#he is not slow and he will never give up and i need people to understand there are so many factors that dont allow him to win

[jubileesstuff]

Ok, imagine Jason wanders in his catatonic state around, and he meets Nico di Angelo. Or more like Nico wanders around, and he finds Jason. Nico immediately knows that something is wrong with Japson. He can sense the death. Nico decides to take the wandering (kind of) zombie with him. I mean, he can't just let this catatonic guy wander around after he escaped the underworld.

Hades or Thanatos never contacts him about a lost soul, so this guy stays with him. He even brings him to camp. When Chiron and Mr. D ask about him, Nico is like, 'Yes, this is my elder brother; he is like a zombie; I found him on the streets.' And that's it. No one questions it. There have been weirder things in Camp Half-Blood. Mr. D doesn't give a fuck; Chiron just accepts it, and the campers are like, 'Ok, cool.'

Slowly Jason regains his consciousness. It starts slow with some talking; he tells Nico his name. Jason recognizes Nico as a little brother, someone he needs to protect, someone who is family, someone who protects him. When they're not at camp, they travel all over the country. Nico and some ghosts train his new brother in sword fighting; Jason learns it fast. In camp, he also learns to fight with a lot of different weapons. Nico has the ongoing theory that before Jason died, he already knew how to fight; he was probably a child soldier or something similar. He was definitely not in the Army, because Jason is too young for that. Soon he becomes one of the best fighters in camp. The Ares kids come up with the theory that Jason was a child of Ares that died and came back to life. The Athena Cabin says the same, since Jason seems to like literature too, so he is smart and he knows how to fight; that means he has to be one of them.

No one can actually prove that. No godly parent claims him; Nico thinks it's because he died and came back

At some point, Nico figures out what happened to him and how he got back. He doesn't want to confront him, but he also knows that Jason has an actual family, and they would probably be thrilled to have him back. But then again, how does someone explain why and how their dead son came back to life? Even if the parent is Batman. (Yes, Nico knows that Bruce Wayne is Batman; ghosts are everywhere, and they love to talk to Nico).

When Jason's mind is completely clear again, Nico talks to him about his family. Jason says he doesn't really want to go back to them because he also sees Nico as his family, and when he can't come along, he doesn't want to go back to his old family. Also, Bruce didn't kill the Joker.

One day Nico and Jason wander around and go to Blüdhaven; some things go south, and they meet Nightwing. Nightwing is like, 'Wait, I know this dude.'. And then he begins to sob. Jason and Nico stand there like, 'This is awkward.'. Now that Nightwing knows, everybody knows. Not too long after they meet Dick (and talk with him), Bruce comes to visit them in New York. Jason and Bruce talk, like actually talk, and not just fight. They come to the agreement that Nico and Jason should move to Gotham with them. Nico is like, 'Didn't Batman have a 'no powers' rule for Gotham?'? Bruce is like, 'Eh, you are my kid now; who cares?'.

This is how Jason and Nico became brothers and chaos gremlins. They love to prank and spy on other people with Nicos powers.

The most unrealistic thing here is probably that Jason and Bruce talk, but Jason learned non-violent coping methods from Will, Sally, and Mr. D. It's a Head canon, this is ment to have plotholes.

[zepskies]

A SIMPLE TOUCH

Pairing: Soldier Boy (Ben) x Reader

Summary: Annie still has reservations about Ben, and you dating him for that matter…until she sees it.

AN: Surprise drabble! Dipping back into the BMD-verse for a sec. Chronologically, it's set sometime after In the Dark.

Prompt from @lifeonawhim: The reader is physically affectionate. (BMD) Ben sees this, tries to give her that comfort, and it just surprises everyone—how Ben is a source of comfort for her, even though he’s quite literally the strongest man.

Originally posted on Patreon: 1/01/25

Word Count: 600

Tags/Warnings: Angst, hurt/comfort, fluff

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Annie was loyal to a fault. For that reason, she was still skeptical about Soldier Boy—about Ben, even after Vought Tower collapsed.

You might’ve been living with him now, but that didn’t mean he was safe, or even a good enough man for you.

She watched you closely in concern while the team filed onto the small private plane. It was set to take you all from northern Pennsylvania back down to New York. You weren’t injured, but in a way, you were still walking wounded.

The rogue supe that the Supe Affairs team was called in to catch had destroyed an office building. You, M.M., and Frenchie had saved a handful of people while Ben and the rest of the team handled the supe. But a young woman slipped right through your fingers off a balcony, falling to the pavement from three stories high.

You still remembered the look of shock cross her face. It was frozen there, even after her body lay prone on the cement. Her blue eyes, perfect mirrors of didn’t see that coming.

That was the picture you couldn’t get out of your head.

Now, you were moving slow, your face tired and drawn. Annie was about to ask if you were okay, even though she knew the answer full well.

Ben reached out his hand to you first. He was ahead of you in the aisle, having put his carry-on bag and yours in the overhead bin. You looked at his hand, and then up at him.

“Come ‘ere,” he said, his voice deep and steady. It steadied you, along with his hand around yours. He guided you not into the seat next to him, but onto his lap. By now he’d changed out of his suit, leaving him in jeans and a dark gray sweater you picked out for him, rolled up to his elbows.

Annie sat with Hughie across the aisle, but she had you and Ben in the corner of her eye. She marveled at the way he was holding you, seeming to know you needed the contact. With a sigh, you allowed yourself to lay against his chest while his warm hand ran up and down your back. A simple touch was all you needed to relax in his arms.

“Don’t mind me. Just gonna sleep for about ten years,” you murmured against his chest. You laid a hand over his heart, silently thanking him as your fingers drifted back and forth.

Ben’s lips quirked upwards. “Just try not to drool on me. New shirt, you know.”

Despite yourself, that managed to make you smile, huffing a laugh. You shoved his shoulder in retaliation. “I don’t drool.”

He knew for a fact that you did, but he just smirked. He sunk his fingers into your hair and inhaled the familiar floral scent of your shampoo.

“Get some shut-eye,” he rumbled. “We’ll be home soon.”

His thumb brushed your cheek, encouraging you to rest. So you did. Your eyes closed on you after you let go of a deep, even breath.

In the grand scheme of things, it was a nothing moment. This was a man who had crumbled two skyscrapers and scarred Hughie for life. (He’d never be able to listen to Air Supply again, pretty much for as long as he lived.)

And yet, maybe it meant Annie could stop worrying so much about your judgment where Ben was concerned.

Only much later, she would realize that this was the moment she actually started to trust him.

AN: I want to get back into BMD world for a longer visit, hopefully soon. 💚💚

Keep Reading in the BMD-verse:

Next in line, we have a fun, fluffy, angsty, smutty, 3-part Christmas special, Love Actually:

Summary: Ben gets in late on Christmas Eve with a Grinch-like attitude, but you’re determined to force some holiday cheer into his system. At least, you hope you can, before he meets the rest of your dysfunctional family on Christmas Day.

▶️ Next Story: Love Actually

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@sarahgracej @foxyjwls007 @just-levyy @roseblue373

[suzukiblu]

Day six of February’s first weekly WIP behind the cut; “the puzzle trap sex-room”. content warnings: past grooming, past sexual abuse, past statutory rape, past dubious consent, CURRENT unhealthy coping mechanisms, immediate fallout of sex pollen/death trap-induced sexual coercion, and a POV character who does not understand what the problem with any of that is, he’s FINE, Jesus, lay off already and let him live his life. and like, definitely internalized victim-blaming that said POV character is not actually recognizing as that. So uh, you know, just Kon’s … entire pre-YJ dating history, pretty much? Pretty much that, yeah. (( chrono || non-chrono ))

He’s never, ever felt good about the way Superman’s looked at him. 

“Right now I’m worried about you,” Superman says, because Superman thinks he’s useless, Superman thinks he’s stupid, Superman thinks he’s a fucking moron who needs worried about and can’t just take fucking care of himself like he hasn’t been taking care of himself for his entire fucking life! “Just–can you try to stop–” 

“Fuck you!” Superboy yells much louder at him, and maybe some shit falls off the ceiling and maybe the floor cracks out a little farther and a little worse, but he doesn’t give a fuck either way. He doesn’t care what Superman wants him to fucking stop, nobody cares when he wants them to stop or slow down or just even fucking wait, so–so why the fuck should he care when anyone wants him to?! 

Everyone wants him to. They want him to shut up, sit down, wait for shit–it’s never just easy, never even just simple, he always has to get better and better and better and no one likes what he just fucking is and–and– 

( “Mouthy bitch.” )

Superman doesn’t even listen when he talks. He knows–he knows he talks too much, he knows he talks about himself too much, but what the fuck else is he supposed to talk about? He doesn’t know anything but himself, and Superman–and Superman never– 

He talks about himself too much, but Superman never talks about himself at all.

He’s really–stupid, Superboy realizes. He is fucking stupid. He just–he just wanted–

He doesn’t even know what he fucking wanted. Just–he wanted Superman to think he maybe wasn’t so stupid. Maybe think something about him wasn’t–wasn’t just a shitty xerox made by shitty people, wasn’t . . . 

Superman doesn’t think anything about him, though, except apparently that he’s fucking useless. 

He tells Superman all sorts of shit every time he sees him, and Superman doesn’t even listen or bother to remember or really, like–really even say anything back, ever. Everything Superboy knows about him he got from Cadmus or the news or fucking heresay, not–not–not him. 

He’s so stupid, that he thought that’d ever change. 

He’s so stupid, and no one listens when he says to stop or slow down, they just yank his fucking hair or don’t let go of his arm or pin him down and–and–and they’re just fucking mean! Why’s everyone always so fucking mean about fucking everything?! 

Why’s everyone always so mean to him? 

He really, really tries, so–so why’s everyone–why’s everyone always–? 

( “Fine, whatever, just you’d better have a fuckin’ condom in your stupid Bat-belt.” )

“Superboy,” Superman says cautiously, lifting a placating hand up between them, and Superboy doesn’t even wanna hear that right now. “I just mean if you’re not careful right now, the cave might collapse.” 

The hand Superman’s holding up between them is bruised. 

And Superman really thinks he’s that stupid and useless and blind and reckless that he’d just accidentally cause a fucking cave-in in the middle of somebody else’s stupid base, even if that somebody’s a fucking asshole like fucking Batman. On top of that, cause a fucking cave-in with a pair of baseline humans in the place and not being fucking rockproof. 

Of course he fucking thinks that. 

“Can you calm down for me, please?” Superman asks in that bullshit quiet voice he only uses for people who are fucking actively traumatized, and Superboy really fucking hates him right now. He doesn’t wanna do anything for him. He doesn’t wanna do anything for anyone anymore. He’s so sick of fucking doing shit for people and nobody doing shit for him! 

Robin couldn’t even be nice to him when he was sucking his fucking dick for him, for fuck’s sake. 

Superboy wouldn’t even care about that shit if it hadn’t been everything he’d asked Robin not to do that he’d been so fucking mean about. 

( “The TTK’s only skintight, man, it doesn’t really cover the hair the same way, so could you maybe not yank it like–OW, fucker!” )

“Fuck you,” Superboy repeats, his voice all choked again in a way he hates almost as much as he hates fucking Superman right now. “I don’t wanna do shit for you, you wouldn’t even let go of my fucking arm. Just fuck off and lemme go home, I don’t give a fuck what you think anyway, especially not about who I fuckin’ date.” 

“It’s not dating if she’s taking advantage of you, Kid,” Superman says tightly, and Superboy hates him even fucking more. 

“She’s not, dammit!” he snarls. “She’s not like that! And even if she were, why would I even fucking care, at least she’s actually nice to me!” 

“Kid,” Superman says, looking pained. “That’s not–why would you even say that?” 

“Because she’s fucking NICE to me!” Superboy roars at him, clenching his fists again as his gut and chest both knot up painfully, and the floor cracks a lot worse. 

He still doesn’t give a fuck. 

“You keep saying that,” Batman observes, and Superboy bristles reflexively at hearing the sound of that bullshit “neutral” trap of a tone again and definitely, definitely hates him too. “What does ‘nice’ entail, exactly?” 

“None of your fucking business, asshole,” he bites off sharply, feeling hot with fury and sick with nausea and just so fucking–just so fucking angry. 

Tana doesn’t lie to him. She doesn’t treat him like a kid or try to shut him up every time he opens his mouth; she doesn’t want him to be just stupid muscle or an attack dog she can yank around by the choke chain. She wants him–she wants him to be better, so they can really be together. So he can stop fucking up so much all the time and–and just–she wants him to be better, and she tries to help him be better. 

Nobody else does that, when he fucks up. They just roll their eyes or say something shitty or write him off or treat him like an idiot or a kid or an idiot kid or–or just ignore him, and forget he even fucking exists when he's not right there in front of them. They don’t think about him when he’s not around. 

Tana does, though. Tana–Tana helps him. And she takes care of him. And she fucking likes him and she cares if he gets better or not and–and–

And she's nice to him. 

Tana thinks he can be better, when literally everybody else in the whole fucking world is just surprised whenever he doesn't fuck up too bad or break anything. 

Fuck, Robin thinks he’s broken, even. Thinks he should go to fucking therapy, for fuck’s sake. 

Robin couldn't even tell him he didn't wanna use a fucking condom.

Superboy really–he’d really wanted to use a fucking condom, or at least for Robin to not have thought he was stupid enough that he could just lie to him about not having one, or at least to have not been stupid enough that he’d actually believed him lying to him about not having one. 

( “Huh. You’re actually even more of a whore than I thought you were, Kid.” )

[schrijverr]

I Didn’t Mean to Say I Do, but I Do. I Do. 46

Chapter 46 out of 50

Secret marriage of convenience buddie slow burn AU, where Buck and Eddie have been married for years so Buck could adopt Chris and no one at the 118 knows.

In this chapter, as they hear more tidbits about where Buck might be and what state he is in, worry creeps in, but Bosko’s injury and LAFD protocol is stopping Eddie from finding Buck. Is this how Buck will slip through his fingers?

On AO3.

Ships: Buddie

Warnings: injury

~~~

Chapter 46: Following Orders

As Eddie processes Bobby’s words, he can suddenly understand Bosko’s aggression from earlier and the need to cuss him out extensively. “What the fuck do you mean, I’m off the field? That’s bullshit,” he demands much like Bosko had.

“Eddie,” Bobby levels him with a look, “the two of you are family. You’re partners on and off the field. You’re not going to be able to make rational decisions and it’s going to put people in danger. I can’t have that.”

“I’m not compromised,” Eddie seethes. “In fact, we had a whole internal investigation to see if me and Buck could work together. And guess what? We can. So, you can’t do shit right now, Cap.”

Bobby takes a calming breath, obviously trying not to lose his cool. “Yes, I can. You’re not acting rational right now, just like Bosko isn’t about her Captain. I can make judgment calls in the field and I’m making this one.”

“Like hell you are,” Eddie yells. “You’re not making me sit out when my husband is out there!”

“You have your son to worry about,” Bobby roars back, losing the fight against his temper.

“My son needs both his fathers,” Eddie shouts, not afraid of Bobby’s temper and more than ready to fight back.

“And he’s going to have none of his fathers if you don’t listen to me, Firefighter Diaz,” Bobby says forcefully, jabbing Eddie in the chest with his finger. “You’re gonna get yourself killed with the head space you’re in, then where will Chris be, huh?”

At that Chris bursts out in tears again, all the yelling and mentions of people dying getting to him as he sobs: “I don- I don- I don’t wan’ you or papi to die.”

“Look what you did,” Eddie glares at Bobby, before turning to Chris and rocking him gently as he shushes: “No one is going to die, mijo. We’ll find papi, yeah? We’ll find him.”

“Pinky promise?” Chris asks, holding up his pinky after he wiped at his face to clear the tears from it.

“Yeah, pinky promise,” Eddie says, intending to keep it. He sends Bobby a meaningful look, as if to say ���see, I pinky promised my kid, you can’t take me off the field now.’

Bobby sighs and goes for a reasonable voice when says: “Eddie, I’ll make sure everyone knows Buck is missing. The whole LAFD will be looking for him. We will find him. You just need to focus on Chris. Take these people and Bosko to the VA hospital and when we find Buck, you’ll be the first one to know.”

Eddie is gearing up to argue again, but Bosko is quicker. “You’re totally right, sir. We’ll do that.” It seems like Bobby finds her change of tune just as weird as Eddie, because he sends her a look. She elaborates: “Seeing Diaz, makes me realize how stupid I was.”

“What!” Eddie exclaims at her hypocrisy, but before he can go on, she elbows him in the side, shutting him up.

Bobby gives them a suspicious look and Bosko puts on an innocent expression he has never seen on her and never thought she’d be capable off. “I’m serious, Captain Nash. The adrenaline is wearing off and my ribs are hurting like a mother-” she glances to Chris “-uh, like a lot,” she corrects.

Chris has definitely heard fucker multiple times, in fact Eddie can still clearly recall him repeating a variation of the word with much gusto when Eddie first met Buck. The memory sends a stab through him and holds Chris a little tighter as he waits, curious to see what will happen now.

“And I can trust you to keep Eddie on track?” Bobby asks, clearly not buying it.

“Yeah, course, don’t worry,” Bosko assures him. “I got a lot of practice in Diaz wrangling when he was serving in my house. I can keep him out of trouble and get him to Sawtelle.”

“I wasn’t that bad,” Eddie says darkly. “And I don’t want to go to the VA hospital.”

“Eddie, shut up,” Bosko hisses. She almost never calls him Eddie. He’s pretty sure she has something planned, so he shuts up.

Bobby looks between them and quirks his brow. He sighs deeply and shakes his head, before giving Bosko a look. She nods back almost imperceptibly.

Then Bobby says: “Alright. I trust you two to escort these people to the VA hospital safely. I’m ordering you two to take them there, then stay there. If I find out that you two have disobeyed, I’ll have to take disciplinary action. Am I understood?”

There is something weird about his inflection, but Eddie can’t place his finger on it. However, Bosko is saying: “Understood, sir.” So he copies her, albeit a little more moodily. “Yeah, okay, Bobby.”

“Good,” Bobby gives them both a nod. “I’ll rendezvous with Chimney and Hen and leave you two in charge here. Don’t do anything stupid.”

With that he walks off. Eddie watches him go, before turning to the group of people in front of them, for whom they are now responsible. He doesn’t really know what to do. He knows he can’t just abandon these people to their fate, but he doesn’t want to let Chris go to help them, nor does he want to lead them to the VA hospital instead of spending that time looking for Buck.

“Is anyone too injured to walk?” Bosko calls out to the crowd. There is a negative response and she nods, before yelling: “Alright. Follow me.”

“What are you doing?” Eddie hisses. “You really agree with Bobby?”

“Of course not,” Bosko rolls her eyes. “I had to give him a reason to leave so we could go rogue and find Ronnie and Buck. He knows we’re not going to listen to him. Didn’t you hear how he said that?”

“No?” Eddie replies, confused.

“He has to take disciplinary action, if he finds out we disobeyed. If he doesn’t know, he doesn’t have to do anything, so he gave us a task away from him to a place he’s probably not going to be much today,” Bosko lays it out for him. “We bring these people to Sawtelle, then we come back out here to look.”

“Oh,” Eddie says, kinda dumbly, before grinning. “You’re a genius.”

“I keep trying to convince you, but you never listen, do you, Diaz?” Bosko grins back.

“Excuse me,” Marissa interrupts them. “The hospital is on Sawtelle?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“I know the way, I can take everyone, so you two can start looking,” she says. “I mean, I don’t know Ronnie, but Buck – if I heard the name right – saved us. If my husband was out here, I’d want to go look too. I’m sure everyone here will be more than fine to let you two go.”

The kindness of the offer overtakes Eddie, especially when more and more people start nodding, assuring the two of them that they can make it just fine. To go.

“What do you think, Superman?” Eddie asks Chris, bouncing him lightly. “Want to go look for papi together?”

“I do!” Chris cheers.

“Alright,” Eddie smiles.

Behind him, he hears Bosko say: “I think I can flag down some transport for you guys. Are you sure you’re going to be okay? Because we can go with you, before starting our search.”

“No, no, you go,” the other woman, who’d spoken earlier says.

“Yeah, Buck made sure we were okay, now we’d like to help him,” the man says.

“Thank you so much,” Eddie tells the group sincerely.

Marissa shakes her head: “No, thank you. And thank your husband from us when you find him.”

“I will,” Eddie promises, before it registers that they all think Buck is his husband-husband. It’s the first time someone assumed that since Eddie found peace with himself. It feels weirdly nice. Yet it saddens him deeply too.

Eddie holds so much love for Buck that even strangers can see it. However, he’s been leaving Buck behind, because he’s too scared for him to find out. It feels unfair, though he can’t pinpoint why.

He shakes his head. He doesn’t have time for this, for existentialism. They check the group over and take care the worst injuries, before they wave the group of people goodbye

Once they’re leaving, he turns to Chris, asking: “Can you tell me what clothes papi put on this morning? So I know what to look for?”

“Uh, he’s wearing pants and a white shirt with the red-pink shirt over it,” Chris answers.

It says a lot about how well Eddie knows Buck that he immediately knows what outfit Chris is talking about. “Good job, well done, thank you,” he praises Chris. “And the two of you went to the pier, before the water was gone, then to the fire engine, right?”

Chris nods. “Papi saved me. The water took me and I couldn’t hold onto the street light anymore, but he caught me and got me onto the fire engine. Then he saved everyone else. He said I helped, we’re a good team.”

At the recount, a wave of affection and love for Buck washes over Eddie. Even in the middle of a disaster, he’s still the best dad their kid could have wished for. He couldn’t have asked for a better partner.

However, right now he’s trying to retrace their steps, so they can figure out where Buck might have gone. So, he asks: “And what happened then?”

“The water started moving again and everything was shaking. Papi told me to hold on, because there were people in the water that needed saving, but then it shook really hard and I fell off. And I couldn’t see papi anywhere. I held onto the building there,” Chris points. “Then the water went down and I found you.”

Eddie looks in the direction Chris is pointing at. It’s a very generic direction downstream, but it’s a place to start. He nods: “Alright, then we’ll go look there first.”

“Lead the way,” Bosko speaks up, reminding him of her presence.

Surprised he looks over. He half expected her to already be gone. “You’re coming with us? What about Ronnie?”

“My plan had been to tag along with you and Bobby while looking for him as we went. Now it’s you and Chris, but the plan is the same,” Bosko shrugs. “Besides, I wasn’t lying when I said you looked stupid. Someone here has to make sure you don’t do anything too idiotic. I practically half promised your Captain too.”

“Can you believe that, mijo? Bosko thinks daddy needs supervision,” Eddie says mock indignantly, directing himself to Chris in the hope to cheer him up a bit.

Thankfully it has the intended effect, because Chris giggles at that. “But, daddy, you do need supervision.”

“Oh, really? And who told you that, huh?” Eddie asks, playing up his offense even more.

“Well, papi, Abuela, tía Pepa, Hen,” Chris lists.

“Okay, okay, I get it, I get it, you little rascal,” Eddie laughs, before swinging Chris onto his back so he’s easier to carry.

Without his crutches and with all this water, Chris is in no state to walk, but Eddie has no problem carrying him for as long as necessary. He’s not letting Chris out of his sight, not until their family is safely back together on dry land.

It’s slow going, however. Bosko’s broken rib makes wading through high water even more difficult than it already is, and despite the fact that they’re defecting, they are still firefighters in uniform, so people do ask them for help.

Since they are carrying Chris and seem to be going somewhere, they look busy enough that most people let them pass without comment. However, it does happen that Eddie needs to put Chris down for a moment – getting Bosko to hold his hand to prevent him from getting lost, since she can’t hold him with her broken rib – so he can help where necessary.

When Eddie picks Chris up after the third time they’ve stopped, he realizes Chris is shaking. It’s not a surprise, he’s absolutely soaked and has taken multiple dips in the cold sea water. He looks at Bosko and says: “We need to get him a blanket.”

Bosko nods, lips pursed. They have seen as much from Ronnie as from Buck. They’re both keeping their eye out for any sign of a uniform or pink shirt, but no luck yet.

She’s probably feeling about as disheartened as he does right now, so maybe the break from searching to find a blanket will help reset their mindset. They’ve already heard of some places handing out supplies from the few encounters they’ve had, so they change course to swing by the closest one.

It’s clearly a small place, set up by people from the area who’d been hit themselves, but are trying to do what they can. They look confused for a second when Bosko and Eddie arrive, since they likely assume firefighters would have supplies from outside the disaster zone. Eddie turns sideways, so they can see Chris, who is clinging to his back. “He needs something to warm him up,” Eddie explains.

Understanding dawns on the woman’s face, before she smiles gently and goes to reach for a blanket, while Eddie puts Chris down again, so he can take it and start figuring out how to organize it all.

When she turns back to them to hand them the blanket, she does a double take, before calling out to a man, who is sitting on a plastic chair a further down the wall: “Hey, Earl, wasn’t there that young lad looking for a boy in that outfit a while ago?”

Earl looks like he gets startled awake by the sudden shout, but looks over to the little crew of three, before his eyes fall on Chris. “The tall fella? Yeah, he looks pretty similar.”

“You saw Buck?” Eddie asks eagerly. This is the closest they’ve gotten in forever now.

“Well, I don’t know his name, but if he’s a tall man with the mark on his face looking for a little boy wearing that outfit with CP, yeah,” the woman says.

Eddie nearly drops his phone with how quick he gets it out, showing her the same picture he showed the other woman earlier. “Is this him?”

“Yeah, that’s him. Came to see if that boy had been here, but it was the wrong kid,” the woman says. “You missed him by an hour and a half. He went that way. You know him?”

“He’s my husband, this is our son,” Eddie explains, before confirming. “You said he went that way?”

The woman nods: “He did. The poor dear looked horrible. I says to Earl it’s a miracle that boy’s still walking, I did. Didn’t I, Earl?” Earl makes a vaguely agreeable sound. “He your husband? A mighty coincidence you finding your son out here, or were you together when it hit?”

“No, I came in later,” Eddie says, bypassing her coincidence comment. He would have believed it was coincidence on any other day, but now it feels like a sign; he has to find his husband. He has to bring their family back together. “Thank you so much for the blanket and the information.”

“Of course, of course, I hope you find him, he was a nice, polite young man,” the woman tells him.

“Me too,” Eddie says, before turning to Chris and saying: “Hear that, Superman. Papi was here. Come, I’ll wrap you up and we’ll go after him.”

“Yay,” Chris says half-muttering. His eyes are struggling to stay open, but he’s fighting the exhaustion with shivering.

Eddie bundles Chris in the blanket, fashioning it into a sized up sling, baby carrier thing, so he can carry Chris on his back without having to hold up his legs with his arms. While he does that, Bosko tries to see if they happened to see Ronnie too. That answer tragically remains no.

They thank the couple profusely, before setting on the path Buck followed an hour and a half ago, hoping they can catch up with him.

The further they go, the closer they seem to get and the more worried Eddie becomes. They encounter more and more people, who have seen Buck pass, most of them commenting on his help and the state of him, which had been horrid. All of them recognize Buck from the picture and they all correct their course, so they hone in on him more accurately.

He can’t imagine what kind of head space he must be in for him to go on with the way he’s looking to people. Eddie already knows he’s overexerting his leg, because most people noted him limping on his weak side. However, he also seemed exhausted to everyone, maybe even concussed. Why he’s not heading to a hospital, Eddie wouldn’t have understood, were it not for the fact that every single person tells them he’d been looking for Chris.

God, Eddie can’t imagine being in this mess and not knowing how Chris is or where he is, just that he’s somewhere out there.

Buck must be out of his mind with worry and pushing aside any sort of pain to focus on finding Chris. It only makes Eddie love him more, but he also feel so goddamn guilty. Chris said they’d been out here because Eddie hadn’t been home. Buck is out there, because Eddie wasn’t home. If he’d just been home, Buck would be okay right now. Chris would be okay, instead of sleeping off the exhaustion in the sling.

It’s his fault they were out here and it’s his fault that Buck is still out there. Maybe he couldn’t have asked for help, because most people broke their phone, but there are first responders all over. He could have asked them to radio Eddie, he knows he’s working today.

But Eddie’s radio hasn’t gone. Buck hasn’t called. He hasn’t called, because Eddie made him feel like he couldn’t. Like he had to do this alone. Eddie abandoned him and now Buck is hurting himself for their son.

He doesn’t know how much Eddie loves him, how much he trusts him, how much Buck means to him, even apart for all he’s done for Chris.

Fucking dammit, Eddie loves Buck for being Buck! And here the idiot is, trying to find Chris by himself instead of calling Eddie for help. They’re supposed to be a team, Eddie is supposed to have his back, but he hasn’t been.

Eddie needs to tell Buck that he can always count on him, that Eddie is still here for him, that he’s not going anywhere, no matter what happens. That Buck is important to him. That Buck is important, not just his co-parent, his partner at work and at home, but Buck. Buck his best friend, Buck the love of his life.

Without meaning to, he speeds up, determination washing over him to find Buck, before he works himself into an early grave.

“Wait up, Diaz,” Bosko gasps, clutching her side.

She’d been lagging and he’d been slowing down imperceptibly to accommodate without pointing it out. He knows Bobby had been right and that she shouldn’t have been out there, but he understands that she wants to be and he’s not going to be the one to send her away. Not when it still seems like they’re gaining ground on Buck.

However, with the setting sun, she’d been flagging more and more. There hasn’t been a sign of Ronnie anywhere and her breathing sounds very wrong now.

“You need to get to a hospital,” Eddie says, worried crease between his brows.

“No, I- I’m fine,” Bosko insists haltingly.

“Bosko, Lena, don’t-” Eddie doesn’t know how to go on, but he’s trying.

“I know, okay. I know,” Bosko says, returning his look with one of her own. “But I can’t just leave him out here.”

“If you keep going, it’s going to be the two of you out here,” Eddie points out to her, the words hurting him too, but he tries to give it a positive spin. “We’ve been out of contact with everyone for hours now. Maybe he’s been found. You can check the patient records while you’re there. I promise I’ll keep looking for him.”

Bosko looks torn, her side must hurt like a bitch, even worse than when she’d first admitted to having the injury. All the movement has been making it worse and she knows that as well as Eddie does.

“Come on, we’re so close, it’s in the same direction Buck went. I’ll take you there and if we hear news on the way, I won’t make you go,” Eddie sweetens the deal.

“Fine.” It sounds like it physically pains her to say that, but she’s reached the end of her rope. She can’t keep looking, no matter how badly she wants to.

“Thank you,” he says, because he knows what a sacrifice it is for her. She’s pushed through so much pain already, to give up now must sting.

“You too,” she shoots back with an exhausted smile.

They start walking again. It’s painfully slow, but Eddie isn’t about to leave a man behind, no matter how badly he wants to run, to catch up with Buck. He knows he needs his energy too. He has no clue what state Buck will be in when they find him. If he has to drag him to a hospital, he’ll need the energy. No use sprinting in a marathon.

To lighten the mood a little, he says: “Ironic, but I think the hospital we’re close to is the VA one on Sawtelle. Looks like we’re listening to Bobby’s orders after all.”

Bosko snorts, before groaning: “Ugh, don’t make me laugh, Diaz. That shit hurts.”

“Don’t swear in front of Chris,” Eddie scolds without really meaning it.

“I’ve heard you swear in front of Chris. Today even.” She gives him a look. “Besides, I’m pretty sure that the little guy is out like a light.”

Eddie can feel the consistent puffs of air against the back of his neck. It has been a great comfort all throughout the track, along with the fact that Chris is no longer shivering and starts to feel warm against his back. “It’s about the principle of the thing,” he sniffs anyway, just to play his bit.

“You’re a dick,” Bosko informs him.

“So you’ve said before,” Eddie grins, before letting a companionable silence fall. She looks more lively than a few minutes ago, which was the goal anyway.

Together, they make their way through the wet streets towards the VA hospital. They can spot it a few blocks away, since it’s the only place covered in lights, both brights and emergency ones. It looks like a haven.

Eddie hopes the haven won’t try to keep them for too long. He’s not going to make Bosko walk in there alone, but he still needs to find Buck. The last people they encountered that saw him were already quite some time away.

The longer he waits, the colder the trail will get. A reality where he won’t find Buck, is not one he wants to consider. The only reason he’s still somewhat sane, is that Buck is confirmed to be alive by eyewitness accounts.

He greets a nurse with a clipboard who is clearly part of the organization – trying not to immediately think of how gleeful Buck gets when he is handed a clipboard – with a: “Hey, my friend, she has a broken rib and she’s showing signs-”

“Can I get your names for the list, please?” the nurse asks.

“They have a list,” Bosko says excitedly. “Give me the list.”

“Excuse me!” the nurse frowns as Bosko tries to take the list from her.

Eddie stops her, saying: “That’s Lena, Lena Bosko. I’m Eddie Diaz, this is Christopher Diaz. Have you seen a Ronnie?”

“Ronnie Cooper,” Bosko adds. “Fire Captain, station 136?”

The nurse has to break the bad news, pulling a sympathetic face. “I haven’t. Head on inside and someone will be with you.”

Bosko nods, defeated and Eddie squeezes her shoulder reassuringly. They both turn to go their own way, when the nurse frowns: “Where are you going?” Both Bosko and Eddie pause in surprise at the question.

“Oh, I’m still looking for someone. Evan Buckley, he’s not on the list, right?” Eddie asks. Knowing Buck, he probably isn’t. That idiot won’t sign himself in when he hasn’t found Chris yet… though maybe he’s checking to see if someone brought Chris here. It’s not outlandish and suddenly he’s pretty interested in the answer.

“No, no Evan Buckley,” the nurse shakes her head. “But I can’t let you go either. First responders are collecting people at points like these so they can be evacuated. We don’t want people wandering out there, especially not in the dark.”

“I am first responders,” Eddie says, taken aback. He points to his uniform.

“What unit?”

“Uh, the 118, but we got separated.”

“Then you can wait until they come back, so you can rejoin. No going solo,” the nurse informs him.

“And you can leave the kid to be checked out. You can’t take him back out there.”

“Like hell I can’t! That’s my kid and it’s my husband. You can’t keep me here when he’s out there and injured,” Eddie frowns angrily.

The nurse crosses her arms: “And this is a natural disaster, Mr. Diaz. Everyone has people out there, but we’re working with a protocol to keep people safe. I can and will ask LAPD to restrain you, if you do not listen.”

Eddie looks back to who she’s indicating. Behind him, Athena is arriving from the darkness with a stretcher. The nurse seems smug, but Eddie just feels relief. “Athena!” he yells, just as Bosko exclaims: “Ronnie?”

~~

A/N:

Idk why I’m explaining myself, bc this is an AU, but I’m not following canon exactly, but I am keeping elements :D

Also sorry I haven’t been responding to comments as timely as I used to, but I got my thesis grade back and I passed!!! Like with a really good grade and I’m now set to graduate cum laude, so yay me. However, that also means I am now looking for a job, which is time consuming, so thanks for understanding <3

[ignoremyworld]

The one who got away

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Hawkins was never warm and sunny. Warm? Sometimes. Sunny? Barely. Both at the same time? Something is going on.

But despite everything, today was a really warm, very sunny day.

Steve woke up to a sweaty body and a very hot room. The whole reason he stayed in Hawkins was to avoid the scorching hot weather in other places.

He lets out a tired groan and throws the blankets off him, immediately going to open his window. The fresh cool breeze hitting his face as soon as the sliding glass window moves away from the wall. A sigh of relief can be heard from him as he lets himself relax in the winds path.

Groggily, he takes a step back, removing his sweat stained t-shirt and throwing it into the hamper. He makes a mental note to do laundry today as it’s getting full. Stepping into the bathroom, he takes a look at himself in the mirror, moving his hand up to scratch the stubble on his face that’s beginning to grow back.

He continues to strip his sweaty clothes off and steps into the shower, letting the water rinse the sleepiness off his body. As he’s showering he hears robins alarm go off, signaling that it’s time for her to start her workday.

Robin works from home, something with telemarketing maybe. Steve had some trouble listening to her ramble about her new job.

He steps out and shakes his head to get any excess water off of his face and hair. Like a dog after climbing out of the pool. He brushes his teeth, gets dressed, and heads downstairs for breakfast. Something easy, like eggs or cereal.

He’s got a big shift today. Working with some newfound celebrity that needs to film a music video. He always hated working with new stars. They were either too shy to tell him what they want or too cocky for him to understand what he needs to do. No inbetween.

His shift doesnt even start till one. But still, he wants to get ready and be prepared for the worst.

By the time one’o’clock rolls around, Steve is still dreading his shift. But no matter how he feels, he needs to start, it’s how he makes money to feed him and the gremlins.

He enters the camera room and sees a few people. A bigger curly haired man with a shirt saying “lamb of god” another curly haired guy wearing a flannel and a shirt that says “descendants” and a girl with bright purple hair tied into a ponytail and wearing a long black layered dress.

He starts off by introducing himself “hey guys my name is Steve I’ll be your photographer today. Are there any more people coming?” He says with a little wave

The three strangers turn to him and the two guys give each other a look. Something Steve can’t recognize. He lingers on it until the girl speaks up.

“Yeah we’re missing two people, they’re on their way but they said traffic is slow” she says, grabbing a blue electric bass out of a guitar case.

“Cool, okay. There’s snacks and drinks up for grabs in the fridge over there, help yourself. I’ll be right back.” Steve tells the three, (that he’s nicknamed the trio just to make things easier for himself)

He walks to the back and plops himself down on the couch, pulling out his phone and beginning to write a text to Robin.

“Steve-o” ‘These people remind me of that dnd group the kids were in while in highschool. It’s weird’

“Birdie” ‘how so? Like looks?’

“Steve-o” ‘yeah’

Steve closes his phone when he hears other people enter the room, walking down the hall, he hears a familiar voice, something in him sparks when the voice speaks. Like it’s something he’s been missing.

He enters the room and begins to introduce himself once more “hi, I’m Steve, I’ll…be…your…” he trails, seeing the voice he apparently missed so much

The tall, curly haired, tattooed man turns around “hey Stevie”

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Okay what do we think of this? Do you want another part or do you want to just make an idea of what happens next. Even so, I might make a second part if I’m still motivated to write.

I also want to make a name for the few fans I have, if you have any ideas please lmk!

As always constructive criticism and feedback is always appreciated! Love ya!

[marscantread7]

Bp Xavier thoughts😛😛😛 mdni😕😕😕

Anyways! Thinking abt Xavier and u js minding ur own business, watching a movie and like, it starts off innocent. U guys hold hands, and scoot closer together. Maybe the hand holding turns into a hug, and maybe that turns into cuddling, and maybe that turns into soft kisses that js start becoming harder and harder, more sloppy as time passes by. Next thing u know, Xavier's under u, begging u to slow down as u rub ur cunts together, he's so wet and shaky, body twitching as he grasps onto ur shirt, when all of a sudden the door slams open, and u jump off of him, falling off the couch, both of u screaming as u look towards the door.

"SYLUS?"

"ONICHYNUS GUY?"

And Xavier looks at u scandalized! "U know him by first name basis?!"

And ur at a loss of words bc, "Everybody in the association does??? Xavier did u not- how do u know he's w/ Onychinus- nevermind. I didn't even know this was gonna happen??? He never told me he was coming over."

"Kitten, when do I ever warn u abt me coming over?" And Xavier js looks to the side mouthing 'kitten???' Before turning back to Sylus.

"We were in the middle of smth."

"I'm well aware. I heard ur pathetic moans loud and clear Lumiere."

"You told him I'm Lumiere???"

"I didn't even know he knew of u???"

And Sylus js rolls his eyes, taking a seat on the table in front of the couch, waving his hand. "Well, don't let me stop u, continue what u were doing."

"Idek u, what makes u think I'm gonna let u watch me have sex?"

"Well, u can leave, and I can take ur place."

"???????"

And u js sigh, finally sitting up and looking between the two men.

"Xavi, would it be better if we were covered by a blanket." And all u got was a shrug in return. U alr know why Xavier's so hesitant... it took him long enough to come clean abt having a cunt to u, and suddenly he has to decide whether he should expose that to the leader of Onychinus of all people.

"I alr know abt ur little... secret. U really should get curtains for ur place, I've seen u fuck that pussy of urs on that pathetic dildo more times than I can count, always begging for more. So greedy hm? Wishing it was bigger, warmer, like the real thing, right? I'll give u what u want if u let her finish u off."

Xavier looked at Sylus, jaw wide, before looking to u. He js looked back and forth between the two of u, utterly confused. Maybe he really should invest in some curtains, bc that's js embarrassing. Making up his mind, he looks at Sylus, determined.

He settles on, "U can watch... js... no touching me. I'll leave when we're done, and u guys can have ur fun."

"Who's to say I don't want u to stay and watch us?" Sylus is quick to refute, and Xavier shoots a glare at him.

"Why would I want to stay and watch u fuck her?"

"Do u really want me to answer that, bunny?"

"Bunny???"

But before Sylus can speak again, ur on Xavier, pinning him down before settling urself over him. He goes to speak, but ur quick to cover his mouth.

"No more speaking, Xavi. Js let me get u off, okay? Then ur free to do whatever." And that earns u a quick nod, wide blue eyes staring up at u.

U quickly sink down, moaning as ur wet cunts come into contact, the sound absolutely sinful. Xavier grips onto the couch, bucking his hips into urs, and u quickly shut that down, telling him to stay still.

"Js relax and take it like a good bunny," u hear Sylus groan, looking over and seeing him stroking his dick. "Pretty boys like u shouldn't have to put in any work."

U felt Xavier's pussy quiver under urs as he looked over at Sylus, letting out a cry at the sheer size of that cock. He needed it, and he needed it NOW.

U js rolled ur eyes, grinding down harder w/ a groan, cursing under ur breath as ur clit caught onto his, making him twitch under u. U could tell he was close as he started to tremble, once again on the brink of an orgasm. He clutched onto ur shirt, throwing his head back, moans getting higher and higher, hips twitching into urs. He fell apart so beautifully under u, so sensitive to any touch on his little clit.

When he finally came, u watched as his eyes rolled to the back of his head, constant praise falling from his lips, but u weren't done. U weren't stopping until u came too.

"Wait, wait- It's sensitive!" He gasped, pushing at u, but u js grabbed his hands, pinning them on the arm of the couch, earning another groan from Sylus.

"We're not stopping until I get to cum on this sloppy cunt of urs. I'm so close Xavi, js a little more my sweet prince."

On the side of u both, Sylus js kept stroking his dick, moaning occasionally as he watched u scissor Xavier until u finally came. He stroked a few more times before he finally finished as well, the room filled w/ the sound of everyone's panting as u all tried to catch ur breath.

U were abt to get up, when suddenly the soft sound of snoring filled ur ears, looking down to see Xavier passed out under u, and ur confused. U try to shake him awake, but to no avail.

"When u get a UTI from not peeing, I don't wanna hear it😕😕😕" this caused a laugh to ring out from Sylus, as u both looked at e/o.

"As much as I'd love to, I'm pretty tired too."

"That's all u, sweetie. I can js leave, or we can carry him to ur room and all go to sleep?"

"Sounds great actually."

"Perfect!"

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

Lowkey hella disappointed in this and hate it and it's gotta be the worst thing I've written yet, but enjoy!!! I've been wanting to write abt bp Xavier and the reader scissoring and getting walked in on by Sylus since forever!!! But I js never did. Hope u enjoy, this could be 10x better though. Again, also sorry for not spelling everything out, I'm js lazy😕😕😕

[akookminsupporter]

https://www.tumblr.com/akookminsupporter/774617578661445632?source=share

Your tags on this post speak to me so much! I'm not a shipper but obviously I'm very interested in Jikook's dynamic which is why I'm here. And I'm so sick of coming across videos about Jikook that are embarrassingly slowed down accompanied with unnecessary commentary from the editor of the video. Like sweety, there's no reason to do that. Of all the ships in Bangtan, Jikook is genuinely the least one that ever needed "analyses" on all that nonsense because 99% of the things those two say or convey to each other are clear for anyone who uses their brain to see and really don't need any analyzing.

Just the other day on Instagram, I came across that cute video of JK watching Jimin cry on stage and you can just *see* how it's affecting him, so much so that at the end of Jimin's speech he decides to go to him and comfort him when it's obvious he initially planned to stay where he is. It's like his body reacted on its own.

But here's this delusional ass shipper putting commentary on the video like "nah I don't care my Jiminie needs me" the moment you see JK act on his emotions. Like I really don't know if that's just me but it annoys the shit out of me. And I just can't help but argue all the time with Jikookers about it and of course they call me an anti-Jikooker or Taekooker cosplaying as a Jikooker in response.

Yes, I can share your overall views about something and still call you delusional in how you talk about it. Thinking you're delusional doesn't mean I'm saying you're delusional about believing your ship being real, just in how you behave about those beliefs (don't know if I'm making sense here but I hope you get what I'm trying to say)

That moment is one of the most beautiful (and very underrated by Jikook shippers, might I add) moments between Jimin and Jungkook and it SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. Anybody with eyes and well-functioning brain would look at it and think "oh it really hurts him to see that one cry, oh there he goes to comfort him and tries to cheer him up" WITHOUT someone inserting thought bubbles on their heads in the video, God help me🤦🏾‍♀.

I'm sorry but it's giving Taekooker. The ships that need slow-mo, red arrows, thought bubbles, moments taken out of context and all that exaggerated analysis video jazz are the ones who have absolutely zero to show when the content is real and unedited. Jikook has never been one of those ships. Y'all need to get a grip.

Anyway, I absolutely love the clip you shared. I know the way Jungkook looks at Jimin is considered one of those cliché reasons many Jikookers have used to express why they believe in them. But it's my number one favourite thing about them idc. Jimin is so beautiful, inside and out - one of the most beautiful people to ever bless this world with their existence. But when you look at him through Jungkook's eyes, it's as if he becomes even more so.

I have the exact same problem with Jikookers but on TikTok. My God, that place is a nest of misinformation and delusion. And it’s so annoying because there’s just no need for it. There’s no need to slow down videos to “prove” something that isn’t there. No need to slow down videos to hear voices or things that don’t exist. And absolutely no need to claim that some random person in the background of a video was one of them just because they were wearing black or white and had a hat or a beanie. And it’s definitely not necessary to insist that Jimin was in Qatar with Jungkook.

I'm sorry but it's giving Taekooker. The ships that need slow-mo, red arrows, thought bubbles, moments taken out of context and all that exaggerated analysis video jazz are the ones who have absolutely zero to show when the content is real and unedited. Jikook has never been one of those ships.

I completely agree with you.

If that reason is cliché, then I’m the most cliché fan in the world LOL. Every time I see a clip of Jungkook looking at Jimin like that, I just imagine him thinking: Damn, he’s way too cute. aajajajajajajaj.

[remeberm3]

scarf | k.m

⎯⎯“Because I’d rather be cold than watch you shiver.”

warnings: fluff

Klaus Mikaelson did not give things.

He took. He claimed. He possessed.

The world was his for the taking, and he had spent centuries wrapping his fingers around everything he desired—land, power, blood, vengeance. A selfish man by nature, a conqueror by instinct.

And yet.

Tonight, he gave you his scarf.

༊*·˚

It had been an unseasonably cold night, the kind that curled its way into your bones, sharp and relentless. The streets of the city glittered with the aftermath of rain, lamplight catching on the damp pavement like spilled stardust.

You hadn’t dressed for the chill. You never did, stubborn thing that you were, forever underestimating the bite of winter.

You had brushed off his concerns earlier, waving a dismissive hand when he told you to bring a coat. And now?

Now you were shivering.

Klaus noticed, of course.

He always noticed.

You tried to be discreet about it, stuffing your hands into your pockets, hunching your shoulders against the wind. But it was no use. He knew you too well, could read you too easily.

And so, without a word, he unwrapped the scarf from around his neck.

The fabric was soft, the kind of luxury that whispered of old money and old habits. It smelled like him—like cedarwood and aged whiskey, like something ancient and endless.

Before you could protest, he draped it around you, tugging it snugly against your skin.

“Better?” he murmured, voice low, rough with something unreadable.

You blinked up at him, caught off guard. “You—”

“Yes, yes,” he drawled, ever the picture of impatience. “I know. I don’t share.” He tilted his head, eyes gleaming. “And yet, here we are.”

You touched the scarf lightly, fingers brushing over the place where it still held the warmth of his body. “You’ll freeze,” you pointed out, as if he of all people could be affected by the cold.

Klaus huffed a quiet laugh, shaking his head. “Darling, I have endured a thousand winters. I think I’ll manage.”

You hesitated. “Why?”

His lips twitched, as if amused by the question.

He could have said it was nothing. That it was simply practical. That it was easier than listening to you complain.

But instead, he leaned in, voice dropping to something softer, something meant just for you.

“Because I’d rather be cold than watch you shiver.”

༊*·˚

Later, you tried to return it.

Of course you did.

You thought you were being clever about it, sneaking into his study and draping the scarf over the back of his chair, thinking he wouldn’t notice.

Foolish.

You might as well have tried to slip something past a wolf’s nose.

Klaus walked in not five minutes later, spotted the scarf immediately, and let out a slow, exaggerated sigh.

“Really, love?”

You feigned innocence. “What?”

He gestured broadly. “This.”

“It’s your scarf,” you reminded him.

“Yes, and I gave it to you.”

“Temporarily.”

“Indefinitely.”

You crossed your arms. “I don’t need it.”

Klaus narrowed his eyes. “Do you truly believe that, or are you just being insufferable for sport?”

“… Bit of both.”

His gaze swept over you, assessing, as if weighing his options. Then, with the kind of dramatic exasperation only he could pull off, he yanked the scarf off the chair, stepped forward, and personally wound it back around your neck.

“There,” he murmured, fingers lingering a second too long against your collarbone. “Problem solved.”

You scowled up at him. “You can’t just decide things like that.”

“I can. I have. I will.”

You sighed, gripping the ends of the scarf. “You’re impossible.”

“And yet, you adore me.”

You rolled your eyes, but the warmth in your cheeks betrayed you.

Klaus smirked, smug as anything. “That’s what I thought.”

༊*·˚

The weeks passed.

And slowly—inevitably—the scarf became yours.

Not in name, not in spoken agreement, but in practice.

It lived in your wardrobe, draped over the back of your chair, wrapped around your shoulders on chilly evenings. It absorbed your scent, carried traces of your perfume, belonged to you as much as anything ever could.

Klaus never asked for it back.

Not once.

And if he looked a little too pleased whenever you wore it?

If his gaze lingered, if his lips curled into something unbearably soft when he caught sight of you wrapped up in it?

Well.

That was his secret to keep.

༊*·˚

One night, as you stood before the fireplace, basking in the warmth, Klaus approached from behind.

You felt him before you saw him, the shift in the air, the way your body recognized his before your mind even caught up.

He reached out, fingers brushing the scarf where it rested against your collarbone.

You turned slightly, meeting his gaze. “What?”

Klaus studied you, eyes flickering with something unreadable. Then, quietly, he said:

“I should have given you something sooner.”

You tilted your head. “You’ve given me plenty.”

He hummed, but shook his head. “Not like this.”

Not freely. Not willingly. Not without expecting something in return.

This—this was different.

You reached up, fingers grazing his.

“Then give me something now.”

Klaus’s breath hitched, so quiet you barely caught it.

His hand slid lower, fingers brushing over your wrist, tracing the lines of your pulse—not to take, not to claim, but simply to feel.

You thought he might kiss you.

Instead, he leaned in, voice barely above a whisper.

“I already have.”

And as his arms wound around you, as he buried his face against your hair, as his hold tightened like you were something precious—

You realized he hadn’t just given you his scarf.

He had given you himself.

even more fluff fics <3

[eternallia]

𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐬, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 (𝐦)

albedo x fem!reader

➽ fandom: genshin impact

➽ genre: mild angst (with happy ending), eventual smut, eventual fluff

➽ summary: After a painful breakup, you haven’t been the same. He left you shattered, unable to move on—but Albedo was there. He wanted to help, and maybe, he could.

➽ tags & warnings: infidelity (not from albedo), explicit language, lots of alchemy stuff, slow burn, self-doubt, healing and self discovery, porn with plot (or more like plot with porn), smut: praising, teasing, breast play, cunnilungus, fingering, rough sex, pet names, unprotect sex, albedo changes when he has sex

➽ word count: 14k

note: after three years i finally wrote something again. sorry in advance, there's a lot of alchemy talk and stuff and i'm not an expert haha. still, i hope you like it!

The air in Dragonspine was frigid and biting, and the sound of the wind resonated with the walls of the campsite. Tears streaked down your cheeks, and they wouldn’t stop no matter how hard you tried. Months had passed since the truth came out, yet your heart refused to move on.

There was a time when you were the happiest. Every aspect of your life was in order, and all the time you spent working hard was finally rewarding you. That changed when a particular person disrupted your sense of self and brought chaos into your life.

You once felt loved, cherished, adored… It all crumbled when he confessed his lies and betrayal, and your world shattered.

So many women were his one and only, and only his sheets knew the depth of his deceits. He only confessed after his lover got pregnant and he had to wed her.

Months later, you looked at the mirror and wondered when you had let yourself go. You used to be perceptive; you were smart, and you never allowed feelings to cloud your thinking.

Yet, where had that perceptive side of you gone?

You couldn’t remember the moment when you became so naive. All those lies, the half-truths, the changes, and his sudden distance were now crystal clear to you. Even so, you didn’t notice them when they were happening. Why?

Your past self would have never made this dumb mistake. There was a reason you were one of the assistants of the Chief Alchemist and Captain of the Investigation of the Knights of Favonius. Working for him was the biggest honor and compliment towards you and your work performance since Albedo rarely allowed himself to spend time with people.

“Wake up, y/n.” You mumbled to yourself while you cleaned your wet cheeks with a handkerchief.

While reorganizing the mess you made on the desk, you came across the cause for your emotional breakdown: your ex’s letter. After admitting his betrayal, he begged you to forgive him and tried to convince you that you still could be together. There was no explanation as to why he thought that was possible, and despite your continuous rejections and refusals to see or talk to him, he wouldn’t give up.

That’s the reason why you had his letter. He delivered a letter every single day to your workplace. Days like today, when you would work in Dragonspine, he would make sure you got them one way or another. 

He had no shame. He lied, he cheated, and he took you for granted. Every single person in Mondstadt knew what he did to you, and he still had the audacity to beg for you to listen to him, to give him another chance.

You took the letter in your hands and read it one last time. Holding the letter over the candle’s flame, you watched the corner catch fire and begin to burn.

Wouldn’t it be good if the fire could burn your sadness too?

With one last look at the letter, you threw it away and let it burn. The wind would take care of the ashes, not you.

Albedo could arrive at any moment, and you needed to arrange the campsite so he could continue with his research. Moreover, you needed to fix yourself so he wouldn’t notice your emotional state. No matter how much trust you had in the chief, you will never forgive yourself if you disappoint him.

“Where did I leave my notebook?” You mumbled, deciding to finally focus on your job. 

Little did you know, Albedo had been watching you for a while. He had arrived some moments after you began crying and decided to wait until your emotional state improved before entering the campsite. He thought it would be best to not let his presence be known, but for some reason he remained close and observed how your inner turmoil destroyed your emotional stability.

He understood that tears were a response from the lacrimal glands, usually provoked by intense injuries or emotions. He noticed the redness surrounding your eyes, a clear indication that you had been crying. Albedo had known you for a long time, and he had never seen you display such behavior. As his assistant, you had experienced various injuries from experiments or attacks, yet none had affected you like this.

This wasn’t a reaction caused by an injury; this was a deep emotional wound.

Albedo has witnessed people consumed in sadness before, but your tears resonated with him more deeply. Is it because he truly cares about your well-being, or is it because of the rarity and discomfort of seeing you in such a vulnerable state?

You were his assistant, and along with Sucrose, you were the only one capable of working alongside him. Over the years, you have proved not only your amazing assisting skills but also that you were an outstanding alchemist. Sometimes, even Albedo was pleasantly surprised at your capabilities.

Even if you didn’t notice it, Albedo had a very high and positive opinion of you.

He wasn’t oblivious to the recent events in your personal life; every time he visited Mondstadt, he could hear the whispers of citizens who openly discussed the details of your ex’s affairs. And even if you tried to hide it from him, he understood how challenging it was for you to move on with your life.

You have always been capable, reliable, and diligent. To see you undone like this was beyond his comprehension. It unsettled him.

Moments after you finished cleaning your mess and arranging the tools and materials Albedo was going to use for today’s work, you heard footsteps approaching the campsite. 

You looked up and saw him walking toward you.

“Good morning.” He greeted nonchalantly, “I see you’re already at work.”

“Good morning, Mr. Albedo. I just finished organizing the materials.” You tried to not look at him so he wouldn’t see your eyes, but you just couldn’t hide yourself from him.

Albedo, the Chief Alchemist, was an enigmatic man, just what one would expect from someone in such a prestigious position. His teal eyes had a sharpness that seemed to see through everything and everyone, including you. He was precise, calm, and methodical—qualities you once found intimidating but now respected. Handsome too, in an almost otherworldly way. 

There was a time your eyes lingered a little too long on the curve of his smile, many years back. 

He was your mentor and colleague, the person you admire the most.

Still, you panicked when your eyes met. And you just knew he saw the redness in your eyes.

“Did something happen?” Albedo politely inquired as he walked towards his desk, searching for his research notebook.

“Oh, it’s nothing. I've just had a lot on my mind lately.” You said, attempting to deflect the question in hopes he wouldn’t press for more.

“I see.” Albedo acknowledged as he grabbed a pen to begin his notes. Though you couldn't see it, a faint show of concern was etched on his brow.

You let out a sigh of relief, hoping he wouldn't pry further. You weren’t sure if he didn’t notice your emotional state or just decided to ignore it, but you were grateful for the lack of comments.

Albedo observed what you had prepared on the alchemist’s table and looked over the notes of the experiment. Everything was properly organized and ready to use, just as always. The only difference was a barely visible wet patch, proof of your earlier cry. He thought the wisest thing to do would be to keep quiet about it.

“Let’s start with the samples of the Frostglaze Crystals; let’s see what kind of information we can discover by analyzing its components.”

“Understood, Mr. Albedo.”

And so you began your experiment of the day. Recently, a group of adventurers decided to participate in an expedition to the depths of The Chasm. There were doubts of their success, but they surprised everyone with their return. Some of the members of the expedition worked in the Investigation Team of The Knights of Favonius and gave many samples and materials to the team. As the chief, Albedo decided to do some research on some of them.

As the experiment progresses, you are in charge of measuring and checking the ingredients, taking notes of everything, and handing Albedo everything he needs. He ordered; you did it. He needed something; you delivered. It was a mechanical process you had already mastered in your years working at his side.

But it seemed like today wasn't your day.

You were nervous, and your mind occasionally wandered to memories of your ex or the contents of the letter he sent you today. For some reason, you had managed to help Albedo directly so he could focus on his task, but more than once you forgot to write down information about the experiment.

Focus, y/n. You need to focus.

The results of this experiment could be a chance to discover its original form, and with it, its origins. You couldn’t make any mistakes. 

So why did your mind keep remembering when your ex ventured to Dragonspine—without a vision—to bring you your bag of supplies you had forgotten in his house the night prior? His legs trembling, his rapid breathing, and his shocked expression after barely escaping from a Hilichurl. 

You had never felt so scared, but so taken care of at the same time. He seemed so devoted to you. He was so caring. But your heart broke a little more when you did the math and realized he was already lying to you that time.

With a wobbling lip and your vision clouding, you failed to see that you poured too much of the aetherial distillate in the flask, and it overflowed. The crystal-clear liquid fell onto the open bottle of Luminis Essence and provoked an uncontrollable emission of colored smoke. You involuntarily inhaled the smoke and felt a burning sensation in your nose that caused you to cough violently. 

You didn't even have time to react before Albedo quickly took control.

He neutralized the smoke by encapsulating the flask with geo crystals and moving it outside of the campsite. The remaining smoke quickly disappeared with the help of Dragonspine’s winds. 

“Mistakes happen. There’s nothing that can’t be fixed.” Albedo said in a calm tone, almost soothing, when he returned to the campsite.

Yet you didn’t believe it. What if that smoke put your health at risk? In all your years working as an alchemist, you have never messed up this bad. What was worse, you had never committed a mistake in front of Albedo, never. And now, you had luck; it was just smoke. What if it was an explosion? What would you have done if there had been an explosion? What would have happened if you had ruined the experiment?

This wasn’t like you.

There must be something wrong with you.

“I’m very sorry, Mr. Albedo…” Your voice was shaking, and your hands trembled. “I should’ve been more careful. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” Tears welling up in your eyes.

Albedo remained silent for a few seconds, which made you feel worse than you already did. Then he finally spoke.

“Perfection doesn’t exist, particularly in alchemy. Errors are not only unavoidable but also part of the process. And often, these so-called ‘mistakes’ produce extraordinary outcomes.” His voice was soft and comforting.

For a second time in the day, there were tears streaming down your cheeks. You wanted them to stop, to hide them from Albedo, but you couldn’t do it. The disappointment swelling in your chest was a reminder of your failures—to Albedo, to your work, and most importantly, to yourself.

“You’ve been going through a complicated period in your life; don’t blame yourself for being human.” Albedo reassured gently, but it did little to soothe your guilt.

You sobbed while hearing his words. Albedo stood by your side, offering consolation, and you found yourself torn between chastising yourself for needing his comfort and wholeheartedly enjoying it. Little did you know, those words were what you needed to hear.

“I’m so, so sorry.” You managed to say between sobs, your tears blurring Albedo’s face.

He remained silent. Albedo turned his back on you and began cleaning the workstation and conceded some time to yourself, which you spent trying to calm yourself down. His mind raced with thoughts about what had just happened and what he should do now. You have been struggling internally and keeping everything from him, which makes him cautious about what he says. For some reason, he dislikes the situation.

After what felt like an eternity, you finally managed to compose yourself. As Albedo meticulously organized and cleaned all the remains of the Frostglaze Crystal and your disaster, his movements were purposeful but silent.

“Why…?” You sniffled. Albedo raised his gaze to look at you. “Did I ruin the experiment?” You would never forgive yourself if you had done that.

“We will continue another time.” It was all he said about it, and before your mood soured once again, he continued. “There’s something more important we need to do, and I need your assistance.”

Confused, you approached the desk in which Albedo was placing some papers with some sketches and notes. You haven’t heard anything from him about a new research or experiment. In fact, you usually were the one who managed those things. Perhaps Albedo forgot to mention this experiment to you.

Albedo’s eyes glinted with excitement as he declared, “There’s an idea I had for a few months that I would like to develop.” Albedo glanced up from the desk that was now full of papers filled with different types of information and drawings.

“I want to create a new catalyst.” He continued. You inhaled sharply at what he said, astonished at what he said, but remained quiet and let him continue. “One that draws elemental energy more efficiently to the wielder. To achieve this, we must conduct extensive research, find the proper materials, and fully understand the science behind elemental flow.”

Albedo revealed his notes scattered across the desk, showcasing various minerals, metals, gems, and sketches of potential catalysts. It was one of the most ambitious ideas you had ever encountered.

It was no secret that Albedo was an ambitious man when talking about alchemy and what he desired to discover. Although the main goal for his continuous research remained a mystery, he always sought to uncover every single thing in Teyvat in order to find the truth he so desperately wanted.

However, creating a catalyst, an object whose mechanism was already well-defined, was not something you ever anticipated to do in your time as Albedo’s assistant.

No matter how you reacted to this situation, you were sure you did it wrong.

“That’s where you come in.” Albedo declared, his eyes still looking at you. 

You blinked in surprise, unsure if you had heard correctly. 

“What do you mean by that…?” Your voice faltered. There was no way he would want you in such a challenging project; you must have misinterpreted what he said. 

“I have worked alongside you long enough to see your capabilities and conclude your skills will be invaluable for this project.” He explained, his expression serene, contrasting sharply with your racing heart.

“You must be mistaken… Just a few minutes ago I was one substance away from creating a hazard.” He must have forgotten; it would explain why he was asking you this.

Albedo frowned at your words, and you almost regretted what you said. “I don’t appreciate the suggestion that I’m wrong when I’m not.” He said firmly. “I wouldn’t have invited you to participate if I didn’t believe in your abilities.” His gaze was unwavering. 

“I—” It was difficult to articulate an answer after that. “I’m sorry.”

You weren’t sure if your poor apology was directed to his words or to the lack of an appropriate answer.

However, could he really ignore your previous error and the disappointing performance you had in the past months? Although today was the first time you were at fault for committing such a mistake, you were sure you had been working poorly in comparison to the months prior to your breakup. Even though he kept quiet about it, you knew he noticed.

In your current state, it was difficult for you to understand why he had such a high opinion of you. If he needed support, Sucrose would be a much better option. Despite both of you being Albedo’s assistants, you took on a more administrative role while she often shared the same curiosity to experiment like Albedo did.

Albedo looked at you as you directed your gaze to the floor, shoulders slumped and fingers fidgeting. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, regretting his words.

Albedo took the sketch of an already existing catalyst and showed it to you. “This would be our starting point. We are not looking to create a catalyst from zero but a new type that is capable of enhancing the energy output and, if possible, autonomy. Alchemy should make it more efficient for the wielder’s elemental power.” 

It made sense to you. Creating a catalyst wouldn’t achieve anything besides a self-sense of accomplishment for understanding the mechanisms it had to function as a channel of elemental energy. Albedo’s purpose for this project would be to improve the already existing mechanisms for better performance or, ambitiously, infuse autonomous abilities.

“Exactly.” Albedo agreed with a subtle smirk. The sudden sound of his voice startled you; you didn’t notice you were speaking out loud.

You felt your cheeks heat up at the satisfied look Albedo gave you.

“Have you started this project already? Do you have a concept model?” 

“No, all of this here is already existing information of other catalysts and materials used for their fabrication. The idea I shared with you is something I had in my mind; maybe I have some notes in my notebook but nothing else.”

You hummed in response. Perhaps that was the reason why you hadn’t heard about this before.

You walked towards the desk to look at the information gathered. Crystal cores would help to stabilize the energy source, and the Cor Lapis could work as a solid base of the structure.

“The Whopperflower Nectar could help as an organic conductor of energy flow.” Albedo suggested while handing you a paper full of descriptions of the priorities of the nectar. 

You leaned in to grab the paper, and your shoulders brushed Albedo’s arm. Both of you noticed but remained quiet and continued discussing the possible components of the catalyst.

“So… What do you think?” Albedo asked. He meant if you were going to participate in this project. 

You were nervous, and there was a small amount of fear of you failing again. Due to the lies you discovered about your past relationship months after they happened, you didn’t trust yourself the way you used to. As a researcher, it hit you hard knowing you were incapable of figuring out the deceptions of your ex. Even though your job and your personal life were not related, you still view your situation as a consequence of your own uselessness.

Still, this project awakened something in you you hadn’t felt in a long time. Eagerness. 

You hesitated, a little unsure about your answer. “It sounds…challenging.”

“That’s the point. We’ll work through it together.” He encouraged; his eyes gleamed with excitement.

After a few seconds of silence, you finally nodded. “All right, let’s do it.” Your heartbeat drummed loudly.

For the past few days, you had been working on the project of designing a catalyst with Albedo. It seemed inefficient to continue working at the campsite in Dragonspine. It was Albedo’s favorite location to do his research since it provided the commodity only the lack of people could offer: quietude. However, for a project that promised extensive research and long work hours, constantly traveling to Dragonspine would be too tiresome and time-consuming.

As a result, Albedo and you settled in working in one of the alchemy labs inside of the Knights of Favonius Headquarters. It was the Chief Alchemist’s personal lab, one of the perks Albedo had as the chief. It was a big room, with bookshelves lined with tomes and research notes, a massive central worktable with a cauldron in the center, and some vials and scrolls.

The room was full of useful tools such as tubes, glass beakers, mortars, and pestles on every single surface you could see. However, you could still see Albedo’s influence in the lab. There were sketches pinned on the walls, some of formulas, others of Mondstadt and Dragonspine’ landscapes. You could even see some small wooden figurines in some corners.

As you progressed in your project, the space cluttered with the results of your research. Despite your excitement about the possibility of holding the end result of your work, there were steps that needed to be followed in order to achieve your final goal. First, you needed to conclude the theoretical outline of the catalyst. You were also doing some rough sketches and deciding the components it will have.

Over the course of this first step, your eagerness to work on the project grew each day, a rare spark of excitement that felt different from any other research. Yet, there was a lingering uncertainty that clung to you. Every time you made a move, you questioned yourself if you were truly capable of doing this. And no matter how much you wanted to believe otherwise, the hesitation never fully faded.

“Could you show the research log, please?” Albedo asked and extended his hand to you, waiting for it while his eyes were busy reading a scroll.

“Of course, here it is.” 

Knights of Favonius Alchemical Research Log

Project Lead: Albedo

Research Assistant: Y/N

Project Title: Development of an Advanced Alchemical Catalyst

Lab Location: Knights of Favonius HQ—Alchemy Division

1. Research Objective

To create a catalyst infused with stabilized alchemical energy to enhance elemental control and efficiency.

To ensure the catalyst is safe, durable, and responsive to the wielder’s energy signature.

The following was a record of all the important information needed to proceed successfully with this research. Albedo put you in charge of documenting everything that will be fundamental for this, so you had been doing an exhausting research of all the materials and methods to use, hypothesizing the results, and substantiating the theory behind your project.

Albedo took the log from your hands. At some points of the day, he would read what you added to it and add his opinions.

“Looks good.” He acknowledged while returning you the log. “What did you gather about the materials to use for the core and frame?” 

“It seems that Noctilucous Jade, Crystal Marrow, and Cor Lapis are the best initial candidates, but we still need to test them.” 

“Explain.”

“The Noctilucous Jade reacts to elemental energy and has the potential to stabilize it, the Crystal Marrow increases the strength and toughness of metals, and the Cor Lapis could offer reinforcement to the frame due to its durability.” 

Something that once was like a conversation between Albedo and you now made you feel apprehensive. There was this fear of forgetting what you were supposed to say or confusing the different answers in your head. Albedo was an expert alchemist; he could notice if you mistook condensate with concentrate.

If the questions become more difficult, would you be able to answer them?

“Where are the samples for the tests?” He raised his gaze and looked directly at you, his teal eyes making you nervous.

“I already requested them to be deliv…”

You couldn’t finish your sentence before the door creaked open, and a familiar voice hesitated at the entrance.

“Mr. Albedo? I have the materials you requested.”

Sucrose stepped inside, carefully balancing a wooden crate in her arms. There was a faint scent of minerals and damp stone along with a glow coming from the bottom of the crate. 

“Sucrose! Perfect timing, thank you so much.” You ran to help her and grabbed the crate to leave it on the central table, next to the log you recently reviewed with Albedo.

“It's nothing. Please let me know if you need anything else; I’m glad to help.” She smiled at you and then handed you the list of materials you ordered in Albedo’s name. You peered inside and made sure all of them were in the crate before signing the list and returning it to her.

Sucrose adjusted her glasses. “Will you be synthesizing these components right away?”

Albedo hummed in thought. “Not immediately; we still need to test them in specific conditions. I expect a few adjustments before reaching anything stable.”

Sucrose nodded, her expression filled with quiet admiration. “Understood. Let me know if you need assistance.” With a final glance at you and an encouraging thumbs up, she excused herself and exited the lab.

Albedo then turned to you. “Shall we begin?”

Four weeks had passed since the start of the catalyst project. The lab was filled with notes, half-finished sketches, and an assortment of materials.

At this point you were basically living in the lab, only leaving at late hours of the night to go home to eat, shower, and sleep before returning in the morning after the same routine to the lab. Every day was a challenge. Once you got results or figured something out, a new problem appeared. You knew you were progressing fast compared to other alchemists, but every bump on the way felt like a mountain you had to climb in order to reach the other side.

Frustration crept in; after three days of being stuck on the same obstacle, you were slowly losing confidence. The repeated failures were taking a toll on your spirit. The eagerness and excitement you had at the beginning were slowly fading away. Your fingers tremble as you try to get the catalyst’s core mechanism to stabilize the flow of elemental energy, but it keeps flickering due to its instability. 

You watch as the experiment fails… Again.

You can’t even manage a basic stabilization. Without it, you wouldn’t be able to continue with the rest of the steps.

No wonder he said you weren’t enough. 

The memory of your ex resurfaced, and the shadow of his words loomed over you. His voice echoed in your ears, forcing you to remember his excuses when you begged him to tell you why he looked for others, why you weren’t enough for him.

You could feel your eyes stinging with unshed tears. Maybe he was right; maybe you weren't enough. For him, for your work, for your chief… You weren’t good enough for you. 

“How is the stabilization going?” Albedo steps in, startling you and almost making you drop the experimental sample. You were so distracted with your inner thoughts that you didn't notice his presence.

He leans in, your shoulders brushing, and starts to examine the core mechanism and grabs it to look at it better. You are nervous, and some worry starts to set in as you look at how concentrated he seems. The self-deprecating remarks faded at Albedo’s calming presence. In these weeks working alongside him, you have become closer and more relaxed with him.

“What if the problem isn’t with the materials but rather with the energy flow?” Albedo suggested.

Why are the materials not the problem?

After the various rounds of tests to identify the most compatible and efficient materials to design the core mechanism, you knew they were perfect conductors of energy. If they weren’t, the core mechanism wouldn’t work at all. No flickering and no surging. So, in reality, the properties and refinement of the materials are perfectly adequate.

Why is the energy flow the solution?

The reasoning behind energy flow is that energy must travel through the right pathways to work efficiently. When talking about catalysts, they must direct and regulate their internal energy properly.

Then, what if the instability is caused by an imbalance in the pathways of the energy flow? You almost jumped from your seat to grab the blueprint and revisit the structure of the mechanism.

Imbalance.

An imbalance in the pathways…

There it is! You almost scream in delight when you finally see that there’s a misalignment in the channels causing an overload in one of the sections and a shortage in another. You quickly but carefully adjust the placement of the elemental core, shifting it by a few degrees to align with the pathways. 

You were almost done; only the refinement was missing. You grabbed the engraving tool tightly, your pulse quickening. This was going to be difficult, but you knew you could do it. You adjusted the grooves, scraping away excess material and redrawing key lines, hoping to direct the flow more evenly.

For a moment, nothing changed.

Then, finally, the movement steadied, and it glowed, the energy moving smoothly through the patterns. You exhaled, tension still lingering in your shoulders, but relief washing over you. 

“It’s working.” You wanted to cry, but this time in happiness. You did it. 

Albedo’s hand came to rest on your head, his fingers pressing lightly in a quiet gesture of acknowledgment before pulling away. “Well done.” He smiled, and a strange warmth bloomed in your chest; you returned the smile.

You were capable of solving this.

You were good enough.

The once-busy corridors of the HQ were now quiet, the usual chatter replaced with the occasional echo of the few knights who remained in the building. It was late at night; the laboratory’s light was now dim. You were exhausted after a long day working on the catalyst’s experimental sample.

After completing the core mechanism successfully, you spent several weeks finalizing the design and gathering the materials for the first assembly of a non-functional model. Before making the experimental prototype, you needed to test the physical form of the catalyst. Fortunately, the complications were minimal, and the progress was advancing smoothly.

Despite your exhaustion, you felt a sense of accomplishment after all your hard work. Some doubt occasionally crept in, but you focused on something else, and you forgot about it. After all, Albedo was happy with the direction the project had taken and reassured you it was because of your work. 

“I believe it’s getting late; we should wrap up for the day.” Albedo let out a tired breath as he put his pen down, rubbing his temple with his fingers. There was a heaviness in his movements, showing his weariness after a long day.

You noticed the drop of his shoulders and the way his eyes lingered on the mess on his desk; it seemed he had no energy to arrange anything. His blonde hair was even messier than any other day, some strands falling across his forehead. At some point he had taken his white coat off, revealing the dark fabric clinging to his body and making it hard to ignore how well it fitted him. Without his coat, he looked more relaxed and comfortable.

When your eyes met his, there was something different in the way you looked at each other. You weren’t sure if it was for the tiredness, the closeness, or the lack of contact with other people, but you wondered if you had ever truly looked at him before.

“I will make sure to arrange the place, Mr. Albedo. You can leave for the day.” You diverted your look to the mess on the desk. Even if you were exhausted, he looked weary too, and you could offer help.

“No, I will help you.” He informed you as he began organizing his things.

“There’s no need; I know you need some rest.”

The look he gave you indicated he thought you needed one too, and you felt your cheeks burn in embarrassment. You didn’t want to look at yourself in the mirror, but you knew there were bags under your eyes, a mess in your hair, and traces of dirt on your clothes.

“If we both help, we can leave earlier. Besides, it’s getting darker, and I don’t want you to walk to your house alone. I will accompany you.”

You blinked, caught off guard at his offer. Even if it wasn’t common, there had been instances when you had to walk home late and he didn’t offer to join you, but it was true this was the first time it was so late. Although Mondstadt was a rather safe city, there was still some danger lurking around.

“Oh, but you don’t have to…” But the way he tilts his head, as if the thought of not walking you home never even occurred to him, makes you trail off. Your heartbeat stumbles slightly. "...Alright."

After some time, you leave the Knights of Favonius HQ with Albedo by your side. The night air was cool and crisp, and the quiet atmosphere made you more aware of the sounds of the wind and low talk from the awoken citizens. 

As you walk side by side, there’s a natural closeness between the two. These two months you have spent together working on the catalyst have forced the two of you to work in a reduced space for long hours of the day, making you interact in ways you hadn’t done before. There was more small talk than before; you laughed at the jokes Albedo occasionally said, he would reassure you every time you felt overwhelmed, and he would guide you when he noticed you were stuck in a dilemma.

With how busy you two were, it was not rare you just realized how your relationship had grown. A faint smile appeared on your lips at the thought of getting close to someone else again.

“You seem happy.” Albedo acknowledges, his eyes on you. Despite the lack of light, he noticed the content expression on your face.

“I just… I’m very honored you asked me to join you in this project; I never thought we would achieve so much.” It was true, the initial doubts you had in Albedo’s decision to help him were still there, but this has been one of the best experiences you had as an alchemist.

“My opinion still stands; you are the only one capable of doing this with me, and I was correct. Just a glance at the log and you can see how much you have contributed to it.” His words produced a warm sensation in you, delighted that someone like Albedo recognized your capabilities and effort.

“I still want to thank you.” As you walk, the moonlight suddenly makes you feel sentimental. “I used to think I could do anything as long as I had someone there for me, but then, when I had no one, I realized how wrong that was.”

There was a time you trusted your ex to be there every time you needed it. So, when he wasn’t there to hold you anymore, you fell.

“I’m finally learning that, even if there’s a sense of emptiness in my chest, I can support myself.” You hoped one day that emptiness would leave, but for the meantime, you were retaking control of yourself. “And I believe the opportunity you gave me helped me to realize that. So, thank you.”

You had arrived at your house. Both of you stood outside, facing each other. You hadn’t realized how close you were standing until now. The dim light of the moon cast a faint glow on Albedo’s face, highlighting the sharp contours of his face. His gaze, unreadable, rested on you.

Your heart stuttered. 

It wasn’t just the way he looked at you, but also the weight his eyes had on you. As if seeing something you still didn’t know. The space between the two felt smaller every second, almost allowing you to hear the sound of his breathing.

“You did that by yourself; I will not take any credit from it.” Even if his voice was very low, it was loud in your ears.

You swallowed, suddenly too aware of how his eyes flickered over your face, as if looking for something. He lifted his hand, his fingers brushing lightly against your skin. The touch was barely there; yet, it was enough to make your breath hitch. Maybe it was you, but you felt his touch lingering for a second too long.

“...There was dust here.” He murmured, his voice quieter than usual.

Suddenly, you were hyperaware of everything he did. You glanced up; he was calm, focused, and heavier. A hint of a smirk emerged, and your pulse fluttered.

“Rest well; I will see you tomorrow.” 

And as you watch him leave, you are left with a flood of emotions, wondering what happened. Unsure of where this is leading to, at least you were sure something shifted in your relationship with Albedo.

The shadow of your past was slowly fading.

It had been a week since the day Albedo took you to your home. Thankfully, the following days were as usual; you two were busy working on completing the experimental sample, and you were close to finding the right structure. However, you were unable to ignore how that moment you shared some nights ago had shaken the way you saw and interacted with him. 

Your eyes now lingered too long on his movements; his eyes made you rethink what you were saying, and his smile drew your gaze to it. There was no stopping the little jump your heart did whenever his shoulders brushed yours, and you were worried about what this could mean to you.

The inner struggle you were having was making your head spin, and having to see and interact with Albedo most of the day was not helping. As a result, you decided to go out after finishing today’s work and go have dinner with one of the closest friends you had: Lisa, the Librarian of the Knights of Favonius. 

It was an interesting relationship the two of you shared; she was like an older sister. She was much older than you, in a way that made you feel she had lived more than what she looked, but regardless of that, she had been one of your biggest supporters since you joined the Knights of Favonius. 

Currently, you were waiting for Lisa at one of the tables at Good Hunter. Although it was night, the city was illuminated with the soft light of the lanterns. Its glow cast a golden pool of light over the restaurant, giving it a sense of warmth and making the night feel less lonely and more cozy.

You were lost in thought, staring at the candle on your table, absentmindedly circling with your finger the candle holder.

“Darling, unless you’ve obtained a pyro vision, I’d say that poor candle has endured enough of your longing stares.”

Lisa slid into the seat in front of you, propping an elbow on the table as she studied you with knowing eyes. There is nothing you can hide from her, and you shouldn’t even try to.

“What’s on your mind? And don’t say ‘nothing’; you’re far too deep in thought for that.” She warned and sent a wink towards Sara, the waitress, who chuckled and began preparing the food Lisa usually orders.

“Do you tend to order by winking instead of talking?” You made fun of her, and she raised her eyebrow at you.

“Believe me, cutie, a wink at the correct moment will get you anything.” You laughed at what she confidently said. “Go on, spill. You know I’m much better company than that flame.”

And so, you did. It wasn’t easy to admit what was going on in your mind as you felt embarrassed at the situation you were in, but Lisa had something that made you feel confident with her. The only downside is that you were not leaving this table without some teasing from her part. And at some point, Sara served you your food, and you both ate as you spoke.

“I see… So, you’re working late nights with the ever-enigmatic Chief Alchemist; he walks you home like a true gentleman, and now you find yourself thinking about him at odd hours? My, my, whatever could that mean?” Lisa smirked teasingly after you finished talking as she poked at her food with her fork.

“Don’t say it like that.” Your skin burned with embarrassment; she wasn’t going to let you off easily any time soon.

“He’s quite easy on the eyes, don’t you think so?” She provoked you, knowing damn well you agree with her. His handsome looks were something you noticed from the moment you met him; you just were more aware of it now.

“He is…” You shyly admitted. “But that doesn’t mean there’s something else; we just have gotten closer the last few months with all our work.” Lisa giggled at your poor attempts to excuse your feelings.

“Cutie, you can insist nothing’s happening all you want. But the way your eyes have a spark when you talk about him? That tells me everything.” Her gaze softens on you.

“It’s just complicated, Lisa.” You let out an exhausted sigh, your back resting against the chair. 

“Is it really?”

“No… Mr. Albedo is certainly an attractive man, but this is not about that. We have spent too much time together because of the project; it’s natural that I… I don’t know; notice things about him.” 

That was what you wanted to believe; these emotions you were feeling were just the effects of work overload and your proximity. In all the time you had worked as Albedo’s assistant, you were never under these conditions; that was the only explanation. Besides, there was a lingering thought at the back of your mind, and you couldn’t yet dare to bring it out.

“Besides, he’s my superior. It would be completely inappropriate for me to think of him in any other way.” That was another issue you couldn’t ignore; you were his assistant. How could you even think of him in an unprofessional way?

Lisa’s eyes sparkled with mirth at your words. “Ah, so that’s what is bothering you? The forbidden nature of it all?” She smirks, but before you can say anything, she continues. “I know what you think, darling, but is this really about your roles? Do you think that in the free city of Mondstadt, your dynamic as chief and assistant creates an invisible barrier between you two?” 

“I—I don’t…” You couldn’t answer truthfully because Lisa was slowly pushing away every one of your excuses.

“There are many scholars and knights who worked under someone they admired and then began a not-so-professional relationship with them, you know? And no one had a problem with that; there are many examples in the city.” 

She didn’t lie; no one batted an eye at those types of relationships. This wasn’t just about your growing awareness toward Albedo’s looks or touches; it was something deeper you didn’t want to admit. Yet, you had to. Because only by facing the truth would you move on.

You let out a sigh, deciding to finally tell her the real reason. “I guess I’m scared of what I’m feeling.”

The wounds of your past continued to make you doubt. Every day it was easier to deal with them as they were slowly vanishing from your mind. However, there was a wound you couldn’t get over, as someone you once trusted and loved left scars deep inside of you that made it difficult to see someone else as nothing more than friends. 

Lisa gave you a soft and understanding look. “Oh, sweetheart. You’re hesitant, and that’s understandable. This is new, unexpected, and maybe you don’t feel ready. You’ve been through a lot, but don’t let the past decide how you feel about your present.”

You knew she was right. Only by letting the past stay in the past would you move on. Still, it was complicated; your ex was someone who caused more harm than good. Leaving him in your past was not easy.

“Has he left you alone?” She asked curiously; she knew how he refused to leave you alone. 

“He keeps sending me occasional letters, but he doesn’t try to see me anymore. To be honest, I have been too busy to notice when he comes.” The last time you heard anything about him was four days ago when a knight notified you that you had received a letter, but you didn’t even accept it, telling him to throw it away.

“Mmm, maybe he is finally giving up?” 

The possibility of that was low, but it would bring great relief to your life and your feelings. It had been like seven months since you ended your relationship with him; it was time for him to realize you didn’t want anything to do with him anymore.

As you wondered if you would finally be free of him, Lisa’s gaze drifted past you, her expression shifting just lightly. Her eyes dimmed, and her previous expression was replaced by something more calculating. 

“Oh, darling. What a shame we live in such a small city.” She murmured, lifting her drink and taking a small sip.

She didn’t have to say anything to know what she meant. You turned your head and saw the last thing you wanted to see. Your ex was approaching the restaurant with his now wife next to him and his baby in her arms. They didn’t look like a lovey-dovey couple, but there was a proximity between them that wasn’t there the last time you saw them, many months ago.

It seemed like they didn’t notice you were there, as you weren’t the only ones in the restaurant, but once they were too close, he finally saw you. His eyes initially passed over you, not recognizing you at first, but something made him look again. His posture shifts, shoulders tightening as he looks away a little too fast. 

A mocking chuckle leaves your mouth, and Lisa looks surprised at that, but how could you not laugh when his reaction is so different from seeing you when he's with his new family? Before, he would almost cry, go after you, and just look at you with clear sadness and regret in his eyes. Now, he clearly looked uncomfortable.

Like Lisa said, has he finally given up? Or is it the guilt of showcasing his new relationship in front of his ex?

“I don’t get it; Albedo is much more pleasant to see than him. Besides, he is rather charming in his own way.” Lisa compared Albedo with your ex, clearly wanting to lighten the mood. 

Her words made you think. Your ex was by no means an unattractive man. After all, there was a reason for how he had many women enchanted over him behind your back. He had his brown hair neatly styled, and his honey-colored eyes carried a certain charm. He was of a strong build, not overly muscular but well-proportioned. Overall, he was the kind of person who looks effortlessly put together.

However, Lisa was right. The first time you saw him, you remember thinking he looked inhumanly beautiful. His platinum-blond hair catches the light of the sun, his teal eyes drown you without effort, and his light skin is smooth. His presence was impossible to ignore as his beauty was delicate yet arresting. He was ethereal. 

“It doesn’t bother me…” Was what you said after remaining quiet for a few seconds? Your thoughts had drifted away after thinking of the situation. 

You were no longer staring at your ex, deciding to ignore them and focus on how you felt about the situation. You saw him, and for a moment you felt the heartbreak, the self-doubt, the nights wondering if you were ever enough for him. But as he stood there, you saw a stranger; there was no longing, no anger, and no resentment. The only thing you felt was the weight of his actions, which harmed the way you saw yourself. 

That’s what it hurts. You didn’t suffer for losing him, but you did because you lost yourself in the process. 

“You’re right, Lisa… Albedo is much more interesting than him.” You jokingly said, refusing to give more attention to the new and happy family behind you and eating the food from your plate. 

And as you refused to acknowledge them anymore, they stood there, unable to get closer to the restaurant they had decided to have dinner to have one of their weekly ‘bonding moments.’. That’s how the father of the wife said to force them to present their newlywed status.

Lisa saw everything. The way their eyes looked at you, one with yearning and guilt and the other with anger and envy. The innocent baby is asleep, ignorant of everything. And in a moment you were too distracted to notice, she mischievously grinned and pointed out for them to leave.

And they did so without complaining.

As the night progressed, Lisa kept asking and teasing you, more interested in encouraging you to acknowledge your growing feelings for Albedo. Making sure the topic of your ex remains buried in the past. 

Every day you were closer to the ending of the catalyst project. The lab was a mess; there were papers scattered across the table, pieces of the different parts of the catalyst, and some of the tools had fallen to the ground. The experimental sample was completed, Albedo designed a perfect model for the catalyst, and you analyzed the components and structure to do the final adjustments. With the completion of that, you could move on to the experimental prototype. 

This was the first example of how the catalyst was going to be, and it’s where you were going to test everything you did until this point. 

It was an unpredictable phase; you had already discovered some failures and mistakes you previously did in the construction of the parts, but the prototype was working. Unstable, but working. 

Your fingers ached, but you barely noticed—or cared. The last few days were blurry in your mind; you had spent hours bent over work, scribbling and rewriting. You barely registered; you hadn’t eaten much in the day, and it was only when Albedo reminded you that you dedicated some time to eat.

There was no time to waste; the project had to be completed, and you were so close to completing it.

As you struggled to piece together a solution for the overheating issue, you didn’t notice how Albedo’s fingers brushed over the tools and papers scattered on the table, subtly organizing them in a way that made it easier for you to use them. You also didn’t see how Albedo pushed a paper with some information about heat dissipation mechanisms, too engrossed in your task.

“That’s not how you do it.” You exhaled sharply, rolling your shoulders back. 

Maybe if you placed some conduits, it would redirect the heat to secondary components that can handle higher temperatures. You grabbed the paper Albedo discreetly handed and confirmed it could be a solution. 

You barely registered the way Albedo leaned against the desk next to you, arms crossed and his eyes watching intently what you were doing. You noticed how the candlelight softened his features, a stark contrast to the usual sharpness he carried. 

However, there was no time to think about it. If you start to think about him, it is going to be difficult to focus again. Right now, you couldn’t distract yourself.

It was complicated to explain how and when you had taken control of the catalyst project; in fact, you didn’t remember. Yet, you knew two things: doing this was making you feel like an alchemist again, and you wanted to prove to yourself—and Albedo—you could be one.

And when you tested the results of adjusting the temperature conduits and succeeded in fixing the overheating problem, you knew you couldn’t stop. 

No matter how exhausted you were, this was a test for you to see what you were capable of. And you were determined to win.

Something was missing. 

The catalyst was technically completed. Of course, the only stage left was the tests with the help of the vision-holders. However, when you observed the catalyst to see if everything was done, you couldn’t shake the feeling that it needed something else.

The reinforcement was done, the fine-tuning too; you double-checked everything and didn't find any errors. As you traced your fingers on its surface, you wondered what it was missing. And when you reached the middle of the catalyst and saw the blank and smooth surface, you knew what it was.

With steady hands you grabbed the rune carver and engraved the constellation of Aries. Just a little but meaningful touch for you. When the engraving begins glowing, you exhale in relief.

The prototype was, as you knew, completed. Now, it feels complete. 

Hearing footsteps approaching, you turned around and saw Albedo, his eyes fixed on the completed prototype of the catalyst and observing every detail. Your heart was pounding in your chest, anxiety beginning to creep up. His gaze then turned towards you, and as your breath hitched, he grinned brightly, and his eyes shone with something inexplicable.

He placed his hand on your shoulder and spoke. “You did it, congratulations.”

“No! Thank you, Mr. Albedo.” You were flustered; for a moment, you forgot this was Albedo’s research project.

“Mmm, why are you thanking me?” His grin turned into a full smirk, and you suddenly had the feeling he knew something that you didn’t.

“Because this is your project?” There was confusion in your voice as you watched him hide a laugh. “So, I appreciate you letting me work with you on this. It was an incredible experience.” And it was, you were incredibly thankful.

“Was it?” He took a step back and perched on the edge of the table, crossing his arms.

“Yes?” 

“This was my idea, yes… However, is it correct to call it my catalyst project?” He asked you, challenging you to decipher the meaning behind his words.

You were utterly bewildered. 

This was Albedo’s research project; he presented the idea of creating a catalyst enhanced with alchemical procedures, and you worked alongside him to complete it. Whatever Albedo was saying, you still didn’t get it.

Albedo chuckled at your expression, grabbed a pile of documents, and handed them to you.

It was the research log. As you flipped through the pages, looking for what you were supposed to find out, something caught your eye. 

Knights of Favonius Alchemical Research Log

Project Leader: Y/N

Research Assistant: Albedo

Project Title: Development of an Advanced Alchemical Catalyst

Lab Location: Knights of Favonius HQ—Alchemy Division

Your name. Not longer under research assistant, but under project leader. You read it again, thinking it was a mistake. When the project began, you remember writing it down with Albedo as the leader and you as the assistant. But no, the roles were, in fact, inverted. Your name held the title of leader of the research, while Albedo’s was listed beneath yours as the assistant.

And suddenly, you realized what he was trying to tell you. You thought back to every moment you had taken control of the research and every time Albedo stepped back to allow you to take control. At one point, he stopped instructing you and just guided you when you needed it. The hints had been there, but you had been too deep in the work to notice it. And as you skimmed through the pages, you saw how Albedo had annotated every record of the research after you—without noticing—stopped annotating.

Your hands tightened around the log, and you felt like tears would come out at any moment. 

This was never his project to complete. It was yours. 

You lifted your gaze to Albedo, who watched you with quiet satisfaction, as if he had been waiting for you to see it for yourself. 

“Congratulations for your hard work, Project Leader.” His smile turned soft as he watched the emotions in your eyes. 

A tear slipped down your cheek, and Albedo’s eyes followed it as it fell. As you reached to wipe it away, you noticed the tremble in your fingers.You were still processing everything—the completion of your work and the weight of your journey—when something warm brushed against your skin. 

Albedo’s thumb, gently, caught the tear before it fell further. His touch lingered for just a moment, grounding you, as if he was acknowledging everything you had to go through to reach this moment.

Everything from the emotional mess you were at the beginning, all the self-doubt and struggles, to this. You did it.

“Why?” You needed to ask, needed the answer.

Albedo didn’t step away, remaining close to you. “You went through difficult times, and you lost yourself in your grief. It felt as if you were shattered, and no matter how hard you tried, the pieces wouldn’t fit back together.” 

He confessed what you once were scared of; he noticed your broken state. Your tears, your breakdowns, your emotional distress, your failures.

“And there was a strange feeling inside of me, urging me to do something, to not let you suffer anymore. And I asked myself, What can I do?” His thumb traced the path of your jawline as his eyes followed it. “But this was your own battle, and I had no right to interfere. You were the one who had to do it.”

His thumb was exchanged with his fingers, and he tucked a strand of your hair behind your ear. He looked so serene while looking at you.

“So I decided to motivate your alchemist self.” He knowingly smiled. “The y/n I knew, with the right motivation, would invest herself in an alchemy challenge. You doubted at the beginning and trailed behind me, but you slowly strayed away from my lead and took control. Over time you healed, and there was again that shine in your eyes.” Suddenly you noticed you two were not that far from each other, mere inches separating you. “I’m glad you're back.”

The words hung between you two, sinking into your chest with the weight of something you couldn’t yet name. Albedo planned this. Not for the sake of alchemy, for knowledge, or for an award. He did it for you. He had seen as you lost yourself and helped you build a path to lead you back. 

The realization sparked, a warmth spreading through you. He had always been there: watching and guiding you. And now, standing so close to each other, you could feel the warmth of his breath against your skin. You felt it.

The awareness of him. 

The way his presence destabilized you. The way his eyes, usually so composed, softened when they met yours. The way his lips parted, as if he wanted to say more, but the space between you had grown too thin.

Your pulse pounded in your ears. For so long you had dismissed the flutter in your chest, refusing to admit he was something more than your chief alchemist. But now, there was no running from what you were feeling.

You wanted him. And when your gaze crossed with his, you realized he wanted you too.

He tilted his head lightly, watching your reaction as the distance began to disappear, but you didn’t back away. You got closer to him, your breaths mixing. His lips brushed yours so lightly it felt like a caress.

And then, you finally kissed.

It started as a fleeting touch, barely there. It was careful, uncertain, and testing. The warmth of his lips, the way he exhaled softly, sent a shiver down your spine. But then, you responded. Your fingers curled into his coat, and you pulled him closer. He inhaled sharply against your mouth, and whatever restraint he had was shattered.

The kiss turned urgent. His lips pressed hard, parting, molding against yours in a desperate hunger that wanted to consume you. His hands were everywhere at once, one with its fingers tangled in your hair while the other slid up your spine, pulling you close to him as he kissed you deeper.

You met him with the same passion, your hands sliding up to his chest and then up to the back of his neck, fingers tingling in his soft hair. Your heartbeat was pounding so hard, you were sure he could hear it too. 

His teeth grazed your bottom lip before soothing the bite with his tongue, and a soft sound escaped your throat that he greedily swallowed. His tongue teased against yours, sending a shiver through your body. Your tongues clashed, battling to see who was more hungry for the other, savoring the moment. 

And as he pressed forward, pushing you against the desk behind you, he left no space for anything but him. He was consuming you whole, but just a kiss, a kiss you never wanted to end.

But in your growing passion, you bumped hard into something, and you suddenly felt how Albedo covered you from the falling of several books and objects. Your lips separated due to the surprise, the tickling feeling far from disappearing, reminding you of your heated exchange.

“Careful.” His hoarse voice whispered against your ear, making you feel hot in every part of your body.

You had bumped into one of the bookshelves in the lab, the one you also used to put your belongings every day when you arrived. And as you two caught your breath, your eyes caught the sight of something that left you in disbelief. 

There, in between your belongings that had slipped out of your bag, was a jeweled amulet. It was a small turquoise stone with an almost translucent glow. Encased inside was a design of tri-feather wings with a diamond-shaped tail at the bottom. You stared at it, dazed, unable to grasp what it was and what it was doing there. 

It was a vision. An Anemo Vision. 

You were frozen, obviously confused. You didn’t have a vision. Was this a mistake?

You reach out to grab the vision, and realization hits you. This was yours. And when you look at Albedo, expecting him to be as surprised as you, you discover he is simply smirking. 

“It was to be expected.” 

It was like the emotions wouldn’t stop pouring out from you this day. As you held your newly obtained vision, you realized what you led here. To this moment. All this time you thought you were trying to prove yourself again, but in fact, you were becoming yourself again. You finally let the tears flow as you rested against Albedo’s body; he welcomed you in his arms. This time, the tears were of relief and happiness.

And this vision was proof of your journey.

It had been some weeks since the day you and Albedo kissed for the first time and since the vision found its way into your hands. You still were unsure about the meaning it had; sometimes you were entranced looking at it, as if its soft glow forbade you to forget you were now a vision wielder.

However, you didn’t have time to dwell on it. You had continued to work on finalizing the catalyst, moving to the final product. During your time together, your relationship began to shift. You weren’t sure what to call the relationship, but it was there, growing little by little. With every look, every touch, every kiss.

And after a total of eight months of research and hard work, the catalyst was finally complete. And tonight, the Knights of Favonius had organized an event in which the different divisions would showcase something, and you would present the catalyst to the knights, the scholars, and the interested citizens of Mondstadt. 

The Knights of Favonius had transformed the plaza outside of the headquarters into a lively festival. There were rows of wooden stalls and a few makeshift pavilions. Each and every one showcasing different projects, such as magical items, blacksmith weapons, and different types of strategy or knowledge-oriented books. There were a lot of people wandering between the exhibits and enjoying the event. 

At the center of it all stood a raised platform, reserved for the most anticipated presentations of the evening. That was where you were going to present your completed catalyst. You were nervous, but the anticipation was bigger than any other feeling.

“Show them what you can do.” Albedo encouraged you with a grin, softly kissing your hand before you left for the stage.

“I never imagined you would be such a chivalrous man, Albedo.” Lisa teased as Albedo approached where she was sitting, waiting for you to do your showcase.

“What do you mean?” He asked as he took a seat next to her, crossing his arms while his eyes followed your nervous yet confident form. 

“Oh, don’t play coy. I’ve never seen you so attentive before. It looks like you are acting like a gentleman in love.” 

Albedo pauses, tilting his head slightly as he processes her words. “Is that so? It’s a simple and natural response; I care about her, and I want to cherish her.”

Lisa chuckles, enjoying Albedo’s confession. “My, my… Such a romantic man; looks like Y/N is a lucky woman.” 

Albedo didn’t answer anymore, but he could feel the heat rush to his face. He watched as you spoke in front of the public, describing the process of designing and constructing the catalyst you held in your hands as they listened intently. There it was again, the rapid beating of his heart when you smiled and your eyes shone.

The last eight months were also a battle for him, as he questioned what he was feeling for you. He was a rational man, someone who had never gone through the experience of a real romantic relationship.

So, when the feelings arose in his mind, he tried to rationalize them, incapable of understanding the real meaning behind them. Then, he realized that’s not how feelings work. The feelings only grew with each interaction with you, even if it was a simple conversation. He couldn’t stop looking at you, paying attention to every detail of what you did.

And then he finally understood what attraction felt like and wondered how it would feel to have you against him, his lips on yours. Then, he did. He had you exactly where he wanted you for such a long time, and he knew this was just the beginning.

As you presented, with a careful flick of your wrist, the catalyst sparked with life and floated around you. People gasped in surprise as wind began circling around you in playful swirls, and the public marveled at how flowers and leaves floated around the place, creating a beautiful scenery.

“Remarkable!” Sucrose whispered in excitement as she joined Lisa and Albedo to watch your presentation. “Didn’t she recently obtain her vision?” She was amazed at the control you had over the element.

“She did.” Lisa said proudly, side-glancing at the main culprit of your amazing control of Anemo, who was too busy smiling at you to notice. Even if Albedo didn’t have an Anemo Vision, he still helped you to master the basics of elemental wielding.

When you finished your showcase, you thanked everyone for their attention, a wide grin on your face as you felt the excitement and pride of what you had accomplished. When you joined Albedo, Lisa, and Sucrose, you basically jumped to hug Albedo.

“How did I do?” You excitedly asked Albedo, reflecting your thrilled state.

He held you by the waist with a proud look on his face, and he caressed your cheek as he spoke. “That was the best showcase of the night.”

You giggled at his words, completely unaware of Lisa and Sucrose's secret exchange. Although you and Albedo have always been close, they could have never predicted the growing romantic relationship between the two of you. Yet, they were happy for the two of you. Seeing you smile again after so much time made them realize how much they missed your happy self.

“Lisa… should we interrupt them?” Sucrose discreetly asked her as she watched you and Albedo still hugging. “I want to congratulate y/n.”

“Not yet, darling. Give them a few seconds more; they are enjoying each other.” Lisa laughed at Sucrose’s blushed face.

With the three of you too distracted to notice, Lisa was the only one to pay attention to the person who was looking at you and Albedo. Your ex was there, his gaze darting between Albedo and you, his expression unreadable. But Lisa, ever perceptive, caught the unease that crossed his face, her lips curving slightly in amusement.

“Interesting.” She murmured, just loud enough for Sucrose to hear. “Some people are more entitled than what you would think.'"

“What do you mean?” Sucrose asked, confused over Lisa’s words.

Yet, Lisa didn’t answer. Sending your ex a threatening glance made him run away from the place in a hurry. At that moment, Lisa decided to personally take care of him if he refused to finally give up after seeing you with someone else. He wouldn’t ruin your new happiness, not on her watch.

After the event was finalized, you said goodbye to Lisa and Sucrose, thanking them for coming to see you and promising to go out with them soon now that you had more free time. To celebrate the conclusion of the project and the success of the showcase, you decided to invite Albedo to your house to rest in front of the fireplace after having a nice meal in one of the restaurants in the city.

The fire crackled softly, casting a warm glow in the room as you rested your head on Albedo’s shoulder. You were a little tired after the busy but exciting evening, but now, in the comfort of your home, everything felt softer. Albedo had helped 

“Thank you.” You murmured, the quietness in the room allowing him to hear you perfectly. “For everything you did for me.”

Albedo’s gaze lowered to meet yours. “I barely did anything; all of this happened because of you. You never needed me.” His words were gentle, yet there was something warmer than usual in his tone.

You smiled, shifting your position just enough to look up at him. Your faces were close now, the firelight flickering over his face, giving him a soft look on his usual sharp expressions. His arm moved slightly, making his fingertips brush against the skin of your back, sending a pleasant shiver through you. Your heart picked up its pace when his gaze dipped, lingering on your lips for just a second too long.

Neither of you spoke as you leaned in, finally closing the small distance between the two of you. His lips were soft and warm as they pressed to yours, gentle and slow. His free hand came up, his fingers tracing over the skin of your cheek as the kiss deepened. A delicious sound rose in the back of his throat as your fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt, pulling him closer to you. 

Then, you traced your fingers along the nape of his neck to his back, and you dug your nails in it. That was all it took.

Albedo inhaled sharply before his restraint broke entirely. His hand slid into your hair, gripping just enough to tip your head back as his mouth moved against yours with sudden, burning intensity. A loud moan escaped your mouth when his tongue brushed against yours. Your hands pulling him even closer to you, as the kiss turned heated and messier, filled with the want you two had for each other. 

“Tell me to stop, and I will.” He pulled away for a few seconds, his breathing uneven as he rested his forehead against yours. 

“Don’t you dare to stop.” You pulled him back at him, your answer clear in the way your lips crashed against his once more. 

He pressed his body against yours, trapping you between him and the bed of pillows and sheets you put together before. You were surrounded by his warmth and scent, his tongue exploring your mouth and his hands your body. He traced the shape of your hips and moved towards your legs, gripping your thighs as he parted them to accommodate between them.

You moaned into his mouth when his lips moved to your neck with urgency. You were burning when his breath hit your skin, his tongue following and leaving a wet trail. A gasp left you when his teeth scraped against your skin, you clutching at the back of his head. He let out a low, satisfied hum against your throat when you tangled your fingers in his hair and wrapped your legs around his hips. 

Then, you felt it. His erection dug into your lower stomach, making the wetness between your legs increase, aching for him.

“Take this off.” You begged Albedo as your hands hurried to try to take off his shirt, clearly struggling.

He chuckled at your poor attempts, and he helped you to remove his shirt, throwing it away as he returned his eyes to you. His body was lean but toned, each line and curve undeniably striking. The sharp cut of his collarbones, the shape of his shoulders, the subtle definition of his muscles… It was as if he was sculpted. Your hands touched the warm skin, enjoying the feeling of such a beautiful body underneath your hands.

“You should take off yours too…” 

Albedo slowly slipped his fingers under the hem of your sweater, pulling it up and over your head with ease. You couldn’t help but smile at the way his eyes traced over the appreciative look as he took his time to observe your naked torso, his eyes staying a little too long over your breast.

“Beautiful.” Was the last thing he said before he dipped his head to press kisses against your collarbone, slowly moving towards your breasts?

You felt his warm lips brush over your breasts, kissing the sensitive skin and leaving behind a trail of heat wherever his lips touched. His hand found its way to your waist, gently massaging the soft flesh as he moved lower and lower, his kisses turning into wet, open-mouthed kisses.

He nipped at your soft skin, his tongue flicking over your hardened nipple, as his other hand massaged your other breast. Your moans turning louder as his teeth brush over the overstimulated skin of your nub, you couldn’t see it, but you felt his smirk against your skin, enjoying the sound of your breathless sounds. 

Albedo’s mouth leaves your breasts and moves down, leaving wet kisses on the valley of your breasts and your abdomen, his hands replacing his mouth and continuing to play with your perky nipples. He softly blows against your skin, and your breath hitches, but then his mouth encounters your pants, stopping him from going lower.

“Raise your hips, gorgeous.” He orders as his hands move to squeeze your hips, and you do as you are told.

When you raise your hips, he quickly drags your pants down along with your undergarments and again, throws it away to some place in your home you don’t care about.

You can see the lust in his teal eyes as he has you exposed to him, the place between your legs glistening with your wetness and almost ready for him. “Such a pretty pussy.” He says before he dives between your legs and covers your core with his mouth, lapping up your arousal.

“Ah!” Your hands grasp his hair as you moan and writhe.

His tongue played with your sensitive clit while he slowly introduced one finger inside of you. The sensation made you whimper; your hips jumped at the unexpected stimulation, making Albedo grab your hips tightly with his free hand so you couldn’t move. As his finger delved deeper in your insides, his tongue was flicking your nub and circling it with deliberately slow movements.

“More…” You desperately begged.

“Want more?” He looked up to you, his eyes burning with passion, and when you nodded, he smirked. “Then, I will give you more. Make sure you can handle it.” 

He returned to your pussy with a ravenous hunger and began sucking your juices as if he couldn’t get enough. His finger turned into two, pumping inside you mercilessly. The sudden change left you breathless, your head falling back in utter bliss. You felt the fire growing inside you; the only things that came out of your mouth were the sounds of his name and unintelligible sounds and moans. 

“You like that, gorgeous?” Albedo knew you liked it; he could see it in how you were losing yourself in the pleasure he gave you, but he wanted to hear you say it.

“Yes!” You barely managed, you say, too lost in your mind to think straight. His fingers stretching out your walls with every thrust, his mouth sucking on your sensitive clit, was almost too much; you could feel your climax approaching.

“Then cum.” He ordered, and your vision faded to black as your body shook uncontrollably.

Your hands held onto his hair, the sensation of your orgasm too strong and intense to focus. You came around his fingers, his mouth continuing to overstimulate your body, as he lapped the juices spilling out of you. 

He left your pussy and went for your mouth, kissing you deeply as you tasted yourself in his mouth. A grunt came out of his throat as your tongue wrapped around his, your body slowly calming down with his caresses on your body. Albedo broke the kiss and placed himself between your legs, his thick cock inches away from your entrance. You didn’t know when he had taken his pants off, but you were thankful he did it. You could only admire the sight of it, the tip glistening with precum, and the size and girth were fucking perfect.

Such a pretty cock for a pretty boy.

“You want this?” He dragged his cock between your folds, and you shuddered at the feeling.

“I want it, Albedo. Please, put it in.” You begged, your previous orgasm forgotten and ready for more. He smirked, leaning down to kiss you before lining himself up in your entrance.

“Then take it.” He pushed hard, and your mouth opened wide, a moan escaping you at his cock finally filling you up.

Your body was still sensitive, but, God, did you feel good at your insides being deliciously stretched out. And when Albedo was completely inside of you, you couldn’t be happier to be stuffed full by him. 

The feeling was addictive, and you two wanted more. Albedo didn’t make you wait any longer; he pulled out and thrust back in, setting a slow and steady pace. His lips went for yours, the kiss messy but passionate as your walls closed around his cock. Your body was hot, and you felt so good you couldn’t contain the moans coming out of your mouth. 

“That’s it, pretty, let me hear how much you like it.” He whispered in your ear, his voice low and hoarse.

Albedo thrust into you hard, and you screamed in pleasure, your nails digging into his back. His thrusts grew harder and rougher, making you jolt when his tip touched a special spot deep inside of you. The sound of your wetness when his cock hit your pussy was obscene, but you loved it. His mouth went for your neck, marking the skin with every thrust, leaving the skin purple and red.

He was making you feel so good, and you never wanted him to stop. One hand found your breast, his thumb flicking and pinching your hardened nipple, while his mouth sucked on the other. He bit and licked the hardened nub, making sure to treat it just right.

Everything he did was driving you insane, and you could feel your second orgasm coming closer and closer.

But Albedo was going faster and harder, making your mind go blank and your voice come out louder. Your walls closed tighter around him, and the man above you moaned loudly at the sensation. 

“Are you close?” 

You only nodded, unable to form an answer. His free hand went for your clit and began to rub fast circles around it, causing you to arch your back at the overstimulation. He kissed you, swallowing every sound from your mouth, and his cock twitched inside of you, signaling that he was also close.

“Will you come with me, pretty girl?” 

Again, you could only nod, too lost in your ecstasy to form a coherent answer, but that was enough for him. Albedo smiled, kissing you and biting your lower lip as he tugged at it.

“Then let’s cum together.”

And as he rubbed your clit faster, his thrusts became sloppy. With one last thrust, you came with a loud moan, and Albedo followed behind, coming inside of you. Your body went limp as you felt the shockwaves of your orgasm traveling in your body. You could barely register anything besides the intense pleasure. 

Albedo slowly pulled out of you, making you almost sob at the loss of his cock and the feeling of emptiness, and you could swear you almost cried at the feeling of his cum dripping out of you.

He chuckled at the sight of your state, seeing that you still were out of it.

“I guess you are very sensitive.” Albedo said as he wiped some hair away from your sweaty forehead. You could barely nod at his statement. “It’s ok, I like how you look right now.” Maybe one day, you would let him paint how devastating you look right now. 

As your high settled down, you saw Albedo coming back from some place in your home with a towel in his hand. Your eyes tracing every inch of the naked and sweaty skin. He grinned when he caught you staring at him. 

“Stare at me all you want, but let me clean you.”

“Alright.” You smiled shyly, allowing him to clean the mess between your legs.

He did it gently, the once passionate man long gone, his soft and tender fingers cleaning his cum mixed with your own slick. You flinched slightly at the sensation of the towel over your very sensitive skin, making Albedo stop and look at you with concern. You mumbled, ‘It’s fine,’ and he continued to clean. When he finished, he left the towel on the closest surface and returned to lie down next to you.

The room was quiet now; the only sound was your soft and steady breathing. The warmth of the fireplace warming your naked bodies. You traced lazy circles on Albedo’s chest, your touch light but absentminded. Your thoughts drifted, thinking of how you once felt lost and alone, but you were here. Happy. With Albedo hugging you as he played with your hair, the sound of his breathing offered comfort and made you feel whole. 

You tilted your head and found Albedo already looking at you. His eyes are soft and gentle, studying every detail of your face. You wanted to laugh; the man who gave the best sex of your life was gone. Yet, you didn’t mind. You liked the calm and rational Albedo more than anything, as he was the one who supported you when you needed it. 

“Be mine.” He murmured, his voice a whisper. 

It sounded more like a statement than a question, but you knew he wanted to hear your acceptance. Giddiness surged in you, and you giggled.

“I already am.” 

And as the night deepened, the time slowed down. The both of you continued to savor the taste of the other, enjoying each other’s company. 

This time, there was no sorrow, no doubts, and no pain. Just the beginning of a new future. Yet, this time you were at peace.

You had once loved someone so much that you lost yourself, but the man next to you didn’t bring you down like him. This man helped you find yourself again. He hadn’t just stood by her—he had lifted you, helped you rebuild the pieces of your heart, and made you realize that you were worth more than the past.

© eternallia. it is not allowed to modify, translate, or repost.

[marzipanilla]

RAGE ! heh. yah.

To just veer off bc I have been rewatching this channels stuff lately - Batman stuff ! (x)

On to the rambles.

Yeah it just felt like every single character came out of the woodwork JUST to say 'wink wink nudge nudge we KNEW you two crazy kids would figure it out eventually!' and ?? why ??? why ?? why did you feel the need for their EXES specifically to give them the go ahead, to even shove them towards it even?? I just ?? surely they have other shit to talk about? Not to mention Rex and Eve's we are traumatized teens bonding was way more interesting then their very shitty romance!

I hate the fucking while I was dying I was thinking of you line too. Yes Mark. When you are panicking and freaked out, clearly that is when your mind is most clear. please. dear god. amid the ethics courses you should have been taking, a few ones about psychology and trauma response would also be good, yes?

lol Hannibal. Yeah. I agree. I love Mads' interview where he like Hannibal is the happiest man I have ever portrayed : ) and its like. he's right tho. That man IS having the time of his life and his falling in love, he is having a GREAT time. beautiful show. need to rewatch it soon.

I was talking to someone else and they compared the whole Eve and her parents situation to 'I wont be gay in the house but you can't stop me from being gay outside' and like. ugh. it really is tho. WHY are you still there. WHY are you so determined to make THESE people your family. You know you were (unknowingly adopted) they AREN'T your only option anymore. You aren't 12. You had TT ! (supposedly) You have NEW friends now!! Stop going back to these people!!

The UTTERLY SILENT (I do like the choice but it is also funny that all that happens is literally without a voice) and completely undiscussed by the main 'moral' force of the show maybe villains have REASONS for what they do opening ??? yeah it was great but it also feels so 'lol look at whats going on in the background! no one will ever realize how complex these situations can be!!' anyway here's Oliver being fucking stupid.

Like yeah, I loved the GoG breakdown/breakup in ep 3, as like a we all need to discuss autonomy and accountability and the messed up world we live and people are both right and wrong- but any of the personal-ness to it is ABSENT bc again.. we have rarely seen these people do anything. Stop calling them your family Samson! NONE of you know each other !! Also him calling out Rudy for playing the odds and then acting like he's all fond of him is wild. Amanda being so thrilled this 19 year old girl is marrying her boss is insane. AND Immortal just invited his own ass back, that shit is hilarious. You know that fucker would make anyone asking to come back jump through hoops.

I have played a bit with the idea of danger blind Debbie and it just.. it makes enough sense to me. Her response to terrible shit happening just being like 'well this is annoying : /' while everyone else is freaking out. I feel like Nolan would have been like ??? squishy human not afraid ??? and Debbie's response like ?? you think you're special bc you can kill me?? literally anything could kill me ! Why should I be afraid of you just bc you're fast and strong? A slow person with an air filled needle could get me !! and Nolan just having to be like : / Okay. I guess I see your point.

Look I find the over all narrative and some of the characters fascinating enough that I WANT to engage with and talk about this media, but honestly, I am such a hater and I don't even try not to be xD Invincible is my BUT YOU COULD BE GOOD IF YOU WERE GOOD fandom fr. 'star wars would be great if it wasn't star wars' is a thing I've seen half-jokingly get thrown around and for me its 'Invincible could be good if they weren't adhering it to the comic' lol

TBH I started a 'Cecil basically becomes Mark's parental figure' story that would take place in my Liar Liar/Man Who Played Wolf AU, but I ended up disliking it so I never really went back to salvage it. Maybe I just need to refocus and honestly just make it about Cecil : /

Honestly given a number of the dumb things the GDA gets up to I wonder how good they are at strategizing lol Like.. I really hoped they would leave out the 'we knew Nolan was lying FROM THE START!' thing, bc.. okay... he's a viltrumite. You have only just recently barely found anything that could hurt them... but... like... 20 years on the planet... and not only did you find nothing you didn't WARN anyone ? like ? where's the contingencies ??? Also I will never get over them not giving that astronaut a medical check up, just so he could go puke up more aliens into his sink. Sometimes I also think they deliberately prevent heroes from getting access to education bc the moment one of those fuckers learns how to strategize then you're ACTUALLY fucked, bc they really do make some dumb decisions in battles. constantly.

Yapping bug ! time for the yappings !!

While I'm not too familiar with the DCU- your batfam meta posts are intiguing- so in transfering some of the broader strokes from them- I think you tackling a 'Mark isn't Nolan's biological son' fic would be fascinating. Sort of a step to the side of the 'what if Mark never got his powers' fic that sometimes pop up in the fandom

OOOOOO chewing on this currently, hm, the much a distinct flavor of exactly what you’re talking about, but the potential for more family drama depending on WHO knows. Does Mark know?? Is he waiting every day only to be crushed? Does he confused non-Debbie features with Nolan’s? I suppose I’m not the most enthusiastic about non-power AUs, but I think there’s something very fun to explore about Mark having to settle with, if he knows all his life, he will never have powers? I think the trajectory of his dreams will obviously shift, I can see him still having that distinct fatherly idolization, but perhaps embraces being useful to the GDA? Cecil’s number one intern—only intern—curtesy of nepotism, ha! There is something tickling me about Mark taking the Robin Route/Role for the Teen Team in terms of having no powers, just insane skills, BUT there’s something way more delicious about intern Mark when s1e01 happens and Mark tries snooping around to find out the truth about what happened to his Dad.

I wonder if, with Mark having a whole another father, if they’re more or less distant relationship, depending on WHEN Nolan entered Mark’s life? Like if Debbie met Nolan later for this, or just for fun, they dated once, separated (Mark being born during then), then they happened to stumble into each others lives again and Mark’s already been born, anywhere from tween to teenager so there’s a gap in how close they are. I feel like one important aspect of the whole Family Drama is how close they’re supposed to be, a functional, loving family turned upside down? So I wonder what more distance does. I wonder how Nolan copes when his family is entirely human and he can’t project onto Mark.

I love thinking about these, omg.

[lleclercism]

"another charles pole and max win" me personally i know the only reason charles is fighting versus the rockship that is redbull its purely because of how well he manages the car and how much he has to fight it for it to be able to be competitive and guess what! is not enough! because the sf-23 is still a tractor and rbr have won almost every race this year! and they've dominated the past 3 seasons! and i think the amount of poles he has had just shows how good of a driver he is and the potential he has to show when he finally has a car that will fight alongside him, not against him

[wool-string]

Nakano being portrayed as a clumsy idiot in the anime really sucks because he’s really more than that.

If anything I realized that for someone with such dumb luck, he is actually quite dexterous!

I mean, him saving Akiyama from Tanaka in a spur of the moment and then getting away quickly. Even Tanaka had to comment on how fast he was!

His entire suit encounter. He was dodging multiple shots and skilled hit men chasing him down and if that’s not badass idk what is. Sure he looked a bit clumsy as he did so, but he was doing it. And he still managed to try to keep Hirasawa safe.

His chase with Kei also shows how quick he thinks, though it’s not always right. But I think what mostly threw him off with the Kei fight was his hesitation. Tbf that would throw anyone off tho lol

And then BOTH car chases where he managed to get them where needed even with cop cars chasing or crowds of people around

His skill is literally running away but he’s too stubborn to do so completely from the fight. He keeps pushing forward and yk I love him for that.

[vimbry-moved]

me and the work girlies having socialist convos at the end of the day

[lock-my-feelings-in-a-jar]

are you vegetarian/vegan?

i'm not, but it's something i've thought about a lot, more and more as i've gotten older. i feel like i haven't had enough control to be able to make decisions like that. YET. i'm slowly working my way to that point, so maybe in the future.

[gojonanami]

c/w: cuddly gojo, househusband!gojo, based on the gojo centric interview Gege did

“Are you done yet?”

“No,”

“…how about now?”

“Nope,”

“How about—“

You glance up from your stacks of paperwork, watching your husband smile up at you, lips curled in that perfect smile of his, as innocent as he was guilty of distracting you.

“Y’know asking me repeatedly if I’m done is surprisingly slowing down the process,” and he’s pouting all the same, “do you want something, Toru?”

“Want or need?” And his arms are curling around your back, “I need your attention, because my pretty wife has spent too much of her time on paperwork and not focusing on her very handsome househusband,”

“Very handsome?” And you can feel his pout grow deeper, “I’m just kidding,” you giggle, leaning into him, “my very gorgeous househusband should remember that I have to finish this paperwork tonight and once I do, I’m all his,” And he’s burying his face in the crook of your neck, “this is nice,”

“Hm?” he mumbles into your skin.

“Usually you were the one working until 4 am, but now, you get to rest and I only work until 6:00 PM, and we get to just…live,” you lean into his touch, “I never thought we’d get here,”

“Me either,” he smiles against your skin, “never thought I’d have a family either,”

“Too bad you’re stuck with me now,” and you guide his hands to your slightly rounded stomach, “and baby too,”

His gaze softens, “Do you have to wait to start your leave? Couldn’t you give all your paperwork to Ijichi or Nanami?”

“I’m not in the habit of passing my work over to other people,” you pinch his nose, before kissing it, “I’m almost done, but how about we stay like this until I finish?”

“How about we stay like this forever?” And you roll your eyes.

“Deal.”

[brokenmenswhore]

release | jacaerys velaryon

pairing: jacaerys velaryon x fem!reader

summary: jace is on the brink of snapping and lashing out toward his mother and her council for their lack of action against the greens, so you give him another outlet for his frustration

warnings: smut (MDNI 18+), rough sex, jace is a lil rough & feral in this one, threats (reader consents but may appear as noncon/dubcon)

────── ☾ ──────

“And what of those who sent him?” Jacaerys snapped, questioning his mother as they buried yet another body.

He was angry. He couldn’t help but lose people. Everyone around him kept fleeing or dying, and he tried desperately to hold his tongue, but his patience was slipping. War was inevitable, and he was frustrated at his mother’s lack of action toward the opposing force. He wanted revenge, retaliation, and most of all, he wanted to be the one to give it.

As the eldest son, however, he tried not to cause a scene, knowing he played an important role in this war, and hoping that his silence and unwavering support of his mother’s decisions would breed the proper trust that was needed to allow him more involvement and access in the war.

He was evidently tense at council meetings. His tongue was becoming sharper with each sentence related to the war. He couldn’t help it. He pushed through the doors to your chambers, angry and frustrated from the events of the day.

He stopped short when he saw you turn in your chair to face him. Taking a deep breath, the tension in his body dropped. “I need a hug.”

You smiled, standing and approaching him, wrapping your arms around his waist. You remained a step lower than him in the entrance. He rested his chin on the top of your head.

“I just don’t understand why she won’t do anything,” he began, “I know she doesn’t want this war. I don’t want this war, but it’s happening. We have all lost so much, and it will not stop. Why won’t she do something?”

“Perhaps she believes it can still be avoided,” you responded.

“How much blood from my family must be split before she realizes it can’t?”

Your heart ached for him. You wanted to hold him in the hug forever, curing all his pain and never letting him out of the room.

“I’m sorry, Jacaerys.”

“It is not a fault of yours,” he replied, “it is just exhausting. I wish for a break from all of this, even if just momentary. I feel as if any moment, I may break, and I do not wish to take these frustrations out on my mother or her council. It would only cause the situation to worsen.”

You looked up at him, “then take it out on me.”

“What?”

“Take your frustrations out on me, Jace.”

“You do not deserve such treatment.”

You sighed, “but I am asking for it. Allow yourself to have an outlet. Why else am I here?”

Jacaerys was bewildered, “you are not here for me to take my anger out on. I would not do such a thing.”

“I wish for you to relax. I would not speak the offer if I did not mean it. Please, Jace.”

Jace leaned down to kiss you, initiating a sweet, intimate kiss before his frustrations took over and he deepened the kiss, gripping your thighs, causing you to jump and wrap your legs around his waist. He continued to kiss you as you clung to his shoulders, his steps towards the bed shaking you and causing you to nearly fall.

The Velaryon prince was usually quite nice to you, making sure to take things slow and constantly checking in on your comfort and pleasure. He would typically slowly drop your back onto the mattress, but tonight, he quite literally pushed you down, keeping your legs wrapped around his waist as he kissed you into the mattress.

You moaned at the eagerness of it all, Jace’s hands running up and down your side, gripping your waist and pushing your hips down, until your legs were no longer wrapped around his body. Never breaking the kiss, he lifted up your nightdress, his fingers finding their way under your small clothes, not giving you time to ease into it as he began roughly rubbing circles on your clit.

You squealed into the kiss. Jace moved to begin sucking bruises into your neck, his hair falling in front of his face, as he continued to rub you. You couldn’t help but moan, trying your hardest to remain as quiet as possible, since his little brother’s chambers were just a wall away.

“He’s not here,” Jace groaned.

You could barely speak. “What?”

“He’s not in his chambers. He’s out with Arrax. Stop holding back,” Jace demanded, “wanna hear what I’m doing to you.”

This controlling nature was a change, but you didn’t mind it at all. You stopped trying to quiet yourself, a moan of his name leaving your lips as he pushed a finger into you.

“That’s it,” he cooed, “you sound so pretty.”

“T-thank you,” you responded.

Jacaerys didn’t stop curling his finger inside of you, but giggled, “did you just thank me?”

“Mhm,” you moaned.

“You’re too cute,” he said, breaking his frustrated and controlling demeanor for a second, the compliment making your heart swell as he continued to fuck you with his fingers.

He felt you start to squeeze, and he immediately pulled his hand away from you. You sighed in disappointment.

He lifted you from under your arms, shifting you so you were sitting up, as he began to undo his breeches.

“I just wish I could go to King’s Landing,” he started, pushing his small clothes down and allowing his cock to be free, “I’d kill every last one of them.”

He gripped your hair, pushing your face down until it was level with his cock. “Open.”

You did as he told you, opening your mouth as he pushed his cock into your mouth, immediately hitting the back of your throat. He was big, too big to fit completely in your mouth, but you were getting better and better at breathing through your nose to avoid gagging around his cock.

“Not today,” he sighed, “stop holding back or I’ll fuck it out of your throat.”

You listened to him, forgetting everything you know about avoiding gagging, and allowing him to direct your head up and down, his cock hitting the back of your throat with every single thrust. You gagged and choked around him, but he didn’t let up.

“They think they’re so big and bad,” he said, breathy from the pleasure of your mouth around him, “if only they were around me. I could take all of them. I could end their whole fucking line.”

He began to thrust his hips at a vicious pace. You had no choice but to take it, trying your best to continue sucking and swirling your tongue around the head of his cock as he fucked your mouth mercilessly.

“I’d end their whole. fucking. line,” he said again, speaking through each thrust and throwing his head back in pleasure.

“Fuck, get up, I’m not done with you yet,” he commanded, pulling you off of him to stop himself from coming before he wanted to.

You didn’t dare adjust your position without his say so. You sat there waiting for him to put you where he wanted you. He flipped your body over, pressing your face into the pillow as he pulled your hips up to meet his. He took both of your wrists in one hand, locking them behind your back as his other hand guided his cock into your entrance and then moved to your waist as he started rocking into you, pushing you further and further into the mattress.

Your body folded and became weak, as much of you falling into the bed as was possible, the only thing keeping your hips upward was the rough grip Jacaerys had on them. You whined and moaned, your entire body rocking forward with each snap of his hips.

“Seven hells,” he breathed out, his pace never relenting, “are you still okay?”

“Mhm,” you moaned out, unable to form a coherent sentence.

“Shit, I hate not being able to hear you,” he said, pulling out of you and flipping your body so you were flat on the mattress, facing him. “That’s better,” he smiled, immediately fucking back into you with no warning.

You cried out, grabbing his face and kissing him through the intensity. He grunted into the kiss, having never fucked you, or anyone for that matter, this hard before. All of his pent up rage and frustration was being taken out on your cunt.

Your back arched off the mattress, Jace taking the opportunity to wrap an arm around your waist, holding you even closer to him.

He spoke with every thrust, “I. Want. Revenge.”

“I k-know,” you moaned out.

“I. Want. Fucking. Revenge.”

It was overwhelming, and the intensity with which he was fucking you started to make your head cloudy. “J- Jace, it’s too m-“

Jacaerys cut you off by kissing you, doing everything he can to stop your words. “You can take it, baby.”

“I c-“ the pressure was so intense. You could feel your walls start to squeeze around his cock, and his pace was relentless.

“You can,” he said, looking directly into your eyes, “and you will.”

You nodded and let him continue splitting you open on his cock, dropping your waist down to the mattress again as he fucked into you, hands rough on your waist as they pushed you down.

Your eyes filled with tears. Jacaerys had never seen you like this, crying from the intensity, sweat sticking your hair to your forehead as you writhed under him. He didn’t know he was capable of making you feel like this, and he didn’t know you would look so fucking pretty as a result.

“Fuck, baby,” he growled, “I’m close.”

You couldn’t even respond, you just continued to whine and moan under him, watching his face contort as he released inside of you. The final few thrusts of his hips were cruel, his large length hitting that spongy spot inside of you that made you see stars. Through his high, he could feel you close, and he forced himself to continue pushing in and out of you until you met your climax.

Your legs shook as a wave of pleasure washed over you, your entire body eventually melting into the bed with weakness. Jace waited a moment before pulling out of you, kissing you as he did so.

You tried hard to catch your breath, but it took you longer than you anticipated. Jace, ever so attentive, looked down at you and asked, “you okay?”

You couldn’t help but smile. “I should start making you mad.”