#he'll scream at me if i use warm or cold water

[danny-likes-sharks]

i've got 3 dogs, one of them is deaf and epileptic, he's such a sweet and smart little guy and it breaks my heart to see his seizures and seeing him like that just really makes me reconsider a lot of things

should i put him down? is there anything i can do to make his life easier? would he be better off with someone else, someone with more resources maybe or someone who can just take better care of him?

idk, it's 4:21 am and i'm just getting back to bed after trying to help him through and after his seizure, it's a bit cold and he gets cold a lot so i put some hot water in a bottle and wrap it around one of his blankets to keep him warm

[familyvideostevie]

steel drum weight of me

joel miller x fem!reader, 18+ mdni

summary: joel comes back from his wall shift with hands in need of some serious tlc. but why stop there? | 3.2k

warnings: fem!reader, fluff turned to smut, a tender blowjob, p in v sex, unprotected sex, riding, creampie

a/n: this could be in the same universe as come care about me and watching you with wonder but who knows. what matters is it's a post-part i jackson au and all is well. this is my first fic in a while and i hammered it out today so hopefully it's coherent. <3 series masterlist here.

__

Jackson looks its best in the winter.

You've always thought so with its endless skies gone white, blending in with the grey clouds carrying the constant threat of snow. The peaks you never tire of, such ethereal beauty in a world otherwise gone to shit, looming over town with a steadfastness that you can fool yourself into thinking means protection, means safety. In reality, they're just something nice to look at when you have a free moment.

It's also fucking cold.

But you can deal with that. You've spent more winters in the last twenty years than you'd like to remember mostly outside, freezing your ass off, fingers so numb you could barely pull the trigger. But when it counted, you did.

Winter now means a town full of children laughing and having snowball fights. It means big pots of stew and your pick of hats, scarves, and a good pair of boots. It means a warm house to go back to every night, a bed to crawl into, and a man you love to hold you.

Things could be worse.

You're home first today. Joel and Ellie are on the wall and have been since mid-morning. The light is already going, the sun dipping behind the Tetons, sky that winter mix of purple and pink that makes the breath catch in your throat no matter how many times you see it. There's a flu going around and taking people out for a few days at most but it means fewer bodies free for the wall and for patrol. You're pulling a double tomorrow and you're already looking forward to the hot bath you'll take after.

Today, though, you change from your work clothes to something softer, a sweater that travels between your drawer and Joel's, thick socks Dina gave you for your birthday last year. It's hard to heat houses like yours the way you used to but it works well enough to fight the chill so long as you layer. That's the name of the game these days: adapting.

You set the kettle to boil and forgo thinking about dinner for a few hours. Joel won't drink tea with you but if Ellie stops by she'll have some. Maybe you can convince her to watch the movie you pulled from the library this week. You love him, but Joel just doesn't appreciate comedies.

The front door creaks, the bell you have hanging from the doorknob jingling.

"S'me," Joel calls into the house. "You home?"

"Making tea." The kettle isn't steaming yet so you lean against the counter and wait.

The sounds of his return are familiar even though you can't see him. He locks the door with a click, shrugs his jacket off with a sigh. He sits down on the bench you put in the entryway so he can take his boots off. The thunk of one and then the other. He'll tuck them next to yours under the coat rack. When the weather is bad you try to come in the back door so not as to track snow through the house but you don't want his back to get any worse so a bench in front makes sense.

The kettle screams. You pull it off quick and pour the water into your mug -- a chipped green one with a dinosaur holding a cookie that you find endlessly amusing -- and leave it to steep. The floor creaks under your socked feet as you make your way into the hall. Joel still sits on the bench digging into the meat of one palm with his thumb like he's working the feeling back into them.

He looks up and his jaw softens a little. His cheeks are rosy from the cold and his hair a mess from the wind. "Evenin," he says.

"How was the wall?"

"Fine." He stops messing with his hands and rolls his shoulders back with a grunt. "Ellie swears she saw a moose on her last patrol. Said to tell you. I think she's fuckin' with me. How was your shift?"

"Fine," you echo. "Is she coming for dinner?"

He shakes his head. "Game night at Jesse's."

You cross the remaining distance between you and he parts his legs automatically so you can stand between his knees. You run a hand through his hair, pushing the greying fringe back from his eyes. He looks up at you and finally smiles, just a little. You drag your hand down the side of his face and enjoy the feel of his beard on your skin.

"Maybe she did see a moose." He rolls his eyes and brings a hand up to cover yours. You lean down to kiss him but something catches your eye and you pull back, tugging your hand from beneath his to circle his wrist.

"Jesus, Joel." He makes a surprised sound.

"Hey now, what --"

You pull his other hand from his knee and hold them both close to your face, turning them over in the light of the entryway. "You didn't wear gloves, did you?"

He just shrugs. That means someone else on the wall -- probably Ellie -- forgot theirs and he handed his own over.

The skin of his knuckles is dry and cracked, the rest of his palm dry and cold to the touch. You've seen them bloody, broken and bruised, and compared to that, this is tame. Welcome, almost. But you know he won't do a damn thing about it, let himself bleed rather than take a second to make things better.

And you've never minded this part. Taking care of him, making him slow down and rest for even just a little bit. You both know you'd get your hands dirty or worse for him and he for you, but this is the part he has trouble with. So you take the reigns.

It's part of how you fit together -- part of how you look after each other.

"We've got something for this." Joel looks unamused. You press a light kiss to one of his knuckles and his nostrils flare. "Go sit on the couch," you say.

"I'm fine --"

"Joel, they'll bleed if you don't let me --"

"I said I'm --"

"Hey," you say. He hears the finality of your tone and lets you have it, sighing your name in one long breath.

"Alright," he says. "Move, then."

You press a quick kiss to his lips and release his hands to step back. He stands with his usual grunt and you have to stop yourself from leaning into the width of him, from wrapping your arms around him and slotting your nose in his neck and never letting go.

"It's that salve Dina brought over last week," you tell him. "The new one for the winter. Smells nice. Good for this kind of stuff."

Joel makes his way to the couch and you fetch the tin from the kitchen.

"What's it made of?"

"Uh -- oil? And some flowers, I think? Wax, maybe."

He's settled into the cushions when you return, smirking. "It's okay to say you don't fuckin' know."

You sit next to him and unscrew the top, folding your legs so you're facing him. "Well then, I don't fuckin' know." You're sure to imitate his drawl.

"Cute."

"Gimme those hands, big guy."

The salve smells faintly of lavender and it's cold on your fingertips. Joel extends his right hand and you work it into his skin slowly, extra careful around where it's cracked and split. You feel his eyes on you but you let him look.

"Feels good, huh?" He hums. "If you'd wear your gloves then --"

"What was I gonna do, let her freeze?" So it was Ellie, then. You flick your gaze up and find his brow furrowed. If you have a free hand you'd smooth the crease with your thumb.

"No," you say. "Guess it's a damn good thing you have me here, then."

He chuckles, a throaty, rusty sound. "Guess so."

You finish the first hand and motion for his second. He gives it to you and you dig your thumbs into the meat of his palm. Joel lets you touch him whenever you like, for the most part. Pressing into his side when you walk down the street in town, trailing your lips down his neck until he whines just a little in your bedroom. You've worked knots out of his shoulders and cleaned blood from surface wounds. You can never get enough of him, of his warmth, the expanse of his tanned skin all yours for the taking.

And, boy, he touches you back.

So you take your time. You rub the salve between his fingers, over the ridges of knuckles split so many times you don't even know about. His hands are rough even when they're not dry and cracking, callused from years of hard work. From years of violence and playing guitar, shooting a gun and holding the people he loves. Dotted with scars and nicks, hands that have touched every part of you.

Joel's slightly slimy finger taps your chin. "You okay?" You've been stroking the same bit of his hand for who knows how long.

"Yeah," you say and mean it. You rub your own hands together to soak in some of the salve before putting the lid back on the tin and standing. "Need to let it soak in."

"Feels soaked in already," he grumbles.

"Stay there." He purses his lips. "I mean it, Joel."

"Bossy today," he says. "There's wood that needs choppin'." You ignore him since he's just being annoying. The salve goes back in the kitchen and his voice trails after you. "And I told Tommy I'd --"

You turn on the tap. "You gotta let that soak in," you say again from the sink.

"What? Can't hear over the water."

You turn off the tap and dry your hands. Joel is still on the couch when you return. "Sorry," you say. You run your hand through his hair again and settle back down next to him. "I said be patient."

"Don't think that's what you said."

"It's what I meant."

And he looks at you in that way that always makes your face feel hot. Like he's seeing right to the bone of you, like he's laying you bare on the floor in his mind. Like he never wants to stop looking at you, next to him on the couch, leg pressed to yours. Like he loves you.

"Alright," he says.

You get an idea, the flames licking at your belly and your hands itching to touch him again, to touch him differently than before. That idea has you grabbing a pillow and tossing it to the floor, has you getting up and drawing the curtains before you sink to your knees before him.

Joel only looks mildly surprised, eyebrows raised, mouth tugging up at the corner. "Now, I ain't gonna complain but --"

"Then don't," you say. You tug his shirt from his waistband and start working on his belt. "Gotta pass the time somehow. And I don't know what we're doing for dinner yet, so maybe I'm just stalling."

"Hell of a way to stall." He reaches for you to touch your face, maybe, or help you with his belt, when you click your tongue. "We can just go to the community hall--"

"Don't touch," you remind him. "You have to let it--"

"Soak, Jesus, yeah, yeah." Joel tips his head back along the sofa and takes one deep breath. If he really wanted to he could ignore you and you'd let him get away with it, but if there's one thing you and Joel have solidified, it's trust. He trusts you to take care of him, to handle him with hands that love him.

So you do. He lifts his hips just a little so you can tug his jeans down, zipper undone and button popped. You pull out his cock, already half-hard at the promise of what's to come. You spit into your palm and stroke him once root to tip and he hisses. More blood flows and he stiffens in your hand.

"You just gonna look at it?"

You give him a squeeze for being a shit. He laughs but it sounds punched out, on the edge. Frankly it's an effort not to take him in your mouth right away. You've always loved this -- the exchange of power, the trust. You're the one on your knees but you're calling the shots. And he's mouthwatering. The way his cock curves a little, the vein that runs along the underside. The mushroom head a little pinker than the rest, the wiry hair at his base. The hefty weight of his balls in your hand, on your tongue. You know how to make it good for him and it's good for you, too.

Joel opens his mouth to no doubt say something else annoying so you finally drag your tongue along the vein, swirling a little at the top before taking just the tip of him in your mouth. His precome is salty. You work your hand along the rest of him as you start to suck in earnest, hollowing your cheeks and taking a little more each time.

"Look so pretty, baby," Joel says. His voice is gravely, broken in his throat. You manage to take almost all of him and you swallow, just once. Your reward is your name spilling from his mouth in a groan.

It's messy. Spit beads at the corner of your mouth and drips a little as you work him, breathing through your nose when you take him all the way. So good, takin' all of me, keep goin'.

Joel has clearly forgotten your directive as he winds one hand in your hair and pulls just a little, just enough to make you moan around him. You don't scold him for it, instead keeping your eyes on his face. His head is tipped back just a little, lips parted at he gazes down at you. His other arm is stretched along the length of the couch, his fingers digging into the fabric as you bob on his cock.

You know he's close. You can feel how he's trying hard to keep his hips down, trying not to fuck your throat cause usually he asks first. So it's only a little surprising when he pulls you off him, eyes a little glazed and some color high on his cheeks.

He wipes spit from the corner of your mouth with the pad of his thumb. "Why don't you c'mere?" he says. "Let me fill you up."

"Joel." This was supposed to be about making him feel good. You know even if he comes in your mouth he'll ask you let him touch you, so frankly you don't mind if he fucks you or not.

He smirks, presses his fingers into the side of your neck a little. You swallow so he can feel it. "We both know you can take it," he drawls, eyes dark. "Always gets you goin', my cock in your mouth."

You can feel the heat between your legs, the arousal pooling in your gut. He's right but he's also an asshole. "You're annoying," you tell him.

"So is that a no?"

You drag the flat of your tongue up his shaft one last time as punishment before standing, using his knees as leverage to get off your own. He shucks off his jeans the rest of the way as you drag down your pants, letting them pool with your underwear at your feet before stepping out. Joel holds out a hand for you to balance on and you take it, putting your other on his shoulder.

"Feels softer already," you mutter. Joel snickers and you straddle him. He uses one hand to drag his fingers through your cunt and you fail to swallow a gasp.

"Well, look at that," he says. "I was right." He pushes two fingers into you and they go easily, your hips jerking as he pumps them in and out once, twice, and then you're empty again.

"Smug bastard," you manage. He brings his hand to his mouth and takes a long lick before surging forward to kiss you. You can taste yourself on his tongue and it makes you even wetter.

Joel licks into your mouth and you kiss him back sloppily, desperately, in the way you know he likes. You're so busy with that hands on his face, his beard scratching your skin deliciously, that you don't notice what else he's doing. His hand presses into the bare skin of your back under your shirt and you lift up a little on instinct and then --

The head of his cock nudges at your entrance and his hand presses again and you meet the movement of his hips with your own and he fills you with just one stroke.

You moan in unison, Joel's arm wrapping around your back as you curl yours around his neck, mouths not so much pressed together as hovering as you pant, as you adjust. Even with how wet you are Joel is a stretch, a welcome one, but a stretch regardless. You shift your hips, roll them back and forth a little.

"Go on, then," you tell him. "Fuck me."

He laughs.

His lips leave yours and trail down your chin, sucking spots onto your neck and on that spot that makes you keen as he does what you ask. He goes slow at first, letting you meet him thrust for thrust. One hand snakes up your shirt, thumbs at your nipple when he finds no bra in the way. You wing your fingers in his hair and tug, tug until he picks up the pace, until all you can hear is the smack of his flesh against yours.

"Joel -- Joel -- right there --"

"M'not gonna -- I -- fuck --"

"Said you were gonna fill me up, didn't you?" you pant, managing to find a bit of cheek in the haze of your fucking. "C'mon, Miller. Don't keep a lady wait--"

His hips pick up the pace, his hands pressing into you hard enough to bruise. You give up trying to tease him and hang on for dear life, managing to snake a hand between your legs to rub at your clit as he pounds into you. The only thing you can say is his name over and over as you feel the hook pull taught, feel the head of his cock brush against and then pound that spot that makes your vision blur.

Joel comes just before you do, his thrusts stuttering and his name on your lips. You feel it, the heat inside you and it's enough to send you over the edge, your cunt squeezing him as he empties inside you.

You press your forehead to his and catch your breath. He palms your neck, your jaw, slides his thumb lazily under your eye and kisses the corner of your mouth.

"Hell of a salve," he manages.

You slot your lips over his. "Wear your damn gloves." Joel laughs and it shifts him inside you. Even softening it makes you both hiss a little. "Just gimme a second."

His hand drags up and down your back, pressing into your spine. "Take your time," he says. "M'clearly not goin' anywhere."

"You never stop, do you?"

Joel kisses you again. "'fraid not."

You laugh into his neck. "Good."

thank you for reading <3 reblog, send feedback, general masterlist here!

[sadnymi]

Loml p2

[Mattheo riddle × reader] [TTPD Masterlist]

P.s:this takes place before the start of part one and during it , this one is from mattheo POV, can read It as a stand alone [you can read part one here | p1 | .] [part3]

Warnings:Angst,family drama, past trauma, abusing father, violent,smut,strong language.

Words:12k.

They say you inherit your father's eyes, his nose, the shape of his jaw. But what they don't say is you inherit the weight of his choices. The weight of a name that chills hearts and shatters families. 

My father speaks of a world cleansed, of magic pure and untainted. He speaks of a glorious future built on the ashes of the old. But what future is built on sacrifice? On the screams of innocents echoing in the dead of night?

Another victory. Another display of power etched onto my already formidable reputation. The whispers followed me everywhere – "He's his father's son," they hissed, "Mark my words, he'll be the end of us all." It was a constant thrum in my ear, a prophecy carved in stone.

The roar of the crowd fueled the fire in my fists. Another boy, twice my size, crumpled under the onslaught, his face contorted in pain. Rage, a familiar companion, coursed through me, a dark echo of something I didn't understand. Power,they called it. Legacy. My father's legacy.

Just as I raised my hand for another blow, a flicker of movement caught my eye. A girl, with (y/e/c), stood at the edge of the crowd, her gaze fixed on me. 

For a fleeting moment, the world around me shrunk, the cheers and jeers dissolving into a deafening silence. In her eyes, there wasn't fear, nor the twisted pleasure the others seemed to relish. There was... something else. A flicker of concern, a hint of understanding.

Before I could analyze it further, a primal instinct took over. I ripped my hand away from the fallen boy, the sudden movement sending a jolt of surprise through him. The crowd erupted in confused murmurs. Without a word, I stalked towards the girl, a cold terror blooming in my gut.

"Don't you dare say a word of this," I hissed, the words coming out harsher than I intended. Her eyes widened, but she didn't flinch.

"I won't," she whispered. "I understand."

To my surprise, she didn't retreat. Instead, she turned and rushed back to the boy I'd hurt, kneeling beside him. The sight of her concern for the boy, the madness in her eyes, made something inside me twist in a way it never had before.

Later that night, as the castle settled into a hushed silence, I found myself drawn to the empty courtyard. Restless, I paced beneath the star-dusted sky.

Then, I saw her. She materialized from the shadows, her robes swirling around her like a whispered secret. My breath hitched in my throat.

"Hi," she said, offering a small smile. "My name's Y/n. What's yours?"

Silence. I stared at her.

"You know my name,"

Her smile faltered for a second, then returned. "Yeah, but it's nicer to hear it from you. Anyway, I love Grindylows! Did you see one in the lake yet?"

I didn't answer. Grindylows? What did she care about a water demon?

"Maybe not," she continued, seemingly unfazed by my silence. Then, before I could stop her, she reached out and gingerly took my hand in hers. It was warm, a stark contrast to the chilling loneliness I was accustomed to.

"The other kids," she started, her voice barely a whisper. "They say things about you. That you're…different. That you'll turn out like…him." Her eyes met mine. "Don't listen to them. It's not true, I know it's not."

I pulled back, the warmth of her touch lingering on my skin like a phantom limb. It was a feeling both exhilarating and terrifying, a strange current running through me.

Her gaze held mine, unwavering. "Can we be friends?" she asked, her voice soft as a summer breeze. "Just you and me?"

I looked into her eyes, searching for the fear, the hatred, anything familiar. But all I found was a gentle hope, a yearning for connection.

And in that moment, amidst the familiar darkness, a spark ignited within me. A feeling I couldn't name, but one I craved nonetheless. It was like a warm blanket on a cold night, a beacon in the storm.

All I could do was nod, a small. A radiant smile lit up her face, as bright as the stars above. "Friends it is," she said, her voice filled with a joy that resonated deep within me.

Days passed and I started to feel like I did a big mistake.

Following me again, I see. Honestly, it's becoming quite the morning routine.

"Mattheo! Wait up!" she called as I tried to make my escape from the crowded hallway. She bounced after me, her energy almost overwhelming.

" Leave me alone," I muttered for the tenth time, turning to face her. Her wide eyes sparkled with mischief.

"But Mattheo, we're friends," she said, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "And friends stick together, right?"

"Not this much," I replied, but she just laughed, a sound that was both infectious and irritating.

We spent the rest of the day together, or rather, I tried to lose her, but she always managed to pop up again. It was like she had some sixth sense for where I'd be next. By the time the sun began to set, I was finally free—or so I thought.

I walked out of the castle, seeking some peace, heading towards my usual spot by the tree near the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

As I sat down, a small twig fell onto my shoulder. I glanced up, ready to brush it off, only to find a tuft of hair hanging from the branches.

No way. I got up and looked up, squinting into the branches. Sure enough, there she was, sprawled out on a thick limb like she owned the place.

"What the— Y/N, what the fuck are you doing here?" I couldn't believe my eyes.

She looked down at me, completely unbothered. "I'm reading, Matty. Do you want to come up here?" She held up a book, swinging her legs lazily.

I just shook my head in disbelief, not even bothering to respond. As I walked away, I could still hear her giggling from up in the tree.

Days like this were far too common. I had tried everything to shake her off, but she was like a particularly stubborn pixie, always popping up where I least expected—or wanted—her to be.

But then come that day when a Gryffindor boy, whose name I didn’t bother to learn, decided to mouth off about my father.

"Hey, Riddle Jr., how does it feel being the spawn of a maniac?" he jeered, loud enough for everyone in the common room to hear.

I clenched my fists, ready to shut him up myself, but before I could even move, Y/N had stepped in. She sauntered over to him, all smiles and innocence.

"Hi there," she chirped. "You must be new. I'm Y/N."

The boy sneered, "What do you want?"

"Oh, nothing much. Just thought I'd introduce myself properly." She extended her hand, and as he reached out to take it, she moved faster than I thought possible. With a swift flick of her wrist, she jabbed him in the ribs, precisely where no one could see. The boy yelped, clutching his side, his face contorted in pain.

"Oops, sorry," Y/N said sweetly, not an ounce of sincerity in her voice. "You really should be more careful."

The boy's scream drew everyone's attention, and he glared at her, but he couldn't prove anything. I couldn't help but smile as I watched him limp away, defeated.

Y/N sauntered back to me, a satisfied grin on her face. "

I shook my head, unable to suppress my smile. She was crazy, no doubt about it, but she was my kind of crazy.

Years passed at Hogwarts, and Y/N was always there by my side. What once seemed like an annoying habit of following me everywhere turned into a constant presence I couldn't imagine being without. She wasn't just the crazy girl who trailed after me anymore; she became the girl I couldn't spend a day without.

Every Quidditch match, I could count on looking up and seeing her in the stands, and I know she was here for me just for me, and I found myself playing harder, if only to see that proud smile on her face.

In between classes, she would run up to me, breathless and excited, ready to spill the latest gossip she’d overheard. "Matty, you won’t believe what I just heard!" she’d say, eyes wide with intrigue. Gossiping was her guilty pleasure, and as much as I pretended to be annoyed, I secretly loved the way her eyes lit up when she talked.

One day, she caught me in the courtyard, practically bouncing on her toes. "Matty, did you hear? Serena and Thomas broke up! And she was seen with—"

"Slow down, Y/N," I laughed, ruffling her hair. "You’re going to explode if you keep all this excitement bottled up."

She giggled, playfully swatting my hand away.

As time went on, I found myself becoming more protective of her. The thought of anyone making her cry made my blood boil. I couldn’t stand seeing tears in her eyes, I watched over her like a hawk. If anyone so much as looked at her the wrong way, they’d have me to answer to. It wasn’t just about protecting her, though. I realized that I needed her. Her laughter, her stories, her unwavering belief in me—she was my anchor.

I maintained my aloof façade, the mask I knew all too well. Emotions, for me, were a foreign language, their expressions clumsy and awkward. Yet, Y/n never faltered. She saw through the cracks in my carefully constructed walls, peering into the darkness with an unsettling understanding.

As we grew up, that fire only intensified. I noticed the way boys looked at her, their gazes lingering too long, their smiles a bit too eager. It drove me mad. She had always been beautiful, but as she matured, she became even more stunning, if that was possible. It wasn’t just her appearance—it was her confidence, her grace. She drew attention effortlessly

leaving Potions class, I overheard a group of boys whispering.

"Did you see Y/N today?" one of them snickered. "Merlin, I'd give anything to get her alone. Imagine what we could do... cause look at her. Bet she'd be wild in bed"

Rage flared in my chest. I walked over, my expression deceptively calm. "Care to repeat that?" I asked, smiling in a way that I knew was anything but friendly.

The boy looked up, a smirk still on his face. "I was just saying, Y/N’s looking quite... inviting today."

"Mate, I think it's time for you to apologize," Enzo said, his tone mockingly friendly.

“For what? for saying that y/n is__,”

I didn't give him a chance to continue. With a swift, hard punch, I hit him square in the jaw. He stumbled back, clutching his face, but I grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer, hitting him again and again. Blood spattered, and I could feel my knuckles splitting, but I didn't care.

Theo and Enzo stood beside me, positioned themselves to ensure no one could interrupt, keeping a watchful eye on the crowd that had begun to gather.

"Say it again," I say, my smile widening as the boy's eyes filled with fear. "Say something else about her."

The boy whimpered, blood dripping from his nose. "I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it."trying to get I grabbed him by the collar and pulled him close. "If you ever say anything like that again, I'll do more than just hit."

Before I could continue, a voice cut through the tension. "What is going on here?" Professor Snape's tone was icy as he strode towards us, his eyes narrowing as he took in the scene.

"Nothing, Professor," Theo said smoothly. "Just a little misunderstanding."

Snape's gaze shifted to me, then to the boy, who was still crumpled on the floor. "Detention, Mr. Riddle," Snape said, his voice low and dangerous. "And you two," he pointed at Theo and Enzo, "for aiding in this... commotion."

"Yes, Professor," I said, not taking my eyes off the boy as I released him.

As Snape began dispersing the crowd, Y/N ran up to me, her face full of concern. "Mattheo, your knuckles are bleeding! Why did you hit him like that? what happened"

I looked at her, my anger melting away at the sight of her worry. Gently, I put my hand on her face, pulling her close and kissing her forehead.

She sighed, her eyes searching mine. "You can't just go around hitting people, Mattheo you know?"

"Watch me." I murmured, still smiling. holding her gaze. "Tell me, what were you reading earlier? That book you were so interested in?"

She blinked, taken aback by the sudden change in topic. "Um, it was about ancient runes. I'm trying to understand the inscriptions we found in the Forbidden Forest."

"Sounds fascinating," I said. "Let's go talk about it."

She looked at me, her worry not completely gone but softened by my genuine interest. "Alright," she said quietly, and we walked away

The Yule Ball was approaching, and the entire school buzzed with excitement. Dresses and suits were being fitted, and every conversation seemed to revolve around who was asking whom. But amidst the excitement, Y/N and I had our first big fight.

"Why does it matter so much, Mattheo?" she yelled, her voice trembling with frustration.

"Because I don't like the way Cormac has been looking at you," I shot back, pacing the common room. "He's a creep, and you know it."

"He's my friend," she retorted, crossing her arms. "And you're being ridiculous."

"Ridiculous? Really? You think it's ridiculous that I don't want some perv ogling you?"

"It's not just about him, is it? You're jealous. Admit it."

"That's not —," I snapped, though a part of me knew she was right. "I just—"

"You just what?" she interrupted, her eyes flashing with anger.

I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. She shook her head.

"Forget it, Mattheo. I can't deal with this right now," she said, turning on her heel and storming out of the room.

The next morning, the entire school was buzzing with talk of the Grindylow attack on Cormac McLaggen. Apparently, the self-important jerk had been ambushed near the lake, and now everyone was either horrified or laughing about it. As I walked out of the castle, a smirk crept onto my face, knowing exactly who could orchestrate something like that. I headed toward the lake, confident I would find her there.

Sure enough, there she was, her form reflected in the water as she practiced with a sword. Her movements were fluid, precise. She didn’t notice me at first, too caught up in her training. But then, she caught sight of me and rolled her eyes before turning back to her practice, ignoring my presence.

"Did you hear about Cormac?" I called out, trying to get her attention. 

She didn't respond, just continued swinging the sword with focused intensity.

I walked closer, unable to help myself. "They say a Grindylow got him. Attacked him out of nowhere."

Still, she acted like I wasn't there. I stepped forward and grabbed the sword by its blade, halting her mid-swing. Her eyes widened in shock and concern as she saw me gripping the sharp metal.

"Are you crazy, Mattheo?" she exclaimed, yanking the sword back. 

"Only one person could manage to get a Grindylow to attack someone," I said, smirking. 

She didn't deny it. Instead, she shot back, "I'm sending them after you next time."

"Yeah, yeah," I said dismissively, a grin tugging at my lips. "What did he do, anyway?"

Her expression darkened. "That cunt of an idiot thought he could just kiss me," she spat, her anger palpable.

Jealousy flared up inside me, but I pushed it down. "And he found out how wrong he was, huh?"

She shot me a look. "You're an idiot, Mattheo."

"Me? Why?" I say, as she spoke, I couldn’t take my eyes off her—her eyes, her lips. Damn those lips. They haunted my dreams, and seeing them tremble made something inside me snap.

“Maybe I should have just kissed him. It's just a kiss anyway, not that big of a deal."

I clenched my jaw, trying to keep my voice steady. "Just a kiss, huh?"

She continued, almost to herself, "I was saving my first kiss for—" She stopped and looked away. "I can't keep waiting forever. I'll die without experiencing it."

I looked at her, really looked at her. and she turned to leave. I grabbed her arm and gently held her face, forcing her to look at me. "Would you send a Grindylow after me if I kissed you?"

She shook her head, her eyes wide with a mixture of defiance and curiosity.

Without waiting another second, I closed the gap between us, pressing my lips against hers. The kiss was better than everything I dreamed about, intense, like a wildfire consuming everything in its path. Her lips were soft, and I felt her melt into me, her hands gripping my shirt as if to keep herself grounded.

I deepened the kiss, my hand moving to the back of her neck, pulling her closer. I could feel the heat radiating from her, matching the fire inside me. Her lips parted slightly, and I took the opportunity to explore further, tasting her, savoring every moment.

When we finally pulled apart, her eyes were wide with surprise and something else—something that mirrored what I felt inside.

"Still planning to send a Grindylow after me?" I whispered, a teasing smile on my lips.

She shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. "Not if you keep kissing me like that."

Good things are supposed to happen to good people. And I always wondered how someone like me could ever deserve her. From the first day I saw her, I knew I would give everything to this girl. Over time, it became clear that my heart wasn’t mine anymore. It belonged to her.

Every time I see her, it’s like a magnet pulling me in, an irresistible force that I can't fight even if I wanted to. After the kiss, I can't seem to keep my hands off her. It's like a switch has been flipped inside me, and now, I'm constantly drawn to her, craving the taste of her lips, the feel of her skin.

Every stolen moment between classes, every hidden corner of the castle, becomes an opportunity to indulge in this newfound obsession.

Today is no different. I spot her in the library, bent over a thick book, her hair cascading over her shoulder. She doesn’t see me yet.

I approach quietly, my steps silent on the worn stone floor. When I’m close enough, I let my fingers brush over her shoulder, causing her to jump slightly and look up at me with those eyes that always seem to see right through me.

“Mattheo,” she breathes, a smile tugging at her lips.

I smirk, leaning down to capture her mouth with mine, my hand tangling in her hair. My other hand snakes around her waist, pulling her closer, feeling the curve of her body against mine. She responds immediately, her hands gripping my shirt, pulling me down to deepen the kiss.

“Not here,” she murmurs against my lips, but there’s no conviction in her voice. Her body is saying otherwise, pressing against me with a need that matches my own.

“Here,” I insist, nipping at her bottom lip.

Before she can protest further, I’ve got her backed into a secluded corner of the library, hidden from prying eyes. My mouth moves from her lips to her neck, sucking gently, eliciting a soft moan from her. It’s music to my ears, fueling the fire inside me.

“Mattheo,” she gasps, her nails digging into my shoulders. “We’ll get caught.”

“Let them catch us,” I growl, my hands roaming over her body, feeling every curve, every dip. “Will kill whoever interupt.”

I capture her lips again, more fiercely this time, my tongue exploring her mouth. She matches my intensity, her hands now under my shirt, fingers grazing my skin. I slide my hand down to the hem of her skirt, slipping underneath to feel the soft skin of her thigh. She shivers at my touch, her breath hitching.

“Please,” she whispers.

I don’t need to be told twice. I drop to my knees, pushing her skirt up, exposing her. She’s already wet, her arousal evident. I look up at her, meeting her eyes.

There’s a moment of pure, raw connection before I lean in, pressing a kiss to her inner thigh. Her legs tremble, and she grips the shelf behind her for support.

I tease her with my tongue, flicking over her clit lightly before taking it into my mouth, sucking gently.

Her moan is louder this time, her hips bucking towards me. I hold her steady, my hands on her hips, guiding her movements. I delve deeper, tasting her fully, my tongue exploring every inch of her. Her hands find their way into my hair, pulling me closer, urging me on.

“Mattheo,” she moans, her voice breathy and desperate. “Don’t stop.”

I have no intention of stopping. I increase my pace, my tongue working her clit faster, harder. Her moans become more frequent, her body trembling with the intensity of her impending orgasm. I can feel it building, her muscles tightening, her breath coming in short gasps.

She cries out, her body convulsing with pleasure, her nails digging into my scalp. I continue my ministrations, riding out her orgasm until she’s quivering and breathless.

I stand, pulling her into my arms, kissing her deeply, letting her taste herself on my lips. Her arms wrap around my neck, her body melting into mine.

“I love you,” she whispers against my lips.

As the seventh year at Hogwarts drew to a close, whispers filled the air like a thick fog: Voldemort was back. I could feel it, a gnawing certainty deep in my bones. But I couldn't face it—not yet. So I ignored it, pushing down the creeping dread as much as I could.

We were leaving the castle soon, and Y/N had confided in me that she didn't want to go back to her parents' house. The thought of her being anywhere near danger tore at me, but I knew what I had to say.

"It's safer there," I told her, my voice firm yet gentle as we stood in a secluded corridor. I cupped her face, my thumb brushing her cheek. "You have to stay with them, at least for now."

"But I want to be with you," she insisted, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

I kissed her then, softly at first, then with all the desperation I felt. "I promise you, I'm still with you. Always," I whispered against her lips. "But you need to stay there."

Reluctantly, she nodded, and I handed her a small, enchanted locket. "This is for you," I said, fastening it around her neck. "If you need me, just press it, and I'll know. I'll come to you, no matter what."

Two weeks later, Enzo and I were lounging in my room, talking about everything and nothing, when suddenly the locket lit up. Enzo's eyes widened as he pointed. "Mate, is that Y/N?"

I was off the bed in an instant, my heart pounding. "Y/N?" I said into the locket, trying to keep the panic out of my voice. "Are you okay?"

"Mattheo, can you come get me?" Her voice was barely more than a whisper, trembling and broken. She sounded like she was crying.

"I'm coming. Just hold on," I said, grabbing my jacket and racing out of the room. Enzo's voice was a distant echo as I sprinted down the stairs, keys already in hand.

"Where are you?" I asked into the locket, sliding into my car. Her words were shaky, filled with fear and confusion, as she tried to explain her location.

"I... I don't know exactly. Near the park, I think," she stammered.

"I'm on my way," I reassured her, my knuckles white as I gripped the steering wheel. The streets blurred past me as I drove, my mind solely focused on finding her.

When I finally saw her, my heart nearly stopped. She was sitting on a bench, wearing her pajamas, looking so small and fragile. I jumped out of the car and rushed to her.

"Y/N!" I called. She looked up, her face pale, and I saw the blood on her mouth and nose. Without thinking, she ran to me, and I caught her in my arms, holding her as tightly as I could.

"Mattheo," she sobbed against my chest, and the sight of her hurt made a dark, vengeful fire ignite within me. I would burn the whole world to the ground for this.

Seeing the blood, something inside me snapped. Rage boiled up, threatening to consume me. Whoever did this to her would pay dearly.

"Who did this to you?" I demanded.

She just clung to me tighter, unable to speak through her tears. I wrapped my arms around her, trying to calm the raging storm inside me.

Whoever did this was going to pay. They would beg for mercy, and I wouldn't give it, not after what they did to her.

"Shh, it's okay," I whispered, kissing the top of her head. "I'm here now. You're safe. I'll never let anyone hurt you again."

No one would ever touch her again, not as long as I lived.

I slipped my jacket off and draped it over her shoulders, then scooped her up in my arms, holding her close. She buried her face in my chest, still shaking, and I carried her to the car.

I glanced at Y/N. She was one of the strongest people I knew, and seeing her like this drove me mad with anger. "Let me see," I said. She flinched when I reached out to check the bleeding on her face.

"It's not as bad as it looks," she whispered, but her voice trembled.

I clenched the steering wheel, fighting to control my fury. "Thank you for coming," she began, her voice small and broken.

"Of course I came," I cut her off, my voice rough with emotion. "I will always come for you."

"Tell me who did this? Who did this to you, Y/N?" I said, my voice softer but still edged with anger.

She breathed deeply and looked out the window, her body tense. "You know why I was sure you wouldn’t be like your father, Mattheo?" she said softly. "You shouldn’t be punished for his crimes."

Her voice grew weaker, and it shattered my heart. She turned to look at me, her beautiful eyes filled with tears that I hated seeing there.

"Because I know I'm not like mine," she continued, tears spilling over her cheeks., and for the first time, she let herself cry freely.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm inside me. "He did that?"

She looked down, her fingers trembling as she clutched the jacket around her. "He's been... he's been hurting me for years, Mattheo. Tonight, he... he tried to do it again. But this time, I fought back."

My heart ached at her words, rage boiling within me.

She lifted her head, her eyes filled with a mix of fear and determination. "I set the house on fire. I watched it burn. I wanted to hurt him as he hurt me."

Tears spilled down her cheeks again, and I pulled her into my arms, holding her tightly.

She sobbed against my chest, her body shaking with the force of her emotions. "I don't regret it, Mattheo. I wanted to hurt him, to make him feel the pain he caused me."

I held her tighter. "I understand, love. I understand."

We stayed like that for a long time. No one would ever touch her again. Not as long as I lived.

After a moment, I started the car and drove her home. When we arrived, Enzo was sitting in the living room. As soon as he saw her, he stood up quickly, concern etched on his face. I shook my head, a silent command for him not to ask or say anything. He nodded and sat back down, understanding the gravity of the situation.

I led her to my room, gently closing the door behind us. "Let's get you cleaned up," I said softly. I rummaged through my drawer, pulling out a clean shirt for her.

Carefully, I helped her out of her torn clothes, my hands shaking as I saw the extent of her injuries. Blood had dried on her skin, mingling with bruises that were already forming.

"I need to shower," she whispered.

"I'll help you," I replied, guiding her to the bathroom. I turned on the water, making sure it was warm before helping her step in. She winced as the water hit her, and I gently washed the blood from her skin. My heart ached with each wince, each sign of her pain.

Once she was clean, I wrapped her in a towel and led her back to the bedroom. I helped her into my shirt. "Sit down," I said, fetching a first-aid kit. I cleaned the cuts on her face and arms, working carefully to avoid causing her more pain.

"How did you learn to do that?" she asked, her voice weak but curious as I braided her hair with careful precision.

"I watched and learned for you," I replied softly, finishing the braid and tying it off. 

I helped her into bed and lay down beside her, wrapping my arms around her protectively. She clung to my shirt, her fingers gripping tightly as if afraid I would vanish. "I’m here," I whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I’m not going anywhere."

Her breathing gradually slowed, and she drifted off to sleep, her fingers still clutching my shirt. I held her close. 

As she slept, I vowed silently to be her shield, to fight for her and with her, no matter the cost.

Y/N made me promise not to do anything to her father. Her trust in me is a fragile thread, and I can’t bring myself to break it, no matter how much I despise the man.

Lately, my nightmares have become worse. They’re no longer just shadows and screams. Now, I see my father, his voice echoing through the darkness, calling my name. Every night, it gets louder, more insistent, and I wake up drenched in sweat, his voice still ringing in my ears.

There are signs, subtle but unmistakable, that darkness is creeping back into my life. I don’t want to believe it’s my father, but deep down, I can feel his presence. It’s a sensation I can’t deny any longer, no matter how much I wish it away.

When I got home, I found Y/N sitting with Enzo. I stormed past them, heading straight to my room. Y/N followed quickly.

“Mattheo, what’s wrong?” she asked, her voice a mix of concern and frustration.

“Nothing,” I snapped, not turning around.

“Are you mad because I’m staying here?” she pressed, trying to meet my gaze.

“Mad? No, it’s not that,” I said harshly. “It’s everything else. Everything piling up. I can’t take it anymore.”

She stepped closer, her eyes searching mine. “You’re scaring me, Mattheo.”

Hearing her say that broke something inside me. I never wanted to make her feel this way. I turned to her, cupping her face gently. “Love, I’m sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. I just... I’m drowning in this darkness.”

She looked at me, tears welling in her eyes. “I’ve noticed you don’t sleep well. You’ve been having nightmares, haven’t you?”

I pulled her into a tight hug, not wanting to burden her with the horrors of my mind. “Yes, but I don’t want to worry you with them. It’s my battle to fight.”

She wrapped her arms around my neck, holding on as if I might slip away. “You don’t have to do this alone, Mattheo.”

The wizarding world saw me in two extremes: a legacy of power or a monster. I’ve always struggled with which one I truly am.

Y/N leaned in and kissed me softly, grounding me in the moment. We moved to the bed, and she settled on my lap, her presence a soothing balm to my tortured soul.

“Let’s leave all of this behind,” she whispered, her lips brushing my ear.

“What do you mean?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Run away with me. Just you and me, somewhere far away where no one knows us.”

The idea was tempting, but I shook my head. “We can’t. It’s not that simple.”

She looked at me with determination. “Yes, it is. We can make a new life together, away from all this darkness.”

Her conviction started to break down my resistance. “You really think we can do that?”

She nodded, her eyes filled with hope. “I know we can. We just have to take the first step.”

We left everything behind, the shadows of my past fading.The countryside stretched before us, green fields rolling out in every direction. The house stood there, quaint and peaceful, a stark contrast to the chaos we’d left behind.

Y/N was beaming, her joy radiating as she looked around. "Can you believe it?" she said, her voice full of excitement. "We’re really here."

I forced a smile, trying to match her enthusiasm. "So, we’re living in the countryside now?" I teased, but the words felt hollow. I wasn’t sure this was a great idea. The nightmares and the darkness seemed far away, but they still lingered in my mind.

She noticed my hesitation and grabbed my hand, pulling me towards the house. "Come on, let me show you inside. You’re going to love it," she said, her eyes sparkling with pride.

As we walked through the house, she pointed out all the little details she adored. But I wasn’t really looking at the house; I was looking at her. She was so happy, so alive, and it was a beautiful sight.

She caught me staring and paused. "What?" she asked, a smile playing on her lips.

I stepped closer, my voice dropping to a husky whisper. "I’m thinking about all the things I’m going to do to you in this house," I said, and she laughed shooking her head.

I pulled her to me, kissing her deeply, my hands roaming her body.

started to unbutton her shirt, my hands moving with a sense of urgency. "I’m going to take you right here, against the wall," I murmured, my voice thick with need. "And then on the kitchen table, and in our bed. You’re not going to be able to walk tomorrow, love."

She swatted at me playfully. "Mattheo, don’t ruin anything in the house."

"Yes, ma'am," I replied, my tone dripping with mischief. I lifted her effortlessly, her legs wrapping around my waist.

She loved our new house, always pointing out little things she adored about it. One evening, she insisted on making dinner, spaghetti specifically. The kitchen became a warzone of diced vegetables and spilled sauce. Laughing, I pulled her close, lifting her onto the counter.

"Let me handle it, love," I said, kissing her lightly. "You look adorable up there."

She pouted but relented, watching me as I took over the cooking.

She introduced me to muggle movies and insisted I listen to her favorite music. Though it was different from what I was used to, I found myself enjoying it all because it made her happy.

Today, we were lying in a big field, her head resting on my legs. She looked up at the sky and said, "I love the color green."

"Why’s that?" I asked, running my fingers through her hair.

"It reminds me of nature, of life and growth," she said softly. "And because it reminds me of you."

I smiled, feeling a warmth in my chest. She turned her head to look at me, a fleeting fear crossing her features. "This feels like a dream," she whispered.

I stroked her cheek. "It’s real, love. I’m here with you."

She sighed, sitting up and looking into my eyes. "I'm afraid, Mattheo. I don't ever want you to leave."

I cupped her face in my hands, my voice firm. "I won’t leave you. I promise."

She smiled and held my face in her hands, her eyes shining with determination. "I promise I will never leave you either. Until my last breath, I will love you, and I will always choose you."

The thought of her last breath made anger flare inside me. "That won't happen," I said stubbornly.

She laughed softly. "It will happen one day, Mattheo."

"No, it won’t," I insisted.

She shook her head gently, her eyes full of understanding. "We can't stop death, Mattheo. And it’s not always a bad thing. I would die happily knowing I have been loved by you in this life, and I will search for you in every life after."

She hugged me then, and I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close.

As the days passed, the feeling grew stronger. I could hear his whispers in the wind, feel his presence lurking in the shadows.

My father was out there, and I could no longer deny it. The darkness he brought with him tainted the very air I breathed.

Y/N came running to me, her arms wrapping around me from behind. "Mattheo, you won't believe what I heard today," she started, her voice full of excitement. "Mrs. Johnson from next door said that Mr. Thompson’s cat was found in the bakery! Can you imagine a cat in the bakery?"

I put my hands over hers, trying to focus on her words, but the whispers were getting worse, growing louder. I could barely hear her over the din in my mind. I kissed her hand softly. "Love, I have to go out for a bit. I won’t be long."

She turned me around, concern etched on her face. "Now? It’s too late, Mattheo. What’s so important?"

"It’s something I need to take care of," I said firmly. "You should sleep. Don’t wait up for me."

Before she could respond, I pulled away, leaving her standing there with a confused and worried expression.

I hated doing this to her, making her feel sad and abandoned. But I couldn't ignore the feeling any longer. I knew it too well, and I couldn't risk whatever was coming happening with her here.

I grew up in a house filled with shadows and whispers, a place where love was a foreign concept. My mother was a mad woman, her mind often lost in a haze. Sometimes she would forget about me entirely, her thoughts barricading her from reality. I learned early on not to rely on her for comfort or stability.

My father, known to the world as Voldemort, was a figure cloaked in darkness. They said he was incapable of love, that he thrived on fear and power. But he treated me better than my mother did—at least, that's what I told myself. I liked to believe that in his own twisted way, he cared for me, had plans for me that were too grand for me to understand at a young age.

There was an old man, Crest, who took care of me. Loyal to the Dark Lord, Crest was my guardian and protector. He was the one constant in my chaotic life, showing me a kind of rough love that I clung to desperately. Crest raised me, teaching me about the world as best as he could within the constraints of my father’s will.

The first lesson I learned however was my father doing.

I remember the day vividly. I was young, perhaps seven or eight. My father and I were in one of the dark, cold rooms of our mansion. He was lecturing me, as he often did, about power and control.

"Mattheo," he began, his voice a cold, steady hiss. "Do you understand what love is?"

I looked up at him, my small frame trembling slightly. "It's when you care about someone, right?"

He laughed, a sound devoid of warmth. "Love is a weakness, a flaw in human nature. It makes you vulnerable."

Just then, Crest entered the room. My eyes lit up and I ran to him, seeking the comfort his presence always provided. "Crest!"

The old man smiled at me, his eyes filled with a kind of sad affection.

My father’s gaze turned icy. "Do you respect Crest, Mattheo?"

I nodded vigorously. "I love him."

Voldemort’s expression hardened. "Love is dangerous, Mattheo. It can be used against you. Watch."

He pulled out a wand, and my eyes widened with a mix of fear and fascination. I had always wanted to use one, to feel its power.

"Take it," he ordered, handing me the wand.

I grasped it with trembling hands, looking up at him uncertainly.

"Kill him," he commanded, his voice icy and implacable.

My heart froze. "No, Father, please..."

Crest's eyes widened with fear, but he remained still, resigned to his fate.

"Do it, Mattheo," Voldemort insisted. "Show me you are strong."

I couldn’t move. I couldn't do it. My hands shook violently.

In a swift, merciless motion, my father pointed his own wand at Crest and uttered the curse. "Avada Kedavra."

A flash of green light filled the room, and Crest's body crumpled to the ground, lifeless. I screamed and ran to his side, clutching his hand.

The first lesson I learned was to never show my emotions, never reveal my weaknesses. My father knew everyone’s vulnerabilities, and he wouldn’t hesitate to use them against us.

I remember that day, I remember it too well.

As I walked further from our home, the sense of impending doom grew stronger. The shadows seemed darker, the air colder. I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched, the whispers of darkness growing louder in my mind. Suddenly, Death Eaters began to materialize around me, their presence suffocating and malevolent.

Then he appeared, emerging from the darkness like a specter. Voldemort. My father. His smile was cruel, his eyes gleaming with a twisted kind of pride. "Son," he greeted, his voice a cold, slithering whisper.

I stood my ground, glaring at him, refusing to move. "Aren’t you happy to see your father?" he asked, his tone mocking.

I felt a surge of anger and pain. "Why would I be happy?”

His smile widened, more sinister than before. "Did you not try to find me? Did you not wish for my return?"

"I didn’t want you to return," I spat, the words filled with a defiance that surprised even me.

Suddenly, a sharp blow struck me. I looked up to see Bellatrix, my mother, her eyes wild with madness. "You dare speak to your father that way?" she shrieked.

I smiled, blood trickling from my mouth. "What do you care, Mother? You were too busy losing your mind to notice anything else."

Her face contorted with rage, and she raised her hand to strike me again. But before she could, she screamed, her body convulsing. I looked up to see Voldemort holding his wand, a cruel smile on his lips.

"No one lays a hand on my heir," he said, his voice dripping with menace. "Bellatrix, you will remember your place. My son is not to be harmed."

His words were powerful, echoing in the dark night. I closed my eyes, trying to block out her screams, the sound tearing at my soul. "Father, stop," I finally managed, my voice hoarse.

Voldemort looked at me, amusement flickering in his eyes. "And what are you doing out here, my boy, in the countryside? Running away, perhaps?"

I knew he already knew the truth, but I couldn’t let him see it. "I needed some air. I was restless."

"Restless," he repeated, the word dripping with sarcasm. "Or were you trying to escape your responsibilities, your destiny?"

I stood up slowly, trying to gather my strength. "Believe what you want. It doesn’t change anything."

He took a step closer, his gaze piercing. "You think you can hide from me? You think you can live a normal life, away from the darkness that binds us? You are my son, my heir. And you will learn to embrace your destiny, whether you like it or not."

I met his eyes, my own filled with defiance. "I think I can try. I don’t want to be like you."

His laughter was cold, echoing through the night. "You are my son. You cannot escape what you are."

I clenched my fists, the anger and helplessness threatening to overwhelm me. "I can. And I will."

Voldemort’s expression hardened, the amusement gone. "Do not test me, Mattheo. You are my heir. You have a destiny to fulfill."

My father’s presence loomed over me, the tension in the air grew palpable. He studied me with those cold, penetrating eyes, and I knew he was far from done with his probing questions.

tell me about this girl you've been spending so much time with."

I tensed, but kept my expression neutral. "She's no one important."

His eyes narrowed, a cruel smile playing at his lips. "No one important? Then why do I sense such... attachment?"

"It's nothing, Father," I lied smoothly. "Just a distraction. Something physical. Nothing more."

His laughter was sharp and mocking. "Oh, Mattheo,do you love her?"

I forced myself to meet his gaze, my heart pounding in my chest. "No. I don't love her."

Inside, I felt a pang of guilt and sadness. I loved her more than anything, but I couldn't let him see that.

But I had to lie, had to make him believe it was nothing more than a physical connection. She deserved better than to be dragged into this darkness.

"Just physical?" he mused, his tone laced with derision. "Is that what you tell yourself to justify your weakness?"

"Yes," I replied, my voice steady. "It's only physical."

He stepped closer, his gaze piercing through me. "You think you can fool me?"

"It's just a game, Father. A way to pass the time," I insisted, the lie burning on my tongue.

Voldemort's smile widened, cruel and knowing. "You cannot escape your fate, Mattheo. No matter how hard you try to convince yourself otherwise."

I held his gaze, my defiance burning bright despite the fear gnawing at me. "I don’t intend to escape. I’m simply enjoying my life."

His laughter echoed in the dark night, cold and merciless. "Enjoying your life? How quaint. You think you can hide your true feelings from me?"

"I have no true feelings for her," I lied again, the words tasting bitter.

"Well then," he said, his eyes glinting with malice, "if she truly means nothing, it would be of no consequence if she were to... disappear." He paused, letting the threat hang in the air. "In fact, I think it might be a good test of your loyalty."

I fought to keep my face expressionless, to hide the terror clawing at my insides, to act unbothered. "Do as you wish," I replied, my voice steady.

"Bellatrix," Voldemort called, turning to my mother, who was watching with wild eyes. "Go and find this girl. Make sure her end is... memorable."

My mother eyes gleamed with a sick excitement. "Yes, my Lord."

I forced myself to remain still, to show no reaction, even as my heart pounded in my chest.

"Make it painful," Voldemort added, his eyes focusing on me. "I want her to suffer, to know the price of being a distraction."

I could feel the bile rising in my throat, but I kept my face impassive. It was only when Bellatrix turned to leave that the words burst from my lips.

"Don't," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Voldemort turned back to me, his expression one of cold amusement. "What was that?"

His hand gripping my chin tightly. "You are a fool, Mattheo. You have created a weakness for yourself, and now that weakness must be eradicated."

"Father," I said, my voice steady despite the fear coursing through me, "you will not lay a hand on her."

He laughed softly, the sound devoid of any warmth. "You think you can order me, boy? This girl must die to teach you a lesson. A lesson to remind you of your responsibilities, of your true nature."

His grip tightened painfully. "You will not put a hand on her," I repeated, my voice firm, my gaze locked with his.

His eyes burned with cold fury, and his lips curled into a sinister smile. "Very well, Mattheo," he said, his voice dripping with malevolent amusement. "Follow me."

I followed him through the darkened corridors of the manor, my heart pounding with each step. My mind raced, trying to anticipate his next move, but nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to witness.

We entered a dimly lit room, and there, suspended in mid-air, was Charity Burbage, a former professor at Hogwarts. Her eyes were wide with terror, and her pleas for mercy echoed through the room.

"Charity," Voldemort greeted with false courtesy. "I believe you know my son, Mattheo."

Charity's eyes flicked to me, filled with desperation. "Mattheo, please," she pleaded. "Help me."

I stood frozen, my heart pounding in my chest. I wanted to help her, but I knew the cost of defying Voldemort. He turned to me, his eyes gleaming with sadistic delight. "This is a lesson for you, this is what happens to those who betray us."

Charity's eyes locked onto mine. "Mattheo," she pleaded, tears streaming down her face, her cries grew louder, more frantic. "Mattheo, please! You can stop this!"

I felt a knot tighten in my stomach, but I knew better than to show any sign of weakness.

I felt a surge of helpless rage, my blood boiling with the need to act, to do something, but I remained rooted to the spot. Voldemort raised his wand, his gaze never leaving mine.

"Avada Kedavra," he said softly, almost reverently.

A flash of green light filled the room, and Charity's pleas were silenced forever. Her lifeless body crumpled to the floor, and I felt a wave of nausea wash over me. Voldemort turned to me, his expression a mask of twisted satisfaction.

"This," he said, gesturing to Charity's body, "is what happens when you allow yourself to be weak. Do you understand, Mattheo?"

I swallowed hard, fighting back the bile that rose in my throat. "Yes, Father," I forced out, my voice hoarse.

He stepped closer, his eyes boring into mine. "You must learn to sever your attachments, to purge yourself of any weakness. Only then will you be truly strong."

"You must prove your loyalty. Now, about this girl of yours. I want you to kill her."

Before I could respond, one of the Death Eaters, snickered and said, "Bet she's a pretty little thing. Will she allow a Death Eater in her bed, or just the heir?"

Rage boiled within me, and before I knew it, I had my wand out. "Crucio!"

His screamed in agony, writhing on the floor. Voldemort watched with a smirk, clearly amused. "Such passion, Mattheo. But your actions only prove that she must die."

Voldemort's gaze hardened, and he turned to another Death Eater. "Bring our guest."

The doors swung open, and I saw Y/N's father being dragged in, his eyes wild with terror.

"Kill him, Mattheo," Voldemort ordered, his eyes glinting with malicious glee.

I had promised Y/N I wouldn’t harm her father, but now, faced with this command, I was torn. "Kill him, Mattheo," Voldemort repeated. "Or the girl dies."

Y/N's father fell to his knees, his voice trembling. "Kill her! Kill her instead, please! I will serve you, my lord. I will be loyal!”

Voldemort approached me, his eyes glittering with a cruel satisfaction. "You see, Mattheo, even the most desperate will turn on those they love to save themselves, even his own father doesn’t think she’s worth saving."

"You can kill her please, you can—"

His pleas were cut short as I cast the killing curse, my wand steady, my resolve unshaken. I felt no regret, no sorrow.

Voldemort’s cruel smile returned. "Well done, my boy. Now, let’s see where your true loyalties lie."

He stepped closer, his voice dripping with venom. "Choose, Mattheo. Your precious girl, or your little brother."

My heart twisted in my chest. "What?"

He laughed, the sound cold and hollow. "I’m merely testing you. But make no mistake. Once the girl dies, you will be free, Mattheo. Free from these weaknesses."

I stood there, my mind reeling, trying to hold on to some semblance of control. "You must choose," he continued, his voice relentless. "Do you want to protect her, or do you want to protect yourself and your family, your friends?"

I clenched my fists, meeting Voldemort's cold gaze with defiance.

"Think carefully, my boy. Love is a chain that binds you. Cut it, and you will be stronger. Cut it, and you will be free."

“I would leave her, end things with her, but you just had to leave her out of it”' I said, my voice quivering with suppressed emotion. The words spilled out with a strength I didn't know I had, my heart shattering as I spoke.His expression remained impassive.

"promise me, father, Promise me that you'll leave her out of this. She's innocent, she has nothing to do with any of this. And I swear to end things with her, take my duties and responsibilities, you just have to give me your word, that’s the first time I ask anything from you and would be the last"

His eyes gleamed with triumph. "Very well, Mattheo. Go, end things with her, and return to me. No one shell hurt her, you have my word. But remember, any mistake, and not just the girl dies. You will have to choose someone else to die as punishment for your disobedience. Understand?"

I swallowed my rage, forced myself to nod. "Yes, I understand."

As I left the room, I saw Enzo, my little brother, standing in the hallway. "What are you doing here?" I demanded angrily.

"It’s his duty," Voldemort answered for him, placing a hand on Enzo's shoulder.

I felt a surge of protectiveness and fury, but I hid it. "I will return soon," I said, my voice steady.

Voldemort's eyes bore into mine. "See that you do, Mattheo. See that you do."

I walked away, my mind a storm of emotions, knowing that my every step was being watched, and every decision weighed with life and death.

It was well past midnight when I finally opened the front door. My heart pounded as I walked in, the weight of what I had to do pressing down on me. The moment I saw her, my resolve wavered. Before I could think, my lips crashed onto hers in a desperate, hungry kiss.

“Mattheo,” she whispered against my mouth, but I silenced her with another kiss, more demanding this time. My hands roamed her body, pulling her closer, needing to reassure myself that she was real, that she was here.

"Mattheo, what's going on?" she tried to ask, but I silenced her again, my fingers gripping her hips tightly.

"Just let me have this," I said softly, my voice cracking. The pain in my heart was unbearable.

I bent her over, yanking down her pants, and thrust into her hard and fast. The intensity of my movements was driven by the need to drown out the agony inside me. I couldn't let her see my pain, couldn't let her know how much it was tearing me apart.

“Did something happen, baby?” she managed to gasp out between thrusts, her hands gripping the sheets.

I didn’t answer, just increased my pace, trying to lose myself in the physicality of the moment. The roughness of my touch, the ferocity of my rhythm—it was all I could offer to mask my torment.

“Mattheo, I’m gonna—”

Her scream echoed through the room as she came, her body trembling. I followed moments later, my release silent but powerful, my grip on her tightening as I shuddered.

I pulled out and turned her around, lifting her onto the bed with a gentleness that contrasted sharply with my earlier roughness. Her eyes were filled with concern and confusion.

“I love you,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

“I love you too,” she replied, her heartache evident.

I moved within her slowly, each thrust a silent promise. I wanted to cling to her, to hold her forever, but I knew I had to let go. We reached our climax together, and the wave of pleasure was bittersweet.

“Are you okay?” she asked softly when we were done, her head resting on my chest. I didn’t answer, just held her tighter, my arms a protective cocoon around her. I wished I could tell her the truth, but I couldn’t risk it. I had to protect her.

The next morning, I woke up early and slipped out of bed. I stood on the balcony, smoking a cigarette, trying to steel myself for what I had to do. When she came up behind me, wrapping her arms around me and pressing a kiss to my cheek, it took everything in me not to break down.

"Mattheo," she started, her voice tentative, "please talk to me. What's going on?"

Silence was my only response. I couldn’t risk breaking down, couldn’t risk her seeing the pain I was in.

"Mattheo, please don't shut me out."

I took another slow drag, exhaling the smoke with a sigh, but said nothing. The wall between us was thicker than ever, and it was killing me.

"Do you not trust me?" she asked, her voice cracking. "You said you love me, and I believe you. But if you don't let me in, how can we face whatever is bothering you?"

I flicked the cigarette butt over the railing, watching it fall before finally turning to face her. Her eyes were filled with tears, and it broke my heart.

His grip on my hand was firm as he led us back into the room. I sank onto the couch, my heart aching with the weight of what I had to do. She moved to sit beside me, her voice soft and pleading. "Hey, baby, please, what is bothering you?"

I remained a statue, my body rigid, my gaze fixed on the floor. I couldn't bear to look at her.

"We are not going anywhere," I said flatly, cutting her off. The coldness in my voice was a defense mechanism, a way to protect her.

Panic clawed at her throat. "Okay, we can stay home," she stammered, desperately searching for anything to break the suffocating silence.

I stood up abruptly, startling her. I hated doing this, hated the pain I was causing her, but I couldn't risk her life. "Don't you get it?" I spat, my voice laced with bitterness. "This was never supposed to be serious. It was fun, a distraction, but nothing more."

Her breath hitched. "Distraction?"

"But... but I..." she stammered, the words catching in her throat.

"You what, Y/N?" I scoffed, the sound harsh. "Did you think being with me was some grand fairytale? You know who I am, Y/N. There's a legacy to uphold, a family to consider. Did you think you, with your… your ordinary life, could ever fit into that?"

"But… we built a beautiful life together. We talked about our future," she said, her voice choked with tears.

"Future? Y/N, you left your life for me. Your family, your friends, everything. Did you really think I'd just abandon everything I have, my legacy, for… for you?"

"I… I never asked you to abandon anything," she whispered, tears streaming down her face.

"But you did," I countered. "You disrupted the plan. You made me question everything."

"But I love you," she whispered, the words fragile and broken. "I gave up everything for you."

"Love? Don't be ridiculous. You were just young and naive, Y/N. You thought escaping your family drama meant finding some happily ever after. This isn't some storybook.”

Her pain was palpable, and it tore me apart. "Did you ever love me, Mattheo? Or was it just another lie?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

I met her gaze, forced my eyes to look at her. "No," I said, the word sharp and like a knife to my heart. "I liked you, Y/N. I enjoyed the… distraction. But this? This isn't love."

Her tears fell uncontrollably as she sank onto the couch. I wanted to wipe them away, to hold her and tell her the truth, but I couldn't. I had to protect her, even if it meant breaking her heart.

"I'll leave," I said. "You can stay here."

I grabbed my phone and keys, my movements mechanical. I walked towards the door, the sound of it slamming shut echoing in the room. As the final echo died down, I felt a piece of my heart shatter.

I hated myself for doing this, for hurting her. But I couldn't risk her life. I couldn't let her become another pawn in my father's game. And so, I walked away, leaving a part of my soul behind with her.

Days passed in a blur of darkness and duty. Each moment without Y/N felt like a knife twisting deeper into my soul. I couldn’t risk going back to her, couldn’t show any sign of weakness. I had to prove to my father that it was over, that she no longer held any power over me. But the truth was, life without her was a torment I could barely endure.

My father spoke often of power and darkness, of the strength that came from severing emotional ties. His lessons were cruel, I tried to focus on the tasks at hand, to immerse myself in the dark teachings of my father, but every thought inevitably led back to her. Y/N. The name echoed in my mind like a forbidden incantation, a ghost haunting my every waking moment.

my father called us together. Enzo stood beside me, his face a mask of grim determination. Voldemort’s voice was low, commanding. "Enzo, you will lead this mission. I need you to retrieve a very special item from the Ministry."

Enzo’s eyes widened slightly, but he nodded. "Yes, my Lord."

I felt a surge of protectiveness. "Father, let me do it."

Voldemort’s eyes narrowed. "Are you questioning my orders, Mattheo?"

Before I could respond, Enzo placed a hand on my arm. "Don’t, Mattheo."

Another Death Eater sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "Listen to your bastard brother, heir."

The words ignited a fire within me. I turned to face him, my wand already in hand. "Say that again."

He laughed, a cruel, mocking sound. "Why? Enzo is a bastard from a whore. Bellatrix is nothing but a—"

"Then by your logic," I interrupted, my voice cold and dangerous, "I’m a bastard too. So call me that. Go on."

The room went silent. The Death Eater’s smirk faltered, but he pressed on. "You’re—"

"Crucio!" I shouted, and the man collapsed, writhing in agony. I held the spell, watching as he screamed, my rage boiling over.

Theodore, Draco, and Blaise watched, their expressions a mix of shock and approval. Enzo whispered urgently, "Mattheo, stop."

But I couldn’t. I didn’t want to. I intensified the curse, the man’s screams echoing off the walls. Another Death Eater stepped forward, trying to intervene, but I cast another Cruciatus Curse, sending him to the floor beside the first.

"You see that, Father?" I said, my voice shaking with fury. "I’m really your son after all."

Voldemort’s lips curled into a proud smile.

I left the room, my heart pounding, my mind a storm of conflicting emotions. I found myself in my room, my hand on the wall, pressing so hard that it started to bleed. I slid down to the ground, the pain a welcome distraction from the torment in my soul.

Darkness was consuming me, gnawing away at what little light I had left. I was becoming the very thing I despised, a creature of the shadows, a pawn of my father. Each day, I felt myself slipping further into the abyss, the line between right and wrong blurring until it was almost indistinguishable.

I found Luna Lovegood in one of the cold, damp cells of the dungeons. Her ethereal calmness was a stark contrast to the despair around her. "What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice harsher than I intended.

"They took me because I know too much," she said simply, her wide eyes unafraid, I shook my head to her to shut up.

She was here because he believed her father’s magazine might contain hidden messages or useful information for the Order of the Phoenix.

"She doesn't know anything, Father. I assure you," I said, turning to Voldemort.

He refused to free her. "At least don’t treat her like a hostage," I pleaded. With a reluctant nod from him, I took Luna to a more comfortable room.

"Thank you," she said softly, sitting down on the bed.

As I turned to leave, she spoke again. "They say she hasn’t left home for days."

I froze. "What?"

"The one you're thinking about," Luna continued, her voice gentle. "A magical creature only I can see told me. They say Y/N hasn’t left the house. She still thinks you’re coming back. She feels miserable, she is in so much pain."

I clenched my fists, trying to suppress the rage boiling inside me. "So are you, Mattheo," Luna added quietly.

I left the room, the anger and guilt eating at me. The thought of Y/N in pain, waiting for me, tore at my soul. I wanted to let the whole world burn for what it was doing to her. I wanted to go to her, to tell her I had lied, that I had never loved anything as I loved her. But I couldn’t.

As I stalked through the dark hallway my father appeared. His cold eyes assessed me, and I steeled myself against his scrutiny.

"Feeling conflicted, my boy?" Voldemort asked, a cruel smile playing on his lips.

I met his gaze, trying to appear strong. "I know my duty," I said flatly.

He leaned in, his voice a sinister whisper. "Good. It would be unfortunate if you decided to go back to old distractions. There are consequences, you know, for losing focus."

His words were a veiled threat, a reminder of what he could do to Y/N if I faltered. I nodded, the cold dread settling in my stomach. "I understand, Father."

"Remember, Mattheo," he said, straightening up. "Power and loyalty are what matter. Attachments are weaknesses."

I watched him walk away, my heart heavy with the weight of my choices. The darkness was consuming me, and I didn’t know how much longer I could resist it.

The day passes in a haze of anger and I leaned against the cold stone wall, watching the chaos unfold. The room was thick with tension and suspicion as Death Eaters hurled accusations at each other.

Whispers of a shadow, an elusive killer who moved unseen, had spread fear among them. They couldn't figure out who he was or where he came from. He was a ghost, a phantom that slipped through their fingers, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake.

"This is your fault, Dolohov!" Mother snarled, her wild eyes blazing with fury. "If you had secured the perimeter, this wouldn't be happening!"

"Don't be absurd, Bellatrix," Dolohov shot back, his wand raised defensively. "Your incompetence is what's allowing this to happen. If you had been more vigilant—"

"Silence!"

Father’s voice cut through the din like a knife, freezing everyone in their tracks. The Dark Lord's eyes swept the room, his face a mask of cold rage. The tension was palpable as he raised his wand and pointed it at one of his most trusted lieutenants, Thorne.

Thorne, a tall, gaunt man with a face as sharp as his intellect, met Voldemort's gaze with a mix of shock and terror. "My Lord, I—"

"Avada Kedavra."

The flash of green light illuminated the chamber for a split second, and then Thorne crumpled to the ground, lifeless. A smile tugged at the corners of my lips as I watched one of Voldemort's most trusted men die so easily, so unceremoniously. The room was silent, the only sound the crackling of the torches on the walls.

My father’s gaze shifted, meeting mine. I held his stare, my expression carefully neutral, unbothered by the carnage.

"Mattheo," he said, his voice a low hiss. "What is your opinion on this shadow? Who is he?"

I shrugged, feigning indifference. "You should focus on who he isn't, Father."

Voldemort's eyes narrowed. "Explain."

I let my eyes drift over the room, taking in the faces of the remaining Death Eaters.

"I think the traitor is someone who knows us well, someone who can anticipate our moves. It might be wise to look closer to home," I said, my voice laced with subtle insinuation. "Perhaps even among those we trust the most."

A murmur of unease spread through the room as they cast suspicious glances at each other.

My father studied me, and I could see the wheels turning in his mind. He knew I was toying with him, but he couldn't quite place the blame.

"If that's all, Father, I have matters to attend to," I said, pushing off the wall. I gave a small bow, excusing myself. "I'll be in my quarters if you need me."

As I walked away, the weight of my secret plan settled on my shoulders. It was I who was killing the Death Eaters, removing them one by one. To keep her safe, I needed to weaken my father, and to do that, I had to dismantle his support system. Only a fool would face Voldemort head-on, and I am no fool.

As I left the room, the shadows seemed to close in around me, but I welcomed them. They were my allies, my cover. And soon, they would be the downfall of the Dark Lord himself.

Days passed but I couldn't escape it. Her voice, her pain, it haunted me. The bed was cold and empty without her warmth, and I felt her absence like a physical wound. Every second without her was torture, but I had to stay away. I had to protect her from the darkness I had become entangled in. But knowing she was suffering because of me was unbearable.

Someone knocked hard on my door, breaking through my thoughts. I opened it to find Luna, her usually serene demeanor shattered. She was trembling, speaking in disjointed sentences that barely made sense. I took her gently by the shoulders, trying to calm her down.

"Luna, breathe. What's wrong?" I asked urgently, my voice betraying my own turmoil.

"she’s killing myself slowly," she blurted out, her eyes wide with desperation. "You need to stop it. It's already too late."

Without another word, I stormed out of the room, fury boiling inside me. I reached my father's chamber and nearly tore the door off its hinges as I entered. "You gave your word you wouldn’t do anything to her!" I shouted, my voice echoing off the stone walls.

Voldemort turned to me, his expression calm, almost amused. "It must be over by now," he said with a cold smile. "You'll thank me."

"What are you talking about?" I demanded, my heart racing.

"I freed you," he said simply, his words cutting through me like a blade.

Realization hit me like a blow to the chest. I turned and ran, my mind racing as fast as my feet. I had to get to her.

As I tore through the hallways of the manor, the walls blurred around me. My mind was singularly focused on Y/N. I reached the main hall, and in a fit of rage and desperation.

I raised my wand."Incendio!" Flames erupted around me, spreading quickly through the manor. The heat was intense, the fire consuming everything in its path. I didn't care. Let it burn. Let it all burn.

I burst out of the castle, the cold night air hitting my face as I Apparated as close as I could to our house. My heart pounded in my chest as I sprinted the rest of the way, every step bringing me closer to her.

My breath came in ragged gasps as I finally reached the house, my hands shaking as I opened the door. "Y/N!" I called out, my voice desperate. "Y/N, where are you?"

The house was eerily silent, the weight of her absence suffocating. A scream come from our room and I run to it, she fell, the floor rushing up to meet her. But just before unconsciousness claimed her, I caught her, gripping her body, arresting her fall.

“Y/N!” I shouted, my voice urgent and laced with panic. Her vision was blurry, and she blinked, disoriented and delirious.

“What have you done, love?” I asked, my voice ragged with worry. She tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t form. The

“It hurts so much,” she managed to gasp, tears mixing with the blood trickling down her nose.

“I know, baby, I know,” I murmured. “Just tell me, please, what have you done?”

“I just wanted it to stop,” she rasped, pointing weakly at her heart, its every beat a thrumming ache. “It hurt so much.” Her gaze drifted beyond my shoulder.

“He… he’s back?” Her voice was a rasp, barely audible, the metallic tang of blood filling her mouth.

“Shh, love, don’t try to talk,” I soothed, my grip tightening protectively around her. “What have you done to her?” I turned to my father.

“Just showed her a way to numb the pain,”

she reached for my hand, “Don’t be afraid, love,” I murmured into her hair.

“It wasn’t the deal!” I said, “I told you I would leave her, I would leave everything, but you just had to leave her out of it!”

“I’m helping you, child,” my father said, his voice devoid of emotion. “You pushed her away, but you love her. That cannot happen. You need to get rid of your weakness.”

“Shut up!” I said, my eyes blazing. “Shut the fuck up. You leave her out of this!” She choked on a fresh wave of blood. A terrible realization dawned on me – she was dying.

“You’re not dying,” I whispered fiercely, "You’re not dying, baby. I won’t allow it.”

“It’s okay,” she rasped, her voice barely audible.

“It’s not!”

“Can you say it like you used to? Can you tell me that you love me?” Her voice was barely a whisper. “I want to hear you say it one last time.”.

“No, because you are not dying,” I insisted, turning my blazing gaze back to my father. “Save her, do something and save her or I swear, I won’t just leave you. I will make sure to ruin you, ruin everything you built, kill you for good this time.”

“Mattheo,” she whispered, her voice weak but determined. I looked down at her.

“You’re not dying,” I repeated.

“Look at me, love,” I pleaded, my voice cracking. “Keep your eyes on me. Keep those beautiful eyes on me, baby.”

“I love you,” she whispered. “I love you so much.”

I cupped her face, my thumb brushing away her tear. “You’re the love of my life, and I love you more than life itself,” I declared, my voice thick with emotion.

A weak smile touched her lips. Before She closed her eyes.

"Y/N?" I called softly.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

[cloudzoro]

Morning Dew | Portgas D. Ace ♡

masterlist | op masterlist

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genre: angst.

pairings: Ace x reader, Platonic!Marco x reader

wc: 1.1k

cw: greif, loss, an emotional breakdown, marineford mention, hallucinations, wano spoilers, gn!reader, reader is referred to as whitebeards son but so is whitey bay and she's a girl, that's just what he calls his children

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When you wake up in the morning, you roll over to see Ace perched on the edge of the bed, looking down at you with a soft smile on his face.

“Morning, Beautiful,” He says, warm eyes glittering with love. He's dressed, a small bag settled over his shoulder.

“You off adventuring, hot stuff?” you ask. He's always going off on his own; these types of goodbyes are frequent, but you know he'll be back in your arms soon. He nods cheerfully as he stands, encouraging you to get out of bed so you can say goodbye to him properly. It's not like you'll have nothing to do while he's gone; you're a great pirate in your own right, a section commander in Whitebeard's crew.

You listen as he rambles about wanting to see his little brother again. You pass a poster of said brother as you walk to your wardrobe. You get dressed as Ace hums a familiar tune in the background. Your heart aches when you think about the life you've built with Ace. It's hectic, but it's you. Ace leaves a trace of him everywhere he goes. He's left traces of himself all over you. Sometimes, it feels like every kiss he leaves on your skin sinks in and solidifies, blocking your arteries. You can't function normally around him, but you'd be screwed without him. Every time he touches you, he has your cheeks warming and your heart set alight brighter than his powers.

“Anyone ever tell you that you think too much?” He asks. He does; he tells you all the time that your cloudy mind is too loud. He reads you like a book. “Tell me what's up in that pretty head that's got you distracted.”

“I'm just thinking about how much I love you. I'm gonna miss you when you go,” you say, turning to your vanity.

“Oh baby, I'll miss you so much more.”

You look in the mirror to assess yourself, and your blood runs cold. You can't see his reflection. As you turn to look at him, you glance out the window and feel your stomach turn as you realise you're on land. You're not on the Moby Dick. You feel dizzy, you look around and realise Ace is gone. There's no trace of him besides his beads lying on his untouched pillow. It feels like your skull is caving in on itself, and you scream. It's the only thing you can do.

Two years worth of grief and pain rise through your skin, and you drop to the floor. The door to your bedroom swings open, and for a second, you think it's Ace and then you hear Marco's voice. You know he's speaking but can't make out the words in your state. You can barely feel him holding you, rocking you gently like a baby. It works. Just For a second, you calm down in the arms of your most trusted friend.

You're tired of losing people. Pops, Thatch, Izo, Ace.

Wanted posters and framed pictures of each of your fallen friends line your walls. Marco holds out his hand and Whitey Bay, who you didn't realise had walked in, hands him a framed wanted poster. It's Whitebeards. Your eyes water as you remember watching the only real parental figure you've ever had give his life for the next generation of pirates. He was hard on you, as he was all his sons, but you knew he loved you deeply. Whitey is holding a picture of Izo and Ace; Ace is asleep on Izo's lap, and Izo is looking deadpan at the camera in irritation at being used as a pillow. A few tears roll down your cheeks as you remember that feast. You remember every feast you've shared with your crew.

You spend the next ten minutes pouring over the framed pictures and posters, retelling the stories to your crewmates - who listen happily despite already knowing what happened as they were there. You avoid the frame sitting on your bedside table. Marco and Whitey know why and they are careful to avoid it too. It's a picture of you and Ace when he first asked you out. Ace had begged Thatch to follow him with a camera to capture the moment you agreed. It's an awkward picture; it's a little blurry, and part of Ace's face is cut off, but it means the world to you. It's been turned towards the wall since you moved to this island. When you're finished with your meltdown, you sit back down on the floor, quickly joined by Marco and Whitey.

“When will all this stop?” you ask, unable to look your friends in the eye. “It's been two years. When will the pain go away?” you ask. You know the answer, yet you dread it.

“Probably never”, he sighs, reaching to hold your hand. “But, it will get easier. We still have each other. The day that Ace left to go and find Blackbeard,” Marco utters his name with bitterness and disdain “ He told me to take care of you and threatened to turn me into a rotisserie chicken if I didn't”. You chuckle at his anecdote, squeezing his hand. He really has taken care of you; he's set you up with a house where you can live undisturbed, and he's helped you deal with the grief as best he can. He goes to stand, and in your mental state, you panic. You grab his arm.

“Please don't leave”

“I'm not, I promise. You're going to get a headache from all this crying. I'm just getting something to help the pain,” he says. His voice is soft, almost like he's addressing a toddler. You appreciate it, though. You're vulnerable.

“Ace had so much love in him, especially for you. He will always be with us.” Says Marco, rummaging through his bag. Whitey points to your wrist, where a messy spade symbol is tattooed. You'd come along with Ace, joined his pirate crew and stayed with him when he joined Whitebeard. “I know your heart hurts more than your head, but hopefully, this will ease up some of the pressure.”

You take the pill he hands you and wipe your eyes. You almost feel childish and ashamed by what happened, but their faces hold zero judgement. They lost people, the same people. They understand what you're going through.

“Will you guys stay for breakfast? I'm making pancakes,” you ask. Whitey and Marco immediately agree. You watch as they exit the room. You feel an oddly warm pressure against your cheek, an air of familiarity washes over you, and your stomach tightens. You take a deep breath and exit the room, hoping that you won't have to lose anyone else.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

tag list: @sexysapphicshopowner @beachaddict48 @lem-hhn @bloodfixnd

thank you for reading! hope you enjoyed :)

reblogs and comments are always appreciated ♡

taglist is always open!

[spookitapes]

Hello, i love your fics! Im a bit embarassed but i had an idea earlier today. Imagine beig on a relationship with Ted while hes a trip visiting every margaritaville or rain forest, whatever you prefer and you miss him a lot so when you can finally go visit him on the trip he shows you how much he missed you by fucking you so good you barely walk the next day. Okay thats all, thank you bye!

a/n: oh my gosh don't be embarrassed! pls send me more stuff I love it !!! and thank you so much for the support< 33 it's mainly RFC buuuut i did a little bonus of margaitaville ft. schlatt at the end :))) sorry it took me a minute to see this in my inbox!! but I hope you enjoy it bc this was actually super fun to write !!

!! 18+ ONLY MINORS DNI !!

surprising ted on his rainforest cafe roadtrip hc's

❧ getting the trip schedule from eddy so you can pick which days works best for you

❧ planning it weeks before they even leave

❧ ted having literally no clue what’s happening

❧ stuffing his face with safari fries when he hears an all too familiar “teddy!” coming from behind him

❧ thinking he’s finally going crazy bc why is he imagining your voice amongst the animatronic themed restaurant's ambiance ??

❧ almost tackling him out of his chair when you finally reach him bc you didn’t realize you were full-on sprinting in the rainforest cafe

❧ a very sweet reunion that takes ted entirely by surprise

❧ (don't worry eddy gets a good angle) it's some nice behind-the-scenes footage for you two :))

❧ “jesus christ honey i didn’t know you’re that strong!”

❧ ted laying his head on your shoulder anytime he can

❧ sharing a sparkling volcano for the memory of it

❧ getting back to the hotel and making out in the elevator on the way to the room you booked

❧ him immediately pinning you to the door when it closes

❧ he's missed you so much

❧ missed your body so much

❧ he'd been having to take cold showers

❧ and that worked until he found the nude polaroids you had left him in his luggage

❧ he's been reduced to jerking off, switching to hot steam instead of a standing ice bath

❧ so you can't really blame him for taking you right there

❧ stripping you of only what's necessary

❧ if your wearing jeans? gone. pants of any kind? bye bye. shorts? across the room...but a dress or a skirt? he's just pushing it up your hips

❧ pulling your panties to the side (if you're wearing any op-)

❧ hiking one of your legs up onto his hip as he barely gets his cock out of his pants before pushing into you

❧ both of you letting out a gasp as he bottoms out

❧ him holding your hand against the door with one hand and rubbing your clit with the other

❧ eventually bringing your leg around his hip up over his shoulder so he can hit deeper

❧ him fucking you so rough the do not disturb sign's swinging on the other side of the door

❧ once you both cum he'll carry you over to the bed so he can finish stripping you

❧ slowly peeling the clothes away as he kisses your skin that appears

❧ him pushing your face into the sheets to muffle the porn star level moans leaving your mouth

❧ "god baby, you're gonna get us kicked out if you keep screaming like that."

❧ but how can you stay quiet when he's balls deep drilling you from the back giving you the best dick of your life ??

❧ him getting fed up so he puts one of his big ass hands over your mouth as he fucks you harder

❧ just the sounds of skin on skin slapping, ted's groans, and your muffled sobs fill the room

❧ going at least three more rounds before he's carrying you to the bathtub to clean you up

❧ begging him to get in with you and getting him to after pulling out the big eyes and jutted out bottom lip combo

❧ scooting up so he can slide in behind you

❧ just holding each other in the warm bubbley water

❧ "i love you so much baby, remind me to never go on a trip without you again."

❧ it's followed with a tender kiss on your forehead

❧ you pause a moment before shifting your head so you can catch his eyes, a smile overtaking your features

❧ he thinks you're gonna say something sappy, something that'll probably make you tear up

❧ "you can go on as many trips as you want if that's how you're gonna fuck me."

❧ he splashes you with the bath water...

❧ the next day he's calling you to hurry up and get ready, something about needing to be back on the road

❧ he gets met with a long, loud, angry groan in return

❧ "uuhhhh honey, you alright?"

❧ him being met with your pouty face looking up from the mound of pillow you had it buried in

"i don't wanna talk to you. you did this to me!"

❧ he's about to question you before you throw your legs off the side and go to stand...only to go tumbling over before ted leaps across the room to save you

❧"your hero," he's smirking down at you, hands around your back and hip as you dangle mid-air

❧ "...more like my murderer." you murmur it out

❧ "oh and who exactly did i kill? you look alive to me."

❧ "MY WHOLE LOWER BODY YOU BIGDICK ASSHOLE!"

(bonus)

you two definitely fuck at jschlatt's during margaritaville

❧ setting it up with schlatt bc you promise him a gift (WINK)

❧ you jump out and surprise them when they get to schlat't's place

❧ him almost tackling you this time

❧ "i fuckin' told ya! HA mother fucker now you owe me $50!" schlatt's laughing maniacally as usual

❧ ted fucking you in front of schlatt as a thank you for the surprise

❧ "this is way fuckin' better than on facetime." (read my other work to get the refrenceeeee)

❧ making you ride him as schlatt records it on ted's phone

❧ reverse cowgirl to get good angles of your pretty face and so ted can watch your greedy hole swallow up his big cock

❧ schlatt shoving the camera in your face when you start getting sloppy, thighs burning from riding your lover for so long

❧ "go on and look at me, angel," he's using his free hand to grip your throat to look at him but your eyes are still closed

❧ ted's interrupting him for a second, "do ya wanna cum? keep on bouncin' then. I'll rub your slutty lil clit if you keep takin' my dick so good."

❧ "be a good little bitch and smile for the camera—thaaaaat's it, honey."

[animehideout]

Hello!! can you do a gojo x reader and like gojo is always on a lot of trips to kill curses and stuff and everytime he comes back home all he wants to do is just sleep with you and it starts making you think he only wants you for your body but she just keeps that thought to herself cuz she thought if she tells gojo he might end their relationship untill something happens and she finally breaks down leaving gojo to comfort her

Please and thank you!

My One And Only

Gojo Satoru x Fem! Reader ( Reader thinks Gojo is using her for her body )

a/n: thank you anon for this request, I really hope you enjoy this one. And remember guys, don't bottle up your feelings, talk it out , communication is the key <33 love y'all and stay safe.

Warnings 🔞: SMUT NSFW MDNI / NOT PROOFREAD.

Song recommendation: I'll Be Good - Jaymes Young 🎶

♪I never meant to start a fire, I never meant to make you bleed.. I'll be a better man today♪

You sat on your bed, clutching your phone tightly after reading a message from your boyfriend, Gojo Satoru: { Get ready for me, princess. I can't wait till I get home and have you all to myself, all night }.

The words, the familiar message, never seemed to change. While you longed for a more thoughtful, romantic message, disappointment crept in every time you unlocked your phone. You understand his busy schedule and duty as the strongest sorcerer, exorcising curses and protecting others, but what about your feelings? Who protects them?

He's often away on trips, since the higher-ups depend on him for everything. You've always taken pride in his skills and capabilities, that earned the trust of others, making the world feel safer with his presence. But, your bed remains cold, your house feels empty, and he's not physically present when you're sad, need to vent, or simply want to share a laugh. The persistent feeling of loneliness creeps in, filling your mind with unwanted thoughts. Each night concludes with a heavy sigh, as you find solace in cuddling your pillow, questioning the nature of your relationship with him.

You meet once a week, you'd eagerly set the scene for cozy moments ; snuggling, watching a movie, going on a date, or simply chilling and talking. Yet, it always veers into having sex. You love him and want him as much as he wants you but you can't help the disappointment you've felt

“Is he using me?”,

the same thought echoes in your mind week after week. You wanted to communicate your feelings, but the words linger unspoken at the tip of your tongue, always swallowed back, completely offering yourself to him.

Night fell swiftly, the clock ticked so fast, and there you were sat on your bed, half naked, waiting like he told you. You could have refused, but you simply didn't. you missed him and craved the way he touches you, the way he makes you scream his name, the way your eyes tear up from how good and deep he's pounding inside you. The way air gets stuck in your throat when his big veiny hands circle around your delicate neck. You wanted every bit of it, there's no denying in that.

The front door swung open and closed, signaling Satoru's arrival. Your heart quickened, anticipation the long night that waited ahead

“Hey, baby..” he began,

placing his keys on the nightstand and giving you a peck. You managed a weak smile.

“Did you miss me?” he added, stripping himself. “Come on, join me for a shower and help me wash up”.

He gently pulled you towards the bathroom.Your back was pressed to his chest, as he left a trail of kisses on your shoulders and the back of your neck. The warm water relaxing each tensed muscle. You closed your eyes enjoying the sensation. The steam raising from the shower, created a gentle fog turning the bathroom into a cozy space. Too emersed into the cute moments of peace,

“Maybe tonight will be different, maybe he'll stay and won't leave after sex like he always does, saying that he needs to be at work again” you thought to yourself,

hoping that this night, he proves all what you've been overthinking for the last weeks in wrong, but shorty you were pressed against the bathroom wall, warm water still running. A surprised gasp left your mouth at the sudden movement. The cold wall that Gojo pinned you against sent shivers down your spine.

“I can't wait any longer” he whispered to your ear. He turned you and now you're chest hitting the wall, “bend over a bit for me, babygirl” he demanded, growing impatient by each passing second.

A groan escaped his mouth when your tighteness welcomed his hardened cock. A soft moan, slipped from your parted lips as he started moving. The rhythmic sound of water droplets echoed and mixed with the wet clapping sounds, and your moans. Your eyes rolled back, too needy for him as he fucked that spot again and again,

“I fucking love fucking you, I love fucking your body, this pussy is all what I can think about” he said panting.

Little did he know that what he said but turn you off so quickly. Your body, is it all what he wants? he didn't even say 'I love you', his sweet talk was all about what satisfied him, but enough,

“Can you stop please” you said out of the blue, making him look in confusion but kept on going,

“already tired? I've planned a long night for us..but if you want me to stop use your safe word” he chuckled.

“I SAID STOP” you snapped.

Under different circumstances, you'd find joy in his words. However, with all those unspoken emotions weighing on you, hearing him say something like that became your breaking point. He stood still, a hint of concern in his voice as he asked,

“D-did I do something wrong?” His hands rested on your hips from behind.

In that quiet moment, only the sound of the water stream filled the air before you spoke again,

“I don't want to continue, pull it out”.

“Hah is this some kind of joke? why on earth would I stop?”

“Because I don't want to”

“Dont lie to me Y/n, I know you want it, I won't pull out”

“Satoru...please” you said as you moved his hands from your hips.

His brows furrowed as he distanced himself from your body, pulling his length out of you, giving you what you requested. You cleaned yourself and then stepped out of the shower wrapped in your towel, while he observed silently.

Seated on the edge of your bed, you waited for him to join you.He carefully settled beside you, his gaze unwavering on your form.

“So, are you going to tell me why the hell you did that?” he asked, breaking the awkward silence.

Without meeting his eyes, you murmured, “Do you even love me, Satoru?” Your gaze remained fixed on the floor.

“What kind of question is this?”

“Just fucking answer it” you spat out in a harsh tone, catching him off guard.

“I do, of course I love you”

“Haha, funny. Why'd you lie? You just love my body, Satoru, don't you?”

“I love you and I love your body. Can you please explain it to me clearly? Cuz I failed to get your point”

“Oh is that so? okay then I'll explain to you, I'll explain to you how I've been feeling for weeks now, how I'm always left alone, how you always show up once a week, have sex with me and then leave as if I'm your fuck toy, I'll explain how you don't even care, cuz you only care about how to pleasure yourself... I'M NOT YOUR SLUT GOJO SATORU”You yelled.

Caught off guard by you, his blue eyes widened mirroring the disbelief that etched across his face. Your words hung in the air, leaving him momentarily speechless.

“A-are you serious?”

“YES I'M FUCKING SERIOUS, IF YOUR FEELINGS TOWARDS ME FADED THEN JUST SAY IT SATORU, BUT DON'T YOU DARE TO FUCK ME EVER AGAIN”

You broke down into tears, hugging your knees, wet hair falling on your face, chest still heavy even though you let out all of your concerns.

“No, no, don't cry, Y/n. Baby, look at me, please” he said softly, a hint of panic in his deep voice.

His fingers gently lifted your chin, making you meet his gaze. Kissing away your tears, he whispered,

“Don't ever think like this again. I love you, Y/n I always have and always will, and nothing can change that”

“Then why'd you leave? It feels like you throw me away everytime after getting what you wanted from me” you expressed with a quiver in your voice.

“I'm sorry if I made you feel that way. I never meant to hurt you. I was just scared they might harm you, which is why I minimized our dates”

“Who might hurt me?”

“The sorcerers working against me and the special grade curses. I would never forgive myself if something bad happened to you”

“You know I'll be fine. You don't need to overthink it like that. It's not even my point yet—”

“I know, I know, thats it's always us having sex? thinking that I'm taking advantage of your body? Why didn't you tell me earlier baby? We could've talked it out, I could've explained, we could've done something else... It's just that's how I express love to you, through physical intimacy. I thought you liked it, I thought you were enjoying it. That's why I didn't stop. And I'm sorry about that..” he whispered, looking down, visibly disappointed in himself.

Your gaze lingered on him; you believed him, of course, you just needed that reassurance.

“I thought if I told you you'd break up with me and leave–”

His heart ached, how could you possibly think of that when he loved you with each fiber in his body.

“L-leave you? my life is meaningless without you Y/n how could I ever leave you” he explained pain visible in his tone.

You shrugged, sniffling, looking at him with your teary eyes..

“Come here” he signaled for you to move closer.

His large arms enveloped you in a bear hug as you sat on his lap.

“I love you for you, for your personality, your mind, your laugh, for the way you find beauty in everything. I never meant to disappoint you, and it will never happen again. Next time, if something bothers you, just talk it out and don't bottle it up. I want you to be comfortable all the time, okay?” he exclaimed, kissing the top of your head.

You nodded slowly, further burying your head in his bare chest, your warm breath tickling his skin.

“How about we cuddle and watch your favorite movie? I'll take a day off tomorrow so we can spend more time together, and you're right; I shouldn't be overthinking that much. From now on, not gonna minimize any date, instead, I'll work harder on keeping you safe all the time...You're my one and only Y/n!!” he said with a wide smile, lifting your spirits once again.

You spent the night in each other's arm, eating popcorn and pastries, laughing and joking around, till both of you fell asleep... You indeed helped him learn how to treat you better, helped him express his love in other ways, helped him to take into account your feelings. Communication is all what both of you needed from the very beginning.

Satoru made a promise to you and to himself, to devote his life, strength and efforts to you and your relationship.

[kalims]

Oh my goddess, orders are open! Ahem, ANYWAYS— I wonder if I could have an Idia with a fem or gn s/o who is introverted and generally closed-faced, being a sweetheart and even shy with him, pretty please?

• Remember to drink water and take care of yourself correctly, kisses <3

– Mel 🌙🩵✨

dress,

premise.

idia forever thought his cause of death would be the permanent termination of his end game account—which in theory, is now proven wrong at the existence of a brand new thing that just might obliterate his heart.

note. thank you mel <3 you too. i, for one will gladly accept kisses from u and idia (he's downbad here LOL)

idia is having a strangely, familiar sensation.

for example—the fact that his heart is palpitating so fast is making him afraid that he'll get the same sense of doom he frequently gets whenever this happens. like when he's the one that the professor chooses to answer a question up front. just his luck cause it absolutely sucks in real life just as much as his chances of winning that rare character.

but no, there isn't an impending sense of doom that sends him to the edge. no cold sweat forming on the skin of his neck, nor does it protrude from his clammy hands. it's weird, he feels warm rather than the cold it usually accompanies.

he needs to visit a doctor.

he gulps thickly. sending a lightning fast glance at your direction then averting it even faster. oh my god, your hand just brushed against his.. was it intentional? no, no—it mustn't be. you wouldn't waste your time doing that.

but you might even look more tenser than he is.

despite the attempt at flushing down the tightness in his throat, his words still break off into a croaky stammer that just sends his face into a grimace because, did he sound like that? "I'm.. I'm really sorry, you didn't have to do this," he says, looking away with those eyes that just screams a mixture of 'I hate it all.' and 'I'm so scared.'

his eyes in comparison to yours, dull significantly in terms of greatness. cause as rare as it is for your eyes to meet, he'll always marvel at the lush hue your eyes are colored with—and god, your lashes. so pretty, so, so pretty.

he sulks. he doesn't deserve this.

"it's alright," you answer in response, voice quiet but it's the only thing he ever hears despite the myriad of people quite nearly squishing the both of you. the crowd is large, and noisy. so he isn't sure why he's suddenly the greatest listener when you speak. "I'm glad you thought of... inviting me along, I know you're quite passionate about it."

passionate is not a strong enough word, it could be an incorrect word to use even. he supposes it's just a nice feeling to excel—be good at something.

but with how hot his heart is probably burning, maybe passionate really is the right word.

for you that is.

most likely idia's ideal type of player two <3 someone he can keep up with, not too fast and certainly not too slow. but either way, he’s probably having a heart attack at whatever you do. literally just sleeping? his heart… playing with him? please match avatars at once or he will combust. (and yes, he is hinting even though you already match everywhere else. had a house in a game, got married in a game.)

don’t even pull out the fact he buys you the currency to match and you feel bad cause he thinks it’s too cute. you need to stop or else he will buy you more.

speaking of more in game terms, he surprisingly garners a lot of attention online maybe because he’s endgame in every single account he’s made and many people like money so… there are many attempts at ‘rizzing’ him up but in the end he’s provoking them to screenshot it and report them as online daters.

^ says THE online dater.

still reports people if they flirt with you, but compared to his. not only is it a file for online dating he somehow dug up the dirt, the monstrous things they did like… 3 years ago and now they’re gonna get suspended. It’s concerning since he was talking with you animatedly during it and he somehow also exposed them all in 10 minutes.

did the see you again trend in secrecy cause he would rather leap down a hole to hell than let people see it. In any case… if it isn’t obvious he’s the lala, you the okok.

deluded himself, is convinced that he’s actually the nonchalant, ‘cool’ one but all he is, is a literal puddle. is still solid when standing but will be putty in your hands in SECONDS.

idia is secretly really proud of himself whilst being like: how did i even pull them. cause when he looks at your face when you’re talking to other people. he’s actually kind of scared cause it’s a really wondrous thing you never once looked at him like that… (please save his mind too. he’s trying to convince himself that you must be like this, soft person he knows to other people too and not just him because that’s just crazy right haha.. hahahaha…)

the type to tell you to stand back during raids, challenges, boss fights, etc…  that all you need to do is be there, and that he’ll solo it for you and you can claim your rewards even though he gave you the rarest, strongest equipment in respective games which won’t be much use at this point cause he insists he do it for you, and sulks all day if you don’t let him.

stay at home couple >>>

will order every single thing you crave during those times he’s too shy to consider date nights, and you too so it’s like an unspoken thing. he honestly plays better when you’re inside his room, even if it’s just laying on his messy bed scrolling on your phone or munching on something.

it’s just complete, comfortable silence.

except for the time one of you accidentally makes an indirect flirty comment and now the room could be considered a sauna from the literal steam only two people emitted. 

really, really, really, REALLY, likes it when your head is on his shoulder.

“─ean.. no one really asked for it, the nerf was completely unnecessary and─” the words poured out of his mouth, something uncontrollable that he couldn’t stop. there is something about you that just kicks down the layer of anxiety on him. comfortable might be the right word, even if you don’t talk that much (which is surprising cause he ends up being the talkative one and you always assure him that you like to listen.) somehow the thought: am i too annoying? doesn’t really pop up like usual.

in fact, he’s excited to ramble all about it. excited to hear your thoughtful hums, excited to see your attentive eyes on him since the first word he’s said─but it isn’t. because he looks up and you’re blinking haphazardly, thrice in a second and before he panics to shut his mouth he feels the soft slump of your head against the curve of his shoulder.

oh my god, oh my god, oh my g─

if idia had half of his mind he would scream instinctively at the weight he isn’t really accustomed to feel. actually, even if he did have his entire brain connected, and his thoughts coherent he still would. but he bites the inside of his cheek cause despite the chaos that just erupted in his mind which is somehow simultaneously blank, and swirling.

and he remembers midst his confusion that you are,

asleep.

you’re asleep on his shoulder

you’re asleep.

asleep on his shoulder.

on. his. shoulder.

he resorts to the screech in his head.

his shoulder─is so terribly stiff right now to the point where he thinks that sleeping on a hard, wooden surface would be surely more comfortable rather than where your head lays. he makes an effort to relax his muscles, tell himself that it’s only you and that there’s nothing wrong but there is something wrong because it’s you! idia dares to sneak a peek at you and your closed lids only confirm your unconscious state.

and careful with each nudge his movement makes sends to your head. idia can’t resist the hands that creep up his face and bury it, to hope all the embarrassment and whatever he’s feeling right now absorbs it right out of his face because god. he knows he looks like he just ate 10 bowls of lilia’s cooking.

he would scream, he really would. a second thought but you’re on his shoulder!

you, who rarely touches him too much.

on him.

him, who gets too flustered to be touched by you.

so he feels pretty obligated to just suck it up cause he’s enjoying the moment even if you aren’t conscious right now and he sure as hell is going to, for as long as he can.

idia releases a deep sigh, long and wistful because he’s gonna die before you even wake up.

[technically-a-kiwi]

What are you ? (🌌 True cosmic 🌌)

"Today was one shitty day alright" though Maurice completely soaked by the raging storm outside.

He sighs in exasperation as he realises he left the door unlocked yet again… shucks… at least today, he didn’t go out and gamble all his salary away, that’s a step up, nor did he say anything mean to his coworkers… well he didn’t start any conversation to begin with… but it counts ! So today wasn’t complete garbage…

Slowly dripping water everywhere, Maurice gets to his room to change, he groawns as he thinks of all this water he'll need to clean off the floor…

He changes all his cloths, but he’s still not completely dried up and shakes from the cold atmosphere, he will 100% catch pneumonia if he doesn’t do anything he thinks …

Then, Maurice has an idea, use the pizza oven his nana gifted him as a repurposed fireplace, yes that’s a great idea ! He thought very strongly.

From his last match and broken wood table, he starts a tiny fire, a fire slowly warming the poor man's body... And after that, another bright idea : Warm the water for his pastas with the fire from the oven. Maurice fills a pan with water, puts it where you would put the pizza and waits, all the while being warmed up by the fire.

The fire was so hypnotic, so warm... Maurice slowly closed his eyes and given himself up to sleep...

A nice little nap

After a though day

...

...

WAKE UP !!! DON'T YOU KNOW HOW DANGEROUS IT IS-A TO LEAVE A PIZZA OVEN UNSUPERVISED ??!!!

The sudden loud screaming woke Maurice up with a start, he jumps as he sees a huge flaming figure. The figure looked like it was trying to put out a fire with a bucket of water, the flames comming from the oven looked like it spreaded out past the oven, a little more and it might have caught Maurice's chair...

Maurice screams and shakes in terror as he looks at the huge firery and bright being standing in front of him... The figure stops, and looks behind him...

"Oh no !" says the being, he takes a deep breath... and starts to adopt much more cooler colors, and a smoother body...

"Scusi amico, I tend to lose-a shape when under pressure... hehe" Says the being, scratching his head, looking all nervous

Maurice stops shaking... he can't believe his eyes, he recognizes the being... and in a furious frown, he yells " YOU AGAIN ?!! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE YOU STUPID SPARKLY GHOST !!!"

The being was in fact the cosmic chef all along...

The chef expected such a reaction from Maurice "Well, that's a weird way to say hello..." he says "Way to talk to the being who just-a prevented you from catching on fire..." he says, arms crossed.

"I- I what ?!" says Maurice, not realising in what danger he was in...

The chef puts the water bucket in his pocket... "But anyway, I'm not here-a to be your guardian angel, I want-a to tell you som-" He his cut short

"NO, I ALREADY TOLD YOU LAST TIME I DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOU, LEAVE ME ALONE" Yells Maurice, furious while rising from his chair.

"Okay, okay, but let me tell-" the chef is cut short yet again...

"NO, LEAVE !" Maurice says pointing the door.

"But-"

"LEAVE"

"I just-"

"LEAVE !!!"

"But I-"

"LEAVE I TELL YOU-" Maurice is interupted as the chef grabs his mouth, pulls it and rip it right of... Maurice is now mouthless and can't say a word.

"Alright, now if you want-a your mouth-a back, you'll listen with-a the upmost attention." Says the chef, disintegrating Maurice's mouth in his hand.

Maurice agrees all panicked and wide eyed, he didn't think this lava lamp looking cook had such abilities.

"Great" says the chef, "Please have a sit."

As he looks behind him, Maurice realise his chair is not here anymore, in fact, it looks like he isn't in his kitchen anymore... Somehow, he teleported in a... restaurant ? Memories from the past come back, it looked roughly like his nana's pizzeria, but... from the floor to the celling you could see a stary sky, it made Maurice a little dizzy... What is this place ?

"Oh right, hum... this is-a my pizzeria Maurice, I thought it-a be nice if we went in a "safer place" " says the chef "Now come on have a sit"

Maurice sits on a red leather chair, a little concerned at what is happening.

"Okay Maurice..." says the chef while smiling, "Since our last meeting, I observed-a you from the stars, whatching your behavior"

Maurice frowns and tries to say something... What do you mean you observed me ? WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE ?! But with no mouth, not a word could be heard...

"Epepep, Save your questions for-a later..." says the chef putting his finger on where Maurice's mouth should be... "I'm glade I continued watching you, you're quite an interesting man"

Maurice looks confused, who does this guy think he is to casually spy on his life ? He points at his head, hoping this being starts to read his mind

"I don't understand... why are you so interested in me, who are you?" he thinks

"Oh, you- you don't remember ?" Says the chef, a little confused

Loose memories of the night they met resonates inside Maurice's head, he remember hearing he's some kind of cosmic chef, *something* Spaghetti... he still doesn't understand why they have the same last name...To Maurice, the cosmic chef is just some kind of insane ghost of his ancestors comming to haunt him for not following the pizza way...

"Oh dio MIO, again ?!" says the chef completely done with this stupid assumptions and flamming up "Okay, first of all, the right-a question is not "who am I" but "what am I", and I'm neither-a your ancestor, or a ghost, or a dream, or an illusion ! I'm..."

He sighs, rubing his eyes "You know what, maybe... maybe, just this-a time, speech won't be enough..."

The room goes dark, the ground disappears... Maurice is now floating in what feels and looks like the void

in the darkness, a tiny blue flame lights up

a loud voice resonates...

You don't-a know what I am...

But I know you very well... do you know why ?

The flames come closer to Maurice, it slowly expands... And bursts into a blazing wall, ingolfing the poor man, but not burning him

I saw everything, from-a your begining to your end

well... sort of, it's a little complicated...

The flames rises up, seperating into what looks like bands of photographic film, slowly forming a humanoid looking figure

Your-a soul has no secrets for-a me, nor the world around-a you

Because, believe it or-a not, I made-a your world, I made-a your being

The humanoid flame fully take shape, it's the cosmic chef but... he's now far more otherworldly... imposing, his body doesn't look like it has joints anymore, shifting like a flame, colors far more plentiful and eyes looking like an optical illusion... his blinding body makes it hard to see his full grasp...

He mysteriously appears behind Maurice, putting his spaghetti arm on his shoulder

I can change the way you look, did-a you know that ?

With those words, Maurice starts to twist like a spring, get's alongated, shrinks back, turns into a mouse, an elephant, a fish even, changes into all sorts of colors, turns into a vase, a guitare. He turns into a younger version of himself, an older one too, and finally, the cosmic chef crushs Maurice's body between his palms, turning back into himself, completly unscathed by all those transformations...

The chef let's go, leaving Maurice to float away again

And that's-a not even a fraction of what I can-a do amico ! Not even the surface !

The chef lightly blows the tip of his finger and a tiny tiny flame blazes up, which then turns into a plank of wood, a metal bar, a imposing sea that ingolfs the defenceless man, the sea then shifts into a tiny glasse of water, dollars, tiny gemstones and finally, a single drop of... gasoline ?

Oh uh... whoops, it was ment-a to be perfum... you didn't-a see anything !

the chef grabs the drop of gasoline and turns it into a chair, it comes to Maurice to make him sit...

*Sigh* just to say, I'm-a no being from-a your plain, I am above matter, above-a the mind

As a big finish, the chef's mighty being towers everything, Maurice can't even begin to grasp who... no... what he's watching...

I am Peppino Spaghetti, the mighty cosmic chef, creator of worlds and realities.

with his hand he holds the miniscule chair, looking down at the miniscule man...

Now tell me Maurice, what am I ?

Part 2

[sphylor]

Mountain with chronic joint pain. Most days it's manageable but sometimes the pain is so bad he can't drum or work in the greenhouse or really do anything he enjoys. On these days (if the weather permits) he'll manage to pull himself out of bed and get outside where he'll just lay on the ground, digging his aching fingers into the dirt to try and seek comfort from the earth. The pain gets particularly bad in the winter which doesn't help seeing that the weather is never good enough to be able to go out. And Mountain learned the hard way that it's just not worth it.

There was a snowstorm in the forecast that morning and both Cirrus and Cumulus told them all they could feel it coming. But the pain was just too much. Mountain Needed to get outside. He managed to get to the flower gardens and tried to dig his fingers into the dirt but the ground was too frozen to make more than just a scratch at the surface. He led there crying for a while, desperately dragging his fingers against the ground, begging to feel the earth’s heartbeat, its warm embrace. And then the snow started and he realised he couldn't get back up. Dew had to melt him out of the snow that had piled on him by the time they had found him and supported him back up to the abbey. The earth ghoul waited to be told how stupid he was for doing that, that he of all people should know better. Those words never came. Dew just stared straight ahead with a slight pinch between his eyebrows as he wrapped his arm around Mountain's waist and let the earth ghoul lean on him as much as he could. He took him back to his room and helped him change his clothes and get warmed up. They crawled into bed together and stayed there in silence for a while. The guilt building in Mountain was threatening to bubble over and spill like a pot of boiling water until Dew took his aching, red hands in his own warm ones and brought them up to his lips to kiss them.

"It's okay. I understand."

"But it was a stupid thing to do." Mountain countered.

"Maybe,” Dew agreed. “But we all do stupid things when we're hurting. remember when Aether had to fish me out of the lake in the middle of february?"

Mountain cast his mind back and laughed a little. "The ice had just melted and you were desperate to get back in."

"I knew it would still be freezing cold but… I just had to go. Every part of me was screaming for the water." Dew wrapped himself around Mountain. "But after Ifrit had managed to warm me up, Terzo said I could use the special baths in the basement while it was still too cold for the lake and it helped. The feeling didn't fully go away but it soothed it."

Mountain buried his face into the top of Dew's head and hummed, the warmth from Dew's body easing the pain in his joints. Combined with the smell of cinnamon and honey that was Dewdrop, it made him comfortably sleepy.

"What I’m trying to say is just come to me the next time things get that bad. You know I can help with the pain and keep you warm when you’re outside. And we can all try and think of ways to help when the weather is shit."

"I know…" Mountain mumbled. "I'm sorry."

"You've got nothing to be sorry for, love. Just no more hiding in the flowerbeds during a snowstorm, okay?"

Mountain pressed a kiss to each of Dew's blunt horns "Okay. Thank you. I love you."

"I love you too."

@gh-woah-st

[emojellyace08]

"Lookism Men x Reader (When you're sick/not feeling well PART 1) J-High Main Boys"

Warnings: getting sick, over fatigue, colds/fever, passing out, overall not feeling well Genre: fluff ☁️Reader is gender neutral (and in an established relationship with the character of choice :)

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵︵‿

Daniel Park (Park Hyung Seok)

It's super obvious that he'll get super worried about you. As you boyfriend, he needs to take care of you all the time and make sure you're doing well (not like he babies you too much but he still loves you y'know).

What's the reason why you got a cold? Well you and Daniel were dancing in the rain and you forgot to shower later on because you're too tired (dumb reason I know but still...).

He'll be super guilty on why he let you get soaked in rain water in the first place while he didn't have caught one (it's because of his strong immune system gimme some of your durability Danny). Daniel will also scold you for being careless, though he wouldn't go to far to scream at your face since you're already miserable in your state. He doesn't want you to also feel mentally unwell. "I told you to go shower when you got home Y/N". he flicked your forehead as you pouted at the raven-haired boy, him almost giving you a glare for being naïve again. "But I forgot to 'cause I was so tired." you protested as you tried to justify your stupidity making him sighs at your statement. "Well, don't forget about it next time. You're making me worried". He advised again as he placed his palm to check your temperature, you can see the distress on his face obviously him being concerned about your health. Though you're not feeling well, you smiled at Danny knowing that no matter how stubborn you are, he's always there to take care of you. "Wow, I didn't know that you actually cared for me". you teased as he chuckled at your joke, finally seeing a smile form on his lips. "Of course you're my partner dummy. You really are a goofball even when you get sick". he ruffled your hair as you laughed along with him despite your throat already feeling sore. "Well, nobody can stop my goofiness even if its a cold I guess".

Expect Daniel to take care of you most of the time. Considering how he's used to living alone and being independent most of the times, he'll cook ramen (or what ever food you want as long as it's healthy) and check on you. He'll also ask for his mom about effective medicines for him to buy on the pharmacy and he'll also make you warm tea or soup so you get better soon (I love this man so much don't blame me). And he'll also give you massages if you asked him! He used to take care of his mom after her work and especially when she's tired so he's really good at it :). He'll also give you advice on how to take care of yourself because at times he's usually either studying or getting involve with criminal and gang drama which can be disappointing on your part. But you know that despite him being your partner, you still need to properly take care of your physical and mental well being.

He'll also insist to sleep on a futon while you rest on the bed since he's used to sleep on the floor. He wants you to get more comfortable while you recharge your energy and he'll definitely scold you again if you protested lmao. Also expect him to clean and sanitize the place after you got better (he also doesn't want to fell ill so...)

Zack Lee (Lee Jin Sung)

He's the definition of a protective and caring boyfriend. He'll panic 24/7 if you got sick. He hates seeing you feeling unwell.

I headcannon that Zack secretly likes being pampered and being taken care of by his someone. Like when we see Mira feeding him when he had a arm injury. So it can be a disadvantage in your relationship if you're the one who needs it. (not like he completely sucks at it).

But doesn't mean that Zack won't try providing your needs. He wants to be supportive and be the best boyfriend especially when you're not in your best condition. He'll definitely ask help on Mira and even Jace when you started showing signs of being sick. "Mira, Y/N's having a headache what should I do?" he bashfully asked while he scratched his hair out of worry and nervousness. "Oh, Let her/him sit and give her/him water since standing can be a dangerous when you're feeling dizzy!" He'll definitely take you to the nearest clinic possible even if your head just aches a lot or if you're feeling a bit dizzy.

He'll also willing to give you a massage if your body hurts so much and if you consent to it. "Does your shoulders hurt?" he'll ask in concern as your face scrunch because of your muscles feeling sore. "No, I'm fine Zack don't worry." you lied to him while giving him a forced smile as he sighed knowing that you're trying to act okay. He knows you don't want to be a burden to him even if it's far from the truth. "Please, let me help you?" he pleaded as you sighed back knowing that you can't do anything with your boyfriend whose trying to help you. "Okay. if you say so". Surprisingly, Zack is also good at giving massages so trust him about it.

And if you catch a cold, he'll also scold you, his voice will have a bit higher-pitch on it with a mix of concern (it's a bit funny if you asked me especially when his voice cracks along with the lines lmao). "Y/N! I TOLD YOU TO CHANGE YOUR CLOTHES AFTER YOU EXERCISE! NOW YOU CAUGHT A COLD!" "S-sorry, next time I will." And he won't let you eat your junk food when you're sick lmao. Then he'll apologize for almost screaming at your face but you know that he's just being worried about your health. He's not the best at cooking and cleaning but he'll order pot lock food and your prescribed medicine for you especially hot and fresh soup so that your cold will be gone soon :). He'll also buy you lots of vitamins so your immune system will get better.

Vasco (Lee Eun Tae)

Like Zack, he'll definitely in a state of shock about you getting sick. His mind will travel into different dimensions because of you acting so off today. "Did I do something wrong? Is Y/N angry at me? Did I pushed her/him so much on our daily exercise?".

Considering how a bit dumb Vasco is, he doesn't know what to do when you get sick even worse if you passed out lol. But don't blame him, he's definitely trying his best! (He'll be the type to cry when you're blacked out since he thought your heart stopped beating and y'know 💀😭🤚) "Y/N LOVE! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME! REMEMBER WE'LL ADOPT BABY PUPPIES FOR OUR 1st ANNIVERSARY!" Your boyfriend panicked as he catches you on his muscular body preventing you falling on the floor. "Vasco, let's just take her/him on the school clinic she/he probably just passed out". Jace replied back as he's also in a state of panic and he tries to make Vasco calm down. "Oh yeah, Jace let's take her/him there!".

He'll also cry his balls out once you woke up on your sleep. Considering how strong this man is, he'll unconsciously crush your body as he hugs you on your bed. "Y/N! You're finally awake! I was so worried about you!" your boyfriend cried as he hugs you, forgetting that your body feels so numb and tired as you tried to wiggle out of his literally breathtaking embrace on the hospital bed . "E-Euntae, y-you're crushing me..." "Oh sorry!".

His mind will also malfunction like a computer crashing as the doctor explains to him how to take good care of you, what you should eat and what's bad for you. Good thing Jace will help Vasco out and handle your prescriptions since his friend can be confused in buying medicine and he might probably buy the wrong pills lmao. He will also ask for the help of other Burn Knuckles members to take charges in monitoring your condition if they're alright with it and when they are free. But Jace might consider wearing a facemask too to prevent the risk of getting sick too along with his crewmates and Vasco incase you have a cold or cough.

Vasco's not really good at giving massages since his strength will probably crush your shoulders off lol. But since he's so gentle at touching you like a fragile glass, he'll probably do the job done. He's not also good at cooking. But he'll definitely buy those salmon soup dishes for you or something hot and warm for you like tea if you're allergic to fish and seafood. He's doing his best so please appreciate it and be patient about him.

Jay Hong (Hong Jae Yol)

Jay will dedicate his time and life for you 24/7. He might even be your personal nurse if you asked me.

He'll also be worried and you can see that frown on his face when he notices you having a cough or cold, when you're feeling dizzy or when your body sores so much. But after for a few minutes, he'll compose himself so that he can take good care of you.

If you're injured, he'll definitely have reserved band aids and ointment on his Gucci bag so it won't be a different when you need cough syrups and cough menthols. He'll also lend you his alcohol/sanitizers and facemasks (he's always ready for disaster unlike the other 3 lmao). Though he still can't help but to be deeply concerned about you even when he's in school and he mostly notices if you're absent or not. So he'll let you rest even when you're working on something important or when you're studying and doing your homework he'll do it for you instead if you don't mind (I swear this man is a people pleaser😭).

He's not a professional cook since his servants/maids do the household chores but he's also a decent one since he does not rely on them too much which is a great advantage. If you live in the same apartment, he'll make food for you like soup and bread which actually taste good (and it's made with expensive shit/ingredients so better gobble it up don't waste his money lol). He'll also give you lots of good massages. It's gentle, relaxing but has that force to kill that stinging pain on your body. And he'll also lock all the cabinets and pantry where you hid your unhealthy sweets and snack lol.

And if Jay's busy he'll let his assistant (even Daniel) to look after you. And expect him to buy your medication and a healthy food for you the time he comes back home with that cute smile on his face :).

Also expect him to sanitize the place once you get better lol. And he'll even cuddle with you after you got well &lt;3.

Part 2 will be Hudson, Eli, Warren and Johan :)

[pennpenn]

FremiMay Day 8- Fatui

I took some inspo from Collei's background for this one!

Fatui Experiment Fremi!

It was mainly so I could practice drawing a different pose that I wasn't used to. You guys get a bit of line work just for a treat.

This probably comes from an au where he is sent off to Dottore before Arlecchino became knave. He gets long hair because I said so.

More details about the experiment au below because it has mild spoilers to the Fontaine archon quest

Tomorrow's prompt is 'kitty'!

The experiments being conducted would be related on how to get Fontaine-born people to resist the primordial sea water.

Dottore's plans are to see how much a person can take and what puts them on the brink of dissolving. He also wants to study dissolving and why it happens. Yet, Dottore isn't actually aware of the Fontaine people being Oceanids.

Freminet happened to be the experiment where he found the perfect point of: becomes water but doesn't dissolve. He is completely unable to control his powers and mental state. Just like Manga Collei he just kinda... Gets possessed? He becomes more Oceanid than human, the voices of his Oceanid brothers and sisters scream to him. Freminet loses the ability to act on his own and has a period of time where he just rampages.

His body has a blue tint to it, but can retain some color. Such as his hair still being blonde.

His Oceanid can escape his body but it causes his body to melt into a puddle. The tail of the Oceanid cannot leave the puddle. When the Oceanid returns to the puddle it takes a bit for his humanoid body to return.

Freminet also likely has issues with sensations. He can't necessarily feel pain due to his body being water, but he also can't necessarily die by being stabbed. Because his body is water.

Talking about his body being water, let's talk about elemental reactions:

Having cryo be used on him is probably the closest he'll ever get to the sensation of death. His body and mind are frozen, it's as if his time has completely stopped.

He cannot feel the force of geo. If you were to crush him with a geo construct he would end up reforming in a few days. If you were to trap his body within a geo construct his mind would still work. He can't necessarily die without more primordial seawater turning him into a full Oceanid at this point, so he would just have to wait patiently until he is freed.

Freminet typically avoids dendro because it zaps his energy. It becomes harder for him to fight his Oceanid urges and he loses control easier. He does, however, move slower when dendro is being used on him.

Electro makes him jittery! He violently shakes when he is imbued with electro unless he is touching something to transfer the charge. If the electro pulse is too strong then he will become immobile.

Pyro is probably the closest Freminet will get to actually feeling 'hurt'. His body literally boils if it gets too hot. If he gets too much heat then his body will be unable to keep its form and he may melt. So if you are bringing him to the Sumeru desert make sure you bring a bucket! Otherwise you may have to shovel some wet sand in your bag and wait for him to reform later.(He luckily does not evaporate)

Anemo doesn't necessarily do anything special to Freminet. If he is hit with a strong burst of wind that would shred his body apart he typically reforms quite quickly. (When he is a puddle it takes a lot longer to reform than if he just has to rebuild some water to get a neck or arm again)

Hydro doesn't necessarily effect him. He kinda works like a hydro slime. But on the note of water, liquids that aren't room temperature may risk him experiencing discomfort.(Like if you were to try to microwave a mug of cold water, sometimes half of the water is warm and half of the water is cold. It's uncomfortable to drink. He gets that feeling when drinking things other than his current temperature)

Not me coming up with an entire universe and lore for a simple art prompt.

I could go more into a ramble on if he escapes then his own personal Amber(as she is Collei's hero) would be Chongyun. Cuz I think that would be cute.

Anyways kudos to you if you actually read everything. If you want me to make this into a full fledged au lemme know in my ask box or in the comments. If you wanna be goofy then if you read this far put 🪼 in the comments. I like jellyfish.

[deeptrashwitch]

Memories bring back memories

Taglist (just to show :3): @alypink @stuffireadandenjoy @snootlestheangel @islandtarochips @spookyrares

@piouswolf @midnight193 @mutantthedark @justasmolbard @welldonekhushi

@tapioca-milktea1978 @imagoddamnonionmason @stargazing-sapphire2

The Ghosts were finishing an exhausting mission, and everyone was trying to get some rest while they arrived back to the carriers. Some of them were mindlessly resting their eyes, while other were taking a real nap. Although, J.J was really sleeping, dreaming, more like remembering.

About what? Well...

It was a warm afternoon with only the mosquitoes buzzing in the environment, even the humid weather was somehow relaxing. Juliana was walking through Leticia with her father, reling on that last thread of normality even if it was away from the city she was born in. She only drank her cold juice while they walked in silence.

Mario, on the other hand, simply had a bottle of water in his hand. The city was not only beautiful, but safe for them as well. It was the only thing he could grant Juliana as a father.

Suddenly, the city went silent. Too silent.

Nothing was making sounds other than the rainforest ones, and it was odd even for this little city. Mario frowned slightly as his instinct told him to run away.

"J.J, do you see anyone?" He asked, slowly tensing his muscles.

She shook her head, now looking warily at the city. "No. This is...weird."

As they heard some steps, Mario looked at Juliana with an unsettling calm. "If something happens, go north. Leave Colombia, leave Latin America and go to whatever remains of the US, and look for someone called Elias Walker, okay? He'll give you somewhere to stay."

"What-?"

Then a shot echoed and the bullet passed between them, missing their heads by chance. Mario pushed Juliana to run and he also started to run away, escaping. J.J felt terrified as they ran through the city, moving around the buildings.

Her heart was pounding on her chest in pure fear as they ran. She couldn't even ask her dad about who was chasing them, she didn't have any time to do anything else than run. They keep running, with the sounds of bullets being shot around them.

"Goddamnit." Mario snarled to himself while they ran. "He's still alive? Damnit, damnit, damnit! Why is he shooting?!"

"Dad-?!"

"Keep running, Juliana! Don't stop, no matter what!"

She obeyed until they were near the main square of the city. That was the moment when one of the shots hit the wall of one building, making some little debris fly. One of those cut her lip, which made her stumble and forced her to stop in the square. Mario also stopped, worried for her and he looked at the street from where they arrived.

"How are you alive?!" He shouted furious, covering J.J with his body. "Why are you here?!"

A cold laugh pierced the silence along with the steps getting near by the second. "What a cold welcome, Mario. You didn't even introduce me with your daughter."

"Stay away from my daughter!" Mario snarled, reaching for his knife.

"Hands down." The man said, shooting at him, aiming at his hand.

"Dad!" J.J screamed worried when the bullet hit his hand.

Mario pushed her to make her go away, forcing His knife to her hand. "No, J.J run!"

Before she could do anything, the man pointed the gun at her head. She stayed frozen by fear. She didn't move and just stared at the man like a deer against the lights, only able to have his face burnt in her brain. Especially the scar he had that looked like some kind of hook.

She barely could process what was happening, not even understanding what her father tried to tell at the man. In the middle of the fear and turmoil, J.J had to see the wicked smile of that man. Just to hear a shot and the thud of a body...her father's.

"D-dad?" She mumbled in shock, grabbing his body. "Dad!"

"Oh well, I expected him to be better...maybe even fight." The man said, chuckling coldly, before looking at the young woman.

He smiled wickedly, making a mocking bow before walking away. J.J looked at her dad's body, trembling while she cried and her hands were covered in blood. Then, she screamed-

J.J jolted back up, panting and trembling while she felt the ghost of blood over her hands. Everyone was still asleep, except Merrick, who looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Kid, are you okay?" Merrick asked her seriously.

She looked up, surprised. "Uh, I-I...yeah, I'm okay." J.J mumbled still trembling.

"Nightmares, huh?"

"Yes sir."

"Wanna talk about it?"

J.J shook her head softly, looking away. She sighed softly and looked again at Merrick. "Uh, Merrick, do...you ever feel guilty for something you witnessed but couldn't do anything about it?"

Merrick put down the documents in his hands, then sighed. "I have, long ago. Is that what it was about?"

"Yes..."

"I see. Well, I only can tell you that whatever happened wasn't your fault, okay? It will hurt forever, there's nothing to deny there. But you're still here, the past can't be changed, but you can live for the people that isn't here."

"Live for the people, huh? I see, thanks for the advice." J.J murmured, tired as she stared down at the metal floor

[sinkingquail]

an analysis of taliesin through the lens of astrology

DISCLAIMER: i don't claim to know everything about taliesin (i haven't beaten the game with him yet, oops). or astrology. nor is astrology for everyone. please take everything with a heaping spoonful of salt, thank you /gen. tl;dr at the end.

when you first meet taliesin, he's a cornered animal. he's surrounded by people he killed, about to bleed to death (and is hallucinating lol). then, a stranger comes up and sees a thalmor agent next to a ton of corpses. and what does he do?

he very matter-of-factly states that he did, indeed kill all the people around him and laughs about it. he insults your outfit when you call him a "monster". he tells you that he "carved out the heart" of a man because he insulted his dagger. what the heck, bro??

(this is of course not the most normal of circumstances)

holy fuck, if that doesn't scream deflection i don't know what does. this is a guy that is doing everything in his power to not show weakness, especially in such a dire situation.

for this reason, i believe taliesin is a scorpio rising. scorpio is what we call a "fixed water sign" which is essentially ice, so think cold, calculating, takes a while to warm up. scorpio risings are known for giving off stand-offish, dark, yet magnetic vibes. they're also known for putting up tons of walls when they're feeling vulnerable.

as you travel alongside tally, he opens up. he's still his sarcastic, incredibly straight-forward self (if you're playing an argonian, he will ask you if you're related to... smaller lizards lol). but he'll also make comments on how beautiful the night sky is, he'll tell you about how he wants to visit raven rock and elsweyr after exploring skyrim, he'll likely leave if you weren't adventuring, this mer wants to GO PLACES after being stuck doing lord knows what with the thalmor for who knows how long. i'm not quite sure if this guy has ever had the chance to just be his own person for once. ANYWAYS

i think a sagittarius sun best describes taliesin. they're what we call a "mutable fire sign" which combines the passion of the fire element with the fluidity of the mutable modality (this is basically a fancy way of saying "going with the flow"). these natives are known as "truth-seekers" for their inexplicable desire to understand and do not give a fuck if challenging the status quo is frowned upon (ok, with the thalmor it's a bit harder to do that). they're really philosophical, adventurous, and absolutely detest being tied down.

okay, now we're gonna move to the moon sign which is arguably the side of taliesin we see last: his emotions. i'm going to start byanalyzing this quote from him:

"Ah, a fellow insomniac. Seems you and I might have more in common than anticipated. My nights will be less lonely now."

what a roundabout way of saying "i can't sleep and i'm alone with my thoughts, i would really appreciate companionship". he's blunt about other things (this man does NOT pull punches... especially when it comes to your clothes lol) but when it comes to opening up further about his loneliness? nope nope not happening lol. it's like he's hinting at his emotions instead of flat out saying them. this sort of detachment also comes up in the next quote:

"To think, I could be bleeding to death peacefully in a pristine forest"

except this time, it's less about being emotionally vulnerable and more about thinking about his own death, but like, he's prodding the idea with a six-foot-long pole. regardless, he leaves the "wow, i would have died without you" part unsaid. he's using humor to neatly skirt around the part where without the player's intervention and random luck, he would've died. (he also has a quote about haunting you if he dies, which is a lovely example of his dark humor)

to me, this is indicative of a capricorn moon.

these guys are compartmentalizers. they want to push all their emotions into little boxes and hide them in the attic but forget that everything will break down eventually from the sheer weight. they are PRACTICAL, and they don't really believe that there's room for emotions when it comes to getting shit done. and they do indeed get shit done. they also tend to have incredibly high expectations for themselves and kinda just assume the worst in others? this makes a pretty weird dynamic with his sagittarius sun, which absolutely does want to be optimistic and open-minded. there's (probably) a lot of conflict there on his world outlook.

deep breath

okay, so for taliesin we have sun in sagittarius, moon in capricorn, and scorpio rising. the moon in capricorn + scorpio rising both contribute a lot to his seemingly cold and detached exterior, especially in the beginning. it's hard for him to open up ("well this has been fun, making myself emotionally vulnerable") but at the same time, makes his emotions run deep. once he opens up it's a whole new story.

he also has a self-proclaimed "lust for life", which i believe is the influence of his sagittarius sun. i think that taliesin really does want to go out there, explore the world, ponder life's questions, and grow, which of course he couldn't do with the thalmor.

okay, last one i swear:

we're gonna talk about my favorite, which is the asteroid chiron. it symbolizes what we call the "wounded healer" in astrology, and gives insight on where your "life wounds" are and how to heal from them.

his… less than kind childhood thanks to a shitty father points to chiron in the fourth house, which is essentially indicating some sort of wound that is related to his home life (the fourth house concerns home, family, and security).

but how does this manifest in him?

aside from struggling to find a "true home" or place where he's accepted for who he is, i think taliesin also (especially as an older sibling) feels the need to take responsibility (aka: stop the ldb from doing stupid shit), probably struggles with feelings of inadequacy, and is fiercely protective of the dragonborn ("You want them? You'll have to get through me first!", he also says something along the lines of "don't go too far ahead, i don't want to lose you in the fog". he also latches onto them very quickly which i'd love to talk about, but alas)

as a result of this, i believe his chiron is also in capricorn. people with their capricorn in chiron feel a constant need to prove themselves - when you combine this with chiron in the 4th house, it basically says:

taliesin grew up in an authoritative household that placed incredibly high expectations on him. as a result of this pressure, he struggles with deep-rooted self-esteem issues (i have the feeling his aura of self-confidence is a way to convince himself of his positive traits, fake it til you make it ig) and perhaps, a need for control in his environment. the ldb is so so so important to him. they bring a sense of stability, purpose, companionship, and genuine acceptance of him, which are all things that he hasn't really experienced. brb, crying

i might just be pulling all of this out of my ass, so again, don't take this too seriously lol i barely know what i'm talking about

TL;DR taliesin's scorpio rising gives him a somewhat cooler exterior that hides his emotional vulnerabilities (cough chiron in capricorn) that is further swept aside by his capricorn moon. however, there's a deep passion for adventure and a quest for truth from his sagittarius sun, which helps balance out the more cynical sides of him, especially when you take into account all the trauma this mer has. this has to be the weirdest crossover of my interests i've seen. i know not everyone cares for astrology, but i find it to be a really interesting way to analyze characters and is an excellent tool for introspection. taliesin is doing a great job. he's really respectful about boundaries, i like to think he's gone to therapy at least a little. keep it up, tally <3

[lovelyunholyc]

hurt/comfort. non-descript nightmare (on aki's part). gender neutral.

(happy holidays! for his christmas present let's give aki unconditional tlc, as he deserves)

.

it's all-consuming. pure dread, so perverse he feels as if he's drowning in it, too thick to swim through, like concrete sludge.

it encompasses his entire being, renders him useless, suspended in the dull, dark nothingness.

he wants to scream.

he finds that he can't, that he's frozen completely, thoroughly.

"aki!"

he hears it distantly at first, soft and tinny, as if through muddy water.

"aki, hey, come back." he realizes it's you. he feels warmth cut through the frigid cold of his chest, his entire body.

"aki," you say again, louder this time, though your voice seems softer, more clear.

finally he can open his eyes.

he doesn't realize he's shivering until he feels the firm pressure of your body over his, warm and comforting, soothing through the ache and the nerves. you come into view slightly blurry through tears his eyes haven't yet shed, whispering sweetly, it's okay, baby, come back to me, fingers scraping gently along his scalp, through sweat-dampened hair.

you wait a few moments, let a beat of peaceful silence pass as he comes back to himself, his breathing slowly evening out.

"are you with me, aki?" your voice is gentle, soft enough not to cut through the serenity comparable to what he'd experienced only moments before.

aki nods once, blinking the tears out of his eyes to clear them, arms wrapping around you so he can bury his face in your chest, focus on the steady thrum of your heart and breathe in your specific, comforting scent.

"i've got you, baby," you continue to soothe, until your words soak through the haze in his mind and the tremors wracking through his body slow to a gradual stop.

when he settles considerably you sit up just a bit, pulling back to press your lips gently to his forehead. "i love you," is your last reminder before you part temporarily, tethering yourself to him by straddling his hips and weaving one of your hands together with his, knowing how important the physical anchor is.

with your free hand you reach over to the nightstand, fishing through it expertly to find a pack of his cigarettes and a lighter.

you don't smoke, and for the better he's in the process of purposely dwindling down his use with the intention of eventually stopping, but it is still one of the only ways you can be sure he'll be soothed.

you can feel his entire body relax further when you lean back in to give him a proper kiss, tender and unassuming, soft lips lingering over his for a long moment. you give him another just before pulling back to place the cigarette between his lips. he squeezes your hand gratefully, sitting up against the headboard of your shared bed as you light it for him, admiring the sparkle of the fire reflecting in his pretty eyes.

you watch from his lap as he takes a long drag, feel the rest of the tension leave him. smoke curls forth from between his lips, twists around his face and neck before wafting away.

if it weren't so bad for him, you'd praise it. you'd never admit that it makes him look cool, mysterious.

aki pinches the cigarette between long, elegant fingers, ducks his head just a bit towards you, and you know what he wants.

you peck at his lips once more, press your forehead against his.

he takes a deep breath, eyes closed, savoring your scent, your presence around him, your weight on top of him, your fingers laced with his. grounding, calming him deeper than you'll ever know.

you cup his pale cheek with your free hand, soothing softly at his skin with your thumb, and he presses his lips to your knuckles before bringing your joined hands up to the other side. you cradle his face gently, with a loving tenderness he could never hope to reciprocate, that he doesn't think he deserves. your hands are so soft, your touch so gentle, holding him so delicately, he thinks that if he were to break in your hands, you'd take care of him easily, carefully.

his hands are so rough in comparison, built from years of hard work, from needless atrocity. it's a wonder that you let him touch you so freely.

you say his name again in the semi-darkness, barely a whisper against his lips.

he opens his eyes, grateful to admire you fully. "thank you," he whispers back, his throat still a little dry, but knows it's not enough. he thinks he'll spend the rest of his life thanking you, giving you his gratitude in any way he can, and though it would never be enough, he'd cherish every moment.

when you speak again your voice is clear, firm in its assurance, its unconditional adoration, its clear fondness. "i love you."

aki still isn't used to being treated so gently, with so much grace and understanding, with such raw emotion that it overwhelms him. he has trouble comprehending why you feel the way you do for him, why you give so much of yourself to him and are so kind to expect nothing in return.

he thinks he'll struggle all his life to give you what you truly deserve. but for now, he knows you're content with just one thing, something he didn't think he'd be capable of again until he'd met you.

you kiss him once more, shift to lay your head on his shoulder, one arm wrapping around him and the other holding his hand to your chest, right over your heart.

aki presses his lips to the top of your head. you make it so easy.

"i love you, too," he replies needlessly, and he thinks his heart pours out of his mouth and makes his voice break. he holds you tighter and feels your arms squeeze around him in return.

[creampied-69-hotwife]

Not at all I love the sight and sounds of her getting the shit fucked out of her so hard and deep that she's cumming all over her Bull's big hard throbbing cock.. Ribbed with thick veins pumping blood so powerfully she can feel his pulsing cock thrust ballsdeep so hard he's got her so much more full of cock than ever before that she's literally cumming so much she's squirting everywhere and begging him to pump her full like some cum hungry slut I've never seen before...

Mmm hmm ballsdeep breed my married pussy a cuckold's give forced feeding of sloppy creampied hotwife pussies grinding down hard squeezing cum out as he tongue fucks me deeply... Mmm hmm aaand tongue the shit out of my tight little ass while you're at it baby she demands wickedly.. He's almost rock fucking hard again and just whispered in my ear that he's about to destroy your wife's gorgeous little butt hole whether you like it or not and that I'll love it before he's finished even if I'm begging that he stop at first because he isn't able to fit in there..!!! Mmmmm I can't even try to say no to him even though I don't know how his cock will fit.. He says he owns my holes and he'll use them how he likes even if that means raping them while I cry no please no..

Hubby promised me your holes slut and you will give them all too me before I leave.. Aaand you'll learn to love it too trust me you'll see next weekend my buddies are cumming to join me and we're going to pop your Dp cherry while we leave hubby tied up in the basement and properly give his sweet little wife a gangraping gangbang party all night long.. Bathed in the warmth of a rising sun she'll be before we're done passing her from cocks to cocks..

Cumming so much even the neighbour's going to end up ballsdeep in her after cumming knocking at the door to make sure nothing was wrong hearing her screams as he watered his back lawn... Omg please don't say anything to my wife he asks sheepishly with the biggest bulging dick in his pants she'll kill me if she finds out about this.. Well you better fuck me properly then now hadn't you or maybe I will just invite her round for coffee and creampie while our husbands are both at work.. I'll even help her get over your bad behaviour by letting her take my Bull's big thick cocks cum load pumped ballsdeep before eating her sloppy creampied pussy out while the his buddy pounds me from behind.. Burying my face deeper and deeper in her pussy with every powerful thrust as she looks into his eyes while he is cumming in my pussy.. Her cum fuck me eyes totally wanting him to be filling her instead not a question about it I hear him say after pulling out of my sloppy wet pussy.. You cum here and suck this cock hard again and beg me to destroy that hot little ass you're husband has never been allowed to fuck the whole time you've been married.. Mmm hmm you know you want me too you're eyes said it all just now.. It's ok to be a total cumslut he'll never even find out unless you'd like him to know of course lol.. Omfg I'm sooooo fucking horny I'm crawling over to suck that big dick after asking if we can film it and send to him at work.. Hmm I'll be the one cumming to borrow the sugar from next door for now on buddy you've been caught out and lucky for you her Bull's been so kind he's helping me understand it from your perspective how could you of said no and it wasn't your fault.. I was very angry butt now I'm ok with it I think babe.. And by the time you get home tonight and finish cooking dinner I think you'll owe our new buddy here a big thank you indeed.. Not only will he have saved your ass from a divorce but he's even agreed to cum fix all those things around the house for me I've been asking you to fix for years.. Free and all nothing to pay either except of course a few cold beers for a hard earned thirst throughout the day I promised him was our shout and the least we can do... Mmm hmm naturally though I've promised him a warm creamy delicious serving of my dripping wet pussy pie after watching him working up a hot sticky sweat all day..

Bending over in front of him with no panties on and the tiniest of slutty skirts making you so angry he cums in to ask what's going on and even tells you to go take a break even lol.. Go out for a few beers down the local I'm finishing up here shortly too I'll meet you down there after taking a shower and fresh set of clothes yeah.. Let's go he says leading you out I'll drop you down there on my way home and great a cab back in half an hour bro.. Intimidated he hubby can't say no and winking at his horny Cumslut of a Milf Hotwife as he's kissed her goodbye seals the deal...

Oooh you boys have a great night I'm going to go shopping with my girlfriend and maybe even finish up down there for a few drinks ourselves later on as well.. Dropping her husband off at the furtherest away pub I can find after pretending to live around the corner before opening his wife's msgs of her waiting ass up on all fours spread open invitingly.. the open front door letting the whole street see her pussy on full display from the street.. Mmm cum fuck me hard and deep right there in the open doorway I want the neighbours to all see what a horny Cumslut you've made of me this afternoon using those tools to fix my things... Now cum fix the hungry pussy that's dripping on the front porch for your biggest tool to be put to work.. Jack hammering my holes on the front porch bent over the outdoor setting in full open view of everyone to cum see.. Then drag me into your truck and take me round to see the rest of your mates at the actual pub you live around the corner from and you can all get me drunk before I'm bent over the pool tables and you all running a train on me including the barman who's just closed the pub early and locked the front doors and the first to cum fuck me anywhere he wants to in his pub...

Dm me your throbbing dick pics and tribute cum loads to this photo while telling me where you'd fuck be if you were that lucky barman who's filing me up first before a long night being filled with so many more in every hole that I've got in me... 😈🥵🍆💦💦🍑🥵😈

[adelemadouce]

Orchids in Winter

The next morning, I was woken up by Camille. "Madame, it's me! The Grand Marshal has sent a note to say that you are already in the palace!" Camille's cheeks glowed red under her white bonnet. She took off her cloak and stepped out of her overshoes. "Monsieur Duchâtel is very upset, he asked me if I knew why you didn't come home!" I yawned, stood up, took the nightcap off my head and began to pull the papillotes out of my hair. "What did you tell him?" Camille shrugged her shoulders. "Well, what did I say? That you were warming the Emperor's bed!" I slapped her butt. "You did not!" She laughed. "No. But Monsieur triumphantly announced to us all that the Emperor whispered something in your ear yesterday!" I sighed. "...and of course this is a world-shattering event for Duchâtel!" Camille filled the wash basin with hot water while I sat in the small cabinet and emptied my bladder. Afterwards she washed me with rose soap. Camille brushed my teeth and polished my nails. I felt refreshed and put on my silk panthalons. "Go, have breakfast now...he'll be here soon!" Camille looked at my naked breasts. "I hope the Emperor enjoys his breakfast!" What a cheeky thing she was! But that's also why I loved Camille.

I was brushing my long curls when I heard the scratching at the door. I went to open it and let in a storm! At first I was shocked by the Emperor's pale face, distorted with anger. I knew immediately that something was wrong and found my half-naked body inappropriate. But because my long hair covered my naked breast I didn't think to reach for a piece of clothing. The Emperor passed by me, already dressed, wearing his escarpins but no uniform. He sat down on the bed, looked at me and yelled: "I should have fucked you all night instead hoping to lie in that old goat's cold bed!" I approached him and raised my hands in despair: "Sire...please...you mustn't speak so loudly!" The Emperor looked at me with piercing eyes. I had never seen him so threatening! But I immediately felt that none of this was directed at me. "I want to scream even louder...and I don't care who hears it!" When he noticed my shaking, he calmed down. He folded his arms over his chest and pressed his lips together. After a while he said in a moderate tone: "Last night I went down to the Empress. She received me at the very last step and snapped (the Emperor imitated Joséphine's voice): 'Ahh well, Monsieur...was she at least pretty?'" A dangerous spark glowed in his eyes. "She thought I came from a woman!" He raised his head and added loudly: "After I've fucked a pretty girl, I won't even visit my wife anymore! The Empress should know that!" He only used this choice of words when he was very, very angry. Then his expression changed again. He looked sad. He timidly took my hand and pulled me to him, then he buried his face on my belly and put his arms around my waist. "Why is she tormenting me like this? Her jealousy is destroying everything!" It hurt me to see him suffer. I caressed his face, bent down and kissed him. "My love...my poor darling!" I knew my words comforted him. He pulled me onto his lap. "I don't know how much longer this is going to go on. She drives me to the limit!" I kissed him again and said: "Perhaps the Empress just needs a change! It will be good if she goes to Malmaison for a few days. And then the New Year will begin and there will be new hope for happiness!" The Emperor smiled weakly. He looked up at me. "You sweet angel! You're still protecting her...yes, maybe you're right!" We kissed. Again, very longingly. "How much time do we have left?" he asked. I looked at the little clock. "Ten minutes!" I answered. "Do you want to..., Adèle?" I nodded immediately and stood up. When the Emperor saw how quickly I took off my panthalons, he jumped up from the bed, grabbed my arm and pushed me to the dresser. His hands firmly gripped my buttocks, he lifted me onto the dresser, I opened my legs and felt him penetrate me up to the base! In those ten minutes he took me to paradise... Oh, I was also very pleased that I (and my dresser!) had managed to calm him down again. Before he left me, he took my panthalons and pointed to the seam in the crotch. "Do me a favor and unpick that seam!" He pressed the silk pants into my hand, kissed me and left.

At about half past ten I entered the Empress's chambers. Églée and a few other ladies were already there. The Empress was still getting ready. "Come on, Adèle, tell me...what did he whisper to you?" Églée giggled and pinched my side. "...that the Emperor and I can do it better than you and your Michel!" She had no idea that this was the truth. Églée laughed out loud. "You liar!" She put her arm around my shoulders. "Come on, tell me..." One of the red ladies appeared. She was one of the Empress's wardrobe maids. There were four ladies, they all wore a kind of livery, red dresses. "The Empress wishes to see Madame Duchâtel," said the red lady. My heart was pounding. Églée let go of me. "Now you have to tell her!" I walked towards the red lady and followed her into Her Majesty's dressing room. It was foggy and cloudy outside, soft grey light came through the windows, that's why many candles had been lit in the Empress's chambers. In this golden light, everything looked even more beautiful; the precious white furniture, the cream-coloured velvet curtains with thousands of little golden bees, long-stemmed white roses with white peacock feathers, white ermine furs on thick Aubusson carpets. And the large painting of the First Consul... In the middle of the room I sank into a deep, graceful curtsy. Joséphine's pugs came running up to me, whining. I stroked them. The Empress herself stood in front of a Psyche, which was a large oval mirror, and admired her dress in it. She saw me in the mirror. "Adèle, my dear child!" Aunt Joséphine came to me, I stood up and she kissed me on both cheeks. She looked beautiful, but her eyes clearly showed that she had cried a lot. "Your Majesty!" I gave her my best smile. "How are you, Adèle? How are your little ones...? Sit down and tell me everything!" I went to a small canapée, then suddenly I saw Hortense and Émilie sitting at a small desk. Before I sat down I greeted princess Louis with a small curtsy. Hortense looked at me for a long time; she herself was very pale. It was said that she had not yet fully recovered from giving birth. The ladies were dressed for travelling. I was also surprised that none of the powder puffs were present.

In addition to the red ladies, there were also the black ladies. They all buzzed around the Empress. I was served a cup of tea while the Empress sat in an armchair not far from me and had little leather boots put on. I dutifully told her about Tanguy and my little Napoléon, who had started teething and was therefore having trouble sleeping at night. "This is a very trying time for a young mother," she said sympathetically. "And your husband? Are you happy with him, Adèle?" The question came so unexpectedly that I didn't immediately know what to say. Hortense looked at me curiously. "He's a good father...the family is very important to him," I finally said. And I knew it didn't sound very convincing. Joséphine smiled. "That's not what I meant..." She looked at a gold ring she was wearing. "...do you love your husband, Adèle? He's a lot older than you...how old are you again?" I lowered my eyes. "Twenty-two, Madame!" The Empress nodded slightly. I saw a moist shimmer in her eyes. "They say at court that you have many admirers... there is a club of admirers of yours. Is that true, Adèle?" I looked at my hands and shook my head. "I don't know anything about it, Madame! I don't even know most of the people at court." The Empress tilted her head and looked at me intently. "You don't know any of the gentlemen who wanted to dance with you yesterday and who were turned away by the Grand Marshal? You don't know any of these gentlemen,...Adèle?" My heart was pounding so much that I had trouble breathing. I looked at the Empress in distress. "No!...I mean yes,...yes! Your Majesty, I know these gentlemen! I danced with General de Berckheim recently at the Hôtel Théllusson!" Joséphine stood up, I saw that she was crying. "Why were they not allowed to dance with you?...who forbade it?...what did the Emperor tell you, Adèle? Why do you never look at the Emperor when he is here? What do you feel for him, Adèle?...do you love him?" Her voice rose. "...Adèle...do you love the Emperor?" I looked at Joséphine with my mouth open, my whole body trembling. "Of course I love him! We all love him, Madame, he is our Souverain!" Hortense jumped up from her chair and came to my side. "Maman, stop doing that! She's almost dying of fear!" The princess sat down next to me and placed her hand protectively on my arm. The Empress began to sob loudly. "But I'm dying of fear too...and no one feels sorry for me! She knows exactly what I mean...Adèle knows exactly! And I treated her like my daughter...and she does this to me!" Joséphine pressed a handkerchief to her mouth and closed her eyes, crying. At that moment the door opened and the Emperor appeared. In full regalia, high riding boots, grey coat, black bicorn hat, and riding crop on his wrist. He looked at us and said loudly: "I want to speak to the Empress! Everyone else out!" Joséphine immediately threw herself at him, while I scurried out of the room with Émilie and the red and black ladies. The Emperor held back Princess Louis, and I was just glad when the door closed behind me.

The wardrobe women disappeared immediately. I stayed behind with Émilie. Églée came over to us. "Is there another crisis? Why? What did the Empress say?" Neither I nor Émilie responded to Églée. We looked at the door. But this time it remained quiet behind it. There was no sound. We stood there, completely silent, and waited. My knees were still shaking. I wished I could get far away from this place. Unfortunately, my stomach started to growl, because I hadn't eaten anything that morning. Émilie had to laugh when she heard it. Then the door opened and Hortense appeared. She closed the door behind her, put her hand on her forehead and came towards us. "God is merciful to us...they are just reconciling!" We looked at Hortense with excitement. "The Empress seems to have finally come to her senses. She made a terrible mistake yesterday. She thought the Emperor was with a woman, so she made a scene. But he wasn't with any woman! So now he's giving her a choice - either she ends her jealousy or he ends their marriage!" Hortense nodded. "I welcome any consistent behavior from the Emperor, because not only he suffers from Maman's jealousy, but all of us!" Églée said what we were all thinking. "She loves him!" Hortense did not contradict her. "Of course she loves him...he loves her too! But he hates this love...his heart puts him in chains! He would much rather be free of her...then he could finally have children. Children of his own! And the rest of us would all be free too..." Hortense seemed to be the truly unhappy woman at this court, and not Joséphine! "...besides, the Emperor has assured Maman for the umpteenth time that there will be no mistresses at his court! There is nothing he detests more than being associated with the habits of the Kings of France! To encourage reconciliation, the Emperor is prepared to accompany Maman to Malmaison!"

At first I felt a pang in my heart when I heard that he wanted to be with the Empress, but at the same time there was a relief that the truth remained veiled. "Adèle, the Empress will apologize to you when she returns from Malmaison. You are not at all to blame, we all know that. And Maman too! The Emperor told her that he wanted to make an example of his aides-de-camp when he forbade them to dance with you. He does not tolerate anything like 'admirer clubs'; his officers should always concentrate on their duties and not on courtly banter!" She sighed. "Unfortunately, the Emperor is a philistine!" But Églée was not satisfied with all the explanations. "...and what did he whisper to Adèle?" I looked at her. "I don't know! The music was loud...and he was mumbling something. The best thing, Églée, is to ask him yourself!" She was finally satisfied. I turned to the Princess Louis: "Your Imperial Highness, would it be permissible for me to go home? To my children..." I wanted to disappear, just get away from this palace!

...he went to Malmaison with his wife. With his wife!!!

Hortense nodded. "Yes, go home, Adèle, you've suffered enough!" She looked at the faces of the other ladies. "The fun begins for us now, off to Malmaison! Two days of cultivated boredom...and I'm sure we'll all feel sorry for the poor plants. They suffered sooo terribly from the frost!" An ironic smile spread across Hortense's face. "I just hope there's enough champaigne for us! Then the two days will pass quickly!"

When I arrived home with Camille, another unpleasant surprise awaited me. The entrance of our house was a sea of flowers! Duchâtel came to meet me, waving his handkerchief. "Finally, Adèle...I'm waiting impatiently! Look at the attention you're getting! All of Paris is delighted with you since the Emperor has been so gallantly devoted to you!" I pulled little greeting cards out of the bouquets. Read aloud: "Talleyrand Périgord,... Cambacérès... Cobenzl... Fouché...Fouché??" I looked at Duchâtel and said determined: "Send all of this back! I will not accept any of it! I do not know these people and do not want to have anything to do with them!" Duchâtel was horrified. "But Adèle,...you can't ignore these attentions!" I left him standing with his handkerchief in this sea of flowers. "Send everything back...or give it to the poor!"

I really had enough. With heavy steps, tired and sad, I went upstairs to my children. I had a huge breakfast brought to me and went to bed. In the evening Camille came to me with a billet. "Madame, this has just come for you from Malmaison!" I looked at the little billet, opened the imperial seal and read: "Ma douce Adèle! Mon cœur n'appartient qu' à toi! À toi seul! N."