#he wouldn't use his “followers” to spread fear

[the-whispers-of-death]

cult leader stone .

i dont know where this thought came from or even if you can do anything with it. but know that i thought of this.

Anon: *proposes Cult Leader!Stone*

Stone in my head: HUH??

Honestly, I don't think Stone could be charismatic enough to be a cult leader. Unless it's Baker!Stone. Baker!Stone is the most charismatic Stone variant there is, and even then the man is too much of a softie to really be a cult leader.

So I feel like Cult Leader!Stone isn't really a cult leader, like not one who manipulates his followers like most cult leaders do, he just gained a shit ton of people who are hanging onto his every word and they follow him around. He's really confused because he's just a retired Fleet Marine Corpsman (I made him retired in this AU because how else is he supposed to be leading a cult, he can't lead one when he's on deployments), someone that's usually considered to be unapproachable.

I feel like the man would use his newfound power for good. Like:

Follower: What should we do in preparation for the second-coming of Jesus?

Stone, a Catholic who has never really heard a priest talk about the second-coming of Jesus: Take care of yourself and those around you. Drink lots of water and eat nutritiously. And don't force others to join the group.

Another Follower: ...We shouldn't spread the word about your holy word?

Stone: Maybe don't call it my holy word. And yeah, I mean, tell them what I've said, but only if they ask for it. Don't force them into a conversation about us.

Yeah, so like, I think Stone would just see the amount of people who want to buy or build a compound for this "cult" and be like "We should let the homeless sleep and live here for free."

[munsonsmixtapes]

hello! if you have the time could you please write soft Eddie guiding a shy reader when they make out for the first time?

part two

There's a knock on Eddie's door and he hurries to answer it, hoping it's who he thinks it is. He isn't expecting anyone else, but it's not uncommon for people to show up looking to buy from him, but he really hopes it's you. He's been looking forward to tonight for over a week since you suggested it. He opens the door and there you are, beautiful as ever.

He steps aside and you plant a soft kiss on his cheek as you enter the trailer. You hold out a DVD and a few of Eddie's favorite snacks and he can't help but smile at how sweet you are. You've only been on a few dates and hopes he wouldn't scare you off if he proposed. Because if he's being honest, he can't see himself with anyone else.

No one he's dated has ever been so sweet to him. All they seemed to be interested in was using him for his body and rarely anything else. He wasn't really known as Eddie "the freak" Munson (well, maybe in other ways) anymore, but it still seemed like people didn't want anything else from him besides drugs or sex.

But you? All you seem to want from him is his company, genuinely interested in all of his fun facts that he has about random subjects and you even laugh at his jokes. And they aren't pity laughs either. You're a breath of fresh air and he hopes you'll stick around forever.

"You didn't have to do all this," he tells you with a smile as he takes the stuff from you. You're staring down at the floor and he can tell you're getting shy on him again. He doesn't mind, though. He thinks it's cute.

"Of course I did," you insist. "I wanted to treat you for once," you then smile and Eddie never gets tired of seeing it.

"Well I'm not going to say no to that," he responds then takes you by the hand, threading his fingers through yours. "Now c'mon."

You follow him over to the couch and the two of you sit together, but you make sure to leave a little space to be polite. You want to be cuddled up into his side, though. You want rest your head on his chest as his hand lazily runs up and down your back.

A lot of the people you've out with all seemed to be after one thing so it warms your heart that Eddie is willing to go at your pace. He always waits for you to initiate things like hugs or kisses and waits until you pull away, never asking for more. He's nothing but a gentleman and you really like spending time with him.

Eddie spreads out all of the movies you brought, his eyebrows quirking at the variety. You seem to have an eclectic taste and he admires that. He plucks the horror movie from the selection and heads over to the VCR. As soon as his back is turned, you begin to panic. You had only brought the movie to give you excuse to get close to him because of the scary scenes, but now you're beginning to regret your decision.

Eddie turns back to you and you try to hide your fear, debating on telling him that you'd rather watch something else, but you can't yourself to form the words. So you just sit in silence as Eddie moves back over to the couch, sitting even closer to you now and your fear takes over as you throw yourself into his arms.

Eddie lets out a laugh at your eagerness but he wraps his arms around you anyway, pulling you even closer to him as he turns his head towards the screen. You instantly feel better knowing that he'll keep you safe but can't help but think about what Steve told you when he rented the movie out to you.

He told you that it was the scariest movie he'd ever seen and that he couldn't sleep for days afterwards. And you rented it anyway even though he had suggested many more options that weren't nearly as scary and would still help you get into Eddie's arms despite how silly he thought the idea was.

The movie hasn't even started and you're already burying your head into his chest, gripping his shirt in your fists as tight as possible. His hand moves up to stroke the back of your head as he murmurs something to you that you can't quite hear.

"Hey, hey," he says as grabs hold of your face, forcing you to look him in the eye. His are nothing but soft as they look at you, his eyebrows knitting together in concern. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," you shake your head, suddenly feeling silly for how scared you just were. "It's nothing."

"We don't have to watch the movie," he tells you. "If you were scared, why didn't you say something?" It's a fair question, but you stay silent, not wanting to tell him the truth.

"I-" you start to say but cut yourself off, not wanting to admit the truth nor finding the right words to use.

"You what, honey?" He asks, his hands moving up and down your back exactly the way you wanted him to. Sometimes you're convinced he's a mind reader.

"I just wanted an excuse to cuddle you," you tell him, your voice so soft he almost didn't hear you. And at that, Eddie lets out a laugh before pulling you to his chest, giving you a tight squeeze. You have to remind yourself that he's not laughing at you, but because of you.

"You could have just cuddled me," he says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world and it is. Well, it should be, but you've always found it hard to voice what you want no matter how badly you want it.

"How about we call off the movie for now?" He asks and turns off the TV then pulls you closer to him, his hands still moving up and down your back. You look up at him as he licks his lips, now unable to think about anything but how inviting they look.

The two of you have kissed multiple times, but it's never gone any farther than little pecks here and there because you've been too afraid to do any more than that. But now you feel the need to go all the way, wondering what he tastes like, if his hair is as soft as it looks.

But you've never made out with anyone and that scares you. Even though you know for sure that Eddie would talk you through it, the whole thing still makes you feel nervous. But apparently not nervous to forget it completely because before you can stop yourself, you're looking up at Eddie, gulping before getting his attention.

"Eddie?" You ask and his head turns to you, those honey eyes boring into yours. You melt under his gaze but trying to muster up the confidence again.

"Hm?" He asks, that stupid smirk making its way upon his face, the same one that's always there when he looks at you.

"Can-" you cut yourself off for the second time tonight but Eddie just sits there, patient as ever as he waits for you to speak. He knows how hard it can get sometimes for you to speak your mind so he doesn't mind waiting for you to finish your thoughts. "Can I have a kiss?"

"Of course you can," he responds, taking your face in his hands and pecking your lips once, twice, three times before pulling away only for you to grumble in response.

"No," you shake your head. "I want a real kiss."

"Oh," he replies, wondering what made you decide on that, but wanting to oblige. He's willing to give you whatever you ask.

His hands move down to neck, his thumbs rubbing back and forth across your jaw as he leans in again, his lips slowly capturing yours as they move together slowly. He's nothing but gentle as he kisses you, showing you how it's done.

Your hands press against his chest and all you can think about how you can't believe you've gone so long without his lips attached to yours. They're nothing but soft and gentle and now you're sure that you can do this for hours.

Eddie breaks away before you're ready and you're breathing hard as you try to catch your breath. He stares down, a chuckle falling from his lips as he presses his forehead to yours.

"You're supposed breathe, baby," he tells you softly and you feel your cheeks heat.

"Can we try that again?" You ask as you pick up one of his curls, twirling it around your pointer finger, staring down at it as you speak again. "Do you think we could...make out? I promise to breathe this time."

"Oh, honey," he sighs before pressing a kiss to you lips. "I'd love to make out with you." Another and another until he's capturing your lips again, taking the lead again. You have no idea what you're doing but Eddie is being nothing but a sweetheart as he guides you through it.

He pulls away again and you whine this time at the absence of his lips, chasing him and getting in another quick kiss before you sit back, waiting for him.

"Do you want to sit in my lap?" He suggests. "I think that'll be more comfortable for you."

Eddie sits with his back against the couch and you do as he suggests and straddle his waist which feels foreign to you but he's right. It's much more comfortable. Your arms wrap around his neck as his rest on the small of your back, a good spot between your waist and upper back because this is just kissing and he doesn't want to give you the impression that he's going to go any farther.

"You kiss me now," he says and your heart races in your chest as you think about fucking it all up.

"Are you sure?" You ask, bringing your bottom lip between your teeth, nibbling on it as you contemplate.

"Positive," he nods. "You've got this. Do whatever you want, baby. This is all about you."

"Okay," you nod, leaning forward and slotting your lips just like he did, Eddie immediately responding to you but he's moving at your pace instead of leading like he previously had.

You remember to breath through your nose as your fingers thread into his hair on each side of his head. His hair is normally off limits because people get too rough with it, but with you, he doesn't care. In fact, he loves when you play with his hair, a little bit of love sprinkles into every touch of it.

"You're doing so good, honey," he murmurs against your lips. "Do you want to try sticking your tongue in my mouth?"

"Please," you whine with a yank of his hair and if you can feel his cock hardening underneath you, you don't say anything. And thank god for that.

"Do you want me to show you first?"

"Yes," you breath against his lips and he's getting even more hard, knowing that he's going to have to get himself off later because there's no way he's going to expect you to go all the way right now.

Eddie captures your lips again as his hands rest against your waist, landing on the strip of skin where your shirt has ridden up. His lips are moving against you to warm you up and then he gingerly flicks his tongue against your bottom lip.

"Open up," he commands against your lips and you do as he says, opening up for him as he slides his tongue into your mouth. He swirls his tongue around yours and you mimic his actions, tugging on his hair as a moan falls from your lips at the feeling of his tongue moving with yours.

Your eyes widen and you can't help but pull away as you suddenly feel embarrassed at the sound you've just made. Eddie, though? Eddie's convinced that's the hottest thing he's ever heard and he really wants you to make it again.

"You don't have to be embarrassed," he says quickly, trying his best to assure you. "It was really hot, actually."

"It was?"

"Definitely," he nods. "Would it help if you made me moan too?" All you can do is nod and before he can say anything else, your lips are on his, only a few seconds passing before your tongue is flicking against his bottom lip. He opens up immediately and you mimic what he just showed you, your tongue swirling around his as you pulling on his hair even harder, a loud moan falling from his lips.

You haven't thought about it until now since you were so caught up in his kisses, but you're soaking wet between your legs and if you had more confidence, you'd ask Eddie to take care of you, but you don't so you don't. You don't think you're ready for that right now anyway.

You try to focus on the taste of him to get your mind off of it. He tastes like cigarettes that you know he smoked before you came over and you don't know why but you can't get enough of it. It's intoxicating.

You stay like that for a while until your lips are kiss bitten and your legs are asleep from you straddling him for too long. You both decide to call it a night and Eddie walks you to your car like the gentleman he is, kissing you one more time before you drive away. He then goes back inside and heads to his room where he collapses onto his bed, deciding that he's probably (definitely) in love with you.

[hansoleil]

★ ˙ ̟ ─── . “chris”.

— chan × reader. — 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: smut. — 𝘄. 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁: 2217. — 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: afab reader, unprotected sex, creampie, dry humping, daddy kink, degradation & inappropriate language. — 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀: i love me an obsessed ex-boyfie [🍽]

𝒔𝒚𝒏𝒐𝒑𝒔𝒊𝒔. you can't get over chris.

The studio door unlocked with an electronic noise. You didn't make a fuss about entering — it wasn't your first time there, and it probably wouldn't be your last.

"Took you long enough.", he mumbled without bothering to turn around.

"There was too much traffic," you threw your bag on the couch behind him, sitting there right away. The sound of the keyboard echoed in the room for a few more minutes, as if it was inside your head. There was no room for shame, you'd been in this position more times than you'd like to admit.

The chair finally turned around, letting you see the man for the first time that week. Okay. Maybe there was room to feel ashamed. You followed his eyes scanning your body from head to toe, lingering on your legs that were barely covered by the short dress you were wearing — it used to be his favorite, you didn't expect a different reaction.

"So? What have I done to deserve the honor of your presence?", the sweet tone dripped with sarcasm, as if the cynical smile wasn't already a great indicator.

"Cut it, Christopher.", you weren't in the mood to entertain his jokes today. His shameless laughter made you question whether being there was really a good idea, but unfortunately, you needed him.

"Oh, you mad, princess? No need to stress. I'll fix your issue right now." he pressed his tongue against his cheek, smiling mischievously — he was always a tease. He spread his legs even wider, settling himself in the chair. Chan looked at you as if he expected something from you, smiling when he noticed your shyness. "Are you gonna just sit there? We both know why you're here." conceited, he said as if it was obvious (and it really was). You stood up, feeling even more embarrassed, but didn't exactly know why — Chris knew how to make you shy, even after so long. "Take off your panties while you're at it." You gave the man an offended look, as if he had insulted you. "What? You wanna get fucked, don't you?" the man let out a chuckle. You reluctantly took off your panties, there's no arguing with facts, and sat on his lap right after.

Your body and mind felt like two different entities that didn't have the same goal. There was a voice in your head telling you how wrong that was, but you could barely hear it. At the end of the day, it was Christopher. And, somehow, he was still yours. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with it. Not with you in his lap.

Grinding against him like a kitten, your nose pressed to his jawline, breathing in his scent. Chris always had a "manly" scent, you couldn't really explain what it was, but it turned you on — and that was the biggest problem when it came to the man: everything about him turned you on and you feared you'd never be able to let him go.

"Why are you so needy, princess? Your little boyfriend can't handle you?", he asked mockingly. His skilled hands lifted your dress so he could knead the soft skin of your ass — he was obsessed with that part of you, squeezing and playing with it whenever he could.

"He's not my boyfriend, Channie. I only went out with him a few times," you justified the fact for the thousandth time in god knows how long. There was no point, you knew Chris would still bring this up in the future.

"So you should stop giving hope to the poor guy. He must think he has a chance with you," he looked at you smugly. Chris was convinced that he was the only man for you — the fact that you had returned to his lap once again only confirmed the theory.

"I like him though...", it was a lie. You said it just to mess with the man's ego, because even if he knew the truth, he would still feel a little threatened.

"Oh, do you?", his voice full of disbelief. "So you're calling him when you want to fuck? Tell me.'", one of his hands grabbed your jaw, forcing you to look at him. "What's the point of breaking up with me if you can't get off my dick, hm?", his eyes fixed on yours made your body shiver.

Christopher's pretty lips were all you could pay attention to, trying to get closer, as if they were calling your name. He knew how obsessed you were with his lips — no wonder why you kissed him every five minutes when you were still together. Having that in my mind, you were sure of how merciless his next actions were. Your movements were suddenly stopped, the man's hand tangled in your hair, keeping you in place.

"No.", the warning came coldly, but not enough to hide how pleased he seemed with your disappointed expression. "There's no point in making that face either. "No feelings" remember?", he reminded you of the rule you made sure of repeating every time you asked to meet him. "You're the one who wanted it to be like this.", it was painful for him and he wanted it to be for you too. Despite missing your lips as badly as you did, he would deny it, because maybe that would force you to take him back — you both knew he was trying to wear you down, but you were too stubborn.

"Chris, you said that-"

"I said I was going to fuck you, I never said anything about kissing you. You're not my girlfriend, remember that too?", irritated, he interrupted you. It was stressful having to continue with this dynamic just because that's how you wanted it to be. Chris was aware of your reasons, but what was the point of not taking him back if you always ended up at the same place every time? Christopher wasn't able to understand. He had already made a thousand promises in order to change himself, to be better for you... but none of them seemed to convince you. On the other hand, he also wanted to have the courage to get over you and end things for good. However, nothing seemed to overcome how fucking crazy he was about you.

You nodded in defeat, the sadness in your expressions almost making Channie give in. Almost. But he knew just how to fix your disappointed face. The man hurriedly pulled down the straps of your dress, letting the fabric rest below your breasts. Wasting no time, he sucked on them, letting the saliva drip on your skin. Even bitting on them just to feel you pull his hair.

He pulled you by the waist, positioning your body right on top of his cock — the thin fabric of his pants letting you feel almost all of it. He left a slap on your thigh, silently demanding that you start moving — his busy mouth was only able to emit an almost annoyed hum. You grinded down carefully, speeding up as soon as you realized that the position was perfect to stimulate your clit. You could feel him throbbing under you and that was too tempting.

You struggled to get him out of his pants, wanting to feel it closer. Sitting right on top of it when you finally managed to do it, now grinding the wet length against your panties — the movement hitting just right on your swollen clit. You moaned softly, mentally thanking the soundproof walls of the studio.

"Channie.", you knew you could cum like that, but you didn't want to. He finally stopped sucking your tits.

"What do you want now, princess? I'll be good today, I'll even let you choose.", his fingers opening your folds more, making you feel his cock with more intensity. "Want my tongue inside your little pussy?", he rubbed his nose against yours as if he was going to kiss you — it was pure teasing. You shook your head, face frowning, it was pretty obvious what you wanted. "Oh, so you want to get fucked already, sweetheart? Are you that needy?", if you were being honest, that was the only thing on your mind — you didn't even think you needed to get stretched out first. He nodded, your innocent face making Channie smile nastily. "Get on all fours then, princess. I'll give it to you just the way you like it."

[...]

Your nails almost pierced the sofa's fabric, it wasn't your fault though, you needed to take the sensation out on something. You felt him so deep, filling you to the brim, making a mess out of your little hole. In moments like these, you lose all your composure. Swore you could go as far as shamelessly admitting you were fucking addicted to his cock — and you would probably feel pathetic after the high came down, but Chris had the ability to make you act like a bitch in heat. The horniness always spoke louder than you ever could, forcing your body against his, trying to fuck yourself harder. But a sudden slap on your ass made you halt your attempts.

"Can you fucking stay still?." he sounded irritated, your walls tightened almost immediately — a detail that didn't go unnoticed by him. "You know better than move when I'm fucking you. Thought I already taught you that, princess.", his hand tangled in your hair again. He made pressure, forcing you face against the couch. Thrusts getting slower, it was all on purpose — he wanted to punish you little.

"Channie-"

"Shhhhh. Like that, see? Stay still.", he whispered, burying himself deep inside and grinding into your cervix. Chris smiled mischievously when he saw your legs trembling, he loved how dumb you got for cock. You were drenched, slick running down the inside of your thighs. It was good, but it wasn't enough. You wanted to be fucked for real, you needed Chris to break you — the way he always did.

"Daddy, please...", you pleaded with the sweetest tone you could muster. Even with your face muffled against the couch, you knew he could hear it. The nickname wasn't used for nothing, you knew very well what it did to Chris — it was one of the man's biggest guilty pleasures, something he only let slip out when he was almost out of his mind.

Your memory full of all the times he had asked you to "let daddy fill your little pussy" when he was right about to cum. There was no better time to take advantage of it — the length spasming inside you only confirming the fact. You heard the man mumble something you couldn't identify, his hand letting go of your hair and gripping your waist tightly. You knew you had won him over. The thrusts increased the pace.

"Fucking slut.", an intoxicated smile decorated his features. Oh, you were so sure you won him over. His calloused hands forced you against his hips as if you were a toy, you whimpered, unable to deal with the change in pace. You felt Chris slap you a few times, he seemed not to be measuring his strength, hitting you without mercy.

"Channie!" you complained, but it was just pretend — you both knew.

"So I'm not "daddy" anymore? Hm? If you want to act like a whore, you gotta learn how to take it.", he sounded groggy. You throbbed, getting wetter — if it was possible. He brought one of his hands to between your legs, desperately playing with your clit. "Daddy's little slut gonna cum? Yeah? You're squeezing me so fucking tight, baby.", your body writhed, unable to handle it.

You were barely able to grasp when you tipped over the edge, your eyes squeezed shut, releasing a few tears in the process. The man didn't stop thrusting. He used your sensitive body, almost as if he couldn't hear the painful way you whimpered beneath him. It was delicious and torturous at the same time.

"Gonna cum inside you, love. Ah! Fuck, l-like that...", he moaned in a daze, not even aware of what he was saying — a clear sign that he was right about to cum. "I fucking love you... you're mine, love. R-right? Mine.", his body trembling, the orgasm taking away any and all signs of sanity for a few seconds. Chris' soft moans made you squeeze tighter, messing with him even more, filling you up until it leaked.

It took a while for your sensitive bodies to calm down.

Chris was now resting on top of your body, holding his own weight to not crush you against the sofa. He stood up suddenly, his presence disappearing for quite some time. Mind still hazy, you felt him turn your body around, opening your legs to clean the mess he made. You were exhausted, usually falling weak like this whenever you two had sex — Channie was the perfect sleeping pill, he always put you to sleep.

A soft blanket was placed on top of your body and your eyes closed almost automatically. You felt a long and soothing kiss on your lips, body lighting up, you couldn't hold back a smile. You missed this so much... you would even feel a little sad if you weren't so tired.

"Good night, love.”

# — © 2025 hansoleil ᯓ★ masterlist.

[vividly-vermillion]

✴︎ CAUGHT RED HANDED PART 2

જ⁀➴ The LADS guys catch you masturbating.

ﾉ including: Zayne

ﾉ cw: afab!reader, no pronouns used, masturbation, getting caught, oral (reader receiving), mentions of fingering, consent king Zayne, petname "Darling"

ﾉ wordcount: 1.1k

ﾉ info: As feared, i escalated with the headcanons. Rafayel and Sylus follow next week! ﾉ Requests are OPEN!

-> Xavier

COMMENTS AND REBLOGS ARE APPRECIATED

✶࿐ Zayne

♡ You had clear orders from Doctor Zayne; Rest for a few days, eat meals regularly, hydrate and take your meds. He wouldn't need to tell you that he expected to hear from you at least twice a day, you'd blow up his phone like you usually would when you were injured and bored.

♡ Today however you spent your day sleeping, bathing and binge watching your latest tv-show, you completely forgot that time and space exist and that a certain doctor would grow worried if he wouldn't hear from you and how well you listened to his orders.

♡ Out of nowhere the mood hit you and your hand slowly traveled over your thighs, teasing yourself by touching yourself close to your core, but never quite where you needed it.

♡ By the time you finally peeled off your clothes, you were dripping wet, the teasing made you even needier than you already were, your panties drenched with your arousal.

♡ Carelessly, you tossed them to the floor and propped your feet up on the living room table, your thighs spread wide and your folds glistened with arousal.

♡ Your fingers danced over your folds before gently rubbing circles over your clit until your pussy clenched around nothing, desperate to be filled.

♡ Time didn't exist anymore in this moment, the sounds from your TV slowly faded into the background and the pleasure overwhelmed you to the point where you didn't hear your phone vibrate or the knocks on your door.

♡ Zayne grew worried after hearing nothing from you all day, so he decided to go past your place to cook a nice meal for you and to make sure you were looking after yourself.

♡ When you didn't react to messages or the rather loud knocks he grew concerned. What if you fell and couldn't get up? Pressing his ear against the door didn't make things better.

♡ All he heard were whines, whimpers and the occasional groan, which let his mind run wild. Did you fall and hit your head on the kitchen counter? Were you in pain and couldn't call for help?

♡ He decided that he had enough, swiftly typing in the code to your apartment, but the view was everything but a half dead person, rendered helpless and possibly bleeding on the floor.

♡ Zayne couldn't help but let his eyes wander for just a second, but the grocery bags already slipped out of his hands, only to land on the floor with a loud thud.

♡ Your eyes flew open at the noise and you instinctively closed your legs and reached for a couch pillow to shield your nakedness from the intruder, your eyes widening in utter shock when it was Zayne.

♡ He tried to be respectful, his eyes trained on your face despite having seen your body in different states of undress before. But this was different. He was Doctor Zayne in these past instances - and you certainly weren't touching yourself then either.

♡ His eyes looked colder than usual, hungry, needy and it was hard to miss how every muscle in his body tensed up with restraint.

♡ “Don't,” a single word slipped from his lips as if it was an order, but he didn't move an inch, leaving you the choice if you disregard his orders as usual or if you will follow them for once.

♡ Your tight grip on the pillow loosened, fingers almost going slack which made the pillow slip down enough to reveal the valley of your breasts. With a rather helpless look you looked up at the man from your seated position and nodded your head - giving him consent.

♡ Zayne almost missed the slight movement of your head but your body language grew less offensive and more desperate with each passing second.

♡ “I should scold you for making me worry,” he breathed out as he stalked over to the couch where you sat, which made you feel like prey under his intense gaze.

♡ “You can also help me instead,” your voice was breathy from how close you were and it was as if every last bit of restraint left Zayne with your words.

♡ The usually reserved man dropped to his knees between your legs and kissed along your inner thighs all the way to your mound.

♡ “Tell me to stop,” again, it sounded more like an order but you knew what he meant. He wanted to respect you, to keep you at a certain distance and not cross this line but at the same time he needed you like his lungs needed oxygen to breathe.

♡ You simply shook your head and ran your hand through his soft, dark hair. You shouldn't let him, but you've been fantasizing about him all day already, imagining his hands playing with your pussy instead of your own.

♡ “What if I don't want you to stop?” You ask simply and you could swear that you saw the corners of his lips curl into the smallest smirk known to mankind.

♡ “When will you ever listen to me, darling?” He sounded defeated as his breath fanned over your exposed pussy before he closed the small distance.

♡ A relieved sigh left your lips when Zayne’s tongue dragged through your folds in a zigzag motion and his eyes rolled back the moment your juices melted on his tongue.

♡ Your hand reached down again to thread your fingers through his hair, gently pulling on the fine strands which made him eat you out with more fervor, if that was even possible.

♡ “Eyes on me,” another order he breathed out the moment you closed your eyes in pure bliss, forcing yourself to look back down at the handsome man between your thighs.

♡ You didn't expect your fantasy to come true when you started to touch yourself to his image - the thought of getting caught by him was your biggest fear, but you realized it was nowhere near as scary when it actually happened.

♡ Watching Zayne slowly losing his composure to the point where he was eating you out like a man starved was enough to have you whimpering his name, slowly panting like a bitch in heat from how good he made you feel.

♡ “Come for me, darling,” his thumb replaced his tongue momentarily while he spoke, not wanting to rob you of this pleasure before diving back in to suckle at your bundle of nerves.

♡ This was an order you would definitely listen to… not like you had any other choice as the knot in your stomach already tightened, ready to snap at any moment.

[melloollem]

Trash|| Bruce Wayne × child!reader

Summary: In a city where survival is your main objective, you do whatever it takes, including getting involved in Gotham's criminal world.

Warnings: Common comic book violence, weapons, corruption of minors (minors involved in crimes), reader with no gender specified, comment if you want to be tagged in the continuation.

(Chapter ll, Chapter lll, Chapter lV)

(Dc masterlist)

Prologue

The problem with Gotham was that those who said crime didn't pay would soon start to think it did and those who said it did would find the end too quickly for it to be true. Your problem was that you didn't have time to decide whose side you were on. When the city became a field of war, it was better to have a side, whether it was the side of the innocent or not.

Although you were young, you had seen the city destroy itself and start over many times. At some point, you realized that it wasn't starting over, it was just continuing. Fear gas exploded in the city, chaos spread, a villain was arrested, next month another villain had his own idea for an attack and the city didn't even have a chance to repair the damage from the last attack. It was in one of these circumstances that you lost your family. What did you do without your mother in a city where fear was a constant feeling? Survive and you would follow the law of the weakest.

Petty theft, that's how it always starts, take what you want and run. You weren't the most skilled, but circumstances make the thief and it's not as if you didn't have examples to follow. You lived on the worst side of town, used to seeing robberies almost daily, it was easy, just see where they went wrong and do better. You noticed that most of the thugs who committed robberies in Crime Alley were caught, ironic isn't it? You had also calculated a gap in time when there was no vigilante on duty, it was a few minutes before they spread across the city, the police patrols in Gotham were constant, but they weren't looking for you if you committed petty crimes, there were bigger problems for the city.

In a few months, you had your own map of Gotham, with the information that really mattered: areas prone to robbery, areas that should be avoided, small crooks, big crooks, who ran what, what crime could be committed in each area, which crime was worth the most. If circumstances made the thief, you were in the circumstance most likely to make him successful. And if it had all started with petty theft, soon your preparation would prove that you were capable of more, and it didn't take long for the bandits in the area to notice your potential, now you work as a bandit's henchman, it's not as if you were a big deal, they just considered you skillful enough. You could be useful to them, but if you died in a few weeks' time there would be another one like you, this town was shit.

And if with small robberies, you were out of focus, when a major city bank is robbed with all the vigilantes busy trying to stop it, now everyone knew there was something fishy and you knew it wouldn't be long before the vigilantes were on your tail. You could escape the Gotham police, but Batman? It wasn't about being found, it was about when you would be found. Your first thought was to run away, but did anyone care if you got killed for going against the law? They were clear, you stayed until the end, it was kill or be killed.

Bruce followed your every move, if your plan consisted of staying off the vigilantes' radar, once they saw you, it wasn't hard to find the rest, every crime was in evidence. At first, he thought you were like young Jason, a kid from Gotham who was doing everything he could to survive, but without hurting anyone, and well, you were trying to survive, but if someone had to die in the process, it wouldn't be you.

He thought about approaching you at first, but you didn't look like you were going to give in, you were one of those who were always ready to attack, too scared to look into the dark before firing. If he wanted to approach you, it would have to be slowly, he didn't want you to run away or react. You might have been the one holding a gun, but you were also a child who shuddered at the sound of his shot.

But Batman's plans for you would have to hurry up. In one of the robberies you had planned and were on the front line for, you had been shot in the stomach, and it was now that you would discover that crime doesn't pay. Something peculiar about this situation was that there were no police, it was a vigilante's bullet that had pierced you. Now the Red Hood was carrying your weak body to a Gotham emergency ward, how could he have guessed that the person who shot him was just a child? The second he heard a child scream in reaction to the bullet, he ran for your life.

You looked exactly like a street kid, did you have parents? He didn't have time to find out, he wasn't sure if someone would come and stay with you in hospital, so he did. For the next few hours guilt consumed Jason, how could he shoot a child? He was in the waiting room, now in civilian clothes, waiting to hear from you. He hadn't called anyone, but after signs of a disastrous mission in a Gotham warehouse, Jason had a target on his back, so Bruce obviously wanted to know where he was.

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This is the prologue to a story that will soon be released. I hope you enjoy it and stay tuned to my profile. Every new episode released will be linked in this post, comment if you want to be tagged.

[ashlynnfall]

ekko looks for powder in the color blue. the sky, the water, hair, and eyes. blue blooms in the flowers near his tree and weaves through the streets of zaun, leaving trails for him to follow, leading him to something that no longer exists.

ekko looks for powder in light. it emanates from fire and spreads throughout zaun in the night. it's in the fixtures that decorate the streets, and it cascades down onto ekko's hideout, illuminating the mural that commemorates what has been lost. light reminds him of her. her bright smile and her blinding beauty. it revives the past they shared before tragedy struck, of that unforgettable night where they danced under the stars, of that kiss on the ledge...it's an everlasting reminder of his deepest affection.

ekko looks for powder in the gadgets he possesses. he searches for traces of her in the trinkets he collects, tinkering away to create new ones. inventions are where he looks the hardest, reminding himself of the days they spent working on innovative projects together. he thinks of her genius, her drive, and her madness in the craft. the memories bring a comforting smile to his face, which is a rare sight these days.

ekko looks for powder in time, lamenting how much they used to have together. there's a cruel irony in "the boy who shattered time" nickname. he was unable to spend the time he wanted with her, he couldn't shatter time enough to fit his needs. he enjoyed what they spent together, but it was too little. he could rewind time over and over and over again, but he still wouldn't get enough of her. his love for powder is timeless.

ekko looks for powder in his title: the boy savior. yet another cruel irony. he saved the entire world, ensuring the survival of many. in fact, he's spent his whole life saving people. he's always sacrificing his own needs for others as he leads a life of unbridled altruism. in a way, he's making up for being unable to save powder from jinx and silco. the boy savior, capable of rescuing anyone and everyone, except for the love of his life.

ekko looks for powder in the new era of zaun. sevika leading in the council, children running in the streets in glee rather than fear, the people breathing fresh air-it was everything they ever dreamed of. if only she was around to see it. ekko searches for the murals dedicated to her, seeks out the remnants of her hideout, scouts for anyone with leftover stories of her to tell. he observes the elated spirits of the city and bears the pain deep within his smile, reminding him of what could have been.

ekko looks for powder physically. it's not enough to just remember her. he needs to hug her, hold her close, and never let her go. he needs to hear her voice again, to invent with her again, to dance with her again, he just needs her to be here again. powder's absence is impossible to ignore, and ekko's tired of acknowledging it. he wants to be selfishly in love with her, but he can't. the world needed a savior, ekko answered the call.

ekko never stops looking for powder. she's in his head, in his heart, in his memories, in his home-no place is without her image. in his mind, powder's words echo promises of the past, not knowing that they'd be broken in the future. he searches for her in the people of zaun, hoping for the day when someone's face matches the one he craves to see so desperately. his search is endless, hopelessly devoted to a ghost of his past.

ekko finds powder in the hand that extends to him from a large white blimp. blue and pink nails decorate the pale skin covering it, confirming who stands before him. he looks at her bright smile, her pink eyes, the blue hair that grew back to the tops of her shoulders, the beautiful face he yearns to get lost in. he takes her in, processing everything he can see, praying that this isn't some horrible dream or hallucination.

ekko finds powder in the hug that they share, the hands that he holds, and in the lips that kiss him. ekko finds powder in the promises of adventure, in the conversations about their post-war lives, and in the apologies for everything. ekko finds powder.

powder and ekko find each other in love, in the reunion with their surviving friends and family, in the celebrations of a new zaun. they find each other on the dance floor once again, but this time, in the right universe. they bask in each other's arms, refusing to ever let go.

ekko finally finds powder, promising to never lose her again.

a/n: hi! i wanted to give ekko the ending he deserves because he's my fav character and deserves the whole world. timebomb as a couple mean so much to me, so i wanted to write a little story about their reunion after the finale of season 2. i need them together!! i also just adore ekko and powder, and that scene of them dancing in the alt universe was insanely well done. i hope you enjoyed my work, and thank you for reading! any tips of improving my writing or general thoughts on the fic would be greatly appreciated. thank you for your time <3

[lowkeyrobin]

JAMES HOOK ; perfect revenge

summary ; after also turning into a weird flamingo hybrid with uliana, hook tries to conjure up a plan for revenge for you. and ulianna

warnings ; language, bullying

disclaimers ; reader is a siren (on land)

requested by ; @stargener

word count ; 902

masterlist

Uliana cackles, using her tentacle to hand you two flamingo feathers.

"That's too many!" Bridget exclaims

Uliana glares at her. "Does it look like I care?"

You swallow your feathers, giggling back at your friends.

"You're just jealous," She rolls her eyes, following your actions. "Of my beauty."

"You'll regret that," Bridget mumbles.

You and Uliana giggle and cackle, you leaning over her shoulder to look in her portable mirror. You smile, tilting your head as you watch your hair glow a bright pink.

Uliana jumps back, coughing up feathers with a worried, scared look. Her hair also glows pink, the color spreading from the fringe to the occipital rather quickly as she frightfully looks around, seeing all eyes were on her and you.

"You look a little.. pink" Hook giggles.

You begin to do the same, looking back at Hook, unable to call for him as you hack up feather upon feather. You fall to your knees, watching feathers magically grow from your skin, a thick coat of them burying into your flesh.

"Someone should help them!"

Your shaky hands are held in front of your face, you watch as your fingers grow into claws. Hook's expression clearly falters, seeing you watch yourself turn into some hybrid monster.

The laughter fills your ears, the smiles and giggles the only thing your brain would process. They stare at you as you sit hopelessly, watching yourself fall to the magical trickery. You'd never felt more weak. As your reputation quickly drips down the drain, you think of how you wouldn't be feared any longer, how you'd end up becoming a victim to your own creation.

"Yeah, someone should help them" Hades mutters, Maleficent smacking him.

Harry looks between the couple and then at you two, watching Morgie try and help Ulianna up from the ground. He's quickly smacked back, landing on his ass as Uliana rises, showcasing her new face job. Her face represented one of a flamingo, beak and all.

Her screams are turned into bird honks as she quickly chases after Bridget and Ella. She chases them away toward a side yard, the AK's following quickly. Hades and Maleficent shrug, following the crowd. Morgie does the same, breaking into a sprint after watching Red and Chloe chase after Uliana.

Hook rushes to you, paralyzed in fear and embarrassment on the concrete. His hands float over your shoulders, not exactly wanting to touch you.

"Go get them" You snarl, wanting your boyfriend to leave you be.

He quickly nods, rushing after his friends, his heeled boots clicking on the pavement.

Your limbs were coated in feathers, your hands now claws, your hair bright pink. With wide eyes, you stumble over to the fountain in the courtyard, hoping and wishing the magical water would rid you of your now hideous appearance.

Water was your home, maybe even just sitting in it would make you feel slightly okay.

You place your feet in the fountain, drenching your boots. You sit down criss-cross, running your head beneath the running water, a shiver running down your spine as the cold liquid hits your feathered skin.

You feel the feathers fall from your limbs, your skin revealed once again, leaving large dark marks on your skin, like strawberry skin but ten times worse. Your claws shrink back down to your normal hands, your hair's new pink glow fading as it rinses away from your scalp.

"Y/n?" James speaks from behind you, having rushed to your aid after Ulianna fell into the magic spring water pool not far away. "Are you alright, darling?"

"No," you quickly answer, eyebrows furrowed out of your internal anger.

He slowly approaches, trying to bring you away from the fountain, to dry you off at least. "My love-"

"Shut up."

You lounge in your dorm with James, trying to push your head anywhere that wasn't back earlier in the day. Your head rests on your pillow as you stare at the ceiling, allowing you to count the stars in the night sky through the skylight above your bed.

You wanted to get back at Bridget, but didn't know how.

She subjected you to humiliation, to embarrassment. She wasn't anything, she had to bribe people with food to be her friend. She was a pathetic excuse of life and a waste of space. She'd grow to be nothing-

"I have an idea," James speaks, turning back to look at you on your bed, having been looking out the window.

You turn your head to look at him. "What?"

He slyly smiles, a mischievous look in his eye. "We embarrass her at Castlecoming. She wouldn't miss it for the life of her, we make her fall to the floor, ugly as an ogre."

You blink. "You sound like you're talking about me," you mumble, rolling your eyes as you turn on the bed, your back facing him.

He sighs, pulling you up from the bed. You stand on your feet, your pajamas resting upon your frame as he laces his hand into yours, his hook carefully resting over your shoulder.

"We'll get her back, my lovely siren royalty." He smiles, his eyes gazing upon your lips before looking back at you in the eye. To say he was in love was an understatement. "You know I'd do anything for you, right?"

You lightly smile, glancing down before looking back up at him. "Yeah"

"Good"

[writingwisterias]

Day 22: Voyeurism

Leon Kennedy x AFAB!Reader Warnings: SMUT, MNDI, Voyeurism, Masturbation, Room sharing Masterlist Dedicated to Two ILY

The moonlight filtered through the cracks of the blinds of the hotel room. Your twin beds were in the middle of the room, the TV off to the side and a bathroom just by the entrance. Smaller than what you would have picked, you definitely wouldn't be sharing with Leon if they weren’t so tight with the accommodation budget. There was nothing wrong with the man, you admired his work ethic and had grown to admire him in many ways. The two of you worked well as partners; your fighting and problem-solving, methods complimented each other well enough that you barely failed a mission that you were assigned to together. 

You were facing his bed, something you never normally did for fear of opening your eyes and seeing him looking back. It had happened one too many times, you could feel the phantom blush form from the last time. However, tonight he was on his back, his hair falling over his eyes, mouth parted slightly. You could very faintly hear the breaths as they left his lips. You had grown a crush on your partner - it was difficult for that to happen with how attractive and caring he was.

He looked so peaceful like this, dreaming whatever he was dreaming. Nothing disturbing him. Until you heard it. The shuffle of the duvet as he moved—the slick sounds of something wet. Your eyes scanned his form, tucking the duvet under your chin to give yourself more range. There it was, the subtle movement lower down. It was almost like he was itching his thigh…maybe that's what he was doing. It didn’t explain the wet sounds though. 

He threw the duvet off next - maybe he was just sweaty. Your brain came up with any and every excuse you could think of until the moon hit the tip of his cock. You felt your throat tighten at the sight of it. His hand was gripped tightly around the base, squeezing it gently as his cock hardened. You watched it rise out of its slumber like an animal; Leon’s eyes were now open as he watched what he was doing. He paused his movements, listening to the sound of your breathing in case he was loud and woke you up. His eyes flicked over to your form for just a second and sighing in relief when he noticed your body hadn’t moved since the last time he checked. 

His hand worked slowly up and down his erection. Your eyes followed the movement like you were watching a tennis game. Leon’s mind was filled with images of you, unable to get the thought of you underneath him out of his dreams. During your latest mission you were trapped together, bodies pressed against each other so close your breath mingled. Your hands were pressed against his chest, head tucked safely in his neck as he took advantage of the situation and pulled you closer. He felt bad - doing this whilst you were asleep next to him. Your dreams seemed far more peaceful than his own. That was until he saw your eyes weren’t closed, they were focused on his movements. 

Leon bit his lip as he realised you were watching. His mind wondered if you were soaking your underwear at this sight, his brain refusing to acknowledge that you could be finding this weird. Instead using the fact that you were watching as an opportunity to make it more of a show. After all, you wouldn’t be staring at this so much if you didn’t like it. Your mouth watered as his pre cum appeared, dribbling out of the tip as if he was coaxing it out. You watched his thumb swipe it up to then spread down his cock as lubrication his movements now fluid and relaxed. 

He squeezed the base of it again, cutting off the blood flow just enough to make his tip go fuzzy, the long vein that ran up the sides becoming prominent as it worked harder to supply the cock with blood. His other fingers circled the tip, taking advantage of the sensitive area as it was exposed. You watched as his erection twitched against his tight grip like it was trying to free itself slightly. Leon’s groans grew louder now he knew you were watching, no longer having the fear of waking you up. The cum dribbled down his length like candle wax, the mixture creating a small puddle at the base. God, you wanted to go over there and lick it up, suck him until he was completely dry but then he would know you were awake. So instead you tucked yourself in further now shielding the lower half of your face with the duvet. 

You almost whined when his hand pulled away, now falling onto the mattress as he pushed himself to sit against the wall his bed was pressed against. He was facing you now, his legs dangling off the edge. His cock was right in your eyeliner now, making sure to angle it just right so that you got all of the action. The slow pump of his hand, his weeping tip. 

His arms flexed with his movements, his abs as well - you hadn’t noticed he went to bed shirtless today. Your hand slipped down in between your legs, the waistband of your underwear tight over your wrist as you began to circle your clit matching his pace. Despite how sneaky you were in the darkness he noticed. His eyes darkened as you began to rub yourself, occasionally gathering arousal from your entrance to lubricate the action much like Leon did. 

His cock glowed in the moonlight now it was covered in his cum. His head looked so sensitive every time he swiped over it. Leon threw his head back against the wall, his eyes shut tightly as he felt his ball tighten. He looked so majestic, his cock look so beautiful highlighted like this. A low groan escaped his lips as his cum began to pump through his cock, the largest vein pulsing as it shot out of that small slit in his tip. You watched it eagerly, your eyes beginning to water from how long it had been since you blinked. Your teeth clenched against the duvet as you came all over your fingers, your underwear now soaked as it caught all of the arousals that leaked out of it. 

His post-orgasm state was angelic, his thighs coated in his cum. The thick ropes spread out over the muscles. His body was covered in a light sheen of sweat. He looked like he was glowing. 

Your breath faltered when he opened his eyes, finally meeting your own with a teasing glare. “Liked the show, princess?”

Taglist: @kasueli@luvrgreyy@michellekmsh@miss0giarra@cinnabunnysavvy@redollface@my-loved-figure-skates@luvlouiee@drawboo22@moth-quasar@nyxxoxo@crazy-b1tch

[elieowlsclownery]

Clara's Importance to Iruma and Unresolved Worries

Since I'm stuck waiting for the next chapter with clenched teeth lets dull the pain by discussing another reason to appreciate Clara, from Iruma's side!

There's obvious reasons why Iruma loves Clara if you pay attention to their dynamic even slightly:

Clara's one of the first who gave Iruma unconditional love and warmth

He's able to play and have fun with her in a way he was never able to as a child

Clara is cute and adorable and deserves the world

But here's a reason I think doesn't get a lot of attention:

Clara's the first person Iruma ever said no to.

Before meeting Clara Iruma didn't have any self-determination, aside from not being found out as a human and eaten. He wasn't all that comfortable with being treated like a master by Azz, but he still let Azz follow him around. He was especially uncomfortable with Grandpa Sully spoiling him and showing him off, but he couldn't bring himself to refuse and let gramps spoil him. He allowed the demons around him to do whatever not because he liked what they did, but because he was too scared to refuse and/or he's been conditioned by his parents to accept anything that's given to him.

Then he meets Clara. At first he treats her like he did with the other demons he's met, letting her do whatever and accept whatever...then something happens. He sees that Clara's so-called "friends" use her as a free snack machine. And he sees the snacks and toys Clara gives him and Azz. And something clicks with him.

He likes Clara. He wants to play with Clara. And he doesn't want Clara to feel like he's only playing because of the free juice. For the first time, we see him actually want something. And it's to play with Clara.

Before he was even trying to discover what it means to have ambition, before he realized he could have ambition, he found something he wanted and he actively sought it out. His first desire.

And this spread to how he treated Az. He realized he didn't want to just let Azz follow him passively, he wanted to be friends with both Clara and Az, to be an active participant in their lives. And it's the first time he started believing in the demon world as a home rather than a hostile place.

It might seem small compared to his later growth, but I think the latest chapter shows that this first desire is still a fundamental part of him. Because just like when he told Clara he didn't need her abilities play with him his first immediate instinct is to rush to Clara's side to comfort her. Not just for her sake but for his. He can't stand the idea that Clara could feel hurt in any way. He takes his soulmates' pain as his own without any filter.

He senses Clara's hurt for just a millisecond and he just books it!

But this immediate instinct to comfort her isn't enough, because this comfort can't erase her worries. Just like it never erased her worries back when they first met and Iruma said he genuinely wanted to play with her.

It wasn't enough when Iruma was trapped in an illusion during the Harvest Festival Arc. He knows his family and friends wouldn't say such things, he knows it's an illusion. But that wasn't enough to break it. Just like Clara knows her soulmates love her, it's not enough.

Iruma was able to literally pierce through his fears thanks to his master's words, and was able to save Clara with that perfect shot as well. Him stopping Clara's illusion was powerful, but ultimately it was to show his growth, his determination to stay in this world and be an archer. Clara didn't have the means to fight that illusion herself and even after breaking down, crying and holding the Iruma who'd never ask for juice, she still hid that worry away afterwards and never really unpacked it.

So how can Clara's worries be resolved? Well...

I don't know what Az is going to say, I'm sure it'll be impactful and the bond between them will grow even stronger, but as Iruma proved love alone will not cure anxiety. Az and Iruma both have masters that they can discuss and resolve their worries with (not to mention Iruma has Opera who just a few chapters ago he had a heart to heart with)

Clara needs to have that sort of access as well. Hopefully by maybe opening up about her worries to her soulmates post-wicked phase Clara is able to do just that with her master Raim. Or at the very least she could talk to her mom, but given how Wicked Clara is I think having a talk with Raim would be better...I think Raim reeeeeeally needs to know what happened to her Baby-chan.

Also hoping Balam has a talk with Az about the fact that he left a dangerous treat that he personally made unattended. I mean Clara's still the one who chose to go through his pockets but still the struggles of being responsible and all.

By the way this isn't to call Iruma selfish or bad in any way. Everything Iruma's done so far is out of love, and his part is important. After all if Iruma wasn't so lovable Clara wouldn't have nearly as many pages in the happy album. It's important to realize that the happy album, with all her hope and excitement and love for her soulmates is just as real and powerful as the sad album with her worries and fear and loneliness.

Still, I'm a worried Iruma'll blame himself for not being the one to save Clara this time, which neither of his soulmates want. Maybe that'll trigger his next leg in personal growth...Or maybe not! Maybe everything will turn out fine and Clara passes the midterm and they get to go on that trip to the Muddy-Buddy Swamp. She's been trying to go to a swamp with her friends for forever!

(This is from the sukima for volume 20 after the musical festival arc. It's chapter 177.5 on mangadex)

[vigilante24ish]

🌙 Moon Phases 🌙

Agatha Harkness X Fem!Reader

Word Count: 1554

Finale I - part 2/3 (Agatha X Reader ending):

You did not fear death. At least not anymore.

Agatha was clearly hesitating, You were the one person she could not lose. But she could not give herself up either.

It annoyed her how you were not letting Billy take the fall for all of you. It was that simple, and yes, it was cruel, but this was life.

You would learn to live with it.

Billy looked at you, and he knew you were serious. Yet he could not let you do this. You were the last person to deserve such fate.

And so, he directed his attention on Agatha as he tried hard; a part of him hoping the Road and even this final battle was enough to truly help him connect with her.

He looked at her and eventually managed to connect with her telepathically. He finally managed to bypass any barriers and mental walls she had raised, a result of her magic and training across the centuries.

'Agatha', he called in her mind. The purple witch did an excellent job at hising her surprise, not expecting to hear anyone in her mind; let alone him. 'Is this what happened to Nicky?' He dared to ask.

His question hit Agatha harder than any of Rio's attacks. She knew this was not what happened to their son, and yet, she could not help but feel this... guilt and pain.

Nicky wouldn't want her to sacrifice one more soul to Rio, and he sure wouldn't want you to stay behind or take the fall for everyone.

He always had a soft spot for you.

As Agatha looked at the serious you with the glass shard still in your hands, she made a decision... one, she most likely won't live to regret it.

With silent steps, Agatha started to walk towards her former lover and spread her arms, inviting her into her embrace.

Rio took notice, and yet she did not fight this subconscious need to be in Agatha's arms. She did not expect her lover to hold her face gently and then initiate a kiss; even though she was almost always the one to do so.

Billy stared in surprise, not expecting such a move. All he could do was stare, his mind taking a little longer to realize Agatha's true plan.

You didn't, though, and once you spotted the faint, green veins on Agatha's cheeks; you knew what she was doing.

Your eyes opened wide in surprise, disbelief following after along with fear; as your body and heart processed the intense emotions caused by that kiss...

Or better say, Agatha's reckless and selfless plan.

"No," you exclaimed weakly and stopped putting your magic into healing your wound.

You stared as faint green veins spread across Agatha's cheek, Rio's magic entering her body. Black magic flared in response and started to wrap around the two lovers as Agatha's skin started to turn paler and paler.

Rio understood it too, but she could not stop, her magic already affecting Agatha. She kept the kiss, a single tear trailing down her cheek as she realized what Agatha was doing and how she had chosen to end this all... her noble sacrifice.

Rio couldn't stop, but you could, or so your subconscious thought.

For the second the two lovers parted lips, your scream echoed across the backyard as your white magic went out of control. Forming a bright white wave, it expanded circulalry all around you; tossing Billy back but also Rio.

Agatha had already started to levitate, black magic tendrils sucking her life away but quickly disappeared as the force of your white magic obliterated them.

You sprinted on your feet, running on Agatha's body that was now laying on the grass; skin turning paler as time was almost up.

You knelt and placed her head on your lap, both hands holding her cheeks as your white magic glowed and tried to help save your lover.

"It's no use." Rio said as she recovered from your outburst, looking with a saddened look at the sight in front of her. "She took my power. She will die."

This was not how she wanted Agatha to go, and if Rio could do something about it, she would. But the damage had already been done, and it could not be reversed.

Not by her.

You did not even look at Rio, your eyesight blurry from all the tears you failed to hold back as you kept trying to save Agatha; but your magic only seemed slowing down her death... not stopping it.

"I was created to stop her," your bottom lip trembled as you fought back a sob. "Yet I chose to join her... If this means I can save her and if I fail and die... then Agatha and I can be together."

With one last try, with one last spark of hope within; you bent down and kissed Agatha. Your eyes closed as you focused on the kiss, the familiar sensation of her lips against yours fueling the pain in your heart, but you kept going.

Your magic entered her body through the kiss, its powerful energy quickly meeting Rio's darker one; the two forces fighting but ultimately... yours was slowly purifying the toxic for Agatha magic that your lover had willingly absorbed.

Your hands and your body glowed with magic, it's shine so bright that could be seen from the curious humans neighbours that stood in their yards; having noticed the changing sky but having no clue what was taking place.

Usually, your pure magic would harm Agatha; whose dark magic had formed and stained her body even though Wanda drained her. But now, your magic was busy fighting something else, and while winning; it was weakening.

At last, the white glow started to die as an ethereal wave of white magic was flowing gently around you; a semi transparent dom that kept you and your lover within.

And as that magic was fading away, Billy and Rio could see the result of your actions.

You gently pulled back, feeling drained and exhausted; as if you had been fighting for your life for days, little to no energy left to sustain you.

Yet it was all worth it as you looked at Agatha, her hair now a pure white; a side effect of your power. But the colour had returned to her cheeks, her blue eyes glowing with life.

You could not help but smile weakly as you watched her and she watched you. Her hand moved, fingers caressing your cheek in a sweet way, and you leaned on them.

You tried to stand up slowly to give Agatha space and also join you. Your knees felt weak, and as you tried to take a step back, your body gave up on you.

You stared to fall to the side; too weak to remain standing.

Rio was quick to catch you, gently supiering your body with hers; arms protectively holding you, preventing you from slipping off her embrace.

Agatha weakly managed to slowly push her body up; still trying to recover from almost dying and also the remnants of your magic residing within her.

"Leave her alone, Rio," she said weakly, worrying for your well-being after pulling such a stant.

Rio glanced at Agatha but was more focused on you, your breathing silent and your eyes fighting to stay open.

"You stupid girl, giving your gift away like that," she told you.

You smiled weakly, feeling proud that you did and having no regrets.

"And I will keep doing it until you let us all go," you replied weakly, stubborn as ever.

Rio glanced at the new moon above and then at you before leaving out a heavy sigh.

"You are lucky your soul is not mine to reap, babygirl." she pecked your forehead and helped you remain steady on your legs.

Billy, at the same time, helped Agatha to stand; looking with confusion at Rio.

The green witch kept her arm around your waist, unsure if you could stand on your own yet. She looked at Agatha. "One life, no more cheating death," she then looked at Billy. "No more body jumping. When the time comes, no fighting"

Perhaps this was not what the rules said... but not everything was set in stone. Exceptions could be made, at least partially; little loopholes in the grand plan

Rio did it before, and from the looks of it, she had to do it again. She would never admit it, but deep down, she did not truly mind.

You and Agatha muttered too much to lose you so early, especially when, from the looks of it; relationships might have been mended, at least partially.

Billy and Agatha nodded, not wanting to chase their luck further or risk one of you dying for good this time.

Of course, Billy, being the curious boy he was; had to ask one more thing.

"Rio," he called her, trying not to feel intimidated by her sharp look. "I... " he cleared his throat. "What did you mean with what you said? About not being able to take Y/N's soul?"

Lady Death smirked faintly, her fingers gently caressing your cheek. "She is a blessed child. I can't reap her until it is said," she replied vaguely, leaving Billy more confused than before.

Finale I - part 3/3

[A/N] - Finale 2 part 1 will be published the day after, focusing on a better and smuttier ending for Rio, Reader, and Agatha as a triple pair.

[vashs-turtleneck]

Preen.

Rating: T

Pairing: Vash the Stampede x Reader Summary: Caring for Vash when his wings sprout. CW: angst, fluff, blood, mentions of self-harm, Trimax Vash coded. Word Count: 1.4k A/N: man oh man do I love bird men.

Vash normally stays huddled up in his room on days like this. There's times where he's had to spend nights on end locked inside until his feathers would painstakingly slowly go away. He'd sit on his bed (if he even had a bed at the time) and wait until he was back to normal. He wouldn't leave, he wouldn't eat, most of the time he wouldn't even sleep. He'd just sit there, alone, with nothing but his thoughts to keep him company. When it was all over, he'd be in a nest of dusty sheets, surrounded by smears of blood and ripped feathers, with crimson dripping from his back from where he had agonizingly plucked at himself.

A monster, huddled away from sight.

Inhuman.

He would never dare go outside like this.

But of course, when you came around, following closely at his heel at all times, you never allowed him to hide away from you like that. You once came looking for him after his prolonged silence, and you had found him in a pitiful state – eyes rimmed red, bloody nails clutching at his own flesh like it wasn't meant to be on his bones, and most notably, white feathers sprouting from his face and wings spread out from his shoulder blades. 

He was mortified, embarrassed, scared.

This is it. You're going to see what he really is, and you're going to leave.

He went through all the stages of grief when he saw your eyes widen and your steps come to a halt. He was ready to hear your screams of terror and then never see you again. As much as he wanted to hide, he didn't look away. If you were going to run, he wanted to get one last good look at your beautiful face.

But you didn't leave him that night. You stayed awake with him, talking to him, and you had no flicker of fear or disgust when you looked at him. You didn't get too close, you didn't try to touch him, you didn't stare at him too intently (though he's sure you wanted to), and in the morning when his feathers were gone, you took him out to breakfast like it was any other day. Like nothing changed.

It took a long time to build up into letting you see him like this. Apart from that first night when you refused to leave his side after you saw the scratches on his back and the blood under his nails, he only allowed your gaze for brief moments, like when you insisted on bringing him food, and when you'd come back to scold him for not eating it. 

Eventually, you started sitting with him. You wouldn't speak. You'd simply sit in the same space as him, often in a chair in the corner, sometimes on the floor by the bed as you read a book, doodled in a sketchbook, or took a nap. No touches, no words, but still offering him a presence he's never had before when he's felt the furthest from human.

He was the first one to break the silence when he saw you using one of his shedded feathers as a bookmark of all things. You simply responded, “I like it. It's pretty,” like it was the simplest thing in the world. 

It's safe to say that nowadays, if he isn't there to greet you when you come down for breakfast in the mornings, you'll be knocking on his door within the hour.

Tonight, you're sitting on his bed, his back facing you as he sits with his knees to his chest, hiding the cracks in his face from your gaze. Your fingers gently run through his sprouted wings, picking out bits of lint and grains of sand caught in his feathers with a tenderness you always grant him, even when he's like this, when he doesn't even have the heart to look you in the eyes.

“I'm sorry, mayfly.”

“Hush. Don't be silly.”

His wings shift, slowly unfurling from around himself the longer you touch them for, as if trying to nudge into your hands for more. A part of him feels bad for liking the attention, but he doesn't want you to stop, even though the feeling of anyone touching the plumage along his back still feels so foreign to him.

“So soft,” you hum, and he feels the heat rise to his face, his cheeks dusting pink under the cracks and feathers. Something about you saying that makes his chest feel warm, despite how much he hates the part of himself you're referring to.

“You know,” you start to say, pulling his attention back to you as your gentle fingers pluck the dirt from him. “I'd like it if you stopped hiding from me whenever this happens.”

Vash winces at your words. “I don't… like it when you see me like this.” 

Don't look at me.

Don't leave me.

These wings, these feathers, these marks along his face and body – they all feel like some curse. It's not something you should be seeing, but he can't help wanting you here. It almost feels like he has to keep his wings from reaching towards you, like they have a mind of their own.

“I know, and I'm sorry, but I'm not leaving you alone,” you say back, your hands carefully running along the lengths of his wings, your palms smoothing over the feathers, and the feeling sends an involuntary shiver up his spine. “Is it bad if I like seeing you like this?”

“Heh. I don't see why you would. It's… strange. I would never blame you if you wanted to run away.” And he wouldn't. He knows this, and he knows you know this. He's told you far too many times that you should leave, that you shouldn't be around a monster like him, and sometimes he was much meaner than he ever intended to be with you. It's something he'll regret regardless of how many times he's apologized and how many times you've forgiven him. 

He just… doesn't feel like himself when he's in this state. He wants you far away, but he wants you close. He wants to scream and cry and curl in on himself until he disappears, but he wants to wrap himself around you and keep you with him in a nest of feathers until he forgets the outside world exists. His skin crawls and prickles where his feathers sprout from, and sometimes his flesh feels like it's burning, but he aches for the feeling of your hands running through his plumage. It's gotten so, so much worse since you've been around, and he doesn't know why, but he'll keep that bit to himself. No point in making you feel bad for his alien biology when he himself doesn't understand it all.

“I would never run away from you. Hell, half the time I'm struggling to keep up with you,” and his breath hitches when he suddenly feels your arms wrap around his midsection, your head resting against the bed of feathers on his back.

“I think you're beautiful, Vash. With and without wings.”

‘Beautiful.’

What a strange way of describing him.

“You like them…” he mutters quietly, more to himself than to you, like he's trying to wrap his head around what that could possibly mean. He doesn't even notice the way his feathers fluff up and bury your face in his down.

“I do, but I'm more fond of who they're attached to.”

You care, inhuman and all.

He was ready to never see you again after that first night, but you're still here, and you're preening him of all things. You've stitched his wounds, comforted him during his nightmares, held him when he's cried, but this? This is a level of intimacy he's not familiar with. It's vulnerable and selfless and loving and… so much more than he deserves, but you’re doing it for him. He has no way of repaying all the ways you've healed him. His wounds are still there, and they're far too deep to ever hope for the scars to completely fade, but your presence alone is a soothing balm he doesn't think he could ever live without again.

One day, maybe he'll look you in the eyes when you take care of him like this. Maybe he'll turn around and let you card your fingers through the feathers on his cheeks. Maybe after that, maybe when you're taking a nap, he'll hold you close in his arms like he wants to and envelop you in feathers, and he'll show you, despite how much he wishes they weren't there, how warm his wings can be.

divider source.

[aishangotome]

Luke & Gilbert's Story of Reminiscence [The Day We Became a Fake Family] - Part 1

Luke: Hey, Emma. There's a new shop in town, wanna go with me?

Emma: Sure, but it's rare for you to invite me somewhere.

Luke: It's a shop for women. I'm interested in their limited-edition honey candy, but I'd stand out going alone, wouldn't I?

Emma: Hehe... In that case, I'd be happy to.

Lately, with Prince Gilbert of Obsidian staying at the Rhodolite castle, there's been a constant tension, and it often feels suffocating.

So when he invited me to town, I immediately accepted, but—

Gilbert: Oh, are you two going out?

Just as we were about to reach the exit, where a clear blue sky spread out before us, we bumped into Prince Gilbert.

Luke: Yeah, it's a date, so don't get in the way.

Gilbert: Oh? Sounds interesting. Makes me want to play a game of follow the leader.

Luke: Are you a man of leisure or something?

(I've been thinking this for a while, but Luke is amazing because he doesn't change his attitude at all, even with Prince Gilbert.)

Unlike me, with my body stiffening with nervousness, or the servants who hurried past, Luke is a valuable presence who can face Prince Gilbert and exchange words with him confidently.

Wanting to learn from him, I mentally chided my unconsciously fearful heart.

Gilbert: If you're going to town, I'd like a souvenir, okay?

Luke: What? No way.

Gilbert: I'm a state guest. ...Right, little rabbit?

Emma: What kind of souvenir would you like?

Gilbert: Hmm...

Luke: If you're going to think about it that hard, don't ask.

Gilbert: Rhodolite is a country of gourmet food, so it can't be helped, can it?

Gilbert: Ah, that's right. I'd like a sandwich from the bakery that little rabbit always goes to.

Emma: ...How did you know that I frequent the bakery...?

Gilbert: Want to know?

(No way... he's not saying I have a spy on me, is he...?)

(...That's plausible and scary.)

Luke: Don't bully her.

Gilbert: Bully? That's harsh. I actually like little rabbit, you know?

Luke: That's what bullying is.

Gilbert: Ahaha, that's true. But I'm genuinely interested in the sandwich.

Gilbert: Is that a no?

Emma: ...I'll do my best.

Gilbert: Thank you.

Luke: You really only bring trouble, don't you?

Luke: Emma, let's go.

Perhaps noticing my stiff expression, Luke took my hand and started walking.

His large, dependable hand brought a sense of relief before any embarrassment.

Gilbert: See you later, you two.

Luke: ––...!

At his casual words, Luke, who hadn't reacted to anything until then, slightly trembled his fingers.

(...Is it my imagination?)

Luke didn't say anything, and just pulled my hand to led me into town.

-

---...Ten years ago, in Obsidian.

Gilbert: Luke, how do you feel about starting military school today?

Luke: Huh? I don't really feel... anything.

Gilbert: You can't be feeling "nothing." An exciting youth awaits you!

Luke: There's no such thing at a military training facility.

Gilbert: Aww.

Luke: But hey, thanks. ...For arranging for me to attend.

Gilbert: You're welcome. I hope you can learn what you desire...

Luke: .............

Gilbert: But before that, let's make one promise.

Luke: A promise?

Gilbert: As long as you keep this promise, I'll always be on your side.

Luke: ...Is it that important of a promise?

Gilbert: Yes. Precisely because you'll have more opportunities to go out, it's a promise you must never break.

Luke: What is it?

Gilbert: When I send you off with "see you later," you must always come back and say "I'm home."

Luke: Huh?

Gilbert: If you don't say "I'm home," I'll consider it a betrayal and kill you.

Luke: The price is too high.

Gilbert: That's how important it is. Conversely, if I don't welcome you with "welcome home," you can kill me.

Luke: ...That's stupid.

Gilbert: But I'm serious.

Gilbert: Well then, Luke. See you later.

-

Gilbert: Ah, there you are. Welcome home, Luke.

Luke: You... were you waiting here the whole time for me to come back?

Gilbert: We made a promise, didn't we?

Luke: ...Even though you're not a man of leisure.

Gilbert: Being busy isn't an excuse to break a promise. ...Here.

Luke: What are you doing with your arms? Absolutely not.

Gilbert: Oh, have you already forgotten?

Gilbert: When you break the promise—

Luke: We didn't make a promise to hug.

Gilbert: You're so shy, Luke.

Luke: ...Anyone would hate that.

Gilbert: So, come on?

Luke: ...Something about...

Luke: It's hard to say when you're being rushed.

Gilbert: Are you sure? It's a choice between life and death.

Luke: Why do I have to risk my life for something so stupid?

Gilbert: It's not stupid. It's just that there was someone who didn't keep this promise once.

Gilbert: It was very unpleasant. So unpleasant that I almost killed everyone in the castle.

Luke: ..............

Gilbert: You won't betray me, will you, Luke...?

Luke: Alright, alright. I understand there are circumstances.

Luke: Fine, I'll say it.

Luke: .............

Gilbert: To think you'd be so shy about something like this, how youthful.

Luke: Shut up—it's a phrase I rarely say!

Luke: ……………… I'm home.

*back to present day*

Emma: Mmm, that was fun! I was worried when Prince Gilbert found us, but...

Emma: Luke, you're a genius at entertaining people.

Luke: Really?

Eating delicious food with Luke in town, going around shops, buying souvenirs, the casual time we spent together after so long had lifted the suffocating feeling from my chest.

(Luke is so considerate, he really spoiled me.)

Luke: Well, I'm glad you haven't forgotten how to smile.

Emma: Huh?

Luke: Lately, you've been pretty stressed because of him, right?

Luke: Let's ditch him again and go on a date.

(...He did it for me. Luke is really kind.)

Emma: Thank you. I'm looking forward to it.

???: But it's not good to come home so late.

(Oh...)

Luke: Ugh, were you waiting for us?

With the distinct sound of his cane, Prince Gilbert emerged from the darkness.

Gilbert: I have to receive my souvenir, don't I?

Gilbert: Besides, promises must be kept.

(Promises?)

Gilbert: Welcome home.

Luke: ...............

Luke, with a bitter look on his face, suddenly turned away from Prince Gilbert.

Gilbert: Huh? That's strange. Did you not hear me?

Luke: ...Are you still doing that?

Gilbert: Ahaha, complaining to a state guest?

Gilbert: Little rabbit, what do you say when someone says "welcome home"?

Emma: I... I'm home... I've returned?

Gilbert: Yes, you're a good girl.

(Is that something to be so happy about...?)

Gilbert: Little rabbit can do it, but Luke can't? You wouldn't say that, would you?

(Luke... he looks embarrassed when you look closely.)

(Maybe he's not used to saying it.)

Luke: ––...Home.

Gilbert: Oh dear, the Rhodolite castle might be stained with blood.

Luke: ...I said "I'm home," okay!

Luke: Emma, let's just ignore him. He's annoying.

Emma: That's a bit—wait, Luke, I haven't given Prince Gilbert his souvenir yet...!

Before I could hand over the sandwich, Luke, just like in the morning, pulled my hand and started walking.

I turned around anxiously towards Prince Gilbert, and contrary to my expectations, he was waving with a cheerful smile.

Gilbert: Hehe, well done.

.

.

.

Part 2

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[unintentionalseductress]

Kinktober request

23 (Degradation) with GN!R making a bet that they can beat Gojo in some spar, and that if they lose then Gojo can do whatever he wants with them.

Gojo accepts, wins, then degrades R while roughly throatfucking R with his huge cock.

Hello again! Since blowjob was another kink on the list, this was written with only the first part in mind.

Warnings: rough sex, derogatory name-calling

Degradation

--------

You should have known better before making this bet. Now you're suffering at the hands of Gojo who had no problem in turning into a fucking sadist now that he had free rein. The vibrator was snugly placed on a sensitive pleasure spot and you were writhing from its effects.

"Thought you were stronger than me huh you pathetic little whiner?" Satoru smirks down at your lowered position, on your knees at his feet. "I think you need to be taught a lesson so that you never make that assumption again."

He roughly grabs your hair and jerks your chin up. "Look at me. I want to watch how desperate you get as you get closer to orgasm."

You let out a pathetic whine like an injured dog as the vibrator brings you to a peak and you fall off the edge gasping, waves of pleasure wracking your body. Impressively, you manage to keep looking into Satoru's eyes while you climax despite how embarrassed it makes you feel. Your arousal fluids drip onto the floor from your spasming body. When the last dregs of pleasure wash away you look at him with imploring eyes hoping he'll remove the vibrator.

"Did I give you permission to cum?" Satoru asks in a dangerously low voice and you feel a thrill of fear and arousal spread through you. He clicks the vibrator off with the press of a button then strikes your ass, making you cry out. A red impression of his hand is visible on your round cheek.

"You're such a dumb whore, unable to follow simple instructions. And you've made such a mess on the floor." He gazes at the small puddle that had formed from your climax, then flips you over onto your back.

"And now you're a cum mop, and you're going to clean up the mess you made." He drags your body across the fluid, and you feel your back slicken as you pass over it. Once he's satisfied, Satoru leaves on the floor covered in your own juices and starts the vibrator again. You shriek at the high intensity, body being pushed into overstimulation.

You knew you wouldn't last long and tears form in your eyes. "Master...please..."

"Please what you useless slut?"

"Please let me cum..." You struggle against the toy trying not to cum before he gave you permission.

"Oh, the dumb little cunt knows how to ask for permission! Very good!" Satoru claps sarcastically and your body tenses, quivering from the effort of holding in your orgasm.

"Fine, go ahead and cum. It's the only thing you're good for anyway," Satoru taunts, and you take a breath before letting out a shuddering cry you orgasm again, your whole body feeling like it's one oversensitized ball of nerves.

You sigh in relief as the toy is turned off again, but gulp as Satoru's shoes come in line of your vision.

"We're not done yet. We're going to keep going until all of your holes are thoroughly used to ensure my pleasure and satisfaction."

[gallusgalluss]

please unleash your inspekta thoughts

your art is amazing i cant stop looking at it

i hope you have a happy new year!!

end of jan edit: when i wrote this i only really played through the game once :V after playing the game a few more times some of my thoughts n analysis parts of this have changed a lot. not gonna go in an change it all cause I Dont Have The Time. but just a heads up ig 👍 inspekta is still the evil worm that lives in my brain at all times

happy new year anon n thank you :]!!!!

also ur so evil ur letting me unleash my Inspekta thoughts,,,,how cruel how cruel

im going full yapper mode + there's spoilers so Watch Out

I like Inspekta, he's a little freak and a really interesting character to think about. While, for me, the twist with him wasn't totally a surprise (I did Not trust his cuteness the second i saw him lmao), I REALLY liked the way his character progressed throughout the game. He's your buddy! He's your pal! Don't worry about all these posters and weird plushies and standees and propaganda of him everywhere and how he keeps being called “the one and only god”, it's Fine it's Fine! He's sillay :D!!!

I'm generally just obsessed with characters who are put into leadership positions who absolutely Should Not have that amount of power over people, and I think Inspekta's a perfect example of that type of thing for me.

He had his own fears, loneliness, and jealousy cloud his judgment and that resulted in some Really Fucked Up Stuff. As a mortal he wanted to be special in the eyes of the public, so he gained enough popularity to get elected to be a god! Yay! But now he's scared of being forgotten and there's a new possible god being elected, wuh oh! Time to ruin Literally Everything because what's the easiest way to be remembered, worshiped, and loved by all if there's no more competition for your rule? Empty heavens, baby!!! Let's bring in an apocalypse!!! Yay!!!!!

Bro's fucked up and I like that.

I love how despite it all he still tries this whole Cute Buddy Friend act, even at the end with this Worm Form. Cause he KNOWS the other gods would trust and believe him and the lies he's spread about King's shocking letters, cause why wouldn't they? He's just a silly lil cutie pie! They all trust him! He's the God of Leadership! How could a Leader lead others astray? And he knows the Bizzyboys will follow him as well since he's been leading them pre-godhood for several years. He's a role model to them all, starting from nothing and now he's a god! He's just so trustworthy and sweet and will totally save the day!

Also I just wanted to include this somewhere. I really like this section (after Chapter 3, I think???)

He has this brief moment of vulnerability/sincerity/something that made him drop his “Cutesy Voice”. Like aside from this scene, near the end of chapter 5, and i Think a few parts i'm 100% forgetting, I don't think we actually see this more contemplative n genuine side of Inspekta.

He does instantly goes into gloating about himself and how he's Clearly the MOST IMPORTANT GOD OF ALL (before correcting himself to include the other gods, of course, of course).

Like if he didn't have that Ego-the-size-of-the-galaxy + Saddest Scaredest Loneliest Most Jealous Withdrawn Loser combo, all he had to do was to just Talk To People. He could've Talked to people about his Fears and Insecurities. Even the other gods; after all he's done, were still there for him! Like “Hey dude this is fucked up, we all already love you dummy, you can talk to us ya know you're allowed to feel scared!”

He's just the cutest most moe creature with soooo many issues and problems he needed to figure out.

NOW WITH HECTOR

Most of my Inspekta Thoughts can just be applied to him but slightly modified. I think it's interesting how he chose to go back to being a regular person, it makes sense cause he's like Aware of the amount of damage he's done/could've done. While he certainly won't be forgotten after Everything he's done, he isn't going to be as Grand and Powerful as he wished to be.

He's just a guy in his 50s who's trying to get over his God Complex of 33 years and also attempt to gain back the trust and respect of the Grove’s people. He's definitely going to be bearing the weight of what he's done for the rest of his life probably, but it IS interesting thinking about what he'd do to actually improve himself now, learn how to be a person again n such.

He’s also a sad miserable booboo beast of a man and i think him suffering in anguish is awesome!!!!!!! yay!!!!

This turned into more a character analysis of some sorts instead of solely my own personal thoughts, whoops. Anyways i think his designs, all 3 of em are really fun to draw. He's cute n stretchy and marketable, as all gods should be.

so ya basically inspekta/hector sucks, i hate him, and we should kill him with hammers. now. thank you 💖💖💖

[manhattanstrawberry]

𝘽𝙍𝘼𝙕𝙄𝙇𝙄𝘼𝙉 𝙃𝙊𝙇𝙄𝘿𝘼𝙔

Synopsis : You’ve got it cut out for you as Japan’s top model, the constant flights, fittings, photo shoots and shows wear down on you and the world loves you but the love of 8 billion people will never amount to his. After finding yourself in an unfortunate situation in Rio de Janeiro, he sees you again but you’re two different people now, but maybe time is just a catalyst.

Tags : happy ending, friends to lovers, you and shoyo don’t see each other for years, complicated reunion, yearning, mutual pining, you hate him but not really

Warnings : mdni, mild angst, sexual content

Word count : 8.3k

Series mlist

Author's note : okay so I give every person who was waiting for this chapter a free pass to pinch me. I took so long to do this chapter because I was busy with school and everything for a while and then I really wanted this chapter to be what I envisioned in my head so I went through many trial and errors for this chapter and I’m so happy with how this chapter came out. I am sorry for the wait and I’m so thankful for those supporting this fic!! I hope you enjoy! ღ

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“Add some more there.” 

Yume’s finger circled as she pointed to your under eyes. Her eyes squinted as she skimmed over your face, treating it as if it were a puzzle to be solved. “How early did you wake up this morning?” 

“Pretty early, I’d say about six.” The lie fell effortlessly through your teeth.

An anxious gaze of your eyes followed her as you felt as if she would solve the puzzle soon as she crossed the room towards another table

“Why so early you went to bed late and woke up early for a shoot at a 2’ o clock?” The interrogation began as she rummaged through a makeup bag. She walked over, handing a tube over to the makeup artist quickly before turning her attention back to your makeup.

“Isn’t that a bit much for a beach shoot, she’s supposed to look more natural.” Tatsuki turned away from the clothes rack, to look at Yume; confusion spread across his features. 

“Yes, well if she hadn’t woken up so early, maybe we wouldn't have to use so much corrector.” 

You squirmed in your seat at the slight dig. You knew you should have gotten rest last night, and perhaps not sneak out of your hotel room at 1 A.M in the morning to do God knows what. You wish that even a small, miniscule piece of your memory stayed behind for you to remember what you were doing on your little stealth trip. 

You had no memory of anything after talking to that woman on the beach and it caused fear to grow and rattle inside of your bones. How did you end up in the room of the one person you did not want to see on this earth, maybe all your luck had been thrown out the window, grown legs and ran far away from you. Well not too far as you had successfully sneaked back into your hotel room without getting caught, at 10:47 A.M at that. You're sure everyone was already up and about then and maybe the universe heard your cries because you were told later they went out for breakfast and “left” you to get some rest. 

But your mind continued to race to piece the puzzle of how exactly you ended up there. You wondered if you went out to seek him when you were too intoxicated or did you suddenly remember the number you glanced at for 2 seconds before deleting when Tadashi sent you his new international number two days after he was gone. 

You couldn’t possibly have remembered that number from 2 years ago. Perhaps you met him on the beach, maybe the ball rolled over to your feet as you were walking along the shore, maybe he ran up to you and spewed all these heartfelt words to you, apologies and declarations of lov–-stop. 

A heavy sigh leaves you, your mind running in circles. Yume placed her phone down and looked at you as her eyebrow raised in curiosity at the sound of a sigh leaving you, “Are you still tired?” 

You straightened your back in the chair, “No, I’m fine,” you reassured her, placing your bent foot that was perched upon the chair back down until you felt the cold tile under your toes. 

“Why do you look like that?” Suspicion hinted in Yume’s sentence had you on edge, her eyebrows scrunching towards each other. 

“How do I look?” You sat up even straighter to look into the vanity’s mirror quickly, afraid something was off. 

The woman in front of you set down the fluffy brush she was just using along your cheeks, digging through the bag on the vanity in front, “You just look a bit sad—or lost in thought might be better.” She added on to Yume’s question before you heard a small squeal of excitement from her as she found the brush she was looking for. 

“Ayumi, add a bit more highlight there– are you sad?” Yume’s head snapped to your direction, her blunt tone exhausting you even more. 

You shook your head a slight pout on your lips at the sudden interrogation. 

“Okay problem fixed.” Yume clapped her hands, “Ayumi finish up quickly, we need to get some shots before sunset.” 

You walked along the sand of the same beach you had found solace in last night, you were much farther from others, the company renting out the end of the beach for the photoshoot, hidden enough to avoid any unnecessary commotion from the public. 

The sheer white dress adorned on your body had you feeling every inch of the sun rays on your skin, the white bikini underneath shined through the thin fabric.

You felt excited for the warm clear waters to wash over your skin and indulge in the sounds of soft waves against your body. 

Which is exactly what you did and you enjoyed every moment of it. 

The sun had set and the warmth from the day lingered on your skin even as the night breeze started to pick up. The photoshoot had been successful, switching through 8 different outfits of the line and modeling in the sun had done nothing but tire you out. The sight of Mr. Iwasaki’s expressions every time you had modeled his fathers line gave you the energy to keep going, remembering the pure awe in his face as he voiced his excitement during the photoshoot—“It’s like they were made just for you!” 

You smiled at his compliment, mutually expressing your awe at his pictures. The way he took pictures and directed the shoot today contributed to the success of today’s work. 

As the staff wrapped up the set you could feel the humid air of the night against your cheeks as you changed into your clothes,  overhearing them excitedly gush over the bars near the beach, leading to a decision that a celebration should occur tonight to celebrate a successful shoot. You believed they just wanted an excuse to drink but you couldn't blame them after their hard work and the fact that you had done something so irresponsible last night to end up drinking your memory away gnawed at your conscience. 

“Alright let’s go here.” Tatsuki’s finger pointed to a spot on his phone. You contemplated the idea of joining them or going back to the hotel to catch up on your much needed rest but it couldn’t hurt to join them, you decided as your shoulders were already being pushed into the direction towards the more populated area of the beach. 

Taking a longer route to the bar for the group to get a chance to enjoy the beach tired you out even further, your feet barely picking up off the sand. The familiar sight of people drinking and playing around lessened your fatigue but had you grimacing at the thought of your decisions last night and still wondering what you must have gotten up to after you had that lethal drink. 

“Wow they’re good.” You heard a voice interrupt your thoughts as the group kept walking. Your eyes followed the line of sight that the group was looking at. A large net in the middle of a drawn out court for beach volleyball, two men on each side fighting to keep the ball in the air. 

Your ears could hear the loud beats of your heart accelerating at the fact that you might run into the last person you wanted to see right now, you were afraid to run into him after you had escaped his apartment just this morning. You don’t remember ever meeting him under your intoxicated state and with a quick glance over the area, a mop of ginger hair was nowhere to be seen. Relief washed over you as your group walked further onto the beach to head to the bar on the lining of the street. 

“Beach volleyball is very popular out here.” Mr Iwasaki chimed in as the group continued to watch the game even after passing by it. 

“Wow, do you think we could catch a game while we’re here?” Tatsuki turned to his assistant stylist, and Yume. 

“I’d love to, it looks intense.” Nao nodded back. 

“Sure–which way to the bar again?” Yume turned to Mr. Iwasaki, not paying much mind to the topic at hand. 

“Almost there.” 

Hoping to get away from the constant chatter about volleyball and the men playing on the beach you headed to the restaurant bar's bathroom to avoid the conversation once the group was seated. You splashed your face with water, and rubbed your eyes hoping to rid the fatigue from your face, hoping that by the time you got back out there they’d stop with the volleyball talk and move on because you're almost sure you’ll have to hear of him soon.

“–sim, eles brincam muito lá embaixo.” [–yeah they play a lot down there] 

You sat down picking up the last bits of  what the waiter was saying to the group, internally groaning that they did not in fact move on from this topic. 

“Sim, eles são muito bons, tem um cara do Japão aqui também — ninja shoyo, eles o chamam, ele é muito bom!”

]Yeah they're real good, there's a guy from japan here too —ninja Shoyo they call him, he's real good!] His voice exclaimed as he slammed the beers on the table. The water in your throat threatened to rise and choke you, almost killing you at the familiar name running out of the man's mouth. You tried to drown out Mr. Iwasaki's translation to the group and unfortunately for you, you had already understood a good bit of what the man was saying. Of course Shoyo Hinata is loved even thousands of miles away from home. Your eyes focus on the beer in front of you, tempting you to chug it down (and many more) and forget about him and everything having to do with him. You hear Yume’s small whisper to not drink too much for tonight and you nod, deciding to just nurse a lemonade until it’s time to head back to the hotel. 

“Do you want another drink?” Taro, an intern under Mr. Iwasaki, asks you politely from the observation of your dismission towards the beers sitting on the table. 

“Oh no, I’m good thank you,” Your head shakes gently, softly laughing, “I don’t drink much.” 

The group beginning to become more loose from the non stop drinking laugh boisterously at your seemingly innocent decision, and all you could do was laugh along. You wondered how they planned to wake up for work tomorrow, feeling a bit grateful towards yourself and Yume that you didn't touch a drink tonight knowing you’d wake up feeling great tomorrow morning—the opposite of what you felt this morning.  

“We should try to catch the ninja.” Mr. Iwasaki laughs as he slurs, his drink falling over the rim of his glass as his arms raise in excitement. 

“It’s ninja Shoyo Sir and you should stop drinking now.” His assistant takes the glass from his hands and replaces it with water, “We can see him tomorrow, we should go home.” 

You watch the man protest picking up a beer resting in front of him.

“Don’t you want to see the players volley on the beach and see Shoyo ninja guy.” Mr Iwasaki turns to you as he lets the incoherent sentence fall from his lips without a care in the world. His assistant sighs at his boss's second awful attempt at saying the man’s alias. You just wish they’d get over this and stop saying his name. 

“No, I'm not quite interested in volleyball.” You smile back at him.

 Yume sets down her glass on the table to look at you, “But you have friends in the sport—you go to their games…and you seemed quite interested as a teenager.” She rebutted your previous statement. You wonder whether you should just get up and leave and save yourself from this non stop conversation about the sport. 

“I’m not interested in watching tomorrow,” You smile, trying to get away from the situation, “You guys should go without me tomorrow! I’m sure it'll be fun.” 

After a few hours by the bar, Yume decides to head back to the hotel with you, leaving the others behind. You ignore their shouts about volleyball and hoping to see a game after work, hoping that tonight is the last you’ll have to hear about it. 

Of course you’re continuously worked against by someone up there, as you overhear their chatter to stop by the beach after this fitting hoping to catch a game. You're not sure why they are all not tired out of their minds and not feeling the need to stay in their beds for the rest of the day after drinking to the point of liver failure last night. You end up getting dragged along despite your previous protests and constant reminders that you don’t like the sport and you’re not interested. All efforts are thrown away as Yume opens her mouth every time wondering if you have some sort of memory loss. You’re thankful that it seems as if she has it instead, not once recognizing his name. 

You’re disguised once again, this time with a little more effort put in thanks to Tatsuki. You don't think wearing a long sleeved shirt is the best idea as the weather is hot and there are barely any people with a shirt on around you with sleeves. A cap and sunglasses were finally appropriate for the time of day and you were hidden enough to avoid any identification. 

You’re sitting on a stone ledge, as others stand around and sit elsewhere. Your eyes catch him immediately as he's talking to a tall man towering over him. And in a second the noise around you falls flat, the world becomes silent and the sand under your feet feels like dispersed clouds. 

It’s him. It’s Shoyo. And you can feel it in your bones, you’re homesick. 

He looks well, healthy—happy. You want to see him closer. You want to see if he's been graced with freckles from the Brazilian sun, if his hair brushes into his eyes every now and then like it once did, if his lips are chapped from the constant hot weather. 

From here, you can see the smile on his lips, serious but excited for his game. He’s tan and you can see his hard work straining through the sleeves of his shirt. 

You watch him jump as he plays, that familiar feeling sneaking back into you. You hear the voices of awe from your staff and others in the crowd as they watch him jump at unbelievable heights in the sand. 

“–did you see that?” You hear Nao, whisper breathlessly to Tatsuki. He can’t take his eyes off the game as he nods, eyes wide. 

You think it’s unfair, even after all this time he’s still so beautiful and determined in a place so unfamiliar. But even so you share the same feeling as everyone else watching him, because he’s done it. 

You don’t think you've even glanced at anyone else during the game, your eyes hidden under your sunglasses are stuck to him as if he's the only one on the beach. As he jumps and moves around you watch his tousled hair from his movement and you hug your knees wondering if the strands are still as soft. 

You’re not aware of the game coming to an end, eyes still on him as he high fives the large man next to him in victory. A call of your name has you pulling out of your stupor. You look up to everyone else in your group standing up, some dusting the sand that trailed up their ankles. You stand up holding on to Nao’s hand, and you can see the excitement on her face from the game she watched. 

Beach volleyball and Indoor Volleyball have so many differences, but Shoyo Hinata will always give that same feeling to everyone who watches him. 

You’re ready to leave, if you get any closer to him you might kick sand at him or you might just cry and you have no energy to do either. 

But you hear Tatsuki’s laughter and his following right behind. You turn slowly to see Mr. Iwasaki and Tatsuki speaking to him as if they’ve known each other since junior high and you wish they'd have a little more self awareness to not speak to an athlete right after his game. To your right Yume is getting impatient, she’s ready to head back to the hotel but you can see it in her shoulders and her relaxed eyebrows that she enjoyed the time she spent out here and the game she got to watch. You turn to her wanting to ask about plans for dinner but she shouts for both men from where she’s standing, grabbing the attention of the three men. 

Out of all the times you’ve felt as if Yume was punishing you, this had to take the cake. You avert your eyes from the men and talk to Nao, hoping that he would barely spare a glance to Yume. 

But instead he looks at the woman who just shouted, catching the attention of the men in front of him and he knows that face and he knows without a doubt the woman standing beside her in conversation with someone else is exactly who he thinks it is. He can feel his knees become weak, his cheeks becoming flushed at thought that you were here, you were here watching him play and he wants to walk up to you and he wants to talk non stop now that you're sober and he wants you to talk to him even if you tell him to get hit by a bus. 

He’s unmoved as he watches you walk away with your assistant, some of the staff still moving slowly behind.  

“We’re heading to Topo Do Barril, Good Game!” One of the men he was speaking to before, shouted to him as they walked off the beach in your direction. 

“Shoyo, você está bem, você parece atordoado?” [Shoyo, are you okay, you look dazed.] 

“Estou bem, Heitor, só com sede!” [I’m fine, Heitor, just thirsty!] He laughs as he wipes the sweat and sand off of his hands on to his shorts. 

“Vamos tomar algumas bebidas!” [Let’s get some drinks!] The man slaps his back, ready to head to their usual spot to celebrate. 

He trails behind the man to the bar he was at last night, way past his bedtime. He wasn’t going to go, wanting to stick to his strict schedule of waking up and going to bed on time. He’d barely ever messed up his routine since coming here, but he felt grateful, he felt as if all of his prayers had been answered when the one night he forgoed his routine he ended up running into you, unfortunately drunk out of your mind and lost but he thought that he was dreaming once again only for you to fall in arms and remind him that you were very much so in front of him. He sits by the table he sat by the night before and waits for Heitor to come back from the bar, he’s completely out of it barely giving an answer to what he wanted to drink when asked. His mind was taken over by you. 

And once again he feels as if he's hallucinating, straight ahead further from the bar he’s at, you're standing outside another bar. You’re probably waiting for the group you were with earlier, remembering the tall man with bleached blonde hair telling him he’s going to that bar. 

Before he can stop himself, his feet are taking him over to you, his mind barely thinking but his body wanting to be near you. 

“I was looking all over for you this morning,” His voice starts off a little loud and excited before slipping to a soft tone. “Were you okay?” 

One of his hands is scratching the back of neck, the other in his pocket fiddling with a loose thread, he’s keeping his hands busy distracting himself from the thought of you in his arms once again. 

You don’t look at him, your eyes stuck on the ocean in front of you. You don’t want to look at him or talk to him, you’re afraid he'll break the poor facade you're putting up and the struggle between wanting to run away from him or into his arms. 

Your feet shuffle against the concrete under your heels, and you fix your sunglasses against your nose properly. Silence stands between the two of you. 

“Don’t speak to me.” You whisper after a minute of silence yet there’s no bite in your tone. 

“Did you have any problem getting back?” 

Your body finally turns to him and your lips are straight before they open once again, “I don't want to talk to you!” He watches as a frown settles on your lips, your eyebrows scrunching in frustration. His eyes glaze over your eyebrows, your nose, your lips, anything that you’re allowing him to see even after all this time. He keeps quiet and doesn’t say anything more and you can feel your insides churn, he’s never had the ability to shut up around you. But even after all the frustration, you still want to hear his voice as much as you hate yourself for wanting to hear it. 

“How did you know I was here—in Rio.” You ask, subtle disdain in your tone. 

Ten seconds pass before he speaks up again, “I ran into you on the sidewalk, you were drunk. I had no idea you were here, I was shocked. You didn’t know how to get back to your hotel and you forgot your assistant’s number, I just did the next best thing and made you sleep at my place until the morning. I just–I just wanted to talk to you.” His voice gets lower as he explains, hoping to ease you of your frustration. 

You stay silent for a moment before whispering a simple Ok, your voice is heavy and your head is downturned, your eyes focusing on the sprout growing out of the crack in the concrete. You feel like a teenager again, standing beside him realizing that some things can’t pass through time and distance. 

“How long are you staying here?” He asks quietly as to not bring any attention to the two of you. You don't reply, your head still downturned. He stands beside you silently before he hears you quietly reply, “A week.” 

He grins. “You can have so much fun in Rio in just a week.” 

You fight back a soft smile making its way on your lips. He sounds more mature, his voice a little older but still carrying that same spirit he had years ago. 

You're silent again before you hesitantly speak up. “I want to see more.” Your voice is still low. Very vague sentence but he understands you he always does. 

“If you don’t mind, I want to show you around. I’ll make sure you have a good time here.” 

You finally raise your head to look at him, your eyes shielded from the sunglasses. “I have work.” A frown forming on your face. 

 You've forgotten about the small disdain over seeing him, slipping back into the familiar feeling of being near him. “And I'm sure you've got other things to do.” 

“We can do things before or even after you're finished and I’ll make time during the day and night for you.” 

You want to ask what he's been up to other than volleyball, if he's been taking care of himself properly and if he's healthy. You want to talk to him and be with him and touch him. But you don't, you stay silent and you can feel his eyes on you. 

You can hear the shuffle of feet coming closer, and it seems like the group is leaving the bar. You look back at him quickly mouthing a goodbye before heading closer to the exit of the bar the group was leaving out of. He watches you walk away before turning back to head back to Heitor and he’s happy. You spoke to him and you looked at him and he knows that even if you chose to throw a stone at him he’d be glad it’s being thrown by your hands. 

The droplets of water race down your skin as you sit on the bed in nothing but a towel, you're trying to delay getting dressed. You’re afraid the moment you get up to put something on it’ll be clothes to go outside and you’ll end up sneaking out again. Your conversation with Shoyo sparks even more interest in your need to see more of Rio (and him). You brainstorm ideas to get out there without Yume stopping you, you know you absolutely cannot sneak out again and you can’t outwardly say that you’re going out because someone would have to tag along. 30 minutes pass and you pick your phone up to message Yume that you think you might have dropped something in the lobby and you're going back down to get it. That small luck of yours seems to walk a little bit closer to you again as she doesn't even ask what you had dropped in the lobby. Getting dressed quickly and ensuring you're properly disguised you head down to the lobby, your phone in one pocket of your shorts and your portuguese language book in your left hand. 

You head back to the same bar he was at the night before and today looking around for him, the sun was lowering down into the sea and you hoped that maybe he’d be here around this time. Taking a few more glances around with no sign of Shoyo, you cross the street to the other side above the beach and you can see the familiar ginger hair closer to the shore talking to the same large man he was playing with earlier. He’s waving to the man as he walks away from Shoyo heading in another direction. He on the other hand walks in your direction, looking around casually before he spots a figure dressed in unusual clothing for the weather once again and you can see a smile growing on his face, he begins to shout your name in excitement before stopping himself, slapping a hand over his mouth and instead running closer to you. He stops by the wall and looks up at you, you look back at him before walking away from his sight. 

In a second you hear deep breaths and footsteps coming closer before he appears beside you, 

“Hi, what are you doing here?” He bites his lower lip to stop his smile from growing even more, his legs slowing down from the quick sprint he just did to reach you. 

“I want to see Rio.” You look at him as you both continue to walk side by side. 

He can’t fight the smile any longer “Okay!” 

He’s a little out of breath, his Adam's apple bobbing everytime he takes a breath and his shoulders look heavy. The hair by the nape of his neck is dark and damp from his sweat and his shirt is clings to his body.

“Let me get changed from my apartment. It's not too far, want to come?” 

You nod your head, a little excited to see what you could see just from the walk to his place and perhaps the fact you’ll get a proper look of Shoyo’s life without you in the past few years. 

“Do you have a roommate?” Your voice lacked any harshness from when you had spoken to him this morning. “Yes his name is Pedro, he’s super cool and he likes one piece too. He’s still in school so I don’t know if he’ll be there— crap I hope he's not home.” 

“Why? Don't you like him?”

“Yes.” He fiddles with the strap of his small gym bag hanging behind his back. “He’s a huge fan of yours.” 

“Oh, is my disguise good enough.” He lets out a small laugh at your question and watches as you toggle with the sunglasses perched upon your nose. “Yes but he’ll probably wonder who I’m bringing into the apartment. I’ve never had anyone over before, he’ll be so confused.” 

You feel a bit ashamed over the slight relief you just got that he hadn’t had anyone over in his time here but all you do is nod. 

 Entering the apartment you had raced out of only yesterday morning seemed much different now, now that you could actually take in everything around you. It was a simple apartment, tidy and if you squint hard enough little pieces of Shoyo’s two years here were evident. He’s got an old–almost deflated volleyball in the corner of the living room and a bottle of soy on the table. There's another clothing rack near the apartment's window with beach shorts lying on it soaking in the setting sun. You follow him into his bedroom as he sets down his bag by the door. 

“I'll shower real quick, don’t worry I won’t take too long!” 

You nod at him once more, watching as he disappears from his room to head to the bathroom. It hits you for the upteenth time that it's been years since you've seen each other, and the broadness of his shoulders isn’t a hallucination but another piece of evidence that Shoyo travelled across the globe and did nothing but work hard. 

His room is now covered in rays of pinks and oranges and you look around at the room you almost went crazy over the day before and even in the shadows casted from the setting sun you can still see that Shoyo is still your Shoyo, the one you knew all those years ago. 

He’s got a stash of one piece manga on his little shelf and volleyball magazines stacked up beside it on the floor. The jacket on the clothing rack hangs down and you look away before the nights of poorly tossing him balls all those years ago invade your thoughts. 

Your toes wiggle from the cold feeling of the floor, a huge contrast from the warm beads of sand you felt last night. You walk slowly taking in his life from the past two years here before taking a seat on the edge of his bed. The sun has almost finished setting and in about 10 minutes you’ll probably be sitting in the dark. 

You reach for the lamp on the nightstand, flicking the switch for some light and right under the base of the lamp, something catches your eye. You see yourself, smiling gently, the other person in the picture covered by the base of the lamp. Pulling the picture from under it, you stare at the picture, specifically the person right beside you. And of course that smile that shines brighter than the sun is on his face and the memory of that night pops back into your head. It was a little after practice had ended late, the six of you walking along the sidewalk to go home. You can remember the way Yamaguchi's fingers fiddled with the phone he had just recently got after the last broke from an incident during practice a few days before. He had only wanted to test the camera of the phone but he’d caught a picture, important enough that Shoyo got it printed out and took it with him even across the globe. 

He’s smiling brightly, his arms raised in the air, one hand holding your bookbag (which you're sure knocked him in the head right after the picture was taken) and the other holding a meat bun. And there you stood right beside him, a soft smile on your face, your eyebrows slightly raised from the sudden photo taking and Shoyo’s flying arms. You can almost feel yourself getting overwhelmed with emotions at the picture but you hold back anything that might overspill and put the picture back down onto the nightstand before Shoyo walks back into the room. 

He’s got a shirt on that's way too tight to your eyes, his biceps training against the fabric of his short sleeves as he uses the towel hung around his neck to dry off his hair. He’s got a simple pair of cargo shorts on, his built calves contracting as he walks further into the room. 

“Wanna get something to eat before?” He continues to use the towel to lazily dry his wet hair, both his hands shuffling around his head. You try your best to ignore the way his shirt rises up a little and look at him. “Before what?” 

A wide grin overcomes his face, “It’s a surprise!” 

You wonder if you should just go back to the hotel and save yourself a fright, you trust Shoyo (as much as you like to act like you don’t) and you know he wouldn’t take you anywhere that’ll scare you or anything but he’s also very much so full of surprises and you’re afraid you might end up skydiving off the top of a mountain. 

You sigh a little, the room is mostly dark, only the lamp on the nightstand adds some light to the room, and you start to feel a little warm. The weight of the bed shifts a little as he plops himself down beside you on the bed, the small light illuminating his face a little that you can see the little shadows casted by his eyelashes on his cheek. You can feel yourself getting warmer, this feels too intimate yet you can’t bring yourself to get up and move away from him. 

You turn your head a bit more to properly face him, his hair a bit damp and dark from his shower but his shoulders look much more relaxed than when he ran up to you from the beach, you wonder if he’s starting to feel the same way as you are easing into company that he was once so familar with years ago. 

“Sure, we can eat— but we can’t go to that bar that we went to today,” You hurriedly tell him. 

“Topo Do Barril?” 

You smile a little. He’s gotten so good at the language you feel a little bashful at his ability to easily spill portuguese out of his mouth so effortlessly. You nod, clasping your hands and resting them between your thighs. 

“Today, when you saw me outside, I was kind of hiding from the man who owns the bar,” You feel a little shy telling him what you did before you ended up running into him that night but he just looks at you completely interested in whatever you have to say and you can almost hear his laughter that you know is coming, “When I snuck out, that’s the first place I went to— I bought a beer there but he would have recognized me from the night before from the way I was dressed and I was afraid he’d bring it up somehow and then Yume would find out and kill me.” 

And there it is, the sound that always had you feeling a little bit warmer when you heard it. 

“Seriously?” He laughed. 

“Yes! It’s so not funny,” You slap his thigh, biting back a smile, “He literally has a poster of me in the bar!” 

His laughter slows down a little and a bright smile is left on his face, “I would’ve loved to see how your assistant would react to a random man at a bar recognizing you.” 

You huff at his amusement of your dilemma. 

“Come on! I want us to eat on time before we get there.” He exclaims jumping off the bed before he extends his hand towards you to lift you off the bed. The warmth from his hand envelops your fingers and you pull away quickly as you follow him to the front door of the apartment. 

The rough feeling of the concrete sidewalk has your flips flops scraping against the rough surface, as the cool breeze passes the two of you.  It's darker now and youve hung your mask on to your left ear to breathe freely while leaving your cap on your head. You glance to your right as Shoyo is talking about something you're not really sure you caught any of. His hair ruffles from the wind and your eyes follow his arm that reaches up to brush back his hair.

“Your hair.” 

He stops talking to look at you as you walk side by side. 

“It’s short.” 

“Yeah, I cut it when I came here, ‘s too hot to have it as long like before.” He brushes back his hair once again from the wind. 

“I liked it when it was longer,” His eyes widened a bit, a blush threatening to creep up, he knew you liked how long his hair was in your 3rd year, he didn’t think you’d remember that fact about yourself, “But it’s still cute at this length.” A silly smile on your face has the tips of his ears red and his cheeks hot and before you know it Shoyo’s on the floor, failing to see a small hole in the ground— completely enamoured by you, latching to the straps of his right sandal sending him to the ground. 

“Oh my God, Shoyo!” Your hands fly up to cover your mouth in shock, he’s lying on his back, as you crouch down to him. He can feel himself getting hot from your hands resting on his bicep, one of them moving away from his bicep to his forehead to push his hair back and comb through his strands to get any dirt out. 

“Are you— are you okay?” You giggle under your breath as you watch an enormous grin break out on his face before he’s shaking with laughter. 

“You scared me, gosh.” Murmuring as you slap his arm lightly, “Get up, your shirt will get dirty.” He lifts his back off the ground, as his arms hold him from behind, he’s got a more serious expression on his face now as he leans closer into you. 

“Shoyo, are you really okay?” Your eyebrows scrunched together in concern as you reach out for him to sit him up straight without having him support himself. His body leans more into you and you can feel his hair tickle your neck when his head falls on to your shoulder. 

“Shoyo.” 

“It hurts so bad.” 

“Shoyo what hurts, should we go to a hospital?” A sniffle leaves him from your frantic tone. 

“My head hurts.” He moves his head from the junction of your shoulders resting on your collarbone to look up at you properly, watching your worried expression replaced by a deadpan face. 

“You fell back on your ass.” You get up from your crouching position to stand above him, resting your hands on your hips, “I seriously thought you’d hurt yourself.” 

He quickly rises from the floor, brushing off his shorts, “My back hurts!” 

“Pay attention to where you’re going next time.” You hide your smile as you walk away from him slowly, waiting for him to catch up and as always he does. 

“I was distracted.” He huffed out. You ignore the warm feeling coming over your senses, choosing to ignore his reply. 

“Right there.” He points to the bar he was at earlier in the day. You feel his hand hover over the small of your back as you two hurriedly cross the street to get to the bar. He pulls out the folding wooden chair for you to sit and you take a seat as you watch him call over a waiter, a sense of familiarity between the two’s greetings. He grabs a chair sitting a bit closer to you, his back turned away from the television strung up on the wall. You’d purposely moved to the seat facing away from the television out of consideration that he  might want to watch the game of beach volleyball blaring on the tv, or the neighboring tv playing a football match, leaving the chair facing the television open. 

“Want anything to drink?” 

You ponder a bit, and he watches you take a moment to decide. 

“I do, but what if I run into Mr. Iwasaki.” 

“What about him?” His head tilts in interest. 

Damn 

“I told him and his team I don’t drink.” You murmur almost shamefully before the man beside you laughs out. 

“You?” Giggles leave his lips as you roll your eyes. 

“Yes! I’m a model, I can’t go around drinking like that.” 

He gives you a knowing look enough to remind you of your actions the day before, you shrug with a soft smile. 

“Want a beer? You can get something with little alcohol so you don’t get lost around here again.” “I can’t get lost if you’re with me.” You nod, pushing your cap down more to secure it. 

“One beer, just one! You have to be sober for where we’re going.” 

“Gosh you’re acting like if I have a second one I'll be falling off the rails.” You mutter as he calls the waiter over asking for a beer and a lemonade. 

“One sip of soju used to have you completely off the rails.” He chuckles at the frown on your face. 

“That’s so not true!” 

“Is too.” 

“Is not.”  

He’s still chuckling at your denial before picking up the laminated menu resting carelessly on the table in front. 

“Hungry?”

“Mhm.” You continuously nod as you look at the menu he's holding in front of the two of you, your bodies leaning into each other to read the menu. 

“What do you usually get here?” Your head turns to look at him, and your breath hitches a little from the close proximity you were oblivious to the whole time. He turns his head to answer you, seemingly unfazed at how close you are to him, and for a split second his eyes glance down to your lips before going back to your eyes, the action completely unnoticed by you. 

“Churrasquinho, it’s super good!” He nods excitedly. He can feel the tips of ears getting pink from the simple fact that you’re here with him, experiencing what he has in the past few years. All those times wishing he could share certain moments with you were coming closer to becoming a reality. 

“Okay. I’ll have that.” 

He calls the waiter over again, ordering for the two of you, once again Portuguese falling effortlessly from his lips and you can hear it in his voice and the smile on his voice as he speaks to the waiter that Brazil has treated him well. 

“It’ll take like 10 minutes, so we can eat quickly and go soon.” His attention turns back to you. 

“Where are you taking me.” You ask quickly after he speaks hoping that he’d answer off the bat. 

“We’re going to the Fe– don’t do that!” 

“I just want to know…what if I don’t like it.” Edging him to slip up and tell you. 

“I know you will.” 

You open your mouth to dispute, but your words fall flat and you wonder how often he thought of you to be so confident that you’ll like where he’s taking you. And you believe him 100% percent because he’s always known you and you know deep down even one-hundred years apart from him would not take away the care he has for the people he cares about. 

--

He watches as your eyes widen, under the shade of the cap taking in the action before you. The street is lit with lamps and lanterns and fire, with tents of foods and art travelling all around. 

“What’s this?” Turning to him as you take in his orange-hued features from the lights casting a glow on him.

“Festival Noturno Criativo.” He shoves his hands in his pockets, feeling his nervousness increasing little by little. “You’ve always liked night festivals.”

It’s simple but you’re a bit speechless that he’s still making it his goal that you enjoy experiences outside of work. 

“I have always liked them.” The corners of your lips turn slightly upwards as you look at the bright festival in front. You can hear laughter and chatter over the loud festival music. 

“Come on!” He gestures for the two of you to walk into the maze of art and cuisine of Rio. Walking side by side you look around you taking in the smell of skewered meat on grills and the sound of oil sizzling from another tent. You move closer to Shoyo as people walk through the pathways, until you decide to latch your hands on to his arms to avoid losing each other in the crowd. 

“Wanna shop for something?” He moves close to your ear, earning an excited nod from you. You continue to walk past different booths, some with exciting and bold pieces of jewellery while others showcased paintings dripping with the vibrant culture of Brazil. 

Your eyes land on a woman’s booth with various ceramic pieces lying about. Titling your head towards a piece you move closer to Shoyo’s ear so he can hear you over the music and chatter in the back. 

“I like those.” 

He follows your line of sight to two mugs, red flowers littering the outside with dark green leaves and a funky swirl for the handle. They're cute and a bit wonky but the image of you drinking happily from one of them has him reaching for his wallet in his left pocket. He walks up to the woman, his hand on the small of your back lightly easing you in the direction of the woman. 

“Olá, quanto custa um desses copos, por favor” [Hi, how much for one of those cups please?] He points to the mugs you’ve been eyeing. 

She’s polishing a vase before she looks to where Shoyo’s pointing, “236 reais.” 

You watch Shoyo converse with the woman as he pulls out a few bills from his pocket, you look for a moment to see the woman only packaging one and you shake Shoyo’s arm gently to catch his attention. 

“Get them both! Get one for yourself.” You pull the short sleeve of his shirt as he pauses for a moment and then answers with a nod. He turns back to the woman asking for the other, and reaching back for his wallet to pay. He carefully folds the receipt from the woman and places it in his wallet, his eyes burning into the card pocket he placed it in. He’ll keep it forever. 

He's holding the small paper bag with the two ceramic cups carefully packaged as the two of you continue to walk through the festival. He’s hoping you’ll hold his arm again but at the realization that you both had moved on to an area with less people, he internally sulked. It seemed as if he couldn't hide his disappointment well as you noticed a small pout on his lips, maybe it was his bottomless stomach reacting to the aroma of all the foods around after walking around for two hours.

“Are you hungry?” Stopping to ask him, hoping that he’d crack a small smile at the mention of something to eat. 

He shook his head as his pout deepened into a frown instead after taking a glance at the time. “It’s 9 already.” 

“Oh.” A small frown of your own matching his and wanting to never see that on your face he gently smiles before calling your name. 

“Let’s get one last thing before we leave, something sweet maybe.” 

He’d bought about 10 of them, at the possibility of you liking them and wanting to take some back home with you. He liked them himself, having to restrict himself from buying anymore when he first came to Rio, they were a quick way to mess up his strict nutrition. 

You’re close to the hotel and you two would part ways much sooner than arriving at the lobby to avoid anyone working there or your coworkers seeing you outside so late, with the man they watched earlier on the beach at that. 

“What did you get?” You peered over at the bag holding the sweets he got for you, the breeze picked up once again as you two walked on the sidewalk, the sound of the waves crashing by the shore, harmonizing with your voices as you spoke. 

“Beijinho de Coco, I can’t wait for you to try them!” 

“Can we have one now before we get there?” 

“You can, but I can’t eat anything like this right now.” 

“Pleaase, Shoyo— let’s share one.” You offered, excited to share the little sweet with him— and well Shoyo’s never been one to deny you of anything that makes you happy, except maybe himself.  

He fishes into the bag to open the plastic container they were placed in and takes one out to break it in half. He gives you the bag to keep with the other 9 of them and you can see the receipt laying under the plastic container. You think you’ll treasure it as if it were a rare pearl.  

“There’s coconut on it!” 

He nods at your exclaim, his cheeks becoming warm as you excitedly take your half from his hands, ready to take a bite. 

“They’re called ‘coconut little kisses’ .” 

You pause for a moment, your gaze shifting to the view of the ocean, a gentle smile on your lips as you take in the last of tonight. 

And under the moon he had been looking at for the past 2 years, you share a coconut little kiss with Shoyo. 

Notes:

They both kept a receipt for keepsakes

The ceramic mug he bought them

Festival Noturno Criativo is fictional

Next chapter

Divider creds: @anitalenia @strangergraphics

© manhattanstrawberry please do not plagiarize or repost my work

[cloudybarnes]

Private Encounters

Pairing: Cardan Greenbriar x reader

Summary: you were tired of Cardan constantly attacking you and your friends. one day, though, Cardan asks to speak with you privately, and no good things could come from the prince of elfhame wanting to speak with you with no one else around

Word Count: 2.4k

Masterlist

✰  ✰  ✰

"Hurry up, you guys! We're gonna be late again!" Taryn whisper-shouted as you and Jude trailed behind her towards the courtyard.

Usually, you two went alone on your adventures, but Taryn decided she wanted to be spontaneous, too, and wanted to join along. Unfortunately, she didn't seem to have that much fun, and urged you back to class almost as soon as you got there.

"Who cares if we're late?" Jude rolled her eyes. "It's not like anyone would really care."

"Just because they don't like us, doesn't mean I want to draw their attention. Who knows what they'll do." Taryn shifted the picnic basket of food between her hands, nervously. She was always the most cautious of you three; always fearing what they would say or do to you guys.

You scoffed, "Taryn, let's be real. Even if we were there on time and minded our own business, Cardan and his little fanclub would still find some reason to bother us."

Jude chuckled, "he's so insufferable. What I wouldn't do to wipe that idiotic grin off his face."

You laughed, "I'm right there with you. It's like his greatest pleasure is being annoying."

"I don't know." Taryn slows her speed walk to match pace with Jude and I. "I feel like Cardan mostly has it out for you, now, (Y/N)."

You rolled my eyes.

"Oh yeah," Jude agreed. "Ever since we became friends, he's like diverted the hatred for us onto you."

You laughed, "Wow, thanks guys. Who knew being your friend would make a prince despise me."

Jude laughed too. "I don't think it was all our fault. You're human, so he would have hated you anyway."

"That's so reassuring, thanks for that."

Jude smirked, "anytime."

When we finally emerged onto the courtyard where class was taking place, most everyone ignored you, save for the professor.

"Ah," he said, "nice of you three to join us. Please find a seat so we can continue on with our lessons of astronomy."

Taryn bowed her head to keep from looking at anyone. You noticed Jude did not bow her head, but she would not look at the other students.

You, however, must be an idiot to not follow along with them, because your gaze falls straight to Cardan, who is staring back at you with much ferocity.

As the even bigger idiot you are, you do not avert your gaze, but simply glare back at him. To that, and small, devilish grin grows on his face. It almost seems like an invite of this little game you play. He hates you and your friends, goes out of his way to torment you three, and for that, you refuse to back down. Sometimes, you think he likes that you fight him so much.

"(Y/N)," Taryn calls, quietly as to avoid too much attention. She waves you over. Only then do you realize you've been staring at Cardan so long that Jude and Taryn have already set up the blanket and started spreading out the food.

Your cheeks heat as you walk the few feet to where they are sitting. You can hear Cardan snicker as you walk past him and Nicasia.

"What were you thinking!" Taryn scolds as you finally sit down on the blanket. Your professor continues with his lecture, but you don't even bother to pay attention to him.

You shrug, "I'm not really sure. I just can't stand him so much it makes me crazy."

Jude laughs at that. "I'm so glad we're friends, (Y/N). I think I'd go crazy if I didn't have someone else to share my hatred for Cardan with."

You giggle, "well it's a good thing I'm here, then, huh?"

"I don't think anyone is happy you're here."

Looking up from where you're sitting, you see Nicasia and Cardan looming down over you. Seems like the lesson is over as everyone else has abandoned the courtyard.

"Oh, Nicasia, always a pleasure." You rolled your eyes as you stood up. Behind you, you hear the shuffling of Jude standing and pulling Taryn up with here. "To what do we owe you coming over here and bothering us for?"

She smirked, "I have no reason for being near you filthy mortals other than to make sure you stay in your place. You don't belong here. You're frail, and worthless, and someone needs to remind you of that."

You mocked her with a laugh, "is that really all you've got?"

Taryn let out a quiet gasp.

Nicasia narrowed her eyes. "What did you say?"

You shrugged. "All I'm saying is you give the same excuse every time you come over here. 'I'm putting you in your place', 'make sure you know what a worthless mortal you are'. Blah, blah, blah. It's very redundant, Nicasia, and quite truthfully, it's just tiresome." You said condescendingly.

The fire is her eyes was hot. Her fists balled at her side as she glared at you.

Now, it's not like you were looking for trouble, or that you wanted anything bad to happen to you or your friends. You just could not stand the way she and Cardan always came over to you and caused problems.

The slap was expected. Your cheek burned as Nicasia's hand left your face. Taryn couldn't hold back the very audible gasp that left her lips. Looking back to your friends, Taryn looked utterly frightened, and Jude looked angrier than you'd ever seen her.

Right as Nicasia was about to slap you again, Cardan interrupted her.

"Nicasia," Cardan warned as he lifted his hand, "that is quite enough."

You scoffed. "Oh, and since when are you ever the peace maker?"

Cardan smirked, "Since Nicasia decided she was going to slap you. I quite like your face the way it is."

All heads turned to Cardan as he said that. Nicasia looked hurt, Taryn looked almost as confused as you felt, and Jude just looked disgusted.

You narrowed my eyes at Cardan, despite your confusion. "What games are you playing at, Greenbriar?"

His eyebrows shot up in delightful surprise. A cheeky smirk playing on his lips. "I have no games, (Y/L/N)." He spat out your last name like it disgusted but also intrigued him.

He looked between Nicasia, Jude and Taryn. "You, leave us. I have a few words for (Y/N)."

Jude and Taryn looked at each other, confused and contemplating if they should leave or not. You stood your ground though.

"I'll be fine, guys. I'll just meet you back at Madoc's, okay?" You tried to reassure them, though you weren't exactly sure what you were getting yourself into. All you knew was that you didn't want Cardan to know he frightened you.

Jude nodded her head. "We won't be far. And Cardan," she turned to him, "if you so much as touch one hair on her head, I will-"

"Oh relax, would you, Jude? Always resolving your issues with murder." Cardan rolled his eyes. "Leave us. Now."

Jude glared at Cardan before turning to you and giving you a reassuring look. Just as quickly, she turned away and pulled Taryn off with her.

"And you," Cardan said as he turned to Nicasia. "I believe I ordered you away, as well."

Nicasia looked shocked. "Me? Why would I need to be sent away? Whatever punishment you have for the way she spoke to me, I want-"

"Leave, Nicasia. I won't ask you again."

Stunned, Nicasia's mouth hung open just slightly as she looked between you and Cardan. With a 'hmph', Nicasia turned on her heel and strutted away, leaving behind just Cardan and you.

The two of you stood there in silence. You gazed up at him, trying to decipher why he could possibly want to speak with you alone. Maybe he wants to kill you. Maybe he's grown tired of this cat and mouse game you have going on.

"What do you want, Cardan?"

He smirked, and took a daring step closer to you. "I just wanted to talk with you. You're... interesting. I find you intriguing to say the least."

You raised my brow in confusion. "You find me intriguing? Now I know you're toying with me. What do you really want, Cardan?"

He scoffed. "Is it that hard for you to admit that I might find you interesting?"

"How interesting could I possibly be? I'm mortal, remember? Can't believe you would forget, not after you and your friends made it your entire personalities to constantly remind me of my mortality and how worthless you believe me to be."

Cardan's smirk only grew. "You are quite right. You're mortal. Mortals by nature are fragile, slow, susceptible to our tricks, and yet you seem to be quite the opposite."

Your eyebrows shot up, completely shocked by this sort-of compliment you just received from the Prince of Elfhame.

Cardan continued before you could even get a word out. "I dislike mortals quite a bit. I think they are weak. They have little skill that is worth anything, and they are often succumbed to the nature of our people. You, however, are quite different, (Y/N)."

He took a tender step closer to you. Your breath was caught in your throat. Cardan had never shown any type of interest in you. You thought he'd never actually shown anything other than disgust towards you, but maybe you were wrong.

Maybe all of those teasing smirks and cruel comments were him testing you, trying to figure out just how far he could push you.

"You've stood up to me. You've been given every chance to back down. I've seen how far you are willing to go to defend yourself and those little friends of yours. I find it admirable in a way."

You force out a laugh. "You find it admirable? Everything you consider so 'strong' and 'admirable' about me is what I've had to do to survive this place. You've done nothing but make living here just that much harder than it already is for mortals."

You strode closer to Cardan, persistence on your face. His eyes widened slightly, but the daring smirk never faltered from his lips.

Just as you two were chest to chest, you spoke, "answer now, Cardan, what is it you really wanted to tell me?"

"I've already told you, (Y/N). I think you're admirable. I think you're intriguing. I think there is something about you that keeps drawing me in. Something so pulling, it's frustrating how much I think of you."

No words left your mouth. How could they when your jaw laid open the way it was.

Cardan chuckled. "Now, another reason I wanted you here. I must ask: I know you mortals can lie, something we folk can not do, but how are you so good at pretending?"

Your eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Pretending?"

Cardan's smirk only grew, "pretending you aren't in love with me, that is."

The world had stopped. It felt like your entire world had shattered. This was quite possibly the last thing you thought Cardan would get you alone for.

Anyone with eyes could see that Cardan Greenbriar was gorgeous. All of his kind were gorgeous, but he had exceptional beauty. Beside that, you couldn't find one characteristic about him that you had liked. Sure, maybe he stopped Nicasia from hurting you further than she would have. And by the way Jude recalled his cruelty before they met you, it seemed to have subsided quite a bit since you met him. That still doesn't change the fact that he is cruel, and has been for a long time.

"Cat got your tongue?"

You shook your head clear from your thoughts. "No. Just confused how you could possibly think I would be in love with you."

"You want to know how I know you're in love with me, despite what you might believe?" Cardan grinned and closed the already small space between you two. "Because I know how insufferable you find me. I know how I get under your skin, how you lay awake thinking of how much you hate me. I know this because I feel the same towards you, and despite my feelings of irritation with you, I still find myself completely infatuated by you."

"You are?" You questioned, voice so quiet you might barely have heard it, but Cardan sure did.

He grinned. "Oh, yes. I have been infatuated with you from the moment I laid eyes on you. I wasn't lying earlier when I told Nicasia I'd like her to leave your face the way it is. I think you are pretty for a mortal. You give off this glow and iridescence. You are unlike any other mortal I've come across. The way you've kept me up at night, the way I am excited to see you just to have our little spat had me confused for the longest time. Eventually, I just couldn't take it anymore and I’ve decided to act on it."

You couldn't take it anymore. Everything Cardan said resonated so deeply with you. Somehow he knew exactly how you felt. The way you hated him, the way you were angry with yourself when you thought of him so often, everything he said he felt is exactly what you were going through as well.

You decided, if Cardan was going to act on his confusing feelings, you would act on yours as well.

Already chest to chest, you reached up and gripped Cardan hair, tight enough to hurt, and kissed him with all of the pent up anger and hatred for him you had.

If Cardan was surprised, he didn't seem it. He gripped onto your waist and kissed you back with so much ferocity it made your knees weak.

It was hot, and it was unlike any kiss you've ever had before. Kissing Cardan was unleashing something so deep inside of you. All of your confused feelings for him wrapped up all into a long-awaited kiss.

Gasping for air, you and Cardan separated, though not fully. While you were no longer kissing, you had yet to pull your fingers from the tangles of his hair, and he had no plans of letting go of his hold on your waist.

"I still hate you," you said breathlessly.

Cardan smiled, he actually smiled and replied, "I think I hate you more."