#i AM horridly in love with you

[seokmattchuus]

Matthew I am not your strongest soldier 😭

[cozmiccass]

ʀᴜɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ғʀɪᴇɴᴅsʜɪᴘ

ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ : sᴍᴜᴛ ☠︎ ᴀɴɢsᴛ ✩

ᴀғᴀʙ!ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ x ᴇᴅᴅɪᴇ ᴍᴜɴsᴏɴ

sᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ: ᴇᴅᴅɪᴇ ᴇɴᴅs ᴜᴘ ᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴅᴏᴏʀ ᴀғᴛᴇʀ ʜᴀᴠɪɴɢ "ᴀ ғᴇᴡ" ᴅʀɪɴᴋs. ᴀ ᴅʀᴜɴᴋᴇɴ ᴄᴏɴғᴇssɪᴏɴ ʟᴇᴀᴅs ᴛᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴍᴏʀᴇ.

ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢs: ᴅʀᴜɴᴋ!ᴇᴅᴅɪᴇ, ᴍᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏғ ᴀʟᴄᴏʜᴏʟ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴀʀɪᴊᴜᴀɴᴀ ᴜsᴇ, ғɪɴɢᴇʀɪɴɢ, ᴄᴜɴɴɪʟɪɴɢᴜs, sǫᴜɪʀᴛɪɴɢ, ᴘ ɪɴ ᴠ(ᴜɴᴘʀᴏᴛᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ), ᴄʀᴇᴀᴍᴘɪᴇ, ʙʟᴏᴡᴊᴏʙ, ғᴀᴄᴇ ғᴜᴄᴋɪɴɢ, ᴅᴏᴍ!ᴇᴅᴅɪᴇ, sᴜʙ!ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ, (ɴᴏᴛ ᴠᴇʀʏ)ᴍᴇᴀɴ!ᴇᴅᴅɪᴇ, ᴍᴜᴛᴜᴀʟ ᴘɪɴɪɴɢ, ғʀɪᴇɴᴅs ᴛᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇʀs, ʟᴏᴛs ᴏғ ғᴇᴇʟɪɴɢs

ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ: 4.1ᴋ

ᴄʀᴏss ᴘᴏsᴛᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ᴍʏ ᴡᴀᴛᴛᴘᴀᴅ : ᴄᴏᴢᴍɪᴄᴄᴀss

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

YOU WERE HOME ALONE when the guy you've grown to love showed up at your door reeking of booze and pot. leave it to eddie munson to still look hot as fuck when he's drunk off his ass. his curly hair was sticking to his forehead, no doubt from the performance he just put on at the hideout.

"hey, babyyyy," he exclaimed as you opened your front door, he was leaned against the doorway with a wide smile on his rosey face. his sweet button nose the reddest of all and you just wanted to kiss it(even if you were slightly annoyed).

"hi, eddie," a less than amused tone came from your pouty pink lips as you crossed your arms. you knew he was a grown man, but you worried about him all the same.

"awe, sweetheart, please don't be mad at me..." his bottom lip stuck out with intent. eddie kicked his shoes off like he did every other time he came and sauntered towards you and you couldn't help but feel a little timid, feeling the heat rise to your cheeks.

you began to walk backwards, careful not to topple over any furniture. "i'm not mad, i just worry about you, dickhead."

eddie looked at you sadly but also with a slight glint of mischief in his eyes and let his fingers graze your jaw momentarily, "you wound me, princess" then, his right hand went to his chest while the other found his forehead dramatically. the silly boy stumbled onto your couch with a solid FLOP! nearly hitting his head on your side table.

"i wound you, huh? i'm the one that has to take care of your dumb ass when you get like this. nearly every weekend, i might add," your eyes rolled at him as you sat between his legs, one up on the couch and the other lazily draped off the cushion. you couldn't believe him, you loved him; you would never do anything to hurt him. truthfully, you'd do just about anything for him.

"i wouldn't want anyone else to, ya' know," suddenly serious chocolate eyes bored into yours before a wide grin appeared across his pretty features. "i may be drunk, but i'm not stupid, well, i am, but you get it!"

"you're not stupid, eddie." one of your hands found his thigh and you squeezed lovingly, earning a little jump from the metal head. "let me get you some water, okay?"

you walked the short distance to the kitchen, noticing that eddie was staring ass. a smirk played upon your lips, "what was that?" eddie wasn't the only ornery one around here and flirting with him was one of your specialties. it always surprised him when you made the first move.

"hmm?" he quickly decided to play dumb, rubbing his eyes and trying to pull off a horridly fake yawn that ended up turning into a real one.

"you got caught, eddie, no need to lie to me." you laughed lightly, "i know my ass looks great in these shorts."

"yeah, no kidding, 'ts like you knew i was coming over here or something." it was hardly loud enough for you to hear, but boy did you hear it.

and you definitely did wear them for him. every saturday night he would play at the hideout, he would come to you, drunk as a skunk, and you would make sure he didn't have a hangover the next morning, or at least baby the hangover that was to come. so yes, you wore the smallest shorts and the most see-through top you owned.

all for eddie.

"and if i did?" you found your way back to the sofa and kneeled next to him on the floor. you looked up at him through heavy lashes. your mind was screaming, retreat, retreat! but you stayed. you didn't know where the sudden courage had come from, but there you were, so close...

"well then that would be fuckin' awesome, sweetheart," a goofy grin appeared once again; he was still decently drunk. his ring-clad hand covered his blushing face, "but you're wayyyy too pretty to do that for lil' ole' me!"

"that's not true, now drink your water," eddie sat up on his elbows before you handed him the cup. you watched him take gulp after satisfying gulp, adam's apple bobbing, and some droplets coming from the side of his mouth. you wanted to lick them up desperately. 

he let out a refreshed "ahh" before handing the cup back to you with another cheesy smile. you accepted it back and got some more for him, but only this time came back with some tylenol and crackers. this was practically a ritual by now.

you enjoyed that eddie came to you every weekend. it gave you a certain satisfaction knowing he wasn't going home with anyone else.

"you're too good to me, sweetheart. what did i do to deserve you?" he sat up fully before taking the items out of your hand graciously and downing the medicine before looking at you with soft eyes. an emotion you couldn't read was displayed within those chocolate irises. "seriously. no one has a better best friend than me."

the words stung, but eddie was a free soul. you didn't ever want to stop him from being who he was, so you never told him how you felt. little did you know, he felt the same way about you.

"best friends forever, right?" a bruised tone left your lips and eddie picked up on it instantly. you could hide nothing from that boy nor did you necessarily try to in that moment.

"hey, what's that for?" he strummed your bottom lip sweetly as he frowned.

you brushed him off with a half laugh that wasn't nearly believable enough and he was forced to pry it out of you. "if you don't tell me, i'll have to make you tell me," he playfully threatened, but it only added to your ever growing frustration. a heat rising in your belly and headed straight to your warm gushy canter.

the way he spoke, how his hair fell somehow perfectly and so messily at the same time, the light freckles that sprinkled his pink cheeks and nose; it was all too much for you to handle. too much for you to pretend to not be obsessed over.

"if i tell you something you don't know about me, you have to tell me what's going on in that pretty, brooding brain of yours, mmkay?" he tapped your forehead and then your nose, finally making you crack a real smile. "or i can just tickle it out of you and we all know you just love that."

the way eddie could make light of any situation would always be something you loved so dearly about him.

"i'm so not brooding, but fine," you huffed like the complete brat you are. "it better be a good secret then."

"oh, it is, but you have to swear you won't be weird after." the flirty smile he gave you made your heart do a thousand flips. he'd probably just tell you he jacks off to farrah fawcett or something.

eddie, already feeling a little more sober, readjusted himself on the couch, " okay, so," he clapped his hands together dramatically, "when we were both seniors... i had, like, a massivecrushonyou. okay! now you!" the words came out as one, hoping you would just not understand him somehow.  it failed royally.

but it was true, he'd had a crush on you since your senior year/his second senior year. you had always been so kind to him and never made him feel less than you in any way. it was refreshing and he only wished he had gotten to know you sooner.

it wasn't until you turned twenty-one and him twenty-two that you became more closely acquainted. you and your other friends would go to the hideout on the weekends just to watch eddie play in his band. you thought they were the coolest and you were peer pressured into talking to him by robin buckley. she would always claim that you were "oogling him." you definitely were, but you'd deny it til you were blue in the face.

you got a little bit older and decided you would much rather stay home than party, but eddie had a reputation to uphold and a stage to rock. of course, that didn't stop him from visiting when he could, ie., that night and every other saturday. it was like a bootycall, but less sex. much less sex.

you were happy to take whatever he gave you though.

stolen not-so-secret glances, light touches that felt like flames dancing on your skin, harmless kisses on the cheek when you said your goodbyes and hellos. you could've been happy with the little things forever...

until that fateful night, that is. the way he was sat there, sappy eyes practically begging you to make the first move.

but still, your running mind hadn't entirely processed what he just said, so you were a little dumbfounded. "you what?!"

"yeah, yeah, you were pretty and nice to me and i thought you were cool as hell, so whatever. it's cool. your turn." he tried brushing it off so quickly that it made you wonder if he maybe still had that crush... but no way.

"you liked me?" the blush formed quicker and much hotter than you anticipated and eddie saw. not to mention the wetness that was forming between your thighs as you tried not to be too obvious about rubbing them together.

"well, how could i not?" his thumb softly stroked your chin and your heart was beating out of your chest. "you're a catch, princess."

the sly smirk eddie gave you made you certain he knew the effect he had on you. eddie got shamelessly flirty with you when he drank which was a very big reason you kept allowing him to come over like this. that night felt so different though.

he leaned forward so his lips came dangerously close to you, "now, it's your turn, tell me what's got you so grumpy, baby."

eddie started to pull away, but the eye contact had engulfed you so intensely that you didn't even realize that you had reached for his face.

there was no going back now.

with a sudden surge of confidence, you caressed his cheek, "i don't just want to be your best friend, eddie." just as quickly, your lip quivered in anticipation of the rejection you felt you were going to receive.

eddie's eyes flicked to your mouth as he gently grabbed your hand and brought it to his mouth before he kissed it, "then what do you want to be?"

"i want to be everything," your breath staggered and your faces were so close.

"do you know how fucking long i've waited for you to say that?" his eyes screamed of hunger and lust.

"so do something about it,"

it was almost embarrassing how quickly you were ripped into the metal head's lap, but at that point you couldn't give a fuck less.

your legs were on either side of him while his hands gripped onto your love-handles. your cunt throbbed at the way his dick was pressing against you, only a few layers between you. the need to kiss him was almost unbearable, but passing that threshold meant changing everything forever. but who were you kidding? everything was already changed forever.

luckily, eddie didn't seem to mind as much as you did as he crashed his lips into yours; the movement was that of an ocean, not rough, but also not quite calm either. the taste of tobacco and beer, but so much more delicious and just as addictive. you felt as though your purpose in life was to kiss this man, to feel his tongue dance with yours, to mold your lips to his plump ones.

eddie's grasp on your hips went from secure to deadly as he made your clothed clit drag along his very prominent hard-on. the back and forth was delectable, but you could see him growing more and more impatient.

being on top didn't last long for you when he swiped you at the back of your knees and landing rather roughly onto your back. one of his silver-clad hands traveled heavily down your body and back up to your lips. he put his thumb at the edge of your mouth, "you're so fucking pretty, you know that? i don't know what you're doing with me."

instead of trying to reassure him with words, you took his thick thumb in your mouth and sucked, flicking your tongue around and around. neither of you dropped eye contact and you don't think you'd ever been so turned on in your life.

eddie let out a shaky breath, "fuck..."

he slowly dragged his thumb to strum your bottom lip and moved his hand to your throat and you basked in it. "you really want this, baby?"

all it took from you was a nod and eddie was ready to go. a split second and he was practically mauling your neck, but it wasn't sloppy. the kisses were deliberate and placed with the utmost care, hot and wet. his breath made you shiver as you brought your hands to his back making scratches through his hellfire shirt. you were practically begging for him to take it off, but it wasn't good enough. he needed words.

"what do you need, sweetheart. tell me and i'll give it to you," the devil was in his eyes at this point, they went from that beautiful dark brown that reminded you of hershey syrup to obsidian.

"i need this off," you huffed. "now, please!"

eddie laughed, throwing his head back, his brunette curls bouncing with him. he obliged, though, with no objections whatsoever. in one swift movement you could see his perfectly pale skin, scattered freckles and beauty marks, his do it yourself tattoos that you loved so much, and even a few scars that you weren't sure how they got there. you made a mental note to find out later.

"take a picture, sweetheart. it'll last longer." eddie smirked and you bit your lip. your nails scraped down his now bare chest and he hissed.

you wrapped your legs around his waist and pulled him close and whispered, "i want you to touch me, eddie, please."

"how can i say no when you asked so nicely?"

eddie slid down your body painfully slow, stopping at the hem of your tiny shirt. he pulled up, giving you time to protest, but you wouldn't dream of telling him no. 

why would you? you felt like you've been waiting your whole life for this moment. this had been a fantasy that you never thought would be made a reality. eddie was the forbidden fruit and you were eve.

he slid your shirt carefully off of you and stared in awe.

"take a picture, sweetheart. it'll last longer," you mocked.

"i'd like to see you mock me after this,"

eddie started at your neck again, leaving bruises with his mouth, trailing to your breasts. he sucked your left nipple in his mouth, teasing you with that talented tongue of his, all while palming your other tit. he made sure to give the same attention to the right.

he made sure to make you squirm as he licked all the way down past your navel. his teeth scraped against your hip bone causing you to squeal.

eddie's head rested between your thighs, so very eager to please. the view from above was heavenly; big glossy button eyes staring up at you like you were the most beautiful, longed for being on earth, an angel sent down just for him to devour.

and devour he did.

he placed hot kisses to both thighs, getting closer and closer to your core with each one.

he wasted no time in stripping you of your underwear before taking that long tongue down the middle of your sopping cunt. the sensation was surreal. you knew you'd been deprived, but one touch had you uncoiling so quickly that it was embarrassing. eddie took it as a win.

your clit was first on his hit list, making sure to learn your body as quickly as he could. he saw which angles contoured your face in pleasure, perfect o's forming on that pretty mouth of yours.

with your fingers tangled in his hair, the tingling feeling built up until you felt that dam in you about to break, "fuck, eddie, i'm-i'm coming."

and just like that, he stopped.

"what the fuck?" you whined.

"do you trust me?" eddie smirked.

"hardly,"

"this is going to feel so good, i promise." and for some reason, you believed him.

he took his two most middle fingers through the slick of your pussy and put them in his mouth, moaning at the taste of you. "how did i know you were going to taste like fucking peaches? such a perfect girl."

his same fingers then plunged into your core, moving at an unforgiving pace. they were curling in the most perfect way, hitting your g-spot every. single. time. the moans you were letting out were near pornographic. mewling, squeaking, sighing. and you felt like you were going to piss yourself.

"you feel that, sweetheart? that's it, keep chasing that." he encouraged you until you finally felt that white hot release. liquids gushed from between your thighs, covering eddie in you. you felt like you could pass out from the intensity as you shook. your brain was empty, no words could be formed.

"awe, poor thing, never squirted, have you?" you stared up at the ceiling, completely dumbfounded. when he got no response he chuckled. "i'll take that as a no."

you smiled weakly and covered your face. you'd never came so hard in your life and odds were that more was yet to come(cum).

"well, baby, i'm just getting started, c'mere." he grabbed your waist harshly, pulling you into his face and dug right in again, thus came your second orgasm of the night.

"wanna take care of you too, eddie..." your bottom lip stuck out, exhausted from overstimulation but so ready and willing to please eddie.

"it would be rude of me to decline such a pretty girl, wouldn't it? show me what that mouth does besides talk shit." eddie pulls you up by the nape of your hair and onto your knees on the couch as he stands in front of you. he unbuckles his belt effortlessly and drops his pants and boxers revealing a very pretty cock coming up to slap his stomach.

you couldn't help but gawk. it was nine inches, easy, just the right girth, veiny and such a pretty pink. good enough to fucking eat.

through heavy eyelashes, you look up at him and lick a stripe up the underside of his dick. you give the slit on his swollen head a kitten lick causing him to jolt and moan so quietly, but it still made your thighs clench together.

before you even think about giving anymore attention to his dick, you take his balls in your mouth and suck. eddie takes in a sharp breath, "are you even fucking real, holy fuck."

he groans as your swirl your tongue around being sure to make him feel just as good as he made you.

you replace your mouth with your hand, spitting on it before palming his balls and taking the head of his weeping cock in your willing mouth again. only this time you don't stop there. spits spills off your tongue, making sure to be sloppy. your eyes met eddie's that were already boring into you before you take most of his length into your mouth, almost choking on it.

"fuck, you're so good at that." his ring clad hand finds its way to your hair again and pulls. hard. eddie shoves you back down, his head hitting the back of your throat making you gag. you press your thumbnail into your palm as he face fucks you. tears were streaming down your face.

when he finally pulls you off of him, you're a slobbering mess. your mascara that you had put on just before eddie got there was rubbed into your skin and made you look like a raccoon, but he thought you'd never looked so beautiful. to have you under him with his dick in your mouth, spit running down your chin, shining in the dim light of your living room. he could get used to having you like that.

"my turn." he said and scooped you up to take you to your bedroom. this made your heart fucking pound out of your naked chest. oral was one thing, but actual sex was another; a line that would change everything for the rest of time. you were fooling yourself though. things were already never going to be the same. you both knew that and eddie couldn't have been happier about it.

it felt so right for both of you, like you were finally letting go of all of the worries and doubts you ever had and just leaned into one another.

your metal head kicked the already slightly cracked door open all the way in a truly eddie fashion that made you giggle. he tossed you lightly on the bed and kissed up your thighs, yanking you to the edge of the bed. your legs were hiked up on his chest, spread wide open for him as he spit onto your clit and rubbed it with his thumb. you jerked from the contact on your already sensitive bud.

"you ready, pretty girl?" he smirked and you nodded sheepishly.

eddie lined the head of his dick to your hot center, but not before giving it a gentle slap, and slid in gently. you both moaned as he slid back out and plunged back in harsher. your tits bounced with each thrust he made, his balls slapping against your ass. you were addicted, that much was for sure. you needed eddie's dick every day for the rest of your life.

the sloshing noise your cunt made with each impetus made eddie groan, "so tight, baby. fuck, i can't hold out much longer. you feel too fucking good."

eddie suddenly takes his cock out and flips you over the edge of your bed, ass perfectly aligned to his waist. he grabbed a fistful of your hair with one hand and pushed himself back into you.

the thrusts started out slow, but he knew it was for naught. it wasn't long before his hips were stuttering, "where do y—"

"inside me, eddie. please. been wanting you so bad for so long," you whined, pressing yourself into him. you needed to feel him fill you up to the brim.

"oh, shit!" one final, exasperated pump and he was spilling his warm cum into you and you came with him: a truly ethereal experience. eddie let go of your hair and leaned over you, beaming from ear to ear; post-nut euphoria.

his hands rubbed along your sides sweetly, a contrast to how he was handling you seconds ago. humming in your ear. kissing your shoulder. you definitely felt like you were dreaming.

"you're just so fucking pretty," eddie cooed. you looked over at him shyly about to cover your face with your shaking hands. "don't hide from me, sweetheart."

"i just never thought you felt the same way." you pouted.

"and how do you feel, doll?" long fingers reached to move your hair from your face.

you thought carefully before you said your next words, face completely red with vulnerability, "i feel like i don't wanna do anything like that with anyone else ever again." your eyes shifted from his intense eyes to his chest.

eddie grabbed your chin and forced you to look him in those big, beautiful, now full of passion and love, eyes. his hand cradled your face and lips met yours once more, only much softer.

"and you'll never have to if i have anything to do with it."

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

ʟᴇᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴀɢɢᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴇxᴛ ᴏɴᴇ 🩷

[selineram3421]

*holds up fic like an offering* My gift.

White Wedding

Alastor X Fem Reader

Warnings ⚠

⚠ noble man's daughter reader(life), very old timey sexism, domestic abuse, all caps for shouting, arranged marriage, blood, reader snaps and it is delightful!, fluff, kiss 💋 ⚠

You sat in front of your vanity, brushing your hair as you were getting ready for a dance the Princess Charlie was hosting in the hotel.

Wilted roses sat in a vase by the open window, the air blowing your curtains slightly as the welcoming scent filled the room. The light glinting off something on your vanity caused you to pause.

It was the ring your ex husband gave you when alive.

You remembered it like it was yesterday.

Back when you still lived as an object, a trading tool for your father to use in political affairs. He even went as far as using you to try and get to the crown. Yes, you hated that man with every fiber of your being.

Habitually, you reached a hand over your shoulder to feel the scars on your back.

You remember everything..

.

"WHY CAN'T YOU DO AS YOU ARE TOLD!?", your father yelled as he lashed you.

"Mn!", you held back your scream, tears running down your face as you tried to get out of the maids hold that kept you in place.

You had failed to persuade a merchant to work with your father and now he was angry with you.

"YOU FUCKING USELESS WENCH!", he yelled and gave another lash with the clawed whip.

I want this to end.. You thought as he continued. Why am I still here? I should just end all of my suffering.

Another snap of the whip, another slash on your back.

"Enough.", your father decided and tossed the whip on the stone floor. "Get her cleaned but don't feed her supper or breakfast.", he walked away. "She hasn't earned her meals."

The maids loosened their hold on you and you felt dizzy from the blood loss, feeling yourself start to lean forward, falling on the cold stone.

I miss mother.. You thought before everything went dark.

You woke up in your bed the next morning, no doubt your father feigning sadness about your current state of health, him labeling you as his "fragile princess" to get sympathy from the other nobles.

Sitting up from your bed, you hissed at the burning sensation on your back.

Having been in his care alone for six years, you would have thought it would be nothing, but the pain was still unbearable.

Like clockwork, maids entered your room and prepared you for the day. Brushing your hair, applying powder and other cosmetics to your face, tightening your corset, putting on your shoes and a horridly large dress.

It screamed gentle and girly.

Someone is coming to visit.. You thought as the maids put on flower like jewelry.

The maids rushed you over to the dining room and opened the doors.

At the end of the table you saw your father talking to two unfamiliar men. He noticed you after you got closer to the table.

"There's my beautiful daughter! Come and introduce yourself.", he wore a convincing smile.

You walked closer and gave a curtsy, bowing your head as you introduced yourself to the gentlemen. "I hope both of you have had a pleasant morning so far."

When glancing at them, you could see lust glaze over there gazes.

Disgusting.

Your chair was pulled out by one of the servants and you sat down as they brought you a bowl of soup. As you waited for a glass of juice, you noticed that one of the visitors did not stop staring at you.

So did your father.

A few months later, you are notified of a wedding taking place in just a few days.

Your wedding.

"What?", you said in shock.

"You are going to marry soon, so finish up your lessons and take extra care of your skin. We don't want your value to lessen.", your father waved his hand to shoo you out of his office. "You will look best in a soft pearl white."

"No."

He looked up at you with annoyance.

"This isn't your choice, now go.", he said in an authoritative tone.

"I don't want to marry a man I don't know.", you pushed. "I want to fall in love and be happy! I want-!"

"WHAT YOU WANT DOESN'T MATTER!", he snapped. "YOU ARE MY DAUGHTER. MY PROPERTY. AND I WILL GET WHAT I AM OWED FOR YOUR HAND IN MARRIAGE!"

"NO!", you raised your voice. "I AM NOT AN OBJECT! I AM A PERSON AND I WILL BE TREATED AS SUCH!", you stomped your foot.

In a second he got up and was in front of you, giving you a slap across the face that made your head turn.

"YOU WILL LISTEN AND OBEY!", he shouted close your face.

Just like him, it only took you a second to strike back. You punched him in the nose, making him stagger back.

"NO! YOU WILL HEAR ME YOU BRUTE!", you growled. "I AM NOT A TOOL!"

That night you got the worst beating of your life that left you in bed for days.

In a flash, it was your wedding day.

You were being dressed up by bridesmaids your father picked out, bruises being covered with body paint and powder, lips being painted with a soft pink color. What you saw in the mirror was a portrait perfect bride, dressed in an elegant gown that any woman with a normal life would be happy to wear.

You hated it.

One of the girls sat you down on the chair in front of the vanity and started brushing your hair.

Then there was a knock on your door.

Turning to look you saw it was your older brother.

He traveled a lot and was oblivious to what your father had done to you over the years.

"Hey little sister.", your brother greeted.

"You're back..", was all you said before facing the vanity mirror.

"I've been away for so long and this is my greeting? You wound me.", he laughs as he enters the room.

"You cannot enter without the bride's permission!", one of your bridesmaids said.

"He is an acception. The rest of you leave us until I ask for you again.", you added and glared at the bridesmaid who spoke through the mirror.

The ladies nodded and left the room, the last one closing the door behind them. No doubt leaning against the door to eavesdrop on your conversation.

"You look wonderful.", he said and picked up the brush the bridesmaid left on the vanity table. "I bet your husband will be happy."

"I'm not happy..", you whispered.

"What?", he said and looked at your eyes in the reflection of the mirror. "What do you mean? It's your wedding day, you should be beaming with joy!"

"I'm being sold off like cattle, why should I be happy about that.", you said, tired.

"What is your wish?", he asks you, parting your hair and taking the upper half to brush.

"To start again but in a different way.", you said, placing a hand to feel the middle part of your corset, just above your stomach to make sure there was enough space.

The both of you stayed quiet and he finished doing your hair, fastening your mother's hairpin into your bun, the bottom half of your hair cascading down into wavy curls.

"It's a nice day for a white wedding..", is all he said.

He walked out of the room and in that second you took out a hidden dagger from the back of the mirror, carefully sliding it between your corset and chemise.

The bridesmaids entered the room after you called them back in, and you acted like nothing happened, wearing the same blank stare.

After the vows, writing down your names, and the carriage ride, you arrived at the hall where all the dancing and cake serving would be held at. Your husband took your hand and guided you to the dance floor, both of you taking the time to greet the guest and thanking them for attending.

Then it was your brother's turn.

"I'm thankful to get to see you in a wedding dress.", he hugged you.

You hugged him back, but not with much care and gave him a pat on the back.

"I'm going to be right back, but just know things will get better.", your brother whispered to you before letting go and leaving the hall.

You just smiled and waited.

Finally it was time for the father daughter dance.

Your father was happy, no doubt excited to count his money and other offerings.

During the dance your father spoke to you.

"I have so much more gold thanks to you.", he smiled with a proud look. "Getting married isn't so bad. You'll learn to be a good wife and mother.", he said as you both spun. "Just like your mother, you will obey every word your husband says."

The orchestra finished and both of you bowed to each other.

It was then that you took out the dagger and stabbed your father in the stomach. He gave a shout in surprise, gabbing your shoulder to hold onto.

"I'm so happy.", you whispered in his ear and shoved him back, watching as he landed on his back with a thud in the middle of the dance floor.

One of the guests screamed.

A few people started rushing over, some going to your father and the others trying to grab the dagger from your hands.

It was like dancing to your own music as you sliced and stabbed through the crowd. Screams and blood everywhere. The other guests, spectators until you turned to face them. Running out of the hall in fear of you going after them. The giant hall now empty and void of any life but you.

A laugh escaped from your lips as you stared down at your hands.

Your beautifully blood covered hands.

The blood shining off of the blade that made your heart race in excitement.

You laughed as you danced on top of the bloody corpses, wedding dress utterly drenched in your victims blood, now completely red.

White was for innocence.

But red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red. You thought and closed your eyes in bliss as you twirled. Oh red.

Red was your favorite.

There was a gasp.

Twirling to face the person, you saw that it was your dear older brother in the doorway of the dance hall.

"What have you done?", he said in horror.

You smiled.

"I've started my life again."

.

"Darling?"

You jumped in surprise, dropping your brush as you looked behind you to see your demonic love, the Radio Demon.

"Alastor.", you smiled. "I did not hear you enter."

"Forgive me dearest.", he walked over and picked up your hairbrush. "I used my shadows to enter your chambers, I forgot to knock."

"It is alright.", you replied and faced the mirror again.

The demon in red began to brush your hair, which made you hum in content.

"What had you in such a daze? Usually you are quite alert and aware of your surroundings.", Alastor asked as he started to put your hair up.

"I remembered one of the happiest days of my life.", you answered. "My lovely red wedding, just seconds before my death."

"Ah, yes.", he hummed. "I quite like that tale of yours. How I wish I could have seen you dance, covered in blood..", he trailed off and finished your hair, placing a red hair jeweled pin in your hair, making sure it matched your red dress perfectly. "We should have our own red wedding."

"Are you purposing?", you asked, glancing back at him.

"Would you like to get married to me?", he asked, placing his hands on your upper arms as he leaned down to place a kiss on the side of your neck.

Glancing at the old ring, you picked it up and tossed it out the open window.

"I would very much like to marry the sinister man I fell in love with."

Helping you stand, Alastor spun you into a dip before giving you a long kiss on the lips.

You felt a weight on your finger and peeked to see a beautifully crafted ring with a blood red gem. Alastor wearing a matching ring, but more his style.

Parting, both of you smiled at each other.

"Let's join the others! I heard that Charlie had invited Rosie as well, we can tell her the news together. She will be thrilled!", he began to ramble as he pulled you back up.

Linking arms, you both made your way to the dance hall.

This was my late night draft, my creation of insanity.

~Seline, the person.

Taglist@

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ML I🎙 | ML II🎙

[gok1bvri72]

Lyney and Lynette's death lines cut me deep.... I needed to make this to make me feel better....

TW: Serious injuries not described graphically however, Reader gets emotionally traumatized, the twins almost died but they survive, Reader cries a whole shit load, blood is mentioned a lot, Traveller is Lumine, Lyney x Reader content, Reader is implied to be female and uses she/her pronouns.

I made this at 1 am any errors are because I made this instead of sleeping.

It had all happened so quickly... one moment you and your closest friends were collecting seashells and the next a concentrated horned crocodile bursts out of the waves tackling Lynette to the ground in a bloody spray of crimson. You and Lyney tried to fight it off but not for seeing the attack none of you had weapons. You thought this beach was safe.... If the traveller hadn't showed up with her party you are sure that you and the magicians would had been done for...

You had never noticed how pristinely white the walls of the infirmary were until now. However, that's probably because you were usually never there unless you yourself were injured. So you suppose you just never noticed. The smell of the place was also quite strong, it was unmistakable and always brought you mixed feelings. Feelings of anxiety for needing to be near those smells at all, but, also some hope.

That's what you needed right now.

You sat inbetween the beds of your blonde friends who had been so graciously placed in the same room together by the staff. You had already, for the most part, recovered from most of your minor wounds leaving just your more serious ones to heal. Left with a cracked rib and a broken arm you were 100% set for full recovery. You weren't sure if the same was to be said about Lyney and Lynette though....

Both had received major injuries to their heads and neither had woken up yet. It had been 3 days since that evening. You hadn't left their room since you came in, nurses failing to bend your stubborn iron resolve and just bringing you food. You didn't want to leave them alone. The inner pessimist in you and your anxieties kept you locked there. What if they didn't wake up? What if they passed on leaving you behind? You at least wished to be with them if that were to happen.

You looked down upon Lyney's bandaged face. His make-up had long since been removed and his hair was a curly mess. Same could be said about Lynette's hair but to a lesser extent. Both had bandages wired around their heads and purple blotches that left a sour taste in your mouth. Seeing your two closest friends in this state made your stomach ache horridly.

Gently, you took Lyney's hand into yours. A frown was spread across your delicate features as you ran your thumb across the blonde's exposed knuckles gently. They were so soft. It's a shame he always hides them underneath his gloves.

(("Lyney, Lynette. Please wake up soon. I'm not sure what I w-would do without you guys..."))

Your lip began to quiver again. You had already long since shed many tears over your friends' current states but you felt as if your tear ducts were overloaded tea cups on the brink of shattering.

(("I l-love you guys so much- please d-don't leave me."))

You kept your voice as quiet as you could, not wanting to disturb other patients in the neighbouring rooms who could possibly be sleeping. However, you couldn't control your voice cracking every other word and the pitchiness of it.

Leaning your head of (H/C) hair onto Lyney's bed beside him, you once again began to cry. You didn't want to soak his sheets with your tears however so you made sure to cry into the arm that wasn't holding the magician's soft hand.

(("You shouldn't cry chérie, we wouldn't want you to get a headache now would we?"))

A familiar voice spoke a name only one person who walked the lands of Teyvat would refer to you as. Sitting up abruptly, you lock eyes with soft lilac ones and a gentle smile. Lyney had woken up. His voice was strained and it sounded as if he struggled to speak though.

(("Lyn..ey?"))

You felt your eyes begin to water again as more crystalline, salty tears began to drip down your rosey cheeks once more. Your breathing became uneven as your crying made it hard to.

(("Lyney- Lyney pl-please never do that again l-lets never go b-back there again Lyney I c-can't live with- without you or L-Lynette please-"))

You choked out between strained breaths and sobs. Lyney gently brought one of his delicate hands up to one if your tear-stained cheeks, carefully caressing it. You quickly leaned into like a feline would, accepting any form of reminder that he was alive and recovering, albeit slowly.

(("Mon précieux, it'll be alright."))

His lavender eyes held nothing but a loving reassurance in them, backing his words. Nothing else was spoken between the two of you for a long time aside from your sobs and the occasional 'Lyney' between them. This lasted for a while, a long while. You had wound up crying yourself to sleep on Lyney's lap as he gently stroked your head.

This is when Lynette began to stir.

(("L-Lyney?? (Y/N)? What happened?"))

Her voice was thankfully still mostly in tact it appears. Lyney spoke softly, answering her question,

(("Horned crocodile attack. I presume we've been out for several days but it's hard to tell. If (Y/N)'s reaction is anything to go off of, however, I would assume it's at least been 2-3 days."))

Lynette looked towards your sleeping figure, relief of your safety washing over her. Your tear stained face and multiple bandages were a little worrying but you were alive and healing regardless.

(("Is she alright?"))

The girl asked her brother who nodded in response,

(("She'll be overjoyed when she learns that you have awaken as well dear sister."))

[aloneinthehellfire]

Chapter Nineteen: The Bitter Taste Of Deceit

Gates Of Hell

Word Count: 3.4k

Warnings: amnesia, death, horror elements

[A/N: Finally!!! I have been so busy with my degree shows that I haven't had time to sit and use my little fic as an escape but thank you to everyone still showing love to this series x This one is... let's just say I was depressed and took it out on the characters, okay bye]

The Bitter Taste Of Deceit

The metal table in the middle of a bare room was far from a comfortable environment.

Your finger taps relentlessly against the cool surface, hoping to distract yourself with the rhythmic movement.

It had only been a few days since you woke up, but rest didn’t soften the building panic. You almost felt sick. It was like your mind was racing, steering itself off the tracks to tumble across the grassy hills of your restlessness until you were nothing but a pile of unfixable damages.

You still can’t remember how you ended up here.

You can’t even remember what happened before here.

You only knew your name, that you were a person who was living a blurred misshapen life. And you knew what what you had been told. Not that words from a stranger’s lips would be trusted on your ear.

“Do you remember anything?”

You simply shake your head, the heart rate monitor rising. The hands attached to your wrists were fidgeting, twisting the sheet covering your body. You may not remember anything, but even you knew this wasn’t normal.

“No need to feel alarmed. That is perfectly normal.” His voice was weirdly soothing, his unwavering eyes making you blink horridly. How did he so easily see through you? “Your memory will slowly come back to you, I promise.”

“Why am I here?” You find the courage to ask after a length of silence, biting the inside of your cheek.

“We found you.” Brenner states, turning around to a mirror. A fake mirror, you realise. And he was smiling at whoever stood behind it. “And at the right time, too. If we hadn’t shown up when we did… well, to put it simply, you may not have survived.”

You took in a quick breath, so light it didn’t make a sound past your lips.

“Survived?”

There was that boy again, returning to your mind in a flash of blurry images. Survived. Survived? The word held such strong resonance. It disappeared as quickly as it came, so sudden you almost felt lonely in its absence. Whoever this boy was, he was important. You were forgetting something- someone- important.

“You were laying in the middle of the woods, not far from here. Do you remember how you got there?”

You try to muster up a memory, closing your eyes. All you saw was a faint red shadow of your flesh against the beaming lights.

“No.”

“That’s okay.” You open your eyes to Brenner’s smile, his hand resting gently on the bed beside your arm, careful not to force the proximity between you and a stranger, yet close enough for you to feel comforted. “We’ll figure everything out, in time. For now, you should rest, take a few days to gather up your energy. We’re here to provide you with whatever you need.”

We? You wonder, but too many questions lay dormant on your tongue. So, rather, you settle for one that required the least amount of effort to sound.

“Why?”

Brenner stands from the bedside chair, looking down at you with that same kind expression. You can’t tell if it’s forced, or if his generosity was genuine.

“There is a horrible war happening outside. We all need to stick together, do we not?”

You were told you had collapsed in the woods, in the middle of nowhere, and rescued by Brenner. Or, rather, a mysterious team. We, he had said. You don’t recall seeing anyone else here for the past few days. Brenner had saved you. And you were grateful, of course. But you had this consistent twist in your gut any time he turned his back on you, a brief moment of panic before it subdued.

You were allowed to wander freely in this place, not that wandering would take you anywhere different. All the walls and floors were grey, bright strips of bulbs almost making the light shade blinding. You always felt a sense of familiarity as you walked down the halls, peering through glass windows into bare rooms. It was as if you had done this before.

Brenner told you it was a bunker, hidden from the surface currently crawling with monsters. That much you do remember. The terrifying screeches, the traumatic swipe of sharp claws, even the dull throbbing pain in your ankle reminding you of a misfortune you could never truly forget.

Yet, still, everything was a blurred mess.

In time, Brenner kept saying. You wanted to believe him, but whatever happened to you was enough to damage your memories. What if he was something to do with whatever happened to you?

You shouldn’t trust him. He’s a stranger, regardless of what he has done to help. Not once has he ever revealed how he ended up here, or had access to such a huge underground fortress. Hopper would be so disappointed to know you trusted so freely.

…

Hopper.

“I just want you to know that… I love you, dad.”

“I love you so much, kiddo. We’re getting you out of there. You hear me? Even if I have to tear a gate open myself, I am getting you out of there-”

Your chair scrapes against the floor as you leap away from the table, rushing to the door.

The room you wanted was down the left hallway and the third door to the right, a room filled with machines and radio systems. Brenner had shown you it when you were able to walk confidently, telling you it was his responsibility to keep in touch with the outside world. And that was what he was doing as you burst in, his hands quick to slip the headphones down to his neck.

“I remembered something.” You say, breathing heavy.

Brenner only nods, turning back to switch the radio off with a key at the control panel and pocket it in his white coat, gesturing for you to leave.

He never let you stay in that room for too long. You weren’t yet sure why.

“What do you remember?” He asks as he settles into an old armchair, opposite from the couch you sat on.

Only one room in the entire bunker was furnished with items other than metal frames, a cosier living quarter you spent most evenings in. He had a bookcase down here, some board games. You think he may have prepared for an apocalypse. Or maybe it’s been longer since it begun than you thought.

“Hopper.” You say, looking to your hands. “I mean, my-my dad. I remember my dad.”

You glance up to catch something flash across his eyes, completely gone in an instant as if it never happened. Despite his nonchalant reaction, you sense he’s holding something back.

“Do you… know him?” You risk the question, though you already know what the answer will be.

“I can’t say that I do.” He says curiously, leaning forward. “What about him did you remember?”

“Just a conversation.” You shake your eyes, scrunching your face. “He sounded muffled. Or… static. Like a radio.”

“Hm.”

“And- and he said something about getting me out. Something about a gate…”

“Okay.” He says after a while, “This is good. This is progress. You’re slowly getting your memory back. May I ask, what brought on this memory?”

You take a breath. I was figuring out whether I should trust you. The truth didn’t feel like it would be received well. He obviously wants you to trust him, but you also need him to trust you, especially seeing as you barely remember who you are.

“I… I was just thinking.” You decide, nodding. You hold eye contact. Liars never look you in the eye, Hopper used to say.

“Thinking.” He repeats, mostly to himself. Brenner’s eyes flash to yours with a smile. “Keep thinking. Think as much as you can. Perhaps we can try some exercises, see if anything triggers a memory. If you were happy to do so, of course.”

“Yeah.” You nod eagerly, shifting in your seat. Anything to return you back to your life.

“Good. That’s settled.” Brenner pats his legs and stands up, already walking to the door without so much as a second glance. “I need to finish up a few things but I shall be back soon.”

“Can you-” You stop almost as instantly as you start, biting your lip.

“Ask away, Y/n.” He cocks his head, hand still hovering above the doorknob, curious.

“Can you send out a message?” You ask, straightening your posture. “With the radio, I mean. If- if I was right and Hopper was speaking to me through a radio, maybe we can reach him.”

There’s a moment of silence, long enough to have you question if you overstepped. But then he smiles again, nodding with eyes of kindness that looked a little too forced.

“I will see what I can do.”

Once he shuts the door behind him, you sink further into the couch, wrapping your arms around your body.

“I am getting you out of there.”

Where was there? Why did it sound dangerous, almost forbidden?

You try and reclaim the memory, searching and focusing and thinking until it began to hurt. You press your fingertips against your forehead, breathing to relax. The act of the touch above your eyebrows was calming, like it was used to the comforting nature of it.

You hoped Hopper was okay. And you hoped the others you have surely forgotten were safe, like you.

“Will?”

Steve taps on the door at the end of the corridor, feeling like the walls were watching him as he stood there, holding his breath to hear the younger boy’s small voice.

“Come in.” He sniffles, and Steve takes a deep breath. It was time for him to stop hiding.

“Hey.” He smiles as he walks in.

Will wasn’t sat on the bed like he had expected. Instead, he was on the ground, sheets upon sheets of paper scattered around him, a pencil in his hand.

“What’re you drawing?” Steve questions, walking over to him. As he moves closer, he sees the papers are blank.

The boy barely blinks. He just looks down at the floor, gripping the pencil tight, never drawing. Steve feels a shiver run down his spine, but he chooses to ignore it, just this once.

“The guys are missing you.” He says, lowering himself to sit cross legged beside him. Will only continues to stare at the paper. “They’re, uh, playing DnE.”

“DnD” He responds quietly and Steve smiles. He took the bait.

“Yeah, DnD.” He gently nudges him. “See? I need you, buddy, I can’t keep up with them.”

A corner of Will’s lips lifts to what could be a hint of a smile before it fades again, a dark look in his eye as he stares at a creative’s nothingness.

“I just want to draw.”

Steve frowns, but he doesn’t say anything. He only nods, placing a hand on his shoulder, knowing a losing battle when he sees one. “If you need anything, just ask. Okay?”

“Thanks, Steve.” Will finally looks at him, smiling.

The sword that had been pressed against his chest finally plunges with one small smile, making Steve feel like he was bleeding out. He didn’t deserve this kindness. It was his fault Will was feeling this way.

“Yeah.”

With that, he stands and leaves, pressing his back against the door once he gently closes it. It’s fine. It’s all fine.

Except, it isn’t.

Steve retreats to the staircase faster than he should have, gripping onto the banister with the remaining force of his strength. It should be different. It wasn’t meant to be like this.

When he was on the final step, he clocked the sudden merge of the Party sat at the only available window in the house, a viewpoint usually used to ensure the area was safe. They could only be sat there for one reason; the others had finally returned.

Both adults were situated upstairs, alongside the youngest Byers, while the Party and Steve were crowded around the corner window. Which meant four people were still left unaccounted for.

Steve peers through the glass at the giant metal gate surrounding his house. When he had arrived back on the surface, he found that Hopper and Billy had been building his home into some kind of fortress, a large barb-wired gate blocking the monsters from approaching. Not that many had appeared in this area of Hawkins thanks to the military’s bare minimum efforts to drive them away.

Now, he watches as figures approach it in the dark, not a single flashlight among them. They had to adjust to the night now, just in case light beckoned over their worst nightmares. Steve remembers you were the first to suggest this to him within the first few days of the apocalypse. He should never have taken your warnings for granted.

Billy was the first to appear, leading the way with a gun held dangerously in his grip as he scopes out the area, just in case. He’s the one to open the gate, signal that they were in the clear.

Next to run out of the shadows was Robin, her hair scruffy from a late night chop after one too many complaints her hair was always getting in the way. She was different to how you and Steve left her. Colder, somehow. Steve has been avoiding her since his return, afraid of what she must think of him to leave her best friend behind.

Then comes Nancy, lowering her shotgun to slip through the small gap in the gate, never opened wide enough in case something tries to follow. Her hair was tied back, a sunken expression. Steve figured their mission to find more food was unsuccessful. But that wasn’t the reason she was so forlorn.

The only person left was Jonathan. The boy was usually the last in, running up behind and helping Billy lock the gate, looping a comforting arm around Nancy as he and Robin continued whatever conversation they had been using as a stress relief for the way back.

Nancy locks the gate, signalling for Billy to head inside. She stands there for a moment after, staring out into the dark.

Jonathan wasn’t returning this time.

He hadn’t been for over a week.

June 1st (Day 60 of the apocalypse)

The task was simple: get to Weathertop and use the ‘Cerebro’ Dustin built to break through the static of the Upside Down. But was it ever really that simple?

“Steve, maybe we should stop.” Nancy suggests, taking in a deep breath.

It was one thing to climb to the highest point in Hawkins, it was another to do it after fighting for your life against a pack of demodogs. Steve should have paid more attention, but how much worse could this get?

“We’re almost there.” He dismisses, charging forward. He hears Robin’s murmur of protest, but he remains unbothered. They needed to send out a signal. He had to before one of those wretched things lurking in the dark destroyed his only hope to find you.

His calves burned as he climbed the unusual incline of Weathertop, driven by his poorly handled guilt. The sooner he got you home, the sooner he would feel relieved of his deceit to the others.

The sooner he could hold you and never let you go again.

Dustin’s radio monster, at least that what Steve viewed it as in the best possible sense, was swaying slightly precariously in the sudden sweep of wind, enough to have him rush to it despite his aching muscles. It felt like the sky was closing in on him, a divine entity set on there never being a happy ending. Good thing he didn’t believe in that sort of thing.

Steve rummages through his bag, pulling out the heavy weight of a brand new radio. You still had his, wherever you were. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t know if that was true until he could hear your voice blare through the microphone.

Holding the radio in his hand, he starts messing around with the display Dustin had set up, following the rules meticulously crafted into his mind with ease that even surprised himself. All that was left was the frequency.

He holds out his hand, looking beside him at where Nancy stood patiently, barely panting from the rushed walk.

“What?” She frowns slightly, or Steve thinks she does. The night time was creeping too quickly on them.

“The paper.” He states, squinting at her when she continues to look at him in confusion, “With the number thingies?”

“Oh, uh..” She starts patting down her pockets, muttering under her breath about its possible whereabouts.

Steve couldn’t believe it. Nancy knew how important this was, not only to him but to everyone eager to get you home safely. She was never unprepared, and yet the time Steve needed her most, she’s scattered.

He blinks. Nancy was never like that.

As she turns to root through her satchel, Steve’s eyes narrow. He looks further down the hill to where three shadows stood beside eachother; Jonathan, Robin…

And Nancy.

Steve immediately swings his bat, knocking the imposter onto the ground with one sharp blow to the chin, catching it by surprise. When it shifts back to its original form, a sight that made his skin crawl, he realises he should have listened to the real Nancy.

“Shapeshifters!” He yells to his friends as more start to trail out of the shadows. He’s never seen so many in one place. They didn’t seem like they would travel in packs, unusual for a creature so independent. Which only meant one thing.

It was an ambush.

Everything else happened too quickly. He remembers dropping the radio and rushing down the hill, driving his bat into the heads of ashy figures and dodging sharp black claws swiping menacingly at his face. They managed to take out one each, but it still left so many more.

“Steve!” Robin cries out, but he doesn’t get the chance to even glance at her.

The moment his feet left the ground was when he realised he was being targeted. A shapeshifter had wrapped its claws around his neck and slammed him into the grassy hill, knocking the oxygen from his lungs. And then it wouldn’t let him breathe.

He was suffocating. It was scarily similar to the feeling he had in an enclosed space, the same cold hand wrapped around his throat, squeezing until he could only close his eyes and plead it would disappear. And it would, eventually. But nothing like how the crushing feeling had been obliterated by just one touch of your hand.

Steve imagined it in that moment where his vision started to blur, blackening at the edges. He had memorised your touch for so long it almost felt like you were there, helping him breathe.

He wouldn’t feel it again unless he survived.

With his summoned siege of strength, he draws up his knees and plants his shoes against its chest, driving it away with a swift kick. The deadly grip loosened from his throat and he began to suck in painful breaths, crawling away.

Just as he raises himself on his knees, his eyes look up to meet the haunting gaze of what he thought he could escape. It was dressed eerily like him, wore a face identical to his, and it held a knife. The very same he bore on his hip.

He watched himself grin, something so unnatural to the boy he constantly viewed in the mirror. He swore his heartbeat stopped as soon as it dug its heel into the ground and charged at him.

“Steve!” Nancy shouts, but what else could he do? He wasn’t fast enough to stop this.

His eyes fly shut once the dagger is closer than comfort, awaiting the painful stretch of metal into his flesh. Unfortunately for someone else, he didn’t have to.

A pained gasp hits the air like a sobering thought, stilling his aching body. It didn’t belong to him. It belonged to Jonathan.

Nancy starts to scream as blood pours from his mouth, his legs losing their power and stumbling him back into a hoard of shapeshifters. Steve watches as they grab at him, pulling at his clothes. They throw a hand over his mouth and drag him away, looking satisfied in their assault.

Steve can barely hear Nancy’s guttural cries as she wrestles against Robin’s tight grip, the other girl trying to pull her back so she doesn’t go running to her demise. He simply gets himself off the ground, runs to them, and guides them in the other direction, the only sound his unusually steady heartbeat flooding his eardrums. Maybe it was the shock, piercing the sound so he couldn’t hear his ex-girlfriend’s screams.

Maybe he wasn’t ready to admit he was the reason they lost Jonathan Byers.

Chapter Twenty, coming soon...

[A/N: I'm away for a week now to go present my work at a really fancy event so we're gonna have to wait just as long for the next part ugh. Thank you all so much for your constant support, ily]

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@iliveonteaandbooks . @innercreationflower . @newyorkangelbaby . @totally-bogus-timelady . @pansexualhoor .

@kitdjarin1 . @chiliwhore .

[hunter-sylvester]

Skullflower is Autistic: A Breakdown.

Buckle the fuck up.

Disclaimer: Don't take any of this too seriously.

Also all of this was written over a year ago with only minor edits. I'm just posting it now cause it's been rotting in my drafts and, like, fuck it.

I've wanted to try and make a comprehensive breakdown like this for a while just because I love these characters and very heavily interpret them all as autistic (with ADHD as well.) But this is just the perspective of one guy. And I probably overstate it but the fact that we can all have our own very personal interpretations about media is what's great about analysis & fandom.

Hunter Sylvester.

Yes I'm doing Hunter first, what do you think I am? Unbiased? Please.

Autistic Perfectionism. Hunter's autistic perfectionism is something I've mentioned before and somewhat struggle to describe satisfactorily. But to me the most obvious example is his inability to deal with the idea of Emily joining Skullfucker as a cellist. Obviously, there's the queer angle to this but I think two reasons can play a role at once. He's in love with Kevin so he doesn't want a girl that Kevin picked to be a part of their band. Additionally, I'd argue that he can't deal with the idea of having a girl cellist as their bass player because it in NO WAY fits the mental image that Hunter has in his mind of what he wanted Skullfucker to be. It doesn't match the perfect idea that he's dreamed of, that he holds onto for dear life, so he can't deal with it.

Hyperfixations. "Hunter's been into a lot of things since I've known him but he's stuck with metal longer than any of them." - Kevin. Need I say more? Well, I will anyway. The guy hyperfixates. I think the closest thing we have to a canon confirmed hyperfixation is Dungeons & Dragons. Because of what in my mind is a combination of Autism and ADHD in Hunter, they don't fully leave him. He still likes and plays D&D, but he's not as obsessed with it as he used to be when he made his dad buy him the most ridiculous game terrain that fucking lights up.

Special Interests. I think one of the easiest claims to make is that metal is a special interest for Hunter. He entrenches his entire life in it and reaches for it when a stressful situation happens to try and make himself feel more okay. (getting his hair cut off by Skip and relating his new look to Jason Newsted) It's clearly something that comforts him, having been obsessed with it ever since his mom left. Which, regardless of the specific circumstances, is a horridly stressful situation for any 12-13 year old.

Struggles with social interaction. He doesn't seem to have a lot of friends. He gets along with Robbie, Kevin (obviously) and the people he plays D&D with but that seems to be it. Especially whenever the situation gets very stressful, Hunter's mind immediately reaches for his comfort interest to try and make it through (or to lash out). He can't easily just be comfortable in a strange social situation. Or a strange situation in general.

Stims. Hunter stims by playing guitar. That's it, that's the whole point. And there's this little move:

Kevin Schlieb.

Neutrality. The way Kevin just takes Hunter and Emily as they are feels autistic to me.

Struggles with social interaction. And he clearly wants it to be easier for him. He wants to connect to people but he doesn't know how. It's not like he doesn't understand people. He does. He understands Hunter better than Hunter understands himself. "sometimes he's not so nice to people when he's uncomfortable" "You are afraid of everybody" "you treat everybody like shit and you make them hate you" But that understanding of how people think and work doesn't translate to his direct interactions with most of his peers. Maybe because he understands other neurodivergent people but not neurotypicals. The fact he does have a decent read on, at the very least, his best friend could also be indicative of the extra work Kevin has had to put in over the course of his life to try and understand people to begin with.

Directness. A lot of Kevin does feel direct to me. I suppose in a 'what you see is what you get' sort of way. He obviously has the whole protagonist thing going on which tends to end you up with pretty neutral, earnest and open characters.

Stims:

Emily Spector.

Gets overstimulated. Emily's outbursts could be attributed more to a struggle regulating her emotions. It's not a huge stretch to assume her mystery medication is a mood stabilizer. However, the idea of it being a combination of being overstimulated and then no longer being able to deal with her anger on top of the distress she's already feeling feels apt to me. This is a stretch, but, we only ever see her have outbursts at school. A nightmare environment for the stimuli sensitive. Emily is by far the character out of the main three we spend the least time with, which could easily explain my previous point away. We hardly see her out of school to begin with. But I think there can be merit in taking it as a part of the story, rather than an incidental effect of her being left by the wayside.

Black and white thinking. "So first you tell me that I should hate him, and now you want me to help him?" - Emily. No, he didn't say you should hate him, Emily. "You have every right to be mad- especially at Hunter!" - Kevin.

Directness. I mean she literally calls up Kevin to ask him if he wants to go fuck in a parking lot and more power to her. But it is very direct.

Struggles with social interaction. And apart from Skip & Co. having a particular hate-boner for Hunter, Emily might actually be the most widely ostracized for her lack of social finesse. Which would check out because society is brutally cruel to girls. Kevin is shown to have some positive interaction outside of the other two main characters, so is Hunter. And, yes, so is Emily. But it's only with the janitor of the school, who she is implied to have had previous interactions with. Having your only friend at school be the fucking janitor is not a neurotypical experience. I know I certainly got along easier with a handful of teachers than I did with my peers back when I was at school.

Whatever this is. Fam, I've BEEN there...but it's not neurotypical:

A 'little' note to end on: I want to state that I love all three of these character very dearly. I don't pretend that I don't have a favorite, but they are all amazing. There's various reasons why Metal Lords is such a comforting movie, but a big one, is that the characters act in a way that feels incredibly familiar. They act like me. They act like my autistic friends. We make weird facial expressions, we understand the world and each other through our interests. The way all of them talk feels so close to home. (The swearing is actually part of that. A lot of real people swear and over-censoring of that tends to bug me but that's kinda beside the point lmao)

[megalony]

Not Without Eric

This is a Prince Eric (The Little Mermaid) imagine, I rewatched the movie and am desperate for more ideas for Eric. Any feedback would always be amazing, enjoy.

Taglist: @lunaticspoem @butlegendsneverdie @langdonzvoid @jennyggggrrr @rogmeddows @radiob-l-a-hblah @rogertaylorsbitontheside @chlobo6 @rogertaylors-lipgloss @sj-thefan @omgitsearly @luckytrashgooprebel @scarsout @deaky-with-a-c @killer-queen-ofrhye @bluutac @vousmemanqueez-blog @jonesyaddiction @milanosaurus @httpfandxms @saint-hardy @7-seas-of-fat-bottomed-girls @mrsalwayswritex @rogerina-owns-me  @hellsdragon @im-an-adult-ish @crazylittlethingg @allauraleigh @onceuponadetectivedemigod @ceres27 @avyannadawn  @noonenuts @sleepylunarwolf @coverupps @justagirlthatlovedtoread

@jonahhauer-kingg @melaninjoys​ @luna2034 @mystiqueprincess @fangirl-tothemax @musicistheway @wandamaximoffbae @notagreekgal28 @ellietalenfwlers

Masterlist

Summary: Eric chooses the wrong time to go off on a short voyage when (Y/n) goes into labour while he's away. He promised his wife he would be there with her.

(Mention of previous stillbirth)

Enjoy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Not that one."

A gentle smile that flashed his teeth crept onto Eric's face when his head tilted to the side to look over at his wife. His eyes creased at the corners and he let go of the shirt he was just about to fold and pack into the trunk that was set out on the end of the bed.

He watched with a smile that changed into a grin as (Y/n) reached across the bed and took the shirt, reeling it into her chest like it was a fish on a hook she was desperate to catch.

"I need that one… I can't sleep when you're not here."

Eric's heart did a small flip in his chest when he watched (Y/n)'s eyes cast down to her hands and that small, blushing smile that he loved so much was almost hidden from her face. He closed the trunk and moved round to sit on the edge of their bed, reaching his hand out to rest on (Y/n)'s knee.

"Okay, that shirt stays with you." His voice was soft and quiet and it made (Y/n)'s heart flutter when she looked up through her lashes. "I won't be gone long, sweetheart."

"I know,"

He knew it was hard for (Y/n) when he had to leave for voyages like this and Eric had cut down his voyages a lot in the past few years. When (Y/n) used to come along with him, they went out almost every month and it was perfect because they were together.

Now she was pregnant, again, going on a voyage was out of the question and even though Eric didn't join every voyage his ship coursed out on, he had to go on a few. He had to be there to make sure the trades went off smoothly and the ship and the cargo came back in tact and all in one piece. This was the last trip he was going on, then he would be home for when the baby was born and everything that followed afterwards.

"In two weeks, I'll be home with you… both of you."

(Y/n)'s hand moved to tangle in his curls when he leaned over and pressed his palms to her stomach. She could feel his fingertips ever so gently gliding across her exposed skin and when he kissed her stomach, she almost burst into tears.

"Don't be delayed,"

If Eric got delayed or shipwrecked, (Y/n) wouldn't know what to do with herself. She couldn't be alone in the days leading up to the birth, not with how much she was already worrying and how horrid she was going to feel. She needed him here, by her side.

"Don't worry, I'll be home right on time. I always come back to you, don't I?"

***

"(Y/n), darling please! Let us help you-"

"Not. Without. Eric!" Each word rose higher and higher in (Y/n)'s throat until Eric's name was the only thing she could comprehend and she bellowed the word so horridly that everyone in the castle would be able to hear her screams.

She was making the Queen cry.

The ageing Queen who always held her composure and contained her well mannered temper was now stood, crying against the bedpost that was holding her up and preventing her from collapsing to the floor. She wanted so terribly to reach out and take hold of her daughter in law and comfort her in some way, but she couldn't.

No one could get within arms reach of (Y/n) who kept shuffling, crawling and scraping across the floor so that no one could touch her. The one person she wanted was the one who wasn't here. The person who was hundreds, if not thousands of miles away on the sea. No one could get word to Eric that (Y/n) was in labour and no one had the power to bring him right back here where he was needed. All they could do was wish that somehow, their prayers would reach him and give him some sort of sign of their need for him.

(Y/n) had done this before.

She had gone through the night sitting in Eric's arms, waiting for labour to speed up. Then she had spend the day with Eric sat by her side, both of them laughing and crying and in pain together, riding out labour until their baby had been born. And the lifeless, eternally sleeping babe was placed into their arms.

It had all been for nothing.

(Y/n) had lost her baby boy and she didn't know why. Two years of heartache and dull, throbbing days had passed and led up to this moment. This was a time where (Y/n) couldn't have history repeating itself and she didn't want to do this alone. She didn't want to be in pain, crying in agony that she was going to give birth to another lifeless child that would never scream, cry and wriggle in her arms and never grow to be loved.

His name tore from (Y/n)'s chapped lips again as she went down on her hands and knees. Her head tilted in the direction of the balcony that was only a few feet away and she stared out at the unchanging, rioting sea that was mocking her. Telling her it had her husband hidden away somewhere and would never let him come back to her.

"I can't d-do this!"

"Help her, now!" Without waiting for (Y/n)'s response that would surely ensue a fight, the Queen moved into action.

She pushed herself off the bedpost and scrambled down onto her knees in front of the girl she thought of as her own child. When (Y/n) tried to weakly fight her off, she held (Y/n) against her chest and pulled her into a comforting, if broken, embrace. While a midwife and one of the maids knelt down by their legs as the Queen helped (Y/n) turn so her back was pressed up against the Queen's front.

The blood stained into the carpet and it caught (Y/n)'s attention, despite her cries and sobs. It was all she could look at while her body writhed, her legs numbly kicked out and her arms fought and smashed into her own chest to try and release some of the pain she was feeling inside.

"Eric!"

His name broke free from her chapped, bloodied lips the moment the midwife eased the newborn into her arms.

The sharp cry the newborn let out sent (Y/n)'s mind reeling and cut her right to her core. Those petrified screams made it seem like the child had been the one to go through nine hours of pure terror and become ripped apart from the inside out. It was as if the baby had born the harships in these few seconds of life when it was (Y/n) who was the one in pain. She was the one who felt numb and broken and praying everything would just end.

"A boy, Highness."

She didn't care. (Y/n) didn't want to know what was wriggling between her legs. She wanted to disappear. She wanted the ocean to carry her softly away until she found who her heart was aching for.

The newborn's chubby cheeks were burnt red and splattered with dots of blood and fluid, his brows were furrowed and his eyes were clamped shut. The way he wriggled made (Y/n)’s heart flutter, the sight of seeing her baby actually move instead of lay limp in someone else’s arms made her elated. But the screams that tore from his bright red lips made her shrink back in what she could only guess was repulsion.

(Y/n) thought that when this baby was born, she would be sobbing out of either joy or heartache, depending on which way it went. She thought that if their baby was okay she would be fighting the midwife to take them into her arms and hold them with her heart jumping out of her chest. (Y/n) thought it would feel so much better than this, she had heard so many women telling her how having a baby made them feel and (Y/n) was so desperate to have that feeling that she missed out on two years ago.

No one said she would feel closer to the emotions she felt last time than something different she was expecting. No one said she would feel this way.

Even though (Y/n) could feel happiness at knowing their baby was here kicking and screaming, it was dulled down almost completely by the overwhelming terror and the sinking feeling in her heart. Why was he screaming like the world was burning around him? Why did he sound like he was in so much pain when it was (Y/n) who was physically breaking both inside and out?

“Would you like to hold him, your highness?” The midwife’s words sent chills running through (Y/n)’s bloodstream and she dared not open her eyes to look at her baby.

“No.” (Y/n) repeated the word again and again to herself like she was a record stuck on repeat. Each time she whispered the word, it was spoken with more fury and pain and vengeance than before until she was almost screaming.

Her hands moved from her chest to smother her face with her palms, but it didn't stop the horrendous scream from leaving her lips and it didn't hide the tears that were streaming from her face. Every part of her body started to tremble as another scream rippled against her throat and her knees pulled up to her stomach, despite the agonising pain it caused.

(Y/n) wanted to go back.

She wanted to reverse time and rebound to part of her past where it was easier, where she first got married to Eric and everything was alright. Where no one was pestering her about having a child or smothering her when she didn’t do her job and lost her baby. Where no one then wrapped her in cotton wool when she got pregnant again. (Y/n) wanted to feel like herself, she didn’t want to feel like she was both a mother and a deliverer of precious cargo that was to be stolen from her.

She didn't know why, but when she stopped screaming, her body felt like it was fading. She felt like she was drifting away.

“She’s causing herself to haemorrhage, she's going to make herself ill, Majesty."

If she continued to struggle she would suffer a haemorrhage that was almost as bad as her previous one and losing more blood wasn’t going to help.

"I want Eric," It was the only thing that the Queen could comprehend before she felt her daughter in law go limp in her arms. And it was the Queen's turn to be sat on the floor, screaming for someone to help the lifeless girl in her arms.

They needed the Prince.

***

Anticipation, excitement and desire all burned inside Eric like a whildfire spreading through his bones when those all too familiar doors came into focus.

He felt the carriage wheels continue to roll even as Eric pushed himself up and jumped down onto the cobbles before it came to a stop.

He wanted to be inside. Those doors had never had so much appeal as they did these last few years. Never did Eric feel such a strong pull back towards the castle he was always trying to get away from. Until (Y/n). Knowing she was hidden behind those doors created an invisible rope binding her to Eric so when he went out to sea, the rope tugged at his heart strings. He envisioned those doors when he went to sleep, seeing himself pushing them open to find his family that called out to him when he was on a voyage.

Eric always used to think that the sea was where he belonged and nothing could tether him here to the Island when all he wanted was to be out on the rocky seas that claimed him for themselves.

Suddenly, family changed its meaning and home well and truly became the place that held (Y/n). Wherever she was, that was where Eric wanted to be.

With one bag held tight in his fist, Eric burst through the castle doors and heard the wet heel of his boot clack and stomp against the stone floor.

Where was she?

A twinge of disappointment tugged at his heart when he looked around and didn't see a single soul in sight.

Eric had never had to go and find her before. In the back of his mind he tried to chide himself, telling himself he was becoming entitled, but he couldn't help it. Every time he came back from a voyage, his girl was here waiting to pin him to the ground as soon as he stepped back through the doors. He'd never had to go scouting round for her when he came home, not once.

Hadn't she been informed he would be home today?

"Eric!"

That wasn't the voice he was searching for. Unease overtook his body and disappointment grappled in his eyes when his sights set on his mother. He loved her to the ends of the ocean, he truly did and it never mattered that they didn't see eye to eye, their bond was strong. But right at this moment, with his heart pounding in his chest and his bag clenched in his hand, he wanted his wife in his arms, not his mother.

Two weeks had dragged on by into an eternity and Eric was starting to feel withdrawl symptoms from his girls. He had to sleep at night on a swaying, rocking boat and refrain from reaching his arms out in the dark to try and find (Y/n). He had to wake in the dead of night and come to the realisation that the voice he heard was only a dream. He had to calm himself down and swallow down a gasp when he

remembered he was thousands of miles away from his wife. He had to pin himself to the bed and remind himself that he couldn't go searching for his wife when he realised she wasn't in his arms.

If Eric ever went on a voyage without (Y/n), he could guarantee that the moment he stepped through the castle gates, there she was. Stood at the doors waiting to jump into his open arms and whisper how much she had missed him.

"Eric, oh Lord you're finally back."

Eric didn't like the look on his mother's face or the way she seemed to relieved to see him. She didn't look angry, he knew that expression well. And she didn't look disgruntled or irritated, but he couldn't place how she was staring at him. Her arms hooked around his neck and reeled him down into an unsettling hug that made his breath get caught in his lungs for a few moments.

Why was she so thrilled to see him? Had there been storms nearby that made them worry he would be shipwrecked? Did they hear some wrong news that he had been injured or might be delayed?

"I am, is everything alright? Where's (Y/n)?" Leaning down, Eric pressed a kiss to her temple but he couldn't stop himself from looking around the hallway in case (Y/n) was about to come out from the shadows at any given moment and surprise him. He moved his hands to hold her elbows, steadying her but also keeping her close while he waited, somewhat impatiently, for a response.

"Thank goodness you're home," It was only then that Eric heard the fear in his mother's voice and realised that she was shaking from how badly she was gripping his arms. "You need to come with me. Now."

"Why?"

Something sparked to life in his vibrant blue eyes but his shoulders raised and tensed when he watched his mother press her lips together tightly in a way she did when she was nervous. She moved to grab his wrist and tried to drag him along with her but he was far too strong for her to move; he was a boulder in the ocean, unmoveable and set in his ways. He wanted to know what had happened and he wanted to know now.

"Tell me what's happened."

"Eric, sweetheart… she's had the baby."

He didn't realise he was falling until he felt his mother's nails digging into his wrist and Grimsby's arms bound beneath his arms to hold him upright. His knees bent out, his chest started to shake and no air seeped into his lungs as he let Grimsby push him back up onto unsteady feet that were about to collapse again.

She couldn't have.

(Y/n) couldn't have had the baby yet. It was too early. He was supposed to be here when it happened.

Eric was supposed to be home in plenty of time to prepare for the baby and he here to hold (Y/n)'s hand and curl her into his side and pray for her safety. This wasn't supposed to happen while he was away at sea and he stupidly thought he would be safe to have a two week journey and come home to find his wife perfectly fine with no signs of early labour.

She had been a week overdue the last time and things hadn't gone smoothly; far from it. Something within Eric told him, or rather lead him to believe that this baby would be right on time or another late arrival.

How stupid he had been.

"Is she alright?" Eric croaked through the words but he was already off in a sprint, halfway up the stairs with his mother in tow behind him along with Grimsby. Both of them running, the Queen lifting her skirts as they tried to keep up with the Prince who was stumbling over his feet.

He used the bannister as leverage to propell himself up the second flight of stairs and spared a glance behind him before he was running down the hall to find his wife.

Why had he gone away?

"Eric-"

"Mother is she alright?! Oh God, please, mother please…" Eric stumbled back a step when he felt her hands coiling around his arm, pulling him into her chest until he almost toppled her over.

His hands clamped down on her shoulders and his vision blurred with tears as he stared down at his mother, desperate to have an answer and be put out of his misery now. He couldn't have missed the birth of his second child. He had been there for the first and he was supposed to be here this time as well because he knew (Y/n) was fretting history repeating itself. How cruel could the world be that it would let this happen while Eric was out at sea?

"She needs you."

That meant she was alive and that was all Eric needed to hear.

With a hand pressed against her lower chest, the Queen leaned against the wall and grabbed Grimsby's arm to prevent him from following the Prince down the hall. They had to give the couple space and as much as she was desperate to check on (Y/n) and how she knew Grimsby would want to see the Princess as well, they had to stay back. For now.

The door opened much too easily as if Eric thought it would be locked or barracaded when he reached it. The door swung open and had Eric on his knees over the threshold, one hand on the door and one hand on the floor.

"Sweetheart,"

For a moment, (Y/n) thought his voice was a mirrage. She thought her mind was tricking her again like it had last night when she woke up, blazed with a fever, scrambling onto the floor when she thought she heard Eric coming home.

When her eyes set on him, a torrential downpour of tears flooded her face and a horrid, gurgling cry left her lips as her arms stretched out for him.

"Oh, sweetheart," What was she doing on the floor? Eric pushed himself up and stumbled across to where he could see his wife but he hadn't expected her to be curled up on the floor. He had been looking towards the vacant bed which had covers and pillows strewn all over.

There was his girl. The one who had been on his mind every second of every minute that passed by for the last two weeks.

She was sat awkwardly on the floor with her legs curled beneath her like they were broken and useless. Her body was slumped back against the bedframe with one arm slumped over the cot that was at the foot of the bed which her head was also resting on. Just the sight of the cot made Eric choke on a scream. He knew it was the same cot that they had gotten two years ago. The chip was still in the edge and there was a long crack down the side of the wooden cot.

The last time Eric saw that wretched thing, he had kicked it, threw it across the room and launched everything at it until it chipped and cracked and Grimsby had to pin him to the floor to stop him.

He thought it had been thrown out. He didn't realise his mother had kept it and defied his orders to have it burned. Eric had been expecting to just buy a new one and he wasn't sure if he was pleased or not that the old one was back in their room again.

"Eric," His name passed (Y/n)'s lips on a repeated loop and as soon as he was knelt in front of her, Eric swept her up into his arms.

His fingers dug into her toussled hair and his other arm bound to her waist until her chest was merged with his and he could feel each ragged, clawing breath fanning against his neck. Her lips pressed against his skin and he was sure she bit his neck too, but he didn't care. He scratched his nails against her scalp just to make sure this wasn't some sort of wretched dream and he leaned back until (Y/n) was slumped on his chest.

He could feel her nails digging into his upper back, scratching and clawing through his shirt and when she cried, each sound shivered through Eric's neck until he was sobbing into her hair.

It didn't occur to him until that moment to tilt his head and peek into the cot they were sat next to. His mother never said anything about the baby and he didn't think to ask; his first and only priority was (Y/n). But when he leaned over the side, he pulled (Y/n) tighter into his chest and pushed up higher onto his knees.

There was a baby in the cot.

A wriggling, stirring, yawning little baby that seemed too good to be true in Eric's unfathomable mind.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't here," Eric nudged his eyes against (Y/n)'s shoulder to brush away his tears and when he pulled back a little, he moved his hand from the back of her head to cup her neck. "Are you alright?"

"You're home," (Y/n) couldn't answer because she didn't know if she was actually alright or not. All she knew was that she felt broken, bruised, numb and now held together now that Eric was back.

"Why are you down here, you should be resting."

Eric went to move her but he stopped when one of her arms reached out and shakily reached over the crib. Her fingers skimmed across the newborn's chest like she was too afraid to actually touch him and it made Eric's heart speed up with hope and fear all at the same time.

"A-another boy,"

"I can see that, and I can't begin to tell you how proud I am of you. But first, I need to make sure you're alright."

He didn't give her time to question or say a thing. His arms moved to slip beneath her bent knees and the other stayed curved around her back so he could carefully ease her into his arms as he stood up. His eyes took a sneaking glance back into the crib, just to reassure himself that their second son really was there and not just a figment of his imagination. Then he moved over towards the bed and gently laid (Y/n) back down where she should have stayed.

"I'm sorry-"

"I don't want to hear that from you, it's me who should be sorry. I promised I'd be here and I wasn't. I'm never leaving you, ever."

He tried to get (Y/n) to lay down but she wouldn't, her arms bound around his neck and reeled him closer until he was thrown off balance and fell forward onto her with a grunt. His left arm stayed pinned between her back and the soft mattress while his right hand pressed down into the mattress to stop his full weight from falling onto her and risk hurting her.

"You're home," Her lips kissed him eagerly, hungrily and desperately and when her fingers skimmed across his cheek, Eric reached up to grab her hand and hold it closer.

"I'm home." He smothered her lips with his, nipping at her lower lip and pulling it between his teeth as his tears merged with hers. Eric kept her hand pressed against his cheek, nuzzled into her touch and desperately kissed her like she was the oxygen he needed to survive.

He wasn't going anywhere ever again. He couldn't go on a voyage unless (Y/n)- and now their son- were by his side.

It was a risk he couldn't take anymore.

[cressthebest]

Crimson Rivers thoughts pt. 45

chapter 68:

1. “Some of those ashes could be Marlene.” bro wtf

2. listing out the names of the people who died in war destroyed me

3. james reacting to his father’s death by flinching away from effie had me broken. i’m destroyed. unwell

4. “The worst part is, when he says what he does next, it's not even a question. "After that, you're leaving."

Sirius' eyes flutter shut, and he croaks, "Yeah, Reggie, I'm leaving again."”

SCREAMING CRYING SOBBING IM UNWELL I WILL NEVER BE OKAY AGAIN!!! I WILL NEVER BE FINE AGAIN

5. “”Sirius, I love you more than anything. You're the first person in this world I ever loved at all. Not Mother, not Father, not James; it was you.”” STILL SCREAMING STILL CRYING STILL SOBBING STILL UNWELL

6. okay just all of the stuff with the black brothers has me in tears. their bond is unbreakable and my heart is in fact very breakable. i’m shattered over them

7. dorcas hasn’t left that spot in over twenty four hours and boy am i worried for her. she needs water. she needs to go pee, i’m sure. she needs to eat something and to rest

8. “Just not afraid to die, then?

No, I'm rather used to it, actually.”

STILL SCREAMING OVER MARLENE!!! STILL SOBBING ACTUALLY

9. “"You. Even you," Dorcas declares harshly, glaring at her. "I'd rather it be you. Instead of her, I'd rather you be dead."”

WOAH! hold up!!! i love marlene as much as the next gal, but nobody goes after my girl lily. she fought and fought and fought as well. she deserved to make it to this side of war too! she tried to keep marlene alive too. hold your horses dorcas.

10. 😧 did you just shoot my lily??? MY LILY??? holy fucking shit. she’s insane.

11. “Some of that blood must have been Marlene's. Dorcas wishes she had bathed in it; Dorcas wants to turn back time and drown in it.” 😟 i’m worried

12. “Never, through any of this, did [James] imagine losing his dad.” kill me. it would be more merciful than making me live after reading that

13. “Monty loved Sirius like a father did; Sirius is allowed to mourn him as a son would.” calling my freind again while sobbing brb

14. god I don’t know how to explain it, but every time pandora is mentioned and she’s alive i let out a huge sigh of relief

15. AROACE PANDORA SUPREMACY

16. i’m so horridly upset that lily lost almost everyone. she lost her family, she lost sybil, she lost kingsley, and dorcas tried to shoot her, so i’m pretty sure she lost her too. lily tried to not love anybody because she was scared of losing them, and sure enough, she was right

17. i get upset when everyone talks about going separate ways. i want everyone to live in one big town and live right next door to each other. i’m thinking hogwarts vibes (except better, ya know) or maybe the mansion they all lived in at the start of ahb!

18. as much as it upsets me that sirius is going to be leaving james and effie and regulus, i’m genuinely so happy that sirius is going to stay with remus

19. oh. i see why sirius has to leave. it’s best for everyone to heal a little before sirius sees his james and regulus again. because otherwise they won’t be able to heal

20. i love wolfstar, and this is so emotional but like, “Just—for right now, what I need is to be with you. I want—that's what I want.” all that does is remind me of high school musical with the “ALL I WANNA DOOOO IS BEE WITH YOU! ONLY YOU! NO MATTER WHERE LIFE TAKES US, NOTHING CAN BREAK US APAAAART, YOU KNOW ITS TRUE, I JUST WANNA BE WITH YOUUUU”

21. ““I wish I did love him that way," Regulus confesses, "because it would have been easier than this. It would have been easier to define how losing him feels, but it's not. James, it's not."”

god, i ache for him. like so badly. i so badly want him to have barty back. more than any other character. (sorry to marlene and monty and sybil and literally everyone else who died)

22. “It's still been three days since the end of the war, and Regulus wonders when they'll stop measuring the passage of time that way.” 😟

23. “Doomed to be a great, big tragedy.” *eye twitch* i’m fine. *even bigger eye twitch*

24. look, i know in the future, everyone will be together again and as happy as they can ever be. but rn, i’m sad

chapter 69:

1. “"I don't care!" Aberforth shouts. "I don't give a damn about your fucked up love story with our sister's murderer, Albus! The fact that you even came to love him to begin with sickens me, let alone that you continued to after he killed Ariana, and still do to this day!"” hell yeah put him in his place

2. “The dead sister card is a little underhanded, admittedly, but Aberforth knows a thing or two about manipulation tactics. He'd have to. Albus is his older brother, after all.” LMAOOOOOO

3. lily mentioning children and sirius and remus just locking eyes and panicking was so fucking funny. bro i’m wheezing

4. BRO AND THEN REGULUS BEING LIKE “you’ve??? never thought about kids??????? wtf??? me and james are having four you little loser??????”

5. dorcas just marching in has me so fucking scared ngl

6. oh god, dorcas became the president coin in this. she wants to make a new hunger games. oh god. oh no

7. as horrifying as it was to see sirius’ train of thought, him being the first one to say no is so fucking satisfying oh my god

8. good for remus fucking standing up for lily. everyone is blaming lily, and finally remus speaks up that the blame cannot rest on lily alone

9. 😧😧 not albus suggesting the jegulus wedding to help with the aftermath. bro he’s fucking insane. it’s so hallow-like of him to suggest that oh my god

10. oh my god dorcas has gone insane, is she about to tell everyone how albus was in love with grindlewald. that’s fucking insane oh my god i can’t wait

11. oh my god it’s even better. it’s that he came up with the rule for the quarterly quell. oh my god this is gonna be great

12. 😧 holy shit. sirius just killed albus. imma be so real, i expected one person to not leave that table, and i thought it would be dorcas, not albus. i thought she would be killed

13. minerva asking lily to be a medic and help save albus, and lily just not will forever be iconic to me

14. as a punishment they banned sirius from the hallow 😭😭😭 babes they knew they had to come up with some punishment as like a way to show actions have consequences, but they chose one that sirius would love 😭😭 that’s so funny to me bro

15. alberforth finally leaving his home is a very satisfying character arch

16. “this story is, first and foremost, about siblings—primarily sirius and regulus ofc—like that is the whole point of this fic, the core of it over anything else. and that feels right considering the source material, like in thg, it was always about katniss' love for prim and how important that was over peeta or gale or anyone else. and i just. i really adore that, and hope i paid a good homage to that, because i really admire it.”

you did. you did pay homage to that. it was abundantly clear that this was about siblings. and i love you for it. thank you, if you see this

alrighty six more chapters to go! i’m in the home stretch yall

[starrzhao]

what are the odds? | k.tr

synopsis you've tried numerous attempts in confessing to taerae but somehow it always ends up turning into unfortunate accidents…misleading taerae into thinking you hate him at some poor attempts

pairing taerae x gn!reader

genre romance, fluff, humor, angst if you squint

word count 9.6k

content/tags sfw, miscommunication/misunderstanding trope, university!au setting, part-time barista!taerae

warnings I am not funny but I tried, swearing, a lotta things are unrealistic (anyways it’s fiction lol) , the y/n here is kind of a dumbass sorry (to clarify, you are not dumb at all! I’m just referring to the mc here 😭😞), low-key gave up halfway so things may be messy, will try to edit and proofread later when I have the time

featuring former boys planet trainees, kum junhyeon , park hanbin , cha woongki and seowon

taglist @leagreenly @kpoprhia @dimplewonie @shanb1n @wtfhyuck @mikaymee (kindly send an ask/dm if you’d like to be added or removed)

HOW IT ALL STARTED

One of your friends, sung hanbin had decided to host an open-mic event at his cafe for the first time. At first, you didn’t want to go because of the number of assignments you had all piled up as your horridly long to-do list was desperate for your attention. but your friend was also desperate too, begging you to come as he was afraid only a few people would bother to show up.

So being the good friend you are (and terrible procrastinator looking for an excuse to not do work), you decided to go. Your other friends, zhanghao, ricky and junhyeon also tagged along to support as well.

To your surprise, the cafe was actually really full, more and more people rolled in every hour and although you loved to socialize, your battery was draining from seeing the number of people at a high.

There were a lot of talented people who took the stage. With some pouring out their emotions with their personal spoken-word poetry, some inducing laughter with stand-up comedy and some taking the stage to sing their heart out with a touching ballad or a fun pop song.

It was a particularly entertaining night but with the number of people increasing in the cafe, it was draining and dreadful to be with a swarm of people. It wasn’t that you didn’t like to socialize, it was just suffocating to be in a large crowded cafe.

It was 1 am but the open-mic was still lively and has yet to reach its end with a quite big number of people still waiting in line to take the stage.

“I want to go home.” You yawn before comfortably resting your head on the table as you hear another poetry number.

“I gotta go I have a 7 am class tomorrow, the professor will rip my head off if I’m late again. I already told hanbin so he won’t kill me. Bye guys.” Ricky was the first one to leave from your group, bidding you guys a farewell.

Hanbin begged you guys to stay throughout the whole open mic to ensure there was going to be an audience for every performer. As the hours passed, less and less people were at the cafe.

“Thank you to everyone who came today especially to the ones who decided to stay until the end of our event. Now we know there’s still some of you who wish to perform their piece tonight but I’m afraid we have to end it after one last performance. Do not fret, there will be another open-mic event in the future! I hope to see you all stop by again. “ Hanbin relays his closing remarks for the event.

“And now, to finally wrap our event, let’s give the stage to the last but definitely not the least, kim taerae! Let’s all give it up for him.” Claps and cheers echoed through the room for the last performer. A young man walked into the stage with a guitar in his hand, he was dressed in a white denim jacket with a pair of blue jeans and his hair was styled in a little messy perm. He enters the stage and greets the crowd with a sweet smile.

“Hello everyone! I am kim taerae and to end today’s open-mic on a good note, I will be singing man in love by infinite. Hope you enjoy.” You were a little surprised at his low voice. You get up from your position and sit uptight, eager to watch the performance of the new man you found attractive. From his looks and to his speaking voice, he already seemed promising .

The moment he started singing, you melted over his vocals. His voice was quite deep yet also so sweet and soft. His voice was so captivating and everyone in the audience was in awe.

The performance was so satisfying and heartwarming to watch. He was also looking into the eyes of the members of the audience as if he was in a concert. At one point, your eyes meet and you felt your heart skip a beat as he flashed a charming bright smile as his eyes met yours for a moment.

At that moment, you felt your world stop for a moment like you have just met eye-to-eye with the love of your life. All throughout the performance, you felt as if you two were the only one there. As if taerae was pouring all those words out to you.

Soon, the song had finally come to an end and the crowd loudly claps and cheers, everyone was swooned by his heartfelt performance.

“Thank you everyone, hope you all enjoyed the night and get home safe. Take care!” He bids his farewell and everyone immediately stands up from their seats, ready to leave the event.

The next day arrived and here you were on your first day in a new class. You were sleep deprived and was trying your hardest not to fall asleep as soon as you sat down.

Everyone else chatted about whatever went on in their lives. A lot of the others already knew each other too. You were sitting in the back with no one next to you, feeling slightly out of place.

“Hey may I sit here?” A familiar low voice spoke. You get up and look at your left. Loe and behold, It was that sweet singer from yesterday.

“Yes of course.” You reply and flash a small smile.

“You’re kim taerae?”

“Oh yeah! How do you know me?

“I recognize you, you were at the open-mic last night at the cafe last night, right?”

“Ah yes that’s me!” He lightly chuckles in response.

“You were incredible last night, you were the perfect person to end the show. Your singing was amazing! It was so sweet and satisfying to hear. And then when y-I’m so sorry I think I’m rambling now.” His ears turned red from your compliment, keeping a shy smile on over the compliments you gave. You worried that you were doing too much.

“No no it’s fine! And thank you so much, I appreciate it, really.”

“ sorry I forgot to introduce myself but I’m y/n by the way. nice to meet you taerae.” You let your hand out to which he gladly shakes.

“And I’m well, as you already know haha, taerae but it’s very nice to meet you y/n. looking forward to getting to know you.” That sweet smile painted on his face as he seats himself next to you.

_________________________________

you have liked, actually no scratch that, you have been in love with taerae since the first day you met him..

After becoming seatmates on the first day and getting along, you were bound to see each other every week, and after talking to him during every class, sharing about anything and everything in your lives instead of actually paying attention to your lectures, your feelings had gotten stronger as you had gotten to know him more over the course of a few months

He was a very smart, humble and sweet person. A million words weren’t even enough to describe his personality. To top it all off, he was incredibly handsome too. He had that sweet signature smile that always brightened your day. It was hard not to fall for someone like him.

He also became a part-time employee at hanbin’s cafe, although you only every visited once a week to see hanbin, you started going everyday to see taerae.

_________________________________

“hey y/n we know that you’re down bad for mr. cutie pie over there but please pay attention to your friends.” junhyeon snaps at you from your trance after catching you once, again getting lost in your own world staring at taerae for the millionth time today.

currently, you and your friends were hanging at the cafe owned by hanbin located near your uni.

“Yeah, huh yes.” junhyeon and gunwook laugh at your reaction.

Speaking of the devil(or angel, you would think), taerae suddenly approaches your table.

“hey guys I’m clocking out now, just tell hanbin if you need anything. and y/n see you on monday!” he sends you his signature smile as he waves at your friends a farewell as he leaves the cafe.

“see you!” you were smiling so big at him, unaware of how you were smiling so big like a fool. junhyeon and gunwook giggle and whisper amongst themselves, teasing your absolutely lovesick state.

“yeah and they say they have a little crush, and they’ve been trying to hide it.” Junhyeon teases.

“Oh shut up.” You smack his arm and turn away, trying to hide your so painfully obvious blushing state.

“we are so sick of you shooting heart eyes at him for the longest time, oh god when do you plan on finally asking him out?” gunwook says.

“now that you mention it I think I’m planning on confessing to taerae soon.”

your friends dramatically gasp altogether. they certainly didn’t expect you to make a move a year after meeting him.

“You really are?”

“Yeah I was actually thinking of telling him after the open-mic tomorrow.”

“Ooooh how?” Sung hanbin chips in as he takes a seat at your table and casually sneaks a bite from zhanghao’s cheesecake sitting on the table.

“hey what the hell that’s mine, don’t think you’re so slick.” zhanghao snatches the fork from hanbin’s hand and hanbin chuckles at zhanghao’s annoyed state.

“hanbin what are you doing here aren’t you supposed to be working?” you turn to look at him and he comfortably sinks his back into the couch.

“you guys are the only ones here anyways and I’m closing the cafe in a bit. i also heard the words taerae and confess so of course I had to join in.”

“anyways moving back to the topic, how are you going to tell him” hanbin mentions once again.

“I was just planning on just simply saying it. All straight forward like hey.. I like you.”

Your friends squeal in excitement, you bury your face in your hands, embarrassed.

“I have a hunch he likes you too.” your ears turn red over what hanbin said, thinking the possibility of taerae reciprocating his feelings made you feel a little happy inside.

“Wishing you luck ” Hanbin pats your shoulder..

“Yeah like what are the odds that things could go wrong?”

RIGHT, WHAT ARE THE ODDS?

_________________________________

ATTEMPT 1 : THE OPEN MIC

“thank you for attending our open mic event this month ! I truly appreciate all your support and I’m always amazed by the talented performers that take on the stage. Hope you all get home safe and sound, thank you once again and I hope to see you again in our monthly open mic event once again next month.”

“Good luck.” Hanbin whispers in your year, sending you a fighting gesture as you proceed to look for taerae.

You look around and you spot him behind the cashier, currently counting a bunch of coins in his hand.

“Hey!” You catch the boy’s attention as he looks up and immediately flashes a smile as you near him.

“Hey what’s up? Did you enjoy tonight’s open-mic?”

“Yeah I did! And like always, you did absolutely amazing.” Taerae’s face flushing red after your compliment, you always found it so adorable when he’d get so shy.

“Uh taerae, I just wanted to tell you something.”

“Go ahead. I’m listening.” He places his arm on the counter, resting his chin on his palm, ready to listen to you.

“I don’t know where to begin..so the thing is.”

You take a deep breath, mentally preparing yourself for the moment.

“I’ve been keeping on eye on a certain someone for awhile now. Well whatever I shouldn’t be beating around the bush. I like-“

“Taerae! Let’s go!” A blue haired boy comes and wraps his arm around taerae’s neck, ruffling through his hair. You presumed it was the blue-haired roommate taerae always referred to in his stories about his dorm life.

“Later hanbin! Y/n’s trying to tell me something, go on..”

“Oh I’m so sorry I was interrupting something..”

“I like hearing the stories about your roommate, I wanted to meet him.” It just slipped. Forcing yourself to lie was defenitely not something you wanted to do but you felt too awkward to continue confessing.

“That’s me! Hello I am park hanbin, taerae’s amazing roommate that you hear about in his stories.” Hanbin winks at you, and puts his hand out. You shake his hand, pretending like you eagerly wanted to get to know him.

“Oh hey! That’s cool so I always heard really interesting stories about you so I’ve been dying to meet you.” You lied.

“I hear about you too, you seem cool. Hey wanna exchange numbers?”

“Yeah that’d be cool.” You and hanbin pull out your phones and quickly exchange numbers as taerae stands awkwardly behind the counter, witnessing your interaction.

“So uh i guess we can take our leave now? Thanks for coming today y/n and see you tomorrow during class!” Taerae pats hanbin’s shoulders, lowkey pushing him to go.

“Oh of course. See you taerae!” You smile and wave as they slowly take their leave.

“Nice to meet you y/n see you around too!” Hanbin cheekily throws a heart shooting gesture at you.

That was not definitely what you wanted to do.

_________________________________

PERHAPS A LETTER WILL DO?

“I don’t know if I can directly say it to him again.” You contemplated as you drew along your sketchbook. You were currently in ricky and zhanghao’s dorm, making a sketch of taerae as the two seriously focus on finishing their plates for their art classes due the next day, them being typical art students, while ranting about your confession process for the second time.

“Then perhaps you can try saying it to him by writing it in a letter instead?” Ricky suggests as he calmly moves the brush strokes against his canvas, multitasking listening to you while painting for his final’s project in his drawing and painting class.

“Writing him a letter-okay wait ricky I think that’s a great idea, I think i can do that.” you gasp as you turn to him, enlightened by the idea that doesn’t deal with direct confrontation.

“Eh but how are you doing it? Are you going to mail it? You know it’s a hassle and the courier rates are hell here or do you plan on just handing it to him then running away like an idiot. ” Zhanghao asks and you realize you didn’t fully grasp the idea yet. Writing down your feelings through a letter was definitely easier but how were you going to execute it?

“Hyung don’t be too pessimistic, it’s not so bad of an idea.” Ricky defends.

“Okay well..aha! I’ll just give it to him in the cafe after his shift, or I’ll just ask hanbin to slip it in his bag since I’m pretty sure it’d be impossible to slip it in during class.”

“Hmm..actually yeah that’s possible..not bad of an idea.”

“I’m a genius! oh hey guys look at my drawing, what do you think?” You flaunt your poorly drawn portrait of your crush and ricky lets out a huge laugh while zhanghao sends you a mortified look.

“is that taerae?” zhanghao points to your drawing, which was quite literally obvious as you wrote his name in red at the side.

“Yeah..i tried to draw him from memory.” You scratch the back of your head, embarrassed.

“Well as a fine arts student, I can definitely say it’s a drawing. Very abstract!” You send ricky a glare and smack his arm as he lets out a laugh.

“you should be thankful I didn’t pursue arts, picasso’s definitely shitting his pants right now.” You jokingly remarked.

“But I truly can’t draw at all what the hell.”

“It’s good that you know.” Ricky jokingly insults and you shoot him a glare.

You rip that paper from the sketchbook, folding it neatly and putting it to the side.

You open a new page, taking a deep breath before writing away your feelings on the paper. But everytime you wrote, your inner perfectionist fought you, making you restart the letter multiple times.

There were multiple pieces of papers scattered around ricky’s table and you had been stressing over it for over an hour and a half before finally finding the perfect words to say.

eventually you got all worn out from using all your brain power for the past hour as you fell asleep on ricky’s desk.

“psst, y/n you need to go, it’s getting late. “ at around 8pm, zhanghao wakes you up. You were a little groggy but you made sure to stand up and grab the letter as you leave. There were way too many paper in the desk and you had only remembered seeing the paper right next to you, but there were two, you bring the one on the right, assuming it was the letter.

_________________________________

you poured your heart out into the letter and made sure each and every word you said was heartfelt and true. you were about to pack the paper and you immediately hand it to hanbin upon arriving at the cafe in the morning. nervous yet also excited about sending taerae the letter.

and so, you wait for the next day to arrive.

_________________________________

“Hey taerae check your belongings before you leave! Need to make sure you don’t leave anything in the cafe, closing up in a bit.“ hanbin yells from the stock room as he secretly grins to himself. taerae rummages through his backpack, thoroughly checking through his things.

He finds a piece of paper in the front pocket and curiously, of course he opens it. Taerae immediately held his hand to his mouth, shocked over what he saw.

…

You anxiously waited for taerae to come to class as you fiddled with your fingers, afraid of what taerae’s reaction to the letter would be.

You spot taerae coming in and he waves at you from afar. You felt a sense of relief as you see taerae still openly greeting you and going your direction to take the seat next to yours like always.

“Hey. ” Taerae sits down and all of a sudden his face was painted with a hint of worry. You mentally start panicking over what he was going to say. Is he going to reject me? Tell me to get lost? Why does he lowkey looks scared? you thought

Taerae goes to grab something from his bag and you gulp nervously. He takes out a piece of paper and passes it to you.

“Oh taerae…”

“Open it.” He says and your hands shake a little as you open up the folded piece of paper, your heart was beating fast and taerae looked down on his desk, his hands clasped together, he just looked really anxious.

You open it and your eyes widen in shock.

“Oh shit.”

“Right? Isn’t it terrifying?” He points at the paper, hesitant to look at it. It was the poorly drawn portrait of him that you made when you were at hao and ricky’s dorm.

How the hell would you mess this up? And then it hit you, you grabbed the first paper you sw at the desk, assuming what you grabbed would be the letter.

“it’s scary to me because just look at the drawing, are they trying to say something about my appearance? And my name’s in red on the bottom. I thought it was a litte gift but when you think about it, would someone really gift you something like this.” You felt an arrow shoot through your heart. Not only did he just diss your drawing skills but he quickly assumed that this drawing was sent from a secret hater?

“what if they’re just shitty at drawing, you know but they were trying to do a nice little gesture?”

“But the red name, the poor handwriting, it just really feels like a hate message.” You felt your spirit leave your body.

“I don’t know I feel like I have to be on the lookout now, I’m scared someone’s coming after me.”

“YOU SENT HIM THE DRAWING?” ricky bursts out laughing at your failed mail delivery attempt.

“No oh my god my stomach hurts so much I can’t handle it..and the fact he thinks it’s a hate message is so fucking funny.” Ricky held onto stomach from laughing so hard and you glare at him. It was certainly not helping the embarrassment your were experiencing at the moment.

“Okay stop laughing dumbass it’s not funny.”

“Oh it is, it really is..” You smack his arm to make him get a grip and ricky lets out a loud ‘Ow’.

“Now what the fuck am I gonna do! I’m doomed!”

“You can always try again, you know? Maybe next time double check what you’re going to send to make sure you don’t send the love of your life your cursed looking drawings.”

“who send what what now?” Junhyeon quickly plops a seat next to ricky.

“y/n just sent taerae a drawing of him and he..thought it was….a threat..” ricky tries to hold his laugh in between his words.

“makes sense your skills are the worse of the worse i feel like i lose ten years of my life when I see you do any sort of artwork.”

“Oh shut up! Why are you all just constantly after my ass.”

“Anyways did you actually try to confess to him by using a drawing? “ junhyeon asked, visibly confused.

“No no no! I was supposed to leave him a letter. The thing is in the morning, I went to the cafe in the morning with hao to hand hanbin the letter so he could sneak it in his bag. I think i handed him the wrong one..because I was holding on to both of the folded papers and I forgot which was which..”

“Typical y/n moment..” ricky says and you raise your fork at him.

“Yeah okay okay.” ricky raises his hands in the air to defend himself from you potentially striking at him with your fork.

“Guys what do I do..”

“Why don’t you just tell him directly?” Junhyeon asks..

“Last time, I slipped up and lied that I wanted to mee his roommate, knowing damn well I don’t care about his roommate at all.””

“So what were you actually trying to send?“

“Okay I got another idea this time!” Ricky raises his hand you furrow one of your eyebrows at him.

_________________________________

ATTEMPT 2 : LEAVING THE LETTER AT THE LECTURE ROOM

“What time did hanbin say he was gonna come?”

“Hmm in like 30 minutes. He ends his shift at around 4.” Hao tells you. This time you were meant to leave the letter on his desk. Hanbin said he left his things in the lecture room and was going back after his shift to retrieve them.

you of course also made sure to double check to prevent the same mistake from happening again, it would be too much. You were positive that this time, nothing would go wrong and taerae would finally be able to read the words you’ve been meaning to relay.

“Shit shit shit! Guys I hear footsteps, I think it’s him!” Junhyeon yelled and panic immediately seeps into you.

“What? I thought his shift ends at 4, uh whatever guys hide!”

You and hao sneak under one of the tables at the back while junhyeon stood for awhile looking left and right, trying to figure out where to hide while he hears the footsteps getting louder and louder so he just hides behind the door, facing the corner, putting his black hoodie on.

Taerae walks into the room and hums a soft tune as he casually walks on his way onto his designated seat. He finds the paper on top and tilts his head to the side, surprised upon seeing a folded paper again. He scans the whole room with his sight before proceeding to slowly flip the fold.

The door abruptly closes as it emits an eerily creaking sound that echoed across the room. Taerae looks at its direction and notices a tall figure in a black hoodie at the corner of the room. His heart began to beat at an alarmingly fast rate.

“W-who are you?” He stutters out of fear as he slowly approaches the figure. The figure freezes into place, not moving an inch from its position.

“Were you here for me?” He slowly walks over and tries to gently approach the figure, he reaches out and tugs on the person’s arm and they suddenly turn around, instantly head butting taerae before he could take a look into their face, sending taerae into a fainting spell as he collapses onto the floor.

“Junhyeon what the fuck!” You and hao quickly rush over to the now, passed out, taerae laying on the floor.

“You shithead why did you headbutt him!”

“I didn’t want him to know it was me, okay! It was also a reflex i don’t know!”

“Yeah? Are you crazy!? He’s literally unconscious right now!!”

“But he’s not dead right?” Junhyeon slowly approaches his figure placing two fingers over his neck to check if he still had his pulse, he jumps but soon breathes a sigh of relief as he feels his pulse.

“Ah! Oh thank God.”

“Ugh whatever just bring to him the clinic.” Hao quickly goes to carry his left arm and you do the same on his other one.

_________________________________

You sit beside taerae’s peaceful sleeping state, patiently waiting for him to wake up, around 30 minutes has passed and he has yet to wake up.

Hao left early since he still had other senior duties to attend to while junhyeon left out of guilt, refusing to face taerae after giving him a concussion from a headbutt he didn’t mean to cause. He loved taerae too much to face him after what happened today.

You waited by taerae’s side even taking a nap as you waited for him to wake up.

You sat by the bed, with the letter in your hand. You opened it and reread each and every word once again as you look at taerae at the same time. You let out a huge sigh. You felt hesitant once again in confessing to taerae. Perhaps being by his side was enough, right?

But the feelings would always be there and you wouldn’t want to fight it. You sit and stare at his features for awhile, finding yourself enamored by his looks.

“I don’t think you’ll ever forgive me taerae..”

“for what?” you jolted from your seat the moment you hear that deep voice. taerae slowly tries to sit himself up and he squints at you as he rubs his eyes.

“oh my god you’re finally awake.”

“What happened I was at the classroom and I just blacked out, how did you find me..��� You panic a little, trying to scramble through your brain to think of a random excuse, surely you weren’t going to tell him you were there to drop a letter where you basically profess your feelings.

“Uh i just stopped by the classroom, I thought I left something in the room.”

“oh okay..did you see anyone else there? like a person with a black hoodie? I think someone hit me in the head.”

Taerae tries to recall the situation, his memory still a little foggy over what happened. He couldn’t quite remember how the person looked as everything just happened so quickly.

“Wait..what if it was the same person who sent me that drawing from before? How would they even know that I was coming back? Because the moment I entered the room, I felt this eerie atmosphere, like someone was waiting for me?” You mentally curse at yourself for pushing through this plan, how the hell were you going to tell him the truth?

“I feel like I have this sort of secret anti? I don’t know I’m kinda scared to be alone now.”

“If you don’t mind, can you walk with me home today? It’s embarrassing but i feel kinda scared to walk hom alone.” You eyes widened in shock but you quickly agree anyways. You just got an offer to spend some extra time with your crush. However a huge part of you felt guilty about what happened.

“I’m sorry I can’t I have to go somewhere. Uh I think i actually need to go right now.” You stood up and taerae looks at you softly, almost like his eyes were pleading for you to not go away.

“Okay I’ll just call your roommate to get you since I really can’t, it’s park hanbin right?”

“yeah, do you have his number? I think I left my belongings at the room I don’t have my phone right now.”

“Ah yes i do! Let me dial him.” You scroll through your contacts searching for his name, quickly dialing him.

“Hey y/n, what’s up!” Hanbin responds almost immediately, greeting you in a cheery tone.

“Hey, so taerae’s at the clinic right now, he got a concussion and sprained his ankle and he kinda can’t get to his dorm alone right now so can you come pick him up right now?”

“Alright I see..”

“Sorry it’s kinda hard to explain right now but taerae’s gonna fill you in on the details later.”

“It’s okay i know what happened, junhyeon told me..”

“Ah r-really, okay anyways just come and get him right now.” You quickly end the call hoping he doesn’t go on and run his mouth on what happened.

“just stay here and wait for hanbin I think I’ll have to go now.”

“Take care! see you in the cafe and next week!” Taerae flashes you his warm smile as he waves at you.

“You too taerae.” You smile back and take your leave..

_________________________________

ATTEMPT HONESTLY CAN’T EVEN KEEP UP ANYMORE : FIGURING IT OUT AGAIN PART SOMETHING OR MAYBE NOT

You and your friends, ricky, junhyeon, zhanghao and sung hanbin and gunwook gathered in the same cafe once again.

_________________________________

“So what’s your new plan?”

“Guys I really don’t know anymore.” You let your head hit the table, feeling so defeated at the moment after thinking about your two failed confession attempts.

“Guys what’s a foolproof way of me confessing where I don’t need to do it on the spot, or one that doesn’t have a chance of leaving him terrified him in any way.”

“Yeah he’s been taerae-fied too many times.” Junhyeon jokes. You roll your eyes at his poor attempt of making a taerae pun.

“The plans have been so terrible.” You sigh.

“Taeraeble you could say..” Ricky softly says while looking down as junhyeon giggled, trying to surpress his laugh.

“Ok I swear if you guys say another one.” You glare at the two.

“Hmm perhaps maybe.” Gunwook leads. After junhyeon blabbered to him about what happened he was also then informed of the fact that you had feelings for taerae too.

“actually never mind I don’t know I thought i was thinking for a moment but it blew away sorry.”

“Junhyeon why did you invite gunwook over too, he’s no help either.” Gunwook turns to you and fakes a loud gasp and you roll your eyes over his dramatic act.

“By the way um sorry to say this late but, taerae just quit his job here yesterday. He also said he’s transferring outside of the school.” Sung hanbin mentions.

“Yeah and he also said he’s transferring next semester, he’s actually moving out next friday.” Sung hanbin adds. Everyone else is shocked over the sudden news. Taerae leaving so suddenly was never in anyone’s bingo cards.

“No! I love taerae too much! Why am I only knowing now that my man is leaving.” Junhyeon dramatically fake cries.

“Oh shit. i just realized.”

“What?”Hao turns to you.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to see taerae much anymore, it’s our last class next week and we don’t talk much outside.”You recalled that the last day of your class with taerae was already next week because after that it would be finals then everything’s done. You weren’t sure if you were going to still be able to talk to taerae knowing how you usually only talked during class.

Maybe a part of you wished for those accidents to happen because deep inside, you were afraid about letting taerae find out about your feelings, afraid that he wouldn’t like you back and you’d lose the friendship you’ve built for a year.

_________________________________

The last monday. the last class you were going to share with taerae ever.

“Hey y/n i want to tell you something.” You look in his direction. You were already had an idea on what he was going to say.

“I’m moving out next week and I quit my part time job at hanbin's cafe. Though maybe you’ve noticed and Hanbin might’ve already told you but yeah I just wanted to tell you.”

“Oh I guess we won’t be seeing each other much anymore..” You say and his eyes widened. He waves his hands and sends you a reassuring look.

“oh we won’t be seeing each other much anymore but I promise I’ll try to keep up with you! um my roommates wanted to throw a farewell party, honestly a little dramatic haha but I wanted to invite you and you friends over. It’s going to be a small one don’t worry.”

“Sure! I’d love to come, I’ll tell my friends too.”

“The last hurrah, you know. Also just so you know,, I genuinely enjoyed getting to know you this year, you were the best person I’ve met this year. I was so happy to have known you this year and I would have totally flunked this class because I might’ve have just ended up sleeping through every lecture haha.”

“Anyways I’ll see you at the party, yeah?” He points at you with that signature smile plastered on his face once again.

“Absolutely.” You smile back.

_________________________________

“I can’t do this anymore! I’ve tried everything like EVERYTHING yet somehow everytime I can’t seem to tell him how I feel.” You cried as you took another shot of soju. Initially, you were alone at the convenience store wanting to buy alone a beer or two to let loose but here you were with almost two empty soju bottles.

“why didn’t a single thing go right..” you bury your face in your hands.

a thought pops into your head and liquid courage pushed you to now film a voicemail on your phone to taerae. now, you were quite wasted and couldn’t see shit but you still pushed yourself.

you drunkenly record yourself professing your love to him, addressing him as you. you laugh to yourself as you finished recording and finally hit the send button.

“maybe this can work ahehe.”

“Y/n?” You hear a young man call out your name. You look up and your vision was too blurry to make out the owner of the voice. it was very familiar and clear to you but you just couldn’t seem to lay a finger on who it could be.

“You!” You stood up from your seat, pointing at the unknown man with your eyes closed. He takes a step back at your sudden move, confused on what to do.

You try to open you eyes, trying to take a look but soon your vision darkens and you pass out. the night going on as a blur.

_________________________________

your eyes flitter open and you feel your head ringing, a painful reminder of what happened last night. you wake up, confused as you look around, the surroundings being all too new.

since when did i have white sheets and a clean ass bedroom?

you slap yourself, trying to figure if it was a dream or not. but it wasn’t.

soon you hear a knock on the door on the far left and taerae enters, carrying a glass of tea and painkillers on a tray.

“oh you’re awake, anyways here take these for your hangover. finish the cup of tea and if your headache feels really unbearable, take a tylenol. anyways how are you feeling?” he hands the tray to you and he sits down by you.

“Honestly woke up with a terrible headache. Is this your place?I’m so sorry..” You ask.

“Yes but don’t worry about it, I saw you pass out last night and I didn’t want to leave you there.” he says and sends a reassuring smile your way. you felt your heart skip a beat for a second.

“anyways stay as long as you need! take care of yourself and rest. if you need water or anything, just call me! okay?” he says as he proceeds to leave the room.

you feel your phone vibrate next to you and you are shocked upon what you see when you receive a notification from park hanbin.

phanbin: let’s talk about this at the dorm party ;)

well, shit.

. Taerae invited the whole friend group (since he was friends with all of you too anyways) and the other dorm mates to come over. He requested it to not be so grand since he wanted it to be a simple farewell.

It was probably the last day you were ever going to see him and it kinda killed you inside knowing not a single attempt of your confessions worked and the words you’ve been trying to relay are going to be left unspoken. Other than that, you had also discovered that you had sent a voicemail to park hanbin, perhaps leading him on. You also couldn’t bear to see taerae after your past encounter. This day, you were definitely more than nervous to come.

You, ricky, sung hanbin and zhanghao decided to go the dorm together. When you arrive, you finally meet the other dormmates taerae had always talked about in his stories.

“Hi! I’m woongki, Nice to meet you. Come in.” The brown haired boy cheerfully greeted the four of you as soon as you guys came in as he lead you guys to sit on the couch. Another taller, black-haired boy goes next to him and introduces himself.

“Hey I’m seowon! Another roommate and woongki’s roommate.”

“I see, it makes so much sense that you��re roommates, you both are very smiley haha.” you say, seeing how cheery and friendly the two are in welcoming the both of you.

In the mean time, you got to chat with woongki and seowon. Park hanbin and taerae were still getting food and drinks.

From talking to them, you were also able to catch some stories and new facts about taerae. To your surprise, they reveal how he actually goes around the dorm wearing horrendous clothing pieces, wearing the same pair of red pants almost every day like it was the only pair of pants he owned. You also then learn about how taerae used to sing a lot in church growing up. His guitar was his pride and often, he would play and sing for them if ever anyone wanted him to. He could just sing on the spot if you asked him to.

The more you heard about him, the more endearing he was to you. It certainly didn’t help with making your feelings go away or having to deal with not seeing him anymore.

“Sorry we took long but we’re here!” Park hanbin and taerae finally arrived, with all their hands full with bags filled with snacks, chicken and beer.

For the night, you guys plan to play a few games then wrap up the night with a movie marathon afterwards.

The first game you guys decided to play was uno. It was fun, a lot of oohs and a lot of cheating with some players hiding specific cards. (yeah it was on junhyeon and ricky). Taerae on the other hand, often when he lost he’d go look over your cards and coach you, and despite taerae being the first one to lose almost all the time, he managed to make you win every time.

It was followed by a game of charades. It was even more chaotic than playing uno.

Then lastly, truth or dare.

The dares were pretty mild like for example, taking their shirt off for the whole game, having to eating a tablespoon of sugar or just doing a specific dance.

And for some reason, nobody chose truth because they were just pretty lame questions like did you ever fail a test? Or did you ever have your first kiss blablabla. the dares were more entertaining.

“Oooh y/n’s the chosen one!” Everyone cheered.

“So, what’s your choice, is it a truth or a dare?”

“I’ll choose truth.”

“Alright, let me think do you like anyone in the room?” Hanbin smirks, he was definitely planning on something.

“Of course I like everyone in the room, what are you implying.” You laugh with a hint of nervousness, trying to play off the question.

“No I mean, do you like like anyone, romantically?” He states, now you were sure park hanbin might have caught on and he defended knows.

“Be honest..”

You stop and take a small gulp as everyone’s eyes were all glued onto you in anticipation.

“Yeah..” you softly say and oohs were throwed. Your friends laugh and try to act all shocked as if they didn’t know you did and who it was.

“Woah really.” Park hanbin brings one of his hands to a mouth as he nods his head, seemingly not so shocked either.

“Who?”

“Come on it’s over it’s supposed to be one question.”

“We need to know!”

“Hanbin stop..they’re obviously not comfortable sharing especially in this setting so just stop.” Taerae sternly says making the whole room go silent.

“Well moving on then! Why don’t we start the movie marathon, yeah?” Everyone stands up from the ground and proceeds to lay on the couch. And chairs laying around.

You look in taerae’s direction and he gives you a small smile.

Buzz. Your phone rang.

You look over and recieve a text from park hanbin, asking you to meet up at his bedroom to discuss something. He looks at you and directs to go up with his eyes.

You roll your eyes but you get up anyways as you go upstairs, hanbin following along.

Taerae notices the two of you sneaking upstairs. He was curious about what you two were up to.

“Aw man there’s no more popcorn.” Junhyeon complains, his voice snapping taerae from his thoughts.

“Okay what now?”

“i know about it.”

“About how you feel.”

“About what?” You furrow one of your eyebrows as hanbin takes a pause, his lips pursed as he looks at the ground.

“I know you like me.” You pause there for a moment, your brain trying to function as for this time you had misled the wrong boy into thinking that you like him.

“Oh uh about it..”

“It’s fine you don’t have to deny it but y/n I’m sorry I don’t like you in that way though but you know maybe I could give you a chance and get to know you more first?” He shyly takes a step closer to you, moving his face closer to yours.

“Uh Hanbin.” You freeze on the spot, not knowing what to do or what to say.

“It’s not- like I don-“

“It’s okay you don’t have to deny it, look I acknowledge your feelin-“ He moves his face closer to yours to look into your eyes.

All of a sudden the door next to the two of you creaks open, revealing taerae standing there with his mouth wide open.

“Sorry to interrupt you guys but uh I just wanted to say I’m going to sleep now since I’m leaving early tomorrow.” Taerae awkwardly smiles and takes his leaves. You panic, assuming he probably overheard most of the conversation which might have misled him to thinking you actually had a crush on park hanbin.

You mentally curse at yourself as you watch taerae turn his back and turn away.

“Now going back..”

You quickly shut the door, take a deep breath and take a hold of hanbin’s shoulders. Well you hd to clear it up, it’s now or never.

“I don’t like you. I don’t have any feelings for you. I am not interested at you.” You look up at him and gave him a straight face. He tilts his head, knitting his eyebrows in confusion.

“Huh?Then why did you send me that voicemail?”

“Man this is so embarrassing.”You look at the ground in shame, not wanting to open the conversation over the embarrassing voicemail.

“I accidentally sent it to you..it was meant for someone else.” You facepalm.

“I was drunk and I wasn’t thinking clearly! It was really stupid of me. I just sent it to you thinking it was..someone else plus I was drunk! I my vision was all blurry too i’m sorry.” You continued, Hanbin lets out an oh as he scratches his head, embarrassed and confused.

“Wait then who was it for?”

“About that..”

“Tell me who? Who is it?” He whines as he playfully pokes your arm, curious as to who the lucky boy may be. You certainly didn’t want to tell the boy knowing he was taerae’s best friend and he might blabber about it to him.

“Secret.”

“Awwww come on….wait..Ha! Nevermind don’t tell me I know.” Hanbin lets out a light laugh, taking a step closer to you.

“Your crush on taerae is so painfully obvious.”he whispered. You freeze on the spot. He takes a step back and continues giggling to himself.

“I mean I could feel it before but I pushed it off because I thought you liked me..but it all makes more sense now. you, see taerae at the cafe everyday, you light up when he talks to you, you always stare at him, can you also not make that obvious? And lastly I can easily sense that the way you act around him is very different from everyone else.”

“Like you are in love with him.” He crosses his arms and he knew he was right.

“Pfft no.”

“Oh yeah you are.”

“But he’s moving away anyways so it’s not that big of a deal.”

“Aw sorry about that..”

“And from what happened earlier..he probably thinks I like you.”

“I’m so sorry about that, you know what, I’ll clear it up to him-“

“No you don’t have to, he’s leaving and I don’t want to cause anything. and it’s my fault really! I was the one who carelessly sent that voicemail, I’m sorry for leading you on too. So anyways, I think I might just go leave now.” You flash hanbin a smile to reassure him before leaving. Hanbin grabs your wrist, stopping you in your tracks.

“I’m also sorry about earlier too by the way, y/n. Honestly-“

“Hanbin I’m sorry for cutting you off again but honestly I think I need to go now. I just don’t want taerae to know, and I’m not sure if we’ll keep up when he leaves so I iust hope we stay as friends, so we don’t leave at an awkward note. Anyways thank you and sorry hanbin but I gotta go now.” He loosens his grip on your wrist and pats your shoulder.

“Take care.”

Here you are, in the comfort of hanbin’s care sipping on a glass of iced coffee, staring out the window. Last night, you left the party early and you weren’t able to bid taerae a proper goodbye in person.

you open your phone, and stare at you text messages with taerae, contemplating on whether you wanted to write him a long goodbye message or to simply tell him good luck and take care.

“for how long are you going to stare at your phone.” hanbin gets you from your out-of-zone state.

“hanbin, I don’t know how to say goodbye. honestly I feel miserable. I hate that he’s leaving and I wasn’t even able to tell him how I feel.” you bury your face into yoir hands. hanbin takes the seat next to you and rubs your back. the boy you loved was leaving and he never even got the chance to know how you truly felt.

as if the heavens heard your cries, you felt your phone vibrate and you received a notification of a text message from park hanbin.

phanbin: y/n go run to taerae right now. he’s leaving soon but hey, you deserve to be able to tell him how you feel properly and now may be the perfect time. I also cleared up everything that happened last night lol so dw. anyways do this text me back and go run to him NOWWW!!!!!! he’s still in front of our dorm <3

You look at hanbun and he gives you a reassuring nod as an approval.

“Go now!!!” he yells good luck to you as you proceed to rush out of the cafe, running towards the direction of his dorm. You ran and ran, your feet moving at a full speed like you were at a marathon. a rush of adrenaline filled you and this time, you were motivated than ever to tell him how you truly feel.

you were just one block away from the dorm and soon, you spot a car parked in front of the dorm with a handful of boxes outside. you proceed to go there but you couldn’t see taerae around. you’re not too late, his boxes are here so he’s somewhere.

you take a deep breath first, resting your hands on your knees first from all the running. you forgot that you weren’t an athlete and your lack of exercise was getting right back at you.

you receive another text mess from park hanbin.

park hanbin:I I’m sorry i know you’re probably sprinting right now but he’s at the convenience store so you might have to do a little more running. his dumbass forgot to buy a few things. anyways good luck y/n! you got this.” he sends you a thumbs up emoji.

you run and run again and you curse under your breath, realizing how far the convenience store is. your legs were slowly getting wobbly and you onew your lack of physical activity was bound to get you someday but you hoped it wouldn’t be right now.

you just stop running and start walking instead. as you near the store, you spot the brown-haired young man outside, sitting on a table outside with his back facing you.

you take a deep breath before tapping his shoulder. he turns around and you thank the heavens that there was no plot twist of this being a non-taerae or else you were going to absolutely throw a fit.

“hey taerae! I needed to tell you something before you go and I wanted to give you a proper goodbye in person since I wasn’t able to last night.” you say and the boy stands up, flashing you a grin as he had gimbap in his mouth. he raises his hand and you were a little confused as to what he meant by that.

“should I say what I need to say or wait for you to finish?” he swallows his food down before speaking up.

“ok sorry you can go on now.” he lightly chuckles and you laugh a little.

you take a huge gulp, taking a look at the ground before looking straight at him right in the eye. he eagerly listens, giving you a reassuring look. it’s finally happening.

“taerae I have been dying to tell you this for a long time now honestly and although I don’t think now is the perfect time, I just wanted to get this off my chest before you go cause I know I would regret it if I didn’t tell you sooner.” you take a pause and he gives you another nod, a way of telling you he was still listening.

so here it goes.

“I li-“

you were soon cut off by the sound of the door opening as a man calls out to taerae“taerae hyung! Did you kn- y/n?” you look behind you and you spot junhyeon, holding a full meal of burgers and fries and a cup of come on a tray in his hands.

“junhyeon what the hell are you doing here?”

“I was helping taerae moving out then he went here to buy things then we just decided to eat here.” he says, standing there, a little confused. he quickly scans the situation between you and then it finally hit him.

“ah I believe I interrupted something here, sorry I will just eat inside.”

the boy quickly rushes back inside.

you turn to taerae again. “anyways, sorry for the little commotion there. anyways as I was saying, taerae-junhyeon what the actual fuck sit somewhere else.” junhyeon sat in front of the window directly facing the both of you. you motion to the boy to move the other way and he rolls his eyes before taking a seat somewhere else.

“oh god I hope it’s the last of him. I swear if anything goes wrong again-“

all of the sudden, the rain decides to twist the odds and rain on your parade. you grab taerae’s hand, about to take him inside but he firmly holds onto your hand, telling you to stay.

“taerae it’s raining, you’ll get sick, we have to get in i’ll just tell you inside.”

“no tell me right here, right now. you have been wanting to tell me for a long time and I know you want to say it already.” you felt a hint of seriousness in his tone.

“are you serious?well fine It’s so weird to say it right now but okay..taerae, i..” He nods, the words starting to get hesitant to leave your mouth. you take a deep breath and you finally mustered up the courage.

“taerae I like you. no, actually I’m in love with you. It’s embarrassing but It’s true and I can’t fight it anymore. I loved getting to know you and from the moment i first laid my eyes on you and heard your sweet voice back in that open mic, I fell in love. I was so lucky to be able to get to know you more too. you are the sweetest, kindest and most wonderful person I’ve ever met. It’s okay if you don’t like me back. I just want to say that I love and appreciate every moment I got to spend with you in the past year..it was so lovely to have known you taerae.” unexpectedly he lets out a light laugh, his big signature smile painted on his face. he gently takes both of your hands in his.

“I love you too, y/n. in fact, I’ve always known.” you felt like your ears betrayed you at the last part. what does he mean he always knew?

“back at the clinic, I saw the letter next to you while you slept. it had the words ‘to taerae’ written on it so I just opened it. I read each and every word you wrote and took it to heart. I was so happy to know you felt the same..but when you woke up, you hid the letter and I iust felt that you were still not ready to tell me so I didn’t open a convo about it. hanbin told me about everything and cleared everything up, actually both hanbins did, sung and park haha.” you both laugh.

“well..what now? you’re leaving now so what will be then? we’ll barely see each other now that we’re not in the same uni.”

“actually about that, I’m still in the same uni, I’m only moving dorms..”

“what?” the whole dramatic mood you had turned upside down. you playfully smack taerae’s arm, bursting into tears. he didn’t expect to see you cry but he just laughs and brings you into a hug.

“I forgot to specify to you guys that I was not transferring schools and only dorms and that just made me realize why everyone was dramatic with everything. please don’t cry..”

“that’s really mean taerae, I was actually so upset that you were leaving so I was miserable for nothing.” your bury your face into his chest, pulling him tighter and taerae began to laugh.

he slowly lets go and cups your face, breaking into a smile and you feel the whole world brighten as you look into his eyes again. he stares at your lips and your faces inch closer together.

“may I?” he asks and you nod your head before he gently brings your face closer to his with his finger and his arms snake around your waist. you felt the whole world stop as you melt into his touch. your lips seemingly shaped for one another.

slowly, he pulls away and breaks into a huge smile.

“finally! I’ve been waiting for this one.” you hear junhyeon’s screams from inside the store and you simply roll your eyes back at him, you and taerae laughing over his reaction.

you turn to look back at taerae.

“I really love you and I’m glad you’re finally mine.” you giggle as you wrap your arms around his neck, bringing his face close enough for you noses to touch.

and finally, the odds were in your favor.

a/n and you reached the end! hope you enjoyed reading it. this has been sitting in my drafts for a month, but missing taerae and the new kcon behind drove me to finish this story! I also have a love-hate relationship with this which is why it took pretty long to write HAIAHSHSB sorry for some mistakes in the capatalization of names and grammar that I may have overlooked. But anyways feel free to leave feedback! I would love to hear your honest thoughts on this :>>>

[fairy-verse]

wahh the way you wrote tragic love between nightlight n dream is so absolutely wonderful<333

i'm not rlly the same anon but u mentioned we could ask dream, nightlight and nightmare? 

the angst was very wonderful/gen but now i'm kind of curious how a love between the 3 would go, that and i'm horridly fond of the whole 'tender' and 'embracing each other in their entirety' type love lmao u mentioned that dream would believe nightmare as nightmare is a very good liar, but would nightlight have any worries or such? i'm not sure as their both the two halfs of autumn i assume they'd understand/know each other on an emotional level of sorts hsjshjs, lovely work as always<33

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

A good liar Nightmare may be, but that is not so when it comes to Nightlight. His other half can, to some extent, feel whatever emotions Nightmare might be experiencing, and the sorrow within him is heartbreaking, and he cannot just leave him like that. So, a love between the three of them will go like this:

Tense, at first, but Nightmare is a stubborn old mule at times, and as infuriating as it can be, both Dream and Nightlight must be patient. It will be rewarded greatly. Once Nightmare warms up to the idea that he, too, can be a part of this, then he will shower both Dream and Nightlight with love as soft and gentle as the light of the moon itself.

Nightmare isn’t one to express public displays of affection that often, but he will do nothing to stop Dream or Nightlight from doing so. Dream is notorious for being touchy towards those he holds dear, and will openly nuzzle and purr into Nightmare’s side, whether the latter is discussing something with his autumn fairies or not. If he managed to pull Nightlight away from his secret nook within the underground nest, then he, too, would be at Nightmare’s side, though he would stand close instead of clinging onto his other half.

Kisses, declarations of love, arrays of flowers, pretty bugs, silks and satins, tapestries that show wonderment of love; Nightmare will spare no expense to shower his lovers in lavish gifts, but it is the moments they share in near silence that are the most precious to them all. Quiet nights in their private nest, cuddled up in warmth and comfort, bare bone and ecto touching as they speak in soft tones about their goings of the day, fingers trailing comforting patterns to soothe and relax.

With this newfound intimacy comes new levels of trust, and eventually Nightlight will be permitted to go outside with Dream so he may see his valley with his own eyes, instead of just admiring the tapestries Nightmare made for him to look upon. Together they will travel to see the sunlit valley, to feel the warm wind, to plunge into pools of glittering blue water, and to play and chase upon the dancing grass before laying down to rest.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

“My night,” Dream said, kissing Nightmare’s lips, “and my light,” he added, and turned to do the same with Nightlight, “I am so happy to have you in my valley; together. It warms my soul to be with you both so openly for my own fairies to see. Can you hear them sing for us?”

“It is so beautiful,” Nightlight said, closing his eyes to enjoy the sound and the soft touch of the wind.

“Hm,” Nightmare chuckled, “when do they not sing for you, Dreamy?”

Dream chuckled in return. “This is different, Nighty. It’s not just for me, but for us, and that makes the song all the sweeter.”

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

[therrerium-valkryonia]

Could you please write something about a woman giving birth on the stairs? As she struggles to walk up each step brings her waters closer to bulging out until she can no longer walk

A lovely idea, I might have one for you and this one you may find acceptable to your taste.

On the other hand, I am grateful for your ideas!

A Step Forward

TW: 18+, minors Dni

In the midnight, she runs from oncoming shots as they zip pass her puffing up into smoke with each that hits the ground, she then runs into an alleyway and enters into an abandoned building through the backdoor.

As Charloette slams the door shut, she feels an intense contraction under her abdomen and her waters begin to heavily flow and stain the mat.

Gasping loudly, her leotard soaked as the pain rushed in horridly wrapping around her bump as she clutched her bumps midsection as she let's her mouth gape open wide without a sound.

Her arm wraps into her bump as she waddles forward to the steps out of the basement, the pains still surrounding her body beginning to release the restless twins within her.

Once she takes the steps up, she feels a huge thundrous pain ring into her hips as she falls onto her knees and squeals "Gnnmmhh!" and bears down leaning forward with her thighs spread open unable to close from the sheer pains she was experiencing entirely.

As she puffs, she regains her footing and is heading up the steps further up as a noise physically worries her within her vunerable position, she hastens her waddle.

On each step she struggles to hold in the massive mass beginning to peek through, reaching a turnaround to up further to the second floor, she collapses and held on the railings that turn the corner.

Laid on her hips, she bears down succumbed with the pains as her scarlet eyes widen and then she gasps with heavy groans "Ah! Hu- u unnnhhh!" As the mass begins reaching the midpoint and as she heaves slowly receeds.

She reached into her strapped heel boots, grabbing a dagger then regaining herself gripping the handrails and her arm held carefully underneath her massive bump.

Heading up the steps, a contraction pangs increasingly worse as she endures further upwards the steps, grunting while taking furthering steps to the safest floor.

Bearing down with each step upwards, the massive head begins to slightly peak while rushing with fluids as she grunts louder "A- Hggg- nnggghhhh! Ngh!" with the crowning widening further out.

As she steps forward, each furthering the crowning more and more until exshaustion collapses in and she falls to her thighs.

She bends over and leans into the railing, pressing her chin into her chest and then bearing down heavily and crowning fully.

She gasps, grunts as she reachs the full crowning or the ring of fire, inhaling the ginormous breath as she screams loudly.

"Nggg- AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

Dropping the dagger, clutching her bump feeling the head burst violently and with shoulders rushing out even quicker.

——————————————

The baby sploshed onto the concrete, she then rushed to cradle the small babe and intensely held onto the dagger's hilt.

She waddles onto the final steps up, reaching the third floor with the second crown slowly forming as she pushes with each step up the stairs until the pain succumbs her down.

On her fours she laid the firstborn to the side, she bore down with one push and had yelled loudly with the whole body dangling out of her.

Exshauting herself completlely, she reached onto the baby with her gloved hands as she reached under black dress and pulled it out.

Slowly laying onto her back, grabbing her crystal earring and finnessing it with her managing to cut the cord with an earring.

[strawberrypinky]

all your loving (all or nothing) pt. 1 - a. sharp x reader

for the longest time, aesop sharp was absolutely certain that he must have eradicated an entire civilisation in his past life, as there was no other possible explanation for the sheer torture in found himself in. but as the months went on and the weather became warmer, and the flowers were blooming again, he found himself believing that retribution was possible – even for someone like him.

or: aesop sharp is an idiot in love with a breeding kink and this escalated in ways i can never speak of.

A/N: Right. What was supposed to be a simple, short, smutty one shot, escalated into this. Do I have regrets? Yeah - a lot of them. Am I still posting this? Absolutely. I blame @legacygirlingreen for enabling me, but I also thank her for the endless support she's given me throughout. M; you are the best 💚

To everyone else reading this; I have never written 'x Reader' before, so please give me some grace for trying 🙏🏻

FYI: (Y/N) - Your Name (Y/L/N) - Your Last Name (Y/E/C) - Your Eye Colour (Y/H/C) - Your Hair Colour

CW (here we go): Fluff, Romance, Idiots in Love, Miscommunication, Pining, Age Difference (Aged up Main Character), Canon Divergence (bc I can't stand to kill Fig off), Spoiler Alert for Hogwarts Legacy, Implied Hufflepuff MC (not specified), Porn with Plot, Smut (18+, MDNI) - for part 2 (lord, forgive me): Loss of Virginity, Breeding Kink, Impregnation, Overstimulation, Praise Kink, Size Kink

Word Count (Part 1): 16k (yes - this escalated)

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48482581/chapters/122292907

Aesop Sharp was sure that he must have eradicated an entire civilisation in his past life. 

There was simply no other explanation for the sheer torture he continuously found himself in. 

He thought Scarborough Harbour and the curse in his leg might have been penance - the pain and guilt certainly served as a constant reminder of his misdeeds in this life, as if he could ever forget about them in the first place. His partner, his best friend, had died because of an oversight in judgement (one he had made), and the woman he thought he was going to marry ended things as soon as it became clear that he would be crippled for life. 

Losing his job (one he had tirelessly worked for his entire youth) was simply the cherry on top.

He supposed he was lucky when he ended up in Hogwarts, of all places. Although he had never been one to stick to the rules in his time as a schoolboy, Aesop was a surprisingly studious pupil (he had to be if he truly wanted to become an Auror) and loved the school nonetheless. Potions was among his best subjects, right after Defence Against the Dark Arts, and even if it hadn't been his dream career, he liked it fine. It was certainly far more engaging than being confined behind a desk at the Ministry, looking at applications and deciding which hot-headed and possibly egotistical graduate he would send into the field, perhaps even subjecting them to a fate like his own (or worse). 

His second career came with quite a few benefits, too, such as free room and board, fantastic meals (Aesop loathed cooking) and unlimited access to the Restricted Section - a place he had searched relentlessly for a cure or at least a treatment better to the one he currently received. And he could look out for his students, the Aurors of tomorrow, too. He might have been the reason his partner had died, and he might never be able to make that right. But, at the very least, he could ensure that his students would not make the same mistakes he did, lest saving them from the regret and suffering he endured daily. Some of them were brighter than others, of course. He didn't think himself to be horridly unfair. Strict, yes. He had to be; potions were fickle things, after all. But certainly not unfair. 

If anything, Aesop would've described himself as quite reasonable most times.

There were, of course, students he had to be particularly strict with. Students such as Garreth Weasley. 

The boy had been a royal pain in Aesop's arse from the second those ginger locks appeared in his classroom in the Autumn of 1885, and he continued to be one up until his graduation. Garreth Weasley wasn't stupid - far from it. He was actually quite brilliant if he tried to apply himself, which was rarely the case, but it had (much to Aesop's chagrin) been enough to qualify him for the NEWT level class. Matilda had apologised over and over, though as the years passed, the apologies always seemed to be accompanied by a small grin, possibly because Garreth's...creative...concoctions in school relieved the Weasley Household of their unfortunate duty of having to try them.

Other students were even less forgettable - although for entirely different reasons. 

(Y/N) (Y/L/N) had been an enigma from the moment she timidly trailed behind their illustrious Headmaster into the Great Hall, late, looking as pale as a ghost. Scrap that. The girl had been an enigma from the second the Book of Admittance spat out her name - four years too late. Suddenly the teachers had found themselves in the precarious situation of what to do with a fifteen-year-old who had no prior understanding of magic but was to start at Hogwarts mere four months later. Eventually, their colleague Eleazar Fig had been sent to tutor the poor girl to at least try to get her up to speed, but Aesop would have been the first to admit that he did not have high hopes. He was pleasantly surprised when the girl was incredibly adept at magic. She had bested other top students on her first day, not to mention taken down a troll in Hogsmeade, and she was nothing short of talented at potions too. He remembered her first lesson vividly; she had brewed a perfect Wiggenweld and a perfect Edurus. 

Miss (Y/L/N) continued to be an exemplary student, both inside and outside of the potions classroom. Any (extra) assignments had always been handed in on time, she picked up spells like magic was second nature to her, and she was overall an absolute joy to be around. Her peers likely would have said the same. Various rumours followed her, and though most of them were concerning, Aesop did not think that a new student (no matter how talented) would actually be taking down entire Poacher and Goblin camps. He had suspected that her heroic escape from the dragon and her Hogsmeade adventure let some students become a little too imaginative. How wrong he had been.  

Aesop still remembered the February afternoon it all came crashing down. Eleazar Fig had stormed into the teacher's room after summoning them with a note that said the matter was of 'utmost importance' and no matter how many years Aesop had spent in the field, nothing would have prepared him for the reality of what he was about to be faced with. Not only had the girl, in fact, taken down Poacher Camps. No. She had been fighting an entire Goblin Rebellion, taken down both Theophilus Harlow and various operations of Victor Rookwood and (as if that hadn't been enough) she apparently wielded Ancient Magic, completed a set of trials that were meant to lead her to some grand mystery the rebellion leader - Ranrok - was also after and was now preparing to take said Goblin down. If the situation hadn't been so dire, Aesop was sure that Matilda Weasley would have chewed Eleazar Fig apart right then and there for his carelessness in hiding something like this. But when the teachers apparated into the caverns below Hogwarts, they didn't have time to dwell on any of it. 

By some miracle, the young witch had done it. She had saved the entire school though it had almost come at the expense of her life. 

When he, Matilda, Dinah, Abraham and Mudiwa finally had taken care of the last of the goblins that had invaded the caverns, they descended further into them, only to discover what could be described as an utter wasteland, complete with a peculiar gigantic orb of magic, a gravely wounded and distraught Professor Fig and an unconscious, heavily bleeding (Y/N) (Y/L/N). 

When the young girl awoke in the Hospital Wing nearly two weeks later, she awoke a hero. 

Aesop could tell she was insanely uncomfortable. She was not someone who was looking for glory or people to sing her praises. She was just a girl who had done what had been asked of her, even if the task she had fulfilled should never have been hers to begin with. She passed her O.W.L.'s with flying colours (of course she had), and thankfully, after an extensive summer break, her life had calmed down significantly. She was able to spend her remaining two years at Hogwarts in peace, having fun with her friends and enjoying her classes. Nobody had been more proud of her than Eleazar himself when she graduated at the top of her class (right next to Amit Thakkar) three years ago.

That had been the last time Aesop had seen her.

He knew from Eleazar (who had pretty much turned into the girl's father) that she had been travelling the world with Poppy Sweeting, one of her closest friends from Hogwarts, to study various beasts and plants - A waste of talent if Aesop had ever seen any. With her skill set and her stellar grades, she would've done phenomenally in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, but somehow he understood her desire to live a more peaceful life. If anything, he was somehow glad that she wasn't out there risking her life continually to save others. She had saved Wizardkind once. Now it was somebody else's turn. 

When Bai Howin, their resident Care of Magical Creatures Professor, announced her plans to retire last year, Aesop didn't think that (Y/N) (Y/L/N) would be the one taking over. She was just twenty (or perhaps twenty-one? He wasn't sure) and didn't seem like the type to enjoy teaching. 

But there she was in front of him, and he was sure that this was another way of punishing him.

She had never been ugly. In fact, from what he remembered, (Y/N) (Y/L/N) was quite the sight to behold. She certainly had no shortage of admirers during her time, even if he couldn't recall her courting anyone specifically. But the woman in front of him? She was downright ethereal.

Her long (Y/H/C) cascaded down her small shoulders and framed her small, heart-shaped face. Her lips were fuller and deliciously pink, stretched into a warm and bright smile that lit up her doe-like (Y/E/C) eyes with almost childish excitement. She was positively tiny; he easily towered over her, but Merlin was she beautiful. 

"Everyone, I am most pleased to welcome our newest addition to the staff. (Y/N) (Y/L/N) will be filling Bai's position the coming school year," Matilda announced with an equally bright smile at the staff's annual pre-term meeting on the 25th of August. From the corner of his eye, Aesop could see the proud smile Eleazar wore.

"Miss (Y/L/N)!" Abraham cheered, "How delightful to welcome you back to Hogwarts!" "Thank you, Professor Ronen," she smiled earnestly, "I'm so happy to be back." "Oh please," the jovial Slytherin jumped up, "It's Abraham now. We're colleagues, after all, are we not?" 

Aesop was sure he had never heard a giggle as heart-warming as hers. He scoffed internally. He wasn't some schoolboy with a silly crush. Get over yourself, Aesop!

"Very well then, Abraham," her eyes twinkling, "I'm (Y/N)." 

Aesop observed as the rest of the staff gathered around her, welcoming her back with just as much delight as Abraham and Matilda had done, and her smile only seemed to grow bigger. With a sigh, he got up himself and limped towards the group, his usual stern expression not giving a single hint as to what he was truly feeling. 

"Miss (Y/L/N)," he gruffly said as he came to a stop before her, "How nice to see you again." 

He did not think it possible for her smile to grow any bigger (seriously, her face must have hurt), but it did as her eyes took him in. 

"Professor Sharp!" (Y/N) chirped happily, "It's nice to see you again." 

He didn't know this, but he had been her favourite teacher throughout her short time at Hogwarts; his stern and keenly aware nature was calming to be around, and his classes were always interesting. There had been a time when she considered becoming a professional potioneer, but when the opportunity came up to study Beasts with Poppy, she simply couldn't say no. She had only been a witch for three years and barely knew what the Wizarding World had to offer. It was only natural that she wanted to go out and explore the world as she could honestly always choose a career a little later in life. When Eleazar had reached out to her a couple of months back to tell her that a position was opening up, she couldn't help but apply, and when Matilda (and Black) hired her, she was over the moon.

"As Abraham has said," Aesop cleared his throat, "We are colleagues now. You can call me Aesop." 

"I look forward to working with you, Aesop," (Y/N) nodded, her cheeks tinted pink as she quickly averted her gaze and struck up a conversation with Dinah instead.

Aesop barely saw her until the following week. All of them were busy preparing their lessons and classrooms, and he spent most of his days brewing to replenish his and the Hospital Wings potion supply. Given that she lived in the small hut on the grounds, he didn't really see her around the castle either, but she continued to be on his mind nonetheless. It was a pity, really. He had wondered how she had fared over the past three years and why exactly she had returned. It was unusual for witches and wizards her age to return to Hogwarts to teach of all things, but then again, she's been hardly usual in the first place. Aesop knew that Y/N would be one of his more familiar coworkers - Bai had supplied him with by-products of caring for the beasts, and he supposed (or rather hoped) that her successor would do the same. If anything, it made brewing that much cheaper when he didn't have to hop into Hogsmeade and pester and negotiate with Parry Pippin or Ellie Peck (their prices were quite atrocious at times). 

So when he was finishing up brewing some standard potions on the 1st of September and realised he was out of Unicorn Horn, Aesop decided that now was a good time as any to make the small trek towards the Beasts Classroom and hope that Y/N would somehow have some on hand. It was still early, and the weather was nice, sunny and warm, which helped Aesop's blasted leg tremendously. He knew the colder winter months would aggravate his leg further, but at least for now, he could enjoy his walk to the best of his abilities. 

He spotted her before she spotted him.

She was outside in one of the pens, brushing and petting the Kneazles that would surely serve as a lesson in the coming days, looking absolutely content. The sun was shining down on her, illuminating her skin and hair, which, unlike last time, was in an elaborate and fashionable updo which framed her face artfully. 

He stopped in front of the pen gates, simply observing the young woman who was entirely oblivious to his arrival. (Y/N) giggled happily as the Kneazles danced around her, desperate for her attention and happily purring whenever she offered them some. One of the older Kneazles cuddled up to her leg, flopping on its back and almost chirping, trying to get her attention.

"Now, now, Persephone," she chided as she turned her attention towards the needy Kneazle, "you've gotten plenty already. Leave some for the others." 

"I don't think they understand you," Aesop interrupted her, and he chuckled when she jumped and turned around with a bewildered expression.

"How long have you been standing there?" she asked, her tone accusing. 

"Just a few minutes," he answered with a shrug. 

"Hmph."

He watched as she stood up, slowly rising from the dirt and dusting off her skirts. Her glare was accusing as she exited the pens, the Kneazles yapping. 

"For the record, they are incredibly wise. They certainly do understand me."

"Alright," he held up his hands in surrender, "I am not here to fight you on your Kneazles anyway." He hadn't known that she was overprotective, though if he remembered correctly, Miss Sweeting had been too. Perhaps he should have figured that the Hufflepuff would rub off on her.

"Is there anything I can help you with, Profe-," she stopped herself, clearing her throat, "I mean Aesop." 

Aesop... He liked the way his name sounded from her lips. It sounded almost like a reverent prayer.

He quickly cleared his throat himself, shaking his head to clear his thoughts before answering her.

"I was hoping you might have some spare Unicorn Horn? Bai usually provided me with by-products of her care, and I was rather hoping you would continue to offer." 

"Oh," she blushed, "Yes, of course. Come. I have some inside." 

As he followed her, he inevitably noticed how small the girl was. Even with his limp, he was no more than one step behind her - a highly unusual occurrence. 

What had been previously Bai's hut was now completely unrecognisable (not that he had been in there all too often). The rooms were previously quite barren, save for the few personal artefacts and curiosities. A bed, a desk, a closet... Nothing to write home about. Now, though, Aesop had stepped into what felt like an actual home.

The floor was now covered by plush and comforting carpets, which would surely provide additional warmth during the winter months. The walls were warm wood in some places, though covered by paintings and illustrations in others. The beehive fireplace in the corner held the remains of a slow flickering fire, and the eclectic pieces that littered the home did not match one another but were harmonious just the same. One of the armchairs in front of the fire looked worn and old, the other rather contemporary and the shelves to his right reminded him of some modern Parisian styles he had seen some time ago. Various artefacts and trinkets were scattered across the room; some Aesop recognised, others he absolutely didn't. A Potions Station was bubbling away to his left, a small stove with a stray kettle beside it. The entire hut smelled like fresh pastries and freshly pressed linen - comforting and homey just the same. 

"Whatever do you need a potions station for?" he asked as she fluttered around the room. 

"Oh, that," she answered him. "Call it a force of habit or simply a pastime. I used to brew a lot back in school, and I was mostly responsible for any concoctions when Poppy and I travelled. I suppose I haven't lived that down."  

Intrigued, he stepped up to the cauldron, trying to define the mixture by its smell and looks. 

"Bruisewort Balm," he concluded quickly, "Looks very satisfactory." The jump back into 'Professor Persona' was one that he had been all too used to, even if it had been around his newest colleague. 

(Y/N), however, blushed profusely. Potions had been her favourite class during her short time at Hogwarts, and Sharp's praise would always be special. His had to be earned (rightfully so), and that simply made it all the more satisfying. To hear him praise her years later made her chest fill with pride.

"I learned from the best," she offered, handing him a box which contained some Horns. "Antidote to Common Poisons, or did Madam Blainey run out of Blood Replenishing Potions?"  

Surprised, Aesop raised an eyebrow as he took the box from her hands. He hadn't expected her to be able to recall such information, even if it had been relevant in her NEWT exams once. 

"Antidote to Common Poisons," he confirmed, eyeing her beaming smile as his heart skipped a beat. Had her smile always been this pretty? 

"And you have everything else you need?" she offered, "I think I might have some Bezoars lying around in case you're out of them." 

"No, I have everything else," he grumbled, "I know you were a decent potioneer, but I must say I am surprised to hear you have retained that much information." 

"Decent?" she sounded affronted, "Wasn't I top of the class by the time I graduated?" 

"Perhaps." His grin was teasing; he enjoyed getting a rise out of her. "But even so, recalling ingredients is impressive. It has been a while, hasn't it been?" 

"You're awful," she puffed, crossing her arms in front of her like a petulant child. "And for the record, Potions was my favourite class. I even considered becoming a Potioneer or a Healer once."  

The words spilt from his mouth before he could stop himself. "And yet you decided to travel the world and study beasts? Enlighten me, Miss (Y/L/N)?" 

She bit her lip, causing a jolt of... something... coursing through him as she shrugged. 

"I supposed I had wanted to see the world. And I like Beasts; I hardly would've agreed to teach if I didn't. Before I was a witch, I was expected to be a wife. My sole purpose lay in providing children for my betrothed. When I suddenly had the freedom to decide what I wished to do, it was both overwhelming and exciting, and to see more of a world which was so foreign to me seemed like a grand idea at the time." She chuckled absentmindedly. "I apologise for rambling. I shall let you get back to preparing whatever it is you need to prepare."

"Oh, not at all," Aesop shook his head. "You are betrothed?" 

"I was. My parents were rather well off and paired me with a suitor they deemed worthy. When I came to Hogwarts, they..." she shuddered, remembering the final conversation she had had with them. "Let us just say that they weren't...eager to have their only daughter in a co-educational environment outside of their ascendancy." 

Merlin, suddenly Aesop wasn't surprised that Eleazar had taken the girl home after the events of her fifth year. She clearly did not have another one to return to. Aesop knew that, much like their pureblooded counterparts, muggles arranged marriages between their children in order to secure the most advantageous match possible. He also knew that muggles were even more traditional than wizards, though it surprised him to hear that a co-educational environment such as Hogwarts was deemed inappropriate enough to ruin a young woman's reputation. Most witches, especially those from better backgrounds (magical or not), held on to their maidenhood until marriage, much like muggle women did. Laying with a man who was not your husband was as inappropriate in the Wizarding World as it was in Muggle London, though, in all fairness, most Wizards (especially purebloods like Aesop himself) hardly ever followed that rule - nor were they expected to. And either way, Hogwarts itself had various... safety measures in place to ensure no such encounters would happen. 

Aesop found it doubtful that nobody would have been able to appease her family's concerns, though, at any rate, he supposed she was right. It left her able to make her own choice - something she deserved, especially after saving both the school and Wizardkind. Suddenly her decision made all the more sense, and he found himself almost pitying her circumstances.

"I'm sorry," he offered, though he knew it would scarcely be a consolation.

"Don't be," she smiled sadly, "I am lucky to have Eleazar. He's been more of a father to me than mine had ever been. And whilst I would have loved to have a family and a husband by now, I cannot lie and say that travelling the world with my best friend hasn't been worth the sacrifice." 

If Aesop ever had any concerns if she was suitable to teach, they had been laid to rest within the first two weeks, for whoever he listened to would say the same: that she was utterly brilliant.

Care of Magical Creatures class had always been decently popular among students - it was certainly more popular than Magical Theory or Alchemy, but ever since the one and only Hero of Hogwarts had started to lecture the class, its popularity had all but exploded amongst the students. They seemed more engaged than ever, and the fourth-year class he taught directly after her class was always in high spirits. Matilda had to refuse several students the luxury of adding Care of Magical Creatures to their curriculum, and if Aesop had to overhear another bulk of male students lusting after Miss (Y/L/N), he would rip off his own ears.

Sure, she was beautiful. Very beautiful, in fact. And smart. And kind. And funny. He had noticed that himself (any man with two functioning eyes would), but Merlin was it infuriating to hear constantly. 

(Y/N) had her seat next to him in the Great Hall, and surprisingly they ate their meals at similar enough times, causing them to exchange pleasantries often enough over breakfast or dinner. She was as cheerful as he remembered and did most of the talking, but it was comfortable. 

She often shared tidbits and stories from her many travels, the beasts she encountered or the people she met. 

"Japan was the most interesting, really. Though one day, Poppy and I wanted to bathe in a local pond and nearly got eaten by a Kappa." 

Aesop had nearly spat out his drink.

"A Kappa?" he asked, "The water-dwellers that look like scaly monkeys, with webbed hands itching to strangle unwitting waders in their ponds? Those Kappas?"

"Yes!" she grinned at him cheerfully before she took another bite of her scone. "Quite fascinating creature, really. Luckily we had a cucumber on hand. Did you know that they prefer those to human blood?"

"I...did not," Aesop shook his head, his eyes comically wide as he watched her devour her scone with such gusto and nonchalance - as if she hadn't nearly recounted yet another story of how she almost died. Someone desperately needed to teach her a sense of self-preservation.

She had many stories like that. Too many, if one were to ask Aesop. Suddenly he ceased thinking that she could have been a good Auror - she would have been blown up within weeks if her recklessness was anything to go by. In hindsight, it added up; no fully sane fifteen-year-old would willingly jump into battle over and over again, even if they had essentially been the sole witch able to save the day. Then again, she wasn't fifteen anymore.

Four weeks after the school year had started, Dinah and Abraham had the wonderfully stupid idea to commemorate (Y/N)'s arrival as a professor officially with a soirée an opportunity for most of them to get drunk off their asses. It was something of a tradition, one that even Aesop couldn't escape when he first started teaching, and Dinah, the absolute menace she was, usually ensured that at least half of the participants would nurse a hangover the next day. The bloody woman could hold her drink; Aesop would give her that much - he doubted (Y/N) could do the same. Sirona was all too happy to open up the small space upstairs of the Three Broomsticks, which teachers usually occupied throughout the school year so awkward encounters could be avoided. 

So when the first Saturday of October had rolled around, their newest addition to the staff was all but ambushed and dragged to the Three Broomsticks, and Aesop had to confess that her helpless gaze was worth the tedious walk to the pub. 

"What exactly-" "No questions," Dinah interrupted her before shoving a glass of firewhiskey into her small hands. "We are not letting you leave until you are drunk." 

"Don't fight tradition," Eleazar grinned slyly at his protegé, "We've all been through this." 

"You're evil," she pouted at him, the firewhiskey still in her hands. 

"Yes, well," the older man shrugged, "Consider it a debt repaid after all the grey hairs you have caused me over the years."

"Excuse me?!" she gasped, but before she could continue, Dinah barked at her: "Drink up!"

Aesop could only watch with amusement as she nipped on the whiskey with a grimace, coughing as it went down. "It burns," she whined, trying to shove the whiskey back into Dinah's hands, but the former Unspeakable wouldn't have it. 

"Get used to it."

It shouldn't have been a surprise to anyone really that she was drunk within record time. Aesop, much like Dinah and Eleazar, could hold his drink incredibly well, but it was always entertaining to see the rest of the staff utterly pissed. 

Mudiwa and Satyavati were in a spirited discussion about their respective fields, neither wishing to meet the other eye to eye, and Aesop wouldn't have been surprised if the Ugandan native whipped out a crystal ball to smash it on Satyavati's head. Chiyo, Abraham, Matilda and Mirabel, on the other hand, were somewhere between singing and screaming an old drinking song Aesop did not recognise, though it frankly sounded horrible all the same. 

"Honestly, Eleazar. I would have expected you to teach her how to hold her drink," Dinah grinned as she pointed at the slumped-over figure in front of the fireplace. 

"She can hold her drink," Eleazar countered with a sneer. "You are simply a menace. How many of those did you give her?"

"Oh, not too many," Dinah grinned, taking another swig of her firewhiskey. "Eight, perhaps?"

"Eight?! Are you trying to kill her?!" Aesop chuckled. "Merlin Dinah, even I can tell she's a lightweight." 

"She'll live," the woman waved her hand dismissively. "You should take her back to her hut, though." 

"Me?!" Aesop asked incredulously, nearly spilling the remains of his drink in surprise. Eleazar had the same bewildered expression on his face, his eyebrow raised in question.

"Yes, you," Dinah rolled her eyes, "You think I miss the looks you two dunderheads share?" 

Aesop's heart felt like it was beating out of his chest for a second, his mind completely blank as he took in his friend's words. His face must have given away his utter bewilderment because Dinah only groaned in exasperation. Damn her and her perceptiveness!

"Dinah, I have no idea what you are-" "Oh, quit it!" she interrupted him as fiercely as she had interrupted (Y/N) a while back. "I haven't seen your grumpy arse smile as much as you have during meal times in all my years of knowing you. And the reason for that is seated right next to you." 

"She's just a good conversationalist!" Aesop protested, affronted that Dinah would even think he fancied his former student of all people. 

"Good conversationalist, my ass," she snorted before shaking her head. "Take her home, Romeo. That's an order. " 

Her tone left little to no room for argument (she was insanely good at that), and so Aesop found himself limping and straggling along the darkened path back to Hogwarts, thanking Merlin that no student was wandering about to see a wasted Professor (Y/N) slumped in his arms. She was thankfully rather light, considering that the colder weather was slowly creeping in. Aesop's cursed limp began hurting as it usually did during the winter months, so he was in no position to lift anything heavy. 

She was rather close to him, nestled into his chest, though the top of her head just about reached a few inches below his shoulders. Typically, Aesop liked to keep people at arm's length, not one for physical contact, especially with people he hardly knew. But having her in his arms, of all people, was not only comfortable, but he also quickly realised he liked having her there. She was warm and small, fit perfectly into his side, and smelled divine. 

He would have expected her to smell like the earth outside, given how much time she spent in Beast pens and caring for them, but instead, she smelled of fresh pastries and the sweetest fruits, a warm and homely scent that made him feel all ways of strange. He hadn't felt this way in a long, long time, but no matter what Dinah may have alluded to - it simply couldn't be.

"You think too much," a small, grumbling voice suddenly pulled him from his thoughts. 

"Excuse me?"

"You're excused," she mumbled, pressing herself further into him before falling silent once more. 

He thought too much? Aesop wondered what she meant by that. But he enjoyed the remaining walk in silence, understanding that she was far too inebriated to have an actual conversation anyways. She was half-asleep by the time they had reached her hut, so he carefully helped her onto the bed, wondering if he should at least help her take off her boots, but she was asleep before he could ask. So instead, Aesop placed a blanket over her softly snoring form before he limped outside and begrudgingly took the floo flames to the Faculty Tower. 

Aesop wasn't surprised when she didn't show up for breakfast the following day, but breakfast did seem a little duller than it usually had been. He kept the affair short before he retreated to his quarters, deciding to catch up on some essays and potion quizzes, which would inevitably frustrate him but putting it off would only mean delaying the inevitable. Some of his students would make brilliant potioneers, but most of them were hopeless cases, unfortunately. Sometime in the early afternoon, a knock pulled him from his frustrating work, and he was surprised to find a sheepish and embarrassed-looking (Y/N) at his doorstep. She looked tired, her face a little more worn than usual, and her hair seemed mildly matted and disorderly, but realistically, she nursed a fat hangover. All things considered, she still looked pretty.

"(Y/N)," he acknowledged with a curt nod. 

"I uhm," she shuffled her feet awkwardly, her face downcast and her cheeks adorably red. "I wanted to thank you," she said after a while. 

"Thank me?" Aesop raised his eyebrow.

"Yes, uhm," she cleared her throat, raising her face to look back at him. "Thank you for helping me back to my hut. You didn't have to." 

"Dinah was remarkably insistent that I do," Aesop blurted out before he could stop himself. A flash of hurt crossed her face, but it was gone within a second, her smile strangely contorted, and Aesop wondered if he had said something wrong.  

"Well, either way. You got me back, and that's what matters, I suppose." 

The two stood there for a while, staring at each other like fools, before she suddenly jumped and pulled at her satchel. "I made you some biscuits," she rambled, pulling out a small bag that emitted an enticing sugary smell. Aesop wasn't fond of biscuits, but the aroma of these was absolutely mouth-watering, so he gladly accepted. Maybe it was because the smell reminded him of her. 

"Would you like to come in?" he offered, stepping aside and inviting her inside his quarters. 

"Are you sure that's appropriate?" her tone hesitant as she stood her ground in front of the door.

"Why wouldn't it be?" his tone equal amounts curious and disturbed. Did she think he wanted to dishonour her? 

"Nevermind," she shook her head before wordlessly accepting his invitation and stepping inside. 

Even if she had been a part of the Wizarding World for nearly half a decade now, the rigorous societal standards she had been raised with for a majority of her life had stuck with her, and if someone from her old life had seen her step into a man's room, unaccompanied, her reputation would have been ruined. She had realised that the Wizarding World was far more relaxed than Muggle London fairly quickly when she had been allowed to be accompanied to Hogsmeade her first week by Sebastian Sallow - an event which never would have taken place without a chaperone in her old home. And whilst the concept of courting and preserving one's honour was the proper way in the Wizarding World as well, one was certainly not watched like a hawk every second of the day until marriage.

His quarters had been just like she remembered them; a little disorderly, muted in colour and sparse in decor. Tons of cauldrons stood against the walls, but his big windows let in ample amounts of sunshine. The smell of firewhiskey and the crackling fire permeated the air, though his unique scent also clung to it. It was comforting but hardly a home. Two leather armchairs stood in front of the fireplace, and his desk looked to be brimming with graded essays.

"Would you like some tea?" Aesop asked her, clearing his throat and effectively pulling her out of her daydreaming and wandering gaze. He usually didn't have guests over, much less pretty female ones. 

"Oh yes. That would be lovely," she smiled gratefully. He only motioned for her to sit down as he prepared two cups of steaming Earl Grey, adding a bit of milk to hers (that's how she always drank it).

She thanked him with a bashful smile as he handed her the cup before he eventually sank down in the armchair opposite hers, nursing his own teacup in relative silence before he teasingly asked her: "So how are you feeling?" 

"I can't believe you drink that nasty stuff willingly."

"It takes quite a connoisseur to appreciate Firewhiskey," Aesop grinned. 

"I think I might prefer the occasional glass of mead," she pulled a face before taking a sip of her tea and sighing in relief. "In any case, I'm not touching alcohol for a good while." 

"I didn't expect you to," he chuckled before sighing and stretching his leg. It had started to bother him a little more throughout the afternoon, which was not an unusual occurrence, especially given the events of yesterday. A little massage, his pain relief potion and perhaps even a warm bath and firewhiskey would make it bearable.

"Does it hurt more than usual?" she asked him boldly, her gaze fixated upon his leg as he shifted to find a more comfortable position.

"No," he grit out between his teeth. "This is usual given the weather and circumstances." 

"I'm sorry," she meekly offered, her mind wandering off a little.

"I don't need your pity," Aesop spat out in a lapse of judgement, his gaze venomous. She flinched, just barely so, but it was enough for it to tear at his heartstrings and apologise immediately. 

"It's alright," she sighed. "I was just...what remedies have you tried? I remember you telling me that you looked in the Hogwarts library, but..." 

"That was five years ago," Aesop conceded. "I'm sure I have read every possible book in there by now." 

"Perhaps I could ask Poppy to have a look?" (Y/N) offered him. "She is still travelling, and we came across quite a few treatments and fauna that we hadn't previously known..."

"I cannot, in good conscience, ask that of you."

"You're not asking. I'm offering." 

Aesop thought for a second, but her offer was generous. He was slowly losing hope, as the Hogwarts Library didn't offer a cure, so perhaps it was time to start looking elsewhere. 

"That would be very kind," he conceded, his voice stuck in his throat for a second. 

Her smile was brighter than the sun itself, and Aesop's heart jumped erratically. It truly was beautiful.

They fell into a routine after that. 

As promised, she had written to Poppy as soon as possible, asking her to keep an eye out for strange flora, beast products or books on curses and foreign potions. She had even secretly reached out to Sebastian, who was working as a Curse Breaker and stumbled upon more of them than she and Sharp combined could name; even if he didn't know a counter curse for Sharp's predicament, it was useful to keep tabs on it. 

Whenever Poppy sent a small parcel, she would run to Aesop's room or the potions classroom just so she could share what may be a breakthrough in his research. And whilst nothing looked like a cure, the most recent batch of ingredients from East Asia had, at the very least, supplied Aesop with greater pain relief than usual.

"Hō-ō feathers and," she coughed violently, her face twisting in disgust. "Did Poppy send you Mimbulus Mimbletonia? This smells awfully rancid."

"She did indeed," Aesop confirmed, his face passive as he carefully stirred the potion before him. He was immensely grateful that Poppy had made due on her promise to send ingredients their way - ones that were either exceptionally difficult or downright impossible to get in England. That said, the Mimbulus Mimbletonia did smell awful, and it took quite a bit of willpower to not let his disgust show. He was surprised that the lovely woman sat in his potions classroom, just a little to the left of him, recognised the ingredients as quickly as she had, but the more time he spent with her, the more he had to acknowledge that she was smart beyond her years.

"I hated those whenever we came across them," she told him with a smile. 

"Yes, well. Let's hope they're useful beyond repelling unsuspecting witches."

"Who said anything about repelling us?" Aesop could feel her smirk before he saw it. "We still wanted to see the Bowtruckles."

"Bowtruckles," Aesop shook his head in exasperation. "Of course."

Aesop was used to brewing on his own, usually secluded in his room, perhaps accompanied by a glass of firewhiskey and a melody from his gramophone. Unfortunately for him, he found that brewing in a certain witches' company was much more engaging, so much so that he began looking forward to spending time with her whenever the week seemed to pass him by a little too slowly for comfort. Most of their free days, however, they spent together in either of their quarters, drinking tea, sometimes playing Wizard's Chess, though usually, they graded their respective papers in comfortable silence. Some days Sharp listened to her stories, and on the very rare occasion, she listened to his. 

"So you actually sent people to Azkaban before?" she asked with a shudder, her face a little pale.

"If I recall correctly, it was you who ensured Theophilus Harlow ended up there, too," Aesop countered.

"Technically, that was a group effort," she countered. "Natty was the one who tracked him down. I only duelled him."

"At fifteen?"

"I may have been sixteen. But I am not certain."

Aesop groaned at her carelessness and utter disregard for safety or rules. She was lucky he hadn't been her mentor during her days at the school. Eleazar might have even enabled her antics - he would have locked her up inside the castle walls.

"Either way. What kind of people did you send to Azkaban?"

"Reprobates? Dark Wizards?" Aesop answered her as if that had been the most obvious thing in the entire world. 

"Obviously," she rolled her eyes, a teasing smile on her lips. 

"Right. One time my partner and I helped cease the operations of an illegal freak show. The woman who ran the whole thing imprisoned and trafficked multiple of her 'curiosities'. Assaulted quite a few herself."

"And she ended up in Azkaban?" 

"Yes," Aesop confirmed, "Died there too."

"Ugh," she pulled a sorrowful face, "What an awful place to die. So cold and frightening." 

Aesop's eyebrows shot up in question at that.

"And pray tell how do you know what the inside of Azkaban is like?"

"That, my dear Aesop," she grinned at him, "Is a story for another time." 

When he found out that Helen Thistlewood had essentially dragged her to Azkaban and she had consequently solved a cold case, he didn't know whether to scream or cry or laugh or perhaps all together. Of course, she fucking had. 

The weeks continued like that, and Aesop found that the days he spent with her were days very well spent. His mood usually improved drastically, perhaps to the point where even his students could tell. What was worse, though, was that his colleagues, the nosy little bastards, could tell too. So in hindsight, it likely shouldn't have surprised him when both Dinah and Eleazar suddenly had "endless amounts of essays to grade", and both Aesop and (Y/N) found themselves patrolling the Defence Against the Dark Arts Tower on a late November night. 

"I have to say, walking these halls after curfew isn't nearly as fun when you're a Professor," (Y/N) broke the silence after a while. 

"And how often did you break curfew, Miss (Y/L/N)?" 

"I am friends with Sebastian Sallow," she countered, "You take a guess." 

"I forgot how much trouble that boy was," Aesop groaned. 

Of course, he remembered. Aside from the horrors that used to be Solomon Sallow (who had died under incredibly conspicuous circumstances a few years back), his nephew had been quite the pain in Aesop's arse too. Sebastian and Anne Sallow were both exceedingly mischievous, pulling many (albeit harmless) pranks on their fellow students, breaking curfew, and Aesop had to brew hair regrowth potion on more than one occasion after they had illegally attempted fire spells on their own. The shenanigans did not stop after Miss Sallow had been cursed; if anything, they had continued with newfound vigour, and Sebastian was routinely caught in the Restricted Section. He had calmed down a little when (Y/N) had come to the school, and his sour mood had improved significantly. At one point, Aesop had thought that the two were courting, but the lovely woman next to him quickly assured him that there had never been any such feelings between them. It seemed like she simply had that effect on people.

"Oh, come on!" she whined cutely. "Don't tell me you've never broken curfew."

"Me? Never. I was the very picture of orderly conduct at Hogwarts."

The witch next to him only snorted. "I find that hard to believe." 

"And you would be correct," Aesop jested, a wolfish grin on his face. He had broken countless rules during his time (though certainly not as many as she had), but unlike the Sallow boy, he had been smart enough to not get caught. At least not as frequently.

"I kne-" her words were cut off as she suddenly slipped at the top of the stairs, her feet just a little too close to the edge. 

Aesop hastily steadied himself, wrapping his arms around her middle and pulling her into him ignoring her cries of surprise. She held onto the lapel of his coat, staring into his dark brown eyes with her wide ones, her cheeks suddenly a little more rosy as they tumbled a little. Aesop's eyes traced over her face, from the long lashes to the soft curve of her slightly open lips. His treacherous heart sped up the more he got lost in her captivating eyes, the very window to her soul, and all he wanted to do was dive in. Suddenly having her close didn't seem like it was enough - he wanted to be absorbed in her cosmos until he had unravelled each and every mystery it held, but before he could, his mind kicked into overdrive, and he pulled her away from the ledge.

"Are you alright?" he questioned breathlessly.

"Yes," she nearly squeaked, abruptly removing her hands as if he had burned her, avoiding his gaze as she took a steadying breath. "I'm fine." 

He wanted, needed, to say something else. To reach out to her and pull her back into his arms, but before he could, she turned away to resume their nightly patrol, refusing to meet his eye again.

Things were oddly different after that night - and Aesop did not know why.

It was downright infuriating, especially since she liked to act as if nothing was amiss, but did she genuinely think she could fool a former Auror, of all people? Aesop might have left the field a decade ago, but he, all puns intended, was as sharp as ever. 

She still sat beside him during meal times, but her stories became less and less until they eventually ceased altogether.

She still came to his quarters, though the visits became scarce until she muttered a pitiful excuse of "lots of grading to do" as if they hadn't done that together over the course of the term. And if ever he turned up on her doorstep, she usually had an excuse too or ensured their time together was as brief as possible. 

And while she still kept bringing him the exotic ingredients Poppy sent her way, she typically delivered them by owl, which riled Aesop up so much that he hadn't even wanted to try and brew any possible cure in quite some time. 

And worst of all? He didn't even understand why her sudden indifference suddenly infuriated him so much. She was a good friend - yes a very good one indeed. She was an exceptional conversationalist - also, yes. And she was breathtakingly beauti - Aesop stopped himself in an instant. Absolutely not. 

He sighed in frustration, ignoring the curious stares of his fourth-year students as they, per usual, royally fucked up another potion. He didn't even recall what he had them brew, his mind a little too occupied with something - or rather someone - else. It was a loud 'BANG' that suddenly drew him from his thoughts, a colourful explosion from the back of the classroom that shone in a cacophony of various shades entering his field of vision. A sheepish Elizabeth Larson, younger sister of Andrew Larson and what Aesop wholeheartedly believed to be Garreth Weasley's spiritual successor, stood right next to the exploded cauldron, a tactless grin on her face as she ignored the dregs of whatever potion she had 'creatively enhanced' at her feet. She wasn't sorry; students like Garreth and her never were. If anything, they were only sorry that their concoction had failed and they had been caught. Furiously, Aesop rose to his feet, his leg aggravated and his mood so sour a lemon likely would have been sweet. The mess had been cleared up with a quick wave of his wand, but his fury hadn't dissipated in the slightest.

"Miss Larson," Aesop barked angrily as he stalked towards the back of the room, his glare pointed enough to explode another cauldron if he tried. "This is the seventh time you have acted outside of instruction. One would think your boneheadedness knows some bounds, but clearly, it does not." His tone was unusually cruel, the surprise of which evident on Elizabeth Larson's face as, while he was stern, he never insulted his students. "Fifty points from Gryffindor, and I want to see you for detention every day the following week!"

"But Sir, I-" the poor girl tried to protest feebly, her voice small, and if Aesop hadn't been as angry as he had been, he likely would've seen actual regret and tears in her eyes. 

"No. I am done with your infantile deeds, Miss Larson. Either you learn to respect this class and its rules, or you can expect to not make the roster for any year after next year." He was positively seething.

"Yes, Sir," she dejectedly nodded, her shoulders slumped and gaze downcast.

Aesop huffed, turning to the rest of the class, ready to dismiss them early, as he frankly did not have the resilience to endure much longer. "Uh, Sir?" a meek voice spoke into the otherwise deadly silent classroom. 

"Yes, Mister Finnigan?" Aesop grunted. 

"It's Christmas next week. We don't uhm...have school." 

It's Christmas next week... Aesop grit his teeth as he took the boy's word in, clearly an attempt to get Miss Larson out of detention. Great, so he had teenage lovers in this class? Nobody would have been stupid enough to stand up to him otherwise. 

"Then Miss Larson will serve her detention after the New Year. Now, I want your potions labelled on my desk within five minutes. And then get out of my classroom." 

None of them needed any further instruction, hurriedly finishing up whatever work they had left to do before they all but fled the dungeons, Miss Larson surrounded by her friends in an effort to comfort. At least that's what Aesop supposed.

It's Christmas next week, the words repeated in Aesop's head as he cleaned up the classroom, thankful that the day was finally over and he wouldn't have to deal with the imbeciles he calls his students until the morrow. He perked up when he thought of it again. It's Christmas next week.

Of course! Between classes to be held, essays and tests to be graded and an infuriatingly witchy problem, Aesop had all but forgotten the festivities that rapidly approached them, but suddenly, they seemed to be the answer to his very problem. If she was angry with him, perhaps a gift could put him back into her good graces and even if she wasn't, giving her a gift seemed like a perfect opportunity to have her talk to him again.

Finding a gift, however, seemed to be just as infuriating as she was. 

It was the day before Christmas, and Aesop still hadn't figured out the perfect gift to give her. Books, even if she enjoyed them greatly, seemed boring and downright unoriginal. Household items were pretentious, and he felt as if he was overstepping multiple boundaries by even thinking about it. And whilst he would have loved to have gotten her Jewellery, given that she recently rehabilitated a Niffler, he threw that option off the Astronomy tower. So what exactly was he supposed to get a witch that could end the world with her powers and one he had utterly fallen in love with? Asking her was out of the question, but he was slowly running out of time. Businesses would be closing sooner tomorrow and not open at all on the 25th, and his options were dwindling, none of them good enough for someone as exceptional as her. Aesop hated asking for help, but in fear of making an even bigger fool of himself, he trudged down the stairs of the Faculty Tower, striding up to the door of the one place where he might just acquire an answer.

"Aesop?" the surprise in Eleazar's voice was evident. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" 

"Good morning, Eleazar," Aesop cleared his throat, already regretting his decision to come. "I... require your help with a...rather delicate matter." 

"Oh?" This was most unusual for him. Eleazar and Aesop rarely interacted on the basis of their job alone, though they did strike up friendly conversation when time allowed it. And, as Aesop painfully remembers, the man had asked for his help years ago when (Y/N) had battled an entire goblin rebellion on her own, and he had dismissed the idea of Ranrok working with Rookwood as 'inconceivable'. He wondered if he could've eased the weight on her shoulders if only he had listened. 

"Would you like to come in?" Eleazar offered, stepping aside as he recognised the ex-Auror's discomfort at discussing whatever he needed to discuss out in the open. Aesop only nodded curtly, stepping inside the disorderly room littered with a million books, effectively turning it into more of a library than a personal home.

"So," the older man joined his hands in front of him. "What can I do for you, Aesop?"

"I need to purchase a present," he pressed out. "For (Y/N)."

Eleazar raised his eyebrow, taking in the usually stern Potions Master standing before him. But this man wasn't stern, nor was he anything like he usually had been. No, this man resembled a lovesick teenager, ashamed to ask a parent for advice no matter how innocent and if Aesop had blushed, it wouldn't have surprised Eleazar.

"For (Y/N)?" he repeated slowly, carefully gauging Aesop's reaction.

"Yes," the man confirmed, clearing his throat.

"It is Christmas tomorrow, and I wish to get her something nice. I thought since you knew her best, perhaps you could... offer some advice." 

Merlin's Beard, Dinah had been correct. Eleazar could not believe it. He was wholeheartedly gobsmacked. Aesop Sharp was in love with his former protégé slash adopted daughter. He had already been curious when Dinah had insisted that Aesop be the one to take her home the night of her inaugural celebration, but even more so when the woman had insisted that both he and her forfeit their nightly patrol with some lame excuse so that (Y/N) and Aesop would have to do it instead. He had frankly laughed when Dinah explained that she was doing it because she couldn't stand the pining between the two 'oblivious fools' but Merlin - when (Y/N) and he shared tea just shortly after, and the girl had blushed like a madwoman when Eleazar teased her by revealing Dinah's plans he realised that the astute Professor had certainly been right about one thing; that (Y/N) was in love.

But to know Aesop was too? Brilliant. 

"Of course," Eleazar repressed a chuckle, though he couldn't stop a sly grin forming on his face. "She is exceptionally fond of ballet. She used to see performances all the time, when she was a child in London." 

Ballet? Aesop thought, surprised. Wherever would he get something related to a Muggle art form? Clenching his teeth, he found his answer quite quickly: Muggle London. 

"Thank you," he breathed out between clenched teeth. 

"Anytime," Eleazar chuckled as Aesop swiftly exited his quarters before he rushed to tell Dinah that she was correct once again.

Off to Muggle London, he went.

Aesop positively hated the Muggle parts of London. Not because he hated Muggles, Merlin he couldn't care less about them if he tried, but because the streets were too crowded and dirty and the Muggles stared at him no matter how well disguised and because it all smelled utterly rotten. In all honesty, perhaps it was London that he hated, even if the wizarding parts of it were a little less seedy than the rest. Years ago, when he was a young Auror, he loved the hustle and bustle of the city, gallivanting around like he owned the place with a stunning woman (though not as lovely as (Y/N), his ex-fiancé, on his arm, but those days had long passed, and he preferred the quiet countryside and the fresh air and spending time with her.

He wasn't even entirely certain what exactly he was looking for, but it couldn't be that difficult to find something related to ballet. Perhaps tickets for a performance? Though most pureblood families ensured to stay away from Muggles as best as they could, they did enjoy Muggle arts on occasion; both Ballet and Opera performances were frequented by even the most extremist of pureblood families, and Aesop used to enjoy the odd art exhibition in his days. He hadn't ever been to a ballet performance in particular, but he could endure, especially if it had been for her. 

He decided on tickets for a premiere, Swan Lake, or whatever it had been called. Apparently, the ballet had been all the rage in Russia, and a company was bringing it to England for the very first time. He could be certain that his lovely colleague hadn't seen it, and the image of pure joy he had conjured in his mind was worth the insane galleon he had spent on them.

His step was considerably lighter and jovial when he made the trek towards her hut on Christmas morning, hoping, wishing that she would love her present and all would be well again. She looked surprised to see him, with a smile on his face nonetheless. 

"Aesop? What are you doing here?"

"It's Christmas, isn't it?" he grinned, excited for the first time in his life to give a present. "I wanted to give you a present."

"You got me a present?" she suddenly sounded excited, her eyes lighting up in almost childlike wonder. His heart jumped as he watched a smile light up her entire face, dazzlingly bright and beautiful and so very her. However had he survived hardly seeing it over these past few weeks? He needed, craved, more.

"Of course," Aesop cleared his throat, suppressing any potentially inappropriate thoughts. He couldn't allow himself to feel it. "We're friends, aren't we?" 

He missed the brief flash of hurt that swept across her face, accepting her silent invitation to join her inside before he was enveloped in the homely scent that brought him back to his childhood. Her home had been decorated with tinsel, and ivy leaves sewn onto strips of ribbon, some odd mistletoes hung around, and a wreath had been placed on the table. It smelled oddly reminiscent of speculoos and oranges, the sweet notes of honey and cinnamon biscuits hanging in the air, so very unlike his room back at the castle. The fire was crackling away, and the room was comfortably warm, so Aesop took the liberty of removing his coat and placing it onto one of her mismatched chairs, but not before he pulled a small, golden box from its pockets.

"I might have outdone myself," he grinned, holing out the present like a little boy.

"Think that highly of your present-giving skills, do you?" she jabbed back, accepting the box from his hands with a grateful smile. She was curious, to say the least. Aesop didn't seem like the gift-giving type in her eyes. Admittedly, she hadn't even expected one in the first place, not after she had all but avoided his presence to the best of her abilities ever since that fateful November night.

"I'm excellent at many things." "I'm sure you are."

They smiled at each other before the woman in front of him redirected her attention to the box in her hands as she carefully slid it open, revealing a glittering, crystal Swan ornament. 

"Godric's heart," she gasped as she pulled it out, observing the way it shimmered and glittered in the morning light, its reflections casting various shapes across the room. "It's beautiful, Aesop." 

"I'm glad you like it," he grinned. "But it's only a part of your present." 

She looked at him with surprise, her mouth slightly open, and he wanted to kiss he wanted to laugh as he picked up on the evident bewilderment in her eyes. "This isn't my present?"

"Not exactly. I..." Suddenly he was nervous, wondering if he had picked the right thing. What if she didn't wish to be seen with him in public, especially outside school, and clearly unrelated to work? She had been avoiding him, after all, no matter what she tried to make him believe. 

No going back now...

"I got us tickets for Swan Lake. In London." 

The astonishment on her face was comical. If there had to be an illustration of the expression "the jaw was on the floor", Aesop was sure that this would have been it. She didn't say anything for a while, only looking at him with her wide eyes, not even blinking. 

"That's..." (Y/N) cleared her throat. "That's too much, Aesop. I can't accept it." 

"Bollocks," he dismissed her. "You love ballet, don't you?"

"I...I do," she conceded, though her brow furrowed. She hadn't ever told him that, had she? "I must confess I wonder why you, of all people, know about this."

"I have my ways," he tried to dismiss her, apprehensive at the prospect of her finding out that he had asked Eleazar for advice. Unfortunately for him, though, the witch was keenly astute and analytical. 

"Eleazar told you, didn't he?" she concluded after a few seconds, horrified when he nodded. Eleazar knew her exceptionally well; he was like her father, for Merlin's sake. So even when she had told him that Aesop was 'just a friend', he didn't even try to suppress his laugh, evidently not believing a word she said. She had only hoped that the older man hadn't alluded to anything because Aesop could never know that she had irrevocably fallen in love with him. 

"Thank you, Aesop. Truly. This is the best present I have ever received," she earnestly told him, quickly covering up her embarrassment. "I admit, my gifts truthfully don't compare to this, but..."

She only sighed, deciding to simply get it over with. She didn't recognise the excitement on Aesop's face. She had gotten him something too? 

Swiftly she summoned two boxes from their hiding place across the room, offering him the first one with an ashamed smile. "I'm afraid it's no Swan Lake, but..."

"I don't want Swan Lake," Aesop quickly interjected, opening the green box. "I want – a blanket?"

"It's a scarf," she quickly corrected him, her cheeks flushed. 

"A scarf," he mumbled, pulling the soft maroon fabric from the box. It was the most delicate material Aesop had ever felt, luxurious too, even if the pattern was slightly off and the edges seemed slightly frayed. He wrapped it around his neck, catching a whiff of that same homely scent that made his heart grow fonder. 

"I made it myself," she nervously admitted, gauging his reaction though his face was fairly impassive. "I haven't made one in a while, but it's been a tradition in my family to always give two gifts; one that is handmade and one that is bought and usually a necessity." 

"Thank you," he breathed out, enjoying the comforting feel of the fabric around his neck. 

"It's no Swan Lake –" "–I don't want Swan Lake," he interrupted her again, his voice a little rougher than he wished to. "I want this scarf." 

And he did. It was perfect, especially because it had been made by her delicate hands, and he never wanted to take it off again. How could she think that he would hate this?!

"Right," she mumbled before handing him a second box. "I hope you like this just as much."

The second box was also green, though slightly larger than the box with the scarf and Aesop was intrigued, if admittedly a little guilty that she had gotten him two presents in place of only one. He opened the box to reveal –

"Charcoal?" he had already been confused at the scarf, but why on earth would she give him charcoal? He watched as she nervously wrung her hands before her, avoiding his gaze as she had done all those weeks, a bright flush on her cheeks. 

"I –," she audibly gulped, clearly afraid of his reaction. "I may have snuck into your room in fifth year and found your... art room."  

Whatever explanation he had expected, it certainly wouldn't have been this. He should have been furious, and if she had been a student, he likely would have taken so many house points from her that her house wouldn't have recovered for years to come. Instead, he laughed.

Of course, she had snuck into his room. Of course, she had found his art room. Of course, she remembered it.

What a devious little thing she was. 

The winter break passed in a calm manner, and Aesop was utterly content. 

While (Y/N) still seemed somewhat reclusive, she didn't avoid his presence - a win in Aesop's mind. They had tea together again, and she had even assisted him in brewing yet another potion, even if that one hadn't helped to any greater extent. His mood had improved drastically, so much that he even apologised to Miss Larson for his harsh tone in the new year and cut her detention time short (though not forfeit it altogether). The girl was confused but obviously didn't question it any further, quite happy that she only had to spend two nights in detention instead of five.  

If his colleagues noticed his new and improved mood, they at least had the decency not to comment on it, even if he caught Dinah and Eleazar throwing him and (Y/N) conspicuous glances every once in a while when they believed he wouldn't notice. He was in far too good of a mood to comment on it, not even irked by it in the slightest. 

The day before their planned 'excursion' outside the palace walls, a Saturday, Aesop walked into breakfast a little later than usual, his sleep unusually restful. His favourite colleague was already seated at the table, animatedly chatting with Matilda as they finished up their breakfast. 

"Mornin'," Aesop mumbled as he sat down next to (Y/N), grabbing the teapot and helping himself to a cup of Earl Grey. 

"I still don't know how you can drink Earl Grey without sugar or milk," the young woman beside him grimaced. She typically had her tea with both, the brew always a perfectly creamy colour that was far too much milk for Aesop's liking. 

"I can't understand how you can essentially drink sweetened milk," he jabbed back, grabbing a bread roll and putting some eggs and sausages on his plate. 

"It's not sweetened milk," she pouted.

"Well, it's certainly not tea." 

Matilda snorted as she watched the two of them interact, slowly starting to understand what Dinah and Eleazar had reported to be seeing. It was no secret among the staff that Aesop had a... soft spot for their newest colleague (if his much-improved mood had been anything to go by), nor had it been a secret that the two of them spent a great deal of time together outside of the necessary interactions. But as the two looked into each other's eyes, the very picture of devotion and adoration, she realised they were obtusely pining for each other. Merlin, if this really was the state of things, Matilda might join Eleazar and Dinah in their efforts. 

"Something funny, Matilda?" Aesop asked her with a raised brow. 

"Oh no," the Transfiguration teacher shook her head, sipping on her tea. "Nothing funny at all."

"Right," he grumbled, clearly unimpressed, before he continued his breakfast. 

"Well, then," (Y/N) smiled, pushing back her chair and standing up. It was then that Aesop noticed that she looked...different. Her usually simple dress had been traded in for a much nicer one. It was moss green, lined with fur to keep her warm from the icy temperatures outside and had some intricate gold stitching that almost shimmered in the sunlight. "I still have to collect my coat. I'll see you tonight, Matilda."

"Oh, do tell Garreth I said hello."

Aesop nearly spat out his drink. Garreth? As in Garreth Weasley? The ultimate headache of a boy, the same young man whose existence had tortured Aesop for seven bloody years? Why on earth would she –

"Will do, Matilda," she singsonged before skipping outside the Great Hall, and Aesop was left with a million questions in his head. Matilda watched as Aesop's jaw was unnaturally clenched, his eggs picked up with strange aggression that hadn't been there before. Surely Garreth's name couldn't have riled him up that much?

"They're having a small reunion in the Three Broomsticks," Matilda spoke into the tense silence. "I heard Mr Sallow, Mr Thakkar, Miss Reyes and some others would be attending too."

"And that is of interest to me how?" 

"You tell me," Matilda winked, chuckling as she watched the Potions Master hastily swallow the last of his breakfast before he excused himself to 'do some brewing', limping out of the Great Hall.

"I don't think I've ever seen Aesop being so obvious about his feelings," someone chuckled to the right of her. Matilda looked over to see a grinning Abraham looking at her. 

"It is strange to see; I won't lie," Matilda nodded. "Quite the unlikely pairing too."

"The girl was a Hero at fifteen and has ensured that entire poaching operations have ceased in the Highlands," Abraham reminded her with a chuckle. "Just because she is less grumpy than him, I wouldn't write them off. After all, opposites do attract, no?"

"I suppose you are correct," the Transfiguration teacher agreed. "The question is, how exactly do we make them see it? It seems everyone, but them knows."

"Which I told you months ago, you bloody lot," Dinah jumped in from next to Abraham. "Merlin knows Eleazar, and I have tried to talk sense into them. He is too thick-headed to make the first move; that much is certain." 

"I would not worry," a final voice joined them, the ever-elusive Mudiwa Onai looking at them with twinkling eyes. "I could see that their future together would be quite...fruitful."

(Y/N), unaware of her coworkers conspiring against her and blissfully unaware of the Potions Master she had left completely riled up, was rather looking forward to seeing her old classmates again. Even if she had spent significantly less time with them than she might have liked, largely because of her late arrival and fifth-year 'extracurriculars', many of them had become close friends of hers, and she kept in contact with most of them. Poppy, unfortunately, would not be able to make it, as she was somewhere in the Amazonas researching yet another creature, but she looked forward to seeing her during the summer. She hadn't seen most of them in quite some time, though letters between them were still largely regular.

The Three Broomsticks was as warm and inviting as ever, the establishment always having been a place of comfort and safety, especially after Sirona had fearlessly stood up against Victor Rookwod and Theophilus Harlow as they had tried to kidnap her for Ranrok and his plans. Natty was the first to spot her old friend, having them over enthusiastically. Quite a few of them had shown up; Garreth Weasley, Imelda Reyes and Nelly Oggspire, Nerida Roberts, Amit Thakkar, Ominis, hell, even Everett Clopton and Leander Prewett had made time to come with their wives, simply to get together again. The large group chatted animatedly, exchanging stories about their careers and lives. 

Unsurprisingly, Garreth had started an apprenticeship under a potioneer in London, whereas Imelda and Nelly were both on the Puddlemere United Team, happily courting and enjoying life, whereas Nerida had realised her dream of becoming a Liasion for the Mermaids ("I even learned how to swim!"). Amit had relocated to India for a while, researching the stars on behalf of the Ministry and Everett Clopton and Leander Prewett both had somewhat stable careers at the Ministry. Ominis, on the other hand, had become an apprentice at a French Wandmaker's shop, fully distancing himself from his family and all that the Gaunt name entailed. And Natty, ever the Gryffindor, was slowly but surely working her way up in the Auror Office (much to her mother's chagrin). The final one, who had yet to join the group, was fashionably late and none other than Sebastian Sallow himself.

The Curse Breaker in question walked in around lunchtime, and they were all more than surprised when he was accompanied by a woman their age, clearly pregnant, and beaming smiles on their faces.

"Sorry, everyone," the man sheepishly excused himself, arm wrapped around the woman's middle with his large hands. "I returned from Romania last night, and the Ministry wanted me to drop off some reports. Took a little longer than expected." "Yeah, yeah, blah blah," Garreth waved him off, "Now who is that?" 

Garreth asked the question everyone had been dying to know, and (Y/N) eyed the woman beside her close friend with curious but kind eyes. She was definitely around their age, quite petite and pale, her long ginger hair in an intricate braid, with a few pieces framing her oval, freckled face and strikingly blue eyes. She blushed as the attention diverted to her, though her smile was still beaming. 

"This is Megan," Sebastian introduced them with a bright smile. "My wife." 

"WIFE?!" 

The reaction was immediate, the group gaping at the apparently married couple in front of them, waiting to hear just about any explanation for... well. Megan, apparently, was a witch from Ireland who had eventually attended Illvermorny as her father was relocated from the British Ministry of Magic to the MACUSA, and the two had met on one of Sebastian's curse-breaking expeditions. Sebastian, the ever-rational man he was, married her rather quickly and privately before he whisked her back to England and settled down with her in the Cotswolds. To say that especially Ominis and (Y/N) were affronted that their friend hadn't even mentioned his wife, let alone the fact that he was going to be a father soon, in any of his letters was the understatement of the year, but Sebastian placated them with some Firewhiskey and a heartfelt apology, explaining that he wanted Megan to get settled before bombarding her with the 'bloody lot they were'.  

Megan was lovely, (Y/N) had to admit. A little shy, perhaps, but lovely nonetheless, and she had a great snark about her as she continued to open up to the group and the antics throughout the day. They laughed and ate, having far too much fun and far too little time before a majority of them were drunk off their asses and started to dance in their corner of the pub, absorbed in their own world and free of their adult responsibilities for just one day.

It was perhaps exactly why any of them failed to notice their old Potions Professor walking into the Three Broomsticks after the man had begrudgingly spent the afternoon brewing some odd potions before he realised that he was all out of Bicorn horn, thus needing to venture into Hogsmeade to order some from Pippin. Aesop hadn't planned his short foray into the village, so when he spontaneously decided to walk into the Three Broomsticks to drink a firewhiskey, he hadn't expected to see (Y/N) in the arms of Garreth fucking Weasley, happily dancing to some music and looking the very picture of beauty and grace. 

It shouldn't have bothered him. It shouldn't have bothered him at all, but when he saw her so beautiful in the arms of another, all he could see was red as his heart audibly shattered inside his chest, his lungs constricting as he watched her do something he could never give her. He quickly retreated from the Three Broomsticks, not even bothering to order a Firewhiskey. Instead, he chose to hole himself up in his room, getting drunk there instead as he moped around.

Why was he even bothered? She didn't owe him anything, certainly not a dance or physical affection. She was a friend, a good friend. Nothing more, nothing less. It shouldn't have hurt to see her in the arms of someone else, even if that person had been Garreth Weasley, of all people. He should have been happy for her - she did say she wanted a family, children, and someone her age could certainly give her that. He was just an old, grumpy, crippled failure of a man, his best years long gone. It shouldn't have bothered him, but the more he thought about it, the more it did. 

Fuck, he realised startingly as he downed his third glass of firewhiskey. Fuck, fuck, fuck. 

It bothered him because he cared. 

Because – Aesop could hardly bring himself to think it – because he was stupidly, irrevocably, utterly and wholly in love with her. 

Aesop wasn't sure how many he had to drink by the time a knock sounded on his door. He cursed his own tolerance, not nearly drunk enough to forget what he had just barely been able to admit to himself. If anything, he might have been slightly buzzed. The only person that would ever come knocking on his door, he realised, was the one person he very much wanted to avoid right now. Before he could call out a 'No', the doors opened, and she walked right in, a tray filled with his favourite foods in her hand and that damningly beautiful smile on her smile. Why in Salazar's name was she so ethereal?

"I didn't see you at dinner and got worried. So I asked the house-elf's for some of your favourites, and they were kind enough to prepare them."

Aesop's dark eyes swept over the tray, spotting roast beef, his favourite vegetables, a cornish pie and even some sticky toffee pudding. It was perfect, and it only infuriated him more. Couldn't she have ignored him? Or at least treat him unkindly? That would have helped his feelings much more than being cared for by the one person who shouldn't. 

"Thanks," he hissed lowly, downing yet another firewhiskey. "Can you just leave it here?" 

Her smile vanished, regarding him, with a concerned look on her face. 

Why on earth did she have to wear her heart on her sleeve?! Why did she have to show him she cared about him?!

"Are you alright?"

"Yes." No – he definitely wasn't.

"You don't look like you're alright," she pushed on, carefully placing the tray on his table and walking towards him.

"I'm fine," he pressed out, glaring her way, but she didn't even flinch. "Can you please go?"

"Now I know you're not alright," she smiled, "You've never asked me to leave." 

"Well, now I do," he snapped, unwilling to deal with it any longer. 

"Have I done something to upset you?"

Yes. "No," he sighed dejectedly. It wasn't her fault, not really. 

"Right," she drew out, clearly not believing him but choosing to save him from further mortification. An uncomfortable silence hung over them, Aesop just wishing that she would finally leave. Eventually, she sighed, turning around to leave his room and leave him alone, but not until she turned around one last time and smiled again.

"I can't wait for Swan Lake tomorrow."

Fuck, he thought once more. Swan Lake would be utter torture. With that, she left.

Aesop hadn't dreaded anything for a while now, but when he stood in front of her hut the next day, late in the afternoon, dressed in his best suit, he dreaded every second that would follow. He just had to get through this, he reminded himself. Just this, and he could be the one to avoid her. He was the one who gifted her this in the first place, and so he would have to endure it. Unfortunately, though, he hadn't expected her to look as good as she did. When she opened the door, with her big smile and bright eyes, Aesop wished that Scarborough had killed him. This was pure torture. She looked delectable and absolutely ethereal. Her dress was a silky pink colour with an almost scandalously low neckline (Merlin, was she trying to kill him?!), appropriately trimmed with gold stitching, soft lace around the shoulders and arms and a white ermine cape around her shoulders. Her hair was up and out from her face, curled and pinned to perfection, making her eyes shine even more than usual. 

Well, this is going to be a problem, isn't it?

"You look bewitchingly beautiful," Aesop whispered, relishing in the blush that rose on her cheeks. At least he could tease her a little, too - he wasn't sure if he could survive this otherwise. 

"You don't look so shabby yourself," she cleared her throat, swiftly joining him outside. Like a true gentleman, he offered her his arm, walking the short distance to the outside of the ground before he apparated them into a secluded alleyway in London, only a short distance from the Opera House. He hadn't held her this close since the night at the Three Broomsticks, but the warmth she emitted and the scent she carried both comforted and strangled him. She was oh so close, yet not close enough. He could only fondly smile at her when she entered the place like an excited child faced with all the candy they could ever want. 

"Oh, I haven't been here forever. It's still as beautiful as I remember!" 

Aesop wouldn't lie; the place was thoroughly impressive. The high ceilings shone under the million candles and crystals, illuminating the site in a comforting way. The high arches and intricate design gave the place a neo-classical feel, and it was bustling with Muggles of various ages, though, as swiftly became clear to him, most of them were likely obscenely rich. Thankfully, they hardly paid him and the beautiful woman on his arm any mind, a rarity and a crime in Aesop's mind, for he couldn't stop staring at her. 

"Do you think that –"

"(Y/N)?!" a shocked voice sounded from behind them. He watched as the woman on his arm visibly paled, almost shaking in his hold as she turned around and faced the man that had spoken to her. Aesop turned around, too, wondering what could make the literal Hero of Hogwarts, a woman with world-ending ancient magic, so frightened. They came to face with an elderly man, possibly around Eleazar's age, and a slightly younger woman. The closer Aesop looked at her, the sooner he spotted it; she had her eyes, her nose, her lips, hell, even her hair, though the other woman's was visibly fading into white. Her parents, Aesop thought, surprised. What were the odds?

"(Y/N) is that truly you?" the man asked, stepping closer, and Aesop felt the need to take a small step forward, effectively shielding her from their gazes. 

"Evening, Father," she mumbled, and Aesop loathed how demure she sounded. Was she an innocent and sweet woman? Yes. Demure? No. She was a fighter who didn't back down against various beasts, poachers, and goblins. And this man was scaring her? Not on Aesop's watch. 

"You look well," she added after a while, though it sounded awfully strange and forced. Her mother at least had the decency to look ashamed, and Aesop could name a thousand reasons why as he glared at them. Her father, however, had flickered his gaze over to Aesop and was regarding him with newfound interest. He knew that her parents were wealthy, but the people in front of him were nothing short of gaudy, pompous and carried a sneer as arrogant as the one on Black's face. These people had raised her? His lovely woman that emitted so much warmth and comfort that it could kill several Dementors? 

"Thank you," her father said after a few seconds, though his eyes were firmly trained on Aesop – and his gigantic scar. "You have grown up beautifully." 

Aesop had never wanted to strangle someone as badly as this man. The sheer audacity. Was he right? Absolutely. Did he have the right? Absolutely not.

"And who is this, might I ask?" 

She tensed beside him, and Aesop wondered why for a second before he remembered one of their earliest conversations. If her parents hadn't approved of a co-educational school, they surely wouldn't have approved of her spending time with a man she was not married to.

"He's my –" "I'm her husband," Aesop interjected, eyebrow raised as he regarded the people before him with as much of a sneer as he could muster. Fight fire with fire, Aesop thought deviously. 

"Husband?" her mother suddenly spoke up, a look of surprise on her face. 

"Is there a problem?" Aesop asked, his tone menacing. It didn't impress her father one bit. 

"So you actually managed to find a decent husband?" he sneered, looking back at his daughter for a fleeting second before returning his attention to Aesop. "Consider me surprised that a man would marry a dishonoured woman. Though perhaps the market was too slim for a cripple."

"Father!" "Listen here, Mr. (Y/L/N)," Aesop growled as he stepped as close to the man as he possibly could, not wanting to cause a ruckus among all of these people. "I will not have you question my wife's honour. She is a Hero in our world, did you know that? Of course, you didn't because your arrogant, pompous ass was too vain to ever reach out to her. I cannot even begin to fathom how someone like you raised someone as wonderful as her. She nearly lost her life as she successfully stopped people so evil they would make your skin crawl from ruining our world. That said," his glare was intense enough to burn the man, "my wife's honour was perfectly intact. You wish to know why? Because our school ensures any untoward things do not happen. You could have known that before you left her for the gallows. Now, you will leave us be. And if I hear of any attempts to reach her, I will personally ensure you will burn in hell. This cripple," Aesop spat the word angrily, "knows how to make it look like an accident."

He pulled (Y/N) away without so much as a second thought, grabbing her arm and walking as fast as his damned leg would allow, hoping that her parents were seated far away from them. 

"Aesop?" his company meekly asked him as they had settled in their box. He was still heaving, his breaths coming out a little erratic as he fought the primal urge to turn around and kill a certain someone. When he finally turned to face her, he looked into her watery (Y/E/C) eyes, relieved to at least see a small smile on her lips. "Thank you," she whispered gratefully.

"Any time."

The ballet was beautiful, possibly the closest thing Aesop had ever seen to magic in the muggle world; the delicate nature of the dancers and the way they were seemingly carried by the music was enchanting. He could see why she loved it as much as he did. The greatest thing, though, was catching her smile. It was so bright and wide, and Aesop couldn't get enough. This was worth every galleon, and he would've emptied his and his family's vault to just get a single glimpse of it again. 

Her father's sperm donor's words continued to run in Aesop's mind as the two of them wordlessly made their way back, apparating and then walking the remaining distance to her hut. She, utterly content and smiling; him, revisiting what the poor excuse of a man had said to his own child nonetheless. He was correct about him; Aesop was but an old cripple, undeserving of someone like her. In some way, Aesop had accepted that he might never be whole, that his best years had long passed and that he was meant to be confined to Bachelorhood for the rest of his days. But when the woman of his dreams stood close to him, so near yet far beyond his reach, all he wished for was to be whole again. 

"Would you like to come in for some tea?" she offered as they reached her hut.

"Yes," Aesop answered without a second thought. This night was bound to end soon enough. He could be selfish for just a few more minutes, relishing in her company, before he would have to ban her from his life.

She beamed at him, the same smile that made his heart skip several beats and that had him wish he could up and kiss her. The smile that was his undoing. Her cabin was as cosy as he remembered, the same smell of fresh pastries and freshly pressed linen and something uniquely her permeating the air and enveloping him in what felt like a suffocating hug. He sat in one of her comfortable armchairs, watching as she waved her wand, her gramophone quietly filling the space with a tune Aesop didn't recognise, her kettle slowly bubbling away on her stove. 

"I want to apologise," she spoke into the silence after a while, still next to her stove as she waited for the water to boil. 

"Whatever for?" Aesop asked. 

"My...father," she sighed. 

"Well, forgive me for being forward, but it is hardly your fault that your 'father' is a raging piece of shit."

He watched as she let out a single laugh that sounded more like a scoff than anything else. "No, it is not, but that doesn't mean I don't feel sorry for what he's said to you in particular." 

"Don't be," Aesop grumbled as he averted his gaze, hoping to end the conversation right there. He didn't want her pity - that would be far worse than her rejection. "He wasn't entirely wrong."

"But he was!" Her ferocious tone surprised him, his eyes finding hers and seeing pure, unadulterated rage in them. 

"I am a cripple," Aesop slowly corrected her. "And I am well above your years."

"You are not a cripple, Aesop Sharp," she seethed at him, further surprising him. "And you are not old. Have you any idea what kind of man my father had me betrothed to? He was fifty when I was thirteen, and the betrothal was finalised."

Aesop clenched his hands into fists at her revelation, wishing to seek out her father to beat sense into him. 

"Simply because the man you were supposed to marry was even older than I was does not mean I am not old nor a cripple," Aesop pressed forth, wanting to run from this conversation, his resolve to leave her hanging by a precarious thread. 

"You are not a cripple," she repeated herself, her voice resolute. 

"I am," Aesop seethed, having risen from his position on the armchair as quickly as his leg would allow, unable to stop himself. "I am but a man whose prime had passed when I stepped into Scarborough harbour. A man who is undeserving of the wonderful woman you are and have become. Surely you must know that a woman like yourself could do far better than me." 

She gaped at him with wide eyes, a million thoughts running through her head. "A woman like me?" she asked, her voice reduced to a whisper.

"Yes, a woman like you," Aesop's resolve had finally broken, and he was incapable of telling her anything but the truth. When she inevitably hated him after this, when she inevitably rejected his sorry arse, perhaps he could move on. "A wonderful, beautiful woman like you. A woman who has given her all for this world and has expected not one thing in return. A woman who is so bloody kind and loving that even I couldn't help but be drawn in. A woman who hasn't escaped my mind, no matter how infuriating she is at times." 

"What –" she gulped audibly, her eyes still wide as she searched his. The air in the room was stagnant as neither of them refused to say anything, though Aesop could feel his heart beating out of his chest, praying to whatever god would listen to him that she would finally get it over with. "What are you saying, Aesop?" 

"Do I actually have to spell it out for you?!" he groaned exasperated, running a hand through his hair as he grew more frustrated than he thought possible. 

"Well, do not get angry with me." "I am not angry." "Well, clearly you are. Look at you." 

Aesop stalked up to her in quick strides, towering over her much smaller frame as he looked down into her eyes furiously, feebly attempting to ignore her comforting scent. "Right then," he growled. "No matter what I bloody do, you are on my mind like a damn pixie infestation. My thoughts of you simply never end. You carry my heart in your hands and do not even know it. I am yours; painfully, I am yours. But it is utterly ridiculous to think someone like you," Aesop stressed, "would ever burn for someone like me." 

Not even wishing to hear her rejection from this point forth, Aesop attempted to turn around to hastily exit her home, only to be stopped by her small hand reaching out for his. He turned back, expecting to see disgust, hate or even contempt in her eyes, but all he found were unshed tears and a look he could not read. 

"You...You care for me?" she cautiously spoke, a small (Aesop didn't believe it) hopeful smile on her face.

"I don't care for you," Aesop gulped, finally allowing himself to speak the words that likely had been on his mind since she stepped back into the bloody castle. "I burn for you."

A sob spilt from her lips, though they simultaneously widened into a smile. "Aesop Sharp," she tearfully grinned at him, "You utter fool." 

Yes, pour salt into the wound, Aesop thought dejectedly. He knew he was a fool for –

He didn't have time to finish his thoughts before the witch he had fallen in love with grabbed the lapel of his coat to pull him down, her soft, plush lips meeting his.

pt. 2 coming soon

[dendenp3]

HELLO AND GOOD EVENING.

Since I am unmedicated (again yay) and unable to finesse some IC post, I'm gonna subject you all to my insane ramblings about my baby Usopp.

Brought to you by Nadia encouraging my bs.

Quick TLDR; Usopp is incredibly important to the crew, emotial and tatical support wise, and arguably the sweetest, and I am baffled and flabbergahsted when people call him useless and a coward. It upsets me.

OK SO. I've said this before on my old blog, I'm sure. But I'm restless and fidgety and my ipad is dying so HERE WE ARE.

I cannot, for the life of me, STAND the 'Usopp is useless' hot takes. You are WRONG and you should be ASHAMED.

Now, that doesn't mean I don't understand why his initial immediate jump to running away or suggesting as such would get annoying. It's a bit, and a repetative one, but certainly doesn't qualify him as a useless coward. If he truly was, Luffy would NOT even try to tolerate his ass.

I will argue till my dying breath that Usopp is meant to be SUPPORT. He's not going to have extremely strong physical attacks or anything OVERLY flashy outside of his pop greens. That's not his goddamn job. Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Jimbei are more than enough muscle, Franky too.

Usopp's job is, and always been emotional support, and filling in where there is lack. He is the self-preservation of the crew, and his entire job is to make sure these assholes don't get too out of wack and fall apart or run into something too hastily. Not always with logic, but at least with common damn sense a lot of the time.

And there's evidence of this even before he becomes apart of the crew. Since his mom died, he's been lonely, of course. And has had to essentially live his life just trying to make it to the next day, taking care of himself, his village, and justr trying to survive. But that never turned him bitter. He never became cold hearted to people, even when the townsfolk yelled at him and shooed him off. He never hated anyone, harmed anyone, or looked down on them. He's always been gently uplifing and taking care of everyone.

The Usopp Pirates were basically like his siblings. He taught them to be strong and protect themselves and each other. He was Kaya's seemingly only friend, checking in on her, visiting when he knew he wasn't welcome by the staff or the town, telling her stories to make her laugh and feel like she could live another day despite being horridly sick.

(He also repaired the merry, completely self taught mind you, when they had no shipwrght. Mostly on his own. For MONTHS. AND made Nami's climatact, the old and new one! And his own weapons!! AND THESE WEIRD ASS PLANTS HE LEARNED TO BREED HELLO??)

He's arguably JUST as kind as Sanji, if not second place. He's just not physically feeding people. He's giving them his time, his care, his energy. When Robin was on the train, he was one of the FIRST to get to her. And he immedately tried to help her, to get her to understand just how much he believed in Luffy, and how she should too. That she was also deeply loved, even if she couldn't see it.

He recognized she was making the same mistake he was, believing he wasn't worth saving or having around. He regrets his actions directly after the fight with Luffy, and is painfully aware how much he fucked up. But not once does he genuinely speak bad about Luffy once he wasn't upset anymore. He talked Luffy up, said to rely on him and his friends, that they're good people and that Robin is too. He also didn't really badmouth Franky for long, if at all despite being the one to steal the money and spend it, beating him up in the process.

And when it comes to the individual relationships he has, he's so clearly loved and appreciated. He's Nami's best friend, they gossip and joke and have one of the sweetest Male and Female relationships I've seen. And its so natural. They rely on each other, confide in each other, get scared together, stand together, encourage each other. Like hello?? Nami was SO stoked to see Usopp post time-skip!!!

Luffy and Usopp get on like a house on fire, that is undeniable. Their friendship is so unbelievably easy and they just click, partly due to being the same age. The like bugs and robots and adventure, they're goofy and rediculous and get themselves into trouble. It's why Water 7 hits so hard because for the first time, they're ENTIRELY not on the same wavelength. And Usopp was so HURT by that, by Luffy not understanding how important this was. They were teens who are bad at communicating, its not surprising that they fell out so explosively.

Sanji and Usopp seem to have a lot in common, being the more emotionally driven boys who have some interests in more 'feminine' things like cooking and art. Sanji was Usopp's #1 fucking defender pre-timeskip, especially in Water 7/Enies Lobby. He and Chopper (who is like Usopp and Luffy's little brother at this point) constantly wanted to check on Usopp and make sure he was aware of the incoming storm. Beat the fuck out of Franky for his role in the whole mess, even when Usopp didn't hold any grudge much by then.

Zoro and Usopp are slightly more complicated, with Zoro being less outwardly emotional. But that doesn't mean he doesn't care about Usopp or enjoy his company. Zoro was just as goofy as Luffy and Usopp plenty of times, and that's his drinking buddy. During Water 7, he was the harshest, but that's because he knew better than anyone at the time how pirates worked, besides maybe Robin. He knew that while Usopp wasn't wrong in his feelings as a person and friend, his actions in terms of the pirate heirachy was entirely wrong, and no one was taking it seriously. His job is to protect everyone and make sure things run smoothly (i say this loosely) when the captain can't. He knew they weren't ready. And things were starting to get serious. But through it all, he admits to wanting Usopp back just as much as everyone else, that he does care and views him as a friend.

And people say he's not loyal bc he runs away or tells nami to lie. But motherfucker he's trying to make sure EVERYONE LIVES. His job is being the crew's SELF-PRESERVATION. The voice of reason almost!! He's here to make sure we can live to fight another goddamn day without getting out skulls caved in by a raging dinosar lady!!! Maybe let's not go in to the VERY CLEARLY scary ass woods/ship with Actual Genuine Zombies??? Hello??? And ghosts and shit?? Like he's just saying the obvious because he knows Luffy's gonna run in head first ANYWAY and just wants to keep everyone alive!!

And then, emotional shenanigans aside, Usopp's attacks are not meant to be flashy, or have crazy impact. He is a SNIPER. Snipers are tactitions, they stay in the back, at a semi-fixed vantage point to clear out dangerous enemies so that the team can push forward and win. His time in Dresrossa proved that easily! Yeah, the thing with sugar the first time was haha comedic gag, but to calculate from not only thousands of miles at a distance, but at something higher up, and behind a barrier, effectively making him blind until he unlocked his observation haki, is fucking insane!!! But where has he been since?? SMACK in the middle of the fight, where he's least skilled and least able to plan attacks as flashy and cool as that one.

For fuck's sake this man is SUPPORT!!! **SUPPORT**!! He's not useless just because he's nto front line!!! Give this man his goddamn flowers hes a jack of all trades and a master of a few of em!!! And he's so fucking sweet!!!

The weapons, the boat maintanence, the care, the support, the fact that he never fucking misses, AND THE FACT HE STANDS ON BUSINESS NO MATTER HOW TERRIFIED HE IS!!!!

GIVE USOPP HIS GODDAMN FLOWERS HES SO IMPORTANT!!

[leatafandom]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Spread the self-love ❤️

Hiii thank you so much for the ask! This is a fun one to think about.

Deadpool Distractions: The K-word - It's been forever but this is still my favorite of mine. I really love how it turned out.

Taste of Cherry: This is one that quickly broke my top five. It was a lot of musing and thinking of the why of the cross-over between my two sabriel universes and I just really enjoyed the contrast and the story building for both worlds that it played into.

It Obviously Wasn't a Book: I reread this one often. I just really am proud and enjoy reading it. I love the body movements in it and Gabriel is just so fun. The range from silly to pissy to serious and back again is just fun.

Frozen Caves and Warming Confessions: I forgot how much I enjoyed this Merthur tale. I haven't read it in a while, but I just enjoy the emotions and the dialogue.

Foolishness: While looking through stuff, I realized I adore this story. It just hurts so good. Plus without that request, I wouldn't have found The Mandela Catalogue which is horridly amazing.

Thank you so much for sending this! It was really fun to look through my stuff and think about these stories again. Though I was tempted to put unposted work cause ugh some of these I really think are gonna be new favorites.

Can I make this a tag? Cause I'm gonna xD No pressure tags: @idabbleincrazy @heavenssexiestangel @samanddean76 @hobbyistauthor @ladylilithprime

[frogskelton]

Part one of the scooby doo x team chris is rlly hot (split into parts to check if there is much of a audience and if i type it up and refine all of what u got, im never getting it done)

Part 1 -

“Come on gang,” Alejandro sour mood subtly coming through his tried charismatic voice. “Let’s go,” sounding like all his energy had been drained

“Sure, now what happenied to that charismatic eel, show some energy.” Noah mocked, showing some glee in his tone, while Alejandro gave him minor stink eye.

“Aah guys, I’m so excited!” Owen wrapped his arms around the two. “It was so nice of your dad to let us come to his fancy party, I totally thought he hated our guts, you know you used to.”

“Yeah used to right?” Noah quietly quiped inquirer if at Alejandro.

“Yeah man! I’m gonna show all your family how cool I am, then I’m sure they’ll love me!” Tyler said shoulder excitedly poked up, stunning with his hands.

“Been trying for 17 years, but go right ahead,” Alejandro muttered to himself in Spanish, with only Noah quickly having any clue of what he was saying.

“What was that?” Tyler questioned with puppy dog eyes, tilting his head, with some concern about Alejandro’s uncharacteristically more open sourness. But that concern was overshadowed by the absulute excitement of being invited to what had to be one of the fanciest parties ever, by complete surprise.

“Oh nothing, nothing, just don’t get too excited it’s gonna be a- err- a lot different … to what you’re useddd to.” Alejandro said, trying to turn the charm back on to cover up his distain for everything here.

“Well if you ignore that passive agressiveness, even I think tonight should be pretty alright.” Noah surprisingly said not grumbling.

The sun have almost set in the empty parking lot of the old downtown supermarket, closed down a few years ago but rubbish still plagued the streets. As they messed around by the graffiti covered street lamps, Tyler and Owen swinging round in each other’s arm, and Izzy barking, climbing and riding round in the desolate shopping trolleys. Alejandro leaned against the van, distant from the others, giving himself a moment before driving, staring up at the sky, roudy gleeful, but friendly noises sounding from behind, praying tonight wouldn’t go horridly. Noah appeared next to him, nudging him attempted to check up on him, without being able to say the words. Alejandro looked over at him for a second and back up, before getting ready to drive up to his family’s party.

The drive up the lavish and extensive driveway, it seemed as though it kept dragging on, kept going and going, each perfectly groomed tree felt like they towered over the van. While excitement blared from the back of the back of the van. The gloomy, long driveway and the sound of the wheels, seemed to drown all that out, as Alejandro was left to his corner of the only him and the drive through. Staring at the driveway, as it kept crawling on.

Pulling into the park, Tyler kept on out of the van, leaping straight into the gravel before the van had even stopped moving. “Owwww” he groaned, before pulling himself up, spiting dirt out of his mouth. Next out was Owen then Noah,

“I’m not sure what to do with Izzy,” Owen said looking at the sleeping dog, knowing the second she woke up the walls would turn inside out the roof would be raised. “I want my little other little buddy to get plenty of sleep, but we can’t just leave her in there.”

“I fear we might unleash we dare wake her up” Noah quietly quiped.

“Yeah she can be a bit hyper too hyper, and Al told us to not too be loud or anything, I’ll just give her the keys” Owen said, placing the key next to her scrolling down the window a bit.

“It’s a party you’re meant to have some energy” Tyler said dancin round on the spot, drumming his hands on his legs.

“This is a bit of a dif-“

“Where’s Al?” Noah started before being abruptly cut off by Owen.

“Huh, oh I think he’s still in the car, don’t worry I’ll get him” Tyler said trying to calm himself down before talking to Alejandro, to prevent him from getting irritated at Tyler’s energy.

Alejandro stared at the wheel, everything seemingly fading away, noise scraping his ears, but becoming indistinguishable from the other noises. Tyler knocked on the window, “Hey man, you are doing alright? If you’re like over stimulated or something I think saw your noise cancelling headphones in the back there.”

Tyler’s voice snapped him back to reality.

“I’m… im fine,” Alejandro quietly responded before leaving the mystery machine one hand clutching his other arm and some feeling of nausea caused by stress.

“You sure man? You seem like you’ll need it.” Tyler said rubbing Alejandro’s arm.

“I’M FINE.” Alejandro snapped,”Besides you can’t just where headphones to a formal event, its just - its - you know.” He grumbled

“Peasant like?” Noah sarcastically quipped ignoring Alejandro’s grizzly mood

“Sure that.”

As they walked through the light of the interior felt blinding like a golden bright lights, overwhelmed their eyes, accustomed to the dark. For Alejandro it was like that sign, that cue that for the mask to turn back on, Swiftly turning on the charm wandering off before the others eyes could adjust to the brightness. Mingling with guest attempting to present himself as inhumanely perfect, like Icarus to sun, was him to his charm.

“Where did he,” Noah muttered to himself, scanning the gorgeous room for Alejandro. But God! It would impossible to fail to notice how incredibly fancy the Burromuerto’s place was. Their fortune really was shown off in the regal like interior (and exterior) design. It appeared so incredibly lavish, though strangely cold and felt more like a palace than a home.

Finally Noah notice him talking to a posh looking lady in a bright red dress and using the charisma to hide that strange uncanniness that woman, that Noah could. It was that uncanniness was the subtle way if seeing it, his fears and anxieties, had that subtle way of showing behind the mask. It takes a long time to learn them and and have any clue of what ge really feels behind that layer of charm.

“Maybe he was right, this doesn’t really feel like a party.” Owen whisper to Tyler who seemed like he turned into a weeping angel.

“Yeah, course man, he’s always right, this feels like some fancy ass school assembly, not a party.” Tyler irritatedly whispered.

“I’m not gonna question what kind of school assembles you went to, but like god, man! I miss Geoff parties all of a sudden.” Owen whisper whined, wincing, while shaking Tyler’s shoulders, while dirty glared were shot across the room.

From their more causal outfits to their more relaxed friendliness, made then stick out like a sore thumb. Those posh face staring with snarling noses and mouths that seemed like they were full of fangs. Walking through, despite the wide open space, something made it all feel like squiring together down a tight corridor.

“Shit, I lost that eel in the crowd, where did he slide off some it.” Noah mumbled

“Ahh, don’t worry. He’s probably just going to say hi Yu his dad or something” Owen responded, giving him a reassuring pat on the back.

“Yeah, maybe he’ll go find people who don’t annoy him so bad and who he sees as all smart and perfect like him.” Tyler grumbled, upset shoulders crossed, his frustration felt like it was making him claustrophobic.

“Come on guys, he was probably just having a moment, I’m sure he loves us.” Owen said.

“Really?!” Noah stared like Owen had just claimed he saw some pigs flying.

Attempting to stand tall and proud, while ever noise and every flick felt like a pounding drum right in the ear, trying to shove every bit of shame down and hidden. Charming and mingling with the crowd, anything to make him seem like he was worth being called a Burromuerto. It happened to be a wee bit of rarity for him be told about these kinda events and not just shoed off, since he was considered a black sheep of the family. Like they always saw something off about him, unable to actually achieve that perfect conformity. Why is it an impossible task to be part of your own family.

A boney hand slide onto his shoulder, from a tall dark figure. The figure’s shadow engulfing him.

“I see you’ve met my son,” Alejandro’s father stood behind him, acknowledging him as his son?! And without the usual hint of Shane that permeates his usual voice. He spoke in Spanish in that dignified way that is often used to condescend, but now it felt like a way to elevate him, invite him in. It was a welcome.

“Yes, yes, of cour-“

CRASHHH,

One of the grand windows toppling over the guest, smash with a figure crawling in, as the glass fell outside. Huge, twisted bone, form all hunched covering the window, with sharp joints like it was ready to pounce. Pointed spikey bat like ears, huge wings joint to hideous, dirty, sharp claws and galring eyes red and glowing like a pirates treasure.

“WHAT IN GOD’S NAME?!” Mr Burromuerto cried out at the top of hus lungs, like a performer projecting hus voice for a crowd.

“Noo, why now?!” Alejandro frustratedly whispered to himself, scorning the monster who would dare interupt this.

“Is that?!”

“A Bat man?!” Noah gasped, before Owen concluded with a loud burst.

The monster was no mere thing, toppling over everyone, it’s twisted humanoid body reaching to 8ft.

“Welcome back!” It cackled “Now I’m here to bring you the most exciting, entertaining time of your life.” It yelled out glamming at the crowd.

[xiaoluclair]

Xiao my dear! I don’t know if this an invite to send you prompts but if so 👀 I’m taking my opportunity! 😌🤍🤍

What about: “You think I’m still in love with you after all of this shit you decided to put me through? Well… ha. I guess I am somewhat of an idiot.” With lestappen? 🥰

Love ya!! 😘

bby, hi 😘! any and all times i reblog prompts are an invite 💛💜 and OKAY:

pairing: max verstappen x charles leclerc | rating: G | not checked over by any second parties so beware of spelling/grammar bumbles

Charles glances up when he enters the room. There is a second where his face looks like it cannot decide whether to behave as a wave or a particle. Max doesn't spare him much of a glance. Walks over to the co-pilot's seat, reaches over to disengage the starboard lithium thrusters. Pulls both knees up until he is a cocoon in the cockpit.

For a while, they sit simply in silence. It is both horridly new and terrifyingly old. Max would have broken it by now, a hundred times over probably. Not anymore. He watches as Space crawls around them, vast and dark and infinite.

"So," says Charles at last. On trajectory, the numbers oscillate between -0.071/+0.039 and -0.069/+0.039. Out of the corner of his eye, Max can see Charles lean forward to adjust accordingly. He does the same, feet have to fall back to the floor. "You and Martijn?"

Max snorts. The number shoots to -0.067/-0.064. He hastily rectifies it before replying, "I don't see how that matters right now."

"I am just. Catching up."

"Yeah?" says Max, only a little snippily. "How come."

There is a pause. "Lookㅡ"

And isn't that a funny little word.

"I did," says Max, cutting him off. He thinks he might be amused. Or unimaginably pissed off. Maybe both at this point. "Trust me, I fucking did. Want to know what I found?"

No reply.

Max laughs, continues, one hand flipping the port thrusters up to 0.4%, "Nada. Not a damn thing. For two whole years. So yeah, mate, do you really want to tell me to look?"

"I would not change anything," says Charles, ever entirely, aggravatingly stubborn.

Max snorts. "Fucking course you wouldn't."

"I loved you."

And that's even funnier, thinks Max. "I don't see what that has to do with anything right now."

"Of course you do not," says Charles. It is biting. They fall silent again with it, words left to hang heavy. Max wishes Daniel were here. Or Lando. Or Martijn. Even Pierre. Anyone else, anything else, to fit into this great, gaping void. He wishes when Seb gave them their rotation posts, he'd said, Actuallyㅡ

But he did not. And Max is. Max is a little tired. Max is suddenly, stupidly, outrageously, a little bit tired.

He says, to the ship and the ship alone, "Martijn is my friend."

"Pierre is mine," says Charles.

Max rolls his eyes. "I was notㅡ"

"Do not lie."

"Hypocrite."

"I would notㅡ"

"Change a thing." Max's jaw goes stiff for a moment, a hop and a skip through time.

There are enough particles between them right now to fill five thousand bathtubs if they were the size of marbles. Still, he can hear Charles's exhale. He can hear, "I love you."

And is that not horrid. The way the words sink, tail and claw and nuclear fission, into Max's stomach. The way the words sink, warm and soft and nuclear fusion into his belly.

"Max," whispers Charles. Or maybe it was the wind, in the vacuum of Space.

The ceiling is ripe with shadows. "You think I’m still in love with you," he says, "after all of this shit you decided to put me through?" Charles does not say anything. When Max looks over, finally, finally, he has his hands gripped over the controls, thumbs pressed to the adjustments like profactors, staring, staring, staring. Until Max catches him; then, he glances away, resumes fiddling. His cheeks are glowing, begging to be held, felt. Kissed.

Max has to laugh. Lean back into his seat to work on his own course adjustments. They're out in space, a billion stars at his fingertips and a billion more planets. A hundred hot-headed supernovas and a thousand dragging blackholes. A million twisting galaxies and a trillion folds of gravity. An awful amount of ways to hold the very simple thing Max is trying to say, which is:

All this, and Charles fucking Leclerc is still the greatest force he has ever known.

"Well," he says at last, finger presses the dial a little further to the left as Charles presses his up, "I guess I am somewhat of an idiot." He catches Charles's eyes as their hands still, half a console between them.

+0.000/+0.000.