#for those of you who know the song though

[rmview]

crushing on you, ATEEZ.

featuring — ateez members x gn!reader ( masterlist )

summary — an imagine of what the ateez boys are like when they have a crush on you (moments where their feelings shine)!

contents — fluff, no warnings.

hong ⊹ joong

hongjoong is one who tries to play it cool, but his crush on you is increasingly obvious through the little things he does.

it starts with how he’ll always offer to help you with your creative projects. “need help brainstorming ideas?” he’d casually ask, even if he was buried in deadlines for ateez’s next album. when you hesitated, worried about wasting his time, hongjoong would reassure you with his signature grin. “don’t worry. creative energy comes back tenfold when i’m around you.”

then there are his thoughtful gestures. during a movie night with the group, you mentioned offhandedly that you loved a specific snack from a bakery across town. the next day, hongjoong casually hands you a bag of those snacks, acting as if it was no big deal. “i passed by the bakery on my way here,” he said, but you caught the faint blush creeping up his neck when you thanked him with a warm smile.

his crush shines brightest during practice sessions. if you stop by the studio, hongjoong will suddenly become hyperaware of your presence. he’ll glance your way between moves, a small smile tugging at his lips whenever he caught your gaze. his energy would shift — he’d dance with more precision, his voice more vibrant as he rapped or sang, almost as if trying to impress you.

one evening, after practice, you complimented him. “you’re so dedicated, hongjoong. it’s inspiring to watch.”

hongjoong froze for a moment before chuckling softly, scratching the back of his neck. “it’s easy to work hard when the right person’s watching.” his words slipped out before he could stop them, and he quickly looked away, his cheeks burning red.

you laughed, your voice light and teasing. “who’s the lucky person?”

hongjoong’s lips quirked up into a smile, but he didn’t answer directly. instead, he picked up his notebook and pretended to jot something down. “maybe you’ll figure it out one day.”

seong ⊹ hwa

seonghwa’s crush on you is evident in the way he pays attention to the smallest details about you. while others might call him a perfectionist, with you, it wasn’t just about doing things well — it was about making sure everything he did for you was flawless.

whenever the group invited you over, seonghwa will quietly take charge of ensuring the space was comfortable for you. “the lighting’s too harsh,” he’d mutter, adjusting the lamps until they cast a warm glow. if he knows your favorite snacks, he’ll make sure they were prominently placed on the coffee table. “oh, these? i just picked them up randomly,” he’d lie, hiding how he’d gone out of his way to find them.

his crush also comes through in his protectiveness. if you were out together with the group, seonghwa is the one subtly checking to make sure you were warm enough or have a drink in hand. one rainy evening, you forgot your umbrella, and seonghwa immediately offered his. “i don’t mind getting wet,” he said, though you noticed how he pulled his jacket tighter around himself as he walked beside you.

during a late-night karaoke session, seonghwa’s feelings slipped through his usually calm demeanor. when it was his turn to sing, he chose a ballad — a soft, emotional song about unspoken love. his eyes flicked toward you as he sang, the raw emotion in his voice making your heart skip a beat.

afterward, you clapped enthusiastically. “that was beautiful, seonghwa. you put so much feeling into it.”

he smiled shyly, looking down at his lap. “it’s easier to feel a song when there’s someone… special in mind,” he admitted softly, his voice barely audible over the music.

yun ⊹ ho

yunho’s crush on you is impossible to miss, given his naturally outgoing and playful personality. he isn’t shy about spending time with you, often using humor and charm to mask how nervous he actually is around you.

he’ll find excuses to be near you during group hangouts. if you are sitting on the couch, yunho will plop down next to you, grinning as he stretched his long legs. “hope you don’t mind me stealing some of your personal space,” he’d tease, his tone light but his gaze lingering on you just a second too long.

yunho’s crush is also evident in his habit of subtly showing off around you. whether it is effortlessly spinning a basketball on his finger or nailing a complex dance move during practice, he’ll always glance your way afterward to see if you were impressed. when you compliment him, his grin will widen, and he’d laugh it off. “ah, it’s nothing. just a little something i’ve been practicing.”

one day, while the group was playing video games, yunho handed you the controller and coached you through the game. “here, press this button — no, not that one!” he laughed as your character stumbled on-screen. his hand covered yours briefly to guide you, and you couldn’t help but notice the slight flush on his cheeks.

later that evening, yunho found himself alone with you as the others stepped out. “i have fun when you’re around,” he said suddenly, his usual playful tone replaced with sincerity.

“me too,” you replied, smiling warmly at him.

for a moment, yunho considered confessing, but instead, he just grinned and nudged your shoulder. “good. then i’ll keep making sure you have fun.”

yeo ⊹ sang

yeosang’s crush on you isn’t as overt as some of the others — it is in the quiet moments, the subtle glances, and the small gestures that spoke volumes if you were paying attention. he isn’t the type to shout his feelings from the rooftops, but that doesn’t mean his emotions aren’t strong.

he always seems to notice the little things about you. if you mention being cold, yeosang will quietly drape his jacket over your shoulders without a word. when you compliment a particular drink once, he makes a mental note and starts bringing it to you whenever he has the chance. “i thought you might like this,” he’ll say casually, but his lips would twitch into a small, satisfied smile when you accept it with a grin.

yeosang’s crush would shine through during group activities. if you are participating in a game or challenge, he’ll subtly cheer you on, his quiet encouragement just for your ears. “you’ve got this,” he’d say, his tone calm but sincere, his eyes lighting up when you succeed.

one evening, while everyone was busy chatting, you caught yeosang watching you. when you met his gaze, he quickly looked away, his ears turning pink. later, he approached you with a hesitant smile. “you look really happy tonight,” he said softly.

you laughed lightly. “i am. it’s nice being here with everyone.”

yeosang’s expression softened. “it’s nice when you’re here, too,” he admitted, his voice so quiet you almost didn’t catch it. before you could respond, someone called his name, and he quickly excused himself, leaving you wondering if you’d heard him correctly.

san ⊹

san’s crush on you is impossible to miss — he wears his heart on his sleeve, and his feelings shine through in everything he does. he isn’t shy about being affectionate, always finding ways to be close to you, whether it is playfully slinging an arm around your shoulders or giving you a big, warm hug just because he can.

he was your biggest cheerleader, always hyping you up no matter what. “you’re amazing, you know that?” he’d say with a bright smile, his eyes sparkling with genuine admiration. if you ever doubted yourself, san was the first to reassure you. “you’ve got this. i believe in you more than anyone else.”

san’s crush also manifested in his protectiveness. if you were out together, he’d instinctively walk on the side closest to the street or make sure you were comfortable. one time, when someone made an offhand comment that upset you, san was quick to defend you, his usual playful demeanor replaced with a rare intensity. “hey, watch it,” he said firmly, his jaw tight as he stood by your side.

during a quiet moment at a group hangout, san handed you a small, handmade bracelet. “i made this for you,” he said, his cheeks tinged with pink.

“you made this?” you asked, surprised.

he nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. “yeah, i thought it’d suit you.”

when you put it on and smiled at him, san’s grin stretched from ear to ear, his heart practically melting at how radiant you looked.

min ⊹ gi

mingi’s crush on you is both endearing and awkward — his feelings make him nervous, but he can’t help the way he lights up whenever you were around. he’ll stumble over his words sometimes, his usual confidence replaced with a shy energy that only seems to surface when he is with you.

“hey, uh… how’s it going?” he’d ask, his voice a little higher than usual. if you teased him about being nervous, mingi would laugh it off, scratching the back of his head. “me? nervous? nah, i’m just… uh, thinking about something.”

his crush shows in the way he always tries to make you laugh. whether it is cracking silly jokes, pulling exaggerated faces, or doing a random dance move, mingi loves seeing you smile. “there it is!” he’d say triumphantly whenever you laugh, his own laughter following shortly after.

one time, while the group was practicing, you walked into the room, and mingi immediately straightened up, putting extra energy into his moves. he’d steal glances at you between steps, his lips quirking up into a proud grin when he noticed you watching.

later, when everyone was taking a break, mingi handed you a water bottle. “you must be thirsty after watching us, huh?” he joked, though his cheeks flushed as you accepted it.

“thanks, mingi. you’re really thoughtful,” you said with a warm smile.

his eyes widened slightly, and he looked away, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. “ah, it’s nothing. i just… i like making you happy.”

mingi’s honesty caught you off guard, but before you could respond, he jumped up, clapping his hands. “alright! back to practice!” he said, his voice a little too loud, clearly trying to cover up his embarrassment.

woo ⊹ young

wooyoung’s crush on you is impossible to miss — it radiates from him in the way he teases you, how his voice softens when he says your name, and the subtle yet intentional ways he finds to touch you. he is naturally flirty, but with you, his charm carries an extra layer of sincerity that he can’t hide no matter how hard he tries.

“are you blushing? don’t tell me you’re falling for me already,” he’ll tease, his signature grin lighting up his face. but the moment you tease him back, wooyoung’s confidence would falter just slightly. “i’m not blushing,” he’ll mutter, averting his gaze while his cheeks turn a telltale shade of pink.

wooyoung always finds ways to include you in the group’s activities, dragging you into dance challenges or asking for your opinion on his outfits. once, during a karaoke night, he deliberately picked a romantic ballad and sang it while making exaggerated gestures toward you, earning playful groans from the others. “what? i’m just serenading my biggest fan!” he’d joke, though the way his eyes linger on yours betrays his true feelings.

but beneath all the playfulness, wooyoung’s crush revealed itself in quieter, more thoughtful moments. when he noticed you were tired, he’d bring you snacks or offer you his jacket. “you take care of everyone else so much,” he said softly one evening, placing a warm drink in your hands. “let me take care of you for once.”

it was during one of these moments that his feelings slipped through more clearly. you had been talking about your day when wooyoung suddenly blurted out, “you’re seriously incredible, you know that?” he froze for a second, realizing what he’d said, and then quickly tried to cover it up with a laugh. “i mean, obviously — anyone with eyes can see it.”

though he tried to act nonchalant, the way he looked at you told a different story — one of someone utterly smitten and hopelessly drawn to you.

jong ⊹ ho

jongho’s crush on you is quieter but no less meaningful. he isn’t one to wear his heart on his sleeve, but his actions always speaks louder than words. if he had a crush, it would show in the way he pays attention to you — remembering the little things you say, noticing when you are feeling off, and always being there to lend a hand.

“here,” he’d say, handing you your favorite drink before you even asked for it. when you looked at him in surprise, he’d shrug, a faint smile playing on his lips. “you mentioned it once. i thought you’d like it.”

jongho often finds himself stealing glances at you, his gaze softening whenever you aren’t looking. if you catch him, he’ll quickly look away, his ears turning red. “i wasn’t staring,” he’ll insist, his tone calm but the slight awkwardness in his voice betraying him.

when the group is together, jongho will naturally gravitate towards you, whether it is sitting next to you or offering to help you carry something. one time, during a group outing, you struggled to open a bottle, and jongho immediately stepped in. “give it here,” he said, easily twisting the cap off and handing it back to you.

“thanks, jongho,” you said, smiling up at him.

he nodded, his expression unreadable, though his ears were tinged pink. “it’s nothing. i just didn’t want you to hurt your hand.”

despite his reserved nature, jongho’s crush shines through in the rare moments he let his guard down. during a casual conversation, he suddenly said, “you’re different from anyone i’ve ever met.”

the comment caught you off guard. “different how?”

he hesitated for a moment before meeting your eyes, his gaze steady but gentle. “just… special. in a good way.” his words were simple, but the weight behind them made your heart flutter.

though he isn’t one for grand gestures, jongho’s quiet devotion and thoughtfulness makes it clear just how much he cares — without him ever having to say the words outright.

notes: i am so soft for them, it’s not a joke anymore

[tooturtly]

Just so ppl know it does get better! I didn’t really have friends from ages 13-18, and even before then I always felt a little different (gay and neurodivergent). And yeah, it sucked. I thought I was doing everything right. I talked to people in class, I did extracurriculars, I was involved. But nobody was texting me unless it was about something school related. I wasn’t invited to anybody’s house. Twice the people I ate lunch with made homecoming plans but never invited me, I just showed up bc of how much they talked about it.

It finally took seeing the group of people I thought were my friends really overtly reject an openly neurodivergent guy from the friend group. Why? Because he talked too much, he was too sincere. It wasn’t any fault of his own. When I hung out with him in a smaller group, I had a blast. And I realized it wasn’t his fault or mine, but the people who I didn’t even like that much who were pushing me away. They were doing the same thing to both of us, and I should be pissed about it! (I still am, even know people change, it was still a shitty thing to do)

My senior year I finally put myself first and realized that having bad friends was worse than being alone. And I might as well be alone on my terms. I went to homecoming and prom by myself, I wore my own weird clothes and danced by myself just to have fun. I realized that going with those people had made me have less fun, because they hardly wanted to dance to the music if they didn’t know the song. I decided I was going to have fun and be my own person.

The only people I had who were friends were the older people at the game shop I went to. They were kind and patient with me when I didn’t know all the rules, and I’ve since lost touch with them but everyday I’m thankful that I had them in my life. Thank you for taking care of this weird teenager who was too loud and too pushy, and who you guided anyway! Thank you for humoring me!

And then I did find lasting friends. I graduated high school and found a group of amazing, nerdy, goofy people who I clicked with. We play D&D together, we eat together often, we share our stories, we talk and we laugh, we have inside jokes.

As I’ve gotten older I know I still have those moments. Even with my closest friends, I have doubts and anxieties about if they actually like me, if I’m a good and kind enough person to be able to sustain a friendship. Sometimes I think maybe I’m better off alone, because then any hurt I cause will only be me. I’ve never had friends before, I don’t know anything! Sometimes I think I’m too full of hurt to do anything but hurt. But I don’t trust those thoughts! My brain lies to me all the time! Those terrible twisted feelings never come from me, they come from a me that doesn’t know anything but pain and sorrow. I’m an entirely different person when the depression hits, and I’ve learned enough not to trust how I feel in those moments.

I know that I’m trying and my friends know it too. I’m not purposefully mean, I make amends when I make mistakes, which is all you can do because everyone makes mistakes. And I think about how much sadder my life would be without my support network. I would be miserable! Yeah I can do it alone, but I don’t want to! Doing it alone sucks! I love my friends! I don’t want to let them go, and they want me around. If my friends didn’t want me around, they’d tell me to pack it. Yet I’ve continued making friends, I find fun and weird people everywhere!

Fuck it, I’m gonna be me as much as I can! Life is terrible when you’re pretending to be someone else. And I’ve been lucky enough to find space irl where I can be me. If you can’t do that in person, go online, find community anywhere you can get it. I know I learned a lot from lurking online in high school.

My friends love me even though I have flaws, and I love them even though they have flaws. Including the anxiety and self doubt! Loving with flaws is human. Confidence is your armor against that self doubt. Even if it’s fake! Say fuck it and love your life, love yourself! The world is beautiful! Life is beautiful in those small moments laughing, in talking, in smiling.

Yes this is optimistic positivity! Because pessimism made me sad and being sad does not make you want to live! And I want to live. I made the choice once to live as much as I can. God’s tried to kill me twice and he has failed so far, so I will dance through life laughing.

I can still be depressed and I can still laugh! I can be lonely sometimes and still have friends! I can know that there’s always light at the end of the tunnel if I smile and greet the darkness as my friend.

On Isolation

[kashverse]

umbrellas are, without a doubt, mankind’s magnum opus. rain? blocked. sun? deflected. want to look like a brooding protagonist in a slow-motion film sequence? pop that thing open and stride dramatically.  a/n: read till the end to see choso's temu collab <3

unfortunately, this universal truth is lost on gojo, who believes his infinity is a catch-all solution to every problem in life, including weather. does it keep the rain off him? sure. does it do the same for you? absolutely not. but does he realize this? of course not. so while he’s smugly holding you close, humming some dumb love song and talking about how "this is just like those k-dramas, huh, babe?" you are actively getting drenched. fast forward two days later—you’re curled up in bed, tissues piling up like a battlefield, and gojo is wailing as if he’s the one on death’s doorstep. “my baby is dying,” he cries to shoko over the phone, who is ignoring him as she eats her lunch. it doesn’t matter that you told him it was just a mild cold. gojo is now hand-feeding you soup with the solemnity of a man who thinks he is on his last day of service. *“i should’ve—sniff—bought an umbrella.” you have half a mind to hit him with the spoon.

geto, on the other hand, is a man of preparation and, for some reason, exclusively stocks clear umbrellas. like, exclusively. open his closet and you will find nothing but a neat, borderline concerning collection of transparent umbrellas, stacked like they’re waiting for a government-distributed evacuation plan. does he use them all? yes. does he need that many? no. when you question him, he simply shrugs and says, “it’s aesthetic.” but the aestheticism fades a little when the two of you are forced to walk under the blazing summer sun, grumbling like old men because the clear plastic is offering exactly zero protection from UV rays. "we’re gonna get so tanned,” you whine. “we’ll be fine,” he reassures, though he looks about one minute away from passing out. why doesn’t he just buy a regular umbrella? you may never know.

toji, meanwhile, gives you the slow blink of a man who has never voluntarily used an umbrella in his life. if you ask him where his umbrella is, he will blink at you like a lizard sunning itself on a rock and say, "what’s an umbrella?" except he’s joking, but also not really. the thing about toji is that he fundamentally does not care about the weather. if it rains, it rains. if it shines, it shines. he has completed jobs in typhoons, sprinted through downpours to reach you in the middle of the night when you were anxious, and once walked through a literal snowstorm to buy a six-pack. weather is an inconvenience only for the weak. that is until his philosophy backfires and he ends up with a sunburn so severe he’s walking around the house hissing like a vampire, or with a cold so bad that every time he blows his nose, he sounds like a goose fighting for its life. and now he’s grumpy about it. "should’ve used an umbrella," you tell him sweetly as you rub aloe on his peeling shoulders. he grumbles something unintelligible and sulks like a big, overgrown toddler.

nanami is the only one among them who has fully mastered the art of umbrella ownership. you don’t even have to ask if he has one; the answer is always yes. he has one for every occasion. he carries a primary umbrella, a backup umbrella in his bag, and if you check his office drawer, there’s probably another one neatly folded away just in case. he whips it out at the farmers' market, during evening strolls, and most impressively, in a street fight. if you’ve ever seen a man turn an umbrella into a lethal weapon, nanami is that man. he can and will beat the shit out of someone with it. “it’s a tool,” he says simply. and honestly, who are you to argue?

choso, however, is firmly in the raincoat camp. umbrellas make his hands hurt, so he skips the struggle entirely and commits to full rain protection like a man on a mission. the problem arises when he starts browsing for new raincoats and sees children wearing character-themed ones. next thing you know, he is holding up two sanrio-themed raincoats from temu, grinning ear to ear. "they glow in the dark when they get wet," he says proudly. they allegedly glow. allegedly. you do a quick google search and find out they might actually contain enough lead to take down a fully grown man. "choso, you are not wearing that." but he already bought it. and now he’s standing in the rain, in a kuromi-themed raincoat that is possibly a biohazard, smiling like he’s the peak of fashion.

sukuna, much like toji, does not give a single damn about rain or shine. it could be pouring or blisteringly hot, and he’d still be doing whatever he wants, unaffected and unbothered. however, if the weather starts personally inconveniencing him—like preventing him from stretching out in his favorite sunspot like some oversized demon cat—he will glare at the sky itself and, somehow, it will fix itself. it doesn’t rain if sukuna doesn’t want it to. the sun won’t shine if he says so. when you ask him how he does it, he just shrugs. "i just do." you don’t push for answers. you’re a little scared to.

[cosmosluckycharms]

Bug Like Angel

Valentine

You had spent the last few hours making your special Valentine's Day cookies.

After years of attempts at them, you had finally perfected the recipe.

You were so excited to finally give them out to your friends!

Each cookie was decorated as a heart in their favorite color.

Red for Miles, purple for Gwen, pink for Peni, etc.

You were practically jumping for joy as soon as they were done.

You started to pack each one in their respective packaging, along with a little sticker of their name on the plastic.

As soon as you started putting them into your container to give them out, you felt your phone buzzing and ringing.

You put the cookies down and checked the contact.

It was Pavitr!

You picked up the call

"Hey Pavi! What up?" You asked while finishing up putting the cookies into the container

"Y/N! WE HAVE TO GO HELP MILES AND GWENS DATE GO WELL!"

Oh yeah. You forgot you and Pav accidentally both got Miles and Gwen to ask each other out for Valentine's.

Miles had called Pavitr for advice on how to ask "a girl out".

He was trying to hide how it was Gwen, despite everyone and their moms knowing how bad of a crush he had on her.

Pavitr ended up telling him to draw Gwen a portrait of a picture of the two sitting next to each other you had taken secretly and get her some flowers.

☆You were helping Gwen, who was also trying to ask Miles out.

She called you, very jittery, and told you she wanted to "get it over with" and just ask him out.

You helped her make a poem for him and compose him a song. You also helped her make a bouquet of paper flowers made from little pictures of them together.

You and Pavitr bonded over how you both were practically playing Cupid for Gwen and Miles.

"Alright, gimmie a sec though, where are we going to meet?" You asked, putting the container down and rushing to your room

"Meet me at Miles' universe, we have to watch over them and make sure nothing ruins today! I've been waiting for this for so long!"

You could hear his excitement over the phone, it was clear he was practically jumping up and down.

"Okay, I'll be there, bye Pavii!!" you hung up the phone and started getting ready.

You didn't know your family was home.

You didn't know how they'd been eying them all day assuming they were being made by Alfred.

You didn't know they couldn't wait to eat them.

All your brothers (?) decided to eat your cookies without bothering to ask anyone if it was theirs.

Sure, they forgot about you, but if you saw individually wrapped cookies tied up with a bow wouldn't you ask about it?

After they ate it, they even left the wrappers! They didn't even clean up their mess!

And sure, you didn't have to clean it up, alfred noticed the names on the wrappers and recognized one of them as one of your friends that you would talk about.

He called down the boys and asked why they ate the cookies. They didn't even deny eating them.

Their stomachs sank when they found out you had made those cookies for your friends.

They spent hours trying to remake the cookies from scratch. They didn't know when you'd be home.

They ended up finishing with them being messy and kind of gross tasting, nothing like how you made them!

Maybe you wouldn't notice?

The date was going well! You and Pavitr ended up fighting Green Goblin while trying to keep Miles and Gwen's date safe, clearing the streets of people trying to mug them, and setting everything up perfectly, but by the end of it, everything was perfect!

You managed to take a cute photo of Gwen and Miles kissing in the sunset, too!

You were sure nothing could ruin today!

You just had to run home and get the cookies so you could give them out, and then you could go to bed! You were exhausted!

You told Pavitr to walk into the kitchen with you so he could see how cute they were!

Your brothers saw through the camera as you and your friend walked into the kitchen and you handed him a cookie.

You saw as pavitrs face shift as he took a bite of it. Like he was trying to figure something out.

"What's wrong, Pavi?" You asked while taking the rest of the cookie and holding it in your hand.

"It tastes...Off. Like usually your cookies taste.... differently? I can't put my finger on it, though." You listened to him and then took a bite of the cookie as well.

You immediately spit it out.

It was so gross, nothing like how you made them!

"What the hell? I could've sworn these tasted better when I left them!" You started going through your mental checklist on how you could've messed it up.

It wasn't until you looked at the cameras around the kitchen on your phone that you found out your brothers ate them, rebaked them horribly, and tried to play it off.

You profusely apologized to Pavitr, he didn't deserve to eat that hot mess!

"It's okay!" he rubbed your back as you had your hands in your hair.

"it's not okay it's not, you know on Roblox-!" he hit you playfully on the back of the head for making a dumb reference.

It took him promising no one would be mad at you for something that wasn't your fault. He also told you he would bake them again with you.

You believed him.

You always did.

THIS WAS SO BAD AND SHORT IM SORRY

i needed to get this out

pavitr and reader bonding time woo

sorry this was so bad oml

taglist(please lmk if i forgot you!):@bath1lda @mariadvorak @coralaura @tsxukikami @hjgdhghoe @coffeeaddictxd @cxcilla @kaitense1 @star-girl-interlud3 @sukaretto-n @welpthisisboring @itsberrydreemurstuff @lovebug-apple @crazycaoticsimp @bellethesleepypotato @blackhood1229 @jsprien213 @sirenetheblogger @awawage @holybatflapexpert

[ronoken]

Nowdays, she would be wearing a simple white dress, and this entire scene, other dances included, would be greenscreened. All the Muppets would be replaced with CGI. The baby? CGI. Cute worm at the beginning? Bad CGI. Hoggle is CGI acted out by a grown man in a green body suit frawling on his knees who sounds like a bored Andy Serkis. Midway through watching this sequence, the video stops and offers you a choice of which Progressive ad you'd like to watch, along with a QRC code to shop policies.

Sarah's journey would end at the gates of the goblin city, with the second movie being how her and her friends, which now include one one those weird orange birds with the detatched heads because they tested well, get to Jareth's castle. The bird is named Skeebo and is voiced by Awkwafina. There's a twenty minute goofy chase sequence where everyone tries to catch Skeebo's head while Skeebo sings "Gotta Get a Baby" which gets a cover by Rihianna during the credits. It becomes the top song on Spotify. No one knows why.

The series is capped off by a two-part conclusion film that clockes in with a combined run time of four and a half hours. These movies would take six to tweleve years to make, with the final one going straight to streaming on Disney+. Instead of a dance party, the last movie ends with a three week jump where Sarah is moping around her home Skeebo bursting through Sarah's bedroom door with a flamethrower in hand begging Sarah to come with her, saying, "you're never gonna believe this." There's then a smashcut to a pop song title caption.

Don't worry though; you're not out of content. The sequel is ditched due to budget issues, but there's a series announced. It will cover Jareth's origin story, featuring Timothée Chalamet as young Jareth. It's a musical. No one remembers the songs from it, but one, "Castles Made of Dreams," was covered by Justin Timberlake. It's popular for three weeks and appears on Kids Bop. It's last heard in a Trolls spinoff movie. The Trolls movie also stars Timothée Chalamet.

Jareth Origins: Book One: The Goblin King's Genesis 8K Special Edition will be dragged out over 10 episodes that cost roughly $300 million to produce, and will then be cancelled within six weeks of being released due to pay disputes to the writers. The show will then vanish from all streaming platforms, along with the second and fourth movies. That's okay, though. They're available for $3.99 a piece on Poob, but only if you're good with ads. Also, the last two movies and the series are digital only, with purchased copied of the digital now gone from your Amazon account.

I fucking miss VHS.

Movie Costumes | Sarah's ballgown, Labyrinth (1986)

[steviewashere]

I kinda feel like Steve wasn't as popular as he's made out to be. Like, maybe he's got a bit of a reputation that proceeds him—ladies man, The Hair, and Steeevveee Harrington. He takes care of himself, takes care of his dates. The guys around him oversell his personality a lot, how many people he can get in bed with him, the way he can instantly charm a person.

But then you meet him and it's just.

This is the guy you're talking about?

The guy who forgets how to use his tongue sometimes and just does one of those little finger waves? The guy who, if he thinks you're not paying attention to him, will just stand there and make a bunch of goofy faces, lost in thought, muttering song lyrics under his breath? The guy who keeps making the most dorky references to music and movie culture—he quoted something from Star Trek on one of his dates. And the guy who will run into walls when trying to make a swift exit?

Dude is awkward. He is clammy. He is stuttering over his words and trying to cover it up with his pretty smile—which, yeah could be charming, but in his own special streak of charming. Every romantic gesture he pulls is more outlandish, garish, and brash than the last; he is fumbling matches for candles, though, and he is sticking himself in the thumb with the thorns on roses, he is spilling popcorn all over himself on movie dates, and he is tripping on his own feet while trying to carry a girl to his bed upstairs.

Every time a girl kisses his cheek, he's immediately flushing head to toe, smiling all crooked, eyes all soft. He almost forgets to kiss them back.

When he dates Eddie, though? Oh my god.

Eddie flirts with him and Steve literally squeaks. Eddie watches him while Steve is playing basketball, he fumbles the ball and falls onto his knees on the court. Eddie tucks hair behind Steve's ear, Steve is blurting out his entire hair care regime—all because Eddie murmured about how soft it was. Eddie rubs his back while they're cuddled on the couch, Steve gets a boner so fast that he nearly blacks out. Eddie makes them dinner once, tells Steve to just sit down at the table while ushering him out of the kitchen, and Steve is in such a daze of love that he runs into the doorjamb face first and breaks his nose.

When Eddie tells him he loves him? Steve literally screams and has to take a lap before saying it back.

Every time Steve flirts, he has to back track five steps. Every time he compliments Eddie, he has to clarify that it's a compliment because they all come out so aggressively to the point they sound like insults. He tries to quote Shakespeare and, sure it's a love quote, but it's from some incest scene and Eddie laughs before telling him what it really means.

I don't know. Steve just embarrasses himself a lot. Like he definitely has the capacity to sweep somebody off their feet, romance 'em or whatever. But when he's really, really in love with somebody (whether it be after a few dates with a girl, the person he's in love with is Nancy, or even Eddie)? Steve is not chill whatsoever.

Everything that rumors said were just complete lies. You wanna know who started them?

Tommy.

It was Tommy trying to cover for his best friend. Because he saw Steve smile at a girl once, flirt with her, get a date with her. But he had a piece of broccoli stuck between his two front teeth. He couldn't save the interaction even if he tried, Steve was too enamored to quit. The only saving grace Tommy could think of was sell Steve as this handsome, charming, romantic guy—even though the Steve he knew was dorky, a major geek in private, awkward as hell, and funny half the time (his jokes were very hit or miss).

(Also, imagine gay Tommy just trying to reason with himself that his crush—his best friend—is actually not the awkward guy he really is. And maybe he still likes Steve. But Jesus. That piece of broccoli was huge! How did Steve not feel it?)

Anyway. Cringe fail Steve is something very important to me.

[alalalalaalalalviraaaaa]

summary: valentine's day? this is nerdjo's perfect chance! pt.1

song list: (hella short cuz this is short)

espresso- sabrina carpenter

obsessed- mariah carey

kiss it better- rihanna

"i-i... well um, i think you're uhh, very... pretty... and i um, you'r-"

"so you mean i'm hot and you can't stop staring?" you say in a judgy voice, unable to comprehend what's going on— or 'flabbergasted' as what the dumbass in front of you calls it. "listen up, nerd: i know i'm a looker, and i don't need someone like you to remind me of that, mmkay? so scram." you say, pushing past like what? the 13th dumbass? and you're not even two hours in.

you look to your side, just to be met by satoru, a loyal puppy. even though he was the smartest, he did your homework for free, unlike the other nerds who'd grown some balls thinking they had a chance with you— except for the chance to finish your essays.

pretty face adorned with baby blue eyes, satoru wasn't that ugly. in fact, he wasn't ugly at all. just that... he was a nerd. with nerdy glasses, nerdy clothes, and thick, nerdy books in his hands 24/7. flustered, stuttering mess. hey, but he looks so cute wrapped around your finger, ain't that right?

"well," he chuckles and pushes his glasses up with an index. damn, 5 inch fingers? what about his co- "you're getting a lot of confessions, huh?" he shakes his head head slightly and walks alongside you.

"mhm... it's exhausting." you say tiredly, with a hint of smug in your voice. "oh, and did you finish my assignment? need to hand it over next period." you inquire, expecting the work. satoru was never late to anything. punctual, perfect, and what not? would be your mom's dream if you brought him home.

"oh, yeah! i did it for you, and i guarantee you'll get an A!" he says proudly, looking over at you.

"uhh.. okay, now hand it over?" you say with a bit of attitude, your hand open as you observe him scrambling for it in some bag. "here! here is it!" he hands it to you like some sacred treasure. you look at the paper, looking at what he wrote before you catch a glimpse of red and some scrunching of wrappers as he zips the bag up. your eyebrows furrow as realise what it is. roses. and chocolates. who the fuck is he giving that to?

"what's that?" you ask sternly, looking up at him, the assignment completely forgotten. "the thing in your bag. who's that for, huh?" you push him against a wall, quickly pinning him.

"w-what do you mean? i-i don't know what yo-"

"the roses. and chocolates. in your bag right now, who's that for, eh? some other nerdy slut? that blondie cheerleader? psst- she won't accept it, cut it out. no one would." you say harshly, not a single bit jealous. scoff, you've never been jealous in your life.

a flicker of emotions flash by his face and then it settles to a one of annoyance.

"not even you?" he says, a hint of smugness in his face.

"what?" you say, now truly 'flabbergasted'. what does he mean by that? there's no way he's...

"well, since no one would accept me... i guess you won't get those." he signals to the bag with his eyes and looks back into your eyes deeply. a full blown smirk adorns his face, the 'next period' completely out of mind.

"wait, i didn't mean that, come on!" you retorted. how could he speak to you like that? you were the famous y/n, who would not confess to you? you take the roses and chocolates out of his bag, and shove it into his hands. "now do it, properly. say how much you love me and what you find hot about me."

"i know you have guys all over you all the time, but they're all just desperate and weak. i ain't like them. i'm confident and i know what i want. and what i want is you. you're absolutely hot, and nobody else is gonna have you. so yeah, i want you, and i'm not takin' no for an answer."

lips crash and feelings form, you taking the first move. tongues moving and doing more to express more than words. you both knew you both wanted this. he switches positions and puts a leg in between yours, making it unable for you to escape. his thigh rubs against yours and he gropes you, out in the hallway, where anyone could see. but no one was around, and that was all that mattered (you as well). he breaks the kiss, a string of saliva connecting your lips.

"y/n, please... i need you so much right now."

pt.2

[meguchi512]

hey thank you so much genuinely, it means a lot when people take a closer look at what I make (it already means a lot when it's "just" a like honestly lol), can't thank you enough for taking the time to write this out. :^)

however I also wanted to take this chance to make a clarification about the "lyrics" in this artwork, because I usually put a decent amount of thought into things like this and I never get to rant about it because I really like it when people find things out by themselves!

funnily enough though... I've never heard that song before (until now! it's pretty catchy)... and it's actually taken from a 16th-17th century Spanish poem lol.

I had a literature unit at school in which we analized poems, in terms of rhythm, meaning, literary resources, you get the drill. I'm from a spanish-speaking country so we did this in spanish, with mostly spanish and latin-american poems, and one of the poets whose work we analized was Francisco de Quevedo.

so we started analyzing "Amor constante más allá de la muerte" ("Love constant beyond death"), a poem that took like 5 and a half lessons to work with. not that it wasn't fun, I enjoyed it throughoutly, but the monotony got to me and by the end of the week I could recite the whole 14-line poem by memory in spanish. and naturally, I made it about kanamafu.

when I finished this piece I knew I wanted to include it somewhere, and since most of the people who follow me speak english I thought I'd look for a translation. and I found this one by A. S. Kline:

The last shadow that the bright day brings me

May possess the power to close my eyes

And, that hour, release this soul of mine

To its eagerly, anxiously awaited favours,

Yet, on the other side, upon that shore,

It will not leave its memories behind;

Their ardent flame will conquer icy water, 

Paying scant respect to the harshest law.

Soul that has been godlike in its prison –

Of veins that gave moisture to the fire,

Of marrow that once gloriously burned: 

The body, you’ll abandon, not its cares;

They will be ash, but ash that yet feels;

Dust they will be, but an amorous dust.

this is a great translation, but I really wanted it to rhyme, plus there were some lines that I had interpreted differently while reading it in spanish*.

*"...Serán cenizas, más tendrá sentido..."; I interpreted the usage of "tendrá sentido" to mean "it will make sense", yet Kline interprets it as "it will feel". my interpretation is "when I'm dead and gone, and only ashes are left of me, not even those ashes will cease to have my purpose, which is to love you", while Kline's is "when I'm dead and gone, and only ashes are left of me, those ashes will still be able to feel love for you". both have the meaning of undying love and Kline's is probably more accurate for what the poet originally intended, I'm just a teenager having fun lol.

so. I made it rhyme! the original poem's structure was ABBA CDC, but for the sake of making it work I had to make it into AABA CCD. this is the result, obtained through looking both at Kline's translation and the original poem:

The last shadow to take me on that white morning

May possess the power to close my eyelids

And at that hour, unfold this soul of mine

To its eagerly, anxiously awaited flattering,

Yet, on the other side, upon that shore,

It will not leave the memory in which it burnt;

For my flame knows to swim through icy water, 

Losing respect to the harshest law.

A soul which every god has been prison to,

Of veins that to the fire have lent moisture,

Of marrow that has once gloriously burnt: 

Its body it will leave, yet not its cares;

They will be ash, yet it will make sense;

Dust they will be, yet dust enamoured.

the biggest change made here was changing "day" to "morning" and "eyes" to "eyelids", however I think it doesn't take much away from it since "the white day" originally meant "the day in which death shall take me", and morning generally means new beginnings so I guess it's an interesting twist though not perfectly accurate.

I also didn't take rhythm into account since I'm not sure how that works in english. you guys have really confusing syllables. I went with what sounded good enough for me lol.

anyways, rant's over, unless anyone wants me to become the yap monster. I'm not sure many people will read this but I hope it interests someone nonetheless.

fun fact: in HEARTWORM/"Love constant beyond death", the HEARTWORM part is not a reference to the poem but a play on how Mafuyu's heart is often represented by an apple and Kanade is vibing on her heart like a worm on an apple. it's also a severe heart disease which doesn't affect rabbits, which don't get me wrong that's great for them but god it would've wrapped it all together so nicely...

HEARTWORM/"Love constant beyond death"

[m4rv3l-girl]

Bucky x reader in a relationship but noone knows👀

After Bucky Caught up with this year's technology thanks to you and Tony, he mastered the selfie and taking random photos of alpine, whether it's with you or him sending you updates throughout the day! After a few months of keeping your relationship hidden, bucky uploads a photo of him getting ready for one of Tony's parties, and in the bed behind him there's a pair of women's legs(reader) and everyone is trying to figure out who it is! And when you&bucky turn up to tonys party fashionably late, they slowly start to figure it out and everyone starts asking questions about you both but bucky just says that he wants to spend the night dancing away with his doll! And spends the night with you in his arms dancing and when he isn't dancing wirh you he always has his eyes on you, admiring you🥹

Based on this photo: https://www.instagram.com/share/p/_qa-csZfu

Evidence

Bucky x Y/N

Warnings: None, just fluff!

Bucky Barnes had long mastered the art of keeping secrets. A lifetime of espionage, coded messages and covert operations had trained him well.

But nothing at all compared to the delicate art of keeping you a secret.

It had started off as a mutual agreement. With the team’s habit of meddling, Tony’s ever-pressing need for gossip, and Sam’s endless teasing, you and Bucky had decided to keep your relationship under wraps - for a little while, at least. It was a game at first, slipping past the team unnoticed, brushing hands under the table, and sharing stolen kisses behind closed doors. But then, as the months passed, the secret became something precious, something just for the two of you.

The relationship had formed in the quiet moments, the ones no one else was around to witness. Late nights in the kitchen, when you’d both found yourselves restless and unable to sleep, standing side by side as you made tea and whispered about everything and nothing at all. Afternoons in the training room, where teasing jabs turned into full-blown sparring matches, and Bucky - though more than capable of winning - let you pin him down, just to see the victorious look in your eye.

Then there were the mornings. The ones where Bucky woke before the sun, only to stay in bed a little longer, watching the steady rise and fall of your chest. He still had nightmares, but waking up with you beside him made them feel less suffocating. The warmth of your body against his was enough to ground him, to remind him that he was here, now, and not lost in a past he couldn’t change.

You had a way of making things feel lighter, easier. You made him laugh - really laugh, the kind of deep, rumbling sound that felt foreign to him for so long. You made him feel human, whole, wanted.

And in return, Bucky adored you in ways he didn’t know he was capable of. He was careful with you, always aware of how much strength he held, but he also indulged you in the little things - the way you liked your coffee, the books you loved to reread, the songs you hummed absentmindedly while cooking. He paid attention, memorized it all, stored it away in the part of his mind he refused to let Hydra steal from him.

Maybe that’s why the secret lasted as long as it did - because it wasn’t just a secret, it was your secret.

Bucky had come a long way since stepping into this new world. Thanks to Tony’s tech lessons and your patient guidance, he had fully embraced modern-day conveniences. His biggest triumph? The front-facing camera. Selfies had become his thing. Not the social-media-influencer kind, but the ‘random snapshots of Alpine’ kind. Photos of her curled up beside him, stretching in the sun, or the occasional picture of you next to him when you weren’t looking, often followed by a cheeky text: stunning, doll.

But tonight, completely by accident, he blew your cover.

The selfie wasn’t supposed to be evidence. It was just Bucky being Bucky. He had suited up for one of Tony’s extravagant parties, wearing one of those sleek, dark suits that made him look like he belonged in a black-and-white film

He’d snapped a quick photo in the mirror of his bedroom, looking sharp and effortless, hair neatly tucked back, the metal of his vibranium arm catching the light just right. It was a rare moment of vanity, and he thought ‘why not?’

So he uploaded it.

Within minutes, the Stark Tower group chat was in chaos.

Bucky stared at his phone, his face frozen in something between amusement and horror.

He had been so focused on checking the lighting, the angle, and the damn tie that he hadn’t noticed the very obvious evidence of you in his bed. The blanket had slipped just enough to reveal a pair of very recognizable bare legs—the unmistakable confirmation that Bucky Barnes was, indeed, not sleeping alone.

He glanced over his shoulder where you were still stretched out on the bed, scrolling through your phone. “Uh… we might have a problem.”

You looked up and frowned. “What kind of problem?”

Wordlessly, he turned the screen to you.

You blinked. Then, you gasped. Then, you laughed - a full, delighted, eyes-sparkling kind of laugh that made his chest ache in the best way.

“Oh, Hun,” you grinned, taking his phone to read the messages, “you really did it this time.”

A flurry of frantic thoughts raced through Bucky’s mind as he raked his fingers through his hair. He wasn’t ashamed of your relationship, not in the slightest. If anything, he was proud of the way you made him feel human again, proud that you had chosen him of all people. But after months of keeping things low-key, this wasn’t how he had planned for the world - or rather, the most nosy people in the world - to find out.

“What do we do?” he muttered, pacing the room as you continued laughing, sprawled lazily on the bed.

“Well,” you mused, tapping your chin in mock thoughtfulness, “we could deny, deny, deny.”

Bucky gave you a look. “Doll.”

“Or,” you continued, grinning at his exasperation, “we could own it. Show up to the party like we planned, act completely unbothered, and let them squirm.”

He stopped pacing, considering. The idea of watching Tony and Sam try to pry information out of him while he coolly deflected every attempt? That was tempting.

“I like the way you think,” he admitted, sitting on the edge of the bed beside you.

You sat up, curling your legs underneath you. “Besides, it’s not like we’re doing anything wrong.”

Bucky smiled, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. “Nope. Just keeping what’s ours, ours.”

You leaned into his touch, your voice softer now. “Exactly.”

With that, you stood, stretching before grabbing his tie and fixing it properly. Bucky watched you, admiring the way you fit so seamlessly into his life. Maybe the secret had been fun while it lasted, but deep down, a part of him was relieved. The world would know now. And that was okay because you weren’t just anyone.

You were his.

He pressed a kiss to your forehead, murmuring, “Let’s go give ‘em something to talk about.”

By the time you both arrived at the party, fashionably late, as planned. The curiosity in the air was palpable. Conversations hushed the second Bucky stepped into the grand Stark Tower ballroom, all eyes scanning him for clues. But it was when you followed him inside, your hand effortlessly slipping into his, that everything clicked.

Sam, holding a drink, nearly choked on it. Steve, ever the gentleman, tried to hide his smirk. Natasha only raised an eyebrow in amusement, while Tony clapped his hands together with a ‘Finally!’ that made half the room turn.

“Oh, this is rich,” Sam announced, pointing at you both. “Barnes, you sneaky bastard.”

Bucky, completely unfazed, only pulled you closer. “Took you long enough to figure it out.”

“Not my fault you decided to upload evidence.”

Tony was already pouring champagne, grinning from ear to ear. “This calls for a toast. To Bucky and his very, very poorly hidden romance!”

You rolled your eyes, leaning into Bucky’s side. “Well, we hid it for long enough, didn’t we?”

He kissed your temple, whispering, “You okay, doll?”

You smiled up at him, squeezing his hand. “More than okay.”

And then, Bucky made a decision. He could entertain the team’s interrogation, let them pry into the little details of how this all started or he could do what he truly wanted to do tonight.

With a smirk, he turned to the crowd. “I’d love to stay and chat,” he announced smoothly, “but I have plans.”

Tony raised an eyebrow. “And what plans might those be, Tin Man?”

Bucky pulled you toward the dance floor, his grip firm yet gentle. “Spending the night dancing with my girl.”

And just like that, the world faded away.

The music swelled around you both, a slow, romantic tune that set the perfect rhythm for the way Bucky held you in his arms. His hand rested at the small of your back, his vibranium fingers tracing delicate patterns against the fabric of your dress. You melted into him, your head resting against his shoulder as he swayed you across the dance floor.

“You really don’t care that they know now?” you asked softly, looking up at him.

Bucky shook his head, a rare, carefree smile gracing his lips. “Nah. Kinda nice, actually. No more sneaking around. Just you and me, doll.”

Warmth bloomed in your chest, an undeniable swell of love for this man who had once hidden in the shadows, and now stood in the light - completely, unapologetically yours.

For the rest of the night, Bucky barely let you go. When you weren’t dancing, he had an arm around you, his fingers playing with the ends of your hair, his gaze never drifting far from you. And when the party eventually calmed down and Tony, drunk on champagne, grumbled about needing more drama in his life. Bucky only pulled you in for one last dance, his lips ghosting over your ear as he murmured,

“Best night ever.”

——————————————————————————————————

Hope you enjoyed the fluff, My Dear! 🫶

[novvabee]

the day you post the next chapter of the marauders band au will be the day i cry happy tears

well let those tears flow baby, new chapter is here!!! some new faces as well 🎸

The Boys in the Band

word count: 3k

cw: swearing like once, really nothing else this one is a filler until the next chapter

You had never heard so many screams in your life. If it weren’t for your earpiece, you probably wouldn’t know what the fuck was going on. You got through your entire performance entirely by sheer adrenaline. 

These past few months had been a whirlwind. You went from performing in dive bars and opening for small artists to opening for the Emmeline Vance, the biggest pop star in the world. She has gone on five sold out world tours, has multiple number one albums, and has1 2 Ollivander Awards, the most prestigious and sought after award in all of the music industry. 

And she hand selected The Pixies to open for her on her UK leg of her newest world tour. You and the girls could not believe your luck, you were getting to play for thousands of screaming fans every week. These fans were of course there to see Emmeline, but the longer you toured with her, the more the fans learned all the words to your songs and were screaming them back at you. Some of the fans in the audience were there solely because The Pixies were there, and that was what amazed you and the girls. 

You had grown your fan base in this short time, and had gotten enough attention to land you in the spot you’re in now. 

“London, you have been absolutely amazing tonight!” you shouted into your pink microphone. You were met with screams and applause, enough to make your chest rumble with the sound. “We have one last song for you, then we can all enjoy some Emmeline!”

You chuckled as the sound grew impossibly louder, the crowd all adorned in bright colors, tassels and sparkles. Your kind of people.

“So, this last song is probably the one you’ll know, even if you don’t know who we are, you have definitely heard this song.” You said into the mic, trying to drown out the noise of the crowd as you made your way center stage. You caught a glimpse of yourself on the screen amplifying your image to the crowd and smiled. This, you could definitely get used to this, the crowd, the stage, the lights, the production of it all. Hell, there was even a VIP section in the front row. You made eye contact with a few actors and actresses that you had idolised for years, high fived a very famous socialite, and saw artists that you had listened to since you were a child scream your lyrics back at you. It was enthralling to say the least.

You placed yourself in the center of the stage where the screen could pick you up perfectly. Lily and Mary to each side of you, Marlene behind and elevated with her drum kit. All of you matching in pretty red dresses, reminiscent of 1950s swimwear. Though you all matched, you were all giving different vibes and made the dresses your own. You were styled in matching platform heels, Lily had a sheer red long sleeved bodysuit under, Mary had fishnets and black heels, and Marlene was of course in her pair of beat up converse and wore her ripped black tights. You all looked individualistic while obviously being a group.

“Although you may know this song, there is a little dance that goes along with it.” you said, screams erupting yet again, some people already understanding which song you were about to do next. “But the thing is, everyone has to do it or the song doesn’t work.” you said with fake sadness. Mary chuckled beside you.

“So, I’m gonna teach you all the dance now! Marlene, could you give us a beat?” you asked. The crowd’s volume was possibly the loudest it had been all night as Marlene started playing the beat of HOT TO GO! “Ok, ok, the dance goes something like this. H-O-T-T-O-G-O,” you said, using your arms to spell out the letters of HOT TO GO! then finished the dance with, “You can take me hot to go.”

You looked out into the crowd and the whole arena was moving. Every single body was doing your silly little dance and you couldn’t help the smile that grew on your face.

“Ok One more time! H-O-T-T-O-G-O, you can take me hot to go!” You instructed. Lily and Mary beside you, both helping show off the dance. Everyone seemed to pick up the dance fairly easily, but you couldn’t help but notice the front row not joining in. There were a few people who notably stood out because they weren’t doing the dance, and though you had a literal arena to focus on, somehow that held your attention. You made out about 10 VIPs in the front not dancing, and within this crowd, you clocked a few familiar faces.

It took you a moment to recognise where you knew these faces from, but you remembered, these were the boys from The Marauders. The one with long black hair was the one looking the most sulky and upset, and this irked you. Sure, you had only met them a few months ago, and you knew the history with James and Lily, well, you sort of knew, but you thought that they would at least support you, not sit VIP and look miserable and jealous while you were performing. You knew there was a little rivalry, both your bands being from the same town and all, but they had just as much, if not more, success than you girls, so why were they seeming so sour. This bothered you, probably more than it should have.

So you skipped your way all the way to the front of the stage.”It’s so weird that VIP thinks they’re way too cool to do this!” You announced to the crowd. You saw the shocked faces on some of the lame VIPs who weren't dancing, so you decided to address them directly. “You’re not fun!” You shouted then turned and skipped back to where your girls were starting the song. And nevermind, that was the loudest that the crowd was all night. You saw Lily double over with laughter, trying her best to keep it together and keep playing. Marlene’s mouth was hanging open and Mary gave you a wink of approval. “Do it or I’m calling you on stage.” you threw over your shoulder as one last jab.

You decided that the rest of the song you were going to perform for the back of house, where you could see that people were dancing and having a good time. 

I could be the one, or your new addiction It's all in my head but I want non-fiction I don't want the world, but I'll take this city

Who can blame a girl? Call me hot, not pretty Baby, do you like this beat? (Na-na-na-na, na) I made it so you'd dance with me (na-na-na-na, na) It's like a hundred 99 degrees (na-na-na-na, na) When you're doing it with me, doing it with me H-O-T-T-O-G-O Snap and clap and touch your toes Raise your hands, now body roll Dance it out, you're hot to go H-O-T-T-O-G-O Snap and clap and touch your toes Raise your hands, now body roll H-O-T-T-O-G-O

This is when the whole crowd erupted in the dance, hands and arms waving in the air everywhere. So many faces smiling back at you, everyone you could see having an amazing time.

H-O-T-T-O-G-O

You can take me hot to go H-O-T-T-O-G-O You can take me hot to go Well, I woke up alone staring at my ceiling I try not to care but it hurts my feelings You don't have to stare, come here, get with it No one's touched me there in a damn hot minute And baby, don't you like this beat? (Na-na, na-na-na) I made it so you'd sleep with me (na-na, na-na-na) It's like a hundred 99 degrees (na-na, na-na-na) When you're doing it with me, doing it with me

H-O-T-T-O-G-O Snap and clap and touch your toes Raise your hands, now body roll Dance it out, you're hot to go H-O-T-T-O-G-O Snap and clap and touch your toes Raise your hands, now body roll H-O-T-T-O-G-O H-O-T-T-O-G-O You can take me hot to go H-O-T-T-O-G-O You can take me hot to go

You walked to the front of the stage again, dancing your way and stopping to look straight to the back of house and make sure they were feeling the love as well. You saw so much glitter and so many colors flashing in the lights of the arena, the crowd looking like a rainbow colored night sky.

What's it take to get your number? What's it take to bring you home? Hurry up, it's time for supper, order up, I'm hot to go What's it take to get your number? Hurry up, it's getting cold Hurry up, it's time for supper, order up, I'm hot to go H-O-T-T-O-G-O You can take me hot to go (oh, yeah) H-O-T-T-O-G-O You can take me hot to go (hot to go) H-O-T-T-O-G-O You can take me hot to go (oh, yeah) H-O-T-T-O-G-O You can take me hot to go Whew, it's hot here, is anyone else hot? Whoo, you coming home with me?

you pointed to Sirius in the crowd, still sulking with his arms crossed in front of his body, his friends, James and Remus, looked at you shocked.

Okay, it's hot, I'll call the cab

The arena erupted yet again with screams and cheers. You took a moment to take it all in and savor the feeling. This is what you want to do for the rest of your life, not just opening, but headlining shows just like this one.

You and the girls gave your final bows and started to exit the stage. You and the girls waved and blew kisses as you made your way into the wings.

Once you were off the stage and fully out of view, you all hugged. The four of you giggling and squealing and jumping up and down like schoolgirls, but you didn’t care, you just played the biggest show of your life. You could feel your future shift at that moment. You knew that big things were on their way, everything you and the girls had worked for was going to come to fruition. 

“What was that about?” Marlene laughed, breaking away from the group hug and looking directly at you.

You smirked and blushed. “Look, it just made me mad, they were just standing there and looking so pissy,” you laughed. “I had to call them out a little.”

“You know who was in VIP?” Mary mused to Marlene. 

Marlene rolled her eyes as she said, “Marauders?”

“The Marauders.” Mary confirmed. 

Marlene chuckled and turned her gaze back to you. “Well then the outburst is validated.”

“I hope they’re not mad.” you admitted. You did feel slightly bad for them, calling them out in front of an entire arena full of people, potential fans of theirs.

“What?” Mary asked. “No, they deserved it. You know they’re jealous that we got this spot instead of them.”

“Well,” Lily interjected, “We all know only one of them is pissy about it. Remus and James wouldn’t care and were probably enjoying the performance just fine. It’s Sirius ‘Bitchy’ Black.” she laughed. This caused you all to giggle.

“Still,” you said, “We should all be like a united front or something, you know. We're all from the same areas, we’re all up and coming. It couldn’t hurt to be friends with them.”

You couldn’t finish the conversation with the girls or hear what they had to say because Emmeline came up to you girls.

“Oh my God! That was amazing, girls!” she praised. She hugged you all individually and stood with you for a moment before she had to go out. “No joke, you have been the best openers I have ever had with me.”

You and the girls smiled and thanked her, your heart was pounding out of your chest. You still couldn’t believe she even knew who you were let alone that you just opened for her.

“Thanks for whipping VIP into shape, they were looking a little boring.” She winked at you. All of you girls giggled with her. The stage techs were giving her a ‘hurry up’ motion, signaling her to take her position on stage. “Anyways, I’ll see you after the show, thank you so much again. Love you girls.” She said in a rush as the house lights went down and the crowd began to roar and chant her name. She was whisked off to get into place.

You girls decided to head to the dressing room to change quickly so you could come back and watch the rest of Emmeline’s show. 

“I can’t wait to see what becomes of your little… outburst.” Marlene said from beside you, nudging you slightly. You stopped just short of your dressing room as you turned to her.

You rolled your eyes in response to her. “It was not an outburst,” you giggled, “and it is not that big of a deal.” you pulled open the door to the dressing room, about to usher the girls in as you heard an unfamiliar voice come from behind you.

“Actually, it can be.” You turned to catch a glimpse at where the voice came from. A small, platinum blonde girl stood just outside your dressing room, leaning on the brick wall of the hallway, not even looking your way, just twiddling with her fingers. She had the most interesting outfit on, ruffles and patterns, strange yet beautiful. She had the craziest glasses sitting atop her head, holding her blonde locks back; reminiscent of an owl's feathers, one eye glass blue and the other pink. Must be designer.

“Sorry?” Mary said from beside you, the whole group turning their attention to the strange blonde girl.

“She said it wouldn’t be that big of a deal. And it absolutely can be.” the blonde said, turning her attention finally to you four, her round eyes so piercing. She couldn’t just be a fan, the security wouldn’t allow her access this far, even with a VIP ticket. Either she is a crazed fan who snuck past security, in that case bravo to her, or she is someone important enough to be allowed back here. 

The four of you only stared back at her, not quite sure what to say.

“Pandora Rosier,” she introduced herself with a smile. Pretty name.

“Wait, you’re a Rosier?” Marlene asked. Pandora smiled and nodded. You three looked to Marlene for an explanation as to who this girl is and how she somehow knows of her. “Mr. Rosier is the manager for a bunch of different artists… a bunch of successful artists. She’s basically industry royalty.”

You all paid more attention to the blonde now, still standing and smiling at you. “I know that you were just being cheeky, that you were having fun on stage…,” She began, her voice airy and light. “But we all know how the media is. Especially when you offend some of the most popular musicians and actors in the game.”

Offend, you didn’t think of it like that at all. “Wait, no. I wasn’t trying to offend anyone, I was just-”

“Having fun?” Pandora cut you off. “Yes, we all know that, but the media loves to take the fun out of everything. Especially when it is young, talented women. I’ve seen it hundreds of times. The Daily Prophet is exceptionally keen on trampling the fun out of everything, making every small thing a scandal.” She explained. You began to feel a sinking feeling in your stomach. Did you actually offend anyone? Would the media actually write about something as small as this? Surely not, but what if…

“And what? If it does cause a scandal, then what?” Lily asked.

“Well, if you were to have a manager, they could be in communication with the media, you know, work with them on things they write about their clients.” Pandora said.

“Wait wait,” Mary interjected, “Are you trying to become… our manager?”

“You don’t have one, right?” Pandora asked, smiling yet again. That perfect, whimsical smile.

“We don’t,” you answered. “But, we’ve done just fine without one so far.” it was true, up until now, you and the girls worked your asses off to be where you are, hell, you booked this job without one.

“Of course you have!” Pandora said enthusiastically. “But think of what you could do with one. Record deals, albums, world tours. I can negotiate all of that for you.”

“But, why do you want to manage us?” Lily asked.

“Because I see something in you. You’re all destined for stardom. I’ve seen you perform, seen the crowds and the feeling that you bring. It’s like magic.” Pandora answered, a gleam in her big shiny eyes. 

“Say we agree, what do you want out of it?” Mary asked. “What’s the deal, you want like 20 percent or something?”

Pandora thought for a moment before saying, “Honestly, this isn’t about the money.” You four looked at each other, slightly bewildered. What was she after then? “I don’t need money really, my father has plenty of that. What I really want is success. What would you think about something like 5 percent.” 

“Pardon?” Marlene said.

“I want to help you get to the top. I want you to see the success you deserve. I have seen many artists in my life and none of them have made me feel like you four do.” the blonde explained. "You are a group of very talented girls, I don’t want to see that talent extinguished as I often have. This industry burns those who have it out, fast and hard. You four have something that I can’t quite put my finger on but… I think that you may be the first of a kind.”

Something about the way she was talking, it just felt genuine and… like she really meant that she wanted you all to succeed. 

“Well Pandora, you are definitely one of the most interesting people I have ever met,” Mary started, “but you seem to really believe in us.”

Marlene smiled and finished for her, “We would definitely love to have someone like you in our corner.” 

Pandora smiled back, that whimsical smile that you knew you would be seeing a lot more often now.

this was so long and not a lot happened but... stay tuned for the next chapter because I am planning something juicy.

Taglist⭐️: @adharalikethestar @mayuwolfstar @ieatboysalive @maraudereestauderelb @bugg06 @slytherinambitious @cadenceisdelulu @champomiel @theenorthstarr @navs-bhat

[chaifootsteps]

idk if you've heard of him but there's a youtuber called friendly space ninja who reviews TV shows.

anyway, he did a video on The Vampire Diaries and had a section about the racism problem the writers have. it was one of those things where if it had just been one thing it would have been 'OK not great, that could be fixed' but it was this never ending list of ways in which PoC on the show were treated as second class where I don't think anyone in their right mind could deny it when you lay it all out, start to finish

that's how I feel about how female characters are treated on Hazbin but especially on Helluva.

to give an idea of scale:

took nearly two seasons for Millie to get her own episode and it's about her having to babysit Blitzo and Moxxie and gives her hangups about her class out of nowhere

episode about Millie and Moxxie having the same ex shows his backstory only, with Millie's shunted into some hypothetic future episode even though the ex is now dead and no one has any reason to care any longer

episode about going to Millie's home is a Moxxie episode where the main drama is between Moxxie and Striker and Blitzo and Striker

Unhappy Campers tries to be a Millie episode and is still a Moxxie episode

Millie complaining that they, an assassin business, shouldn't skip out on an assassin job, is framed as pregnancy hormones

Millie gets a surprise pregnancy storyline because Viv doesn't know what else to do with her (she basically admitted that on a tweet thread where she also admitted prioritising Stolas, Moxxie and Blitzo instead of just, idk, rewriting the story to make a female character have more of a dynamic with the main male lead)

Loona has two focus episodes and basically stops being a character in her own right in season two

Loona's sad orphanage backstory is used in a flashback to benefit Blitzo's emotional breakthrough. the backstory hasn't come up again since

Loona and Millie's screentime has basically been handed to Stolas, who got all the song numbers, too

Loona is supposed to be friendless /awkward but has friends over for Sinsmas? would have been nice to see that development

Loona and Millie are two main characters but they barely have a consistent dynamic with each other and certainly don't feel like friends.

Verosika goes from interesting ex who might also have contributed to the breakup with her alcoholism (some ambiguity at least) to character who exists solely to be hung up on Blitzo, explain his intimacy problems and to cheerlead for Stolas (who she doesn't know and is nothing but rude and judgemental to her)

Fails the Mako Mori test and probably also the Bechdel Test, two seasons in

Via goes from sort of well fleshed out to just a prop to make Stolas cry. Like Blitzo, the valid reasons she could criticize him are played down as much as possible and she's framed as not getting what's really going on

Stella is in an arranged marriage but the show only portrays Stolas as the victim (even though he has more money and power than her and she was forced to physically deliver an egg she didn't want, basically making her a depiction of the nightmares of being a tradwife in a society that treats her like an incubator - this likely wasn't the writer's intent but it speaks to a basic lack of empathy for the backstory they've written for Stella)

Stella having parties and socialising is used as proof of how vapid she is even though she has little else to do since she's stuck being Stolas' wife (and there's nothing wrong with liking parties? this is the exact opposite of the Mane Six in MLP who model a lot of different pursuits and ways of being female without looking down on any of them)

Stella in general is a caricature of a shrew wife who makes Lisa from The Room look subtle

why is Stella so abusive? she was born evil; no further questions.

cheating is wrong only if you're female. if you're male your wife will be rewritten to be a 2D depiction of an abuser

also if you're male cheating is fine. it's so fine that Blitzo will refuse to kill two cheating men and claim it's not that big a deal because he's projecting he and Stolas onto them

male villains are fun performance pieces. female villains are Stella and Glitz&Glam

Speaking of Glitz and Glam, they're two dimensional bitches and it's treated like it's good when they get hurt and that they'll be Mammon's new victims

both Moxxie and Blitzo's mother go unnamed in the show despite dying horrifically. they don't get a single line despite both of their fathers being named and with speaking parts - they exist to be tragic saints before being stuffed into the fridge. Blitzo's mother in particular is a major source of his angst. Moxxie's father's bodyguard, meanwhile, was given his own name despite being a bit part who matters not at all on an emotional level (and is shipped with Crimson by the fandom who is happy to flesh out his character despite his also being abusive). the closest we have to a well written mother is Lin, Millie's mother, who appeared back in - hey, season one! what are the odds?

Stolas' mother also doesn't appear to be present on this plane of existence. Paimon meanwhile gets his own introduction and a big chunk of screen time

and even this list might not cover everything!

I ask anyone who can read this and still thinks the show is fine at writing women - how can you still believe that?

and for the 'it's only halfway done!!' crowd I'll simply point out this: in order to fix even half of the issues I've laid out the show would have to have a very heavy focus on its female characters during its back half.

and as of right now we have no reason to believe that will happen. Stolas has joined IMP so he'll only get more screentime - we'll just never be rid of him. Bland as bread Vassago will probably get more screentime alongside Andrealphus, not to mention the likelihood of forcing the audience to endure a Blitzo/Stolas/Vassago love triangle because the fandom likes the idea and I could see Viv going for it too. Stolas is probably going to be given a storyline that's nominally about him learning to have empathy for the poor but in reality is just more of him not changing, bitching and moaning like always while Blitzo waits on him hand and foot.

Via is very likely about to be villainized or at least made to look even more dumb and mean for daring to cut her father off, if that storyline even lasts longer than a few episodes before Viv and Stolas give up caring about it (he'd practically thrown in the towel already in the s2 finale).

what room is there amongst the rest of this mess of garbage for any focus to be given to female characters?

the one storyline outside of Via is Millie's surprise pregnancy, which is a storyline you pull out when you have nothing else for a female character to do and let's be real, is probably just gonna end up being about Moxxie again

Uh oh...you laid it all out in plain black and white, so it's even more apparent how miserably this show treats women! You know how much the fandom hates that!

[dreamwreaver]

ngl it's surprising to see how many parallels from canon ships Charlastor has with. lucilith, stolitz, Millie x Moxxie (have no clue what their ship name is) and Huskerdust(not canon yet but there's definitely a few similar traits charlastor shares with it)

For a non-canon ship, it sure is similar to a lot of canon relationships

If hazbin was made by literally any other person charlastor would be endgame canon. Viv has made a couple of comparisons about what chaggie is "allegedly" like that I simply don't see. They're like Jack and Sally, no because Sally never told Jack stop being the person you are to please others she actually told him to stop being something your not to try and fill an emotional void.

Oh, they made chaggie canon because the boarders were working on scenes where Charlie is talking to her partner and they just kept drawing vaggie in there because there was so much chemistry. Like, can we see this fucking amazeballs script that had the boarders sticking vaggie in all those moments because from where I'm standing show vaggie doesn't even pass the sexy lamp test. We already know chaggie wasn't originally supposed to be canon because Proto Vaggie was paired with angel dust! So what exactly is so captivating about Charlie and Vaggie's dynamic that they're established canon and yet don't feel like it? And before anyone says "well they've been together a while so it's dumb to expect them to be as passionate as the beginning"

Fizzmodeus. I don't care that Ozzie's the embodiment of lust. Half the time we saw those two together the point of their dynamic was demonstrating how stupidly in love they were while trying to disguise it as simple sexual attraction. And just based off simple math; fizz met Ozzie after becoming mammon's heir right? That clown competition has been held every year since fizz first won it right? And by the time he quits he's been doing it for nearly 10 years. Even being generous and figuring fizz and Ozzie didn't immediately get together I would still wager based on Ozzie's protectiveness, the detailed portrait in his office, the fact that he has a first aid kit with ready to go robotic limb placements it's been at least 5 years they've been together. So in that 5-10 year range they are still so in love it's sickening and obvious enough to everyone that the general reaction to the public finding out was "I knew it!"

And before we say that it was constrained for time, fizzmodeus before season 2 had a song, and Ozzie comforting fizz after he'd been knocked out. And the entire fandom clocked them as a ship. Even if they weren't originally intended to be, like chaggie, like huskerdust too, we can see them as a pre-established couple that STILL has chemistry despite having their own lives and having been together for a while.

Ozzie flat out refused to give stolas a crystal because fizz hated blitz, was trusted enough to be given the details of the worst day of fizz's life, could clock immediately once fizz and blitz had reconciled that this was the person who had his most important person's back and could be counted on. And even though Ozzie didn't like that fizz felt obligated to continue on with the clown thing for mammon, communicated that he didn't like how so many people saw fizz as a product to be bought and enjoyed, didn't like having to be the one in charge of MAKING that product, he never stopped fizz from making his own choices, he supported his partner in MEANINGFUL ways that do not change the essence of who fizz is. He listens and offers support if not solutions, encouragement that their partner can handle themselves and they will be there if needed.

Who does that for Charlie? Who refuses to leave her alone while she falls into a pit of self loathing? Really look Charlie and alastor's screen time in hello Rosie. Alastor is very calculating, and when he chooses to speak is exactly as important as what he chooses to say.

1. He doesn't like seeing Charlie wallow in self pity, as condescending as it likely comes across we already know he loves seeing Vox with his tail between his legs and doesn't believe in Charlie's goals so why wouldn't he take the opportunity to gloat about being right?

2. While he may like to prey on overconfidence in his victims we already know Charlie would have been more than willing to sell her soul for a chance at protecting her people. She was at her lowest point and rather than striking when she was in her darkest most defeated place he chose to wait until she was good and pissed and STILL didn't ask for her soul.

I fully believe he intended to make her mad because being mad means you're more than likely to do something about it. He antagonizes her on purpose so her fire comes back. When they go to Rosie's (which, again, we know he chose because cannibal town caters to Charlie's natural communication style) he only does enough to make sure Charlie's needs are clearly communicated to the overlord and provides a tangible benefit catered to their sensibilities. And when she's fully ready to be herself he does the equivalent of putting his actual heart in her hands. He had every confidence she could convince the other cannibals to join her cause. And then again the night before they could all die; he gives her his mic AGAIN. Charlie and Alastor might as well be pre-established canon because he does all the emotional work of a partner and they work together so seamlessly even when he's doing things she doesn't particularly like she knows why he does business the way he does.

[damn-stark]

Chapter 2 Lavender green, lavender blue

Chapter 2 of Sinnerwoman

A/N- Ahhh!! The second chapter is here and I really hope you all like it just as much as I liked writing it!!

Warning- ANGST!! Weapons, blood, light violence. Talks of death! And small SA part. Spoilers for the show!

Pairing- Hwang Jun-ho x fem!reader

Episode- 1x09 & 2x01-2x02

(Let me know if you want to be tagged)

——

A decision has been made. It was made the moment the Front Man revealed his identity, but what is the warmth and the sound of your lover's beating heart compared to a lifetime of bitter solitude and agonizing screams?

Nothing…nothing compares to what you have to return to, but you can’t stay or risk waiting. Jun-ho might be in a coma, he might wake up a month from now, and you would have waited a month or all your life if you had to, but you can’t risk it.

You have to leave, he has to forget about you for his own safety. And maybe it is a selfish decision, you got mad at him because he chose to leave you in the dark when he decided to put his life at risk to sneak onto that Island, but this is different. This is a sacrifice you're making to save his life. Does it make leaving him behind any better?

No, you don’t want him to forget about you. You don’t want him to meet someone else, and you don’t want him to live the life you wanted with him with someone else. You want him to only love you, but there’s no other choice. He won’t stop pursuing the Island and that will get him killed, and you don't think you’ll be able to survive this time if you have to watch someone else that you love die in your arms again, so you have to leave.

First, though, you have to snuggle up against him and share his warmth for a little longer. You have to hear the sound of his beating heart for a little longer to memorize its calming beat.

Just a little longer.

“Lavender’s green, dilly, dilly…lavender's blue,” you sing, or try because every word of the lullaby comes out shaky and like you’re out of breath because you can’t help the tears that run down your cheeks and stain Jun-ho’s hospital gown.

“If you love me…dilly, dilly. I will love you,” you continue and maybe you aren’t the best singer, but memories fade or get obscured, especially those of children, and that lullaby is one of the few memories you have of your sister when she would sing it to you at the orphanage. It means so much to you, to her memory and now when you think of that song, besides your sister, you’ll think of the only man you’ll love. The man who loved you; your Jun-ho, so you have to share it with him. Even if he can’t hear it.

Yet those last words uttered were like a pierce to the heart and with each impact, more and more of you was chipped away, leaving no more strength to continue the rest. Thus you stroke Jun-ho’s chest one more time before you shift your head to press a light kiss on the part of his chest that you were resting your head on. You then slide off the bed and sit up to study every inch of his face before you lean down and leave one last kiss on his lips.

Rather than getting up right away, you let the warmth of your lips linger on his to cherish the taste before you force yourself off the hospital bed.

When you’re standing at the foot of the same bed you steal one last glance at him, wishing you could have seen his eyes and talked to him one more time, but you keep telling yourself that what you’re doing is for the best, so you push yourself away with tears crawling down the curve of your cheeks.

Before you can leave the room and the hospital, however, you make a stop at the bathroom. You splash your face with water to wipe the tears off your cheeks and any marking they could have left behind. If you had any other clothes besides the ones you wore to the Island, you would have put them on now, but you have nothing. All you can do is disconnect your phone from any satellite that gives you service, and then the wifi to go offline, making the hospital the last place your phone would have been.

Once that is taken care of, you move to leave, but you catch a glimpse of your reflection in the mirror, so you stop and slowly scale your eyes to the scar of a skidding bullet above your ear, and every bad memory you have of the island comes rushing in, making you hesitate and dread having to return to that horrible and terrible life.

You almost have the nerve to return to Jun-ho’s bedside and pretend you weren’t going to leave. You don’t want to see it again. You don’t want to live it. You can’t hide behind a mask again, but…it’s a sacrifice you have to make for the man you love, so after a deep breath you make it out of the bathroom. You throw your phone away in the nearest trash can and stride out of the hospital.

No one stops you, and no one looks. You walk out alone under the cover of rain and leave everything behind.

——

*3 YEARS LATER.*

“…IT'S ALMOST BEEN THREE YEARS SINCE THE DISAPPEARANCE…”

Whatever had been said before didn’t matter. It didn’t even register as noise, but these words finally steal his attention. After all, it's been the same words they once repeated daily and then weekly, monthly, and then every year, so like his name, Jun-ho becomes alert when he hears them,

“…OF THE RESPECTED AND DECORATED DETECTIVE KANG…”

Yet when the news anchor begins to say your name he tunes out the news again. He can’t muster the strength to hear your name or see the portrait of you that they display on the screen without feeling agony pierce his heart. So with memorized timing, he tunes out those few seconds and then focuses again to hear the rest of the news bit.

“…SHE WAS LAST SEEN LEAVING THE HOSPITAL. IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION ON HER WHEREABOUTS PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL AUTHORITIES. THANK YOU.”

Yet no one ever does contact the authorities. It’s like you just vanished in the rainfall that supposedly hit that night.

Maybe if you hadn’t been seen at the same hospital he was taken to it would be easier to pass you off as dead, but you were seen. You made it out of the Island, just like he did, so how could he possibly forget you? You of all people. You out of every soul he knew. You…his epic love.

Just like his brother was his life. You were also all of his life and so much more of it. He would have to be dead to forget you.

Maybe death would be good though. That way he would forget what he saw his brother become. That way he could stop blaming himself for your disappearance, but when he looks up at the picture of you and him that he has attached to his locker mirror, he thinks to himself, “How can I possibly die without knowing where you are, or…what happened to you?”

He can’t die yet. He has so many questions, and so much unfinished business that also has nothing to do with you, but, you…

“You,” he thinks to himself as he pulls the picture off the mirror, catching at that moment the wandering eyes of his colleague before he quickly looks away and walks off without saying a word.

At first, the first few weeks of your disappearance, when he returned to work, all he would get was pitiful consolations. After that, anytime you were brought up they just passed him pitiful stares that were also mixed with curiosity as they wondered if he still cared.

He would tell them to fuck off, but he doesn’t want to waste his breath so he lets them think what they want. He’s still searching for answers and he’s the only one that needs to know that.

“I won’t stop looking,” he thinks to himself as he folds the picture so you and your timid smile are the center of attention.

After he strokes his thumb over the image of you he sticks the picture back on his mirror and tries to continue changing back into his normal clothes, but then the scar his brother left on his shoulder steals his attention.

Just like you, how can he possibly forget about In-ho? Sometimes he forgets what he saw, but when he sees his scar, when he feels the shape under his fingertips, he remembers what happened that day In-ho shot him and he’s hit with a wave of different emotions and questions.

One question he has is if In-ho has anything to do with your disappearance. You escaped the Island, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t find you after you escaped.

Maybe In-ho…took you away from Jun-ho’s life?

He doesn’t like that possibility, he can’t imagine that his brother is the one who stole the woman he loved from him, so he finishes changing. Once he’s done, like every day that came before, he leaves the department and heads to his car.

Yet this evening as he’s walking to his car he feels this sensation like someone is staring, so he stops walking, and lifts his gaze to look in the direction he felt the stare coming from.

However, when his eyes find the spot, there’s no one there. There’s just an empty street. So after a couple of seconds of lingering, he continues to his car. It’s only once he’s driven off that you come out from behind a pillar, and keep your eyes where you had seen him last before you take a deep breath and collect yourself to check your phone.

When you see what time it is you groan in annoyance and set off. There’s no hurry in your pace, or an urgency to get a ride to where you’re meant to be. You go on as if you’re taking a stroll through the city, enjoying the sights like a tourist, and enjoying the sounds of everyday life because that’s the one thing you like; the commotion of the busy city life.

Where you live now is like living in a construction site, or sometimes it feels like an office. In the off-season when there’s not an army of workers, there is a stillness that you appreciate, but with it comes a silence that drags on and if you weren’t used to it you would be driven insane.

That’s why you soak in the everyday commotion while you can. Even if it makes you late to your meeting.

“Hi, I’m here to join a party already at a table. Under the name, Oh,” you let the hostess know, and right away her eyes search the list on her screen. In a matter of seconds, her finger stops scrolling and she faces you with a perfectly practiced smile.

“Follow me,” she says and walks away from her podium to guide you to a secluded table at the end of the room, still nicely lit, but secluded to offer privacy.

Thus the walk is longer than usual, but when you reach the table the party waiting for you stands from their seats to welcome you to the table at long last.

“Here you go, ma’am, do you know what you want to order or should I leave the menu?”

“No,” one of the party members interjects. “We already ordered ahead for her. Let the waitress know she’s here.”

The hostess offers him a smile and nods in comprehension before she backs up and walks off, leaving you alone to face your rather patient dates.

“Forgive me,” you announce with a small smile. “I’m late. I know. There was some business I needed to take care of.”

You proceed to take your seat that faces the party you met up with, and they then take their seats after you, letting you meet them at their eye level and offer them a wider smile. “Shall we?” You suggest.

——

*2 YEARS AGO*

“…I don’t like to see you get hurt and if something had happened to you, or if something happens to you because of me, I…don’t think I could ever in my life forgive myself. I…love you.”

“I…love you.”

“I…love you.”

Jun-ho’s words are the commotion that keeps the quiet lobby from truly being deafening so late at night. While the picture in your hand keeps you company in a lobby where you’re the only one occupying it.

That is until you hear the glass front doors get pushed open and a single pair of wet footsteps walk in and change the occupation from one to two. Or so that’s what it sounds like.

You peer back thinking you’ll catch more people walking in with the person you’re waiting for, but alas, it’s a single man. A homeless man…maybe? He looks ragged with his beat-up clothes, his shoulder-length unkempt hair, and his dirty face.

But who are you to judge his appearance?

“The elevators are down the hall,” you share as you turn your head away from the man who seems lost. “If not. The receptionist start their shift at six. You’ll have to be gone by then.”

The man begins to walk down the hall while he offers you a response. “Oh…thank you. Goodnight.”

“Good night,” you deadpan and keep listening in. It’s not until you hear the elevator doors close that you bring up your picture again and keep admiring Jun-ho’s image, his heartwarming smile that he only showed to the camera because you were posing with him. Otherwise, you would only catch him in a picture alone if it was off guard. It’s why you have a lot of pictures of him off guard, and that’s why the ones with him actually looking at the camera and smiling are your favorite, but the one you hold in your hand is a picture you cherish the most because decorations from your favorite holiday adorn it, and he’s holding your little black Scottish Terrier, Gentleman.

If only you could be with them, especially now, but if you picked up your dog the moment you left the hospital that night, it would have made your disappearance questionable, so you left him behind with your neighbor the day you left for the Island. And Jun-ho…there’s hundreds of reasons why you can’t be with him…

That’s why you’re here alone, watching the snow start to fall and stick to the ground with a solemn look that will probably never leave. Once the snow is thicker you put the folded picture away and step outside where you break the snow’s path so some part of it can fall on you instead.

It takes a while for you to look up as you stand in your solitude and let the snow weigh you down first as if you’re just another object on the street. When you do finally break from your stupor, you slowly look up at the white sky intermingled with the night, and notice two perfectly shaped snowflakes dancing down from the sky in an attempt to reach the ground, so you put your hand out and try to catch them on your palm.

Nevertheless, one snowflake breaks away from its path and continues barreling to the ground, while the other lands on your palm all alone and melts right away.

Perhaps if the other snowflake had also landed on your palm, the lonely snowflake would have lived longer, but it was no good alone. Thus you fist your hand with disappointment and attempt to head back inside, but in that moment you then catch a man across the street.

He doesn’t seem conscious, he seems to be sleeping with the way he’s slumped on the ground, but you can’t be sure from where you are, so you make your way to him.

The moment you reach him you call out to him in hopes of gaining his attention. “Sir? Are you okay?”

You wait for a few seconds but there’s no response. His eyes remain closed and his breathing heavy, so you get closer and catch a whiff of alcohol, but you don't let that matter. You still shake him gently, causing him to slip.

When he doesn’t wake up that way you back away and immediately pull your phone out to call the police. And rather than staying there and waiting for the police out in the open, under all the street lights, you choose to walk off to a bench across the street and wait there where you won’t be seen.

You continue to wait and wait until finally a siren sounds and police show up to take the man out of the cold. And even then you don’t leave the cold yourself, you stay on the bench, letting the snow continue to pile up on your slouched figure as you wait and lose yourself on the untouched sheet of snow already covering the ground.

After some unknown time passes the headlights of a car break you from your stupor and you look up, noticing black SUVs with dark tinted windows pull up to the apartment building you had been waiting in. Thus ending your waiting period and making you dust the snow off your body before you get up to look like some creep waiting just outside the car.

Thankfully who you’re waiting for doesn’t leave you waiting too long, but the moment your eyes land on him your breath catches in your throat. And when his eyes fall on you, he comes to a stop and has the nobility to look at you in the eyes.

There’s no softness and no agitation. He doesn’t pass you a firm or deadpanned look. He seems curious about you, just as you are about him; Hwang In-ho, the older brother of the love of your life, and the Front Man.

Even so, neither of you exchange any words on any matter, he just says your name so you counter by stating his own name. “Hwang In-ho. It’s nice to meet you in a calmer environment.” You scoff and he just looks at you before he turns his body to face the car.

“Are you coming?” He asks and walks away without waiting for an answer as if he knows what you’re going to choose. Yet you still linger where you are to hesitate as if you have a choice when your mind's made up and has been forcing you to follow through with that decision for a year now.

It’s just…if you get that in that car, you officially go back to that nightmare. You leave your life behind. You leave Jun-ho, and trade it for…a life that turned its back on you?

“Your father is dead,” In-ho shares from inside the car as if he can read your mangled thoughts only getting more and more twisted—“you have a chance to start over. Not where you started, but by my side. Just as we discussed. Get in the car.”

You put your hands in your pockets to grab the picture and debate for a second longer before you choose not to live a lifetime secluded. If you’re going to be alone you might as well be alone there where you can be a piece upon the board. So you get in the car and watch your decision get sealed when the door closes.

“Is the host dead?” You ask first and foremost, skipping formalities because you already know each other's names.

“The flower arrangement was inappropriate,” he says in a deeper tone that could be passed as scolding.

“Well,” you respond with a growing malicious smile. “Look at it this way, now my flowers will be the first to decorate his grave.” You snicker and look over at him with a smile, but he looks at you nonchalantly.

“You can’t see Jun-ho anymore,” he changes the subject bluntly, causing your smile to fall and your amusement to fade right away.

“I know that,” you mutter as you turn your head away to look out the window. “That’s why I disappeared because I saw you. I knew who you were and what you meant to the games, and I…knew,” you pause and swallow back a lump of emotions that had begun to form in your throat. “I knew I wouldn’t be able to lie to his face.”

You see your eyes water through the reflection painted on the window, so you avert your gaze and continue. “He really cares about you…you know. He looks—looked up to you. It wasn’t long after we met that he told me about you, so…seeing you take that mask off…” you trail off and peek over at him, seeing that he can't look at you, his eyes are on his hands, and his jaw is clenched, giving away his discomfort on the matter.

“…was when I knew what I had to do to protect him because if he knew that I knew how to find you, he wouldn’t stop. He would get himself killed to get back on that Island again. To reach you, and,” you pause and feel the tears break away to fall down your cheeks.

“I can’t lose him. He means everything to me. And coming from someone with nothing, losing everything is like losing one's own life.”

In-ho hums, and you take that as a simple form of acknowledgment, but if you could understand the deeper meaning behind that simple acknowledging hum, you would know that he also knows what it’s like to lose everything.

“I already lost everything once. I can’t lose it again. So I know I can’t see him again,” you finish stating and then wipe the tears off your face to slowly look over at him.

“Are you sure there will be a place for me there?” You make sure to ask.

In-ho’s eyes drift to you to catch a glimpse of you before he reaches down and grabs a black box decorated with a pink bow to give it to you.

You don’t wait or question him. You pull at the pink bow to pull it off and then pull the lid off the box. When you reach inside you pull out a shiny silver mask of the top half of a crane’s face.

“This is where you belong,” In-ho assures you as you keep looking at your mask and realize there’s no turning back. This is you now. Again.

Another piece on the board…

Or the piece that ends it all.

——

*NOW*

“I’m glad that we are meeting in the city,” you muse as you pull your coat off and hang it on your chair. “The island tends to suffocate me.”

“You insisted on meeting here,” In-ho quips as he studies you as if that will give away where you were. “Annoyingly so.”

You shrug and flash him a sweet smile. “And you accepted. You had the power to deny my suggestion but you caved, so my point still stands.”

In-ho sighs deeply in annoyance before he snaps his gaze away to look at your third guest, the man in charge of recruiting the players for the games. “Anyway, considering some of us are meant to be missing, we're short on time. Tell us what you know,” he directs at the recruiter.

“Well,” the recruiter doesn’t leave you waiting. “As I’ve mentioned, player 456, Seong Gi-hun, and his…hired lackey,” he adds without masking his disgust. “Are trailing me.”

“What else is new,” you mutter and sit back as the waitress walks over with your cup of coffee just the way you like it. “Aren’t they on the subway lines every day?”

The recruiter sighs whilst he also picks up his spoon to mix his coffee. “On the dot. Which leaves me surprised that…such low lives are so loyal to their boring jobs.”

You pick your cup up and raise it to quip. “Money. Maybe we can offer them more to act like they don’t see you. That will keep player 456 chasing after his own tail.”

The recruiter laughs and you flash him a smile as you take a sip of your coffee. Albeit In-ho doesn’t share your amusement. “That won’t be necessary. You will let Player 456’s lackey find you.”

The recruiter lets his spoon go and blinks repeatedly in confusion before he questions the command. He’s not one to question any command given to him. If In-ho or anyone above him says bark, he will do so without hesitation, but he questions this command this one time. “Are you sure?”

In-ho nods. “Play with them or be straightforward. It doesn’t matter as long as Player 456 gets this key,” he shares before digging in his suit pocket and pulling out a brown card that he hands to the recruiter. “He won’t want any other thing but to see me. That key will have all he needs to find me.”

The recruiter doesn’t read the card. He blindly tucks it away and nods in comprehension.

“How many players have you recruited?” You interject now as you take a longer sip of your coffee.

“I’m close to getting all the players we need. I have of course left three spots open.”

“Good,” In-ho mumbles.

The recruiter licks his lips and leans forward. “Will you still go through with it, Captain?”

In-ho grabs the cup of his almost-finished coffee and leaves the question unanswered for a moment before he nods and then takes his last drink of coffee. Once he's done he proceeds to answer. “As long as player 456 does.”

You set your cup down and keep your eyes lingering on the coffee in your cup to avoid anyone’s potential stare.

“Will you?” The question gets passed and you know the Recruiter is looking at you. “It’s hard to imagine you getting your hands dirty. All those people.”

You swallow thickly and simply steal a glance at him before you take a sip of your coffee and keep your eyes on the cup rather than him to avoid letting him read any part of your current thoughts.

The Recruiter is no mind reader, but he’s crazy enough to know what’s lurking in the shadows of your mind. He always has.

“I’ve been a cop,” you argue. “I know how to get my hands dirty. It doesn’t bother me, and neither do the people.”

“Right,” he snickers. “You’re a lone wolf. With no social skills.”

You sit the cup down hard and snap your eyes to him, catching that stupid taunting smile plastered on his stupid face.

Just like when you were young he always finds a way to pester you.

“If you weren’t number two. You would die. There’s a difference between watching and actually playing. Did you ever play those games in the orphanages you—”

“My brother and I played all the time,” you cut him off before he can tick you off. Which is hard to do. You know how to keep your cool, but he just knows how to press your buttons. “Don’t worry about me,” you deadpan and then look at in-ho. “Shall we?” You press.

In-ho nods without fret, letting you grab your coat before you get up. In-ho mirrors your actions, and before he heads out he does add one last thing to the Recruiter. “Do you have us covered?”

Without a doubt the Recruiter tries to please In-ho by agreeing, letting In-ho then point his hand ahead to let you lead the way out of the cafe.

“See you soon,” the Recruiter throws at you as you walk away without giving your goodbyes, but there’s a reason you didn’t so you just offer him a feigned smile over your shoulder before you roll your eyes away and leave. Once you’re in the car you lean your body toward In-ho and don’t forget to complain.

“Why don’t we change recruiters? This one’s psychotic,” you grumble as you prop your elbow on the armrest and rest your chin on your hand. “He’s always been missing a few bolts in the head.”

In-ho grabs the newspaper of the day from the seat pocket and begins to read the articles. “Some will say that’s what makes him perfect for the job. Don’t let him get under your skin.”

You roll your eyes but keep watching him. “I know someone who will be better at the job. And he’s got a charm to him.”

“Who?” He immediately counters. “I never see you talk to anyone besides me.”

You sit up and look at him like he’s wounded you, while he hides his faint smile by keeping his eyes on the newspaper.

“Oh. Funny.” You grumble and turn away to look ahead with your body slumped in the seat.

“If you’re going to join the game you’ll need to socialize. Gain their trust. Or you’ll be a burden to me.”

“I’m not asking you to take care of me. We can pretend not to know each other.”

“That'd be impossible, who would you talk to then?” He teases you dryly. He’s teasing you!

It seems like you're starting to prefer when he was standoffish and blunt.

“Just be a player. Gain their trust and sabotage Player 456,” he puts it simply without long explanations because this is a matter you already discussed.

“No, no.” You shake your finger. “My job is not to crush Player 456 and destroy his last flicker of will. That’s your job. I am simply joining to not die of boredom watching the games.”

Or so you say out loud.

“Well whatever the case, there’s no fun in it if you isolate yourself,” he disregards you to keep insisting, making you sit back again and look out the window this time. “Do you want me to tag along on the 31st?”

“If it’s what you want,” he says while the newspaper in his hand rustles as he sets it down. “I’m gonna have snipers posted on the route. And two men that will walk in the club.”

You nod in comprehension and share what you already have planned. “Well, I’ll be your lookout then. I’ll have your back. Secure the perimeter, and figure out how many people Player 456 brings with him.”

Through the reflection on the window, you see In-ho nod before he turns his head to look at you before he bluntly changes the subject. “You went to see him didn’t you?”

You stiffen and slowly meet the reflection of his eyes. “You had me followed?” You snap.

“You’re making it harder on yourself,” he says without denying or admitting to the accusation which means it is true—“let him go. What if he had seen you? What if any of his colleagues had seen you?”

You roll your head his way to look him in the eyes with a firmly pointed look. “But he didn’t and he never does!” You argue with your voice raised higher than usual.

“It doesn’t matter if he never has. He can and he will,” he counters with no raise in his voice. He’s just trying to sound firm. “If he sees you, what then? You’ll throw away everything you sacrificed for him and for what? To see him dead?”

You furrow your eyebrows and puff out your chest, but can’t form any argument to throw back at him because you know he’s right. “He was all I had,” you say instead as your eyes wander down.

In-ho sighs and his voice is now softer. “I know, but you’re only hurting yourself more.”

You swallow back thickly and huff as a response. While In-ho steals a glance at you and lets his eyes linger on your drooped frown, your watery eyes, and your furrowed brows. He doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t show any emotion, he’s still, and providing a deafening silence that is…odd and uncomfortable. There was once a time when he could sit in the silence without it bothering him, but now?

He’s made a mistake welcoming you back on the island and allowing you to have a spot in the innermost circle, but he didn’t know what your presence would bring to his life and now that he lives amongst it, you are his new normal. So when that normal is disturbed it always feels so odd.

Like he’s upset the scales of life.

——

*LATER THAT NIGHT*

Maybe it’s because when you were growing up you were never asked for forgiveness from the man who called himself your father, so you learned to move on and not expect it; live like nothing happened in the first place and shove that problem away. Or maybe it’s because In-ho was/is right about you hurting yourself more by continuing to see Jun-ho, but now as dinner has rolled around, it’s like he didn’t make you upset to the point you haven’t talked to him since the car ride home hours prior.

As is your new normal, you set the dinner table for two, just him and you. It makes for quite a lonely dinner, but there isn’t anyone else either of you care about on the Island to have seated with you for dinner. Plus, after the awkward stage passed, it’s actually nice having dinner together. You look forward to it when you’re not upset at him.

Therefore once you finish setting the table you have the intention to go get him, but when you leave the dining room, there he is just outside the door. It seems like he was passing by the moment you opened the door.

Albeit, unbeknownst to you, he had been outside the door debating whether to come talk to you in order to balance the scales or not. Nothing he said was wrong, he was right and he was going to stand by that, but he also knows there could have been a kinder approach and he was going to explain that.

However, he also debated whether there was a point in asking for forgiveness. He isn’t your brother or your father, he’s your superior, your colleague, and your friend so he was leaning toward that choice. Yet you walked out before he could leave.

“Dinner is ready,” you let him know with a glass of wine in your hand. “But if you want sad ramen that’s okay too.”

In-ho is stuck again. You’re giving him a way out to do as he had chosen to do, but there you stand across from him with a tiny smile tugged on your lips, a pleading gaze you couldn’t keep discreet no matter how hard you try, a warm plate of food already expecting him, and no one else to fill the silence. You’re waiting and asking for nothing in return even if there is something he wants to offer you.

Thus, he accepts your invitation. He walks in, washes his hands, and sits down with no forgiveness to offer you in return. And it's not like you bring it up either. It's like you knew how not to expect it just to please him.

“My sister,” you offer him some more information on a past that you rarely share. “…Was older, so we were separated for most of the day at the orphanage, but when dinner rolled around we always made it our tradition to eat together. It was always my favorite part of the day and something I always looked forward to.” You pause and take a bite of your food, making sure to chew it well and swallow before you take a long drink of your wine and then continue.

“When I was adopted by my family, I was glad that I could continue that tradition with my mother and my brother and on occasion my father. And then…after Jun-ho and I became close, every day after work we would have dinner together. Whether it was in the park, in a car, or at one of our houses. That’s why I learned to cook so well. You’re lucky I’m not six anymore or we’d be having banana sandwiches.”

In-ho scoffs with amusement, letting a small smile appear on his lips as he chews. When he’s done with that bite he interjects. “I can’t imagine your sister was too pleased with your meal choice.”

You laugh softly and shake your head. “Never. She always scolded me, but they were my favorite and the only thing I was allowed to make at a young age, so on days she expected me to make them, she always had boiled eggs for us to eat after.”

In-ho’s smile stays on his face for a moment and it’s in that comfortable silence that was made by the fact that you could make him smile, that you bring up the matter that left a strain between each other.

“You were right, you know,” you say after you take a couple bites of your food. “About Jun-ho.”

You pick up your wine glass as you also lower your head.

“But,” you argue in your defense.

“No,” he cuts you off, and as you bring your eyes up to look at him, you notice that his smile and any sign of amusement is completely gone, leaving him…as always, nonchalant—“You need to completely cut him off. You need to forget the life you had on the mainland. That life will only drag you down and be your worst enemy.”

Tears slowly fill your eyes, but you’re tougher on yourself this time. You don’t cry, you simply snap back with no sign of spite, just nonchalance. “So should I be like you?”

In-ho clenches his jaw as he doesn’t know how to take that, but there’s also no other way to be. “Yes,” he deadpans.

You blink and look down at your food to take a couple of bites and then a longer drink of your wine, managing to finish it and serve yourself more as you think about what he said and that it's not what you want

You know what you yearn for, or so you tell yourself and you don’t want to become everything you despise. You know what you want and you don’t want to be the person that the masks turn you into.

Is he everything you loathe though? If you look at him in the eyes. Really look at him, will he be the reminder of the father you loathe? That’s who he wants you to be…is that who he is?

“Do you think that the workers here will obey me if I am more like you?” You fill the silence as you sit back with your new glass of wine in one hand, and a firmer look that isn’t like that warm look you carried moments ago. “I mean when I’m not in your shadow that is.”

In-ho sits up and holds your gaze as he nods with reassurance. “They’ll no choice will they?”

You tilt your head slightly and scoff.

“When your father was the Front Man…”

“He ruled with an Iron fist,” you continue for him since he wasn’t here when your father was the Front Man. He only knows stories. “Yes, but that’s a thing of the past. Done by different old men. I am no man. I left a different regime behind shall we say, and then I came back under you donning a position of power right away. Do you see where my doubt comes from him?”

“They don’t get to ask questions,” In-ho says. “They have to listen to you. Now if they catch you slipping they will take the chance to do what they want. And with that comes chaos that will eat you alive. Never falter.”

You slowly look down at your wine and begin to gently spin it. “I suppose it is easy to get rid of those who don’t listen here isn’t it?” You ask with a faint smirk.

“You don’t want to overstep either. Easy or not,” he interjects.

You slowly look up at him as you stop spinning your wine and nod stiffly. “I know,” you mutter.

He holds your gaze for a couple more seconds, letting you look him in the eyes and search for what you need.

Right away you see that his eyes are kinder, he is kinder—or was, from what Jun-ho has told you, and from the rare times he metaphorically takes his mask off. Albeit if you look deeper will you see everything you despise? Or something different?

You…don’t know.

But does that change anything?

——

*A FEW DAYS LATER*

“Can you hear me?” You ask for assurance after you made a discreet sweep down the street.

“Yes,” In-ho responds right away in his distorted voice. “We can hear you.”

“There’s nothing that stands out specifically, but I spotted two vans full of men who have not moved or left the car. Both the driver and the front passenger have earpieces on in both cars as well. Let me pass you the license plate,” you direct that last bit to the pink guards before you share what you mentally noted in your quick scouting trip around the block.

“I’m heading back toward the club now,” you follow up by announcing as you pick up your pace, but not in a way that will pique anyone’s interest. You’re fast enough to return to the club quicker.

“We spotted player 456,” a guard shares. “He and a companion are getting out of the car and are en route inside.”

“Wait for them to get inside and then go after them,” In-ho orders.

“There’s also a man in the driver's seat. It seems like he’s waiting.”

In-ho answers with a hum before he passes an order. “Get the license plate and share it with The White Crane,” he refers to your alias. “Take note of who he is, White Crane, and if he gets out of the car to go after player 456, stop him.”

You press the button on the earpiece to give your response. “Understood.”

You keep your pace with a new task in mind. No one stops you because you blend perfectly with everyone else on the busy street celebrating Halloween.

However, you do have to admit you are a bit envious that people seem to be having so much fun. It makes you want to walk into the club and get plastered to have fun too, but you’re on the mainland on a mission, so you’re strictly forbidden to even drink, you can only be envious.

Then again when you finally approach the club, you catch sight of the club and the giant line formed outside, and you admit that maybe being inside doesn’t sound as tempting.

“They’re inside,” a guard shares.

“Alright move in.” In-ho demands.

You finally reach the street where the Pink guards said the car and the man are, but there, in a black car parked in the exact spot you’re on the lookout for, sits Jun-ho. He’s in the driver's seat of the car that matches the license plate the guards told you about.

You could be mistaken. This could be some delusion, but you’re not sick and you can see perfectly fine through your mask, so no, he’s not some fever dream, it’s Jun-ho in the flesh.

Does he notice you?

Your heart stops at the sight of the man you love, making it feel like you’re about to be hit with a heart attack, so you stupidly stop in front of the car and look in wondering if he sees you too.

But how can it be if you’re wearing a fucking mask…

Damn it. Damn it. Damn it!

Of course, he’s involved. Why wouldn't he be in the middle of this ordeal?!

With or without you he didn’t let the Island go and now…you have to confront him and do what In-ho told you to do. There’s no other choice, but will you tell In-ho that it’s his brother working with player 456?

No.

Will you tell him that now that you know he’s here and once again involved in all this, that you have an absurd plan to confront him after 3 years of disappearing from his life?

Also no because he doesn’t need to know.

“I found the car and the driver,” you share through the earpiece after you manage to unglue yourself from your spot before Jun-ho can find you suspicious.

The moment you finish crossing the crosswalk though, the sight of Jun-ho getting out of his car catches your attention.

“He’s out of the car in pursuit of his friends,” you let your people know.

“Stop him,” In-ho deadpans with no clue that you’re referring to his brother.

“On it,” you assure him and cross the street properly, unlike Jun-ho who runs in the middle of a busy street like a madman, forcing a car to break.

He does make it across unscathed, but when he tries to just walk inside he’s stopped by the bouncer, so you have to pretend that you’re taking a smoke break so you don’t look like a stalker, or so he doesn’t spot you before you can stop him.

“Hey, no cutting. Go to the back of the line,” the bouncer tells Jun-ho off, which more than likely aggravates him knowing how impatient he can be.

“Police. Move,” Jun-ho snaps bluntly and once again tries to walk in, but again, the bouncer pushes him back.

“See your fellow officers waiting in line?” The bouncer points out to the line of people waiting. “It’s Halloween. Go put your uniform on first.”

With no warning and zero patience, you watch Jun-ho pull out his gun and point it at the bouncer as he shoves him back against a wall. “Does this look like a toy?” He threatens him, making you smile with amusement.

This time around the bouncer has nothing to say in return. He’s speechless, so Jun-ho is able to walk in, whilst you wait a couple of minutes before you drop the cigarette and stomp on the barely used stick to walk in without any resistance. Not because the bouncer was left shaken up after Jun-ho, it’s because they know who you are. That’s why In-ho chose this specific club.

Once you’re inside, you’re immediately enveloped by all the commotion, the raging music, and the bodies of people crowding the entrance and every step you take, making it hard to find Jun-ho, but not impossible. Luckily enough he didn’t make it far so you’re able to find him just on top of the metal stairs that lead to the main floor before he descends them and joins the madness.

With no other choice but to be like some haunting spirit you trail after him rather than being a part of the madness.

Every step he takes you take not so long after. Every turn he makes you do the same, and every person he shoves aside, you carefully slip past. There comes a point where he stops at a bar and shakes an unconscious man with a bright green horse mask, so you finally stop trailing after him. Instead, you pull your mask off and walk in the crowd of dancing bodies to find a way around Jun-ho.

“Dance?” A drunk man shouts and grabs your waist to try and pull you, but you shove him back harshly and snap at him while glaring at him.

“Do that again and I’ll tear your fingers off your hand to shove them up your ass.”

The man is left bewildered so he backs away, letting you disappear in the sea of bodies. And for a moment, because of the interruption, it seems like you lost sight of Jun-ho. You can’t find him again, but as you keep pushing through, you catch a glimpse of him so you run to get ahead. When you finally find an opening, you exit the crowd and stop across from him, making him come to an immediate halt as he notices right away.

You, the person who has been missing for three years. You, the woman he loves and has been searching for relentlessly. You stand there looking him in the eyes, unscathed, healthy, and just as beautiful as the day he lost you.

Yet it’s because he sees you so clearly in your flowing white robes that show off glimpses of your figure when the lights flash on you, that he can’t believe it’s really you. You have to be some divine spirit brought by stress.

“Come,” you wave him over with your hand without letting go of those dark eyes that glisten with brimming tears every time the flashing light basks his face. His jaw then drops slightly and his eyebrows rise as his eyes widen with shock. You proceed to not wait and turn to start walking away.

“Wait!” You hear Jun-ho call out after you.

You peer over your shoulder and see him do just as you want; he follows you, so you lure him to an employee-only door. It is hard making sure that he doesn’t lose sight of you or that actually reaches you since there’s so many people and it’s so crowded, but you manage to stay one step ahead and reach the employee-only hallway without having him stop you.

When Jun-ho sees that you disappear in the hall, he calls out your name and turns cautious when he approaches the door, letting you rush up the stairs to position yourself just around the corner and take out your taser gun.

Jun-ho continues to be cautious when he walks inside, but as he’s climbing the stairs he breaks into a run. In doing so, turning the corner hastily and not being able to stop you from hitting his neck with your taser gun that doesn't leave his flesh until he's knocked out.

Before he can hit the ground you catch him in your arms. “I'm sorry,” you whisper as you admire his face now that you can finally be close to him again. “I had to do it, but it will be okay,” you assure him before you lean down and press a kiss on his forehead. “I promise,” you whisper one last time against his temple.

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A/N- Ahhhhh xD

[magnolia-among-the-stars]

the last bit of us (chapter six)

Plot: Tyler Owens hasn’t been home in a year. He’s survived all the storm chasing and motel living with his new partners as they try to save lives. But with all the damage they’ve taken from driving high beams first into monster storms, it’s time to pay the piper and bring the truck in for repairs. And the only person who can fix them is the best mechanical engineer he’s ever met. Eleanor Harding, his estranged wife.

Pairing: ex!Tyler Owens x estranged wife!OC, Estranged Wife! OC x Rhett Abbott

Word Count: 2.5k

Playlist Song: chasing the wind by lanie gardner

prologue / one / two / three / four / five / six

My hand is sweaty as I tug Rhett across the yard to my truck. I feel vindicated, my nerves on fire. The finality of the first steps toward freedom from a failed marriage that I didn’t walk away a weight lifted from my shoulders. When I get close enough to the truck, I turn to Rhett and release a deep breath. 

He’s staring down at me, warm and attentive. His blue eyes are so different from those of my ex. Where Tyler’s are vibrant and bright, Rhett’s are deep and soulful. He looks at me with a softness that makes me want to look away from the sincerity. He adjusts his cap, thumb fingering the worn threads on the brim. “Are you feeling okay?” 

“I think my nerves are shot,” I admit. I release his hands to wipe my palms along the denim seams of my jeans. “I never thought I’d get to serve him those papers.” 

“I’m really proud of you,” he says. His smile is genuine. “I can’t imagine how hard that must’ve been and I know how long you’ve been wanting to start to close that chapter.” 

I nod, still lost in his gaze. I get a little bashful, looking down at my boots and then look at the old truck by the barn. “Shit, I gotta get to my parents’ house and go check up on my dad.” 

“Do you want me to come with you?” he asks, leaning against the hood. 

“And let you play hookie with your dad?” I say. The door to the porch squeals open and I can see Tyler watch us. Behind him, Kate’s head pops up. I look back to Rhett and shake my head. “No, I couldn’t do that…plus, I’ve got a lot of work to do this week. Big testing left to finish for our contract.”

“Right,” he nods. “Maybe we can go out Friday after my ride? Get some beers if the contract goes through?” Rhett’s voice is thick as he rocks on his toes.  

“I’d like that,” I say. 

He breaks out in a grin, kisses my cheek and breathes out a noise similar to a laugh. We whisper soft byes and he slips past me, heading back to his truck. He climbs in and waves, engine roaring to life as he peels out of a driveway. I climb in the truck, turning the truck on as my phone starts to ring again. I tuck it under my ear as I back out the driveway. 

“Hi ma, I’m on my way,” I say, turning onto the main road. The radio roars to life, blasting way too loudly. I drop my phone in the process of trying to turn down the music. 

“El, before you head in our direction for the day…there’s a cell headed in your direction,” my mom shares. I can hear my dad in the background again. The mumbles of “big one” and “perfect data” are all I can catch. 

“Ma, I’m not about to let Dad go without his meds just so we can do a study drill,” I tell her, watching the collect of clouds move through the area. It does look like a perfect condition though. The fields are starting to breeze heavily, the tall Oklahoma grass sways in the breeze. “What’s the moisture?” 

“That’s my girl,” my dad grumbles as there’s a shuffle of them passing the phone. “Dew points sitting at a 76°F sweetheart. And don’t worry about me. The doc gave me a few days worth. This is too good of conditions for your contract. Perfect testing grounds.”

“Are you sure?” I ask, checking the time. The team was all planning to be at the warehouse anyways today…

“Sure,” he says. “Go get ‘em…and invite the team to join us tomorrow alright? Uncle Rabbit has been anxious to hear about everything,” he says. 

“I will and I’ll see you guys tonight, alright?” We say I love you and hang up. I hit Charlie’s number and tuck the phone between my ear and shoulder. I take a deep breath as the phone rings, swinging the steering wheel so that I can wipe around in the other direction. The tires squeal just as Charlie picks up. 

“I was waiting for your call…” she says with a knowing tone. 

“My parents called me. Dew point of 76?” I ask, picking up speed as I take off in the direction of the warehouse.

“Relative humidity is about 79%,” Charlie reads. “They haven’t lost their touch clearly. Are you on your way?” 

I pass by a familiar RV, huffing as I notice them turn in the same direction that I head down. “C’mon, c’mon,” I grumble, checking the rearview mirror to see if its really who I think it is. 

“El?” 

“Yes, yes. I’m on my way. Get the team ready…and,” I look again at the rearview mirror. “Get some extra gear ready…I think we’re going to end up getting some excitable parasites.” 

She groans loudly. “Seriously?” 

“Can’t shake ‘em so might as well entertain.”

“Right,” Charlie says, “because that’s what we do…entertain. CAPE is nearly hitting 3,000 J/kg…you gotta hurry up or you’re going to be in the storm…not studying it.”

“I’m nearly there, open the gate so I can pull right in when I get there” I say, watching the sky turn a little darker. I pick up speed, tossing my phone on the seat as I focus on the road and not on the storm building in the distance. I look in the rearview mirror again, too excited by the storm conditions to be frustrated with my ex and his friends. I pull up to the gate quickly, the RV rumbling behind me as we drive up to the warehouse. 

Boone pulls in to the right of me as I shut off the truck, climbing out as Birdie closes the gate behind me. Charlie tosses me a walkie and my vest, passing me my iPad as we pace down the warehouse toward the other door. “You idiots can’t just show up because you’re excited by a tornado,” I say to the group, walking backwards as my friends hand them bright orange vests - the ones we normally give to investors and clients. 

“We saw you zip past,” Javi says, smiling sheepishly. “Couldn’t help ourselves. I’ve always wanted to know how you guys do your testing. I studied your parents’ work when I was in school, inspired by the technology you’ve invented.”

“Well, stay close to one of us on the field. Y'all might be tornado wranglers but we aren’t taming tornadoes here,” I say, glancing at Tyler as I get to the others. “We’re trying to help protect and save people from losing their livelihoods.” 

Birdie runs through the safety protocol for the wranglers and I’m a little shocked at how contained they are in listening. Even Boone, normally shaking with excitement, remains still as he listens to our rules. “Your vests all have chips in them for your safety so that we can locate you in the case of…in the case of anything going wrong. Don’t take off the vest. We stay safe, we stay alert,” she finishes. She looks at me. “Good?” 

“Let’s go get this contract,” I murmur, turning to head to my building.

“Eleanor?” I turn to see Kate and Tyler catching up to me. Kate isn’t paying attention to Tyler. She looks unsure as rain starts to pour from the sky, the wind wiping around to pick up. Our phones start to ping with warning sounds. Kate’s hair wipes in her face and I clip my walkie to my belt, grabbing a hair tie from my wrist to pass to her. “Thanks…do you mind if I join you?”

I look up at Tyler behind her. She turns, following my gaze. “Tyler, go with Javi,” she says, causing him to stop in his tracks. He raises a brow, looking between the two of us as the wind picks up. 

“Go Tyler, hurry up,” I say, pointing to where Javi is heading with Carter into the Doctor’s office. He looks between the two of us, hesitating. I can see the hero complex fighting to wash over him. I guess he decides against it though, nodding and turning to run to where the other two men are. He disappears inside, giving us one last look before he goes. 

A crack of thunder rattles through the air, causing me to move. “C’mon, this way,” I tell her, tugging her into the direction of the Grille. I push the door open, ushering her inside. I flip the lock system and nod over to the monitors in the safe corner that we built into the buildings. I log into the tracking system, the camera views pulling up for me to watch the conditions outside. I tug my walkie from my belt and call “Everyone in?” 

I get an echoing of confirmations, nodding as I type a few things into the tablet for testing conditions and peer back at Kate. She’s glancing around the space, taking in the mock town set up. Her eyes are filled with wonder, curiosity stretching over her eyes. The wind starts to whip around loudly outside and something large slams against the side of the building, making her jump. “So these buildings are all made of-,” she starts to ask. 

“All different developed materials,” I say, nodding and turning back to the screen. She steps over to me, staring at each view of the buildings we are studying. I point to each, explaining further. “The warehouse was the guinea pig. She’s all tried and tested, kind of what we use as a base standard. She’s got steel-reinforced, impact-resistant roll-up doors, concrete & carbon fiber roof reinforcement, and smart glass skylights with polycarbonate coating. Though I’ve been considering building an underground storage lift for the trucks…haven’t had the time.”

“The doctor’s office and the farmhouse are nearly perfect,” I share as we watch more debris roll through the field, slamming into different buildings as the building rattles. “They’ve both got shock absorbent foundations. The doctor’s office is built with a concrete material infused with bacteria that generate limestone….it self-heals against the wind stress. We’ve also been testing some hardened rooftop turbines and solar panels for emergency energy even if the grid or generators fails for a potential contract with hospitals. The house has interlocking concrete panels and kevlar in the wall panels with kevlar so that it bends in the wind instead of tearing apart. The windows have been the hardest so we’ve been testing transparent aluminum.” 

She blinks, taking in all the information I share. “Too much?”

She shakes her head no, mouth parting. Nothing comes out. 

“Tyler and Javi are safe,” I note and she nods absentmindedly. I don’t know why I say it. 

I turn back to the screen and watch the way the foundation of the home shifts, holding against the pressure of the tornado. “Palmer, how are you guys holding up? How are those windows? Over,” I call over the radio. 

The door to the Grille starts to rattle in the distance and I let out a breath, tugging the door to our safe room closed and locking it as we wait for a reply.  There’s only a crackling silence for a few moments. 

“Holding steady over here boss,” she says. “I think we’ve done it. And uh…what’s your name…Dexter is really enthusiastic with his questions. Over.” 

I can’t help the laugh that comes out, looking up at Kate. “Happy to hear, over.” 

“We’ve figured the reinforced concrete is the way to go for most of the buildings. The gas station has a new roof design that’s more aerodynamic with the angled kevlar roofs and curved walls to deflect the wind,” I point out. “Birdie has been taking  that building because she and Sean have been testing new fuel storage to protect against-,” I’m cut off as a large shrapnel of metal flies through the air, slamming into the tank and puncturing the metal. Flames erupt in the air as the tank bursts open. “That…shit…”

“The fuel tank blew up again,” Birdie says over the walkie, Boone and Lily screaming in excitement clear in the background. She sounds like a tired mother when she says “Didn’t penetrate the station though which is progress, over.” 

“Happy to hear, over,” I call as I hear another rattling, some metal grinding and a burst of glasses from outside the safe room. The wind is loud as Kate turns to the locked door, stepping closer to me. 

“El, the refrigeration system just blew but I’m happy to report the roof is holding. This storm’s taking some of the Grille with it from the look of the monitor. You holding tight for us? Over,” Sean calls. 

He’s right. Even though it’s fairly quiet inside the safe room we're locked inside, the Grille doesn’t seem to be holding well against the strength of the tornado. The feed goes dead after another moment and I sigh. “Our feeds have gone dead but we’re safe otherwise, over,” I say, turning to Kate. 

She looks a little more shaken than when we got into the building, gripping the counter of the desk as she digs her hip against the wall tightly. 

“I know it's kind of freaky but I promise you are safe here. The grocery store and this building are newer designs so we put these safe rooms in to make sure we can safely troubleshoot from inside the storm. We’ve been working on retractable tornado shutters but the shipment prototype hasn’t come in yet. But it sounds like the new support beams are holding up the roof. That’s a big win from the last storm,” I say, pointing to the ceiling as the whistle of the wind outside becomes less harsh. 

It’s quiet for a long time as she just stares at me, blinking a few times. “Kate…are you alright?” I step toward her a little. 

“This is wild,” she breathes, trying to shake out of whatever emotions and fears are running through her. 

“No more wild than driving into an EF5,” I say with a small shrug, leaning back in my chair. It’s not meant to come off as a shot at her, really more that crazy for science and change for community respects crazy for science and change for community.

Kate’s gaze is heavy, her eyes glossy. “I didn’t know,” she just blurts out. Her voice is strong, almost loud. Her words sit in the air, her fingers find purchase on the mesh of her vest as she fiddles with it. 

I don’t know if I’m surprised or confused. She didn’t know it was an EF5? Or did she mean she didn’t know that she was driving into it? Or did she mean the building?

She clears her throat, stands up straighter. “I didn’t know he was married.”

A/N: Well, I was not expecting to research and get so sciency with this one but that's where the story took me! I am not a science/engineering type so forgive any inaccurate science information. I'm really loving exploring El as a character outside of her relationship with the men. All your comments and feedback has been incredible! please continue to send any along and click here if you want to join the taglist!

taglist:

@tw232103, @arieltwvdtohamflash, @magicalfurykoala, @janoskiansecondsofdirection, @fever-daydreamm @buckybarnes-1917 @kim-taehyung-12301995 @accordingtoawallflower-blog @axolotllover225 @tgmreader @smoothdogsgirl @paramedicnerd004 @charmyeol69-blog @tktstomydwnfall @milesdot @arieltwvdtohamflash @dream-alittlebiggerdarling @sunmoon-01 @memoriesat30 @tw232103

[dragonagegayz]

Wherever You Go, I'll Be Right Beside You

Rating: Explicit

Game: Dragon Age The Veilguard

Pairing: Lucanis x Rook, Rookcanis, Lucanis x TransMale!Rook

Word Count: 14,700

I didn't intentionally write this with my Rook in mind but uh yeah, it def my Rook, he even gets named dropped so sorry friends

also, I did not mean to write 14k I was really aiming for like 4 and then just 10k more of stuff, I am so sorry lol

Summary: Too long Rook and Lucanis have been separated after the defeat of the gods, so the leader of the Veilguard returns to Treviso to surprise his lover. Reunion sex ensues and all the emotions that come with that.

Warning: I am a trans man author and use cunt/clit to describe Rook's junk!

Title comes from the song "Steady Hand" by Saint Motel

Ao3 link

     After saving the world from ending, you’d expect the one who was the leader in all of it to probably get some sort of break from responsibilities, they did save the world after all. Unfortunately for Rook Thorne, such a luxury was not available to him and he quickly found himself running all across Thedas to try to tend to hundreds of different things for those who helped in the fight against the Evenuruis. Helping the Veil Jumpers reestablish their footing in Arlathan, trying to get the Shadow Dragons back into power in Minrathous, focusing an effort to return balance to the Necropolis after the fade nearly fell, and of course, helping the leadership of the Grey Wardens establish a new purpose for the organization and for those who chose to stay as Wardens. It was good in a way, helping those in need was a calling Rook always answered which helped him to see his team fairly often even after going their separate ways. The elf had made a lot of friends in the journey doing so and to be able to see what those relationships bloomed into was one of the perks of it all to him. Especially with the Grey Wardens, being a part of his group’s history from curing the calling to discovering their new call of duty felt important, vital even. Rook loved it, he truly couldn’t deny that.

     But he also couldn’t deny the desire to just stop for a moment and relax, to take a moment to breathe and see his work before charging head first into the next thing.

And it would be incredibly nice to see his lover again.

     It had been at least a month since he’d seen Lucanis and their last interaction had been so brief Rook hesitated to even call it anything but a figment of his imagination. They had met for coffee in Treviso, Cafe Petra of course, and while their date had been wonderful, it had barely lasted an hour before the First Talon had to be pulled away, as did the Grey Warden. They barely got to share a kiss before they parted, a short peck of their lips together, and a promise of more from both men. Well, neither had expected it was going to be another month before they would see each other again. Had Rook known that, he wouldn’t have let his lover out of his sight for at least 24 hours, maybe even 48. Perhaps it was dramatic but to know he was only going to be able to talk to Lucanis through letters for such a long time, he would have done everything and anything to just hear the man’s voice in his ears for as long as possible before being forced to part.

     Rook knew he wasn’t the only one feeling the distance though, the more days they spent apart, the more sad the First Talon’s letter became. More little details of pet names, more mentions of longing and missing the elf. There were even a few times where Spite would write too, angry lines of asking when Rook would return and even one time about how he missed his smell. When he wrote a response, the elf made sure to dab a little of his cologne on the paper, the response he got was from a single sheet of paper with a giant thank you written on it. The grey warden still wasn’t sure which one of them had written it.

     So, after a long, grueling month without seeing his lover, Rook decided enough was enough. After making sure the Grey Wardens weren’t in desperate need of his assistance anywhere, he let Evka and Antione know he was going to Treviso and wasn’t sure when he’d be back. Evka had given him this knowing look but for as much as she teased, she always understood. Antione did too, ever the romantic, and even made sure to assure Rook as he was leaving for Antiva to not worry about things in the Wetlands. “We’ve got it here, go and see your First Talon!” He yelled as he practically pushed the other warden into the Eluvian.

     By the time Rook got to Treviso, night had already settled over the city. Which didn’t mean much for its citizens, even with the sun set the markets still buzzed with people, cafes, and casinos full of patrons to please. However, it also meant the attendants at House Dellamorte would most likely be in bed and if there was one thing Rook hated more than anything, it was being a bother, especially in his lover’s home. Lucanis had tried to assure him that it was fine and that his home was Rook’s home but it was intimidating, to say the least. Rook had grown up in a 4 roomed shack where they had to use an outhouse, the mansion was nauseating for him to even stand in, let alone try to stay at. It just always felt strange and with Caterina being there too, the Grey Warden always just felt it was best to avoid it. Either way, he found that getting a room at the inn was usually the best way to avoid interruption from the Crows when with their First Talon. What could Rook say? He knew it was selfish but Lucanis was the one thing he was proud to be selfish about. He was the elf’s lover, after all, not the Crow’s.

     He always ended up at the same inn, one located right in the heart of the market district. He liked the atmosphere it gave the rooms he rented, Rook would crack the windows open a bit to let the noises of the Treviso city life filter through, it became a low buzz in the back of his brain, almost as a way to fill the empty space left by the blight no longer in his body. And so, when he had exchanged his gold for the room, (the attendant knew who he was, thanked him for saving the world, and tried to offer the room for free but Rook refused) that was the first thing he did after setting his bag down. This time, however, the elf threw the whole window open, letting the cool sea air hit his face as he looked out over the markets. It was lit with those cool-toned lights, and there was that wonderful low murmur of people talking, making sure to be quieter since it was night after all. There were clinks of glass, gentle clashing of steel, and the occasional mewing of the cats that laid lazily around the city. It was comforting, a reminder that everything Rook had worked for with the Veilgaurd meant these people could go about and live their lives. It was humbling and gratifying to know he was a part of it.

     Rook was ready to pull away from the window, to get changed and head to bed, ready to rest up to surprise his lover in the morning but a flash of feathers caught his eyes down at the market stalls. He squinted a bit to see and as soon as he realized who he was looking at, he sprinted from the room, nearly forgetting to lock the door in his haste. The elf stumbled through the halls, apologizing to the group of people he had run through and usually, he would be far more eloquent with his apologies but all he could do was yell out a “Sorry!” Over his shoulder as he ran out into the street. On the way down Rook managed to calm himself into a brisk walk instead of a sprint, the markets too busy for him to be running like a child. He quickly made his way to the stall he saw from his window.

     There, with his back to Rook, hands on his hips, and head tilted to the side was the First Talon of the Crow’s, evidently deep in thought as he pursued the seller's wares of the stall he stood at. Rook noticed they were weapons, specialized daggers it seemed with the variety he saw laid out. A certain one caught his eyes, so he cleared his throat loudly which made the Crow in front of him pause. “I’ve heard Wyvren Tooth Daggers are good, I’d recommend it if you haven’t got one,” The Grey Warden watched as for a brief moment the other man tensed, before he very quickly spun on his heel to look at Rook. Their eyes met and, as it always did when they reunited, Rook’s heart thumped hard in his chest.

     He didn’t even get to open his mouth to talk again when Lucanis practically barreled into him, arms wrapping around his waist and the elf was lifted into the air as the spirit wings popped from the Crow, spinning the Grey Warden around as the other man buried his face into the crook of Rook’s neck. He couldn’t help the laugh he let out, especially when he felt a gentle inhale from the man’s nose. “You’re home,” A raspy voice said, it was happy in tone and the elf couldn't help but place a kiss on the man’s temple. “I am, Spite,” He said gently, giving a squeeze to the arms around him. He could have sworn he heard a quick purr.

     Then Lucanis looked up at him, face barely pulled away from his neck and Rook swore his heart turned to goop as those big brown eyes looked at him as if he was the only thing in this world. The elf placed his hands on either side of Lucanis’ face, pressing their foreheads together. “You’re here, you’re really here” The Crow said. Rook giggled quietly at the deja vu of his words. “I am,” He confirmed, opening his eyes again to look into the other’s brown ones. There was awe in his eyes, almost like he was in disbelief to be holding his lover in his arms again. That made Rooks hard beat in a much more pained way this time, so he just pulled the man in close, letting their lips meet for their first kiss they got to share in over a month.

     Kissing Lucanis wasn’t like the way the books Rook would read had described it to be. It wasn’t about sparks flying or this intense overwhelming feeling that would make his head spin. It was warm, all-enveloping but in this comforting way, the same one someone gets after getting home after a long stretch away. Safe and loving, it was something the Grey Warden never thought he was ever going to experience. Yet here he was, in the arms of the First Talon of the Corw’s no less, in the Treviso Marketplace with fingers digging into his waist and the lips of his lover so generously making up for lost time. Then the hands on his hips began to wander a little further up, playing with the buckle of Rook’s belt when he pulled away with a laugh, much to Lucanis’ disappointment. His pout was what some may call unbecoming of a Talon of the Crow’s but the elf loved it. “We’re in public,” He teased, finally straightening up enough so the two were standing, the assassin now a few inches taller than the elf again. He got another frown in return once again made him laugh, lifting his hand cup to the other man’s cheek who buried his face into it, Lucanis laid a kiss on the palm. “I am First Talon, I can do as I please,” He grumbled into the hand. Rook smiled up at him, placing a kiss on the man’s cheek, which he trailed to his mouth where they once again met in the middle, this time though he didn’t let Lucanis deepen the kiss as the Grey Warden pulled away, causing a very, very quiet whine to leave the human.

     “I have a room at the inn,” Rook said, nodding towards said inn which got him a hum of disapproval from his lover.“I still don’t understand why you don’t just come to the estate, we have plenty of room,” The crow mused, it wasn’t angry more curious than anything and the elf just shrugged. “You know me, I like humble sort of quarters besides,” He leaned in, placing a kiss on the earlobe of the taller man. “We’ll be alone,” It was a whisper; words meant only for the Crow. Usually, Lucanis would fight a little bit more about getting Rook to the estate, always saying how he felt bad how his lover felt the need to stay in an inn instead of his home but there was a look in the man’s eye that said all the elf needed to know. ‘You’re right, we’ll talk about it later,’

     They shared another kiss. This time when Lucanis pulled back, there was purple in his eyes and a vague sense of displeasure. “Why are we still standing here?” Spite asked in his choppy, unpleased way which only made Rook laugh, lacing their fingers together and pulling the other man towards the inn. “Ok, ok. C’mon before someone decides they need the First Talon,” He joked. There was a squeeze to his hand as the Crow followed his steps. “They will have to pry us away from you,” This time Spite’s voice and Lucanis’ seemed to overlap which made the elf smile. Even after saving Caterina, it was hard to get the two to agree sometimes but they always agreed about Rook. From wanting to pamper him to giving him their sole attention, they both just wanted him to have the best treatment they could provide. He was spoiled for attention by the two and he was more than ready to make up for the lost time in the month he couldn’t see them.

     As Rook guided his lover to the Inn, he could feel those eyes on his body but he knew it wasn’t a lustful stare at him, but those big brown eyes looking at him with reverence. If the elf were a betting man, he’d put all his money on the fact Lucanis was probably thinking something along the lines of “I am so lucky,” As he so often did when the two got together. When they passed the threshold of the inn, another squeeze came from where their hands were still intertwined. “To be yours,” A dreamy sigh. “I am the luckiest man alive,” The crow whispered, pulled the Grey Warden close for a moment, and pressed a kiss to the tip of his pointed ear. Rook had to laugh at that, a silent victory of knowing his lover so well as they continued to his room.

     Finally, the two made it, nearly running into a group of crows on the way (The same group Rook had barrelled through earlier, he had a feeling if they saw him with the First Talon in tow there would be questions so they chose to go all the way around). When the door clicked behind them, the elf found his hand dropped but very quickly he was crowded against the opposite wall, hands on his hips before he was spun around. Before he knew it, Lucanis practically attacked his neck with such vigor he accidentally bit down a little too hard. There was a yelp from the shorter man and the other apologized with a gentle lap of his tongue to the probably bruising love bite. Reflexively, Rook swallowed down his moan, letting his hands fall on top of where the other’s hands were. A growl came out. “I like your noises,” Spite spat at the Grey Warden. It was him who moved next as a thumb dug into his newly acquired hickey making him yell out in surprise. The answering chuckle was laced with both the demon and the man’s laughter, which made the elf huff. “This feels a bit like two-on-one,” He said softly, trailing his hands up the other man’s arms slowly, letting himself feel the elegant lines of his lover’s muscle arms through the First Talon’s jacket. He couldn’t wait till it was discarded away so he could get a full touch. “Spite wants you to know how much he missed you too, I think,” Lucanis mumbled against the elf’s skin, still buried in the man’s jawline giving a mix of the most body-worshipping, loving kisses with much gentler love bites in the mix. Rook laughed, feeling the sensation of his throat vibrating where his lover was pressed against. “Well I missed him too,” He said softly, with a teasing smile on his lips. One last kiss was placed on his neck before the other man pulled away, eyes half-lidded with a ghost of a smile on his lips, almost like he was nervous.

     “Did you miss me?” He whispered like he was afraid to speak too loud. Rook sighed, a dreamy, love drunk sigh as he pushed himself from the wall, standing up straight with a slight tilt to his head as he looked up at his wonderful lover. From this close, Rook could see the bags under his eyes though they weren’t as bad as they had been when the two had first met. Lucanis was now at least getting more consistent sleep though he once confessed in a letter that without Rook at his side, he found sleep elusive again. The Grey Warden understood that, he too found sleep hard to get without his lover’s arms wrapped around him. Sometimes he could swear he could feel something around him some nights, always joking to himself that it was Spite who managed to find him through the fade. Lucanis brushed Rook’s fallen bangs from his face. “Of course I missed you,” The elf whispered back. A grin formed on his lover’s face and very quickly, the two’s lips met again and unlike their last ones, this had a hunger underneath the exchanges.

     Hands began to drift, wandering with curiosity as the two very slowly made their way to the bed. Tongues met as the Crow spun Rook to be the one to sit on the bed, and bent down to continue their exchange as his tongue so lovingly lavished the elf with attention, mapping out the other man’s mouth like he was starved for his taste, or like Rook was going to vanish from his arms. When they pulled away, the Grey Warden chuckled as he trailed a finger down the other man’s neck. “I’m not going anywhere,” He promised. Lucanis paused for a moment, surprise on his face before he shook his head, climbing to straddle the shorter man, hands being placed at the base of his skull before the man pulled the elf into a much more aggressive, attention-needing kiss.

     Moans were enchanged, the vibration of them filling each other’s mouths and the subtlest moves of each other’s hips against the other. The two never moved very fast or aggressively when they had sex, it wasn’t a competition, it was supposed to be a shared moment in time between the two and they wanted to savor every moment of it. (There was also the two’s lacking experience but they knew each other’s bodies well enough now that it wasn’t an issue anymore) Especially after being away from each other for as long as they were, while they didn’t talk about it they simply understood this was meant to be an exploration of each other. To allow each other the touches that they have been denied by distance for a month. So when Lucanis pulled away, chest heaving ever so slightly as he tried to pull air into his lungs, he slipped away from his lover’s lap and began to work on his outfit to undress. For a moment, Rook simply watched with reverence, absorbed by the man’s skilled, dexterous hands undressing himself with the cunning that only a master assassin could wield. Temptation ate away at the Grey Warden and he eventually stood to join his lover, helping to remove whatever buckles and straps he could get his hands on.

     As the man undressed the two were in silence, the background of the Treviso market still there but turned to that low buzz in Rook’s ears. After a few minutes of this, the Crow stopped to kiss his lover, and the Grey Warden continued his work for him. Very quickly though, Rook found himself in a losing battle the the numerous buckles and ties. When a semi-frustrated curse fell from the man’s lips Lucanis chuckled at him before taking over once more.

     Finally, the main part of the outfit lay discarded to the side of the bed, leaving the man only in a long shirt and pants. Anticipation at seeing his lover’s body gnawed at him but when Rook reached out to the bottom of his shirt, Lucanis’ hands stopped him a teasing smirk on his lips. “Your turn,” Was all he said, nodding down to the other man’s outfit. A grumble of annoyance came from the elf and he stepped back, ready to start throwing clothes from his body but the other man shook his head, stepping forward to start working on removing the man’s shoulder pads. “Gentle,” He chided, eyes focused on the task at hand. The Grey Warden huffed but followed the instructions, working on undoing the other metal shoulder plating from its spot, both finishing at the same time and Lucanis took them in both hands, gently setting them on a nearby desk earning a laugh from the other man. “You throw your stuff to the side but treat mine so kindly?” Rook teased, accepting the kiss the assassin leaned down to give. What was supposed to probably just be a brief come-together became more slowly heated, once again Lucanis letting his tongue explore his lover’s mouth with great respect, the best kind of worship.

     When he pulled away there was a haze to his dark eyes but still, he continued his work, sliding the heavy jacket from Rook’s shoulders. “Your armor is an extension of you, I would never treat you unkindly, why would I treat what protects you so?” He answered with a murmur. Blood rushed to Rook’s cheeks as he looked away from the man, letting himself be moved so the other could pull the coat from his arms. “You and your words sometimes,” The elf mumbled earning him a breathy chuckle from his lover who just placed a kiss on the tip of his nose before he continued his reverence undressing. It was a slow process, the assassin so careful with each buckle undone and with each new piece he removed, he’d so gently place it on the desk, neatly organized for later retrieval. Rook glanced over to his lover’s outfit on the ground. “Well now I feel bad about yours,” He muttered with a bit of an embarrassed tint to his voice. Lucanis shook his head, pulling the thick gloves from the elf’s fingers, kissing his knuckles once the skin was revealed. “Never feel bad for me Rook. With you in my life I want for nothing, I have all I need and all I feel right here,” The words were so soft, that the elf could feel the move of his lover’s lips against his skin where he continued to kiss each knuckle, switching to the other hand once he finished with that one.

     Worship didn’t feel enough of a word to describe Lucanis’ actions but it was the closest the Grey Warden could think as he watched the crow continue to undress him and with every inch of skin reveal a new kiss was placed upon it. “You make me speechless sometimes,” Rook whispered like it was something he was afraid to admit. Usually, the man had a quip for anything and everything, always a smart word on his tongue and he was especially good at it at the beginning of his and Lucanis' relationship. He was the one to tease the assassin into a blushing mess, purposeful remarks to watch his ears turn a wonderful shade of red but now, Rook found himself at the mercy of his lover’s smooth words. Maybe Lucanis was getting lessons from Crows on wooing, maybe Spite’s influence gave him more confidence or maybe he just was more comfortable saying what was on his mind, no longer held back by nonexisting self-worth and belief he didn’t deserve the love Rook gave him. The elf hoped (and knew, truly) it was the latter. There was a hazy high that came with the thought that the First Talon of the Crow’s felt these things for him, and after all the two went through to get here, it felt well earned. There was a smirk on his lover’s face once Rook noticed Lucanis had been talking to him but the Grey Warden had been too absorbed in his staring and thoughts he didn’t even realize.

“Uh, sorry what was that?”

     The answered chuckle he got was low, as his lover shifted his focus to the chest plate, fingers caressing down his sides as he found the buckles. “No no, I want to know what is on your mind that has the indomitable Rook so flushed in the face,” The tease was playful, only worsening the elf’s blush as he squirmed under the touch of the Crow’s wandering hands. “I’m just glad you’re comfortable with me, to be like this,” Rook mused, humming when his lover leaned down for another kiss. When they pulled away, Lucanis had his chest plate in his hand, once again turning towards the desk to place it down. When he turned there was a gentle encouraging look in his eyes, trying to get the man to continue his thought as the taller man started on the Grey Warden’s belt and the sash under it. “You never hold back what’s on your mind, you didn’t use to do that when we first met,” Rook continued, watching his lover swiftly remove what he was working on, again placed with reverence. Lucanis had even folded the sash up. A hum came from the man as he turned back, now working on the ties on the long sleeves, lifting the elf’s left hand to his mouth, laying a kiss on the exposed wrist, and going up the arm with each new tie undone. The Grey Warden could only sigh under the attention, allowing himself to be moved however Lucanis wished.

     “You were very intimidating back then,” His lover whispered against his skin, which made Rook choke on a laugh only to earn a raised eyebrow in response. “You truly were,” The words were teasing but still honest, he could tell by the way the Crow so earnestly stared down at him even as he switched to the other arm, following his set pattern of untying and lavishing any exposed skin with gentle, loving kisses. “How?” The Grey Warden asked, voice quiet as he watched how in-depth his lover was with his administrations of attention. Nothing was left untouched, unloved. “You were and are, a whirlwind of force Rook. You shine bright, always managing to undo my clouds of despair and it scared me,” Lucanis explained in a soft voice, hands now wandering to the last piece on the elf’s body from his armor besides his boots, pants, and shirt. The elf chuckled, going to pull the last part off himself but the Crow stopped him, instead leaning in to lavish the other side of Rook’s neck with kisses and bites as he had done before. “I was holding onto my own clouds of despair then too,” The elf muttered quietly, letting his hands go to the other man’s shoulders and pulling him in closer. “Yes, and yet,” The words were muffled against Rook’s skin, each emphasized with another kiss. “You still helped with mine, and how lucky of a man I am that you did so,” Again, with each word a kiss was laid on the Grey Warden’s skin, going closer to the man’s ear. “For now, you are mine, and I need not ever worry of those clouds when I have you here to shine for me,” The words were whispered in his ear, Lucanis’ tone akin to a priest declaring the love for the Maker and how his kindness shines down on the people. It made Rook shiver, to bite down on his lip as he stopped a whine.

     A rough bite to his earlobe and growl spoke of Spite’s displeasure of him hiding his sounds again. “S-sorry,” The elf said quickly, turning his head to meet the lips of the demon in a way to apologize more thoroughly which pleased the spirit as he hummed into the kiss. When they parted, the brown eyes had a playful tint to them and the Grey Warden rolled his own with a giggle before tugging on his lover’s shoulders. “How much longer must I wait to see all of you?” His ask was akin to begging, and he knew he should have been more embarrassed but at this moment, a heated need began to burn in his gut. Desire made him impatient when Lucanis seemed to find more self-restraint in the throws of passion. (Until right before his peak, any restraint would leave the door as he finally allowed his emotions to overwhelm him) Thankfully, he was not feeling totally cruel as the Crow removed the last piece of the man’s armor, laying it on the desk before turning to face Rook again. He saw something on the elf’s face that made him smile fondly, which made the shorter man’s cheeks heat again.

“Sit on the bed, Amor,”

     The pet name was said very quietly, it was something Lucanis was still getting used to trying. He had once said he’d seen the way Illario threw them around when working for the Crows, how insincere they felt, and how the First Talon had developed a distaste for them. But through their letters, through their time together he started to understand the desire to call his lover these things. While still very hard, anytime he did, the rush that would run through Rook was like nothing else. No one had ever said things like that to him and Lucanis being the one to do it, both learning to use those terms together made it truly something special. Before he followed the instruction to sit on the bed, the elf pulled Lucanis down for another kiss, this time being the one to have his tongue slip into the man’s mouth, taking his time to explore what he could reach, lifting up to the balls of his feet to get a better angle. He tasted of coffee, of course. A resonating moan from his lover vibrated in his mouth and Rook responded in turn, making sure to make his noise as loud as he could. There was a rumbling pleased purr. With a laugh, the Grey Warden pulled away, leaving one last kiss on the assassin’s lips before he took a few steps back to the bed, sitting himself down and leaning back, having his arms on either side behind him to hold himself up. He basked under the eyes of Lucanis and Spite, one eye the man’s and one the demon’s as they looked down at him with a grin on their face. Once, Rook shied away from any sort of attention like this, it always felt fake, flawed in some way that made him feel like men only wanted his body, never with the Crow, this was different.

     Lucanis loved him, he loved Lucanis. They had these heady emotions for each other before ever having sex. It hadn’t important to either of them. They wanted these emotions between the two of them before that step and it just made everything so much sweeter, better. Were Rook delirious, impaired, and loose he would scream it from the rooftops of anywhere he could get to, talking about the overwhelming love he felt for the Crow to any poor soul close enough to capture his attention, and had they never had sex, it wouldn’t have mattered. It wasn’t about that, it was about their love, their worship of each other through words, through emotion. But when they did have sex, it was unlike anything else the elf had ever experienced, a special raw feeling that Rook knew he’d never share with anyone else. He didn’t need to, he had Lucanis.

     The Grey Warden watched as the other man knelt down in front of him like he did all that time ago, right after they recused the elf from the gods prison. They stared for a long moment at each other, the assassin’s hands coming to rest on the smaller man’s knee, squeezing it. A question Rook realized, as the other man tilted his head. No words needed to be exchanged, this was what happened every time they did this, a question of consent, a chance to end things before they got too far. Lucanis would follow whatever the elf wanted, if he were to shake his head, the man would stand up, place a kiss on the other’s forhead then prep them for bed and the two could fall asleep in each other’s arms. That wasn’t what Rook wanted though. So he nodded, making sure to lean down to place a kiss on the other’s lips, in a way of saying ‘thank you for checking’ as he did every time.

     A hum vibrated against his lips as they kissed and when the elf pulled away, Lucanis' hands drifted to his boots, tugging it a little as a request to have better access which made Rook lift the leg slightly, to give the other man an easier time as he pulled it off. As reverent as with the other parts of the Grey Warden’s armor, he set the boot to the side, and when he turned back he lifted the ankle of the leg to his mouth, leaving a kiss to the bone that protruded out before setting it back down. He did the same to the other leg, boot off, set aside, ankle kissed, leg set back down. When the Crow looked back up, eyes big with love, Rook had to lean down again, kissing with more pressure to try to convey the feelings that welled in his chest. He tugged at the man’s shirt, trying to get him to straighten up which he did but before the assassin could straddle the elf, like he probably planned, the Warden stood spinning them around and then pushing the man so he was the closest to the bed but he shook his head when Lucanis asked if he should sit. As they kissed, Rook’s hands traveled down to the hem of his lover’s shirt and he paused, pulling back from their kiss.

“May I?” He asked quietly, to not break the spell that was over the two of them.

     There was no hesitation in Lucanis’ nod. Trying to match his lover’s moves, Rook made sure to take the process slowly, taking his turn to kneel in front of his lover and lavish his skin with every inch exposed as he pushed the fabric up. He didn’t miss the notable bulge in the Crow’s pants either but chose to ignore it in favor of exploring the skin he finally had revealed to him. As the elf followed up the man’s happy trail he added those love bites in between his kisses which earned a breathy moan from the other. When the Warden got to the man’s rib cage he made sure to press a kiss to each rib, making sure to get both sides as he trailed further up. When he passed the man’s nipples he made sure they also got attention, each earning a kiss and gentle bite which made Lucanis jerk a little, back arching as he let out a low groan. “Tease,” A raspier voice bit out which Rook chuckled at. He continued further up, Lucanis helping him finally slipped his shirt off and they stood face to face, chests nearly touching. The elf leaned up, being met halfway by his lover and when their lips met, Rook grabbed ahold of the man’s waist, digging his fingers into the fabric of the other’s pants as their kiss deepened. The Grey Warden made sure to let whatever noises he could slip from his lips the few times he and Lucanis parted as they continued to kiss, a pleased rumble came from deep in his lover’s chest.

     Eventually, Rook had started to tug on the man’s pants, eager to get them off but the assassin stopped him with a gentle press on his hands and a chuckle, nodding down to the elf’s shirt. The elf grumbled but simply took Lucanis’ hands, guiding them to the bottom of his shirt before letting his hands drop as the man finally grabbed it and started to pull it up. Unlike the rest of his body, the Crow decided to explore his torso with his hands rather than his lips, dragging his fingers up as he slowly pulled at the shirt. The Grey Warden couldn’t help but squirm under the feeling, the vague, light ticklish feeling of not enough to get him to laugh but defiantly something he felt. Especially when the man went over his scars from the blood magic he had used to transition, their sensitivity never really goes away. His very observant lover had realized that the first night they had slept together, cracking knuckles and outright cries nearly spooked the man but Rook had assured him, it wasn’t bad; just sensitive. Now that evil man knew just how to use the right touch to to get a gasp from the elf and the evil demon always favored it as a tactic too. Usually, they would gang up on the poor Warden to get a reaction. Today though, it was about the slow, gentle touches so while the Crow did give them attention, he kept his touches light, always just barely there, barely enough.

     “Now who’s a tease?” Rook asked, shakey huffs of laughter starting to come out as the touches that were just never enough, drove him slightly insane. There was a smirk on Lucanis’ face. He gave a gentle shush to the other man as he allowed his fingers to glide across his torso, no longer trying to lift the shirt off but letting it fall back into place, just now with his hands under it. With a rather dramatic huff, the elf went to grab the shirt himself but the hands on his torso quickly darted back out to catch his, purple eyes looking down at him. “No touch,” Spite growled rather ruthlessly but there was no fear in Rook, instead just an inpatient whine. “Then get on with it,” He said back, raising an eyebrow as he looked up, watching as one eye faded from the purple to see those blown open brown eyes, now just a thing ring around his dark pupil.

The Grey Warden swallowed hard.

     “Let us worship you, Amor, you deserve nothing less,” The words were so honestly spoken, his eyes were like that of a begging puppy as the assassin looked down at his lover. The elf squirmed under his gaze, wondering if this was how the taller man’s targets felt right before he would strike, that heady anticipation of something coming just around the corner. But unlike those people, he would get to keep his life, though probably not with his dignity intact. “Wouldn’t you rather worship all of me?” He tried to tease, he hoped his words didn’t sound as needy as they had felt in his mouth. Was he begging, he wondered? Rook honestly wasn’t sure, far too concerned with getting the rest of their damn clothes off than worrying if his desperation for his lover was obvious to said lover. The answering groan he got wasn’t what he was expecting but the Grey Warden had no complaints as his shirt was finally slipped from his body. When the elf leaned in for another kiss, he was temporarily ignored as the assassin folded his shirt ever so neatly and set it on top of Rook’s coat, making sure they were stacked neat and straight. With a quiet groan, the Warden took hold of the other man’s pants, tugging on one of the belt loops to get his lover’s attention. As the man turned to look at him, Rook rocked forward onto the balls of their feet again, accidentally knocking their noses together causing both men to giggle as the taller man rubbed his jokingly. They were still giving each other those big grins when lips finally met again, laughs turning at moans as Lucanis’ hands returned to exploring Rook’s body, and the elf decided to do the same to his lover. With every teasing dig of the assassin’s fingernail into the Grey Warden’s scars, the other would respond in kind by tugging on the other man’s body hair, not too hard but just enough to get similar noises to his own to leave his lover’s mouth. A few one-word exchanges went between the two as they did so.

“Tease,” Lucanis mumbled.

“Flirt,” Rook whispered.

“Temptress,”

“Enticer,”

“Gorgeous,”

“Handsome,”

“Amor,”

“Schatz,”

     With each word, muttered against each other’s lips, their hands wandered lower and lower till both held the waistline of each other’s pants, one gentle tug away for each into being naked. Lucanis was the one to pull back, taking in a quick deep breath before pressing his forehead to his lover’s, Rook sighed dreamily at the view of the other man. A few moments passed as each man tried to gather their breaths. “Do you wish to continue?” The assassin asked in a whisper, eyes trained onto the Grey Warden’s, probably looking for any form of hesitation in the man. At first, the elf just nodded but when the grip on his pants didn’t change he realized he was going to have to voice his desire to continue so he cleared his throat, trying not to focus on the lingering taste of coffee that had been filling his senses since reuniting with his lover. “Please, let’s please keep going,” It was begging, through and through but Rook found he couldn’t care. Especially not when the other man finally pulled his pants off and let them fall to the floor, a shiver running through the elf as the wetness between his thighs was exposed to the air, colder than the heat of his body and the heated head of his hardened clit. He squirmed around as he adjusted to the air, reaching for his lover’s pants so they could both be in the same state on undress but of course, he was stopped by the other man.

     Rook defiantly didn’t let out a swear, and he didn’t let out a whine as he was denied. Lucanis leaned down to kiss him before he continued to go down, gently pushing the elf back so he would step out of his pants and so the Crow could pick them up. The Warden didn’t think much of it until a snarky, raspy huff came from him as the man straightened back up. He looked down to see what Spite was planning but his body involuntarily jerked up when a puff of air was blown rather cruelly against his sensitive clit, the little stimulation still enough for a full body twitch. “Bastard!” He whispered in a high voice as his head was thrown back, eyes squeezing tight as he tried to ignore the oversensitivity of his body. It had been too long since he last had been with his lover if his body’s reaction was anything to go off of. The answering raspy chuckle was a tease in itself, Rook swore as his nerves seemingly sparked at the sound, trying to shake his head as if he could shake the sensation from his skin. Hands cupped his hips and purple eyes met his as the demon leaned in, the kiss the two of them shared much more aggressive than anything with Lucanis. For a moment, the hands now on his ass, tightened, just barely pulling the elf’s cheeks apart much to his surprise before they very quickly stopped and pulled away returning to his hips.

     The taller man pulled away from the kiss with an annoyed sigh, shaking his head disapprovingly. “Spite and you need to learn some patience,” He joked. Rook smiled up at him, sliding his hands back down to the other man’s pants. “Or someone needs to hurry up a little,” He joked back, the elf hooking his fingers into the assassin’s waistband and mustering up the biggest, pleading eyes in a bid to finally shed his lover of the last of his clothes. Lucanis smiled down fondly before he nodded, laughing at the Grey Warden’s excited whine as he finally got to push the man’s pants down. Rook let himself moan out freely as he watched the man’s cock jut out, head swollen red with neglect and precum slick at the tip of it. It was gratifying to see the elf wasn’t the only one so affected by their rather extended foreplay.

     The shorter man took a step so the Crow could kick his pants away before quite nearly rushing him, pulling him down into a kiss, and crowding him to the bed. His lover hummed, the vibration of it rattling in Rook’s mouth making him moan as he pushed the assassin to the bed. He took a brief moment to admire the scene before him, Lucanis’ big brown eyes swimming in lust and black, his cock standing proud in between his legs where they were spread, ready to receive Rook however he wanted. Different possibilities began to go through his head, it almost became overwhelming the number of ideas he came up with as this innate desire to make up for lost time caused him to overthink. The assassin must have noticed something was off because the Warden found himself being pulled into the other man’s arms, his chin resting on the elf’s upper stomach as he looked up with those eyes. “Slow, let us take it slow Amor,” He whispered. There was an assurance under those words, an unspoken ‘We’ll have more time,’. It was a promise Rook knew Lucanis would keep.

     So the elf nodded, taking a moment to calm his racing thoughts and heartbeat before gently pulling away from his lover only to kneel in front of him and his proud standing cock. A hand found its way into the Grey Warden’s deep red hair, not pulling or tugging, just sitting there like reassurance. Rook shuffled forward till he could comfortably reach out for Lucanis’ dick, legs somewhat already aching from the long days he had been doing but the elf ignored them, this was more than worth the burning thighs. The elf hesitated for a short few seconds, as he always did when it came to this, fear of inexperience always managing to creep up on him during these moments. The hand sat in his hair tightening, just a little, making Rook look up at his lover and what he saw made any worry melt instantly. When he looked up, the shorter man saw the other man’s spirit wings were out and unfurled, one eye purple then the other darkened brown, and this look of pure admiration from both the man and demon. They looked down at Rook as if he was the most beautiful single object in the entire world. As if nothing else in this world mattered except for the here and now, with Rook kneeling at their feet ready to please.

     With renewed confidence, the Grey Warden reached out, wrapping a hand around the base of the man’s cock as he leaned in, giving a single swipe of his tongue to the slickened pre-cum head. A happy purr rumbled out the Crow as he threw his head back in ecstasy, this time Rook wasn’t sure if it was Lucanis, Spite, or both but was happy to have caused such a reaction. He continued his gentle lavishes on the man’s dick, hand never straying from the base as he went up and down the shaft leaving one kiss after the other in a very similar fashion to what his lover had down to the elf’s body as he was undressed. It felt good, to be able to give the same attention to the man he adored, especially with the moans tumbling from the assassin’s mouth, all those going straight through the elf. He knew he leaking on the floor himself and tried to squeeze things together to get some relief. It didn’t do much but make a moan fall from his lips. The vibrations against Lucanis’ dick made the taller man throw his head back again with a much louder groan this time, the hand in Rook’s hair tightened for a second before the Crow realized and he loosened it again but didn’t pull away. He knew the Warden needed the comfort of his touch even as pleasure began to overwhelm the assassin. Very carefully, Rook leaned in and began to take the man’s cock into his mouth, the pace slow and controlled as he sunk to about halfway on his lover’s cock before pausing to get his bearings. His eyes fluttered as he tried to get a look at the other man’s face and nearly choked when their eyes met. How Lucanis still managed to have those damnable puppy eyes while being pleasured was a mystery to the Grey Warden.

     Rook took in a few breaths through his nose, getting ahold of his nerves again as he started to move further down his lover. He managed to take in another inch before deciding tonight was not a night for attempting to deepthroat, so he brought his other hand up to wrap around the remaining length. The assassin hummed, an appreciative noise that the elf could swear he felt in his bones. Neither man was partially good at dirty talk, still too relatively new to sex to add it so instead they would encourage each other with noises, and gestures while also making sure to check in with one another. “Alright?” Lucanis asked in a breathless tone, heavy breathing coming once he managed to squeak the word out. Rook nodded, or as much as he could, before fluttering his eyelids as check-in back to the other man, and the answered chuckle he got was playful, teasing. “I am wonderful Amor,” The Crow assured, hand coming down to wipe away some drool that had started to leak out the side of the Grey Warden’s mouth.

     After a few minutes of letting Rook adjust, which was a great show of the assassin’s self-control as his hips never moved, not even a little, the elf began to move. A slow pull back off the man’s cock before just the tip of the head remained in his mouth before going back down in a smooth movement of back and forth, with his hands getting what his mouth couldn’t reach. Lucanis, ever the gentleman, used his self-restraint as a master assassin to never let his hips jump or jerk while his lover pleasured him. It was wildly impressive, especially as the growing blush on his cheeks started to travel to his ears and his chest which was just a show of how much the man was enjoying it. There was one particular moment where Rook thought he had got the man to lose some of the restraint, as the moan he got on the way down at one point was shakey, very loud as it echoed through the room. A smirk found its way to the elf’s face as he remembered the open window. People probably heard that, and while they didn’t know it was the First Talon of the Crows, the shorter man sure did.

Talk about a power trip.

     Lucanis didn’t falter though and his hips remained firmly planted on the bed, never forcing his cock deeper than what Rook was taking in. Ever the gentleman. The Grey Warden did one last move down, taking as much as he comfortably could, to hear the other man cry out again before he pulled away, giving a lick to the red tip as he did so. Something was whispered under the Crow’s breath and the elf was fairly certain it was something along the lines of “Tease,” but he let it be, the ache between his legs starting to take more precedence than his smart mouth. He leaned back for a moment, spreading his legs just enough so his clit was no longer being rubbed by them to give himself a moment of respite. Rook felt the man’s eyes on him and he knew, with a prideful smugness, his lover was looking down at his wet cunt. The Grey Warden smiled under the attention, spreading his legs just a little further to allow his lover a better look who whimpered once he did, eyes shining with a glint that the shorter man knew all too well. He shook his head, which earned a displeased, confused sound from the Crow, who tilted his head in curiosity at the man’s silent refusal. “Not tonight,” Rook reasoned that as much as he would love for his lover to eat him out, something Lucanis did very well, this had gone on long enough, and while he was ok with slow, he needed the other man in him now.

“I want to ride you,”

     It was said in a low tone, a pleading tone that was whiney in a way, desperate. The responding moan he got in return had him squirming as his clit twitched at the sound. The hand on his head moved to be in front of the Warden, out reached to help him to his feet which Rook graciously accepted. Once he was standing, hands made their way to his lower thighs. “Allow me to prep you, Amor?” It was a kind ask, and probably to Lucanis a simple gesture to continue their foreplay but the elf shook his head, placing his hands on either side of the Crow’s face and tilting his head so they could kiss, slow. When he pulled away, he pressed their foreheads together. “I don’t need it,” He reasoned, shifting as he felt just how wet he was. Lucanis frowned. “I don’t want to hurt you,” The man reasoned back, brow furrowed down in worry. Rook gave a breathy laugh as he moved to kiss the worried wrinkles on his lover’s forehead away. “You won’t, I’m uh…” He cleared his throat with embarrassment, his cheeks heating up as he tried to say the words. “I’m wet enough,” The Grey Warden eventually squeaked out, having to fight against his eye’s desire to squeeze shut to hide away from his lover’s caring eyes. But he knew if he did that, it would just worry his lover more so, the elf fought himself to keep eye contact. Though, it had worked as Lucanis’ eyes fluttered for a moment at his words and a shakey sigh came from the man. Pride rushed through Rook.

     When his lover looked at him, he just nodded before clearing his throat to speak again. “How do you want me?” The Crow asked. Rook pulled away from him for a second, pushing aside from fallen hair from his face. “Like this,” He answered, climbing into the lap of his lover. The happy noise that came from his chest was Spite and the demon took over for a moment so his hands could wander down to the elf’s ass again, giving it a squeeze which made the Warden laugh. Lucanis joined after a moment, the two coming together to kiss even as their chuckles and giggles entwined as their lips touched. As they kissed, Rook reached down, wrapping his hand around the base of the other man’s cock again before guiding it to his cunt. The hands on his ass tightened as he teased the head against his pussy, his own wet slick mixing with the other man’s pre-cum, adding to the mess already between the elf’s legs. Not that he minded.

     With a slow intake of air, Rook finally guided the head in and started his slow descent down the man’s cock. While the amount of slick from both of them helped, the no prep slowed the Warden into needing to take every inch as slow as he could. It was a consistent pace, never really stopping but it was paced so as not to overwhelm the shorter man. To Lucanis’ credit, he didn’t move again, just letting his lover take his time in sinking down on his cock. He rubbed circled into the elf’s hip bones, laying kisses on the shoulder he could reach and while no words were exchanged, with each kiss Rook could feel the praise he was thinking. ‘So good, you’re always so good for me,’ They said as he kissed up and down the Grey Warden’s exposed skin. Unable to say his own words, the shorter man just sighed, continuing his way down as his way of saying ‘And you are good for me,’. About halfway down the man’s dick, Rook had to pause, his legs giving a full shake at the tension of holding his body up the way he was. A curious sound came from Lucanis, another check-in Rook realized. He made sure to nod, as reassuring as he could and he smiled down at the other man, giving his squeeze to the man’s shoulder as his check-in. The Crow returned the smile and nodded as well, tilting his head up as he silently asked for a kiss which the Warden graciously returned.

     Slowly, but surely, Rook continued his descent down as the two continued to kiss, the burn of the stretch a bit uncomfortable but it was starting to fall away as his walls began to flutter around the man’s cock. Both men let out equally loud groans when the elf finally got to the base of his cock, the stretch once again hitting uncomfortably as the Grey Warden squirmed at the pressure. Lucanis' breath hitched as he did so and Rook placed a kiss on the shoulder he was leaning over as an apology. “Are… A-are you alright, A-Amor?” Even through what must be overwhelming heat and tightness, the taller man’s main concern was for his Warden which in turn made the shorter man’s heart melt. “I’m o-ok, just need to g-get used to it, a-are you…?” Rook couldn’t continue as he let out another moan, his body’s nerves alit with what just felt like ‘Lucanis, Lucanis, Lucanis,’ His lover gave a hum, turning his head so the two men’s lips could meet in a kiss, a quick exchange of tongues where the coffee taste on the Grey Warden’s tongue, that had been melting away, was returned in full force. A perfect bitter dark blend, one that just encapsulated the master assassin just so. When they pulled away, there was a wide smile on the Crow’s face. “With you in my arms again, I want for nothing in this moment,” He answered with full clarity as if he could now so easily handle the cunt wrapped around his aching cock, if only to make Rook’s head rush with a heady mix of love and the need to be fucked by his lover, right now.

     But, slow and steady was the name of this game today so instead he just sighed as he leaned into the side of the First Talon, peppering kisses and bites down his jawline to the muscles in his neck. The hands on his hips continued the comforting circles and Lucanis made sure to give the elf as much access to his body as he wanted, moving in whatever way made things easier for Rook. Always the thoughtful one. So the Grey Warden decided he deserved to be rewarded for his kindness and slowly began to squeeze around the man’s cock, basking in the sound of surprise that came from his lover. The groans that came from the Crow were heavenly, who needed the Maker when Rook had this angelic moment right here? The look of the man too, his head was thrown back, his eyes closed and mouth open slightly as he let his noises loose from deep within his chest. Who needed the Golden City when the elf had this man in a way no one had ever seen and no one would ever see? Eternal afterlife had nothing on the throws of passion with the man Rook loved with his whole body, mind, and soul.

     “Y-you alright Amor?” Lucanis’ voice came through the Grey Warden’s thoughts and with a few blinks he realized he had paused halfway back down the man’s cock. Big brown eyes looked at him with concern and the shorter man could see that the other was about to lift the elf off but he slid down the rest of the way, both men giving loud moans in response to the sudden pick-up in pace. But the thought was being empty after all that was much more devastating than Rook cared to deal with. The assassin looked taken aback, but pleasantly so as his lips opened to let another sound out, that’s when the Warden saw the shiny spit starting to fall from his mouth. He leaned in to lick it away, letting their tongues tangle for a brief moment before pulling away. “I’m amazing, how can I not be when I’m here with you,” They weren’t as sauve as the Crow’s words, pleasure always did seem to dull the elf’s tongue but his lover didn’t care as he brought his hands up to pull the shorter man down into a passionate kiss.

     Rook’s arms slid past the taller man’s neck as he leaned further into the kiss, the vibrations of their moans making his head rush with heat. Had the air in the room always been this warm or was it just the two of them? The elf could see his lover was shiny with sweat, his hair slicked down with it and the tips of his ears were a bright red along with his cheeks. Rook knew he couldn’t have looked any better. If he looked even half as overwhelmed as he felt, well, he was glad there was no mirror for him to see his state of being right now.

     When he pulled away from his lover, the Grey Warden placed one last kiss on the tip of his nose before finally starting to move on his cock again. Hands returned to his hips, this time helping the shorter man gain a soft, slow pace, a languid move of up till just the tip was left then a slow descent down till he was full to the brim again. This went on for a little while, the up and down, exchanges of loving kisses and nips as they returned back to the slow pace of their lovemaking. Then, on one of the ups, Rook purposely squeezed as he got to the tip of the man’s dick and the resounding moan he got told him all he needed to know but the twitch of Lucanis’ cock was helpful in itself. The man was close and that meant, he was also very close to his composure breaking.

     Rook felt a bit cruel when he pulled completely off his lover and the whine from the assassin was so pitiful, so sad but as he climbed off the man and saw those eyes look up at him he knew it was a good choice as very small tears forming at the very corners of his eyes, so it was only a matter of time. “Back on the bed Schatz,” The elf said in a quiet tone. There was a nod before the other began to push himself back till his head hit the pillows waiting for him and the Grey Warden followed suit, climbing onto the man as he hovered over his cock for a second, simply looking down at his beautiful lover’s overwhelmed state. Purple eyes appeared. “On,” Was all Spite said, brow furrowed as he looked between his aching cock and where Rook hovered over him. The shorter man snorted, perhaps Lucanis had been right about Spite needing to learn patience but that was a thought for another day. Instead, the elf leaned down and sealed their lips together before once again sinking on the man’s dick, a very pleased growl rumbling in between their intertwined lips once again. Rook would never tire of the feeling, especially how it always seemed to send sparks through his clit, which was throbbing rather angrily from its lack of attention but he ignored it, he had a mission after all.

     When the shorter man pulled back, those brown eyes were back and they were bigger than ever, slightly more tears gathered. It seemed the Grey Warden would have to work harder to push his lover over, not that it was an issue, Rook rather prided himself as an expert on the man’s body and knew just how to get what he wanted. So, with their eyes looking deep within each other’s the elf started to move again, this time picking up the pace ever so slightly, letting it go to a smooth transition of up and down instead of pausing at any point. More strangled breaths came from the Crow and he had attempted to bite down on his lip, probably to hide his whines but Rook used his thumb to swipe against the man’s bottom lip. “I want to hear your noises,” He whispered, making sure to lean in close so Lucanis could feel the words against his skin, to feel the impact of his Warden’s plea. Immediately the man’s mouth opened, moans and groans filling the room once again much to the elf’s delight. The shorter continued his pace, adding the occasional squeeze to hear his lover’s breath hitch in his throat, to watch his eyelids flutter and see more tears gather. Then, Lucanis spoke.

     “Amor, I-” Oh yes. Rook knew that tone, the breathy sigh that cut himself off, and the look in the assassin’s eyes. “Don’t hold yourself back Schatz,” The elf implored. “Let me see you, all of you,” As he spoke, the Grey Warden sunk down and squeezed tight, and that was all Lucanis needed.

     Instantaneously, the tears that had been gathering in the man’s eyes flooded down and hiccuping breaths filled the room as Lucanis just sobbed with emotion. Cries interminably interrupted by gasps as Rook began to ride faster, still at a medium pace to not overwhelm his lover too much but enough to keep the tears of the man flowing. The first time the two slept together, this hadn’t happened. It was still wonderful of course, a memory the elf cherished close to his heart but when they had saved the world and finally got a moment alone, this had happened. It was much faster the first time they’d experienced it, one moment the Crow had been fine and then the next he was sobbing as he had come down the Warden’s throat. Lucanis hadn’t even a moment to register what had happened by the time the elf got to him, in a panic to make sure he was ok but the taller man assured him he was fine. Both had chalked it up to being an outburst of all the pent-up emotion, especially after defeating the gods. So when it happened again when the assassin had slipped inside the Grey Warden’s cunt, they concluded that maybe it was just something Lucanis does.

     And boy were they right, every time since, a little before the man would orgasm, the Crow would break down into a mess of sobs and babbles of his love for Rook. It was incredible to watch the man he loved so much, the stoic semi-stiff with emotions First Talon dissolved into a mess of tears and barely lung-filling gasps. It was also hot, of course, knowing that just his mere being alive was what would get his lover to that state, it was a bit of a power trip. Now was no different, Rook watched with slightly masochistic glee as Lucanis’ tears streamed down his face, big eyes staring up at him with some much love and devotion. How lucky of a man the Grey Warden was, to have this, to be like this with such an amazing man. He voiced as much. The gasp he got in response made his evil grin deepen, now came the next best part.

     “Lady luck has nothing but grace for me if I can have you, like this to myself,” His words were shakey, interrupted by the occasional gasp of air as Rook continued to ride his dick but the Crow was determined to say his piece. “For I know nothing can compare to you Amor, I used to think a demon like me deserved nothing but now that I have you, I know that is not true. I must be one good man for someone like you to have looked at me and chosen me,” The elf nodded in agreement, keeping his noises quieter so he could hear the declarations of his lover who so graciously spoke his words. “There is no one like you, I am indeed a lucky man to have you in my arms, on my cock, in my life, making every day I have with you full of color, of light,” Rook would have laughed were he not in the middle of moaning, feeling as his lover’s hips finally jerked up, the self-restraint finally washing away to give away to something harder. “No one else will ever have you like this, what a lucky man am I to be gifted with such a prize,” Another jerk of Lucanis’ hips came as the Grey Warden let out a swear as it hit the spot where stars flickering in his vision, making his clit give a hot, red anger throb which caused him to choke on a gasp. Even in this state, the Crow was ever vigilante of his lover’s pleasure and so, through the tears he managed to get his hand to reach down and press to Rook’s clit. The slick between the two of them was everywhere as the assassin's fingers were slippery when he touched the man which made him cry out, back arching and hips jerking for more. He heard a dreamy sigh come from the man under him. “I will never tire of this, of you, of us. I will spend my life showing you how much I love you, how much I adore you and I will make sure the world hears of our love,” Hiccuping breaths made the words somewhat hard to hear along with the blood rushing from the elf’s head down to where the other man was rather ruthlessly touching. Rook tried to say something in return but all that escaped him was a gambled mess and with one more expert slide of the fingers on him, the elf calmped down on Lucanis’ cock as he came. He hadn’t even realized he was so close.

     Either from watching his lover cum or the sudden squeeze around his cock, the assassin followed his Warden over the edge letting out a significantly louder cry than his other noises had been as his back bowed. The two stayed in their taunt positions for a long couple of moments, breaths coming rapidly from both men, and muscles tensed and tightened. The elf felt the warm slosh of cum trickle out of his cunt when the other man shifted his hips slightly, causing both of them to moan at the overstimulating sensation. Lucanis was still hard, he usually was after only a round but he always gave Rook time to come down, to avoid the nerve zaps the shorter man usually got after cumming. Finally, the elf took in a deep breath before he collapse down onto his lover, the man’s dick still buried and more cum trickling out with how he had moved but he buried his face into the crook of his lover’s neck, taking in the smell of his sweat and now distant cologne. And of course, that underlying smell of coffee.

     As the Grey Warden began to come down from his high, he couldn’t help but let his mind wander to the words his lover had spilled as they reached their peaks. “I will spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love you,” felt like a quote in one of the romance books Rook secretly read, the kind of words before an important, 4-word question was asked. He couldn’t help the giggle at the thought of it. How funny. There’s no way that’s what Lucanis had meant but…

     “What is it, Amor?” The very man asked, a smile in his voice as a hand came up to thread his fingers through the elf’s hair. Rook leaned into the touch, humming dreamily at his lover’s soft touch, his eyes fluttered close as he buried his face deeper into the taller man’s neck but still he answered. “Just thinking about what you said,” He said, words somewhat muffled against the skin of his lover. “Ah, I hope nothing… offended,” The Crow sounded embarrassed, he always said he never had control over his babbling while in that state, just saying whatever words he was feeling deep in his heart. How he didn’t know what that did to Rook was beyond the elf, to drive your lover to the point where they would just babble about how much they loved you while crying? The best feeling, if the Grey Warden was to be asked about it. “Never,” He reassured his lover, placing a kiss on the skin he was pressed against. “Flattered if anything, it sounded like a proposal honestly,”

     Almost immediately, both men tensed at Rook’s words as they were taken aback by what he said. Even the elf himself hadn’t been expecting to say those words. Anxiety immediately riddled the shorter man, how could he have said that stuff so… so casually?! That was supposed to remain a thought in his head, he wasn’t the one who babbled whatever was on his mind. The Grey Warden felt awkward as his lover was still stiff next to him, the hand in his hair nearly a tight grip. He wanted to pull away, to laugh and call it all a joke but if anything that felt worse, to dismiss it as nothing but sex talk would be a disservice and insult to his lover. Instead, he took in a shaky breath and spoke up. “Lucanis?” He asked, still too afraid to move from where he was buried safely. There were a few moments before the man responded, each passing second causing more and more tension to build in the shorter man.

“Do you mean it?”

That… hadn’t been what Rook had been expecting.

     He finally decided to lift himself, to look down at his lover and was meant with those damn big brown eyes but the elf could swear there was a… sparkle in them.

     “Lucanis…” Rook found himself breathless, speechless at the intensity of their eyes there. The other man sat up, wrapping his hands around the Warden’s waist, and very slowly began to move his hips up his cock, then down when he got halfway. A strangled gasp forced its way from the shorter man. “If it was a proposal,” Already, tears were starting to form in the corners of the assassin’s eyes. “What would you say?” The question was borderline desperate and the Grey Warden found his thoughts messy as at the same time, Lucanis began to thrust up into his cunt and a hand wandered down to the man’s clit, rubbing soft circles to the tip causing sparks to go through the him. It took him a few tries to speak again.

“Do you want it to be?”

     Immediately, the First Talon gave a desperate nod, eyes big as he watched his lover as if he would disappear at any moment. Rook opened his mouth to respond but right at that moment, the other man pressed down onto his still-sensitive clit making him arch his body with a ‘Ah!’. The motion made the man’s cock hit right at the perfect spot and Lucanis definitely caught on and he began to abuse that spot with talented calloused fingers. How was the elf supposed to answer his question when the Crow was so insistent on giving mind-blowing pleasure?

     Luckily, Rook was a stubborn man, one who never backed down from a challenge. So he ground back down on the man’s cock, basking in the strangled moan his lover gave. More tears gathered in his eyes, and the way the drool fell from his mouth, he was close to breaking again. The Grey Warden leaned down, pressing their foreheads together as he started to move his hips to the rhythm the Crow had set. “Ask me again, ask me properly,” He hadn’t wanted to sound so desperate, so close to begging but honestly, Lucanis was the one person he was fine seeing in this state, to be seen as this vulnerable. Not that the other man was any better, tears had now started flowing down his cheeks again and it was obvious he was trying hard to stop himself from just babbling again, brow furrowed in thought as he continued to move the elf on his cock and probably trying to collect the words he wanted.

     “Caspian Rook Thorne,” The Warden was surprised to hear his name, causing his walls to flutter around the man’s dick which made him groan but still, he kept moving. “Leader of the Veilgaurd, savior of the world, friend to Wardens, Watchers, Veil Jumpers, Lords, Shadows, and Crows,” Their moves slowed to an agonizingly slow pace but it was because Lucanis wanted their eyes to steady as they stared at each Rook realized. Both stared up blinking at each other. A smile formed on the First Talon’s face, one full of love and admiration. It was so soft, so full of emotion that it made the elf dizzy.

“Will you marry me?”

     It was Rook’s turn for tears to fall, he hadn’t even realized he had been so close to crying until he already was. What did he care though? His lover just proposed to him, of course, he was going to cry. “Yes,” He whispered, “Of course, I’ll marry you Lucanis,”

     A whirlwind of things happened next, the Crow finally let himself break out into a series of babbles. This time, it was thank you’s over and over and over again as he picked up the pace of his hips and fingers. The Grey Warden let out a cry as pleasure began to build in his stomach once more, being pulled taunt behind his belly button, an intense build of up, up, up. His lover, his fiance, only encouraged him with words and pressure against his clit. “Come for me Amor, please Caspian, let me feel you come on my cock and know that you will be mine forever,” Rook nodded, trying his best to voice how yes, the elf will be Lucanis’ for the rest of entirety but pleasure made his tongue dead weight in his mouth so he could only let out unintelligible cries. The taller man’s cock felt amazing, the picked-up pace going in and out, the smooth glide against the walls of his fluttering cunt, and the force behind every thrust made him feel earth-shattering pleasure. Before he could warn his lover, Rook’s body tensed and he came with a very loud cry, his entire body going taunt as this orgasm just took everything. He was vaguely aware of the rush of wetness forming in between his legs but he had no time for the usual embarrassment that happened when his body gushed like that, the elf just got engaged.

     Engaged not only to the First Talon of the Crow’s, not only to one of the members of the Veilguard who saved the world but to Lucanis Dellamorte.

     The elf felt another gush of warmth in his body, realizing it was the other man cumming in his cunt with a cry of his own, tears going down his face that Rook leaned down to kiss away. Beyond a few twitches of their hips, the two had stopped moving and just sat, Lucanis soften cock keeping his cum deep in the elf, though he would have to pull out at some point, Rook hoped it wouldn’t be anytime soon. The two sat in silence for a while, tears continued to slowly go down the Crow’s face so the Grey Warden would kiss and wipe them away, softly, lovingly. There was a blissful smile on the taller man’s face, almost like he was high. It was adorable.

     Eventually, the Warden decided it was time to get up as his thighs were beginning to go from a reasonable burn to an ache that would make it hard for him to walk for a few days if he wasn’t careful. As gently as he could, he let the other man’s softened cock slip from his cunt, both groaning from the loss. The hands still on his hips helped guide Rook down onto the bed, laying him on his back. Lucanis leaned over above him, giving a love-filled kiss before slipping away to the attached bath presumably to get some towels to wet and wipe the two down. The Crow was ever the gentleman to his partner in their aftercare. All the Grey Warden could do was lay back on the bed, simply basking in the aftermath as well as the knowledge that he was engaged. A day full of wonderful surprises it seemed.

     When the assassin returned, there was a damp towel in his hand as well as a small drawstring bag that he put on the nightstand. Rook gave a curious sound as he looked over at it but Lucanis simply kissed him whispering “Later,” against his lips which the elf nodded at. The First Talon began to wipe his lover down, following each swipe with the towel with light kisses. His Warden watched him through half-lidded eyes, taking in the sight of his and the other man’s love-bitten body the sweat that still shined on the Crow’s body, and how his hair was mused from when he was laying on the bed. Rook let out a soft giggle which caught the other man’s attention. He gave a questioning hum as he smiled up at his lover. The Grey Warden returned it. “My fiance is a beautiful man,” He answered the unasked question and smiled wide when the assassin gave a choked sound before his grin became wide on his face. “You’ve already fallen into using that so easily, I’m flattered,” Lucanis said, tossing aside the towel when he was satisfied he got most of the fluids that were left on his lover’s body. Rook was certain he left the cum in his cunt on purpose.

     The elf gave a devious smile as he leaned up, putting his hands around the Crow’s shoulders to pull him close. “Just wait till I get to say husband,” Rook teased, which got him a “Mierda,” and a nip to the lower lip before they began to kiss, slow and loving. The Warden went to pull the other down with him so they could lay together but the taller man stopped him for a moment, reaching over to the nightstand with the drawstring bag. The shorter man watched with curiosity as Lucanis undid its string. “I’m not sure if you remember, but when we met with Tiea and Viago after they discovered that Caterina was alive, it was because of-”

     “Your mother’s opal ring?” Rook interrupted, staring down at where the other man had pulled the ring from the bag somewhat surprised that the Crow had it. “Will you take it?” Lucanis asked quietly, holding it in his hand with worry that this was maybe Rook rejecting the offering. The elf stuttered for a second before managing to form his words. “Oh Lucanis, I can’t… That was your mother’s! And isn’t it Caterina’s?” He asked though he reached out to caress a finger down the beautiful old ring. The jewelry was worn but in a ‘seen a lot of life’ way, it was still absolutely stunning, the opal itself not faded whatsoever, seemed to still shine so beautifully bright. It truly was a gorgeous ring. “She gave it to me when I returned home to take over the First Talon duties, I didn’t understand why at first but…” Rook watched his lover's face morph from confused to a look of realization and the elf reached out to squeeze the man’s arm. “What’s wrong?” He asked, unsure of what conclusion was just made but ready to support whatever the Crow needed. He was surprised to see when Lucanis looked up at him there was a pink tint to his ears. “I think she gave this to me to propose with, and I… didn’t realize,” Lucanis said, an embarrassed tone to his voice that try as he might not, the shorter man had to giggle at as he reached his left hand out. “Well, in that case, I would be honored to accept it,” Rook said, getting a wide grin from his lover as he carefully and thoughtfully slid it onto the Warden’s finger. It fit surprisingly well, almost perfectly actually. The elf kept to himself that he was certain Caterina somehow got his ring size with whatever methods the former First Talon probably had hidden in her arsenal.

     “Now I understand why Illario was giving me all those strange looks,” Lucanis sighed, leaning forward to kiss his lover before wrapping his arms around the shorter man and spinning them so that they were lying down, Rook on his chest. The Grey Warden chuckled as he looked down at his ringer finger admiring the beautiful jewelry now adorning. “Antonie and Evka are gonna be happy for us,” He mused. Lucanis gave a low chuckle.

“Just wait till the rest of our friends hear,”

“Bellara and Neve are gonna have a field day with the news,”

“Davrin and Taash are probably going to try and give us “Fiance sex advice”,”

“Emmrich will probably offer us grave plots next to each other in the Necroplis,”

     Rook moved from looking at the ring to looking up at his lover. He wasn’t surprised to see purple eyes looking down at him, full of fondness. “Rook will be ours forever,” Spite’s words were smooth, for once, and the look in his eyes was so full of love it was easy to forget he was a demon. Not that it mattered to Rook. “Yes, Spite,” He leaned up, sealing their lips together with a kiss. “I’ll always be here with you,” When he reopened his eyes, it was the big brown ones staring at him, with the biggest grin on Lucanis’ face. “And me?” He asked playfully, a tease but still waiting for an answer. Rook chuckled, leaning up to place a kiss on the tip of his lover’s nose. “You can’t get rid of me, even if you tried,” He joked. “I would never,” Lucanis responded, brushing a bit of bang from the elf’s face. His hand wandered down, index finger tracing won’t the opal of the ring on his finger.

“I love you Caspian, I don’t think I can be away from you for such a long time again.”

“I love you too Lucanis. Wherever you go, I’ll be right beside you,”

After two and a half days, two nose bleeds and a snowed say, I have finally finished this fanfic lmao

I didn't have a beta reader so if some stuff is wrong (especially spelling of names and just words in general) I apologize and will work to fix it asap.

I'll also put the Ao3 link again here if you want to read it on there! Thank you so much for reading and I hope you have a wonderful day! -<3 Skunch

[hotteststar]

"i love you, it's ruining my life" - fortnight by taylor swift

"you're the greatest thing we lost" - you're gonna go far by noah kahan

for the microfic prompts

Ohh i love this! I tryied to match the vibe of both songs, and that's what i came up with:

He didn't - 01/11/1981

"Peter Pittgrew is Dead" was printed on the front page of that morning's Daily Prophet. "Murderer: Sirius Orion Black" could be read underneath.

Everyone in the wizarding world, however, read that article with joy, even though it was about a murder, because written between those pages was also the official news of the end of Voldemort's reign. No one cried that day: the terror they had lived in for the past years was over.

No tears had been shed, everyone had celebrated, danced, sung, they had fun.

No one, except for one young man, who, locked in his room, stared at the Daily Prophet with swollen eyes and irregular breathing.

That young man was Remus Lupin.

Remus didn't know what to think or what to say. He had done everything wrong for the past few years, and he was only finding out now, now that it was too late. In the newspaper, the photo of a man Remus did not know was staring back at him.

A stranger who had been arrested and taken to Askaban for Peter's murder. Peter, his friend Peter, Wormtail. The article then went on to blame the stranger for the death of James and Lily Potter.

A spy, that's what he had been. That stranger was a spy who had plotted with Lord Vomdemort.

A stranger.

It was strange for Remus to see that stranger. It was strange because he had loved him. He knew his favorite color, his fears, he knew his demons. He had spent sleepless nights lying next to that stranger who had turned his life upside down. Up until that moment, Remus Lupin had always thought that he had turned it upside down for the better, until he woke up seeing Sirius Black's picture in the newspaper.

It was therefore normal that he had cried that day, having lost everything: the love of his life had killed his best friends. Remus cried that day, without fear of being laughed at, because his pain was known and expected, almost normal.

In a few days it would be November 3rd. Remus hated that he would keep the gift he had prepared for Sirius forever, that he would never open it and Remus would never throw it away.

Remus Lupin hated loving Sirius Black, the murderer.

But he couldn't seem to find a way to stop himself.

So, he didn't.