#have a nice autumn day friends!! I hope you're doing well! ( ��͈ ◡ `͈ )

[floccinaucinihilipilificationa]

[astraystayyh]

please fall before i fall

jeongin x reader. best friends to lovers. they think it's unrequited love so a bit of angst. but they're just idiots. happy ending :))

summary : 3 times you saved jeongin's ass and the 1 time he saved yours (and ended up confessing along the way). holidays themed.

winter falls masterlist.

a.n. : i am very happy to finally post my first fic for the winter falls collab with my author xi hehehehhe i hope you'll enjoy this one <333 it's very light and fluffy she's the cute one!! oh and my song rec is i bet on losing dogs by mitski

One. 

Jeongin’s thumb hovers over your contact name, his rosy lip pulled tightly between his teeth. He hesitates for a few seconds before finally dialing your number. 

“What do you want?” you start which makes an incredulous snort escape his lips, a gust of powdery air materializing before his mouth from the cold. 

“How much do I have to pay you for you to come over?” 

“Ten thousand dollars. Cash,” you precise as he mouths along to what you say, already guessing what your next words would be. 

He's come to know you at an abhorrent speed these past few months; since you sat right next to him in your biology class, head buried in an oversized navy hoodie. Your perfume knocked into him like a gentle breeze— Sicilian lemon and white bouquet notes, nostalgic summer amid an unforgiven autumn. Memories of sticky fingers from molten ice cream and feet soles meeting the warm sand wafted in the air, alluring him to the kindness of a long-gone summer, you. 

That is why he talked to you at first, because you smelled nice, incredibly so. He tells you it's because he liked the pair of shoes you were wearing. 

“What if I brought you your favorite coffee?”

“Are you outside my dorm?” you squeal and he imagines you must be scrambling to get up, opening the curtains. He knows he's right as your figure materializes behind the window. “Hi,” you wave, a small giggle escaping your lips. He can't help the fond smile that draws upon his lips. 

He thinks he likes you a little. 

“Hey, please help me wrap my family’s gifts,” he pouts, waving the coffee in the air. Your order that he memorized by heart, not even meaning to, it was just natural for him to order you coffee every day, to remember your preferences as if they were his own. 

“Why are you here if we're going to your dorm anyways?” you laugh, leaning against the window. 

“Because I know I need to bribe you,” he sighs, angling his head to the side. “Are you not going to hang up and come downstairs? The coffee will grow cold.”

“I’m coming!”

An hour later, four gifts are resting beside Jeongin's figure, perfectly wrapped thanks to your skilled hands. He's lying on the warmed tiles, and you're right beside him, so close your knee brushes against his thigh now and then. 

He is keeping count, well, more so his heart, constricting in his lungs each time you touch. 

He's so aware of you, so much he's sure you’ve crawled into his skin, morphing him into nothing but a shell of you. 

Perhaps he likes you a lot. 

“You're an insane man. Who leaves gift wrapping to the last minute?”

“You're best friends with said insane man.” 

“Remind me how did that happen again?” you ask, propping your head on your elbow, and turning to the side to look at him. Jeongin has to pretend that the sight of you hovering over him doesn't affect him. That his eyes aren't drawn to your lips, heart dissolving at your feet, hoping to brush against your own. 

Please fall before I fall, he nearly pleads.

“Why are you so close,” he feigns disgust, pushing your face away with his pointer finger. 

“What? Does that fluster you?” you question, amused, bringing your face even closer to his. He scrambles away before a blush sprouts on his face, one he wouldn't be able to justify to your scrutinizing gaze. 

“As if. You're ugly,” his eyes squint, lips thinning into that particular smile he knows annoys you. He moves to the side swiftly, anticipating the shoe you throw at him.

“You're literally— remind me to never help you again, asshole.”

“I'm kidding. Thank you for today, seriously. I didn't know wrapping gifts could be this hard.” He falls back to the floor dramatically, banging his head against the tiles in the process.

“Well deserved,” you whisper. 

“I heard that.”

“Good,” you giggle, before gently massaging the spot where he has bumped his head. He purses his lips against one another, afraid of what words might escape the confines of his throat, vocal cords moving to the gentle rhythm of your touch. 

“Will you keep on being this clumsy, Innie? mm?” you muse, tone quieter. 

The nickname makes his insides churn, it is always so tender when it falls from your lips. No one has ever called him this softly before. No one has ever called his heart before you. 

He shouldn't be this clumsy with it. It is a fragile organ, akin to glass, easily breakable, so translucent— it'd be easy for anyone to peer inside and find you in it. 

“Yeah, I probably will.”

He'll stop liking you next year. He hopes. He'll try. 

Two.

Next year has come, familiar frigid winds pulling you to Jeongin’s heart, perhaps even more so than before, cementing your being into the nooks and crannies of his soul, perfectly so, as if it was destined for you alone to fill the emptiness inside him. 

Seasons have changed and yet summer remains, its essence stored safely within the notes of your perfume, it tickles his nose as you're seated on the countertop, legs swinging lazily while he scouts through his fridge. 

“Remind me why we're doing this again?”

“Because I made a bet with Yoon.”

“Your sixteen years old brother?”

“Yes.”

“You are in college.”

“I know.”

“Why are you taking it to heart?” 

“Because I have my pride,” he says solemnly, hand on his heart and you roll your eyes. 

“You literally begged at my feet fifteen minutes ago to help you.”

A year later, Jeongin stood beneath your window once again, phone brought up to his ear, hand hidden behind his back. You pick up on the first ring. 

“Look out the window,” he quickly says before you can even speak. 

“Hello, Y/n, how are you, Y/n, are you surviving with the cold—” you say sarcastically as you pull the curtains, the words dissolving in your tongue as he brings a single flower before him— you recognize its pink petals easily, Camellia, the rose of winter.

“I did not have time for coffee, but I plucked this off the sidewalk,” he offers, an amused grin on his face. “Help me bake cookies, pretty please, I'll be forever indebted to you. Forever and ever and ever and ever—”

“This is such a poor rendition of Romeo and Juliet, I'm afraid Shakespeare is suffering in his grave right now.”

“Do you think he knows of every theater play that was done to his story?” Jeongin muses.

“That's a good question actually. I hope he didn't see mine,” you shudder before your face pales. 

“You did not tell me you ever did that!”

“I'll bake your cookies and you'll never bring this up again.”

“Deal. My Juliet,” he smirks and you throw a middle finger aggressively to his face before hanging up. He shouldn't find it as endearing as he does.

“Because, my dear Y/n, this is my holiday reputation at stake. I kind of raised the bar last year with my gift wrapping.”

“You did?” you raise an eyebrow promptly at his words and he sighs, taking out the butter before leaning against the fridge.

“We did. Which is exactly why I need your help again. Imagine how embarrassing it would be if Yoon wins,” he shudders and a giggle finally escapes your lips.

The kitchen warms up at the sight of your smile.

“It's cute when you need me once in a while,” you say nonchalantly, hopping off the counter and moving to wash your hands. Jeongin freezes in his place.

“I always need you though,” he confesses quickly, swallowing the words, hoping that this way you wouldn't be able to taste the sincerity coating them, sticky honey dripping from his tongue whenever it speaks of you.

“Good thing you'll always have me then,” you beam, your words hanging into the air, oxygen suddenly harder to inhale.

“Gross,” he fakes a shiver, as his heart drops in his chest, breaks, and twists at the weight your words carry.

He'll always have you, but not in the way he wants to, your eyes would never soften at the mere mention of his name, and you won't think that a season blooms into every room he is in. He has you, but just a fragment of you, not how you have him, as a whole, heart, body, and soul. 

He's already fallen, a terrible, terrible fall.

“Will you help me or just stare off into the distance?” you ask, tilting your head to the side. He smiles bashfully, rolling his sleeves and sidling by your side to mix in the eggs, one by one, per your instructions. 

It smells nice in the kitchen, the caramelized fragrance of browned butter, sweetened by the sugar dissolving into the warm liquid. Tentative sunlight streams through the window, and it falls perfectly on Jeongin's face, highlighting his sharp features. 

Not that jeongin needs any additional light, he reminds you of spring, a flower blooming on his face each time he smiles, his dimples two youthful fountains the roots strive from, brightening his face even more. 

He tentatively glances at you as he adds the chocolate chips to the mix, only to find you staring forward. He misses the fond look on your face by a few seconds, the tinting of your features with soft hues of pink, of spring, of him. He always misses it, always misses you. 

Three.

"I can't believe you have 37 pairs of shoes but not one nice shirt.”

“It's 36, please count correctly,” Jeongin retaliates and you snort, flopping around in bed till you land on your stomach, chin propped up by your hand. Jeongin is still rummaging through his closet, head almost disappearing into the dark void of his wardrobe. 

“What do you need this for anyway?” you question, as you scroll through your phone mindlessly. Jeongin’s eerie silence causes you to look up. 

“Um. I have a date tonight.”

“Oh.” 

His words hang over the room like a heavy cloak soaked with rain, the oxygen sucked out of your lungs and ensnared within that singular gasp.

Jeongin swiftly turns around, before kneeling beside the bed, eyes brimming with a hopeless search— you are too focused on steadying your breathing to notice.

“Should I go?”

“I mean… Why are you asking me?”

“If you don't want me to, I won't,” he speaks in an overflowing sincerity, as though he'd willingly surrender the reins of his life for you to guide, should you only dare to ask. 

A breath, a pause, and he adds, “In case you'll be lonely tonight.” Your hope deflates in an instant, akin to a birthday balloon tossed into the careless hands of children. 

Pity, that's what he feels for someone who hasn't had a date in a year while he went on ones regularly. Although they never transcended beyond that first meeting, always a first date, never a second. He says none of the people he meets are his type. 

“I have a date too.” It was the truth, Suhoo had told you to meet him at the ice rink. You said you'd think about it. You knew deep down that your answer would be no, solely because he isn't Jeongin.

Perhaps it is too late for him to fall for you.  

“Really?” 

“Yeah, with Suhoo, you know, the guy in our Economics class.”

“He's nice.”

“Mm.” 

Could you lose something you never had in the first place?

“You should wear Seungmin’s white shirt.” 

“Yeah. That's what I thought too.”

“And bring them flowers. The rose of winter, maybe.” 

You had preserved the plucked flower he gave you in a vase. The pink of the petals liquefying and bleeding into the blush on Jeongin’s cheeks once he noticed. 

“That one's just for you.” 

Four. 

You're alone on the ice rink, the frigid winds assail your form, fingers numb from winter's cruel grasp. Suhoo didn't come after all, perhaps he was offended by you calling him at the last minute to confirm your date.

The chill of disappointment is more biting than the frost— you want to melt off the ice, you want your spring. You want your Jeongin. 

But he isn't yours, perhaps he will never be. He is too sought after, too captivated by the fleeting chase of someone new to spare a glance at you. 

But in this instant, you need him. You need him to hold your hands in his larger, warmer ones and get you off the ice rink. You need the sight of his familiar dimples and blooming smile. 

So, you call him. He picks up on the first ring. 

“Are you that bored on your date?” He playfully taunts, and his voice becomes a gentle breeze that stirs the emotions you struggle to contain. Tears cascade down your cheeks in an achingly familiar path. 

“I-Innie,” you hiccup, and you’re instantly met with the sound of scraping chairs against the floor, the hastening cadence of footsteps hurrying out into the street. 

“Did he do something to you?” He speaks so coldly, a tone so foreign to the warmth of your Jeongin. He shouldn't be tainted with winter too. 

“He didn't come. Can you p-please pick me up?” 

“I will. I'm coming in a bit, okay?” 

He finds you rather quickly on the ice rink, a sore thumb unmoving between the gliding bodies. He skates over to you, almost falling twice in the process. 

“You're so clumsy,” you snort as he stands before you, sobs racking through your body once more at the sight of him.

You weren't mad at Suhoo. You were heartbroken over Jeongin.

“I'll beat him up for you. I'll tell Changbin to help me too,” he smiles, hands fidgeting as they land upon your cheeks, trying their best to wipe away your tears.

“Please don't cry. I hate seeing you cry, Y/n, I really can't bear it." The tears only fall harder at his words, as if he's stringing them forth with each touch of his.

“Did he do something to you?” an unknown voice startles you and you turn to your right to find a girl looking at you then at Jeongin, a frown etched on her eyebrows.

“No, I'm her friend I didn't-”

“I wasn't talking to you,” the girl cuts him off and you laugh despite you, as Jeongin’s jaw hangs open, before closing once more.

“It's not him, thank you so much though,” you smile gratefully and she nods, eyes wary as she glares at Jeongin one last time, before skating away.

“I can't believe that just happened,” He exhales, a breath tinged with bewilderment, before he delicately encircles a hand around your back. Gently, he guides your head to rest against the comforting refuge of his chest.

“What are you doing?” you mumble against his navy hoodie, the one he borrowed from you. You can still smell your perfume on him. 

“I'm comforting you.” 

“You don't like hugs.” 

“It's different when it comes to you.”

You close your eyes, allowing the tide of his warmth to envelop you like a cascade of spring petals.

“Where is your date?”

“I didn't go.”

“Why is that?”

“Because I love you. I'm tired of looking for you in other people,” he quickly says and you peel yourself away from him, feeling as if his clothes were suddenly made of fire. 

“What?” you whisper, eyes glistening with unshed tears.

“I love you,” he repeats, each word drawn out, much slower this time, his hands cradling your face, tenderly, as though holding the sun between his delicate fingers. “I'm tired of pretending you're not my summer.”

“Don't say things you don't mean,” your voice wavers. 

“I mean it. I've always loved you. You complete me in ways I didn't know were possible, and I know you only see me as a friend but-”

Your lips press against his, a culmination of aching desires that have lingered for two years. Distant laughter echoes in the background, ice cream melting onto your fingers, a soft breeze ruffling your hair, flowers blooming under the soft caress of the sun— two seasons melting sweetly into the kiss.

“You're literally so blind,” you giggle against his lips, and his smile widens, your noses brushing against one another. “I love you too, idiot.”

“You love me?”

“You're my favorite season.” 

“Don't steal my lines.”

“Hey—” he kisses you this time, the winter is long forgotten. 

Was it ever a fall if you caught him in the end?

[the0doreslover]

For the first time, part II | t.n

Theodore found himself strangely preoccupied with thoughts of you after that short encounter. He couldn't help but wonder what it was about you that intrigued him so much. Every time he saw you around the school, he felt his heart race a bit faster. He found himself looking forward to breakfast just to catch a glimpse of you, and he often caught himself daydreaming about what it would be like to have a conversation with you that extended beyond a few words.

Days turned into weeks, and Theodore's curiosity about you only grew. He discovered from his friends, Blaise and Pansy, that you were known for the way you were quite the mystery, always appearing out of nowhere and disappearing just as quickly. Theodore was captivated by your enigmatic presence.

One day, as the weather started to shift towards autumn, Theodore found himself walking alone in the courtyard after class. Lost in thought, he was startled when he heard your voice behind him.

“Lost again Nott?”

Turning around, Theodore saw you leaning against a nearby tree, a mischievous grin playing on your lips. He chuckled, surprised by how comfortable he felt around you despite barely knowing you.

"I suppose I have a tendency to wander," he replied, his lips curving into a small smile.

You pushed yourself off the tree and took a step closer. "Well, I must admit, I'm intrigued. You don’t look at me with disgust like the other slytherins… it’s nice”

"Is that so?" Theodore raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious about your perspective.

"Yeah. You're quiet, but you don't exude the same air of superiority that most of your housemates do."

He shrugged, leaning against the tree now. "I find that whole superiority thing a bit tiresome, to be honest."

You nodded in agreement. "Me too. So, what do you do when you're not wandering, Mr. Nott?"

Theodore chuckled. "Well, I enjoy spending time in the library, reading and researching various subjects. And I have a penchant for painting."

"Painting, huh? I wouldn't have pegged you as the artistic type."

He smirked. "Appearances can be deceiving, don't you think?"

You laughed, the sound light and pleasant. "Touché. Well, maybe you can show me some of your paintings someday."

"I'd like that," he admitted, feeling a warmth spread through him at the thought. "And maybe this time Hermione won't drag you away from me," he laughed.

As the conversation continued, Theodore found himself opening up to you in a way he hadn't with others. Your easygoing nature and genuine interest in him put him at ease. It was a feeling he wasn't used to, but one he welcomed wholeheartedly.

Little did he know that this conversation marked the beginning of a deep and unexpected connection between the two of you.

Over the following weeks, you and Theodore's friendship blossomed into something more profound. Your witty banter and shared interests formed a strong foundation, and the mysterious air that surrounded you only intrigued him further.

As the months flowed by, the bond between Theodore and you deepened. Each passing day seemed to lock in the connection you shared, an unspoken understanding. The initial curiosity that had drawn you two together evolved into something more profound—an undeniable closeness.

Conversations that once centered around casual topics soon dived into the depths of your hopes and dreams. Theodore found himself sharing his aspirations with you, discussing his fascination with magic's intricacies and the fervor he felt for painting. And you, in turn, bared your soul, revealing your desire for adventure, a hunger to explore.

One serene evening, with the sun casting its last rays across the Hogwarts grounds, you and Theodore stood by the Black Lake. The water flowed, reflecting the fading light, while a gentle breeze tousled your hair, intertwining it with the sweet scent of blooming flowers.

“i haven’t drink anything for weeks” you said looking at the boy who looked almost painted

“i’m glad” he smiled

“i think… we should play shot trivia” you said hopefully

“absolutely not… for all i know you could end up at the hufflepuff table with cedric diggory”

you both laughed

"Have you ever wondered about your path after Hogwarts?" you asked, your gaze lingering on the horizon.

Theodore leaned against a nearby tree, a thoughtful expression playing on his features.

"I've given it thought. Continuing my studies, perhaps looking into obscure branches of magic, and certainly nurturing my love for painting."

Turning to him, a playful grin tugged at your lips.

"So, a wizard with a penchant for artistry? Quite the intriguing combination."

A soft chuckle escaped him. "Appearances can indeed be deceptive. And what about you? What do you envision for your post-Hogwarts days?"

A wistful sigh escaped your lips, and your gaze grew distant. "I've always been more captivated by the present than the future. Yet, I can't help but entertain the idea of traveling."

Theodore nodded in agreement. "That sounds like an awe-inspiring adventure."

Silence settled between you, and Theodore felt a surge of courage, a yearning to confess the feelings that he could no longer suppress.

"Y/n," he began, his voice tender, "there's something I've been wanting to share with you."

Turning toward him, curiosity lit up your eyes.

"What is it, Theo?"

Taking a deep breath, he traced intricate patterns on the tree's bark, the words forming in his mind.

"Every moment spent with you has shaped my life in ways I never even realised till recent. From the minute you sat next to me at the Slytherin table, I haven't been able to think of any name but yours."

Your eyes widened, and the world seemed to still. Then, a smile bloomed across your face. "Theodore Nott, are you implying that you have a crush on me?"

He smirked, his cheeks warming. "I suppose you could say that."

Your grin widened, and you stepped closer, a playful glint in your eyes. "You know, Theodore, I've been secretly hoping you'd say that."

He blinked, amusement filling his eyes. "You were?"

Your nod was accompanied by an unwavering gaze. "Absolutely... I've been feeling the same way too."

Relief and contentment surged through him, and a genuine smile graced his lips. "Really?"

A playful smile accompanied your response. "Definitely. I guess we've been dancing around these feelings for quite a while, haven't we?"

Theodore chuckled, his nerves giving way to a sense of reassurance. "Seems that way."

Reaching out, you gently took his hand in yours, your fingers intertwining with an easy familiarity.

"So, what's the next chapter, Mr. Nott?"

Theodore stared at your face, the way the sun hit it in just the right way made heat rush to his face. In that heart-stirring moment, he leaned in, his heartbeat echoing the anticipation in his chest. He pressed a tender, lingering kiss to your lips.

"I say we travel around the world, I'll draw you in every country we visit."

"Promise?" you asked.

"Promise," he confirmed before placing another sweet kiss on your lips.

“so still a no to shot trivia?”

“still a no”

“okay just checking”

[viktoriaashleyyx]

Helion is a hugger. Fight me. ❤️

This is a pro Tamlin, anti Rhysand self insert revenge fic. All characters belong to SJM, but she wasn't treating them right. Tam x reader, Tam x Rhysands Sister (OC), First person narrative. This will also reference Elucien and Neris in the future but we aren't there yet.

Word Count: 2432 (Hey I figured out Word counts!)

Ch 1

Ch 7 >> Ch 9

Chapter 8:

Tarquin had written back informing us that he has decided to send aid and supplies to help rebuild the western most village. Tamlin traveled out there to meet them this morning right after breakfast. Lucien and I stayed at the manor to discuss the upcoming trip to Day.

“Have you ever met Helion?” I asked Lucien as I entered his office, curiosity getting the best of me. I knew Baron was volatile at his best and wasn't sure if he knew of the rumors or not. I sat a warm cup of tea in front of him at his desk, before taking my seat in one of the ornate chairs in front of him.

“Nope, but I am not unaware of the rumors.” Lucien admitted, ignoring the tea entirely. He was reading over the plans I had drafted to rebuild the eastern village.

“Would you be interested in joining me? Just to see him, face to face,” I was treading carefully. I couldn’t read Lucien's mood. He put down the papers and sat back in his chair, finally looking at me.

“I have spent my life feeling like a bastard, watching Baron's cruelty towards my mother. He was cruel to my brother's but it always seemed like I got the worst of it. I could never do anything right, even as a child. The thought of having a different father entirely is a scary one. What if he doesn't see it and doesn't want anything to do with me?” He said coldly.

“Oh, but what if he does?” I offered him a soft, hopeful smile. Lucien's eyes lit up for just a second.

“I have never allowed myself to even dream of what a father's love might look like. I wouldn't know what to do with it. I am just the 7th son of Autumn.”

“But heir to Day,” I sang. “You glow when you're upset. And if the rumors are true, that Helion and your mother are mates, that would explain why you were able to hold on so long, long enough for Thorin to revive you. Children born of mates will always be inherently stronger and more powerful.”

“It's hard to hold on to that hope. It would be nice, but like most things in my life, it just paves the way for more disappointment and heartbreak. I do appreciate, however, that you are the first person to have ever discussed it with me directly.” Lucien’s demeanor softened slightly.

“Sometimes, just talking about things that weigh heavily on you can help ease the burden.” I replied. “With Tamlin busy in the western village, I know he would appreciate that I didn't travel alone. And who better to ask than the male he trusts the most?”

Lucien smiled, “well, how can I say no to such a flattering request.”

I returned the smile, “thank you.”

“And since you brought it up, who was the.. guy.. that revived me? Thorin? What is the story with him?” Lucien prodded. “He looked a lot like Tamlin.”

I giggled. “He is a friend I made shortly after arriving in Azeroth. He showed me the laws of the lands and introduced me to their way of life. He is what they call a Night elf, and a druid. We had an… arrangement.” I answered with a cheeky grin. “We kept the communication open, he knew about Tamlin and that my ultimate goal was to return home. I still love him, he is a good friend and he's always treated me with respect and I, him. Love doesn’t always have to last forever for it to mean something. ”

“Now that I know of Elain, I don't know if I could ever sleep with someone else.”

“And that is a fair decision, one made with respect to your own feelings. For me, sex can be as meaningless or as meaningful as you make it. I can sleep with someone just for fun, and as long as all parties consent and are on the same page, there isn't generally a problem.”

“How does Tamlin feel about this?”

“We haven't discussed it in depth yet, but he knows I have had other lovers just like he has. He can't be too mad at me considering my last lover saved your life and his last lover ended in the destruction of our court. Communication, even, no, especially the hard stuff, is important to maintaining friendships and avoiding enemies.”

“So, if I am attracted to someone else, even considering Elain exists, I'm not a bad person as long as I communicate?”

“And set agreed upon boundaries, yes.” I assured him. “But the situation with the sisters does confuse me. Mating bonds are rare, Tamlin and I had known eachother since childhood and I was still 50 years of age before it snapped into place. They are all in their 20s. I know humans mature at a faster rate than us, and they were considered to be of age by human standards before being ‘turned fae’ but that doesn't change the fact that they have only been alive for 20 ish years. And all of them have a mate? If I were to give you any advice, let Elain live. Let her know you will come if she needs you, remain close and protect her, but she is going to make stupid and selfish decisions, we all have, allow her that. Allow her to grow up and don't take anything she does personally. She is incredibly young.”

“That makes a lot of sense, and is comforting in a way.” Lucien thought aloud. “I do sometimes feel…” he shook his head, “She doesn’t want me,” softly whispered under his breath.

“Tamlin shared his memories of that day with me. What she went through was horrendously tragic. Is it possible she is just mourning the life she lost? Give her the benefit of the doubt. Do things that make you happy in the meantime. Heal and become the best version of yourself so that if, and when, she comes to you, she gets the best version of you.” I said it as a matter of fact. “Can I ask you something weird?” I could tell he was getting uncomfortable with the turn this conversation took, so I decided to change the subject.

“Sure, go for it”

“You were in that room with me, my brother and Tamlin, am I misinterpreting the amount of.. tension.. there was? If you know what I mean.”

Lucien blushed, hard, and looked away, a growing smile on his face. “Yes,” he couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity, “almost a century ago, they thought they were subtle, but most of us knew.”

I laughed loudly, “he fucked my brother.” I couldn't contain it anymore.

“Please don't tell him I told you,” Lucien scolded lightly, holding back laughter himself, “And don't hold it against him.”

“I won't,” I said through laughs, “it's kind of flattering in a weird way.”

We finished our tea and prepped the last items we would need. I made sure to have the parchment with the spell in my pocket. “Are you ready? I don't want to be late.” Lucien sounded like he was giving me an order. I was slightly shocked but chalked it up to nerves. It seems I had said exactly what he needed to hear.

“Yes, I just have to do one thing real quick.” I opened a portal to the western village. I wanted to give Tamlin a kiss goodbye and let him know we were leaving.

Tamlin was carrying a stack of lumber over his shoulder, face flushed and chest glistening with sweat. I admired, even as a High Lord, how he was willing to get his hands dirty to help his people. “If you could do this, why did I spend all morning traveling here?” Tamlin asked, breaking the kiss.

I giggled. “You didn't ask me to, I figured you would enjoy the run.” I smiled innocently and gave him one last kiss before portaling back to Lucien.

♡♡♡♡♡

“Okay, ready now.” I grabbed Lucien's hand and portaled us to right outside the Day court castle. “Nervous?”

“Absolutely.”

“I'll be right here.” I whispered to Lucien then addressed the guards, “I have a meeting with the High Lord Helion.”

♡♡♡♡

“There she is, the beautiful Lady of Sp—” Helion's thunderous voice rang out before he caught sight of the male at my side. I've heard it is difficult to render the High Lord of Day speechless. They just stared at each other for a minute, before Helion spoke again, much softer this time. “You look so much like your mother..”

Lucien was frozen, I squeezed his hand in silent encouragement. “This is Lucien, my escort for today.” Neither of them heard me.

“I had heard the rumors, I could never find a way to reach you, or your mother, without putting her in harm's way.” Helion whispered, staring intensely at his son's face, then proceeded to pull Lucien in for a tight embrace. It took a few seconds but Lucien dropped my hand and held him back. “My son.”

I had no idea what to do with myself, I felt a tear escape, but I did not want to draw attention by attempting to leave. I could not ruin this moment for them. They both had dreamed and feared this day for nearly 300 years.

A few moments later Helion broke the hug, keeping one hand on Lucien's shoulder, “Look at you, a perfect blend of your mother and I.” He then turned to me, “you have brought me my son, this is the greatest kindness anyone has ever shown me, whatever you want, it's yours.”

“But I had a whole speech prepared.”

As the males took their seats in the meeting room, I just stared at my worst enemy. A throne. No, not a real throne, it's just what I just call the kind of seats with a high back and arm rests. In Tarquins meeting room I could just turn the chair sideways, but I can't in this case. “Do you happen to have a seat available that possibly doesn't have a back?” I asked, twitching my wing.

Helion let out a boisterous laugh, “of course, Lady, I hadn't considered that. The other illyrians I've met don't seem to have a problem with them.” He sent one of his men to fetch me a soft plush ottoman.

“Perfect, thank you.”

“So you wanted to discuss aid to rebuild Spring, is that correct?”

“Yes, but also, since my letter I must inform you that the Night court has committed an act of war. My brother attempted to assassinate the Emmasary of Spring, a son of Autumn and… the Heir to Day. Had I not stepped in your son would've been dead by Rhysands hand. Given they border you to the North, I figured it was pertinent information.”

“Spring has saved my life on multiple occasions” Lucien finally spoke.

“Well, it seems I am indebted to you then.” Helion looked at me.

“She doesn't like to hear that.” Lucien interjected. I just smiled and cocked my head as if to say ‘Lucien is right.’

We talked for a while, I gave Helion the same spell I gave Tarquin and he seemed shocked.

“Where did you find this? This is mighty impressive.” Helion proclaimed looking over the document. He looked to truly understand the weight this spell would have on the future of Prythia as a whole.

“I studied at the libraries of Aretuza for many years while in exile. I hear your libraries are also great. Once we get a handle on the Night court, I would love to spend some time here, if that is okay with you.”

“Sky, you are always welcome.” Helion gushed, looking up to me, then shifting his eyes to Lucien, and back to the parchment.

We spent the rest of the afternoon into the evening being shown the stunning architecture and cities of the Day court. I tried multiple times to take my leave and let Lucien and Helion catch up, but Helion kept pulling me back in. We sampled the sweet wines and toured a few of the libraries in the castle. Helion asked Lucien no less than a thousand questions about his interests, upbringing, skill set, and tastes. Lucien confided in Helion regarding his feelings about Elain, and shared stories of his travels. Typical father and son bonding that they both have missed sorely. I tried not to eavesdrop, and wasn't entirely sure where I fit in, but Helion was great at drawing me back into the conversation with a “Sky, what do you think about this?” Thinking of it after the fact, the playful banter we all three had going on could’ve been them flirting with me. Eh, it went over my head at the time.

As the sun began to set over the horizon, it was most definitely time to head on home. While Helion left the room to, most likely, fetch us another bottle of wine, I pulled Lucien aside, “I need to be leaving soon, if he offers, would you like to stay here for a while, or come back with me?”

“I would like to return with you, thank you for asking,” Lucien responded sincerely, “I need some time to think, all of this is getting a little overwhelming. In a good way, if that makes sense. I just feel I need some time to breathe and process everything.”

“I completely understand.” I reassured him.

When Helion returned we thanked him for his kindness and bid our farewells. He advised that he would send aid and craftsmen to assist in rebuilding the eastern villages. I made something up about Lucien being needed at the Spring court and he pulled his son in for another hug. “Come back soon, please.” Helion said as he broke the hug, holding eye contact. Lucien just nodded and smiled. I portaled us back to the foyer of the manor.

Just as soon as I stepped foot onto the tile floor, I was hoisted up and thrown over a broad shoulder. I screamed, playfully.

“Lucien, welcome back. I would love to hear all about how it went… tomorrow,” Tamlin wrapped his free arm around Lucien's shoulders briefly, “Sweet dreams, but I am stealing this one back now.” And he began carrying me up the stairs to our bedroom.

“Put me down!!” I played along, softly punching my fists against his back.

“Nope, I've missed you. It's my turn for your attention.” he teased.

Tag list: @ladythornofrivia @rcarbo1 @rin-u-pos @knoxic @lilah-asteria @littlefantasylover @julesvanslutta

[sweater-daddiesdumbdork]

Curtis and Honey Autumn This Or That 🍂

Week One: Dried Leaves or Lots of Candles

Summary- 1.2k Curtis Everett x Plus!Sized Reader. Curtis spoils you after a long day at school.

Warnings- Reader uses past coping mechanisms from when she was dating her ex.

THIS IS AN 18+ Only Blog

A/N- Happy Autumn Season! Thank you all for helping make this possible with all the shares and votes on the poll. If you enjoyed, please comment and give a share. Remember every Friday I will be posting a poll to help decide which fall-themed story gets posted next, a This or That. All the love!

Curtis and Honey This or That Masterlist

Life Is Short So Make It Sweet Masterlist

“I’m sure the store thought I was crazy.” Curtis muttered into the phone while Tanya on the other end scoffed. 

“I’m sure your romantic gesture just wooed half the ladies in that store while you were purchasing every candle in the place.” 

Curtis wrestled his door open while having the phone tucked in his shoulder, several bags in his hold were groaning at how heavy they were, threatening to burst if he didn’t hurry up getting them set down. “Maybe the guy who checked me out thought so? He also questioned if I was impressing someone or doing a satanic ritual. ” Curtis glanced around to see the house was empty, short of Binx who meowed at him from one of the kitchen stools, blinking at him lazily like Curtis was disturbing him. The black cat purred when Curtis set his multiple bags down to run a hand over his ear and gave a scritch along his jawline.

Tanya laughed hard into the phone. “What did you say?” 

“Told him it wasn’t his business and handed him the cash. Let him wonder what the fuck I’m up to.” Curtis shut the door with a bump of his foot. 

“Well yes, now everyone working at that store really will think you're crazy.” 

“As if I care. Alright, I gotta go, Honey is gonna be here soon and I still need to clean up a bit.” 

“Okay, she is going to love it Curtis, see you in the office Monday.” 

“Yup, bye.” He hung up the phone quickly to slip it into his pocket. Upstairs he had a lot to do and not a lot of time to get it done. 

The week seemed to never end and honestly, your nerves and tolerance for anything was at the end. The kids had been wild, and restless after their summer away. Getting them back on track with the nice weather outside and stuffy classroom inside was proving to be a challenge. Not to mention the constant reminders from the school board that they were underfunded, understaffed, and expected to give more with limited supplies. You had already dipped into your banking account to get what your room minimally deserved and to have to be told that you were expected to do better was like a physical jab. 

You were just ready to tell all of them to fuck off. 

But now it was the weekend, for a few hours at least you could unwind and maybe forget the school's issues. You had the newest Katee Roberts book on your kindle and you were sure that after Curtis’s week as well, the two of you weren’t going anywhere but the living room couch to decompress. 

It was really all you could hope for and wanted at this point. Going up the steps, you started to mentally discuss with Curtis how a night in was all you could handle for today at least. 

It was easier to expect every scenario with him, be prepared for anything, because people could be unpredictable. Jake taught you that early in the relationship. His reactions could be wildly out of control, often getting mad and upset when you didn’t want to go along with whatever he wanted to do. 

Those times you would stand your ground with him, you had to be ready for kind of accusation thrown your way. 

And old habits die hard still. 

So now you were mentally thinking about Curtis getting angry at your suggestion, that he wanted to go out, hang with you and his friends, and how you would respond. The door swung open to a dim house. “Curtis?” You called out as you set your school bag on the floor to shrug out of your jacket. 

He popped around the corner from the livingroom, his gaze swiftly going up and down you while you pulled your shoes off. “Hey Honey, how was your day? It sounded rough from your message this afternoon.” Reaching you, he grasped your coat from you to hang it up. 

“Still long, didn’t really get any better. Um, did you want me to go out tonight with you?” 

Curtis paused from hanging up your jacket, seeming to try to find how he wanted to answer your question. “I mean… Did you want to Honey? I was planning on staying home, I already called Paulie and told him I wasn’t tending the bar tonight.” 

“Actually that's perfect for me too. I just want to stay here, crash on the couch and unwind. You know, forget this week in the laziest way possible.” 

Curtis nodded as he listened, holding out his hand to you and when you took it, stepping into him, he hugged you loosely, his hands rubbing up and down your back. “I might have something that would work for you Honey.” 

“I don’t know how it can be any better than crashing on the couch though?” You questioned with an arch of your brows and Curtis pressed a kiss to your forehead, tugging you with him. 

“Come upstairs with me and I will show you?” He easily eased you towards the stairs, pausing to let you decide if you wanted to follow.

“I’m always up for your show and tells.” You continued up the stairs, catching his huff of a laugh at your lame school term. When you two reached the upper hallway and to the master bedroom, you caught sight of all the candles, glimmering to fill the dark bedroom in the softest of light. “Oh…” You sighed softly in appreciation at it all. 

“Mmh, I thought maybe…” Curtis eased open the bathroom door to show even more glowing candles around the tub, your favorite bubbles and a glass of wine sitting on the sinks edge, a book resting on the closed toilet seat. “This would help you feel better after this past week.” 

It was hard not to be moved by the gift he gave you, the offering of relaxation among hot bubble bath and flickering candles making an atmosphere that you just wanted to get lost in. “This is wonderful Curtis.” You turned in his hold to look up at him, pressing kisses to his jawline and hugging around him. “But that tub isn’t big enough for us both.” You frowned a bit, your forehead wrinkling at him having to miss out on enjoying this relaxation with you. 

“Yeah, one day I plan on fixing that.” He rubbed at your back. “But how about you go ahead and soak, I can read to you?” He plucked up the book he brought in.

You really didn’t know how to react the gesture, immediately going to say he did enough already, he shook his head at you to silence you. “I’m offering Honey because I want to do this with you, not because I feel like I have to.”

All you could do was smile up at him. “I would really appreciate that.” You eased from his hold, breathing in a deep calming breath to let all your earlier worries start to drift away. Curtis let his hands slide down your sides to grasp your shirt. “Thank you for taking care of me Curtis, for loving me.” 

“You make it easy to do Honey.” Was his response as you lifted your arms and he eased your shirt off you to land back into the bedroom beyond.

[your-regular-toast-enjoyer]

as he's such a softie, im curious to see your take on general headcannons (or a one shot, if you're inspired enough for it) of yandere kurt wagner with his mutant best friend who also has a (even if way less unhealthy) crush on him.

found your blog yesterday, it's been great, your writing is so nice! have a good day!

Yandere Kurt Wagner x reader , Yandere Nightcrawler x reader

Kurt Wagner x reader. Yandere!Kurt Wagner x reader/ Yandere Kurt Wagner x Reader

Nightcrawler x reader. Yandere!Nightcrawler x reader/ Yandere Nightcrawler x Reader

Word count: 4254 words

TW: GN reader, Yandere, isolation, obsession, manipulation, bl*od.

Ok, so I imagine that you guys met at the Xavier school for gifted youngsters. Whether or not you came from a family who accepted your mutant powers, you’ll be living at the school much like everyone else, isolated from most non-mutants.

Maybe you met Kurt during breakfast one fateful autumn morning. You were the first two in the feeding hall, no one else in sight. Kurt was always early since he liked to admire the sun rising in the distance and could simply teleport to the hall whenever he got hungry. And you? Well, either you were just an early bird or perhaps you had forgotten to adjust your alarm clock to the changing daylight saving times. Either way, it was just the two of you.

You two had initially sat relatively far away from each other, on account of being strangers and you hadn’t paid any attention to the other presence in the room. Kurt usually held his head low whenever he was surrounded by people he didn’t know, but he had risked a glance at you. Just one. And had immediately been struck by how beautiful he thought you were. It didn’t matter that you looked so tired that most would have wondered whether you had just woken up or if you had stayed up for five days straight, nor did it matter that you had a small white streak of toothpaste by the side of your mouth. It was all cute to Kurt. 

He kept staring at you until you finally felt his eyes on you and turned around, coming face to face with the demonic-looking young man. You might’ve reacted with either brief fright or an awkward wave, whichever it was, Kurt quickly tried to reassure you of his pure intentions by asking to sit next to you, softly treading over his two-toed feet, hoping that his appearance didn’t scare you.

It didn’t, or at least not enough for you to mention it. You smiled and waved him over. Kurt couldn’t hide the bright smile that emerged, revealing his fangs, as he sat next to you. You two started to chat, mostly about unimportant stuff like your homework, your powers and anything else of the like. While on the topic of his powers, you mention finding his teleportation cool, to which he quickly scrambled to stand up, accidentally pushing his plate all the way to the middle of the table. The scratchy sound of porcelain scraping against the table’s wooden surface made you flinch, but you kept your eyes on the blue man in front of you.

He’d feel an intense heat in his face as he observes your eyes on him, smiling shyly attempting a suave wink, which ended up looking more like he had gotten something in his eye, before disappearing from your sight with a pop. You gazed around in confusion, trying to spot where he’d gone, only to hear another pop and feel the tap of one of his three claw-like fingers on your shoulder. Turning around, you found that he stood behind you with an outstretched hand, offering you a white rose that he had plucked from the garden behind the school. With a giggle you accepted it and Kurt’s heart warmed at the sound, he realised that he would do anything to hear that sound again, it was like music to his pointy ears.

Gently pulling him down to sit again, his leg accidentally hit yours and he felt an electrical jolt go through his entire body, for a brief second, he considered if he had lost the ability to breathe. Letting his yellow eyes glide up to you, he found you looking at him in concern. “Are you okay, ehh-”, you tried to ask, not knowing his name. “Kurt, Kurt Wagner”, he supplied breathily, his Bavarian German accent shining through. You smiled awkwardly, gently rubbing his back as he leaned over the table “Are you okay Kurt?”

It took him a while to answer, but when he did, he returned your smile in full, gently taking your hand away from his back and holding it in his hands. “Yeah, I’m fine, just… vertigo”.

It would become a tradition for you and Kurt to enjoy breakfast together every morning, early, before anyone else would come down and disturb you. Kurt enjoyed this in particular. He always felt so exposed when surrounded by all the other students, feeling their prying eyes drilling into his odd features, but when he was alone with you? He felt like he could just be a regular 18-year-old, talking about things other than mission plans or his appearance. It felt refreshing, like a cold shower during a heatwave. 

The two of you rarely spoke outside of breakfast, though. You had a little group of friends who would tug you with them everywhere they went. It annoyed Kurt deeply, they didn’t treat you like the borderline royalty, that you indeed were in his eyes. They didn’t really deserve to be grazed with your kind smiles, beautiful stares and oh-so-wonderful laugh. Not that Kurt felt exceptionally worthy himself, either, but at least he felt confident that he could protect you and treat you better than those ungrateful friends of yours. 

It wasn’t that Kurt didn’t have any friends of his own, though. He was actually surprisingly popular thanks to his agreeable personality and eagerness to help his fellow students in any way he possibly could. He also had a close bond with both Wolverine and Colossus, the former of which he confided his feelings in. Logan was of little help, though, simply confirming what Kurt already knew. “Ya’ down bad, kid. That’s what we in the business call a ‘crush’”, the bearded man had laughed thunderously, shaking his head as he lit up a cigar, blowing the smoke away from the blue-skinned man

Kurt felt so alone in his feelings, he didn’t want to force himself upon you. You deserved better than a misformed creature like him. Still, he couldn’t stop fantasising about a future where you two would wake up next to each other every morning, you kissing him good morning and him cooking a better breakfast than what was served at the Xavier school for gifted youngsters.

Imagine his shock when he spotted your obvious blush one morning when he accidentally brushed your cheek with his tail. It truly hadn’t been on purpose, but with the way you reacted to his touch, he wished it had been. He actually refused to believe that it was a blush, instead getting worried that you might have been sick. “Are you okay?” The blue man whispered as he gently let his three-fingered hand touch your forehead. You were warm, and he quickly pushed you towards the medical wing, wanting the nurse, who was constantly on duty, to check up on you. However, you reassured your yellow-eyed friend that you were fine, that you were just tired… or something like that. He didn’t believe you, the sceptical quirk of his eyebrows told you as much, but he relented. He could never force you to do anything. Not yet, anyways.

After that morning, Kurt kept a closer eye on your reactions. He would graze you with his tail, on purpose this time, letting it pick up pieces of your hair, (if it’s long enough, if not, he’d go with your shirt instead), and twirl it around, eliciting a nervous yet jovial chuckle from you, which he ate right up. Sometimes, he’d bring you a rose from the garden, although he would do this semi-rarely to not fill up your room with rotting blossoms. Still, the shy smile on your lips every time he’d hand you a red, pink or purple rose filled him with such an intense love that he almost thought he’d burst. It was all too much, you were just so perfect.

Kurt would slowly realise that you returned at least some of his romantic sentiments. Of course, he’d remain insecure about this conclusion, because… Well, how could you possibly return his feelings? He looked like a monster, he had literally lived most of his life in a German circus because that was the only place he wouldn’t be hunted down for his appearance. And even if you seemed to never mind the way he looked, even appearing to find it fascinating or admirable, he had such a hard time believing that anyone could look past his blue skin, yellow eyes, talon-like hands and feet and everything else that distinguished him from all the normal looking mutants. 

Feeling bold one morning, Kurt tentatively attempted to ask the question that had plagued his mind ever since he met you, “Do you not see my appearance at all? Or are you just pretending not to for my sake?” His German accents enunciated the Rs and Hs in a way you usually found adorable. However, you had clearly become offended by the accusation, feeling as if Kurt simply saw you as another shallow individual, only caring how others looked. You took so long to answer that Kurt had panicked and grabbed onto your hand for comfort, which melted away most of the animosity you had previously felt towards him. “Of course, I see the way you look-” you started, suddenly feeling Kurt’s hand tightening around yours. Taking a deep breath, you admitted the last part with a quiet whisper, searching for the right words to say, ”-and I think you look… enchanting.”

Yeah… so, Kurt’s heart definitely stopped for a second. Enchanting? Were you making fun of him? His scepticism was made obvious to you through his tightly scrunched-up eyebrows, the tiny fold created between them held so tightly that you were almost worried that it’d pop like a tiny blue balloon. Hesitantly reaching forward, you let your thumb caress the crease in his forehead, slowly massaging out the tension Kurt held in his face. “You’re mocking me, Y/N.” While it was meant as a question, it ended up sounding much more like yet another accusation. You would’ve gotten enraged if it hadn’t been for the way small tears collected at the bottom of long blue eyelashes. Letting your hand slide from his forehead to his eye, you gently swiped away the salty water droplets, wetting the underside of your hand. “I’m not.” You reassured your demonic-looking friend. Almost as if to prove you wrong, Kurt leaned forward, turning his head to the side as he let his free hand carefully grasp your neck, nearing your lips. He stopped himself right before he made contact, giving you ample opportunity to pull away, you didn’t, and though his face was blushing a dark shade of indigo, he uttered a fearful confession, “I love you”. He cringed at the clichéness of the confession, but it was true, he did love you, adore you even. He desperately wanted you to repeat the words to him, but you did not. However, you did the second-best thing, slowly turning your head as well and connecting your lips in a searing kiss.

 After that morning, Kurt refuses to leave you alone. You two had made out the entire morning, yet you had never specified what exactly your relationship was now. Kurt couldn’t pretend he wasn’t utterly obsessed with you any longer nor would he allow you to end the friendship. The day after the kiss, Kurt approached you while you hung out with your other friends, something he had never done before. Your friends clearly had no idea of your companionship with the blue man as they gave him wary glances as he requested that you follow him to the gardens for a quick chat. One friend of yours in particular had been bold enough to attempt shooing Kurt away, a bad decision as Kurt simply gave them a death glare, memorising their features and tucking them in the back of his head for future reference. You had conceded to Kurt’s wishes, joining him amongst the many roses, carnations and other greenery. 

“What are we?” Kurt had immediately blurted out once you were out of earshot from the other mutant students. “I don’t know”, you had admitted honestly, but that was simply not good enough for Kurt. “Well, we gotta figure it out, because…”, he couldn’t push out the words, he had already confessed the day before, you knew. Still, you pushed for him to say the words once again. Kurt tried but it felt as if a lump of clay had filled his throat, preventing any words from coming out. Taking a deep breath, he decided that if he couldn’t make himself articulate it in English, he would do it in German, “Ich liebe Dich, Y/n… Ich liebe Dich mehr als alles Andere”. Even if you don't know German, the meaning came across and it took your breath away. You had a crush on Kurt, obviously. How could you not? He was such a sweetheart. Still, he was so much more popular than you, everyone loved Kurt, and on top of that, he had been on actual X-men missions, something everyone else could only dream of. He was even buddies with legends like Wolverine and Storm. You were at a loss at how someone so cool could be your friend, let alone in love with you! If Kurt hadn’t grasped both of your hands in his, you would’ve thought this was nothing more than a beautiful dream. “Y/n? Could you say something, please… I would never want to force something on you, but-”, you cut him off with a kiss, thinking it’d be enough. It wasn’t. Kurt needed a vocal confirmation of your feelings and the clear exasperation in his eyes as you pulled away told you that he wanted something in particular. You didn’t have to ask though, as Kurt breathed out a clear, “Tell me how you feel, I beg of you”. If he hadn’t looked so obviously on the verge of bursting into a crying fit, you might’ve considered teasing him, but you couldn’t bring yourself to be so cruel to a man who looked so frustrated. “I like you too, I thought that was obvious”, you chuckled at the end, trying to lighten the mood of your conversation.

 One can’t help but wonder if you would have confessed so willingly if you knew the crimes Kurt would end up committing. There is a world of difference between a high-school crush and an intense obsession with another being. Still, after that walk in the garden, you re-entered the school as a romantic couple.

Kurt’s obsession wasn’t too obvious in the following weeks, not to you at least. He would follow you around like a lost puppy, kissing you at any time you’d allow him, preferably in front of your friends, to stake his claim on your heart… he, of course, did not tell you the latter bit. To you and those outside of your friend group, Kurt simply seemed like a doting boyfriend, however, your friends, especially the bolder ones of them, were horrified of him. The threatening glares he’d send them were bone-chilling and promising death, not made better in the slightest by the fact that his eyes were such a bright yellow. 

Still, you didn’t believe them when they told you about Kurt’s eeriness, you felt as if they were all just jealous that you had entered a relationship with such a doting guy, a thought introduced to you by Kurt himself. The way that they were seemingly the only ones seeing anything bad in him, your less close acquaintances backing you up in your perception of Kurt as a cute and great guy, made them increasingly suspicious. Some of them might stop their attack on the blue man when you lash out, telling them to mind their own business. If one of them foolishly continued, well… Kurt is a pretty popular guy, and whoops! Would you look at that! Suddenly multiple terrible rumours are spreading about them, none of which can be traced back to Kurt, of course.

 His yandere tendencies really come to a head one day when the school is attacked by Magneto’s troops, and both you and Kurt are chosen by Charles to aid the X-men. Partially because you’re some of the oldest students, both being over eighteen, but also because you both have a great grasp on your powers. You’re ecstatic to finally be able to help the actual X-men. Kurt, however, is deeply upset. He’s a nervous wreck. What if something happens to you? What if you get hurt? 

The battle is long and hard. There were casualties, some of the less experienced mutants. At one point you were about to become one more on the list of the dead. You had spotted one of the younger students, a little blonde girl no older than nine, she had somehow avoided being evacuated along with the rest of the non-fighting students and she was standing right in the blast zone of one of Magneto’s mutants. There hadn’t been enough time to formulate a proper plan and instead of simply standing there, you had jumped in front of the girl, her blonde locks beating against your cheeks as you tackled her to the floor, the pain of the other mutant’s attack just barely grazing your back before you heard two pops in quick succession of each other. Suddenly you were outside, on the grass in front of the manor. Your arms were still tightly curled around the blonde girl’s little body, her thin arms holding onto your waist like coils. However, another set of arms, much stronger, were wound around your shoulders protectively. “You’re safe, meine Liebe, both of you are safe”. Kurt, you realised. The three of you sat like that for a long while, letting your hearts calm down. Once you had comforted the young girl and led her to the other non-fighting students, a stern glare sent to the teacher in charge of gathering them, you let Kurt drag you somewhere else. 

His clawed hand had been gripping your wrist like a vice, which you had found curious. “Kurt?” you had tried, but the blue man didn’t answer. Something was wrong, but you didn’t know what, not until he turned you around in his arms. “You could’ve died!” He screamed loudly. You caressed his cheeks, not sure what else would calm him down. His eyes were wild and his talons dug into your skin. “I’m fine”, you reassured, but this only made him shake his head wildly. “Only because I was there! What if I hadn't been?!”  

It was then that Kurt decided that he could no longer trust that you’d be safe at the school. He had to do something, what if another attack like this ever happened and he wasn’t there to help you. No, he wouldn’t let that happen. He decided right then and there that the X-men were too violent of a group for him, and by association, you too. Kurt decided that he would fight this one last time, before asking Logan to help bring both of you back to Germany. He could count on his last living adoptive sibling, Jimaine, to set you two up with a small hut in rural Bavaria. He, of course, did not consult you on any of this. He didn’t consider it necessary, he was simply protecting you, and you wouldn’t have to lift a finger. 

Kurt refused to let you rejoin the battle. Begging you to stay and protect the non-fighting mutants instead, you relented, trudging back towards them. Popping back into battle, Kurt let his most vile nature out, slaying Magneto’s mutants like the daredevil demon he looked like. It was his sweet revenge for them almost killing you. Grabbing his trusty swords, he sliced and punctured everyone that wasn’t wearing the yellow X-men suits.

He was dripping in thick red blood when he encountered a personal foe of his. The friend of yours who had tried to push him away from you the day the two became official. He had caught them alone. They were wounded, a large gash running across their lower leg. Laying down his weapons, to ease their obvious fear of him. He approached them. Kurt had initially offered a hand, which they took without suspicion, helping them up, only for his tail to wrap around the hilt of one of the discarded swords, driving it through their midsection. Their eyes widened for only a second before they tried to scream. They couldn’t. He had punctured their lungs. Slowly dragging out the now red blade, Kurt admired the way it glistened in the few rays of the sun making it through the broken windows. Kurt still held up your friend by the hand as they slowly bleed out, the colour draining from their face.

When he was sure that they were dead, Kurt left them there. No one would suspect him. Not only because of his image as a sweetheart, but also because they weren’t even close to being the only one who fell that day. 

You were inconsolable when you found out about your friend’s untimely end, clinging to Kurt as he tried to comfort you. He used the opportunity to highlight how. “That’s just the risk that you run when you associate with the X-men”. Yes, indeed he exploited your grief to make you agree to run away to Germany with him, cutting off all ties with the X-men as an organisation.  

Logan agreed to take the two of you with him on his next travels, where he planned on briefly stopping in Germany. Charles, on the other hand, attempted to stop you from going. He had been worried for his young blue pupil for some time, and against his better judgement, he had entered his mind after the Magneto attack, seeing everything from Kurt’s obsession to the murder of your friend. You didn’t believe him though. You were brainwashed enough by Kurt’s honey-coated damnation of the team of heroes which Charles led, that the bald man’s attempt to keep you at the school only served to solidify your doubts about him. No matter how much Charles wanted to, he couldn’t keep you there against your will, you were an adult and you had made your choice, he simply hoped you wouldn’t come to regret it.

Life with Kurt in Bavaria started out fine. You got married relatively quickly with very few attending, only Logan, Jimaine and a few of your family members. You owned a hut and a small plot of forest, which Kurt successfully used to produce and sell timber. Everything seemed to go so well. That was until Kurt got jealous of the townsfolk which you oh-so-loved to interact with. Every so often, a person you had befriended would either move away, refuse to talk to you or simply disappear. The only connections you really managed to keep were Kurt himself and his sister Jimaine, who would visit on a semi-regular basis.  

  You didn’t suspect Kurt of anything nefarious until one day you found a young man, whom you had taken to talking to every morning while on your daily walk throughout the alpine village, laying on the kitchen floor. He had multiple puncture wounds and what looked to be bite marks as well, he looked like he had been mauled by a wild animal… or perhaps more accurately a demon. Glancing away from the man’s face, you found your blue husband, holding a dirtied knife, with blood splattered across his long and white fangs. You had tried to run, but it was too late, Kurt had already seen you, teleporting in front of you and manhandling you back into the hut, locking you in your shared bedroom. You had screamed and banged on the door, but it had done nothing.

You would stay locked in that room for weeks, your only company being Kurt, who would only come three times a day to hand you your food. After the first week, you became less hysterical, realising how blind you had been, how you had ignored all warnings from those who actually cared for you. You no longer doubted Charles, but you also recognised that it was far too late. You had dug your own grave and now you would have to lie in it. By the fifth week, you began talking to Kurt again, having remained entirely silent previously. “He was trying to take you away from me! He was dangerous!” Kurt had attempted to explain, as he did every day, but when you finally replied, it was a simple, “Okay”. Nothing more. 

You would never love him like you once had. He would let you roam the house again, once he felt he could trust you, perhaps even wander the forest with you, but you would never again see another person regularly other than Kurt and Jimaine, who was very clearly aware of the situation and of no help to you whatsoever. Perhaps, after years of re-conditioning, Stockholm syndrome reinstates and a healthy dose of existential dread, you start caring for your blue sweetheart of a husband again, maybe you’ll get a letter or a visit from Logan once in a while, but truly, you have no one else other than Kurt in this foreign country, where you are inhibited from forming new friendships. If you ever get kids with Kurt, he’d treat them just like he treats you. Sheltered and isolated. “It’s all for your safety”, he’d always defend, and you'd end up thinking, “Perhaps he’s right… perhaps-”

A/N: Yes, you can just ignore this, it's mostly for the user who sent in the request. Thank you for this idea! I know it took a while for me to get it out, I have a smaller exam period ATM, so sorry for that! But Thank you so much for this request! It brought me right back to when I was a kid and Nightcrawler used to be one of my favourite heroes, (my second favourite X-men character), since he was German... And as you can probably tell from the German phrases I shoved in this one... and the fact that I have my Bundesland flag as my Tumblr header image...I too am German, well, half-German. Also, I have always had a soft spot for teleporting characters! I hope I did your request justice! Anyways, thank you for the request!

[sofiiel]

Cryptid!Eddie x Reader | PART TWO

⇠Part 1 | Next⇢

A/n: I will title these and create a masterlist at some point. The tag #sofiiel cryptid!fic will help track or block this series.

Warnings: Slight Angst. Comfort. Cuteness. Fluff. Mentions of Alcohol.

You wake with a sigh, you always did have such vivid dreams.

Rubbing the sleep away from your eyes, you slip out of bed to start your morning routine. Even with the infamy your father left you with, it did draw in many customers for your grand opening.

"Which means, today might be another busy day." you exhaled.

Drawing your robe closed you round your divider and as with every morning...

"Mrooow"

Toad greets you in her lazy graveled mew. You turn to wish her good morning, and your mouth falls open.

You blink and rub your eyes before looking again.

"Nope, still there." you think.

Your gaze is caught by the lanky friend Toad was curled above like a pillow.

"So it wasn't just a dream. You weren't just a dream." you murmur.

Exhaling, you shake your head. "Oh, this might have been a bad idea." your mind lulls. But as you watch Eddie curled up, buried in his blankets and hugging his pillow, you find it hard to regret your decision.

You're taken back to the look in his eyes the night before. You'd known the feeling within them very well.

"He needed somebody. He still needs, somebody." you say to yourself. But beyond that, over there in such a state with Toad hovering over him almost protectively.

Well, you'd seen scarier.

You laugh silently to yourself as Eddie's head moves beneath the blankets, mashing his face into the pillow.

"Who knows how long it's been since he's gotten a good rest." you find your self thinking.

"We'll let him sleep, Toady." you tell your cat in a whisper. She blinked at you long and slow, but flicked you an annoyed swish of her tail. It was as if she were telling you, "shhh, my new kitty is sleeping."

You gesture to zip your lips and give Toad a thumbs up as you make your way back to your trundle. It was time to grab your clothes and get dressed.

Stepping out from the bathroom, you poured yourself your favorite morning beverage and sipped it quietly. Going over a mental checklist in hopes maybe today you'd remain more organized.

"I've been putting a lot of the organizing on the new employees lately." You mentally scold yourself. "That's not very nice of a new boss."

From the pile of blankets on the sofa came a soft murmur and soon frantic breathing.

You carefully lower your mug away from your lips, eyes studying your new roommate. His body twitched, and another grumble came from him.

"I didn't-" Eddie murmured, his voice pleading.

Following after came a series of agonized whimpers that cause your breath to lump in your throat.

Before you knew it, your body had willed itself over to his side, mug abandoned on the small kitchen counter.

"I'm....sorry, I'm-" he uttered softly.

"Hey," you call to him, but he doesn't stir, body trembling under the bedding.

Taking a breath, you gently nestle your hand on his back, lightly rubbing a circle between his shoulder blades. A trick your grandmother used to do when you were very small.

"Shhh," you hushed. "They're only dreams, even the bad ones." you pause in your circle as Eddie flinched.

"Even the worst ones, the memories. You're sleeping, and they can't hurt you." you continued to whisper.

The murmurs stopped, and his breathing was still frantic. You kneel beside him on the floor with a soft sigh. Rubbing his back, "Think of something nice, a pleasant thought." you quietly encourage him.

You're not sure if he can hear you through his dreaming. Looking to Toad she curled herself up into a tight ball and lay down her head on him.

"The bright colors of the autumn leaves, the way they crunch beneath your feet and skitter in the wind." you hum.

"The smell of spices and cider, a good book with music softly playing as you lose yourself in a land so far away."

Eddie's breathing calmed, a noise not unlike a purr rumbling from beneath the blankets.

"Are you there now with that book, I wonder?" you ask, a smile finding its way to your face. You tilt your head and get to your feet, satisfied with his gentle, calm snores.

"I wonder what you're reading there." you ponder, turning back to the kitchen to finish your drink and breakfast before work.

You scrawl a note for Eddie should he wake, and leave for your shop below.

The air of the bakery carried the heavy scent of all of autumn's baked wonders. The alluring fragrance of roasted coffee beans, of freshly melted caramel, seeping into the wood and through the door cracks.

You tied on your apron and put on your game face when the front door chimed.

"Good morning ____!" Called the chipper smile of your first hire. His dark young eyes that held the calm of an old soul. In his arms, he carried a half empty box of flyers.

"Good morning, Lucas." you greet him.

"Bursting through the door after him huffing and puffing was an unruly windblown head of honey colored hair. "I'm on time! I made it!" she panted.

"Robin!" you gasped, brows knitting. "What happened to you?"

Lucas set his flyers down on the checkout counter, and turned his attention to Robin. She desperately tried to smooth down her hair.

"Steve's back in town because, reasons, and he got a flat in my tire. I had to have it changed, and then Vickie needed a ride to campus and I got stuck behind two school buses and-"

You and Lucas nod absently with wide eyes as Robins frenzied ranting.

"And then some jerk in the loudest car on this earth, cut me off. So i flipped him the bird, and then he slowed down more. And-"

"And you've had a very rough morning." you finish for her.

Robin simply sighed in frustration. "Yes." she said.

"Well apron up! We may be having a busy day again." you advised.

Upstairs, Eddie's eyes fluttered open, peering into the dark of his cave of blankets. For a moment his memory was hazy and then in a burst of energy he flung free of his cave.

Toad released a displeased howl and leaped onto the back of the sofa. Her eyes narrowing at her new kitty, scolding him.

Eddie's wild bedhead fell around his face as he turned his head left and right.

The room was empty.

He left the sofa and rushed as quietly as his taloned feet would allow, grasping the edges of the divider he knocked against it. "Um ____?" he asked shyly.

No one answered, "are you sleeping?" he asked.

The silence remained, and Eddie's pulse quickened.

"Are you there?" he questioned, hands shaking as he gripped the side edge of the divider. Lightly biting his lip, Eddie peeked around the divider.

A relieved sigh flowing from his chest at the sight of the empty ruffled bedding. Turning around, Eddie's eyes fell on the open bathroom door, and an uneasiness found its way into his stomach yet again.

"Not here. Where did you go?" he asked.

It was hard to ignore the tiny voice inside that wanted him to believe you'd left to report finding a creature in the night. That'd you'd come to your senses and fled.

"Monsters don't have friends, and in real life, nobody cares about them. They are simply exterminated." it said to him.

Eddie quietly returned to the worn blanket that'd been offered to him the night before. Sitting crisscross on the sofa, he wrapped himself in it like a hug.

Toad watched as her kitty sulked and hopped down from her perch, up onto the coffee table. She sat like a bookend, perfectly placed, a single paw on the corner of a sheet of line paper.

"Mrow" she mewed.

Eddie's eyes wandered cautiously to the cat. She was friendly enough last night, but he'd rather not risk getting scratched. Lest she changed her mind.

Toad's tail swished around, more wildly, the longer Eddie took to do as she said.

"Mroow." she mewed deeper, sniffing at the sheet of paper.

Eddie's eyes landed on it, spotting the handwriting, he dared to lean forward and reach for it. Long fingers, hesitating a moment before the cat.

Toad huffed quietly, leaving the coffee table with a flick of her tail. She didn't have time for this now, her stomach was currently telling her it was time for break fast.

With a graceful leap, Toad ran across the room, to the cracked window and slipped outside. She felt like fresh poultry this morning.

Eddie shook his head at the odd cat and reached out to take the paper.

"Gone to work, make yourself at home." he read out loud.

"Fridge is full, big remote is for tv, little one is for stereo." his eyes scanned your writing.

"Beer under sink, you look like a beer guy."

A small smile ticked onto Eddie's face as he turned to look at the kitchen. Getting up, Eddie investigated under the sink, and there it was, a six-pack ring with four left.

His eyes sparkled. "Oh, I like you, you little nut." he murmured. Reaching for them.

Taking his claw, Eddie carefully punctured the side of the can and guzzled from the hole.

It was warm, but god, it had been so long since he'd had one. It tasted like gold on his tongue.

He opened the fridge and quickly raided it, stooping down to fit, and filling his winded arms with various packed leftovers. His tail swishing happily behind him.

With another busy day halfway over, you are exhausted. It wasn't all honeysuckle and roses, however. Lucas ran out at least two packs of rambunctious teens trying to get a glimpse of the "Alien Hellgate Madman's" daughter.

The rumors were starting to get ridiculous. But that's what happens when a former WMD officer for the FBI has a very public meltdown. Let alone when it causes damage to private government property, a property shrouded in enough taboo to fill the Mississippi.

"I think you two should be ok while I'm gone. I want to go and get the rest of these flyers out." Lucas said as he collected the box into his arms.

"You should really take a chance to sit down, we've all be on our feet all day." You advise him.

Robin chuckles, "Lucas as enough energy to run a marathon. He'll be fine."

Lucas simply smiled and headed out the door.

"Me, on the other hand, my dogs are barking like a litter of chihuahua puppies and this cup of cocoa is calling my name." Robin said.

She took a seat in the small love seat near the fireplace and curled up with her cocoa and a backpack. "I'm just going to get caught up on some notes for that term paper." she said.

Watching Robin sip her cocoa, you had to wonder, "Should I check on Eddie?"

He'd been left to himself for hours now. While yes, Toad was a shrewd lady of the house while you were away, she did take her morning and afternoon strolls faithfully.

"He didn't seem to like being alone." you recall the moment his hand flew out to stop you from leaving.

Turning your head, you peer at the fresh batch of cocoa simmering over the fire. "Robin, I'm going to go upstairs. I need to check on something." you call to her absently.

"Sure, say hello to little miss priss for me." she replied.

You reached into a lower cabinet and took out a thermos, filling it with the thick, frothy cocoa.

"Will do!" you say, heading for the lift.

Entering your studio, you close the door quickly behind you. It was only Robin downstairs, but the fear of someone seeing or finding Eddie was quietly gnawing in the back of your mind.

"Just checking in, I thought you might like some-"

Your words taper into silence at the scene before you.

"Homemade..."

Clutching the thermos, you walked slowly to stand before the coffee table. Peering at the blanket cocoon with the tail wrapped around it.

He lay curled in a tight little ball, only his face and tail showing, along with a sing claw from his back foot.

Empty Tupperware in a neat stack on the table, and two empty beer cans.

Eddie was knocked out, fast asleep.

A smile sprung to your face as you fought the urge to laugh. As peaceful as he looked, it brought to mind, "you probably haven't felt this comfortable in a long time."

Exhaling, you set the thermos on the coffee table and started to collect the Tupperware. "The cocoa can wait," you say to yourself before washing up the dishes.

With another sheet of paper, you leave a not to let Eddie know the cocoa is for him and that you'd checked on him.

Leaving it where you left the last you turned to leave.

Eddie's groggy voice, slowed your steps, "You don't have to go."

Turning around, you see he's sat up, rubbing his eyes with the bend of his wrist. "I'm up." he said.

"You should probably rest, seems like you need it." you tell him.

Eddie flashed an abashed smile, "I'd rather not...sleep." he confessed, fiddling with the fabric of the blanket.

Turning around, you go to him. Sitting nearby of the floor.

"Why not?" You ask him.

Eddie's eyes wandered away from you, "you know." he murmured.

You gave a tilt of your head.

Eddie twisted the fabric some more, his lips sucked in. "I was reading The Princess Bride."

He'd uttered the words so fast and low you'd almost missed them. Eddie seemed to curl into himself while avoid your gaze. Bashful eyes, wandering about the room, finally stole a side glance at you.

"Hm, you did hear me then." you hum.

"You don't have to be shy. I used to have nightmares all the time." you tell him. You disarm his embarrassment with a gentle smile, and it draws his attention to you.

"My grandma taught me that trick."

Eddie looked down at his claws. "I'm sorry i cleared out your fridge." he confessed.

You laughed loudly, "It's better than everything going to waste."

He peered up at you with brows raised high, a loud question mark on his face.

"Why're you doing this?" He asked carefully. "Not that I'm not...you know, grateful." Eddie spoke in a rushed murmur.

"Because last night you told m e you needed somebody." You sighed with a shrug. "Not with your mouth," you added with a wave of your hand. You tapped the corner of your eye. "But with these."

Eddie blinked a few times before a laughed fell softly from his lips. "I never expected to stumble upon a wise sage in the dark." he said to himself quietly.

You shrug, "oh trust me, I'm about as wise as you are scary." you teased.

Eddie smirked briefly, "now you're just humoring me." he said.

Folding your arms across your chest, you protest,"You were frightening for all of five minutes."

Eddie slowly smiled. "I'm not scary?" he asked.

"Have you seen the way you have to hunch down just to walk through doors? Or to stop your head from knocking against the ceiling?" You asked him.

With a nod towards the thermos, you got to your feet. "Drink your cocoa before it gets cold. It's the house specialty. Nice and frothy." you said.

A proud smile crossed your face, "it has marshmallows in it, homemade too, my grandmother's recipe." you boast.

On your way to the door, you stopped. Glancing back over your shoulder. Eddie fumbled about with his claws, attempting to twist the lid off.

"After all this time, you still aren't used to yourself?" You wonder, watching him.

From the corner of his eye, Eddie spots you watching and flashes a sheepish smile. You retreat back and open the thermos for him.

"Just this once." you sighed.

"We're going to get you used to...how you are. Then, we'll find out how to reunite you with your family." You said.

Eddie froze, "I-"

"No buts." you cut in.

"If they love you, they'd rather you like this, than no you at all. It's how love works, right? Ask yourself, would you care if this happened to them? Would you want them to stay away?" you reason with him.

Eddie shook his head, "of course not."

"It works both ways." you hum.

He watched you return to the door, "so do I call you Yoda or Gandalf?" he asked you.

"Call me either, and I might put you out." you chuckled into your playful warning as you head out the door.

The way went on fast, before you knew it, it was closing time, and you'd bid your goodbyes to Robin and Lucas. The shop was now still, with only the crackling of the weakening fire.

Closing up the curtain you exhaled, the day went strangely smooth for hiding a monster upstairs.

Though you were relatively sure he'd slept most of the day away.

"What else did he have to do, really?" you thought.

Your gaze shifted to the lift, it'd been about fifteen minutes that your employees had been gone. "I could use the help with clean up..." you thought.

Grasping the broom, you lifted it high, banging the stick to the ceiling.

A loud thud came crashing from above. You cringed at the sound.

Shortly after, the lift moved up away from the ground floor.

When it returned, Eddie's head peeked out from the doors.

"Everyone's gone," you assure him.

"What was all that noise?" you asked.

"You scaring the shit out of me." Eddie muttered, trudging out from the lift.

"Your tail!" you called out as the doors started to close.

Eddie quickly flicked it away and shrugged. "It's used to getting caught."

"You're very used to misfortune, aren't you?" you exhaled.

"My life's one giant curse, so why'd you-"

Eddie swallowed his words as the front door chimed loudly. You drew in a frantic breath, and it got caught in your chest. Your arms and legs prickling with the same panic that flashed in Eddie's eyes like police lights.

"Sorry, ____! I think I left my house key-"

You'd two moved faster than your brains could register. Eddie diving behind the counter as you struck a casual pose behind the cash register. Strumming your fingers against the buttons.

"O-oh, right, um..." your words failed you as you watched Lucas peer around the tables.

"There, right here, Dustin's visiting Susie over the fall. I would be locked out without this." he chuckled.

You try your best to laugh as well. "Got to be more careful, Lucas." you warn.

"That goes for you too, Jesus. That was close." you think to yourself.

"Well goodnight! See you tomorrow!" Lucas called with a wave, exiting the shop again.

You bid him goodbye and lingered in the silence after he left. You glance down at Eddie, whose still sprawled out on the floor.

Minutes tick by, and you finally give him the signal to stand up.

"You keep the floor really clean." he commented.

The door chimed again, and this time there was no time to hide.

"Holy shit, what is that!" Lucas shouted, his keys falling to the floor.

Eddie, tripping over his feet, stooped down behind you, hands gripping the string of your apron.

"Shhh! Lucas! It's fine. J-just close the door! Hurry!" You hiss in a ruffled hush.

Lucas did as he was told, but his eyes were large as she desperately scanned the room for a weapon.

"No, it's not fine. You don't know what you have behind you! That thing comes from a very bad place! Look, I can't explain but - you need to move away!" He warned.

You took a step back, "Lucas. He's friendly, I swear."

"They can be, but they don't stay that way. Trust me. My roommate Dustin tried to keep one, and it ate his cat!" Lucas shouted.

"Wait....you-you know what Eddie is?" - "hold up.... Henderson tried to keep one of the nasty things?"

You and Eddie voiced your questions at once.

"E-eddie?" Lucas stammered.

Eddie peered from around your body, and you tried to stand firm as a barrier. He gave Lucas a wave.

"Um, hey Sinclair..." Eddie murmured.

"You two know each other?" the disbelief dripped from your words as you looked between them.

Lucas however stood too amazed to speak.

"Right, next time, listen more carefully to the rumors about the city you plan on moving to." you sigh to yourself.

⇠Part 1 | Next⇢

[heavenlyakin]

Chemist on Campus

Reiner Braun x Fem!Reader - College AU

Word count: 3k

Genre: Smut

Warnings: vaginal sex, cunnilingus, dirty talk, use of 'good girl', and generally dirty things.

A/n: I don't think I posted this before my hiatus so I'm posting it here. If I did already, sorry you're getting it again on this account. I hope you enjoy it! Also, the title is literally just song lyrics, this has nothing to do with chemistry.

--

The breeze hitting your cheeks, the crisp autumn air, and the warm coffee in your hand has become a routine part of your day. It wasn’t that these things hadn’t existed before you started college, but now that you spent most of your morning walking from your dorm to class to the next class and then back to your dorm again. You just spent more time outside than in the confines of a stuffy, overcrowded classroom.

How had you survived 18 years of that? You couldn’t fathom having to go back to that life ever again. Thank god you had no plans or reason to.

Adjusting your earbuds, you smile as Novacane by Frank Ocean starts to play. This song might as well be another part of your routine, given that you had added it to all your playlists in the last few weeks. It wasn’t new or anything your friends were playing in the dorms or at parties, but something about the beat just made you happy. It made you feel motivated, plus some of the lines made you giggle.

Someone steps in front of you as you’re about to cross the courtyard of the student union, a microphone is thrust in your face. You remove an earbud and pause the song. His hazel eyes meet yours, and you smile politely.

“What song are you listening to?” Oh, you notice his friend with the camera now. You’ve seen them before on TikTok doing this. He’s a lot taller in person than you had thought.  

“Uh,” you hold up the screen, letting him see. “Novacane, Frank Ocean.”

“Nice, have a good day!” He calls after you as you continue your walk.

You sneak a few peaks back at him and his friend, noticing his eyes are following you even with his friend talking to him. You turn around, cheeks warming, and rush to get to class. You make a mental note to check TikTok later to see if you make the cut for his account. How hadn’t you recognized it was your campus he was filming on before?

Regardless, you don’t have time to think about that now. The professor walks in, dropping her bags on the table and smiling at everyone in the lecture hall.

“What do we know about basic literature tropes so far?” She asks and hands shoot up.

--

Reiner, that’s his name, you notice as you scroll through his account. He hasn’t posted today, but you start watching more of the videos, starting to pay attention to the surroundings and feeling silly for just now noticing the familiar buildings and scenery that makes up your campus. You roll on your stomach, bedding shifting and crumpling up even more than before.

“Whatcha watching?” Your roommate muses, looking over at you from her desk.

“Oh, just a TikTok. I think I met this guy today and might be in one later.” You tell her and her eyes grow larger.

“Oh!” She crosses the room to peak at your phone. “I’ve seen him all over campus. I think he belongs to one of the frats and they run that page together.” She tells you, always a source of information.

“Do you know which one?” You ask, locking your phone and letting it drop on your pillow.

“Sorry, I just listen to rumors. I don’t ever follow through on them or go to the parties.” She shrugs, sitting down on the edge of your bed. “Buuuut…” she elongates the word, “my sources say they have them Thursday through Sunday. You just have to get there before they’re overcrowded and shut down.”

“Well, we just have to go check it out for ourselves then.” You say, smiling wide. “Afterall, I wouldn’t mind seeing him again.”

She starts laughing, shaking her head slightly. “We shall see,” she says hesitantly. “You meet the guy one time, and you want to hook up already?”

“Is there anything wrong with that?” You frown, nudging her shoulder with your fist.

“As long as I don’t have to leave the comfort of my room this time, I couldn’t care less who you hook up with.”

Rolling your eyes, you laugh and open your phone again. She’s right, maybe this time you won’t have to beg her to let you have the room. You’re sure the frats have more than enough space for a one-night stand, and maybe even a bed bigger than the twin in your dorm.

--

Friday nights in the dorm have a buzzing energy about them that you’ve started to get addicted to. All down the hall doors are open with music playing from them. Many of the girls offer to do anyone and everyone’s makeup or hair for the evening. Clothes are even swapped, sometimes tossed down the hall and from room to room. Other floors aren’t like this, you realized that a few weeks ago when you were invited to play games with a friend. You’re glad this floor has something special.

“Are you ready yet?” Your roommate asks, and you nod while applying a layer of gloss. You finally convinced her to come out to this party with you.

“All done,” you toss it in your small purse. “Wow, you look… hot!”

“Thanks.” She looks you up and down. “You look like you’re ready to get fucked.”

“Slutty would have been a better term,” you giggle, pushing her out the door.

You picked to live in the dorm closest to campus, and by default, the frat houses. The walk is short and there’s already a sea of people on the streets. The older students all seem to be going the opposite direction than you, heading towards downtown with the bars, clubs, and other places you’ve heard of but yet to venture into. Honestly, you don’t think you will until your friends also do. All of which, are perfectly content with the frats and house parties for now.

This one is not unlike any of the other you attend. Each night you go, it’s just added to a memory of blurring lights, overwhelming sensations, and little to remember once the hangover settles in the next day. Those are far more memorable, by far.

Your eyes scan the crowded living room, looking for the familiar build and blonde hair you’ve decided is tonight’s conquest. He’s not here. You push through the crowd, drinks spilling on your already dirty shoes. The kitchen is less crowded, spilling into the dining room which is abandoned except for one person sitting at the table.  

There he is.

Reiner sits leaning forward, his elbows on the table while he looks through his phone. The blue light illuminates his face, a frown across his brow piques your interest. You fill a cup with the punch on the counter, grabbing a second cup for Reiner at the table.

“Hey,” you say loud enough to draw his attention.

He looks up and smiles, so you slide the cup across the table to him. “Oh, thanks.” He takes a sip then eyes you again. “We met earlier, right?”

You nod, sitting on the seat adjacent to him. Smoothing the pink skirt over your thighs, you watch as his eyes watch your fingers, moving down the supple skin of your thighs. “Yeah, you asked what I was listening to.”

His eyes meet yours again, and you bite your bottom lip nervously. “Oh… that’s right. I do so many of those, it becomes a blur sometimes.”

“Oh,” your brows furrow and you take a long sip from your cup. Whatever confidence you had going into this tonight, you’re losing quickly. He doesn’t seem like he’s up for what you had planned and now it’s just awkward.

“It’s not that-“ He rubs the back of his neck with his hand, his bicep flexing. “Sorry, that probably came off really bad,” he laughs. “I didn’t mean that you’re not interesting or anything… I should probably just start over…” you notice the nervousness when he speaks, something you find incredibly endearing. “I’m Reiner.”

“-----,” you smile, putting your right hand over his left on the table.

You squeeze it softly, reassuring him hopefully. He responds by turning his hand, so his palm is against yours. Mission accomplished.

“Do you not like crowds?” He asks while intertwining your fingers with his.

“They don’t bother me, I just found something more interesting here.” You can’t help the sly smile that graces your face. “What about you? Sitting in here all alone.”

“Honestly, these get boring after a few years.” He shrugs, leaning closer. “So, what is it that you found so interesting?” His smile isn’t nervous or innocent now.

“You,” you say sweetly.

Standing, you manage enough bravery to move closer. Reiner turns in the chair, making it easy for you to straddle his thighs and sit yourself down on him. His hands rest lightly on your hips. You drape your arms around his neck as he leans back in the chair to look up at you.

“What about me?” He asks, and you can’t help but roll your eyes. So typically male to fish for a compliment this way.

“Dunno,” you lie, leaning forward and pressing your forehead against his. You note the way his sculpted chest feels against your breasts, and the tightness growing in his pants against your core. “Maybe I just thought you’d be a good ride.”

His eyes close before his lips touch yours. His kiss is hungry, full of need and desire. The tips of his fingers dig into your hips, his right hand trailing down to your ass, squeezing tighter. You roll your hips once, dragging your core against the growing erection in his pants. He gasps into your mouth, giving you access to him more. Your tongue drags across his, sucking it into your mouth.

You will devour him tonight.

He holds your ass tight in his hands, pulling you roughly against him. The softness of his joggers against your inner thighs sends shivers down your spine. One hand leaves your ass, the coolness of the room replacing the once warm grip. His fingers tangle in your hair, gripping your hair tight against the roots.

“I don’t feel like sharing how appetizing you look to the rest of this house.” His tone is anything but the nervous boy you originally thought he’d be. Instead, it’s full of confidence and command. “Let’s go down to my room.”

He lifts you off of him and onto the floor. You stand, wobblily from the sudden movement, but take note of the difference in your heights. You’d remembered he was tall when you met him earlier but being this close to him unleashes something in you that you didn’t expect to feel.

As you follow him down the stairs to what you assume is his room, you can’t help but mentally undress him. Remembering the hardness of his chest against your breasts only increases the wetness threatening to pool in your underwear. Pulling your skirt down, you step off the last set of steps leading to the basement. Reiner closes the door to the stairs, locking it behind him.

You only have a few seconds to examine the room, noting the couch you’re backed into. Reiner’s body presses against yours as you melt into the soft cushions. His weight on you makes your stomach explode with excitement, building and building into a tense bundle. His shirt comes off quickly, his impatience with waiting for you to pull it over his broad shoulders.

Your fingernails graze down his chest, and he tosses his head back with a hiss. “Fuck, do that again.”

You do, digging in slightly harder. His lips attack yours before you have time to react, your skirt is pushes above your ass. His fingers tease your cunt through the lace fabric of your underwear. You dig your nails into his shoulders, a wild grin from him indicates it’s just what he wanted.

“So pretty when I tease this wet little cunt,” his words leave you trembling. “I bet you taste as sweet as you look.”

“Why don’t you find out then?”

His chuckle warms your chest, your body heating inch by inch. His lips kiss down your neck, to your collarbone. His fingers pull your top and bra down just enough to reveal your bare breasts to him. The first flick of his tongue against your perked nipple makes you moan louder than you expected. You arch into his mouth, his other hand lighting pinching your nipple and squeezing your breast.

“Oh god,” you moan louder, your fingers biting into his skin.

His mouth moves to the other breast, giving it the same tortuous attention as the other. His fingers slip beneath the flimsy lace of your underwear, finally giving you some of what you want.

“Are you always this wet?” He asks, looking up at you from between your breasts.

He doesn’t wait for you to answer, instead he slips your top off your body, unfastening your bra and tossing them across the room. He kisses down your chest, to and past your navel, then slowly kissing down your hip bones. You buck your hips forward, begging with your actions. When that doesn’t work, you have to bed for real.

“Please,” your voice breaks mid word, making him smile up at you.

Your underwear are pushed down your thighs, past your calves, and tossed in the general direction of the rest of your clothes. You go to take the skirt off, but your hand is stopped as you’re reaching for the zipper.

“Leave it, please. I like how it looks bunched up around you.” He pulls your hand away and you nod.

He kisses just above your clit making you whine. His tongue licks up then back down, making you squirm closer. He grabs your hips holding you still while he takes his time with you. His middle and fore finger slip into you, fucking you at the same slow pace. You drag your fingers across his shoulders, tangling them in his blonde hair.

His fingers hit that sweet spot inside of you, making you push his face closer. Your thighs shake as he fucks you faster with his fingers while sucking on your clit. His tongue does wonders on you. It’s impossible to remember anything but him.

The tension that’s been building in your stomach is so tight, you’re about to explode. Just before you’re about to cum, he pulls his fingers and lips away. You start to whimper, but the taste of yourself when he kisses you disrupts it. His tongue floods your mouth and you pull him into you. Wrapping your leg around his waist you’re desperate to close all the gaps between you.

“I thought you wanted to ride me, gorgeous. Or do you not think you can handle me?” He whispers against your lips.

You place your hands on his shoulders, smiling and pushing him back. He smiles wildly as you sit up on your knees, unzipping the skirt and clumsily take it off. It joins the floor with your other clothes. When you focus back on him, you see he’s already slipped his joggers off and is stoking himself lazily.

Fuck…

His lips curl into a smirk. You don’t let it rattle you, instead you slip onto his lap like earlier. You take his face in your hands, biting his bottom lip and pulling back. He moans against you, and you move one hand to line him up with you. As you sink down, you whine and moan.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” you chant as you adjust to his size.

“You got this baby,” he smiles up at you his eyes glossy with desire. “You feel so good, fuck.” His head lays back against the couch.

Leaning forward you kiss his neck, biting and sucking intermittently as you start to slowly roll your hips. His cock fills you, dragging against your walls with each motion. He grabs your hips, fucking up into you and taking your breath away. As your mouth opens and your tongue lolls out, he fucks into you harder making you cry out.

“Oh god, again please,” you whimper against his lips.

He fucks into you over and over, holding your hips and using the momentum to bounce you. You’re lost in him; the taste of his lips and the feeling of his cock deep in you with each thrust. His lips attach to your breast, and you wrap your arm around his neck and hold him close. His teeth graze your nipple, and you can’t stop yourself.

“Reiner, holy fuck. Oh gods,” you whine louder and louder as you cum around his cock. He chuckles against your nipple, never slowing his thrusts.

“You sound so sweet when you cum,” he tells you, kissing along your neck. “I’m going to have to hear it again and again until I’m fully satisfied.” The warning in his tone makes that tension coil in your stomach.

You came tonight expecting to devour him, but it seems he had the exact same thought…

And he’s winning…

Not that you care, afterall you’re feeling better than you ever have before. As you’re lost in the sensation that is him, he flips you onto your back, fucking deeper into you. He holds your hips while he finishes inside of you. He groans, falling down onto his elbows above you. His forehead rests against yours while he catches his breathe and you kiss his lips, cheeks, and nose softly while he relaxes more.

“So, you like Frank Ocean?” He asks, smiling down at you, dick still inside you.

You can’t help the laugh that leaves your body. “Oh my god,” you kiss him, grabbing his face again.

“What?” He asks, pulling away and out of you. He settles beside you on the couch, draping his arm around you. “I was editing the video when you came in, so I asked.”

“Right after blowing my mind,” you add giggling. He joins you in laughing this time.

[ottopilot-wrote-this]

Coven, Part I

Coven is a work of erotic fiction, intended for adults 18+, written by Ottopilot. Images were AI-generated by Ottopilot using Stable Diffusion 1.5. Don't like AI? Text-only version here. Content warnings: sexual content, mature language, mind control, corruption, occult, sadism

This is: Part I, Continued in: Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V

"I didn't have anywhere else to go," Sarah murmured, her voice scratchy and quivering. She brought the mug of hot tea up to her lips, feeling the warmth spread down her chest.

Lilith Solomon studied the wearied figure on her living room couch, her fiery hair and sharp features obscured by a damp black hoodie. After two years, Sarah appeared unexpectedly tonight like a ghost, here to haunt Lily for past misdeeds. Lily observed Sarah intently while she frantically told her story, flinching at the thunder as her eyes anxiously darted towards the window, looking for unseen boogiemen. Finally, those big brown eyes settled on Lily, and behind the weary facade, she recognized the Sarah Rodgers she knew so well.

Lily spoke, her voice calm and measured. "Sarah, I want you to know you'll be safe here." Strong and reassuring. Same old Lil, keeping up appearances, Sarah thought, taking a sip of tea while hiding a slight smile. She hasn't changed one bit. "Jamie set up a towel in the bathroom for you to get cleaned up, and I can lend you some clean clothes. I think it's best if you get some rest tonight."

Lily rose from her seat opposite Sarah. She towered over Sarah, her imposing presence a contradiction to her soft, friendly face. With her smooth mahogany skin and waves of raven black hair, she looked positively regal in the moonlight.

The words dried up in Sarah's throat, and she blushed as she realized she was staring. She wanted to tell her former lover she was a goddess. She wanted to ask her why she left. But all she could muster was a nod, and a thank you.

Lily closed the bedroom door softly behind her. She sauntered over to the open window, closing her eyes and removing her jewelry. She took in the smells of the unexpected autumn storm as she tried to process Sarah's frenzied arrival. She had made every effort to appear composed and dispassionate, but she could not deny being rattled by her former love's reinsertion into her life.

Emerging from the en suite on the other side of the room, Lily's boyfriend Jamie misread her conflict for incredulity. "Do you believe her?"

"How much did you hear?" a weary Lily asked.

"Enough," Jamie Mendoza shrugged. He leaned against the entryway, a blue t-shirt and athletic shorts hung nicely on his slim, toned frame. He rubbed his index finger against his five o'clock shadow pensively. "I can believe quite a bit. Hell, I'm Filipino, we still have exorcisms. But witches? Human sacrifice?"

"What concerns me is Sarah believes it," Lily said, frowning. "That woman is terrified. I hope it's okay if she crashes here for a couple of days while I check this out."

Jamie nodded. "Sure. I have classes, but I can swing by before lunch and check on her." He paused. "You're seriously going to look into this?"

Lily sighed and nodded. "It's not like Sarah to just make shit up. Anyway, I'll grab a coffee and do some digging at the stacks. They won't miss me at the paper tomorrow morning. Besides…"

"You just have to know," Jamie finished knowingly, with a chuckle. "The Blackthorn Ledger's intrepid bulldog reporter is a good friend to have."

"Yeah," Lily said, her voice trailing. She wondered what Jamie suspected about her past with Sarah.

Lily was still unsure about her future with Jamie. He was a kind and good-natured boyfriend - better than she deserved. She seemed drawn to the innocent ones like him. Even with her best intentions, she took too much pleasure in corrupting them, and they brought out her basest instincts.

No, she would break it off with Jamie before she got in too deep. That was the mistake she had made with Sarah. Even now, her need to help Sarah was less altruistic than driven by guilt that she failed in a domme's most important job: protecting their sub. Lily knew she wasn't as good and moral as the image she projected. That she was capable of darkness. And she hated that about herself.

"You see something you want?" Jamie said, playfully, a glint in his eye. Lily realized that, lost in her thoughts, she must have been staring.

It had been a long and strange night, but Lily was willing to take the bait. Besides, seeing Sarah again had stirred up a tempest in her mind and body, and she could use a release. "Bold of you to presume what I want," she snarled, her posture stiffening. Lily squared her body to face Jamie, hands on hips, her demeanor almost threatening. "Know your place, boy."

Silently, Jamie removed his shirt, then his shorts and briefs, revealing his smooth, hairless body. A flawless canvas, perfect for me to mark up, Lily thought, before dispelling that notion. He deliberately walked toward Lily, eyes cast downward, and kneeled directly in front of her. Finally, he looked up. "Yes, Mistress Lilith."

Lily playfully teased her fingers through Jamie's hair, then quickly grabbed it and pulled. Hard. Something between a gasp and a whimper escaped his mouth. "Make it up to me," she demanded. She guided his head under the hem of her dress, until she could feel his hot breath on her bare, glistening pussy.

Jamie panted, reveling in submission to his queen, his superior. Slowly, his hands traveled up her soft thighs, gripping her hips firmly but reverently. He inhaled deeply, her scent deepening his trancelike state, before his tongue dutifully lapped at her folds.

Holding his head still, Lily ground her pussy forcefully into his waiting mouth, as Jamie increased his fervor. "Such a good boy," she purred. And he was a good boy, so willing to obey. For a brief second, she let herself entertain the thought of how far she could push him. What would he let her do to him in the name of devotion? How wet would her pussy get to hear him squeal and see him grimace in pain? But Lily focused on the pleasure, and let the wave subside and recede from her mind. She always had - no, needed - to be in control.

[khajiit-apologist]

lifetime

word count: 1066

gorehain fic for gore's 1st birthday :)

Fic under the cut! So skip my cheese if you just want that, but...Gore means a lot to me. I downloaded him almost a year ago, and he led me to meet so many amazing friends. I told goredev (my buddy), that Gore opened the door and I stepped through. I stepped into a better chapter for myself. Because of a Skyrim mod? Yes!

So thank you Hayd for making Gore, but also being my friend. And thanks to all the friends that encouraged me to keep writing, and to keep going. I love you all, and I love YOU random reader. So please enjoy! <3

The wind rustled the leaves on the ground, the cool autumn air grazed Samhain’s face. She breathed in the crisp air. It was a surprisingly nice day. Gore began messing with their tent, quietly humming to himself. Meeko came up to Samhain with the stick he had been playing fetch with, she wrestled it from his mouth. Giggling all the while, before throwing it again. She looked at Gore, happiness swelling in her chest at the peace of the scene.

“Need anything?” Samhain leaned down to Gore. 

“Not right now, you think the food’s almost done? I’m starving, blood.” He looked up at her. She couldn’t miss the way the corners of his mouth turned upwards when he saw her. Some days she swore her cheeks hurt from how often she smiled. 

She walked over to the cooking pot, “About, from the looks of it.” 

“Think it’s going to be a cold night?” Gore stood up and walked over.

“Not with our own portable hearth!” Her voice got louder in surprise when Meeko jumped up on her. 

“Our? I thought he was mine!” He joked, crossing his arms. 

Samhain pouted, “You're his favorite, anyone could see it. Lemme me be his favorite this once!” She grabbed the hound’s paws, pretending to dance. “Maybe you're jealous.”

“Yeah, yeah sure I am.” He couldn’t sound more sarcastic. He checked on the food, deciding it was done, and silently served it. Most nights they ate in silence, just enjoying the company of each other and nature. Gore occasionally sneaks bites to Meeko, trying to curry favor. Samhain noticed of course, but never said anything. Samhain looked over the trees, the sky was a beautiful array of colors. Gore noticed her looking up and did as well, seeing the splays of orange and red. Somehow mixing into a purple. “I’ll never get tired of it, or at least I hope I don’t.”

“There was so much I took for granted.” Her smile was solemn. “I didn’t even know.”

He looked at her, seeing the last bit of sunlight dance over her features. “We have so many sunsets, and sunrises to look forward to.” He lowered his voice, “I’m glad I get to see them with you.”

She looked at him too, “I’m glad I let you come with me.” It was partially a joke.

“What, you weren’t going to?” He tilted his head, raising a brow. 

She chuckled, “No. I-” She looked at the ground instead, “I thought being free meant being alone. Besides I figured you’d leave on your own once you got on your feet. I always expected the worst.” She sighed.

“I get it. For what it’s worth, I didn’t expect to…fall in love. With you, with life, and myself. I don’t think I could ever repay you for that.” He looked at the same patch of dirt she did, “Thank you.” He whispered.

Her smile went from sad to happy as she looked at him, “No need to thank me. You helped me too, Gore.” 

He shook his head, “Sure, what am I your knight in…well dull armor.” He looked over to his plate. “Maybe I should polish it.”

“Nothing like that.” She giggled, “We just helped each other. Like you said.”

“Right.” He got up and grabbed her bowl. “I have first watch.”

“You always do.”

He laughed, “I do.” 

.•° ✿ °•.

She stared at the ceiling of the tent, thinking about what he had said. Did he really not know how much he helped her too? A thought popped in her head, prompting her to look for her journal. Sure enough. Samhain sat up, giving up on sleep. There was too much in her mind now to do so. Meeko instantly noticed, running over to the tent. Gore watched her open the tent flap, “Can't sleep?” He spoke quietly. 

She pet the hound which had laid his head on her lap, smiling to herself, “No. I'm just excited.”

“For what?” Gore raised a brow. 

“Tomorrow…” Her smile grew wider, “You probably don't remember, but it's the day we met. Or close enough.”

“Oh, I didn't realize. Has it really been that long?” He decided to sit in the tent with her, also petting the dog. 

“Yep! I didn't have anything planned. Just well…can I be mushy?” She looked at him shyly. “I was thinking about what you said, or rather what you didn’t.”

“When aren't you?” He joked, trying not to seem nervous, not sure where this was going.

“I'm proud of you, and proud to have met you. I'm glad I found you in that bear trap.” She laughed.

He looked away, not really expecting it. He actually knew she meant it, “Do you think I've changed?”

She nodded, realizing he wasn't looking at her she spoke instead, “You've told me that you're just one mortal man. An ant in the big picture, but Gore?” She reached out a hand to make him look at her, “I know I helped you, that I'm partially why you do better. Of course it was you who took the steps, I just opened the door. But what I'm trying to say is, thank you. For every step I helped you take, you helped me make two.” 

He furrowed his brow slightly, his eyes went soft. “Sam…”

“You kept me moving. I had something to fight for.” She exhaled, “We have something to fight for. We fight so that one day we'll have peace. Together we live. How could I not be thankful? How could I not love you?” She straightened her back, “So, thank you, Gore.”

He smiled at her, “I know if you said all that to me a year ago I wouldn't have believed you. Now I know better.” He ran his hand down Meeko until he found her hand, “Thank you for being patient.”

“I could say the same for you.” She moved her hand to intertwine her fingers with his, “Of course you’ve changed. You’ve grown.” She leaned in, “One day we won’t have fleeting moments of respite, but rather it’ll be our new normal. I promise you.”

He took a deep breath, a part of him didn’t want to believe it. However, the way she spoke, and the look in her eyes soothed his racing heart. “Who cares about watch? I have my family all here.”

“I love you too.” 

[lovelyd0gg]

"Will you marry me?"

Summary: You were in a very abusive relationship with your husband. And sadly, you had a child with him. But he did unspeakable things to you and beat you everytime. He hurt your child as well. That's when you ran away from him and then start a new life.

Warnings: Angst, mentions of rape, abuse, use of a knive, fluff, cuss words, mentions of sex.

You're married to a horrible man, by the name of Arnold. He is very abusive and often takes advantage of you. You don't know why you married him, he was disgusting and absolutely horrible. He beat you everyday that you got bruises and scars all over your body, he raped you whenever he was angry, or it was an excuse to fuck you. And unfortunately, you got pregnant and it was his. You had a son and decided to name him Liam. He was absolutely adorable... Maybe if you taught him right, he would turn out to be a better version than his father. But sadly, by the age of 6, Arnold would take Liam to hunt live animals, or poaching. You all were poor and Arnold kept blaming you constantly for making the family poor. While you were working and actually trying to earn money. He then started beating not only you, but included Liam. And Liam never liked his dad. He always heard your pleads to tell Arnold to stop whenever he started raping you. You were in a shitty relationship and you knew it..

One day, you and Liam went for a little walk outside, it was autumn, so the leaves were falling and they were orange, red, all the colors that were beautiful! You watched Liam playing with the leaves, picking them up in a pile and throwing them up in the air. You were happy on days like these when Arnold wasn't there. That's when suddenly, you saw a man, dark brown curly-ish hair, with chocolate button eyes. He was quite handsome... But you were loyal and stayed to your word. But the man noticed you watching over Liam and he walked over to you, standing next to you. "He seems to be enjoying himself." Is what the man said softly, his voice soothing and calm. "Yes. He is. His favorite season is Autumn." The man glances over at you and nodded. "It's not a bad season if I do say so myself. What's your name?" You looked over at him and answered. "I'm Y/N. You?" He looked back at Liam. "Speirs. Ronald Speirs." You nod and look at Liam. When suddenly Liam runs back to you and looks at Speirs. "Mommy, is that daddy?" Your cheeks are dusted with pink and you shake your head. "Uh no, Liam. This is Speirs... He's a.. Friend." Liam looks up at Speirs and smiles. Something that was rare for you to see. "Hello! I'm Liam!" Speirs chuckled and he ruffled Liam's hair gently. "Nice to meet ya, champ. Your mom's a nice lady." Liam nodded happily and looked back at you. "Yeah! Mommy is the best! She's so strong! Daddy is really mean.. He hits her and--" That's when you put a hand over Liam's mouth almost immediately. He was sharing too much, but Speirs definitely heard it. "Your dad hurts her?" You shake your head and correct Liam. "He's a little energetic. He had a little too much candy. I assure you, my husband doesn't hit me." You hope that he would believe it. And in your eyes, it seemed to work! "Alright well. Nice chatting with you." And then he walks away. You wonder if you will ever see him again.

You come home to Arnold drunk as hell and there are two women on both sides of him. He was kissing them and letting them give him hickeys. You covered Liam's eyes and took him to his room. Later, when you were tucking Liam to bed, you heard high-pitched moans from the room you shared with Arnold and creaking from the bed and skin on skin. You were hoping Liam wouldn't ask you what the sounds were. "Mommy, what are those noises? And why were there women next to daddy..?" You looked sad and had to think of an excuse but you didn't have one. "Nothing that you need to know yet." You caressed his cheek lovingly, reassuring him that you both will be okay. "Mommy.. I don't like daddy." You shaked your head. "I don't either, Liam. I don't either." You gave a good night kiss to Liam then left his room. Arnold was there, the women left and he was sweating. "Arnold. Why are you doing this? You know very well that Liam will be uncomf--" you were cut off by a hard slap to the cheek. "Shut the fuck up you whore. I hate you and Liam. You both are better off without me." You realized that he was angry and knew where this was going. But this time, you saw Arnold holding something behind his back. You saw a little shine from it... Oh no.. It was a knife. "Arnold, put the knife down! Please!" Arnold revealed the knife and walked towards you. "Stop daddy!" You heard Liam shout from behind him. "No! Liam! Go back to bed! This doesn't concern you!" You shouted at him. But it was too late, Arnold slashed Liam's cheek, as blood dripped down from his cheek, he touched it and tears started welling. Arnold was going in for another slash when you grabbed a glass bottle and smashed it over Arnold's head, knocking him out and become unconscious. You took Liam and packed as fast as you could. You both ran out the door and kept running. "Mommy! Where are we going?!" You kept running and held his arm tight. "Somewhere far from daddy!"

As you both kept running. You both grew tired.. But it was almost like god answered you and decided to help you. Because Speirs was there and saw both you and Liam. Liam having a scar on his cheek that was still bleeding and you who was an absolute mess. Hair was messy and you looked so tired and your arms revealed all the bruises you hid under the long sleeved shirts you usually wore. He ran to you both and held you both in his arms. "What the hell happened?" He asked in a tone trying to put on a calm tone but it wasn't working. "My... I--" you couldn't answer due to how scared and tired you were. "C'mon. Let's get you both to my place. It's safe there." After like 10 minutes of walking. You, Liam and Speirs arrived at his place. "Please, sit. Do you want anything?" You shaked your head and had Liam in your lap. Stroking his hair. You both went through so much and you couldn't believe you just smashed the bottle on Arnold's head. He deserved it though, and on the other hand, it felt so right and good. After Speirs cleaned Liam's scar and put a bandaid on it he looked at you and sat next to you. "Is it alright if you tell me what happened?" You told him everything and his blood boiled. On the outside he looked calm and collected and nodded his head at times to sign that he was listening to you, but on the inside, he was fuming and swore he was gonna kill the bastard instead of knocking him out. "Well, you both are safe now. You both can stay here for as long as you want. Alright?" You nodded and thanked him.

In a month or two. You both started dating. And he was treating way better than Arnold ever did. He always complimented you when you didn't ask for one, he was a great dad to Liam. And he was just a really good man to you and Liam. You weren't comfortable with anything sexual anymore because of how many times you were raped and the amount of times you heard Arnold having sex with other women. And you didn't want Liam to know what it was yet. And Speirs was absolutely fine with it, he respected your boundaries and didn't get angry at you for them. You guys didn't go on many dates because Liam was still too young to be left home alone, and you guys didn't waste time and money on Nannies because in your opinion, they didn't know what they were doing. Almost 2 years go by and you 3 are happier than ever. You guys enjoy spending time together, often in the living room talking about something where all 3 of you are included. You guys also adopted a dog! A golden retriever to be more specific, at first, Speirs didn't want a dog but when he finally said yes, he immediately became best buds with the dog. Today, was a really special day. You woke up as usual and Liam was on top of the bed you and Speirs were sleeping in. And he bounced up and down to wake you guys up. "Mommy! Daddy! Wake up! Can we go to the park today?!" Speirs woke up and nodded. "Sure we can, champ. You wanna go, babe?" He asked you gently and you agreed to go. When you all got dressed and then went outside. You noticed Arnold on the street with a coffee cup, begging for money. He saw you and Liam and smiled. "Oh my god... Y/N.. You are so beautiful.. Please come back to m--" But then he saw Speirs giving him a death glare. "Keep walking." He said to you and Liam. As you guys got to the park, you guys say on a bench, as Liam and the dog were playing. You were resting your head on Speirs' shoulder. He was fiddling with his pocket. He took it out and he had a small little velvet box.. He looked at you and started to talk. "Y/N, I have a very important question for you and I need you to answer honestly." You looked up at him. "What's the question?" He stood up and pulled you up to your feet. "We have been together for 2 years now, and you are absolutely amazing. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I want to ask you.." Suddenly he went down on his knee and pulled out the velvet box, opening it to reveal a very pretty ring. "Will you marry me?" He asked in a somewhat shaky tone. He was nervous and scared you'd reject him. "Speirs... Yes... Yes I will marry you!" A wave of relief washed over him and he hugged you. "Thank you so much.. You just made me the happiest man alive." Liam heard the commotion and came with the dog to you both. "Mommy! Daddy! What's going on?" You and Speirs looked down at Liam and smiled widely. "We're getting married Liam!" You answered cheerfully. Liam's face was absolute gold. "When is the wedding?!" He asked with excitement. Well. A couple weeks go by and the wedding came. You and Speirs decided that this would be a private wedding, so you both took Liam and the dog. When you were walking down the aisle, there stood Speirs in a suit. He looked so fancy and elegant. To his eyes, you looked absolutely stunning. When you got to the altar, the priest started talking and then let Speirs say his vows to you. After 3 minutes of the vows, you both said "I do." And then kissed. Liam covered his eyes for the kissing part. It was icky. When you all came home. Speirs looked at you and Liam. "You both are a huge part of my life. I love you all so much." He hugged you and Liam tightly. And everything was finally going your way.

[sk8termikey]

Chapter 3 of 21 Questions

(better interface on wattpad)

Matt had just been chilling in his room when he heard his phone. His brothers – triplets actually – and he were spending the evening alone on their own as they had spent the whole day together filming for their YouTube channel. It had only been two years and a half since they started making content but they were already quite popular on social media. As Matt thought it was either Chris or Nick asking him to drive them somewhere – Matt was the only one among them with a driver’s licence, he took his phone, mentally preparing himself to get dressed and leave the comfort of his bed.

With an obvious surprise on his face, Matt unlocked his phone and saw that it was actually an unknown number that had texted him.

**********

Heyy stranger, wanna play 21 questions? :)

Matt was confused because he wasn’t used to receiving actual texts from random people, except for an occasional wrong number which he would never respond to. As he thought about how he didn’t have anything to do at the moment, why not play.

And so, as Matt replied to the stranger, he learnt that the girl on the other side of a screen was almost the female version of his brother Nick: she loved autumn and had a nose ring – ok it’s not much but this was enough to compare the two. The conversation was nicely flowing between the two teenagers until Matt ended up being called by his youngest brother as Chris was in need of McDonald’s at ten o’clock. Therefore, he had to quickly find a way to leave the girl he was talking to on his phone and took the opportunity of discovering that she was a cat person to funnily exit the discussion, hoping not to appear rude to her – well he was a bit, mystery girl and her best friend had judged him a lot.

~~~

During the next couple of days, Matt actually forgot about the girl who had texted him on a random evening. To be fair, his brothers and he had been busy filming – they had come back from tour last month and settled back into their usual routine. This was the reason why Matt hadn’t responded to the girl. Of course, he wasn’t feeling guilty as they weren’t even friends – yet – but when he saw on the Messages application that he had unread texts from her, Matt remembered that he actually had a good time talking to the mysterious girl; and the fact that his day was sort of over – over in the sense that Chris already ate and thus wouldn't be interrupting Matt again – pushed the middle triplet to get back to know the cat person who he had suddenly abandoned. Now opening their conversation, Matt finally read the last messages from a few days ago.

**********

I’m not apologising tbh

Bc i love my cat with my whole heart

He’s the best

I hope you were joking bc our convo was fun

Anyways, bye then-

Hi stranger, our convo from yesterday was really nice so I hope you might still wanna play even tho  I'm a cat person and you're a dog person but yk what they say: opposites attract :)

Matt had not expected her to re-engage the conversation the day following their first one but he hoped that it was not too late to come back to her.

*********

Good evening stranger, ig I’m a bit late to the party

Been a few busy days lately but if you’re still down it could be fun to continue our game

(dw ab the cat thing, it was maybe too much from me)

While Matt was waiting for the girl to reply – how long it would take, he had no idea as she could be living on the other side of the world and currently sleeping, he tried to make an effort of thinking about a couple of questions he could ask. Matt wanted to keep things engaging, even though they were just getting to know each other. In any case, it was either Saturday or Sunday for his chatmate so he would probably get an answer before the week-end was over.

Matt actually only had time to brush his teeth and change into his pyjamas after a short shower when he heard his phone. Curiosity took over him as he quickly grabbed his phone and a light smile appeared on his face when he saw the positive reply from the girl.

*********

Good evening stranger, ig I’m a bit late to the party

Been a few busy days lately but if you’re still down it could be fun to continue our game

(dw ab the cat thing, it was maybe too much from me)

Hiii!

No worries, we each have our life so you had some right to be occupied w smth else

(i think i can forgive you for that, we’ll see later)

Matt felt relieved in the sense that talking so light-heartedly to someone completely unknown was calming in a way. From the little conversation they had had a few days ago, he already knew that this would be a safe place where he wouldn’t be judged – apart from liking dogs more than cats. He decided to immediately write back for he wanted to get to know the girl better.

**********

Glad we’re ok now

By rereading our last messages, I see that it should be your turn to ask a question so I’ll wait for it

Ok ok lemme think quickly

We’re gonna start back w smth simple i hope

What’s your go-to comfort food?

My stomach needs to take over for this question

I feel like it’s an easy one but I have multiple choices rn

It’s ok, give me a top 3 ig

So I’d say tacos, nuggets and pasta

(in no particular order)

I want YOUR top 3 now

Yepp ofc

Mine would be pizza, sushi and fries maybe

No particular order as well

Yours are absolutely valid

I fuck with pizza and fries but not sushi sorryy

If I were fucking petty I would leave the convo like you did

But I’m not, soo :))

That’s low

I deserve it tho

Self-aware king!

We need to find common ground tho

Like a question we FULLY agree on

So much pressure on me rn

This is a serious question (like every other one honestly) so you can only choose the right answer

Damn pressure on ME now

It’s technically a double question if you answer negatively to the 1st one

Do you play pokemon? Or have you played as a child?

OMG

HAND IN MARRIAGE NOW

WHAT

WHY

(DO I NEED TO SCREAM TOO?)

BRO

I LOVE POKEMON

(AND YEAH WE SCREAMING RN)

REALLY???

YEAH OFC

MY ENTIRE CHILDHOOD

Even nowadays i still play sometimes

Wow

I wasn’t expecting that

I mean I was hoping

But it’s really nice to know that you do

Which ones do you like?

My faves are probably X and sapphire alpha

Honestly just the ones on DS bc they slay

Like

I don’t have the nintendo switch so I stopped buying the latest games

But i like to come back to them sometimes

And i also played a couple on game boy color as well

Ok ok good to know

I’m more of a pokemon go guy tbh

Like when I’m driving I have this thing that catches pokemon for me

That is so cool!!

I’ve never really been keen on pokemon go

But the whole universe in general has always looked amazing to me

Yeah I totally agree

See

This is common ground

Yayy you’re right :))

I thought of a next question but you don’t have to answer if you’re not comfortable

Go ahead dw I’ll tell you if I am :)

What’s your name?

I can even tell you mine first if you prefer

I just don’t wanna keep calling you the random guy I texted

And maybe putting a contact name would be nice😅

Matt unconsciously started typing his name when he paused to think about it: this was a stranger – a nice one though, there was no way she would find out who he was just from the information he had given her. How many Matts out there in the world have brothers, love pokemon and dogs? Quite a lot he hoped. This is fine, what are the odds? – turns out that the odds were actually pretty fucking huge from the beginning but let’s not spoil it and just keep the foreshadowing light.

**********

My name’s Matt

I don’t mind giving it out, it’s fine

Not like you asked for my fucking address lol

Bro I would never- this would be so messed up

I’m Lily btw

Nice to meet you Matt

Nice to meet you too Lily

As Matt and Lily were both finally able to change the contact name of the other, their faces were illuminated with genuine smiles due to the bond they were creating. And although it was simply the beginning of a blooming friendship, the door to a new chapter of their lives was about to open.

Thank you for reading. Votes and comments are always appreciated if you like this story :) The story is co-written w @/little_grapejuice on wattpad

[monthofsick]

The longest Night

Nov(emeto)ber 2022, Day 30: 5 + 1

OCs: Jamal, Nikita

The title fits quite well because this actually is my longest story so far and I just spent the entire night finishing it. It's already early morning of December 1st where I live, but I hope it still counts as an entry. There are a lot of themes and tropes I love in this one and the relationship between Jamal and Nikita evolves even more. It's late/early, I'm tired and time was ticking, so proof reading had to be done a bit quicker. Hopefully, there aren't too many mistakes and you can still enjoy it!

TW: Vomit, illness, mild scat

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A hesitant knock on the door disrupted Jamal's sleep. He woke up with a jolt and was instantly hit by a jab in the neck. Had he fallen asleep at his desk again? Jamal grimaced and rubbed his stiff muscles. The shorter days and cloudy skies drained his energy. Sooner or later, Jamal would get used to the changes in sunlight exposure and weather and the autumn fatigue would wear off. Until then, he had a hard time getting things done.

 "Hello?" An insecure voice, followed by some more tapping. Jamal had only been half aware of the sound that had ripped him out of a rather bizarre dream. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and cleared his throat to sound more awake.

 "I'm here!" Rotating his head to get a little crack out of his nape, Jamal got up and rushed to the door. A stocky young man with brown curls and dark eyes was waiting outside, staring at Jamal like he was surprised by him stepping out of his own dorm room. Jamal knew that his name was Karl and that he lived on the same floor. They didn't share any courses, but they sometimes chatted while brushing their teeth in the morning. It wasn't that Jamal could write a psychological evaluation of his fellow student, but he definitely hadn't seen that concerned and insecure expression on his face before.

 "Hey, I hope I'm not bothering you, but I'm a bit worried right now and I didn't really know who to turn to."

 "Yeah, sure." Jamal was confused. Karl had two of his closest friends in the rooms right next to him. He and Jamal got along well, but they weren't confidants. "Wanna come in?"

 "Ah, no, you should come along." Karl pointed his thumb in the direction of the community bathroom. "You're close with Nikita, aren't you? I mean, the guy doesn't have a lot of friends and he made it pretty clear that he wanted me to, uhm, leave, so…"

 "Wait, what's wrong with Nikita?" Jamal was suddenly wide awake. "Is he sick?"

 "I don't know exactly, he didn't want to tell me." Karl rubbed his palms nervously. "He locked himself in a toilet for at least two hours."

 "Fuck. I'm coming with you."

 It actually was the other way around – Jamal storming down the corridor with huge steps, Karl tagging along. The bathroom was empty, as usual at this time of day. It was a bright and nicely renovated area with small toilet rooms instead of cubicles with a gap at the bottom. At least a bit more privacy in a place they had to share with everyone else on the floor.

 Jamal took a deep breath and knocked on the only door that was shut tight.

 "Hey, it's me", he announced himself. "Can you let me in, Nik?"

 There was a moment of silence. A weird, strained noise. And then, to Jamal's relief, the door was opened slowly and Nikita peeked out. He looked like death warmed over. Nikita was always pale, but right now his complexion resembled a sickly green. Quickly, before Karl could see the blonde in this miserable state, Jamal slipped in and locked the door behind him again.

 "How do you know?" Nikita's voice was cold as ice, but his lips trembled slightly.

 "Karl told me." Undeterred by his friend's standoffish demeanor, Jamal put both hands on Nikita's shoulders. His entire body shivered so hard that Jamal was surprised he could stand at all. "I'm glad he did. You look like absolute shit. Now stop giving me the evil eye and tell me what's wrong."

 It was obvious that Nikita struggled with himself. He was all about control and he still had a hard time showing any kind of vulnerability, even towards Jamal. In the end, Nikita's body made the choice for him as his knees gave in. Gladly, Jamal had trained his fast responses well and he caught Nikita with both arms before he collapsed. Holding him close, Jamal got down on the floor and brushed some sweaty strands of light hair out of Nikita's forehead.

 "Don't worry, I got you." Jamal felt the heat radiating from Nikita's body, his unsteady breath and damp skin. There was no question wether he was sick, only what exactly he suffered from. "Come on, Nick, just let me know what's bothering you. I'll do what I can to help you."

 "I… I suddenly felt so sick." Nikita exhaled and it seemed like all of his strength and defiance left his body with his breath. He sank against Jamal's chest and held on to his shirt with one hand. "I was fine after lunch, but then it got so bad I had to leave during class."

 "Did you have to throw up? Or lost it from the other end?"

 "Nope, not at all." A humorless laugh escaped Nikita's lips. "I thought I would, guess why I made a run for the restroom. Been waiting for it ever since. It feels like it's coming up every second, but it doesn't. Fuck me."

 "God, Nik. I wish I had known earlier." Jamal hugged Nikita for a moment. He had often joked about Nikita's claims that he never puked. It was the reason they had bonded in the first place. That night in the locker room when Jamal had found Nikita, dead drunk and sick to his stomach, but unable to purge the poison. Even in this highly intoxicated state, Nikita had needed Jamal's assistance to vomit. Maybe it was a process his body struggled with for whatever reason. Or Nikita had conditioned himself to hold it in at all costs.

 With a husky moan, Nikita squirmed in Jamal's arms. The blonde clutched his stomach like he wanted to rip out the pain with bare hands. His face contorted with a silent retch. It looked absolutely excrutiating.

 "We gotta get that stuff out of you." Jamal grabbed Nikita's shoulders again and straightened him up just enough to look him in the eyes. "Do you want me to help you?"

 Nikita hesitated. Then he flinched and moaned, probably because of another cramp. He let out a defeated sigh and nodded weakly.

 "Guess I don't have much of a choice. It can't be worse than this."

 "Trust me, it will be a huge relief." Putting on his most encouraging smile, Jamal moved Nikita closer to the toilet. "Come on, let's get it over with."

 Visibly reluctant, Nikita got on his knees and bent over the bowl. Jamal leaned over Nikita's arched back, putting one hand on his rumbling stomach, the other one on his chin. Nikita tensed in his grip.

 "Try to relax, Nik." Jamal touched Nikita's lips with two fingers, asking to be let in. For a second, it seemed like Nikita would back out, but then he opened his mouth. Jamal rubbed Nikita's belly in gentle circle, feeling it bubble like overboiling water. When Nikita eased up a bit, Jamal let his fingers slide in. As soon as he touched the slick surface of the tongue, it tried to push him out again. Undaunted by the counterattack, Jamal moved along Nikita's palate until he reached the back of his tongue, then held it down. It was enough to trigger a first gag.

 Nikita's head bobbed back to escape the nauseating procedure, but Jamal had a firm grip on his chin. A drip of viscous saliva ran down Jamal's hand. That was a good sign. Nikita's body took protective measures against the impending storm tide of gastric acid.

 "I know this is bad, but I promise it won't take long", Jamal reassured Nikita as he went in deeper. A violent retch shook Nikita's body as Jamal's fingers slipped down his throat. Jamal felt the muscles tightening around his fingers. He gently moved back and forth, ignoring the teeth that dug into the back of his hand and the drool that kept on flowing over his skin. Nikita retched helplessly, his stomach contracting harshly with every heave. Jamal pushed against his abdomen in sync with the convulsions, firmly pressing in and upwards. "You're almost there, Nik, just let it happen."

 Nikita choked wetly. His back tensed and curved even more, pushing against Jamal who mimicked his posture, hugging him from behind. It was a weirdly intimate moment, being so close to each other in this deeply private and vulnerable situation. Jamal kept on stroking the back of Nikita's throat, his slight moves inducing frantic spasms. Nikita's face was flushed and tears ran from his eyes with each gag Jamal forced out of him. He was close.

 Speeding up his tiny movements, Jamal rubbed against Nikita's uvula. The blonde jerked forward with another throaty heave, causing Jamal's fingers to thrust in even deeper. Every single muscle in Nikita's body seemed to tighten up and cramp all at once until suddenly, a surge of hot liquid gushed over Jamal's hand.

 "There you go, get it all out." Jamal let his fingertips stroke down Nikita's tongue as he pulled back, eliciting another retch from him. Before Jamal had a chance to get his hand out of the way, Nikita puked up a much bigger surge of orange mush. Jamal felt the thick, warm fluid and a few chunks slide over his skin and he had to swallow a gag himself. Yes, it was gross, but he couldn't let it show when Nikita had finally let down his guard.

 Lurching dangerously close to the vomit-spattered bowl, Nikita gurgled up more of his meal. The color and texture looked disturbingly close to pumpkin soup, probably what had been on the cafeteria's menu today. It splashed back and coated the white ceramic walls in pureed Hokkaido. Jamal pulled Nikita even closer to prevent him from dunking into the rising lake of barf. With only one clean hand at his disposal, Jamal stroked Nikita's hitching chest with his thumb while he held him up.

 Bigger orange lumps fell out of Nikita's mouth and plopped heavily into the puke below. He coughed and spat several times before he slackened in Jamal's grip.

 "You did great", Jamal smiled and sat up, pulling Nikita with him. The blonde looked even worse than before, eyes half closed, his face reddish and covered in sweat, tears and vomit. Jamal wiped off the mess, then cautiously leaned Nikita into a corner to keep him stable and upright. He flushed and cleaned the toilet, then thoroughly washed the sticky throw-up from his hand. Finally, he returned to Nikita. "Feeling better?"

 Nikita nodded faintly. It was enough for Jamal to decide upon a change of location. It was about time his friend could snuggle into his own bed instead of lying on the cold restroom floor.

 -

 Shivering and exhausted, Nikita was sitting on his bed, blanket pullet up to his chin. He had his own electric kettle in his room, so Jamal poured him a cup of ginger tea. Curled up in himself, Nikita took small sips while staring into the void. Jamal sat down next to him.

 "How y're holding up?", he asked, stroking Nikita's head.

 "I don't know. Still nauseous." Nikita bit his lip. "It's okay, you can go now. I'm going to sleep anyways, I'm done with this day."

 "No way, I'm not gonna leave you alone."

 "…and that's how you're gonna get yourself sick." With a grim expression, Nikita carefully drank from the steaming hot beverage, then put it away on the nightstand. "I'm not a kid. I can take care of myself."

 "So what. Maybe it's just food poisoning." Jamal shrugged and leaned back. "I'm going nowhere. Bed's big enough for both of us. By the way, I pretty much pulled the puke out of your stomach with my bare hands. If this is contagious, I've probably caught it already."

 "Whatever. Don't complain if I say I told you so." Nikita tried to act unmoved, but only a moment later, he froze, eyes slightly widened. "Hand me a bucket."

 "Damn it." Jamal jolted up. He wasn't sure if Nikita would actually throw up on his own this time, but he didn't want to find out the hard – or rather, soft and mushy way. The fact that Nikita cupped his mouth with one hand definitely wasn't a good sign. "Try to hold it in!"

With a big leap, Jamal plunged towards the desk and grabbed the trash can. Immediately back on his feet, he spun around and got back to Nikita with two strides. He placed the bin under Nikita's lap, just in time before a spurt of amber liquid burst from the blonde's lips. Jamal held Nikita's head in place while he gagged up mouthful after mouthful of runny vomit. It hit the scrunched up paper and wrappers with a crinkling sound.

 "Tea didn't want to stay down, mh?" Every last bit of color drained from Nikita's face as he burped up a slimy mixture of ginger brew and bile. For a while, Nikita kept on hanging over the trash bin, eyes closed, mouth open, long strands of drool clinging to his lip. Jamal watched him closely. "Think you're done?"

 After a few more seconds, Nikita spat out and replied with a nod. Jamal got a paper tissue from a box on the desk, then wiped off Nikita's mouth. Fortunately, there was a trash bag in the bin that he could take out easily and knot up on top to seal away the sour odor. Good thing Nikita was such a tidy person. Jamal put in another bag and placed the bucket next to the bed.

 "Gonna get rid of this, try to rest."

 Nikita growled something unintelligable before he sank back into his pillow and pulled the covers all the way up. When Jamal returned, Nikita already slept deeply and soundly. Jamal slowly lay down behind him. It was a tight fit on the matress, but at least Jamal was sure he would notice if Nikita got sick again. He cuddled up to his friend and it wasn't long before he dozed off.

 -

 When Jamal opened his eyes again, it was almost dark in the room. He wasn't sure what had woken him up – a movement? A noise? Nikita was still huddled against him, breathing calmly, but something wasn't right. It was the unmistakable stench of partly digested and fermented food, mixed with bile and stomach acid. Jamal pushed himself up to assess the situation. Nikita had vomited in his sleep. A heap of brownish-orange chunks piled up right next to his mouth, part if it smeared on his cheek.

 With a quiet sigh, Jamal rolled out of bed. Armed with the entire box of tissues, he picked up the soggy mass. At least it was mostly solids – it actually looked a lot like thick baby food with some bigger lumps. As gently as possible, Jamal cleaned the sick from Nikita's skin. It hadn't been long since Nikita had thrown up, the puke hadn't dried yet and could easily be wiped away. Jamal was conflicted. Nikita's barf mountain had left a stain on the pillowcase, but it seemed rather superficial. Leaving Nikita on a dirty cushion obviously wasn't an ideal solution. If it meant that he didn't need to be disturbed and could sleep through the night, it still seemed like the better option.

 Jamal took off his shirt and placed it in front of Nikita's face. It covered the wet spot and offered extra layers of protection if Nikita expelled more of his stomach contents. Weird how Jamal's hands-on assistance seemed to have pulled a plug. Now the vomit had literally spilled out of Nikita on its own. It was probably better for him.

 Nikita looked so different while he was asleep, almost peaceful. Jamal wondered if it was cold were Nikita came from. It would have fit him. Everything about him was so light – his hair, his skin, even his eyelashes. He belonged in the snow. Absentmindedly, Jamal watched Nikita for a little while until a yawn reminded him that a good night's rest wouldn't hurt him either. He made himself comfortable again and hoped that both of them would be awakened by the sun in the morning.

 -

 Actually, it was a thud that ended Jamal's slumber this time. The dull noise was startling enough to drown any sleepiness in adrenaline. Jamal looked up and found the bed next to him empty. Nikita was nowhere to be seen. Anxiously, Jamal raised himself – and discovered Nikita lying behind the bed. So the source of the mysterious sound had been Nikita's body hitting the floor.

 Jamal jumped out of bed and helped Nikita into a sitting position.

 "What the fuck are you doing?" The words sounded way more accusatory than Jamal had intended. Nikita looked up with a frown.

"How does it look like to you?" As Jamal didn't answer, Nikita pursed his lips. "I wanted to go the bathroom because what else would I do right now?"

"Have you noticed the bucket right next to your bed? You should have, you've used it before."

"Oh come on, do I really have to explain?" Nikita attempted to get up on his own, but he lacked the strength in his legs. There was a feverish gleam in his eyes.

"You should have still woken me up", Jamal sighed, put both arms around Nikita and lifted him up.

"I don't need you to wipe my ass", Nikita grumbled and tried not to lean on Jamal too heavily.

"Trust me, you need a whole lot more than that if you don't even make it to the toilet." Just to be safe, Jamal grabbed the trash bin with his free hand. "Why are you so stubborn?"

"I'm not." Nikita turned his head to the side, but Jamal still noticed a tinge of red on his cheeks. It stood out against his pallid face. Maybe he was actually way more embarrassed than sulky. Didn't change the fact that he was an idiot.

Jamal put his arm around Nikita's upper body to support him if he should stumble again. After a few steps, Nikita gave up his futile resistance and sank against Jamal. By the time they entered the bathroom, he was bent double, holding his stomach and moving along with a weird shuffle. He probably had to clutch his butt cheeks tightly to prevent an accident. Still, he tried to push Jamal away as they entered the toilet room.

"You wait outside. No discussion." As urgent as matters were, Nikita didn't move a single inch further.

"Hey, I'm not gonna judge you." Jamal's voice was much softer than before. "And I really don't want you to go through this alone."

"No way", Nikita groaned and snatched the bucket from Jamal's hand.

"Fine. But don't lock the door, I need to get to you if you pass out or something." With a deep sigh, Jamal closed the door behind Nikita and leaned against one of the sinks. Of course, Nikita had a right to privacy. Maybe he had pushed him too much. He just wished Nikita would understand that there was no need to be ashamed. He was sick, he couldn't help it. If he felt better once he had relieved himself, it was all that mattered.

Through the closed door, Jamal heard Nikita moan, followed by a splatter. A retch, then even more splatter. Jamal winced in sympathy. Good thing Nikita had a receptacle on both ends. Judging from the sounds, he emptied himself quite forcefully in either direction. The groans and gags and sighs he produced left no doubt that he was in pain. Jamal wanted to hug him and hold up the bin for him and rub his back or his stomach, but he knew his presence would only make things worse for Nikita. He had to loosen up and let everything flow out of him freely, which he wouldn't do while someone was watching him.

After what seemed like forever, Jamal heard the toilet flush. There was the patter of liquid hitting liquid, then a second flush. Unsteady steps approached the door and finally, it was pushed open. Nikita's face had turned green, lips slightly parted, legs trembling. He didn't seem to notice that there was still viscid vomit dripping from his chin.

"Come here, Nik." Jamal pulled the shivering blonde into a close embrace, even if it meant to get some puke on his chest. Jamal had cursed Nikita's thick skull not too long ago, but he couldn't be mad at him. The poor guy felt horribly sick and it hurt to see him suffer like this. Jamal stroked back Nikita's hair and placed a kiss on his forehead. He didn't even think twice about it. "You're doing great. Now let's get you cleaned up and back to bed."

With the smallest of steps, Jamal guided Nikita to one of the basins and washed his face. Then he made sure to wipe off the stains from his own skin. Even though Nikita had apparently emptied the bucket into the toilet, the trash bag was still blotted with sick, so Jamal discarded it. He pulled Nikita closer to hold him upright before they slowly made their way back to Nikita's room. It worried Jamal how quiet his friend had become. Suddenly, he almost wished for some snarky remark.

It was the same procedure as before – Jamal tucked Nikita in and put a new bag in the bin. Then he crawled under the covers and hugged Nikita from behind.

"Is it a little better?", he asked, hoping for at least some kind of answer. "Think you can sleep?"

Nikita nodded and moved even closer. A faint smile flitted across Jamal's face. He waited for Nikita's breath to slow down until he closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift off as well.

-

Pale morning light seeped in through the fogged up window as Jamal was alarmed by a sudden motion. He blinked in confusion, still drowsy, and saw Nikita bending over his side of the bed. A silent curse left Jamal's lips, then he scrambled to his knees. He put a hand on Nikita's forehead to get his hair out of the way and keep him over the bucket. With the other hand, he began to rub his heaving back.

The spasmodic convulsions of his muscles forces long, agonized retches out of Nikita. They sounded harsh enough to chafe his throat sore. Eventually, the empty gagging turned wet, then productive. Beige vomit burbled from Nikita's mouth and landed in the trash bin with a wet, thick plop.

"Yeah, that's it, you're a pro by now." Jamal continued with the back rubs, feeling Nikita's muscles tense and jerk under his fingers. It was a good thing he was holding up the blonde's head, considering how heavy it rested on his hand. Nikita had puked up his guts and he still couldn't stop, no wonder he was at the end of his rope. "It's okay, Nik, get it all out. I won't let you fall, you can let yourself go and just vomit it up."

Nikita sank into Jamal's grip. To make sure he stayed in place and got his cramping abdomen away from the mattress, Jamal put his other arm around Nikita and supported him at the chest. Nikita's eyes were barely open as he spewed murky liquid and soggy globs. It wasn't much that came up, but it was honestly astounding that he had left anything inside of him he could eat backwards. The gags turned into coughs until Nikita choked up some finely shredded pieces of what might have been carrots. The next retches squeezed nothing but measly spatters of bile out of Nikita's wrung out stomach. Finally, the heaves turned into pants.

Careful not to put pressure on his belly, Jamal pulled Nikita back on the mattress. The blonde looked so drained that Jamal expected him to instantly fall asleep again, but Nikita rolled over and buried his face against Jamal's shoulder. Jamal held him tight and let his fingers run through the fine blond hair.

"Shhh, I'm here, I won't leave you alone", he soothed Nikita. "You'll be better soon, you'll be okay, this will be over before you know it."

Nikita didn't say a word, he just clung to Jamal like he was his lifeline. His back hitched with convulsive gasps, but he didn't make a sound, so Jamal wasn't sure if he was crying. Jamal cradled Nikita ever so softly, stroking his back and his head until his friend relaxed in his arms. This time, Jamal didn't turn him around. So what if Nikita threw up on his neck, there was no way he would let him go right now. Cuddled up snuggly, they finally slept without a rude awakening.

-

It was almost noon when Jamal woke up again. He lay still and kept Nikita in an embrace until the blonde began to move. Bleary eyed, Nikita looked up and broke into a yawn. He still had an ashen complexion and cracked lips, but the expression of constant nausea had turned into exhaustion.

"Is it just me or are you looking a little more alive?", Jamal smiled and brushed Nikita's cheek.

"It's been worse." Nikita shrugged, then wrinkled his nose. "The bucket's still filled, isn't it?"

"Yup, filled and fermented for a couple of hours. I'll get rid of it."

With a slight reluctance, Jamal left the bed and disposed of the congealed mass of puke. He put in a new trashbag and made fresh tea. Nikita actually managed to drink half of the cup and keep it down, which was definitely an improvement. Jamal sat down next to him, leaning back against the wall behind the headrest.

"You better stay in bed today", he said with a glance at Nikita. "It's been a lot for you."

"Yeah… I guess." The blonde looked tired enough to fall asleep again in an instant.

"No objections? That's unusua-aaaahhhhhhhhhrrrrrlllll." Interrupted mid-sentence, Jamal projectile vomited all over the blanket and his bare chest. Nikita stared at him, wide-eyed. Jamal was completely flabbergasted himself. There had been no warning – no nausea, no buildup, no drooling or retching. The sludgy brown flood had just shot out of him with a sudden explosion. Quick-witted in spite of his shock, Nikita grabbed the bucket and pushed it under Jamal's face. Utterly confused, Jamal didn't understand why Nikita would do such a thing until another massive gush of puke spurted out of his mouth, filling up a quarter of the bin in one fell swoop.

A hand stroked up and down Jamal's back as he gurgled up a chunky stew that barely resembled the beef stir fry he had eaten for lunch the day before. As his retches became harder, shaking Jamal's body with abrupt jolts, he worked up a thicker mash of rice, meat shreds and bits of broccoli that slipped over his tongue and plunged into the vomit lake below him. Some of them drowned instantly, some stayed on the surface, covered in a glistening sheen. Just seconds later, Jamal's stomach churned again and pushed up more of the lumpy gloop. Several more gags followed, but they remained unproductive.

"I didn't think it would happen so quickly", Nikita sighed and wiped Jamal's face with one of the paper tissues from the box that was still placed on the nightstand. Groaning, Jamal lifted his head.

"Don't say it", he croaked, throat sore from the forceful expulsion of his stomach contents.

"I…"

"Nik, no."

"…told you so." Nikita put the dangerously full bucket away and went on to clean the puke from Jamal's chest. "And I'm glad you didn't listen."

"I might change my mind in the next few hours, but so am I." Jamal forced a strained smile. "By the way, sorry for barfing all over your bed."

"I guess that's fair when you caught it from me. And you got most of it on the covers, so it's easier to clean up."

"But you're still sick!"

"Yeah, but I'm much better already, so stop worrying." Nikita stroked over Jamal's head. "You know what? I'll get rid of the mess and then we switch to your room and get cozy. Agreed?"

"Mhm", Jamal muttered and closed his eyes. He wasn't sure how much time he head until the next wave, not even on which end it would come out. It would be a long day after a long night and Jamal dreaded what lay ahead. But for some reason, he was still happy. Maybe he had been the bigger idiot all along.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Archive of our own: Up all night to get Bucky

tumblr: birdnamedenza

[otomehoneyybearr]

Act 12

Episode 14: The What-If future And The Certain Now: Azuma

Working w/ Maybelle Lace, jujumin-translates, Fea

Note: As you read, you will see that some sentences highlighted in a different color, this is what they indicate.

Pink: Flashback

Blue: Characters are acting

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Azuma: (The dark sky is gradually brightening... It's almost morning.)

Customer: Thank you, Azuma! I'll be off then.

Azuma: Have a nice day.

Azuma: (Although all the customers leave with smiles on their faces, I find myself alone the moment the day begins.)

Azuma: ...No, I’ve been alone long before this morning.

Azuma: (From the moment I bid them farewell, I’ve been all alone ever since.)

*Doorbell Rings*

Azuma: ——Hah.

Azuma: (A dream...?)

Azuma: ...Yes?

Asajo: Good morning. Would you like to have breakfast together?

Asajo: ...

Azuma: ? What's the matter?

Asajo: Hehe, you look beautiful again today.

Azuma: This is just my morning face.

Asajo: ...Is there anything bothering you?

Azuma: Bothering me? Not at all.

Azuma: I'm sorry for suddenly asking to use that room again.

Azuma: Even more so, since you were able to arrange the place so that I can move in right away. It was a great help.

Asajo: It's okay because I like doing it. When I see you, I just feel like taking care of you.

Asajo: Do you remember the first time we met?

Azuma: Of course.

Azuma: Nice to meet you. I’m Azuma Yukishiro.

Asajo: Oh my— It seems like it’s going to be a fun night. Nice to meet you too.

Asajo: Do you enjoy coloring books?

Azuma: Do you think it's childish?

Asajo: No at all. I do it too. That's why I was surprised.

Azuma: What a coincidence. I like the fact that I can immerse myself in the work without thinking about it and forgetting about the time.

Asajo: ...I understand.

Asajo: So, do you want to try it now?

Azuma: Now? Here?

Asajo: I got a new one at work today.

Asajo: I also carry colored pencils with me so I can color whenever I have free time.

Asajo: It'll be fun to create something together. The night is long after all.

Azuma: Yes, it is.

Azuma: I never thought we’d be coloring until morning with a drink at a members-only bar. 

Azuma: It was a silly, but fun time that I still remember fondly.

Asajo: I won't forget it either. Your smile at that moment.

Asajo: It was just a small one, but I felt like you were smiling from the bottom of your heart. That made me so happy that I just wanted to do something for you.

Asajo: It was just for my own self-satisfaction, so I don't need any thanks. I just want you to feel free to use my room at any time.

Asajo: But, just as much, I hope you get to go back to your dorms as soon as possible.

Asajo: You really seemed to be having fun ever since you joined the theater company, and I love the way you smile while talking about everyone.

Asajo: Plus, I'm also a fan of Mankai Company.

Azuma: Thank you very much.

Asajo: ...Well, thank you for the food. What are your plans for today, Azuma?

Azuma: I'm thinking of going on a short trip. ——To check on something.

Asajo: Alright, take care.

Azuma: I'm off.

Azuma: ...I'm home.

Tsumugi: There you are!

Tasuku: You were here?

Homare: What on Earth were you doing in here?

Hisoka: ...Been looking for you.

Azuma: You have?

Tsumugi: You went to get cardboard boxes and never came back. We've been looking for you ever since.

Izumi: Oh, thank God you guys came! The door wasn't opening for us.

Tsumugi: The door?

Tasuku: It didn't even have a lock.

Izumi: You see that, Azuma? You're not alone. You've got a whole group right here.

Izumi: And you can see us every morning, remember?

Azuma: ...

Tasuku: What are you talking about?

Izumi: Ah, nothing.

Azuma: ...Thank you, everyone.

Tsumugi: You scared us silly. Come on, let's go.

Azuma: The Spring Troupe is like a family, the Summer Troupe like school friends, and the Autumn Troupe like comrades for the same cause. What does that make us, then?

Tsumugi: Hmm... I don't think we fit into any of those categories.

Tasuku: Yeah, I don't really see us as close buddies or anything.

Hisoka: ...We're something.

Homare: And what would that 'something' be, exactly?

Azuma: He probably means our group's relationship is something that can't be put into words.

Hisoka: ...Yeah.

Tsumugi: We've been fine without a label this whole time, so maybe we don't need one.

Azuma: Perhaps not.

Homare: Oh, I have the most brilliant idea! Why, what more fitting a title for us than 'noble figures fated to share the same destiny'?!

Tasuku: We literally just decided to drop any labels for now.

Homare: In sickness and in health, for better or for worse, we shall share our laughter and our tears as those with an intertwined fate... How beautiful we are!

Izumi: I can already hear wedding bells in the distance...

Hisoka: ...Too much commitment.

Homare: Why, excuse you! I believe it is 'just right', not 'too much'!

Tasuku: Well, I'm fine with whatever you guys decide on.

Tsumugi: I guess I'd say our relationship is supporting each other when our burdens become too heavy to bear on our own.

Azuma: That's about right, I'd say. It'd be wonderful to stay this way with everyone.

Azuma: (I left this house, shared a dormitory, and met many people.)

Azuma: (I wanted to connect with other people, so I started doing theater, something I had never done before, and I met people who made me feel okay about exposing my shameless self.)

Azuma: (At this age, I feel a bit embarrassed to say it out loud...)

Azuma: (The sense of unity I feel on stage and the solid connection with everyone is unmistakably a "bond".)

Azuma: (It took a long time, but I've finally gained this connection, and I want to continue to cherish it.)

Azuma: (Yeah. I guess that's my answer to Izumi's homework assignment.)

Azuma: ...Well, I've got to go pick up that thing I reserved.

Azuma: ...

Sakuya: "How are you, Azuma? I'm in a place famous for sake."

Sakuya: "When I looked at the menu at a restaurant there, I found sake from Azuma's hometown."

Sakuya: "When I asked the staff at the store, they said it was refreshing, easy to drink, and seemed like a really delicious drink."

Sakuya: "I can't drink alcohol yet, but when I can, I'd like to try this sake with Azuma."

Azuma: ...I was so  happy that you wrote something like this that I even went back to my hometown.

Azuma: I'm looking forward to the day when I can have a drink with Saku.

Azuma: (I don't know if I've ever been this active. But I'm sure it's all thanks to our connection.)

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[lightsburnbrite]

The Love You Want: Part 1

The buzzing of my phone on my nightstand was what woke me up. We were given the day off from training so I turned my alarm off and ended up sleeping later than I normally would have. Picking up the phone, I saw that it was my mother and immediately swiped to answer it. She wouldn't normally be calling on a weekday morning so I knew it was probably important.

"Yeah, Mama?"

"Oh, Leon. I didn't expect to get you. I'm afraid I have some sad news. Augie Kohler passed away last night."

It took me a minute to process what she had said and to then connect the dots. August Kohler was the husband of Maria Kohler, my mother's best friend. They were the parents of Elena who had been my closest friend up until about four years ago.

"Mama, I'm so sorry. Have they made any arrangements yet?"

Before I knew it, I was on the phone with my coach asking for permission to miss the next two training sessions. I said that my uncle died, which was more or less true considering the amount of time I had spent around Augie growing up. Once I landed back home, I went to my parent's house and from there we would go to the Kohler's. 

"Just so you're aware," My mother turned around from the front passenger seat, "Elena got married about two years ago."

"Oh." 

My heart stopped for a beat. Elena and I were thick as thieves when we were kids but things became weird once it was established that I'd be moving to Munich. At first, she offered to make the move with me. It was going to be a new place where I didn't know anyone and I had never lived on my own before. I turned her down, not willing to take the chance to find out that my feelings for her were unrequited. Not long after that I heard she had slept with the guy in our friend group that no one really liked but also didn't have the courage to split from. Hurt feelings on both sides meant that we pretty much just stopped talking after that. 

"Did Ellie invite you to the wedding?"

My mother sighed. "She did, but it took place in London, that's where she lives now, so we didn't make it."

I stayed silent for the rest of the drive. I stood by my mother's side, offering my silent condolences until Maria approached me with her arms outstretched.

"It's good to see you again." She squeezed me and kissed my cheek before stepping back, her hands still on my forearms. "I don't remember you being quite this strapping the last time I saw you."

I felt my face flush. "It, um, helps with my game…to be more…physical."

Maria smiled. "Well, it suits you."

I gave a little nod. "Is Ellie here?"

"Oh yes, of course, dear. She's here somewhere."

I excused myself to go in search of her only remembering after the fact that she was now married. The last thing I wanted to do right then was to have to suffer through the forced politeness of meeting her husband. Still, I wandered throughout the house in the hopes of finding her.

I hadn't figured on finding her outside but with the early autumn weather still being nice, I knew I shouldn't have been surprised that she chose to escape the crowd inside. Elena had found a lone lounge chair on the pool deck and was now sitting in a beam of sunlight with her eyes closed. She didn't move when I opened the door.

"Hey," I cleared my throat to let her know I was approaching before sitting down next to Elena. "You ok?"

Elena shrugged as she struggled to find an answer to my question. "I don't know. Even as an adult you get lulled into this feeling that your parents are indestructible and then…they're not. And, like, I love my mother-"

"But you were always a daddy's girl." When I finished her sentence, that seemed to trigger her unraveling, she couldn't hold it together anymore. A few years ago, I absolutely would have embraced her. Now, I didn't know how she felt towards me so the safest way on consoling her was just a hand on her shoulder.

When she seemed to settle, I decided to press her. "So where's the husband?" When Elena looked back at me, I answered the question she didn't ask. "My mother told me. I didn't even get an invite?"

She wiped under her eyes with the pads of her fingers. "You made it pretty clear that you didn't need me as a friend anymore after you moved. I didn't think you'd be interested in coming to my wedding."

"What are you even talking about?" I searched her face as if I was going to find the answer there. "When did I tell you we weren't friends anymore?"

"How many times did you take my calls or answer my texts after you moved?" Her tone suddenly shifted as though she wanted to keep the conversation in a neutral place. "I get it, you were busy and we grew apart. It happens, it's not anyone's fault."

Still, her accusations didn't sit right with me. "How often did you visit me?"

"I offered to move to Munich with you. I knew it would be a hard transition in a new city, living on your own for the first time, but you turned me down." I felt her move farther away from me. "Besides, Angela told me what you said."

Now she had me stumped. "What did I say?"

"Angela said that you told her the only reason I wanted to go to Munich was because I'd run out of guys to fuck here." Elena repeated the words in a flat tone but I could tell that there was a great deal of bitterness associated with them.

Elena was refusing to look at me by this point but I wasn't going to force her, I was still trying to figure out what I had said that could have been interpreted into what Angela relayed to her.

"Well, I did appreciate knowing what you actually thought of me." She quickly steered the conversation back to the original question. "Alex is in Dubai for work. He's coming as soon as he can."

Now it was my turn to be offended. "Your father passes away and your husband might not even make it to the funeral? Seems like a great guy."

"He can't just stop whatever he's doing-" Elena paused and took a breath, seemingly willing herself to stay calm. "I don't have to defend him to you."

I just shrugged as I stood, feeling like the conversation was coming to a close. "No, you don't. I just thought a husband was supposed to support his wife. If you were my wife…well, I'm here, aren't I? How did you meet Alex?"

"Once I finished school, I started working for Deutsche Bank." Elena sighed as happier memories flooded her brain. I wondered if she knew I'd done that on purpose. "Alex works for the London firm and he was there for a week of meetings and I was assigned to work under him for that time. We hit it off really well and then a few weeks later I get a call that they'd like to move me to London."

I pulled a face, not hiding the fact that I disapproved. "So he was your boss-"

"No." She seemed surprised herself with how stern her tone was. "We worked in separate areas."

"Yet he still had enough pull to bring you to a different country." I pressed my lips together and shrugged. "Seems like there was at least a little coercion going on."

By this point, Elena refused look at me. "I'm finished talking about this."

I waited, an attempt to call her bluff, but eventually caved. "Ok. I'll see you tomorrow."

Later that evening, I sat in my childhood bedroom lamenting the fact that I should have expressed my feelings to Elena when I had the chance. I was worried that she didn't feel the same and doing so would have jeopardized our friendship. Of course now i realized that by not saying anything, I only pushed her away and now I didn't have her in my life at all.

Once we made it to the church, I wasn't surprised to see that it was already filling up. Augie was a well respected member of our local community. The first row of pews was reserved for immediate family so we sat a little less than halfway back. As the casket was brought in, Maria was directly behind it followed by Elena walking next to a man that had to be at least 20 years older. When I noticed that she had her arm wrapped around his, I figured that must be Alex.

Glancing through the order of service, I read that the eulogy would be given first by Elena and then Maria. That order didn't surprise me, knowing Elena, she wouldn't have been able to speak after her mother.

About midway through, as Elena gave an anecdote on how her father had a way of gently nudging her forward even when she thought she was stuck, I watched as Alex stood up. I wanted to keep my eyes on her, knowing that she saw him stand as well, but I couldn't help but to stare as he walked about halfway down the outside aisle before pulling his phone out. 

Maria, waiting for her next to the pulpit, gave Elena a hug and wiped her tears away before she stepped up but that meant that Elena was essentially alone once she sat back in the pew. I watched as she glanced back every so often, seemingly waiting for Alex to come back but it became apparent that he had left. 

Once the service had finished and the pallbearers were in place, Maria stood behind the casket, same as she had when they entered. Elena stood as well, but the look of sheer panic on her face broke my heart. Maria had started walking but it was as though Elena was frozen in place. Without giving it a second thought, I stood and quickly walked to her side. With my arm around her, I gently guided her forward until we made it to the narthex. Pulling her off to the side, I held her tightly against my chest as she sobbed into my shoulder.

Obviously she was grieving her father but I fully believed that it just clicked in to her that her own husband was never going to put her before anything else in his life.

My arms still around her, I rested my head against hers as she let out a final sigh. I gave her a squeeze before kissing her temple, not caring that she was married, I was going to show her the affection that she deserved. "C'mon, Ellie. The car is waiting for you."

I rode with Elena and Maria to and from the interment, Elena never letting go of my arm. They had a reception at their house afterwards and aside from me making sure she had something to eat and drink, Elena never left my side.  

My parents and I had said our goodbyes and no sooner had I closed the car door did my mother start. "So, what's going on?"

"What do you mean?" When she raised an eyebrow I knew I couldn't get away with playing dumb. "Oh, I didn't want Maria to have to to be alone today."

My mother nodded silently. "And Elena?"

"What about her?"

"She didn't leave your side for the entire afternoon." She lowered her voice even though it was just the three of us inside a moving vehicle. "I know you're friends but there was genuine affection between the two of you."

"Mama, she's married." I pressed my lips together. "I was simply being compassionate."

She turned in her seat to look back at me. "But do you think of her?"

There were so many answers that I could have given. I could have said that I knew I was in love with her for as long as I understood what it meant to be 'in love' and that I was pretty sure Elena had felt the same at one point. I could have said that I regretted not asking her to come with me. Instead, I just shook my head. "Listen, I told Kemal that I'd go to his birthday dinner, but I'll be going home after that."

"Ok." She nodded. "Make sure you don't leave without saying goodbye."

I smiled, knowing that my mother didn't specify who I needed to say goodbye to on purpose. "Of course, Mama."

I had debated going to dinner at all, I originally wasn't going to be able to, but I figured it wasn't a good look to have been in town and blow off a good friend on his birthday. I ordered a car and was then shown to the private room he had reserved.

"Hey!" Kemal jumped up excitedly and greeted me with the typical bro hug. "I didn't think you were going to make it."

"Yeah," I gave a nod to the others until my eyes fell on Elena. "I came up for Ellie." 

"Here," Angela gestured towards the space next to her. "I saved you a seat."

I had wanted to sit next to Elena but she was on an end so I settled for the chair next to Angela which happened to be across from Elena. I tried to make eye contact but she was concentrating on the menu.

I was surprised to see her here at all but given that she spent most of the day glued to my side, I thought that she would have at least acknowledged me. Instead she spent the rest of the evening avoiding looking directly at me. She either had her eyes on her plate or whoever was talking. I watched as she glanced at her watch and then discreetly stood, placing a hand on Kemal's shoulder and speaking in his ear seemingly to let him know she was on her way out.

Waiting for a beat, I then excused myself in an attempt to follow her.

"Ellie!" I called out as I saw her, probably waiting for her ride, just down from the entrance.

"So…why do you hate me?" I tired to laugh it off but I was sure Elena could still tell there was at least some sincerity there.

She frowned slightly. "I don't hate you. I just…I don't really feel anything towards you. I mean, why would I when I know that you think so little of me."

"Ok, that's not fair." I glanced around before taking her by the elbow and guiding her away from the entrance of the restaurant. "Can we talk?"

Elena covered her mouth with her hand and inhaled deeply before shaking her head. "I just…I can't. I don't have it in me right now, I'm not in a good place and-"

I cut her off by embracing her. Much to my surprise, I felt her hug me back. "That's not how I see you at all, I never said that to Angela. I was, um, I was disappointed that you slept with Simon because he's kind of a jerk. If you wanted to make me jealous it worked."

"I didn't want to-" I felt Elena's whole body grow tense. "I didn't want to do anything."

"I'm so sorry, Ellie." I gave her a squeeze, an attempt to be reassuring. "For not asking you to come with me. I was being stupid because I knew what you wanted and I was scared that it wouldn't work out and then I would lose you, But I lost you anyway."

Elena stayed silent for what seemed like an eternity.

"Can we go some place and talk?" I rested his head against hers. "Maybe grab a coffee or something?"

Elena sighed, seemingly summoning every ounce of patience, as she brought her arms up to her chest. "Can you please let me go? I really need to get to the airport."

I did as she asked and took a step back. "Don't go back."

"What?" Elena genuinely didn't understand what I was saying.

"Divorce him." I put my hands on her shoulders. "Move to Munich with me." 

At that moment, I was convinced that the Elena I was with this afternoon and the Elena in front of me now were two separate people. She looked at me briefly before looking away and clenching her jaw. Then, she simply shook her head. "No. I just want to get home."

At this point, I needed to come to terms with the fact that some things couldn't be healed overnight. Breathing in deeply, I nodded. "Ok. Have a safe trip."

[shadowredfeline]

Five in One Post

Four Responses to my Filipino Friend.

Yeah her Boyfriend loves to make some funny content for Luna. But now that you mentioned that mission from GTA Vice City, i'm currently stuck on that mission alongside the other mission where i take someone out at the mall, but he easily gets the Cops and gets away. Those two missions are really tricky!

Second response, Yeah i remember how Gumball did go overboard with the series finale. That's why i wanted to do Cartoon Network in Persona 5 and have Gumball as Joker. And also speaking of Kowalewski, i was thinking of having her voice Beara as Anais Watterson since her voice can be fitting for her. And also i know Kyla Kowalewski also voiced Memow from Adventure Time, and yeah Rosie does look a lot like Molang. Since my sister also loves Molang as well.

Third Response but to Miya. No Problem, Miya. It's pretty nice i would do something for you and Sammir. Since you both might have a lot of fun together. And also, i usually go to the Amusement Park during Autumn times like around October or November, and also, Shadow's mom works on the festivals by volunteering by working the kids games. And i hope you're Aunt will love to work with the kids games with Debby.

And Finally, the Gags with the Giant Chicken are really funny and even the song they played when Peter fights against the Giant Chicken, i would imagine having Shadow and Spot watching the Giant Chicken scenes because they are really funny. But the Giant Chicken will still be around, anytime Peter does something wrong or he can take a break and fight someone else.

For my A-Pal's Pic for our G-Pal

Looks nice seeing Mikey G in Riya's Attire, since it has been a while when we want to see Mikey G, but with Miya, i'm sure she's a great friend with him besides her cousin, Riya. The Riya and Miya will both be with him along with Sammir too. Best Pals is what they need. And i wonder how Mikey would feel wearing Caleb's attire too? I bet it might look nice besides wearing Shadow's clothes as well.

And for my Filipino Friend's On This Day Post

Looks really fun to remember Jason and Panini's activities in doodle style. It would be fun to have our OC Couples do the same thing, depending on which group we could do them with.