesn’t talk about himself all that much, greatly preferring to listen to anything and everything you have to say. You always found that odd, you loved to yap on about everything you like after all but you can’t seem to think of anything in particular he does that same for.

“Is there something on my face?” he asks, snapping you out of your thoughts “Oh Sorry, I was just thinking that I don’t know much about you….” “You don’t?” He tilts his head as he thinks “Hmm well just ask me what you want to know. I’ll glady tell you anything” “Then let’s start with an easy one, what’s your favorite movie?” “I don’t remember the name, but I’ll have to say the one you showed me last week” “That's my favorite movie Xavier, you always just agree with the things I like.. I want to know what you like” “But you were the one who showed me it, so of course I’m gonna like it.” he leans in close and gently places a hand on top of yours “And I like anything to do with you” Your face starts to flush bright red, and the only thing you can think of as a response is to nod and clasp your hand around his.

It was like Pandora's box was opened- neither of you could deny your feelings for the other any longer, and it was impossible to tell who was the more clingy about it. Sneakily holding hands at HQ when nobody was looking, spending entire days in his arms as he reads aloud the latest book he got, and not to mention the fact you'd often spend more time at his apartment than your own.

 He's a strong and capable hunter, and while you know this you cant help but worry about him on missions. He's of course the exact same to you, neither of you want to lose the other. When you are paired on missions together its like an internal battle to protect the other the most, sure its not the standard way to deal with wanders but you both have the lowest record of injuries as of late because of it.

But every day was nothing but pure bliss with him by your side, you guys were in perfect sync. He always knew exactly what you wanted- sometimes before you even realized it yourself. It was almost like he could read your mind, he just knows you so well. If he could spend the rest of his long life taking care of your every need he would.

Perhaps if he ever told you the whole history behind your shared fate, you could realize just how much love he has for you. How absolutely broken and alone he was before you appeared in front of him again. How willingly he would die for you or destroy the world just to keep you by his side for a moment longer.

You trust him with your life, and let him lead your relationship into each next step without a second thought. From a surprise first kiss one morning before he left on a mission, to everything beyond that. Nothing felt rushed or like you weren't ready for it. The absolute perfect relationship with the perfect man of your dreams.

He is everything you didn't even know you wanted and more. You guys made each other complete

[kaeddehara]

pent up albedo <3

albedo has been oh so busy in drangonspine, attending his experiments along with being an assistant for sucrose and his other trainees. he’s been gone for several days now and typically this is the norm for both of you. you’re very much used to having time spent away from bedo as with how busy his work schedule gets. although, when he does return, you always like to greet him with a warm embrace and a nice meal. admiring his flawless pale skin and brilliant blue eyes which now have grown to have some darkness under them, a sign of his nights up working. his ashy blonde hair now messy and laying still on his face. you can tell he’s trying his best to talk with you and make conversation, but with the look in his eye, you can almost tell exactly what he needs.

sitting him down in the living room at your living arrangement, you share almost zero words with albedo. just a lingering touch of your finger tips along his body, down his chest and stomach all the way to his thighs. albedo seizes up at this, not rejecting your touch but almost making it seemed surprising in a sense.

“do you not want this?”

you whisper against his temple, hand beginning to pull away from his thigh before he places his own on top of yours, keeping it in place.

“please, continue”

a smirk appears on your face as you adjust your body, slowly in a teasing manner, between his thighs. your fingers gliding under the fabric of of his shorts, feeling him soften up at your touch.

“so tense albedo, relax baby”

your words were having such an effect on poor bedo he didn’t know what more he could pay attention on. whether it be your sweet, sultry voice, or your fingers that continued to wander over his clothed bulge. you got into a gentle rhythm letting your eyes fall onto his lap as you played with him some more, letting your eyes flicker from his lap to his pretty eyes which were stuck on you.

“let’s get this out of the way…”

all of this was moving too slow for albedo. he was so tired. not to even mention pent up, and you teasing him like this was not doing any justice to either of you. well, maybe besides the fact you could tell it was bothering bedo how slow you moved with how eager his body was for your touch.

slowly undoing his belt, you unzipped his shorts making sure to make eye contact with him the entirety of the time you fumbled with his belt.

releasing him from the restriction of his clothing, you were met with albedos pretty cock standing tall and begging to have your mouth wrapped around it. the usually flushed pink tip now beating red and angry with desperation. you smirked again at how needy his body was before wrapping your fingers around his pretty cock and ever so gently stroking him up and down while biting back your lip.

“ah fuck…”

slipped from albedos lips which made your smile even wider. albedo almost never cursed and when he did, it was most likely the cause of overwhelming pleasure which only you got to hear <3.

“feels good huh bedo?”

he nodded and urged you to continue while he situated himself in his spot more. his hips rocking into your strokes while he got used to the pacing. meanwhile, your other hand trailed over the sensitive skin of his thigh and dragged your nails along it for even more stimulation.

releasing both of your hands off of him, you sat back on your knees. albedo felt cold, a feeling he almost never felt unless it had to do with you and your warmth being provided. you slowly began to gather your hair up into both hands to make a ponytail on top of your head. albedo watched it awe of your beauty, but knowing what came next, he couldn’t help but feel excited. feeling his hand wander down his body down to his aching cock which had been neglected by you.

“dirty boy”

you chided, as you continued putting up your hair in a messy but still manageable ponytail. albedo had stopped getting himself off to the sight of you and let you have control over him again.

pushing his thighs out to situate yourself in, you looked yet again back up into his pretty blue eyes. using your hand to prop his tip up near your mouth, you gave it a gentle kiss, a peck. all the while, still managing to keep that un breakable eye contact with him. trailing sloppy kisses down his thick shaft, you admired how gorgeous and breathtaking his body really was.

“i-i—“

you heard bedo stutter over his own words which made you perk up.

“yes?”

“please just—“

you listened to him intently, taking it how adorable he sounded.

“hurry hah—“

you complied, having enough fun with your sensitive little boyfriend and getting down to the task at hand. putting both hands near his inner thighs, you wrapped your pretty, plump lips around the swelled tip, taking in his taste along with his musky scent which always drove you a little crazy. pulling off momentarily to give a small peck to his tip again, you went down, although much further, practically taking him all in one go. albedo gasped at this and let his hand rest on you head. feeling you deep throat him like that on your first try made it even harder for him to resist fucking your mouth raw. you pulled off slowly once you needed a breather but didn’t let it last for long as you went back down to a steadying pace, bobbing your pretty mouth eagerly while albedo began to pull on your ponytail.

“so good love…”

[sparkypantaloons]

School Gates

Sooo Bruce may have forgotten four year old Tim was starting school today. But that's okay, five year old Jason has many, many solutions to that problem...

(Part of my baby-Bat AU here on AO3)

Bruce is stressed. Next level stressed. And it’s all his own stupid fault.

“I did leave a reminder with Alex at the office,” Alfred says dryly, “And on your desk in the study, and on your phone and told you to your face last week.” The older man looks deeply unimpressed. “Several times, in fact. And before you say anything,” He adds, as Bruce opens his mouth to respond. “The agreement was boys first, bats second.”

Bruce tries his utmost not to scowl. He ends up grimacing instead. “I just feel like you could be a little more helpful with the school uniform situation.”

As if on cue, Jason barges into Tim’s room, shoving past Alfred with an enormous pair of scissors clutched in his hands. “Oh my god.” Bruce breathes, stomach swooping in alarm. Where did Jason even get these from?

“Let’s just cut the sleeves off?��� Jason suggests unhelpfully, not quite dodging quickly enough, as Bruce lunges for the scissors. He grunts as he tries to escape Bruce’s desperate grab for the offending blades. “Otherwise—unh—Bruce! No— we’ll be—ugh!— late.”

Tim flaps his arms, the sleeves of Jason’s knitted school sweater flapping with them. “Too big.” He says, and he drops his arms to his side with a small sigh. The sweater reaches his knees, the sleeves almost the floor.

“I did my time sorting school uniform out, if you recall, Master Bruce,” Alfred says smugly, (and Bruce is sure he can see a smirk beneath his moustache). “And given that I wash and iron all of the uniforms in the house,” he gives Bruce a pointed look. “I think I’m being more than helpful.”

He wanders out of Tim’s bedroom, leaving Bruce holding the scissors in one hand, and Jason by the ankle in the other.

Jason looks up at Bruce’s face from where he dangles. “What about the sweater you shrinked when Alfred was in the spa?” He asks, as though upside-down conversations are completely the norm. “That might fit?”

“Why don’t we just leave him behind?” Dick scowls from the doorway. “It’s not like he was in school last week, who cares if he’s there this week.”

“Be nice, Dickie.” Bruce warns, setting Jason back down on his feet. “School is important, remember? And besides, Tim wants to go, don’t you Timmy?”

Tim, who is trying to pick his nose through the sweater sleeve, doesn’t answer.

It’s not that Bruce forgot that Tim was starting school this week, clearly, or that he forgot Tim would need a school uniform to start school this week, it’s just that… look, he’s been busy, okay? And it’s not like he planned on an extra kid, it just kind of… happened? Obviously, he knew Tim was starting school, he’d paid the tuition fees himself! And it’s not that he’d forgotten Tim would need a uniform either. He’s not a moron. He just… didn’t realise all of that would be happening today.

It didn’t help that it was the middle of the semester and there were no helpful uniform reminders being sent every other week (given Tim had only come to Bruce a few weeks ago), nor did it help that none of the uniforms Dick and Jason had fit Tim (given Tim was so small for his age), and it especially didn’t help that Bruce had been up until 4am fighting some Killer-Croc wannabe calling himself ‘Danger Gator’.

All in all, Bruce wasn’t proud of himself, but frankly, at this stage of the morning, he didn’t see what other option he had.

“Boys.” He says seriously. “I need you to stay here for five minutes. You are not to leave this room, understand?”

Jason shrugs in agreement, and Tim is still too busy trying to get a finger up his nose when his hands have disappeared down such long sleeves, but Dick is furious.

“Where are you going now?" He hisses. "We’re going to be late as it is?”

“Dickie—“

“I told you we should just leave him here!”

Bruce doesn’t have time for this argument again. “Just stay here.” He says, hoping it comes off firm and authorative, but fairly certain it just sounds like he’s begging the seven year old. Then he scurries from Tim’s room, closing the door behind him.

“Superman?” He half whispers, not trying to hide the desperation in his voice. “Kal, if you can hear me, I’ve got an emergency at the Manor, the door is—” There’s a great whoosh of air and Superman appears before him, “—open.”

“What is it, Bruce? Are you okay? Lord, you look awful, what happened?” Clark says all in one rush, warm hand on Bruce’s shoulder, face full of concern.

Bruce is too tired to feel offended by the suggestion he looks awful, he’s pretty sure he’s still got drain-juice in his hair anyway. “I forgot to get Tim a school uniform.” He says, without pretence.

“You— huh?” Superman blinks politely.

“Tim. My son. Uniform. He starts school today. I need you to fly to Europe and grab me one. Probably the UK is the best bet, the stores will be open there.”

Superman blinks again. “Excuse me?”

“Clark!” Bruce snaps. “This is an emergency! I can’t send him to school without a uniform!”

Realisation slowly dawns on Superman’s face, a smug, knowing look begins to form. “Are you telling me,” He asks lightly, smirk growing with every second “Mr. I-have-a-contingency-for-every-possible-eventuality-including-sharks, wasn’t organised enough to do his back to school shopping?”

“Kal.” Bruce begins dangerously.

“Diana is going to love this.” The Kryptonian says gleefully.

“Kal!” Bruce says again, more loudly this time. “Please. I am not above begging. We have to be out the door in—” he checks his watch, “— five minutes ago! Please! Go! I will owe you one.”

Clark literally rubs his hands together with glee. “Yes, you will!” And he disappears with another whoosh. 90 seconds later, Bruce has a brand new uniform in his hands and an appointment slip for an interview with the Daily Planet’s new ‘Lifestyle’ section.

“Thanks Clark, you’re the worst.” He mumbles to himself, and heads back into Tim’s room.

“Ta-da!!” Jason says loudly as Bruce opens the door. He’s holding his hands out at Tim who is in the same ridiculously over-large sweater, but is now sporting an insane new haircut. “Remember you said Tim was meant to get haircut before school?” Jason asks, waving the safety scissors from Tim’s arts and crafts box around. “Now he’s all sorted!”

“Oh my god.” Bruce says. And he wonders if it’d be okay to lie down and cry and in front of his children.

“You don’t like?” Tim asks, him, running a hand over the side of his head, where the hair is cut so short it sticks up on end in tufts.

“No, it— it looks great, Timmy. You look very good.” Bruce tries to smile, can only manage a Chrissy Tiegen style grimace instead. “I got you a uniform, okay, let’s put this on. Jason, Dickie, out.”

The entire time Bruce is helping Tim change into his new school uniform his brain is whirring. He can’t let the kid go to school looking like a malting dog, but he also can’t let Tim miss his first day of school either. Down in the pit of his stomach, Bruce is coming to a terrible realisation. By the time Tim’s tie is tied (there’s not time for teaching this morning), he realises there is literally no other option.

He rushes the boys out the door, taking the car to school instead of their usual morning walk, so they’re not even later than they already are.

“Bye boys,” He calls, variously ruffling hair, and pressing kisses to cheeks. “Learn something good today!” Then he speeds off into the city.

A good few hours later, he’s back at the Manor. Flops face down onto one of the couches in the library.

“Is that you, Master Bruce?” Alfred calls from the kitchen. Bruce can hear him making up a tray of tea and cookies. “Did I really hear you call Superman, of all people, for help with uniforms this morning?” He asks disapprovingly, making his way to the library.

“I don’t want to hear it, Alfred.” Bruce mumbles into the cushion his face is squashed in.

“Well, as long as you’re not planning on abusing Clark’s good nature every mor—” Alfred suddenly stands very still. “What on earth have you done to your hair?” He asks.

Bruce sits up grumpily. “This cost me $300.” He says sourly.

“You did that on purpose!?” Alfred asks alarmed.

“Jason cut Tim’s hair this morning. I didn’t want Tim to feel stupid.” He mutters, then, “I didn’t know what else to do!”

“Oh my dear boy.” Alfred says with an affectionate laugh. He puts the tea tray down, ruffles Bruce’s ridiculous tufts of hair. “You really are a soft touch.”

Clearly Bruce’s hair is even worse than it originally looked in the barbers, because Alfred takes pity on him and goes to collect the boys from school. The second they return, Dick absolutely falls to pieces laughing at Bruce’s hair.

“You look like a squirrel!” He cackles, clutching his sides.

Tim looks up at Bruce, highly concerned. “Oh no.” He says, eyes wide. “Oh no, no, no.”

“Don’t worry.” Jason pats Bruce’s arm sagely. “It will grow back soon,” And Bruce has to remind himself that five year olds have no concept of time. “In like five years.”

[cozyenigma]

Sleepless

(Hope this was what you envisioned!)

Word Count- 1241

Request?- Yes

Summary- Late nights in space weren't out of the norm. Everyone dealt one way or another but it was easier when you had someone to pass the time with

Warnings- None

Insomnia wasn't a unique problem aboard the invincible two. Even with artificial day night cycles it was still a struggle to adjust to sleeping in space. You frequently found your crew trying to mitigate it as best they could, in their own ways.

Burt was probably the only one who actually tried to sleep on a schedule. Making sure his tea stash was stocked in the mess hall was always a wise choice. He was quiet at the best of times and even more so when he was short on sleep.

On the other hand, you had Celci. She had a meticulous plan in place for herself. Being the head of cryostasis probably had something to do with that. She limited her caffeine intake, screen time past a certain point, and certain foods entirely. Despite that, it wasn't uncommon to see her working into the wee hours of the morning. Or what should've been morning by earth standards. The stubborn scientist always reasoned that there was always more work to do so she ought to make herself useful.

Gunther... Well, so long as he had free access to a shooting range he kept that particular problem to himself.

You sighed, running a hand down your face as you walked down the hall. There wasn't much of a need to have a night crew with the planet right beneath you so it was blessedly silent. What you kept coming back to was late night walks. It let your mind and your body wander and, ideally, wear themselves out.

Your footsteps echoed softly as you neared the bridge. The usual silence you expected, however, was broken by soft snoring sounds. They only had you pause for a moment before continuing into the bridge.

His legs were poking out from under the console. Tools were scattered about his sleeping form, a wrench still loosely grasped in one hand. You shook your head and approached. Mark was the type to keep going until his body gave out on him, insomnia or no. Gently as you could, you reached out and shook his leg.

Mark jerked awake and lurched upwards, directly into the console. You winced at the clang and Marks following curses.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. Are you okay?"

Clambering out from underneath the machinery, Mark looked up at you, still holding his forehead. "Captain? Why're you still up?"

You couldn't help but snort. "Pot calling the kettle black much?"

Brushing his tools aside, Mark stood up. "I wasn't up till a few seconds ago actually, thanks for that."

He brushes his hands off on his pants, giving you a knowing look. "And you still haven't answered the question."

Already you had similar snark locked and loaded to throw back and yet... You paused, looked out of the window at the expanse of space and the small, small ball you all risked your lives to get to.

"The usual," you said eventually. "Bonus nightmares included." You ignored how Marks expression softened at that. "I was just- trying to walk and clear my head is all. You?"

A long pause. A sigh. "About the same. I didn't even try to go to bed so, think you got that one on me. One of the crew mentioned the display had been glitching out so," he lightly kicked at the console, "here I am."

The laugh that came out of you then wasn't amused as much as it was just tired. "I'd say glad to know I'm not the only one but I kinda hoped you were doing better than I was at least."

Kicking his tools out of the way, Mark goes to sit down against the console, facing the window. "We're a team in all things, Captain. Even the fucked up nightmare department."

He pats the floor next to him and you take the invitation, sidling up next to him. The two of you both watch the planet below in silence. Tomorrow the efforts to establish a colony below would begin in earnest. Before this, the idea would have filled you with excitement. Now though... you were just tired. Mentally and physically you were exhausted and you were keenly aware of how much you needed the sleep for the day to come.

"You think they're doing okay?" Your confusion must've been obvious since Mark continued, "Back on Earth, I mean. What do you think they're doing back there?"

"I don't know... Probably just- living their lives, I guess," you muttered, looking back outside.The thought never occurred to you. That sort of peaceful normalcy with lifetimes, light years behind you now.

"I dont know," he sighed, "I just keep thinking what I'd be doing right now if I wasn't- hurtling through space, yknow?"

You hummed and nodded. Hesitant, you asked, "Do you- if you could go back and never take this job on, do something else, would you?"

When he looks at you then there's a faraway look to his eyes you'd never seen before. Well... one you'd only seen one other time. "...At the end of the day... No," he murmurs. "No I don't think I would. Knowing what all I do now. I'd do a lot of stuff differently but not that. I know one way or another I'd end up out here, in space."

You're almost relieved when he looks away from you again. Then you feel him knock his shoulder into yours."

Besides, someone needs to keep you on track, Captain."

You snort despite yourself. Knocking him back just has the two of you in a vicious game of trying to push the other over. By the end of it you're both laughing like only the sleep deprived can. An idea abruptly popped into your head and you would blame the sleeplessness that made you act on it almost immediately.

Shifting, you laid down and placed your head squarely in the middle of Marks lap. You could feel him stiffen underneath you.

"Uh-"

"You're a good pillow, shush."

After a moment he relaxes again, setting his hand on your arm. "Alright, whatever you say, captain."

You yawned, shaking your head. "When are you gonna stop calling me that?"

"Whenever you're not my captain anymore. Which I don't see happening anytime soon."

"Kiss ass," you muttered.

There's a finger poking you in the cheek. "Only if you ask nicely."

That sent you sputtering, turning to see him looking down at you with a similar expression. You could already see the blush darkening his cheeks and feel the same on yours.

"Uh-"

"Can we-"

You both stop. Then, Mark continued, "We're gonna just blame that on the no sleep."

"Yeah that- that sounds good."

There's an awkward silence after that. One where you just stubbornly stare out of the window and try not to think too hard about the man you're with. Eventually, that fades as the exhaustion sweeps over you again. You'd scoot back into him, the back of your head resting against his stomach now, and sighed.

At some point Mark would start idly rubbing his thumb across your arm. The presence of another person, the warmth of it, was enough for you to finally close your eyes.

When your crew mates both found you passed out on the bridge, they left you alone for a while. Not before some pictures were taken to commemorate the occasion of course but the two of you could use some shut eye.