#hahaha you thought this was a fluffy series?

[starlightazriel]

necessities 1

desc: modern day (fem)reader x classic prythian azriel au, this will be a series of short chapters, fluffy, smutty, cute, probably some angst and or drama cus it's me

inspired by this request

warnings: 18+, this is slightly silly hahaha, reader is a little airheaded/ditsy, reader is an influencer HAHA, this is ridiculous but i'm obsessed, blood, reader has a gun, drugs mentioned, sexual tension, swearing, readers petite and smaller than a human from prythian world, age gap like reader is literally 21 HAHA so hundreds of years

wc: 2.8k

other parts will be found on my masterlist under azriel

one

What the actual fuck?

Is basically all your mind can muster up as you are quite literally dropping through a hole in the earth. You had fucking told Cody that you didn't want to do the video, the pit that had been in your stomach for the past three days had been enough of a warning to you that something was going to go wrong.

And now... Well... What the actual fuck?

You had lost all sense of time the moment everything around you had disappeared. You can feel things whipping at your legs, your arms, your face. Branches? You didn't even know, couldn't tell.

It could have been a minute, or forty five, either way it felt too long... This fall... There was no fucking way in hell you were surviving it. Silently, you said goodbye to your parents, your friends, your family, your followers, your boyfriend who had been the one to get you into this mess in the first place, but still, you loved him, so you had to say goodbye... Surely, you'd be dead soon.

You thought about what kind of internet memorial your followers would make for you, would you get a hash tag? #BringBubblesHome, #RIPBUBBLES, #BubblesForeverInOurHearts

Would they edit angel wings and a halo onto one of your cutest pictures? They fucking better.

When you finally landed your forehead hit a branch with a loud smack, you whimpered softly at the sting. Pain radiated through your lower back and up your spine. You gasped softly, eyes wide as you looked around, blinked, blinked again. You didn't feel dead, but there was no way you could have survived that, was there?

"Am I fucking dead?" Your own voice surprised you, and you tried to swallow, throat so incredibly dry from the fall you had just taken. "Holy shit, where the fuck-" you cut yourself off, there was a stream near by, it looked- It didn't look real, the moss and flowers that seemed to cover absolutely everything, the green of the leaves and the ferns had to be the most vibrant green you'd ever seen in nature. You shook your head, trying to remember if you had taken any psychedelics lastnight that you hadn't remembered.

You shook your head again, shaking the thought off with it. No... No you hadn't taken anything lastnight.

So this... This was real?

Something snapped in the already too quiet woods, and your heart beat quickened. Okay what do I have? You thought, ripping your Louis Vuitton tote off of your shoulder, at least, with this, you'd have a chance at survival. You quickly dumped the contents out onto the grassy surface so that you could take an inventory of all your necessities. This was kind of like Man vs Wild, right?

Warm blood trickled from your head wound, you felt slightly dizzy, your stomach turning at the red on your hand. You gasped softly, wiping your head with a makeup wipe and tossing it aside. You couldn't worry about littering right now.

Okay, what do I have? The thought echoed in your mind again, the panic of the current situation setting in.

Your iPhone, which, in hindsight you were lucky it had been in your bag and that you weren't filming a reel.

Pink custom Glock with your birthday engraved.

Ammo for said glock, not much, as it wasn't like you normally needed your gun.

Your pink glittery pepper spray.

Three lipglosses, one clear, one plumping, and one nude.

Your trending laneige lip balm obviously because you had done an ad for them recently.

A compact mirror.

Ring light.

Lipliner.

Mascara.

Travel size bag of facial cleansing wipes.

Two protein bars.

Your pretty golden flower claw clip that you had purchased from Tiktok shop.

Your vapes... Both kinds. Which, you wished you'd left behind considering you were trying to kick the habits though maybe you'd need it, your stress levels were certainly starting to rise.

A few carts.

Your SolarBuddy which you had done a TikTok promo for a few months ago and had been carrying it around in your bag ever since. Though it wasn't the best design considering your phone had to be in full sun to charge it, you had still given it a seven out of ten for its convenient travel size.

Your air pods and their charger.

This years summer collection Prada sunglasses.

A travel size tube of aquaphor.

Your favorite moisturizer.

Your favorite skin mist.

Sol de janeiro perfume because, trending.

Tampons.

Panty liners.

An extra pair of panties.

Cinnamon gum.

Spearmint tictacs.

Your lucky pen.

A collection of polaroids held together by a thin rubber band, you knew the contents of those by memory, one of your the golden retriever you had grown up with, one of you with your closest friends, one with you and your parents, one with you and your boyfriend, and one of just you.

Your wallet obviously with your credit cards and your id.

The necessities only.

You checked your phone, cursing to see the little SOS sign in the top right corner. Of course you didn't have any fucking service. Why would you in the middle of bum fuck no where Hansel and Gretle woods?

You grabbed your gun next, and slid the pepper spray into the front of your leggings. Your mouth was still so dry, so you popped a piece of the cinnamon gum in your mouth before piling your belongings back into your tote. Your breath was heavy and you could hear more twigs snap and they were getting closer. Your hand was shaking, your gun wobbling in the air as you held it up in front of you.

"Who's there?" you squeak, standing straighter up on your feet, each and every breath becoming more heavy. And then... Suddenly... There were shadows, lots of them, and- And a man- No a beast. With wings, he had darkly tanned skin, black almost raven colored waves that hung over his forehead in the most seductive way- His eyes... Curious, dark, hazel eyes fixated on you, on your weapon. Blue stones glittered across his knuckles, he looked straight out of Mortal Kombat.

The shadow curled around him, flicking over his ears, almost as if they were telling him a secret. He was so alarmingly large, your pulse quickened.

He was the most beautiful thing you had ever seen.

And deadly. Terrifying-Horror movie-

"Oh-My-" Is the only words you can get out, the world around suddenly begins breathing. Everything looks as though it's moving in and out, leaving you dizzy before everything goes black, your finger slipped, squeezing the trigger as you fainted.

Azriel stumbled back, his arm flying to the new wound that was on the side of his arm. The sound was so loud he was almost sure Tamlin would some how catch wind of it. Azriel groaned, what the fuck kind of crazy sick cross bow shit was that? It had felt like metal, hot and so fucking fast, right across the side of his arm. He was bleeding now, bleeding onto your pristine white shirt, that looked more like an undergarment. Despite you shooting him, with your weapon, he had still caught you as you fell.

In all his recent meetings to the Spring Court... Azriel had never expected this.

A human girl. But not just any human girl- No nothing like any human he had seen in the mortal lands. Not even how Nesta or Elain had been before the Cauldron had made them. You- You weren't from this world. That much he could tell-though he hadn't been able to even get a word out before you'd fainted on the spot.

He tucked- Whatever it was you had just shot him with away in your strange bag. He contemplated his next move.

He knew the smart thing to do, he should leave you here, fly home and forget he had ever even found you. His family didn't exactly know that he was frequenting the Spring Court.

After everything that had happened with Elain- And everything Rhys had said... Azriel had taken quite a few lovers, the most recent a lesser fae who lived in a small cottage on the outskirts of Spring.

After more long moments contemplating on leaving you, he lifted you up and carried you to a small cave nearby. He winced, his wound was healing slowly, though it was definitely healing. The sun was poking over the mountains now, his jaw flexed. He knew the others would be looking for him soon.

With Nyx in the picture now- Rhys was even more cautious about newcomers... And a human? A human with some strange powerful weapon- Strange clothes and shoes? Surely he couldn't bring you back with him.

"Who the fuck are you?" He jumped at the sound of your voice, his head quickly snapping back to you, his thought coming to a halt. Fuck... Your scent was so strong, so sensual, so delicious.

"Don't go reaching for whatever that weapon is that you have- I'll break all of your fingers," Azriel warns, noticing you scrambling up from your position on the caves floor and reaching for the strange bag you had been carrying. You freeze, your heart hammering against your chest as you stare back at him.

"Are you going to kill me?" you squeak out, his wings were tucked behind him, but your eyes kept drifting to them before landing back on his face.

Despite the sheer terror coursing through you, you couldn't help but melt under his gaze. He was so large, hunched over in the small cave, his abnormally big, scarred fingers covering over his knees. You couldn't help but wonder the size of his cock, with hands- With height like that. And he was sexy... Holy fucking shit he was sexy.

"I could be asking you the same," Azriel responds, his eyes still fixated on you. Your scent was driving him crazy. Was it really so easy to arouse a human girl? "You shot me, with whatever that thing was, and then fainted. Out of the two of us I'd say you can't be trusted," he raises his arm, showing the now scabbed over wound.

"It's a glock nineteen," you mumble your eyes flitting over the cut. How long had you been sleeping that it had healed so much already? "I'm sorry, are you okay?" you finally ask, clearly, he wasn't going to kill you right? He would have done it by now... Right? "I've never- I've never shot outside the range before-"

"The range?" His eyes are so intensely fixed on you that your heart rate picks up.

"The gun range, where you shoot guns?"

"I'm assuming what you hit me with, is a gun?" he clarifies, my eyes flit over to his knives, his clothing... He looked like he was straight off a movie set.

You slowly nod, your cheeks pink under his intense curious stare. Not even his shadows could tell him a lick about you."What's your name?" he asks quietly, his eyes flickering slightly.

"Y/n, but my friends- And my followers, call me Bubbles," you're fighting the urge to pull your compact mirror from your bag, the thought of your current appearance in front of this- Mysterious sex god creature- It wasn't sitting well with you. "What's yours?" You ask, your cheeks warming, had he even blinked, once?

"Azriel," he says softly, that curious twinkle in his eyes sent your cheeks burning deeper. "Your followers, are you a prophet or something?" he asks, and he figures by the scrunch of your nose and the giggle that escapes from your lips it must have been a silly question.

"No, I'm an influencer and an instagram model, depending who you ask," you giggle again at the idea of you as a prophet. Maybe you were, for trends and the best plumping lip gloss.

"I have no idea what any of that means," Azriel admits, his voice is so smooth and sensual, you think you could listen to it forever. It warms something deep inside of you, a part of you that you hadn't even known existed.

Azriels lips twitched in amusement as he watched you blush before him, he had no idea why he was entertaining this. He had no idea why he was so fascinated by you, though, you were human, he had never seen anything like you. His shadows were just as curious, in fact, they had been the final deciding factor in whether or not he was going to leave you. You weren't like anything hed ever seen. Much smaller than any human he'd ever seen from the mortal lands, softer features, full, juicy lips that sent heat to his cock when his eyes rested on them for too long, big eyes with long unnaturally long lashes, long hair that flowed behind your back... And the smell of you... Like nothing he had ever scented before.

"Where am I?" You ask finally breaking the tense silence, your throat felt unbearably dry and scratchy, he hadn't stopped staring and it was starting to unnerve you.

"Prythian," he answers quickly, easily, you can't help but shiver at the way his raspy low voice travels along your bones. Prythian? It doesn't sound like anywhere on earth you'd ever heard of, your head spun.

"And how do I get back to California?" your voice is weary, strained, he raises an eyebrow.

"Um," he frowns, running his scared hand through his hair. "I couldn't tell you," he admits, and he couldn't, the land you spoke of was nothing he ever heard of. "How did you get here?"

"So like-" you start, not even knowing how to explain it. "My boyfriend has this youtube channel he explores abandoned buildings, supposed haunted houses- Ancient spooky ruins- Shit like that," you pause, your eyes meeting his, a sigh escapes your lips because you can tell he isn't following. "Anyway, I'm minding my business, being cute in the video because that's all I ever do in his videos. We were in some creepy ass old tunnel underground I touch one thing- One, and next thing I know I'm falling- For I don't even know how long. And I ended up here," you finish, nervously fidgeting with the charm on your necklace.

Azriels head spun, holding a conversation with you was proving to be quite exhausting. A tunnel, an underground tunnel got you here. He didn't know how to tell you, but there may be no way back to wherever you came from.

"Youtube? Video?" he asks wearily, fighting the urge to rub his temples.

"Sorry," you sigh softly, starting to relax a tiny bit, clearly, he wasn't going to kill you. You grab your phone from your bag, noticing the way his eyes narrow, zeroing in on the phone. You didn't miss the way he rested his hand on the top of his dagger. "Still no fucking signal," you mutter in frustration. "Would be so much easier if I could show you all this stuff, anyway... Where I'm from there's something called the internet, kind of like endless stupidity but also endless information? At your fingertips... That's basically what the internet is." You hadn't realized how not cut out you were for teaching anything, your expertise was in trending lipgloss and skin care.

"Interesting," Azriel responds, still looking at you so curiously. He didn't understand why he felt the need to help you, why he even cared. "Maybe Rhys will have an idea," he muses, mostly talking to himself. "You know. You're very lucky... If someone else had found you-" he cuts himself off, you cross your arms over your chest, narrowing your eyes at him.

"I can protect myself, to an extent," you say back, gesturing to your bag, though you had no idea what you'd even be up against out here, you did have your gun and pepper spray.

"Still lucky it was me, some on this land would swallow you for breakfast and not think twice," he smirks, leaning in a bit, his fingers wrapped tightly around his bent knees. "See, I'll still eat you for breakfast but I'll ask first," his eyes twinkled flirtatiously and your cheeks burned, this wasn't normal for you. You weren't used to being flustered, you were used to men falling at your feet and buying you gifts, you had also always worn the pants, in any relationship you'd ever been in and you weren't used to a man being so forward. You opened and closed your mouth, for once in your life at a loss for words.

"Whats wrong y/n?" he asks, the way your name leaves his lips is so slow, and sensual... And was it hot in here?

"What are you some kind of bat-man siren?" You breathe out, scrunching your nose, he stifles a laugh, his eyes still twinkling brightly with his amusement. "And you know, for being so- like- mythical and handsome- You still sound like any other fuckboy," your arms are crossed over your chest again as you stare back at him, he laughs again, shaking his head at you.

"Fuckboy?"

"It's a man that sleeps with a lot of women."

"Come back to my city with me?"

"Definitely a fuck boy."

-

a/n: HAHAHAHA thank you to my frands @velarisdusk @scorpioriesling @cynthiesjmxazrielslover for the help this is gonna be great.

[dollfaced-erin]

Ngl the sugar daddy jing yuan reader fic lowkey intrigues me, like why did Jing Yuan resort to something as finding a sugar baby? Was he stressed over something as well? A relationship problem? Was he that lonely?? I feel it would be nice to explore!

i love this request. it took me a while to find the right songs and good scenarios, but i got you covered, bby ! I MIGHT NAME THIS SERIES THO ! it's a WIP obv unless until i finish the main storyline and will take longer time to accommodate to unlike the main story (and that one already takes an eternity) do enjoy the treat !

Taglist : -

@rebeccawinters , @nayukiyukihira , @pix-stuff , @fluffy-koalala , @swivy123 , @starxao , @kaoyamamegami , @kimura-uzuri , @rsvye , @seikouryuu , @just-here-reading , @matsulovesyou, @sincerely-aaronette , @prettyliliy , @chibiduck , @hermosacolibri , @la-diablas-thingz , @farelady-fate , @everi-eve , @shadowfoxey , @helloyuki , @immahuman , @samptlay , @boomie-123 , @airentia , @eden-absorbed

𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖘 𝖙𝖔 𝖓𝖔𝖙𝖊 ! : ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ᴀ ᴍᴏᴅᴇʀɴ ᴀᴜ , ᴊɪɴɢ ʏᴜᴀɴ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ , ᴅᴏᴇꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ᴄᴏʀʀᴇʟᴀᴛᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏʀɪɢɪɴᴀʟ ꜱᴇʀɪᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴅʀᴀɢᴏɴ'ꜱ ᴄʀᴀᴅʟᴇ

𝖙𝖗𝖎𝖌𝖌𝖊𝖗 𝖜𝖆𝖗𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖌 ! :

ˢᵗʳᵉˢˢ , ᵃⁿˣⁱᵉᵗʸ , ᵐᵉⁿᵗⁱᵒⁿˢ ᵒᶠ ˢᵉˡᶠ ʰᵃʳᵐ , ᶜᵒᵐᶠᵒʳᵗ ᵃⁿᵍˢᵗ, EXTRA LONG.

Another day...another report.

Scratch that. There were hundreds of reports on his desk as is. And they were piling as time grew on. Not like it would ever stop. They just kept adding up, accumulating like the spam emails in his iMac monitor before him.

And his secretary was of no help either. Sure, she did her work mighty fine ! Being on time, punctual, taking all the calls and planning his meeting and fixing up his schedule. But that makes him feel more annoyed than ever.

She's just too punctual. And she expects him to be like that too.

She was always rushing him to do his work, always nagging him on and on to pay attention to the business proposals, to look over the reports, remind him again and again that he had lunch with the Lead Researcher from that growing Space Research Centre built under the name of one of the most well-known geniuses known to mankind.

Herta's Space Research Centre...and her Lead Researcher who was currently managing the Centre on her own... Asta...

What time was the meeting again...?

"Remember ! You have a meeting with Lady Asta from the research center at 2pm this afternoon ! Don't be late ! It's a crucial investment !" He heard Fu Xuan's voice ring in his mind.

Oh...2pm. He had time before that.

He sighed in his chair, leaning back into his leather chair as he ran a hand through his messy silver hair. Lazy golden eyes glanced at the time showed on the standby mode on his monitor...

"1 : 45..." he read aloud, his voice carrying his lazy tone through the silent room.

He thought about it.

1 : 45 ?!?!

He never bolted out of his seat faster than he ever had before.

"Hahaha !" The man laughed as Jing Yuan retold the tale of the earlier day. A hand landed on his back, slapping it playfully as his friend found humor in his troubles.

"Don't laugh, asshole." Jing Yuan said, a frown of frustration on his lips. But it slowly curled up into one of amusement seeing his friend like this.

"You're really finding my concerns entertaining, don't you ?"

"Sorry, sorry. My bad." The man said, raising his cup of alcoholic beverage to his lips, sipping it elegantly.

"But then, what happened ? You rushed out of your building to the meeting place. Did you see Lady Asta ?" Blade asked, looking at his friend with a smirk on his lips.

"Oh, you bet. I found her as soon as I got there. But fortunately for me, she had just arrived herself. So, I wasn't too late, nor did I make her wait." Jing Yuan said with a relieved sigh.

The two were meeting up in quite the high-class bar. Somewhere that had classical music playing, dim lighting, expensive drinks of the finest quality, quiet chatter and the clinking of glasses and extravagant attire. It wasn't your average bar. Heck, there were barely any ruthless drunkards in places like this, those who caused ruckus when they drank too much.

"But Fu Xuan, that girl..." he pondered, shaking his head at the mention of his secretary. "She really needs to learn how to loosen up and stop asking me day after day when will I hand my company over to her."

"Oh ? She's blatantly asking you to make her the heir to the corporation ? Very...brazen, of her." Blade said with a furrow of his brows and nodded his head.

"It doesn't get any easier, Blade. Believe me." Jing Yuan sighed.

It was just another day in his life. He was the CEO of one of the top companies in the country, or even the world ! The Xianzhou Alliance was branched into 6 franchises under one brand, though usually known individually. Fanghu, Luofu, Zhuming, Xuling, Yaoqing, and Yuque.

And Jing Yuan just happened to be the CEO of the Luofu branch, also being the youngest and one of longest reigning ones at that. Not only that, he was known for his good looks, his intellect and gentlemanly manners.

Blade just happened to be his friend from college and was the main mechanical engineers for the bigger productions of the company, building his name to be known far and wide for a man as young as him. He was known as Yingxing, formerly. A nerdy young man that loved art.

But after a certain incident, he dyed his hair black and changed his alias to Blade before joining a group of debt collectors that made quite the name for themselves.

The Stellaron Hunters.

Jing Yuan sighed, raising a hand at the bartender for another glass of bourbon. He needed a little more liquor to forget the tension that night.

"So, of course the meeting didn't end there, right ? I heard that Herta was planning on opening a university to give opportunities to more...brilliant minds. Perhaps they wanted to collaborate with the Intelligentsia Guild ? Heard they too opened up a new university recently." Blade asked, pouring another glass of Koshu sake for himself.

He wasn't too much of a fan of the harder liquors. He loved to savor his drinks and take his time relishing in the bitter taste. Like the little things around him. He loved to watch drama unfold, especially if he wasn't involved in it.

Even better if he was the cause behind it.

But he wouldn't do that to Jing Yuan. His dude needed a break. Especially since they have known each other for a couple of years now.

"Yeah." Jing Yuan said, nodding his head at his friend. "I suppose you could put it that way. Lady Asta wanted to meet up to ask about the funding for the research in the space station. Now that you mention it, I think she also said something about investing for the university ?"

"I don't know anymore, Blade..." Jing Yuan sighed, hand over his eyes. "After that meeting i came back to more papers and reports. Then tomorrow, the meetings and the negotiations...the business proposals, photoshoots and interviews and not to mention the stalkers recently. Fu Xuan is literally gonna snag my ass one day if she really thinks I'm as incompetent as I look, I swear to the Aeons..."

He let out a tired chuckle, leaning over and setting his elbow on the table. His friend looked at him worriedly, knowing that it might not sound like much, but for Jing Yuan to openly admit his problems like this...

"Why don't you ask her to loosen up your schedule ?" Blade asked him softly, a hand on Jing Yuan's back.

"And listen to her lecture me about time management ? I'd save at the very least 2 hours of my time reading reports." He chuckled dryly, shaking his head and pulled his hand away from his eyes.

"That's not gonna work, Blade. She'll say I have nothing better to do in my time anyway...I go home with those uncompleted documents but I still have to keep thinking how I'm going to arrange my thoughts for tomorrow."

Then they heard a small commotion. There was a man slamming his hand onto the table, and a young lady before him. She looked firm and resolute, not even flinching as the man before her expressed his distaste and anger to her.

"For the last time, I'm saying no. I told you, I don't have the money for it !" The young lady said calmly, her hands spread in front of her to exaggerate her point.

"You brought me here, and then expect me to sign up for Herta's Space Research school to study biotechnology under Madam Ruan Mei ? Do you have any idea how crazy the fees will be ?" The girl asked again, folding her arms over her chest as she merely glared at the man that stood in anger before her.

"Plus you know that I'm already struggling with fees in the Yaoqing Academy is already crazy enough. And that's with scholarship. I'd then have to pay Yaoqing for stopping halfway and my scholarship, then pay the registration fees of Herta's school."

"Imagine having to go to some prestigious, preppy place filled with studying, that I don't even have time to go work to buy myself dinner." The lady stressed with a shake of her head.

"But this is your opportunity !"

"I...I cant afford it..." she admitted softly.

Jing Yuan's gaze softened as he looked at this troubled lady. He wished he could help, watching her being pressured like this. But he wasn't a charity... if he helped her, many more would come to him for the same reason...

But it was a waste that a beautiful young lady like her didn't get the opportunity she deserved. She looked like she was well-versed in studying, and going to Herta's university would secure her a bright future working with the Intelligentsia Guild, or Herta's Space Station or the research facility, or even the IPC !

"I cant keep dating someone who doesn't have standards, (Y/n). My family will look down on me ! And I'm always paying for you when we go on dates, you never spend for me !" The man said with anger present in his tone. Then the young lady before him bit her bottom lip, her eyes trailing off somewhere else.

"Wh-what did you expect from dating me ? You know I'm poor. I work part time at a cafe, juggling assignments, bills and chores. I...I cant always have the luxury of spoiling you ! And you yourself wanted to go on dates, promising me that you'll handle the bill." The lady said, tears in her bright eyes.

"Or not you'll never go on dates with me !" The boyfriend exclaimed, making the girl, (Y/n), feel even guiltier.

Then he slammed his hand again on the table. "Enough ! We're over. I cant keep dating a leech who'd do nothing to improve her life even when there's a path !"

Then the man stormed off, leaving the lady alone and humiliated in the middle of the expensive bar with all eyes on her. She didn't care about that, she was mainly troubled on the fact that she'd have to cover the bills herself...

'How interesting...' Jing Yuan thought to himself as he looked at the pitiful lover.

She was a beautiful young lady, perhaps around 22 years old ? She seemed pretty young. Perhaps she's in the middle of pursuing a degree ? To change majors means she must be pretty early into the registration. Foundation, perhaps...

She looked very ordinary, unlike the others in this bar. She had beautiful (h/c) hair, the brightest (e/c) eyes that shone under the warm lights of the bar. But she looked tired. She was broke. Wallet, and heart.

Jing Yuan couldn't hold back anymore. He didn't like seeing a young woman as innocent as hardworking as her getting dumped just because she didn't have the money. What kind of asshole does that, anyway ?!

Jing Yuan got up from his place, ignoring Blade's voice of questions as he walked over to the young woman who sat alone.

"(Y/n), right ?" Jing Yuan asked, and she looked up, those bright (e/c) eyes, glistening with tears as she sadly looked into his warm honey eyes.

(Y/n) seemed startled and quickly wiped her eyes. "Yes, th-that's me." She said, nodding her head.

"See, I don't do this often, but..." Jing Yuan started as he sat before her. "I'm quite certain the entire establishment heard what happened between you and...well...your...ex lover...?"

He grimaced a little at the word 'ex', knowing it must still be a touchy subject for her. But she didn't seem to mind and just nodded her head.

"Yeah, I saw this coming, obviously." (Y/n) said with a light chuckle. "I knew we weren't going to work out. But he was persistent, constantly egging me on and on to date him, that one day I just said yes."

"Well, it seems like you're going through a rough patch, and I know you just want to head home and sleep it off. So, I want to help you out." Jing Yuan said, taking the bill on the table and reading out the receipt list.

"Let me pay for tonight."

(Y/n)'s eyes widened as she looked at him, blinking owlishly as she heard his offer. This...this random man was willing to pay for the receipt ? The orders she didn't even indulge in ? She felt guilt eating away at her stomach, making her fidget in her seat.

But what choice did she have...?

That's right. She didn't.

So she nodded her head.

"Wow, didn't know you could be quite the gentleman, oh CEO Jing Yuan." Blade said as his friend came back after seeing off the woman named (Y/n).

Jing Yuan nodded his head, feeling a light blush dust his cheeks from the teasing manner of his friend. But he brushed it aside quickly, composing himself to wish away the blush as quickly as it came.

"I just couldn't leave her there. It would be quite...distasteful." Jing Yuan said, taking his seat back next to Blade.

"Mm...but she was quite the catch, wasn't she ? Too bad she ended up with a sorry excuse as a boyfriend as him." Blade said with a laugh, his Adam's apple bobbing as his voice rumbled.

"She was indeed beautiful, yes." Jing Yuan said softly, nodding his head as he reminded himself of the young woman. "It was funny how she didn't even recognize who I am. Most young women would."

He caught Blade smirking at him at which he quickly composed himself with a fake smug smile back on his lips.

"Anyway..." Jing Yuan said, looking at Blade with raised eyebrows. "How are things with you and...Dan Jia ?"

Blade immediately was caught off guard with the question, his pale face dusted with a red blush that went all the way up to his ears. Dan Jia was one of the heirs to a multi-billion organization that was partnered with the Xianzhou Alliance, more known towards their love of arts and entertainment.

And Dan Jia was the woman that had loved him before and after his change. The only person who understood and still stood by him no matter, and it wasn't like any one could oppose her, anyway.

"A-ahem...Dan Jia and I..." Blade stuttered, turning away for a moment as he slowly sipped at his drink.

"We...got engaged." The male said and Jing Yuan glared at him.

"And you didn't even tell me ?" "I was going to when you were in a more chill mood ! Don't blame me trying to be considerate of your feelings !"

Then Blade got an idea. He smiled widely, looking at his friend before uncharacteristically clapping his hands, something he did when he had a mind-blowing revolutionary thought. Usually it meant good news for the company, or friends, so Jing Yuan was very intrigued to hear.

"How about you find a lover ?" Blade asked with a pat on Jing Yuan's back.

Jing Yuan had never heard a solution so stupid from this former engineer before. He sighed, and slapped a hand onto his forehead.

"No no, hear me out for real here." Blade said, trying to pull back Jing Yuan's interest. "If Fu Xuan says that you have nothing to do in your free time, find someone that can act as something to fill in time you need. You cant put hobbies, because hobbies are meant to be something to be done in your free time."

"But what if you had a commitment ?"

Then Jing Yuan looked at Blade like he made the best idea ever. That actually made so much sense ! But...

"What if I get even more stressed from it ?" Jing Yuan asked, looking at Blade.

"Based on the trends right now, students are more frequently found on dating sites, and you could start from there. Give Fu Xuan some reasons to throw her off the scent and make sure she doesn't schedule every second you manage to breathe in the aircon of your private office." Blade explained again, his hands making and tracing gestures onto the surface of the bar top.

'Students, huh...? Perhaps...he might even...' Jing Yuan wondered.

"You mean, be a sugar daddy ?" Jing Yuan asked with a raise of his eyebrow, and his friend laughed.

"Not necessarily." Blade said. "Give it a feel, take on a few blind dates. You have nothing to lose. If it doesn't work out, tell it straight, then proceed to leave."

"You know how happy I am with Dan Jia. Perhaps it's also time for you to find someone too, Jing Yuan."

So he followed the advice of his friend. Blade was right, he didn't have much to lose if he played his cards right and used his professionalism right.

He downloaded the dating app. And to make things look a little easier to filter the horny, money-hungry women who never left a shred of decency on their profiles, he put on the status of 'CEO. In need of a sugar baby, willing to spend time with me.'

He kept swiping left, left and left. The ones he swiped right on were also just as unsavory, so he kept searching. Until he saw this one account he felt drawn to.

And swiped right.

After a bit of talking, they decided to meet up at a student friendly cafe as to not pressure her. He was feeling quite peppy about it, a light blush of happiness on his cheeks as his feet tapped impatiently on the wooden floors of the cozy cafe.

He made sure to dress casually, a mere dark grey sweater and a pair of white slacks. His hair was still in it's usual messy style, but he tried to make himself look a little presentable, tying it up into a ponytail. It was still messy, but he tried.

He was meeting up with a young lady who was a student in need of help for her tuition loans and apartment bills she couldn't handle on her own. But though she reached out to him, she was often times hesitant to find a 'sugar daddy'.

His heart was pounding in his chest. He never felt this excited before. It had been long since they started talking and she was finally comfortable with meeting him after so many times of denying.

Then he saw her. The girl he was waiting for, shyly enter the cafe with reddened cheeks as she tucked back her (h/c) hair that fell over her face from lowering her gaze so much.

"M-Mr. Jing Yuan..." She greeted as she pulled the seat before him.

"Miss (Y/n). What a pleasure."

He had been searching for her all this while, and he finally found her.

[prince-liest]

Your last 666 series installment is the best thing that happened to me. Its full of gore, somehow fluffy and wait-.. do I finally see some FRICKING COMUNICATION between the two idiots!?!?!

Ngl, Vox's 'Alastor not being able to love' statement hurt my soul. Your writing is brilliant and and let's just see what ending ya wro-..O MA LORD IS THAT VAL'S LOVE POTION!?!?!?!?

Now I need to know what's next!!!! And VOX I SWEAR IF U USE THIS SITUATION IN ANY WAY IM GOING TO SKIN YOU ALIVE.

This series is a blast♡ love it!♡ makes me weirdly passionate and excited hah!

Some communication, and some communication failure, hahaha. They're going to be talking a lot more in the next one, actually, because I meant to write some NSFW and they had to go and attempt a healthy conversation instead. What can you do.

Thank you so much, I'm delighted that you're enjoying! :D

And: Way more anon asks about the latest 666 getting answered under the cut! <3 I combined a bunch from the last couple of days.

prince, I'm going insane over the latest fic. so we know from Alastor's inner monologue that he knows the roofie was an accident, but considering the super stressful situation, the fact that Vox was the one to ask for a kiss and the fact that Alastor accused him of wanting instead of loving him not a few minutes ago…. makes me wonder if Vox might not be at least a little worred that Alastor might think it was on purpose <3 gonna be rotating this in my head for the foreseeable future - ✨

I am so glad that these things are on y'all's minds, hahaha. Because you can bet they are on mine. >:D And THANK YOU, very pleased to be dragging everyone down into insanity with me.

“Should I stitch together the scars your teeth left in me in a mirror of my own signature on your body.” Fucking. POETRY. 🐈‍⬛

I am always so happy when I write shit like this and instead of everyone pointing at me and going, "Look, what an EDGELORD!" the response is you people being VERY nice and leaning into the feelsy fun! 💛

holy moly ??? i love the new 666 addition aaaah 😭🙏 the trials and tribulations of feeling scorned and ghosted by a loser who confessed his love to you and the next time you see him he’s holding your LITERAL heart in his hands by alastor ! OMFG this was too good esp the part where vox is like “bro why do YOU CARE ?? i thought you didn’t love me huh?” and alastor is like well. maybe i.do. 😐 LIKE CMONN this really played out like some soap drama and i loved the neat details on resuscitative thoroctomy (learned a new word too so double bonus) the fact vel was on the line w her and val’s apparent surgeon for val’a little ‘incidents ??? GOLDEN I SAYY hope we see more of ur oc … 🫣🫣 btw ofc vox would love to an end an argument with a kiss OF FUCKING COURSE HE WOULD 😭 thank u sm for this chapter princeliest my dear <3 hope life is treating u well too !! -🦌

Vox is ahead of Alastor in terms of effective in-the-moment conflict resolution, but goddamn if he isn't fucked up in his own fun little ways. They're so not done with most of these issues, but at least they're on they're way to maybe be able to have a real conversation about them!

You know. If they chose to do that kind thing. Instead of whatever they will probably do instead.

Anyway, THANK YOU!! I had a great deal of fun writing this chapter and digging into some of the issues that have been slowly collecting underneath the surface of kinky radiostatic, so I'm happy you guys are enjoying as well!! :D

AS FOR MY OC... I WILL POST ABOUT THEM SOON. I LOVE THEM A LOT AND IT EXCITES ME THAT PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW MORE OF THEM. Tysm for asking Q^Q

Just read the new addition to the 666 verse, and inside of me are two wolves: The first is saying: Immaculate, artistry of the highest form. We finally get Alastor’s own confrontation with his vulnerability and him trying to figure out what exactly the relationship with Vox means to him. Cannot wait for how this all is going to develop. The other part of me: THE BREADCRUMBS WORKED THE MUSE IS WRITING!!! Followed by this image (since tumblr won’t let me attach it while being anonymous) https://i.redd.it/hx2shk642vs71.jpg -🕊️

LMAO THAT PIC. Amazing, flawless, thank you. The breadcrumbs DEFINITELY worked, please keep feeding. Digging into Alastor's shit is bringing me life and I'm happy to share it, hahaha. We're swinging even harder on the introspection in the next one!

As a sucker for medical gore and aroace angst, I lack the words to express my love and appreciation for your most recent installment of 666, but your writing of radiostatic's dynamic was captivating and proved to be such a lovely read as always! I loved that you touched on Alastor's relationships with the women around him as that has always been such an interesting aspect of his character to me! I never really put much thought into how Vox's apparent avoidance of Alastor in the show could mirror Alastor's disappearance, and now it will Not leave my mind. My heart hurts for these two dorks, super looking forward to chapter 2!

"Medical gore and aroace angst" should be the title of my memoir. Honestly, this series has ended up a lot more edgy-bloody than I expected it to, since I usually tend to prefer to portray my whump/angst/violence/etc in a much more roundabout way, but it's actually kinda tipped over into, like... part of the point is how banal it is, how beside the point. The upsetting heavy-hitting bits aren't the blood, they're everything else that goes on around it. Anyway, thank you so much! <3 I think your heart will find some relief in chapter two, haha, I hope you enjoy!!

Meanwhile alastor, completely convinced that there’s no situation where vox actually loves him and is happy with the way things are—either vox wants more and is going to start asking for more, or he doesn’t actually love him and just wants to have sex with him and thus either way he is a Liar. They’re so fucking bad at this. No one is capable of being the adult here. I think they need an auspitice.

It's really funny that you said that, because that is kind of exactly the role that [spoiler] ends up playing, though in a more roundabout way, hahaha. They certainly need someone to, like, get them to be having the same conversation with each other instead of two parallel ones. I think the fun thing about writing Alastor reacting to his own feelings is just how much his reaction can change based on how things are framed for him, and it leaves a lot of wiggle room for how differently I've ended up writing him reacting to the season 1 finale in 666 vs in Happily Ever After, and Other Shit Nepotism Can't Buy.

But, god, you really nailed the description of what Alastor is feeling. <3

Vox in the latest 666, my ENTIRE HEART. Literally nothing about how he read the situation was a bad take or a leap to conclusions, but alastor constantly says the opposite of what he means and refuses to admit vulnerability or friendship and what the hell else was vox meant to do with that, of course he backed off, they need to have this talk so badly

YES, PRECISELY! Like, I hope it came through that really neither of them was completely crazy to react the way they did! It's a result of how much of their communication has been nonverbal, implied, and talking around things - they'd been doing so well up until this point, but there's only so far that can take you before you start thinking that you're on the same page when really you're reading two completely different books! Thank you sm! <3

‘But I am capable,” Alastor says gently. “I love you very much.” Vox gapes up at him. “...I. Fuck you.” His voice is tight, strained. “I don’t fucking believe you.” Alastor feels his smile thin. “Well. That’s just dandy, then, isn’t it?”’ I AM NOT OK GOING FUCKING FERAL

Probably one of my favorite lines to write, ehehehe. THANK YOU ANONNNN <3 It's kinda interesting to see how differently some people read this. Some folks thought Alastor was saying it to hurt Vox (which is how Vox read it). Some folks thought it was true (how Alastor intended it). Some folks thought Alastor was trying to fit into the mold that he thought Vox wanted from him (how I intended it). All of them make sense as readings! >:)

[maidragoste]

Please please please say we will get more of your fantastic one queen two kings thing story?

I love that story.

Need to have more dad Aegon and dad Aemond with Queen mom reader.

Has the kids asked about her and their uncle eggs siblings? And what happened to them?

Imagine trying to explain when they ask about readers parents and what happened. Maybe they heard somewhere that Aegon killed Nyra and so they come to see if it is true. That their dad killed their beloved mothers mother. Drama!!!!

But seriously I love this series. Seeing them with the kids. Love to see some cute fluffy moments but as wrote above the fluffy can be after the drama hahah.

I need to see the two dads with twin daughters. How much they would love and spoil them etc. also how protective Aegon would be with all his kids as we saw in the one shot about his oldest daughter that he had with Helena. I imagine he would be so protective of all their future children after what happened to his two sons.

So sorry this is long. Really love your stories. :)🌸⭐️

omg anon I didn't expect this at all, it's been a long time since someone wrote to me about "The Queen and her Husbands". I'M HAPPY THAT YOU ENJOY THAT UNIVERSE SO MUCH 🥰🥰

Honestly I have so many wips and ideas with dad Aegon, dad Aemond and Queen Reader mom but I haven't finished writing them.

This is sad but I don't see the Queen talking to her children (except Aemon) about Rhaenyra and her brothers. The Queen didn't like to think about her mother, she has unresolved problems with Rhaenyra but she also regrets how she treated her, so if she can avoid talking about her the better. But I imagine Egg sometimes talking about Rhaenyra to his nephews, it makes him sad but he knows that it bothers Aegon II that he talks about Rhaenyra so he keeps doing it 🤪

I can see Alyssa going to Aegon after Egg tells her a story about Rhaenyra.

Alyssa: Why did you kill grandmother Rhaenyra? She was great"

Aegon II: She wasn't great! She killed your brother Jaehaerys!

Alyssa: Oh…

Returning to the Queen. She thinks about her brothers every day and she always misses them. But she doesn't talk about them because she knows that would upset Aemond. Just imagine Reader telling how wonderful her siblings were and then Daella saying "I want to marry someone as kind as Uncle Lucerys was", Baelon and Daeron saying "When I grow up I want to be like Uncle Jace" or Baelon and Alyssa going to complain to his father why he murdered his uncle. AEMOND WOULD LOSE HIS SHIT

Now why does the Queen talk to Aemon about her brothers? I have the headcanon that she accompanies her son to the yard for him to train, in that she finds the mark (that mark that Jace shows to Luke in chapter 8) and without thinking she tells Aemon the story of that mark. After that she makes him promise that he won't tell anyone, that it's a secret. Weeks pass and the Queen realizes that Aemon kept the secret so she begins to tell him more stories about Jacaerys, Lucerys and Joffrey. I can see Reader talking to her other children about her siblings but only on specific occasions. For example, Aelor feels self-conscious about being a bastard and she tells him about Jace, how he always pushed himself to reward something that wasn't her fault; Another occasion could be when Baelon is desperate to have his own dragon and Reader is scared that he will do something stupid. "Never think about getting on a dragon that already has a rider. I don't want you to end up like your uncle Joffrey." 😭

About the twin daughters, for now I don't think it will happen because the Queen already has too many children hahaha but I promise you that I will try to finish my wip quickly where Aemond lets his daughter comb his hair I 100% confirm that Aegon is protective of ALL of his children after losing Jaehaerys and Maelor

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WRITING TO ME ANON, IT REALLY MADE ME VERY HAPPY. IF YOU HAVE MORE THOUGHTS ON THIS SERIES, DON'T HESITATE TO SHARE THEM 🥰🥰💖💖

[jahayla-parker]

Real Life "Book Boyfriend" : Freddy Carter x Reader SMAU

Description: Fluffy Social media AU for Freddy Carter and reader/wife

Warnings: none that I can think of!

Liked by yourusername, amitasuman_, benbarnes, and 798, 261 others

freddycarter1: philosophizing about the origins of crows 📸: @/yourusername

view all 309, 618 comments

benbarnes: handsome even as a shadow🔥

freddycarter1: ❤️

yourusername: sure… crows 😜 totally not the Nandos you just ate 😏

daniellegalligan_: girl I thought you were calling him out for not saying it was him thinking about you… so now I’m disappointed

freddycarter1: @daniellegalligan_ @yourusername a man can philosophize about more than one thing at a time 💁‍♂️

tommyae: y/n is taking better photos than you now bro

freddycarter1: I want to be mad but I agree 🤷‍♂️

Liked by amitasuman_, lbardugo, freddycarter1, and 615, 471 others

yourusername: Book dates > anything else

view all 432, 785 comments

kittheyounger: who is the new beau? 🤔

yourusername: …new?

kittheyounger: Freddy doesn’t read 🤷‍♂️

yourusername: *Amita voice* what does that mean?

freddycarter1: @kittheyounger 😂 mate she wasn’t on set that day hahaha

freddycarter1: ❤️

lbardugo: books are the best, although I’m a bit biased

amitasuman_: aesthetic queen 👑 p.s. I want a book date with you🥺

yourusername: name a time and place 😘

liked by freddycarter1, lbardugo, amitasuman_, and 812, 936 others

yourusername: can’t decide what’s more aesthetically pleasing… the library, the book, the outfit, or the man 🥰

.

.

.

Kidding, it’s definitely the man 😘

view all 581, 092 comments

lbardugo: add gloves and a cane = Kaz. I will stand by this casting until the end of time ❤️

yourusername: 💯♾️

kazbrekkerswife: my husband is so fine 😭

yourusername: mine too 😉🥰

freddycarter1: I adore you ❤️

archierenaux3: how do I just know you spent a lot of time in there?

yourusername: a room full of vintage books with aesthetic lighting? Of course I did 😂🤷‍♀️

liked by amitasuman_, lbardugo, yourusername, and 719, 471 others

freddycarter1: Coffee < Books < Her ❤️

view all 528, 231 comments

yourusername: my real life book boyfriend 🙌🥹

freddycarter1: … we’re married, darling 😘💍

yourusername: it’s a thing Freddy, obviously 💁‍♀️ same way I know you’re not actually a character in a book, smh 🙄 💕

archierenaux3: you’ve got to be running out of books by now mate

freddycarter1: have you seen her TBR? ♾️

archierenaux3: that’s true, she told me she added another two just the other week at that 😂

benbarnes: 😍

liked by yourusername, benbarnes, archierenaux3, and 913, 471 others

freddycarter1: No shelf control

📸: @/yourusername

view all 698, 190 comments

benbarnes: whew 🥵 y/n is a lucky woman

yourusername: 🍀💯

kittheyounger: nice fit mate 👏

archierenaux3: very smashing mate!

yourusername: we love the two best Grishaverse book boyfriends supporting each other #Kanej #TeamMalina

benbarnes: beg your pardon?👀

lbardugo: 🫣

liked by archierenaux3, benbarnes, freddycarter1, and 741, 653 others

yourusername: I only love my bed and my man, I’m sorry 🎵

(Not really sorry 💁‍♀️)

pc 🤳: best brother in law ever @tommyae

view all 536, 417 comments

kittheyounger: okay, I love this 👌

freddycarter1: ☀️❤️

benbarnes: only you two would start your day by reading 😂

yourusername: I’ll have you know we also had an amazing brunch thanks to chef Freddy 💁‍♀️

freddycarter1: wouldn’t want to wake up any other way ❤️

amitasuman_: can’t wait for you to tell me what you think of this series 💕

liked by amitasuman_, archierenaux3, freddycarter1, and 561, 741 others

yourusername: Sweetest things in life 🍬

pc📷: @freddycarter1

view all 324, 857 comments

amitasuman_: 👑

daniellegalligan_: Hot drinks and hot girls 🔥

archierenaux3: taking photos of you reading? What a good book boyfriend 👏

yourusername: the best 🙌

freddycarter1: still not sure I love this book boyfriend thing 🤔😂

archierenaux3: fortunately for you, you just lost a point with that comment🤦‍♂️

yourusername: it’s a compliment Freddy 💁‍♀️

freddycarter1: I’d rather still be considered your husband 💁‍♂️

yourusername: you are 💁‍♀️💁‍♀️ you’re my real life husband who has “book boyfriend“ vibes 🙄❤️

freddycarter1: I just looked up what that means, my apologies ❤️🤦‍♂️

yourusername: I’ll still keep ya 🤷‍♀️😘

liked by amitasuman_, freddycarter1, benbarnes, and 615, 328 others

yourusername: A home without books is like a room without windows; dark and boring. Why be boring? 💖

view all 502, 361 comments

kittheyounger: Which book is this? I can’t keep up with so your reads 😂

yourusername: check out my GoodReads 🥰

amitasuman_: absolutely precious loves 💕

lbardugo: fantastic caption 😊

freddycarter1: 🧐❤️

liked by benbarnes, yourusername, tommyae , and 471, 652 others

freddycarter1: Key to happiness 🥰

view all 243, 587 comments

benbarnes: sickeningly cute 🙄

yourusername: okay Aleksander 💁‍♀️

tommyae: ❤️ you mates

lbardugo: the caption is very accurate, everything in this photo makes me happy 😊

freddycarter1: 😁

yourusername: ❤️

liked by amitasuman_, yourusername, tommyae, and 829, 471 others

freddycarter1: GoodReads & Great Company 😘

view all 741, 298 comments

tommyae: looking radiant love @yourusername

yourusername: Thank you Tommy 🥰

yourusername: favorite place with my favorite person 💕

freddycarter1: don’t misquote my caption darling 💁‍♂️

yourusername: woooowww you’re lucky I like you 🙄

freddycarter1: just like? 🥺

yourusername: no 🙄, not just like ❤️

freddycarter1: 🥹❤️

amitasuman_: my wifey 💕

daniellegalligan_: no, MY wifey 💁‍♀️❤️

freddycarter1: 🤨

yourusername: @freddycarter1 yours (if you stop with the attitude 😉) 💕

FREDDY CARTER NAVIGATION/MASTERLIST

KAZ BREKKER NAVIGATION

MAIN SIX OF CROWS NAVIGATION

GRISHAVERSE NAVIGATION

PIN HAWTHORNE NAVIGATION

MAIN MASTERLIST NAVIGATION (AII MY WORKS)

Current tag list (comment here to be added): @ell0ra-br3kk3r@brekkershadowsinger

[calunalilly]

Questions for Writers

Haven't done one of these ever so... here we go :D Thanks for the tag @riversofmars

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

128

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

1,815,281

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Last Tango in Halifax

Doctor Who

Happy Valley

Collateral

As long as we have Nicola Walker and/or Sarah Lancashire I'm there!

Some of the others include:

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

These Are The Days Of Our Lives - a series of Last Tango in Halifax fics based on prompts from Tumblr, these were meant to be one shots but found myself weaving it all together int oa bigger story!

The Story - my canon companion to Last Tango - weaving things around the canon with no divergence to make it a love story - this was bloody hard!!!

More Time, More Life, More Feeling - another Last Tango, and probably one of my favourites - I still read this fairly often like a little comfort blanket haha.

The Big L.  - my very first outing with Last Tango. I still love this story even though I look back at it and cringe a little giving it was the first thing I ever wrote, but it means a lot to me.

Fall On Me  - a collab that I did with @question-of-perception that explores things from a different perspective for Last Tango!

I've actually written far more for DW than LTIH but you wouldn't know it!

5. Do you respond to comments?

Of course! Each and every one, it's so lovely when I get them and I get so excited!!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I'm definitely a happy endings girl and I can't stand it when things don't work out, so this is hard... Maybe

Between the Eyes  because it wasn't an immediate resolution?

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Hahah all of them have happy endings! I would probably have to say

New Day Coming  for DW, perhaps, although love the one for What Christmas Means To Me  as well. In terms of Last Tango in Halifax, probably The Big L.  because I was so determined to give them their happy ending, its fluffy mcfluff.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Thankfully no, I would definitely cry hahah.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Um. Yes. Probably too much, but its a public service, right? RIGHT?!

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Yes, all the time! My maddest one is probably Call It Dreaming which is a crossover between DW/Last Tango/Happy Valley/Collateral and also has some Stranger Things elements... That was madness, haha.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of! Hope it stays that way...

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I feel like I'm some kind of co-writing slut, hahaha. Yes. With @riversofmars, @question-of-perception, @mrskeeleyhawes, @meluisart, @pocketofpencils and also with some of the folks over at the Hebden Bridge Discord Server. I really enjoy it!

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

It's a close toss up between Caroline Mckenzie Dawson/Gillian Greenwood and Liv Chenka/Helen Sinclair <3

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Hmm... I've got a lot of ideas for different things that I make notes on and a few WIPS, but I'm sure I will come back to them eventually!!

16. What are your writing strengths?

Maybe dialogue? To be honest I don't really know, I just go for it and hope for the best hahaha.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I feel that sometimes I fall back on the same language/phrasing for things and I annoy myself, and always think it's super noticeable in my writing!

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I have the odd bit where there is a point but otherwise CBA. I don't speak any other languages haha.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Last Tango in Halifax.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Whyyyyy do I have to choose just one?! I love More Time, More Life, More Feeling for Last Tango, Interstellar for DW (the middle section is probably, in my head, one of the better bits of writing I've done), Danger Zone because Top Gun AU makes me die, and also Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost  with @riversofmars because Lord of the Rings was the first fic that I ever read way back when I was an angsty teen fangirl. Hah.

Tagging some people I think might be interested but anyone who sees this and fancies it, please fell free! @katiedingo @meluisart @ultramassivecollectorcupcakeblr @pocketofpencils @darkbloomiana

[msshadows97]

Ok, episode 6 of season 2 spoilers below finally and overall thoughts on season 2 and the series of a whole

Hugo went to MIT no thoughts just pointing it out

Noel is still talking to the cut out, boy needs therapy

Betty being jealous of the cardboard then attacking it

Hugo is me on a mental level

Evil santa is a highlight along with Olga the only reason I liked this season

Why do I feel like evil santa getting a reaction arc

I Hate Scott's short beard it gets shorter each episode

Carol "IS HE DEAD" and being a momma bear I love her

Canoe kid was fluffy?

How did he recognize Mrs claus she look like a normal person not any depiction of what Mrs claus looks like. She's in a jacket with hair down.

Attack squirrel I wish we saw it attack Scott's beard

Noel starting a war without everyone what bro. You can't fight a war alone

Betty and Gary beef

Uncanny valley reindeer

Why bring fluffy? I love him, don't get me wrong, but civilian.

Eddie is in charge

Fluffy said crap and then swallowed a bug

Do the elfs mine coal since the gnomes used to?

Lemon easterbunny

Would he rot?

Oh my god Easter bunny is aware as a lemon!!

Sandra doesn't know how to do magic you are putting a lot of faith is someone who has no idea what to do

MAD SANTA THINKS THE EARTH IS FLAT

Why is Betty holding a damn toy sword

Cal needs to be a real boy

Again toy sword against an axe.

Men being OCD on where things go.

Ew, their bellies touch and made a sound.

Betty just "this is sparta"

They are fighting like children and not the centery old beings that they are

Mad santa hating on the beard and I agree

God, this is petty between two Santa's. It doesn't even feel like a fight more like a playground argument.

"Give me back, my son." Bro is way too calm, having his son in enemy hands. He could have destroyed him.

Noel making peace with the gnomes makes me happy. (I have a lot of gnome Christmas stuff)

Honestly, why didn't they make peace a while ago?

The amulet being a chalice lowkey bothers me. As an amulet, to me, tend to be a jeweled necklace. Like saying "the chalice" would still be cool

Hahaha, Scott being yeeted

I want an Olga redeption arc

I wish he says chalice

Befana is a mood

Olga exploring is cute. And making something useful and making a printer ink lol

Again, since mad santa isn't human, DO THEY JUST SPAWN IN?

Scott, i feel like still wasn't listening to Mad santa when he was talking about Cal not wanting to be santa

Befana is saying soup and (I forgot who) said chip and dale.

Cal loving being a Nutt cracker, then immediately had a stroke

Reception arc mad santa

Betty being able to make toys now? OK, was last season a wake-up call for her? Was she just sad about Christmas and couldn't make toys? Did she learn how to make them?

Gibberish is best to make toys

Olga REDEPTION ARC

OLGA TOASTER

mad santa putting himself in jail

GARY SAID DIVA

since mad santa is not human what does he do? Does he go to the yule verse? How does a santa go to the yule verse when they retire? Does mad santa need to die?

Fluffy in jail also is a mood

Again, I think Scott's beard is getting shorter every second

Prom is cute, and all that happened to the Easter bunny? Is he still a lemon?

Scott is thinking Cal is going to college while Carol knows better. Bro, not making it through college.

Mad santa needs therapy let's be honest

Olga breakup with mad santa lowkey sad as it was a cute father daughter relationship. Hateful relationship and cute

Fluffy, not going to lie, honestly added nothing to the show and him being a character felt really pushed. Expessually this last episode.

La befana being "no I don't want a job"

Easter Bunny isn't a lemon anymore. I wish we saw him yell and have a break down

Now there's troll drama. They aren't being racist but speciest? Is season 3 about trolls now?

Betty better not be leaving

Betty and Noel better not leave. I'm sad they are my otp. They are probably leaving as the actors might be getting too old now.

Curtis isn't dead! But then that begs the question, what in the willy wonka happened to unblueberry him?

Where the hell is curtis

"Santa claus is coming to town" as Santa claus is in literally in the crowd

Ew Scott is breaking the fourth wall.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Final thoughts on this season and the characters:

Carol felt useless and needs a hobby other than telling Gary what to do. I'm honestly sad that her character is feeling flat. I don't exactly know how they CAN fix it as Mrs Claus is very in the background as a whole in the holiday.

Fluffy felt like an unneeded character. His jokes were bland for a comedian. Most of his jokes were about daddy issues, which his character did have, and it wasn't funny tbh. Idk I feel like mad santa could of done better without fluffy being there.

Mad santa and Olga: I love the design and his sass. Olga and him really bounced off eachother well. I loved that Olga didn't put up with Mad Santa and would make fun of him. Olga and Mad Santa were honestly the reason is ticked this far into this reason as they were actually fun.

Cal is a golden retriever with two braincells, and both are thinking about girls. I hate Riley, but she's fits his lack of thought well as she is also head empty. I wish Cal was actually intelligent and not your stereotypical disney boy.

Sandra is the golden child. Sandra, I truly like and was worried she would be as flat as Carol. I'm glad she has magic, but I have no idea where they might go with her magic. Might be interesting if she becomes halloween as that's a legendary we haven't seen.

La befana, I have mixed feelings on this season. I liked her a lot, season 1, but now she just seems weak and not the powerful witch we thought she was in season 1.

Scott....... needs a longer beard. He needs to get his ass out of his head and actually listen and look at his children instead of what HE wants. I want to see him make toys like he did in the movies and actually be in the workshop.

Betty and Noel leaving makes me sad as they were my OTP and will be sad to see them go. I'm scared who the next head elf will be if they do decide not to return from Kribble Krabble. Because none of the elves we see currently are head elf material. Eddie should not be head elf.

Curtis isn't dead????? I need an explanation how he survived.

If season 3 does happen, I want to see more hands on Scott in the workshop. Cal gaining 5 more braincells. Carol having a hobby. Backstory on Gary's eye

[annwayne]

Thanks for tagging me @chaniis-atlantis !

How many works do you have on AO3?

12!

What's your total AO3 word count?

81,885

What fandoms do you write for?

Only have Star Wars fics posted on ao3, but I have wips in all these fandoms: Stargate Atlantis, Call of Duty, Predator, Riddick, Marvel, Baldurs Gate 3, Mass Effect, Grimm, Leverage, True Blood

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1. The Red Logs: Return to the Temple 2. Humanitarian Aid 3. Ann Wayne's Cute and Spicy Star Wars Art Collection 4. Heightened Senses and Natural Perfumes: Reader Version 5. Cozy Sun Spot

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yeah! If I see them, sometimes I don't get the email and then I don't see the notification till I next go on ao3's desktop website lol Comments are what give me motivation. So I try to respond to all of them to let the commenter know that their words mean a lot. I know how scary it can be to write your feelings out to share.

What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

oh uh. none? I don't really do sad or angsty endings. I don't even have any wips planned to be angsty I just. I like the story to end happy. (though uh, I do know of one wip that will have a fairly sad ending)

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Well, I can tell you know that my Baldurs Gate 3 fic will be the happiest ending because Astarion deserves it!!!!

Do you get hate on fics?

Not so far.

Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Yep! So far it's all been M/F and pretty vanilla tbh. I lean more fluffy and sweet with smut haha.

Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

No. I don't really care for crossovers right now.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

No.

Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

Kinda? We didn't finish it.

What's your all-time favourite ship?

I don't have all time favorites I have current fixations, of which: Astur (Tav)/Astarion from BG3 and Awyn/Eric

What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

Hahaha no no no I don't want to admit xD Probably my leverage or mass effect fics. I thought I'd have loads of ideas and would write a ton in those fandoms, but the word docs sit blank. Mass Effect I think was just so complete of a story. I'm not sure there's anything more I want to explore? AU's maybe, but I dunno. And with Leverage, well, I think I just lost steam really fast for that fandom.

What are your writing strengths?

I'm great working in premade world. If there's a world and set up already made for me, I can write in it and write those characters.

What are your writing weaknesses?

I think I write too fast. Like plot pacing. I don't let things sink in.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

?? thoughts, is this something to have thoughts about?? Uh, it's fine? I've got a few fics that use dialogue in another language.

First fandom you wrote for?

I'm not sure... I think Adventure Time? Though that was a comic haha. I know for sure I posted a fic to ff.net for Ouran High School Host Club.

Favourite fic you've ever written?

In the past I could never finish long fics, so I'm really happy I finished The Red Logs: Return to the Temple. Now to see if I can finish a series of fics ToT I also really like how that fic came out. I think there's already a lot I would do to improve it, but it's just such a fun read. I dunno I like it.

[zepskies]

Aww yay!! I'm so glad it was worth the wait. 🥰💕💕

Beau is so much like Dean in that regard. Always with the self-blame™️

HA! Yes, absolutely right. 🙃🙃

This is some cuteness overload type of dad shit 🥹 I loved that little scene so much!

Aww thank you!! I loved writing this scene with Beau and Emily -- some much needed father/daughter comfort time. 💗

This man, I swear. God broke the mold when he made him 😇

Ikr?? This man has his flaws, but he seems like one that would be this considerate.

Hahaha definitely something you wanna say to Beau-Beau. So fitting! And of course, you brought the riding a horse reference back. I knew you would 😆

Hahaaa I promised I would!! I couldn't pass up that opportunity. 😝

Loved their time alone! It was equal parts sweet, funny, and hot! Just the way you want it to be 😍

Thank you so much!! I'm still not totally confident in my smut writing abilities, but I'm glad you enjoyed the rest of this chapter. I like writing love scenes that inject some fun humor around the spicy moments lol.

Gah, Zep! That chapter was so cute and damn fluffy, even with all that trauma and hotness mixed in! Can't wait to read the finale to this amazing series (and the two one-shots that followed lol) 🥰❤️

I'm so very glad you enjoyed it, friend!! 🥰 I can't wait to dive into your thoughts on chapter 9!! 💕💕

Take Me Home - Part 8

Pairing: Beau Arlen x F. Reader 

Summary: You are another lost soul at Sunny Day Excursions. You’re aiming to settle in Helena, Montana, where Beau Arlen is the new sheriff in town. But you’ve both got a past you’re running from. 

AN: I think you guys are gonna like this chapter. 😘 (Or at least I hope so.)

Song Inspo: “Take Me Home (Country Roads)” by John Denver, and “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” by Elvin Bishop

Word Count: 4.9K

Tags/Warnings: 18+ only! Fluff, hurt/comfort, and smut, of course. (Finally.)

❤️ Series Masterlist

Part 8: Take Me Home

“You sure you don’t need anything else, hun?” Denise asked you, for the third time.

She sat beside your hospital bed and rubbed your arm. You covered her hand with yours, careful not to tug the IV line taped to the top of your hand.

“I’m fine. It’s okay,” you replied. Your aunt was fighting tears in her red-rimmed eyes, but if she started crying, then you would start crying all over again. You gave her a small smile and grabbed your cup of water instead.

Now that you were getting fluids and electrolytes pumped into you (and you’d had a big turkey and cheese sandwich), you were starting to feel better. Emily had been checked out here in the Emergency Department as well, but she had also been discharged just a few minutes ago.

She came to say goodbye to you over in your curtained off room. She was reluctant to leave you here, but you hugged her close and fought the tears in your eyes. Beau and Carla were there too, both waiting for their daughter and smiling at the scene. 

“Time for you to get some rest,” you told her with a smile.

“Are they going to keep you here all night?” she asked, after pulling away from your arms. She sniffled too, wiping at her face.

“Probably not,” you said. “I think they’re just being extra.”

“Not if you hit your head hard enough,” Denise remarked. Her gaze was pointedly chiding.

The doctor thought the tenderness on the back of your head was just bruising. You didn’t seem to have a concussion. She mostly wanted to keep you because you were dehydrated, more so than Emily. That, combined with the minor head trauma, meant you were a bit too out of it for the doctor’s liking. She wanted to keep you on the IV for a while longer, as well as monitor the severity of your head injury.

You sighed. All you wanted to do was go home and take a shower, then fall face first in your bed…

Well, okay, maybe not face first. You were a bit bruised up. The nurse had also applied a salve on your wrists for the tape and rope burns.

“Well, I hope you feel better,” said Emily. You gave her one last smile, squeezing her hand. You guided her off to join her mom in the hallway.

Meanwhile, Beau approached your bed. Denise wore a certain smile, but she backed out to give you two some privacy.

You smiled up at Beau, who touched your bruised cheek tenderly. In his eyes, you saw pain, but also deeper emotions shining there. He leaned down and pressed a warm kiss to your forehead. You closed your eyes and savored the feeling.

“I’m sorry,” he said, after he pulled away. “I need to go and get Emily settled at home, but I’ll come see you soon as I can.”

You shook your head. “It's okay, don’t worry.”

“Thank you,” he said. His gaze became heavier, weighted with guilt. “For trying to take care of her through all this. I know I couldn’t. I failed both of you, and I’m so sorry.”

You grabbed his hand with both of yours. Your eyes burned with emotion, but you looked up at him firmly.

“This isn’t on you,” you said. “I’m sure you did your best. She knows it, and I do too. And we’re okay.”

 Beau let out a long breath. You knew he didn’t totally believe you, but he nodded and laid a kiss on the back of your hand.

“I’ll be back for you,” he said. You smiled through your tears.

“Okay. I’m counting on that.”

That night, Beau tucked Emily into bed like she was still a little girl. She humored him, smiling in amusement while he smoothed the warm quilt over her, pulled up to her shoulders. He bent down and kissed her forehead, just like he used to do every night after story time.

“If you need anything, and I mean anything, I’ll be right down the hall,” he said. At this moment, Carla was setting up one of the two guest rooms for him. If nothing else, Avery had spared no expense on this country-style house.

“Have you checked on her yet?” Emily asked.

Beau knew she meant you. He sighed, shaking his head. He’d been preoccupied with making sure Emily got home safe, but it didn’t mean he’d forgotten about you. He just didn’t want to leave his daughter tonight.

“She tried to play it off, but he hit her pretty hard,” Emily said. She looked concerned about you, and Beau was too. 

He breathed through that information with a tense nod. He was now actually grateful for Sunny Barnes, and the choice she made up on that mountainside in the woods.

Just then, his phone buzzed in his pocket. It was a text from Denise:

They’re keeping her overnight at the hospital.

Before Beau’s worry could start climbing, another text came in.

Nothing to worry about. Some of her levels were still low, so they just want to monitor her progress overnight and be sure she’s okay. She’ll probably get discharged in the morning. 

He nodded in understanding (and with a breath of relief).

“Who’s that?” Emily asked.

“It’s Denise, says they’re gonna have to stay overnight. But it’s nothing serious,” he supplied. Then he texted back.

OK, good… I’ll come by the hospital in the morning, if that’s all right.

Denise soon replied.

Of course it is. See you tomorrow, Sheriff!

Beau pocketed his phone, just to spy his daughter’s sly smile. He felt his face warming with embarrassment.

“What?” he asked. Emily sighed and freed her arms, crossing them over the quilt.

“If you love her, you should really just tell her,” she said.

To say that shocked Beau would be an understatement. He gave a chuckle of disbelief.

“You playing matchmaker for me already?” he said.

“I have two working eyes, Dad,” she wryly replied. Beau’s lips quirked upwards, but his gaze fell with uncertainty. 

“It’s okay,” Emily said, laying a hand on his arm. “I want you to be happy, even if it’s not with Mom.”

He smiled. Sometimes she could be just like her mom, he reflected. In a good way.

“You’re really okay with it?” he asked. Emily raised an incredulous brow at him.

“Yeah, Dad. I like her a lot,” she said. “And not just because she was there for me through this whole thing…”

Beau’s heart began to break again, seeing the trauma in her eyes. He leaned in and gave her a warm, comforting hug. She held him back just as tight, resting her head on his shoulder.

“As long as I’m alive, I’m gonna make sure you’re safe,” he promised. “Even if I gotta follow you to the prom.”

Emily laughed through the beginnings of tears. Even if he did make through on that promise one day, she might not mind so much.

By the morning, the doctor was happier with your vitals and determined that your bruised skull was indeed minor. You were finally given the green light to get discharged from the hospital, and you couldn’t have been any more ready to go home.

Denise was flitting around your hospital room to get your stuff together. If you were honest, she was making you a bit dizzy as you sat on the edge of the bed.

“Okay, I tidied up your apartment a bit when I was getting your clothes and stuff. So you shouldn’t have to do anything when you get home, except get some rest, of course,” she said. She set your little duffel bag full of your dirty clothes from yesterday, your toiletries, and your purse.

You now wore a fresh shirt and some jeans, but despite using baby wipes to try and clean yourself, you still felt dusty and grimy, even in your hair.

“Let’s go then,” you said, about to push yourself up from your hospital bed. Denise stopped you with a hand on your arm.

“Not just yet, honey,” she said. She was texting someone on her phone. You gave her a look of confusion.

“Why? You ordering room service or something?” you joked. Just then, someone’s tall frame stepped into the doorway of your room.

“Special Delivery,” said Beau. He wore a smile to go along with his familiar beige jacket, as well as a takeout bag from your favorite breakfast café, and a small bouquet of flowers.

Your eyes widened in shock, then with tears.

“What…”

“I told you I’d be back,” he teased. “Sorry I’m a little late.”

He swooped in and gave you the flowers first, along with a sweet kiss on the cheek. You sniffled, admiring the pretty reds, oranges, and yellows in the assortment. Your eyes traveled up to his handsome grin.

He bent down beside you to offer his arm. “You ready to go then?”   

You were confused, but you still curled a hand around his arm, letting him help you to your feet.

“I asked Denise if I could give you a police escort home,” Beau said, his eyes dancing. “Is that all right with you?”

Your wide eyes dimmed with understanding and amusement, especially when you looked over at your aunt. She really was devious.

“That’s very all right,” you said.

“Good! I’m gonna head home, but I’ll be checking in on you later,” Denise said.

She kissed your cheek as well, and then she was gone, leaving you still holding onto Beau’s arm. He leaned over and grabbed your duffel bag along with the food. You knew you’d be breaking that open in the car.

He looked down on you with a softer smile.

“Can I finally get you out of here?” he asked.

You smiled back.

“Yeah,” you replied, resting your head on his shoulder. “Please, take me home.”

After getting home to a nice clean apartment (and bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches eaten in the car), Beau set down your things while you went to grab a shower.

You tried to be quick but thorough in washing your hair, along with the rest of yourself.

Beau made sure dishes were put away, trash was taken out, all the little things he could think of, so you wouldn’t have to later. Then he relaxed on the couch and watched some TV while he waited for you.

He noticed that you’d replaced the coffee table with solid wood this time. The pictures had new frames.

He took note of one with your father, who was dressed in his formal uniform, with the white hat and decals that designated him as a firehouse chief. There was another of you with a group of friends. (Michael was missing from that group, Beau noted with satisfaction.) Then there was one of just you and Mary.

And on the wall was a new canvas that didn’t yet have a frame. It was an unsigned painting of a forest of yellow aspen trees, with a single road cutting through them.

“That’s the view I had when I drove into Montana for the first time,” you said. Beau switched off the TV and turned to look at you.

You were leaning on the back of the couch, next to his head. You gave him a smile, before you pushed away to come around and join him.

“You’re getting good, you know,” he said, gesturing at your artwork.

And you smelled nice, he thought, like jasmine soap and whatever shampoo you used. He noted that you’d mostly dried your hair. It was the good kind of messy, falling around your shoulders. You’d also opted for a thin sweater over your jeans. He caught the edge of something lacey peeking out of your collar.

“Thanks,” you said, a little bashful. “I’m trying. I’ve been taking lessons.”

“It shows,” he nodded. He inched closer to you, turning towards you with a bent knee resting on the cushion. You did the same. His arm rested across the back of the couch, beside your head. By now he’d taken off his jacket, so you could almost feel the warmth of his skin near your cheek.

“Anyway, how’s Emily doing?” you asked, touching his knee. “And Carla?”

He nodded with a sigh. “Em’s shaken up, but…she’ll be okay. I think she’s handling it better than her mom, to be honest.”

You could understand that, actually. Not only had Carla lost her husband, but she’d almost lost her daughter in the same night. You didn’t know how you would cope in that situation either.

“She’s a tough kid,” you said of Emily. “But Carla seems strong too.”

“She is,” Beau agreed. “They both are.”

He leaned forward and gently thumbed at the yellowing bruise just under your eye. He sighed.

“Em told me everything that happened,” he said.

You bit your lip. You tried not to let it, but a fresh wave of emotion was rising in your chest, up to your throat.

“I tried to get Buck to let her go,” you said. Your voice trembled, almost choking on your words. “I’m sorry—”

“Hey.” He caressed your cheek. He blinked past the stinging in his own eyes. “You don’t have anything to apologize for. Do you hear me?”

You sniffed as a couple tears made their way down your face. You quickly wiped them away.

“I’m the one who needs you to forgive me,” he said, gently squeezing your arm. “I promised myself I would keep you safe, that I wouldn’t drag you into this mess. And I couldn’t keep my end of the deal.”

“Stop that,” you said. You grabbed the front of his shirt. “How many times do I have to say it’s not your fault before you get it in your stubborn head?”

It came out a bit snappish, but the moment your shining eyes met his, you both seemed to realize where your passions had led you. Just inches away from one another.

“Maybe one more time,” Beau said, in a quieter, but no less heady voice. There was a hint of humor in his eyes. You couldn’t help but smile back.

You released his shirt and instead, took his face in your hands.

“I’m not forgiving you,” you said, “because I don’t blame you. All I wanted is what I’m getting right now. You, right here with me.”

Beau shook his head and let out a sharp breath. Then he finally closed the distance once again, meeting you with a kiss. It wasn’t soft or sweet. It was passionate and claiming, and soon it was devouring. You pulled him in and tangled your fingers in his hair. With a groan, he wrapped his arms around your waist and hauled you into his lap. There you moved to straddle his hips, battling with lips and tongue all the while.

The kiss broke suddenly, letting you both catch your breath for a moment.

“Wanted do that all week,” Beau said, through panting breaths. You laughed a little, soothing your fingers through his hair. You took a comfortable seat in his lap.

“Remember how you helped put my bed together when I moved in?” you asked.

“Sure do. Nearly lost a thumb on that one,” he replied cheekily. You grinned and brushed your thumb along his lower lip.

“Well, then I think it’s only fair you help me break it in,” you said, maybe sounding more confident than you felt.

Beau smiled. Yet he still managed to surprise you; with supportive hands under your thighs, he took you with him when he stood. You yelped in surprise and clung to his shoulders. He laughed and pressed a kiss into your neck, before he carried you into the bedroom.

There he sat you down on the edge of the bed. He lowered and kneeled between your legs, letting you hold him there with his bearded face in your hands again. Your heart was full looking down at him, finding his amusement as well as his desire. It was a beautiful thing, you thought.

His hands slipped under the hem of your sweater and began inching it up. You shivered at the way his hands felt against your bare skin. You helped him pull the sweater over your head, revealing a black silk camisole underneath, edged with lace.

He hummed in appreciation and felt the silk between his fingers.

“Were you planning for this?” he asked.

“I might’ve hoped,” you said with a smile.

You then sighed at the feeling of him leaning in to kiss down your neck, and down your chest. He stopped briefly to get the camisole off, finding your red, lacy bra underneath. That was his other favorite color on you so far. His kisses led him down between your breasts as he unhooked the bra next.

You tugged at the back of his sweater, trying to get it off. He paused in his explorations to help you. By then he got impatient with kneeling. He took you with him by the hips when he straightened, letting his hands feel every exposed curve of you. You sighed against his lips, kissing him again with renewed passion. 

Your hands slid down his shoulders and arms, and over his slightly furry chest, down to his belt between you. You started on the buckle. The click of the metal was like a switch in his brain; he let you get as far as unbuttoning his jeans before he took over for you. After all his days of indecision, he was a bit impatient.

Most of his clothes became a haphazard pile next to most of yours on the floor. You let him guide you back onto the bed, though he was careful in cupping the back of your head when he laid you down. You might not have had a concussion, but you were still bruised and healing, in more ways than one.

Beau had you almost naked underneath him, save for your unhooked bra and panties. For a moment, he had to savor the sight of you, beautiful and laid out for him. But he found himself slowing down for a different reason. He caressed your cheek. 

“Are you sure?” he asked. “I mean, I just brought you home from the hospital—”

You cut him off by hooking a hand behind his neck, and pulling him down for a heated kiss.

“Don’t make me wait anymore, Beau,” you whispered. “I need you.”

He looked down at you with a growing smile. “Yes, ma’am.”

You laughed, and the sound and brightness of it made his smile deepen. He ducked down to burn another path of wet, open-mouthed kisses down the other side of your neck.

You sighed and tilted your head, giving him access. Your hands swept across his shoulders, down the smooth planes of his back.

You hooked a thigh around his hip, bringing him flush against your center. His rising length brushed the dampness in your panties. He moaned against your skin. His kisses became sloppier down to your breasts.

You helped him peel the loose bra from your shoulders. He flung it away to parts unknown, making you giggle. He smirked in response, but soon your amusement turned to moans as his lips found one of your breasts.

His tongue swirled around the hardened bud and scraped gently with his teeth. He also palmed at the other, squeezing gently and rolling a hard nipple under his fingers.

“God, Beau…” Your voice was breathy and desperate, your fingers starting to rake through his hair and across his scalp. It made a shiver run down his spine. He wondered what it would take to have your nails scraping down his back.

You were already panting and squirming against him now, your legs gripping his waist tighter to try and find friction. He grabbed one of your thighs, just to feel the soft flesh under his hand.

“I gotcha, baby,” he said, panting hot breath between your breasts. “Gonna take care of you.”

“Please,” you whimpered. “It’s uh…been a long time.”

He nodded, glancing up at you. “Yeah, for me too.”

“Well, you’re doing great,” you said with a laugh.

He chuckled along with you. “I appreciate the encouragement.”

But this was all the encouragement he needed, he knew, as his fingers probed your wet heat through your underwear. You moaned and pressed yourself against his hand, seeking more. Part of him wanted to tease you, get you even more worked up…

Maybe next time, he thought. Right now, he didn’t have the patience. He pushed off you just long enough to take off your panties, bringing them down your legs and tossing them away in a smooth motion.

His own underwear came next before he lowered back down to you. You welcomed him with a searing kiss. You once again sunk your fingers into his hair and scraped with your nails, eliciting a sound from deep within his throat.

He held himself above you with a forearm above your head. His free hand moved down your body, caressing, squeezing your breast, then your ass.

“Need you to touch me,” you whispered against his lips.

He knew what you meant, but he couldn’t help teasing you a little.

“I am touching you.” He gave your ass another meaningful squeeze, but you just smirked and gave his a smack. It surprised him enough to make him buck against you.

“Ey!” he chuckled.

“Come on, cowboy,” you said. Your hand slipped in between you to find his hard cock resting against your thigh. He groaned and fastened his lips to your neck while your deft fingers explored him, teased him up and down the shaft, and the sensitive, already weeping head.

“Oh, fuck,” he muttered. It had been a while since anyone but his own hand had touched him. Your soft hand felt heavenly as you used the wet beads of precum as lube across his velvety flesh. (And he had a feeling your mouth would be divine.)

But Beau wasn’t about to be outdone.

When you’d nearly brought him to the brink, teasing him with the twists and turns of your hand, he stopped you with a hand over yours and had to catch his breath for a moment. His forehead pressed into your shoulder. You giggled and rubbed his back with your free hand.

“Need a minute?” you teased. “I barely touched you.”

Beau shot you an amused look. “What can I say? You’ve got some talented hands.”

His lips brushed over the red, healing skin on your wrist. He moved further down to nip a biting kiss to the sensitive inside of your arm.

His beard scraped deliciously against your skin there, and then further down, as he laid kisses over your breasts, down your stomach, and finally down between your thighs. Your breathing became more labored the further down he went.

His fingers parted your folds and found your pussy wet and glistening for him. He gathered some of your wetness and brushed your clit, earning a sound of pleasure from you.

He let those sounds spur him on as he discovered what you liked and what you wanted, soon letting his long fingers find their way inside you.

Your hands clamped down on his shoulders as you writhed against him, pleading with his name, your hips beginning to undulate in time with his fingers.

He didn’t stop their motions pulsing inside you; his thumb circled insistently over your clit as well, until he felt your inner walls tighten and quiver around his hand, along with your shaking thighs. He swallowed up your keening cry with a deep kiss.

“You okay, baby?” he asked. He brushed your hair back, and it fanned out against your pillow. You panted heavily, but still managed to smile. You stroked his arm.

“Are you kidding?” you breathed. “Thought I was gonna break your damn hand.”

He smirked. “I considered that myself.”

His amusement only faded when a new realization hit him. “Aw shit. I don’t have a condom.”

He felt like a damn teenager, thinking with his dick and nothing else. Though he also hadn’t wanted to assume anything when he told Denise he would bring you home.

You shook your head and twined your arms around his neck.

“I’m on birth control…and I trust you,” you said.

Beau had a feeling that last part meant a lot of things. His smile grew, looking at you.

“Well, all right,” he said. “We’re in business then.”

“Oh, we’re in business, all right,” you replied. You giggled when he came back down to kiss you. He swept a hand along your cheek, tenderly.

If you love her, you should really just tell her.

That had been filtering in and out of his head all night and day. He couldn’t deny what that familiar swell of his heart meant every time he looked too deep into your eyes. He just wondered if it was too fast, too soon to say those words.

So in lieu of those words, he decided to show you.

He hooked your thighs around his hips and positioned himself at your entrance. After meeting your eyes and getting your breathless nod of approval, he slowly pushed inside you. Already he felt your core flutter around his cock as he brushed your clit. You both were breathing heavy again when he bottomed out with just the right amount of resistance.

“Goddamn,” he muttered. “Feel so fuckin’ good already.”

You nodded in agreement, squeezing his hips with your thighs.

“You rarin’ to go then?” you teased.

Those were his almost exact words to you, not so long ago. He’d been trying to get you to learn how to ride a horse, but he supposed there were…a few similarities here. He grinned down at you, and instead of answering, he shifted his hips, pulling out almost all the way, and pushing back in just as slowly.

A curse fell from your lips as your inner walls accommodated his girth. He gave you slow strokes to begin with, meeting your lips with a heated kiss when he could.

But once he found an angle that had you shuddering underneath him, squeezing him from the inside out, he couldn’t hold back anymore. 

A sheen of sweat broke out against his skin and yours as you moved together. Between moans and skin against skin, whispered encouragements, and playful goading, you felt the moment when he was close.

His movements began to stutter out of rhythm, his grip on your hip becoming almost bruising. You still needed a bit more, though you could practically taste your end; that hot coil was tightening, just not fast enough.

You slipped a hand between you to find your clit. His hand soon replaced yours though, wanting to do it himself. His deft fingers and his hard strokes brushing that sensitive spot inside finally made that coil snap. Warmth blossomed from your core and pulsed around his cock.

It had your pussy clenching on him so tight, he couldn’t help but spill into you with a ragged groan. You gasped, your back arching at the feeling of being filled to the brim.

Afterwards, he relaxed onto his elbow by your head, mindful not to smother you as he caught his breath. You sank back into bed, panting yourself. You managed to reach up and sweep his hair from his eyes, then wiped some of the sweat from his brow. It brought his gaze to meet yours and find your smile.

Beau smiled back. His hand was more soothing along your thigh.

“Well,” he said. “It was a pleasure doing business with you, darlin’.”

You burst out laughing. You covered your face with a hand, and it had his shoulders shaking as well.

He untangled from you and rolled onto his back. You followed him onto your side, closing your sticky thighs. You intended to ask if he wanted to join you for another shower in a bit, but for now, you wanted to savor this moment.

“Were you waiting the whole time so you could say that?” you asked.

“Nope. That was fresh. And I’m not ashamed to say, pretty proud of it,” he rejoined.

“I don’t know…” you said slyly, even as you trailed lazy fingers across his chest. Your nails dragged lightly over his skin, causing a delicious shiver to run through him. “I might need to rethink our future business transactions.”

Beau snorted and shook his head.

“All right. Let’s drop this metaphor,” he said. “I prefer to think of our time as pleasure, not business.”

He clasped your wandering hand against his chest, then raised it to his lips. It made your smile soften. You were at least half in love with this man.

“Yeah,” you agreed.

It’s our time now.

AN: 😘 Finally right?! Let me know what you thought of how they worked things out. 💗

(And thank you all so much for the birthday wishes. You guys are too good to me! 😭💓)

Next time, we have the grand finale...

Next Time:

Beau’s resulting deep breath raised you as well. He nodded, brushing your hair back away from your face. You pushed up enough to look up at him.

He gave you a quirking smile.

“I want this to stick,” he admitted. “I wanna take you on a proper date and make it official.”

You smiled back at him. “I’d like that.”

“Okay,” he nodded. “We’re in agreement.”

But you didn’t realize that anything official would take more time than either of you thought. 

▶️ Keep Reading: PART 9 (Finale!)

Ko-Fi Me ☕

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[greenninjagal-blog]

Another One Bites the (Star)Dust pt1

What is up my guys. After five months, seven drafts, and far to many screaming matches with google docs, I bring you the next installment for the [Space and Everything In It series]! 

((Also a special thanks to @secretlypansexualmango for being my sounding board through all of this. I am so sorry for the wait))

Summary: After a nightmare, Virgil goes to check on his space family, and finds....more than he bargained for in a late night run in with the ships’ unfavored guest.

Word Count: 10200

TW: Nightmares about death and dying, blood, attacks, poor coping mechanisms, 

Quick Taglist: @alias290 @chelsvans @coyboi300 @dante-reblogs @dwbh888 @glitchybina @faithfulcat111 @felicianoromano @harrypotternerdprincess @holliberries @jemthebookworm @killerfangirl3 @mrbubbajones  @musical-nerd18 @nonasficcollection @stricken-with-clairvoyancy @the-sunshine-dims @themagicheartmailman @themultishipperchild @thenaiads @treasureofpriam @vianadraws @welovelogansanders  

Read on AO3 || My General Writing Masterlist

The Dust was not grey, Virgil noted absently. It was more of blueish color, like that one pair of jeans Virgil had worn until the all the color had washed out of them, like every pair of sneakers that his parents pressured him to get because he was “being too picky” for wanting purple shoes, like the towels in Janus’s bathroom that they used to dry off after an unplanned midnight swim.

The Dust was not grey. It floated in the air suspended in a breathless wonderment, like ashes after a house fire. Virgil got to stare at it for a minsannu, a qisannu, an eternity as it hung in the emptiness and he could see every detail of each individual grain. It was the cool grey color inherently, but if he looked too closely, too long, too hard, he could see the specks of red and purple in it, like embers flitting away, somehow too hot and too cold at the same time.

Or maybe that was just the blood.

Virgil’s mouth tasted like both: the dust and the blood. It coated the back of his mouth and his throat and the inside of his lungs and made every inhale burn in a way that Virgil hadn’t known was possible. He wanted to cry, did cry, had been crying for longer than he even remembered.

His eyes itched from tears, his chest ached from the bruises and the broken ribs and the knife wound that needed stitching he couldn’t get. Not here, not ever. His head hurt from where he hit the ground minsannus ago so hard that his vision blurred and all he had been able to see is that dust moving in slow motion right over him.

He could hear the cheers all around him still, the echoing violent wordless noises made from clickings and growls and gurgles and screeches and--

And it was all different and foreign and Virgil didn’t know what was going on, didn’t want to know what was happening around him. His skin was on fire, burning and bubbling and blistering under the harsh sun until his outsides felt just like his insides and he wasn’t sure which was which. He tried to blot out the noise, he tried and tried and tried but no matter how hard he pressed his hands to his ears the crowd’s voices were louder, stronger, more powerful and more roaring. 

He could feel the vibrations of the noise shaking him apart.

He couldn’t breathe.

“Virgil!” 

Another voice sliced through the chaos, sliced through the cacophony and the crowd, sharp and pleading and familiar in a way that made Virgil’s soul beg. And Virgil’s whole body writhed in agony from how quickly he uncurled himself to find the source of it. It sounded like safety, like softness and protection and something that wasn’t stained with grit and sweat and blood and dust.

“Virgil!” Patton yelled, appearing right in front of him, so small and so breakable. His eyes were so big and so weak and all it would take was just one jab and Patton would be gone forever, and Virgil would never get a hug from him again, would never get to see him dance around the kitchen again, would never get to hear him call him “kiddo” again. 

What was he doing? Was he stupid?

The dust looked wrong on his skin: it turned Patton’s pale green flush to a pasty grey. Like a Halloween Ghost, a ghoul with makeup on, like a poorly made joke that wormed around Virgil’s chest and squeezed all the scarce oxygen from them.

There wasn’t enough oxygen in the first place, Virgil knew. Never enough, not here on the planet’s surface. It was a mockery of Earth; just enough gravity to hold him down, just enough oxygen to keep him breathing, just enough distance from the sun to keep from burning him alive. Virgil could never breathe in enough, and if the fights went on too long his body boiled, and if he moved too slow he would be dead. 

“Oh kiddo,” Patton said, between cracked and drying lips and taking a step back from him. “What did you do?”

Virgil's chest lurched, like there was something inside of him trying to claw its way out. His head pounded, and every time he blinked he swore Patton got further away, like he was scrambling back, like he was afraid, like he was running and leaving Virgil there, all alone. The words rang in his head, echoing louder and louder until Virgil couldn’t hear anything else.

“Pat--!” Virgil yelled, screamed, begged. He was right there-- no, please don’t leave him, not here, not alone-- he’s sorry, so sorry, he’ll be better, do better please don’t make him--

He strained for the smaller alien, desperate and broken and hysterical. He lunged after Patton, because Patton had always meant warmth, safety, home. He threw a frenzied arm out reaching for him and--

The dust was not grey, and it didn’t look grey on his own skin. Virgil knew this because the dust was always on him. Clinging to his skin, caked on in the clots of blood and the dried up sweat and recesses of every tattered piece of fabric he’d ever tried to hold on too. He couldn’t get it off of himself no matter how much he rubbed, scraped, clawed at himself. The dust clung to him like a shadow, like a phantom, and it made his sunburn look faintly purple.

“How could you?” Patton’s voice sobbed because Virgil’s hands were not just faintly purple. 

They were red. And sticky. And dripping. 

“No,” Virgil choked. His mouth tasted like ash, like dirt, and that fucking dust. “No! Nono Nononono!” He stepped back and the solid ground that he’d been thrown against again and again and again swayed and bucked under his feet; an ocean of grit that his knees couldn’t brace against.

The crowd was cheering. He could almost hear them: even as he was screaming, even as he was pressing his drenched hands over his ears, even as he was struggling to breathe and staring at splatters of blood that weren’t, shouldn’t, couldn’t be his. There were so many voices, so many people crammed in the arena, watching him spit up blood, watching him just barely dodge blows that were going to crush his ribcage, watching him recklessly get away by any means necessary. Virgil couldn’t make out the words, it was too loud, too much, too many but he could feel the blood dripping down his face, matting his hair, pooling in his ears as he tried to drown them out.

“This isn’t real--” He yelled. “This isn’t--!”

“Vir….gil….” 

“No!” Virgil screamed, “This isn’t-- I didn’t--!”

He stumbled back again, eyes closed, and his lungs begging for air he couldn’t give them. His foot hit something, stepped on something, rolled his ankle on something and then he was hitting the ground again, driving his elbow into his gut and his head knocking the rock floor.

His eyes stung from the dust that cascaded all around him, thick and heavy and like a smog that he couldn’t ever escape. It rose up and blotted out the sky, the arena, the jeering crowd, Patton-- the dust swallowed the world and Virgil coughed trying to keep it from taking him too.

“It’s not--” Virgil croaked, gagging at the burning in the back of his throat, at the grit in his teeth.

There was a body at his feet. A body that he tripped over. A body that had pale skin, four limbs, and a face that Virgil would know even if he were blind: the dirty blond hair, the mismatched eyes, the pale lips. A body thats cut open and tore apart and bloodied and eyes that looked so scared in their last moments and--

And Virgil’s seen his hands this color, this messed up, this ruined enough times to know how that body got that way.

“Vi…” 

“NO!” Virgil shrieked. “This isn’t real. This isn’t real. THIS ISN’T REAL--!”

-- Virgil woke up to someone screaming. It took him a long moment to realize it was him, and even longer to wedge his fist in his mouth to stop it.

His room hummed with the silence, the aftermath of a storm that had left nothing but carnage in its wake: Virgil was on the floor, his legs tangled up in his blankets and himself shaking so hard that his teeth dug into his knuckles. The taste of blood made his stomach lurch, and suddenly he was scrambling up, fingers clawing at the soft rug under his feet and he was spitting his saliva out of his mouth like it was possible for him to choke on his own tongue.

It wasn’t real. 

But Virgil’s head rang from the impact and there was grit in his teeth, blood on his hands and the lack of noise was so loud that he couldn’t hear his own breathing. Was he breathing? His lungs burned like they were on fire, like he was back under the sun of the Welsor home planet and the white boils were peppering his chest until he couldn’t inhale at all.

His knees went weak right before the door and he hit the floor so heavily he didn’t feel it at all. His arms wrapped around his chest turning him into something smaller, something dismissable, something unseeable, because surely if no one and nothing could see him, then no one and nothing would bother him at all.

There was dust in his mouth, blood on his lips, aches in everything else that he owned. His toes curled in and he drove his chin directly into his collar bone.

It wasn’t real. It wasn’t real. It wasn’t--

The oxygen felt thin, crisp and brittle as he desperately tried to coax it into his lungs and hold it there for longer than a minsannu, longer than a blink, longer than an earthly nanosecond. It was like trying to bail water out of a boat with his hands, except that the boat was the fucking Titanic and he was up to his shoulders in water already. 

The ground was cold. 

The room was dark.

So why did Virgil still feel like he was in the Welsor Fighting Rings? It had been a year, or something-- Virgil tried to think, to count the days, but time in space slipped away from him even when he was feeling good. The ship’s time cycles were wonky depending on the quadrant and Roman liked to set them to the nearest habitable planet’s cycle. But Virgil had been pretty sure, he’d thought enough time had passed that the nightmares should have stopped. He shouldn’t be dreaming of blood under his nails and dust clinging to his body.

He was happy now! He was living his best life!

He had Patton who would make up puns and swing from the rafters and make sure he ate; Roman who would drag him to their little armory and teach him how to defend himself incase something ever happened to them; he had Logan who would gladly take the time to talk to him about cultural differences between species or ramble about his new found discovery.

He had Janus. Who he thought he lost a lifetime ago, who he thought he’d never get to see again, who he hadn’t really left the side of since they had recovered both him and Remus from the Pol’turs. He had Janus whose eyes glistened with warmth so familiar it felt like being home more than Earth ever had, whose touch was featherlight and unmistakable, whose smiles alone took his breath away and he’d gladly keep giving it if it meant Janus’s kept smiling. He had Janus who could kiss him a million times and Virgil would never get tired of it.

He was happy to be here. To be in Space. To be with these three aliens and Janus and be nowhere near Earth at all. To be free and lawless and completely in control of his own destiny.

He was happy, so why couldn’t he figure out how to sleep through the night?

He felt dirty, which made no sense at all. He was on a ship in the middle of space and he had showered last night using shampoo that smelled like grape soda. Janus had commented on it too, saying he smelled nice and pecking him on the check right before he strolled off to his own room for a bit of alone time for bed. Virgil dragged his nails down his upper arms, down his forearms and feverishly rubbed, trying to get off dust and dirt and even his own skin if that would get the feeling to just go away. 

There were tears in his eyes, on his cheeks, inching their ways down his neck and irritating everywhere they touched. His lungs howled, and begged, and cried and Virgil couldn’t do anything but curl tighter in on himself.

He was happy. He was not dirty. He was alive and breathing. He was not in the Welsor Fighting Rings.

He was okay.

He was not going to tell anyone about this.

Virgil felt the coldness of the polyfurnish floor seep up into this body, crawling over him, through him, in him like a wave washing him away. He was the Big Bad Deathworlder after all, who came from the Deathworld itself, not knowing a thing about the other races that lived out in Space with a capital “S”. They called him a savage, a brute, an animal that needed to be locked up when it wasn’t being thrown into the fighting ring to win them money and prestige. He was the undefeatable champion, the one that brought the horrible old legends of Deathworlders to life, the one could kill without-- without---

He thought he had forgotten what it was like, for some reason: the way that a pulse felt under his hands, the look in a creature's eyes as they suddenly went unnaturally still, the smell of inhuman blood hanging over him because some creature’s insides were now clumped in his hair. He thought he had forgotten what it was like to take away a life.

His stomach lurched again, jumping straight through his ribcage and up his throat in such a violent motion that Virgil’s eyes rolled right back into his head and he saw white static. 

Butterfly wings, he thought. That was what Patton’s pulse was like, considering that he had two different hearts pumping so rapidly that Virgil wouldn’t have even known what the feeling was if Patton hadn’t told him. Roman’s was heavy and loud like a drum beat and protected by a very human looking ribcage. Logan’s was quick and quiet and unusually only as calm as the lights flicking through the rest of his body, like the rain back on Earth.

Janus’s was soft. It was real.

Because Janus hadn’t died. He wasn’t dead. Virgil hadn’t killed him and he was just down the other hall sleeping soundly in his own room, come on, he knew this, Janus hadn’t died-- 

Virgil had fallen asleep to the sound so many times before. Back on Earth it was a steady thrump that had lulled him from his thoughts, and Virgil had found his favorite part of their secret sleepovers was watching Janus’s chest lift and fall while the TV screen credit lights painted him in a glossy hue. It was constant, strong, undefeatable: Virgil admired that heart beat of Janus’s, admired the way that it had started so weak when they had first met and steadily gotten bolder, brighter, louder.

Janus was happy here. Virgil knew it from the curve of his lips, from the sparkle in his eyes, from the relaxation of his shoulders as he leaned back and pressed himself into Virgil’s chest when they sat together. When he walked into a new room, Virgil was the one that Janus always looked for and he always lit up when they made eye contact, like even after all this time Virgil was still something he could never get tired of looking at. Janus’s laugh was rich, his tone playful, his energy boundless and free and wonderful. Janus was happy and his heart paraded that happy tune, undaunted by anything.

And Virgil was curled up on the floor in the middle of the night, feeling like a foreigner in his own body.

They had made a promise once upon a time, once upon a star, once upon a night that both of them hadn’t wanted to remember but couldn’t ever forget: the Robotics show where Virgil had thought he had finally done something that would make his parents proud of him, but the Ekans family had shown up and Janus’s amicable smile (and a hefty wad of cash) had stolen first place from him. Second place was worthless to his parents. It always had been. 

“How’d you know?” Janus had asked and Virgil’s mouth had gone dry because he hadn’t known and he had just been saying whatever he could to hurt everyone else. “Please, Virgil, whatever you want-- You--you can’t tell anyone, please, my parents--”

Virgil had started hating Mayor Ekans and his wife for real after that.

“I am nothing,” Janus had said that night with tears in his eyes and a smile on his face that looked so terrifying Virgil wanted to do whatever he needed to do just to get him to stop. “Don’t you know that, Virgil? I’m nothing but a pile of lies.”

“They’re not even good lies,” Virgil had said. “Don’t you get tired of being everyone’s favorite person?” 

Janus had laughed, like Virgil had told a joke and the sound of it had twisted Virgil’s arteries. He had stepped back then, looked to the sky and stared up at the stars like they had some sort of answer to a questioned Janus never should have been asking in the first place. 

“I…” Janus had said so very long ago and Virgil never forgot. “I like that you’re honest, Virgil. I don’t...I don’t have to lie to you, and you don’t lie to me.”

“I’m not going to ever lie to you,” Virgil had said once upon a time when the only audience had been Janus and the twinkling stars overhead. 

“You promise?”

But the thing about promises was that...Virgil… well Virgil never had a good experience with them. His parents made a million of them and none of them had ever panned out. Sunday brunches as a family, ice cream if he did his best in school, listening to his side of the story when the teachers called home saying he was in trouble before giving him a punishment. Virgil thought maybe the only time they stuck to their word was when he had asked them if they would show up to his robotics show that last time. 

Wasn’t that funny?

Virgil had spent so long trying not to be like that. Trying so very earnestly to never lie, to never go back on his word, to be exactly what he advertised and keep every promise he made. Where had that gotten him in the long run? 

Maybe it was his genes.

Maybe it was inside of him; that thing that made it so very easy to remember that promise and still pretend that nothing had happened after Janus had disappeared. The worst part was that it had almost worked. 

It had started out slow, small, dismissible: Virgil saying his favorite color was purple and Janus blinking in surprise because three years ago it had been black (black like coal, like shadows in the night, like a funeral attire he never wore); Virgil showing Janus his work space and his mini robot assistant that didn't really do anything more than hand him a tool and Janus saying “oh you got the lift action to work!” like he hadn’t built much larger, much more complex robots since he’s been out in Space; Virgil not understanding a joke that Janus made in fucking Spanish because he had stopped bothering to practice when Janus had stopped being alive.

It had started as things Virgil barely thought about in the moment, barely thought about until they were long gone, barely thought about until it was too late.

And suddenly Virgil had turned around and realized that a lie of omission was still a lie and that if he told Janus the truth--

What would Janus think when he realizes just how messed up Virgil was? When he realizes that Virgil was a walking time bomb waiting to explode and get both of them killed? What would Janus do when he realizes that Virgil had killed people before? That Janus’s parents turned out to be right all those times the snidely said that Virgil was capable of murder, just look at him, not a hint of remorse for murdering our perfect son!?

What would Janus do when he realizes that Virgil didn’t love Space because of how cool it was, as much as how vast and distant it was from Earth and everyone he used to know?

Somewhere deep inside of Virgil, he knew that if they live long enough, they’ll return back to Earth. An inevitable ending, a cycle coming to its completion, a prophecy coming to fruition. His stomach rebelled, revolted, rioted at the idea. 

What would Janus’s parents do when they saw him alive? What would they do when they saw him with Virgil? What would they do just to get them apart again?

Back before everything, back when Virgil’s knowledge of the universe had consisted just of school, home, and second-best-at-everything, back when Janus and him had first looked at each other saw their kindred souls-- Janus’s parents had tried to keep them apart. It wasn’t right, they said, for perfect little Janus to hang out with a punk delinquent like Virgil. He would chew Janus up and spit him back out and ruin every plan the Ekans had drawn up for Janus’s future.

Virgil’s ankle had hurt for weeks after the first time they had him thrown out of their pristine mansion on the hill. Janus had been forbidden to leave his house except for school and all of his puppet friends had been gifted loads of money to drag Janus away any time Virgil happened to walk into the room he was in. Virgil’s own parents had said he wasn’t to bother the Ekans kid in school anymore all while buying a new TV for the living room with money they hadn’t had two days prior.

The separation had torn Virgil to shreds, ripped open his ribcage and stabbed his heart fifty million different ways, but that was nothing to how Janus had seemed to shatter under the weight of it; Virgil hadn’t known that life size mannequins existed until he saw Janus walk around school with a smile that didn’t meet his eyes and motions so practiced they looked robotic.

And when it came down to it, when all the cards were played, when Virgil stepped back and took a very good look at himself, well….what could he see, but the coward that he was? Virgil didn’t want to do that again, didn’t want to let anyone make them do that again. He didn’t want to see Janus empty and lifeless and he didn’t want Janus to see what his parents had done to Virgil when Janus was gone and he didn’t want to go back and prove to Janus’s parents that they were right and Virgil was completely capable of killing someone in cold blood and--

And is it still running away when no one knows that's what he’s been doing all this time?

Virgil knew how this was destined to end, because it was always destined to end. He wanted to laugh because he really had peaked in high school: the best days of his life had passed by him in a blink and he never even appreciated them as much as he should have. He and Janus were the popular TV show that had been going on too long and now the original meaning of it was lost completely. They were going to be cut from Prime TV. And then they were going to be regulated to DVD box sets where you could get all the episodes on five discs for fifty bucks or forget they had ever existed at all because not even Netflix would bother to pick them up again.

Logan would say he was being dramatic. Catastrophizing.

But Logan also didn’t know what a Wendy’s was or understand why Virgil would often cut class when there was the possibility he could learn things instead. 

Virgil had killed someone before. Multiple times. And sometimes when he gets too jumpy, Roman still places a hand on the hilt of his sword out of caution, or when he snaps too hard Patton flinches back, or when he bares his teeth Logan starts dancing with multicolored lights to calm him down by any means possible. Virgil is dangerous to be around.

Why hadn’t the Welsors gotten that memo so long ago? Why didn't they just leave him alone?

He sucked in a painful, heavy, desperate breath, holding it in his shaky pleading lungs until he thought his ears were going to pop. His mouth tasted bad; everything tasted bad, felt bad, thought bad.

Virgil squeezed his eyes closed, counting one mississippi, two mississippi, three-- until he saw bright stars on the back of his eyelids. He breathed out, and forced himself to feel his own warm exhale on his skin. Goosebumps rode down his numb arms and prickled over his shoulders. 

He counted.

The floor. The rug. His shirt. His skin. The late- night-early-morning chill of the ship. 

He opened his eyes, holding on to the steady center in the middle of his chest. His room in the ship, his private spot, the area that no one else came into unless they had permission from Virgil himself. The shadows on his ceiling that looked like demons if he stared too long. The lump of blankets that he had torn off the bed in his nightmare. The rounded dresser with a flat top where he kept half a dozen alien plants-- some of which were glowing faintly now in like nightlights to scare away the monsters under his bed.

Virgil was okay. He was safe.

It wasn’t real. 

He winced as he tried to curl in on himself and push into a sitting position. His head felt heavy, swamped with so many thoughts that the physical weight of them made him sway dangerously. His lungs protested faintly with the motion, but he was getting air in them finally, so they couldn’t complain too much. It was an improvement to the previous five minutes, right?

Right?

It hadn’t been real. 

Virgil reached out only partially blindly and grabbed the corner of his bed to haul himself onto his shaky legs. His head swam again, his knees threatened to buckle except wasn’t really a threat because they did give in a little and Virgil let out hiss of a curse as he threw out his other arm on the soft mattress to hold himself upright. The air was cooler, chillier, crisper, in a way that made Virgil’s own shallow exhales feel like the warmest thing for lightyears.

Part of him wished desperately that Janus would be there, on the other half of his bed, curled up around himself like he used to back on the best nights of their lives. Janus had always moved so little in his sleep, while Virgil sprawled out and took up as much space as he could.

“Like a liquid,” Janus had huffed once, and it had taken Virgil most of the morning to figure out that his tone had been amused, almost fond. Like they were joking. Like they were friends. And Virgil had gotten so distracted by it that he had started scribbling “Virgil Ekans” in the margins of his Chemistry notes like another brainwashed zombie that subscribed to the “Janus can do no wrong” theory.

(Which was a theory that Virgil had seen disproven so, so many times before. Janus had even told him out right that it was a lie, with dead eyes and a toneless voice.)

But Janus ran warm, and Virgil found himself unbearably cold all of a sudden. 

He wanted, randomly, surprisingly, unbelievably, to climb back into bed and inch over the tiny bit of space that might have been between them and throw an arm around Janus’s waist. He wanted to cuddle up against Janus’s back, and rest his head against his shoulder blades, pressing light sleepy kisses into Janus’s neck and maybe waking him just enough to hear his soft content sighs at the contact.

He wanted it so bad it made his eyes wet. Oh god, was he really that pathetic? A single nightmare and he wanted to go press up against another human, wake him from his sleep-- which Janus needed because God knows what he went through having been in Space for a whole year longer than Virgil ever had to be, not to mention he was still healing from the horrors of the Pol’tur ship so yeah, Janus needed sleep much more than Virgil did. Which meant that Virgil was being pathetic and selfish.

His feet planted themselves on his floor, and he reminded himself three times in a row that the rocking of the ship was familiar and manageable before he let go of his bed and stood on his own. Another shaking breath rocked his lungs and he told himself that there was no dust in the air.

His couple alien flora that resided across the room glowed faintly. Patton told him the name of them once, but he had forgotten it when Patton’s large bug eyes had gotten misty and he’d mentioned that his mother used to have them all over their home back on his planet.

((A planet that no longer exists, because one of their stars had died and it had taken out his planet and three more in the unexpected implosion.))

Virgil hated seeing the Reytin so sad so he avoided bringing up the plants, and tried to keep Patton out of his room as much as possible. 

Virgil took another breath. Then he bent down and picked up the blankets from the floor and tossed them back on his bed. There was an exhaustion in his limbs, a haggarding, wailing type of tired that Virgil recognized: so tired that he couldn’t even sleep. His body ached but it was an ache that could easily be mistaken for bruises and cuts. His skin prickled when he ran a hand over the feathered down of his blankets (there was a name for that too, but Virgil didn’t remember it either) because even though it was completely different from a sandy dirt floor, his brain kept screaming it was made of dust and get it off get it off get it off-- 

Virgil’s breath hitched for a moment when he closed his eyes, a flash of blood and limp limbs and well, Virgil decided right then and there that he probably could survive without blinking for the rest of his life, right? He nearly flopped right back to the floor, as he scoured for his boots-- or really any shoes at all, because anything was better than nothing at all.

((They had taken his shoes when they took him off Earth, which was almost silly, almost hilarious, almost comical. They sold for 450 griot-- which was more than Virgil himself had gone for. He wondered vaguely, if they were still out there, sitting in some alien collector’s hall of treasures. If they were, they were probably in better shape than Virgil was.))

Shoes on. Virgil breathed for another moment and then started towards the door again in measured calculated steps. He was okay. He was okay. He was okay.

Maybe if he told himself it enough it would become true. 

Virgil thought maybe he had read a science experiment about it. Maybe in a psychology class? Virgil barely remembered anything else from it, because he had it right after lunch and the teacher liked to play movies and spending late nights sneaking into and early mornings out of a mansion were mentally taxing.

If one repeated something often enough they started to believe it, right?

He was okay. He was safe. Everything was great. He was happy. 

But then again science wasn’t always right. After all Janus had practiced a smile in the mirror for seventeen years and told everyone who would listen how happy he was and that had turned out to be a huge fucking lie.

Virgil grabbed the handle of the door and eased it open. He never quite got used to the near silentness of the ship’s doors. The Fighting Rings had been loud all the time: the metal doors clanged and rattled when they shut or swung open and the Welsors who kept them in line were a fan of taking their metal batons to the bars as they walked by and watching their participants cower back from them. The arena gates were heavy and controlled by chains that rumbled and clanged when they moved. When they shut it was with a finality of a judge’s hammer and Virgil never stopped feeling like he was never going to see the other side of the stone walls again. 

Compared to that, the soft slide of his door was unbelievably quiet. It was just another reason, another symbol, another example of how he was here and not there and he was alright and okay and happy.

And his nightmare hadn’t been real.

The lights were dim and red, a setting that appealed to Erefrens like Roman more than Virgil, but at least it wasn’t blinding. The air was warmer here than in his room; Virgil breathed it in as he moved out of his room with unperceptive footsteps.

He was okay. They were okay.

Janus was alive and breathing and fine.

Virgil’s feet took him in that direction anyway.

Roman’s ship had always been made for more than just the four of them. Per Erefren customs they usually had… packs? Logan called it a different word but their game of charades hadn’t been as fruitful as others. It wasn’t like families because it didn’t have to be by blood, or acquaintances because they were closer than that, or teams because it wasn’t a competition-- Virgil had given up back then in a fit of frustration that came from trying to learn Common for too many hours straight. And then he had never gone back to try again. He did know that Roman considered Logan and Patton part of his “pack” and maybe Virgil too, but there was a ritual ceremony that was required and Virgil hadn’t undergone it yet for one reason or another.

The Mindscape, Roman’s beloved ship and their home, was meant to be run by an entire Erefren pack, so maybe seven aliens with bones plates and long weaponizable tails.

The extra rooms on the ship had previously been used for storage if they were used at all. Virgil felt a little bad about how he had clung to Janus when they got him and Remus back on their ship which had forced Logan and Patton to clean two rooms for their guests while Roman piloted them to the next star system and out of danger.

Virgil knew the ship like the back of his hand. Inside and out and every nook and cranny. He knew the halls like his own veins, the rooms like his own limbs. He could navigate his way through it with his eyes closed. When Logan was first teaching him to speak Common, he had called the ship "home" and Virgil had thought that was fair, that was nice, that was the most accurate name for the place they all lived and loved.

He knew all the crawl spaces on it, the hidey-holes, the moveable wall panels. He knew the layout of the floor map, that while impractical made sense with the way Roman’s personality was. He had memories stacked on top of memories of each room that grounded into him as he ran his fingers over the walls: this was where he had yawned in front of Roman and Roman had almost skewered him with his light sword, this is where Patton had first dropped down from the rafters on Virgil’s shoulders in a surprise hug and scared the living daylights out of him, this was where Virgil had found Logan stumbling around so sleep deprived he couldn’t find his own room, this was where Virgil first realized that they were serious when they said they wouldn’t force him to go back to Earth. This was where the space pirates Remus had sent after them had caught Patton and nearly killed him. This was where Roman and Virgil had wordlessly teamed up and obliterated said space pirates and Logan had to talk Virgil out of the resulting panic attack while trying to stop the blood flow from Patton’s unconscious body. 

This was where Roman first explained who the hell Remus was: his crazy, insane sibling who thought that killing each other was a fun entertainment when they were bored.

Virgil slunk down the hall like a shadow, almost quieter than one, too. Janus’s door was in the middle of the hall, nondescript, and plain. Virgil bit his lip looking at it. His hand trailed over the polyfurnish: smooth and sleek and only penetrable by one of Roman’s lazer light swords or a blaster set on high and the marks of both weapons would have been obvious on it, unmissable, unmistakable.

The door wasn’t locked, though. Part of Virgil wondered if that was a leftover habit: something Janus got from leaving his window unlocked every night while waiting for Virgil to steal his way into the house that never would have welcomed him otherwise. The other part of him was chanting about how stupid that was, how insane it was, how self destructive it was. Didn’t he know he couldn’t trust anything in Space not to try and kill him simply because he was a Deathworlder and aliens had been taught to kill first and ask questions never?

But Janus’s door was unlocked and Virgil swallowed the apprehension in his throat and let his stomach acids dissolve it. It was just a peek-- something to get his heartbeat to slow down and to make his blood soften and help his brain shut up. Even in the darkness, in the pale red light brought in from the hall, Virgil could make out Janus’s lumpy form on the bed, curled up in the smallest ball he can make and snoring softly.

At least that about him hadn’t changed. 

Virgil watched Janus’s chest rise and fall several even times, counting the infinities between each breath like he was seventeen still and they were lying on Janus’s huge ass bed and he was still trying to find a name for the feeling in his gut. He felt a bit like he slipped back in time, like if he pinched the inside of his wrist he’d wake up from this dream and they’d be back on Earth and the past two years would have been nothing but the most horrid nightmare Virgil’s brain could whip up, like if he reached out and gently brushed against Janus, he’d wake up, and he’d know exactly what to do to help Virgil forget about aliens and Space and blood under his nails and---

And then he remembered that watching people sleep was generally frowned upon, regardless of if they were... whatever they were. Virgil closed the door as quickly and quietly as he could and turned around facing the hall, forcing himself to breathe, and then to breathe again, and he didn’t dare close his eyes.

Janus was alive. He was okay.

Virgil was not, but did that really matter?

He clenched his fingers into fists and opened them again several times, and tilted his head back to look at the ceiling. It was only a few feet taller than him, slated with polyfurnish grates that Patton liked to dance along when he was rushing around the ship or climb into when he was having a bad day. He half expected to see the bug eyes of the Reytin sleepily peeking down at him, summoned by his barely concealed negative emotions-- and was incredibly grateful that he didn't. Both because he didn’t want to have to even try to explain what he was doing up and wondering or why he was feeling so bad right now, and because if Patton was there Virgil knew he wouldn’t be able to hold back a terrified scream which no doubt would wake everyo--

CLA-THUNK! 

Before Virgil could even think, his body was launching itself against the doorway to Janus’s room like he could hide his entire body from someone being in the hall. The noise echoed through the interior of the ship, ringing and echoing and it almost drowned out the screech of Virgil’s mind: it was the unmistakable sound of someone dropping something on the floor. 

Something heavy, something decently big: Virgil’s brain immediately screamed that it was a body bag, a corpse, one of his friends being abducted from their rooms by a shadow ambush and he had to do something now or he was never going to see Logan/Roman/Patton/Janus again--

His breath stilled in his stone lungs, holding for a long quisannu, two, three, four, until his vision danced with spots and his knees threatened to send him down to the ground again. There was no other noise, which was more terrifying to him than anything else: no lithe footsteps that belong to Patton sneaking a late night cookie, no slithery sound of Roman’s tail slipping down the hall after him on the way to an impromptu coordinate check, so ch-tchkk of Logan’s crystalline body working the joints when he paced while doing some free reading at the late hour.

Virgil’s back pressed against the door pushing it as delicately as he could because the last thing he wanted was Janus waking up and opening the door just to have Virgil tumble back into him and then have to explain why he was pale and shaky and creeping around in the middle of the night like someone who was hiding something and keeping secrets and generally being a terrible whatever-they-were.

His heart hammered in his chest, jumping up to his throat and pounding in his ears. His brain whirled through a million different scenarios, different explanations, different excuses and all of them made his stomach attempt to revolt. Nausea welded up in his senses, burning until he was sure that his mouth was pooling with blood and there was Dust under his nails and if he opened his eyes again he’d see the fighting arena that he was beginning to think he never actually escaped.

The hall was empty.

Virgil breathed out a sigh, an exhale that was barely audible to his own ears. His heartbeat stuttered and slowed and limbs unfroze like fast melting glaciers. He pressed his shaky hands to his chest, holding them there.

It was his imagination. His brain made it up.

There was nothing out there and no one was awake other than him. And Virgil shouldn’t even be awake!

He was being paranoid. He was jumpy and nervous and a mess because of one nightmare and a little bit of guilt over some words that Virgil wasn’t sure how to put into the air yet. (It probably needed to be like a bandaid, right? Virgil should just rip it off and Janus would understand because that’s what Janus did best.) Virgil was freaking out over nothing at all and needed to chill. 

He was fine. It wasn’t real.

But then his eyes followed the dull floor lights to the junction at the left and he swore that a shadow passed in front of one, just for a minsannu, just for a blink. So quick Virgil would have missed it if he hadn’t been looking.

 And the fragile reality that Virgil built around himself practically collapsed on itself. His fingers dug into the wall, a lump in his throat made it hard to breathe again. 

There was someone awake and they weren’t Virgil and Virgil was not ready to admit that he was having nightmares like a child.

Which meant that he should sprint back down the halls back to his room before that someone found him here and he had to explain that he’s so pitiful that now his skin itched in a way he couldn’t get rid of and there was blood and dirt under his nails that no one else could see. It meant that Virgil should hide himself away and stare at his plants until the phisannu became reasonable, maybe even go back to sleep if he could convince his brain that no one was going to die in the safety of the ship right now.

It meant that Virgil shouldn’t creep out to the middle of the hall and stalk his way after the shadow. Whoever it was, was probably someone who also had a nightmare and likely they wouldn’t want company, considering they had done a great job of going unnoticed thus far. 

Goosebumps rose up all along his arms and his legs and pretty much anywhere he could get goosebumps. For a minsannu, it felt like he was in a well rendered horror video game, stumbling blindly into the jaws of an unknown horror that would devour him in a way that would splatter blood all across the walls. Virgil bit his lip so hard he tasted dust. By the time he made it to the junction he saw the shadow pass over, whoever it was had passed down another hall. Although there wasn’t much light, the movements were fluid and quiet: so very different from even Patton’s most subdued frog like hops. 

Virgil darted after it again.

Maybe it was Roman, although Roman didn’t tend to leave his room when he was upset; he spent so little time in his room as compared to everywhere else, it made sense to stay there when he wasn’t feeling 100%. Or it could have been Logan, whose calmness could only be broken by a particularly bad spiral of thoughts and he would seek out the observation deck.

But if that was the case why was he heading for the Transport room?

Virgil stuttered in his step at the realization, freezing all the way down to his fragile bones. Janus was in his room. Patton didn't move like that. Roman and Logan had no reason to skulk their way to the Transport room in the middle of the night.

But Virgil, ever the idiot, had forgotten one tiny, itty bitty detail about this ship: there were six people on it. 

Six people, because Remus was on the ship as well. 

The same Remus who had a longstanding habit of trying to kill Roman and his friends, which now included Logan, Patton, and Virgil. The same Remus who had put together an ambush not too long ago that nearly got Patton stabbed through both his hearts and his eyes, the same Remus who delighted in bloodshed so much that he had been grinning all those weeks ago when he had sent the SOS to Roman for help. The same Remus who Virgil hadn't seen more than a glimpse of the entire time because he hadn't stayed in the medical bay for more than five minutes and had since been causing trouble for Roman everywhere else in the ship. 

The same Remus who Virgil had an extremely hard time believing was wandering around in the night for any benevolent reason.

What was in the Transport room? Virgil bit on his lip as he walked forward, light on his toes and making barely a sound. There were the transport watches that Logan treated with utmost care. A few escape pods for emergencies on that point of the ship. The computer interface that was linked to the bridge so that the coordinates of the ship could be shared free--

Wait.

Virgil sucked in a breath, trying not to curse out loud. The last thing he wanted to do was tell Remus he was there. Virgil's not an idiot--or at least not an idiot about this. Remus was dangerous and chaotic and cared about less than nothing. Roman said once that Remus wasn't happy unless he was covered in blood and that it didn't matter whose blood it was.

In a fight, there was no way that Virgil could take on Remus by himself. Erefrens were raised in a war based society that prided themselves on fighting techniques. If Remus was anything like Roman he'd always have a one up on Virgil, regardless of his deathworlder status and flight-or-flight instincts.

And Remus likes to fight dirty, messy, cruelly. From what Roman said.

In a Transport room late at night? With no one to supervise him?

The number of things he could be doing outnumbered the stars in all the galaxies, and Virgil was decently sure he wasn't exaggerating this time. If Remus was hanging out in the Transport room he'd know their coordinates and directions and it would be incredibly easy for him to contact any number of upsetting individuals to intercept them: pirates, mercenaries, species collectors that were never satisfied, serial killers with a taste for something new, government officials who would declare Virgil and Janus too dangerous to live or worse, send them back to Earth. 

Virgil moved slowly, dreading every step as he crept closer to the Transport room. He hugged the wall as he moved, carefully keeping his ears open for literally any noise that might give him a warning to what might be coming.

At first glance the Transport room door was closed. If Virgil had been walking around mostly sleep deprived and not on the lookout for anything out of place he wouldn’t have even noticed it. But there was a slim crack where it was open. Just enough for Virgil’s slim fingers to fit through it, just enough for Erefren claws, just enough for it to look closed and for it to be opened silently. 

There was no noise coming from inside: no soft voices, no evil laughter that Virgil had always imagined Remus liked to do. There wasn’t even the hum of the computer mainframe running, or footsteps that said someone was walking around.

Just a peek, Virgil told himself. To prove that Remus really was awake and had gone in there. To make sure that his family was safe. To show himself he wasn’t crazy.

He took another breath and slid the door open another inch.

The room was empty. Virgil hovered just to the right of the crack for a quisannu, with his heart beating in his throat. His eyes darted around the soft red lit room, and he tried his best not to think of all the horror movies where the crewmate that walked into the room alone died a horrible gruesome death and the flesh eating alien devoured his corpse. Air was silent and unmoving he watched the deepened maroon shadows for a sign that something was in them, something watching him, something biding time, something just a few breaths from fixing all of Virgil’s issues with a clean swipe of a bone plate across his throat.

It was…actually empty?

Virgil wedged his fingers in the crack more and slid the door all the way to the right, wincing when it rumbled slightly. In the thunderous quiet of the night, it sounded like a scream to his brain, and Virgil grit his teeth and rubbed the blood on his hand on his thigh because it wasn’t real and he needed to get a grip.

Virgil took a cautious step into the room, carefully keeping his feet light and the sound imaginary. He knew someone came in here, right? He didn’t just imagine the shadows skulking down the hall and disappearing in here, didn’t just misremember this door being usually closed, didn’t lose his mind while standing outside the door of his-- of Janus’s room. 

He, himself, hadn’t been in here since they had gotten back from the Pol’tur ship, bleeding and overwhelmed with emotions beyond the human capabilities of actually feeling them. The console that Logan usually manned hummed with low level power, still in stand-by mode until they needed it again, their watches were in their charging pads, the closet of their armored clothes was closed. The emergency escape pods were still locked in place. 

There was no sign of what could have made the noise, no sign of anyone having come in here, no sign of anything out of place. Virgil blew out a breath from his mouth, untensing his shoulders. There was nothing in here, certainly nothing that shouldn’t be there. 

He was just on edge from his nightmare. Seeing things. Letting his paranoid thoughts take over and drive him to acting impulsively.

Yeah. That.

But other than that he was fine!

Everything was fine. 

Virgil rocked on his heels, and wiped his sweating, clammy hands on his thighs. He gave the room one more look and then turned around because it was far too late to be up and his heart was still beating too loud and if he hung around here for much longer he was going to lose his min---

Wait.

Virgil froze and swiveled back on his heel towards the corner where they kept some various travel bags-- to go bags for if they needed to abandon ship, raid bags for when they needed to teleport onto other ships and take back something that was stolen, day bags for when they landed on a planet and needed to go get supplies. 

Virgil had been the one to suggest the ready made bags. He was the one who put them together and set them up and organized them-- it had given him something productive to do before he could articulate in Common to the others that he had hobbies. Logan had helped him, in the beginning, when Virgil was unfamiliar with a Skrad healing pad and how it worked, or with the ration packs, or what the hell a griot looked like. 

Virgil had made and maintained all the bags.

So why was there an extra one there?

Virgil took a tentative step towards it, then another, and another until he was right beside the extra bag. It wasn’t anything super fancy. In fact, it looked like one of Roman’s older bags. Lost and forgotten in the mess that was the Erefren’s room.

((Virgil had found, funnily enough, that Roman collected bags almost as much as swords. He had a bag for every occasion, bedazzled and personalized and made to fit around his bone plates while keeping up with the latest fashion trends from every solar system they visited. When Logan had explained that Virgil was attempting to put together prepared travel bags he had been hesitant, but then had gotten excited to show off his amazing collection. Virgil had never seen so many bags before in his life-- and that included the time Janus shoved him into his mother’s walk in closet to hide him for a minsannu when they were stealing blue grey towels to dry themselves off after an impromptu late night swimming lesson.))

The bag itself was worn and a deep blue, like a gym duffle bag but made out of some fabric that felt to Virgil’s fingers like a heavy flannel. It was filled, nearly bulging and the awkward shape of it had made the shadow that caught Virgil’s eye in the first place. He cautiously kicked it with his foot, skidding back a step in case whatever was inside it was actually alive and going to eat him and oh god that would be the worst way to go-- he could see it already, the lumpy creature being some type of Sblorp and it would sink its crosshair fangs directly into Virgil’s throat, cutting off a scream before it could get out and his blood would splatter all over the walls, the floor the ceiling and the last thing he’d see before he died would be the creepy eyes of it staring down at him, not a hint of remorse and it would probably be fitting because that was how six other aliens had died under Virgil’s shaky han--

The bag did not move. Virgil reached up his left hand and rubbed his neck, trying to get rid of the phantom feeling of blood and pain and didn’t actually exist because he was fine and it wasn’t real.

He took another breath and he was mostly certain the copper taste on his tongue was only in his head.

“I’m going to regret this,” Virgil said, as softly as he could.

And then he snuck back to the bag and knelt down beside it. He took another breath and then he grabbed the zipper and yanked it back.

The bag had… a lot of things. Virgil frowned as he took a mental inventory and shifted through the items with careful hands. He thought he vaguely recognized the stuff in it from around the ship: an interspace nook that they normally kept in the Comms room, a pocket light knife that must have wandered away from Roman’s collection, rations from the kitchen that probably wouldn’t be missed on account of how old they were, one of the throw blankets from the common area that Virgil actually had noticed was missing but thought Patton had just taken it to be cleaned again, a bottle of some alien drink that Virgil had seen stuffed away in the back of Logan’s lab which Virgil had never seen him actually drink from and had never asked what it was. There were clothes, too, although in the darkness Virgil couldn’t make out if they Roman’s or Logan’s or his own. 

It was… Virgil sat back on his haunches for a moment. 

Oh. He knew what this was.

He’d had one before. 

It wasn’t an emergency bag like he thought. It was a Go bag. As in “escape and never look back” bag, as in “I don’t feel safe here” bag, as in “you won’t notice I’ve stolen anything until I’m gone and by then you’ll never find me again” bag.

Which meant that Virgil needed to go now because he really didn’t want to know what would happen if he got caught all by himself in the middle of the night, in an area of the ship that no one ever comes to unless necessary and poking at a bag he most likely shouldn’t know exists because people who have this type of bag tended to--

And just as he had the thought, something heavy and powerful wrapped around his throat and dragged him up into the air. Virgil’s mouth opened for a scream, but there was a quick jab to his gut and all the air in his lungs escaped and left him frantically gasping. His feet swung violently in the void but there was nothing to kick against and his fingers clawed at the tail squeezing around his windpipe but the leathery skin was thicker than his nails and the jagged bone plates threatened to break skin along with his neck and fix that breathing problem he had permanently. 

"Oh?" said an all-too-calm voice from above him, hiding in the fucking rafters like a Reytin.

Virgil gasped desperately for air, as black dots danced in his vision, panic stealing all rational thought from him. His lungs screamed almost as loudly as his brain was: pleading and crying and screeching for help that wasn't going to come because he was the idiot that didn't bother to wake any of the others. "Wait! P-please!”

The tail around his neck felt like a noose, tightening and he wasn’t sure if his neck was going to be able to remain unbroken for much longer against the gravity of the ship. 

“Re...mus!” Virgil begged.

Remus Prince, the Erefren who was responsible for setting several ambushes on them, for sending space pirates to nearly kill them, for stealing and pillaging and murdering most of the way through this galaxy and the next, just smiled down at him from where he was lounging completely unconcerned. "Why, hello there! The other Deathworlder! I've been meaning to get you all alone!"

His grin was filled with sharp teeth and Virgil kicked his feet harder for something, anything that would give him purchase.

“Now,” Remus continued. “Why don’t we have a nice, friendly chat!”

[Part 2]

[ptersparkers]

peter parker fic recs

i’ve taken inspiration from my favorite stories + having had my stories on recommendations lists, so i thought i would share my recommendations!  

i try my best to reblog stories i enjoy because i genuinely like them and i know i have a platform to promote them. <3  

*✧･ﾟ─────────── *✧･ﾟ

mcu!peter

→ rogers: the musical: in this scenario, all of the avengers are alive and well (thank god). i didn’t know what i was getting myself into when reading this first, but it gave me a lot of laughs + feel good moments. by @waitimcomingtoo

→ that time of year: truly heart wrenching in the best possible way. peter’s always been someone who cares about people and this story is a good example of it! there’s a twist i absolutely did not see coming. 10/10 worth reading this. by @vendettaparker

→ punch in the heart: you know, i never know where @vendettaparker​’s stories go and i’m always pleasantly surprised while reading them. this contains mild angst and fluff, and i 100000% recommend this if you’re in the mood for light angst with a happy ending.

→ spider-man cookies and napkin notes: this is extremely fluffy and it made me blush the entire time i read it. 100000% recommend it. by @peterpparkerwrites

→ happier: this one is pure angst. i love it. by @parkersroses

→ alone: this one’s a bit heart wrenching. this is enemies to lovers but make it sentimental. i definitely need tony stark back hahaha. by @softspideys

→ the favorite: u know...perhaps i love this story because i can relate or perhaps i love this story for the impeccable writing. who knows! by @softspideys

→ home with you: we all know the ending to no way home...right? by @ptergwen

tasm!peter

→ webbed troubles: this is an extremely cute story that i read twice in a row because i wouldn’t get enough of it. by @scandalous-chaos

→ rhythm: i’m a big fan of reading stories from the love interest’s perspective. this does a very good job at embracing the friends to lovers trope. by @irndad

→ another chance (series): oh boy. this is exactly what i needed after watching no way home. by @mgparker

→ secrets and skateparks: this entire story had me blushing. i absolutely adore the banter between y/n and peter, and i think all of you should read it. by @earthgirl616

→ the bookshop: this is such an interesting plot line! very cute and heartwarming. by @writings-of-a-hufflepuff

→ azalea: sometimes i just want to let peter parker know that i love and believe in him very much, and this story is as close as i’ll get. by @writings-of-a-hufflepuff

→ you aren’t gwen: angst to fluff. sometimes my heart needs a bit of angst and this one definitely delivers (before a very happy ending). by @thebrookelupin

→ ambulance: tooth rotting fluff. very lovely and i wish i could read it again for the first time. by @thematthewmurdock

→ grand gestures: oooooo. this one played with my heart a little, but in the best way. by @petertinglesforbread

→ turning page (series): peter is an enigma, that’s for sure. i particularly enjoy watching him break out of his shell to talk to the girl he likes. by @clints-lucky-arrow

→ right where you left me (series): aside from the evermore title, this story is perfect. it blends the plot of no way home with new elements of the author’s choosing, almost as it were the original plot. by @loeyparker

→ slow march: incredibly wholesome interaction between our favorite neighborhood hero and a lucky girl who gets to see him every night. by @iridescenthor

→ no words needed: i really love when writer’s take the time to explore what peter’s thinking. in this case, peter’s touch starved. by @genesisrose74

and here’s all of my peter parker works if you’re in the mood to binge! 

[ngmn2002]

Kaaaay, it seems I will be adding more to this mini-series. ~

=

Sweetness Overload!!!!!!!!!! My heart is dancing. ♫

...

It's only fair now we have Tsu & Nene edition.

And between that and this, so sorry, I choose my Tsu & Nene one because that one... oh... it overflows with sweetness, it's soooo fluffy, I can't!!! I have my issues with you Hanako, can't see you as cute as these 2 pure sweet little angels. I want to take them in a crushing hug!

Such a mood my Tsu & Nene have around them... let little Nene help me reflect my feeling toward it herself. ^^

💜🩵✨

I believe I can fly... over the rainbow. ~🌈 *finger snap* 1-2-3- here we go... 🎶 such a mood I'm having in there, no doubt that's their song, they have the power to make you fly, float in the sky, go beyond the coulds, land on a sweet fluffy rainbow.

And the nice thing is that we're getting some nice amount of them in arts (2 adorable twitter headers in a row!), manga, lately. MORE!!! Ahem, not me waiting for her to go 'play' with him. looking at the clock as I "petantly" wait: tick tock tick tock.

Now, let's talk about the art itself... staaaarting with Tsuuu!!!

The fashionable boy. ~ Stay stylish. ~ can this betaken as the first time, assumingly, we see 'yorishiro' Tsu without his hat? he is handsome in both cases. hahaha

Tsu, Tsu, Tsu, what are those? ~

Shiny.. shiny... sparkle! ✨

Oh, my... this is so cute!! This is so cute!!! You're so cute, I can't!!! let me style your hair, toooo!!!!! Ahem, it's funny, just thinking... wow... AidaIro... you don't just look at some conversations of mine and make them come true at times, but you also sneak into my head and read my thoughts?! how come you knew I wanted to see Tsu with those? especially the bear shaped ones? and made him look just as cute as I imagined him? hmmm? ~

The bear has a red ribbon, hmm? ~ cute purple ribbon there, blue hair clip with a cloud, stars, and your mokke and another red hair clip, awwwww!!!

And, those?

You're just adorable, you know that? AWWWWW!!! With all you have on you... you look fabulous!!! Again, I see you have a color schemes. ~ Remembering a SN line out of the blue, "the bandages are for me to look dashing, not because I have injuries". Ooooooh!!!!

A car instead of a train, Tsu?~

And, well... look at the ice cream you're offering, with your color and his... thank you, it tasted really good, the purple part especially. ~

Full view...

Fabulous... just perfect... Tsukasa... always in shape. ......... easy on my heart.

....

How?! How can someone be so cute YET so cool at the same time?! Simple yet WILD at the same time?! HOW?! What is your secret, Tsu?! Or is it that... you're so Tsukasa???

Uhhhh, your gorgeous eyes... your confident gaze... raised eyebrow... face resting on your palm... wide relaxed smile... adorable yet wild fangs showing out... you're so relaxed, so confident, so unbothered, so easy-going, so full of yourself, so cool, so chill, SO DASHING!!!! SO MISCHIEVOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BOOOOOY!!!!!!!! YOUR TSUKASA AURA IS TOO MUCH FOR ME!!!!!!!!! I'm about to start crying... oh my.... this boy is... this boy IS... cutely sly...!!! charmingly mischievous!!! cunning little foxie!!!

WOW, WOW, YOU'RE WOW!!!!!!!!

Regarding his 'style' ... I seriously want to see the rest of his outfit..... casual boy style... and... I'm a bit unsatisfied with the color of his top... but overall he looks perfect, too!!!

Ahem, moving on...

The core of this post isssssss...... Tsu & Nene Hairstyle Time!!!!!

Sooooo, the very moment I saw this art, it came to me "oh, so it's not only Amane who likes to play with Tsu's soft gourgous hair, we have Nene, too. It's her time to shine now! Fair enough! I'm more convinced than ever now that Tsukasa's hair IS magical." And, oh!!! She did him so well!!!! I'm impressed!!!

On the other hand, he did her really well, too!!!

Uhhhhh, she looks adorable!!! In full view, just perfect!!

Dunno, but I've always headcanoned that Tsu likes this hairstyle of Nene's the most! And, as I see it, he moved to style her hair just like that! Can't have enough of the cute blue ribbons!! The little rabbit/mokke? clip!! But Tsuuu!!! you could have added more hair clips!!!! Maybe made her look like this version of hers.

But well, maybe a sense of 'simplify' is better. She looks perfect just the way she is there! Good job, Tsu!

For a moment, after seeing Nene's beautiful nail polish yes, more Nene like this, she deserves this, not only other girls, but her, too! I lived to witness her like this, oh!, I went to look at Tsu's nails... to see whether they are purple or not, but well, I found the usual. He is awesome just the way he is. ~ It's that I couldn't help but wonder if she were going to do the same she did for Hanako with him, too.

Well, Tsu & Nene still shared a thing I love muuuuuuuuch better, the other I don't really care much about.

And they did it better than HanaNene. They match better in there. ~ Oh, they are in fact, so in sync... perfect talents they have when they are with each other. ~

💜🩵

Now, let's bring the guy we mentioned up. ~ The thing these two cuties are doing is...

Offering you a part of my heart, in the form of a sweet, heartwarming ice cream. ~

Sooo, which one shall you choose? ~

One goes so chill about it, a tease of a little brother, "come on, you wanna have a spoon? ~"

The other is so cutely eager about it, "here! have some!"

Haha, how is the weather around you? ~

👀 Not the twins matching with their shirts, one has T and the other H on his. ~ Nene does have her N, too. why would Hanako have his shirt closely matching with his color and Tsu not. =_= and wow, his ice cream is so simple and plain... Amane.

Back on topic, which shall you choose, guy with the DOUBLE heart attacks? ~ can't handle ALL the curtness your lovelies come with, can you? you're so weak to that, are you not?~

We know the answer, don't we?

Both. ~ The two formed a team to please you, after all. ~ And you won't only have a taste, you'll devour the whole ice cream they have. You have such a good appetite after all. ~ A small taste won't ever be enough, it will drive you to want more, and more, and more. I can see a part of the reason you're taken aback in there, maybe trying hard to keep your racing heart and whole being calm. A taste of some ice cream to make you cool down, yet at the same time kindles flames within you. ~ He'll also be a good boy and offer the 2 some of his. It's only fair that way. ~

Speaking of fairness, we surely got to see some nice examples of that here.

And here, for a bit more, so you won't feel left out in this game with the 2, we know how that gets you feeling. ~

Maybe someday, we can hope to see the three of them sharing fun together, doing hairstyles of each other, matching with lots and lots of things.

Many games with various options of mix and match with the three of them on stage. ☆

Been thinking a lot about Tsukasa's cool hairstyle in here... what gets to me is that he is not the one to style his hair this way in this AU, but rather...

It's his big bro. A really sweet gesture from our beloved big brother! ♡

A head pat and hair stroke turned into giving little bro a fashionable hairstyle. - Tsukasa's hair is so soft and beautiful. Oh, I know! Want big brother to make it even more beautiful than it already is? - ??? sure... if Amane wants. .. and that's how it started.

I will go and say, this thing is canon to me. Thanks for hearing me out. ~

[grogusmum]

The Hedge Witch and the Mercenary Part 3 Bewildered (in two parts)

Part 3a

PERO x F!READER

RATED: M (please note the rating change 18+)

WORD COUNT 2600ish

SUMMARY for series:Tovar and his fellow Mercenaries stop over in your village. He finds himself drawn to you. But you’re the village witch/healer depending on who you ask... naturally he thinks you're putting the whammy on him.

This chapter: Tovar has finds himself on Beltane chosen as a vessel for the Greenman, and you the May Queen.

A/N: Okay so in two parts, let me explain. We are reaching the edge of Hazel’s map and beyond it, the sign is Here Be Smut. I usually leave the smut in far better hands, but it’s Beltane y’all, so… we are getting into it. Cross your fingers and please be gentle it’s my first time.

But since I usually get a little spicy and then fade to black, I am assuming those that read my writing have come to expect it. And if you are someone who doesn't read smut I really wanted to respect that you may be invested in the story already. Here’s what I’ve done, I’ve broken the update in two, you can choose to read the actual consummation or not, but will not lose any plot (hahaha Hazel pretends she writes plots!) Now there is a spice before we break away and you can treat it as fade to black and what that all is is below in the warnings. For those who do read smut, you can just keep on trucking into the second half.

WARNINGS: general for series- time period sexism and discrimination against witches. For this chapter- Part A) sensual sponge bath, no mutual masturbation, but they do touch each other (M and F receiving) is described but not explicitly descriptive. Part B) p in v unprotected sex, a bitty bit of praise kink if you squint, virgin reader (discussed but not treated as a kink or anything), this is all pretty fluffy smut, and not super explicitly described, because I don’t think I could do it any other way. Again first time with this sort of thing, so I think that’s it if I missed anything lemme know in my DMs and I’ll add it. The same goes for any problems with the Spanish, please pop into my DMs and lemme know. 💚

Spanish Translations

Disculpe señor, Excuse me, sir

Mariposa, butterfly

Hermosa, beautiful

Part 1 bewitched

Part 2 bothered

Tovar stood at the tavern door, looking at the small building that held you. He had been watchful for the past few days you were being held there. Drawing closer whenever anyone approached. Thomas was beside himself but his wife pleaded with him to think of her, of their family, and not get involved. William joined him at the door after speaking with several others, including Johanna, who told him about her son’s pneumonia, and the beekeeper Francis who, after three collapsed hives, followed your strict instructions and never had another blight on his hives, four seasons running.

"And then lightning hits a building and it's her fault," Tovar groused. As he stood scowling, he notices someone coming toward the building.

"Who is that?" William wondered, trying to see in the fading light.

Tovar's nostrils flared and he stomped toward the stranger. It was no one from the church, as he got closer he recognized the fellow mercenary that gave his Mariposa unwanted attention on their first day in the village. Tovar thought the others had moved on without William and himself.

"Disculpe señor," Tovar called as he approached. "What business do you have with the lady?"

"Lady is she?" The straggly-haired mercenary scoffed. His expression became, what Tovar could only describe as lecherous. "I'm thinking the 'lady' maybe more, mmm, agreeable to my company… or at least put up less of a fight."

Tovar's face turned stony, and he placed himself between the sell-sword and the door.

"Turn and go, or do you need persuading?" He said as he pulled a dagger from his belt.

The other man swallowed, Tovar may not have known him by name, but he most definitely knew Tovar's.

"So you have claimed her?"

Tovar stalked toward the fellow mercenary, his scowl etched in his features, his glare full of loathing, making him back up.

"She is not one to be claimed, especially not in her vulnerable state." Tovar is a rough man, he had much blood on his hands, but he would never take from a woman what was not freely given.

The fellow did not press his luck with Tovar and retreated to the tavern, where he got a suspicious eye from both William and Thomas. Tovar did not trust the man’s fear of him enough to leave your door, so he sat on the ground, legs out and ankles crossed, resting his back on the stone wall of the hut, preparing to be there indefinitely. He did not trust the clergy anyway, he had heard of “witch tests” that while they may prove the accused innocence, ironically also left them dead.

William ambled over, with some food for both you and Tovar.

“Here you go Lass,” he said as he slid one platter under the door, a small 'thank ye', was the only response from the other side. And then an empty platter from earlier was pushed out.

“Talk to her”, William whispered.

“I can not,” Tovar said morosely. “I will atone by guarding her.”

"And taking care of her animals," William added.

Tovar shrugged.

They sat quietly for a bit and Tovar was again wishing the night he spent with the lovely lady had gone very differently. He imagined it again and again. Talking with her over their meal, perhaps making her smile that beautiful smile that makes the clouds part, watching her sing, perhaps kissing her lips, they looked so soft, if she were agreeable. And the idea of claiming her as his own… well, only if she wished to claim him in return. Tovar shook his head, where did these ideas come from, dreams that could never come true. Hearing villagers speak of her good works, her sleepless nights gently caring for a sick child...or a stranger's injured horse, a stranger who did nothing but throw suspicion at her.

When it was clear what the beedle and clergy had planned, Tovar told William what he had planned. William, for his part, laughed in Tovar's face and told him he would be turned into a warthog. But when it was apparent that Tovar was serious, William became serious as well and told him all he knew about the Fair Ones, with the hope his friend would not return with a snout and bristly tail. William watched over you while Tovar rode Hector to your cottage. Hector was glad to be on the path back to the cottage. Without preamble Tovar swung his leg over Hector and dropped to the ground, strode over to the tree, and started to call, he brought out his prized silver dagger and placed it where he had seen you put your offerings.

“Hill people!” He shouted gruffly. “Your girl needs you!”

Out of the corner of his eye, a light grew, and then before him stood a being. Woman or man, he could not tell, but they were beautiful regardless. Light emanated from somewhere he could not tell. He felt off-kilter and perhaps he would be sick, but he kept his meal down, with all William warning, he did not need to be told not to vomit on an ethereal beings shoes, if they had shoes…

After informing him, that ‘the good William has cause to fear finding his friend a warthog by night's end if he does not find his manners quickly’. Tovar took a breath and lowered himself to one knee, as William had told him, and they became serious.

“You love her, you have from the moment you saw her… well, you had your chance and you missed it.” the being of gossamer, feather, and light said, in a tone that was somewhat smug and dismissive to Tovar's estimation. “Perhaps, you could do something for me and I can help you?”

He tried to keep from snarling, but he said nothing, just as he was instructed. ‘You don’t want to go offering more than they require,’ William had told him.

“You’ve given me this fine silver knife, it must be for something.”

“She has been good to you, yes?” Tovar ventured carefully. “I want nothing for myself…”

“Fine then, let me ask you this, what are you willing to do for her?” The faerie asked.

You looked at Tovar unbelieving, then closed the distance between you pressing your chest to him your head tucked under his chin.

"Thank you, Pero."

Tovar's arms enveloped you without hesitation and he placed a kiss on the top of your head before resting his chin on it for a moment. Your eyes mapped his face as it did that first day in the tavern, but this time your hands went to the sides of his face and you gingerly brought it down and pressed your lips to his scar, kissing both his brow and orbital lobe, Pero's eyes closed as he took a stuttering breath. Your kiss on his closed eyelid lingered. When his eyes opened, they glassed momentarily, and then they worshipped you. You pulled away gently looking at the oak wreath, then placed it on his head.

“We have to wash.”

“What?”

“Well, apart from it being a part of the preparation for the rite. I have been in a dank little hut with nothing but filthy straw for-" you counted on your fingers then looked up with alarm, "almost a fortnight? Oh Pero I must smell like a pigsty!"

You pulled away apologetically, but he brought you back to him. You smiled, and he was sure the fire must have grabbed onto some wood it had not before because the whole stone circle brightened. You turned in his arms, there sat a basin of water, a sea sponge, and two lengths of fine linen cloth beside the tent.

The forest was a chorus of creak-creaks and quark-quarks from the crickets and frogs, the moon and stars crowded in as if to see how this would all go. You took Pero's hand and led him to it. Your gaze dropped to your once white chemise, then at Pero a little bashfully, before pulling at the tie. He took your hands in his large ones, hands that knew toil and violence. They were as rough and calloused as his usual countenance, but they were also warm and dry, and ever so gentle as they took over the task. His eyes were on your newly revealed skin as he slid the underdress off one shoulder, then the other. The shift dropped to the ground and you step out of the circle of fabric. Pero took the sponge and gently cleansed your face, dragging it down the slope of your neck and shoulders. Then dipped the sponge back in the basin. Your shyness was burnt away, turned to a heat that made you shiver.

“You are trembling Mariposa.”

“Yes”, you whispered

The sponge glided up your arm, under it, then to your chest, on the swells and valley between. Pero gently pressed the sponge on the peak of one of your breasts, and you both hummed a small moan as the expressed water trickled down the curve and swell of your belly. You bit your lip as the liquid rolled down into the curls at your core. Pero dutifully continued to the other breast, then circling you. Sponging down your back, over the curve of your backside, along the crease which caused your breath to hitch. Pero came down to his knees to take special care at the apex of your thighs and your legs turned to jelly.

“Pero”, you sighed.

“I will take care of you”, Pero promised and returned the sponge to the basin. Then he began cleansing your legs focusing on the back of your knees, calves, ankles, and feet. You held fast to his shoulders. Pero looked up from his knees, his chestnut eyes, black in the firelight as he stood to his fullest height, then it was your turn to look up at him. He wrapped you in one of the lengths of linen.

You went to the basin, and emptied it, when it was placed back in it on the stand it was again full of warm water; fragrant. You dipped the sponge and brought it to Pero's face. Going over his eyelids, taking special care of his scarred eye with another kiss. Then hands, you set a path up his arms and down again. The dips and swells mapped in your mind. Over his shoulders, neck, and collarbone; here he closed his eyes again, with another steadying breath.

"Mariposa-"

What was he going to tell you? Perhaps nothing fully formed, or completely forgotten as you took the sponge down his chest to his midriff; the task of cleansing his belly is where you may have lost time, had it been a moment or a month of Sundays? Both hard and soft with a thrilling trail of curls that led to lower regions, you prepared to explore.

Sponging you down had awoken Pero's desire for you, but your careful ministration was driving him to distraction. He had felt, for the most part, in control of himself. You had taken him by surprise when you kissed his scar, and the longing he felt was not wanton, instead, it woke domestic desires, akin to chopping wood and carrying water for the little house in the woods, and creature comforts, sitting by the fire wrapped in furs together on a long midwinters night, perhaps welcoming a little one in the spring. But when you brought your attention to his chest and belly, his want became apparent. All of this was intimacy Pero had no experience with, and it was somewhat overwhelming. He wanted to say something, tell you what it meant to him, but the words would not come.

Then the sponge was on him, and he hissed at the feeling of the warmth and give of it, and your confident strokes.

You were not trying to do more than cleanse him, not much more, anyway. You rinsed and wrung the sponge, then lowered yourself as he had done, on your knees in front of Pero was causing your mind to become muddled. Was this how all men looked, you wondered. you were not completely inexperienced, but it was, well, limited. As you sponged his behind and between his thighs, his hand went to your cheek, and with a moan, he again called you 'butterfly', though you still did not know.

You reached over to the basin again, rinse and wring, rinse and wring. Then brought it back and washed his legs and feet, you were sure to use a firm touch on his feet, so as not to torment him if this was a sensitive spot. When you finished you placed the sponge in the vessel of water, took the second length of linen, and went to dry him, standing fully before him. Pero tossed the cloth aside and brought you to him, arms tight around you.

“Tell me we are done with the preparations, Mariposa. Please.”

“There is one last thing,” You looked over at the drinking horn. Pero went over to the fire and picked it up, it was laying on its side but the moment he had it upright in his hand, it filled with an aromatic liquid, he could tell there was more than wine in there.

“When we drink this, we will be opening ourselves to the Divine. We will be here, but it will no longer be just you and me. Do you understand?”

“I, yes. We, will know what is happening, yes? I want to be right here with you.”

“Yes.”

“Is it, eh- different than… usual?”

“Erm, well,” here you paused, “ as I am a maiden, I am not entirely sure.”

Pero stopped, for a moment you think he is made of stone, then looked into your eyes.

“Yo- you are a maid?”

“Well, yes, or we wouldn't be here. I have to be.”

“For this rite? Very well but I am not-”

“You do not have to be.”

“You have never lain with a man.”

“I … in the way that matters tonight. No, I have never. Are you- do you not want to-”

You started doing calculations in your head the cost of not keeping up your end of the obvious bargain that Pero and the fae had made for the assistance in your rescue.

“No, I do. Hermosa, are you sure?”

“Yes, Pero. I am sure. Not just to balance scales or for the honor of being a vessel, but I- I have been as drawn to you as if by magic as you have suspected you have of me… though I promise, I did noth-”

“I know that now, mi amor. The, eh, folks under the hill, they say we are connected, by many lives. They also say this is not to balance scales, they said that like Thomas, they do not forget.”

You were speechless. Pero did not have a silver tongue, but more than that, you could feel its truth. Your eyes shined, you felt love wrap around you. Both of you. You and Pero were in a bubble there could have been a hurricane raging outside the ring, but within arms surrounded and protected the two of you. And at the center was Pero Tovar, once suspicious and surly, now his brown eyes were warm, his face confident and softer than you had ever seen it. He brought the horn to your lips and you drank deeply, your eyes not leaving his. Then you took it from him and tipped it to his mouth and he finished it and turned to enter the tent.

to be continued...

THANK YOU FOR READING! 💚

PART 3b (optional smut)

PART 4 Beloved

You can find more of my work here and if you would care to be tagged for this or any of my writing fill out my taglist form.

[alreadyblondenow]

One is a big number | Lee Taeyong

❤︎ Taeyong x female!reader ❤︎ Very fluffy, Smut, Smut, Tiny bit of angst, Highschool AU, Strangers to lovers, Love Alarm universe, Love Alarm au? ❤︎ 1/4 for LOVE MONTH SERIES: Boys Don’t Cry  One is a big number | You and your words | Sweet | He loves me, he loves me not |

Summary: Under the universe of Love Alarm, you rang Lee Taeyong’s Love Alarm loud and proud and you as a new girl at the school, has his attention more than anything else. 

Word count: 7,682k

Warnings: Protected sex, loss of virginity, touching, teasing, making out, corruption, goodbye innocence, mentions of first base to home run, taeyong having a boner while kissing, all that high school exploring in bed while Taeyong’s parents are not home, Trusting an app regarding love, swearing, mentions of alcohol, mentions of other idols

A/N: PURE FICTION. PURE FICTION. PURE FICTION. This will be very fluffy because I wanted to start February on a light note. hehe. Also, this is inspired by First Love by NCT 127 under Loveholic’s single. It’s a good thing that I finished this before they announced that First Love is all about your first... love... hahaha so I had time to incorporate in more with my fic. As always, I enjoy writing for my Bubu. Happy reading! 

For NCT-WRITER’S FEBRUARY EVENT, LOVE ALARM @nct-writers​ 

Can you still remember your first love? The day you met and the day you realized you officially like that person? 

When that one person hold your hand for the first time? Did he kept you close and kept you warm? 

When that one person kissed you for the first time? How did it feel?

When you had your first fight, how did you fixed it? 

Do you remember the time when you realized that, that one person is slowly slipping into your hands?

When that one specific person broke your heart? 

Do you remember it?

It’s been over four years since Love Alarm has been launched and they’ve been using it for almost everything. The world seemed to have progressed a lot now that we have Love Alarm in our phones but did it really made our lives easier? Especially when it comes to love? 

Walking to school on a beautiful day, your first day as a transferee... what could possibly go wrong? As you enter the school premises, you see students holding their phones like they’re waiting for something or someone. Perhaps they’re waiting for someone to ring their Love Alarm? Who knows? 

“He’s here!” A rather excited student exclaimed and brought out her phone and grabbed her friend. You being the only clueless student right now turned your back too to see the man they’ve been waiting for.

He was like a celebrity when he stepped on the first few steps upon the school’s entrance. Lee Taeyong, a senior. Very good looking, smart, athletic, and voted junior prom king. He literally looks like an angel walking in the middle of the school’s entrance together with his friends who look liked angels too. Their Love Alarm rang so much as they walk in front of the new and old students, making fun of each other and having a bet on whose Love Alarm will ring the most. 

You looked at him. You looked at his face like you don’t already know that it’s impolite to stare at someone, but you still did because Lee Taeyong is handsome. And you’re not immune to his charms. What a good way to start school, you thought. It’s only the first day but you feel like you’re going to have a blast as long as you see Lee Taeyong around. 

From there on Lee Taeyong has become your crush and your heart thumps so hard whenever you ring his Love Alarm every morning like the other girls. For you, there’s no shame in ringing his Love Alarm, you’re glad it does that. At least you’re being honest to him in silence and let the alert from Love Alarm do the talking. But even though you ring his Love Alarm again and again and again, you never wish for him to ring your Love Alarm back, no. He deserves someone perfect like him. 

Day by day and whenever you see him around, you look at him to feed your heart and eyes then look away again and ignore him as if you didn’t ring his Love Alarm loud and proud. It frustrates him you know, but in a good way. He now recognizes you as the new girl who rings his Love Alarm every day but seems to don’t care about him enough. In other words, you’re not like the other girls. 

You know that good feeling when you go to school and you’re looking forward to seeing your crush even just for a few seconds? That’s what Lee Taeyong feels for you. With just a couple of weeks of ringing his Love Alarm, you had the man thinking about you and wanting to know you. Sometimes he can’t understand Love Alarm. He is completely sure that he likes you already and he is very interested in you, but he can’t ring your alarm. 

Have you ever had that good feeling when your crush is around and you are free to look at him no matter how long you want and whenever he caught you staring you just avoid his eyes? It’s like playing chicken but you’re both enjoying the game, he smiles at you and brings up his phone as if he’s telling you ‘Thank you for ringing my Love Alarm again’ and you just smile at him, completely clueless that he’s starting to flirt. 

“Why don’t you just ring her Love Alarm back?” Doyoung asked. 

“Cant. For some twisted reason, I can’t ring her Love Alarm. That’s why I can’t make a move and can only flirt back, I want to trust Love Alarm” Taeyong says, eyes completely glued to you but you don’t know that because you’re busy reading.

“Maybe you don’t really like the girl?” Doyoung blurted out. Lee Taeyong didn’t really want to admit it with his friend but maybe he’s right.

“The Lee Taeyong flirts back now huh? And to a new girl? Interesting” Johnny swings his arm to his friend and ruffles his hair. Teasing him for flirting back at you because he saw Taeyong smiled in your direction. 

“Am I not allowed to flirt?” Taeyong snorted and turned off his Love Alarm when he saw the place getting crowded already. “It’s senior year, I need to change” he added. 

“So changing your relationship status is a good start? Hmm. Okay, I agree with you on that. But don’t waste your time if you're unsure,” Johnny explains. But Lee Taeyong doesn’t care, he looks at you as you gather your books thinking of many ways to start talking to you and secretly wishing he can ring your Love Alarm back. But for now, he just can’t. 

While you were studying at the library, you can’t help but remember how Lee Taeyong thanked you for ringing his alarm.... he fucking thanked you, that must be something? He isn’t thanking every single person who rings his alarm, just you. You smile at that thought which you think is crazy but a girl can dream. Then again you remember that you’re studying and shook your head for the nth time to stop yourself from thinking about your senior. 

When you finally focused on studying and finished tons of school work, you didn’t notice that it’s already dark outside and that going home alone would be scary but you have no choice. You walk and walk and walk until you finally reached that scary alleyway you’ve been trying to avoid but it’s your only way home. 

“Hey- don’t go there” 

A familiar voice warned you before you can even start walking, you turned around and wish that you were wrong but you weren’t. It is as if the world heard you thinking about Lee Taeyong and the universe made you meet in an unexpected way. “It’s dangerous there, where are your friends? Is that your way home?” He asked the question like you two were close and talking already, his face looked cold but funny how he makes you feel warm. 

“Yes, this is the only way. Usually, I go home when the sun is still up but I have to study” you explain. 

“I have no choice then. Let me walk you home, my conscience will not let me sleep if I just let you-“

“I can take care of myself, I can easily call my dad. If I refuse your offer, will you still think about me?” You don’t know where the sudden bravery came from but you’re glad you did it.

He was completely shy, blushing and keeping his head down. And that’s the push that Lee Taeyong needed. He held out his hand and introduced himself properly like a decent person would and you did the same. Both hands are shaking because of nervousness but that’s understandable you both thought. “This isn’t how I imagined meeting you officially-“ 

“So you do think about me?” You further tease the blushing man and finally admits the truth and said, “Yes. I do think about you. A lot” it was silent for a few seconds before he started again, “I wish I could ring your Love Alarm too, you make me nervous you know that? Whenever I’m in school I look forward to seeing you, even just for a few seconds” he came closer to you as you grip your bag tightly and the butterflies in your stomach won’t stop flapping their wings when Lee Taeyong put strands of hair behind your ear so he could see you clearly under the lamppost light. 

Either way, you still let him walk you home and cherish every second you could have with your crush. You feel like you’ve won something like you’re winning this nonexistent race with the other girls, you feel happy for yourself. He told you about his day, you told him yours, he made you laugh, you make him shy for no reason. And when you and Taeyong finally reached your house, you exchanged numbers. Now you can tell that you’re winning something. His attention and interest.

“I hope I can ring your Love Alarm,” he says again, looking at you like it’s going to be the last thing he’ll do. 

“That’s fine, ring mine when you’re ready. We can’t rush romance, even when Love Alarm is involved” you watch him let out a small laugh and you think he’s so handsome even when he’s cute. 

“Usually girls get offended when someone they like can’t ring their Love Alarm, but you... you don’t mind waiting” 

You didn’t want to end the moment yet but it’s getting pretty late and he needs to go home too, you told him to stop flirting and go home safe so he can flirt with you some other time. And for the last time, just to wrap this wonderful night, he tilts his head and smiled so sweetly to you and told you ‘good night’ 

That moment you had with Lee Taeyong felt like a pretty damn good song but just like every song, it needed to end. But you will never forget about it. 

After that momentous night with your crush, Lee Taeyong has become a whole entire playlist and a well written album wrapped into one. Every love song you listen to was suddenly all about him he and the man was head over heels to you. He was texting you nonstop even during class, calling you after school and will probably end later at night, and getting the tiniest chance to flirt with you in the morning before you both head to class and meet again by golden hour to walk home together.

Not long after a week of flirting and getting to know each other more, he finally rang your alarm in front of many students in school accidentally. Your eyes went big and Taeyong was as shocked as you are. It was like you have this 10-meter radius for yourselves only and you were both giggling when your Love Alarms went off together. It was a happy moment, definitely one for the books. “Finally” he whispers, standing close to you, not caring if a lot of people are watching. Let them watch, Lee Taeyong thought. So they know you belong to each other now and you have Love Alarm on your side. 

“Are you free this weekend?” He asks while walking you home. 

“Free, but I have to study. What do you have in mind?” you answered as calmly as you could because you have a hunch that he’s going to ask you on a date. 

“Well, now that I can finally ring your Love Alarm, I want to take you out on a proper date” you knew it, “movies?” 

“Sounds fun, as long as it’s scary” he nods and took his phone out of his pocket. 

“Can I ring your Love Alarm again?” He requests which you gladly gave in and opened the app. You two waited for a few seconds for Love Alarm to work its magic. 

Waiting

Waiting 

Waiting

Until the number ‘1’ appeared on your screens and says “Someone within 10-meter radius loves you”. Taeyong sighed in relief and swing his arms around you for a hug and a kiss on the forehead. “That scared me” he admitted. 

Unconsciously, he doesn’t know what his hug and kiss can do to you. While his heart calms as he hugs you, yours is beating so fast like you just ran a mile. There’s that winning feeling again. 

On your first date, he took you to the movies and as promised the movie was scary. It was so scary that he had enough opportunity to hold you close and hold your hand the whole time. The moment your fingers intertwined, you felt some kind of electricity flowing in your body and the movie house suddenly felt warm. “I know, I felt it too” he whispers and went back to watching the movie. 

The next few days with Taeyong was something you’ve never imagine that will happen in your high school life. He has become the epitome of new things and first times. 

He is the first guy to hold your hand in public. Swinging it high, up and down, holding it tight, and he even kisses it whenever he feels like it. Not a day goes by that he didn’t hold your hand or kept you close to him ever since you made it official through Love Alarm. 

He is the first guy to sweep you off your feet, through his sweet words and gentleman gestures. “Can I flirt with you later?” he asks, putting a bottle of juice in front of you before he goes to his next class. ‘Flirt with you’ simply means he wanted to spend time with you before he walks you home. 

Still in your school uniforms, Taeyong brought you somewhere quiet where the river is calm, and just looking at it makes you calm your nerves too. “The sun feels nice, let’s watch the sun go down,” he says lying comfortably on the ground and enjoying the warm grass underneath his body. 

“How’s your day?” you sat beside him and Taeyong was quick to cover your legs with his school coat. He grunted while covering your legs as he remembers how stressful being a senior is. 

“Was having a bad day, when I talked to you earlier. School has been kicking my butt” he says and lies again beside you. “How about you? How's being a new student so far?” 

“So far so good, I have a handsome senior who just made my high school life more interesting” 

He handsomely giggles in front of you, so close that your lips are just inches away. “You’re flirting,” he says. 

“You said you wanted to flirt with me?” you bite back. 

“Mmm-hmm. Can I flirt a little differently today?” he came even much closer to you but you didn’t pull away because you know exactly what he’s talking about. 

And just as you expected, he kissed you. Softly. Holding your chin as he moves his lips on yours while the sun goes down. Your eyes were shut and all you did the whole time your boyfriend was kissing you is return the kiss and savor the feeling of being kissed for the first time. 

When the kiss was over, he did not pull away immediately but looked at your lips for a few seconds as if he wanted to kiss it again but even more fiercely this time but he knew this is not the right time for that. So instead, he kissed your nose and your forehead and flashed a sweet smile at you. Something that you will never forget like the kiss you just shared a few seconds ago.   

After that day, kissing became an everyday habit to you and Taeyong and you both love it whenever you get the chance to share a kiss privately. Well, he does kiss you in public, but those are nothing compared to the ones you share inside his room after school and his parents are not yet home. Lee Taeyong’s lips are simply addicting but little did you know that your boyfriend is even more addicted to kissing you. 

“Just one more kiss” he pulls you close to him begging for another kiss before he watches you go inside your house. “One more please” he pouted like the baby that he is. 

You crashed your lips on him and feel both of his hands hold the sides of your head so you won’t pull away from him so easily. But when you do, he simply asks for another kiss and then another other, until you’re basically making out in front of your house. 

“Mmm” he moans like he’s not planning to stop kissing you soon. 

“Tae-“ you giggle and tried pushing away and finally, he stopped. Lips swollen, slightly panting with a…. hard cock. 

“Sorry about that. I- I have no control over that, I’m sorry” he apologizes and tries to hide his boner. You let out a small laugh and fixed his ruined hair with a few pat. 

“You don’t have to be shy, I’m your girlfriend. See you tomorrow, okay? Go home safe!” you slowly walk towards your house, waving your hand goodbye until you see him walk away. 

Just like any new couple, you and Taeyong crave for each other in many ways. After exploring enough with kissing and teasing each other whenever one of you gets too turned on, soon you talk about different levels of physical intimacy freely without being awkward. 

Given that Taeyong is more experienced than you are because you’re a virgin, he knew exactly what to do when it comes to expressing his physical needs to you and making sure that he doesn’t pressure you with anything. 

“So how do I know if what base are we on?” you asked innocently. 

“First base is kissing. Open mouthed kisses, tongue- basically, the things I already did to you or the things we did already” he explains, hands on your waist as you both lie on your sides facing each other. 

“I’m guessing we're way past first base then” you smirked and made him shy. 

“Yeah. Way past first base” he smirked back at you and hovers on top of you. “The second base is more on touching” he emphasized the word ‘touching’ and better explain it by moving his hand from your leg up until he reaches your inner thighs under your school skirt and run up a finger on your slit unexpectedly which made you curl in no time and curse at him. Not because you didn’t like it, but because it felt good and he immediately stopped the teasing. 

You glared at him as if you’re telling him through your eyes to touch you again, be he just snorted and kissed your cheeks. “Don’t hate me. I’m just waiting for the perfect timing” he explains and enjoys how you’re so annoyed but horny.

You let out a sharp sigh and made him continue again. “Third base is giving head or fingering. Oh, you’re going to love third base” he teased you further by just using his words. You pushed him away from you playfully but your boyfriend is strong and caught your hands, “okay okay. Enough teasing, home run is having sex. And come on I have to get you home before I could no longer stop myself�� 

He’s not lying because you see the growing tent in his crotch. He’s been stopping himself by teasing you. You sat up when he got out of his bed to change into some much comfortable clothes but when he got back, you teased him by putting on a show. Lifting your skirt slowly just before you reveal your panties and as expected, he stopped you. 

“Don’t tease me, I don’t have a condom right now” it was a warning but it sounded more like he’s begging. 

“I’m just joking” you kissed him on the cheek and got up from your comfortable position to fix your wrinkled school uniform before you head home.   

Tonight, you attend a party with Taeyong for the first time and his Love Alarm kept on ringing the moment he stepped into the room. 

Every day, Lee Taeyong rings your Love Alarm and you ring his too.... together with the other girls and quite frankly, you don’t know how long you can stand those girls who fantasize about fucking your boyfriend. He’s your own private buffet, for goodness sake. 

“Don’t drink anything unless I’m the one who gave it to you, okay? I’ll get you something- Doyoung!” he made sure you won’t be alone and called his friend before he leaves. 

“So you’re the lucky girl. Hi, I’m Johnny” he offers you his hand for a handshake and accepted with a smile. 

“Don’t mind Johnny, hi I’m Doyoung. Taeyong’s best friend,” you shake his hand and smiled at them, hoping that you don’t look awkward. They made small talk, asked you how you’ve been and how’s your Junior year going so far which you answered too seriously. Soon, you feel Taeyong’s cold hands on your shoulders and hands you a drink before he shoos his drunk friend Johnny away. 

It was a fun night, but it can be better if the other girls can respect your relationship. You wanted to snap so hard but instead, you focused on how Taeyong kisses your nape, shamelessly while you watch his friends play beer pong and he’s standing right behind you, hands on the front pockets of your jeans like he’s telling those girls he belongs to you. 

But the warm feeling was shortly cut off when they heard Johnny shouting and drunkenly pushing himself to walk straight so he could get a hold of his girlfriend. Everyone heard it. The words, “Johnny were through. I’m breaking up with you” were heard on every corner of the place even under loud party music. 

After hearing those words, you looked at Taeyong like you’re telling him through his eyes that you’re scared. But Taeyong and his other friends were quick to get Johnny and stopped him from making a scene. 

Everything happened so fast. One second Taeyong was beside you, but now you're in the middle of the place alone and watching your boyfriend and his friends carry Johnny outside. 

“Johnny didn’t ring her love alarm today,” Taeyong sits beside you after leaving you alone for a few minutes to talk to his friend. “And if he’s going to be honest he fell out of love. But he wasn’t ready to let her go and wasn’t sure about his feelings, he’s just being paranoid because he’s going to graduate soon” he let out a sharp exhale before he continues, “We're going to graduate soon. I guess Love Alarm caught him having second thoughts for her already” 

“Do you want to leave now?” you asked your boyfriend. He can only nod because he still feels weak about what happened to his friend. 

 The supposedly warm night with Taeyong became cold and quiet. Not because there’s something wrong with your relationship. But because you were both scared of the idea of breaking up. He wanted to tell you he saw the look in your eyes when you heard the words but he figured enough sadness for one night, wrapped his arms around you and told you “I will never let you go” and kissed you on your temple. 

Few days after the party is exams week so you and Taeyong didn’t see each other that much. But by the time it’s over, he waited for you outside the school and you know he’s the one waiting for you because he rang your Love Alarm. 

While walking to his house, it suddenly rained so hard that the raindrops hurt your skin. But instead of avoiding the rain, Taeyong pulled you in the middle of an empty street and kissed you under the rain. 

It was so sweet. 

His arms were perfectly wrapped around your body while yours is placed behind his lower back. You tiptoe unconsciously so you could reach him well. “I love you,” he says and lifted you off the ground effortlessly for a tight hug. 

“Here wear this” He left some clean clothes on his bed for you to change with while he puts your wet uniform on the dry cleaner. 

When you’re finally dry and clean, you cuddle with Taeyong in his bed wearing his big clothes and listening to the sound of rain with no lights on, but the gloomy sky outside. 

“I saw the way you looked at me the other night” he started. And you tighten your embrace to him as you remember the words and the whole scenario. 

 “I'm just scared and not because I’m doubting your love” you admitted. “I never thought about it you know. That things can go wrong someday-“

“No, no. Then I’ll love you, even more, every day. Don’t be scared please, trust my love” he says and kept you close by putting his legs on your thigh. His big hand is placed under your shirt, drawing small circles on your tummy to give you more comfort. 

“I’m guessing this is second base then?” you teased him to change the mood. 

“Do you want to proceed to that level? Hmm?” he rolls on top of you, teased you, and kissed your neck in a way that seriously turned you on in no time. 

“If you’re brave enough to do it, then go right ahead. I give you my full consent” you reached for his lips and kissed him deeply. You felt him smile during the kiss and also felt his hand slowly lifting your shirt or rather his shirt. Hands roaming your body like he never touched you before, squeezing your butt cheeks and kneading your clothed boobs. To be honest, he’s shy to put his hand inside your clothes but to his shock, you put yours inside his, bravely touched his body, and shamelessly put your hand inside his sweatpants and touched him. 

That made him swallowed his shyness and knead your unclothed breast under the shirt that you’re wearing. Brushing his fingers on your nipples softly, pinching them to make giggle. 

After a few minutes of intense touching, he was slightly tugging the sweat pants that you’re wearing and asked you, “Do I still have your consent if we proceed on third base?” He whispers oh so sexily beside your ear which made you remember what he told you, ‘you’re going to love third base’ and that is enough for you to nod and give him further permission. 

He kissed you on the lips, his way of saying ‘thanks’, and proceeds to lift your shirt and suck your nipples which made you moan his name and grip his locks so tight that he needed to reach for your hands and intertwine them with his. 

Lee Taeyong showed you who is in bed and you can't help but think that you’re the luckiest girl on Earth. 

“Hey, you okay? You’re spacing out, I think should-“ 

“Don’t stop” you moaned and grabbed his head for a deep kiss. You reach for his hand and made him knead your boobs while you kiss and grind on each other and in a matter of minutes you felt him putting his hand inside your panties while he distracts you with the way he kisses you. He flicks his fingers once and you curled immediately, legs wide open so he could freely move his hand. But soon his patience went thin and removed your panties, throwing it on the side of the bed before spreading your legs even more wider. 

“Do you like this side of me?” He whispers on the shell of your ear and bit it eventually making you tickle and giggle with parted lips. 

“I definitely do” you moan out. 

And for the main event under third base, he kissed your body all the way down until he meets your wet entrance. Kissing your inner thighs first before he proceeds to drive you wild with his tongue. 

First, he parted your wet folds, looked you straight in the eye, and licked you like you’re his favorite flavored ice cream. “Tae-“ is all you can moan out and decided to put your hands above your head and grab hold of his headboard. Which he didn’t like so he stopped and told you, “touch me, I like that” 

And so you did. Gripping Taeyong’s locks as he makes you feel good with his tongue. Putting a finger inside your cunt and flick his tongue faster together with his finger, making you cum in no time and crushing your boyfriend’s head with your legs. “Stop- stop” you cry out because of over sensitivity. “You weren’t going to stop eating me unless I told you so” 

He smirked and hummed because you’re right. He gave you a few minutes to catch your breath, taking that time to strip himself naked without you noticing. And when you finally came back from your high, he kisses your lower stomach and there you see your boyfriend all naked and really horny. 

“I want to have sex,” he shamelessly told you, touching your body with care while he waits for your answer. “Can we have sex?” he kisses you more like he’s persuading you. 

“Do you finally have a condom?” You asked with a smile. 

He did not waste any time and get the condom from his drawer, putting it on in front of you. Putting it on in between your wide open legs and very wet slit. 

“Put your arms around me,” he said and you followed immediately. He ran his protected cock on your wet slit, just to make him hard even more but the feeling for you is very different. You are very much aroused, very horny and it already felt good. So when you feel him poke your tight hole and slowly push in finally, your eyes shut close and feel every inch of Lee Taeyong’s cock go inside you oh so fucking slowly until he’s entire inside. 

He grunted and moan directly on your ear and told you, “virgin no more” and kissed you on your temple before he rolls his deep which made you both crazy and even more horny for each other. 

Your tight walls were so wet because of the foreplay that his cock was sliding in smoothly, hurting you good and stretching you right before he fucks you harder. 

“Fucking thin condoms, I feel like I’m fucking you raw,” he said in between thrust and rolling his tongue on your nipple, tugging and biting it as he pleases. 

When he sees you smiling through the pleasure and felt your body more relaxed, he put his mouth on your mouth and made you catch his moans as he fucks you harder and faster, enough for his bed to creak, your body to be dragged on the mattress and your nails to dig on his skin. 

He came hard and had a great orgasm, slowly thrusting deeper as he rides his high and showers you with kisses. Truth be told, he didn’t want to cum just yet but your tight walls did its magic on him.

The moment he pulls out to discard the condom, he went back to kissing your weak body and told you to “Calm down,” oh so sweetly, and eventually giggled when he saw you still breathing heavily.

“How can I calm down if you’re kissing me like that?” 

“Okay I’ll stop,” he says and pulled down your shirt to cover your exposed body, reached for your panties, and helped you wear them again then covered you with his thick sheets. “Better?” 

“Yes, thank you” you smiled weakly at him and watched him get dress again before he joins you under the covers.

“What are you thinking?” he asked, hoping that you’re okay. “Are you hurt somewhere?” 

“How many girls did you bring here before me?” You watch your boyfriend’s eyes get big upon hearing your question, “I’m joking. And no, nothing hurts. I’m just processing everything that happened. How about you? What are you thinking?” 

“I’m thinking about you, how I want you to be the last girl I have sex with in this bed” it was a joke because he only brought a total of two girls into his room. His first girlfriend and you. 

“Buy a new bed or I’m breaking up with you,” you said with a straight face but he clearly knew you’re joking. 

They say that being close with your partner emotionally, physically, and even sexually can strengthen a relationship. And right now, as you celebrate seven months of being in a relationship with Taeyong, you believe in that saying because you’ve been closer than ever after being intimate for the first time. In other words, the sex was a good way to strengthen your relationship. 

“Why do you love reading so much?” he asks, totally jealous over reading a good book rather than talking to him. 

Taeyong is busy nowadays because he’s graduating in a few weeks and he’s part of the prom committee because he has seriously good leadership skills. That’s why maybe he wanted more attention.

“Oh! I'm gonna miss you when you graduate” you pinch his cheek and sat closer to him. “Will you be fine being away from me?” You teased him but your question was serious. 

“No, I will not be fine. I will miss you every day- can we please talk about something else before I start crying?” he attacked you with kisses on the cheek but the moment was cut off when Johnny pullovers to fetch your boyfriend. 

“Have fun shopping for prom decorations with the boys rather than being in bed with me” you whisper to him while you both wear your bags and walk towards Johnny’s car. 

“I love you, go home safe, okay? I’ll call you as soon as we're done” 

During your walk alone, it felt nice to do something without Taeyong for once. Not that you wanted him to be gone, no. It’s just that nowadays, things have been becoming like a routine and less of a relationship. You go to school, see him before class starts, see him again after school, and go home together. Then you do it again the next day. Like you don’t have any more doors to unlock in this relationship. 

But what do you expect? You’re high school students. 

“Are you done studying?” 

“I can’t study tonight, my brain feels tired” you whine through the phone, eyes closed and thankful that it’s going to be the weekend tomorrow. “How about you?” 

“Well, Johnny accidentally broke a few lights so we need to fix it before we go home. I’m tired, I miss you” 

“Mmm. I’m tired too...” your voice was a little groggy. 

“And? Do you miss me too? Can I see you tomorrow?” 

“Tae, we just saw each other five hours ago and no, I want to enjoy my weekend by staying home and watching Netflix” 

“So you’re not having fun when we're out together?-“ 

“I never said anything like that” you opened your eyes because the conversation is getting pretty serious, “Don’t be angry, I just want some time for myself you know? We see each other every day, talk through text every hour, it’s like there’s no more room to breathe” you wish you can properly tell him what you’re feeling but those are the words that came out from your mouth. 

“Time for yourself, huh. Okay” and just like that, he ended the call. No ‘good night’ or ‘i love you’. And even though you’re sleepy and things escalated quickly, you heard the tone of his voice like a mixture of, annoyed and hurt. 

Instead of having a good night's sleep, you stayed up all night thinking about what you said to your boyfriend. Analyzing every word and repeating the scenario in your head, over and over again. If telling him what you want was wrong, then you don’t know what’s right anymore. 

On the next day, you sent him a few messages telling him that you’re sorry and that you didn’t mean to put it that way. You even told him you wanted to see him, hoping that he will finally get back to your messages. But still, he never replied. The whole weekend.  

Come Monday, you didn’t get to see Taeyong in the morning like you usually would because you and your friends did your group project together last minute. And the truth is, you’re starting to hurt because you feel bad for being honest even though you didn’t intend to hurt him like that. 

“I think you’re being too clingy” Doyoung protest to his friend during lunchtime.

“Girls love clingy boyfriends-“ 

“Well, unfortunately not your girlfriend. Give her some space, don’t make her all about you, you know?” 

“I just want every time I could get with her before I graduate. B-but, yeah. Now I’m giving her the time that she wanted for herself-“

“But you’re hurting her. She’s worried, she just wanted you to return her messages dude” Johnny pats his back and gave him the look like he’s saying ‘fix this before Love Alarm screw the situation further’ 

And while Taeyong is enjoying his lunch with his friends, you’re with your friends at the school bleachers watching the other sections use the field. Talking about hot boys, prom dresses, and what to do after prom.

“Did Taeyong asked you to prom already? Was it romantic?” you see the excitement of your friend as she asked you the question and see the others wait for your answer. 

“N-no. He hasn’t” the once cheerful faces were replaced by disappointment. Come to think of it, maybe he will not ask you to prom because of this stupid fight. You shook your head and returned the question to them and pretended that you care who’s taking them. But deep inside you envy them. 

School was always exhausted and you don’t know why you’re suddenly tired. Usually, after school and you meet Taeyong outside, you still have a lot of energy left. And maybe that’s it, Taeyong’s cheerful energy and happy aura are the ones recharging you after a day in school. That’s when you realized that you don’t need to push him away just so you can breathe.

Speaking of the devil, you see him leaning on Johnny’s car the moment you stepped out of the school grounds. Head down, hands inside his pockets, and waiting for you. 

The moment you stepped inside that 10-meter radius, his Love Alarm rang and he knew it was you. But the problem is, your Love Alarm didn’t ring this time. 

Taeyong didn’t notice it. Taeyong didn’t notice that your Love Alarm was silent. He still welcomed you with a tight hug, kissed your face one too many times, and said his sorry sincerely. It felt nice that you are now okay, he’s talking to you again and on top of that he apologized. Of course, you didn’t want to ruin that peace anymore and pretended that you’re not hurt.   

Few days went by and Taeyong hasn’t rung your Love Alarm and he’s too busy to notice it. Senior year is making him busy and you have nothing against that. Yes, you do miss him but he calls you before you sleep and quickly apologizes whenever he feels like he’s being a clingy boyfriend again. 

“N-no. Please, be clingy. I’m sorry for that night, I don’t know what I’m thinking” you sounded desperate but he doesn’t know why. 

“Okay, just making sure we don’t fight again” 

And few days before prom, he still hasn’t asked you yet while your friends all have dresses already and plans for that night. It sucks, but you don’t want to get mad at Taeyong for not asking you to prom because he’s busy. 

On a quiet afternoon after school, you’re waiting for Taeyong outside the school while reading a book, and page by page you digest every word just so you could stop thinking about prom. And just as you least expected it, your boyfriend asked you to prom on page 127 of the book that you’re reading. 

 “Will you go to prom with me?” -T.Y 

Then it hit you. You started reading this book on the day prom was announced so basically he asked you ever since day 1 and he has been waiting for your answer for weeks already. He just keeps on giving you more reasons to ring his Love Alarm loud proud, while you give him nothing to make him ring yours.  

“Finally. Hi” 

You didn’t know he was right behind you and his kiss brought you back on Earth. He was smiling handsomely and proud because his surprise worked on you, even though it took you a while to answer his question your reaction was worth it. 

“You know my answer Tae. And to be honest I thought you forgot about asking me” you finally admitted, but your lack of faith in him didn’t hurt him one bit. 

“Perfectly fine,” his arms swing around your waist and pulled you closer to him while you're sitting on the bench. “I’m free now and I don’t have prom committee duties. Can I flirt with you tonight?” the way he said it sounded just like old times, like the days when you were just starting as a couple. 

The flirting was continued in his room of course, with his thick curtains down, Netflix playing and hands intertwined the whole time. And after the movie, you two cuddled in bed with you on top of him and just listening to his heartbeat. 

“Does your heart beats for me?” you asked soft, hoping he would tell you the truth. 

“Of course, you’re my first love” true. Even though you’re not his first girlfriend, you’re the first girl he ever loved. 

“Your Love Alarm says otherwise Tae. I think I’m not giving you enough reasons to love me” you admitted. “You haven’t rung my alarm ever since our first fight” 

“W-what? Maybe it’s off?” He was panicking, shaking because maybe it’s true. With quick movements, he left you on his bed to get his phone then looked for your phone in your bag and opened the app to see if what you’re saying is true. 

His rang, of course, but yours didn’t. 

“Tae it’s okay- It doesn’t matter. You know you proved to me that you love me even if you can’t ring my Love Alarm” you went beside him and hugged him from behind. Feeling his frustration and anger to himself but your hug helps him a lot. “You tell and show me you love me every day. I can feel it in how you kiss me, how you treat me with respect and how you’re always patient with me. Come on it’s okay, don’t ruin your day” 

To make him feel better, you talked him out of his sulking and convinced him to go back to bed with you which eventually worked. You’re now sitting on top of him, grinding on his crotch, only wearing your panties and his hoodie. You can tell by the way he kisses you that he’s more than sorry about not ringing your Love Alarm and that makes your heart sad too because he didn’t do anything wrong.

“Let’s turn this night around,” you said before removing the hoodie that you’re wearing and making your boyfriend grip your boobs and play with your nipples while you kiss him and distract him as you undo his pants. 

“Clever” and finally he smiles and puts one of your nipples in his mouth, hands inside your panties and spreading your ass cheeks before he inserts a finger in your wet slit. 

After that night, Taeyong had a hard timing accepting that he can’t ring your Love Alarm again even though you told him so many times that it’s okay. Sometimes your conversation escalates too soon and he just ends up arguing with you. Soon fighting has become a weekly thing for the two of you whenever he brings up Love Alarm again. But that’s okay, couples fight and that’s normal. 

On prom night, you purposely did not bring your phone so Taeyong will not try to make your Love Alarm ring. It’s going to be a beautiful night and you didn’t want to ruin it for him. You danced with your boyfriend and went crazy with him on the dance floor, you dance with your friends and ate good food. In other words, you had a great time. 

And when the slow song started to play, everyone’s Love Alarm kept on ringing and people started to confess their feelings. It was amusing to watch and of course, you’re happy for them. But amidst that busy dance floor, that busy place, you and Taeyong had your own 10-meter radius and you don’t need Love Alarm to feel that you love each other. 

“I’m sorry for giving you a hard time these past few days” he started, swaying you under slow music and not caring what's happening around you even though people are very loud and excited. “Let’s stop using Love Alarm. That app lies. I know all too well that I love you and even though I can’t ring your Love Alarm, I sure know how to love you” 

“Mhmm. You do” oh you wanted to kiss him so badly but the teachers are looking. 

“You still love me right?” 

“Of course Taeyong. What kind of question is that?” 

“I know, I just want to hear you say it” he came closer to you and kissed you on your temple when the teachers looked away, “You look beautiful tonight” he added and dance with you more, looking straight into your eyes and thanking you secretly for liking him first. 

Now it's his turn to like and love you forevermore. 

[waynes-multiverse]

I love, love, love all the fluff in this series! Your writing always makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside 🥰😍❤️

All the swooning below the cut:

Beau’s tired eyes woke up and brightened. The sight of Y/N drove away his exhaustion, as well as his fixation on his newest case. She was a dream come true, pulling him out of his stress-induced stupor for a well-timed break.

I love that he feels more alive as soon as she enters his orbit! It’s so sweet and exactly what you want your love to do, right? Distract you from all the horror life has to offer and give you a reason to smile. I love this so much 🥰

Indeed, a few cops averted their eyes, pretending they weren’t staring at the mysterious woman in the new sherriff’s office.

Hahaha that is so great! I can totally see how the whole office is curiously spying on them. Gotta love small towns 😂

And she was his girl. What a lucky bastard, he thought to himself. 

Lucky bastard indeed! I’m melting over here with all this tooth-rotting fluff 😍

I love that she accidentally hit him during their last date and that he takes it in stride and is even proud of her. That’s so in character for him and awfully sweet. I also love that she brought him lunch and checked up on him. Why are these babies so sweet? 😩❤️

“You can be my sexy nurse any day.”

This is one of the lines that reminds me of Dean and I love how similar they sometimes are. It totally works for both of them 😂👏 You write Beau so well! You really capture his charming and overall positive attitude with every word. You’re amazing 😘

“You think your friends are gonna be okay with us?”, he asked and wet his drying lips.

Awww, he feels insecure and hopes they’ll like him. That is so sweet! 🥺 (Not that that man has anything to worry about, let’s be honest here)

“Y/N, seriously, if you don’t marry that guy, one of us will,” Tina, one of her friends, threatened, holding onto her margarita as she fixated Beau with her hungry gaze.

Tina represents the whole fandom. Welcome to the club, girl! 😂

“Well, I gotta say… Beau is Beau-tiful,” Chloe, another one of Y/N’s friends, chimed in, wriggling her eyebrows.

I love her friends 🤣

Beau Arlen was a beacon of light. 

Awwww, I love this! He truly is! 🌟

The two of them hadn’t been intimate yet, but Y/N had a feeling that once he made love to her, his name would be engraved in her heart for good.

STOP KILLING ME! This is so beautiful! 😭😭😭❤️

She knew he could handle himself in shark-infested waters, whether it was filled with vicious criminals or pining admirers.

What a life! Either he’s fending off attackers or fangirls 😂

Air Supply, All Outta Love! God, I haven’t heard that one in forever!

I absolutely adore you for this reference, bestie 😂👏👏👏

“Now you have to put a spell on me, handsome.”

Beau chuckled with a hint of nervousness, then held his hand out to her. “M’lady.”

I’ve never told you this, but I’m an absolute fan of the “m’lady” “m’lord” phrasing. There’s always something incredibly sweet and playful about it 🤓😍 (Also love how she low-key challenges him and makes him nervous 😂)

“Do you wanna crash at my place tonight?”

GOD YES!!!!!

This part was so wonderful and fluffy! Exactly the cure I needed! 🖤 Can’t wait to read the next one and see what these two lovebirds are up to 😏

That Simple

Part 3

Series summary: Beau goes to Y/N, a new friend of his, for some dating advice. Is the charming new sherriff gonna get the date that he’s hoping for?  

Pairing: Beau Arlen x female Reader

Category: Fluff

Word count: 2.3k

Chapter warnings: Drinking, mentions of sex

A/N: Welcome to part 3 of my Beau series! I hope you enjoy! Feedback is appreciated ❤️

Part 2 | Series Masterlist | Beau Arlen Masterlist | Part 4

Main Masterlist 

Y/N felt at least three different sets of curious eyes on her as she walked through the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office. Her long bohemian style dress moved gracefully with each of her steps. On her hands, she balanced a red Tupperware container.

Once she found the door she was looking for, she took a deep inhale and pushed it back out in a sharp huff. She balled one of her hands into a fist and let it collide with the door three times.

“Yeah?”

Pushing open the door, she poked her head into the sherriff’s office. “Hi. You got a minute?”

Keep reading

[irondad-creator-awards]

Winner Spotlight - inkinmyheartandonthepage

This time we’re catching up with @inkinmyheartandonthepage who won Best Series Award in 2021 with the We Forgot Peter series.

Summary: The We Forgot Peter series is a collection of one-shots based around prompts of someone forgetting Peter – from Peter forgetting his Spider-man, Tony forgetting about lab days to May forgetting to tell Peter she has a new job. They're fluffy, angsty and full of Irondad and include all the Avengers, Ned, MJ, Pepper and Morgan.

How did you get into Irondad?

 I think it was through Tumblr. Ironman was the first Marvel movie I ever saw, and it quickly became my favourite. It wasn’t until I saw Infinity War did I stumble upon Irondad and I am so glad that I did!

What’s your favorite Irondad scene?

It’s kind of hard to know what canon is and what is fiction now! Hahaha. But I think it would have to be The Hug (and you all know what hug I’m talking about). It was such a sweet moment in the middle of the battle.

When did you start writing, and what made you sit down and write that first story?

I’ve been writing ever since I could hold a pen! I used to fill those little notebooks with squiggle lines that were supposed to be words, but I didn’t know how to write yet, hahahaha. I guess it exploded from there! I can’t remember what my first piece of fanfiction I wrote was, but I published my first piece in 2009, and it was for NCIS.

What do you like about writing most?

Writing has always been my passion. I love the world building and the character building and just putting them into new and creative scenarios. I even have a degree in creative writing and am currently working on stuff outside of fanfiction. I just love everything about writing. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do.

Which of your stories is your favorite and why?

Ooooo,tough question! We Forgot Peter is definitely the biggest piece of work that I have done. I’ve written over 100 fics for multiple fandoms and I guess my favourite depends on what fandom I’m in the mood for hahaha. At the moment, I would have to say with One In a Million or Collecting Kisses is my favourite.

What’s your favorite trope to write?

I don’t think I have a favourite! As long as they can all have a happy, fluffy ending I’m good.

What inspired the series, We Forgot Peter?

I read a fic about Peter being homeless (can’t remember which one it was) and decided I wanted to give it a try and then it kind of snowballed into the fic. From there, I’m not really sure what made me want to turn into a series – I guess I thought there would be a couple of prompts. I did not expect to still be writing this series at all! I honestly thought it would be about five fics tops.

Can you tell us a little about the experience of writing it — did anything stand out or was there a particular person that helped more than others?

Like I said, I honestly wasn’t expecting this series to take off the way it did. It’s been overwhelming with the amount of prompts I get when they are open (and even when they are closed, I still get prompts). It’s been fun and challenging to try and keep each prompt fresh and new but with so many prompts I sometimes feel guilty that it takes me so long to get through them all. I have to thank everyone that reads the series and for reviewing and for those who have given prompts. This series would have finished a long time ago if it wasn’t for this fandom so thank you. Once I’ve finished with the prompts I have, I’m going to take a break to recharge before jumping back into it.

How did you feel to be a winner of the Awards last year?

I couldn’t believe it! I’m still reeling that I won! I do this for fun and it makes me so happy that my little fics bring so many people joy. I’m thrilled to be a part of this fandom and I hope to be here for a long time to come. I want to thank everyone again who voted for this series. If it weren’t for this awesome fandom, the series would have finished a long time ago, so thank you.

 Thank you so much @inkinmyheartandonthepage​ for talking to us, and thank you for sharing your story world xxx