#get ready for Slow Burn [Ultimate] y'all

[blindingspark]

Shelter

A downpour over Thanalan's region urges the warrior of light and their companion to hunker down for the evening; personal revelations are wont to come to light in the ember glow of a warm hearth. Rating: Mature-ish [Brief mentionings of their love lives... or lack thereof] Pairing: Zenos/WoL Notes: A VERY lengthy revision of an older fic in the 'nebulous adventurer au', packed with emotional constipation, soul searching and most definitely rolling w/ my headcanon of Ace!Zenos [more specifically Demi but choo choo on the ace train] I hope you enjoy this labour of love!

A rare downpour had begun to cover the arid landscape of Thanalan, aided by the steady rumbling of thunder in the distance and putting a pause to the travels of two adventurers.

Tucked away in some forgotten little settlement, an au ra quietly padded around their chosen home to wait out the storm, using a spare rag to dry their rain-soaked hair, mind turning as they periodically looked to the front door. As if waiting for someone…

It had been a half a year since they began their travelling partnership, the contrast between the Warrior of Light and their towering ward had more than their fair share of trials and victories in such a short span of time; yet in spite of knowing his prowess fully, the mage still found themselves fretting over him-

The sound of the heavy door opening caused Auri to jump, magenta eyes wide as they looked to the entry- shoulders then relaxing as their partner ducked slightly to enter, pulling the hood back after closing the door and locking it,

"Not a soul for malms, save for a few starving beasts." The drawl of the garlean's voice seemed disinterested as always, reaching up to undo the clasp on his cloak and shrugging it off his shoulders to hang it beside Auri's smaller one,

"You were away for some time, I was beginning to worry you had wandered off somewhere." The mage teased lightly, turning to watch the former crown prince as he went about the process of disarming himself, noting the faint smirk on his lips,

"Alas, tempting though it may be, we are simply passing through this land," he glanced over, idly undoing the buckles and shedding the bulkier pieces of armor as he did so, "Our arrangement notwithstanding."

Auri nodded, watching him for a few moments more and letting the quiet within the house settle in before they spoke once more,

"I'm glad you're safe, regardless."

Zenos paused, only for a moment, and set the last of his armor aside. It was a strange and delicate dance between them even months into their partnership; Auri had lost count of the lingering looks exchanged, the small gestures from nestling into the garleans side during a long carriage ride to feeling his hand resting on the small of their back during their rare visits to resupply. The moments of battle when he practically surrounded them like a fortress, the tandem back and forth utilizing their respective skills of magics and pure might to a seamless point… all of it had served to deepen the rather strange bond they shared.

It was during the moments like these, however, in the late hours of quiet and safety that seemed to unearth the untouched aspect between them.

It was no surprise to Auri that his was an upbringing and life of distance, apathetic coldness and violence; such traits had made him a force of reckoning upon the battlefield- their past duels also serving as a testament as such. 

Their travels, as the mage would come to discover, had served to slowly begin chipping away at an otherwise impenetrable front the garlean had lived with; much remained the same, from his eagerness for a challenge and the thrill of a 'hunt' to his restlessness when they negotiated terms and haggled for goods, yet the changes that could be noticed seldom slipped the au ra's eye. Lingering on tomes and art rich with tales of eld, salvaging a piece of treasure that glistened that he would offer to them- oft under the pretense of 'not needing such a trinket himself'- and a certain air of domesticity when they would settle for a time in their travels…

Auri's attention was drawn back upon hearing their name called, blinking owlishly and craning their neck as he stood no more than a few ilms away, hands on his hips and with a look that they could daresay bordered on curious,

"Wh… yes?" They muttered, watching his head cant to the side slightly,

"Ah, you didn't hear me after all," he sighed, "How long has it been since your last meal?"

"My last…" their brows furrowed, "Back in that encampment, why?"

"You were staring as though you were faint."

"I-" they then huffed, mirroring his stance while their tail flicked with faux offense, "I learned from your last grousing, sir!"

A sly smile then appeared on his lips, reaching up and brushing a few stray damp hairs from their face,

"Good. I'd rather you not collapse during our travels a second time." Zenos said simply, knowing full well his gesture was leaving the mage flustered, "What then, pray tell, had you lingering so, hmh?"

Auri's mouth opened to respond, then shut, pressing to a firm line as they thought and settled on a small shrug, 

"Planning ahead, since it seems we're safe for a time we can take a breather, no?"

The garlean hummed, glancing at the nearest window at the low, crackling thunder outside their temporary home before turning his attention back down to his companion,

"For the night, at least."

"Always in a rush," Auri tutted, reaching up to ruffle their hair and sighing, meeting his gaze and offering a smile, "I suppose I'll go rest up in that case, and I trust you'll do the same, hm?"

Zenos looked them over, taking their word as rhetorical and making his way over to the nearby chair situated by the fireplace within the main living space and settling down- a silent addition to their arrangement was the garlean ensuring they slept on the bed wherever they settled, while he fully contented himself to sleeping in a chair. Lingering as they watched him begin unbuckling his greaves, Auri's attention quietly shifted to the fitted under armor which- much to their own surprise the first time- left little to the imagination, the slight flex and relaxation of muscle in his arms and shoulders briefly made them wonder what it would feel like to run their hands along the expanse without the bulk of armor in the way- 

"Did you have something to ask of me," he inquired, never turning his attention away from his task as he moved to the other armored boot,"Or am I to escort you to bed as well?"

"I- of course not, worry about yourself for a moment!" Auri squawked, wringing their hands and muttering a softer 'Good night' to him as they sought out the house's bedroom.

Closing the door behind them the mage reached up and rubbed their face, letting a low groan leave them before trying to ready themselves for the night, shedding their gear and changing into a more comfortable tunic to sleep in- a momentary pause as they slipped it over their head, remembering the previous owner of the spacious shirt, the previous owner who was currently in the other room… slowly pulling it on and feeling a warm fluttering in their chest as they recalled him handing the shirt to use as an easy sleep tunic, though the 'why' was lost to them.

Only within the last month or so had they noticed their attention lingering on him in such a fashion; during their moments of closeness, exploring the other with their hands, the tentative exchanges as if to test the boundaries of their bond and arrangement; wondering what it could be like if they crossed those lines, though a hesitation remained ever present if there was more they simply had yet to experience with the other.

Auri clambered into bed with a sense of self-contained frustration, letting out a huff as their attempts to focus could have burned holes into the nearest wall,

Gather yourself, Auritel, he was assigned to be your ward as the condition for the Alliance sparing his execution for a time, what would they possibly think if they knew the depths of your bond with him? You feel safe around him, but the fact remains it simply cannot be-

Squeezing their eyes shut, the au ra shifted onto their side and attempted to clear their mind, idly chewing on their lip at a passing thought and hugging the pillow to them, a faint scent that lingered in the fabric of their sleeve drawing their minds eye: metal and leather, a hint of fragrant, floral oil that was subtle unless at a close distance, a familiar combination… the mage subconsciously buried their nose in the cloth and held the pillow to their face, quietly indulging in the ingrained scent. The intention of not letting their mind wander failing as they imagined the warmth, the solidity, the near-overwhelming presence of the man who had become an unexpected comfort during their travels surrounding them- nearly swallowing them whole like a vast sea.

Their eyes opened to slits as the lingering, uncertain feelings stewed within them while they stared at the rumpled sheets, listening to the pitter-patter of rain and soft rumbling thunder outside… and finding themselves no closer to sleep.

Slowly pushing themselves up from the bed, Auri's gaze settled on the door- listening for any signs of restlessness from their companion. Their brows knit together, noting instead the strange level of… quiet there actually was.

With their attention on the entry the au ra's legs swung over the edge, allowing them to stand and quietly pad over to the door, doing their utmost to open it with at least some modicum of delicacy.

The door creaked slightly as it was pulled open, granting the mage a glimpse into the living space and settling on the garlean by the fireplace. Illuminated by the fire within the otherwise low-lit room, Zenos seemed to have his gaze fixated on the flames, cheek resting atop his knuckles while his elbow was perched on the arm of the chair, one leg crossed over the other and appearing almost statuesque-

"Is rest eluding you as well?" The inquiry caused Auri to wince, startled out of their little dip into voyeurism as Zenos turned his head slightly to address them.

"I… suppose it is," they murmured, opening the door further to slowly cross the room, gingerly sitting in the seat opposite of his and suddenly feeling quite bare.

Of course they would notice the way his gaze dragged over them in this state, wearing only their smallclothes and the shirt he had given to them, the look feeling faintly akin to a scorching caress before his attention returned to meeting their gaze,

"I take it a strange dream has haunted you, or perhaps it is simple restlessness?" asked the garlean, his tone giving no indication as to what belied the look he had given, watching the mage shift in their seat with their hands loosely clasped atop their lap,

"Restlessness, for certain," Auri said, giving a faint grin, "I ah, I never did get to say… thank you."

His brow perked, though he remained silent,

"When I fainted, I mean. You reminded me that I never thanked you when I came to…" their hands began fidgeting with the hem of the shirt, "You could have easily abandoned me to the elements for such a lacking foresight-"

"I am your ward, abandoning you would simply bring down the executioner's blade that much faster. Though I care naught, I would at least wish to see to the end of our hunt before such a time."

"Ward or no…" they sighed, "You carried me to safety in spite of it, so I feel it's only necessary to thank you for doing as such." 

A brief silence settled between them, with Auri's shoulders relaxing at the small nod he gave them. Apologies and gratitude were foreign to someone like him, that much had become plain in their travels, though the moments where he could accept and return such things were treasured, rare as they were,

"I'm certain your Alliance would clutch their pearls if they heard you say such things," Zenos said, the faintest signs of a musing lilt to his voice; Auri blinked with slightly wider eyes, "Just as they would upon seeing you in such garb, or lack thereof."

Bare feeling, and suddenly very warm.

The au ra stiffened, pausing in their fidgeting with the edge of the shirt,

"I… perhaps," they shifted in their seat, finding it hard to look him in the eye as his attention remained unwavering upon them, "Though it is not the Alliance's place to pass judgment on my choice of sleepwear or where I rest."

"But of course," he replied, "I only say as such given how you have chosen the tunic I had given you more than once… Surely you would wear any other if given the chance?"

Auri's tail flicked as they swore a switch had occurred while they weren't looking, now faced with a seemingly returned deeper attraction beyond what they had already explored. The small voice in the back of their mind reminding them of how poorly this could all end should the Alliance find out, having already tested their limits with their shared affections, 

"I could. Yours simply gives me…" they chewed on their lip, "Comfort. A feeling of safety, even."

At their admission Auri waved a hand dismissively, as if swatting away the flushed feeling creeping up the back of their neck, "But, ah, if my wearing this bothers you in any way, I can surely find something... something else."

"Truly?" He smirked, "You flatter me."

Cool blue eyes lingered on them, almost observant in place of the distinct heat from before, as though he had yet to witness his companion in such a state of dress. Even after growing as close as they had with him during their secret meetings within Gyr Abania and now in their travels, Auri could readily admit they still found themselves startled at times at the sheer intensity of his gaze, even in a relaxed setting such as this; the au ra shifted again and curled their tail into their lap,

"You seem especially focused," quietly teased the mage, moreso to alleviate the lingering air of awkwardness they had felt manifest, "I know your mind turns in fascinating ways, perhaps you could… share your thoughts?" 

A small hum, and his attention moved at last from their being to meeting their gaze in return, the faint scrunch of his brow indicating something had begun to gnaw at him,

"Have you ever been intimate with another?" Zenos's tone remained steady, watching as his companion gawked at the question,

"I…" Auri paused, briefly chewing on their lip as they considered their answer, "I have… only twice, however, with the same partner."

They then gestured to the lounging garlean, "And you? I'm certain there were many in the Empire who find you attractive and would have loved to share your bed…" the words dipped into a moment of nerves as they wondered if they were treading too far-

"Hmh… no." He said simply, earning an owlish look from the mage, a silence settling between them briefly before he continued, "There were many who vied to share my bedchambers in the palace when I came of age, some for their own gain, others who claimed similarities to find common ground and leaving much to be desired when pressed; I had sent away nobility and consorts alike… though I hardly remember just how many faces came and went in all that time."

Auri's expression softened as they listened, carefully fidgeting in contemplation, "I'm sure the pressure was its own annoyance… most royalty and noble folk I've heard tales of would take any to bed who caught their eye simply because they could."

A small huff of acknowledgement came from the  former prince, "I could scarce understand this apparent need that so many claimed to harbor. I had been taught at a young age the purpose of intimacy for royalty: 'Twas simply for ensuring heirs, any additional pleasure was coincidental. I did not wish to sire and I felt no stir regardless of who was put before me, much to the apparent disappointment of many." He replied, turning his head to look at them more directly, noting their solemn expression, "Does that answer displease you?"

Auri winced, attention snapping up from their wandering thoughts and shaking their head, "N-no! It's not… that, per se, I've no reason to doubt or be disappointed by your word, I suppose it's simply… not what I had expected." They said quietly, sighing and examining him, "Between your striking appearance and place in the Empire's hierarchy, I had imagined a few would have caught your eye, but after an answer such as that… I must admit my heart aches."

"Aches…?" Zenos repeated, "For what reason?"

A moment of hesitation was soon followed by the mage letting their hands go slack and pressing them to the cushion on either side of them as if to steady themselves upon the seat, "Having to deal with such things… the expectations set upon one to uphold even if they care naught for it," their head tilted faintly as they looked at their companion, "Though… albeit with less severity, I'm sure, I suppose such things are another similarity between us."

The garlean was silent, though the faint scrunch upon his brow remained; wordlessly pressing them to continue. Auri exhaled through their nose, attention lowering to trace the swirls of the woodgrain in the floorboards, "When I was first deemed the Warrior of Light all manner of folk wished for my hand, especially as time went on and my travels took me far and beyond my simple beginnings with thaumaturgy."

Their expression hardened the longer they stared, "I discovered the fine line early on between who wished to bed me for their own gain and who seemed to have an earnest attraction, the latter being less… frequent." 

"It would seem that snakes make their nests in any place that provides." He said, a slight distance present in his tone, "They would think themselves proud hunters when they are no more than shallow opportunists."

They snickered half-heartedly, "Aye, that they are… my already limited trust was further strained regardless. I've gained a stronger resolve for myself since then, which has been a pleasant boon in its own way."

A flash of lightning brightened the room, pulling their attention to the windows and listening as the rain endured, thinking of the time and wondering how long idle chatter had occupied the two of them; a passing thought drew them back to the former prince, a request… if they could give voice to it.

"...Zenos? If I may," His level gaze remained on them, silently accepting their unknown query, "It's rather late, and…"

The caster chewed on their lip upon choosing their next words, slowly standing and making their way over to stand before the garlean with fidgeting hands. Hands which then reached out to him, "Would you… accompany me to bed? It would be more comfortable than that chair, at the very least."

A faint knitting of his brows was the only response he deigned to give at first, eventually looking to their hands and rising from his own seat- feeling them tentatively grasp his hand and holding it between their own smaller ones.

The travelers studied one another in the firelight and occasional lightning flash, with Auri offering a sheepish smile to him,

"I assure you there is no deception in my offer, and I'm glad you are accepting it…" they said, stepping back and tugging his hand to lead him back to the bedroom they had otherwise claimed for themselves.

Zenos looked to the bed upon entering, a rather skeptical scan of such an aged piece of furniture yet obliging his friend all the same; crawling onto the plush surface which groaned beneath him as he settled on his side and looked to the warrior of light, noting the way they hesitated briefly before slowly moving to lay on their side opposite of him. Another bout of rolling thunder sounded outside and coaxed the au ra to speak,

"It's far from the most comfortable of beds, but 'tis enough to serve its purpose for tonight…"

"I have certainly slept on worse."

The feeling of him reaching to brush some of their hair from their face startled Auri from their spiraling thoughts, meeting his gaze with widened eyes, "I… my apologies, I was…"

Auri chuckled at his blunt reply, giving a conceding nod and adjusting to make themselves more comfortable before the two resumed observing the other in the limited lighting, the thoughts from earlier slowly creeping to the forefront of Auri's mind again at such close proximity. They had entertained the idea more than once even before they were granted permission to venture out into the wider expanses of Eorzea, yet the uncertainty of how he would respond to further affections gave them cause to hesitate.

Would it be too much?

Would all they had cultivated together crumble when stepping past the boundaries of the other?

They had spoken on such things here and there on their journeys, their bond as companions absolute, and yet…

"Drawn to the musings of your mind again," he muttered, "Perhaps you would share which pulls you away at such a time?"

Their cheeks bloomed with warmth, chewing on their lip out of nervous habit until they slowly reached in return, resting their hand upon his cheek and feeling him still,

"I have been… thinking. What… is this? What do we have between us?" Auri asked at last, watching as he studied their face yet retaining his own unreadable expression,

"I suppose such an inquiry would be best answered by you," Zenos replied, "What would you call this?"

A long pause settled between them, "I… suppose," the au ra sighed, "Companionship on the surface… something more deeply intertwined beneath a simple partnership? Driven by a bond we had formed from being tools of those who would use our skills, culminating in what transpired in the gardens in Ala Mhigo…" 

Their hesitation returned, "I have… grown to understand how I feel, about this- about you, and yet… I am afraid we see the other the same but through different lenses."

This time the garleans brows knit together faintly, "You're afraid I would reject further affections…"

They winced, "...Aye."

He uttered a faint hum at that, taking his hand away and hearing the sharp inhale from his companion before he came to rest an arm around them and pulled the mage close, tense as though bracing themselves for whatever came next,

“I know naught if there is a means to answer your query, yet I know that ours is a bond forged from the inferno upon the battlefield, and I intend to maintain it beyond even the grasping claws of death.”

"I have viewed courtship and similar rituals to be trite, an attempt to rattle the tedium of life with worthless embellishments… pursuing that which was ultimately meaningless if it were not for one's own gain," he said, "I saw no reason to indulge in something so fleeting when I looked to those around me."

Auri found themselves grasping at the material of his shirt, eyes down as they listened and felt the tense coiling in their gut remain steadfast while the tip of their tail flicked with their thoughts,

Their eyes widened at his words, looking up at him and finding their voice caught in their throat, “I…”

The mage’s lips pressed to a firm line, taking a deep breath and reaching to draw his attention and meeting his gaze briefly as they pulled him closer, unsure of what drove them as they tentatively pressed their lips to his briefly; as they realized their impulse decision the au ra pulled away with a string of hushed apologies, scarce noticing the look upon his face as he stared before he pulled them back in.

His inexperience with such a gesture revealed itself in his haste, hungrily chasing after another kiss and then another, only steadied upon Auri’s fingers tangling in the length of blond- his particular talent for swift learning soon revealing itself again as he eased and slowed in their exchange as a result.

When they next came up for air the garlean pulled away slowly, face mere ilms from Auri’s own with widened eyes and the faint dustings of flushed skin upon his cheeks and chest. A flustered chuckle bubbled up in the mage when the butterflies settled at last, noting how their companion had shifted and now loomed over them in their excitement,

“That… I…” Auri swallowed hard, loosening their grasp on his hair to run their fingers through it again, settling on cupping his cheeks, “I believe that answers my question.”

The riled look upon his face softened to a familiar and smug smile, lowering to steal another kiss as he settled on his side again,

“Good… I would rather there be no uncertainty with what we have.” he uttered after a moment, pulling his companion close again, a certain satisfaction manifesting within him as the tension had since released from their shoulders to hold him in turn.

The storm continued beyond the walls yet had eased in its intensity, allowing the moon’s glow to shine through more easily and illuminating the room, a softened hum leaning Auri as they nestled against their companion… their lover,

“Perhaps this storm was a boon to us after all.” they muttered with a smile, his radiating warmth and steadying heartbeat had granted newfound ease which pulled the weary adventurer down to a restful lull.

The worries of the world could wait until the storm passed.

[kaliforniahigh]

Hey! I'm the anon that asked for a story for each version of Noah lol. I just wanted to say thank you! and each story has been amazing!! 🥵💯 Thank you again! 🫶🏻

Hii, anon! I'm glad you liked it! Since you're back, I'm gonna use this ask to post the third and final story. This is type 3 Noah, so expect a lot of fluffiness. Just to remind y'all, I'm referring to this post.

Warnings: smut, really soft though ;')

Not proofread!

You've been snuggled under the covers for a couple of hours now, watching some reruns of your favorite series, drifting in and out of sleep with the feeling of Noah's hands on your hair.

You liked times like these. The house was quiet, the room was dark and you had a relaxing candle burning on the bedside table and your boyfriend snuggling you. You couldn't ask for anything else.

As you laid back on his chest, you noticed he was incredibly distracted by your left hand, fingers grazing over your knuckles softly. You let a few seconds pass by before you ask him "what's on your mind?"

He directed his attention back to you. "Oh, nothing, just..." he trailed off, a little unsure of his next words "just thinking about how pretty your hand would look with a gold band right here", he pointed to your ring finger.

Talking about marriage wasn't a foreign concept for the both of you, but he was never so direct before, and it left you a little speechless, before you recovered yourself. "I think a gold band would look incredible in contrast with the tattoos you have on your fingers"

He sofly grabbed the side of your face, prompting you to turn around and face him. "You think so?", he had the most beautiful bashful smile across his face. As if the idea of you wanting to marry him was a surprise. There is never day that goes by that you don't think about spending forever with him.

"I know so", you said, with the most certainty in your voice. He pulled you in for a soft kiss, cradling your face in earnest. "Well then, Mrs Davis, I would like to show you how much I love you on this wonderful night", he said in a whisper, as he moved to your neck and collarbone.

"Of course, Mr. Davis. You can do as you please"

So he traveled lower, eventually getting himself covered by the comforter that was over the two of you. You could feel his breath on your thighs, as you decided to skip on the pants for the ultimate comfort.

He placed some light kisses there, squeezing the outside of your thighs with his strong hands, but every movement felt as soft as the feel of his lips on you. He eventually pushed your panties to the side, placing his mouth where you wanted him the most.

His ministrations were slow and precise, showing you that he wanted to take his time with you tonight. He alternated between using his mouth and fingers to trace lazy circles, as you let out soft pants.

Soon you could feel the tight knot wanting to unravel, as he noticed this, he pulled the covers off, stoping for a minute to take your hands in his and intertwine your fingers, placing your connected palms on your stomach.

"I can't wait to do this with you on our first night officially married", he said a little out of breath. And his words were all you needed to finally let go, squeezing his hand that was on yours, as his other one ran up and down your leg.

When he noticed you were ready to come down from your high, he kissed his way up, back to place his lips on yours, as he pushed a few strands of hair that got in your face.

"I still have to buy you a ring and think of the perfect way to propose to you. But you don't know how happy it makes me that you wanna be on this journey with me", you could hear the adoration and devotion in his words.

Taking his face in your hands, you reassured him "there was nowhere else I would rather be, but on this journey with you"

Dividers: @cafekitsune

[thepaintedlady00]

Hopefully I’m still in time for a request week, something with Morpheus and narcoleptic reader but instead of a meeting in the dreaming, he helps her stay awake for work or school or whatever because I think he can do that?? XD 

I think he can do that 👀 If not we are all just going to pretend he can! 😂 It's a bit short, but I hope y'all enjoy!!! 🥰

You were pacing, checking the time every ten seconds and causing your own stress to grow. At this rate you would be late, but you had to stay. Dream promised he would be here and you knew he would be, he had kept his promise thus far and you'd done nothing to change that. Unless... You stopped walking, reliving the absolutely mortifying memory of what had happened the last time you saw Dream.

Everything had gone as it usually did when the two of you met. He came and did whatever his weird god-not god power thing was to help you stay awake and present during the day. You'd both gone about your days and then he came back to make sure you were able to get to sleep. He ended up staying the night, not uncommon and nothing out of the ordinary, but when you'd gotten ready to leave and he sprinkled his sand over your head you rose up on the tips of your toes and kissed him with a cheery. "Have a good day, Dream."

It took you five minutes to realize what you'd done. And when you got home you went straight to bed, hoping to avoid an awkward run in with the Endless being. That had been days ago and you were starting to slid back into your drowsy days, so you'd sent out the message Dream had told you to and waited. Now you were almost positive he wasn't going to come, all because you'd been an idiot and kissed him!

Not that you regretted kissing him... But that wasn't the point.

"Forgive my tardiness," his voice suddenly came from behind you, causing you to jump.

"God damn it!" You whirled around and glared at him as your heartbeat began to slow. "Don't sneak up on me."

He narrowed his eyes. "You were expecting me were you not?"

You waved your hands. "I wasn't paying attention, but that's not the point. I'm going to be late."

Dream wordlessly fished his pouch out of his coat and drizzled the sand over your head. "You should feel the affects shortly."

"Thank you," you said quietly, contemplating on whether or not you should bring it up or just wait until he did. Ultimately you turned to the door with a shy smile.

His hand wrapped gently around your wrist. "You're forgetting something."

"What?"

You turned back to look at him just as he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to your lips. "Have a good day."

Your cheeks burned red as Dream smiled down at you before you scurried out the door and toward your destination. The butterflies in your stomach didn't cease all day, and the cool gentle echo of his lips left your whole face tingling. So, the kiss was not an overstep... and it seemed that Dream wanted to make it a regular occurrence, which was something you were quite open to.

[knarledcrookedtree]

So basically, I've become hyperfixated on The Legends of Vox Machina series and I have way too much headspace so these live rent feee in my head! Percy and Vax headcannons!

Vax

You and Vax take walks in the forest and he tells you about all the poisonous mushrooms you find. In return, you tell him the language of flowers. He slowly starts getting you flowers that mean "Love" when he feels ready to tell you how he feels and can't actually say the word out of nervousness.

Vax has a soft spot for cats while Vex like dogs more.

His favorite dessert is raspberry cake with lemon cream cheese icing, you make it for him on his and Vex's birthday because it reminds them of their mom's baking.

If you ever needed stimulation or something to do, Vax will let you braid his hair.

Vax is a pretty light sleeper, so its no surprise that if you have a nightmare, he'll be awake to try and help you out of it.

He has a pretty good singing voice but only shows it to you and Vex

Percy

Its not uncommon that Percy gets nightmares from being under Orthax's posession and from the Briarwoods. Sometimes it's so vivid he can't tell what's real and what's not. When you first slept together, (I see y'all assuming, no, hanky panky happened... yet 😉) he woke you and himself up by tossing and turning and unfortunately making you both fall on the floor. He started to call out the names of his family in his semi-conscious state, and judging by the tears and the quick breaths, he was very close to having a panic attack. So you did the only thing you could think of at the time and ran your fingers through his hair and started humming the lullaby your mother hummed to you when you were a child and couldn't sleep. He calmed down after a while, and slowly went back to sleep with no dreams plaguing him. He woke up a few hours later, hecka uncomfortable from sleeping on the floor with a weight on his chest, wait, that's you, "Why're we on the floor? Did we have- wait why are you laughing at me? What? Did Scanlan draw a dick on my forehead?" (He did, the little shit)

Percy prefers a strong coffee (with a bit of sugar but no one is supposed to know 🤭) as opposed to tea

He loves to sketch still life portraits in his spare time

He loves apples with goats cheese and a dash of honey. Its his ultimate comfort snack

He has become better about taking care of himself now that he has you to remind him that he still has to eat and hydrate and sleep.

He was slow to realize that the burning sensation in his chest was romantic feelings rather than a medical condition. Honestly, it was kind of the same for you. You thought you were sick every time you went near him before you realized it was a huge crush.

[purple-cat-demon]

Forever Starts Under the Ginkgo Tree: Part 1

Pairing: Gavin x Hazel

Word Count: 1732

Genre: domestic fluff

Warnings: none

A/N: I've finally got this one in motion after a somewhat gnarly writer's block. I hope y'all enjoy~

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Monday, 12pm, Loveland Police Station

Gavin tapped his pen in a frustrated manner while looking over a report in front of him. It was his fourth one and before proceeding any further, he decided to take a break and rest his mind. In doing so, his mind wandered to various places to potentially propose to his girlfriend, Hazel. Another officer happened to pass by his office and noticed an out-of-place blank stare on his face.

“You okay, sir,” the female officer inquired, breaking Gavin’s trance.

“Oh, hey V.T. Yeah, I’m okay,” he answered while rubbing his eyes, “just trying to figure out something.”

“Is it the proposal again?”

“Y-yeah, I just don’t know where would be a good place…”

“Hmm, and of course you don’t want to be obvious about it either.”

“Yeah.”

A buzz came from Gavin’s phone at that moment, it was none other than his girlfriend.

‘Geez, were her ears burning,’ the officer mused.

She had sent a text message with an attachment. Upon perusing the link, he was taken to a page talking about a giant, ancient ginkgo tree at a temple. His phone buzzed again, it was Hazel continuing her message.

~{What do you think? Would you be interested in checking this out sometime soon?}~

A little dumbfounded at the timing of this message, he showed the site to V.T. The junior officer gave an excited gasp as her eyes lit up.

“Do you know about this place?” Gavin asked.

“Oh yes! My girlfriend and I went there last year,” she replied as she hastily took out her phone and thumbed through her photo gallery, stopping at the one picture she was looking for. She then showed Gavin a selfie of her and her girlfriend in front of the ginormous ginkgo tree in all its golden-hued glory.

“It’s absolutely gorgeous in person!”

Gavin contemplated for a bit then sent a text back to Hazel.

~{How’s your project going? If you’re done by this weekend, do you want to go see that ginkgo tree?}~

“Oh, I better get back to my desk. Let me know how it goes, yeah?” V.T gave her senior officer a wave and left.

“I will,” Gavin called back as she hurried down the hall. A few minutes later, Hazel replied,

~{Almost done with the project. Should be completely finished by Friday. But do you have any missions scheduled?}~

~{So far, no. I can make it to where I won’t have any missions, if you’d like}~

~{??? You can?! How?}~

~{Just leave it to me}~

~{Sure thing, my love, see you later}~

Gavin closed out the text message and went back to the reports in front of him. He had the start of a proposal plan in the works, and that gave him the needed energy to go through the reports.

Meanwhile, at AEC, Hazel was beaming over the text conversation she and Gavin just had. Anna noticed the goofy grin on her boss’s face.

“What’s got you in a good mood? Talking to your boyfriend?”

“Mhm! Now I really need to get this project done,” she cracked her knuckles and resumed typing her reports. The possibility of spending a weekend with her boyfriend gave her the needed incentive to work hard (more so than what she already did).

A few hours later, an email containing Victor’s approval signaled the end of the workday for everyone.

‘Well, that’s one day down,’ she mentally mused as she closed her laptop, ‘just four more days to go.’

Hazel came bursting through the door of their apartment causing Gavin to shut his laptop abruptly. He got up from his spot at the dining table and met with Hazel approaching the kitchen.

“You seem to be in a great mood, a good day at work?”

Hazel beamed at her boyfriend.

“Yes! Got LFG’s approval and we’re all set to continue the project as scheduled! I just hope everything goes well these next few days,” she fretted a bit. Gavin gently caressed her cheek.

“You have the incredible tendency to overcome any obstacle that gets in your way. You got this, my love.”

She leaned into his hand with a content look, then kissed it. She was about to bring him in closer for a kiss when her stomach loudly voiced its displeasure in being hungry.

“Let’s have some dinner,” Gavin chuckled as he went to open the fridge, only to be greeted with the bare minimum of ingredients.

“Yeah, we haven’t done any shopping yet…” Hazel sighed, “let’s go to the convenience store for tonight.”

“Okay,” he replied, shutting the fridge door, “but, you just got home; do you want to order in?”

“Hmm, nah, I want to take a walk with the man I hardly see anymore~”

Gavin blushed faintly, “okay, let’s go”

They headed to the nearby convenience store, hand in hand, passing by businesses closed for the day. One particular business caused Hazel to slow her pace, then stop, making Gavin stop abruptly and turn around. His gaze went from his girlfriend to what was in the window that caught her attention. There on display was a beautiful, white wedding dress; mermaid style with a lacy bodice, and a veil nearly as long as the dress itself.

“You wanna wear that?”

The sudden whisper in her ear caused her to jump slightly, she flashed an embarrassed grin to her boyfriend.

“Y-yeah, someday~”

‘Someday might be sooner than you think,’ Gavin mused as he returned his hand to hers, continuing their jaunt to the store.

Gavin grabbed a basket as they entered the store, going one way while Hazel went towards the hot food display. She took a quick glance, noting the potato croquettes still available, then headed to the prepackaged dinners. She finally settled on a pork cutlet curry plate, foregoing the potato croquettes. As she picked it up, Gavin walked up beside her,

“That looks good, could you grab one for me too?”

“Sure~”

“What kind of drink do you want?”

“Milk tea, please.”

“Are you sure? It won’t keep you up?”

She pouted a bit, “do they have the small cans?”

Gavin glanced back towards the cold drinks wall; “yes,” he replied, then proceeded to go grab one. He returned to a brightly smiling Hazel holding up a small cake, just enough for the two of them.

“You want that, too?”

She nodded eagerly as he chuckled lightly, “okay, we have dinner and dessert.”

They bought their food and headed back home. After dinner, Gavin opened his laptop to show Hazel the itinerary in the making for that weekend. He had the train tickets purchased and the hotel booked already. They were now checking out the restaurants and eateries that were near both the hotel and the temple. There were so many to choose from that they ultimately decided to check them out when they get there.

“I’m excited for this weekend,” Hazel chirped as she cleared off the dining table. Gavin smiled as he closed the laptop and went to make some tea for the both of them.

“It’s something we both need. Our work schedules have been packed lately,” he added, setting the kettle on the stove range.

She came up behind him and gave him a hug while nuzzling into his back. He lightly caressed her left hand in response, subtly paying more attention to her middle finger. Thankfully that small gesture went unnoticed by his girlfriend. They stayed like that until the kettle started whistling. Hazel let go of her boyfriend and grabbed two cups from the nearby cupboard. Teas in hand, they headed to the living room and sat down on the couch. After a few minutes of debating on what to watch, the two decided to continue a series they had started last week. The nightly entertainment was short-lived as Hazel fell asleep against Gavin’s shoulder. A faint smile graced his face as he carefully got up from his spot, laying Hazel down in the process. He then gently picked her up and carried her to their bedroom. Just as he set her down on the bed, she woke up with a small start.

“Oh! I fell asleep, I’m so sorry!”

“Don’t be sorry, you were tired,” her boyfriend reassured.

Hazel pouted.

“But I want to spend more time with you and I can’t do that if I’m tired all the time.”

Gavin lightly sighed at her grumbling, “well, we do have this weekend to ourselves, there’s that at least,” he tried to offer solace to his disgruntled girlfriend.

“Yeah, I just need to figure out how not to be tired all the time…”

“Well, you can start by going to bed at a decent time and not staying up late. I will try and do the same so we can keep each other in check.”

Hazel grimaced at the idea for she knew a lot of her projects required some gnarly all-nighters, much to Gavin’s dismay.

Hazel then got up and headed to the bathroom to do her nightly routine while Gavin changed into his pajama bottoms. He walked over to the bathroom doorway, patiently waiting for his turn as he admired his girlfriend; a smile adorned his face. Hazel noticed the expression and as soon as she spat out the toothpaste, she inquired about it.

“What are you smiling about?”

‘Busted,’ Gavin quickly regained his composure, “Oh, nothing, just admiring the most beautiful woman on the planet.”

She rolled her eyes as she spat one more time; rinsing off her toothbrush, she then reached for her facial cleanser.

“I don’t know about all that,” she said as she wet her face and dispensed the cleanser in her hand. Gavin rolled his eyes in response.

“Listen, I know beauty when I see it, okay?”

She patted her face dry and relinquished the bathroom to him; as he got ready, she changed into her pajamas and got comfy under the covers. No sooner than when she got settled in, Gavin came out of the bathroom; Hazel whistled at her handsome boyfriend. He flushed slightly at her admiration causing her to giggle.

“Why are you embarrassed? I know handsome when I see it,” she commented.

“Using my words against me, huh,” he said as got into bed next to her.

“Yup, goodnight my love,” she responded as she kissed him on the lips.

“Goodnight, my everything.”

[doomedandstoned]

10,000 Years Take Us Into The "Gargantuan Forest"

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

Review by Billy Goate

Album Art by Francesco Bauso

Leaving the world For salvation yonder Quest for eternity To suns beyond

Gazing upon our past Out into forever To a future obscured What glory awaits?

To begin another week of awesome original content at Doomed & Stoned, we're getting you better acquainted with the Swedish juggernaut 10,000 YEARS.

Last summer, the band dropped their eponymous debut to welcome ears and in just a few short weeks 10,000 Years come roaring back with a follow-up. Y'all know I'm a sucker for a good concept album. The eight-track full-length record 'II' (2021) picks up the trail of the Albatross research vessel, which has been galavanting 'cross the nether reaches of the galaxy on a potent rocket fuel made of sludgy stoner rock and doom metal.

If that sounds epic, wait'll you get a load of what's next for our interstellar crew. It helps if you picture the following text as a Star Wars-style screen crawl, slowly working its way up the page against the backdrop of a starry night.

After narrowly escaping the confines of the strange planet and its surrounding dimension, the Albatross and its crew finally return home to Earth. The re-entry is rough and the ship crashlands in a forest. The earth that greets them is vastly different from the one that they left.

When the ship travelled back to earth through the wormhole, it created a rift in the space-time continuum which propelled them far into the future, as well as allowing the Green King and other ancient gods from the other dimension to cross over to our dimension. They have since taken control of not only the earth, but the entire solar system.

After various harrowing experiences and encounters, the truth finally dawns on the surviving members of the crew. They are indeed back on earth, but ten thousand years in the future from when they started their journey. And to make matters worse, they find evidence that the Green King has been known and worshipped by secret cults and societies on earth for millenia, since before humankind even existed.

The surviving members of the crew come to the conclusion that the only way to set things right again is to repair the Albatross and take it back through the rift again in order to close it.

Now that's a saga I'm ready to get invested in. George Lucas, eat your heart out!

The record revs to a start with "Descent," a track that can best be described as terrific panic. It had me thinking of KOOK's "Escape Velocity" from their recent second album, though that's an eight-and-a-half minute slow burn and this is a quick twenty-six second fall from the sky. I wish this little notion had a chance to develop into something longer, but regardless what a thrilling way to open an album!

With rapt attention, I'm waiting to hear what comes next. The ship seems to have crash landed deep inside a "Gargantuan Forest." As an aside, it would be a blast to smoke a bowl o' something (anything, really) with Erik Palm (guitar), Alex Risberg (bass, vox), and Espen Karlsen (drums) just to gab it up a bit about sci-fi lit and horror flicks. I mean, check out the trove of B-movie greats referenced in their preface to the new single (which Doomed & Stoned is debuting today):

In this ABSURD (1981) video, 10,000 Years enter a FOREST OF FEAR (1980) as they access THE BEYOND (1981) and enter a BLOODBATH (1971) with THE BOOGEY MAN (1980), otherwise known as the Espbeast. The Espbeast stalks and haunts the bodies and minds of the characters in this C-grade homage to the horror movies of yesteryear.

The characters FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE (1976) through insane NIGHTMARES IN A DAMAGED BRAIN (1981). If they survive the AXE (1974) they may still end up in an INFERNO (1980) and risk being EATEN ALIVE (1976). All the same risks face the viewer, so don’t watch with the lights out, don’t watch by yourself and DON’T GO IN THE WOODS ALONE (1981). Because after all, isn’t there an Espbeast in all of us?

10,000 Years have picked the ideal setting for the music video. The forests of Sweden stand tall and dark, the ground packed with snow. Screw you, Blair Witch Project -- this is where I want the next found footage flick filmed!

The song opens with a mysterious theme on solitary electric strings, surrounded by hazy reverberation. Drums and bass accent the motif as it's repeated several times over. Dazed by their graceless fall to earth, the crew wander about, checking one another for injuries, seeing if the faithful Albatross has even hope of another journey. As the shock begins to wear off, their hopeless plight reveals itself.

Screaming from the sky Blasting through the atmosphere

Come to rest On the forest floor Still alive What fresh new hell is this?

Surrounded by swamps A strange bleeding from the earth

Giant trees A dense horror taking root Same old sun Unfamiliar rays shine down

Is there something lurking about in the Gargantuan Forest? I'm sure no one wants to wait until nightfall to find out! The so-called "Espbeast" (which the band may actually have been first to name) is more than likely some strange amalgamation of guitar and creature, ripping through foes like a berserker of sound with scraps of High on Fire's "10,000 Years" echoing perversely through the treetops as it stalks and ultimately slays you. Nobody wants to be around when the Espbeast is on the prowl.

Now see, I'm letting my imagination get carried away! Then again, maybe that's what the band had planned all along -- for listeners to join in the fantastic adventures of these cosmonauts, to see through their eyes and feel through their body as they touch foot to strange soil. What will our adventurers find next?

The answer comes all too soon: "Spinosaurus!" This gruff beast charges angrily through the woods knocking things about, displacing rocks, snapping branches, royally pissed and ready to make somebody pay for the noise that snatched him away from a damned good nap. The repeated note riff, with its odd strumming pattern, does a nifty job of representing the crude movements of the Spinosaurus as it lumbers about the forest. Eric is a virtuosic mess of frantic tremeloes and wiry noodling against Espen's stampeding drums, as Alex narrates the scene with a terrifying shout:

Is this our earth? No time to dwell Dorsal sail cutting air Cretaceous ghost made flesh

Staring into Dead end eyes No place to hide Theropodic annihilation

Teeth into flesh!

What the crew is experiencing on their homeworld thus far seems foreign, almost ancient. Through some curse of Einstenian logic have we zipped through a wormhole only to return to the distant past? "The Mooseriders" are about to challenge our assumptions about what's possible on this Rock.

Thundering hooves crack the sky Dark robed wizards appear in the light Travellers in ether descending Protectors of the realm

These are the oath-bound eternals -- interdimensional templars, if you will -- who have arrived at this precise moment in time to take on the Green King. Complex rhythmic drumming with precisely stricken odd beats, is accompanied by a hyperactive bass and progressive metal riffmaking. Together, the band conjures the trot and hustle of the approaching entourage. A wilding guitar heralds a message from the great protectors:

The hour draws near The endgame is nigh Divine prophecy Even death may die

The mood now turns stately. A brave theme is introduced and developed with dashing prowess. This track would fit perfectly into a playlist with Mastodon, Ape Cave, and Zirakzigil. I found Alex's vocal approach especially appropriate for the frantic depiction of "antlers clashing with steel" in this battle to the finish. "Even death...may...DIE!"

"Angel Eyes" greet us on the B-side, and it's not a cover of the Jerry Cantrell song (though that would have been unexpectedly awesome). No, the hard-charging mood and raspy vocals are pointing to something far more apocalyptic.

Hooves of burning coal Let loose upon the world

Return of the warlord Eternal fire scorches the earth

Heavenly gaze Order through chaos

At times Alex seems exasperated, practically out of breath, as he gives these dire words his all. It's a style the 10,000 Years frontman owns as well as his counterpart, Simon Ohlsson of Vokonis, who has a comparable vocal attack. A bass-fortified guitar establishes a second theme that adds a Wagnarian touch of high drama, and this ushers in the song's curtain fall.

If 10,000 Years is to be compared with High On Fire at all, the rumbling riffstorm "March Of The Ancient Queen" surely merits it (to say nothing of their mutual love of alternative histories).

Her royal blood Once ruled these lands Generations Buried by time Dynasty of dust Rise from the sands Rise from the dead The Green King's servant

March!

March Of The Ancient Queen - Single by 10,000 Years

That last lyric is uttered with the most blood-curdling all-caps conviction that I was immediately drawn into its sentiment, miming "Maaaaarrrrrch!" with my ugliest war face on every time it came up in the song. The NWOBHM-style finish is so deftly executed that it comes across as orchestral. 10,000 Years paint with big, bold strokes here.

"Prehuman Walls" is a welcome shift down, with its chugging "Bury Me In Smoke" tempo. You sludge fiends will find moments of Zen here, with riffs that bend and twist and saw 'neath the summer sun. The crew have chanced upon a temple of sorts, though not one made with human hands. Nothing seems to make sense here at all. It's like Area X from the film Annihilation (2017), where everything is a contortion of reality. Then the "truth settles in." This alien monstrosity, we find, bears the mark of the sinister Green King. We thought we'd escaped him, only to find that he both followed us and was here millenia before.

Unholy worship Feed the Green King Eyes pried open Sanity stripped away

At last, we reach the final track in our journey: "Dark Side Of The Earth". So many revelations have been made in this second chapter, so many loose ends that need to be tied off. Naturally, a third chapter must be written. "We must go back, set it right," deliberates an exasperated Albatross crew. "We must go back, whence we came."

Dimension walls broken down The fabric ripped and torn apart Thread the needle once again A journey of ten thousand years

We must go back, set it right We must go back, through the tears

Insanity the only way The dark side of the earth

Following these words, the song develops instrumentally and the mood gets quite emotional. I found myself drawing parallels between this "bastard version of earth" and our own, wondering if we ever can go back and make it right. For us, perhaps it should be about moving forward, for there is no golden age or better time to which we can return. We make this world a heaven or hell tomorrow by the choices made today.

The album was recorded by Tomas Skogsberg at Studio Sunlight. Totally diggin the awesomely swamp landscape that Francesco Bauso of Negative Crypt Artwork created. It reminds the five-year old me of Luke's sopping wet landing on Dagobah, though guitarist Alex Risberg says the band's more inspired by Planet of the Apes than by Star Wars.

The album will be released on June 25th as a special vinyl "Green King Edition" by Interstellar Smoke Records pre-order here), a cassette tape "Forest Edition" from Ogo Rekords (pre-order here) and "Swamp Edition" from Olde Magick Records pre-order here), with the digital and compact disc formats handled by Death Valley Records (pre-order here).

10,0000 Years have in II their most accomplished album to date, with powerful moments that will stay with you long after the record's stopped spinning. Fans of High On Fire, Black Tusk, and The Sword listen up! You might just discover your next favorite band.

Give ear...

10,000 Years - Gargantuan Forest (Music Video)

Some Buzz

Having previously played together in the original lineup of Swedish underground heavyweights Pike, Erik Palm (Guitars) and Alex Risberg (Bass/vocals) found their way back to each other, musically, in early 2020. The creative fire reignited and stoked to a burning inferno and through a mutual love of heavy riffs and thundering stoner rock, doom, and sludge metal, 10,000 Years was born. Finding a drummer would prove to be an easy task and with Espen Karlsen the final piece lay firmly in place. The groove they fell into during the first rehearsal hasn’t stopped rumbling since.

After spending the first-half of 2020 writing and rehearsing, 10,000 Years recorded their self-titled debut EP during one weekend in June in the legendary Studio Sunlight with equally legendary producer Tomas Skogsberg. The self-titled EP was released on July 10th and immediately struck a chord with the heavy underground worldwide, and 10,000 Years garnered rave reviews and accolades.

10,000 Years by 10,000 Years

10,000 Years' musical and lyrical world revolves around the tale of the terran class III exploration vessel Albatross and its mission to explore the Milky Way and nearby galaxies in search for a possible new home for humanity. The EP tells the tale of its first foray into space and what happens when the crew accidentally travel through a wormhole and end up in an adjacent dimension populated by ancient gods and giant beings, ruled by the Green King. The EP ends with “From Suns Beyond,” where the crew make it off from the strange planet, back out into space in search of a way back home. The new album picks up the story as the Albatross blasts through the atmosphere of a seemingly unknown planet and crashlands headfirst into strange new adventures.

II by 10,000 Years

Now, less than a year after their first release, 10,000 Years are back with their first full-length effort, aptly titled 'II' (2021). Picking up right where the EP left off, II continues the story of the ill-fated Albatross mission and its exploration of time and space through a skull-crushing mixture of stoner rock, doom, and sludge metal. The album will no doubt continue to build on 10,000 Years' already golden reputation and prove to be an even bigger hit with the heavy masses.

Follow The Band

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[pinksausageduo]

kang daniel | prince au! part 2

member: kang daniel  genre: fluffy summary: prince au! after your night of cuddling and daniel’s realisation that he’s madly in love with you something is bound to happen requested: yes part 1 | part 2 | part 3 (final)

daniel wakes up and has a very slow realisation

“shit

y/n

is

cuddling

ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

he has like a mini freakout but he tries not to wake you up at the same time

he ends up just lying back down and just admires how cute you look

your hair all messy, your eyes closed with disheveled clothes

he also notices

and how you pout your lips out when you sleep

making him want to kiss you really bad but he won’t

just because he wants you to both enjoy your first kiss

he smirks a little at the thought

he can’t help but grin at the sight of you

after a bit of time telling himself it isn’t a dream and just admiring you

he slowly and cautiously gets up not wanting to wake you and make you breakfast

because he could tell you weren’t sleeping or eating as much as you needed and you weren’t taking care of yourself

because of how much you constantly had to do 

the problem is

he can’t cook for shit

but he wanted to try for you anyways

so he went to his own private kitchen

spoilt prince hehe

he starts cooking bacon luckily he doesn’t completely burn it up

haha i’m so funny i’m rly not just cringing at myself 

but the sunny side up eggs is a whole entire different story

he completely burns one

messes up the yolk in one of them

and then one he ends up cracking and half of it gets on his shirt

luckily the last one he finally gets right

he is actually sweating buckets trying to cook the egg

staring at it constantly

he toasts some bread and prepares some fruit and yogurt

as he admires the work he finally realises and groans

“ugh fuck i didn’t make enough for the two of us”

just as he realises that you wake up yawning super loudly

his face completely lights up at the sight of you

in a baggy t shirt your hair sticking up everywhere

and you uglily yawning then slumping your back cause you were so tired

“good morning, y/n, did you sleep well?” he asks sweetly

your eyes widen and you look like a deer in headlights cause you totally forgot you were slept in daniel’s room

“oh shit, i’m so sorry daniel, i didn’t realise i fell asleep, thank you for letting me stay especially in your bed, wait why am i in your bed oh whatever” you say quickly then continue

“and i slept well the super expensive bed is probably the reason why” you end cheekily

“or maybe the fact you slept near me” daniel said jokingly in return

you blush at the thought of cuddling with him and going back to sleep after kissing him on the nose

“but i prepared breakfast!” daniel exclaims proudly

“really? didn’t you say you couldn’t cook for your life??” you said suspiciously

“ahhh well i tried really hard to cook everything well because i knew you haven’t been eating because of how much you had to stay at the palace” he said shyly

your heart warmed at the thought he cooked for you to make sure you ate sufficiently and you were healthy

you grin brightly back at him and head towards the small table where daniel set up breakfast

you looked down confused at the small portions

“uhhh daniel are you sure this is going to be enough??”

“well umm i kinda messed up 3 of the eggs and yeah...”

you giggle and say “well i’ll see what i can make”

“bu-but i was supposed to cook for you” he says disappointedly with a small frown

you can’t help but think how he looks so cute pouting you say sweetly

“daniel i’m gonna eat your food but you gotta eat mine how does that sound??” you say brightly

he brigtens up and exclaims “ohhhhh like a couple breakfast?!!”

“y-yeah i guess” you shyly saying trying to stop yourself for being so affected by him saying couple

you end up cooking pancakes and of course daniel insisted on flipping them

you have a blast cooking and eating and you have a mini freakout when daniel basically drowned his pancakes in maple syrup

“DANIEL!!!! THAT’S SO MUCH MAPLE SYRUP!!”

“well i love maple syrup which is why i’m using so much duh”

“you’re impossible”

he then grins at you like a 5 year old boy just as you groan

he is literally 5 i can’t

daniel then puts like tablespoons of nutella and you look at him like he’s an alien

“daniel you’re eating way too much sugar you are actually going to get diabetes”

“nahhhh i’ll be fine don’t worry”

you then proceed to take the nutella away from him

which he then ends up chasing you all around his room for

he ends up whisking you up from the back with both of you laughing and smiling

he then puts you down

you smear a bit of nutella on his cheek

and he looks at you in fake shock and you grin cheekily

he then gets some nutella and smears it on your lips/chin

and before you could wipe it off

he grabs your hand sharply and sets it back down softly

and wipes the little bit of nutella off with his thumb

but staring intently at your lips

making your heart flutter so much

you look at each other and your heart is racing so fast

he slowly leans in and so do you

your lips meet and you literally feel like fireworks are going off

he deepends the kiss

it was passionate and sweet

and he smiles as he’s kissing you and you couldn’t help but deepen the kiss as he does

you part after the best kiss either of you ever had and he gives you the biggest and happiest smile ever which you obviously return back

he then says to you in huskiest shyest sweetest voice ever

“if you haven’t realised, i am so completely madly in love with you and i can’t believe i didn’t realise this till yesterday” *cue adorable chuckle* “and i’m a complete idiot for not asking sooner, y/n will you be my girlfriend?”

you laugh in just pure happiness, telling yourself it isn’t a dream, you tell him “wow you just realised your feelings gosh i’m really gonna have to wear the pants in this relationship” you giggle and he smiles brightly 

you continue “but if you didn’t realise daniel or just didn’t listen to seongwoo, i am totally and completely madly in love with you too”

he laughs and whisks you up which you squeal at and then he whispers softly

“i love you” making your heart melt you reply while snuggling into the crook of his neck

“i love you too, daniel”

making him feel like the luckiest guy in the world

just as you finish your sentence

seongwoo bursts in the room and shouts disappointedly while smirking

“FUCK, YOU GUYS AREN’T HAVING SEX, tut tut i’m disappointed daniel i thought you had more moves than that”

with a murderous glint in your eyes you whisper dangerously low

“ong seongwoo you are going to die”

he says pretending to be innocent “whoopsie daisies i just ruined the moment huh?”

and takes one look at you and sprints out of the room with you hot on his tail

and daniel just laughing his heart out at you two

after you hit seongwoo enough times and he begs for your forgiveness

he turns super serious all of sudden 

and quickly hugs you making you genuinely surprised not used to seeing this side of seongwoo

he says gently pleads to you 

“y/n you know we’re technically engaged and i know we’re both in love with different people, your parents would be fine if daniel proposed to you instead of me. who wouldn’t prefer the crown prince over the half brother” he says slightly bitter

you can’t help but hug him back knowing daniel had the choice of bride while he didn’t making him slightly bitter against his parents but of course not daniel

he sighs deeply and continues “you know i love daniel and i want him to be happy and i genuinely don’t think he’ll be happier with any other girl other than you so my ultimate question is would you be ready for an engagement with daniel? if so i can quickly and publicly propose to y/b/f/n which means my parents can’t do anything about it. so would you say yes?”

you’re shocked not even registering you really did have to get married soon but as you thought about it more

you’d happily marry daniel

any day

you’ve never felt this way about anyone else and you knew even in these few months of knowing him you would love to spend the rest of your life with him

especially since you knew your parents would never allow you to marry someone that you actually love

except daniel since he’s the crown prince

and you knew you were truly in love with him

and if seongwoo and y/b/f/n can get their happy ending as well

you knew you would 100% say yes to daniel if he proposed

you tell seongwoo who looks super hopeful

“seongwoo, i would say yes if daniel proposed and if you an y/b/f/n can get married too i’ll be so so so happy” you say brightly with a smile

seongwoo bursts into the biggest grin and says

“thank you so much y/n i genuinely would have no idea what i would do if you said no”

y'all they’re so cute they have such a brother/sister relationship

you end up saying goodbye to daniel and seongwoo and going home

of course daniel ends up stealing a kiss from you making you blush bright red as seongwoo oooooed at you two with daniel shyly grinning at you

but you and daniel text quite a lot until you get to see each other again

your parents thought you were at sleepover with y/b/f/n so they didn’t care as you entered your house 

at the palace daniel and seongwoo discusses the engagements and how and when to propose and end up with an elaborate plan

they also secretly end up picking rings

and they’re suits

they’re like excited school boys

and just grinning cheekily and laughing a lot 

you on the other hand

tell your best friend the good news and she’s over the moon

she and seongwoo had seriously thought about having a baby to prevent the engagement

you were so shocked at that cause that’s a big deal

but you’re also super happy that she gets to marry him

she’s also has a royal status of a lady which means she’s the daughter of a duke

this isn’t accurate whatever deal with it

so she is eligible to marry seongwoo thankfully

since the ball was that weekend you guys end up going ball gown shopping

that would be sm fun

after hours of shopping you decided on a gorgeous strapless red ball gown which would be a show stopper

also signifying the kingdom’s colour which was red

you had to wear hells so you decided some black strappy heels

and picked out jewellery with pearls which would complement the dress

your best friend picked out a royal purple fitted at the top with gorgeous detailing and a long flowy bottom

she chose the colour not only cause she looked amazing it but it was the royal’s family colour

trying to appeal to the king and queen 

she also chose the same black heels as you 

but mostly silver jewellery

you both looked like princesses 

which you would be in just a few more nights 

you and daniel couldn’t help but think about each other

how your wedding would be like, your kids and just your future in general

you fall asleep smiling thinking of being engaged to daniel

but daniel

falls asleep with the thought of your first born

he decided he would be a boy 

he’d have your gorgeous eyes and his smile 

he’d be perfect 

just like you 

and the amazing future ahead of you two

lol so funny story i kinda wrote pt2 and thought it was around 4k guess what IT WAS 8K+ so i’ve decided to split it in two even tho i said i’d only do 2 chapters lmao BUT AT LEAST I’VE WRITTEN THE NEXT CHAPTER and yeah no ball yet  :(( BUT THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE OUT TOMORROW and that has the engagement and stuff, this is just boring build up lol BUT I TRIED TO MAKE IT FLUFFY cause like no big plot points. ANYWAYS HOPE Y’ALL ENJOYED i love all of you who sticked around for this part

also considering making either a prelude or an epilogue i’ll tell you my ideas the next chapter hehe 

LEAVE ME ANONS AND MESSAGE ME!!! LOVEE YOU ALL!!!

[overkidd]

return and pride : part one

[ part one : here ] [ part two : incomplete ]

Hanzo's mouth had went dry the very moment warping metal had let out an echoing groan from beneath his feet and around his head, watched as cold eyes widened then quickly narrowed in thoughtfulness before him and thin lips drew tight as string as the spider calculated it's next move; sight flickering about in such minute movements that an untrained gaze would not have caught it and then her arms raise up and she's moving. He catches the sound of concrete being rended behind him- comes to realize that the splinter sound was in fact Widowmaker's hook digging into the neighboring building later -and then there's a jagged pressure forcing the air out of his lungs as dagger heels dig their way into his solar plexus. What little breath that remains ultimately disappears as his back makes contact with the window behind him, shattering wood and glass into his skin with an overwhelming crash, then the wall of the opposing structure. He scrabbles for purchase, something to slow his descent, despite the screaming pain that ricochets about the cavity of his chest and finds nothing; he feels his prosthetic fold in upon themselves when he finally makes contact with the ground, false nerves setting themselves alight with devastating hurt, senses blood rush into his mouth as he bites down on his tongue in an attempt to keep from letting out the shrill noise he feels build up in the back of his throat- he was a prideful man, despite all his regrets and shortcomings, and he would not let himself sound weak before the enemy. She lands with the kind of precision he could not, it makes his face twist into a snarl as a red hot burning sensation flares in his core, he does not take kindly to being on his knees before this creature and finds himself letting out a wet growl as her lips twitch up behind the scope of her gun; she looks close to laughing, delight dancing behind her eyes, it's almost as if she's alive- like the mauve of her face will suddenly wash away with a long since forgotten warmth, and it's then that he realizes he will not be leaving this place in anything other than a body bag. He gives his life with a irked sigh and a tilted chin, not willing to die such a purposeless death with his head bowed- he desired to retain some semblance of honor before his end -and sucks in a low breath at the cold press of a barrel upon his throat after doing so, his ears begin to ring. Her lips part and Hanzo's met with a wicked set of teeth, watches her mouth move around the knifes but in the end hears nothing besides the shrieking within his ears and his pulse starting to slow, body shutting down as if that'll somehow save him from the bullet about to tear its way through his trachea to leave him choking on his own blood. He doesn't expect the familiar sound of someone fanning the hammer of their revolver to pierce through the veil that had been casted over him, yet it does, startling both him and the sniper whom swears in her native tongue; she moves quick enough that he can barely process the butt of her rifle facing him or the sneer upon her face as she hisses- "Jusqu'a la prochaine fois, dragon bleu." -and brings down unforgiving metal upon his temple. He wakes to the taste of battery acid, the sound of eerie silence, and the feeling of drying blood bonding his clothing to the ground beneath him; each dull thrum of his pulse brings him to a new state of awareness, until his chest is seizing with short aborted breaths, and he can feel each portion of his body with intimate detail- the glass embedded in his back, squirming within his flesh, tearing skin and muscle a like as he curls inwards- the clutching of his throat, stomach seizing, as he watches from what feels like outside of himself as he spills ichor past his lips on to the pavement- the dark burgundy that paints his stomach so heavily that he can't distinguish whether or not it's a nasty contusion or blood swelling inside of him from a ruptured organ. He has to force himself to look around in spite of the pounding sensation plaguing his head, he's cradled between fallen rubble and the wall of the building he was forced against, faint light peering in from crevices in the debris; he finds himself quickly growing bitter, being crushed or shot would've been leaps and bounds more desirably than dying miserably slow within a tomb of crumbling foundation with nothing but his thoughts to keep himself company in his final moments. He feels butterflies creeping up his throat as another coughing fit tries to rear its head, he lets a few slip even though it burns hot enough to make his eyes water, speckling the front of his kyudo-gi crimson with blood as he tries to drag himself to an up right position will sputtering so that he may rest his shoulders- which are by far the least damaged part of him by now -against the surface behind him. He wonders, idly, that maybe if he shoved himself back hard enough he'd be able to end this a touch quicker and it sickens him that the only reason he doesn't is due to a twisted sense of honor that he cannot seem to shake no matter how hard he tries. It takes him a fair share of moments to hone is hearing to a point in which he can discern the noise of distant voices, heavily distorted, streaming from a crumpled piece of plastic he can only assumed used to be his communicator; he goes to toe the object closer but fire shoots through his thighs and blind panic flows through his veins as he sees his legs utterly torn a part- again, again, again. He loathes the way water collects in his eyes enough that it's threatening to spill over, burning sensations littering his body that he can't escape and then he's hiccuping, reaching out, hesitating and brushing across tarnished metal. The words echo around his skull, 'You need to be made an example of--', and all he can think is not again, please, not again. He recoils as if the metal is searing, lets a litany of curses tear out from his lips, and urges his gaze upwards with gritted teeth- tries to level his breathing as he pointedly averts his gaze from the absolute carnage of his prosthetics before starting to grope blindly for the disfigured earpiece, a low groan ripping out from within him as he's forced to stretch forward in an attempt to grab at it. The pad of his finger eventually catches against the ridge that, at one point, fit snugly around the curve of his ear and he's dragging it carefully closer- doing his best not to damage to device further -brings it to his ear only to have dread closing his airways almost immediately. "Get on the damn shuttle, McCree, right now, that's an order." The words are being barked out like a true commander, not quite shouting but irrevocably stern all the same, by none other than Soldier:76- otherwise known, as of recently, by Jack Morrison -and he feels his heart sink; not out of fear, or bitterness, of being left behind- he's not stupid, it's the tactically smart thing to do, foregoing one's needs for the sake of many others -but what he most certainly know is about to come next. "Eat shit, old man, I ain't leavin' without him." Stupid, stupid, stupid- idiot cowboy-. "Get your head out of your ass, boy-"  He hears Jesse's breathing hitch. "-we can't stay here any longer or else-." He feels as if he's going to be sick again. "Then fucking go, Jackie, y'know what-- all of y'all just-- just go." He's going to be sick again. He hears the soldier murmur something close to, if not actually, 'ungrateful' and can practically feel Jesse seethe- he hears the cowboy scoff, loud and unyielding, most likely throwing his arms forth in a gesture of anger- taking up as much room as possible, like always, dumb cowboy. "I'm ungrateful? You're the fucking ingrate, Jack, he's saved all our asses who knows how many times and you're ready to leave 'im here to fuckin' die!" Hanzo senses his face tightening up into a wince, pain thrumming in surges throughout his head at the shouting, jaw setting as if that'll somehow ease the ache. He fiddles with what he can only hope is the button on his com among the twisted pieces of it, prays he'll be heard when he speaks, that the moron will listen to him when he says that he is not worth it. "Do not do this." He begins with a snarl, feels heat gathering in his face, voice much more gravel-like than before. "You must leave." He hates the way his voices hikes into vaguely pleading or how his heart sinks when he's given no reply. Anger quickly replaces his desperation, he wants to swear again- maybe even throw something akin to a tantrum -chuck the broken thing across the small concave in a fit of rage but it drains almost as fast as it had arrived; he settles with merely letting his hand drop to the ground and his fingers unfurl. Their argument lasts less than a minute longer- what is said, Hanzo does not know, focusing on their words would only serve to rile him up once more -and then there's silence. He wants to believe that perhaps McCree had come to his senses against his better nature, truly, but isn't surprised in the slightest when his wants go unmet- the familiar drawl echoing out from the device at his fingertips, mocking him, rending him. "Heya, Shimada." Anger flourishes for a few moments, he wonders if perhaps he had merely been ignored rather than unheard, but it dissipates quickly as the cowboy continues. "Can't hear me right now, can ya? Probably broke your flimsy ol' thing a while a go, haha, 'ssumin' that's why you've been so silent." There's a pause. "Or dropped it." Another trying to ignore the most obvious answer- even if, in the moment, it is not true. "Imma keep talking though, after all, I sure do love the sound of my own voice." There's a tired laugh that follows that, low and aching, then the sound of earth crunching beneath spurred boots- he's left his line open, presumably in hopes that maybe- just maybe -it's actually getting through to the archer, that he might get a word or two back. There's a pregnant lull in the one-sided conversation despite Jesse's claim, Hanzo nearly let's the urge to rest consume him to the idle noises of the sharpshooter stomping about, when the gadget crackles back to life. "Awh, darlin', 'm really sorry." He shifts, runs his fingers through his own cooling blood, notes that he's getting fretfully pale. "For all my boastin' it seems I have some shit sight when it comes to you, kept an awful eye on ya, haven't the slightest where you are." The thought that he most certainly is going to die comes back to him, the pain has slipped away- from shock or blood loss he assumes -disconnected from his body, though if he moves he still feels the urge to writhe. "Lena said she saw you take off with Widowmaker- what I would do to have seen you two dukin' it out like that -sure you gave her a run for her money, Han." The cowboy speaks with reverence and adoration, Hanzo thinks that perhaps if his blood wasn't slowly draining out of him that it might have rushed to his face at such blatant veneration, he thumbs the plastic in his hands. "You'll have to tell me 'bout it after we get back to base." "You will be disappointed." He finds himself replying softly, knowing his words are falling upon deaf ears, ignoring the way his voice is merely a hoarse murmur despite the effort it takes him. He doesn't like the thought of failing the other, it causes a churning in his stomach he can't put a name too, and briefly finds himself thinking that then it's perhaps a good thing the man's chances of finding him are close to nil. He let's his eyes close- maybe for the final time - before huffing a dry laugh to himself, how childish, he'd literally rather die than upset the cowboy. He falls asleep to the sound of Jesse's breathing.

Open indefinitely for McHanzo Prompts! Send them in.