#he may not like extra fabric around his shoulders and back but maybe some tail feathers are fine

[slow-reader-reads-books]

At this rate I feel like we need to give Nightwing like a half skirt or even a full skirt just to give his ass some privacy, goddamn

[its-deputy-caleb]

does the vdl gang include sadie because 😢😢😢😢😢 my lesbian meow meow SKLSKDKSJS but if u do!!! i was wondering if you could write a post-game sadie (bounty hunting, gun-slinging, gaslight gatekeep girlboss)/female reader where sadie is being paid to bodyguard rich/high-profile reader thank u so much 😭

hell yess it does, now warning i've never written for sadie so this might be terrible but i gave it a go! i hope you enjoy this!! :))

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Gosh you absolutely hated your father sometimes. Not only had he ruined your plan for a relaxing weekend but he had dragged you off to one of his business parties again.

You had all these plans to get new dresses fitted at the tailor in Blackwater before heading home for a warm bath on your families Estate. You were so excited too, since the entire property would be yours for three days. Granted that didn’t include the array of maids, bodyguards and groundkeepers that worked on the Estate but for three peaceful days both your parents and siblings would be out of your hair.

That was until you received a letter from you father requesting you be dressed in your finest gown and make your way to Saint Denis immediately in order to arrive by sundown. Your family had been in the oil industry for many generations now and were extremely wealthy, even more so with the downfall of Leviticus Cornwall and these business parties were just one of the many responsibilities you had to attend to.

The whole point of the party is to make polite pleasantries with potential business partners and establish connections on to where your family’s company could grow. And it was so, so boring.

As you walk down the steps you see a young woman leaning against the carriage with a shotgun in hand. She’s dressed in slacks and a red waistcoat and a large leather jacket draped over her shoulders. Her beautiful golden hair is just peaking out from underneath her hat and her soft amber eyes match it perfectly. Wait a minute…beautiful??

“Who the hell are you?”

You hear her scoff before she rolls her eyes at your bluntness, some may call it rude but you’ve always preferred blunt or honest. Your father always told you that was more lady-like.

“Don’t get so upset Missy, I’m Sadie, your bodyguard until the regular guy comes back. I’m only here to take you to Saint Denis and I’ll be long gone.”

You huff angrily as you hold your hand out to her waiting for her to help you onto the carriage but she never does. Fine, you’ll do it yourself.

“It’s Madam to you and his name is Hamish.”

You hear her mumble a ‘whatever’ under your breath and get comfortable in the carriage. You signal to the driver up front to get the carriage moving as you watch Sadie mount her horse and ride up front. It was going to be a long ride to Saint Denis.

-

To say the ride was long was an understatement. You spent the first two hours staring at the seconds go by on your platinum gold pocket watch and twiddling with the ends of the ribbon in your hair. It was all rather boring until there was yelling from outside.

Fear wells in your stomach at the riders approaching, all heavily armed and with a murderous look in their eye. You anxiously grip the side of the carriage, looking out the window as Sadie and the two other guards aim their weapons high.

When the shooting starts, you hide between the lush velvet seats of the carriage, doing your best to avoid the gunfire. You’d never been one to defend yourself, its why your father had guards do it for you. You could’ve never matched to a woman like Sadie. So you’re complimenting her now? You’re in the middle of being shot at!

All your thoughts are interrupted by a scream, one you’ve now realised is your own as the carriage is flipped and sent you flying. Your back hits the door which barges open under the force of your body hitting it, leaving you lying in a puddle of mud.

You’re frozen for a moment, your body still trying to catch up with your adrenaline riddled mind. What the hell just happened?

Eventually the shooting stops and Sadie is running over to you in a panic to see if you’re okay. Her hair has fallen from her pony tail and strands of her blond hair blow over red cheeks from running.

“Are you alright?!”

“You ruined my dress, look at it! I can’t go to the party like this— and my hair! Oh my god my hair!”

Sadie stops dead in her tracks. Here she was worrying over your safety after not only saving your life but putting her own at risk and you’re more worried about your hair.

“Now listen here Missy, I did not put my ass on the line to save you just so you could whine about your— Oh jeez you’re bleeding.”

She rips her leather glove off with her teeth before bringing her surprisingly soft hand to your face. Its then you realise the cut on your cheek bone that must have come from the shattered glass of the window when you fell out.

You’re lost for words, mumbling incoherently under her touch as she takes the ribbon from your hair and begins to use it to stop the small trickle of blood there. She’s so concentrated and focused on your wound that you can’t help but blush under her intense gaze, feeling like the fool for speaking out.

“I’m sorry…”

She sighs, dropping the bloodied ribbon and puts her gloves back on.

“Ain’t nothing to be sorry for Missy, common now, let’s get you to the party.”

She takes your hand and leads you to her horse which is huge up close. Much larger than when you saw it back at the Estate. Her arm comes to wrap around your waist so she can hoist you up and sit you side saddle on her horse before hopping on herself.

When she starts riding you nearly fall of the large creature and wrap your arms around her waist out of fear of slipping. Sadie voiced that she didn’t mind you holding on and the rest of the ride was spent making pleasant small talk.

You learnt that Sadie’s horse was called Hera and that she was her pride and joy. She worked in all sorts of jobs as a gun for hire, working as a bounty hunter and personal body guard most of the time, she even told you of her most recent bounty of Shane Finley.

You were amazed at how brave and wild Sadie was. How she didn’t fear working on a job that could get her killed at any moment, no she didn’t shy away from it— instead she ran straight towards danger.

“I feel like such a bore compared to you, all I do is attend parties and lounge around the Estate all day. When I’m feeling extra adventurous its a trip to the store for some cakes and maybe a new dress not hunting and killing.”

You can hear her smile in front of you, a little laugh coming from under her nose.

“I’ve met plenty’a boring rich folk Missy, you are not one of them. For starters most of them don’t find themselves falling out of carriage windows on their way to dinner parties.”

The playful tone is enjoyable for you both and it continues through the rest of the ride. It seems like ‘Missy’ is a nickname that’ll be sticking with you for the meantime but you’d be lying if you said you didn’t like the way it made you smile and your heart skip a beat.

-

It was dark by the time Sadie pulled up to the party, hitching Hera and this time, taking your hand to help you down. Her hand didn’t leave yours until you were standing out the front gates where she dusted as much of the mud off your dress as she could muster. Her hand came to her neckerchief and untied it before ripping it in half.

You gasp at what she was doing to the fine fabric before she was tying it in your hair where the ribbon had sat, tucking the loose strand behind your ear.

“Now you’re looking like a real lady.”

She gives you a gentle nod before making her way back over to her horse.

“Wait! You’re not coming in? I thought you were gonna protect me?”

Sadie gives you a soft but broken smile, one that says she’s trying not to hurt your feelings.

“I handle outlaws and thieves not parties for the rich, you’ll handle yourself just fine Missy. Ain’t no more for me to do I’m afraid.”

You take her hand in yours squeezing it in a silent plea for her to stay. Despite the rough beginnings, you’re actually enjoying her company and would hate to see her leave.

“Will you wait for me…please?”

-

When the party ends you sigh defeatedly. You’re tired and worn out from today’s attempted robbery and excruciating party. You’re expecting to do home in one of your father’s carriages when you spot Sadie leaning against wall with a cigarette in her hand.

“Common Missy, It’s my job to see you home safe.”

That night as Sadie led you home on the back of Hera, your arms came to wrap around her as they had before. You cuddled up to her as you let out a soft yawn and slowly began to drift off to sleep. Your head rested on her shoulder as you slowly let sleep consume you, a large smile on your face.

Needless to say you now have a new personal body guard.

[obey-only-me]

Kitten Lessons (Lucifer x F!Mc x Satan) By: Akuzondelivery

No one was going near the library. The volume of their conversation alone let everyone know that this was going to be a long argument. Satan and Lucifer were fighting. Again.

“What are they fighting about?” You had to yell over the rumble of curse words and energy as you stood in front of the door.

“I don’t remember but it’s never anything important!” Mammon yelled with his fingers in his ears.

The other brothers may be used to this but there was no way you could live like this.

When they still hadn’t left the library after dinner had been cleaned up, you stood in front of the door again. It felt dark...very dark. And the noises were so loud it was impossible to tell what language was being spoken. But you built up your courage! These brothers need a mediator!

Making a fist you banged on the large walnut doors as hard as you could. The sound was muffled by the loud screeches yet everything came to a halt at your soft by comparison knocks. Taking a deep breath you opened the door to the library and bravely stepped in.

“Uh-um, hey you two.” Your voice was quiet as you entered the room, closing the door behind you.

Scanning the room you spotted Lucifer sitting behind a desk reading and Satan at a table in front of a couch...also reading. The two were acting nonchalantly as possible but you could see the anger vibrating off of them. What could have possibly sparked such tense energy?

You weren’t sure what to say so you sat on a couch between the two, sharing the table with Satan. On it were several books on cats, familiars, and how to raise kittens.

Oh geez...Satan wants a cat. Again. And Lucifer definitely already said no. Again.

You couldn’t help but pick up one of the books that was left open to a page of kittens. Satan watched you carefully as you thumbed through the pages.

“MC what are you doing,” Satan asked with a slightly annoyed sigh.

“Well I’m in the library...just thought I’d do some reading. In the LIBRARY!” You made sure it echoed, hoping they’d take the hint you were annoyed by their fighting.

Another silence fell over the room. You peaked over Satan’s shoulder to see Lucifer fidgeting in his seat. He met your gaze but turned away a little embarrassed. If you’re annoyed then it certainly must have been some display. Even Satan had a regretful look. But you ignored them, hoping the pretend cold shoulder would be enough to break them.

Staying in character you flipped a page roughly to see how they would react. Satan sighed again but kept himself from caving. The rough treatment of the pages was really getting to him. Those were some of his favorite cat books. After the third or fourth flip he broke.

“You can’t do that MC, the pages will rip.” Satan sighed as he took the book from you. But you smiled now that he was sitting next to you. Holding the book and flipping the pages gently for you. His eyes lit up as he spoke about the cats and feline habits. This boy just wants a pet.

“Awwwwe they’re so cute Satan.” You giggled as you listen to him read. “Cats are such good pets.”

“Would you like a pet?” Satan asked with a smirk, feeling much more relaxed now.

“Nah...we have Mammon.” You joked.

“You know...you could be my pet instead. I wouldn’t mind taking care of you.” Satan flirted. This definitely made the eldest stir, Satan of course noticed. Maybe to make Lucifer mad again, Satan put an arm around you and brought you close on the couch.

“Geez.” You grumbled as you blushed, heat rising to your cheeks.

“I even have a collar, here. I brought this earlier.” Satan pulled out a thin black nylon collar with a small plastic clasp. There was a silver bell the size of your pinky attached. His large hands loosened the collar all the way and firmly snapped it around your neck.

“Hey!” You protested as your fingers traced the uncomfortable fabric.

“Too cute.” Satan’s face was slightly red as he admired you, laughing a little at your distress.

“Unbelievable. MC don’t feed into his strange hang ups.” Lucifer grumbled as he sat on the couch across from both of you.

“Good timing. MC has offered to be my pet. So I’ll just be taking her and going to my room-“

“Not so fast. Sit down Satan.” Lucifer spoke firmly, however Satan didn’t address him with any more concern than before. Though he did sit back down.

“I had an idea. If you can show me you can be a good pet owner, I’ll consider your request more seriously.” Lucifer had gotten his attention now.

“How so?”

“Well...since MC offered to be your pet...”

Without much protest, the two dressed you as the pet they would play with. A set of cat ears firmly set in place, the collar Satan had gifted you earlier, and a small but comfortable plug decorate with a long cat tail. You sat on your knees obediently and in defeat.

“I’m enjoying this test so far.” Satan cooed.

“I have to say I am too.” Lucifer chuckled.

You pouted, knowing they were enjoying this way too much.

“Awww, I know what will make kitten happy.” Satan placed you on his lap and gently played with your hair, making sure it stayed off your neck. “Feel free to purr a little if you like MC.”

You only squirmed, embarrassed by the attention and the game they were both playing.

“I think our little kitten wants some attention...” Satan teased as he kissed at your neck. Part of your task was to keep from verbally communicating, letting your owners learn their new kitten’s wants and needs by learning your language. This was going to be impossible: sighs already slipping through your lips as Satan’s tongue traced every sensitive spot across your neck and toward your ear. “I’m happy to give it, you can watch if you want...” Satan smirked over at Lucifer who had been sitting and watching everything so far.

“Hmph. When a learning moment arises, Ill be ready to join you.” The eldest held a devious smirk as he watched you squirm in Satan’s grasp.

Two slender fingers slipped between your lips and gently rolled against your tongue. His kisses and love bites were traveling lower now, the trail of kisses making your skin hot. The muffled noises coming from you were loud and clear though, you were enjoying the attention. As his two fingers twirled your tongue, the other caressed the underside of your breasts. Skilled fingers easily found your sensitive peaks under your clothing and twisted them just the right way. Your moans were breathy and sultry.

Lucifer sat with his legs crossed on the couch in front of the one you were on. His smug expression stayed as his eyes took in the sight of you being ravished. Your face was hot as you noticed him watching you indulge in Satan’s touch.

Satan’s cock was grinding against your lower back as he fondled your breast, using his saliva covered fingers to give more attention to your nipples. You hissed at the cool, wet feeling. Your squirming had your hips grinding and moving against his hardening cock making him catch his breath. Satan caught your lips in his to quiet the moans he wants to hear only for himself. He doesn’t want to share them with Lucifer. His hands adjust again leaving one hand on your breast as the other traveled between your legs to feel how excited you were growing.

Lucifer was slowly removing his gloves as he watched Satan’s fingers slip beneath the thin strip of clothing covering your arousal. Satan dipped his fingers inside you, cooing as he felt how wet you were. You gave a low moan as he covered his fingers in your slick.

Meanwhile, Lucifer had made his way over, sitting next you both on the couch and moving your hips towards him. Both you and Satan looked at him quizzically, a smirk growing as he caught your attention.

“I found my first teachable moment, keep going.” Lucifer spoke as he easily removed your soaking underwear. You continued to moan and squirm as Satan once against spread your walls. You saw Lucifer watching you, eyes glued to yours as his fingers began to gently roll and tease your clit. Your heavy breathing and rolling hips made Satan even harder, you could feel his cock pressed against your lower back.

“Hmmm, so kitten likes that too?” Satan hummed in your ear. “Why don’t you meow for us if you’re enjoying our fingers?”

Your face felt hot, Satan was so horrible.

“It would help us understand our pet more, why don’t you meow when you feel good MC?” Lucifer echoed Satan’s proposed rule. Lucifer was horrible too.

But you complied; you were getting needier and needier from their teasing.

“M-mew?...meow?” You tested the waters.

You received an eager reward; both of them moved faster, harder. Lucifer gently teased at the tail like plug they so delicately picked out for you. Satan’s fingers were roughly playing at your nipples, sending waves of pleasure through you. You let little meows and moans slip as you got closer and closer the the edge of orgasm.

“Are we spoiling our pet?” Lucifer asked Satan as you grew louder.

“It’s so hard not to. She’s just so cute.” He chuckled lowly.

“C-cumming...” you moaned as your head languidly rested against Satan’s chest.

“Hm? What’s that kitten?” Satan hummed back, moving his fingers faster and curving into just the right spot. Lucifer made sure your clit was being treated just as pleasurably. They both sent you into bliss, moaning and spasming throughout your high. Your heavy panting slowed as you relaxed on the couch.

Both demons chuckled lowly, you could hear them both remove more of their clothing; jackets and sweaters and ties were set to the side. You were malleable after such a strong orgasm, so it was easy for them to put you on your knees on the floor between both of them.

“Feeding time MC? Are you...hungry?” Satan teased by running a finger against your jaw and pulling your gaze to him. He had already freed his erect member from his pants, pulling your chin closer and closer. As he held your attention, Lucifer placed one of your hands over his own cock, also freed from his slacks.

“You must be. Good thing we have extra for you. Hm hm. Now I’m spoiling her too.”

Your lips wrapped around Satan’s tip, giving teasing licks at his slit as you held the base of his cock; while your fingers on the other hand did the same to Lucifer’s. You could hear them both sigh and lowly moan as you gave them both attention.

They were both suddenly impatient and began moving their own hips. Satan held a hand on the back of your head as he pushed himself into the back of your throat. Lucifer also bucked into your grip around his thick length. Soon the hand on the back of your head was Lucifer’s; and it was now his cock going down your throat.

Your muffled mews and moans made both demons quicken their pace, passing your mouth between them to abuse your tongue and throat. All the while the faint sound of the bell on your collar rang out. You could hear Satan quietly mumble under his breath as he got closer; “So good. So good.” Lucifer was more conservative, not wanting to unravel too much, but his low throaty moans made it clear he was growing closer to cumming too.

As if they had the same idea, both stood from the couch, pulling your hair slightly to tilt your face back.

“Open up MC, this is for you.” Lucifer huffed.

“Stick out your tongue.” Satan commanded.

The good pet you are, you followed suit and opened wide as they both attempted to cum in your mouth. They covered your tongue, some dripping down your chin. With a heavy sigh Satan sat back to admire your condition. Cum and arousal painted your face.

“You look so amazing right now Kitten...” he mused as he watched you swallow everything.

“I don’t think we’re done yet.” Lucifer hissed as he reached beneath you to slip his fingers against your folds. Covering his fingers in your dripping slick before inserting two digits. “You’re still so wet MC. You still need to be taken care of little kitten.”

Lucifer swept you off the floor and into his lap, you could feel he was still hard as he let his cock grind against your heat. Satan watched you carefully as he positioned you over his thick cock and entered you slowly. Your whole body shifted to make room for Lucifer’s thick cock. Once seated fully in his lap, his shaft stretching and filling you, he had a devious idea. Keeping his hips still, he grabbed the back of your hand to wipe your still dirty chin, smearing cum over the back of your hand and fingers.

“Why don’t you lick your paw clean for Satan while I treat you a little more?” He smirked as his hips bucked gently.You began bouncing in his lap as you put on  a show.

Satan was mesmerized. You were bouncing on a cock all while moaning and mewling, desperately trying to lick your hand free of cum. With the ears. And the tail. And your little meow he could never forget. Satan was finally overcome with lust, quickly becoming hard again and stroking his cock at the sight of you.

“Fuck...” he cursed under his breath.

You watched him as he moved to stand behind you. You felt his palm against your back push you toward Lucifer, causing your hips to rise and chest to press into Lucifer’s face. The tail plug you had grown accustomed to was slowly pulled from you, a moan slipping from you as Satan replaced it with his hard cock.

It was so intense being filled by both impressive members, both reaching deep and making you grip the back of the couch tightly. Hearing you moan so loudly made Satan quickly ease his thrusts into you while Lucifer picked up his own pace. Lucifer’s soft lips wrapped around your nipple, gently tugging and biting. Your breasts bouncing against his face drove him crazy.

Satan buried his cock deeper and deeper into you as your walls began sucking him in. Leaning into you more he kissed up your back, to your shoulder, and to the crevice of your neck.

“Keep meowing kitten. Tell us how much you love being our pet.” His whisper was laced with lust and desperation.

At this point you could only focus on the stars clouding your vision, the mewls and whines slipped on their own. Those little meows drive him insane however.

“That’s right. Good MC. You’re taking this cock so well.” Lucifer hissed against your skin as his release grew closer.

“Good kitten. Just a little more.” Satan followed.

You felt like you were going to pass out, the rush building in your core was about to burst. They could feel your body quivering around them. It wasn’t much longer and your whole body turned heated as you came with them both thrusting inside you. Your moan was loud and so, so enticing. The grip around Lucifer’s cock wasn’t letting him go as he spilled inside you, filling you with his seed.Satan followed soon after, stilling inside you to empty himself. A gaspy, restrained moan hissing pass his lips.

No one moved a moment as you each caught your breath, relaxing and separating from each other’s bodies. You remained in Lucifer’s lap as you rested your head against his chest; breathless and lost in post coital bliss. Satan sat beside the eldest and gently pushed a few strands of hair out of your face. Lucifer’s strong arms held you close and he gently stroked your back soothingly.

“You know...I guess we do have a pretty good pet already.” Satan chuckled at your pout.

“She is pretty great. Though I think we could use more...training sessions like these.” Lucifer smirked as he lifted your chin. “How about it MC? Think you’d like to take more ‘lessons’ from Satan and I...?”

[dreamerstreamer]

Friendly Figure

Pairing: Fundy x gn!reader (can be read as both romantic & platonic!)

Summary: [Dream SMP!AU] While Fundy may have had more than his fair share of poor fatherly figures, he’s more than grateful to have you.

Word Count: 2.2k

A/N: this was requested by an anon who wanted a story surrounding fundy’s life story within the smp! this ended up being a fun combination of a character study with an actual story, and i loved it. i hope you enjoy, as well!

You waved your arm eagerly as you sank your teeth into another bite of delicious pumpkin pie. “Bye, Niki!” you called out between muffled chews. “Thanks for the pie!”

A few yards away, you saw her wave back, raising a hand to cup her mouth as she yelled back. “You’re welcome! I’ll see you two tomorrow!”

You sent her one last wide grin before turning on your heel, twirling your fork in your hands as you set off down the path once more. Niki really did make the best pie.

You hummed as you watched the sun dip below the horizon, the sky painted with fading streaks of salmon and lavender. Beside you, Fundy grumbled, his ears flicking atop his head in annoyance as he eyed the plate in your hands. “Why did you get an extra slice and I didn’t?”

You raised a brow at him, shooting him an unimpressed look. “Because you didn’t ask, nimrod.” Pointing your fork at him, you scoffed. “If you did, I bet Niki would have handed one over, no questions asked.”

He wrinkled his nose, at you a scowl stretching across his face. “‘Nimrod’?” he parroted. “You’ve been hanging out too much with Karl.”

You stabbed your fork into the pie in your hands, watching as the crust crumbled delectably onto your plate. “What can I say? He’s nice!”

Fundy looked appalled. “And I’m not?”

You stared at him, blinking for a moment, then shrugged, a teasing glint dancing across your eyes. “Eh. You’re alright, I guess.”

He glowered, raising his arms as you took a cautionary step back. “Why, you little—”

“Fundy!”

You and Fundy both stopped dead in your tracks, your fork dropping onto your plate with a clatter. Your eyes met, and a mutual look of discomfort passed between your gazes.

You would recognize that voice anywhere.

Slowly, the two of you turned, your gazes landing on a familiar worn yellow sweater, the cloth fraying at the edges after years of wear. In front of you, you could only stare as Ghostbur jogged up to Fundy, his dark, near-translucent eyes glimmering with hope.

Fundy coughed, trying and failing to hide the discomfort growing on his face as he offered a small wave. “Uh, hi, Ghostbur.”

Ghostbur’s pale lips curled into a frown, his brows furrowing. “Why the long face?” He leaned over, gently elbowing Fundy’s side, missing the way his son stiffened at his touch. “Aren’t you excited to see me?”

Fundy lurched back, clutching at where he had been touched. “Not really.”

Ghostbur let out a small whine, his shoulders drooping. “Aw, come on. Why don’t we have some father-son bonding time together?” He sent him a goofy grin, his eyes twinkling with nostalgia. “You know, just like the old days.”

You heart ached at the pain that flickered across Fundy’s face, his ears pressing flat against his head. There were no father-son bonding times when Wilbur was alive—at least not the kind that ended with actual bonding.

Fundy shuffled back a bit, and you instinctively took a step closer to his side. “No thanks,” he muttered softly, averting his eyes to the ground. “I’d rather not.”

Ghostbur’s smile faltered, and something sad flashed through his gaze. “Ah, um, w-well, maybe we could catch up?” A tinge of desperation seeped into his tone, and he lifted a shaky hand toward him. “I haven’t seen you in a whi—“

Fundy raised a hand, and Ghostbur fell silent. “I’m good, thanks.” He offered him a smile, but it was strained and didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I actually think I’m gonna get going now. Bye.”

Before Ghostbur could even think to respond, he dropped his hand, whipping around and striding away. You blinked, your head still reeling with everything that had happened as you watched Fundy walk off. Tightening your grip on your plate, you took a step forward to follow after him when a quiet voice stopped you.

“[Y/N],” Ghostbur said, his voice coming out small.

You stiffened, then turned, swallowing as you sent him a wary glance over your shoulder. “Yes, Ghostbur?”

The moment his name left your lips, you froze, your jaw going slack. The light had left his eyes, and he only stared down at the ground with a vacant gaze, his hands limp at his sides.

You’d never seen Ghostbur look so... sad. So miserable. He looked defeated—broken. Then again, maybe he was.

Did Fundy really affect him so much?

“Please,” he said softly, so quietly that you could have mistaken it for a breeze. “Please tell me.”

He raised his head, and a pang of sorrow ran through your heart as he took a weary step toward you, his hand gripping at the fabric over his heart. “Where did I go wrong? What did I do to make him hate me so much?”

You blinked at him, pondering, then glanced down at the half-eaten slice of pie on your plate. A frown skittered across your face. You didn’t have much of an appetite, anymore. Sucking in a deep breath, you looked back at him.

“Ghostbur,” you said, “just like how there are some things we cannot change, there are some wounds we cannot mend, no matter how much we try. Your relationship with Fundy is one of them.”

He frowned, a sour gleam flashing in his ghostly eyes. “That’s not fair. I don’t want him to hate my like this forever.”

Something bitter rippled through you, and you snapped, “What you did to him wasn’t fair either, Ghostbur, but there’s no fixing that now.”

He flinched at your sudden shift in tone, and you almost wanted to apologize. Almost. Swallowing, he dropped his gaze to the ground, his voice dropping to a low whisper. “Was I really so cruel?”

You stared at him for a few long moments. Then, you opened your mouth, and what came out was tasted like ice on your tongue.

“Yes. You were.”

Before you could feel even a grain of pity for him, you flipped around on your heel, striding off in the direction Fundy had left. How dare he be so upset that his son hated him when he was the one who made it so. You had seen it all, had seen every despicable choice he made as he chose to neglect his son, as he chose to abandon your best friend.

You couldn’t pity him—you would not allow yourself to.

Taking a shaky breath, you squeezed your fork a little tighter as you made your way down the walkway in search of Fundy. You already knew where he was—of course you knew. What kind of best friend would you be if you didn’t?

The sun had long set by now, and above you the stars twinkled like tiny, flickering candles. You trudged along the dark path, accompanied only by the moon’s soft light before you suddenly veered off the trail. Pushing past the low-hanging branches of the forest, you finally stepped up onto the cliffside, spotting Fundy sitting with his back leaning against yours and his favourite tree back from when you were little.

With a small twitch of your lips, you walked up to him, watching as his ears flicked in your direction. You could never surprise him, as much as you may try, so you simply settled into the space next to him, setting your pie down next to you. He was staring out over the forest below, his legs dangling freely off the edge. You tilted your head at him, then spoke.

“Hey, bud,” you said softly, your eyes scanning the somber look on his face. “You doing alright?”

His gaze flit to yours, then back over the cliff once more. “Sort of. Ish. I guess.”

You sent him an unconvinced look, and he paused, then let a loose sigh escape his lips. “No, not really.”

Leaning back, you offered him a weary smile. “Yeah, I figured. That chat with Ghostbur didn’t go over so well.”

Slowly, he pulled back his legs, curling them up to his chest and resting his head atop his knees. “I know he means well, but it just makes me feel sick, the way he talks to me. It’s not his fault, I know, but I...” He swallowed. “I—“

“It’s okay,” you murmured, reaching over to squeeze his shoulder. “You don’t have to explain. I get it.”

He sent you a thankful grin, then his smile fell. Scooting back a bit further, he looked up at the stars, his expression thoughtful. “You know,” he said suddenly, “my experiences with dads has been kind of awful.”

You blinked at him, stunned, then blurted, “You just realized?”

He laughed, his ivory grin glinting in the moonlight. “No, but I think talking to Ghostbur today really got me thinking about it more.” His tail flicked behind him. “Growing up, I always felt like I just had to please Wilbur—like I had to be the best for him.” An almost hopeful look overtook his features. “After all, I was his little champion, right?”

He bit the inside of his cheek. “But he never paid any attention to me. He was always focused on fighting wars and becoming president and—“ He sucked in a deep breath. “—and then he died.”

He furrowed his brows, and you could practically hear his train of thought speeding forward. “Looking back, I can hardly remember a single good thing he did for me. I mean, he wasn’t so bad when I was a baby and stuff, but when I needed him most, he was just...” He paused. “...gone.”

Suddenly, he whipped his head up and turned to look at you. “And then don’t even get me started with Eret. You know, I trusted him.” He held up a hand, gesturing wildly as his tail stood up straight. “He was actually nice to me, [Y/N]. He listened to me and gave me good advice, just like a real dad would. Then the papers came and... and... nothing.”

He stopped, his voice dropping to a tiny whisper. “Again.”

For a moment, he was silent. Then, he let out a long, bitter laugh.

“Oh,” he said, his tone growing wistful, “nothing’s changed, has it?” He ran a hand through his messy hair, his eyes growing glossy in the moonlight, “I’m all alone, just like before.”

Just like that, your heart snapped into two, and you opened your mouth. “That’s not true, Fundy.”

The look he sent you was full of nothing but pure anguish. “It is, isn’t it? I’m just the forgotten son—“ He held up two fingers. “—twice over, now. No one wants me, no one at a—“

Before he could finish, he was cut off by you barreling straight into him, knocking him flat onto his back. Your arms caged him in as you panted over him, your eyes vividly scanning his as he stared at you in shock.

“Fundy,” you breathed, desperation soaking your words, “listen to me. You’ve changed. You’re stronger now, more resilient, and I see that.”

Slowly, you snaked a hand up to rest against his face, your palm pressed against this cheek. “I want you, Fundy. I’m here with you—I always have been, and I always will be.”

Your gaze hardened as it bore into his, steadfast and true. “And as long as I’m by your side, you will never be alone.”

He blinked up at you, his lips parted in awe. Then, ever so slowly, a smile, small but sincere, spread across his face. “Thank you, [Y/N],” he whispered.

Crawling back, you reached a hand out toward him, your smile widening as he grasped it in his. “Anytime, buddy.”

With a grunt, you pulled him forward until he was sitting upright once more. “You know what?” he said abruptly as you let go of his hand.

You cocked your head at him, your eyebrows knitting together. “Hm?”

Fundy flashed you a bright grin, lopsided and goofy in all the right ways. “Who needs a father figure when I have you?”

Your eyes widened as you sputtered, “W-What?”

His gaze suddenly grew serious. “You’re all I need. You’re like...” He trailed off, searching for the right words. “...my friendly figure.”

A few seconds passed in silence as you blinked at him. Then, you burst into laughter, not missing the way his tail bristled at the sound. “Fundy,” you wheezed, “that’s a horrible name.”

He shot you an irritable look. “Well, do you have a better one?”

Your laughter slowly came to a halt, and your eyes crinkled at the corners. “Yes,” you said. “A best friend.”

He looked at you for a moment, then smiled back. “I like that one better.”

Suddenly, you turned, reaching out to your side. “You know what’s even better than that, though?”

His ears twitched. “What?”

When you turned, you held a familiar plate in your hands, a giggle threatening to bubble out of your throat as you took in his shocked expression. “Some pie.” You shoved a fork in his face—a new one. “Here, we can finish it together.”

He sent you a quizzical look, disbelief clouding his features. “Since when did you have a second fork?”

Without missing a beat, you stabbed the new fork into the soft, flaky dessert and held it up to his lips. “No questions. Only pie.”

He blinked at you for another moment, then grinned, opening his mouth wide for you to shovel some pie in.

You really were all he needed.

[obeiii-mee]

Hi there! Im back, tysm for doing my HC ;;/ it was super cute, i really liked Mammons and Satans!! If you dont mind if i ask for another? Hdjsks Recently, i slipped while walking home with some pals and scrapped my knee. It wasnt too bad, but it sure looked bad lmao If you can could you do HCs for the boys reacting to MC slipping and scrapping there knee while walking w them? Im sure Mammon would have a heart attack hfjd Tysm!! Keep up the good work♡

Thank you so much! I hope your knee gets better and that it wasn’t too painful! The brothers would all be panicking in their own way but I agree, Mammon would faint or something lmao.

Hope this was OK.

————————————

The Brothers with an MC who fell and scraped their knee:

Lucifer:

-It was a miracle you managed to convince him to come out on a walk with you at all

-The man doesn’t know when to take a break from his work

-He’s more likely to accept if it’s you asking tho, he has an obvious soft spot for you

-The others call him a suck up behind his back because of it

-You were so happy that you managed to pry Lucifer away from his desk, you were basically skipping alongside him

-Long story short, you tripped over your own two feet and fell

-Luckily, your knees and palms were the only things that got a bit scruffy

-Well, actually your right knee looked as if someone tried removing your entire knee cap with a scalpel, skin and all but adrenaline was kicking in and you couldn’t feel much

-You’ve never seen Lucifer freeze the way he did then

-His mind just drew a blank

-You were about to shrug it off and call it a day, get up and continue your walk but daddy Lucifer can’t have that

-He has six younger brothers (and a younger sister at some point) he is pretty experienced when it comes to treating injuries

-You aren’t walking for the rest of the day, let me make this clear

-He will carry you back to the House of Lamentation no matter how much you protest

-In case it wasn’t obvious already, Lucifer gives off massive dad vibes and now he’s bandaging your leg while you’re laying down on his bed

-While the rest of the brothers watch the two of you from behind the door frame because they are all equally worried

-Get ready for the three hour lecture coming your way

-He’s pissed and amused at the same time tbh

-Silly human, falling over like that and hurting themselves

-Lord Diavolo forbid you try to get out of that bed, he will drag you back and make sure you stay there until your knee is better (kinky)

Mammon:

-He was on his merry way to the casino to blow off all of Lucifer’s money and you tagged along solely for the purpose of making sure he didn’t spend all of Lucifer’s money

-You’d both be done for if he did

-But I guess fate really had it out for you on that day since your foot slipped on....something and you tripped

-Both of your knees looked bloody and damaged as hell but you were more irritated than anything

-Mammon on the other hand did a fucking double take and almost passed out

-He screeched his lungs out

-One look at your injured knees and he was ready to drag you all the way to the human realm on foot to find you a doctor

-“MC ARE YOU OK WHY THE FUCK IS THERE SO MUCH BLOO-HOLY SHIT STAY STILL DON’T MOVE! THE GREAT MAMMON WILL FIX THIS...SOMEHOW.”

-It was very dramatic, he cried

-You stood up to prove that you were alright because you thought he was going to have a seizure soon enough

-OK, that helped him calm down a little

-At least now he knew your legs weren’t about to get torn off and you weren’t on the verge of death

-Fuck the casino, you were going home

-Like Lucifer, don’t expect you will walk home by yourself

-He will carry you, a bit embarrassed by his initial freak out but still eyeing your wound, concerned

-As soon as you get home and the other brothers help you out because he’s shit at bandaging, he just sits in his own pool of misery and guilt

-Your poor knees wouldn’t be so jacked up if you hadn’t come along with him today

-He was so determined to make it up to you, he stayed by your bedside like a loyal puppy with a wagging tail (flashback to the animal event)

-Overall, he almost went into cardiac arrest and was too panicked to realise you were fine

-You thought he was smothering and overprotective before? Good luck for the rest of the week

Levi:

-“See, this is why I don’t like going out. There’s always some normie laying on the groun- OH MY LORD DIAVOLO, MC IS THAT YOU?? ARE YOU OK?”

-HIS HENRY ALMOST DIED ON THE NEWLY POLISHED FLOOR OF AN ANIME CONVENTION, HE HAS VERY MIXED EMOTIONS

-You fell knees first and hurt them quiet badly but you could stand, even if the pain made you twitch a little

-This confused Levi because you looked fine even though your knees certainly didn’t

-You told him you felt alright and it wasn’t that big of a deal and he absolutely rolled with it

-But you guys still went home after that

-He said it was because you bled all over your cosplay but that’s just him being a tsundere

-Levi is usually very shy when it comes to physical contact but he firmly insisted that he help you walk home

-I mean, he knows you said you were feeling OK and maybe humans just have a lot of tolerance for injuries like that

-But he still felt it was necessary that he took you home and checked out your injuries

-He kept the mood light while disinfecting you’re wound with some help from Satan by talking about how the convention went

-High low-key relieved seeing you walk around like normal two minutes after that

-He started bitching to you about how you made him miss his the event but he didn’t mean any of it

-“Stupid normie, making me miss my favourite Ruri-chan event. You’re lucky I love you and think you’re cute....did I just say that out loud??”

Satan:

-Oh dear, why would you go out for a walk in the middle of a rainstorm? What were you thinking?

-Actually, it was Satan’s idea

-He may be a demon and the prince of Wrath no less, but he is such a sappy, cheesy bastard at times

-He definitely thinks that walking and kissing in the rain is very romantic (bet he read something like that in an erotica)

-You know what’s not romantic blondie? Slipping on a very small puddle and potentially fracturing your leg

-It was just a scraped knee but you were frustrated enough to be extra

-He’s helping you up before you even have the chance to realise you fell in the first place

-Your knee was looking pretty bad so you guys went home just to avoid any further casualties

-He’s actually chuckling all the way back while you playfully glare at him because how dare he laugh at your misery?

-Date night was ruined but at least he got to take care of you

-He knew your knee must have hurt and he felt bad but he couldn’t help but giggle a bit to himself because your fall was so comical

-Ah but he does enjoy fussing over you for the rest of the night a bit too much

Asmo:

-You thought Mammon was melodramatic?

-Take a look at this fucking guy

-He actually screeches even louder than his brother and probably falls to his knees too (but not really because those pants were expensive)

-His screams definitely got the attention of at least 10 random passerbyers

-He’s actually on the verge of crying

-I mean, can you blame him?? Look at your beautiful knees!! They were ruined

-He felt so bad for you, he actually babied the hell out of you that day

-“Asmo, it’s fine. It’s just a scrap.”

-“A SCRAP, MC IT LOOKS LIKE YOUR KNEE IS ABOUT TO FALL OFF YOUR POOR SKIN-“

-It was just a scrap but Asmo’s secret talent is being extra as fuck

-He totally spilled all the tea to the rest of the brothers when he got home

-And then he ushered you into his room

-Funnily enough, he’s pretty good with injuries. Not as much as Satan and Lucifer but still

-He pampered you for the next few hours but that image of your skin being all grazed like that will forever haunt him

-How can you not be so bothered by it?? He’d die if he was in your place

-I love Asmo just because of how dramatic he is

Beel:

-Your shoelaces were undone and of course that meant a fun little trip to the floor of Hell’s Kitchen

-Beel didn’t notice you fell at first, he was concentrating on his food and assumed you were next to him

-But then he realised that you weren’t and for a moment he thought you disappeared or something

-Before he turned to find you laying on the floor, curled up because life was pain and you were suffering

-“Are you OK? Or are you just tired? Belphie does that a lot when he’s tired.” Or depressed one might say

-But for real, he’s good at identifying serious wounds and less serious wounds since he’s an athlete

-He can tell your knees were bleeding way more than they should have from just a simple scrap

-He slinged you over his shoulder and carried you, calmly, back home, with a burger still in his hand

-He’s actually really collective and talked to you while cleaning up your injury to take your mind off the pain

-He knows humans are a little more fragile than demons so even though he knows it’s not a big deal, he can’t help but worry

-It’s kinda hard falling around him tho because chances are, he will actually catch you even if he happens to hold something

-He’s sad if you’re sad so please don’t cry he will bandage your scraped knee do you want the last bit of his burger to make you feel better?

-Comfort hugs afterwards!

-Which is awesome because Beel gives out best hugs :)

Belphie:

-Ah yes, another beautiful day at RAD

-Walking alongside with your grumpy and sleepy boyfriend when a random demon bumps into you

-Wel not bumps, more like shoves you so hard you fall down and tear the fabric of your pants

-While the dude shrugs it off and speeds away

-You were a bit pissed off because rude

-But Belphie was fucking fuming

-He felt so offended on your part

-I mean, the nerve of him

-He was tired as shit but he wanted to chase after him and throw hands, possibly fill his pillow with rocks and hit him over the head with it

-He forced himself to focus on you first before hunting the moron down

-He was a bit concerned when he didn’t see you come back up after you fell

-Turns out, you scraped your knee pretty horribly and now you were bleeding all over the floor

-He’s even more quiet than usual as he helps you up and half carries you to your next class

-He starts taking care of your knee in the middle of DevilDom history he doesn’t give a flying fuck

-He’s still furious by the time he gets home and most of his brothers know to leave him be when he makes that scary ass face

-No talk to him

-He angy

-“Does your knee still hurt?”

-“A bit but it’s not-“

-“Come nap with me.”

-“Why?”

-“Naps shall cure your pain.”

-“...”

-“Nah but for real come take a nap with me.”

-Next day at school, the dude from yesterday walks by him and Belphie smashes his head against the wall

-Before walking away as if nothing happened

-I stan protective Belphie

These HCs are really bad but I love them anyway

Al~

[astaroth1357]

Leviathan's Odyssey 6:

Reunion

*Lucifer is in the middle of packing an extra set of water-wings into a cat-themed bag on his bed. Beel is waiting for him at the door in swim trunks, holding a placated baby Satan who’s gnawing on the ear of his beloved Mr. Whiskers*

Beel: Lucifer, are you sure about this?

Lucifer: Yes. I'm sure.

Beel: But he's so small… Isn't there another way to get him tired?

Lucifer: I don't suppose you have any suggestions?

Beel: ….. 

*unable to answer, Beel turns away with a guilty look. Lucifer just sighs, picking up the bag and finally looks back at his brother*

Lucifer: I thought so… *he passes by but sets a hand on his shoulder* If he's strong enough to have a body count, he can learn to doggy paddle. Now let's go.

*in an effort to curb Satan's boundless destructive tendencies, Lucifer finally read a parenting book and decided that giving their little hellspawn some physical activity could make him easier to manage. Lord Diavolo offered them his private beach for a few days to that end, so some swimming appeared to be in order. Satan was still much younger than any of his brothers when he taught them, but nothing about this child was normal. He could probably handle a little water as long as he was supervised...*

*the trip through the portal was uneventful for the brothers, as was setting themselves up on the beach. Belphie had been the only one to complain about being dragged onto another family outing, but he seemed content enough to sleep in a deck chair while Beel set out (and ate) the day's snacks. The sun wasn't helping Lucifer's headaches at all, and since Asmo had wandered off to take pictures in his new speedo, care of baby Satan fell to Mammon*

*to the secondborn's credit, he actually remembered what they came there for and brought his little brother out to the water’s where the waves lapped the shore*

Mammon: Okay, little guy… Lucifer wants ya good and tired so let’s play in the water for a bit.

*he takes Satan off of his hip and lets him sit in the sand right where the water will come up to hit his legs, not nearly deep enough to be of any danger, but enough to get him accustomed to the stuff. Predictably, the baby demon is mesmerized by the cool new substance hitting his skin and Mammon can’t help but grin at his amazed expression*

Mammon: Yeah, this is called the “ocean” little buddy! *he kneels down next to him and scoops some of the water into his palms to let Satan stick his hands in* It’s all made’a this stuff. Can ya say, “Ocean” for your big bro?

Satan: Perwish!

Mammon: Thaaaat’s not even close, but I guessed ya tried... *he sighs and looks out for a moment at the lapping waves then back at Satan* Want to go out a little deeper? See more water?

*Satan coos at him and holds his hands up to be lifted, so he takes that as confirmation and helps him to his little feet. Thankfully for House, he’s not terribly mobile without help, but when someone holds his hands for him he can more or less walk upright. Mammon helps him takes a few steps deeper into the water until the level reaches about to his knees and he seems quite pleased with himself as he watches the water rise and fall slightly over his legs*

Mammon: Ya like water, buddy? Ya must because you haven’t tried drownin’ me yet… *he laughs only a bit at his own joke… partially because he’s only half joking*

*Mammon lets Satan stand in the water for a little bit, glancing around at the rest of the shore around them and trying to think of what kinds of things he could collect and sell from the beach... He gets so preoccupied by his thoughts, that he doesn’t notice the size of the waves beginning to swell until they start going well past Satan’s waist… When his little brother begins to make a fuss, he looks down in surprise at how suddenly the water level had begun to rise*

Mammon: Huh? What the heck??

*he’s quick to scoop Satan back up, but as he’s getting his brother settled back into his arms, he hears a growing commotion coming from the beach behind him*

Lucifer: -mon! Mammon!! Ge-!! *though he recognizes the voice, the roar of the waves drown out most of the words*

Mammon: *frowns* What?? I can’t hear you! 

*when he looks back at his shouting brother, he can see the eldest is up on his feet along with everyone else - even Belphie is awake and they all look… alarmed? What’s going on??*

Lucifer: Get out of the water!! NOW!!!

Mammon: “Get out of the…?” *confused, Mammon turns back to look out over the ocean… but what he sees sends a chill down his spine*

*there’s a dorsal fin in the water. But it’s no ordinary fin… It’s a towering monstrosity, easily the size of a ship’s sail, with dark spines running through indigo webbing… Though it’s a little ways off from where he’s standing, that only makes its sheer size more horrifying and not less…*

*Mammon grips onto Satan like a precious treasure then bolts from the water as fast as he can, scrambling so frantically that he nearly falls into the sand in the process. When he returns to his brothers, Lucifer pries Satan from his hands while the rest pull Mammon back into the group. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he’s been scared half to death…*

*meanwhile, the fin in the water slowly drifts across the horizon. Though its pace may appear lazy, its relative size means its covering miles upon miles easily… To their collective horror, it appears to sink below the surface for the briefest of moments before something else rises out of the water… First two branch-like structures: multi-pronged, sharp, and as dark as night, then a mass of purple between them, seemingly connected together… The purple substance is dripping with water and pools around whatever rising form is taking shape above the surface…*

*where the purple mass parts, they see two glowing eyes fixate on them from afar… their pupils nothing but thin slits against the amber that surrounds them… Each eye could easily fit a whole wing of the Demon Lord’s Castle inside and even from this distance their scale is staggering…*

*the eyes watch the group for what feels like an eternity, blinking languidly, before they close and sink again below the surface, the “creature” seemingly disappearing into the waves*

Mammon: …. Lucifer….?

Lucifer: *swallows a moment, holding Satan tight against his chest* … Yes?

Mammon: What the HELL was that thing?!?

*for once, Lucifer seems to be at a loss for words… Diavolo had assured him that this shore was uninhabited and safe! Whatever that monstrosity they just saw was, he could hardly begin to call it “safe!!”*

*before Lucifer could collect himself enough to answer, they spy something else approaching the shore at a fast pace, so fast in fact that none of the brothers get a chance to change forms before it's already breached the surface and landed on the beach in a kneeling position. The creature some yards before them appears to be shaped like a man covered in black scales… each one shimmering with an indigo hue in the artificial sunlight. Like the beast from the water before, the creature’s head is a mess of purple but when seeing it closer it only appears to be hair... Its hands and feet are taloned with thick black claws and a long, black tail slinks its way out of the water to seemingly test the feel of the air around it…*

*they hear the creature inhale deeply while still crouched against the sand, maybe testing out its lungs, before it slowly rises on its reptilian feet. With more of its body revealed, the brothers can see that it’s not entirely scaled: pale skin covers its bare chest and spreads up to parts of its neck and face where the scales don’t reach… One of its hands grasps a jagged red trident, seemingly ripped and carved from coral, while the other flexes in its now waterless environment… but there’s something familiar about its face…*

Belphie: *squints at the creature, rubbing his eyes furiously* Am I dreaming... or is that…?

Asmo: *staring at the beast himself in aghast horror, though of what can’t be said for certain* I-I can’t believe it...

Mammon: *covers his mouth with the back of his hand, seemingly unsure how to react himself* Is... Is that…?

*Lucifer tries desperately to regain some level of composure, but he’s just as shocked as his brothers… If his suspicions are true, then maybe… just maybe...*

*the feel of Satan’s tiny hand gripping onto his swim-shirt grounds Lucifer for the moment as he tears his eyes away from the mysterious man and down to the child in his arms… and his blood runs cold…*

*Satan is staring at the man with just as much horror as the rest them… his little fists digging into the fabric of his shirt enough to tear. For just a second, he looks up at him with pleading eyes before burying his face into Lucifer’s chest... like he wants to hide... In all his time with this baby demon, he’s never actually seen him so pale… so... terrified*

*when he looks back at the man on the shore, he’s wearing a smile but one of razor sharp teeth gleaming in the light, giving his mouth an almost ghastly glow… and those amber eyes he had hoped to see again stare back at him with no love left…*

Lucifer: It’s good to see you again… Leviathan...

*a true sentiment, but hallow words to utter it... Something tells him that this won’t be a “happy” reunion...*

Parts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

[just-asks-and-beats]

Land Ho!

Water. That was all Gray could see.. for soooo long. He just wanted to pass out. His body felt sluggish, it was getting harder by the minute to sit up straight, and his head was pounding. He tried to ignore it, but it really seemed like karma was beginning to catch up to him. It certainly didn’t help to be in the presence of Ship for the whole ride… they were too damn happy, too damn hug-y..? Is that even a word..? He didn’t know, didn’t care. He just wanted them to stop hopping around the ship hugging everyone and get to the volcano already. As a gentle sea breeze ruffled his cloak, he took a moment to let everything that was happening set in… Big mistake. He felt sick, guilt coming along with his realisations. Oh, how he didn’t want to have to face Barracuda.. but what other choice did he have!? What would everyone do to him if they found out who he really was…? He wished he’d died in that final fight.. he hardly even remembered what happened, just how much it hurt. Nobody had ever accepted him, and he was sure there were no chances at a happy life for him now. He’d ruined every chance he had. He let out a quiet sigh as he looked down at the water below…

Darkness. That was all Lycan- or Lichen? Was he still using the code-name? He didn’t remember… Anyway, it was dark. Way too dark. For soooo long. He hated being stuck as Gray’s body, it was getting hot being covered up in fabric the whole time! They wished Ship had a motorboat so they could just speed over to the volcano instead of this. It was hard to see, hard to breathe, and getting tiring holding Gray up. He wanted to complain about it, but alas, giving away both of their identities would mean quite a bit of trouble. He’d just have to complain to Barracuda when they got there. He began thinking of the volcano, how nice it would be to stay there again. Sure, his last visit ended in disaster, but it was the fun kind of disaster! He truly didn’t care about being corrupted, he just liked having the extra sass and slight power boost! Sure, they weren’t as much of a threat as they were when they’d first been corrupted, the treeangle shard greatly powering up the volcano, but they could still kick ass! He wondered how Bareacuda would react to seeing them both… a question entered his mind. Should he tell Barracuda that Gray is really Blixer…? Well, if Ship said he hadn’t been in a good mood lately, then the answer was probably no. He would just have to wait until Barracuda was feeling better to speak about it with him in private! …He hoped everything would go well when they arrived at the volcano…

The sea, the sky, the beautiful clouds, the shining sun, oh how Ship loved it. There was nothing better to them than setting sail, gazing out over the horizon… this “Gray” was quite the character. Gray top, blue bottom, they’d never seen another shape like him, but they certainly weren’t judging. They liked Gray, even if something about him seemed… off. They couldn’t quite place their finger on it, but they figured it best to let sleeping dogs lie, and let him live his own life without asking too many questions. Ship took out their telescope and pour it to their eye, getting a better look at everything. The telescope was a family heirloom, passed down through quite a few generations, and always kept on tip-top shape, just like their ships. As they gazed through the glass they took in a deep breath, letting out a hearty

“LAND HO!”

Gray had practically jumped right off Lycan- or Lichen? Were they still trying to convince everyone that sorry excuse for a lie was their name? He wasn’t sure. Anyway- he’d practically jumped right off their shoulders as Ship’s call rang out across the waters. He saw the volcano in the distance, quickly getting larger and larger. Finally.

Lichen sat up straight, fully alert. What was going on? He couldn’t see a thing and he felt too nervous to try and peek out.. Maybe the volcano was close! He really hoped so… luckily his guess was correct as he heard Ship began to speak about things like ��droppin’ ye off ‘ere” and “dockin’ the boat”. He quickly told up, hiding his paws in the cook and holding onto Gray to keep him steady as he hopped out of the boat onto the volcano’s island.

“Alrighty, I hope everythin’ goes well for ye here, and I really hope ye can get that grumpy lad t’ be a bit more cheerful! I’m surprised he hasn’t “unleashed his wrath” on us yet! Well, maybe he just recognises ye! I wish ye the best o’ luck, I’ll be takin’ me leave now!” And with that, Ship began sailing away, leaving Gray on the island to try and help Barracuda. They waved to him as they sailed off.

“Ah, thank you ever so much for your generosity!” Lycan did his best to sound mature once again, speaking so Gray didn’t have to. He waved back where he’d heard Ship’s voice come from, hoping it was at least general the right direction, since he couldn’t see all too well. He heard Gray sigh.

“….Alright… let’s get goin’ I guess….” His voice sounded weak, and quieter than usual. Lichen felt a bit worried about the poor guy.. They peeked out of the cloak and began to walk towards the tunnel leading into the volcano. As they entered, Lycan finally looked out of the cloak completely, then kneeled down to Gray could get off of his shoulders. As Gray climbed down he really wasn’t really to hav to hold himself up completely on his own, and almost fell over, doing all he could to keep his legs from giving out entirely. He leaned against a wall of the cave, trying to be as nonchalant about everything as possible, but Lycan knew something was wrong.. Gray’s condition was getting worse.

“Uh.. you stay here! I’ll try to find Barracuda! I don’t think you’d do too well climbin around the rocks n stuff over the lava. I’m used to it though, or at least I was getting used to it when I was here for a bit… Whatever, I’ll be fine. See ya!” And with that he ran down the tunnel into the main area of the volcano.. Where was Barracuda? If he was apparently making such a fuss over here, then why wasn’t he there to greet them? Lycan scaled a rocky wall, climbing up to a ledge and jumping onto another rocky platform.

“HEY BARRACUDA!? I BET YA RECOGNISE MY ANNOYING VOOOIICE! DID YA MISS ME?” He called out, hoping for any kind of response.. Barracuda was the only one he knew that might be capable enough to help B- Gray without maybe also wanting to kill him. He needed to find him. He continued searching, leaping from place to place, his attention shifting more to the search than to his surroundings… He called out again to Barracuda, his voice echoing throughout the cavern. He hardly noticed a slight trembling of the rock beneath his feet. He walked to the ledge, ready to leap to a rocky wall and grab on when suddenly, just as he was about to jump, the rock broke beneath him. He yelped as his plunge to the lava below began. No! He didn’t want this to happen again, it hurt! He braced himself for the intense burning sensation when suddenly, he stopped! Something had grabbed him, a long tail of some sort curled around his torso, it’s grip tightening as he was slowly hoisted back up to a stable ledge. He gripped the ground below him, trembling slightly before shaking his head and trying to stand up… but he couldn’t. He noticed the tail was still tightly gripped around him… wait.. this is-!

“Just what do you think you’re doing here…?” A cold, stern voice asked. Lycan looked up to see none other than Barracuda glaring at him… suddenly he felt a lot more helpless. He stammered a bit before being cut off by one of Barracuda’s dramatic sighs. He pulled his tail closer to himself, bringing Lycan along with it. He took the time to inspect the pink splotches making their way into Lycan’s complexion.

“…I see the corruption hasn’t quite treated you well, has it? Let me guess, you’ve come to run from your problems..” His voice was calm, yet accusatory in a way. Lycan looked a bit uncomfortable, staring at the ground.

“…I.. I need your help.. we need your help. I have someone with me that.. isn’t doing too well.” He shrunk back as he noticed how infuriated Bareacuda looked.

“What do you think this volcano has become, a hospital!? Why do you think I would ever care about some stranger, and some annoying pup come to ruin my only chances as finding a sorry excuse for peace!?” Lycan gave a small whimper as Barracuda’s grip on him tightened as he got angrier, which seemed to make Barracuda let go of him altogether. He gave an almost apologetic look before curling his tail around himself and looking away.

“….Lycanthropy, I just want everyone to leave me alone. I have… much on my mind currently, and as you can tell i’m horribly irritable. So if you could just… leave. That would be ideal.” He tried to make “go away” sound a eloquent as possible.. Lycan seemed to get the message, but he had no other options.. he couldn’t leave.

“…I’m sorry for being so annoying and I promise I’ll try not to cause any trouble but please! Please let us stay, we don’t even have any way to leave and even if we go leave we have nowhere to go! Shapes started freaking out when they saw the pink growing back on me! And- and Gray is… I.. I’m worried he won’t last for much longer without any help and I don’t know what to do!” He looked at Bareacuda, desperate for any kind of look of pity. He got a flash of one, but Bareacuda quickly composed himself and returned his stern gaze.

“I have no help to give. I’m sorry. I can temporarily fix the bridge to this island so that you and this “Gray” may leave, but that. is. all.” Barracuda may be stubborn, but Lycan was too. He decided it was time for the final trick up his sleeve… the puppy eyes. He did his best to look as pitiful as possible, his big eyes shining as he did his best to convince Barracuda one final time to let them stay…. Eventually he got up, looking sadly at the way back down. He tearfully nodded as he climbed down, slowly making his way back to the tunnel where Gray was waiting. Barracuda felt… guilty. Did he really just deny a kid and someone who is potentially deathly ill from taking shelter here…? He didn’t want to think of himself as a bad person, but… this was certainly a new low. Oh how he hated this feeling, but… he couldn’t force Lycan and his friend to leave, his conscience would never recover.. He slowly slithered down, as he reached the bottom he used his magic to transform his serpentine bottom half back into normal legs. He ran into the tunnel after Lycan.

Gray has been sitting here alone for quite some time.. where was Lycan.. was he hurt…? He hoped not, he’d never forgive himself if he got this kid into even worse trouble… His head was foggy, thoughts swimming around and crashing into one another, he could hardly even stay awake. He didn’t notice the sound of footsteps approaching until Lycan was standing right in front of him, he sleepily looked up, slightly relieved to see him ok. Lycan began to speak to him… what was he saying…? Something about… Barracuda… guilt-tripping….? He had no idea what was going on… He noticed Lycan looked worried.. they knelt down in front of him and waved a hand in front of his face… what were they doing…? He just grunted and shook his head, he didn’t feel well.. Lycan backed off, but still seemed troubled as he stared at him. Then, Lycan looked over down the tunnel, he smiled a little and got up to greet someone… Gray did his best to see who it was…. it was Barracuda.. he really was here… he was staring at him, did he do something wrong…? He… wasn’t sure what expression Barracuda even had… he felt nervous, guilty… He felt so tired… Barracuda was here.. that was good…. he’d help… good… that means Gray could just… close his eyes… for a minute…

“D-DID HE JUST DIE!?” Lycan exclaimed, looking at Gray who practically just passed out. He looked over to Bareacuda for some kind of reassurance, but all he got was silence.. Barracuda was still staring at Gray, why? Was he that upset a stranger was here..? Lycan watched as Barracuda picked Gray up and walked away with him, taking the time to look back and make sure Lycan was following, which he was. Barracuda had changed his normal legs into a serpentine tail once again to scale the rocks, and had eventually lead Lycan through a small crevice, which lead into a larger cavern area, illuminated by a mixture of candles, lamps, and glowing mushrooms. Oddly enough, there was furniture here. There was a couch, a table and chairs, a laptop, and a whole bunch of boxes filled with all sorts of different things all neatly organised. There was a fire going, a pot hanging above it on a small rack, the smell coming from it made Lycan’s stomachs growl. He hadn’t eaten in a while and whatever was in there smelled great. Barracuda placed Gray down on the couch, grabbing a blanket and putting it over him, then going into the boxes and pulling out two bowls and spoons. He grabbed a ladle resting by the fire and used it to serve two bowl-fulls of a mushroom stew. He handed a bowl to Lycan, which quickly sat down at the table and began to scarf down his meal. He also took his bowl to the table and began eating in a much calmer manner. He looked up at Lycanthropy who clearly seemed to me enjoying the meal and slightly smiled to himself… maybe he could get use to these two idiots staying for a while..

[whimperwoods]

Part 6 of Gozukk and Anna. Hurt/comfort. Dinner invitation. Panic attack. Adjusting to this situation is going great for everyone involved I’m sure.

First part is here. Second part is here. Third part is here. Fourth part is here. Fifth part is here.

tw: slavery (past), tw: past abuse, tw: hallucinations (ish), tw: fear of noncon (fairly vague, trauma-related rather than situational), tw: anxiety, tw: PTSD, tw: panic attack, tw: disorientation/dissociation

Let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! I continue to be astounded by how long it is, so thanks, y’all!

Tag list: @redwingedwhump, @nine-tailed-whump, @thehurtsandthecomfurts @kixngiggles, @bluebadgerwhump, @dragonheart905, @carolinethedragon, @whumpzone, @newbornwhumperfly, @cupcakes-and-pain, @much-ado-about-whumping

****

Anna dozed fitfully for as long as she could manage, curled up in the middle of the rug in a tight ball. She was comfortable enough, comparatively, but everything was so new and unfamiliar that she kept waking herself up with a start, realizing all over again that she was alone in a place full of the unknown. She could lie still, mostly, and the only part of her that shook anymore were her fingers, but as exhausted as she was, she still couldn’t let go.

She let herself get up again when she realized the clean water and a spare rag were still sitting not too far away. It wouldn’t hurt to clean the table and its collection of cartographer’s tools, or the handful of small chests beside it. When that didn’t feel like nearly enough, she steeled herself to enter her master’s bedroom, remembering what he’d said about being welcome to his blankets.

It required a deep breath on each side of the entrance, but she made it into the room, finding it surprisingly sparse. His bedding looked comfortable, the sleeping rug thick and lush, and enough furs and blankets that she could have disappeared into them entirely, if they’d seemed like a safe place to hide.

She laid the furs out straight and folded the blankets neatly, then moved onto dusting a small folding shelf that held the heavy, padded clothing that went under the small collection of orcish-style armor that sat beside it, and a second set of every-day clothes, not quite as nice as the ones he was wearing now, but clean and well-made and not as clearly much-mended as the ones Djaana had brought for her. Below the armor and clothing was a small collection of trinkets that looked like mementos, rather than really valuables.

A handful of large, frightening-looking teeth were strung together into jewelry she was sure looked fearsome on the orc’s large frame, but were safe enough to pick up and dust beneath. There was a small wooden box, decorated with a skeleton’s arm holding a set of scales, and it rattled slightly when she picked it up, but she didn’t open it. The extra lamp oil had a clear purpose, as did the small set of bone pipes, but the small stone disk painted in many colors and the ragged scrap of some larger piece of rich fabric were less clearly explained, and the dagger on the shelf, unlike the one in his belt that he’d tried to hand her, looked old, still sharp, but short from having been sharpened an untold number of times, oddly sized for its hilt.

Once everything was as clean and tidy as she could make it without a broom or more water, she went back to the other room, feeling her shoulders relax as soon as she was out of his sleeping chamber even though she hadn’t fully realized she was tense. She laid back down, facing the tent’s entrance so that she wouldn’t be surprised, and dozed again, so lightly that she didn’t so much dream as hallucinate, sure she heard Master Kir’s voice outside or saw him entering the tent until she started awake and realized she was still alone and (maybe) safe.

She wasn’t sure if it was a relief when her master returned or not.

Gozukk opened the tent flap gingerly and walked quietly, as if he thought she might be sleeping, but when she pulled herself up onto her knees to kneel properly with her head down, he settled farther into his feet and stopped trying to be so quiet.

“The scouting party returned with meat a while ago. We’re almost ready to eat. I thought you might like to join us. You can meet the rest of the tribe, and the rest of my sister’s family.”

She nodded quietly from her place on the floor, feeling tongue-tied. Was this something she should thank him for? Or was it some kind of a test? Was she meant to prove she would be loyal to him? Was she mean to prove she was grateful? Her breath quickened, and her new master took a half-step toward her before he stopped himself short.

Then he started moving again and, somehow he was kneeling beside her once more, getting down where it was harder not to meet his warm, deep brown eyes and just keep looking at them, so oddly open and unglaring.

She almost stopped breathing entirely.

Gozukk held his hand out, an offer, maybe, or an order. She couldn’t be sure yet. Feeling her cheeks heat faintly, she placed her less injured hand into his. He squeezed her fingers gently, reassuringly, and then raised the back of her knuckles to his lips, as if that was the only way he knew of telling her things were alright.

She wondered if he would be as gentle kissing her anywhere else, and blushed more heavily. She couldn’t think about that, couldn’t bear it, couldn’t sit here waiting for things to turn, waiting for the large, gentle man to become just a large man, after all. She licked her lips and tried to steady her breathing.

Her master released her hand.

“If you need to eat in here, I can bring you food. But I had thought I would send you to sleep in my sister’s tent, and it’s a little crowded to take you to if you haven’t had a chance to meet people yet. We could also ask the midwife, Mazogga. She lives alone, but there are a few babies who might come early if something goes wrong, and that seems - a lot to ask of you to help if there’s an emergency.”

Her head shot up before she could stop herself, her eyes meeting his in surprise. “Oh, I - I thought I was -” She felt tongue-tied again, not sure what she could say and what she couldn’t, what would offend to say out loud and what would offend to leave unspoken.

“I thought the deal was that I would - serve you,” she finally said, her voice fading halfway through, failing her as it devolved into a whisper.

“The deal is of no concern,” her master said, something about him steely again, Chief-like. A shiver ran through her. “I don’t expect them to make good on their promises, and I don’t expect to let them through peacefully again, if they enter our territory at all.”

Her tongue was dead in her mouth, numb, her mouth too dry and her mind too blank to ask any of the half-formed questions that swarmed around her.

Gozukk reached forward and lifted her chin with the side of his knuckle, incomprehensively gentle for what felt like the 50th time, but still in a way that left her mind scrambling to keep up, as he said, “You are a guest now. It was clear that if you stayed with him, you would not live as long or as healthy as you should. It is not right, to kill for nothing, or to kill so slowly, to kill the spirit first and the body second. There is no honor in it, and whatever else you may have heard of us, we are people of honor.”

He sounded certain, sure in a way that was too deep to question, in a way too still to change, and her heart raced like it was terrifying, but she wasn’t sure it wasn’t reassuring, too.

She licked her lips again, as if it would make her able to speak again, as if they felt any more dry than the rest of her mouth. Was she breathing? She suddenly wasn’t sure that she was breathing. But then she realized she was, heavily and too fast.

The chief cupped her cheek for a moment, a brief and gentle touch, and then rose to his feet, retrieving a water skin and bringing it to her.

“Here. Drink some. Maybe we won’t push it, tonight. I can sleep out here, in case someone comes to wake me in the night, and you can sleep in the other room.”

“No-” she said immediately, on instinct, before her mind caught up and she realized the only reason she’d said no was that she knew better than to accept a ‘favor.’ Best to stick within the rules. Within the original plans. Best not to rock the boat.

She cleared her dry throat. “No, I - I can do it. Go outside, I mean. I - I can eat with the others.”

Her head was down again, and she was beginning to recognize that this new - chief didn’t like that. She wanted to raise it back up again, but she felt stuck, unable to bear the effort it would take when it felt so wrong to do so, unable to make herself look up and bare her neck, even a little.

Gozukk shifted, fidgety or dissatisfied, or perhaps both, and Anna was suddenly, completely certain that he was angry with her, somehow, that she had done something wrong, that everything was about to turn for the worse.

Her heart rate picked up again, thumping too fast in the side of her neck, pounding in her ears, and her breathing shallowed, speeding into little half-gasps as an electric wave of fear washed over her body, her skin breaking out into sweat and goosebumps.

She was making noise, she realized, her breath too loud, drawing some kind of pained, animal sound out of her throat.

Gozukk’s big, gentle hands were on her shoulders, raising her up, and she realized she had hunched forward, collapsing in on herself, bent nearly to the ground. He lifted her chin again, his dark eyes still open and kind as they met hers. “Hey,” he said gently, a little over a whisper, speaking like she was a spooked animal, and maybe she was, whimpering in spite of herself, her mind blank and frightened and struggling to grab ahold of the hand under her chin, the eyes looking into hers.

“Hey, it’s alright. You’re alright.”

There was a loud roar in her ears. She wasn’t sure where she was. She wasn’t sure if there was a where to be, or if all the world was the tight, frightened body thrumming with the beat of her heart. Gozukk was real. He was real. He’d let go of her chin once she looked up, but he’d put his hands back on her shoulders, and they were real, and he was real, and she didn’t think he was angry. She didn’t think he was angry. She wouldn’t be allowed to gasp like this if he was angry. She wouldn’t be allowed to sit here, a wounded animal, wrapped up in her own body, in her own breath, useless to him, unable to look at him the way he wanted to be looked at, to tell him what he wanted to hear. She wouldn’t be allowed. Would she?

She reached up and wrapped her hands around his wrists.

Yes. He was real.

Her mouth was hanging open again, like a dog. Surely, he was about to see she was no better than a dog. Surely, he was about to shove her away.

He scooted closer, still on his knees, and then lifted his hands off her shoulders and slipped his wrists out of her grip, taking her hands in his own instead and then pressing them to his chest, over his heart.

“Can you feel me breathing?” he asked. “Breathe with me. You’re alright. I just need you to breathe with me.”

She nodded, her breath too erratic to speak. Breathe with him. She could do that. It was an order. It made sense. She could do that.

As hard as she tried, her breath slowed only incrementally, deepening only a little bit at a time, coming under control too slowly, too gradually.

She found herself moving closer to her master, closer, resting her forearms against his chest so that she could feel his breath there, too, leaning her forehead into the front of his shoulder so she could watch his chest rising and falling, his belly filling and emptying, his body breathing calmly like hers couldn’t - couldn’t - could.

By the time she had control of herself again, she was cold and clammy with sweat, her throat sore and her head aching, and she’d curled up into Gozukk’s chest, scooted so close that her knees touched his on the floor, and his hands were still around hers, warm and gentle, not pushing too hard or holding too tight, and now that she didn’t have to think so hard to breathe, she could feel his pulse under her hands, his heart beating strongly and steadily.

She needed to apologize. She needed to apologize, but she was exhausted, even more than before, emptied out and hollow.

The chief sighed, relieved, and she felt his head sink down, too, leaning in toward her and then stopping.

She wanted - something. Needed it.

She didn’t know what it was.

“You’re alright,” Gozukk said again, this time not just to reassure her.

She nodded against his shoulder. “Yes, Sir.”

“Do you want me to leave?” he asked, “Or will you not be - safe?”

Maybe she was too tired. Maybe losing her breath had emptied out too much of her mind. She didn’t know what it meant to leave. She didn’t know what it meant to be safe. She didn’t know what she wanted.

He unentangled one of his hands, keeping the other over hers, over his heart. His free hand cupped her face again, but didn’t lift it from his shoulder. She leaned into the contact, because whatever the answer was, it wasn’t that she needed to worry about his hands, when they were here, like this, gentle and away from her hair, away from her neck, away from the parts of her that weren’t on show.

When he moved his hand away from her face, he asked, “Is it alright if I pick you up? I can tell you need rest. Let’s just - get you settled and then we can worry about food later. Or tomorrow. Come here.”

She wasn’t sure how to answer the question, but she was sure that “come here” was alright, and she wrapped her arms around his neck of her own accord, not sure how else to help.

He gathered her up into his arms and rose to his feet without the use of his hands, and the thought of how strong he was sent a shudder through her, but now her ear was against him, and she could still hear his heartbeat, and it was the same as it had been when she was just breathing, breathing, leaning into his heartbeat.

Her heart leapt into her throat as he began to lean down, laying her in his bed, but then he straightened up immediately, almost too quickly, leaving her on the softest surface she’d felt in a long time. She wasn’t just on his sleeping mat, she was on top of the neatly straightened furs, layers of them, and the mat underneath it, and then he set one of the blankets beside her, still folded, but easily within her reach, and she felt another electric wave running through her.

No. This wasn’t right. She wasn’t allowed to have this. This wasn’t for her.

She started to sit up and found her master watching her, standing too still, like he was trying not to frighten her.

“You need sleep,” he said, his voice mild but certain, brooking no argument. “When you breathe so hard like that it’s - it’s like fighting. Like battle. You need to rest.” His face broke into a faint smile. “And perhaps celebrate, but I’m not sure you’re ready for that. Come out to the fire if you decide you are. If you wake up in time. Or sleep, and we’ll know you’re healing. I’ll try not to wake you.”

Her traitor tongue was dead and useless in her mouth again, but as she laid back down, the soft furs cradled her body and she found herself relaxing into them like she hadn’t relaxed for a while.

“Hmm.” Her master’s little hum was one of approval, and then he was walking away, and she still felt a little like her limbs were floating over the bed, skimming over the top, airy and weightless, and she wasn’t sure she could get up if she tried.

She let her eyes fall closed as her limbs came more and more back into her awareness, her own again, and getting heavier, sinking into the furs beneath her, heavier and heavier, too heavy to move, too heavy for her to get up, even if she wanted to, her eyelids too heavy to open back up again, but the tent was still quiet, even if the world outside it wasn’t, and there were no lamps in here, and little light, and then she was sinking - sinking - asleep.

[rolandtowen]

Dumbass Romantics, the first part of a series exploring the ways in which Sokka and Zuko falling in love after the War. 

Sokka and Zuko seem to keep “accidentally” flirting with each other with romantic gestures from their respective cultures. It takes a while for everyone else (and them!!) to catch on. Set a few months after the end of the war, featuring chronic pain and cultural flirting.

Read it under the cut!

The Fire Lord hated the cold. He supposed he should have commissioned a fur cloak before visiting Katara and Sokka, but where could his tailors find fur on such short notice? He couldn’t bring himself to slaughter dozens of squirrel-toads just for one coat. He had settled on a cloak woven with extra koala-sheep wool, but stepping out of his ship’s warmth now and into the crisp air of the Southern Water Tribe, Zuko knew he should have heeded Sokka’s advice to him to dress warm.

The cold was a bitch. But thankfully, he didn’t have to dwell on it long.

“Zuko!” Came Katara’s voice from somewhere below him. Zuko hurried down the rampart and came to meet his old friend. He went to bow formally, but she laughed and pulled him in for a hug. “Maybe save the bowing for when we have dinner with the old folks tonight.”

Zuko raised his eyebrow.

“Oh! It’s nothing big – just my Dad, Bato, Kanna, and Pakku. I do hope you’ve worked up an appetite for stewed sea prunes, that’s all my Dad can make without blowing the kitchen up – unless you’re allergic to sea prunes, of course, but I guess you wouldn’t know yet seeing as you’ve never tried them—”

“Katara,” Sokka’s voice startled Zuko a little bit, coming from his left side. Zuko shifted his head so he could hear him better. “You’re rambling again. Let the man breathe!” Zuko let out a low chuckle and turned to fully face Sokka.

“It’s good to see you too, Sokka.”

“And you, jerkbender! Spirits, aren’t you cold? I told you bring layers!”

The trio started to walk towards Katara and Sokka’s village. Zuko pondered what he should say: admit weakness and say he was, in fact, cold; or be miserable for the rest of his visit in silence?

“I’m okay, it’s just that the Fire Nation hasn’t ever had a need to make warm clothing. My tailors wouldn’t even know where to start on finding fur for a cloak.”

“Well then,” Sokka said, “it’s lucky for you that we have polar leopards!” And with that, Sokka unclipped the fur-lined cloak he was wearing and draped it over Zuko’s shoulders, fastening the metal clips with practiced ease. Zuko was shocked.

“Sokka, I can’t take your cloak!” He protested, stopping in his tracks.

“Relax, jerkbender, there’s more where that came from. When are you going to learn to dress up for your visits, dork?”

Katara chimed in. “The last time Zuko was here, his body temperature was elevated by his righteous search for the Avatar. I’m sure peace and love have probably cooled your hot head off quite a bit, huh?”

Zuko only hummed, looking down at the cloak that had been thrust upon him. It really was, quite warm. And quite intricate as well! He ran his fingers over the moon phases embroidered at the seams, a striking white against the deep blue of the cloak.

“Enjoying my handiwork?” Katara asked.

“Yeah, I am.” Zuko answered in a daze.

He wasn’t sure if he should tell them what it meant in Fire Nation culture, to place your own cloak on another’s shoulders, to literally and figuratively place another under your protection. Really, Zuko couldn’t remember the last time he had been given anything as a gift. Charity was not a concept Ozai was familiar with. Sokka couldn’t have possible known that what he just did was like the Fire Nation equivalent of a betrothal necklace. Still, it did leave Zuko touched that Sokka would so willingly give over such a valuable garment. He decided to leave the matter alone and revel in the warmth of the cloak.

“Sooooooooo, do you wanna go fishing together?”

Zuko sighed. He was a little bored. When they got back to the village, Katara had immediately ditched them to go help Kanna and Hakoda prep for the night’s family dinner. Leaving him and Sokka to do…. whatever until dinner time rolled around.

“Uh, I don’t really know how to fish—”

“That’s alright! I can teach you. Just grab your cloak!” Sokka leapt up and swept out the door. “You are coming, right?” Sokka called from afar.

“Yeah, I’m coming!” Zuko hollered back. He fiddled with the clasp on Sokka’s – er, his cloak—and stepped back into the cold.

Sokka was at the edge of the village, spears in hand. “You ever been on a kayak before?”

Zuko chuckled. “No, the ships I’ve been tend to carry more than one person, I don’t suppose you’ve got one of those?”

Sokka punched him in the shoulder. “We can’t use one of the warrior’s boats, we’ll scare the fish!” Oh. That made sense. “Now I get it, you really don’t know anything about fishing, do you? What have you got to say for yourself?”

“Two things: one, prince; two, fire nation. We much prefer Komodo sausage to seal jerky.”

“Well, your hotness, let me show you how it’s done.” Sokka hopped into one kayak, patting the one next him. “I assume you at least know how to use a paddle?”

Zuko laughed. “I may have been an adrift refugee once or twice. I think I can handle a paddle.”

“Good,” Sokka smiled at him as he climbed into the one-seater kayak. Zuko took a few moments to adjust to the shift in his center of gravity, then nodded at Sokka.

“Let’s catch some fish.”

It turns out, Zuko is not a natural at spear-fishing. He watched closely the first few times Sokka threw his spear, bringing up fish each time. “Go on, try it,” Sokka encouraged him. Zuko looked into the depths and tried to aim for the blurry shadows he took to be fish. His spear came up empty. “That’s okay! It took me a few fishing trips before I really go the hang of it.” Sokka analyzed his form. “Make sure you extend your arm a bit before your release the spear, then you can change your angle more easily.”

Zuko nodded, mirroring the way Sokka was holding his spear. They waited in silence, kayaks knocking gently into each other on the waves. A fresh school of fish appeared underneath them, and they released their spears at the same time. This time, even Zuko had caught a fish! Only one, compared to Sokka’s two, but it was his first fish! Sokka smiled widely at him. “I knew you could do it.”

“I guess I should call you Sifu Sokka now, my fishbending master.” Zuko quipped.

Sokka blushed and he hoped the gathering snow hid it from Zuko. “I think we should probably get back; you don’t want to miss Dad’s stewed sea prunes.

“Definitely not.” Zuko replied. “What, what does one do with a fish once they’ve caught it?”

“It depends – I think it being your first fish, we should celebrate it! What do you say to making some boiled fish dumplings?”

“I think that if you’re teaching me, it’ll be wonderful.”

If it was even humanly possible, Sokka blushed harder.

When they docked their kayaks, Zuko noticed that Sokka was favoring one of his arms over the other. Normally, it wouldn’t be strange to see a person favoring a side, but Zuko knew Sokka was ambidextrous. He didn’t say anything, so Zuko kept his observations to himself. Kanna met them outside her home, and positively beamed when Sokka told her that Zuko had caught his first fish.

“Well, better a late bloomer than never, eh?” Zuko laughed but still bowed his head in deference.

“It is very nice to finally meet you, Lady Kanna. Sokka has told me much about you in your letters.”

“Oh, he has, has he?” Kanna gave a mean side-eye to Sokka, who was suddenly very interested in the icy ground. “He’s told me about you as well. You have my gratitude – I can’t imagine what would’ve happened if you hadn’t gone to the Boiling Rock.”

“It was my pleasure, Lady Kanna.”

“Just Kanna, just Kanna, my dear. Well, come in! I see Sokka has leant you a cloak, but you still must be freezing! In, in!” Kanna shooed them inside. “I will take special care of your first fish, Zuko. Anything you had in mind?”

“Uh, dumplings?”

“Excellent choice, dear. Fish dumplings coming right up!” She disappeared into the kitchen of the home.

Sokka sat down on floor, covered by blue fabrics and pelts. Zuko noticed how gingerly he set himself down, now obviously favoring his right side. Sokka’s lips were drawn tightly as he rubbed circles into his left shin. Zuko could have almost swore he heard Sokka whimper. Almost.

“Sokka,” Zuko knelt down next to his friend. “Talk to me.”

“Mmph,” Sokka scowled.

“Words, Sokka.”

“It’s mostly my leg—you know how I broke it on the day of the Comet?”

Zuko grimaced. He did remember. Even in his lightening-induced fever, Zuko remembered. He heard his physicians set Sokka’s leg and pop his shoulder back in place. He wanted to forget those sounds of Sokka in pain, but he couldn’t.

“Well,” Sokka continued. “Ever since then, it still… it still hurts. Katara’s tried everything, but I’m probably stuck with it forever. My leg hurts the worst, but my shoulder’s the most inconvenient. I’m old enough to start putting braids in my wolf tail, but I just—can’t. I can’t lift my arm above shoulder-level. And I know I’m wallowing to the guy who literally got half his face burned off but—”

“But nothing, Sokka. You’re allowed to be in pain. Here, you know what, pull up your pant leg—”

“Geez, buy a guy dinner first will you?”

Zuko blushed but Sokka did as he was told, exposing his left shin and ankle. Zuko focused a little bit of heat into the palms of his hands. He placed one on Sokka’s ankle, scanning his face for any pain. When Sokka relaxed into the touch, Zuko placed his other hand on Sokka’s shin, applying the slightest bit of pressure.

“You know, with those hands you could almost be a healer like Katara.”

Zuko snorted. “And you need to learn to let people help you.” After a few minutes, he pulled his hands away, fearing that if he kept them there too long he’d burn his friend. “If you want, I can help you braid your hair. I won’t even tell Katara.”

Sokka smiled shyly at him. He guessed Zuko didn’t know the importance of braiding another’s hair in water tribe culture—reserved for family members and, well, lovers. But Zuko was kneeling in front of him, in a water tribe cloak, offering to help him with a warrior tradition. After everything they’d been through, Zuko was family—and maybe, he could be open to being something more?

“Okay,” Sokka nodded. He pulled two beads from his pocket, both striking shades of blue, one carved by Kanna and one by Katara. “You know how my Dad wears his beads? It’s the same idea.”

“I caught my first fish today, I’m pretty sure there’s nothing I can’t do now.” Zuko settled himself closer to Sokka’s face. “I’m going to let your hair down now, is that okay?” Sokka nodded again.

Zuko took out the hair tie and separated two sections of hair thick enough to support the beads. For lack of another set of hands, he resorted to holding the sections in his mouth while he carded the rest of Sokka’s back into place and tied it into the wolf’s tail again. Sokka was suddenly very aware of how close Zuko was to him—more specifically how he never wanted him to leave. He loved the warmth that radiated from him, but furthermore, he couldn’t remember the last time someone helped him with his hair. He hadn’t asked anyone since he got back from the war, and while they were on the run… he was focused on more important things than his hair. Sokka risked a look at Zuko’s face: he was rewarded with Zuko’s adorable concentration face. Wait, adorable? Where had that come from?

“How do you know how to braid, anyway? I didn’t see a whole lot of braids in the Fire Nation.”

“My mother used to let me braid her hair when I was feeling anxious or overwhelmed. You know, it’s calming, repetitive, doesn’t involve fire—perfect for mess of emotional issues like me.”

“Hey, you’re not a mess.”

Zuko laughed darkly.

“Well, not anymore than the rest of us. We all already had our own issues and then a war happened on top of that. You were just lecturing me on letting people help me. You don’t have to be alone in this.”

Zuko’s fingers trembled as he finished the second braid. “I know. I’m still getting used to having people I can actually trust.”

Kanna suddenly called from the kitchen. “Are you two done lounging around or are you going to help an old woman with this fish?”

They looked at each other and laughed. They did kind of forget about everyone except each other.

“Hey, Zuko,” Sokka started as Zuko stood up and held out a hand for him.

“Yeah?”

“You can braid my hair anytime you want.”

Zuko resisted simultaneous urges to bow and to hug Sokka. He smiled instead.

“I’d like that.”

Bonus:

Kanna had heard everything of course. But she couldn’t bear to interrupt them sooner. Tui and La, if those two didn’t end up together she’d have a riot. In the few months since Sokka had been home with her, he hadn’t opened up to anyone about his pain. And he certainly hadn’t asked anyone for help with his braids.

Spirits, those two were good for each other. Dumbasses in love.

[risingsouls]

Recruited: Chapter 12

[Just in time for Sinday, this chapter is more self-indulgent smut! It has a point. It really does. And the end is wholesome-ish. So you know. :3 Probably cheesy again but what can ya do ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

EDIT: wow knew I would do that. It’s not sinday. I mean it is somewhere. But whatever. I hit post.]

Vegeta

"You're okay with Raditz going to find his brother?"

Vegeta snorted, checking the numbers on his key again to ensure they were still heading in the proper direction. "It's no big loss to us. He'll be the one taking the hit to his pay." He turned the corner and Nabooru followed, their rooms grouped together. 

They had arrived at their destination a day early and, at the behest of the other two Saiyans, he agreed to using the down time as a last hurrah for Raditz before his trip to a planet called Earth. Round trip, they expected him to be away nearing half a year, two months to leave their current location to make it to Earth and around four to return to the base they were currently stationed at. And that was if they weren’t moved.

"Raditz is more useful than you give him credit for. And don't give me that, 'he's weak' excuse. He's been running with you guys for decades and done fine. He's not so bad."

Vegeta ignored her, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "If this brother of his exists, he's likely dead." He paused in front of the door matching the number on his key and slipped it into the slot. The door slid open. "Or he failed what should have been an easy mission for even a child to accomplish, meaning he's worthless to us."

He only spared a glance over his shoulder when she followed him into the room. "Then, what's the point of him going?"

"There probably isn't one. But another Saiyan is another Saiyan. If he's out there, it means more firepower for us." Against Frieza. Whatever challenges they faced beyond usurping the tyrant. He knew he didn't need to voice these things; she would catch on.

The Gerudo crossed the room and perched on the edge of the bed, palms pressed into the mattress behind her. He narrowed his eyes briefly, but huffed and strode to the window. "Mm, makes sense. Never know what we may face down the line."

"Precisely." He allowed his tail to slip from around his waist. "Anything else you need?"

"No." He glanced over his shoulder, the corners of his lips drooping further downward and dark brows lowered. She tilted her head back and, seeing his deadpan expression, amended, "I mean, not really. Just wanted to...talk."

“Talk,” he repeated, disbelief dripping from his tone. His tail swayed in content arcs. He smirked and turned back toward the bed, arms folded over his chest. “Well, go on then. Talk.”

She scrunched her nose and flopped down on the mattress, her head hanging over the edge. His eyes remained fixed on hers in silent challenge and he could see the gears working behind those golden eyes, struggling to come up with a viable topic of conversation when chatter wasn’t on her mind. For some time after their first tryst, they both successfully remained faithful to maintaining the only once rule. For a time, that single coupling seemed to sate his physical desire for sex in general as well as how it had revolved specifically around fooling around with her. After disposing of the gloves he foolishly left on during, as her scent lingered too strongly on the leather even after washing them, everything returned to normal. The fantasies died down. She invaded his dreams less often, the return of his nightmares somehow better and less of a distraction. He didn’t leave their spars frustrated, craving the nearest cold shower or body of water he could hunt down. His behavior, his insatiable cravings, disgusted him. He felt weak and lacking control of his own body. 

Thus, when he finally caved, bent her over the bed, and finally indulged, his issues seemed remedied. Months went by without incident and he was convinced his theory worked, pure professionalism between them returned. Until a spar got too heated. Until they both drank more than they should. Until their “harmless” flirtations and teasing or an argument ignited more in the pair of them than a passing flare of desire. At the very least, they remained infrequent. Few and far between. Quick and with as little extra contact as possible.

He chuckled, switching his scouter off and removing it. He closed the gap between himself and the bed and did the same with hers, keenly aware of her head next to his thigh as he did. "You're lucky I'm in a good mood."

"That's what I was hoping for." She grinned up at him and he rolled his eyes. He headed for the bathroom and dropped the scouters off in the furthest corner, shutting the door behind him upon his return. Nabooru had pushed herself back up to a seated position. "When you barely argued with Nappa and Raditz, I figured you were either in a decent mood or tired. I gambled on the former."

Vegeta grunted and peeled his gloves off, a process closely watched by the woman seated on his bed biting her lip. He didn't understand it, but he had noted her odd fascination with the simple, innocuous gesture. He didn't bother asking her about it either; time with Nappa and Raditz exposed him to all manner of kinks and fetishes that were far stranger and disgusting than this. He tossed them to the side and his armor followed.

"You know," Nabooru lifted her backside off the mattress and returned to the edge in front of him, "if you'll let me, I have a few tricks to out to put you in an even better mood."

"Tch, learn that line from Nappa and Raditz? That's what they say about me after I fuck you, isn't it? That was already the plan."

Her bottom lip poked out slightly, her brows knitting together. "You're good at ruining my mood," she huffed. "And I don't want to hear it. You're the one that confirmed it for them with your damn bragging."

Vegeta cocked his head back and laughed. "It was worth it to see the looks on their faces. They're at least smart enough to keep their big mouths shut about it."

His attention snapped back to her, a jolt of pleasure shooting from the tip of his tail. In his mirth, his traitorous tail swept out from behind him and toward Nabooru. The end rested in her palm, and her thumb caressed along the fur. Heat flooded his cheeks and he whipped the appendage away from her. Understanding flashed in her eyes, and he cursed his carelessness as he returned his tail to his waist. 

She at least had the good sense not to prod him about it, and resumed to her previous ramblings. "If they knew you hadn't seen me naked, I'm not sure they would be as impressed," she said. She extended her hand out and trailed her fingertips along to bottom hem of his battle suit's top. "It's almost tragic we've always kept our clothes on."

"That's on purpose." He tried to ignore the brush of her fingertips, the invasive considerations his mind whipped up in light of her suggestion and how her touch would feel on his bare skin. "I only allow this because I need the release, which is pathetic enough."

"So, you don't actually like it when we have sex? It's just a chore?" She tore her gaze away from her finger tracing the indentations of his abdomen and glanced up at him. Her bottom lip protruded once more in a pout, but Vegeta saw a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

"Of course I like it! I--!" 

She slid her hands beneath the spandex of his top and cut him off, and all his mind could manage to consider with coherence was how she still wore her gloves. Leather brushed over his abs and up to his chest and back down again before she removed them entirely. He tried to keep his features neutral, but judging by her soft giggle, he failed.

"Maybe if we switch things up just this once, we can change that. Rather than you just bending me over and fucking me from behind again." She peeled her gloves off with her teeth and kicked off her boots. She extended her leg out to his side, and he fell for the trap of allowing his eyes to follow her hands in their slow procession down her thigh, over her knee and calf, to remove her stocking. His tail unraveled from his waist again as she slipped the other off. 

Bending her knees back in, she sat up tall once more, gratefully breaking his trance. She pulled her armor over her head with a pleased sigh and tossed it with his. "What the hell does it matter?" he asked. He crossed his arms as she released her crimson locks from her ponytail. "It's all the same result in the end."

"Wait. So this is just how you've always done it with every partner you've had?"

"Tch, you say that like I've had so many partners before you." He rolled his eyes, ready to kick her out with his waning patience. "But to answer your question, yes, to some degree or other." 

Her silence on the matter only further tried his patience, as did the way she observed him with roving eyes and a minute tilt of her head. Warmth filtered into his cheeks again as his mind automatically assumed she judged him but was too cowardly to voice it since her expression only revealed some form of contemplation or another. His fingers twitched into his palms and, just as he decided to flip her over and shove her face into the mattress to get this over with and move on with his day, she stood and stepped forward, further closing the already minuscule gap between them. The difference in their height placed his line of sight directly on her ample chest, a detail he noted more readily without the near shapeless armor pulled over the battle suit. The skin tight fabric left little to the imagination, fitting snugly to her breasts and defining the musculature of her arms and abdomen. All details he never allowed himself to dwell on or appreciate. He had enough trouble keeping his mind off her in a sexual sense, and she wasn’t wrong in her assumption concerning his insistence on maintaining a strict routine when he succumbed to his base desires. He assumed the less tantalization he allowed--from what he saw and heard to the amount of contact and actions he permitted from her and those he took himself--the less likely he was to seek her out for meetings such as this. While the theory had some merit in the span of time he managed to maintain control, it still seemed flawed, considering his imagination still found purchase in lewd fantasies of her from time to time and he found himself fucking her more often than he thought he would.

Movement caused him to unintentionally flinch back. Her arms crossed as she grasped the hem of her top and she pulled it over her head, discarding it with the rest of her garments. She slid her briefs-style bottoms and tossed them aside, returning to her full height and resting her hands on her curvy hips. Once more his gaze locked in at eye level, staring at her exposed breasts and any protest from his former reservations went ignored. He drank in every inch of the exposed, bronzed skin, the scars littering her body in an array of sizes and shapes from a lifetime of fighting, her toned arms, legs, and thighs. His tail swept in content arcs behind him and his gaze trailed up her inner thighs and lingered at the juncture, the managed strip of red hair acting as an arrow to her slit.

His eyes snapped up to her face when she breathed a chuckle, reminding him of just how long he stared. Confidence poured from every inch of her, from the smirk on her lips and the spark in her eyes to the brush of her hair over her shoulder and the upward lift of her chest. It only added to her appeal. As much as part of him screamed to regain control, curiosity and lust won out; he wanted to see where she would take this. Experience all that he denied himself since early adulthood.

She leaned in and her lips brushed his ear, her breath tickling his skin behind his ear and on his neck, sending a chill up his spine, as she whispered, "Relax. You're so tense." Her fingertips swept along his jaw and settled in the center of his chest, eyes meeting his. "You can trust me, Vegeta."

"Can I?" He searched her face for any change, surprise or hesitancy in her claim, but her expression remained resolute. The tip of his tail glided along her outer thigh and wound around the back of it, swishing to caress the inside. He chuckled when she stifled her gasp by biting her lip. He didn't know how far he truly could trust her, not when he still struggled with fully trusting Nappa and Raditz. But he supposed with this he could. For the moment. A lust driven decision, perhaps, but one he didn't care to amend in the moment.

He stepped back and yanked his top off and his pants followed. His smirk returned. It was her turn to stare, her plush lips slightly parted. A further boost to his ego. "Fine. We'll do it your way this time."

"I really did catch you in a good mood." Her palms found his chest and shifted outward along the breadth of it, over his shoulders and down his arms and back up again. She shifted forward and dipped down to bury her face in the crook of his neck. He felt the wicked smirk of her lips when he stiffened at the mere graze of them on the sensitive, neglected area. She nipped at his neck, the jolt of pain a welcome mix with pleasure. "Or was that just because you finally got to see me naked?"

"You talk too much," Vegeta rumbled, head tilting to the side and successfully baiting her licks and bites up his neck. He grasped her ass and squeezed, kneading her cheeks with his palms. His tail ventured further up her inner thigh. He relished in the feel of her soft skin in his hands, pressed against his body. Her roving fingers and lips, her thigh brushing along his hip as she wrapped her free leg around his to coax him toward her, the places where their heated flesh met. She had him intoxicated already, but he shoved the associated panic away; he wanted more.

Nabooru hummed her amusement and awarded his gripe with a harsher nip at his neck. "If it's so horrible, I guess I'll just have to find something that keeps my lips and tongue too busy to talk," she said, hands gliding down his body. The rest of her followed suit, a trail of kisses between his pecs and down the center of his abdomen marking a path as she sank to her knees. She traced her index finger along his half-hard length, eyes hooded and chewing her lip. A shudder raced through him, a product of the contact and the sight of her kneeling before him and the lustful admiration in her eyes.

Her fingers wrapped around the base of his shift, her thumb caressing along the underside. She pressed her lips to the tip then parted them, gaze lifting to watch his as she rubbed the head over her tongue. He bit back a groan and the corners of her lips twisted up in a cheeky grin before she closed her mouth around him. 

Her eyes closed, and her hum of appreciation as she slid his length further into her mouth and toward the back of her throat shocked him with the vibration, his whole body tense and heat coiling tightly in his lower abdomen already. She pulled back again until only the head remained in her mouth and opened her eyes again, staring up at him through long lashes. She repeated the motions in a slow, steady bob as if relishing his taste. His reactions, and her hand stroked the remaining half of the length she didn't swallow.

The sensations were wholly new to him, oral another practice he never allowed for the same reasons he kept his trysts as impersonal and quick as possible. The motion and the created friction itself. The moist warmth. The feel of her tongue and the movement that offset the bobbing. The gentle suction and occasional vibration from a hum. The top down view and the desire in her half-lidded gold eyes. He hadn't expected it to feel so different from just fucking her, but it was bliss. He discounted Nappa's and Raditz's lurid praise of it as exaggeration, their stories written off as more of their disgusting habits he wanted no part of. Not that it stopped his mind from imagining it, offering a dream amongst the nightmares in which someone--these days typically the woman currently pleasuring him--sucked him off. Vulnerable position be damned. If she bit his dick off or found some other way to kill him, so be it. It felt too good to stop her at this point. 

Vegeta breathed a shuddering sigh and muttered curses under his breath as her ministrations already had him on the brink of a climax. He brushed stray strands of crimson out of her face, earning another appreciative hum around his cock, and he tangled his fingers into her hair. Perhaps sensing his oncoming release, Nabooru quickened her pace and occasionally took him deeper into her throat, another action he didn’t realize he wanted until she did it. His grip tightened in her hair and he grit his teeth, struggling just to keep his knees from buckling. She pulled off of him and allowed her hand to finish her work, her saliva acting as lubrication. Her free hand shifted behind him and wrapped around the base of his tail, another near sickening jolt of pleasure rushing from the pressure point. He growled a “Fuck!” and bowed forward, sharp canines bared as he came. His seed spilled from the tip in spurted rivulets, down his length and over her hand.

His breath hitched in his throat again and his cheeks warmed when she licked him clean with luxuriant strokes. She pulled back and she did the same with her hand, amusement shimmering in her golden eyes and a wicked smirk on her lips. It riled both his anger and desire.

"I thought you'd like that," she said, licking her lips once more and pushing up to her feet. "And you didn't--"

He didn't allow her to finish her statement. He didn't care to hear it. He shoved her onto the bed, knocking the wind out of her in a whoosh of air. He dropped a knee onto the mattress and grabbed her hips, yanking them back toward him and the edge of the bed. He caught a glimpse of the flash of shock on her features and the dawn of gleeful curiosity and her legs settled over his shoulders, her hair a streak of red behind her from being dragged toward him. He leaned in and lifted her hips up toward his face, the strong scent of her arousal and sight of her glistening slit stirring his own once more. 

Eager to taste her, he flicked his tongue over the lips, along the full length of her slit, and swirled it around the clitoris at the apex. Though another first, a glance down her body to the woman propped up on her elbows and watching him told him he had a decent start. She bit her lip but he still picked up the stifled moan she held at bay, and he felt her muscles tense up as he sucked on the sensitive nub. He left it behind with another flick of his tongue and dipped down to her entrance. He pushed his tongue inside, nose pressing instead to her clit. He purred and swirled his tongue inside her, relishing her taste and the purposefully muffled sounds his ministrations elicited from her. Another passing wish that he could hear her let loose, moaning and screaming his name…

Her fingers wove into his onyx spikes, the sensation of her nails dragging along his scalp earning her a pleased purr and his tongue’s attention back on her clitoris. He released her thigh with one hand to plunge his middle and third fingers inside of her, pumping them in tandem with the rhythm of his licking and sucking. He watched her with a growing smirk. She pushed her hips toward him needily, and her chest rose and fell rapidly with her panting. Her other hand gripped a handful of sheets in her hands, threatening to tear. Her eyes begged him to bring her to a climax, saying what her lips could not without the risk of the entire floor hearing her. He considered halting altogether, teasing her mercilessly until she begged him for release.

Instead, he decided on a compromise, reminded of his own growing need when her heels dug into his back with the spasm of her muscles in her thighs, abdomen, around his fingers. He curled his fingers once more, flicked his tongue over the sensitive nub, and pulled back, giving her ass a firm squeeze and slap before dropping her on the bed. The prince laughed as she blinked and stared up at him, mouth hanging open. 

He climbed on top of her the instant her expression shifted to annoyance, pinning her beneath his weight as he had so many times prior in their spars. This time, he didn't have to stop himself from indulging and taking full advantage of the sexual tension between them. He didn't have to hold back like he did then with the risk of an audience or as he did in their past relations. He didn't have to resist the urge to touch her. Lick her. Squeeze her. Bite her. Mark her. He could contend with tossing his inhibitions and control out the window later; for now he wanted to sate his hunger for her and make his idiotic fantasies a reality.

Vegeta swept his hands up her toned abdomen and cupped her breasts in his hands, massaging them and circling her raised nipples with his thumbs. She arched her spine to press into his touch, her head falling back and leaving her neck vulnerable. He dipped down and licked up the column of her throat, tasting her. He heard her whine as he dragged his teeth back down the same path, sharper canines just nicking through the surface of sensitive flesh in a thin scratch. He diverted his path to one side bit down, drawing a gasp from the Gerudo and blood from the bite. A dark chuckle rumbled in his throat as he lapped the sanguine liquid from her skin and sucked at the spot, her pulse drumming beneath his lips. A series of the same followed along her neck, the only disappointment in the fact that the higher collar of her battle suit would hide the tender splotches from view when she dressed. 

Her arms circled around his broad shoulders. Reaching down, he positioned himself at her entrance, the moist warmth on his tip enough to put his teasing to rest. He pushed inside of her, a pleased growl rumbling in the back of his throat to the tune of her gracious praise and her nails digging into his skin. He nipped her neck a final time and pressed his hand into the mattress to push himself upright, the pain of her unintentional scratches over his shoulder blades pleasing. Grasp on her hips, he began a slow pace with powerful, deep thrusts, observing her. Deciding if he truly had missed anything with always preferring to fuck her from behind. Her writhing fanned her hair out around her like a fiery corona stark against white sheets. She wore a playful smile on her lips, and her gold eyes were once more hooded and roving along his body, perhaps doing the same as him. Her breasts bounced with each thrust and he once more admired the toned muscles of her belly. She moved her hips in tandem with his motions, and his focus was drawn to the sight of his cock driving in and out of her. He kept his new preference for seeing it from this side to himself, though if she paid attention, she would see how long his eyes lingered in the constantly disappearing space between them.

Her hum snatched his attention upward, and her back arched as she languidly lifted up from the mattress. Her thighs tightened around his waist and she straddled his lap, knees on either side of his thighs. “Don’t stop,” she breathed in response to his protesting growl, half-hearted in the wake of where the new position placed her breasts. Her hips continued to rock at the same pace they had established before, and her hands rested on his shoulders, head bowed over his. “Just trust me and keep fucking me.”

Adjusting his position, he slipped his grip to her ass and squeezed, giving one side a punishing slap for once more changing things up and, in his mind, overcomplicating the process. “If you didn’t feel so fucking good, I would stop for all your damn indecision,” he responded huskily, leaning in to catch a pert nipple in his mouth and causing her laughter to morph into a moan. He shoved his hips upward with more force, his own chuckle rumbling in his chest when her nails sank into his back and she buried her face in his hair. 

The familiar heat coiled in his lower abdomen with the quicker pace and more powerful thrusts he implemented. The needy jerk of her hips and the tightening of her walls signaled the approach of her own orgasm and pushed him closer to his own. He swept a hand up to cup her breast, lips latching onto the other to tease her nipple with teeth and tongue. Within moments, she tossed her head back and just managed to slap her hand over her gaping mouth to stifle a pleasured scream, tremors racing through her body and her nails digging deeper into his skin. 

The sound of her climax, the scent of blood and sex, the picturesque curve of her body in the throes of her orgasm were almost too much. Shoving her back again, he pinned her wrists above her head and pounded into her with reckless abandon, free hand and tail pushing her thighs toward her abdomen. His smirk grew as he witnessed her struggle to maintain the last dregs of discretion they could with their secret trysts, biting her lip but the whimpers still eeking through. 

“Scream, woman,” he commanded. Confusion flashed over her flushed features and reminded him for a split second of the stupidity of it. Of the risk it invited. But he didn’t care. His addled brain convinced him he needed to hear her more than he needed to be careful. His grip on her wrists tightened and he reinforced his demand with a rougher pace. “I want to hear you scream my name.”

Perhaps tired of holding back herself, the tension that always loomed over their coupling dissipated with his okay to let loose. She arched against his restraints and let out a full-bodied moan, hearing one properly pushing him to speed up the thrust of his hips to elicit more and earn that scream he desired. His hand slipped down her thigh to slap her backside again. 

She writhed beneath him and she tensed again, her body snapping upward against his hand. “Fuck! Vegeta!”

It was like she pulled a trigger. With a final deep thrust and a roar, he came deep inside her, legs and arms threatening to give way beneath him and stars erupting over his vision. He released her wrists and thighs and his head fell forward, his breathing came in heavy pants and a hand planted near her head for support. He rolled his hips with hers as they rode out their orgasms, a purr vibrating in his throat with her mumbled praises.

The sensation of her fingers gliding up his back and into his hair again recalled his attention to her. "See?" She nipped his bottom lip. "That was fun, and if you try to tell me you didn't like it, I'll know you're lying."

"Hmpt…" The Saiyan pulled out of her and flopped onto the mattress next to her. "Of course it was enjoyable. Sex usually is to some degree."

He heard her snort and the bed shifted beneath them, and a glance over found her lying on her side propped up by her elbow. “Coming from the guy that lets himself get pent up to the point of near desperation?” Vegeta shot her a glare to which she grinned in the face of. “It’s a little hard to believe you think that at all. But I guess I’ve seen the proof firsthand multiple times now.”

“You spend too much time with Nappa and Raditz. It has warped your perception.”

She hummed and his entire body bristled when she idly caressed the tip of his tail as it passed her by in its content swooping along the sheets between them. “You’re probably right. Even though I don’t partake, it’s easy to forget not everyone wants to constantly use sex as a form a relaxation. Escape...or a distraction...”

Vegeta eyed her a moment longer, the last two a suspected confession than an observation. He didn’t care what purpose the sex served for her; he couldn’t say his motives for caving to his desires were much different. He found that the window of time offered him a moment of reprieve from his troubles: facing Frieza and the seeming impossibility of the task, conquering planets for a tyrant instead of his own empire, how he and his cohorts could possibly bring glory back to the Saiyan race with only three possibly four still living. As a bonus, she eliminated the daunting and annoying task of tracking down a favorable partner he felt worthy of his time. Far pickier about who he let warm his bed than his cohorts, the prince welcomed the ease seeking Nabooru out offered him.

He laced his fingers behind his head and averted his gaze to the brightly painted ceiling. “Embarrassing as it is for me, I suppose they could have worse vices. And soon we’ll thankfully only have to deal with Nappa’s idiocy for a while.”

“Mm. It will be different…” She sat up and stretched her arms over her head, and he drank in the stunning sight of her torso fully extending upward and gentle arch of her back. The hint of a smirk tilted the corners of her full lips upward. “I guess I should go take a shower like I said I was going to. I’m sure we’ll have to hear it from the other two at this rate, if not for the time we’ve spent up here then for hearing me scream like that. Are you going to come down for a few drinks?”

“We’ll see.”

Nabooru rolled her eyes and began to climb over him, but paused and straddled his waist. She observed him with a tilt of her head, smirk still on her lips and biting her bottom lip. Vegeta felt the cursed fire in his cheek as his mind betrayed him and willed her to shift half a foot backward. 

“What are you doing?” he grunted, considering shoving her off but not quite finding the will to do it. “Get the hell off and go take your shower.”

She dragged her nails lightly down his chest, a tingle racing down his spine. “Just checking something. I’ll definitely have to ride you properly next time.” 

She leaned down and pressed her lips to his. A first--for him in his lifetime and certainly for the two of them together--that, if the way she pulled back a few inches after mere seconds and stared at him with wide eyes, appeared to surprise her as much as it did him. A habit for her, he surmised, one that the ease of their encounter coerced her into. One he stupidly found he didn't hate as the sensation of the pressure of her lips on his lingered. His frown deepened before he cupped her cheek and leaned up to return it. He felt her physically relax on top of him as the tension dissipated once more and they parted a moment later.

As she climbed off of him and slid off the bed, instinct placed the denial of a next time on the tip of his tongue, but he had to swallow it. How many times had he claimed the same and, months later, he succumbed again? He doubted this time would be any different, so he settled on a huff and watched her gather her battle suit and armor.

"You know, I was thinking…"

Vegeta snorted. "Isn't that what got us into this mess?"

She slid the bottoms of her battle suit up her calves and thighs, snapping them over her backside. "And you should be thanking me for that." Her arms and then her head disappeared into her top and she tugged it down. "But seriously. I was thinking about how, maybe when this is all over, you, Nappa, and Raditz could make Hyrule your home base. I'm sure you'll all get along with the Gerudo well. And..."

She trailed off and sat on the edge of the bed to slide her stockings back on. Her words caused him to shift up to his elbow and narrow his eyes slightly.  She caught his gaze in the mirror across from them and rushed on. "I figured it might be nice for you guys to have somewhere you could call home after not having one for so long. A place to go in between...whatever you plan to do after."

“Getting a little ahead of ourselves, aren’t we? We barely have a plan,” he sneered, pushing himself upright to sit properly. His tail curled around his waist. In truth, he hadn’t considered such details of the future. Nothing horribly concrete, anyway. Killing Frieza and securing his empire for himself was as far as he had gotten. He hadn’t considered the idea of creating a new home for himself and the other two. And he wasn’t sure if it was simply because he had grown so used to jumping from base to base depending on where he and his cohorts were needed or if deep down, the cynical voice that occasionally overpowered his confidence and bravado had indeed convinced him his efforts to dethrone Frieza were pointless.

Considering her offer further, he didn’t doubt he and the other remaining Saiyans would fit in with her people. Being new to the Empire and recently conquered by the Gerudo, their loyalty to Frieza could be flimsy, making it a decent place to start for amassing his army as well. Many of Frieza’s loyalists would refuse to follow him so willingly, after all. And...perhaps a proper home wouldn’t be all that horrible. It would never be Planet Vegeta, but he at least was too young to have too much attachment to the planet itself anyway.

Nabooru swept her hair up toward the crown of her head and tied it in a loose ponytail. “I know. But I guess I can’t help but be optimistic.” She shrugged a shoulder and glanced back at him. “I want to go home. You want revenge and to take what you feel is rightfully yours. I think we’re both determined enough to succeed. And as far as that Super Saiyan thing goes, I feel if anyone can figure that out, it will be you.”

“Tch, of course I will. But that doesn’t mean you three can slack off and leave all the work to me.”

She snorted and pulled on her boots, rising to her feet and tugging her gloves over her hands. “I can’t speak for the other two, but I have every intention of keeping up with you. Maybe I’ll become a Super Gerudo.”

“Ha! We’ll see,” he taunted, smirk returning. If he unlocked the Super Saiyan transformation, she didn’t have a prayer in keeping up with his power, but he did admire her steadfast tenacity for improving. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood, stretching. “I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you.”

“Wasn’t it you who specifically asked for my help with this?” She shot him a grin before disappearing into the bathroom and retrieving their scouters. She tossed the red to him and dangled her orange one from her index finger. "Must mean you think pretty highly of my prowess as a warrior, right? So why shouldn’t I be able to?"

"You do well enough for my purposes." Vegeta laughed at the annoyed tilt of her head and shoved passed her to the bathroom, keen on cleaning up himself. He would have enough to answer for without her scent lingering on him. “If you’re so determined, then you can spar me later. We’ll appease the fools and their stupid send off idea and then I can see just how close you are to making good on that claim of keeping up.”

“It has been awhile. I have been thinking about a few new techniques to try.” She hooked her armor over her forearm and strode to the door, her fingers lingering over the switch to open it. “You should think about what I said sometime, though. Even if not Hyrule or whatever number Frieza has given it by now...just knowing you have a home to go back to and a place to call home is….comforting.”

She didn’t wait around for his response, pressing the button and exiting the room. Vegeta gave the thought little more attention than he already had. Such sentimentality, such a longing would only hinder him at this point. If fighting to return to her planet, her home, motivated her to get stronger and aid him in toppling Frieza, so be it. For him, the word home had long since lost such meaning to him. He found his own comfort in dreaming of slaughtering Frieza and reclaiming what was meant to be his. In the freedom it would afford him to do as he pleased, to conquer for his own empire. Securing a proper home for him and the remaining Saiyans mattered little for the moment, a detail to be worked out upon his success and not a moment sooner. Or perhaps not at all, as the attachment would be a prime target for his enemies.

Vegeta clicked his tongue, closing the door behind him. He switched the shower on and stepped in, not bothering with adjusting the temperature or concerned with the frigid water pouring over him. He had no need for such distracting thoughts. The task at hand was daunting enough, improbable if not impossible. He had no room for thoughts outside of dealing with Frieza and surviving in the meantime. Though it would test his patience, he would end that bastard no matter how long it took. By whatever means necessary. Of that much he was sure.

[love-and-monsters]

Wyvern Prince pt. 16

M Wyvern X F reader, 2961 words

You drowsed, waking only to the murmur of voices somewhere else in the room. The curtains around the bed were drawn, leaving you enclosed in the red fabric. Davrakoss was speaking to a voice you recognized, one of the other servants. You lay still on the bed, hoping no one would investigate your presence.

After a moment, you heard the servant leave. Davrakoss walked over to the bed and pulled the curtains open. “Oh, you’re up,” he said, looking slightly put out. “I was hoping I could wake you this time.”

“Sorry for spoiling your fun,” you said, pushing yourself up slowly. Your muscles felt a little stiff, but that was normal after a full night of work. “The servant didn’t see me, did they?”

“No, I was already awake when they came in. I just made sure I had the curtains drawn. They brought lunch, if you’d like some,” Davrakoss said, gesturing to a tray laden with meat and pastries.

“You’re going to start having rumors spread about you,” you told him. “If word gets out you took someone back to your room after the ball, it’s going to be a big story around here.” You tried to keep your voice light and teasing, but you were a little nervous. If people started gossiping, there were going to be some people who took it upon themselves to find out exactly who Davrakoss has a relationship with.

He seemed fairly unconcerned. “I have heard a few of the rumors that have been passed around about me. I doubt anyone will be concerned with who I’m sleeping with. Did you know, several people are convinced that wyverns try to kill each other after sex?”

You barked out a laugh, but his expression was serious. “People said that to you?”

“Not to me. But I’ve heard some murmurs about it within my hearing. I believe humans have worse hearing than I do. Most of the time they seem to be under the impression that I can’t hear them when they speak.”

“I’m sorry,” you said. “That must be difficult.”

“In some ways, it’s helpful. It makes people less likely to challenge me,” he said. “Though it also makes them suspicious when I propose more peaceful methods. I believe they think I am trying to lull them into a false sense of security.” He shrugged. “I am not overly concerned with what others think of me.”

“That’s probably a good thing in a place like this. Nobles can be pretty petty.” You got slowly out of bed, stretching your sore limbs. “I’m surprised you’re not tired at all. You were up just as late as I was.”

“I’ve done more on less sleep. I will be honest, this place feels quite luxurious to me. I feel I could sleep in your quarters every night and still be far better rested than most of the nobles here. I don’t even have to hunt for my own food,” he said, offering you a pastry from the tray. You smiled and took it. It was sweet and light and you had to control yourself so you wouldn’t just grab them and ram them down your throat.

“I can’t imagine having to hunt every day,” you said between bites. Davrakoss lifted a shoulder in a small shrug.

“It’s strange. I enjoy being able to rest more, but hunting was cathartic, in a way. I can’t hunt around here.”

“Really? Nobles go hunting all the time. There’s a private game area and everything.”

Davrakoss made a face. “Oh, certainly, I could trot around on horseback until a dog picks up a scent and I could fire an arrow into the poor creature’s heart. That’s no way to hunt! I would much prefer to do it with my teeth and claws. I want to feel the thrill of the hunt, not such a distant, limited experience.” He sighed. “But of course, I would have to travel quite a ways to actually hunt and I doubt it’s worth it.”

“Must be rough, to not be able to be in your true form,” you said. Davrakoss nodded, lowering his gaze to look into your eyes.

“It isn’t easy,” he said after a few moments. “But it isn’t terrible. There are positive and negative aspects to it. I like being the same size as you.” He took hold of your hand, interlacing your fingers. “I like being able to do this.”

Your face warmed and your heart swelled until it filled your chest and pressed up against the back of your throat. You slowly untangled your fingers from his and stood up. “I should probably go change,” you said.

“Would you like me to walk with you?” Davrakoss asked. “I understand if you don’t want to spend time with me on your day off, but I would be interested to spend some free time with you.” He broke off with some hesitation.

“I’m not sure,” you said. “Not that I don’t want to spend time with you. I’m just not sure if it’s a good idea for us to be spending time when I’m not on duty.”

To your surprise, Davrakoss grinned. “I think I may have a solution. Or a partial solution, anyway. Come back once you’re changed and I can show you.”

He seemed so excited that you hurried back to your quarters and pulled on one of the few non-uniform dresses you owned. It was a simple shade of dark brown with a black belt around your waist. You carefully slipped through the castle, hoping that no one questioned your presence.

You slipped back into Davrakoss’ room. “What did you want to show me?” you asked, glancing around.

“I’m glad you’re back.” You spun around to see a man standing in the doorway of Davrakoss’ bathroom. They were at least an inch shorter than Davrakoss, with short, black hair that stuck up in the front. His skin was almost the same color as yours, maybe a touch lighter. For a moment, you froze, confusion and panic flooded you. Then you saw that his eyes were a warm yellow-orange and he had horns and a tail.

“Davrakoss?” you said uncertainly. He nodded, a grin creeping over his face. “Oh my God.” You looked him up and down. “How did you- You look so different.”

“Wyverns are shapeshifters,” he said. “We’re not confined to one form for whatever species we can change into. I just keep the same one so it’s easier for everyone.” He brushed a hand over his horns. “Can’t do much about these or my tail, but I figure a good cloak will be able to cover them up. And we can just hope that no one looks too much at my eyes.”

“It still seems a little risky,” you said. Dravrakoss pulled on a heavy gray cloak and lifted the hood over his head. It folded oddly around his horns, but you had to admit that as long as he kept his tail close to his body and his hood pulled low, you couldn’t tell he was a wyvern. “As long as you don’t take that off,” you said. The cloak shifted as his tail twitched with excitement. “And keep your tail under control, I guess it’s all right.

Wonderful!” Davrakoss grinned. “What do you usually do on your day off?”

“Well, most of the time, I sleep. Sometimes I work on a little bit of needlepoint. But I don’t think any of that is going to be all that exciting for you. Um. Oh, there’s a tavern that servants like to go out to. I can take you there.”

Davrakoss’ expression lit up. “I haven’t gotten a chance to see much of the local attractions around here.”

“Well, I don’t know about local attractions, but it’s nice if you have some time to kill and a little extra money to spend,” you said. “It’s a bit of a hike. We should probably get going.”

You guided Davrakoss out of the castle, still careful to avoid other servants. Eventually, you exited into the courtyard.

The land of the castle was surrounded by a large gate, which separated the city beyond from the castle. The tavern was close by, only a street away from the front gate. As was usual, the gate was open during the day and there were only two guards. They nodded at you as you passed. Davrakoss ducked his head a little and tugged his hood a little tighter around his hair.

His head swiveled back and forth, taking in the sights of the city outside the castle. People bustled around, peering into shop windows. A merchant showed off rich bolts of fabric and a butcher gestured to a large turkey hanging in the window. People walked back and forth along the street, filling the area with the low murmur of speech and motion.

You led Davrakoss to a tavern and pushed the door open. It was still early in the afternoon, so there weren’t a lot of people present, but the bartender nodded to you as you walked in. “Table for two?” you called and he nodded toward one in a secluded corner. You pulled Davrakoss over with you and gestured for him to sit in the shadiest part. He ducked into a chair, tugging at his hood.

“Do you come here a lot?” he asked, glancing around the shady room.

“It’s a nice place to go when I’m off work. Just something to do,” you said. “And they’ve got pretty good beer.” A waitress swept up to the table and smiled at you. “Hey, Mari. Could you get me a beer to start off with?” You glanced at Davrakoss. “You want one?”

“Oh. I suppose so,” he said, glancing at Mari from under his cloak.

“I’ll be back in a moment,” she said, sweeping off into the tavern. Davrakoss pulled his hood back a little, so it still covered his horns, but no longer covered most of his face. Something tapped against you under the table and you realized that he had gently wound his tail around your ankle.

Mari placed your drinks on the table and supplied you with a handwritten menu before walking away again. You took a quick dreg from your mug. Davrakoss peered at the amber liquid for a moment before taking a tentative sip. “What do you think?” you asked.

He smacked his lips. “It’s interesting,” he said, taking another small sip.

“Here, look at the menu,” you said. “We can order something to eat, if you want. There are a few dishes I think you might like.”

He peered down at the menu, tail still wrapped around your ankle. You drank your beer slowly, watching his focused expression. It was strange. Despite the fact that his features were different, there was still something familiar in them. The more you studied him, the more you could see his expressions. The way he squinted and tilted his head when thinking hard, the little pinch between his brows when he was surprised. His expressions were all familiar, even if the face that was forming them was not.

Davrakoss met your eye and gave you his wide smile. “You’re staring,” he said in a teasing tone.

“Sorry,” you said. You drained the rest of your drink and waved Mari over for another one. Davrakoss took another one as well.

By the time you had finished that drink, your food had arrived and you were starting to feel the effects of the alcohol. Perhaps it hadn’t been a great idea to drink on a mostly-empty stomach. Davrakoss had managed to finish two beers in the same time you had only finished one and seemed to be feeling nothing at all. You wondered if wyverns were affected by alcohol the same way humans were. It didn’t seem like it so far.

“Are you feeling well?” he asked, eyes following your slight sway.

“I think so. I might have drunken a little bit too much. I don’t usually, but I haven’t been here a while I think I went a little overboard,” you said. Davrakoss looked slightly nonplussed, perhaps because he wasn’t used to people getting drunk around him. He glanced into his own cup, as if confirming it was the same as yours, then shrugged and drained it. “I dunno if it affects wyverns the same way,” you said, struggling not to slur your words.

“At the very least, I don’t think I’m feeling the same thing you are,” he said. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

“I’m great,” you said. “Just kind of um. Dizzy.”

“Do you want to leave?” Davrakoss asked.

“Maybe,” you said. The atmosphere was starting to get a little stifling and crowded. Davrakoss stood up and you made to stand to and it was at that point that the alcohol really hit.

Dizziness struck you so hard that you almost fell into the table. Davrakoss was able to grab your arm and pull you upright again.

“Oh, shit,” you muttered. “Okay, I think I might be a little more drunk than I thought I was.”

“Are you sure you’re all right? Do you want to sit back down?” Davrakoss was sounding increasingly worried and you could see his tail twitching under his cloak. You tried to make a soothing motion toward him, but you were a little clumsy and accidentally hit his side.

“I’m just a little drunk. It’ll wear off and I’ll be fine. I’ll just be a little dizzy and maybe a little silly for a while,” you said. The explanation seemed to relax Davrakoss and his nervous twitching stilled at least somewhat. “We just need to pay. Hold on.”

You walked over to the bar and carefully counted out a small stack of coins that the bartender accepted with a nod. Davrakoss frowned at you when you walked over to him. “I could have paid.”

“I wanted to treat you,” you insisted. Davrakoss raised his eyebrows. “I know you have more money, but I wanted to treat you. I want to be an equal partner in this relationship.”

“You are an equal partner,” Davrakoss said. “You don’t have to pay for something to prove that to me.”

You gave him a smile and almost crashed into a doorframe. Davrakoss pulled you back and corrected your path. The cool air against your face focused you. You took a few deep breaths. “That’s a little better,” you said.

Davrakoss took hold of your hand. “Here. Hold onto me,” he said. You leaned against him. He was warm against the chill of the night.

You walked down the road, Davrakoss’ hand in yours and you were struck with how rare this sort of event was. In the castle, it would have been impossible. But with Davrakoss disguised, with his identity hidden, there was nothing wrong with cuddling up to him for warmth or holding his hand. Little, simple acts of love and affection that were barred from you in everyday life.

As you approached the castle gates, you stopped. Davrakoss glanced at you. “What’s the matter?” he asked.

You stared up at the gates, swaying slightly. “I don’t want to go back,” you said after a moment.

Davrakoss looked at you for a moment, trying to catch your train of thought. “We don’t have to go back yet,” he said.

You tugged on his hand and pulled him a little further into town. The sun was setting and it was starting to get quite chilly. Davrakoss gave off heat like a fire, so you pressed close to his side.

Most of the shops had closed up with the onset of night and only a few lights lit the streets. Still, Davrakoss could see in the dark and he was able to guide you around the pitfalls in the road. “Are we going somewhere in particular?” he asked. You shook your head.

“No. We’re just walking,” you said. “I just didn’t want to go back to the castle.”

Davrakoss looked down at you. “We don’t have to go back, if you don’t want,” he said. “We could just... not go back.”

You focused your gaze firmly on him. “You can’t just leave.”

He wilted a little. “No. I suppose not.” He looked down at you, bright eyes gleaming. “You could, though.” His fingertips brushed against your back, trailing down your spine in a terribly distracting manner. “If you wanted, you could quit. I could give you whatever money you need.”

“I don’t want to be dependent on you,” you said.

“Then you plan on being a servant forever?” Davrakoss asked.

You shook your head. “Not forever. Just for a little while, until I’m more sure of our relationship.”

Davrakoss was silent for a moment, then he nodded. “If it makes you feel better,” he said. “But I know you’re not happy with keeping our relationship secret. And I don’t like it either. It frustrates me to see the other nobles treating you poorly.”

“I’m used to it,” you said.

“That doesn’t make me feel better,” he sighed. “But I will respect your wishes.”

“Thank you,” you said. “And we can always sneak away for a little time like this.” You squeezed his hand and swayed against him. He secured his arm around you and kissed the top of your head.

“We should probably head back now,” he said. Reluctantly, you nodded.

Davrakoss helped you back to your quarters. “Aren’t you going to head back to your room?” you asked.

“Not yet,” he said. “I want just a few more minutes with you.” He pressed a quick kiss to your lips and his tail wrapped around your waist. You couldn’t bring yourself to protest. You just leaned into his embrace.

[shadowtsukiyo]

Perspective

I was so happy to be able to participate in @mlsecretsanta this year! Merry Christmas @swampwaterdog, I hope you enjoy this! Special thanks to @dreamingmermaidpotato for being my Beta!

“Kagami Tsurugi. I have chosen you for the Fox Miraculous. I need someone I can trust by my side and on my team, permanently. Do you accept this responsibility?”

Kagami looked down at the Miraculous, the necklace in the box had shifted once in her hands, no longer a simple chain, but a braided cord, a kumihimo. The foxtail shrunk in size, looking like a simple stylized charm bracelet. 

Her mind kept drifting to the day that Ladybug came to her to give her the fox charm. She’d honestly been terrified when the red-clad heroine had dropped onto her balcony that chilly evening, and looking back at it now she didn’t know how she’d kept a straight face. Ladybug and her mother had been the only people able to make her feel intimidated, it was something that made her easily respect Ladybug.

She’d accepted, of course, she would accept. She loved being a hero, having a purpose. She was known as Inari, named after the mythical fox god of the harvest back in Japan. She wanted a purpose beyond fencing.

Her legs carefully swung, stepping carefully, one foot in front of the other as her new tail was lifted slightly, helping her keep her balance. Her hakama swinging in the Parisian breeze. The fabric rippled and shifted, the traditional baggy attire hadn’t hindered Kagami too much when she began her time as Inari, but it took a bit of reminding to get used to it. She hadn’t worn anything like this since her competition in Japan. Though she could deal without the colors, the white to orange to black gradient hadn’t been her first choice, but she supposed it was fitting for a fox. 

They weren’t in a rush tonight and Ladybug seemed out of it, it worried her.

Kagami, as Inari, felt like she was doing her culture proud by going by the name of the fox god. Her Miraculous offset at her hip, attached by the braided cord, was a reminder to herself of the Fox god.

Chat Noir and Ladybug had been tense with one another recently. Their dynamic had been off. She didn’t know why, and she knew it was none of her business, but the days she was out on Patrol with Ladybug, she’d catch the way the brightness in her eyes would dull, the way her lips fell into a frown, and when she tried to smile, nothing reached her eyes. 

“Alright. That’s it.” Kagami was fed up, the twin fox ears perked on her head lowered with her rising ire. “What is going on with you and Chat Noir?” Her arms crossed over her chest, annoyance on her face, the white and orange mask not hiding the way golden eyes narrowed--another costume shift that made it a bit easier to hide her identity. 

Ladybug looked tired, she was ready to protest but just sighed. “He’s angry I am assigning permanent heroes like you.” Chat didn’t like being kept out of the loop, but she was exhausted and she was tired of Fu’s rules… now that the Master was gone and she was the new guardian, she needed to change things up. “He and I can’t keep doing this on our own. And I do not have the time during some attacks to grab a box, find a person, and have them hold them temporarily.” 

“He’s upset he no longer has you to himself?” Kagami tested, “Or because you are the one making decisions?”

“Both probably. It's always been just us, even when we had temporary heroes we still had to mainly focus on one another… I hate to use you as an example like this, but when you went off on your own plan despite me having one for you.”

Kagami remembered that day, she’d regretted it afterward, she felt as if she dishonored Ladybug. “I - I was surprised you trusted me so much to allow me to become a permanent hero.” Her voice was light. 

“You earned it, Inari. You understood your mistakes and you bettered yourself both as a hero and as a person. I believe in second chances so long as you’re willing to learn from your mistakes and from others.”

“I assume that Rena was…?” Her voice trailed off. 

“On top of what happened with Queen Bee… Chloé, Rena had been proving herself unreliable. She’s been posting things on her blog about people, incidents about me that never happened. I will always feel bad, allowing this to happen, but Rena had been my first choice.” Ladybug moved to walk a bit, causing Kagami to follow. “She stopped doing her job as a reporter, and I had to wonder if she was going to stop doing her passion the way she’d demanded it to be done months prior. What would happen if she started doing the same with being a hero?”

The first thing Kagami thought of was Lila. The girl was a worm in Alya’s ear, telling her false stories, ones the journalist was too excited to question. The LadyBlog in recent times had become nothing more than a gossip tabloid. 

“How badly is this reflecting on you as a hero?”

A shy smile, one that seemed so familiar, “It's not...not yet, but it will - the same way it did when I told Paris I was not in love with Chat Noir. The same way he still thinks I am joking or playing hard to get about it.”

Ladybug sighed, "I'm not angry at him. I don't think he's intentionally doing this. I just think that he's… what's the phrase…" her wrist rolled in a circular motion, making a 'go on' gesture. "Transference. He's using me as a substitute for something in his life, and rather than focusing on it he's pushing that energy into being Chat and focusing on me."

Inari was quietly watching as Ladybug sat back, it was one of their patrol days; Ladybug and Chat Noir alternated between taking her out. It was during these patrols that she got a feel for both Chat Noir and Ladybug as people, not just as heroes. Her thoughts were understandable.

Chat Noir was a frightened and lonely boy under all his false suave and jokes, but he was also a bit of a spoiled person that didn’t understand the word no. It told her that he likely came from a wealthy family, where money and things had been given rather than love and affection. It explained why he clung to Ladybug so much - he craved the attention, the validation she gave him, to the point he wasn’t willing to share her and her attention. It reminded her of Adrien, once she got him out of his shell a bit. 

Ladybug, she was hard to peg down at first, but that had been her own idolization of the heroine. Kagami had to take a step back and realize that she needed to look at Ladybug as a person and not as a hero before she continued. Once she did that, she was able to see the kind of person Ladybug was - A generous soul that may act confident, but wavered about her inner self. She was kind, likely grew up well-loved and appreciated by friends and family. However, Kagami noticed the lingering sadness that was plaguing the young woman. Her smiles which used to be full-faced didn’t seem to reach her eyes anymore.

Ladybug had too much on her shoulders. People expected Ladybug to fix their problems, to run a team, to protect all of Paris while they went along casually. She realized, even she herself, hadn’t taken the idea of Akumas seriously until she became a hero, and even then, she still brushed it aside sometimes. For nearly a year, Ladybug had to not only drop everything at a moment’s notice to transform and save Paris, but she looked like she was roughly her age, fourteen, maybe fifteen, meaning she had her own life problems.

Ladybug was… very much like Marinette. That was the feeling she got the more one-on-one time she spent with her. A beautiful soul, while everything around her slowly weighed her down, crushing her soul slowly but surely.

She needed a team, she needed to share the burden. Chat might be her partner and her friend, but he laid on the stress in his own way, though he did support her as a teammate.

-

Inari was twirling her flute in her hand, her eyes taking in Ladybug, “You’re deciding on another hero?” She asked lightly, tilting her head as she took in the firm set of her jaw. Something she noticed when Ladybug became resolute. 

“Yes. I have decided on who, just not which.” Her eyes shut in thought before she hummed to herself. 

“Ladybug.” Inari sighed as she moved to sit next to her, her fingers moving to gently settle over her hand. The touch was soft, affectionate. “Any decision you make, I will believe in and support.” Her fingers gently squeezed at Ladybug’s hand. “I do not know who you are picking, or why you doubt yourself but - issues in the past, Chat, everything, we will all work on in time. I will remain by your side as your teammate and as your friend.”

The smile that graced Ladybug’s face made her cheeks flood with warmth. How in the world did she end up befriending the two cutest girls in Paris? Marinette and Ladybug. 

“I’ll give it to him next week.” There was pride in her voice, the confidence flooding Ladybug once again. The smile she’d given Inari was still there on her face.

It was the brightest smile she’d ever seen…

-

“Marinette.” Kagami’s lips curved upward into a smile as she saw Marinette coming towards her, smile as bright as the sun. 

“Kagami!” Marinette didn’t hesitate in wrapping her arms around Kagami, hugging her close once Kagami gave her a small nod of approval.

Kagami was not typically one to enjoy being touched, but Marinette always waited for some sign of approval. Marinette respected her boundaries, and it touched her heart that Marinette went the extra mile to make her comfortable. 

“Ready to go?” 

Kagami nodded. They were going to have a small shopping trip. Kagami had commissioned her for evening attire during a ceremony for her mother. 

Usually, the two of them tried to meet up once a week, whether in person or on a video call, something to spend time together. It had become a routine of sorts to help them both de-stress and focus on things outside of their busy lives.

“Marinette,” Kagami spoke, her voice almost shy as she glanced towards the smaller girl. “Would...you…”

She was nervous, no matter how much she felt she’d grown, this was a big thing to her. Her wonderful friends, Marinette, Ladybug, Adrien, Chat Noir, Luka, and various other people in her life helped her grow as a person. 

Marinette looked at her, patient and offering her an encouraging smile. Kagami had to pause, that look was so familiar for some reason… She also noticed how tired Marinette was and it caused her courage to waver. 

“You can ask me anything, Kagami.” Gently, carefully, Marinette entered the bubble that was Kagami’s personal space, taking her hands in a gentle grasp. 

“I wanted to know if you’d… join me for the ceremony… that I commissioned you for.”

“As a friend?” Marinette asked, her tone deflating. Kagami knew she’d gotten over her crush on Adrien a long time ago, those words, however, seemed to still haunt Marinette when someone showed interest. 

Kagami swore that familiarity was going to drive her insane just as the way Marinette had jumped to a platonic request when it was everything but that.

“As my date.” Her voice was short, simple. 

Kagami’s request was answered with a bright smile, “Yes!” Her happiness and bright smile caused Kagami's heart to pound in her chest and warmth rise on her cheeks. 

Kagami’s brows furrowed for a second.

Oh. 

It was all she needed, all the familiarity soon slid into place, puzzle pieces finding their match, and the image was suddenly clear at the beautiful smile Marinette gave her. The same smile Ladybug had given her. 

She thought it would surprise her more, but wordlessly, her fingers slowly slid into Marinette’s grasp, lacing their fingers together. 

“I think I saw a shop around here… they looked like a fabric or craft shop.” Kagami’s voice came out soft, relaxing as she got used to the warmth that was sinking into her hand. 

Marinette was very fitting for Ladybug, so it wasn’t that surprising. A beautiful kind-hearted girl being the beautiful and kind-hearted hero? It made sense. 

At least it wasn’t Adrien turning out to be Chat Noir. 

Kagami couldn’t help but let her mind focus on the two blond boys now that she thought about it. The dorky hero and the lonely boy whom she had gotten to know better during her time in Paris. Things were steadily falling together in her mind. The neglected boy with nerdy hobbies that dreamed of freedom, how had she missed it? Of course, he was Chat Noir.

“...” Kagami said no words, just took a long, deep breath to keep from getting too frustrated. It suddenly made sense as to why Chat Noir clung to Ladybug as much as he did, and why Adrien was obsessed with Ladybug.

She and Adrien will have a conversation and work on that at a later date. He wasn't a bad person, just neglected and needed people to help look after him and see him for who he was - an anime-loving dork who liked bad puns. 

Her eyes glanced down to the braided cord around her wrist, the hand gripping Marinette’s hand. She’d eventually tell Marinette that she knew. But not yet, she wanted to let this blossom, to grow with Marinette… and hopefully, Marinette would tell her once she was ready. 

Until then, Inari would support Ladybug, and Kagami would love and support Marinette through all the trials that life put them both through.

“Hey, Marinette?” Kagami’s voice was soft, earning a hummed reply from her “I’m glad you wanted to be my friend during the scavenger hunt.” If not for that day, she didn’t know if they would have ever gotten here. 

When Marinette turned towards her, Kagami leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips. It was chaste and sweet, to the point much like Kagami, but it said everything it needed to. 

You’re important to me. I like you. I’m comfortable with you. 

[hattywatch]

J. Vesey - You Like Making Me Wait For It

Author’s Note: This was supposed to be done for Valentine’s day but uhhh, about that... So here it is, almost a month late. The premise for this story is that Jimmy is actually a BIG FUCKIN’ SOFTIE and not the sarcastic little shit that I constantly make him out to be. This can be proven by the attached tweet. As always this is fiction, so don’t get carried awayyyy :) 

“It’s not a real holiday,” he texts his mom, in regards to her message to him, bright and early, on February 14. He follows it up with a heart emoji and tells her he'll see her tonight though, because she’s his ma and he’s not a complete mutant, but he pulls the blanket over his head and rolls onto his side and tries to fall into the warm feeling of sleep again. 

As cool and standoffish as Jimmy tries to come off, everyone who knows him would jump at the chance to tell you that in reality, he’s soft as shit. A quick scroll through his recently played on Spotify would give him right up if he tried to deny it. 

His icy indifference to Valentine’s day was never the norm. He used to look forward to it, liked it even, but after years of disappointment the shine has worn off and he's really had enough of it. 

_____

His first Valentine’s memory is fond. He put on his best clothes and walked into school, chest puffed out and chin raised proudly, the little red and pink valentines he worked on with his mom tucked away in his backpack, heart-shaped lollipops carefully taped onto each one. 

He didn’t understand the point of it until his mom patiently explained to him, “Sometimes we’re so busy everyday that we don’t tell people we love them like we should, so on Valentine’s day we spend the whole day letting everyone know we care about them.” He snaked his little arms around her waist and promised his mom he’d never be too busy to remind her he loves her. 

She hugged him back tightly and brushed away a stray tear on her cheek before she opened up the box and had him start listing off the kids names in his class so she could neatly write them on each card. He spends his time taping the lollipops gently to the cards that declare “Have a sweet Valentine’s Day.” 

As the class walked around dropping a card into each other’s decorated shoe-boxes, Jimmy couldn’t help but be filled with love for his friends. Tipping over the box afterwards, he was a little glum when he found out Tommy was the sole recipient of a card from Ashley, the pretty blonde with pigtails who sat 3 seats in front of him. 

When he walked home from the bus stop with Jess later, they talked about their favorite ones, in particular the heart shaped erasers the teacher gifted each of them. She didn’t get a card from Ashley either. His mom told him not to worry about it and quickly diverted his attention to the pile of valentines with pencils and stickers attached, ooh-ing and ahh-ing as he explained who each one was from. 

_____

In highschool Valentine's day is marked (like everything else during those awkward teenage years) by a rush of hormones and snickers. 

The week leading up to Valentine's day the cheerleading squad hung signs up all over the halls detailing how to purchase a rose to be delivered to the person of your choosing during classes. All of the proceeds go to a local charity, so each morning the voice over the speaker reminded the student body to buy a rose for a good cause before listing off the lunch of the day and signing off. 

Jimmy fills out a few; a pink one for his little cousin a few grades down from him, a yellow one for the librarian who helped him submit his college applications, and an orange one for Jess who just got a rejection letter from Duke and could use some cheering up. 

On the 13th he finds himself with $2 extra dollars and some time to kill before Jess is done with extra help and ready to walk home. He goes to the office and fills out a slip for a red rose to be delivered to Molly, a girl he's helped in Chinese class a few times; she's popular and cute. He can't help his heart from quickening when they go over characters that have been giving her a particularly hard time during the spare period they share once a week. 

He writes her name clearly in black ink, trying his best to keep his penmanship even and neat. 

"There you are!" He jumps, but luckily his pen is off of the paper, having just finished scribing the Y in his name. Jess walks up to him, braids trapped under her backpack straps; it looks uncomfortable. "I've been looking everywhere for you, dude." 

He slides the scrap of paper into the slot of the box in front of him. "Sorry, last minute love, you know how it is." 

He feels his cheeks get warm at the thought of Jess catching him in the act. She is much more pragmatic when it comes to love. She hasn’t dated at all in high school, laser focused on her grades and soccer. He knows she thinks he’s a sap for caring at all when it’s unlikely anyone will find lifelong love in high school, but he's a romantic, sue him.

"Yeah, I know. You're a sucker for this stupid holiday," she rolls her eyes at him and adjusts her bookbag, swinging the tails of her braids free. He shrugs a shoulder but smiles, because she’s right and he can’t deny it. 

“C’mon Romeo, my mom said she’d pick us up out front, it’s freezing today.” He follows her, excited about the prospect of tomorrow. He’s not sure, but he thinks Molly may feel the same way, and there’s no time like the present to find out. 

_____

When he quietly places his lunch tray down next to Jess she knows something is off. He usually bounds over to the table, chatty and excited to talk about his morning classes and who said what stupid thing that made the class groan, but he’s downright meloncholy and she can feel it roll off his body in waves. 

Jess twirls the stem of her orange rose between her pointer and index fingers, “Thanks Jim. Made my day.” She bops him on the head with the flower. He smiles a little but it doesn’t reach his eyes. 

“Rough day?” He nods and starts picking at the crust of his pizza. 

“I didn’t sign my fucking last name.” Jess doesn’t quite understand, so she kicks him under the table to get him to look up from his pizza and make eye contact. She raises her eyebrows in question and he finally continues, “I sent Molly a rose.”

Jess hums for him to keep going, she heard a rumor going around about Molly and James Jordan getting together, but she hadn’t heard anything about Jimmy. 

“We study together every week. Chinese. She has a hard time with the-" he waves his hand to clear the subject, "anyway it’s not important. We have a free period together every Tuesday and I help her with it. I thought maybe she noticed.” Jimmy sighs and squishes his water bottle in his hand, “You know I get nervous around her, so I thought maybe she knew. Anyway, I sent her a flower, but I just wrote ‘Jimmy.' No last name. She thought it was Jordan and she walked right up to him in between classes and kissed him. They have a date Saturday night.”

Jess winces, “That blows. I’m sorry, Jim. Maybe it’s not meant to be for a reason. I heard that she…" she pauses because she's never actually heard anything bad about the other girl, but desperately wants to cheer up her friend. "I heard that she… snores?" Jimmy finally rolls his eyes and laughs. 

"Oh yeah, cross her off the list. That's a deal breaker." He smiles for the first time in hours and he's sure Molly isn't the one he's been waiting for. 

_____

In college his fervor to have a nice Valentine’s day led him to ask out the brunette from his Public Finance class, she said yes and seemed excited, but then text him to cancel 2 days before that she "forgot about a big paper that's due on Monday." His buddy John is in the same class and didn’t say anything about a paper, so Jimmy takes the hint and decides to go home for the weekend, tail between his legs and heart heavy from the rejection

He heads to the laundromat with a veritable sack filled with, what feels like, every piece of clothing he's ever owned, downtrodden and pissed off. He's loading his clothes into the machine when someone jabs him in the side with a boney digit. 

"What the hell are you doing, Jim?" Jess beams up at him. She's wearing pink lipstick, but is otherwise dressed in all black, like always. 

“Laundry. My mom had too many loads at the house ‘cuz Nolan brought his home too, so I’m just going to do it here quick.” He keeps shoving his clothes in the washer machine.

Jess nods at him, “Cool… cool. So, your mom still does your laundry?” She shoves her hands deep into the front pockets of her jeans and leans back on her heels with a shit eating grin.

Jimmy stops and looks up at her, “Uh, usually. Yeah, why? Can you tell?” He stands up, back sore from being hunched over the front-loading washing machine. She looks up at him and grins wider. 

“You’re supposed to separate the colors. Let me help you.” She starts pulling all of his clothes out of the washer and dumping it into her orange pop-up hamper. “Come over here, I’m using this machine.” 

“Why are you here,” he attempts gentle conversation since, apparently, he’s domestically useless. Jess opens a machine and starts pulling out all of his light colored clothes, basically pairs and pairs of socks and a few t-shirts here and there. 

“My stupid comforter is too big. It takes forever at my house, so I just bring it here instead of drying it 6 times,” she pauses,  pinching a lone sock and holding it out in front of her swinging it in his direction before throwing it in the washer, “lucky for you, James.” She helps him sort the other colors and shows him where the detergent goes and lends him some fabric softener that smells nice, she even advises him against washing his suit pants and the one nice sweater he owns, saying that he’d be better off dry cleaning them. 

An hour later when their stuff is all folded and packed back up, he’s got no other plans and he hasn’t seen Jess since the summer, so he helps her bring her comforter and sheets to her car and stands there awkwardly trying not to make this weird. 

“Jessie,” she turns around, scarf half wound around her neck, death glare pinned on him. 

“Did you want me to kill you? Don't call me that,” she swats at him and opens her trunk so he can drop her cottony smelling bedding in it. 

“Let me buy you dinner, this was really nice of you to help me.” She smiles and agrees without any cajoling. 

“Oh god, yes. I’m starving. Chipotle?” There’s a reason they’ve been friends for so long. 

They order and he pays while she fills up their cups and finds an empty booth. When he drops the trays down on the table and slides her the burrito she ordered, he smiles and reaches his hand across the table, “Jessie, will you be my Valentine?” 

She rolls her eyes, but it’s warm and laced with affection when she kicks him under the table, “You fucking sap. You’re lucky you bought me food or I’d say no.” She takes a bite and chews, but Jimmy keeps needling. 

“So you’re saying the way to your heart is through your stomach.” He nods, “Noted.” 

They chat over dinner, discussing college and what people from high school are up to. She’s in an accelerated program at BC and should graduate a year early. He’s reserved, but hoping to get drafted. 

It’s not long after they're done, still taking up space in the booth, when his mom calls, “Hey ma.” Jess mouths ‘tell her I said hi!’ and gets up to throw away their garbage and heads to the ladies room. 

“Jess said to tell you hi,” it’s barely out of his mouth before he regrets it. 

“You’re out with Jess. On Valentine’s day?” Her tone is accusing, but soft. “I always liked her. I didn’t realize you were seeing each other. You don’t tell me anything anymore.” Before she can get too deep in her pity party he stops her.

“It’s not like that. We just ran into each other, we didn’t plan anything” Jimmy scratches at a scuff on the table, wishing he just waited until he got home to have this conversation. The last thing he’d want to do is make Jess uncomfortable with this. His mom prattles on about how she’s always liked Jessica from down the block, but Jimmy mostly tunes it out. It’s not until she’s walking back to the table, smiling softly at him that he rushes his mom off the phone the best he can.

“I’ll tell her you said hi. I’ll be home soon, see you, love you, bye!” He hangs up before she can get a word in.

Jess plops down across from him, “Did you tell her I said hi? I love your mom.” He assures her he did, and stands up, stretching. 

“We should get going,” he grabs his keys off of the table, and Jess stands too and follows him out to their cars. 

“Thanks, Valentine,” she unexpectedly hugs him around the middle. “I usually hate this fucking day, but you made it pretty bearable.” 

He can’t help the laugh that escapes him; she’s such a pessimist. “Yeah, I get that a lot after dates. Bearable.” 

His heart stutters when he realizes what he said, his hands get clammy. He feels dumb, hanging up on his mom so she didn’t make Jess feel like tonight was anything that they didn’t intend it to be, and then he sticks his foot straight into his stupid mouth.

Jess doesn’t flinch though and just follows him out the door to their cars. “See ya later, Jim. Don’t be a stranger. Cambridge isn’t that far, yeah?”

He laughs and hugs her goodbye again before getting in his own car and driving home. 

When he unlocks the front door his mother is on him like a hawk. “Where’s Jessica? Why didn’t you bring her here? I just love that girl.” He has to remind himself to calm down before he opens his mouth, because she means well and loves him. 

“She had some stuff to do, but she said hi,” he grabs a cookie off of a plate cooling on the countertop and prays his mom doesn’t need to go out, lest she catch sight of Jess’ car in her driveway and ruin his lie.

She takes his half eaten cookie from his hand and takes a bite, chewing slowly. “What you’re saying is that I shouldn’t get my hopes up,” before she pins him with a glare only a mother could muster. 

“Still single, ma.” He grabs a cookie in each hand and hustles up the stairs to his room before she can pepper him with more questions. 

He lies on his bed and flips on his tv, clicking channel to channel until he finds a hockey game that will keep his attention. By the end of the 2nd, the Bruins are up 4-1 over the Leafs and he mutes the intermission report to scroll through twitter uninterrupted. 

His timeline is filled with photo after photo of happy couples and gushing declarations of love. He can’t help but sigh and be a little jealous. After watching the rest of the beating Boston lays on Toronto, he shuts the TV off and lies awake, staring at his ceiling. The jealousy has faded, and now he’s just a little sad, slightly disappointed, with a pinch discouraged mixed in. 

He’d blame his next action on hopelessly romantic desperation as he opens Twitter back up and drafts his tweet. 

Spending another Valentine's day without having found “the one.” Hope she is out there somewhere safe and sound.

Jimmy taps the button to send the tweet and rolls over onto his side before the day catches up to him and he falls into a mostly dreamless sleep. 

_____

 Valentine’s day as a Ranger finds him alone in the city once more, begrudgingly texting his mother back and pretending this holiday doesn't make him feel like Steven fucking Glansberg. 

At least he's back in Boston tonight, starting  an away stretch down the eastern seaboard. He has two whole days to spend with his friends and family in his home state before the game against the Bruins and before they leave for Carolina and two more down in Florida. 

He takes his parents out for dinner soon after he lands, and then hits up a few friends to go to the bar. They’re all happy to hear from him, but only Tommy can come out, everyone else is busy with their girlfriends. He can’t blame them. He’d rather be courting a pretty girl than third-wheeling with his parents, but he’s not there yet in his life, so a few beers with Tommy will have to do.

They’re chatting through their second round of Guinness and watching the basketball game when his phone vibrates in his pocket. He leaves it, the game is getting good and it’s almost the half. A three-pointer closes it out and Tommy excuses himself for the bathroom, so Jimmy signals the bartender for two more and finally pulls his phone out of his pocket. 

Jess: Jimmmmmmmmm

He smiles in spite of himself. 

What’s up Jessie?

But then Tommy comes back from the bathroom and he puts the phone back into his pocket, because he’s a good bro and that’s rude. 

He almost forgets about it, laughing with Tommy through the rest of the game and catching up with a few kids from the neighborhood that walk into the bar and spot him, but then he takes his phone out to order an Uber and he sees the notifications. 

4 unread texts from Jess

He orders the Uber after putting in Tommy's address as the first stop and his parent's home as the second before he swipes back over to his texts. 

Jess: I'm at a galrnyinrd day party

Jess: Galrntinrd*

Jess: GALENTINES******* 

We were playing text or delete and I didn't want to delete you 😭

She's obviously had a few. Jess was never one for overt emotion. But it's always fun getting it out of her, so he hopes she hasn't sobered up in the hour that's passed since she text him last. He climbs into the Uber after Tommy and types out a careful message to her. Eyes struggling to focus since he had a few beers himself. 

Didn't know you cared, Jessie. 

He finally looks up and says goodbye to Tommy with a handshake that turns into a hug when the car comes to a stop, before settling back into the backseat for the rest of the ride to his childhood home. 

He doesn't get another message from her until the driver stops at the final destination and wishes him a good night. Jimmy leaves a tip when the app pops up asking for a review and sits on his front steps in the cool night air, trying to sober up before he walks inside and wakes the whole house up. 

Jess: You're a big dummy. 

The message is quickly followed by another. 

Jess: When are you coming home next? 

Jimmy doesn't know what to say to that, so he stands up next to his house number and snaps a selfie before sending it off to Jess. 

Jess: 👀👀👀👀

Jess: I'm walking to you now

He hears her front door slam from 6 houses away in the quiet stillness of the late night. The next thing he hears echoing are her giggles followed by heavy footsteps as she runs over to him. 

"I misssssed you." She's a little tipsy still, he can tell by how tightly she wraps her arms around him. 

"Missed you too, Jessie," he winds his arms around her too. She buries her face in his chest and he can feel her cold nose through his shirt. 

"Let's go hangout in the basement. It's freezing out here," he unlocks the front door with his Patriots key, the same one he's had since middle school; the paint chipping with use over the years. 

When they walk through his mom's kitchen, she opens the fridge and grabs two water bottles before following him down the steps to the basement where they'd spent much of their youth watching movies, doing homework, and playing Mario Kart. He feels calm and at home here, sunken into the old couch with her by his side. 

"So, Galentine's?" He swipes one of the water bottles from her and takes a sip before switching on the TV to whatever is on TBS, it looks like The Notebook.

"Don't make fun. It's a nice excuse to drink some wine and have a good night with your friends." She sniffs haughtily.

"Yeah, yeah. Any excuse to drink and gossip," he's just picking on her a little. It's what they do.

She swigs her water and looks at him with a little distaste coloring her face. "Stop acting like you and Tom didn't do the same thing earlier; I saw his insta story." 

Her eyes open wider as she realizes what she said, and he's a little taken aback. If she saw Tommy's story, that means...

"So you knew I was home?" He presses his knee against hers on the couch.

She looks anywhere but at him, finally focusing her attention to the water bottle in her hand- unscrewing and re-screwing the cap back on. 

"I mean..." She rolls her eyes in that careless way she has about her, and he notices her sweater is pink, as are the socks peeking out of the tops of her boots. "Kinda." He feels her move imperceivably closer into his side.

He can't help the smile taking over his face, "You just wanted to spend Valentine's day watching chick flicks with me, you can say it." 

"Shut up," she hits him with a pillow, firm across his chest. "Maybe."

It's the closest he's ever gotten to a mushy declaration from her and it warms him up. "You're an ice queen," he wheedles gently, wrapping his arm up and over her shoulders along the back of the couch. 

She sighs and leans her head on his shoulder, he's happy to sit here watching Noah hang from the ferris wheel, just like this, but Jess is apparently not.

"Not feeling so icy right now," she whispers, so low he's not sure if he imagined it, but then she's right up in his ear, "Feeling a little warm, actually."

She places her hand flat on his chest and sucks gently on the skin under his ear behind the tendon in his neck and he's feeling a little warm too, as a matter of fact. 

"Jess," she doesn't pause at the sound of her name, "Jessie," he pushes, a little more firm, he can't bear to physically remove her because it feels too good, but he's just, not sure she wants this.

"Jimmy," it's mumbled against his neck, and she barely pauses sucking into his skin to pant out his name. 

"You don't really…" he stutters, not sure how to go about this. "Are you sure you…" She bites gently at his neck and he can't help the groan that leaves his lips, "Jesus Christ, stop that for one second. I can't think straight when you do that."

 He gently pushes her shoulder to give himself room to breathe and collect his thoughts, but when he looks over at her she looks downright chagrined. 

"I'll just… go," she starts to stand up and he grabs her wrist and pulls her back down to the couch. 

"No you don't." She falls to the couch ungracefully next to him, red in the face and eyes glassy. "What the hell is this about, Jess. You can't just do… that and then leave without a word." 

"Don't make me say it." Jess looks down at her hands. Her face gets impossibly redder and Jimmy is sure he's going to like this next part very much. 

"Gotta tell me your feelings, Jessie." She refuses to look at his face and he can't stop the grin from forming. 

Deciding to put her out of her misery, he nuzzles his nose against her neck, gently exhaling into the sensitive skin there. 

"You… I… ugh!" She grasps at the back of his head and tilts her own to give him better access, but he refuses to take the bait until she says it. 

"Say it," he whispers, pulling away just enough so his lips don't graze her skin. 

He can feel the sigh she releases before she steels her body, spine going straight and takes a deep breath. 

"I want nothing more than to watch cheesy chick flicks with you. Both on Valentine's day and every other single day of the year. You're the only person that has ever made this day worthwhile and I…" 

He's not sure how the sentence was supposed to end, because he's so proud of her that he can't wait and stops her mid-sentence with a kiss on her mouth. 

She doesn't really have much to say after that, and he knows she's not great with feelings, so he's just being merciful.

_____

Mrs. Vesey makes her way down into the basement on February 15th, a basket of laundry propped up against her hip. She screams once, startled by the unexpected lump she finds on the couch in what she thought was an empty basement. 

She screams a second time when she realizes who spent the night. 

Jimmy could have done without either.

[honeyandhondewberries]

hi!! can you do an overworked!raihan x leon cuddling in a hammock?

Ooh! Interesting for Raihan to be the overworked one, yes!! What a cute idea 🥰  This is set when they’re obv crushin’, but no Official Moves have been made. Enjoy!!

~~

Hugs & Hammocks & Shuckle Conspiracies (LeonxRaihan)

After a yawn, a stretch, and a discreet butt scratch – er, lower back scratch – Raihan sauntered through the sliding glass doors of Rose Tower. How many yawns were too many to make it unhealthy? Was there even a limit? Maybe he shouldn’t have stayed up all night finishing his training schedule. He probably could have reviewed his and Leon’s match at least, then maybe he could be napping right now instead of meeting with Galar’s darling Champion to watch himself lose on the big screen of the conference room.

"Hey," Raihan told the secretary. "I've got a meeting with Leon."

"Champion Leon," she corrected with a smile. "And I'll let him know you're here."

Raihan barely offered her a nod in response and leaned against the counter. He tried to be in Rose Tower as little as possible. It was so sterile, almost an insult to the roses that bloomed beneath the floor. They were probably fake, anyway.

"He's waiting for you in Wyndon Park, Mr. Raihan," the secretary said.

"What?" Raihan asked. He tried to cover his sneer, though his exhaustion left little ability for such disguises. "We're not meeting here?"

"No Mr. Raihan," the secretary said, still with that plastic smile. "His assistant says you're to meet him at Wyndon Park."

"That's halfway across town," Raihan muttered. Good thing he came all the way here just to retrace his steps through Wyndon. "Thanks for letting me know."

"It's my pleasure, Mr. Raihan," the secretary said. "I suggest hailing a cab, so you don't keep Champion Leon waiting even longer."

"Thanks for the tip," Raihan muttered as he turned back towards the doors. "Wouldn't want to insult him with my tardiness."

"Thank you for understanding, Mr. Raihan."

Raihan didn't respond and tried to keep his steps light as he left through the sliding glass doors. As soon as he was far enough from the building, he let out a groan, then a sigh, and his feet dragged along the white concrete. Taking the monorail again would be double the expense, and apparently that secretary couldn't be bothered to hail a cab for him. Guess Leon will have to deal with his insulting tardiness, since he wasn’t about to fork out the extra cash for a fancy lift.

Raihan flopped into the monorail seat and bit back a yawn. The city of Wyndon flickered outside the window, though the colors were fuzzy from how fast they were moving, and even more so from how Raihan's eyes kept closing. He tried playing on his phone, but his eyes kept blurring and the light burned the back of his eyes.

He reached his stop, paid the fair with gritted teeth, and began his trek through downtown. How were they supposed to critique their match if they were in a park? Did they reserve the amphitheater for a showing, or something? Or was this meeting some cover up and Leon wasn't even going to be there? He decided if Leon wasn't at the park, he was just going to move onto the next thing in his schedule. He'd rather get an earful from Rose than continue this demeaning goose chase.

He offered a few waves, a few smiles, and a few pictures to fans as he walked through downtown. Hopefully the bags under his eyes weren't too prominent, or at least disguised from a photo filter or something. After walking long enough for late midday to shift to evening, Raihan finally reached the park. He pulled out his phone and shot a text to Leon.

Thanks for letting me know about the location change. I'm at the park, where are you?

A response came immediately.

Sorry! I told the secretary to tell you, guess she forgot. I'm at the top of the hill between the 2 trees

Raihan didn't bother responding and tucked his phone back into his pocket. Top of the hill? Did they set up a screen or something?

The fresh air of the park was nice, but it took so long to get there that Raihan sent a guilty text to Nessa telling her they may need to reschedule their training session. He said that the darling Champion couldn't be rescheduled with, and she said she understood. A few kids were throwing a frisbee with their Yampers, and Raihan let a smile slip. This place was much nicer than the stagnant air of Rose Tower, at least.

"Raihan, over here!"

Raihan turned to see a hammock hanging between two tall trees at the top of the hill. It had the League insignia plastered on it, and a plume of purple hair hanging from it. 

A… hammock…? How the hell were they supposed to watch a match in a hammock? Was Leon expecting them to canoodle and watch the sunset together instead?

Leon's face poked up from beneath the side, and immediately Raihan had to swallow that twang of excitement to see him. What a doofus, hiding in a hammock at the top of a hill in the most populated park in Wyndon. How did he manage to not get bombarded by fans?

"Sorry again," Leon said as Raihan reached the top of the hill. "I thought you knew to meet here."

"Well, I didn't," Raihan sighed. He glanced around. "So, what, you want me to stand the whole time? Sit on the ground? Are we still going to watch our match?"

"Yeah," Leon said as he patted the spot beside him. "Hop in."

Hop… in…? To… the hammock…?

"What…?" Raihan asked.

"I thought out here could be nicer than the Tower,” Leon said guiltily. “Not so many other people watching us, either. I've got the match pulled up on my phone."

"I've… I've never sat in a hammock before," Raihan said as he scanned the equipment. "How do I…?"

"Just slide in," Leon said with that doofy smile. “Easy.”

“Easy...” Raihan repeated. “Right.” 

He turned, backed up a few inches, then haphazardly flopped into the hammock. Its dip was more than he was expecting, and Raihan tumbled straight into Leon’s lap. He lifted himself up, only to slide back where he started.

“Shit, is this supposed to happen?” Raihan grumbled as he tried to scooch off of the Champion’s firm thighs. His cheeks were flaring red as red a Charizard’s tail - probably just as hot, too. He pulled his hoodie collar up higher to hide it.

“Eh, don’t worry about it,” Leon said. “Okay so I already skipped the introduction and whatever and got to the part where you bring out Flygon.”

Leon continued explaining his perception of their battle, but Raihan’s focus was latched to the fact that he was still mushed up against Leon’s side. He wasn’t sure what would be worse: sitting with one leg over Leon’s, or risking moving again and ending up on top of him. Was he moving too much? Would Leon notice? He was still babbling about Flygon and Dragapult, apparently not fixated on how Raihan had no idea how to sit in this rubbish piece of fabric.

“Arceus how are you supposed to sit in this,” Raihan muttered as he tried to scooch away again. “I keep sliding on top of you.”

“That’s okay,” Leon said again. “That happens sometimes. Just sit like this.”

Leon pushed Raihan down by his shoulder, slid his leg beneath and between Raihan’s, and pulled Raihan’s head so he was resting on his chest. Leon hooked his arm behind Raihan’s head, rested his head on his fist, and held his phone out with the other.

“Can you still see the screen?” Leon asked.

Raihan blinked a few times.

“Um,” he muttered as he processed their arrangement. “Yeah I can see it.”

“Great,” Leon continued. “Okay anyway, so when you beat Dragapult I was kind of surprised you didn’t switch up the weather again, you haven’t been doing that as much lately and I think that would be a good theatrical element like Rose was talking about, the fans really like it when you do that, makes the battlefield more dynamic, too.”

After Leon babbled for a bit longer, and after Raihan slowly eased into leaning against Leon’s chest, Raihan offered some insight to their battle as well. Before long they were offering suggestions, offering scathing rebuttals, and plenty of teases, too. The first time Leon laughed and Raihan felt it rumbling in his chest, he may have tried a few more times to get that feeling again.

They watched their battle a few times, then other Gym Leader’s battles a few times, then some suggested videos on the sidebar, until they were eventually watching conspiracy theories on what’s really inside a Shuckle.

“It’s berry juice!” Leon snorted. “People drink it!”

“Wrong,” Raihan said. “You’re wrong. It’s gotta be like, a black hole or a lot of spit or something. Maybe even reproductive juices-“

“Ugh, ew, stop,” Leon grunted, though that shiny smile was easily plastered on his face. Raihan couldn’t see it because of how they were sitting, but he certainly felt it bump against his head whenever Leon shifted their position.

Leon started telling a story about how him and Hop found a Shuckle once, and Raihan bit back his own smile at the enthusiasm that was rumbling through Leon. He was gesturing with his hands, even his foot, and little pangs of something warm started pulling in Raihan’s stomach. Leon was such a doofus.

Although their conversation skills were evenly matched, Raihan found himself pausing longer and longer between sentences in favor of listening to Leon’s voice. The sun was beginning to set, and the bold oranges and pinks shone over Wyndon, speckling color over the bustling city. He had to admit, he also enjoyed this spot a bit more than Rose Tower.

Raihan’s eyes closed longer each time he blinked, too, until they fluttered open when Leon gently nudged his shoulder.

“You okay?” Leon asked, and Raihan jolted into focus.

“Hm? What?” Raihan mumbled. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

"You're overworking yourself, Rai," Leon whispered gently. "You should take a little nap."

"What?" Raihan mumbled in return, though it was getting challenging to keep his eyes open. He couldn't stop the yawn from escaping, either. "Maybe, I guess. We should watch our match one more time though, then I have to train with Nessa, then I've got to work with the new Trainers at the Gym, then I’ve… I’ve…"

His sentence slipped into a mumble, then into another yawn. The soothing rocking of the hammock was slowly luring him into sleep. He tried to sit up, but didn't try very hard to resist when Leon pulled him back down.

"How about you just close your eyes for a couple seconds," Leon whispered. His voice was a soothing rumble against Raihan's ear. "Then you can get up and do your stuff."

"Well, maybe a few seconds wouldn't hurt," Raihan mumbled in return. He folded his arms and slumped backwards again, though the side of the hammock was doing a good job of adding to that crick in his neck. “Just for a bit.”

“That position looks like it hurts,” Leon said softly. “You should lay down.”

Raihan grumbled again, though didn’t stop Leon when he gently hooked his arm around his waist and pulled. Raihan easily collapsed into Leon’s chest, and again didn’t resist when he adjusted them lower and lower.

“Stretch out a bit,” Leon suggested, and Raihan sleepily obeyed. “See, not so bad, huh?”

“Hmm,” Raihan hummed as he easily faded in and out. Was this Leon’s chest or two perky pillows? “Just for a few seconds.”

“That’s a good idea,” Leon chuckled as he wriggled his leg out from under Raihan. He set it on the grass to gently rock them back and forth. “Just a little bit. It feels really nice out here, doesn’t it?”

“Mmhmm,” Raihan hummed again as the soft breeze combed through his hair, lightly scratched the top of his head. “Yeah that feels really nice.”

Gentle head scratches, a brush over his cheek, the white noise of the breeze and the birds chirping, the faint beat of Leon’s heart, the soothing rocking of the hammock; each was an ingredient that slowly lured Raihan further into an easy sleep. As he slipped in and out of consciousness, Raihan was glad they didn’t have this meeting in Rose Tower either.

[bangtansbun]

Little Ones || Part One

**

pairing: human!jin and namjoon, and hybrid!jimin, taehyung, & jungkook

genre: all the fluff

summary: Jin finally meets a hybrid (or maybe three) that feels like the right fit for him and they get to see their new home for the first time

series: part 1/??

word count: 3,330

a/n: this is my first time writing a hybrid au and I was really nervous about even starting this because I was afraid I would get certain characteristics wrong, but here goes! I hope you guys like this first part and any feedback you have I’d love to hear it!!

It had been a sleepy day for Jin. All week he had spent his time perfecting different banana bread recipes for his newest article in Easy Come, Easy Dough. Just as Jin was finishing up his article on “5 Autumn Banana Breads,” he got a text from his best friend Namjoon.

New Message From Namjoon:

[2:47pm] Hey, so are you still looking for a hybrid?

To Namjoon:

[2:50pm] Yeah, I just haven’t found one that I’ve clicked with yet :/

From Namjoon:

[2:52pm] Well, someone just brought us some baby hybrids if you wanna come take a look. They’re so cute I almost considered getting one of my own lol

To Namjoon:

[2:53pm] Okay, I’ll head down there in about half an hour! Make sure no one takes them before I get there >:|

From Namjoon:

[2:56pm] You know I can’t actually do that, but okay hyung haha

Jin quickly saved his article and sent it over to his editor before throwing on his jacket and shoes. Namjoon has been managing this adoption center for a while now and was always scoping out hybrids that would work well for Jin, but so far none of the ones at his center seemed right for him. Until today.

Jin can’t help but feel butterflies in his stomach at the thought of finally having a hybrid of his own. Someone he can love, dote over, and share his life with. Although some people bought hybrids to keep more as pets rather than a companion, Jin didn’t believe that was right. Whoever he adopted would be his family, his friend, and an equal in many ways. I would have to go shopping today, he thought to himself. Jin quickly shook his head though, trying to not get too far ahead of himself in case it didn’t feel right when he finally met the hybrids.

When he pulled up to the adoption center he took a moment to collect himself. Breathe in, breathe out. Feeling a little more steady and clear-minded, he made his way in. Namjoon gave him a big dimpled smile as soon as he saw his best friend. “Hey hyung, how’s your day been?” he asks as he brought him in for a tight hug. “Ah, you know, same old same old, as far as work goes,” shrugging at him. “Well, hopefully this’ll brighten your day a little bit,” he suggests through a grin as he leads Jin by the hand to the hybrid’s bedroom wing.

Each hybrid had their own bedroom complete with what each would need to live comfortably as they wait to be adopted. However, sometimes the younger hybrids are kept together in larger spaces until they get older to both save space and allow them to develop their social skills properly. This is where Namjoon lead Jin because the hybrids he wanted to show Jin were fairly young.

“We just got a baby bun, bengal kitten, and siamese kitten. I thought maybe a younger hybrid would be more like what you’re looking for and they are so cute,” he gestures toward the windows Jin can view them through. The second Jin turned his head to peek at them all cuddled up together on a bed, he knew immediately he had to have them. Yes, them. Not just one of the hybrids, but all three. His eyes grew soft and lifted up a bit at the corners as his plush lips set into a small smile. “I’ll take them,” he says to Namjoon, his eyes never leaving the sweet, sleeping hybrids.

“Whoa, really hyung?” he’s looking at Jin with wide eyes now. Jin nods his head, “yes, I have to have all three of them. Look at them, I can’t break them up.” Namjoon’s face breaks out into the biggest smile, his eyes turning into crescent moons. He grabs Jin and traps him in his arms, effectively squishing him from pure happiness, “I’m so happy you like them, I know you’ll all be so good for each other.” With that, Namjoon has Jin fill out all of the necessary paperwork and guides him through all of the things he may need to get for his hybrids.

Once all of that is said and done, he leads Jin back to the large space again, where the young hybrids are sleeping and quietly steps in, so as not to alarm them. Namjoon gently rubs their shoulders to wake them up. They all have puffy faces from sleep, their eyes slowly blinking open. The bengal hybrid’s lips set in a cute pout. The youngest one, the bunny hybrid, seems to come out of his sleepy state first, looking up at him with doe eyes. “H-hi Namjoon-ssi. What’s goin’ on?” He pats his head, grinning softly at him, “my best friend, Jin-hyung, wants to take you guys home.” Although hard to believe possible, the bunny’s eyes got even bigger, their doe-like state devasting now to the tall man in front of him. “‘You guys?’ y-you mean kookie and taehyungie, and jimin-ssi get to stay together??” The bengal and siamese kitten hybrids are now listening intently, their fluffy ears oriented forward. “Yes! He wants to keep you guys together,” he says as he starts to stand up from his crouching position to gesture toward Jin.

Jin slowly walks in and crouches down beside the small hybrids, “hi, I’m Jin. Can you tell me your names?” The hybrids all sit up with wide, curious eyes now, the bunny starts first, “h-hi, I’m Jungkookie,” he says with the cutest bunny smile. The bengal looks up at him next, “I’m Taehyung, but you can call me Tae,” one of his spotted ears twitching at the sweet giggle that comes from Jin as he says okay to him. Lastly, the siamese cat raises his beautiful blue eyes to Jin, “I’m Jimin. Are you going to take care of me and my brothers?” Jin looks at him with reassuring eyes, “yes, I am. I’ll take very good care of all three of you.” At that, Jimin steps closer to Jin and nuzzles his cheek into Jin’s chest, the others piling in after him. “I think this is a good sign,” Namjoon says with a chuckle.

After Jin secures all three of them in the backseat of his car and waves off to Namjoon, he realizes he actually does need to go shopping now. He turns around in his seat, “I think we need to get you guys a few things before we head home. Now, we’ll have to get the standard things such as collars and food that you like to eat, but if there’s anything else you want just let me know!” Kook’s eyes and nose are all scrunched up now and he’s bouncing in his seat from excitement. “You’ll get us whatever we need?” Jimin asks Jin with a slight tone of seriousness. It’s clear he feels very protective of his younger hybrid brothers. “Mhm, I want you guys to be happy and healthy. You’re my family now, so whatever you need to feel comfortable I will do my best to get for you.” Jimin’s face softens at the answer, “thank you, Jin-hyung. You’re the best.” The siamese hybrid says this last part quietly and rests back comfortably in his seat, fluffy tail coming to rest gently on his lap, and slowly closes his eyes as Jin begins driving to the hybrid essentials store.

At the store, Jin immediately directs the boys to the collar section, walking over with Jimin’s hand in his, Tae’s in Jimin’s, and Jungkook clutching onto Tae’s arm with both hands. Jimin immediately lets go and runs up close to the collars hanging before him, big eyes marveling at the pretty colors. Tae walks up to a section that piques his interest too, but Kook just stays attached to him. His long black ears drooping a little bit. Jin furrows his brows at this, is he scared? Tae tries to wiggle his arm away from Kook so he can properly look at everything, but he won’t let go, so he looks back at Jin with a helpless expression on his face. Walking up to them, Jin lightly taps Jungkook’s shoulder. “Hey buddy, would you like to be held while you look at the collars?” He quickly nods his head, his black ears perking back up a bit. Taehyung takes this opportunity to go back to looking at the collars.

Just as Jin is stepping closer to show Kook some collars, Jimin comes running up to him, tugging on his t-shirt. “I’ve got mine!! Can I have this one?” he asks excitedly. It’s a pale pink color with a silver loop in the front for a tag. “Of course! I think it’ll go great with your gray fur,” Jin says as he reaches over to scratch his ears lightly. Jimin’s fluffy tail swishes contently from side to side at the act.

Tae’s the next one to find the collar he likes, a gray one made with a soft suede fabric. Lastly, Jungkook picks out a black on with silver studs on it. Once they’ve made their tags for their collars, they wander around the store some more, Kook still perched on Jin’s hip the whole time. Tae picked out a stuffed animal because he has a hard time falling asleep without cuddling something. Jimin found a blanket made of fabric that felt like it was extracted from a cloud. He expressed to Jin that this was important because he frequently naps in places other than his bed and needs to be warm. Jungkook, however, said what he wants cannot he found at a hybrid essentials store. So Jin drove them to a video game store to pick out a few video games that he might like, since that’s how he mostly spends his time. By the time this was all said and done, it was time to head home to fix the boys some dinner and, most importantly, show them their new home.

Although Jin has been living on his own for several years now, he rents a rather large townhome because he knew he would want a light and airy space to work on his baking articles. Luckily, all of the extra space he has is going to come in handy now that he has three new hybrids to take care of. One of the bedrooms was already a spare bedroom so minimal changes will need to be made to that space. The other is Jin’s office space that he sort of made into a room that’ll help inspire him while he works, but he would gladly sacrifice the space for one of the boys, if need be.

As soon as the boys stepped into the open concept living space, their jaws all dropped and their eyes grew 10x wider. A collective “wow” could be heard from the three of them. “Do we really get to live here hyungie??” Kook asked while still holding onto Jin’s hand. “Yeah, this is your new home. Now, I don’t have a separate bedroom for all of you, but there are two so all three of you won’t have to cram into one room.” Jimin looks back at you, “that’s okay, Kookie usually likes to snuggle with someone at night anyway, usually Tae Tae.” At the same time, Tae is spinning around the open space slowly to take everything in, his eyes round saucers and his mouth hanging open in a slightly boxy smile. 

New Message From Namjoon

[5:29pm] How is everything going?

To Namjoon

[5:35pm] Good, I think! We just got home not too long ago so they’re taking everything in. Jimin is very protective of the other two, but hopefully he’ll see I only want to care for them.

From Namjoon

[5:36pm] He’s always been like that but he’ll warm up to you, don’t worry! It would be hard for him not to see how great you are.

To Namjoon

[5:39pm] I hope so, and thanks again for everything today, Joonie. I should get back to the boys though, dinner and hungry bellies call haha

From Namjoon

[5:41pm] Of course, hyung! Have a nice dinner :)

With the reassurance from his best friend, Jin put his phone back in his pocket and brought his focus back to the young hybrids running around. “Hey, why don’t you guys go check out the your new bedrooms while I make us some dinner? How does parmesan crusted chicken with steamed veggies sound?” The all nod eagerly and scurry off down the hallway.

Tae and Jungkook enter the bigger one of the two rooms. Jimin suggested it would be better for them since there’s two of them in one room instead of just one hybrid. Almost immediately, Taehyung pads his way over to the big window, looking out and letting the warmth of the sun hit his face, his golden irises glimmering. The perfect spot for him to bask in the sun in the evenings, golden hour. He placed his stuffed animal by the window, to remind himself to find a blanket to put there later.

Jungkook, however, glanced over to the bed, with its gray comforter and two pillows on it and frowned a little, his ears drooping a little again. He then walked out of the bedroom, leaving Taehyung to himself by the window, and stopped when he got to the entryway of the kitchen. Jin heard the padding of little feet so he turned around to see the small bun standing there, looking down and with one of his long black ears being tugged on. He took quick long strides over to the hybrid and knelt down to his level. “Hey, what’s wrong Jungkookie? Don’t you like your new room?” The bun wouldn’t meet eyes with him, but spoke lightly, still tugging on his ear, “I- um, I need more blankets.” Jin stretches his legs to stand up fully, “oh! Okay, hold on a second.” He walks into the hallway and opens up the linen closet, pulling out three throw blankets. “Is this alright?” he asks as he shows Jungkook what he found. The bun starts bouncing lightly on his feet, his ears no longer sagging, and nods as he takes the blankets from him. Jin grins at him and gives him a pat on his head before he scurried off to his room.

Once inside, he begins to move the blankets around to form a circle. Creating a nest-like place in a corner of the room, a place where he can feel safe and comforted. He steps into the nest of blankets to see if it’s as comfortable as it looks. It must have been because before he knows it, Tae is tapping on him to wake him up for dinner.

As soon as all of the boys were seated at he table, Jin plated up their food and brought it to the table, with glasses of water following. The three hybrids were more than eager to eat the meal Jin had prepared. Their noses twitching curiously when the delicious smells enveloped them. They all dug into the food quickly.

Half way through the meal, Jin noticed that Jimin was playing with his vegetables, chicken already completely gone. “Hey, why aren’t you eating your carrots and broccoli, bud?” Jimin mumbled something as he looked down at his plate, ears laying flat on his head in shame and tail tucked closely to him. “What was that, Jiminie? I couldn’t hear what you said,” his brows furrowed in confusion as he noticed the hybrids behavior. “I don’t really like veggies,” the kitten says still looking down. “Oh, well are there veggies you do like?” The other two watch the interaction curiously. Jimin’s ears lift slightly as he looks up at Jin, “um, well I like corn and mashed potatoes, but our previous owner said that those weren’t real veggies.” Jin chuckles lightly at this, “well, they’re kind of right, I guess, but I’m glad I know now so that we can get you to eat something other than just chicken. If you don’t like a meal I make, just let me know and we’ll find something for you.” Jimin’s ears are all the way back up now and his tail swishing behind him. He nods to Jin, happy that his new owner was so understanding.

When everyone finished dinner, Jin gathered up all of their dishes and brought them to the sink. Turning to them, “would you guys want to watch some cartoons on the couch before we go to bed?” They all hurried over to the couch, snuggling up together, a verbal response to Jin unnecessary. They sat like that for an hour or two, their eyes glued to the screen at first but their lids growing heavier as the night went on. Kook was the first to fall asleep, leaning against the arm of the couch. Taehyung followed suit shortly after him, head resting on Jimin’s shoulder and his spotted tail comfortably resting in his lap. Jimin, was still awake, but looked like he could crash any second. 

Suddenly, he blinked and shook his head slightly before looking up at Jin. “Where am I supposed to sleep tonight, hyung?” His beautiful blue eyes creased with worry as he questioned him. “Well, since your room is still my office as of tonight, you can sleep with me or your brothers. I can also bring blankets and a pillow out here for you if you want to sleep alone. Whatever you’re most comfortable with,” he reached over to gently scratch the hybrids soft gray ears in reassurance. “C-can I sleep with you tonight?” he brought his tail up and was fiddling with it in his hands, seemingly nervous as he waited for Jin’s answer. “Of course, little one, and don’t worry, I’ll have your own bedroom fixed up for you by tomorrow.” At his response, Jimin snuggled up close to Jin, nuzzling his face into his chest. “Come on, bud. I think it’s time we all get to bed.”

Everyone sleepily walked down the hall toward their rooms, except for Jungkook who wouldn’t wake up and had to be carried to bed. Jimin came in the room with Jin to tuck in his brothers and make sure they felt safe. Tae was spooning Kook as their eyes closed and they drifted off to sleep. Light snores spreading throughout the room and peaceful looks on their faces.

When Jimin walked into Jin’s bedroom, following behind him, he abruptly stopped a few steps into the room. Jin had walked into the bathroom to change into pjs, not noticing Jimin awkwardly standing by the doorway until after he came back out. “I can give you a hoodie of mine if you’d like to change before you sleep?” He silently nodded to Jin and then went into the bathroom to change just as Jin had. When he came out he looked nervously at the bed where Jin was sitting with his back propped up against the headboard. “Can I, um, sleep by you or do you want me to sleep by your feet?” Jin looked at him perplexed. “You can snuggle up here with me or you can sleep on top of the covers or really whatever you’d like to feel comfortable, Jimin.” With the reassurance he needed, he climbed up into the bed and rested his head on Jin’s chest, soft gray ears brushing his collarbone, as he turned out the light to fall asleep. “All good now?” The hybrid purred in response, a soft smile playing on his face. “Thank you for bringing us home,” was the last thing he said before he fell asleep, and jin had to fight back the happy tears that threatened to fall down his cheek and onto the hybrid’s sleeping form. He had never felt more right about a decision than he did in that moment about taking in these three precious boys.

[savannahsdrabbles]

Encounters - Part One

rating: G summary:  How April met the ROTTMNT turtles. notes: 6k fluffy turtle tot fic with just a touch of angst.  Part two can be found here, and Ao3 link here

“Okay, my sons.  It is time,”

           Despite his hushed tone, Splinter’s voice swelled with importance as he turned to face his charges. The maroon hoodie he had scrounged up fanned around him almost comically as he moved, speaking to the fact that it was clearly designed with someone much taller than he in mind. Even so, there was still an air of confidence and gravitas to his manner – this was not the first time that he had stood before an audience, nor, if he had anything to say about it, would it be his last. “As you know, this is an important mission. I am aware that you have been through this before, but it still remains pertinent that you remember the rules. Recite them for me, please.”

           Three of the four hooded figures before him immediately straightened to attention, their voices also hushed but still quivering with excitement.

           “Pay attention!”

           “Stay close!”

           “No talking!”

           …

The last response, rather than being delivered with confidence, was replaced with silence punctuated by the steady drip drip drip of a leaky pipe above them and the droning rumble of cars in the distance. Tiny rivulets of water streamed from a crack in the metal tube directly over their heads, running together and condensing into a single droplet that swelled and drooped under its own weight before silently dropping into a puddle of its brethren at their feet.

The pause dragged on for a few more seconds, and Splinter couldn’t help but roll his eyes upwards in a silent plea for patience as he sighed. “Michelangelo?”

“Oh!” The last and smallest figure in line immediately stood up straight, his focus snapping away from the growing puddle and turning towards his father. “Stick to the shadows!” The young turtle scrunched up his snout and leapt forward, landing on one foot and raising his arms into the air as an attempt at an action pose. “Like ninjas – HA!”

The gesture might have been threatening, were it not coming from an eight year old in an orange hoodie. However, it definitely sufficed to distract those around him. The three other turtles giggled, their concentration broken as they immediately began hopping around and striking their own grand poses. “Yeah – ninjas! Like Lou Jitsu!”

Splinter blinked slowly, a small smile teasing at his lips despite himself. “Right… like ninjas. If ninjas were loud and unfocused.”

That caught their attention. All four turtles immediately fumbled to a stop and forced serious expressions onto their round faces. “Sorry, Dad.”

“Hm.” The rat hummed, his gaze moving over the boys one last time before nodding. “Alright, let us go.”

***

Even with his years of training, Splinter still couldn’t help but be impressed by the relative ease with which he was able to lift manhole covers. Perhaps there were a few advantages to this new form - however, now was not the time for him to crow over his abilities.

Tonight was a gathering night.

Still holding the cover a few inches above him, Splinter peered around the alleyway. His ears rotated atop his head, listening for any sign of danger before he finally pushed himself up and out of the pipe. Once he was on solid ground, the rat sniffed the air and nodded slowly. This would be a good spot for the night.

Green dumpsters lined the gap between Eastman’s Donuts and Laird Apartments, each giving off a variety of odors that ranged in levels of pleasantness.  The alleyway he’d chosen tonight was one they frequented due to its abundance of cover and wide variety of resources. He always made sure to schedule their gathering nights shortly after garbage day, so that any food placed in the bins would still be relatively fresh and untouched by whatever else was dumped in with it. Years of gatherings told him that the dumpsters on the opposite side of either building tended to be less fruitful, but both alleyways held Salvation Army drop boxes that sometimes held clothing or other small items that could be repurposed for their needs.

“You may come out, boys. Silently.”

To their credit, his sons were decent at following commands when needed. One at a time, the four boys peeped their heads out of the drain and then scrambled over the edge.

Raphael led the way, his shell bumping against either side of the pipe as he pulled himself through. Even at eight years old, his biggest son stood slightly taller than his father and was showing signs of growing every day. Splinter was already dreading the day that they would have to change gathering routes in order to find manholes covers more accommodating of his size – that, or he would have to risk leaving his tenderhearted son alone at the lair during missions. The latter idea already hurt to think of.

Donatello and Leonardo were next, somehow managing to hold a silent shoving match as they ascended the ladder and attempted to pull themselves out of the ground. His purple son eventually emerged victorious, scrambling to his feet a few seconds ahead of his brother and immediately ducking behind Raph to smile smugly. Leo stuck his tongue out in protest and opened his mouth as if to say something, only to catch a warning glance from his father and snap it shut once more.

Michelangelo was the last one out of the sewer, clambering up the ladder with ease and bouncing excitedly next to his brothers as Splinter pushed the grate back into place. When he turned back around, the rat nodded in approval at the way the other boys had closed rank around their brother, making an unspoken shield. Despite the fact that the turtles were all the same age – or at least, had mutated on the same day – Mikey remained the smallest of the turtles and therefore held the honorary title of baby brother. While he hoped the boy wouldn’t one day grow to be resentful of the fact, Splinter was grateful to have three extra sets of eyes trained on the actions of his most distractible son.

Speaking of eyes – Splinter turned towards the mouth of the alley and took several steps forward. The four boys stumbled after him, small hands brushing his tail and the edge of his hoodie as a guide. His vision nowadays was not what it used to be – a trait he could only assume was a result of his transformation – so he had come to rely heavily on scent and color when moving about.  Nevertheless, his ability to navigate in the dark remained the strongest of the small band of creatures he now called family.

Once he was completely satisfied that they would not be seen, Splinter reached into the pocket of his jacket and withdrew a small bundle of meshy fabric. After a moment of unwinding, he distributed a small reusable bag to each of his sons and jerked his head at the bins. “Red, I will need you to hold a bag for me while I look in the larger bins.” Raphael swelled with pride, and Splinter then turned to his three smaller sons. “You three, go ahead and start gathering. Remember to not eat anything you find until I have had a chance to look it over.”

The boys all nodded obediently as they set about their tasks.

***

“Check this out!” Leo whispered excitedly, drawing his brothers’ attention from their searching. Their scavenging through the cardboard boxes at the edge of the alley hadn’t been particularly fruitful so far – only a few unopened fortune cookies from someone’s takeout and a half-crushed box of crackers. Mikey could feel his stomach grumbling in protest as he rocked backwards on his knees and squinted in the direction of Leo’s voice.

“What’s’it? Something good?”            “Yeah – a remote! See?” The blue-clad turtle shuffled closer on his knees and held out a small rectangular object in his hand. “And it still has batteries in it – I think I can use the recharger we found last time to juice them back up!”

“Oh, cool!” Donnie leaned forward until his head almost bumped into Mikey’s, causing the box turtle to scooch back to allow him a better vantage. “I needed some batteries for my flashlight!”

He reached for the remote expectantly, only for Leo to hurriedly stuff the item into his tote bag and shuffle away. “No way – finder’s keeper’s!”

The soft shelled turtle scowled and reached out again. “Dad said finder’s keeper’s is only for toys and stuff – we have to share tools!”

“Well, then this is my toy.”

“A remote isn’t a – “

“Guyssss I’m hungryyyy. Let’s just go back to looking!”

“Boys!”

The three turtles’ mouths snapped shut, eyes flickering towards the area where Splinter and Raph were and then back towards each other. They waited for a moment, half-expecting to be berated for being too loud, and then heaved identical sighs when no lecturing came.

“Really guys, I’m hungry,” Mikey whispered as he dramatically dropped his head onto Leo’s shoulder. “My tumbus wants food.”

The red-eared slider patted his youngest brother’s head sympathetically, and then gently pushed him off. “Me too. Let’s keep looking. Maybe we can find something good, like… like pizza!”

Mikey could feel liquid immediately rushing to his mouth at the thought of pizza. “Mmm, yeah! A whole entire pizza!”

“As if someone would throw out a whole pizza,” Donnie scoffed as he turned back towards his pile and started searching again. “It’s too expensive.”

           Leo rolled his eyes. “Oh yeah? And what do you know about money?”

“More than you.”

“Nuh-uh!”

“Yuh-huh.”

“Nuh-uh!”

“Yuh-huh.”

           And with that they were off again, attention set on each other as they continued to whisper-argue. Mikey sighed. Sometimes he swore those two were twins, what with how much they bickered with each other. Dad had said it was impossible due to their difference in species, but that didn’t stop Mikey from imagining his middle two brothers holding a shoving match even from within whatever egg they had hatched from.            Mmm… Eggs.            The small turtle shook his head as his stomach growled once more. Nope, can’t be thinking about food right now. Gotta keep searching. Gotta not think about yummy scrambled eggs or hot, tasty pizza with cheese that stretched off the crust whenever he bit into it. Can’t think about the intoxicating aroma of tomatoes and spices and mushrooms that was so good  she could almost taste it -

Wait.

Mikey sniffed the air.

That smell wasn’t just in his imagination – he was actually smelling pizza!

Scrambling to his feet, Mikey closed his eyes in concentration and focused on the scent. He slowly turned on his heels, inhaling deeply and trying to zero in on the source of the wonderful aroma until he faced the direction it seemed to be coming from. When he finally opened his eyes, the turtle felt his heart drop.

The mouth of the alley loomed before him like a sideways set of open jaws, warning him not to step out onto the sidewalk lest they chomp down and never let him go. Dad had warned them never to venture past the alley’s boundaries, where they were cradled in shadows and safe from any wandering eyes that happened to turn in their direction. And yet the smell of pizza and other good things drifted from just around the corner like a siren’s song, calling him out into the open.

Surely it couldn’t hurt to just lean out and grab the food, then duck back to his family? Mikey could already imagine the proud look on his father’s face as he returned with a whole box of hot food – a rare delicacy in their family. Certainly he would forgive his son for going just a tinnyyyyy bit further than he was supposed to if it meant being able to feed everyone for the night, right?

Glancing back at his family to ensure that their attentions were elsewhere, Mikey stepped closer to the edge of the shadows and listened. He could hear young humans’ voices chattering and laughing in the distance, and the ground vibrated slightly as an occasional car rumbled down the next street over. Taking a deep breath, Mikey poked his head out of the alley and allowed the tip of his nose to be lit up by the towering street lights. The boy hesitated, half expecting to hear Donnie or one of his other family members hissing for him to come back, and then looked to his left.

A row of hedges lined the front of the apartment building they were next to, and served as one of the few natural sources of green on the heavily brown and red bricked street. Mikey could almost imagine the scent trails winding through the leaves of the bushes and down the alley on the opposite side of the building. Maybe he could just sneak through those bushes and around the corner without even stepping onto the sidewalk- so technically he would still be staying in the shadows. Like a ninja.

Before he had a chance to change his mind, Mikey darted around the corner and cleared the small gap between the edge of the building and the first of the bushes in a single leap. The leaves closed around him like a protective cocoon as he ducked into the foliage, shielding him from the street lamps’ lights and serving as the perfect tunnel to crawl through on hands and knees towards the smell. He hesitated for a moment when he reached a slab of concrete that created a gap in the foliage – the front porch that served as the building’s entrance. This opening as a bit more nerve-wracking than the initial dive into the bushes had been, because there he had at least had the option of turning back.

Mikey glanced over his shoulder and back through the bushes, listening. Splinter had still made no sign of noticing that his youngest was missing. He guessed it was now or never.

The young turtle scrambled forward, fighting the urge to yelp as the front porch light fully illuminated his body, and then threw himself the remaining few feet back into the cover of the bushes. His arms trembled with nerves as he collapsed onto his still aching stomach, and he lay motionless for a moment until he could catch his breath again. Ok, ok. Still safe. His knee stung a bit from where he’d apparently scraped it on the concrete, but other than that he was in one piece.

Better yet, the smell of pizza was almost overwhelming at this point.

Swallowing the drool that threatened to escape his mouth, Mikey pulled himself back onto his hands and knees and closed the distance between himself and where the edge of the bushes met the mouth of the next alleyway. He heaved a small sigh of relief as he could finally emerge from the bushes and dive into the dark alley – safety.

The small turtle’s legs shook like jelly beneath him as he plastered himself against a shadow drenched wall and tried to calm his frantically beating heart. It was odd to think that his family was just on the other side of this building, maybe three or four dozen yards away, and yet it felt as if he had just crawled a mile and was now utterly alone.  Mikey shivered at the thought. Okay, so maybe this hadn’t been as great of an idea as he had initially thought. But it was all going to be over in just a second – all he needed to do was grab the pizza and then crawl back through the bushes. Problem solved!

Lifting his nose again, Mikey crept towards one of the closest bins – a large green dumpster with the lid propped up against the wall of the apartment. The smell of hot pizza was nearly overwhelming, and Mikey felt another shiver run through his body as he imagined biting into the cheesy goodness. Who in the world would throw away such an amazing thing?

But… how to get to it?

Raph and Master Splinter usually had to work together to get the rat high enough that he could lean over the edge of the bin and toss things out. And while Mikey was a good climber, he already knew he wouldn’t be able to scramble up the vertical metal wall without help.

Glancing around, Mikey’s eyes zeroed in on several cardboard boxes like the ones he and his brothers had been looking through in the other alley. Maybe if he stacked those together… yes, perfect!

With a smile of determination, the small turtle set to work creating a staircase along the side of the massive trashcan and then scrambled up to the top. It wasn’t the perfect height, but if he stood on his tiptoes from here he could peer over the edge of the bin.

“Whoa,” he whispered as he pulled himself up to the lip, “This thing is enormous!”

Sure enough, the trash can was about six feet long – nearly triple his height – and almost as tall. A few trash bags lined the bottom of the bin, the plastic on some drawn so tight that they threatened to burst and spill their contents into the rest of the garbage. Several brown glass bottles littered the top of the bags, clearly thrown in by a drunken passerby rather than bagged up safely. But in the center of it all, perched atop a particularly large bag of trash, was the pizza box.

Mikey couldn’t help but let out an excited giggle. Based on the smell and where it sat, someone had to have just thrown the box in a few minutes ago – how in the world had he gotten so lucky? Now he just had to reach it.

Using his arms, the turtle pulled himself up on to the edge of the trash can and balanced on his plastron as he leaned forward to reach. His right arm stretched out into the air above the bin, grasping for his prize while his legs kicking legs served as a counterbalance.

“Almost…. Come on…” Pursing his lips, Mikey waved his stubby arm in the direction of the box. Nope. Not working. He rocked sideways to switch arms and then extended the left one in a second attempt. His fingers brushed the tip of the cardboard, and Mikey felt a grin stretch across his face.  “Almost… almost…”

Then, as if suddenly taunting him, the box slipped and slid out of his reach. Mikey yelped in frustration and lunged forward, fingers outstretched –

-only to find himself falling head over heels.

The child squawked in surprise as he tumbled forward, arms pinwheeling as he attempted to grab the edge of the can and keep himself from falling into the veritable abyss, but gravity was not on his side. The turtle fell heavily, arms barely coming up to shield his face as he dropped like a stone and faceplanted into several swollen black trash bags.

Immediately he went into panic mode, his arms flailing for purchase on the shifting floor. Mikey struggled to push himself up onto his elbows and looked around his new surroundings in fear. “Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no,”

His heart pounded against his ribs as the turtle rolled onto his back and attempted to clamber to his feet, only to succeed in slipping and sliding on the slick plastic until something sharp bit into the bottom of his foot.

All goals of remaining quiet were forgotten as Mikey yelped and leapt backwards from the broken glass, his shell hitting the back of the bin and causing a loud, warping echo to rattle through the metal. Then, as if things couldn’t get any worse, the lid wobbled on its hinges and slammed down, plunging the turtle into perfect darkness.