#he DID actually spent a lot of time with his sons and made sure to teach them how to live in the wilderness and lead a nomadic life

[r7leee]

beggars can be choosers

merry christmas ig @liseytopia (jk love you babe)

pairing: rodrick heffley x fem!reader

summary: your boyfriend’s parents are out, yet again, for the weekend. rodrick’s idea of fun is sneaking into a concert, but that’s easier said than done

warnings: cursing, greg being a walking punching bag (again), nothing else rlly!!

word count: 1,401, should take about 11 minutes to read

listen to: gives you hell by the all-american rejects

THE HEFFLEYS WERE probably one of the most dysfunctional families you’d ever seen. the spoiled youngest brother, narcissistic middle brother, lazy (but ever so charming) oldest brother, the clueless mom, and the tired dad. and just to put the cherry on the cake, how the parents did nothing to fix it and actually left so often.

this weekend was an example. susan and frank were going to be gone for a weekend outing to the beach. but, they had no intention to bring their two oldest sons with them.

of course, you didn’t mind. not in the slightest. it just gave you more time to run around and cause trouble with rodrick. and without them knowing!

that’s exactly what was going to happen. to prepare, you drove to the edge of the heffley’s street about fifteen minutes before their parents would leave. you had all your essentials: a change of clothes, pajamas, makeup.

then you sat and watched, waiting for their car to pull out of the driveway. sure enough, a little while later, you saw rodrick’s parents and brother get in their car and drive off. perfect.

the second they were out of eyesight, you pulled your car into the parking lot, replacing theirs, and practically sprinted to the front steps.

you didn’t even knock, rodrick already knowing you’d be coming. without a moment to spare, he flung the front door open, beckoning you to come inside.

you smiled up at him as you walked in and shut the door behind you. even in your heels, you were still a notch shorter than him. “hi,” you greeted, your gleaming eyes looking into rodrick’s face.

“hi, babe.” he leaned down, pressing a chaste and fast kiss on your lips. you heard a gagging sound from the other side of the room.

turning your head, you saw rodrick’s brother, greg, in the living room. “why are you still here, shit for brains?” rodrick exclaimed.

“i was…getting water-” greg tried to explain before being cut off.

“you know what, i don’t wanna hear it.” he made a “go away” motion with his hand. “shoo.” greg just sighed and went upstairs. rodrick didn’t move until he heard the sound of his bedroom door closing.

he turned back to you, placing his hands on your waist. “you ready for the best weekend of your life?”

“you know me.”

the first half of the day was spent out and about. running around the plainview mall, going into hot topic, trying on clothes that you didn’t buy. going into record stores, browsing the selections. renting a movie from blockbuster. taking cute photos in the photobooth (you kissing his cheek, of course.) getting kicked out of yankee candle after rodrick clumsy dropped a candle (by doing a stupid, stupid dance then knocking it over with his elbow.)

after a few hours there, you knew you couldn’t call if there. so, taking a step further, you drove into the big city. just to look.

the places were all too fancy and expensive and the people too sophisticated, but it was almost comforting. you were so out of place but it was so right.

to be honest, rodrick didn’t entirely want to drive out here for no personal gain. but he knew you. and he would do almost anything to see that look in your eyes.

after a quick drive and a stop at the ocean, you headed back. the day alone was nice. you couldn’t wish for anything more as you two drove back to the heffley house.

on the way home, you planned out the rest of the day; go home, stay up late watching movies (and maybe making out), go to sleep late at night, then fuck off the next day.

suddenly, rodrick passed a small concert venue. on the sign read “bowling for soup: tonight.” you nudged rodrick in the shoulder. “hey. did you know these guys were coming?”

you pointed to the sign on your right, rodrick reading it. his eyes widened. “no. holy shit, we should go.”

you laughed and shook your head. “rodrick, i know you don’t have money for tickets.” his smile dropped, but quickly returned as he thought about something.

“who said we needed money?”

THE SECOND YOU opened the front door, rodrick was trotting up the stairs with an almost fearful demeanor. “greeeeeg!” he called out, shoes pounding up the stairs.

you watched him with a confused but amused look on your face. you followed in his footsteps, watching as he slammed his younger brother’s door open. greg, who was reading a comic book, looked over at him. “what do you want?”

rodrick walked slowly, then sat next to him on the bed. “how would you like to make your dear old brother and his girlfriend happy?” greg looked at him and replied sarcastically, “i’m good, thanks.”

rodrick let out a fake laugh before going serious. “well, it’s either that, or i call up holly hills right now and tell her you hate her stupid. guts.”

you knew there was no way that was possible; no way he had her number. but you knew for a fact that greg was gullible. and that you had a free ticket to a concert.

only fifteen minutes later, greg was in the back of the van, trying his hardest to not slam against the wall. you felt a little bad for the kid. a little being the key word.

the ride consisted of rodrick blasting some band you didn’t know while his hand was on your thigh. you knew greg was gagging in the back. “this show. babe…it’s gonna be amazing. it’s gonna be radical.”

you snorted. “radical?”

“ya. radical,” he repeated, confidence in his tone.

after taking the long drive to the city, rodrick parked somewhat near the venue. he unbuckled the seatbelt and turned to greg. “here’s the plan, squirt. you’re gonna go in there, distract those employees, then you’re gonna wait in the van as we get in. got it?”

it was clear there was some fear in greg’s eyes, but he knew there was no choice. so, he nodded. “good.”

rodrick got out of the van, opening the side door for greg to get out as you got out as well. rodrick leaned against the side of the van, gripping your waist as greg walked in.

after a minute, you two walked in. inside the venue was a couple lines leading to the box office, then people inspecting tickets near it. greg was pushing to the front of the office. you sat back and watched as he tried to get inside without a ticket. “you ever think you’re too mean on him?”

he shrugged and wrapped an arm around your waist. “it builds character.” greg had started to push past and try to run in, the employees running after him. that was your cue.

immediately, you pushed past people, trying to get to the front. you could see the employees dealing with greg as you made it to the front. quickly, rodrick took your hand and jolted to the nearest bathroom.

you two laughed as you went into the men’s room and into the handicapped stall. you tried to suppress your laughs. “rodrick!”

“i told you it’d work, did it not?”

after a couple minutes of laying low, you went to general admission section. rodrick had plenty experience with this. taking your hand, he pushed past people, trying to get as close as possible. only the best for you.

when you stopped, it was only a few rows from the front. you’d never been this close to the stage for any concert (which you’d only been to a couple.) it felt surreal to you and rodrick could tell. he smiled at you. “shocked?”

all you could do was smile and nod. he chuckled. “you’re cute.”

it only took a little while for the show to start. you didn’t know the band that well and nor did rodrick but that didn’t matter. you two danced and sang to the songs you did know, joining the energy with the crowd. you felt free.

the concert went by, and after, all the people started to file out. rodrick let out a sigh, his body sweaty. “you good?” he asked.

“more than good,” you confirmed. he smiled and kissed your forehead.

“come on, let’s get home. see if greg’s still in one piece.”

[soothingmoonlight]

#silm#fëanorians#the sons of fëanor explored all over aman in their youth they're used to life on the road#and specifically noted as “abode seldom in one place for long”#makes sense they'd have little diffculty adopting to the Laiquendi lifestyle#I mean even during the siege they're less stationary than eg the Nolofinwëans#constantly visiting each other and organizing patrols out into lothlan and ard-galen#(Celegorm and Curufin are off visiting Caranthir when Aredhel reaches their territory as just one example)

tags by @waitingforsecretsouls

A meta I must write, and will.. one day, is about how in the Silmarillion is stated that the sons of Fëanor were “scattered” after the Nirnaeth and, at first glance, the thing makes remarkably little sense, particularly since they apparently manage not only to keep their own safe while scattered (after a retreat to Amon Ereb), but also to have an army co-ordinated and organised enough to march on Doriath during the winter and win that war in unfamiliar enemy territory and, likely, heavily outnumbered.

Still the thing starts making more sense if we consider the perspective from which the “writer” of the Silmarillion writes: the perspective of Gondolin, a society founded around the city as a hidden haven, which sees (with its own reasons) leaving it behind as impossible, with Doriathrim influences, thus yet another culture founded around the concept of a “hidden haven” the fall of which would mean death. Yet this is not true for the Fëanorians, or even the people of Fingon and Fingolfin who, living in territories so near an active border, would have to have developed a “fallback plan” to use should the worst come to pass.

My theory is that the Fëanorian and the non-Gondolidhrim Noldor to a lesser extent, had planned a possible “nomadization” well in advance and thus their scattering served the double purpose of making them less visible to Morgoth and preventing them from ending up in a non-defensible position. Which would also explain how Maedhros can try and offer allegiance later to Elwing as a bargaining chip, and have an army strong and organised enough to survive on his own and even win armed conflicts.  Naturally becoming a nomadic people had its prices, particularly for the Noldor, still I think it was a smart move and a well planned one, particularly since Amrod and Amras already seem to lead a semi-nomadic people.

[morganbritton132]

Thank you for feeding us with the Steve Has Older Siblings AU. God tier level of characterization I gotta say.

How do the older siblings handle the “Eddie Munson Problem”? I would imagine they actually do try to get rid of him at first given Eddie’s reputation but then realize he treats Steve better than any of them ever have.

Well, there is cash incentive.

Richard Harrington still has aspirations of going into local politics one days and he is not going let Al Munson’s son kill that dream. Or kill their son. Richard waves a dismissive hand in his wife’s direction because, “Of course. Of course. Or that.”

Whoever makes that boy disappear gets five thousand dollars.

(1.)

Claire takes a direct approach. She corners Steve and tells him that Eddie is a drug dealer and a drug user. She tells him about all the scary things that showed up on his toxicology report in the hospital and Steve replied flatly with, “Wow. Crazy. I had no idea.”

“I’m serious,” She says. “You could get hurt with someone like that. Do you know how that would make us feel if something happened to you?

“I fractured my ankle at a track meet once and Dad made me walk to the car afterwards,” Steve replies. “I think you guys will be fine.”

“I’m serious.”

“You know, Claire,” Steve nods to himself because, yeah. Sure. Let’s do it. “How have you felt the last three years? Or, I don’t know. The last two concussions? You have no idea what I’ve been dealing with for years now and – and you’ve never cared so why now? What’s Dad giving you to ruin my life because-“

He shakes his head, “This is not worth it. Like how picking up the phone when the mall caught on fire with me inside it wasn’t worth the effort. Tell Dad you tried really hard, but no. I’m not going to get rid of one of the few people in my life that actually like me.”

(2.)

Jason takes a different – dumber – approach. He goes in with no plan and no intentions, just took the opportunity when he saw Eddie’s van pulled off on the side of a backroad. He bangs his fist against the side and is delighted that he caught Eddie and Steve.

He threatens to beat Eddie up which is bold to say to an accused murderer in the woods, but okay.

Then he turns around and threatens Steve that he’s going to tell their dad that he was getting high in the woods if he doesn’t keep away from trailer trash, but Jason is fucking idiot because they were decidedly not getting high in the woods. He leaves with an eighth of marijuana and  no closer to five thousand dollars because Steve had just shrugged like, “Okay? Go ahead. Tell him.”

(3.)

Richie does not participate in this because he actually wants to improve his relationship with his little brother and he was the first person Steve went to after they got Eddie, barely breathing, to the hospital. He saw how shaken up he was and he also saw the bruising around Steve’s neck.

He knows what the bruising looks like. He knows how people gets bruises like that. And he knows that he’s a coward because he could not bring himself to ask a question he did not want the answer to. And he knows Eddie Munson.

Eddie is harmless.

All you have to do is have one conversation with the kid and you’ll see that he couldn't hurt a fly. Richie, however, had many conversations with him when Harrington & Associates took his case on pro bono so he knows just how harmless Eddie is.

He also knows that Eddie spends a lot of time trying to make Steve laugh. Richie has spent enough time in his life making his brother miserable. He's not doing anymore.

[thatnewweeb]

Arranged | Todoroki Shoto

Summary | Endeavor and your father both always wanted to be higher in the hero rankings. In case you and Shoto do not achieve those goals, they decided you should enter a Quirk marriage to create an even better Quirk combination. However, you and Shoto didn't want to give into those demands. So how did you end up falling in love?

Content | Smut, fluffy, virginity loss, unprotected sex, aged up Shoto (third year, 18), discussion of marriage, alluded abuse of both Shoto and reader

Word Count | 2.4k+

A/N | I've had this idea for a while, this wasn't the original direction I had in mind, but this is how it went as I wrote. I'm trying to get better at writing smut! At the time of posting, I wrote this forever ago

Your Quirk developed when you were 4 and a half years old. Since that day, your life changed, and not for the better. Since that day, you've been training. You've been training hard.

Almost the moment that your Quirk finally developed, your father had made an agreement with the number two hero. His boy had already developed his Quirk, and your father had been waiting for yours to finally appear.

Later that year, you met Endeavor's youngest son, the boy you were told you would later marry, provided everything followed the plan created by your fathers.

The next time you saw him, roughly six months later, he had gained a large facial scar on his left side, although you did not ask about it.

Throughout the next ten years, you saw the boy multiple times, training together on occasion. You had to learn how best to use your Quirks in cooperation with each other, as well as separately. That was somewhat difficult, considering Shoto's refusal to use his fire.

Despite also having a deep hatred of your father, you never refused to use his half of the Quirk you inherited.

Your Quirk is called Cryo-Phasing, giving you the ability to pass through objects, simultaneously freezing them. Your phasing Quirk works a little differently than Mirio's, being unable to pass through the floor.

Your father and Endeavor believed that combining your Quirks in a Quirk marriage could lead to a stronger version of the Ice Quirk, as well as possibly adding Phasing to the mix of Quirks, thus creating an even more powerful child.

It seemed like some things never changed.

At age 15, you were accepted in UA through recommendations, being placed into Class 1-A, the same class as Shoto.

At the beginning of the year, it was unusual for the two of you to speak much, to each other or really to anyone else. You would spend time together, sure, but that was almost purely because you somewhat knew each other already. The only real interactions you had were sitting together during lunch breaks, and training together during class.

You both excelled in academics, combat and Quirk use. Of course, you had both been training for this your entire lives, training with some of the top heroes in Japan, so that was to be expected.

It wasn't until Midoriya helped Shoto to start coming out of his shell that you two started to actually get to know each other. He started to sit with Midoriya and his friends, but he didn't want you to become lonely, so he invited you to join them. Although you were quiet and difficult to get to know, he did hold some level of affection for you already. He figured that you were in a similar position to him, and that you would be able to relate to him and his issues.

During that time, Midoriya and his friends continued to help Shoto come out of his shell and open up to people, and also helped you to begin opening up too.

In particular, you and Shoto opened up to each other a lot.

Once UA implemented the dorm system, you and Shoto spent a lot of time together outside of school hours. It seemed to everyone that you were always together, whether that was in the common areas or one of your bedrooms.

Everyone was convinced that you both had crushes on each other, both being asked many times why you were not dating. Both of you claimed you were only friends.

Neither of you truly knew what it was you felt for each other, both being somewhat emotionally stunted from your upbringings, but you both knew it was something different from what you felt for your other friends. You both wanted to deny these feelings. After all, neither of you wanted to give in to what your fathers wanted for you.

During your second year, you kissed for the first time. Everyone had thrown a birthday party for Shoto, and as everything was winding down and coming to an end, he had snuck away with you and took you to the balcony in his room, claiming he wanted some fresh air.

Once outside, he turned to you and informed you of a conversation he had with his father a few days prior. He had spoken to your father about breaking the marriage arrangement. Your father had been against it, but Endeavor insisted that Shoto is now free to make his own choices. Part of his atonement for his previous actions.

Your father was continuing to try convince Endeavor to change his mind, which is why you hadn't been informed.

He explained that he was still hesitant to give into what his father wanted, even if he had been let free from being basically forced to do them now.

You understood his feelings, of course you did, you'd been struggling with the same thoughts about this as him.

"Well, for now, while we figure everything out, how about we just try this?" you ask him, taking both his hands and stepping closer, leaning up.

He realised what you were doing and leaned down a little, your lips pressing together for the first time. When you went to pull away, his hands let go of yours, moving quickly to wrap around you, keeping you close to him, not letting you move away, or break the kiss.

You don't try fight him on it, arms moving to wrap around his neck as your lips move against his.

Once you finally do break the kiss, he moves one hand up to rest gently on the back of your head, guiding it to rest against his shoulder, allowing him to keep you close.

Just a moment later, you were interrupted by a small squeak from inside the bedroom. Shouto apparently hadn't locked the door, and someone had realised the birthday boy was no longer present at his own party, so a few friends had come looking for him. The squeak came from Uraraka, who quickly ran out of the room, being closely trailed by a slightly red Midoriya.

The two of you looked at each other and smiled softly. "I suppose we may have to answer some questions."

He nodded in response to your statement, leaving to re-join the party.

Ashido and Hagakure of course asked if you were dating now, which you both denied. For now, it was simply a kiss.

"Are you going to Endeavor's agency once school is over?" You ask, laying with your bed hanging off the bed, looking at your best friend.

He gives a small nod. "I believe it will be the best place for me to start off." He says before talking a small, sharp breath. "Can we talk about something?"

You raise your eyebrows a little and sit up, patting the bed next to you, where he takes a seat. "Of course, what is it?"

"We're almost finished with UA, and I thought it may be time to finally discuss our relationship, before we leave school."

You take a small breath in this time, feeling a little nervous about what he is about to say. Your crush on the boy had never disappeared, but you never brought up your relationship again, not wanting him to feel pressured into making a choice he wasn't ready to make.

His hands find their way to grip yours gently, keeping eye contact with you. "I would like to go into this new part of our lives together. I am still a little hesitant for us to do what our father want from us, but it's what I want too, and I hope it is what you also want."

You bite your lip, letting go of his hands and throwing your arms around him. "Shoto, I would love that. I have wanted that for years."

He nods silently, one arm wrapping around your back, the other digging into his pocket. A moment later, he pulls a small, cute box out, pulling away from you a little so he can look you in the eyes as he hands the box to you.

"I've had this since I was 15. My father insisted I should give it to you, but I never did. I want you to have it," he says.

Inside is a small ring, with a delicate diamond, dainty and tasteful rather than being large and distracting. You bring your eyes back up to look at his, surprised.

"That ring is simply proof of my love for you. We should take things at my own pace. I'll buy you a ring myself one day. That will be when I really propose."

You smile, once again throwing your arms around him, this time putting your weight behind it to catch him off guard and knock him over.

Before he has a chance to say anything, you plant your lips firmly on his, bringing one hand to rest on his cheek, the other resting on his chest, legs holding you up as his hands immediately find your waist, giving into the kiss without any hesitation.

His fingers grip you tightly, breathing already beginning to get a little heavier. Although he has no experience, it seems as though he knows what to do, at least a little, moving his leg to press between your own.

One hand stays on your waist, the other moving to wrap around your back, holding you close to him and allowing him to press him leg up more, bouncing it softly.

His movements cause a soft moan to escape your lips, muffled by his own.

"You're so beautiful," he whispers breathlessly before connecting his lips to yours once again, seemingly wanting to have all contact he possibly can with you.

His tongue runs along your bottom lip, probing into your mouth, wanting to explore you as much as possible.

Breathlessly, you pull away from the kiss, looking down at him. His heterochromatic eyes stare back up at you, lids low with lust.

You sit up, pulling your shirt over your head, discarding it to a forgotten corner of the room. His hands quickly find their way back to your waist, biting his lip as he admires you. His staring makes you blush, but you know he's just taking it in.

His hands come up higher and carefully, yet slightly clumsily, undo your bra, slipping it off your body, throwing it in the same general direction as your shirt, quickly moving one hand to your left breast, sitting up and leaning his head to take your right nipple into his mouth.

You bite your lip, moaning softly. Your arm wraps around him, one hand coming up to play with his hair. You give it a gentle tug, making him groan softly.

Carefully, he moves so that you're underneath him, mouth not leaving your breast until your back is pressed against the bed.

Your hands find your way under his shirt, resting on his abdomen, prompting him to discard his too.

He leans down to kiss you once again, hands moving down to undo the shorts you're wearing, shuffling them down your thighs along with your panties. His long fingers drag slowly down your slit.

"You're so wet for me already, baby," he whispers in your ear.

His fingers continue to tease you, dipping slightly into you, but never quite giving you what you want, enjoying your moans as they get increasingly desperate.

You only want more and more as you feel his clothed cock pressing against your thigh.

“Shoto, please,” you whimper, needing more than what he’s giving you.

He chuckles softly. “Because you asked so nicely,” he whispers, slipping two fingers inside you, moving them slowly.

You moan softly, eyes closing and head leaning back. His movements speed up, fingers quickly finding your sweet spot. His thumb moves to your clit, your moans growing louder.

“S-Shoto, so good, so close,” you moan, looking up at him, orgasm building inside you.

Shoto kisses you, tongue finding it’s way into your mouth immediately, swallowing your moans as you get closer and closer to your release.

Then, right before you get there, his fingers suddenly withdraw. Your eyes shoot open and you look up at him, breathless and confused.

He laughs softly. “You look so pretty like that, baby,” He kisses your forehead, unable to resist at the sight of your bemused pout. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to leave you unsatisfied.”

He quickly takes off his pants, his cock straining against his boxers to get out. When he finally lets it free, your mouth falls open slightly at how big he is. You’d expected him to be big, but not that big.

His hand runs up and down his cock a few times, spreading the juices on his fingers onto his cock before pressing up against your hole, which is already missing the fullness of his fingers.

“You ready, beautiful?” he asks you. You nod, taking your lower lip between your teeth.

He slowly pushes his cock into you, taking in a deep breath. “Been waiting so long for this, baby,” he whispers in your ear before moving to kiss your neck.

Your moans sound so sweet in his ear, moving slowly to give you time to adjust to the new stretch. He stills for a moment when he bottoms out inside you, stopping to kiss you.

“Are you ready, beautiful?” he asks you softly. He waits for your confirmation before moving, pulling out a little before thrusting back inside.

He pulls out a little further each time, cock seemingly perfect for finding that sweet spot inside you, as if your bodies are made perfectly for each other.

"You look so pretty for me, baby," he whispers, eyes staying on you, wanting to see your reactions to his movements, enjoying the look of bliss on your face.

You moan each time he thrusts inside you. "Your cock feels so good, baby," you whisper breathlessly.

His fingers find their way back to your clit, rubbing gently to begin with, rubbing a little harder as he continues.

"I'm getting close, baby," he whispers, breath heavy and small beads of sweat on his forehead. You nod to tell him you are too, moans interrupting your speech when you try to vocalise it.

He rubs harder, moaning as he feels your pussy tighten around him, getting him closer to his own orgasm as you reach your own climax.

Right before he reaches his own high, he pulls out, finishing on your abdomen and thighs.

For a minute, he stays where he is, both breathing heavily and just enjoying the moment.

When he does finally get up, he goes and grabs a warm cloth, cleaning you up, neither of you saying anything.

He climbs onto the bed and lays next to you, wrapping his arm around you. "This was worth the wait," he whispers to you, making you laugh softly.

"I agree."

[wcters]

𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗧𝗢 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗔𝗖𝗛𝗨𝗦𝗘𝗧𝗧𝗦

chris sturniolo x fem!reader

word count: 1.3k

summary: You join your boyfriend, his brothers, parents, and best friend on a trip to their house in the Cape.

warnings/notes: established relationship, swearing, sleeping the the same bed, sexual innuendo, was going to make it longer but it sounded bad 😭, based on the video we become master chefs

The loud bustle of the airport drowned out Nick and Matt’s voices as you stood with them, Chris behind you with his arms wrapped around you. The two boys were sitting down with all of your suitcases leaned up against the wall you and Chris were standing up against. “You alright?” Chris whispered into your ear. “Yeah, fine. Just excited.” You mumbled back as to not interrupt his brothers. They were texting their parents and trying to figure out where you guys were meeting them.

“Okay. They said they’ll meet us close to the north side doors.” Nick told you as he finally stood up with Matt following him. You all grabbed your luggage and headed to meet them. The boys were back in Boston for their dad’s vacation and invited you to come with them. You agreed, obviously, having missed their parents and Trevor. You’d probably spend some time with your parents too while you’re down here.

You’re brought back to present time with Chris bumping his shoulder into yours and pointing ahead. Ahead were his parents, Marylou and Jimmy. “Hey!” You waved as you came closer. She and Jimmy said a quick ‘hi’ before hugging their sons. She then turned towards you. “Y/n, honey. You doing alright?” She asked as she pulled you into a hug. “Yes, ma’am. And you?” “Likewise.” You did the same with Jim, hugging and greeting each other before you all headed to the car and to the house. You, Nathan, the triplets, and their parents were all going to their house in the cape and even though the have a minivan, it couldn’t fit all of you. Jimmy and Marylou were going to go in one car while you and the boys went in the minivan.

You made it to the house, got into the designated cars, picked up Nate, and got to Cape Cod in record time. It only took about two hours, and the actual drive from Boston was about a little more than an hour. You were stuck in the backseat with Nick and Nate, but you didn’t really mind. You spent a lot of the time catching up with Nate and then using Nick’s shoulder as a pillow so you could take a nap.

When you got there, Marylou and Jimmy were already there and getting their bags out. “We’re going to bed soon. Feel free to stay up, but be quiet please. Y/n, make sure they behave.” Marylou spoke as she closed the trunk of the car. “You know it. Goodnight guys.” You replied as the boys and Jimmy said they’re good nights. The sun was setting and you were already tired from the flight and the car ride. You each went to your rooms, Nick, Nathan, and Matt sharing one to let you and Chris share one. His parents were fine with letting you share a room. You’ve been best friends since high school with all of the boys before you even started dating Chris, so his parents always trusted you and Chris.

You changed into sweatpants and a sweatshirt, all stolen from Chris. You walked into the kitchen and met the boys. “Do you guys have a plan or are we just hanging out?” You asked as you made your way next to your boyfriend who was on his phone. “Well, Nate wants pasta and that made me want pasta but we have nothing in the fridge so we’re going to go to the store.” Matt told you as Nate looked up and smiled. “Alright. Want me to drive?” “Nah, it’s okay.”

You all piled into the car and headed to the store to get the ingredients for the pasta and other food because they actually had nothing in the fridge. You followed the group around the store, arms wrapped around yourself because you were tired. They were vlogging this and you opted to stay in the background. You were standing with the cart in the sauce asile with Nick, Matt, and Nate when Chris came up to you with one hand holding the camera and another holding a large box of Pepsi. “Chris,” you scolded him as he asked Nick to put in the cart. “We’re going to be here for three days.” Nick scolded him as well. “He’s going to down them in one.” Nate half jokes from beside you. “He’s going to finish it tonight probably,” you added, “don’t be burping all night or I’m sleeping on the couch.” “I won’t!”

The rest of the time at the grocery consisted of the boys bickering about which pasta and sauce they wanted while you pushed the cart around. Before you left the store, you grabbed a couple coffee’s for everyone for the next few days and a red bull for you at that moment to try and stay up . . . And also help you deal with the chaos that was going to ensue as you attempted to make pasta in their kitchen that could not fit five people.

You eventually made it back to the house and put all the groceries in the fridge while Nate, Nick, and Chris started reading the directions for the pasta. The camera was sitting on top of the range hood as the recording was started. You cracked open a red bull while saying “this is my patience tonight” and taking a sip. You stayed in the corner of the kitchen, sitting on the counter with Chris between your legs while everyone else boiled the water.

“Look at these two,” Nate said as he grabbed the camera and turned it toward you, “not even helping.” Your one hand was in Chris’s hair while the other was taking a sip of the red bull while Chris was looking down at his phone. “I opted to stay out of the way.” You argued as Chris looked up. “Smart move.” Nate laughed as he high-fived you. “What about you?” “I’m keeping my allergies out of the way.” Your boyfriend told his best friend. “Alright, you both have excuses.”

Time passed with you hanging out in the corner as the boys joked around and filmed until the pasta was finally done. You thanked Matt as he got you your pasta and you moved to the table in the living room. You all took your seats at the table with Chris beside you. “I’ll get your reaction first Chris and then I’ll give you the Camera back,” Matt offered as he took the camera. Chris took a bite as Matt asked him how he liked it. “Fabuloso.” Chris answered as Matt then turned to you. “Y/n?” You moved your head up when you heard you name. “She’s too tired to even register what’s happening.” Nate laughed. “That’s true. It’s filling and I’m ready to go to bed.” You exclaimed, going back to your food.

You all talked and ate around the table, making plans for the next few days and reminiscing about childhood memories. “All right,” you stood up, “I’m heading to bed. Anybody want their plates put away?” They all declined and wished you goodnight as you went into the kitchen. As you went to go up the stairs you turned and faced them. “Remember to be quiet if you stay up later because your parents told you so, and you don’t want to mess with me if I’m woken up. You all know what I’m like.” Nate saluted, Chris smiled and put a thumbs up, and Nick and Matt nodded.

You fell asleep in no time from how tired you were, you didn’t even notice Chris entering the bedroom and getting into the bed. You only noticed him when you woke up the next morning and felt his body next to yours. You already knew that this trip would be good if you were waking up like this.

[enhas-pov]

enemies by blood

summary: born in a mafia family definitely wasn’t easy. especially when your dad’s enemy’s son, park sunghoon goes to your school. reader and sunghoon grew up hating each other due to their father’s bad past with each other, but what’s gonna happen when they want their kids to finish what they started?

warnings: (gang)violence, lots of fighting, murder, blood, drugs, money laundering, guns, kissing, usage of "oppa", pet names, bad ending

word count: 4.5k

note: i haven’t read through it‼️ ignore spelling mistakes

pt.2

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my whole life i`ve felt like an outsider. people always look at me weird, they give me dirty looks, but at the same time theyre afraid of me. all because of my family.. my dad to be specific. since before i was born, my dad has been a part of this mafia gang thingy where drugs, guns, killing, and all of that stuff was involved. so growing up i was taught most of those things. id say im pretty good at fighting, and using guns. my mom on the other hand died when i was 10, she was killed by some guy that my dad was having problems with.. ive never met someone who can relate to me whatsover, except for park sunghoon.

sunghoon goes to the same school as me and grew up exactly like i did, and when i say exactly i mean EXACTLY. his dad is a part of a mafia gang too, so sunghoon grew up involved with that as well just like i did, and guess what? his mom got killed by a guy his dad was having problems with as well. if you put two and two together.. my dad killed sunghoons mom so sunghoon`s dad killed my mom, which is one of the reasons why sunghoon and i grew up hating each other.

my dad told me that him and mr. park used to be a part of the same gang, they were actually really close friends until something happened between the two of them that ruined their friendship and caused them to turn on each other. basically, my dad and mr. park were planning a huge drug deal, but for some reason mr. park tipped off the cops to make sure all the money made off the drug deal would be his, so when my dad got arrested for it he spent 10 years in prison. and when he got out he killed sunghoons mom as revenge, but when mr. park killed my mom for revenge because of his wife`s death, it made things worse between the two.

i was sat in the backseat of the fancy car i was driven to school with everyday by my dads personal driver, min. i was not allowed to walk to school and especially not alone. my dad told me there are people who know about me and that since im his daughter they kinda want me dead.. which is understandable? i guess, considering the kind of shit my dad does to these people. "were here, miss y/l/n" my driver says, parked right in front of my school. "thank you-" i was two seconds away from getting out of the car before i was stopped by my drivers very concerned voice. "wait, mr. park is right behind us. would you like to wait?" i rolled my eyes at his words, not giving a care in the world about park fucking sunghoon. "i`m okay. thank you, min"

the second i made my way out of the car i was met with sunghoons tall figure stood not too far behind me. he threw a glare at me that i quickly returned which he rolled his eyes at. as we both started walking to the entryway of our school, we were pretty much walking next to each other, obviously, since we were going the same way. "thought the teacher told you to cover up?" he suddenly says, referring to my choice of clothing, his eyes looking straight ahead as hes avoiding any and all eye contact with me.

"you were the one who went complaining to our teacher about it, acting like what i was wearing wasn’t making your dick hard" he only chuckled at my words. once we reached the entryway, he opened the door and stood to the side. he grinned, "ladies first" he said. i gave him a fake smile and walked through the open door. right as he was about to walk in from behind me, i slammed the door shut in his face and locked it so he couldn`t get in no matter what. i watched him banging on the door and yelling at me to open it. "oppa! i think the back door is open" i said loud enough for him to hear, knowing its a good 5 minute walk to get there. i laughed at how furious he was before making my way to class.

i guess you could say me and sunghoon act childish with each other sometimes. we argue a lot over dumb, unnecessary and small shit for no reason. we could choose to ignore each other but since i have it out for him and he has it out for me, its hard not to say anything every time we come across each other. we`re not exactly like our dads. we dont pull a gun on each other every time we cross paths, but do not get me wrong. there are times when our silly little arguments have evolved and turned into something much bigger causing a physical fight ending in blood and injuries. but its always been between just the two of us, we`ve never involved our dads or anything because we seem to just handle it on our own.

"i hope everyone here studied for their exams, you had all week and i will be disappointed in you if you fail" our teacher was walking around and placing the exam papers on each one of our desks. suddenly, at the sound of the door being slammed open, everyone turned their heads just to see sunghoon standing by the door looking pissed. "mr. park! it is one thing to come late to my class to take your exam, but its another thing to slam my door open and interrupt me" watching our teacher yell at sunghoon really made my day, especially the embarassed look on his face which made me smile to myself.

"im sorry, miss. i had to come in through the back door since-" before he could rat me out, he got cut off by our teacher who decided to yell at him once again. "i don`t want to hear it mr. park. take your seat and be quiet" sunghoon glared at me silently before he made his way to his desk which just happened to be right next to mine. i was expecting him to start throwing childish insults at me, but to my surprise he looked down at the piece of paper in front of him in complete silence. odd, but i couldnt be bothered to start anything during our exams.

"you guys have 1 hour to finish your exams starting from now" the room went completely quiet once everyone turned their heads down and started writing down on the piece of paper. i was focused on my exam until i felt something press down on my foot. confused, i look underneath my desk to see that its someone whos pressing down on my foot with their own. of course when i look up to see who it is, its sunghoon. hes not looking at me as his eyes are stuck to the paper in front of him, instead he uses his pen to point at a tiny note right next to his paper. i can see that theres something written on it, but since i couldnt make it out i decided to lean over his table a bit. squinting my eyes, i read the words "shouldn`t have locked me out pretty thing" pretty thing? really? is he referring to me as a thing? what an ass..

"miss. ___ is looking at my papers" wait, what?! i look up at sunghoon whos smirking at me, ew.. before turning to our teacher who looks like shes actually about to kill me.

"miss, i wasn’t-"

"i dont want to hear it! detention now, miss y/l/n"

fucking unbelievable. if im gonna miss my exam and end up in detention, you sure as hell know sunghoon will too. i tried not to lose my shit, grabbing my backpack before "accidentally" tripping over sunghoons desk which kinda revealed a bit of my behind to everyone in class. "miss! sunghoon just tripped me on purpose.." i said, acting all shy and embarrassed about how my skirt flipped over. "shes fucking lying!" sunghoon stood up from his desk and i could tell he was gonna lash out on me.

"am not! you tripped me over that desk on purpose you fucking pervert-"

"watch your mouth you lying piece of shit!"

while me and sunghoon were lashing out on each other, we didn`t notice how our teacher was red in the face like she was about to explode out of anger. "that`s enough! you guys are grown enough to know not to be using that sort of language, nor to be arguing like little kids! you should know to act better. detention for the both of you right now!" she yelled in our faces while everyone else were sat staring at us awkwardly.

both me and sunghoon were now sat in detention. we also just happened to be the only ones here, along with a teacher tho.. sunghoon was sat on the other side of the classroom as he wished to not be near me at all, which i’m glad for. i was scrolling through my phone when the teacher suddenly got up from the chair he was sat on. “alright. i’ve got a wife and kids to get home to, so you two better behave on your own until school is finished” and then he left just like that, leaving me and sunghoon all alone. "cant believe i`m missing my exam because of you.." i spat, breaking the silence. "maybe if you hadn`t locked me out i wouldn`t have done what i did. besides, the stunt you pulled really just proves my point. you really are a slut-" and this is usually how our fights start.

gripping the book in my hands that was on my desk, i quickly threw it in sunghoons direction and his instincts kicked in instantly. he dodged the book which flew right past his head, hitting the wall with a harsh thud that left a noticeable mark. "nice try princess" he pushed his desk to the side and began walking towards me as he was visibly angry. i ducked as fast as i could when he swung his fist at me. i felt a rush of air across my face that his fist had missed. "a man hitting a woman? that`s not very man-like of you" i twisted my body as i attempted to throw a kick at his knee, but sunghoon was quick to jump back which resulted in my foot connecting with the wall instead. "fuck!"

"dont hurt yourself now" sunghoon smirked before his next punch successfully caught me across my cheek, causing a sharp pain which made me stumble backwards. suck it up.. i launched myself forward and managed to tackle him down. with sunghoon on the ground, i was now straddling him with my fists positioned in the air right above his face. we were both breathing heavily as sunghoon struggled to get away from underneath me. "are you getting weaker, park sunghoon?" i asked, lowering my fists before getting back up on my feet. "youre saying that as if you didnt take the most damage" he panted, sitting himself up against the wall. "yet i`m not the one whos out of breath" i grabbed my backpack and made my way out of the classroom as i couldn`t be bothered to deal with his bullshit anymore, and i could feel his eyes on me as i walked out.

"dad! im home" i walked into the kitchen with no sight of my dad. i jumped when i saw my dads personal driver sat at the kitchen table. "min? you scared me. wheres dad?" i sat down next to him, placing my backpack on the floor. "your dad is currently in a meeting, hell be back soon. how did your exam go?" i watched him eat his food as i had no idea what to say to that. "couldnt have gone better.." i lied. he hummed, "if youre wondering, then no, i didn`t tell your dad i saw you and mr. park having a conversation on your way inside" i furrowed my eyebrows at him. why did he think he had to keep something like that away from my dad? we weren`t exactly saying positive things to each other, unless he thinks..

"ew, no! its most definitely not like that. we do talk sometimes, but its just shit talking about each other to each others faces" i said, not missing the way he threw me a look that screamed "i don`t believe you". i rolled my eyes playfully,

"i do not like sunghoon whatsoever-"

"i`d hope so"

i heard a voice say. turning around, i saw my dad walking into the kitchen with a lot of papers in his hands. "min, these are for you" he handed him a few of the papers which min accepted and thanked him for before he got up from his chair. i watched my dad sit down on the chair min was just sat on, "what did i hear you talking about just now?" he questioned, placing the rest of the papers on the table in front of him as he started going through them one by one.

"my exam" i said, which wasn`t completeley a lie. he turned to look at me, raising his eyebrows before looking back at his papers. "i was meaning to talk to you about sunghoon" what? why sunghoon out of all people? "you were..?" i asked, feeling myself getting a little nervous. "you know, sunghoon is no different from his father. he`s just as bad as him" i hummed as i was trying not to show how desperate i was for him to get to the point. "i was originally planning on doing this myself, but i figured that it would be a better for you to do it, since you "do not like sunghoon whatsoever""

"well, ur right about that. what is it that you want me to do dad?" he paused before he took a deep breath. he turned to me slightly and placed his hand on my shoulder, "sweetheart". he finally said as curiosity started taking over me. he hesitated for a second and it kinda freaked me out. was this gonna be some sort of arranged marrige? did he know about our fight today? or maybe- "i want you to kill sunghoon" what?! kill sunghoon..? i’d lie if i say i didn`t hate him, but ive never gone as far as to actually wanting to murder him.. i never have, never will, never wanted to and never planned on taking someone’s life, even if it`s someone who i despise.

“i know i’m asking for a lot-“

“asking for a lot? dad, you’re asking me to take someone’s life..”

“sweetheart, i know. but unfortunately this isn’t a choice” i watched him in horror as no words were able to leave my mouth. “you will do what i’m asking you to do. you wouldn’t want to disappoint your father, right?” he stood up from his chair, looking down on me demanding that i give him an answer. “y-yes dad..” i managed to get out, not bothering to look at him. “very well then” his footsteps were heavy as he walked out of the kitchen, leaving me alone with my thoughts. i can’t kill sunghoon.. but i have to? no. i don’t have to, i think? it’s what my dad wants me to do, does that mean i should? murder is wrong, but sunghoon is a bad person. does sunghoon deserve to die? shit..

“you want me to kill ___?” sunghoon’s dad had delivered the exact same news to his son. “that’s right. she’s no different from her father” sunghoon knew that what his father was asking him for was wrong. he couldn’t bring himself to kill ___, even tho he hated her he knew that it wasn’t the right thing to do.

“dad.. i don’t know if i can-“

“don’t start with me son. when i tell you to do something, you do it. don’t act like it’ll be hard, she’s a woman after all”

a woman who could easily beat my ass.. sunghoon thought to himself. “yes father” he said. “very well then” he watched his father walk out of the room, what was he gonna do now? should he kill her just because his father told him to do so? the guilt would be with him for the rest of his life if he did. but he wouldn’t want his dad to be disappointed in him, right?

“we’re here, miss y/l/n” min said, parked in front of my school. “thank you..” i made my way out of the car and prayed to god that i wouldn’t bump into sunghoon. a whole day had gone by and i still needed to process everything. i looked around as i made my way to the entryway with no sign of sunghoon, and i was relieved when i finally reached the door. but before i could open it myself, someone had opened it from the inside. looking up, my heart dropped at the sight of sunghoon stood in front of me. i swallowed nervously as we were both stood staring at each other in complete silence.

i tried to move past him, and so did he which caused our bodies to push up against each other. “sorry..” sorry? why the fuck did i apologize? “it’s alright..” he mumbled, moving to the side so i could walk past him. not wanting to make things even more awkward, i quickly walked past him and hurried my way over to class. wait, but.. why was sunghoon acting weird as well? maybe something happened and he was dealing with a personal matter.. don’t know, don’t care. he’ll be dead soon anyway.

i’m getting ready to start working out in what my dad calls "the den" its basically this underground gym/boxing place where my dad trains along with his men, but i usually show up after they’ve all left since i like being on my own. i had put on some black shorts and a white top that hung off my shoulder on one side. i reached for a hair tie and gathered all of my hair, putting it up in a high ponytail while some strands in the front were left loose. i then carefully started wrapping my hands in hand wraps and flexing my fingers afterwards. turning to the punching bag, i was getting ready to start my usual everyday practising, but that was until i heard footsteps coming from behind me. it was weird since i thought everyone had left, but when i turned around i was at a loss of words.

"how’d you get in here..?" my voice shook, watching sunghoons tall figure leaning against the door to the entryway. "wasn’t that hard. my men took out yours in the front pretty easily" he smirked at me, fidgeting with the gun in his hands. "you can’t bring a gun to a fist fight. thats why my men lost" one by one, i watched his men gather around him; all carrying guns. "this can go two ways" he said as he started walking towards me slowly "either it’ll just be the two of us and i’ll make it quick and painless, or ill have to bring my men on it and i guarantee that it’s gonna hurt" he was stood right in front of me while looking down on me with his head tilted slightly.

was sunghoon planning on killing me too? was he doing this because he somehow found out that i was planning on killing him first? there wasn’t enough time for me to think. right now i had to focus on just one thing, and that was to live. "did your men forget to take out the ones in the back too?" i watched the smirk on his lips disappear as my men started to gather around me as they had come in through the back. all though, they weren`t armed with guns like sunghoons men were which made me really nervous. sunghoon chuckled and began walking backwards until he was stood behind his men. i pulled the same move, which meant that our men were now gonna fight against each other to protect me and sunghoon.

"seems like you can’t face us without your guns" one of my men said who was stood in the very front. sunghoons men laughed, "let’s be fair about it then, shall we?" the sound of guns being thrown on the floor made me feel relieved. suddenly, the den exploded into chaos as our men went at each other with fists flying and bodies colliding. the men’s shouting and grunting filled the entire room while me and sunghoon were stood on each sides of the room watching them.

one of my men collapsed on the ground, but before he could get back up two men tripped over him which added to the pile of bodies that were already sprawled out across the floor. the den was a mess of sweaty, bloody, injured men that had mostly been beaten to death by each other. it went by faster than i expected, and worse than i expected. all that remained were either dead bodies or knocked out bodies with no one left standing except for me and sunghoon.

"what’s the matter princess? is this too much for you?" the sound of sunghoon’s voice brought me back to reality. i was distracted by the violent scene that was right in front of me. i took a deep breath, "nothing is too much for me" i said with my eyes looking straight at him from across the room. sunghoon looked at the gun in his hands before he threw it on the ground. "like my men said, lets be fair about it" he said, placing his hands in his pockets. "you can use the gun you know? i dont mind, since this will be your last fight after all.." the tension between us was heated. sunghoon only laughed at me, "give it all you’ve got baby" with each slow step, he was now walking towards me. "don’t call me that" i spat.

he paused dangerously close to me, our bodies almost making contact. "come on baby, don’t say that" he brought his hand up to my face, but i was quick to slap his hand away with mine. with no warning, sunghoon`s fist landed with a severse thud against my ribs and i felt the force knock my breath out of me. i whimpered when i was sent stumbling into a nearby table, gripping the edge of the table for balance. i wasted no time and launched myself back at him with a kick that grazed his shoulder. he let out a groan, quickly grabbing my leg and twisting it viciously.

i let out a cry as i fell to the floor. when sunghoon tried to get on top of me, i managed to wrench my leg free by kicking at his chest with my other foot. as he stumbled backwards, i got back up on my feet as fast as i could. we were both breathing heavily and our bodies were hot with sweat. "shit princess. you’re getting better at this" he panted, lifting his fists into the air. "thank you. it means a lot coming from you, oppa" i rushed forward, this time going low so i could tackle him. the second we both crashed onto the cold floor we started wrestled fiercly. our bodies were rolling on the floor as we tried to overpower each other.

suddenly, his hands found my neck. i felt his fingers squeezing as he pressed down. my eyes widened in panic and my hands quickly went flying to his wrists; clawing at them, desperate for air. i dug my nails into his skin until it started drawing blood. he hissed in pain and ended up loosening his grip just enough for me to shove him off. i started coughing and gasping for air before kicking him hard in his chest which caused him to also gasp for air when he felt himself not being able to breathe properly.

i charged at him once again, this time aiming my elbow at his face. he barley was able to block it with his forearm before i grabbed a fistful of his hair, yanking his head backwards. "fuck!" he groaned, retaliating by grabbing my own hair and pulling it so hard that tears started forming in my eyes. "a-ah!" i let out a shriek. we were both struggling while using the grip on each others hair to cause each other pain. with a sudden move, sunghoon yanked my head to the side and slammed my head into the wall causing my grip on his hair to loosen. my chest was rising and falling, my body sprawled out on the floor with my hair being a tangled mess. my head was pounding horribly and i couldnt bare the pain i was feeling in my body.

sunghoon took the chance and got on top of me. he leaned down with his face so close to mine that the tip of our noses were touching. i felt his heavy breath against my lips before slightly flinching at the feeling of metal against my temple. his eyes looked into mine, a smirk forming on his lips. "this is the end for you baby" he mumbled before he cocked the gun. sunghoon raised his eyebrows when i sniffled. our eyes were locked in an intense gaze. he clenched his jaw slightly, the gun in his hand shaking when he tried pressing it further into my temple. i stood still, watching every move that he was making.

"kiss me goodbye?" i said, almost sounding like a whisper. he froze like he couldnt believe what had just come out of my mouth. his grip on the gun loosened, just for a second as if he was questioning whether to kill me or not. he stared at me with his eyebrows furrowing in disbelief, unsure if i was joking or not. with the way i was looking into his eyes he could tell i was being serious when a tear rolled down my cheek. i leaned forward, my bloodied lips parting before they touched his. the kiss was soft as our lips moved together. i felt him deepening the kiss, parting his mouth as well. and with his lips still on mine, he pulled the trigger.

♡︎♡︎♡︎

i feel horrible i’m so sorry.. should i make it into a series orrr??

[violetrainbow412-blog]

Day 5: acorn

Masterlist flufftober 🎃

This is kind of flangst if you squint, but the idea came to my mind and I thought it would be really cute. One of my favorites, enjoy, and reblog if you liked it!

You and Spencer walked in silence, with only the sound of the orange leaves crunching under your feet. Autumn had undeniably arrived, and you knew perfectly well that this season was a blessing for many children, providing them with leaves on the ground to play with, warm clothes, and tons of candy. Somehow, it was also your favorite time of the year, as it brought back a few pleasant memories you guarded closely in your heart.

“How did he behave over the weekend?”

“Very well, actually,” he replied, happy that you had finally decided to break the silence. In the distance, you could hear the giggles of a child you both made sure to check on from time to time. “We made pancakes, I took him to the aquarium, we drew a lot, and overall, he didn’t throw any tantrums or anything like that. He even asked me to tuck him in.”

“He always wants that,” you said. “Sometimes he makes me read the books you give him.”

“And he asks me to sing him lullabies you taught him.”

You both fell silent again.

It wasn’t often that your ex-husband’s days off aligned with yours, and the truth was that you both only sought to see each other when strictly necessary. Many times, Jason spent weekends with his father, and when Spencer had the chance, he would take him to school and other activities.

As a father, you couldn’t complain about him. He tried his best after the divorce, as if wanting to make up for something, and you both made sure to keep arguments away from Jason’s ears because the last thing you wanted was for your son to suffer because of it.

It had been somewhat complicated explaining the dynamics of your post-divorce life to Jason, as he didn’t understand why his father, whom he loved so much, had to move to a new apartment. Spencer had tried to be as kind as possible when talking to his son, not wanting him to feel, even for a second, the abandonment Spencer himself had felt from his own father. He called him all the time, bought him an endless number of things, and made sure to have him with him whenever work allowed.

Work, work… that damned work.

“That’s just how he is,” you said simply.

A cold breeze filled the air, and you tucked your hands into your coat pockets, just as your husband did. Once upon a time, you might have held hands to deal with the cold, but now that was unthinkable.

“He also told me he already has a costume for Halloween, right?”

“He wants to be Sherlock Holmes. It was between that and Albert Einstein, but he went with Sherlock because he said his job was similar to his daddy’s.”

Spencer let out a chuckle that was stifled in his throat and looked in the direction of the little boy who was hopping around in the leaves, already too dirty from the nature of the park.

“Do you need money to buy the costume? I could ask JJ where they sell some, or…”

“It’s okay, Reid. I’ll probably make it myself or ask my mom,” you murmured, shrugging. “But he wants you to take him trick-or-treating.”

“I’ll try. But you know with cases… it’s unpredictable.”

“Explain it to him, not me,” you muttered seriously.

Honestly, conversations between the two of you were almost always uncomfortable. Sometimes Spencer tried to find a normal or interesting topic for you, but you rarely carried the conversation forward. Other times, you wished you could ask him about things that really mattered—his mental state, his feelings, or simply what was happening in his life—but you had no idea how to go about it.

That’s why you both preferred to talk only about Jason.

“Look, Mommy!” your son suddenly shouted, throwing a bunch of leaves into the air and laughing when they fell on him.

“How nice, baby,” you responded with feigned excitement, somewhat relieved that your son was having fun.

You both stood there watching the little one, and you could feel your ex-husband’s gaze from the corner of your eye. So many years of knowing him, of loving him, had allowed you to detect when he wanted to say something but didn’t dare. Sometimes, you still felt guilty for being able to read him so easily, and you had no doubt he felt the same, especially with that eidetic memory of his helping him.

“Jason talked to me about Christmas the other day,” he began, seemingly gathering the courage to speak. It had to be something important if he had taken the trouble to bring it up. “Has he mentioned anything to you about the presents he’ll ask Santa for?”

“Not yet, but he’s usually happy with whatever he gets. We can ask him later what he wants or tell him to write a letter for something specific, but I think some of the other gifts could be a chemistry set or art supplies; his teacher says he’s shown a lot of interest in both.”

“I see,” he murmured, nodding slightly. But he didn’t seem satisfied with your answer. “He said something interesting to me the other day. I just wanted to know if he had told you about it already.”

“Maybe if you tell me, I can answer,” you said without looking at him, trying to stay calm.

You had a suspicion of what your son had talked about, but you didn’t want to make a mistake. And Spencer felt exactly the same.

There was silence again for a few minutes, which felt like an eternity, and then he spoke:

“He told me this year he doesn’t want to ask Santa for anything because he wants to save his wish for something special,” he began. He paused for a moment and then continued, “I asked him what it was, and he didn’t want to tell me, so I suggested he could write a letter even though it was still early. He did, and after I put him to bed, I went to read it. There was a drawing and some words written in a messy but legible way. It said his only wish was for his mommy and daddy to be together again.”

By the middle of the conversation, you already knew what it was about. By the end, a few tears had welled up in your eyes.

“I know. He tells me that often,” you confessed, feeling a tightness in your chest. “And I never know what to say.”

“Have you thought about remarrying?” he suddenly asked. It was barely a murmur, but enough for you to turn to him in evident surprise. “I mean… with someone else. Or maybe having a boyfriend?”

“Jason takes up most of my time, and work takes up the rest. I don’t think there’s an opportunity to even consider it,” you said seriously. Since the divorce, neither of you had thought about the possibility of Jason having a stepfather or a stepmother. “What about you?”

“Never. I believe marriage is a pact you make only once in life.”

What was he trying to do? Was he criticizing you? Was he hinting that he saw the possibility of living together again?

“Well, that way Jason won’t be confused. At least until he grows up.”

“Don’t you think he needs a father figure?”

“What do you think you are then?”

“A permanent figure,” he clarified. “And a mother figure at the same time. We worry about ourselves, but we never thought about how this would affect him.”

“Of course I thought about it, Spencer. That’s why I asked for the divorce.”

Low blow. And a painful one.

“Listen, I know I’ve made a lot of mistakes, and I’m not trying to justify myself. But it’s been two years, and I think I’ve changed enough to prove to you that I’m not a bad father.”

“I don’t need proof of that. I know you’re not,” you said firmly. But when you spoke again, your words were harsher. “But I can’t trust that you’ll be a good husband.”

“I was before.”

“Yes, but then you ended up in prison. And you decided your work was worth more than your family.”

“That’s not true,” he exclaimed, clearly offended. “You and Jason have always been my priority, even now. I live only for you, and in return, you abandoned me when I needed you the most.”

“Spencer, stop blaming me. I had to choose between taking care of you or raising my son. Our son. So I sacrificed my marriage to make the best decision for him. We came second.”

“But divorce doesn’t have to be forever,” he insisted, stepping in front of you to make you look at him. “If you want, we don’t even have to sleep in the same bed. I just… I just want us to live together again. For Jason. I think he deserves to have a complete family because I know how hard it is not to have one, and I don’t want him to go through the same thing.”

You were finally talking more than you had in months. But to be honest, you wished it wasn’t happening. He took one of his hands out of his pocket and reached up to touch your cheek. You were freezing, and it became a fervent desire to lean into you and lose himself in your lips.

“Spencer, don’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“Because I need to think with a clear head. And you’re just clouding my judgment.”

“Why does it have to be a decision you make with a clear head?” he said, sounding hurt. “I’m not a stranger; we once loved each other. I still love you.”

His other hand came up to cup your face, and you placed your hands on his wrists, trying in vain to push him away. You didn’t have the strength, neither physically nor mentally, to do it.

“Spencer, nothing guarantees that getting back together will make us happy.”

“And nothing guarantees that it won’t,” he murmured, pleading. His fingers stroked you gently, and you felt yourself succumbing to temptation.

You were looking into his honey-colored eyes again, and you realized that was one of the things that hadn’t changed despite all the years; they still looked so sweet, so docile toward you. And suddenly, you felt as in love as the first time, and that terrified you. Loving meant the fear of getting hurt again.

You were about to say something when a shout caught your attention, making you think for a second that something had happened to your son. Luckily, it was just him trying to get your attention.

“Come play! Please!” he said politely, with that persuasive little voice he was already learning to use.

“We’re coming, my love.”

The conversation was interrupted by that activity, and although Jason asked why you were crying, you reassured him, blaming the cold in the park. As the minutes passed and you two began to follow your son’s lead, the mood lightened. You even reached a point where you were genuinely having fun, the three of you together, and it was undeniable that your little boy was brimming with happiness.

“A squirrel!” Jason suddenly shouted. He loved animals, so he didn’t hesitate to get closer.

“Careful, honey,” Spencer hurried, always the more fearful of the two of you. “It’s not a good idea to touch squirrels, even if they look cute. They’re wild animals and could bite or scratch you if they get scared. Plus, they can have bugs or diseases.”

“But I want to pet it! Can I, Mommy?”

“When Daddy says no, it’s a no.”

Your son pouted, pretending to be upset, but looking as cute as any 6-year-old. Your ex-husband tried to cheer him up by crouching down to his level.

“Better let’s observe what it’s doing. What do you think it’s looking for?”

“I don’t know.”

“Look, there. In its little hands.”

“An acorn!” he exclaimed happily. The squirrel was picking some off the ground and putting them in its mouth, filling its cheeks. “Why is it doing that?”

“It’s storing food for the winter. It buries them in a safe place, and then when the snow falls, it looks for them to eat.”

“There are more over there!” your son said, pointing with his little finger. “There are three. Do you think those are its mommy and daddy?”

“Maybe, son.”

“They’re like us, right?” he smiled.

You looked away from them because you didn’t want to meet Spencer’s eyes if he turned, and you only heard him laugh.

“Yes, maybe they are.”

Jason watched the animals for a few more minutes, and then he got distracted by a nearby hot chocolate stand. Spencer bought a cup for each of you, which felt wonderful. During the time you all sat on a bench to drink it, with Jason in the middle of both of you, you could sense the furtive glances Spencer gave you, and unwillingly, you did the same toward him.

Jason played for so long that the sky darkened, and he was completely exhausted. By the time you hugged him, ready to head home, he had already fallen fast asleep. And although his presence was evident in theory, you were once again effectively alone with your ex-husband as you approached the car.

He offered to drive to avoid waking your son, and then he opened the passenger door for you, where you settled in, trying to make Jason as comfortable as possible. Halfway through the drive to your apartment, there was an awkward silence that couldn’t even be avoided with music because Spencer had forgotten to fix the stereo.

You struggled to admit it but, to be honest, you hadn’t had such a bad time that afternoon. You were genuinely happy about the family moment you shared, and proof of that was how you clung to who you would always see as your baby, smiling as you watched him sleep so peacefully.

Spencer didn’t expect you to speak during a red light.

“We can meet up to spend Christmas together as a family. Stay in the same apartment, open presents together, and all that,” you said, not looking at him, trying to focus on anything else to avoid him “And it’s too soon to make such a drastic decision, Spencer, like going back to a practically married life. But we can think about it and decide after the new year.”

Despite your indifference, he knew you were being sincere and not just giving him false hope. And he also knew that he would work twice as hard to win back your trust, forgive your mistakes, and, with some luck, recover your love. You hoped you had the strength to forget what had happened and see Spencer for who he was now, not for who he had been.

“I’m glad you said that. And I agree,” was all he replied.

When you got home, you both made sure to leave your son comfortably asleep in bed, and as an extra favor and a show of commitment, you stayed a long time watching him sleep, as if trying to preserve that childish image forever. You didn’t say anything when Spencer wrapped his arms around your shoulders, and he pretended not to notice that you leaned into him, resting your head lightly against his chest.

All you could think was how you hoped time would be kind to you and allow you to eventually rekindle the love you once had and offer it to the beautiful child lying in front of you.

[phoward89]

Based on this ask

Coriolanus Snow knew firsthand the deadly risks of childbirth, considering he watched in horror as a young child when his own mother and baby sister died, but he knew that he needed an heir to carry on the Snow name. When he planned on marrying for hate, well, he could care less what happened to his wife during the delivery.

But, somehow, all his plans and views on marriage changed when he met you. You were hired as his secretary, so you spent a lot of time with him. Coriolanus never planned on falling in love with you, but he did. Hell, he even killed your boyfriend in order to make you single again so you'd be able to go out with him.

And when you accepted his offer of dinner, which came with a single white rose, a few months after the death of your longtime boyfriend, he did everything in his power to make you fall in love with him. Coriolanus was successful, you fell hard and fast for him. He was too charming not to let wiggle into your heart, and into your bed.

The president needed a first lady, so he proposed and married you. But it was a bit scandalous, considering you were his secretary. After a couple of negative articles in the media, well, Coriolanus got rid of the writers and made sure that the studios and printing presses in the Capitol (all of Panem actually) knew that if another foul word was printed about his relationship with his wife then he'd kill every single person in the media office.

Safe to say, only articles praising President Snow and First Lady Snow’s love and glamorous life hit the press after that.

And then, of course, came the subject of children. After discussing it, you stopped taking birth control. And you ended up getting pregnant right away.

Seeing you so round with his child gave Coriolanus joy. Gave him an ego boost because he was the one to plant his seed in you. You were carrying his child. His precious baby.

The baby was no longer looked at as an heir, but as a baby to love.

And it was all because of you.

“Coryo, I have my top list of baby names finished.” You told your husband, who was lounging in bed wearing only a pair of sleep pants.

Coryo watched as you sat across the room, placing his fountain pen back into its holder after writing down the final name on your baby name list.

After discussing it, you both decided to wait until the baby was born to discover the gender. You wanted to be surprised and Coriolanus just wanted you to be happy.

“Are you going to let me see it, my darling?” Your platinum blonde husband asked as you slowly stood up from his corner desk.

Placing a hand on your large belly, you smiled, “Of course I'm going to let you see it.”

Grabbing the list, you slowly walked over to the bed. After getting into bed, you handed the list to your husband. “Tell me what ones you like, Mister President.”

Coryo kissed your cheek and smiled. “Of course, First Lady Snow.”

He read over the list, only to discover that you had more boys' names than girls written down. After giving it some thought, he told you, “Cassian Xandros is perfect for our son. It's a strong name.” Mulling it over, he pointed to a name on the paper and announced, "Cersei sounds nice for a girl.”

“It's not nice, Coryo, it's beautiful.” You countered, pulling the list out of his hands. “Looks like the baby has a name; all we need to do is wait for it to come.”

The day your daughter Cersei Snow was born was the day that your husband decided to hate her.

The day didn't start out with him hating his baby girl.

No, it started with your water breaking and a trip to the hospital. Coriolanus canceled all of his meetings, briefings, and work for the day just to be by your side.

He was very supportive during your labor. Letting you hold his hand during painful contracts, smoothing your hair back away from your sweaty face with a damp rag, and buzzing the nurse multiple times for both ice chips and pain medication for you.

The nurses all gossiped amongst each other about how President Snow was the perfect doting husband and and father to be. That he'd make a very good father.

Little did they know.

Little did anyone know what would happen once the doctor came into the room and announced that it was time to start pushing.

Coriolanus was by your side as you pushed and pushed. With every push he noticed you were getting weaker and it worried him.

Looking between your weak, pale form, and the doctor that was sitting at the bottom of your bed, Coriolanus asked, “Dr. Wellock, my wife's growing weaker. Is there something you can do to get the baby out?”

“There's nothing to be worried about, President Snow. Labor’s a strenuous event; many first time mothers grow fatigue and can push for a while before the baby crowns.” The doctor told your husband, more or less blowing off his concern.

You were exhausted but determined to have your baby. Even tho you were feeling dizzy, you continued to bear down and push every time you were told to.

Then, when you felt that you didn't have any more strength coursing thru your body, you gave birth to your baby.

You saw Dr. Wellock hold up the baby and announce, “It's a girl.” Suddenly, your vision began to get fuzzy as you heard the doctor ask your husband, “President Snow, would you like to cut the cord?”

Coriolanus was about to answer whenever he saw you faint, paired with blood pooling around your legs and staining the bed.

“What's wrong with my wife?!” Coriolanus asked, fear filling him as the doctor quickly cut the baby's cord and tossed her to a waiting nurse. “Dr. Wellock, is my wife dying?!” Coriolanus asked in a panicked scream, while the nurse quickly cleaned the baby and wrapped her into a blanket.

“Your wife's hemorrhaging, President Snow.” Dr. Wellock told your husband, only to point to the nurse and tell her, “Give him the baby and get him out of here.”

So, the nurse dumped the baby in Coriolanus' arms and pushed him out of the door. Before the president could blink, the door was slammed shut I'm his face.

As Dr. Wellock and his nurse worked to staunch your bleeding; save your life, your husband stood outside of your room with your newborn baby girl in his arms.

Coriolanus looked down at the tiny baby wriggling and crying in his hold, only to look at the door of your room and realize that you're dying because of the thing in his arms.

Cersei’s what the two of you decided to name her, when she wasn't a danger. Wasn't the reason you're dying.

Coriolanus felt disgust and hatred for the newborn in his arms. He didn't want to hold her anymore. She was the reason why you're knear death right now.

So, your husband found a nurse to pawn the baby on.

Coriolanus swore to himself that he'd never touch that evil little creature ever again. That he'd never love her.

It didn't matter if you lived or died, he was going to hate your daughter until the day he died.

You didn't die in childbirth, but it was a close call. The doctor explained that you had bad hemorrhaging due to your uterus not contracting correctly after the birthing process, causing uncontrollable bleeding. You were given a blood transfusion, once Dr. Wellock managed to stop the bleeding, due to your blood pressure being too low after such a large blood loss.

You were out of it for days, but you survived.

You were happy to be alive and with your family. Coriolanus and Cersei.

But it didn't take long for you to notice that Coriolanus never picked up your daughter. He never held her, hell, Coryo never seemed too interested in her.

Unless it was for a photo op. Then he turned into the perfect hands on dad that would pose for pictures. But as soon as the cameras stop flashing, the president stops caring about his daughter.

You thought that Coriolanus would get over it; would come to accept your daughter in time. But…sadly…your daughter's first birthday is fastly approaching and your husband still doesn't seem interested in her, unless it's for a photo op.

It saddened you, knowing that Coriolanus was offish to Cersei because she wasn't the son he probably wanted to carry on the Snow name. You loved your daughter and you were sure that your Coryo loved her too, but was just disappointed that she wasn't the strong son he probably had his heart set on.

He did pick out a boy name right off the bat when you handed him your list of baby names last year.

Maybe if Coryo had a son to carry on the Snow name, he'd be happier in his role of fatherhood?

Coriolanus walked into the sunroom only to cringe when he saw you coddling Cersei. The damn little creature nearly murdered you during the birthing process, but you were holding her as she napped on you.

Goodness, there was a portable cradle in the room for a reason.

“She's nearly a year old, you shouldn't be letting her sleep on you like that.” Coriolanus told you, taking a seat at the small tea table. He never even tried to hide the disgust in his voice.

“There's nothing wrong with holding her, Coryo? She's my baby girl.” You responded, causing your husband to just shake his head while reaching for the teapot that was in the middle of the table.

“She's a toddler now, darling. She's not a baby anymore.” Coriolanus scoffed, pouring himself a cup of tea. “Do you want to have afternoon tea with me, or are you going to coddle Cersei all day?” He asked, grabbing a macaron and placing it onto the small plate that was in front of him.

“I'll have tea with you, Coryo.” You thinly smiled, only to rise from your spot on the sofa and place your daughter into her portable crib.

As you made your way over to the table, your husband fixed you a cup of tea and plated you macarons. When you sat down, you decided that now was the time to bring up the subject of having more children.

Little did you know, after your near death experience, Coriolanus got himself snipped. So…it was impossible for you to have any more children.

But he wasn't going to tell you that.

Reaching for your teacup, you told your husband,“Coryo, I think we should have another baby.”

“No.” Was Coriolanus’ quick and cold reply.

“But, we could have a son this time “ You pressed, knowing that your husband wanted a son. Wanted the Snow name to live on.

But you were wrong. Coriolanus didn't want a son to carry on the Snow name, he wanted you alive to be by his side. He loves you to the point of obsessive possession. The love Coriolanus has for you is all consuming, like a plague of locusts devouring an entire field of crops in District 11.

Coryo took a long sip of his tea, only to cut eyes with you over his teacup and firmly say, “I said no, Y/N.” placing his teacup down, he gave you the lame excuse of, “I'm a very busy man, my little dove. Being president takes much of my time away from my fatherly duties; we can only handle raising one child. More than one would be too much for us, considering you refuse a nanny.”

“I told you when I was pregnant with Cersei that I want to raise our kids. I don't want somebody else raising them, no matter how it might be easier considering your role in politics.”

“My role in politics?” Coriolanus chuckled, biting into his macaron. “I'm the President of Panem, that's more than just a role in politics.”

Sipping on your tea, you sighed, “Fine, Cersei’ll be an only child.”

Grabbing your hand in his, Coryo promised, “Our daughter will never want for anything. She'll be showered in a life of luxury.”

That wasn't true. Your daughter grew up wanting her father's love, but she never got it. Coriolanus was always so distant and cold with Cersei.

She hated him, but that was fine with your husband since he hated her right back.

You always thought that your husband resented your daughter for not being a son, for not being able to carrying on the might and noble Snow name.

But that wasn't the case at all.

Coriolanus Snow hated his daughter, Cersei, because you nearly died in childbirth with her. Nothing would every change that. He'd hate her til the day she died.

At least when your daughter died, it was bringing your beautiful granddaughter into the world.

A granddaughter Coryo named Celeste Snow, since your daughter was unwed at the time of her unexpected death.

Your husband was a better grandfather than he was a father. You thought that he might've felt guilty for being so distant and busy during Cersei’s childhood, that he decided to right his wrongs while you raised Celeste.

Little did you know, Coriolanus loved his granddaughter because she killed her mother in the birthing bed.

President Snow was a horrible, heartless man with a soul darker than a black hole. But at least he loved you and loved his granddaughter.

Too bad he hated his only child her entire life.

Tags: @kuroosbby001, @purriteen, @poppyflower-22 @meetmeatyourworst, @whipwhoops, @bxtchopolis, @readingthingsonhere,@savagenctzen, @ryswritingrecord, @erikasurfer, @tulips2715, @universal-s1ut, @thesmutconnoisseur @squidscottjeans, @sudek4l, @wearemadeofstardust0, @mashiromochi, @gracieroxzy @belcalis9503, @shari-berri, @aoi-targaryen, @whiteoakoak @spear-bearing-bi-witch, @gisellesprettylies @loverandqueenofdragons, @qoopeeya, @mfnqueen1, @permanentlyexhaustedpigeon88

[russsiangirl]

dating luke castellan ... ! ( x gn!reader )

BOTH LUKE AND READER ARE ADULTS! ( luke is 19 and reader is 18!! ) THIS DOES INCLUDE SPOILERS FOR THE SERIES, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK! luke castellan was always somebody you saw as 'out of your league'. that was it. simple. it was just a silly crush, nothing that would actually happen. he had been at camp for as long as you could remember, always making sure that things were going the way they were supposed to. he taught the other campers sword-fighting and was amazing at capture the flag. you two had gotten to know each other during a game of capture the flag! having been sent on patrol together to scout out the other team. you were in awe of how luke handled himself. he was friendly, but being one-on-one was different. the air felt strange, tension hanging over you. you blamed it on the game, brushed it off as nothing to worry about. his voice was the first to break the silence, you hadn't even noticed he spoke until he put a hand on your shoulder.

"you think you could go a bit further up? you're pretty quiet so they won't hear you." he gave you a small nod and an encouraging smile before making you way to where he wanted you. watching as you carefully stepped up, making sure not to step on any branches. he was amused, he had been watching you for a while. watching you with your friends as you laughed at lunch and the way you beamed as you blushed. the way when you sparred that you would bounce around a bit, probably out of nerves. he thought this was cute, it's what made you you. you look back at him with a smile and he gives you a toothy grin back plus a small wink. if you had the time, you would've swooned. it was obvious that the other campers liked him, who wouldn't? he was strong, funny, handsome and smart. but luke also knew what he wanted and how to get it. now he wasn't a son of aphrodite, he couldn't charmspeak anybody - but he did know how to use his looks. he knew how to manipulate and make people pliable towards him. he knew what to say and how to look at people to get them to do what he wanted. so when he saw you, so cute and eager to please him, so eager to listen to him. you were the perfect target. you were going to join his cause! but it was going to take some time, luke had a lot of stuff on his plate with being a camp counselor and shit like that. time that luke didn't really have. he was planning on leaving by the end of the summer, around 2 or 3 months, give or take. that should be fine, hopefully.

so you two start talking more, it's subtle, obviously, little hellos here and there, talking on your way to archery or pegasus riding. eventually, he builds up the courage to ask you if you wanted to sneak out on night. just the two of you! he had laid out a picnic blanket, even had some snacks laid out, technically contraband, but that wasn't important. he had done all of this, just for you! he was such a sweetheart, how could you not appreciate him? you two spent the rest of the night like that, he showed you how to find the north star and he showed you his favorite places at camp. it felt like a dream. after that, y'all were inseparable, one of you always had the other not far behind. some might say luke could be a tad bit overprotective. but he was used to having things ripped away from him just when it was getting good, he wasn't letting you get away. you were coming with him. he was going to make sure of it. some time after his betrayal..

you're on the princess andromeda, and it's not as bad as you thought it would be. it's quite nice on board and you have pretty much everything at your fingertips. even luke seems more relaxed here, for the most part. he doesn't sleep as well, even with you in his arms or vice versa. he wakes up in a cold sweat, tears in those beautiful brown eyes of his. he's always off in this secret room, one that you're not allowed in for some reason. "it's for the best," he tells you for what seems to be the umpteenth time one night as you guys are looking out at the vast sea around you. you roll your eyes, same fucking excuse he used all the time. you turn away from with a scoff, you weren't saying anything until he told you. either he told you or you were gonna jump full rose-from-titanic style. you could hear luke's defeated sigh from behind you as he put his hands on your hips and spun you around, making you face him. there's a scowl set on your face. you want the truth and you want it now. if only you knew.

[holdmytesseract]

moodboard by the wonderful @chennqingg <3

Wonders [EoH]

Daryl Dixon x fem!Reader feat. Teddy Dixon

Summary: Sometimes is all you need a wonder in a broken world...

Warnings: usual TWD stuff? lots of fluff, talks of pregnancy, slight angst, dad!Daryl

The Whisperer Era!

Word Count: 2,1k

a/n: I had to write this. 🥹 Hope y'all like this! 🤗

EoH Masterlist °☆• Daryl Masterlist °☆• Masterlist

"Ted?" You called out for your son; voice echoing through the little cottage. "Outside, momma!" Your son answered loud enough for you to hear; feet carrying you straight towards him.

The nine-year-old sat on a small log just outside the cottage. He was highly concentrated on making his first own arrow. His tongue poked out of his mouth and touching his upper lip; eyes fixated on the task ahead. Dog laid beside him on the grass. The faithful canine rarely left the boy's side. Not since Daryl told Dog to always protect Teddy. He understood the assignment. Smart animal, without a doubt...

Daryl was not far. Only a few yards away; chopping wood, so that he could always have an eye on his son.

It had gotten noticeably colder. That was the reason why your husband spent more time with hunting and especially chopping wood. Fall was making itself known and preparing you for the winter, which was probably already lurking just around the corner.

"Oh, you almost finished it?" You spoke in a bright voice; crouching down beside your kid to admire his good work. Teddy nodded proudly, "Mhm. Look!" and showed you the arrow. Of course, it was far from perfect and couldn't be used as a weapon. The tip was blunt - on purpose. Daryl didn't want Teddy to hurt himself. After all, Teddy was still young and his skills not entirely developed yet. But for that, the arrow was good. His father taught him well, you thought with a smile, like you did so often.

"Wow, that's amazing, baby. I'm proud of you," you smiled warmly at the boy and ruffled his long chestnut brown locks. Your son smiled up at you as well. "Thanks, momma."

You could feel Daryl's eyes on you; watching the scene in front of his eyes - which reminded you why you actually called your son...

"Teddy, could you go and check on the rabbit traps? I have to talk to daddy." He nodded, "Okay." and hopped from the log, before he carefully placed the arrow on it. "Take Dog with you and be careful, yes?" "Sure, momma. Dog, c'mon." Dog lifted his head and immediately jumped to his feet and fallowed his best friend.

You could still feel your husband's eyes on you, but this time you could tell that he was a bit confused.

Taking a deep breath, you straightened up again and made your way over to Daryl, who continued his work, now that you were on your way to him anyway. It had gotten colder, yes - even for Daryl, who had switched to wearing sweatshirts and long-sleeved shirts instead of t-shirts and shirts turned to tops with the sleeves ripped off. With a small grunt, he lunged out and precisely split the wood in two with his axe. You would've lied, if you said that this wasn't sexy in some kind of way. But now was not the time to ogle your man... You had something important to discuss...

"Daryl? Can we talk?"

Your husband looked at you with a mix of concern and confusion, but nodded. "Sure." He snuffled and placed the axe aside. "Do I have ta be worried?" You swallowed and looked down; fingers fumbling nervously with your shirt-sleeve. "Honestly? I-I don't know." A deep frown formed on the archer's forehead. Now he was really concerned - and you could see it clearly on his face. After over ten years being a couple, you could read this man like a book.

"Ya don know? Sunshine, wha's that s'pposed ta mean?"

Your eyes darted to Teddy for a short moment; watching him in distance check on the rabbit traps together with Dog. He had grown up so fast... Sure, in a world like this he had to, but you'd have loved to give him a better childhood and youth. Not cruel and full of death and blood. Was this truly something you wanted to bestow on another- "Hey, Y/N..."

Daryl's voice ripped you out of your thoughts; his hands on yours caused you to turn your head to face him again. "Wha's wrong? Talk ta me. Please." You swallowed once again; taking a deep breath. "Daryl, I... I missed two cycles. One happened before, but two..." You could see the gears turning in his head. He blinked; his palms twitching around your hands. "Darlin'... Are you... Are you tryin' to tell me wha' I think yer tryin' to tell me?" You nodded. "Uh.Huh..."

Daryl let go of your hands again and started to pace up and down; fingers scratching his goatee covered chin. You watched him for a few moments; giving him some time to process this - until you couldn't take the silence anymore. "D-Daryl? Say somethin', please..."

Your husband stopped dead in his movements for a moment, before he almost hastily started to search his things together. Crossbow, vest, map.

You frowned; now utterly confused. "Daryl?" He strapped on his crossbow, "'M goin' out; find a pharmacy and get a test." and smiled at you. Truly smiled. The first smile in months - hell, even years after Rick's disappearance, which reached his eyes.

You were slightly surprised and taken aback, but you certainly didn't complain. "A-Alright, sure, but now? Sweetie, it's gettin' dark soon..." Daryl was already making his way over to his bike. "Don care. I gotta know, sunshine. Hell, I wanna know." "Uh, okay," you were still rather flabbergasted, as you followed him. "But be careful, yeah? Be safe." The archer leaned slightly to the right, in order to press a quick, but loving kiss against your lips. "'Course, sunshine."

And off he went.

Your eyes fallowed him as long as you could; crossing your arms over your chest as the chilly breeze hit your body.

"Where's daddy goin'?" Teddy appeared beside you; Dog in tow and three rabbits in his hands. You looked down at your little boy; "Just on a small run. He'll be back soon." adjusting the red bandana around his neck. "Let's go inside, huh? It's getting cold."

Your son nodded and followed you inside the cottage.

It had gotten late. By now it was pitch black outside - and raining. Daryl wasn't back yet and so slowly started your worries to creep in. Therefore, you occupied yourself. Made sure everything was walker safe, took care of the rabbits, fed Dog, had dinner and spent some time with Teddy, before you wanted to send him off to bed. But, of course, like always, the nine-year-old refused to sleep. Not until his father was back. You had no other choice but to let him.

Another hour later, you finally heard the familiar sound of a motorcycle. A relieved sigh left your lips, while your son was already storming out of his tiny room and straight towards the door. He had heard it, too.

A few moments later, Daryl stepped inside; bringing a good portion rain, leaves and wind with him. He quickly shut the door, put down his crossbow and shed himself of his wet poncho.

"Daddy!" Teddy sprinted straight into his dad's arms, who lifted him up and hugged him tight. "Hey, bud. Yer not asleep yet?" Daryl looked at you and you silently told him why; Teddy still clinging to him. Daryl understood, of course and walked with his son without further ado to the boy's room, which was right behind your bedroom. For safety reasons, of course. "Good night, baby." Teddy turned to smile tiredly at you; hand tucked neatly into Daryl's. "Nighty night, momma."

While your husband tucked Teddy in, you hung up the wet poncho to dry. Now that Daryl was back from his little run and the worries about his well-being ceased, there was space again for the previous thoughts and fears to come back again. The missed cycles and the possibility of being pregnant. It wasn't like you didn't want to be, no. Actually, it would be a wonderful surprise, but... So much had changed around you since Teddy. The world had changed around you. Being pregnant wasn't that 'easy' anymore...

You didn't even notice that you were totally lost in thoughts, but when a strong arm wrapped itself around your waist, you snapped out of the bubble.

"Teddy asleep?" Daryl nodded. "Mhm." You felt the urge to be close to your husband; hoping that this would take your doubts and fears away. So, you leaned into his half embrace and slung your arms around his torso. Daryl immediately got the hint and wrapped you up in a big, protective bear hug.

"You okay?" You heard him ask then; concern swinging within his voice. "Yeah, 's just... You know..." You felt the archer nod against your head. "Let's find out?" "Let's find out."

Daryl handed you three different brands of pregnancy tests with a shrug. "Didn't know which one's good. Ain't ma specialty. Jus' thought 'm bringing them all." You took them. "It's okay, sweetie. Just gonna take all of 'em to be sure."

Said and done. With shaky hands you did what you had to do, before you returned to your husband, who was pacing again up and down the room like a wounded animal.

You placed all three tests upside-down on the little, wooden dining table; taking a deep breath. "How long do we have ta wait?" "Normally 'bout a few minutes," you answered and turned to face him. He nodded. Once more you stepped up close to your man; needing to ask the question which was occupying you since the first thought of pregnancy crossed your mind - even though he already gave you a nonverbal and kinda verbal answer. "Daryl..." You whispered his name; laying your palms on his chest. "Would you... Would you want this? A-Another baby? Would you be... happy 'bout it?"

You felt how one of his arms encircling your waist; the other hand cupping your cheek. "Darlin', I'd be the happiest man on earth. After all the things which happened..." He paused for a moment; swallowing hard - and you knew exactly what he meant. "Yeah. I'd be happy." You smiled softly; rubbing his pecks gently. "Truly?" Daryl nodded, but could definitely see in your eyes how troubled you were. "Yes. 'M not gonna... do the things I did ten years back. I promise." You shook your head. "'S not what I'm worried about, Daryl... I... The world has changed around us. Being pregnant is not that 'easy' anymore..."

The archer chew on his bottom lip; listening to your every word, before he nodded again. "I know whatcha mean, sunshine. 'S nothing easy in this world anymore, but we got each other. We'll make this work, 'cause we both want tis, right?"

A single tear rolled down your cheek as you smiled. "Yes."

Your husband reciprocated your smile and hugged you tightly; reassuring.

"Let's take a look, eh?" He whispered then; slowly letting go of you. You nodded, "Let's take a look." and took Daryl's hand in yours; gently pulling him over to the small dining table. You stared at the three plastic sticks; nervosity still coursing through your veins. "D-Daryl, can you...?" He squeezed your hand and stepped closer to the table. His eyes met yours as he nodded.

You swallowed hard and took a step back; watching how his calloused fingers danced over the tests. Daryl lifted all of them up and slowly turned them in his hands; eyes focused. "A-And?" He didn't answer you; just kept on staring. "Daryl!"

At the call of his name, he finally looked up; one of the biggest smiles you had ever seen him smile stretched over his whole face. "Well... Looks like we're gonna have 'nother baby, sunshine."

You blinked; needing a moment to process his words. "They... They're positive?" Your husband nodded; still smiling broadly. "All three of 'em?" Another nod. "Yeah," Daryl stated and turned them for you to see. And indeed... They were clearly positive.

"Oh my gosh..." You clapped your hand over your mouth; tears immediately blurring your vision. Yet you saw Daryl placing the tests aside again and stepping up to you; his hands finding their way around your waist. He pressed his forehead against yours. "'M happy about this, sunshine. I truly am. This is wonderful," he said in a low voice; holding on to you. "We got this, yeah?" You nodded; happy tears rolling down your cheeks as your hands clasped gently onto the lapels of Daryl's vest. "Yeah."

Both, you and Daryl enjoyed this little moment you had together; relishing in the joy of the news.

You started to giggle; taking Daryl a bit by surprise. "Teddy's gonna be over the moon 'bout this." Your husband agreed. "Hell yeah. He 'n Dog are gonna be the best big brothers." You giggled once again; the cutest scenarios already forming in your mind. "Oh, I'm convinced by that."

Tags: @celtic-crossbow @belitoxx @lou12346789 @fictive-sl0th @marvelcasey05 @loz-3 @mischief-dream @whore4romance @stitchintimefan @bigbaldheadname @making-the-most-0f-it @erebus-et-eigengrau @km-ffluv @0-aubrie0 @sweetz1919 @mikaela-granger @secretsicanthideanymore @dilfdixon @txtttttttttttttt @dixons-sunshine @wolfsmom1

[suzukiblu]

For the unpublished fic things, Martha Kent?

"Oh," the old guy Superman-not-Superboy just saved from getting flattened by a really irresponsible Metropolis truck driver says, staring at him in surprise. Superman stares back with absolutely no clue what to say. 

"Jonathan!" the old guy's probably-wife cries, running over to them from the other side of the crosswalk. The old guy doesn't look at her, just keeps staring at Superman. 

"I'm alright, honey," he says. Then he grabs her hand and puts it on Superman's arm, and . . . 

And Superman feels a soulmark trigger in his own hand, tucked into the center of his palm under his glove. 

And perfectly mirrored to the one the old guy triggered in the opposite hand about fifteen seconds ago. 

"Oh," the wife says, and now she's staring at him too. "I–oh." 

She blinks very quickly. So does the old guy. They both look like they're about to cry and Superman feels like he's about to panic and really, really wants to just bolt right now and never see either of them ever again. 

Except they're his soulmates, apparently. 

Except they're his parents. 

Apparently. 

Superman did not expect to have any soulmates. Actually, if he'd ever thought to think about it, he probably would've assumed he didn't even have a soul, much less any soulmates to go along with it. And if he'd been expecting anything, he'd have been expecting a hot chick and a romantic mark, not . . . 

In his defense, he's like two weeks old, and he spent the first week unconscious while being artificially aged and force-fed extremely boring information uploads. There's a lot of stuff he hasn't really had a chance to think about yet. 

"Uh. Hi?" he tries awkwardly, resisting the urge to hide his hands behind his back. Which is dumb, really. They can't even see his marks anyway; he's still wearing his gloves. The old guy and his wife stare at him for another moment. 

Then they both start to cry. 

Oh god, Superman thinks, and panics after all. 

"I'm sorry!" he blurts, and then the old guy and his wife both throw their arms around him. Superman has very literally never been hugged in his life and doesn't know how to handle the experience. Like, at all. Especially not coming from two directions at once. 

"Oh, no, sweetheart, it's not your fault," the wife says, her voice thick. "We're sorry. Just–we just lost your brother. We weren't expecting . . ." 

"It's so damn good to meet you," the old man says roughly, hugging him all the harder. Superman can't even figure out if he wants to hug them back, but has a very hard time keeping his TTK up all the same. "Where'd you come from, son?" 

"Uh," Superman says, and doesn't let himself examine the way that hearing the word "son" like that makes him feel, even knowing it's probably just a reflex, coming from a guy who sounds that Midwestern. "I'm–a clone. Of the first Superman. Project Cadmus made me." 

"A clone?" the wife asks, pulling back just enough to give him a worried look. "That's–not like that poor man Bizarro?" 

"A binary clone," Superman clarifies uncomfortably. "They, uh, stabilized me with human DNA. So I shouldn't, uh . . . degrade. Like that." 

He really hopes that's true, at least. 

"Well, we'll handle it if it happens," the old guy says, pulling back too and squeezing his arm. Superman feels oddly reassured, even though there's absolutely no reason to be. Unless the guy's a geneticist, maybe. 

He wants to ask if he can see their marks, but isn't sure if that'd be . . . weird, or something. Would that be weird? 

Cadmus didn't really tell him much about soulmates, which is another reason he wasn't expecting any. 

Cadmus probably didn't want him to have any, come to think. 

Superman swallows nervously and the wife cups his face in her hands. He feels her soulmark against his skin, whatever it is. 

It feels . . . warm. 

He wonders what it'd feel like against his own mark. 

"It really is so good to meet you, baby," she says, smiling tremulously at him. He can process hearing "baby" even less than he could "son". "I'm Martha Kent. This is my husband Jonathan. You can call us Ma and Pa, once you're comfortable with it." 

"What's your name, son?" the old guy–Jonathan, Superman tries to think, because thinking "Pa" sounds way too intimidating right now–Jonathan asks. Superman knows what he wants to say, but . . . 

But for the first time, saying "Superman" doesn't feel . . . honest. 

"Experiment Thirteen," he admits in a mutter, hiding his hands behind his back after all, and both Jonathan and Martha's faces tighten. 

[unabashednightmarepizza]

𝐹𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝐷𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑆ℎ𝑒𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑔𝑎𝑛𝑠

A/N: I couldn't stop my simping ass from writing for him, sorry not sorry!

Warnings: Spoilers for the "First Date" quest, some unintentional drama(?)

Prompts used: lips barely touching, smiling while kissing, slow kisses, first kisses from this/ "Is it okay if I kiss you?" " I would like that very much." from this.

People are very noisy.

That's even more obvious to you after the accident with Snape. You didn't blame him for what happened, especially after he said "no notes" and you were caught writing something down. It was a misunderstanding, one that put you on a rough spot.

Because all your friends were trying to learn who your crush was, everything felt like you were drowning in them and you had no other way out.

Apart from your saviour in white shirt and Gryffindor tie, the only one person you could confide in, someone who wouldn't care about all the rumors.

"Hi, Bill..." you sat in front of him as the red-head lifted his head and smiled kindly to you just like always.

"Hey, Y/N. How are you holding up?"

"Good I guess." You shrugged your shoulders. "By the way, I am sure Charlie knows you were out in the Courtyard, checking up on him earlier. He was irritated I guess?"

" Good. I want him to know his big brother is watching. Truth is, my mum likes me to keep an eye out for him. She is worried about him almost all the time."

You smiled at the woman's worry, though you knew better than to be fooled by her sweet nature, especially after that one Howler she sent to Charlie.

"His hobby is monstrous, fire-breathing creatures. I think any mum would be worried. How is she doing by the way?"

Bill smiled at your question, answering with a happy she is fine, she wants you to come to the Burrow this summer actually, as you and him ate your meal in silence.

You were gratefull for the Weasleys and how welcoming they had been to you, ever since the start of the second year. Spending time with them for the last 3 summers felt like a paradise to you, even if it was mostly chaos with their younger siblings. But they were a bunch of cute and good-natured kids, didn't mean extreme harm to anyone as long as they didn't annoy them and they adored listening to your rants about your adventures with their two eldest brother.

All the while trying to surpass their smirk at their second older brother having heart eyes as you talked to them, blushing behind you with a dazed look.

Apart from you, Charlie's raging crush on you was pretty obvious to everyone. Both in school and to his family. Never, even for once, did he shut up about you at home. Always talking, always telling how amazing and badass you were, how caring you were with the magical creatures as Hagrid watched you, how you always spent time with him and was comsiderate of your friends, how cute you looked while sleeping...

"Okay, okay, we get it. Your curse-breaking girlfriend is pretty awesome." Percy would often roll his eyes at his brother, already sick of the amount of talk about you even if he... tolerated you?

Molly and Arthur would also chime in from time to time, just to push Charlie a bit to know more about his dating life. It was from her good heart of course, Molly just wanted all of her children to be happy... Possibly with a lover that would hopefully turn into their spouse.

And besides, seeing his usually dragon-maniac son who wasn't interested in dating suddenly blushing at the mention of this girl made her curious.

Who were you and how did you manage to make her smitten ike that?

So, as the sweet yet slightly controlling mother she was, she convinced Bill to take you here with himself for one summer, to see and get to know you. Bill was happy to oblige, besides he knew his mother already knew a lot about you by the endless talk both him and Charlie did, the last thing left for her was to see you.

And when she did, she decided: You were now a part of the family.

Because one, you looked like such a cute and generous girl with a golden heart and two, her son was really, trully happy whenever he was with you.

But, as much as she witnessed the obvious love her boy had for you, she was left shocked, one would say even pitying her own son for his denseness, when she talked to him and Bill... and learnt that you two weren't dating as the boys looked at her sheepishly.

"Charles Septimus Weasley! What's this supposed to mean?! What do you mean by you aren't dating her?! Are you so dense to let a girl like her go?!"

But here was the part, which was the reason why he still didn't make any moves on you: Charlie sucked at romance.

Dragons? Show him one scale and he could tell what they eat. Lessons? Pfft, pretty easy, he aced them all! Quidditch? He was the best at new strategies! But romance?

With you?

That was straight out of his nightmares. Because what if you didn't feel the same? What if he lost you for good because of some silly, yet very warm, feelings? Was it worth taking the risk? He didn't know any pick-up lines, and didn't intend to ask his friends...

So, just like that, he refused to do anything and instead savoured the time he had with you even if his heart made backflips whenever you smiled at him.

And Bill was left to deal with his dumb brother and oblivious friend as they both had feelings for each other, unknown to both sides.

" At this point, everyone knows I have crush and suddenly... they are all so interested in who he is!" He was shaken from his thoughts as you exclaimed angrily, munching on your lunch like an angry rabbit, remembering the pleading looks your friends gave to you.

"Well, you have all the reason to keep it to yourself." He said pointedly. Just the same logical boy he always was...

"Well... Except, I'm thinking of not keeping it to myself." You shyly told him as he raised a brow at you, shocked and also sad for his brother and how heartbroken he would be. It was inevitable though, as he and their mother often told him.

"Oh really? Well, good for you. Good luck with getting a decent enough person to give you advices!" You looked at him curiously as he almost seemed... nervous to continue this talk.

Is he... pretending to not understand me? Or mocking me?

You stared at Bill who was eating his sandwiches with a happy grin, trying hard to not look at you and confront you to save himself from the stress, sternly until he lifted his eyes to look at you and his mouth fell open in shock.

"Wait... You want my advice?!"

"Yeah, who else's?" You sarcastically said, pointing between you and him and showing the other empty seats. But Bill's attention wasn't on any of them, since y'know, he was freaking out, choking on his food.

Nope... Nope, nope, that was bad! He couldn't betray his little brother like that!

"Don't you remember the Emily Tyler thing? Trust me, Y/N... I'm the worst person you could have come to!"

"Bill."

"Oh... Oh, you are very serious, and you aren't going to give up, are you?"

The only answer he got was a playful rise of your brow and a smirk.

After a very long lunch with Bill, and trying to convince him that it was a good idea to ask his opinion, you felt tired.

Why would you trust my advice?

You've never led me wrong, Bill.

Do you ask because I'm older?

Trick question. You are older... and wiser!

The list of questions continued. You couldn't help but get suspicious of him and his strange behaviour. Now, it was official that Bill was the mother hen of your large friend group, being the only one who had 2 brain cells, and he tended to get worried about almost everything... Possibly a treat of having 6 younger siblings.

But he, never even for once, hesitated to help you with something. It was almost like he was looking for an opportunity to run away from this conversation, or you in general whenever he saw you out with your friends.

You were starting to get worried you were being a nuisance to him.

But... who else were you supposed to go, when your crush was the little brother he was always looking out for? None other than, Charlie Weasley himself.

It was patheatic really, how you silently suffered because of this crush. It didn't help that he always hung out with you, or that you got to spend the summer with him and his family.

You saw him, the true him every day even more and this crush was getting our of control.

Now, you knew he was an outdoor-loving, adventurous spirit and probably, the best way to ask him... out, was in the forest. A picnic date? Maybe?

Oh Merlin, I can't believe I'm about to do this... Rejection is at the horizon, and I can always write to mum and ask her to transfer me to Beauxbatons.

Besides, Aurélie likes me. I'm sure she could-

Your train of thought were cut when Bill suddenly laughed awkwardly, looking at once again, anywhere but you..."I can't believe we are about to have this conversation... It's been a while since I gave any advices."

But ultimately failed at seeing your... saddened face.

Which made the mother alarms in his mind go off.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong? Did I do something? Did someone do something? They better pray for a higher power, because I will-" he stumbled over his words as he took a hold of your hand to comfort you, but frowned when you took it away from him.

"It's not that... Bill, you would be honest with me, right?"

"Of course, what kind of a question is that?" He frowned at you as he sat down on the bench outside Hogsmeade, a hand on your knee as he rubbed it comfortingly.

"Because... I'm starting to think that I am being a nuisance to you, by how you always try to run away from me."

Oh Merlin, this isn't going to places good...

Panic suddenly rose in Bill's chest, seeing how you trully believed in that by his actions. He failed to realize how his actions affected you, when he tried hard to not betray his brother like that.

But you didn't do anything to deserve this, and he was instead betraying you.

"Well... I'm sorry if I gave that idea but, it's not that. It's just... Everyone looks at me as if I know something they don't. I mean, I don't even have experience in that part! And now, my best friend is asking me for help, and I don't know what to do."

You looked at him softly, suddenly realizing that this was also hard for him and you were just making things up. "Bill, I really appreciate your concerns but I came to you for a reason: I trust you. I talked with Penny, Tulip, Barnaby, even Talbott! But in the end, you were the one who always helped me first..."

A cheeky grin took over your face soon, which already told enough to Bill that you were planning to tease him after a heartfelt conversation.

"Besides two years more experience is a lot when it comes to dating, isn't it old hag?" You elbowed his side and ruffled his hair playfully, which he secretly took great care of, and took of for a running while Bill scoffed at you and prepared to run after you.

"Oh, you little rascal... Come here!"

After letting out a squeal and running away from Bill while laughing freely, he finally caught up to you and offered to drink Butterbeer to cool down and finally help ypu put with your problem, your head between his arms in a headlock as you struggled to get away from him.

Even if he would be betraying his brother, he couldn't let you all alone by yourself.

"So... What's the best way of asking out my crush?" You asked to him, eyes hopefull, as Bill looked at you through the glass he was drinking and smirked at you teasingly.

"Well... Definetly, I wouldn't recommend a note. It could easily fall into wrong hands."

"Haha, Bill. So funny, I'm glad my misery is so funny to you." You giggled embrassed as he shook with laughter, his long hair falling onto his face.

"Well, all jokes aside, face to face would be the best think to do. It may be the most nerve-wracking but involving anyone or anything else complicate things."

You nodded thoughtfully as you drank your butterbeer, weighing your options and which place would be the best thing to do such thing... When Bill's silence made you look at him confused.

"Is that all? Surely the Bill Weasley has other advices to give to his cute and in dire-need-of-help underclassman who is also his best friend, right?" You cheekily exclaimed, batting your lashes at him while hoping that it would help, making him shook his head in disbelief at you.

" Yeah, my cute underclassman, I told you I'd come prepared. I promised I would help, remember? Even if I may feel silly giving them..." he cracked his back as he took his notebook and pencil out, writing his list down under your watching and curious eyes.

Sorry, Charlie... Forgive me.

"First, compliment them. Everyone likes compliments, and don't dive directly to the topic. That would scare them. Also, don't overthink, something hard in your condition." He pointedly said as you rolled your eyes at him, elbowing him to continue.

"Spending time with someone you like should be fun and relaxing. And remember: Your date might be just as nervous as you are. There is a high chance that it is both your first times dating, so relax knowing that it's also a first for him."

After minutes of talking and him advising you, you were feeling... enlightened? Your plans of taking Charlie to the forest would work, it seemed!

And he called himself bad at giving advices, what the hell? He had been even more useful than the others!

"So, any questions?" Bill clapped his hands expectingly as he stared at you, waiting for an answer. But the answer he got was one that made him blush.

Almost. You were still the girl his brother, who had been obsessed with dragons as long as he can remember, liked. He wasn't going to act like a schoolboy talking to a girl for the first time.

"And you call yourself bad at giving advices! Bill, you just saved my life and my potential date!"

"Now, I wouldn't get too excited. I didn't save anything, yet." He said, suddenly turning serious as he looked at you. "Until you ask your crush out, your date goes amazing and you leave as a girl who has a boyfriend, I don't consider anything over."

"There is... a high chance that he could reject me, you know that right?" You meekly said, your fingers clutching your clothes thightly. His confidence for your ability, or lack of, to ask someone out surprised you. Actually, everyone thought you to be very confident for some reasons.

Was it because you were dealing with the Vaults? Or Merula? Or maybe you just gave off that vibe even if you were an anxious ball of stress almost half of the time?

"And if that happens... Just think of it as an adventure. You've been on many of them."

"It's something I know of, dating though? I don't have any experience."

That girl and her pessimistic brain...

Bill sighed out irritated at your sudden lack of confidence and got a hold of your cheeks to make you look straight into his eyes as he used the ultimate weapon: The Mum Voice.

" Y/N Y/L/N, everything will be fine! I'm trying to lighten the mood here... Just because this is something new for you, something you have never done before and don't have control over, it doesn't mean it will end bad. To me, everything will turn out fine for you."

"I really hope so... This means a lot to me, y'know?" you blushed softly and Bill was stricken with a realization: You grew up from the little first year you were to a fine young woman, with steady steps.

"If you aren't gonna tell me who he is... At least tell me what he likes, maybe that could help finding a good spot for your first date?"

And also save me from finding that guy and breaking the news to Charlie?

"Hmm... That's an interesting idea, actually...." you hummed thoughtfully to yourself, confirmation from Charlie's own brother would be almost the same as his. But you were not aware of the wide eyes Bill was giving to someone behind you as you dived into your fantasies. "Uh huh, shit..."

"Hmm? What is it, who are you talking- C-Charlie? Tonks?"

There stood Charlie, shook to his core as he clutched his bag thightly in his arms, heart beating loudly at the sight before his eyes. Out of anything he expected to happen, seeing his brother with his crush wasn't on the list when he merrily woke up today with the greatest stretch of his life in the morning.

What were you two doing? Why were you alone? And what was that interesting idea anyways? Not that he was jealous, no no not at all...

Meanwhile Tonks looked between you and Charlie awkwardly as Bill signed her to help him out, to which she awkwardly cleaned her throat.

"Wotcher, Y/N! We weren't expecting to see you here, right mate?" She emphasised pointedly, elbowing Charlie so that he could stop sending daggers to his own brother before he knew what was going on.

"Yes, of course." He replied with icy cold voice, though it wasn't directed at you and he was looking rather softly and sadly at you, you wondered if something happened between the two.

Something Bill didn't mention, because they were both fine this morning, and he had been with you ever since the lunch time so he didn't spend any time with Charlie enought to set him off.

Before you could ask, he walked up to your table and stood between you and him, with a pointed look to his brother.

"I heard that my brother has an interesting idea. Please, do tell. It's very rare, after all..."

Ufff, something definetly happened. Because the Charlie Weasley you knew wasn't like that.

With a frown, you answered him, not knowing that you kind of made everything even worse. " He was helping me ask my crush out, and asked what he liked doing... But what's wrong with you? You are never... this sarcastic?"

Well, it was definetly a way to put it in Charlie's eyes. He knew he was being irrational, after all, you and him weren't a thing. You weren't dating or anything, so he didn't have a reason to stand against you hanging out with his brother.

Besides, he had been your friend almost since first year started, and maybe... If he had just gotten over his anxiety back then and talked to you, he would be the one standing next to you, supporting you through everything you went through, protecting you.

Which he was already doing, just... a little bit later than he wanted.

With a broken heart, he looked at you and sighed sadly, not saying anything as Bill landed a reassuring hand on your arm. "Don't worry, Y/N... I think my brother just picked today to show his development in humour. What luck, trully..."

Witnessing the silent battle the two brothers were having, Tonks tried to think of a way to stop this. But just as everyone here knew, she was bad at this.

"I heard uh, the accident with note, Y/N... I hope you are feeling better now."

"Note? What note?" asked Charlie curiously as he watched your expression change and you blushed.

If his heart wasn't squeezing painfully in his chest at knowing that you had a crush, he could awe at you and memorize this momet to think about it later before he slept.

"You don't know? I'm surprised actually, everyone seems to be very into knowing who I like... Thanks for your worry though, Tonks. I feel better."

"Yeah, I mean... Snape already scares people enough. Adding the fact that he, accidently or not, stumbled upon a personal thing..."

"Oh... So, that note never reached to your crush?" Charlie hoped that his hopeful voice wasn't also carried by his question, trying to seem cool to you as if your heart didn't already belong to someone else.

You, meanwhile, gulped down hard at seeing him very... interested in it. But it wasn't like your other friends', they wanted to know purely out of curiosity and wished you to be happy...

When Charlie wanted to know everything because... He was jealous? No way, your crush liking you back wasn't an option, right? Besides, why would he feel jealous? He wasn't interested in dating and you were already walking on eggshells.

But this exchange... And the talk she had with Charlie a few hours ago how he wished it was him you were into, that it was him who would take you to a date...

Tonks had a plan.

"No, not really... Why did you want to kno-"

"You know what, Y/N? We will help you plan your date!"

"What?!" You and Charlie both yelled at the same time, eyes wide in shock at what she said from two different reasons.

Charlie couldn't believe his own ears at what his best friend was telling. Helping you with your date? Was she out of her mind? Did she and him not talk about his feelings for you?

"What? I'm not into dating anyone and Charlie... well, he is your best friend! He would like to help, right?" Charlie agreed with what seemed to be sarcastic nod of his head as he started to pick at the skin near his finger out of anger, looking between his friend and brother as you laughed awkwardly and pulled Tonks to yourself.

"Tonks..." you whispered down to her silently with thight lips, looking up at her. "Why the hell are you so invested in planning my date so suddenly anyways?"

"I told you, it's because-"

"I heard it clearly but... Are you sure it's not to learn who my crush is-"

"We don't care about your crush, Y/N."

You looked at Charlie with shocked eyes as they were filled with tears slightly at the sharp tone he used and how... cold he sounded. At that moment, he wasn't the same warm-hearted boy you met, he wasn't the friendly boy who you talked about dragons all the time even though you didn't understand everything about them but did it anyways just to make him happy, and he definetly wasn't the same boy you fell asleep on as you basked in his soft touches...

But you wondered... what it was you did that made him so angry.

"Charlie, what the hell?!" Bill angrily let out as he got up to confront his brother who was also shocked and shaking at what left his mouth. That definetly wasn't the way he was raised, definetly not him at all.

I didn't mean it like that... Even if it was "I" instead of "we".

"No... Wait, Y/N! I didn't mean it like that! We care about you. Please, let me just-"

But he was already late as he watched you got out of the Three Broomstick hurriedly, Tonks following you right after as he was left with a fuming Bill.

"What the hell, Charles?! Don't you know the school talking about her and her brother, also adding the fact that her crush was revealed, that she had been stressfull? Why were you even acting like that?!" He dragged him outside to scold him, pushing him by his shoulders. His shoulders sag in sadness as he let his brother push him lightly, knowing that he deserved it after his unreasonable outburst at you.

"I... I know it's no excuse but I... I was jealous and couldn't bare it anymore. It hurts, Bill."

Bill looked at his brother's teary eyes and guilty face with a soft look, his anger having long been gone at the pitiful sight of him. He understood why he felt like that, having to hear the girl you like liking someone else and all, but still...

It wasn't enough of a reason to treat tou like this.

"I understand why, little brother but it was too much... You will go to her now and be completely honest to her, Charlie. You know she deserves it."

"I know..." he mumbled silently, his chest constracting painfully in his ribcage as his stomach was knitting itself anxiously.

"And she would never ditch you out for having feelings for her either. She didn't do it with anyone, and she will not do it with you. Now go!" He pushed Charlie towards the open area to where you ran, hoping that everything would turn out fine for both of you...

And that what Tonks said was true.

"She likes Charlie, had been for a year or so. But she is shit at showing it. All they need is a little push."

"But... I don't know where she is!" Charlie hastily yelled out as he looked at Bill over his shoulder to see him sighing irritatedly. Stupid teenagers...

"She is your bestfriend, you crush! You know her better than anyone!"

And yes, he did know where you were thanks to what Bill said, and ran to where he thought you were.

An apology and explaination already ready in his mind as he begged to Merlin that he wasn't too late to fix his mess.

If you were to ask Charlie when he started falling for you, he wouldn't be able to give you an exact time. For the most part of his friendship with you, he didn't even realize that his feelings went beyond admiration. His friends and brothers always teased him for it whenever he called you "his bestfriend that he never imagined to have", and as a result, would get a snarky comment from Bill like "What a good way to add in your confession, brother! So romantic~"

But perhaps what sealed the deal for him and opened his eyes was that one time when you were cold in the common room, reading together and he gave you his sweater with his initial on it. (He pretended not to realize how cute you looked in it and how his heart beated faster at the sight of you, suddenly feeling possessive because damn it, you were so cute and beautiful as you read your book.)

And then, as if the sight didn't already turn him into a puddle, you mumbled a sweet it smells like you and buried yourself deeper in the sweater whilst continuing to read your book, completely unaware to how red he was because woah, seeing you so cozy in his clothes and as a big part of his life really opened a new window!

In your defence, you thought it was because he was hot from sitting in front of the fireplace witg that sweater on. And besides, he always ran warm for some reasons.

And then, just like that, his "bestie" attitude would turn into hearts and stars, accompanied by the "love of my life, my shining star and the meaning of my life" type of attitude. He had started to see all the outings you two did together, or all the times you went to the Three Broomsticks together, as dates and imagined himself just sitting next to you, an arm around your shoulders as he looked at you with loving eyes.

Apart from the fact that he absolutely sucked when it came to romance and being flirty, rather loosing track of his thoughts and stutter in your presence( which made you often giggle and call him adorable before pecking his cheek and setting them aflame) even though Andre often called him "an utter catch" while listing all the reasons why.

You are friendly, quick-witted, hard working, kind, play Quidditch and "annoyingly handsome" as a good friend of him-you- said.

So, he said nothing about his new-found feelings in fear that his friends and brother would make it worse by teasing him, he didn't have to know the miserable heart eyes he was giving you whenever you were close already gave it away, and try to desperately just be your friend. He couldn't risk ruining the best thing happened to him with his feelings, so he tried to avoid you in hopes that his feelings could disappear.

Spoiler alert, it didn't...

But his behaviour only ended up with you liking someone else and then him feeling stupid because he didn't act on his feelings before and get angry at himself and everything.

Human nature, after all, tended to blame orher things rather than themselves.

But now, he had to suck it up and go up to you, possibly explain everything and even comfess so that he would be free of the restrictions they brought to him and maybe, by a tiny chance, you would return his feelings back.

"Hey..."

Hearing his timid voice behind you, you wiped your cheeks hastily and turned to him. You knew your eyes gave you away, with its redness and all, and you saw how Charlie winced at the sight, almost seeming like he was just as in pain as you were.

But why would he, you thought. He was the one who made me feel like shit, why would feel bad?

"I've come to... apologize, for my behaviour. I didn't mean to be such a prick. I'm sorry for shouting and hurting you... and made you cry." He mumbled in a sorry manner, playing with his fingers anxiously as he waited behind you to say something. Every second you were just sitting there silently, your back to him as the wind brushed through your hair and clothes, he got even more anxious.

Maybe he lost his chance? Did you really get hurt by his words that much? Of course, you did, you didn't deserve to hear any of them and-

"It's okay, I forgive you... Even though you were total jackass." He chuckled and nodded at you, not that you saw it as you pat the spot next to you and waited until he was fully seated next to you. The calm and silence was a good one, after all the hectic week you had, but even then...

You were restless, as your crush who just made you cry was sitting next to you.

And you wanted to know why he did what he did.

"Why did you say that? Back at the Three Broomsticks? Why did you act like that?" You asked softly, no hint of judgement in your voice, only confusion as you looked at Charlie with knitted brows, frowning when he stiffened at your question.

"You wouldn't understand..." he mumbled, shaking his head as if he was you and actually knew how you would react. That was one of the things that could anger you, just like it did in that moment, as your irritated eyes found his soft and pained ones, watching you with a thundering heart as his breath got faster at your angry shout.

"Then make me, Charlie! I'm your best friend! What did I do to deserve-"

It was your right to know it, you definetly didn't deserve to be left in the shadows but he was... scared. Scared of loosing you, scared of ruining everything. Scared of you hating him...

But he had to be brave, and accept whatever happens after what he was about to say.

"You made me fall for you, that's what you did!"

Out of all the answers you expected from the redhead, this definetly wasn't on the list.

Charlie? Weasley? The one who loves only dragons? He loved you?

You could actually dance around and scream in delight from how happy you were as a wide smile took over your face completely. You wanted to shout, jump on Charlie and kiss him breathless, later peppering his whole face on them as you stared at his freckles, then go and gush to Rowan, or Penny, scream in happiness with them too!

But before you could open your mouth after the shock of hearing your crush liking you back, Charlie continued to talk. He thought if he just kept talking and poured his heart out, you wouldn't slap him across the face and leave him there, heartbroken.

Maybe he could postpone the inevitable just a bit.

The inevitable in his eyes.

"What he have... our friendship is so perfect, I have everything I want in my life. My family, friends, you," his voice shook as he shuffled closer to you, and you wondered if your heart was loud enough for him to hear.

You looked at him sweetly, his worry of loosing you, how much he cared-no, loved- you made you melt at him. Tears of happiness strung up your eyes as you gingerly took his calloused hand and squeezed it.

"And how do you think I feel?" You whispered, making Charlie look at you confused and tilt his head.

"What do you mean by that?"

Welp, here goes nothing...

You sighed deeply, turning your whole body towards him and took both of his hands in yours. He looked at you shocked for a second, heart jumping up to his throat as his eyes first landed down on your hands holding his and then back to your own eyes.

"Charlie, the reason I was so secretive about my crush was because... Because it was you."

Now, it was Charlie's turn to be shocked. Because out of every kind of angry ways he expected this talk to go, you confessing to him wasn't one of them.

That crush being him, wasn't even close!

Taking his silence as a sign to continue, you sucked in a breath.

The word was already out anyways.

"I only tried to get more hints on what you like and dislike, so that I could ask you out properly. I mean, I know I'm your bestfriend but... I also know that you aren't into dating and have your focus on dragons-"

"I love you more than dragons." You smiled at how fast and eagerly he said that, clear genuine love pouring out of him, and nodded your head.

"I know that now..."

"I thought... You know, Barnaby was your crush and I felt so jealous. He had liked you for almost as long as I did and... I thought tou would see him more of a better match for you."

"But why would you think that?"

"I know you are kind of scared of dragons, and can't keep every information about them in your mind." You blushed at being caught. You thought tou made sure you didn't give away!

Charlie smiled at your blushing face and chuckled, raising his hand to touch your cheek but hesitating. You felt his hand get close to your face, shaking slightly. You giggled at his obvious nerves and nuzzled closer to his palm, pulling it towards your face as you gazed at him with eyes full of love.

And Charlie forgot what he had to say at the sight of your lovely self.

"A-And Barnaby and you... like the other creatures more, y-you even bonded with his Knarl and went on many, uh... alone hanging outs."

"Charlie... What I feel for Barnaby is completely platonic, he is only my friend. What I feel for you is much stronger." You smiled at him softly, lovingly with your eyes accidently drawn to his lips.

"I've been denying my feelings for you at first, I wasn't going to let my feelings get in our way, I was afraid I would loose my bestfriend but you were and are still my bestfriend. I just didn't think you would... actually feel the same."

He shuffled closer, your thighs touching each other as your faces came closer and closer."I have been dreaming about this... Longing for you to feel the same, wanting to be with you..." He whispered, close enough that you felt his hot breath as his lips hovered over yours, barely touching yours.

"We are both idiots in love, then?" You whispered to his lips and he laughed, the sound of it making your heart skip a bit and smile lovingly at him.

"I wouldn't have it the other way..."

Suddenly aware of thw situation you were in, you could have backed out and instead take it slow. But Charlie was intoxicating, he called you to him like a flame did to a moth and your lips met for the first time. The kiss was soft and slow at the beginning, a little bit clumsy as expected but it was just... perfect.

You ran your hand through his hair, pulling his hair tie back as his long hair fell down his shoulders. You had been craving to kiss him, and pull on his locks in a make-out and you exactly did that.

Your teeth might have clashed, from how wide you both were smiling as Charlie's hand travelled across the expanse of your back and settled on your waist, but you both knew that this was definetly not gonna be the first time your lips would meet.

Now that both sides had a taste of the other, both of you became each other's drug.

"But you still owe me a date. You made me cry, y'know?" You teased him while panting after breaking apart, still in each others vicinity as he looked down at your lips in a daze and nodded.

"I'll spent my life making up for it, love. And I already planned our next 50 dates."

"Is it okay if I kiss you again?" You couldn't help but ask, wanting to only drown in him and his kisses. Dates could wait, you and him had a life time for more dates anyways. He chuckled and leant down with a smirk as his lips caught yours.

"I would like that very much."

And indeed, he really made up for it.

[superiorsturgeon]

Are You Sure About Her?

Pyrrha: *meeting Arc family for the first time, happily chatting away*

Mama Arc: Jaune, dear, can you come help me with something please?

Jaune: Hm? Sure, mom!

Jaune: *follows his mother to the kitchen* What do you need?

Mama Arc: …

Mama Arc: …Jaune, dear, are you really sure about this girl?

Jaune: …what? Of course I am! Pyrrha’s awesome! Why would you even ask?

Mama Arc: She seems nice, but…well…she’s a celebrity.

Jaune: Uh…yeah? Basically everyone but me already knew her when we started at school.

Mama Arc: *folds her arms* You don’t understand, sweetie. A few years back, a star athlete and a boy at her school hooked up, and because of her celebrity status they kept their relationship secret to protect him.

Mama Arc: Things went on like that until she unexpectedly got pregnant. They kept the child secret too, again, to protect them.

Mama Arc: But as time went on and the press celebrated her return to sports, she spent less and less time visiting that boy and her child. She was always out drinking, competing, and socializing, and eventually, things completely fell apart. That poor boy gave up his dreams for someone who left when she got tired of him.

Mama Arc: …And I don’t want to see that happen to my son!

Jaune: …

Jaune: …mom, I’m sorry you’re worried, but you’re wrong about Pyrrha.

Mama Arc: But how can you be sure? You’re both so young!

Jaune: Well…For one thing, everyone already knows that me and Pyrrha are dating! When she came to Beacon she told me she wanted to make real friends, and now we’ve both got lots of awesome people who know us both. We even go on double dates with our teammates!

Jaune: And…I guess the most important thing is that it’s Pyrrha, and I trust her.

Mama Arc: 🤨

Jaune: *quailing under the “Mom Stare.”* I-I mean it! When I first went to Beacon, nobody believed in me! Even you and dad talked like you expected me to fail and come back home any day and become a farmer!

Jaune: But not Pyrrha!

Jaune: *awkwardly rubs the back of his neck, trying to form the words* She…she came and pulled my sorry butt out of a tree during the initiation, when she could’ve left me behind and done the actual test! A-and then when trained fighters were teaming up all around us, she came and picked ME to be her partner!

Mama Arc: Well, that’s-

Jaune: *interrupting, Defend Partner™️ mode engaged* And after I made it through by the skin of my teeth and started acting like a cringy tough-guy jerk, she stuck by me! And once I realized what an idiot I was being, she offered to train me.

Jaune: Do you understand? Pyrrha Nikos, Mistral’s invincible gladiator, after everything I did wrong and how crappy I acted, believed I could be better! She believed in me when nobody else did!

Jaune: Pyrrha’s an absolute angel, mom. She’s the strongest and smartest person in the whole school! I watched her take on an entire team by herself and win without breaking a sweat!

Jaune: She could’ve done anything she wanted. She still CAN do anything she wants! And she-she believes in ME!

Jaune: And I believe in her! She’s the most caring, kind, and wonderful person I’ve ever met, mom. I know she would NEVER hurt me, and I trust her with my whole heart!

Mama Arc: …

Jaune: *leans against the counter, panting a bit*

Mama Arc: …it sounds like you really love this girl, Jaune.

Jaune: *drained from his passionate speech* I think so, mom. I know it sounds kinda dumb, but everything I do is more awesome when she’s around!

Mama Arc:

Mama Arc: *smiles and ruffles Jaune’s hair* My little boy has sure grown up a lot since he ran off to become a hero.

Jaune: *squirms* I guess, but it’s all because of the friends I made…but mostly Pyrrha!

Mama Arc: *smiles over Jaune’s shoulder*

Jaune: …what? *turns around*

Pyrrha: *standing in the doorway, sniffling and covering her mouth* 🥹

Arc Family: *crowded in behind Pyrrha* 😁

Jaune: …

Jaune: …how long-?

Youngest Arc Sister: Since the first word you big sappy dork!

[cressidagrey]

Something good and right and real - Chapter 9

Summary:

Azriel had spent centuries believing that he of all people didn't deserve a mate. And if anything, the last three years had just galvinised that particular belief. And then he meets her.

The first time Oriana met Azriel, she thought that he reminded her of a skittish cat. Shy and a little bit broken. Good for him that she absolutely excelled in fixing the things around her.

Warnings:

Rhys Bashing, Discussion of Murder, Kinda Lucien Bashing?

Notes:

I put a lot of world building into this. If you don't recognise it from canon, I probably invented. Or I forgot that canon existed.

(thanks to @firefly-graphics for the super pretty dividers!)

“It’s nice. The music is good. I think you wouldn’t hate it,” Oriana ended her presentation of why he should accompany her to dance. 

Quite frankly, Azriel had been willing to agree with anything Oriana had been saying, because she was sitting on his lap after they had shared lunch. He had managed to take a break from his duties for once and lunch with Oriana was definitely worth the detour he had needed to make it happen. 

And he was more than willing to agree when Oriana told him that she liked going there with friends to dance, as it was quick stomping dances that reminded her of the mountain. 

“Let’s go tonight,” he said impulsively. Even if he ended up hating it, he would have seen Oriana do something that she loved. He could sit through a few hours of that. 

And really, sitting through a few hours with live music was a far cry from the less pleasant aspects of his job. So really…  

“Yeah?” Oriana made sure, but a smile was growing on her face and he nodded.

“Yeah,” he agreed, and the kiss she bestowed on him at that was worth so much more than sitting through 4 hours of music that may be horrible. 

He caught her face in his hands when she pulled back, kissing her again…and then another time. 

He only pulled back suddenly, when he felt a razor-sharp talon at the edge of his mind. 

He wanted to curse. 

It must have shown on his face because Oriana cradled his head in her hands. 

“Are you alright?” she asked him, eyebrows furrowing, and he nodded. 

“My Brother,” he gave out with a sigh, as Rhys scraped at his mind edge, obviously unwilling to wait. 

“Your brother,” Oriana repeated flatly. 

“He’s a daemati,” Azriel explained. A daemati and a pain in his ass. 

He slipped open his mental shields just enough so that Rhys could slip into them.  

His shadows hadn’t told him that anything was amiss, so really, what could this be about?  

What happened, Rhys? he asked. 

Elain and Lucien are coming over from Day. 

Right. And that mattered to him how exactly? 

It was nice that Feyre and Nesta could see their sister. But Azriel himself…well, he doubted that either Lucien or Elain would be happy to see him. 

Good for them? Azriel responded bemused. 

He hadn’t heard that it was a diplomatic mission of any kind between Day and Night, Helion hadn’t been the one dispatching his son and heir. 

So really, what did it matter? 

We’ll have dinner at the River House this evening. 

Now, he had his answer. 

I have plans, Azriel responded quickly.

 He did. And he could really imagine a better use of his time than sit through the awkwardness than that dinner promised to be. 

Everything so that he didn’t need to sit through that . 

Being cooped up alone in your house isn’t a plan, Rhys responded pointedly. Azriel wanted to bristle. 

He wasn’t the only one. His shadows actually did. 

Besides, we are talking about the future High Lord and High Lady of Day, so I am sure you can make space in your busy schedule for them, Rhys’ mental voice dripped with sarcasm but Azriel just stayed silent.

Rhys sighed.  

Get over yourself, Azriel, Rhys said quietly. 

Right. 

That’s all he was ever supposed to do, right?

He smashed down against the bitterness that welled up into him at that because quite frankly, it didn’t fucking matter anymore. 

It didn’t. 

I actually do have plans, Rhysand. I can come for dinner, but I am not staying for dessert, he gave back clipped instead. 

Fine. 

Rhys left. Azriel snapped his mental walls down behind him with far more force than necessary. 

He focused back on Oriana, who still sat on his lap, watching him carefully.  

“I am expected for dinner,” he said quietly. 

“Want to go out dancing another time?” 

Maybe he shouldn’t have expected something else, because Oriana had never asked him to tell her anything more than he had been willing to offer up by himself, but he still was. He still waited for the moment when she would be upset or angry with him because he couldn’t force himself to drag her into the abyss that was his work. Couldn’t force himself to answer a question. 

That was one thing. Oriana was another thing. 

It was unfair, he realised that. She told him about her family. About growing up and how Enya braided her hair and Kiran had used to let her run wild in his forge, about how Samson had let her hold his sword when she had just been a child of no more than 5, about how Titania was strict and seemed arrogant but had still sobbed over her husband losing a leg, and weeks later about the prothetic that Oriana had enchanted…about Cyrus and her playing together, the brother with whom she shared a father and the reality of being a child of two worlds and somehow not belonging into either. 

He couldn’t even open his mouth and tell her about Cassian or Rhys. 

He wanted to sometimes. Sometimes he thought about it. 

About what Cassian would say if he came to his brother the next day and admitted the whole thing. 

Cassian would be happy for him. He knew that. 

At first at least. 

But he didn’t know how Rhys would react and he wasn’t willing to stake Oriana’s happiness or safety on it. 

Not yet. 

“No,” he said quietly. “I’ll be done by nine? Is that early enough?”

“That’s the time, I am just starting to drink at,” Oriana said with a grin. “I’ll be waiting. I am the one in the red dress.”

He couldn't help but smile at that.

“So who is coming for dinner? If you can tell me?” she asked curiously. “Your brother?”

“Both brothers,” he answered. “Their mates. Some old friends. Lucien and Elain.”

He could give her the names. It didn’t matter. 

She pulled back, looking at him curiously. “Lucien Vanserra? Or whatever he calls himself these days?” she asked, her voice curious, but there was something else there. 

“You know him?” he asked carefully. How? Why? 

“Yeah, I know him,” Oriana said with a laugh. “He’s my cousin , Azriel.” 

His brain felt like it was freezing in place. 

What. 

“His mother and my father were siblings,” Oriana explained. “You knew my father was from the Autumn Court.  When my parents married it was quite the scandal. Lucien is a few decades older than me, but we are cousins. Haven’t talked to him in…over a century, I think though.” 

Azriel had no clue how to even react to that particular bit of knowledge.

This was entirely unexpected. And he wasn’t sure that he liked it. 

“So. I am thinking I am gonna make rabbit stew next week,” Oriana changed the topic, without asking another question or saying anything else.  “Are you gonna hunt me one and bring it to me like some barbarian warlord returning home with the carcass slung over your shoulder like a prized kill or should I just go buy one already dead?”

He dropped his head to her shoulder and started shaking with laughter. 

Azriel left Oriana with the promise to be the one responsible for the demise of a poor bunny later that week and then trudged his way towards the River House for dinner. 

He was really not looking forward to that. 

Not because he had some kind of feud with Lucien or Elain at that matter, but because seeing Elain was a constant fucking reminder of that solstice night. 

And that still pissed him off to no end, even when it was 2 years and a mating bond for him ago. 

It was still the night where Rhys had pulled rank with him about something purely personal and expected him to just accept that, without even a discussion. 

Something inside him, Azriel was quite sure, had fractured that night and he wasn’t certain if he was ever going to piece it back together again like it was before. 

If he even wanted it to

The only thing he was sure of was that his private life was going to be kept far out of Rhys’ grasp. 

Oriana was his and no one else’s and nobody was going to take her from him. 

And now he sounded like a possessive asshole. 

Weakly, he wondered if that was the mating bond at play, pulling out every territorial instinct he had…and he had quite a few of them. He had never really had anything that was his and his alone after all. 

Still, every thought of Oriana was banned from his mind as soon as he arrived, instead replaced with once again contemplating table linens. 

Why not. 

If Rhys picked up a stray thought, he would probably think that Azriel had gone completely mad, but hey, that was fine too. 

Still, Elain looked as lovely as always, and Azriel managed to snag a seat at a corner of the table, next to Cassian on the other side, and Morrigan at the head. 

It could be worse, he imagined. 

Like this, he was far, far away from Rhys…and from Lucien as well. 

The one thing that did quip his curiosity was the incessant whirring of Lucien’s mechanical eye though.

“Is everything alright with your eye?” Feyre was the one who asked the question that Azriel also had.  He listened with half an ear, not that interested in the answer. 

“No, it has decided to act like this,” Lucien gave back sarcastically. “Nuan already took it apart, she has no clue what is wrong with it. She has reached out to some old friends of hers, including the person who figured out the spell in the first place. But until then, I am stuck with this.”

He means Mistress, his shadows piped up suddenly and Azriel’s eyebrows rose with that. 

You are sure?

Mistress figured out a way to make artificial limbs feel real when her brother-in-law lost his leg in a mining explosion. She spent around a decade concentrating on that, his shadows hissed. 

He knew about the prosthetic leg. He hadn’t known that she had spent a decade working on that. 

Mistress talks to us while she is working, his shadows answered the unspoken question. Mistress is very smart. 

Yeah, Azriel agreed with that assessment.  

But if Nuan, the Master Tinkerer from Dawn Court had already taken the eye apart and not figured out anything that was wrong with it…well. Then it clearly wasn’t a mechanical problem. It was a problem with the enchantment that made it work. 

“You need an enchanter,” he said evenly. The conversation quieted down at that. 

“I do not,” Lucien sniped back.

“Yes, you do,” Azriel disagreed. “If it was a mechanical problem, Nuan would have figured it out. So it’s a problem with the enchantment. Who did it the first time?”

“Nuan did,” Lucien answered, crossing his arms.  

“She’s an alchemist, not an enchantress. You need one of those to fix…whatever the problem is,” he said with a wave of his hand. 

“What do you even know about it?” Lucien asked with a snort. 

“I know that it is a completely different skill set,” Azriel gave back tightly. And then, he said something he shouldn't have because his temper got the better of him. “I also know that you are related to one.”

Lucien’s knife hit the plate with a clang. “How do you even know that?” he demanded. 

“I am the spymaster of the Night Court,” Azriel gave back like that answered every single question Lucien could possibly pose. 

And maybe it did. 

It was nothing that he could not also have found out through very different channels.  

“So what, you care about gossip from 3 centuries ago?” Lucien responded sharply. “Do you have nothing better to do?” 

“Luce…” Elain said softly, but Azirel ignored her. 

“If it’s useful, yes .” 

“How could it possibly be useful to you? Also, he’s dead. Has been dead, for over a century,” Lucien told him harshly. 

Oh. 

Well, that made it better. Lucien didn’t even think about Oriana. He thought that Azriel had been talking about her father .  

“That didn’t show up in your research, did it?” Lucien asked with a harsh smile. 

Oh, he was willing to let Lucien have that round. 

Can you ask Oriana if she would be willing to take a look at Lucien’s eye? She probably already got a letter about it from the Head Tinkerer from Dawn.  

The answer came minutes later, not by a sentence hissed by his shadows, but by the letter they dropped next to his plate. 

He opened the note. It smelled like peppermint. 

Yes, of course. Just give him the note enclosed. Tomorrow morning. And just tell him that we share a common acquaintance, if you don’t want him to know that we know each other, Sweetling. 

Also, If you have read this note, drop it in a glass, please. 

He did just that. 

It went up in flames, just seconds later. 

“By the cauldron, you are seeing Eris!” Cassian blurted out and Azriel felt like his brain froze for the second time that day. 

“Cassian!” Nesta snapped, for some reason managing to sound long-suffering, "We talked about this." 

“The letter just went up in flames! That’s how the Autumn Court sends correspondence!” Cassian reasoned. “You are seeing Eris!”

“And because of that, you are now thinking that Azriel has a love affair with Lucien’s half-brother?” Feyre asked, sounding like…she couldn’t quite believe what she was hearing. 

Well, neither could Azriel. 

“Yes!”  Cassian exclaimed. 

“No,” Azriel deadpanned. 

Over his dead body. Not after what happened with Mor. Never. 

“But…” Cassian started to protest. 

“Cassian, I have absolutely no idea what makes you think that I am in some kind of romantic relationship with Eris Vanserra but I’ll gladly swear to you on my own life, that that is not happening in a million years,” he said drily. “And Eris was not the one writing me.” 

“Who was writing to you then?” Rhys questioned pointedly. “Must be somebody from autumn.” 

“I know somebody that knows somebody,” he gave back evenly, as he handed the second not for Cassian to pass to Lucien.  “An enchantress is willing to meet you tomorrow. Bright and Early.” 

Lucien reached out for the note with some trepidation. 

“If I wanted you dead, the plan would be a lot less convoluted. Just for your information,” Azriel said drily.

Lucien glared at him. 

“Where did you meet her?” he demanded. 

“I know somebody that knows somebody,” Azriel repeated. “That’s my job. And that reminds me, I have to go.”

Far away from Cassian and his conspiracy theories, that much was certain. 

He still had no idea how Cassian had even come up with this. He didn’t know if he even wanted to know. 

“So soon?” Feyre asked surprised. 

“I have plans.” 

“What kind of plans?” She wondered. 

“The kind of plans that I am not willing to change.”

Quite frankly, all he wanted was to curl up on Oriana’s couch, underneath the ugliest blanket he had ever seen, but he should have known that it was not gonna be quite that easy. 

So he went to the pleasure hall she had named him and let his shadows lead him right to the female in the bright red dress. 

He would have found her even without knowing the colour of the dress, because even now, in a dress with nothing that proclaimed her a goldsmith by trade…there was traces of it, everywhere. From the points of her shoes that were decorated with a gold tip, to the low open back of her dress that was held in place at her neck with a myriad of chains. 

From the front…it was deceptively simple. From the back…not so much. 

She suited the colour. Not as much as Blue did in his opinion though.

“Sorry, I am late,” he said softly as he slid to her side at the bar and she grinned brightly at him, just as the bartender, pushed four glasses in her direction and she immediately handed two off to him.

“You aren’t, Sweetling,” she assured him. “Ready to meet my friends?” 

He just nodded. 

The fluttering pearlescent wings that resembled a butterfly, were the first thing he saw. 

He immediately placed that to belong to Palote Fairy, a lesser Faeries, often found in the summer court. 

Far from home, that much was certain. 

She turned to him, a head covered in blue hair that matched her wings and she stared at him. 

“By the cauldron, you are real!” she explained as Oriana slid into the seat beside her. A High Fae male was with her, blonde and blue-eyed, looking like he wanted to be everywhere but here. 

“Did you think I was lying?” Oriana said with a snort

“No!” The female hurried to add. “I just didn’t…Hi! I am Hyacinth! That’s Evander!” she said quickly. The male fae, Evander, lifted his glass in greeting, obviously quieter than his companion. 

“Nice to meet you. Oriana has told us literally nothing about you,” he said drily. “Which is good, because Hyacinth wouldn’t have believed her anyway.” 

Hyacinth just glared at her companion.

“Hey! It’s just that she came out of it with nowhere! She disappears for a few weeks and then shows up with, Oh I met my mate! By the way, he’s Illyrian!” Hyacinth defended herself. 

“Because Oriana has totally bothered to lie to you before. We all remember that one time…”

Or maybe the male wasn’t quite after all, because these two started squabbling in a way that was worse than Cassian and Nesta sometimes were prone to be doing. 

“What happened that one time?” he wondered quietly to Oriana, who just snorted. 

“Hyacinth and I didn’t know each other very well and she didn’t take me at all seriously when I told her that I could control fire. So I showed her. Right there in the middle of her flower shop. And she dumped water all over me…Did I mention that the flowers were still in said pot of water? I got to pick out tulips out of my hair for ten minutes afterwards.”

The mental picture that painted, made him snort, even as Oriana leaned into his side. 

Nobody threw water at Oriana that evening, though she did seem to seemingly know every person who attended and dragged him down onto the floor as soon as there was a dance that wasn’t the very quick stomping dances that she seemed to enjoy the most. 

Still, for once he was very thankful that centuries of fighting training meant that he was very quick on his feet and managed to figure out the steps behind it quickly. 

But even if he didn’t…he wouldn’t have cared, because Oriana glowed with happiness throughout that night. It seemingly surrounded her, an effervescent beauty that he couldn’t name. He could just stare at it in wonder. 

“Thank you for coming,” she said as they spilt out into the night air as the evening ended, her arm slipping through his, her hair curling against her neck, where she had sweat from her dancing. 

“Of course.”

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

“So Dinner didn’t go that well, did it?” She asked Azriel as they ambled their way to her apartment. The walk wasn’t longer than maybe 5 minutes, and it was a night in the Rainbow…of course, it was still filled with faes and fairies of all kinds mulling around. 

And still, Azriel had showed up at The Moonlight Vault with a face like thunder. (Yes, the name sucked. It was still one of the best establishments Velairs had to offer as far as Oriana was concerned.)

“…How,” Azriel wondered and Oriana just shrugged, holding his arm a little bit tighter. 

“You were looking ready to flee as soon as you entered,” she said drily. “You know, you could have just had your shadows tell me that you weren’t in the mood. That would have been totally fine, Azriel.” 

She didn't want him to go through that kind of torture if he didn’t want to. It wasn’t…His day job already promised to be horrible enough. 

“I wanted to be with you,” Azriel gave back quietly like that explained everything. 

Her heart melted a little bit at that.  She just grasped his arms a little bit tighter. 

“I ordered the couch we picked by the way,” she said at that moment. Furnishing the Lake House was coming along…questionably. 

They had managed to pick out a couch, thanks to her offering up multiple furniture catalogues for Azriel’s perusal and him having opinions about interior design that she never even thought he would have. 

They had ended up going with a brown leather couch, big enough to fill some of the empty space in their house.

“Sounds great,” Azriel said softly. 

“Any luck with your table linens?" she teased him as they finally reached her apartment and she unlocked the door. 

“Not yet,” Azriel answered with a snort. 

“Haven’t had any luck with chairs yet…especially none that look like they are comfortable for your wings,” she admitted. “Still working on that.”

“Just buy whatever you want. I’ll deal with it,” Azriel said, like that was completely reasonable as he followed behind her up the stairs. 

Completely reasonable for him to be uncomfortable. 

“It’s your home, you don’t need to deal with it. I already found you one chair that works with your wings, I’ll find dining chairs that work as well,” she pointed out drily. “You maybe can’t expect the rest of the world to accommodate you, but you definitely can expect that at home.” 

Especially as far as she was concerned.  “What else?” she added, tapping a finger against her lips. “I am working on a warding net by the way.”

“A warding net ?” Azriel asked her, sounding confused as she shrugged off her coat. 

“You can put it into stones,” she explained with a shrug. No need to shoulder the magic for it on their own. It was something she had made for the mountain. Granted the road to the final version had been, pardon the pun, stony. 

“That works?” Azriel wondered. 

“Of course it works, I made it,” Oriana said drily. She had trust in her abilities. More than she should probably have. Azriel stared at her for a moment. 

“How many things do you make that you never bother telling anybody about?” he asked her curiously, shrugging off his own coat. She thought about it for a minute.

“A lot,” she admitted with a sigh. “If it‘s easy enough to replicate and scale, and selling it would give me a profit…then I go to the mountains, to our guild and file a kind of patent on it. So nobody can replicate that without paying me for the right to use it,” she explained. “Like the teapots,” she pointed out as an example. “But the warding net? It’s going to take me at least a couple more weeks of working on it before it’s ready to be placed. It’s a question of want and need. Not many people would have the money to pay me enough to make the work worth my time,” she admitted.  “It just takes too long to be financially sound. I just make it because the time is worth it to me for the security it provides.”

“It’s safe?” Azriel asked, his voice and eyes serious. Oriana met his gaze. 

“As safe as I can make it. The safest ward I ever made.”

“Did you put an anti-winnowing ward into it?” he asked her, and she grinned at him. 

“Who do you think I am? Of course. Shadow Walking will work though.”

She took a quick bath, and by the time she got to crawl into her bed, Azriel was already waiting for her, paging through the book that she had had on her bedside table. The Knight and the Dragon's Heart. 

Quite frankly, she slept better curled up underneath his wing than she did anywhere else. Especially after she got a kiss goodnight and then got to sleep straight through until the next morning, when they had breakfast together with some pastries he had fetched from the bakery two buildings down. 

He went to work and Oriana opened her shop, greeting Cilla, the second female that she had come in to help in the shop these days so that she could concentrate on her forge. 

Penelope and her did a great job at manning the till so that Oriana could go back to creating and quite frankly, she quite enjoyed it. 

Still, that day she lingered in the front room of her shop at least until she recognised a shock of auburn hair. 

Lucien. 

Time had been kind to him, though the brutal scars that ran down the left side of his face…that was another thing entirely. 

She had never actually seen them, though she had heard what had happened to him. Gossip was strong, even in Velaris. 

“Lucien,” she greeted him, adopting the persona of her mother’s daughter. Her shoulders went back, her voice found that perfect tone of polite and warm. 

Normally she didn’t see the need for it. But he wasn’t alone. 

With him was a beautiful female. Golden Brown hair that fell down her back in soft waves and was tied away from her face with a little ribbon, big doe eyes, and a lithe frame. 

Delicate was a good description for her. 

“Oriana,” he greeted her. “Last I heard you were no longer an enchantress,” he quipped as he came to stand before her. 

“Well, family has privileges,” she said calmly. “And it is my work that is keeping that eye  from exploding, so I figured, I should lend a hand, of course.”

Both polite, but pointed as well. 

Making it very clear that she may be 2 centuries younger than him, but she was the best in her trade. And she said that with no arrogance. 

A smile stretched over Lucien’s face at that. 

“Of course,” he repeated. “My wife, Elain. My cousin, Oriana,” he introduced his wife who stared at Oriana wide-eyed for a moment. Oriana mentally checked that her eyes were black and not fucking creepy as Cyurs liked to say and smiled at her. Suddenly, Elain smiled prettily at Oriana, offering her hand. 

“It’s nice to meet you,” she said, her voice high and light. “I never met an enchantress before.”

“We are a rare breed,” she said drily as she took Elain’s soft hand surprised at the calloused she had. Not a delicate little flower after all, maybe?

One should never judge a book by its cover, she had learned that early. 

“Let’s go into the forge. Then you can tell me what is wrong with your eye,” she invited Lucien and waved him and his wife through to the backroom. She had even tidied up a bit for him. 

Elain stared around like it was the first time she had seen something like that and Oriana imagined it probably was. 

“It looks like it does at the blacksmith’s,” Elain said suddenly. 

“Oriana is half Tartera,” Lucien hurried to explain. “They are lesser faeries and life in the mountains surrounding Velaris. They are known for their jewellery making.”

One could break it down like that.

“Lucien and I are cousins through his mother and my father,” Oriana explained as Lucien carefully removed the golden eye. She held out a tissue for him to place it in because she would need to completely take it apart. 

“The last time I met Oriana, she was still living in the mountain full time though,” Lucien said quietly. “The jewellery shop seems to be a new addition.”

“If you call new a hundred years ago, yes,” Oriana said with some amusement as she received the eye and carried it over to her workbench to take it apart. 

She had even pulled out the tiny screwdrivers for this job. 

“I left the mountains over a century ago,” she picked up the conversation. 

“Why?” Elain wondered. “Didn’t you grow up there?” she seemed actually curious about it, a kind and gentle fae or at least willing to make every appearance of it.

“I did. But I feel out of love with my job,” Oriana answered honestly. 

“How is Wynstan?” Lucien wondered. “Did he come with you?”

“He’s dead,” Oriana said drily. “Has been. For over a century. I am surprised that you haven’t heard that story,” she quipped. “It was quite the thing when it happened.” 

Though since she had gotten rid of the necklace…the only thing she was still feeling when she thought about Wynstan was fury for what he had taken from her. 

It clearly wasn’t what Lucien had expected though. 

“My…condolences,” he hurried to say but she waved him off.” 

“Oh don’t worry about it,” she said absentmindedly as she peered into the inner workings of his eye until she found the culprit. 

“Ah, I found your problem,” Oriana said, as she poked at the runic array. “Some of the runes have eroded.”

“Can you fix it?” Lucien asked, his voice trembling slightly. 

She looked up from her work. 

“I used to be the Master Enchantress of my people, one of the foremost goldsmiths they have, and you ask me if I can fix an eroded rune?” she asked him, her voice bone dry. “Yes, Lucien, I can fix that. I can also make sure that it never happens again and even renew the runic array so it works better than before.”

“And you aren’t an enchantress any longer?” Lucien asked with a raised brow. 

“I still have the training. I just tend to use it for personal projects. These days there are other titles I would much rather claim,” she answered drily, as she went back to her work. 

A few minutes later, she polished the golden eye, before she offered it to Lucien. 

“All done,” she said. 

“How did you meet Azriel?” Elain piped up suddenly and Oriana went back to picking up her workbench. “He was the one who told you that…”

“Azriel didn’t tell me anything,” she corrected. “We have a common acquaintance. Azriel pulled a lot of strings and a lot of favours. My acquaintance asked me as a favour to him, just as he did it as a favour to Azriel.” 

Lucien seemed less than pleased with the sudden change of conversation.

Or maybe less than pleased with the topic of conversation. 

She wondered what that was about, but she didn’t want to outright ask. 

“Azriel didn’t need to do that,” she pointed out, keeping her voice even. “I hope you are aware of that.” 

Lucien ignored that pointed comment. 

So there was definitely something. 

“Are you one of his spies?” Elain asked, sounding somehow wide-eyed and naive and for a moment Oriana froze. 

Spies. 

Somehow that answered so many questions that she hadn’t even known she had had. Azriel's spies. He was a Shadowsinger. He was the spymaster of this whole damn court, wasn’t he?

“Do you really think that if I was, I would tell you?” she gave back, forcing out a high tinkling laugh that sounded only natural because she had spent decades honing it.  “And the answer is a very resounding no. I am not subtle enough for that.”

“She’s not,” Lucien snorted. “People that annoy her are getting set on fire on the regular.”

She just shrugged, even at Elain’s horrified look. 

She was not going to apologize for that. She had only ever done it to people that really deserved it. 

Still, the list was quite amusing. It not only included the current High Lord when he had been a few hundred years younger but also her brother on more than one occasion and as a 5-year-old even her grandmother. 

“Thank you,” Lucien said at that moment, and she looked at him, the gold eye moving smoothly. “It’s better than new.” 

“Of course it is. Do you still not have any trust in my abilities?” Oriana quipped. “And I am not the one you need to thank.”

“What do I owe you?” Lucien asked but she shook her head. 

“It’s taken care of.”

Still, as she watched, Lucien and Eleain leave, she couldn’t help but wonder, her mind running wild, as she thrummed her fingernails against her workbench. 

“How did it go?”  Azriel asked her that evening. 

“I fixed the eye,” she answered honestly. “I met his wife.”

She watched Azriel as she said these words, watched how his fingers tightened near imperceptively around his cutlery. 

“Lucien was the mate, wasn’t he?” she asked evenly. Lucien had been the mate of the female that Azriel fell in love with after he spent 500 years pining after a female that couldn’t be less interested in him. 

That’s what he had told her. Right at the very beginning. 

“Lucien is the mate. Elain is the one who got away.”

“Yes,” Azriel said, his voice hoarse. “Ask.”

“Ask what?” she asked him, needing Azriel to say it. Needing him to…

She wasn’t even sure why. He had been honest to her from the beginning. there was no reason for her to doubt him. And she felt bad that she even thought about it.

“Ask if I still love her,” Azriel said softly. “That’s what you are wondering about.”

“Do you?” Oriana said quietly. Did he? 

She was his mate. But was she…

“No.” There was no doubt in Azriel’s tone. “I liked her. I have loved her. I was in love with her. I was infatuated with her. And I’ll always think that…how it was dealt with wasn’t right,” he struggled to form the words. “It wasn’t…Being ordered not to pursue her wasn’t right,” he repeated, the words low and she stared at him. Who had…Who had the power to order Azriel not to pursue a female? What…what even… "But it did work out."

“Elain is lovely. But she isn’t you…what I had with her was a spark, Oriana. You are a whole firestorm.

[redbleedingrose]

since ur drabbles are open… thinking about girl dad!Eris and reader having another baby and Eris wants to name her Lucy after his baby brother 🥹

heheheh another babe for girl dad!Eris ???

If I am being so completely honest, I think it is gonna be a long long time until girl dad!Eris and you have another child. One fae pregnancy is extremely rare, and the fact that you had a twin pregnancy??? Almost unheard of in Prythian.

Eris for sure wants more children, I think it takes you a long time to be ready for it. You want to spend time with your twin babes, and your pregnancy with them was very, very difficult... it makes you less than excited to be pregnant again. And Eris is fully aware and ready to wait as long as you need, and is content if you decide you don't think you will ever be ready for another.

And to clarify, I think Eris would truly really pray for another girl. I think he has his own insecurities when it comes to having a son. He truly feels more comfortable with having daughters he can spoil and love on to the fullest extent. The thought of having a son... it makes him fear (even moreso than he does with Marwa and Twila) that he will act like his father.

Needless to say, I think Er has a lot of trauma he is working through, and You, Marwa and Twila are the reason he feels so inclined to do so. So, at the end of it all, it will take some time for him to be ready for another babe as well.

Now, your thought, dear anon, is a very sweet one, and I have had thoughts as well. So, maybe I can share some Girl Dad!Eris lore for the class since you brought it up so kindly!! <3

It takes a very long time for there to be reconciliation between Eris and Lucien, not for Er's lack of trying. Lucien is deeply, deeply scarred by what Beron did to him and Jesminda. And the role that Eris played, or at least the role that Lucien thought Er played, is one that broke their relationship.

Prior to this, Er was the only brother Lucien actually loved and was close to, and visa-versa. Eris truly adored Lucien, ever since he was a babe. Eris tells you later on, in the darkest hour of night, while he is wrapped up in your arms with his face buried in your chest, body shuddering from sobs, that he always knew that Lucien was different from the rest of them, from the rest of his brothers. Er's mother came clean to Eris years after the incident with Jesminda, but part of Eris already knew. And Eris thinks that there was a part of Beron that already knew. And maybe that is why what happened with Jesminda, is because of Lucien's crime of being born.

Eris' relationship with Lucien is honestly really difficult for Eris to talk about, he rarely wants to, even with you, his closest confidant, his best friend, his wife, his mate. It is not something he wants to spend time dwelling on, though you know, and he knows, that Eris will spend an hour a day, at least, thinking about how things could have ended differently, if he had just tried harder.

Eris was made aware of Beron's hatred for Jesminda the moment Lucien introduced her to their family. He caught the dark, hungry glint in the evil high lords eyes when she introduced herself as a young maiden coming from the rural farms of Autumn. As the eldest son, Eris was responsible for a lot of Beron's duties (in secret of course). As such, the night after Jesminda was introduced, Eris was summoned to Beron's office and was made aware of the plan to ruin the young loves relationship.

Eris spent a long time, with lots of effort, trying to put off or ruin Beron's plans. And he was often successful. What Eris counted on, was Beron letting things go between the two young loves. Eris counted on this being Beron's attempt to "protect the family image." Eris truly believed that if he delayed Beron's plans that many times, that eventually his father would give up.

What Eris didn't count on, was Beron's utter hatred for Lucien. Eris didn't count on the fact that the plan was to ruin Lucien's life. By the time Er figured out what was going to happen to Jesminda, it as already too late. Jes had already been brought to the prisons for her end, and Lucien was already being held back by their second oldest brother, Dragos.

The way that Eris explained to you, and he only has once because he really hates talking about this night, is that he grabbed onto Lucien to make sure Dragos didn't kill him right then and there. But with that, with his intent on protecting his youngest brother, he had to force Lucien to watch the beheading of his first love. It is not something Eris will ever find forgiveness in himself for. He will never forget the wails and shrieks of his youngest brother. And he will never forget the ringing silence that came after.

All that Eris had in his mind, trying to tamp down the sheer panic running through his arteries, pumping through his heart, is getting Lucien out. Once Jesminda was murdered, Eris wasn't sure what the fate of Lucien was. So, while he and Dragos were dragging Lucien away, when they were finally out of the sight of Beron and the other brothers, Eris released Luc and used the dagger hidden against his forearm to stab into Dragos' carotid. Lucien was soaked in his second eldest brothers blood as he scrambled away from Eris, but Er didn't let him get too far, winnowing the both of them out into the depths of the Autumns Forest.

"Go," he hissed between clenched teeth, shoving Lucien towards the spring border, "I will hold them off." The shouts of the other Vanserra brothers approaching closer and closer through the forest, Eris couldn't bring himself to look back as he shouted at Lucien to "Get out of here! Go! Leave and never ever come back!"

Eris described this night, as one of the worst ones of his entire life. He lost his most beloved brother, possibly forever. And he would never be able to explain himself. He would forever, in the eyes of his brother, be an enemy and one of the reasons Jesminda is not alive.

You coming into Er's life brought a lot of hope. A lot of strength for Eris. Centuries of planning to assassinate his father are finally carried out because there is nothing more that Eris wants, than a world where he can love you freely and openly, without putting you in danger. After Beron is... eliminated... Autumn Court flourishes under Eris' rule with your help as high lady. Eris has long let go of hope that one day, maybe Lucien will forgive him. But he has hope that he will build his own family, one that he will love and protect forever, one that he won't fail like he failed Luc.

Lucien, struggles with his emotions regarding Eris. He has long remained confused and angry and hurt about the night Jes was killed, and it takes him centuries to work through all of the trauma of it. And he has to do it without his oldest brother, without his mother. He has to do it alone. After that night, Lucien thought he would be alone forever, without a family.

Of course, as time passes, wounds heal slowly. From a distance, truly peripherally, Luc watches the Autumn Court flourish under Eris' rule with the new high lady, you. Lucien was stunned that Eris even created teh position of high lady, he always assumed that the woman to marry Er would live in a loveless marriage as lady autumn as his mother had. Lucien didn't think Eris would find love. He didn't think Eris would let himself have love. Despite these changes, Lucien remains wary for several more decades.

It is not until one fateful evening, in the middle of Summer while Lucien is in Day court, the truth of his conception being exposed after Beron's death, that Luc receives a letter with delicate, beautiful handwriting addressing him as "brother." It doesn't take long for Luc to figure out, that the handwriting belongs to the High Lady of Autumn, you, his brothers wife and mate. You never told Eris you were writing Lucien this letter, because you didn't want to get his hopes up, but you wrote to Lucien imploring him to come visit one day, if only to meet his new sister in law, if only to see the changes that have brought true joy to Autumn Court. In this same letter, you inform Lucien that you are expecting. That he will be an uncle, and that you hope to the mother, that you pray to the gods, that one day your babe will be able to meet their fathers favorite brother, their youngest uncle. Lucien, as you expected, does not respond to your letter.

At least, not right away...

Part 2 coming soon!

A/N: this is unedited but part 2 is coming tomorrow hopefully, Thursday evening at the latest 💞

[ephedrathirsts]

Teach me

Synopsis: Your best friend asks you to take his virginity. As the both of you spend more time getting intimate with each other, you are forced to acknowledge your feelings for one another.

Contains: idiots in love trope, friends to lovers trope, lovers in denial, one-bed trope, crack and sarcasm, mutual pining, smut, fingering (reader receiving), dry-humping, fluff, afab reader, eventual angst, anger issues, allusions to surgery

Pairing: Hunter Sylvester! x afab! reader

Word count: 4900

Parts: I, II

You woke up feeling Hunter's breath tickling the back of your neck, his hand still resting firmly on top of you. You turned around to look at him as he was asleep. He looked very peaceful- a huge contrast with his usual state of being. His eyebrows were scrunched up and his mouth was slightly open. He looked cute just lying there. He pulled you closer and nuzzled into you.

  "I could feel you staring at me even in my sleep." He yawned and swallowed.

 You were caught, embarrassment flooding your head. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up." You whispered apologetically.

 "It's ok, you can make it up to me by staying like this for a little bit." You flushed. He wanted to hold you close. You were baffled but also incredibly joyful about it.

 "I can do that." You assured

  He made a clicking noise with his tongue and pecked your cheek. You were melting. The last thing you had ever imagined is Hunter being so soft and loving. I guess it is true what people say- harsh exterior, mushy interior. His hair was getting all messy as he adjusted to lay on your chest and put his arms on your sides.

 This whole course or whatever he called it was working all too well with you realizing that you might in fact have feelings for this weirdo. You couldn't keep lying to yourself anymore. Your heart was getting warmer for him by the second and the lovey-dovey act made it all the worse. You needed to snap out of it. Detach before it got fatal.

 "I think I need to go home."

 "We haven't even had breakfast yet. There is Captain Crunch in the kitchen, especially for you." He smiled

 "Oh, fuck you, asshole." You jabbed him lightly in the ribs and giggled.

 "Ouch, that hurt a lot. Don't you want to kiss it better?" He pouted, pleading to you with his eyes.

 You lowered your head to level with his ribs and kissed them over his T-shirt. Then you quickly got out of bed and got your clothes from his desk. "Ok, I gotta run now. Hope you feel better." You nudged yourself to get dressed as fast as possible and head out of the door but before you knew it he was out of bed and hugging you.

 "I'm not going to be keeping you. Just wanted to say bye." He declared as he put one loose strand of hair behind your ear.

 Your heart was in your throat. Or somewhere else entirely, you weren't sure. But all you knew was that you couldn't speak. You couldn't say anything. You tried to calm down your breathing discreetly, bit down on your tongue, and coughed up a quiet "goodbye". You let go of him and rushed out the door.

 His face dropped once you had gone. He knew he had fucked up. Maybe you wouldn't want to even see him again. He probably freaked you out with how needy he was acting but he couldn’t control it. His plan wasn’t going so great after all.

 "Fuck!" He hissed as he punched the kitchen island. "Shit, that actually did hurt. Fuck!" He snickered again, holding his fist close to his face so he could inspect it.

 "Don't break any of my furniture, kid!" His dad came into the room. "You had a rough night? Wanna talk about it..." For a moment Hunter considered it and then..

 "... I mean I get it; they always look prettier at night and in the morning... Uh... Real hags, am I right?" He tried to sound as if he empathized with his son.

 "You are talking about my best friend!" Hunter snapped.

 "Oh, she spent the night. She is a good kid. But what I said still applies. Everyone looks better at night and when you wake up you realize you made a mistake..."

 "Yeah, I get that," Hunter mumbled to himself with a pained expression. "I'm alright, I'm just gonna go down to my room."

 "Ok, kiddo. I'm gonna make bacon later, you can help yourself to a serving.." Hunter had already left.

  In the meantime, you were sprinting home, galloping even, floating through the air. But why? You felt so nice with him. There was no actual reason for you to go. You couldn't take it. All this uncertainty. All of these intrusive thoughts clouding your judgment. You couldn’t like your friend. Especially not now. Not after what you agreed to do. It is only bound to become worse for you while in the back of his mind there was probably a mental list of all of the girls he was going to bed or whatever.

You had to put your feelings aside. Your friend needed you and you promised to help. And to start making things right you needed to apologize. "I'm sorry I ran off in such a hurry. I remembered I had to look after my uncle's dog. I had a really good time last night! Next time you can pick the show :)"  

  You texted, wanting to make sure you didn't offend him in any way with your behavior, sprinkling in a little white lie to seem as not so big of an asshole.

 Hunter's phone buzzed. He saw he got a text from you. He wasn't prepared for whatever you had sent but curiosity urged him to open the message. "It's no problem. Next time we are doing it at yours and ur ordering."  He replied, a smile appearing on his face.

  Hunter came over to your house the next weekend. He made a mental note: no funny business, no overdoing it, no scaring you off. He wanted to do anything and everything with you. Go all the way, but you didn't need to know it or sense it. He shouldn't have made it obvious. "Ok, here goes nothing." He whispered to himself.

 You opened the door after hearing him knock, shivers and cold sweats running down your body. You could do this. It was just a normal hang-out with your friend. Nothing more. The two of you hadn't spent one on one time for a whole week. That's probably why you were feeling so anxious. "Hello there.." you said awkwardly."Come on in. I've ordered Chinese food and I have snacks."

 "Cool.." he smiled politely, shoving his hands into his pockets.

  "What do you want to watch.."

 "Look I'm sorry. I can't just not say anything. I know I weirded you out last time and I didn't mean to. We can stop with the lessons. I can learn the old-fashioned way." He cleared his throat

 "Hunter, you can't possibly weird me out, we've known each other for so long that there Is nothing you could do to achieve that..." You stated well-intentioned, completely lying through your teeth. "I said I was going to help you and from the beginning, you told me how you wanted it to be. You don't want it to seem fabricated, you want it to be natural, and if that's how you are around people you like then whoever gets on your rooster will be incredibly lucky." You smiled at him invitingly

 "Thank you.." he still felt a bit shy and out of place but he appreciated your words. "So we are continuing this experiment?" He asked, waiting for a confirmation.

 "As long as you want to, yes."

 "Great, that's great, yeah. It is totally going to help in the future... you know... when I like someone.."

  "Yeah, I do know." You mumbled disappointedly.

  The both of you were seated on the sofa in the living room, barely speaking to each other, not because you were so engulfed in the incredible storytelling of "Extreme Cheapskates" but because the both of you were too afraid to disturb the peace, to ruin everything. There was an uncomfortable amount of distance between you and both of you secretly wanted to break it, but you were set on restraining yourselves. Wishing that the other would be the one to make the first move or to speak up.

 "I'm gonna go get the popcorn out of the microwave. Be right back"

 "Ok, don't take too much time or you might miss the juicy part."

 "Sure, as if there is a juicy part." You welled sarcastically from the kitchen, reaching into the microwave, distractedly feeling for the hot bag of popcorn, palms first. You yelped in pain.

 "Fuck, ouch" you hissed. Hunter jumped out of his seat and hurried over to you. He looked at you with worry as you ran your hand under the kitchen sink, cold water splashing over your skin.

 "I'm ok, don't worry. Just slightly burned myself, a common mistake. Just me being clumsy." You joked but you could still see him coming closer to you to inspect your hand, drying it off with a towel and holding it caringly.

  "Do you have Band-Aids or a plaster?" He asked

  "Don't be silly, this is nothing. It's not even an actual burn. It just stung a little bit. That's all." You said reassuringly, becoming increasingly aware of his proximity. You could smell his cologne, see every little scratch on his face. As he was holding your gaze, he brought your hand to his mouth and started planting little kisses over it. You gulped. You couldn't take it. His eyes boring into yours. Into your soul even.

  He opened his mouth to speak a soft "Is that better?" but you hungrily hushed him with your lips, gripping tightly onto the fabric of his jacket.

 He kissed you back, hands on your waist, pulling you close, sensing the scent of your shampoo. He wanted you and maybe you wanted him too.

  Not letting go of each other, you led him back into the living room and pushed him down onto the sofa. You were on top of him, looking down with a sheepish smile. He reached up and cupped your face, kissing you way more confidently this time, his tongue meeting yours and playing with it. He put his hands on the small of your back, pushing you down to close the gap between you. As you broke away, he started looking at you all starstruck.

 "Do you want to go up to my room?" You asked in a hushed voice. That's all he ever wanted for as long as he could remember, but now when the possibility was so close he panicked. He wasn't ready to have you this close not knowing whether it was going to last.

 "Yeah, I do," he said as he gently kissed your neck. "But I can't…I can't do it tonight…I'm sorry." He broke away from your skin

 "Oh?" Flush set over your face. "I didn't mean... I get it if you're not ready, I just wanted more privacy... Not sure when my parents are gonna come bursting through the door. I can't have them seeing me on top of you like this."

 Fuck, that's how it sounded. I mean maybe you wanted it. You did want to actually. But you were going to let it play out slow and steady. You didn't mean to rush things.

 "Oh, ok then.. let’s go.." Hunter chuckled embarrassedly.

 "I mean, I thought you were staying over. Like when I stayed over last time. I'm sorry I made things awkward. I didn't mean to kill the mood." You fidgeted with your fingers.

  "It's ok, you didn't." He laughed softly and pecked your lips.

  Both of you went up the stairs and straight to your room. You were getting progressively hornier. Inexplicably so, right? You hushed the lighting a bit and played music from one of his playlists so he feels more at home. Then you held his hand and whispered: "Do you want to come to bed with me?"

  "Yes, positively so." He answered excitedly.

 He was such a kid. You loved him for it. Uh.. the l-word. Nope, too early for that. Time to push the thought down and not examine it ever again.

 He laid on top of you this time, stroking your hair and slowly kissing down your neck, being careful not to leave any marks. He looked down at you adoringly and played with the hem of your shirt.

  "You can take it off if you want to." You told him almost inaudibly

 A rush coursed through his body, he put his arms on your stomach and slowly started to peel it off of you when a voice echoed through the house. "Honey, we are home." Shit, cockblocks. The nation's favorites. "Come down for a moment, you need to put away all these plates if you are going to bed. You can't just leave a mess like that." Your mom shouted.

  "Coming" you answered with annoyance. "I'm sorry.." you started massaging your temples angrily

 "It's ok, I'll come down with you. It's my mess too." He grinned lovingly and you gave him an appreciative kiss in response. "Thanks"

After you were done washing the dishes and organizing them back into their respective places, the two of you went up to your room again. "I'm sorry for the interruption." You looked at him apologetically

 "It's ok, we can pick up where we left off some other time right?" He asked all hopeful and giddy.

 "Yes, of course." You went to the bathroom and undressed. Putting on one of your favorite slip dress. Maybe you weren't going to have sex tonight but you could still give him a view. Hunter peeled off his T-shirt and jeans and tucked himself in bed, sniffing your pillows before you came back in.

  "I'm sorry. It is so warm. I'm going to boil if I wear the T-shirt..." He spat out distractedly as he saw you come closer to him.

 "That's ok. I want you to be comfortable." You were holding his gaze and you could see his eyes all too obviously roaming your body. Your hair was down, the skirt of the gown ending only a couple of inches after your thighs. One of the straps had slid down your shoulders and the material of the dress was leaving pretty little to the imagination.

 Without a beat, he grabbed you by the hips and positioned you on top of him, your skirt riding up and revealing more of your skin to him. Both of your straps were slightly off your shoulders now and your breath had hitched in your throat. "Hunter.."

  "…You said you weren't ready.." you uttered as his lips came down to your neck, not so tentatively this time, not caring at all whether he left a mark. You gasped loudly at this action.

 "I can still make you feel good, right?" He said in a hushed husky tone. "What else are a guitarist’s fingers good for? Just don't make too much noise. I don't want your parents banning me from your house." He smirked and flipped you over getting on top of you. You had never wanted him more. You bit your bottom lip. You were getting so wet just by listening to him talk.

  He continued kissing and sucking on your neck and slowly touching up your thighs, scratching them, making you hiss. "May I?" He said pleading.

 "Ye-yes... Please do.."

 He was getting so fucking hard seeing you like this. But he wanted to prove himself to you. Show you how much he values your pleasure over his. He started massaging your clit, warranting a gasp or two from you. As he found the right tempo, he could see you fully letting go, gripping tightly onto his biceps. Scratching him as you did, which he loved.

 When he was sure you were wet enough, he inserted one of his fingers into you, hitting you just in the right spot. Your legs were shaking. You were nothing but a sweating, cursing mess under his touch."Fuck, Hunter, don't stop!"

  "Not planning to."He dipped his head to suck on the upper part of your breasts and added in another finger. Pumping in and out at a steady pace he started moving faster into you, making you moan. Damn all of his experience plucking strings. It felt waay too good.

 He thrusted into you faster, knowing all too well you weren't going to last much longer. He bore into your eyes. He could see you were close, you just needed a little encouragement and encouraging he was:  -"It's ok, you can let go. Come all over my fingers. I'll lick them clean later."

 That was all you needed to hear. You gripped him harder, pushing yourself up to crash into him, and bit down on his shoulder as you finished all over his hand. He continued fingering you until you came down from your high.

 He removed his fingers from you and inserted them into his mouth, savoring every little drop of you. "You taste fucking amazing." He exclaimed as he bent down to kiss your lips. Your cheeks were red and there was no hiding it.

  You held up a glass of water to him. You were mesmerized as if you were seeing him with new eyes. This was Hunter, your presumed ‘just friend’. The one who had just made you come and put you on cloud nine. After he gulped down his water he asked with a concerned expression: "Did I do well?"

 You wrapped your arms around him and kissed him gently. “Yes, you did fantastically." You smiled into his lips and he smiled too.

   The metal aficionado was extremely geeked. Reviewing his notes every day and replaying the time you had spent together in his head constantly. He was trying to be slick, but he wasn't sure how long it would take before he crumbled.

 He had fooled you. Unbeknownst to you, he had no intention of even entertaining the idea of getting with his so-called ‘groupies’. He wanted you to be his teacher because was only interested in pleasing one person- you. Studying what you desire and what puts you off.

  It probably sounded a bit scheming but he couldn't just go up to you to confess that he liked you, you know, as a normal fucking human being would. He didn't even want to fully admit it to himself. Emotions were tricky for him and so were for you. The situation wouldn't have gone anywhere if he were to breach the gap with you not returning his feelings. No, he needed a plan to make you want him too and he was willing to do anything to achieve it. That's why when you finally followed up on your next lesson, he was ecstatic.

 "I'm gonna come by your place later tonight."

  "Cool, text me when ur close." He wanted to sound nonchalant but he was freaking out. Acting like a fangirl watching fancams of one of her favorite kpop idols. He was so giddy and happy that even his father got worried.

"What the fuck is that squeaky noise coming out of your room, kid? Are you ok?"

"I'm doing amazing birth enabler! Also don't just pop in the stairway without announcing yourself. I could be wanting my privacy."

 "When you get yourself a fancy house with a pool, music studio, three bedrooms, three bathrooms, kitchen and living room by cutting and filling up tits is when you will be entitled to your privacy."

"I know you would rather be FEELING up tits instead-but if I were to properly think about doing some of that myself I would still need my fucking space, so leave! Now!"

"I'm paying your therapist way too much!"

"That's all of the precious boob money for you!" Hunter screamed annoyed, trying to sound witty while he heard a different set of footsteps down the stairs.

"I'm sorry, did I come at the wrong time? I texted you ten minutes ago and rang the doorbell but you didn't reply so I let myself in. Oh, and hello mister Sylvester."

"Well hello to you too, looks like some people your age still have manners, Hunter! Always a pleasure to have you home, darling. I wanted to say I'm sorry about your aunt… It's terrible what happened to her. You know you're basically family so if you ever want to have a breast augmentation, I can make you a deal for the implants afterward. With a chest your size, not too big to be a burden to your back but still eye-catching enough you should keep the volume so..."

 "Father, get the fuck out! And stop staring at students’ tits!"

 "Don't get ridiculous Hunter, she is like a daughter to me. I would never.. anyways I think I have some work to do. I'm gonna leave you kids to it." He replied as he not so discreetly winked at Hunter

 "Fuck... Fucking finally. I'm so sorry! He was incredibly fucking insensitive and creepy."

 "He was staring directly at my chest, like eyeing it reeal good."

 "Yeah, he is fucking disgusting. I'm so sorry."

 "It isn't your fault; you don't have to apologize for his behavior. I'm fine."

 "Do you want to come some other time; I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."

 "No, I take all of my ventures very seriously. I told you I was going to be here so here I am."

"Yeah," Hunter said self-consciously, scratching the back of his neck. He noticed how pretty you looked. You always looked pretty, but you had gone out of your way to do so this time. With your hair done, make-up on, a familiar scent of your perfume drifting through the air and the pendent Hunter had gifted you for your birthday hanging around your neck. He was entranced.

 "I don't think we should go all the way tonight. We are still testing things out, being in the beginning stages and all."

 Hunter snapped back awake from his daydream."Mhm" was all he could muster. He wanted to go and grab you, kiss you right this moment but he couldn't just do that after his father's speech. He needed to get the mood going. "Firstly, do you want to listen to some music? You can play whatever you want. Even your shitty the Weeknd knockoffs."

 "Chase Atlantic have some good songs, ok? And it's not so much about quality with them. It's about the vibe of it all. The experience. But that's a great suggestion for the occasion."

 "I don't know, they sound like try-hard vampire wannabes."

 "Yeah, that’s the beauty of it."

 You turned on the speaker and played one of your playlists. For a moment you were somewhere else, mouthing the lyrics, humming to yourself, slowly rocking your hips in tune with the music as Hunter came up behind you and turned your head so you were facing him."Good thing you're also beautiful, otherwise I would never listen to that crap." He muttered in a hushed voice.

  You mustered a barely audible "thank you" and he shushed you with his lips. It was hard to get used to. Him touching you like that, talking to you like he wasn't little old Hunter. The one you grew up with, the one you had known ever since diapers, but right now it was too hard to perceive him that way. You had already gone over the crossing line and there was no going back.

 He held your hand in his and whispered into your mouth: "Do you want to come to bed with me? I promise I won't do anything to scare you off." Batting his eyelashes, trying to look as innocent as possible.

 "Do you even know how to?" You teased, feeling him come up against you again way more assertively this time.

  His hands landed on your hips, yours entangled in his hair. His tongue slithered into your mouth, soft gasps escaping both of you. He was calculated at first, confident but measured until he got progressively hungrier for your kiss. As you started reaching for his back, pushing him closer and closer to you he deepened the kiss and began roaming your body with his hands. Your knees were getting weak just from the slightest touch. He was a virgin but that didn’t mean he wasn’t a hell of a good kisser. You started to lose balance. He prompted you up by sliding his knee between your legs. A dirty trick that was working very well in his favor.

You parted to get some air and he whispered again. "I hope not." You were flushed, all knots in your stomach and trembling pulsing sensation all over your limbs. He had turned you into jello just by kissing you and that did scare you because you didn't expect to feel this good, to want him so much.

 "Lead the way." You your heart was racing.

 Hunter grabbed your hand again and sat on top of his bed. To his surprise, you didn't sit next to him or opposite him. You made yourself comfortable in his lap, lightly grinding down on him. All of his confidence from before flew out the window. You looked at him with lust in your eyes, your lips forming a devilish smile as you scanned his face. He was getting nervous. He wanted to impress you and he loved every second of it but he wasn't expecting you to look at him the same way. He guessed you were committed to your job. He was speechless just looking at you, wanting to remember this forever.

"What are you getting so shy for, didn't you invite me here?" You grinned cockily "It's ok baby boy, I can do some of the work now. You just relax." You whispered into his lips kissing him yourself with none of the measure or sensitivity of some of your previous kisses. You were boiling from the inside. A volcano ready to erupt. You grinded on him wantingly, letting him feel the wetness seeping through your underwear as your skirt had ridden up your thighs, exposing them deliciously. He moaned in response when you pulled on his hair, nibbling and sucking on his lips and finishing him off by biting the lower one.

 You being so desperately horny for him got him so incredibly hard. He was a mess under your touch but he needed you to be one under his as well. He couldn't control it anymore. He held down your inner thighs, squeezing them hard as his fingers dug into your skin. You gasped and moaned. He began sucking on your neck, leaving purple bruises on his path. He licked and kissed your calves and upper breasts as you purred into his ear."Hunter, this feels so damn good."

 Electricity coursed through his body. He needed to have you all to himself like this forever. He gripped your hips hard, moving you on top of him faster and faster. He kissed you just like you had kissed him

before. With his lustful tongue making patterns in your mouth, sucking on your lips, and then biting you playfully. He put more and more speed in, feeling your heat press against his erection so violently. He was going to come; he couldn't contain himself but he needed you to come with him too.

 "God, you make me insane. You are so fucking hot." He hissed while bucking his hips upwards, hitting your core in the most sinful way.

 You could see he was close and you needed something to push both of you off the edge so without even thinking you whimpered into his mouth. "If you get this hard and desperate for me now, I could only imagine what you would do when you're stretching me out with your dick."

 That was the last straw. He couldn't hold on anymore. He came under you, cum bursting all over his boxers and he couldn't be happier about it. Your legs were twitching as you came a second later, a vibration coursing through your body. You closed your eyes for a moment just to open them and to remember -you just made your best friend cream his pants and you wanted to do it again and again.

 But then the sinking feeling came in. He wanted to do this as a form of practice for other girls. He was going to creep up under your skin,  get to your heart, and then use all of the moments you've spent together to please someone else. Like it didn't mean anything. And the worst part was that this was exactly what you agreed to, so why did it make you ache?

  Hunter was blissful. He was much closer to you than he had ever been before and it seemed like you were feeling this newfound closeness too, that you liked It, but this voice in the back of his head came back rushing in: "She is just following up on her promise. If she feels anything towards me right now, it's probably pity."

 You slowly untangled yourself from the metalhead, got up, and straightened up your skirt. "Well, I gotta go now. Good job today, partner.. uh student." You gave him an awkward high-five and bolted out of his room.

 Yeah, it was definitely pity.