#i am afraid of tall buildings and pools

[erinwantstowrite]

folks,,,, i can not possibly write every single thing that has ever happened to these fools in the comics, in LoF. that would be decades worth of content and decades worth of a headache that i'm not bothering with. i don't even know what all is canon to LoF, just things that aren't canon because it would hurt my brain (or my heart) to include it. like i do try to keep it coherent but i don't know everything. if you want to include specific arcs then please write your own fic. love you and hope you succeed, but LoF is already a monster of a work and i can't even imagine trying to keep all of that together

[hattafan2593]

For @mpsansy

This sort of a “prequel” to Sans’ Casper AU, “Casper’s Spectral Spectacle”

————————————

It was a regular day for the residents of Whipstaff, both living and dead, when the lights had gone out.

For the residents with a pulse, this was just a minor inconvenience, nothing that couldn’t be fixed with a simple change of fuses.

For the others…

“Aw, hell.”, Stretch cursed under his breath.

“What does he want?”, Stinkie grumbled.

Casper gulped nervously, and made his way to the foyer. If he was here, then that meant something was very wrong.

Down in the foyer, Kat and Dr. Harvey were carefully heading towards the basement, flashlights leading the way.

Or at least they were, until the floor started to shake.

Casper sped to the humans’ side, steadying them and leading them away from the center of the floor, causing them to drop their flashlights. The Trio descended from the ceiling, all looking very annoyed with what was about to happen.

The sound of thunder resounded throughout the room, and a bright glowing green smoke started to rise from the floor into the air. It swirled about in a vortex, before slowly taking the shape of a torso, then arms, then a head.

The ghost was massive, its head going all the way to the ceiling, and its tail going into the floor. Its body glowed, casting the dark foyer in eerie green light. It had a muscular build, its arms thick and wide as tree trunks. The face had a large pale scar going across its right eye. Slowly, the phantom opened its eyes, revealing bright red pools with rings of yellow, shining out from two black holes.

Kibosh had arrived.

“Casper, who is that?” Kat whispered to her friend fearfully. Whoever this was, he didn’t look very friendly.

“That’s Kibosh, the King of Ghosts. He rules the Netherworld.” Casper whispered back. He subtly moved in front of the two, perhaps hoping to shield them from their “guest”.

“Ghosts have a hierarchy? Fascinating.” Dr. Harvey murmured, awestruck and afraid.

Stretch scoffed, and floated closer to the green giant. “Well, well. Look who decided to grace us with his presence. To what do we owe the displeasure?”

“Where is it?” Kibosh’s voice rumbled, deep and low, echoing throughout the foyer and sending vibrations through the floor and into the chests of all present.

Stretch’s trademark shit-eating smirk slowly crept across his face. “It? Sorry, pal, but you’re way off the mark. Derry’s several miles that wa-“

A hand the size of a truck wrapped around Stretch’s torso and roughly squeezed, knocking the wind out of the tall ghost. His eyes popped out of his head comically as he was pulled upwards to meet Kibosh’s eye.

Casper’s eyes widened in alarm. It was disconcerting to see how small his uncle looked in Kibosh’s grip.

“Do not test me, McFadden.” Kibosh’s lips pulled back into a snarl, revealing two rows of white, large sharp teeth. “I am in no mood for your games.”

Stretch sputtered and coughed, before crooning, “Awwww, but I’m so good at ‘um! And there’s so many ta choose from. Monopoly, chess, Chutes n La-“

“The anomaly.” Kibosh hissed, his eyes narrowing in annoyance. “The one that made itself known in this house two weeks ago!”

“Yeah, yer gonna have ta be a little more specific there, Jolly Green Giant.” Stinkie called out, his arms folded in defiance. “Cuz last I checked, there were four ‘anomalies’ residin’ in this house.”

“Six if you count them.” Fatso added, nodding towards the Harveys still standing behind Casper.

Kat frowned in annoyance, but Casper and Dr. Harvey shared a tense look. Two weeks ago? That could only mean…

“You’re talking about the Lazarus, aren’t you?” Dr. Harvey spoke up. All eyes went to him as an eery silence fell over the room. “The…the machine we used-“

“To bring you back to the mortal plane after your sudden, unexpected demise, and restore your body.” Kibosh casually opened his hand, releasing his hold on Stretch. Instead of floating away harmlessly, Stretch dropped like a stone, hitting the floor below with a loud thud and a muffled ow. Kibosh placed his hands behind his back and leaned forward slightly, boring his gaze into the doctor. “Yes, Dr. James Harvey. That is exactly what I am talking about.”

Dr. Harvey fought to swallow the giant lump in his throat. This ghost only knew his name, but also that he had died and came back to life.

Kibosh’s gaze shifted to Casper. “Where. Is it? I won’t ask again.”

“It’s in the basement.” Casper answered quickly. “It hasn’t been touched since-“

“Show me.”

And before anyone could say anything, Casper floated downwards and disappeared into the floor. Kibosh followed the little ghost, and with his departure the foyer was cast in darkness once more.

Kat walkover to where the flashlights had landed when they dropped them. They were still turned on. She picked them up and handed one to her dad. “Why does that guy wanna know about the Lazarus so bad?”

“Who knows why Kibosh does anything? Cryptic jerk.” Stinkie muttered.

“Maybe he’s wants something to match his drapes.” Fatso quipped with a shrug.

“I told you this would happen.”

Everyone turned to Stretch, who was picking himself up off the floor. He was uncharacteristically serious as he turned to glare at Kat. “I warned you that usin’ that damn machine would come back ta bite us in the ass. But didja listen?!”

Kat’s face was a mask of cold fury as she marched up to Stretch, ignoring her father’s attempt to stop her. She got in the tall ghost’s face as she hissed out through clenched teeth. “We wouldn’t have had to use it, if you three hadn’t gotten my father killed!”

“Fer th’ millionth time!” Stretch shouted, his body slowly growing larger and his voice deeper with each word, “It! Was! An! ACCIDENT !”

“ENOUGH!” Dr. Harvey shouted, getting between the two with his hands held up. “What’s done is done. Fighting amongst ourselves won’t help the situation we’re in now.”

Stretch scowled, but said nothing. He folded his arms and turned his head to the side. His brothers side eyed each other from either side of him.

Kat allowed her father to pull her into an embrace. As he rubbed her back soothingly, she stared at the floor, wondering how her friend was fairing.

Stay tuned for Part 2

[featheredclover]

Orphic

Chapter Two

Also on Wattpad

Chapter One> < Chapter Three

The rhinestones felt soothing against her skin, as she ran a hand over it. The red dress clinging to her body and tapering down in a gorgeous flair.

“Stop fidgeting Khushi, “ Garima admonished.

“ Mummy, do I really need to be there? I hadn’t even heard of the Raizadas until a week ago!”

“ Your grandfather was a good friend of Veer Raizada, Khushi “, her papa spoke up from beside the driver.

“ And anyway it’s a party. Your friends, Payal and Preetika will also be there!”

Sighing with defeat, Khushi settled down against the plush leather, her heart dreading at the thought of meeting a particular Raizada.

——

The white mansion sparkled in glory from a distance. The flurry of cars surrounding it gave a glimpse of the scale of the party thrown by Anjali Jha nee Raizada to welcome her father and brother back to Lucknow.

Their Benz rolled onto the gravel, and Khushi heard Garima gasp admiringly at the arrangements.

She grudgingly alighted from the car, and placed an arm around her father’s as he led them into the venue.

———

“ Welcome! Welcome Mr Gupta!” 

Khushi looked at the man who had become the star politician and the next-in-run to be chief minister at the mere age of forty. Shyam Jha was a charming man, who had worked his way up into high society. And the one who had helped him climb that ladder was none other than his wealthy, well connected and beautiful wife Anjali, who now stood by his side.

“ Garima aunty!” Anjali kissed her mum’s cheek, “What a pleasure to have you home this summer.”

“Well Anjali, we decided to keep Khushi company here in India. She was not willing to give her job a break! Wonderful party by the way” 

Khushi rolled her eyes discreetly. 

So this was the deal her papa wanted to crack.

Her parents were set on acquiring the contract for building the Raizada group’s latest hospitality venture. And for that they even sacrificed their annual vacation in London!

Shyam’s voice boomed out loud “ Mr Gupta you have met my father in law already, haven’t you? He’s at this party somewhere. Can’t seem to catch hold of him you see?”

And that’s when she became aware of a certain tension between her papa and Mr Jha. 

Just then Anjali led her husband away to another guest, and Khushi heard her parents' hushed discussion.

“ He wants one of his corrupt cronies , that Rocky Khandelwal to get the deal Garima “

“ I know Shashi. But we need to be patient here. We have the quality of work and their friendship on our side”

It was the proof of her mother’s stressed state , that she left Khushi unchaperoned at that moment and went off in search of Rajiv Raizada.

Shrugging to herself, she looked around for Payal. Preetika was definitely to be found in some dark, dingy corner romancing some poor lad ,and Khushi had no intention of walking into that.

“Khushi!” Payal’s soft shout made her turn around and found her friend looking rather flustered.

“What’s wrong?”

“Akash has asked me to meet him up at the terrace, “ she explained breathlessly.

“ Not you too! What am I going to do alone in this boring party?”she whined.

“Find a boy! You are old enough!” 

And with that Payal rushed off to find the nearest staircase leading up to the terrace.

Hormones, Khushi shook her head.

Grabbing a lemonade from the nearest waiter, she walked around the hall, and soon found herself, out of the French doors and near the pool.

The music was scarce here and so were the people. She settled down on a marble bench beside a tall bush, sipping her drink.

“ASR come on! We had so much fun last time!”

Khushi frowned at the shrill voice. 

“How about we go back to my place? Or Tony’s club?”

“ I am not interested Lavanya “ 

The husky voice startled Khushi, almost tipping her glass over.

She could recognise the voice ,which had haunted her dreams ever since she had heard it.

She froze in place, afraid to move and come into his line of sight.

“But why ASR?! You have been so cold with me since you came back to India. LA was so fun with you! I can never forget that” 

Her cheeks flushed as she realised what the woman was referring to. 

Mr. Arnav was a classic playboy and had probably got bored of his ‘ flavour of the month’.

“ We both knew what we were getting into, Lavanya. Now please don’t make me regret being kind to you” he said, rage clouding his tone.

She heard footsteps lead away from her and breathed a sigh of relief.

She waited for a few more minutes before leaving her seat.

She walked around the bush, to head back to the hall, when her arm was grasped in a vice grip and she found herself looking up into a pair of eyes, looking dangerously dark against the moonlight.

————

Too shocked to protest, she allowed Arnav to take her wherever he was going.

Everyone was too drunk to even pay attention to the Raizada heir dragging her away anyway.

She found herself on a beautiful balcony, overlooking the vast gardens of the mansion, when Arnav finally left his grip on her arm and settled her down on the swing.

He sat down beside her, leaving her no choice but to look at him.

“Eavesdropping can never lead to good things , you know?”, he said , jolting Khushi out of her silence.

“ I-I was there first! And I did not intend to hear about your escapades with your girlfriend. It was too awkward to get up and leave, that’s why I waited. It was common decency!” 

She was more outraged than ever before at this infuriating man.

“She’s not my girlfriend“ he hastened to clarify.

“Oh, forgive me. I don’t know what Casanovas these days call their flavour of the month!”

His eyes flared with anger.

“Flavour of the month? Which 60s movie did you watch?”

Sensing her need to leave,he caught hold of her hand to stop her.

“ Lavanya was an acquaintance. I met her back in the states. And we enjoyed a night together. One night. That’s all. It didn’t mean a thing.”

Khushi huffed in exasperation.

“Who cares?” 

“I do” he smiled, “the opinion of my captive matters to me”

Gaping at him, Khushi murmured,“C-captive?”

“Yes. The respectable Guptas wouldn’t want to know that their daughter was drinking whisky and prancing around in a barely there dress, would they?“

Swallowing nervously, Khushi said,“You plan to blackmail me?”

He flicked her nose with a finger, before whispering,

“ I plan to hold you to your promise. Anything, remember?”

Khushi gasped as she realised he planned to make her do his bidding. But she couldn’t deny the thrill which was running through her as Arnav’s hand remained in her hold, his gaze watching her every move, his voice hinting at something beyond what he said.

“Okay. Um..what do you want?”

He smirked. 

“I want you to do what I am challenging you to do.”

She frowned , clearly expressing her confusion.

“It is ridiculous that I just get one thing out of such a big secret-“

“But it’s not! It was just one evening of madness…”

“Yes, but think of what Mrs. Gupta would think about that evening of madness?”

Chewing her lip, Khushi thought of her mummy. She will definitely take this as a sign that evenings out with her friends were spoiling her daughter. She couldn’t sacrifice those evenings of dancing she enjoyed so much.

“What do you challenge me to do?” She asked hesitantly.

“A date. Tomorrow night.”

“I-I can’t! I am going out to the club with Payal and Preetika!”

He smiled softly,

“Take me with you then, Khushi Gupta!”

She sat there dazed, as he lifted her fingers to his lips, kissing her knuckles one by one. 

His eyes burned with such intensity, it scared and thrilled her in equal measure.

Tagging: @arshifiesta

Oh Khushi! You are doomed darling!

Next chapter>>>

@jalebi-weds-bluetooth @barshifan @andli @shiyaravi @muttonthings @hand-picked-star @msbhagirathi @phuljari @sankititaliya @thenainitaldisaster @thedupattaknowswhatsup @chutkiandchotte @laad-governess @laadgovernors @laadgovernorandsankadevi @leila1 @hi-this-is-permabanned @arshispyaar @minpdnim @thedustyshehnai @bigfatreader @arshiradio @simplycurlz @scorpio-smiles @bengudill @exosexosekai @0218fm

[only-lonely-stars]

Orange is the New Black (Chapter 1 - Coalescence)

[Chapter 1 - you are here!] // [Chapter 2] – (FFN) (AO3)

Part of @ninjago-fic-fest!

Summary:

A rift opens in the sky above Ninjago City just as Cole continues his track record of falling from tall places. The place he wakes up in isn't the same as the one in which he fell... and who's the kid with a man bun who looks just like him?

When the world ended, it was just another day in the height of midsummer.

Aboard the Destiny’s Bounty, the Ninja team went about their usual days: training, playing video games, and annoying one another. Zane and Lloyd played chess. Master Wu meditated on his spirit smoke, uninterrupted for the moment. Nya and Jay tinkered in the hold, and Kai served as a makeshift spot welder for them as they constructed what would surely be the Ninja’s best weapon.

Cole sat on the bow of the Bounty, alone with his thoughts.

Many hundreds of feet separated him from the earth he loved so well, but it didn’t bother him. He’d been a passenger on the various Bounties since he was a young ninja. As an adult, the drop neither scared nor exhilarated him, even though he’d suffered it before. He’d suffered worse than the fall before.

No, he enjoyed the view from above, watching as the edge of Ninjago City gave way to desert sand. Here in the sand hills, very little grew. His hometown was nearby…

When they landed, he’d give his dad a call. It had been a while, and the anniversary of his mom’s death was coming up soon. He was overdue for a chat anyway.

Cole was so engrossed in his thoughts that at first he didn’t notice the way the sunlight and sky subtly changed color. It was only when magenta light flashed across his eyes, obscuring the sight of the town below, that he finally realized something was happening.

He sat up straight, blinking a few times, wondering if he’d imagined it.

It was light. He’d never seen anything like it before! Bright magenta, stretching out in a line, cleaving the sky into pieces.

The line was branching, and they were all growing.

—

Cole burst into the hold of the ship. “Guys!” 

Jay yelled in surprise, dropping a heavy wrench on his foot, and yelled again in pain. “Ow, ow, ow!”

Kai jumped, then turned and glared at Cole. “Not cool buddy!”

“I’m sorry– it’s an emergency!” Cole looked around frantically. “Where’s Nya?”

“She went up to her bunkroom to get something.” Jay gave him a quizzical look as he massaged his injured foot. “Why?”

“We need all hands on deck! Something strange is happening.” Cole gestured for them to follow him. “Come on!”

Kai and Jay shared a quick look, then followed him up the stairs.

The three ninja burst out onto the deck, where a rapidly devolving scene awaited them. Zane and Lloyd were fighting with the rigging, struggling to tie it down. When he saw them, Lloyd’s face lit up with hope. “It’s about time! Give us a hand?”

The other ninja sprung into action, but Cole couldn’t help noticing a strange feeling in the air. Something wasn’t quite right, and it was only getting worse. What was it about this light that made him so uneasy, besides its bizzarre appearance?

When the rigging was tied, Cole pulled Zane aside. “Zane, buddy, do you feel something off?”

Zane frowned, looking around at the strange magenta stripes in the sky. “I am afraid I do not understand what you mean.”

“Remember, you used to have a sixth sense? I don’t know what it is, but it feels like the Rift of Return.” Cole pointed at his scar. “I can feel it, whatever this is. It’s not good.”

“I see. Perhaps it is a portal of some kind?”

There were more stripes of magenta light forming, splitting into what looked like tears. Within them, they saw flashes of strange realms, almost like windows. Behind the rifts were dragons, lava pools, floating islands, unmistakeable mountains, dark caverns, an office building, person-sized snails– all too much to comprehend so fast.

The two brothers shared a worried frown, Cole speaking for both of them. “This isn’t going to end well.”

—

By Cole’s best guess, it was about half an hour later when the inevitable occurred.

The tears had widened, spreading out into a star above the center of Ninjago City. In each, a different unfamiliar place could be seen, just as before. There were so many sights, each of them more interesting than the last! None of it mattered much to the Ninja, who were frantically busy with managing the Bounty in the strong wind, and there were too many civilians to save for any of them to cloudgaze.

The moment of true crisis came as Cole was busy lifting a very large, very heavy shipping container. It had fallen from a semi trailer, and from there had trapped an unfortunate family inside their car on a lower overpass.

Just as he lifted it high enough for them to crawl out, Cole heard Lloyd’s voice over his comm.

“Everyone, rendezvous at the Bounty. This storm’s getting worse!”

Cole gave a hasty confirmation, the whole team echoing him, and turned to go. He threw the shipping container aside, throwing himself into Spinjitzu so he could grab the civilians faster. He couldn’t head back until they were safe.

All was well until a piece of flying shrapnel struck him in the chest, throwing him out of Spinjitzu and onto the edge of the overpass. He laid there, dangling free over the edge.

“COLE!” Jay shrieked over the comms, so loud Cole winced. “Stay there! Hold on!”

Cole groaned, looking around. Below him, the drop was at least thirty feet– farther than he could safely fall, and he was slipping.

Lloyd’s voice came over the comms. “Pull yourself up if you can! We’re in trouble here!”

Cole looked back up and began to pull himself up, but he’d been fighting against the storm winds for so long, he was exhausted.

He wished he could reach to trigger his comm and speak without losing his grip… Cole gave a mighty effort, trying to raise himself high enough to climb back up, but it wasn’t enough. The winds and the shrapnel buffeted him, a piece of wood striking him in the chest. 

His grip finally failed.

Cole screamed as he fell, directly into a newly-opened rift, and it swallowed him whole.

—

There was a pounding in his head, but Cole was conscious again. It was a feat of strength, considering the immense fall he’d just survived.

He groaned and pushed himself up from the ground, where he’d been laying since the impact. He couldn’t really recall how he got there, other than the pressure and the pain. Perhaps it was simply too fast to recall. It wasn’t like his slow descent from the Bounty so many years ago, into the cloud of Oni magic in Ninjago City. That had been filled with dread; this was empty.

He peeled off his mask and pried his eyes open, only to be greeted with sunlight.

No dark purple cloud of evil magic here. Just a regular, sunny day.

He looked up. He couldn’t see the sun– no judging the time of day, then– but when he squinted, something was… wrong.

The sky was almost the wrong shade of blue… but that was impossible!

Of course, Cole had seen the impossible before.

He looked down and shook his head, noticing for the first time how stiff all his muscles had become. With a groan of pain, he reached up to massage his temples, hoping for his minor headache to subside and be replaced with conscious thought. He needed to focus.

A few minutes later, he finally had the strength to look around.

Cole was in the middle of some kind of grassy field, striped with lines at equal distances from each other. It was perfectly flat, shaped like a rectangle, and had a rubber running track with lengthwise lines surrounded it in an oval shape. Past the track on one side, there were long steel benches. It was quite obviously meant for sports, but Cole didn’t recognize any of it– maybe he just hadn’t spent enough time playing sports when he was a teenager.

He got to his feet and turned around, taking stock of his environment. The place was mostly deserted, save for two teenage boys standing on the track. They were watching him.

Cole waved.

The boys continued staring.

Feeling weird in a number of ways, Cole ignored them for the moment and continued taking stock of his environment. There was something strange about it, in a way he couldn’t quite put his finger on. Things seemed to have a sharper edge than normal, almost shiny in places. Maybe his headache was a sign that he’d gotten a concussion? It didn’t quite explain what he was seeing.

Maybe he’d get some answers from bystanders. The teenagers were still standing where he’d noticed them before. Come to think of it, he was having a hard time figuring out what time it was. Had he passed out for a long time?

It couldn’t hurt to ask, so he dusted himself off and walked toward them. The taller of the two, wearing a black muscle shirt with some unfamiliar logo on it, stepped in front of the shorter boy in green. As Cole approached, he pushed one ear of his headphones back.

“Can we help you?” The boy asked warily.

“Hey!” Cole waved, doing his best to appear friendly. “Hi, sorry, I just wanted to ask you something. Did you see a whole bunch of pink light a few minutes ago?”

The boy narrowed his eyes. “Maybe. Why do you ask?”

“I just wanted to know if you knew what it was. I, uh, think I passed out.”

The teenagers looked at each other, the shorter chiming in on the conversation. “You fell from… whatever it was. Not a huge drop, maybe two yards?”

Cole frowned. “...Yards?” The boy nodded. “What’s a yard?”

The boys’ eyes widened, and they glanced at each other again. “You don’t know what a yard is?”

“Uh… no?”

The taller boy held his hands out, measuring a distance. “This far.”

“Aha!” Cole laughed. “You could’ve just said two meters! That makes more sense.”

“Are you okay? Did you hit your head or something?”

“Maybe?” Cole brushed it off, filing away the odd miscommunication for later. “Look, my name’s Cole. I’m just trying to figure out what happened. Where am I, exactly?”

“You’re at Ninjago High School, on the football field.” The shorter one was wearing a puzzled expression, like he was trying to figure something out. “Where did you think you were?”

“Oh, man. I don’t know! I’m always somewhere new.” Cole waved it off. “You know how it is. Between the dragons, the Realm Crystal, Nadakhan’s whole deal, the Never Realm… man, it’s a wonder I ever get back to the Monastery sometimes.” he laughed. “Maybe I’m in another realm again! That would be neat.”

“Another realm?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty normal for us ninja.”

The two boys stiffened, with the taller one taking just a half-step forward. “Okay, who are you? Are you an impersonator?”

“An impersonator?” Cole waved his hands in front of him. “Woah, dude, you’ve got the wrong idea. You really don’t recognize me?”

“No. Should I?”

“Uh, maybe, seeing as this is apparently Ninjago.” Cole pulled up his mask. “Cole Brookstone, the Black Ninja?”

Some spark of realization clicked in the black-haired teen’s expression, and he crossed his arms. “Okay, something’s wrong. That can’t be true.”

“What? Why not?”

“Because that’s me.” The teenager pointed at himself. “I’m Cole. The Black Ninja.”

Cole stared at him.

‘Cole’ stared back.

“What?”

[smbilodeau]

The Lava Song of J. Alfred Spewsrock

The Lava Song of J. Alfred Spewsrock Let us go then, you and I, When the ash-plume towers in the sky Like a pine tree in the works of Pliny. Let us go, through certain webcams and live feeds, The digital seeds Of losing time in whole-day mesmerizing And moments disappeared by burning hells; Feeds that trickle, molasses lava flowness Of bright and burning slowness To lead you to the island-building earth's spill Oh do not touch magma's flood Let us go and see earth's blood

In the room, the women come and go Warning of the lava flow.

The glowing light that rubs the back of the midnight sky, The eager rock that flings itself into the midnight sky, Threw itself into the cold dark of the evening Inchwormed itself into pools that shift and grow Spill, fall, making a track with soot from ash-plume, To build a terrace, bend and fold and creep, Curled against the sea, and sleep. And indeed there will be time For the fiery flow that seethes along the channel, Melting its path into the burning ground; There will be time, there will be time To prepare a refuge to greet the refugees you meet; There will be time to weep and then console, And time for all the work, and days of tents, And friends that drop some coins into your bowl; Time for you and time for me, And time yet for a lonely rooster crowing, And for a hundred fissures still a-glowing Before the taking of a gin and tonic.

In the room, the women come and go Warning of the lava flow.

And indeed there will be time To wonder, “Do I dare?” and, “How to rhyme?” Time to turn back and find fresh air, From the blank spot in the middle of the where -- (They will say: "How the land is growing there!") How to rhyme The pyroclastic flow? In a minute I will know From editors whose revisions to a poet will reverse. For I have watched them all already, watched them all: Watched Kilauea's flows and Agung's smoke, And listened to geologists as they spoke, In conference on Mount Saint Helen's fall In hushed, attentive college conference room. So why am I obsessed?

And I have known the peaks already, known them all -- Peaks that start green tree-capped or white or bare (Then in the rocklight, burn with flame and flare) Is it ash from a peak That makes my knees go weak? Peaks that split along a fault, or mount and grow tall, Is that why I am obsessed? With how they build and sprawl?

Shall I say, I have gone at dusk through the ruined village And watched the smoke that rises from the streets, The blue flames burning under empty windows?

I should have been a pair of dragon-wings Gliding above red rivers to the sea.

And the former town, the steading, mourned so distantly! Erased by stone flowing, Leveled… gone… as rock malingers, Stretching from the cone, there down slopes to the sea, Could I, after basalts, orthogneisses Have the heart to face the lava and its crisis? But tho' I have watched and recorded, watched and replayed, Tho' I have seen the land (and felt its heat) erupt and split and shatter I am no expert -- but it doesn't matter; I have seen the fires of the crater flicker, And I have seen the eternal magma start to float, move quicker, And in short, I was afraid.

And would it have been worth it, after all, Below the cones, the calderas, the peaks, Among magma chambers, among some join of earth and sea, Would it have been worth while, To have hunted the heat of lava trial To have stepped where liminal rock has leveled all To seek to find immolating instruction, To say: "I have found knowledge, where the earth bled, Come from the dark for all, burning for you all" -- If one, turning away their face, their head, Should say: "That is not what I want at all; That is not it, at all."

And would it have been worth it, after all, Would it have been worth while, After the burning and the data from the buried streets, After the papers, after editing, after all the peer reviews in store -- And this, and so much more? -- It is impossible to say just what they mean! But if Google translate could just put the proper words upon the screen: Would it have been worth while If one, adding a comment or replying to a call, And reacting to the post, should say: "That is not it at all, That is not how it works at all."

No! I am not Carl Sagan, nor was meant to be; Am an enthusiast nerd, one that will do To add a punchline, start a thread or two, Advise the lead; no doubt a happy tool, Eager and quick, glad to be a muse, Pedantic, curious, but apt to confuse; At times, indeed, almost supercilious -- Almost at times, the Fool.

I am told … I am told … I have heard more than once that I am too bold

Shall I leave thy heats behind? Do I dare to try to teach? I shall write multiple white papers, and publish them each. I have heard the mermaids singing, sea to beach.

I do not think that you will let me be.

I have seen your blood flow seaward to the waves Raising the white steam of the waves blown back Where your heat melts the rocks white and black.

We have lingered by volcanoes as they spurt And mermaids warn explosive ash will fly, Till lava flowing wakes us, and we fry.

[theonemyleejongsuk]

Reposting 01 April 2023

aRTICLe/iNTERVIEw sTANd🗞

(old&new)

Our #13YearsOfLeeJongSuk Special!

(Note: a rare interview with Jongsuk father Lee Han Kyu)

Read: The hidden charm of Lee Jong Suk, who is the 'trend' these days, as told by his father himself...

Go Nam-soon of KBS-2TV's Monday-Tuesday drama 'School 2013' and Park Soo-ha of SBS-TV's Wednesday-Thursday drama 'I Hear Your Voice' captivated the small screen, and there are as many as three films that are about to be released. At this point, it wouldn't be unreasonable to call this year 'Lee Jong-suk's year'. He met his father, Lee Han-gyu, who looked just like him, and heard about the hidden charm of Lee Jong-suk, who is a 'trend' these days.

On an exceptionally hot August day, I visited a pension run by Lee Han-Kyu (50), the father of actor Lee Jong-suk (24) . Cheoin-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do. Y Pension, located not too far from the city center, was a medium-sized pension consisting of a total of 4 single buildings and 10 rooms. It is equipped with facilities such as a fairly large garden, swimming pool, and foot volleyball court, and there are tourist attractions such as Everland and Korean Folk Village nearby, so it seemed suitable for families and small groups to spend the day.

“What do I have to say? Dads are like that. I only worked outside. Jong Suk would be scolded by his mother... . The children were all raised by the family (laughs).”

If it weren't for his tall height and good-looking appearance, he might have believed the words of the employees who said, "The boss is out of town." Even after his true identity (?) was revealed, he was cautious that his words might harm his son. After running around avoiding and waving his hands saying he had nothing to say, after some time had passed, he said, “Isn’t it hot? Come here in the cool shade. Let's talk here,” he said, opening the door to his heart.

“This is how I feel that my son’s popularity has grown. heh heh heh like. What parent would hate to see their child do well? I'm just worried. My parents are in their 80s, but they still worry about me a lot. So, that child, I must be very sorry.”

Mr. Lee said that he had been running a pension here for 7 years. However, there was no trace of his son anywhere. The reporter's expectation that there would be at least one small picture hanging there, even if it was not explicitly advertised as 'Lee Jong-suk's father's pension', was wrong.

“As usual, the person who manages the homepage tries to trick me into meeting him by saying, 'Boss, let's just put a picture of my son!' Then I am. 'Don't talk nonsense, man (laughs)!' To be honest, when Jong-suk started modeling, he went around posting pictures of himself asking, “Who is my son?” When I go to a restaurant with acquaintances, 'This is a picture of my son. He said, “I’m going to grow up later, so hang it up” (laughs).

Also, when he first appeared in the drama, he coated all the autographs Jong-suk got from his mother. But once you become famous, that's what's going on again. Being proud of a child is something to be proud of, and I'm afraid that it will end up in gossip... . That's what a celebrity job is like. So these days, I only cheer for you in my heart. I'm not even going to go to an official place. But the neighborhood is so small that everyone knows. Also, people who don't know come to know... .” Lee Jong Suk, who grew up as the eldest son of 2 boys and 1 girl during

his introverted childhood, never had that common trouble when he was young.

He said that his seemingly quiet and introverted personality was rather a concern.

“He looks pretty, but he doesn’t speak well, and he doesn’t seem to get along well with his friends. Even now, they appear on TV and say they have 'attention phobia', what? Then, while doing boy scouting, I gained a bit of leadership and my personality changed a lot into an active kid.

Actually, since I got hurt while exercising and couldn’t do it, I wandered around for a while to see if that hurt me again, but how proud I am to have found my own path and lived alone in Seoul since my first year of high school (laughs).”

[Photo: A pension in Gyeonggi-do run by Lee Jong Suk's father, Lee Han-Kyu.]

As a middle school student, Lee Jong Suk sneaked backstage at a fashion show and was caught by designer Jang Kwang-hyo, and the following year he debuted as the youngest male model for the Seoul Collection. Although he was a newcomer with no experience on stage, he has grown into a promising model thanks to the strange coexistence of an innocent boy and a mature man.

However, he who dreamed of becoming an actor in the first place was always thirsty for acting. Before he became an actor, he chose the wrong agency and lived as an idol trainee. How must the parents' hearts have felt when they had to watch their son like that?

“I didn’t know because he never showed it, but his wife also suffered quite a lot. Was it during 'Secret Garden'? I cried out loud while watching the broadcast. It was really hard to watch my son suffer. I mean, Jewa, but when he first said he was going to be a celebrity, he was strongly against it. I heard that celebrities are the romance of Korean teenagers these days? One out of hundreds of thousands of people, it has to go well to survive, but how easy is that? . So I told them to exercise or study. But when I was in middle school, my son declared it first. Dad, I said I can't study (laughs). Well, it's great now. It’s to the point where even my friends, whom I hadn’t contacted in my life, know and call me.” Kim Woo-bin, an actor of the same age who became a 'best friend' through

the cold-hearted monitoring drama 'School 2013' of a pleasant father , refers to Lee Jong Suk as "a delicate and warm child.

He is pure, kind and caring. But he doesn't know where to bounce. He's not the right word, but he's a tomboy." What would the son the father looked for, what would the son the father hoped for look like?

“To be honest, I never said that it was difficult before, but these days I sometimes say, ‘Dad, aren’t you having a hard time? I send text messages saying, “I’m having a hard time too.” I know. how hard would that be I'm anxious again... . When that happens, I'm like, 'Yeah, isn't it hard? My father is also enduring hardships, so his son should work hard,” he patted me. I wish I could tell you more, but it's a pity that I don't have the time. There are not many things I want from Jong-suk. All I have to do is cherish the body that my parents gave me, and don't be greedy. That's what life is like. There can't always be only good things, and sometimes there are creaks.”

I watched the dramas and movies that his son starred in without skipping them, but he never gave a single compliment saying, “You did well.” He was afraid that his son might become conceited and fall into arrogance. However, after watching the recently ended 'I Hear Your Voice', Lee Han-gyu changed his mind. He also scored generously, saying, “It was pretty good.” Of course, there was a side that was sad to the son who was popular.

“Well, I am very busy. The last time I saw it was probably Seoul, right? At least, I watch it because it goes up occasionally. Oh, but that's the case. It was my birthday the other day, but he didn't even call me. Last year, he bought me dinner and went... . Although I understood, I was sad inside (laughs). But I'm not too tough. I've seen Jong-suk come out, but before that, I didn't say 'It's fun'. That part is cool again. I wonder if my daughter said, 'Dad, but my brother is in the show, so try bending her arm inside' (laughs). Still, 'You Trees' was very fun. I did not leave in front of the TV every Wednesday and Thursday. He seemed to have suffered a lot.”

At the end of the interview, Mr. Lee Han-Kyu, who brought a cool drink and said, “I’m sorry I couldn’t give you this,” finally asked for understanding that he would not take a picture of himself. He was in the process of constructing an extension of a pension directly based on his experience of working in construction, and the reason was that his appearance in a sweaty T-shirt was not clear and he was likely to cause a 'nuisance' to his son. Whether big or small, the sincerity and consideration of a deep-seated father who thinks and acts first for his son's position will make Lee Jong Suk's future bright as a wise son and a talented actor.

“These days, people keep saying 'I want to get married' on TV, so I asked my wife. does he have a girlfriend? He didn't even go to the military, so why are you talking about that? (Laughs) Then her wife said that. Ji will take care of it, she said. When she heard it, she was right again (laughs). Since Jong-suk started his social life earlier than his friends and earns more money, I'm worried that he might become careless. That's why I always ask you to 'don't be arrogant'. Jong-suk does that to his friends too. Don't praise my friend for being a celebrity right now, but ask him to run to you when you face an ordeal later. That's what it means to be a man. so everyone hates it since I always only talk about hard things, I (laughs).”

Source🔗https://lady.khan.co.kr/article/201308291705101

Posted 01 Sept 2013

Thank you for sharing🙏

My @jongsuk0206 #LeeJongSuk is life.

#TheOneMyLeeJongSuk

#이종석 #李鍾碩 #李钟硕

#อีจงซอก #イ��ョンソク

#Decibel #BigMouth

[shockinglysubmissive]

Kinktober Day 5: Size

Day 5: Size Kink- Kirishima x GN!Reader

WARNINGS: Thigh riding, Use of ‘Daddy’

“Why are you staring at me like that?” Your voice lifts slightly as you notice the intense look your boyfriend was giving you. Before meeting Red Riot, you had never felt small. You would have considered yourself to be average height. But next to the nearly 7 foot tall hero, nearly anyone could feel short.

“Are… Are you wearing shorts?” He asks, his face taking on the same shade as his hair. His eyes were focused on your bare legs, slowly making their way up to wear one of his shirts pools around your thighs.

“I… um… Yeah? I am.” You hoist the shirt up, letting your lower stomach become visible as you prove your point. That intense stare grows stronger.

“You look so tiny in my clothes. So… fragile… helpless…” He stands up, walking over to loom over you. Swallowing hard, you crane your neck to meet his look.

“Helpless? What does that mean?” You question, not quite afraid, since you know your boyfriend would never go out of his way to hurt you.

“Just that, well, I can do this, and you can’t stop me.” Before you can process what is going on, his insanely strong arms scoop you up and toss you over his shoulder.

“Eiji! Stop!” You can’t help but laugh as he smacks your ass, carrying you over to the couch where he had been sitting.

“No. You brought this on yourself by teasing me. Wearing one of my shirts that swallows you, and being so willing to lift it for me. Now I want to watch you lose yourself in pleasure while riding daddy’s thigh.” He says simply, settling back with one of his thighs between your legs.

You squirm slightly as you try to get comfortable on the tree trunk-like thigh pressing up against you. One slight shift has you finding the perfect spot, and a gasp escapes your lips.

Large hands grip at your waist, kneading at the skin through the shirt as he moves your body like a toy. You are truly helpless to him as he moves your body to create delicious friction on your most sensitive areas.

You wrap your arms around his neck, feeling his muscles flex as he holds you firmer against his leg.

Trying to move faster proves to be pointless as he holds the pace steady, easily preventing you from taking control.

“Oh no, my love, we are going to do this nice as slow. A steady build up until you lose yourself for me. We don’t want to rush your pleasure, now do we?” His voice is lifted to a teasing tone. “I mean, it wouldn’t be manly of me to just rush through this so you don’t get to enjoy feeling so good.”

“Eijirou. Please. I want to cum for you. Just want to move a little bit faster.” You dig your fingers into his shoulders, trying with all of you might to break his hold so you can move faster. “Daddy, just let me cum! Can’t cum like this. It’s too slow.” You cave and let your body collapse against his larger frame.

His arms envelop you as he takes pity on your desperate state. Hips finally free to move as you desire, you rut against him faster, chasing the high that you have been hanging on the edge of. Pleasure shoots through you, your shorts becoming soaked with your cum.

A few more weak movements and you can feel yourself spreading your slick against him, the wet fabric against his bare thigh allowing you to overstimulate yourself.

“That’s it. Don’t stop. Cum for me again. I want to feel your cum puddle under my leg before I let you stop.” He grins down at you.

[writing-wh0re]

Heyyy could I get some virgin!boyfriend!peter and virgin!girlfriend!reader, going down on each other for the first time and kinda discovering each other kinks like the reader likes being called a good girl and Peter loves having his hair pulled 🤪😩 sorry this is very specific lmaooo I trust u bby do whatever you want !!💜

All writing will be #writing-wh0re-requests.

Peter Parker x Female Reader

Words: 1,563.

Warnings: Smut18+, Vaginal Intercourse, Loss of Virginity, Unprotected Sex, Male and Female Performing Oral, Praise Kink, Hair Pulling, Handjob, Soft Peter. 

A/n: I hope you enjoy this!

*I think I'm slowly finding it hard to write for Peter because yes, I love him but just not as excited when writing* - But I'll figure this out.

Spending the weekend with Peter was something I was looking forward to this whole week. Finally time to ourselves, time alone that I hope we will both take advantage of and take our love to the next step.

I reach Peter’s apartment, using my key to let myself in as a peaceful silence hits my ears. I sigh in relief, thankful that Ned and Betty were away for the weekend and had already left. I rush to Peter’s room, dumping my overnight bag on the hardwood floor before making my way into the ensuite bathroom, wanting to get out of my work clothes.

The lukewarm water hits my skin, allowing my eyes to flutter closed in pure bliss at the feeling of relaxation. My day washes off my skin, happy to be taking it slow for the first time in nine hours. I don’t hear Peter call my name or his footsteps as I wash my body, the smell of my mango soap filling the air.

“Ah, baby there you are.”

I jump at the sound of his voice, a small yelp escaping my lips causing the tall brunette to chuckle at me.

“Jesus.”

“Sorry, did I ruin your peace and quiet.” Peter opens the shower door, the cool gush of air causing goosebumps to liter my skin. His eyes trail up my body, a proud smirk dancing across his lips.

“As a matter of fact, you did, I was enjoying my ‘me’ time.” I lean against the cool shower wall, showing more of my body to Peter which causes him to bite his lip.

“Mind if I join you?”

My heart skips a beat as I softly nod watching my boyfriend slip out of his clothes, his toned chest and arms causing a flow of arousal to pool between my thighs. I quickly look away from the god-like sight, splashing my face with some water to calm myself down.

Peter’s lips brush against my shoulder, kissing his way up my neck. I giggle at his actions, his lips causing a tingle to rush over me, excitement bubbling inside my stomach.

“I missed you.” His warm breath fans cool air across my wet skin, a love drunk smile present on my lips.

I spin around to face him, droplets of water dripping from his hair onto his nose. “I missed you more, I’ve been counting down.” I instantly blush at the words that leave my lips, knowing I sound like a complete dork.

Peter smiles at me with love and adoration, his lips kissing my nose.

“You’re adorable.”

I stand on my tippy toes, my arms wrapping around his neck allowing for our lips to meet. Peter smiles into the kiss, pushing me against the wall as I gasp, the cool tile coming into contact with my ass. Peter grabs my thigh, encouraging me to wrap my leg around his waist, I use the new angle to pull him closer to me, a soft moan escaping both of us as his cock presses against my pussy.

“Sorry baby.” Peter pulls away from me, his face filling with regret. “You’re fucking addictive.” His eyes trail up my body.

I reach out to grab his hand, pulling me closer to me again.

“Please.” Peter rests his forehead against mine, his eyes searching mine. A wave of confidence takes over me as I trail my fingers down his chest, causing his breath to hitch. Peter’s hand cups my cheek, pulling our lips together before moaning into our kiss as I slowly pump his cock up and down. His hand wraps around mine, helping guide my actions to reach his release.

Peter’s hand leaves my face, cupping my heat earning a gasp from me.

“You’re so wet.”

Butterflies erupt inside of my stomach, excitement and nerves starting to take over my senses. Peter slips his middle finger past my folds, rubbing my clit slowly as all of the nervousness washes away, replaced by pure bliss.

Peter keeps his eyes trained on his fingers, ensuring to take everything slow, both of us moaning at each other's actions. My eyes fixate on his dick, loving the sounds I am pulling from him as I continue to pump up and down, circling my hand from the base to the tip which causes a string of curse words to leave his lips. I fall to my knees, looking up at Peter through my lashes, his face filled with surprise at my sudden actions. I swipe my tongue across the tip of his cock, taking his length into my mouth, bobbing my head up and down, his hand falling to the back of my head, guiding my mouth causing his hips to thurst.

“You’re good at that baby.”

“Such a good girl.”

His praise causes my clit to throb with arousal. I use my hand to cup his balls, massaging the skin as my tongue swirls around him, causing his head to tilt back and profanities to fall from his lips. I pull his cock from my lips with a pop, his strong arms pulling me up against his chest, our forehead's resting against eachother again. His finger slips back between my folds, circling my clit, my lips part with soft moans filling the air.

“I want you.”

Peter smiles at me before registering my words, causing his actions to halt.

“Please, I need you.”

Peter’s eyes search mine, looking for any doubt behind my words.

“Fuck me.”

Peter shuts the water off causing a sense of sadness to take over me.

‘Does he not want to have sex with me?’

Peter chuckles, sensing my emotions.

“I’m going to fuck you, I’m going to make you feel so fucking good baby.” His words cause my breath to hitch and my heart to race. “But not in a shower, not for the first time.”

He laces our fingers together, guiding us to his queen bed, not bothering to grab a towel for either of us. I fall back onto Peter’s quilt, his body caging me against the mattress before locking our lips in a heated kiss, tongue and teeth hitting against each other, both of us excited for the next step in our relationship. Peter’s lips trail down my body, kissing and licking in between the valley of my breasts before his lips suck my thighs, littering the skin with his mark.

My fingers instantly grip onto the strands of Peter’s hair, his tongue slipping past my folds as my body tenses.

“Keep doing that.” I look down at Peter watching as his eyes flick to my fingers tangled in his hair.

His tongue goes back to circling my clit, his finger slowly slipping inside of me. A lazy smile fills my face, nothing but pleasure filling my body. Peter’s tongue causes my legs to shake, his fingers curling inside of me.

“Yes, Peter, yes.” I tug on his hair, attempting to pull him closer to my core, grinding my hips against his tongue. Peter moans against my clit, the slight vibration causing my mind to go fuzzy. My heartbeat slows, my breathing starts to become erratic as I feel the coil inside me tighten. Peter senses that I’m close, pulling away from me and earning a soft whimper.

“You’re cumming around me.”

I open and close my mouth, no words forming, another sense of nervousness settling around me.

“Baby, we don’t have to do this.”

I instantly shake my head, wanting nothing more than to feel him inside of me.

“No, please, I want you so badly.”

Peter smiles at me, kissing my lips softly before lining himself up with my entrance.

“It will hurt, but only for a little, I need you to breathe for me and I’ll stop whenever you need.” I nod in response to Peter’s words, I hiss as his dick stretches my slick walls. Peter moans at the action, kissing my lips before whispering in my ear.

“You’re doing so well.”

“My gorgeous girl.”

“I love you so much Y/n.”

I wrap my legs around his waist, pulling him deeper inside of me, both of us moaning at the deeper angle.

“I love you Peter.” I whisper, rocking my hips up slightly. His hand falls to my hip, holding me still as he slowly thrusts in and out of me, building up a comfortable rhythm.

“Does that feel good baby?”

“So good, god Peter.”

“Such a good girl.” My pussy clenches around him as he praises me, a soft chuckle falling from his lips, knowing what he is doing to me.

“I-I’m cl-close.” Peter rubs my clit, the added pleasure causing my body to flush hot, my body tenses before I feel my release wash over me. Peter’s name falling from my lips, mixed with curse words.

“Fuck, Y/n, so good.”

Peter continues to rock in and out of me, my legs shaking at the sensitivity of my core. I watch his muscles tense, his fingers grip my hips tighter as a warmth fills me. Peter captures my lips in his before he slides out of me, his cum trickling out of my warm core.

“That was amazing.” I smile, my chest rises and falls, Peter’s the same as he pulls me into his side.

“I love you baby.”

“I love you so much Peter.”

It was safe to say, our weekend was spent like no other.

| | |

Everything Taglist:

@andreaareynoso

@avada-kedavra-bitch-187

@hufflepuff5972

@crazylokonugget

@meph1stophelian

@bellaiscool

@28cnn

@lucymfer

@rory-cakes

@mbmsworld

@it-was-all-a-beautiful-dream

@black-like-my-soul

@gaycatlord-stuff

@mathletemadison

@horrorxweasley

@marrymetheonott

@maybesandohnos

@cigarett3saftersex

@edwardcullenswifee

@mypainistemporary

@miraclesoflove

@onlyfreds

@dlmmdl

@4kweasley

@aayaissaa

@justfangirlthingies

@afraid-to-be-me

@freddieweasleyyy

@roonilwazlibswhore

@thenaivegirly

@anonreaderasf

@floweasley

@i-love-scott-mccall

@isabellaweasley

@midgardianweasley

@teehopper

@missryerye

@tomhollandsslut

@thehumanistsdiary

@black-rose-29

@alina02

@skarlettmikaelson

@bella-lxhp

@simp4ronaldw

@vanessalenrie

@malfoysbiitch

@strawbrryserena

@rocky-is-cool

@aledlpr

Add yourself! - Please message me if you want to be added to a specific character list!

[strange-lace]

Macaque

I was in the mood to make more content for Inverted AU, so here’s a short-ish fic of how episode 9 would go in this AU with Macaque, Wukong, and MK! Enjoy the shadowpeach!

Another demon defeated but still no sign of Sun Wukong. Macaque let out a sigh before rolling his shoulders to bring relief to tense muscles. Oh well, he'll just have to keep looking, not like he hasn't been at it for years now. At least this city he wandered to was quite nice with pleasant people, nothing too out there aside from demon attacks.

"Hey! Hey you! Shadow monkey man!" Macaque wouldn't deny that the sudden voice made him jump, considering he was on top of a pretty tall building. Apparently not tall enough to stop the young man from climbing up the side, somewhat out of breath yet that didn't deter from the determined look on his face. He simply brushed his messy hair out of his eyes and adjusted his teal backpack, which looked surprisingly heavy. Macaque couldn’t help but be somewhat curious as to what was in that thing.

Wait was that the Monkey King's staff in his hands?

Indeed it was, he'd recognize that weapon anywhere.

“Ah, you must be the Monkie Kid I’ve been hearing so much about, am I right?” That got him a look of suspicion before the young man also seemed to remember the staff in his hands, causing him to let out an amused huff at his own paranoia.

“Yeah, the staff kind of gives it away, don’t it? Name’s MK though. Now whomst is you? Most of the time, demons who ask me who I am are five seconds away from trying to kill me.” Macaque couldn’t help but chuckle at that, already finding that he was starting to like this little guy and his attitude. Perhaps if a person like MK was chosen to wield Wukong’s staff, then perhaps that meant his love had finally started turning things around for the better. Maybe it meant he finally stopped being someone he wasn’t all for the sake of keeping a memory alive.

“The name’s Macaque, though, the Six-Eared Macaque is actually my full name. But what brings you up here exactly bud? I doubt you’d climb up this high just for anybody.” MK’s face showed that he wanted to argue that point out of principle before remembering his purpose for coming up here.

“Simple, teach me.”

Wait what?

“What what?” MK scoffed at the question.

“I want you to teach me to fight, like how you fought that demon back there. I don’t intend on leaving you alone until you do and that is a threat!” Macaque didn’t doubt that he meant it that way and could very easily follow through on that. Sensing he wasn’t going to get out of this, he let out a sigh before giving MK a smile.

“You sure your mentor won’t have a problem with me teaching you?”

“Bold of you to assume Wukong’s disapproval will stop me.”

“Well alright then, I think we’re gonna get along just fine, bud.”

---

“I see what you’re trying to do, you’re afraid of holding back and giving your enemy the opportunity to win. But the first strike isn’t the most important one. Every strike counts. Other people may tell you that patience and focus don’t matter but a fool allows himself to rush without restraint. While you have power inside you, you have to use it carefully. Take the power to defend others, not just destroy those who stand in your way. You’re not a weapon kid, you wield the weapon above all else.”

---

It started with a fairly innocent question from MK after one of their training sessions, him slowly going through a water bottle given to him by Macaque while the monkey made them something to eat. He needed a distraction to stop himself from taking over the cooking, years of feeding others making him feel guilt the moment someone else took over.

“So Mac, how exactly do you know the Monkey King?” To his credit, Macaque only fumbled the slightest bit at that sudden question and was able to save the plate before it crashed to the floor.

“Oh um well… funny thing about that is, well… we used to be together actually. Like y’know… together-together,” he explained while he plated their food, wincing internally at how awkward he sounded. With his back towards MK, Macaque didn’t notice him go tense and grip the couch arm so tightly that the wood underneath cracked at the pressure.

“Used to be together, huh? What happened?” Macaque couldn’t help but shiver at the chill which traveled down his spine. MK’s voice was perfectly even and calm yet he was filled with an overwhelming fear that warned him to not turn around and remain perfectly still until the danger passed.

His ears twitched at the sound of sparks behind him, magic power permeating through the air.

“I… I messed up honestly. We had an argument about something, I don’t even remember what it was so long ago. But I had to leave to just get some space and air before I said something I’d regret, something I couldn’t take back. It was only meant to be a couple hours but some stuff out of my control happened and by the time I got back… Wukong was gone. I had been looking for him for centuries after that and then… well then you found me.”

“What, you hoped getting on my good side would mean that you’d win the Monkey King back?” His tone promised nothing good if Macaque kept digging himself a deeper hole.

“No! No, nothing like that at all. I don’t expect Pe-...Wukong to take me back or anything like that. I just… wanted the chance to apologize to him is all. If he wants anything to do with me afterwards, then I want that to be his choice. Nothing more, I swear.”

MK remained silent behind him before the sudden tension in the air dissipated as quickly as it appeared. Macaque let out a sigh of relief, slowly turning around to see MK still sitting on his couch, placing the staff back in his ear nonchalantly.

“Fair enough, sounds like you both were just idiots who don’t know how to communicate. If you actually intended on using me to get to the Monkey King, you’d have actually mentioned him during our training and yet you haven’t. And you can’t lie to save your life anyway. Just don’t be an idiot again alright? Monkey King… Wukong, he’s a mess and I don’t think he could handle thinking he’s been abandoned again.”

Macaque could feel his heart break at the idea that his Peaches, his love, thought that he had left permanently. He wanted nothing more than to run to him now and make things right. But that was Wukong’s decision to make, nobody else’s.

The two ate their food in silence after that.

---

Sun Wukong may have supposedly “lost his edge”  but he was by no means dense or oblivious.

And while he was certainly happy about his successor’s vast improvement over the past couple weeks, a part of him sensed something was off. Like his successor was hiding something from him. And those moves he watched MK use to absolutely demolish the old mural, the Monkey King swore he had seen them before.

But it couldn’t possibly be. He hadn’t seen him in centuries. Not since he… left, like everyone else.

“I’m impressed, my boy! Tell me, how did you do that? Have you been seeing another mentor perhaps?” Wukong asked, his typically serene smile straining the slightest bit at the idea of his son student learning from someone who wasn’t him. The sensible part of his brain was gently poking at him, reminding him that it seemed silly to get upset about such a thing as, if anything, MK had appeared significantly calmer during their training compared to when they started. This could be a good thing, it told him.

Yet it was silenced by the majority of his brain which ran on fatherly protectiveness and had immediately been plagued by images of the worst case scenario. A demon had approached MK, promising him to make him stronger while also poisoning his student as a bid to turn him against the Monkey King before stealing his powers or, Heavens forbid, harming him.

No, Wukong refused to even allow a chance of that happening, logic and reasoning be damned.

“Hey, you’re the one always going on about ‘patience and focus’, I’m just finally putting what you said into practice,” MK answered, the picture of being casual which only set off further alarm bells within Wukong’s head. But before he could question him further, MK’s phone dinged to tell him of a new text message which he quickly read over, his eyes widening slightly at the message.

“Welp, looks like I gotta cut things short for now Wukong, something came up and I gotta head out. See ya later! Don’t forget to eat something tonight and sleep, I will know if you don’t.” And with that, MK was off through the hole he had created in the wall where the mural was before the Monkey King could get a word in edgewise. 

Wukong waited long enough to allow MK to get a reasonable distance away before transforming into a bird, flying after his successor.

Something fishy was going on and the Monkey King was determined to find out what it was.

---

“Why exactly are we climbing up to this giant mountain again Mac?” MK wheezed, hating to admit it but this hike had genuinely winded him despite all his training. He had immediately gone to Macaque’s place the moment he got his text only to be told to follow the six-eared demon, leading them to where they were now.

“Well, consider this your ‘final exam’ bud! I want you to use everything I’ve taught you to fight against me, no holding back. Think you can do that?” MK couldn’t help the twitch at the corners of his mouth at the sight of Macaque’s genuine excitement as he explained, all six ears twitching while his tail was wagging like a dog. A demon who was centuries old and had fought countless powerful demons had no right looking that endearing, but here MK was looking with his own two eyes.

MK gave a chuckle before straightening himself out, wordlessly pulling the staff out his ear.

“You sure you’re comfortable getting your ass kicked by me, Mac?” With a smirk, Macaque summoned his own weapon in a flash of purple with the beginning of two shadow clones pooling at his feet. They shyly peeked from the ground from behind their master.

“Oho, a couple training sessions with me for a month and you think you have what it takes to defeat me, bud? Well then, bring it Monkie Kid!” MK didn’t hesitate to charge forward with Macaque mirroring him, weapons at the ready and adrenaline already running through their veins.

“Enough!”

A sudden force landed in between them with enough force to send them both flying backwards.

MK and Macaque recovered in time to see who decided to interrupt their duel.

Both of their hearts nearly stopped at the sight of the enraged Monkey King but for vastly different reasons.

“You have 5 seconds to explain yourself for trying to harm my-” Wukong’s rage quickly deflated as the dust cleared enough for him to truly see who it was he had thought was attacking MK. “Mango Flower?”

“Um… hello again, Peach Blossom. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Macaque joked, voice weak as he restrained himself from acting out of bounds even if he wanted nothing more than to gather the other into his arms. It had been so long, far too long. 

He nearly broke at the sight of tears beginning to form in Wukong’s eyes.

His resolve finally shattered as the Monkey King ran towards him, arms outstretched, and before Macaque knew it his legs were moving on their own. The wind was knocked out of him at how tight Wukong squeezed him yet he returned the embrace back with gusto, ignoring the groaning of his ribs. He simply buried his face into the other’s fur, the smell of peaches still there even after all these years. Faintly, Macaque realized he was also crying once he felt a wetness on his cheeks.

Macaque let out a squeak in surprise as Wukong picked him up in the hug and spun him around, the sound of his laughter echoing throughout the mountain. The sight of such unabashed joy on his face was enough to make the six-eared demon to start laughing too, joy contagious in the best of ways. 

MK would deny it unless under the threat of death but he couldn’t help but smile as he watched the two monkeys get lost in their own little world. It made the guilt which nagged at his chest at having to manipulate the two to make this meeting happen ease up, seeing how happy the two were.

“It’s been so long…” Wukong whispered as he placed Macaque back on his feet, gently cradling his face as if afraid that if he stopped touching the other, that he’d disappear again. “But, why are you here? I had thought that you hated me, isn’t that why you…” Macaque went stiff in shock before taking the Monkey King’s hands into his own.

“What? No! If anything, I thought you hated me for leaving instead of talking things out and that’s why you were gone when I came back. I always intended on coming back to you Peaches, I swear on it.” Wukong’s eyes went wide at that, extremely close to crying again a second time that day. “I had been looking for you for centuries now to apologize.”

And now the warm feeling was gone, leaving MK to bite down on his staff to stop himself from screaming at how much those two had failed at the simple of communication.

“We’ve both been absolutely foolish, haven’t we?” Wukong couldn’t help but laugh at it all, which only worsened as he noticed all six of Macaque’s ears turn red in embarrassment.

“Yeah, I guess we have been-” His words were cut off as the Monkey King grabbed his scarf, pulling him into a sudden kiss that made Macaque jolt in surprise before he practically melted into the other’s arms. A purr rumbled in his chest and neither noticed their tails wind around each other.

The sound of MK clearing his throat, loudly, was enough to get them to break apart in embarrassment.

“If you two are done being romantic idiots, I have to beat the shit out of Macaque to prove that I’m better than him. I mean ace my ‘final exam’.” The grin on his face showed that he was lying through his teeth.

“Don’t think I forgot about all your trash talking, young man. How about it Peach Blossom? You willing to go all out with me and the kid?” 

Wukong’s face was the epitome of ‘Every part of my body wants to say yes but I shouldn’t.’ He was already terrible at saying no to MK and now with Macaque’s endearingly earnest face, he knew he was done for, at least with these two working together now.

“...Oh alright.”

The two mutual cheers at his agreement made Wukong feel slightly less guilty in letting his lessons go for a brief moment. But not completely.

But that was okay, Wukong was used to living with constant guilt.

[isirumarin]

Rumarin x Isira (LDB)

Ep.8 Cocoon

Rumarin made the bed and did some minor tidying. "I'm the buff maid.." he mumbled to himself. He found Isira's floorlength mirror and ogled at himself in the mirror for a great length of time.

'Hmm..' he thought, scratching his stubbled chin. He looked at his eyes in the mirror. Pale gold. "Yep, looks like an Altmer to me."

He rummaged around and found some shortpants he could wear and a simple black tunic. 'I look like a necromancer.' He thought.

"I am Rumannimarco" he spun around in front of the mirror and made an angry face. He laughed at himself. 'I'm an idiot.'

He started to build a fire in the fireplace. It was starting to get chilly. He sat and watched the flames as he ate some bread and cheese.

He wondered why Isira had fallen for him so strongly...she was way out of what would be considered a 'fair mating pool' for the likes of him. He sighed. He was afraid she would come to her senses and that would be that. He would be shattered into a million pieces. Unsalvagable uselessness. There would be no joke funny enough to pull him out of that hole. He needed to tell her soon. He didn't have enough in him to survive a heartbreak of that magnitude. She just seemed so certain and determined..and he was precisely the opposite. He wanted to be with her forever to have these feelings forever... but he just couldn't believe that was what was in store for him.

The door creaked open and Isira stepped inside, her bright red Master robes, crown circlet, and hood made her really look the part of Archmage. He wondered how old she was. She could be fifty years his senior for all he knew. She definitely had the power of a century old elf.

"Have you been behaving Rumarin?" She smiled and bent over to kiss him sweetly.

"Yes, Archmage Valfyren." He nodded submissively. "Stop that." She hissed as she sat in the other chair. Isira reached over and poured herself some of Rumarin's tea.

"How old are you?" He blurted, letting his head fall to one side, his long hair cascading along his jawline.

"You won't believe me." She admitted, taking a drink from her mug. "We are exactly the same age."

Rumarin seemed deep in thought, because he was. "I hope we aren't long lost twins or something.." he said his eyes widening.

Isira giggled. "Well let's do some early life comparisons. My earliest memories were from Vulkel Guard. I was raised with an Altmer father and a Dunmeri mother, but they couldn't be my biological parents for phylogenical reasons and my hair is white." She ended in a distant tone. "I do not know who my parents were, but they were very likely highborn, perhaps even royalty."

"Because of your hair..." Rumarin added knowingly.

"Yes, because of the eh, breeding practices of the aristocracy. White hair and exceptional stature were signs of aptitudes for perfection. But don't feel left out, you are exceptionally tall even for an Altmer. Perhaps you are from noble family?" She took a sip of tea.

He stretched out his legs, warming his bare feet by the fire. "Oh, I don't think so. I think I just got stretched out doing all those tricks and stunts while I was a growing lad. I was raised in Summerset. Then my parents and I moved to Skyrim to try and make merry the people during the miserable Great War. I don't know if they were my real parents. I was closer to Otero than to them. I can barely remember their faces.." he looked drearily into the fire. "I hate the past. The future looks so much brighter." He looked at her and held out a hand. She reached for it and squeezed.

"If the twin thing bothers you, we can do a blood ritual. Its an easy thing to do. It won't tell us specifics, but it can tell us if we are close family, or if our families were allies for many years, or if our ancestors were sworn enemies." Rumarin raised his eyebows very high, listening to her words. "That just sounds interesting." He said.

She laughed. "Well then. I'll set it up. I have everything I need in this room. I'll let you know when it's ready."

A few moments later she called to him. She had drawn a strange circle, subdivided by many swooping, interlocking, and intersecting geometries. Inside was a golden dish and some ash. She invited him to sit across from her. Her silver eyes flashed as the symbol began to glow. She chanted some strange words and pulled out a tiny needle dagger, like that you would use to poison someone.

She held out her hand and pricked her finger, the blood dripped freely. "It is not deep." She reassured him. "It's bleeds so because of an agent applied to the needle. Your hand?" She held his hand gently and got his sample. "Didn't hurt." He said surprised. "Thanks for making it painless. I'd hate to cry in front of you after I've come so far." Isira giggled, "Shut up Rumarin.."

She waved her hand over the bowl and said a few words.

The blood boiled and started to smoke, then illuminated in green and purple. A purple gem shape with a skull inside appeared and dissolved, then the green blood formed an eight pointed star with an eye inside, then it disappeared.

Isira sat staring at the golden plate, now covered in char. "Was that bad?" Rumarin asked. "We're twins aren't we?"

Isira was silent for a long time digesting what she'd seen. "There normally isn't any symbology needed with this test... the samples reacted quite strongly, in a very negative way. I know what the symbols were."

"The Worm Cult and the Mages Guild." Rumarin said matter-of-factly.

"I knew you were educated." Isira smiled faintly.

"I was raised in what was Summerset's Bard's college, so I know a bit of history." He sat back, stretching out his long legs.

"But that just means that we have ancestors associated with those groups. That could mean anyone. They were large groups." He said dryly.

"No, I have to do more research, but I think it was being very specific. That was a very strong reaction. Either very high ranking individuals, or....Mannimarco and Vanus, themselves." She said breathlessly.

Rumarin chewed on his lip. "So we aren't long lost twins, but instead, decendants of two of the most powerful paragons of light and dark." He laughed at the irony for a good moment. Isira just looked at him, her silver eyes wide. She was still reeling over the implications of this finding and her research.

"Dibs on Grandpa Marco!" He cackled.

"Possibly Papa." She corrected. "It was a strong reaction. Like the blood itself was trying to tell us something, and I don't mean the normal divination channel.

"Evil blood?" Rumarin said dramatically.

Isira shot him a cross look. Normally his jesting was endearing, but this time it was bothering her. The results bothered her. She got up and walked away.

'Great.' Rumarin thought. 'It was only a matter of time.' He sat dejected for a moment, then decided it wasn't about him. She needed comforting.

He found her sitting legs-crossed on the bed in her night gown made of pale green silks. "I'm sorry." He said leaning over to kiss her shoulder. "I'm real bad with serious things sometimes."

She looked at him lovingly and beckoned him to sit. "Its taking every ounce of fortitude not to start cracking open books this very instant." She admitted.

He moved around close to the great headboard and gently grabbed her hair in his hands. His touches felt amazing and she closed her eyes as he worked.

He plaited her hair in amazing elegant designs in deft and expert movements. He made no mistakes. She let him do this for a long time, until she no longer cared about stupid divination rituals.

She felt what he had done as she reached up with her hands and gasped. She hopped off the bed and went to the mirror where she gawked at herself. "These are braids fit for queen!" She remarked in amazment.

"How did you learn this?" She turned towards him.

"They made me practice everyday for two hours to develop finger dexterity. I think they just wanted a free head massage." He said with a snort.

"Rumarin... you are amazing." She walked over and kissed him, running her fingers through his silky strawberry blonde hair.

"This is what's important." He whispered, his lips still touching hers. "Not some stupid information."

Isira knew better, but she let him be right in this moment, because she wanted it to be true...

[joakimlarsson]

‘ ..then you hear that terrible, high pitch screaming, ‘ she says, a shudder running through her as her hands find a firm resting place upon her hips and she stares up at him.

‘ Are you quoting Jaws at me to get out of going on this boat? ‘ he answers, highly amused with a chuckle fit to burst from his throat at the absolute absurdity of it.

Joey has told her many times how unrealistic those movies are, but she has yet to listen and still insists regularly, every time they go out for a day at the beach, that sharks are dangerous and a blink away from snatching you right under the surface of the water. Helene believes all it takes is a little splash or a voice raised a little too much for the fish to have you as a snack.

Her childhood fear comes back to bite her on the ass whenever the ocean is mentioned and it is entirely the fault of that particular demon shark. Her father believed it wasn’t too bad of a movie for his twelve year old daughter to view, but her repeated nightmares for several months after the viewing are what led him to admit it had been a poor choice. Was he supposed to know his child would be deathly afraid of the sharp-toothed fish? Of course not, it just so happened she was.

‘ What if I am? they’re pretty accurate I’m sure, wasn’t it Quint who retold his horrific ordeal with those sharks? ‘ she’s starting to ramble on a little bit now just to prove her point. ‘ —before you say anything..I know it’s just a movie, but Joey.. what if there are sharks like that? ‘ she adds.

‘ I’m sure there are, älskling, but the chances of those sharks approaching you in Caldy waters is very minimal, you know, ‘ he chuckles as he says this, realising that perhaps she has allowed the fear to build and build so much, she believes those tall tales.

Helene huffs her frustration and drops her hands from her hips, taking a step closer to the docks and nearing the yacht he had rented for the afternoon, her breath hitching a little while she tries to figure out a solution to this problem. Part of her wishes she could just step right in and enjoy a beautiful afternoon out on the waves, in the glorious sunshine with the man she loves, but other parts of her are too afraid of falling into the water and ending up in the jaws of a shark.

‘ Joey, I.. it’s just really hard to overcome something like that. I’ve never been attacked, but then again I’ve never even been in the water, beyond an indoor swimming pool, ‘ she confesses, and her best friend, father and cousins would confirm this was true, too.

‘ I know, baby.. I know, it’s just a yacht, though, yea? I’m not going to ask you to get into water if you really don’t want to, but being onboard the boat is a very good start, it might help in the long run.. get you used to the flow of the ocean waves a little bit, ‘ he smiles warmly, approaching her side as she stands gazing at the interior of the yacht.

‘ I know I can trust you.. and, in all fairness, I do know how to swim, I just fear what’s in the water as opposed to the water itself. I’m sure I’ll be fine. If not now, then eventually.. the more we sail, ‘ she admits that the idea itself is not too threatening and leans into his lifted arm.

‘ I believe in you, Helene. You’ll get the hang of it eventually, the more we go out on the water, as you said.. and you know I’m right there with you the whole time. It’ll be fun, I promise, ‘ he adds, his hand slipping down her arm to lace fingers with her own.

Helene finds a bit of heat creeping over her cheeks and the bridge of her nose when he reaches for her hand and steps onboard the yacht, keeping a grip on her and helping her step over, too, a nod of his head and reassuring smile offering her the comfort she needed in that moment. 

Deep down she knows she will enjoy this afternoon and she chooses to let him know immediately with a kiss on the lips and a longing gaze into his eyes a minute longer than necessary. Her grin very easily reaches her eyes when he places his hand on the back of her neck and deepens the kiss by pulling her in as close as possible, his free arm looping around her waist.

[endlessymphony]

in another lifetime, i will love you again.

harry potter x reader

summary - (based on a request that i altered) reader unfortunately is injured and passes away in the wizarding war— but before they do, harry reminisces on all the memories he has with them

warnings - tw for death, injuries, war, blood, existential questioning, loss of a loved one, heart wrenching pain.

a/n - i am going to bawl my eyes out. (update; i bawled when it was finished.)

the air was thick, heavy. the smell of sulfur and smoke seemed to linger whilst the nearly black storm clouds swirled up above. the sky, or at least what was visible of it, was grey and sunless. the dark mark no longer hangs heavily amongst the clouds, as the death-eaters had long retreated, but not without leaving a mess first.

you had always been apprehensive about hogwarts, ever since your first day of first year. a bad gut feeling, some would call it, but you ignored it the best you could and learned to call the castle a home away from home, perhaps even a sanctuary. but all you felt now was the stone ground beneath you, the cool breeze nipping at your exposed skin.

your breaths were shaky, unstable. hot tears pricked at your eyes as you stared up all the bleak sky, the voices around you muffled by the high-pitched ringing that tormented your ears, head feeling heavy- full, like you were weighed down with rocks. wreckage filled the courtyard in the form of stray bricks, broken glass, and bodies- your’s soon to join them.

blood steadily dripped down the side of your face, pooling underneath you, starting to dry in your hair- but that wouldn’t matter soon enough. you had been crushed by falling debris, pinned down by what used to be the west wall of the courtyard. from that moment on, any person would understand, and accept, that it was likely their time to go.

you wonder if anyone knew you would all be saying goodbye for the last time? you didn't wake up this morning thinking that you would be laying in a pool of your own blood, but you suppose that life works in mysterious ways. death would be sweet relief, a kiss that would take away all the pain and take you by the hand far, far away from here.

“humans, if nothing else, have the good sense to die.”

we live for destruction, devouring any chance to be in power like a pack of starved dogs. children build sand castles just to knock them down, and men start wars to quench their thirst for blood. they think they’re running at each other, but they run directly into the face of death. what does death look like? not a skeleton, or a tall figure with a scythe and a void for a face, instead- death looks like all of us, as we are all capable of it.

the ground rumbled underneath you, footsteps, was the best guess that you could come up with. “y/n! oh, fuck. fuck!” that was harry’s voice, full of panic. well, guess the situation was a lot worse than you originally thought. he dropped to his knees beside you, trying to dig you out from the wreckage, bruising his hands in the process. “harry.” your voice was hoarse, he turned to with fear in his face, eyes already filling with tears.

you gave him a sympathetic look, “my love.” your throat was dry, you tried to swallow, wincing in pain- your saliva tasting metallic. you coughed, whole chest rattling as harry scooted over to rest your head on his legs, brushing hair out of your face. “y/n…”

“that’s my name, don’t wear it out.” a weak smile made its way onto your face, “i don’t think i’ll make it, harry.” a tear slips down the side of your face, finding a new home in your hairline near your ear. “you.” he started, struggling to find the words. “you can’t say that, no, you can’t say that.” he looks around, frantic, trying to see if he can wave someone down to help.

“harry. look at me.” you tried to laugh, but just ended up sputtering and coughing into your arm, blood dotting your sleeve. “i can’t feel my legs, merlin, i can’t feel nothin’.” you reached up to grab his face, hands shaking as you smoothed your cool fingertips against his hot face. a teardrop ran down his cheek, the first of many that would follow.

“but you need to survive.” harry began to sob, “what… what am i supposed to do without you?” his words were slurred. sentences seeming reduced to just one long, unintelligible word. “live.” you reply simply, attempting to bring your arms back down but harry holds your hands in his, keeping them against his cheeks. “you live, harry, for me.” “but what is life without you? all my best memories include you.”

“tell me…” you cough again, blood staining your lips a deep crimson. “can you talk about those memories? help me relive ‘em?” he nodded, chewing at his bottom lip.

“the first time i saw you, y/n, i was dumbfounded. you had me absolutely speechless, i knew i loved you then and there.” he smoothed over your cheek with his thumb, brushing away some of the dirt. you stifle a chuckle, “don’t give me an ego.” “i’m not kidding!” harry protests, “truly, you were the most beautiful person i’ve ever seen.”

“let’s see what else… the yule ball. merlin, you looked incredible. we had such an amazing time dancing, i bet we looked absolutely ridiculous- but that was the best time that i ever had.” he chuckles, looking down at you. you had shut your eyes, listening to his voice- it was like liquid morphine, coursing through your veins and removing the pain. “can you tell me about our first date?”

“yeah, yeah.” he stumbled over his words, putting your arms back down to cross over your chest, so that you weren’t wasting energy holding them up. “i think that was the nicest weather that hogwarts has ever had, don’t you agree? or maybe it was just you who made the sun shine brighter, and the breeze a little sweeter.” harry leaned over to press a kiss to your temple, “it was the perfect day to lounge by the lake, getting sick off of sweets and laughing until our stomachs ached so badly, we could barely stand.” you struggled to keep your eyes open, every moment a fight against the darkness, and you were finally beginning to lose.

“harry, do you think that we’ll meet again in another life?” you were curious- childlike innocence dripping from your lips like venom, making it all the harder for harry to understand that he would no longer have you, or hold you. “i think we will, y/n.” he sniffled, finding himself awfully choked up as he attempted to hold back the tears again. “maybe.. maybe we’ll be married, have kids, be a family. what do you think?”

“you know i love you, y/n, right?”

“i love you too, harry.”

and that was it. the world fading to black. there was no longer a fight, only the sweetness of relief. death had embraced you into its arms, holding you, you found home- the one that had been waiting for your return since the moment you were born, counting down the years. months. days. hours. minutes. seconds. and it welcomed you home with open arms. there was no blinding light, no guardian angel sweeping you off of your feet and carrying you away, just nothingness. a comfortable nothingness.

why are people so afraid of death? is it just mostly a fear of the unknown? humans are curious by nature, and most can’t help but wondering ‘what comes next?’, sometimes the answer is not entirely clear. it’s murky, and distorted, almost like looking at your reflection in a puddle. if you are always afraid of death, you will never learn to live.

your body went limp, eyes stuck half-lidded as you made your ascent to the afterlife. harry sobbed violently, whole body shaking as he screamed to the sky, begging the universe for you back- another chance, another lifetime, an alternate timeline where the two of you could still be one. his throat felt raw, air tasting metallic- just as you had tasted earlier.

the universe did not listen.

it did not bring you back, no matter how hard he begged, nothing could.

he cradled your head to his chest, your voice ringing through his head.

‘i love you too.’

“in another lifetime, i promise we’ll make more memories, y/n. and, i promise that this time i’ll actually protect you.“ harry’s chest shook with each sob, shoulders hunched over and tense, your blood staining his shirt, and the ground below you.

“in another lifetime, i will love you again.”

tags 🏷- @seekinglumos @wizardwheezes @terrific-tozier

join my taglist ˗ˏˋ here ! ˎˊ˗

[komotionlessqueenmm]

Imagine # 775

2,183 - Words

Gif NOT mine. (Found on Pinterest.)

If this gif is yours (or you know who's it is) please let me know, so I can give you/them credit.

Gif credit goes to - Unknown.

Year posted - 2021

----

Curled up in bed comfortably, (Y/n) tried desperately to fall asleep. Yet as the minutes ticked by she found herself restless, and inevitably annoyed. With a distraught sigh (Y/n) sat up in bed, flinging her blankets away from her body. The moment the cool air of her room hit her bare legs (Y/n) shivered, but as she rubbed her face tiredly, a loud ringing sound rang through the room. The sound and pitch being loud enough to make (Y/n) cry out, her hands covering her ears and her eyes screwed shut. Hissing in pain she fell from her bed, but instead of hitting the floor she continued to fall. In an instant her eyes sprung open and (Y/n) screamed, she was falling from the sky at rapid speed. She hit the pavement with a painful grunt, the air being knocked from her lungs, and her head spinning. Dr. Schreber had nearly jumped out of his skin when this strange looking woman landing a few feet away from him on the sidewalk. "Ah." (Y/n) hissed under her breath as she tried to move, freezing when she someone called out to her. "Don't move!" Schreber cried out with worry, as he hobbled to her side as quickly as he could. (Y/n) frowned as she looked up to the man, as he slowly knelt beside her, his hands upon her face as he looked into her eyes. "I'm a Doctor." He murmured softly, as he continued to observe her, looking for any wounds. "Where am I Doc?" (Y/n) licked her lips, holding back a hiss of pain as he helped her sit up. "You don't know?" He frowned a little confused. "Look Doc about twenty seconds ago I was laying in my bed in (Y/h/t), next thing I know there was this deafening ringing, then I was falling from the sky." (Y/n) pointed to the dark sky, to which Schreber looked up, half expecting to see some portal or something. "How I didn't die on impact is freaking me out." (Y/n) added before she observed her surroundings, frowning as she took note of the cars lining the streets. "Check that... This place is freaking me out." She looked to the Doctor, who looked rather alarmed and nervous. "I-I can help you." He stammered. "How?" (Y/n) wondered aloud as she stood to her feet, the cold night air nipping at her exposed skin, as she stood there in her night time attire. "I can't e-explain here, please come with me." The Doctor looked around frantically, walking off in the opposite direction a moment later.

Following the Doctor (Y/n) ignored the strange looks she was receiving from the people they passed. "I-its safer in here." He waved for her to follow, leading her into the indoor pool. "Safe from what, Jason Voorhees?" (Y/n) murmured to herself, her eyes almost hypnotically casting to the ceiling, smiling faintly at the sight of its artistic beauty. "You can change in here." The Doctor showed (Y/n) into a more private room. "Excuse me?" (Y/n) arched a brow at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "It's safer in the water, please trust me. I want to help you." He encouraged her, and while part of her told her these were some serious red flags, she indulged his wish. Stepping into the room she found a locker with a clean swimsuit, however when she looked at it she sneered. "So not happening." She sighed under her breath, looking around she attempted to find something more to her liking. However after a few minutes with no success she simply exited the room, finding the Doctor waiting in the water. "You didn't change." He pointed out with a distraught frown. "Please you need-" (Y/n) was quick to silence him by holding her hand up. "You're the strangest Doctor I've ever met, however I feel inclined to trust you. But before I do as you ask, I want to know your name." (Y/n) rest her wight on one hip, propping her opposite hand onto the opposite hip. "M-my name i-is Doctor Daniel Schreber." He stammered with a small blush, his eyes involuntarily trailing up her bare legs. "My names (Y/f/n) (Y/l/n)." She introduced herself before she stripped herself of her tee shirt and shorts, leaving her in a matching set of bra and panties. "Oh!" Daniel squeaked in surprise, quickly averting his eyes elsewhere.

(Y/n) sat at the edge of the pool before she slipped in slowly, the temperature difference sending a shiver up her spine. "So Doctor Schreber, why are we here?" (Y/n) asked as she slowly swam closer to his side, tilting her head with a faint smile at Daniels nervousness to look at her. "B-because t-this." He cut himself off, taking a deep breath before he continued. "This is the safest place to talk." He explained, trying to focus his eyes on (Y/n)'s, finding the sight of the supple looking flesh of her breasts almost unbearable. "Safest from who?" (Y/n) asked as she moved to sit beside Daniel. "The Strangers." He pushed his glasses up a little, quickly glancing around them to make sure they were alone. "Please... I need you to tell me everything that happened, before they find us." Daniel was almost whispering. "I already did. I was at home trying to fall asleep, but I couldn't. In my frustration I pushed off my blankets and was rubbing my face when this loud ringing started. I covered my ears and fell from my bed, but I never hit my bedroom floor. Instead I just kept falling, when I opened my eyes I was falling from the sky. I hit the ground, and then you came to me." (Y/n) explained, only confusing Daniel further. "Where did you come from?" He murmured with a tilt of his head. "(Y/h/t)?" (Y/n) frowned with confusion. "I've never heard of it." Daniel mirrored her frown. "Am I dead Doctor Schreber?" (Y/n) whispered softly. "No I don't think so." Daniel shook his head dismissively. "Then why is this place familiar to me?" (Y/n) whispered even quieter. "I don't know... I've never seen you before... I've never seen anyone like you before." Daniel admitted, quickly sparring a glance at one of her tattoos. "Good observation Doctor." A voice called out as a tall man dressed in all black entered the room, Daniel gasped in surprise, fear pooling within his eyes. While (Y/n) simply looked at the new man with questioning eyes. "Who are you?" (Y/n) asked, ignoring the fact that Daniel was swimming back to stay away from the approaching man. "Mr. Book." He stood up a little straighter. "Right." (Y/n) rose her brows with mocked sarcasm. "And who are you?" Mr. Book asked in a bored tone. "(Y/n)." She only offered her first name, not trusting this man like she had the Doctor. "Well then (Y/n) I suggest you get out of the water." Mr. Book waved his hand towards the pool ladder. "And if I don't want to?" (Y/n) argued. "(Y/n) please do as he says." Daniel whispered pleadingly. "You should listen to the Doctor." Mr. Book mused, (Y/n) looked to Daniel, finding his fearful gaze locked onto her. "Fine." She exited the pool, Daniel following behind her when Mr. Book demanded his presence as well.

"Sleep." Mr. Book waved his hand in front of (Y/n)'s face, who frowned at him. "What are you doing?" She scowled taking a small step back, both Mr. Book and Daniel looking at her with astonishment. "Sleep." Mr. Book tried again, this time however (Y/n) shoved his hand away. "Fuck off." She hissed, thoroughly annoyed with the pale humanoid being. "Fascinating." Daniel muttered with an amazed grin. Mr. Book however was not quite so amused, trying to throw her back like a ragdoll with his powers. "Why are you looking at me like that?" (Y/n) frowned at the stranger. "What are you?" The stranger frowned when his powers failed to work on her. "I could ask you the same question." (Y/n) retorted, unknowingly making Daniel internally snicker. "You're coming with us." Mr. Book concluded, two more of his companions entering the building. "No." (Y/n) crossed her arms, ignoring the cold chill that ran down her body, caused by both the beings presence, and the fact that she was still dripping wet from the pool. "That wasn't a request." He retorted as he pulled out a knife, Daniel wanted to intervene, but he was afraid it would only make matters worse. However (Y/n) simply rolled her eyes as she uncrossed her arms, pushing passed Mr. Book she grabbed her clothes and pulled them back on. "Fine." She sighed as she re approached him, crossing her arms again. Daniel found her bravery both admirable, and worrying. Mr. Book allowed Daniel to get dressed before he and his companions escorted them out of the building, leading them down below into the strangers lair. As (Y/n) observed her surroundings, she linked her arm with Daniels, momentarily starting the man. She smiled softy at that, leaning in to his side she whispered into his ear. "I remember why this is so familiar now." His eyes widened as he turned his head to look at her, a blush fanning his cheeks when she winked, keeping her arm linked with his.

"I'm of no danger to you all you know." (Y/n) stated casually, Mr. Book stopped walking, turning to look at her. "I've been trying to will that knife of yours through you, and it ain't working." She whispered dramatically, her free hand beside her mouth. "I can't do what you do, your mojo just don't work on lil old me." (Y/n) added with a small giggle. "How can you know what we were thinking?" Mr. Book glowered down at her. "I don't know what you're thinking, I just happen know what conclusion you all jumped to, because well I hate to be the one to tell you. But you're not real, at least not in my world. In my world you're all just characters in a movie that come out in the late 90s. However by the looks of things, this is set before that timeline." (Y/n) shrugged casually, her words momentarily stunning everyone within ear shot. "He's played by Kiefer Sutherland, one of my all time favorite actors." She added pointed her free hand to Daniel. "I just didn't realize it earlier, guess I was still in a daze from that blow to the head." (Y/n) admitted to Daniel specifically, his shocked face undeniably adorable. "If you don't believe me, you should know that I was born (Y/b/d) and I was living somewhat peacefully in the year 2021, even with a global pandemic going on since the very end of 2019." (Y/n) pointed to herself with her free hand. "Hence why I look so strange compared to everyone else here in Dark City." She smiled faintly, giggling to herself when the strangers began chattering among themselves in their native language. "Is all of that true?" Daniel whispered. "Yeah." (Y/n) nodded her head, with a grin cast his way.

After a few hours of the strangers asking (Y/n) questions about this and that, along with some tests they demanded to run. She was allowed to leave with Doctor Schreber, with her memories intact. (Simply because they couldn't alter her memories along with everything else.) With an almost exhausted sigh, both she and Daniel sat down on the couch in his apartment. "Is it true that, that Sutherland fellow is one of your favorite actors?" Daniel hesitated to ask after a moment. "Oh yeah, he's a good actor. It also helps that I find him incredibly handsome. Plus I have a weakness for blondes." (Y/n) admitted shamelessly, her words causing a blush to bloom on Daniels cheeks. "O-oh." He stuttered bashfully. "Did... Did you like the movie, this one?" He asked after he gathered his composure. "One of my favorites." (Y/n) smiled as she turned her body to look at Daniel. "You're my favorite character." She added in a whisper. "R-really?" He turned his head to look at her, his eyes as wide as saucers. "Yep... You're just so cute." (Y/n) cooed with a wolfish grin, her words making Daniel all flustered. "T-thank you." He stammered with a nervous chuckle. "You are very welcome Doctor." (Y/n) hummed casually, her tone making Daniel swallow thickly. "I think it is going to be quiet interesting to get to know you (Y/n)." Daniel mused aloud. "Likewise Doctor." (Y/n) hummed. "Please call me Daniel." He murmured quietly. "Alright then... Daniel." She cooed his name, making it sound oh so heavenly to the flustered man.

----

Not my best work, but eh I still like it.

[kirietown]

With a Smile | Part II

pairing: all might x f!reader

summary: After all, he deserved to be selfish sometimes— and frankly so did you. It came with the wait, didn’t it?

content: toxic relationship, manipulative reader, 18+, size kink, fwb

[part one] [part two] [ao3]

word count: 3.1K

The day he was injured by All for One was a disorienting day for you. There was a weakness to his form whilst he laid on the hospital bed, his hair in disarray and bandages covering his injury. Sir Nighteye had already left hours before you came. You stood by his side and held his hand, and it was only when he opened his eyes and turned to you did you realize how they now sunk into his skull.Your Toshi was a skeleton of a man you once knew. His pretty blues obscured by the shadows of his own face.

He smiled, nonetheless.

You frowned.

“M-my powers aren’t strong enough to help this Toshi,” you said. You couldn’t help but stutter over your words— always a bad habit for you, one you thought you’d outgrown long ago. Once again, he brought out the worst in you even wrapped in bandages and in a state beyond repair.

He smiled still.

“Toshinori,” you had said softly. “How can you smile… Even like this?”

The two of you were lovers only physically, but you were damned to let it stop you from caring for him— even if you couldn’t help but feel bitterness in your heart for his selflessness.

He only looked back at you with an upward tilt of his thick brows and said the words that always managed to dig a knife deeper into your chest whether you heard it in person or through your screen.

“Because I am here,” he said— and you wished he meant it was with you.

A sick part of you hoped that his injury would mark the retirement of the symbol of hope, but he continued his work much to your contemptment.

It made you feel guilty for reasons that you’d never share with anyone.

As the next few years went by, you watched his body crumble. Once big and strong, he’d gone thinner to a point where he was practically skin and bone due to his new diet because of his (lack of a) stomach. Miraculously, he was able to create a muscle form for himself for short periods of time— much to your annoyance. The world didn’t notice any changes, but they were all you could see. His speed was just the slightest bit slower, his voice raspier, and frankly it always seemed he had to punch more in order to knock out a particularly tough villain.

Your bedroom habits didn’t change much, but you felt that he couldn’t bear to look at you without seeing his own mangled reflection in the pools of your irises. His thrusts were still slow and sensual, his breaths more ragged and his hands less adventurous. On some occasions, it was as if he were looking at you with disgust whilst he rutted his hips into your cunt.

At first— it hurt.

But it wasn’t until a few months after his accident did you realize his disgust was towards himself; it took years, however, for the two of you to address it.

Your fingers danced around his narrow collar bones in fleeting touches. Your eyes were shut knowing that if you stared into his drenched face long enough he’d turn his head, dipping it into the cusp of your shoulder. You liked knowing that he was holding himself over you, the feeling of his short breaths and whispers coming from above. It was boring at times, but you loved being encased in his arms. In fact, over the years he became an addiction to you; you prayed that he would suspect such.

A few things had changed now of course, considering his new form. He was still just as tall but tired more easily now. Though now you found yourself able to wrap your legs around his hips and bring him deeper into you— much to both your delights. His narrow hips allowed him to fit more snugly between your legs than in the past which you can admit was always an awkward issue.

You were calm, welcoming the stretch of his cock inside you until you felt him push deeper. A awfully loud moan escaped your lips in an almost surprise and his hips jutted into you harshly for a few strokes. He ceased his movements and pulled out suddenly. You shivered and clasped your legs shut as you felt the cold air reach your wet core.

“Toshi?” You asked tentatively, reaching an arm out to the hero who’d turned his back on you.

“Why?” He asked. A million answers flooded through your mind in response to his question, all under different assumptions of what he could possibly be referring to.

“Because I need you more than they do, and I’ll take you in any way I can.”

“Why what?” Your tone was playful. You moved to lay on your side, the blanket only working to shield your lower half. For a few moments he didn’t reply, instead choosing to gaze towards the window wistfully.

“I’m disgusting,” he said curtly. “I’ll make you disgusting too.”

If you had half a mind, you would’ve said: You already have .

“How can you possibly be disgusting Toshi?” You asked, feigning a miffed tone. You didn’t want to confront this, not today at least— you wanted more time.

You could feel the air stiffen as he stood up, his face obscured from view. His shirt, that he always insisted remained on, obscured his upper body but you could still see his narrow shoulders visibly tense from your question.

“Don’t play coy with me, Y/N,” he whispered. “You know exactly what I’m referring to. I’m barely even a man anymore; I don’t know why you stick around anyways.”

“Where’s this talk coming from Toshi?”

“Just s-stop avoiding it!” He snapped harshly. His tone was lower than you’d ever heard it. Toshinori still stood before you, but his obscured irises were focused only on you. For once you couldn’t tell where the disgust for himself ended and yours began.

You could feel your inner thighs slicken with wetness from his cruel eyes alone.

“What do you want me to say Toshi?” You asked. “Do you want me to mock you? Tell you that you’re no longer good in bed? Or- or would you like me to go off on a self entitled rant about how I wasted my life on a man who’s been reduced to his weakest?” Your words were harsh and perhaps he didn’t deserve it for his words today, but your anger was a build up of emotions you allowed to fester since you were just a young girl.

“Is that how you really feel?” If you had the foolishness to feel more valuable than you were, you’d kid yourself into believing that you’d broken him.

“No Toshi,” you said honestly. Your voice was quiet and soft, on a different night he would’ve compared it to honey; but you knew that the words brushed against his ears like sandpaper. You were standing now. Your breasts pressed against his shirt, hardened and straining against the rough cotton fabric. Your head moved to rest just under his shoulder, even at his lowest he still stood tall. “But that’s only because you were always weak,” and with that your hand moved to caress his stunned face. Your fingers traced over the slopes of his cheekbone and jaw before it descended to his chest, planted fondly over his heart.

Even at your most cruel, you couldn’t help but feign as his lover.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t understand,” he replied and you wanted to mock him. Your words were daggers and even when you pierced his heart with them, it was as if it was in his nature to take the pain and wonder if it healed your own.

“You’ve never fucked me once,” you whispered.

“What?”

“You always treat me like your fucking lover!” You shoved at his chest, and even in his weak form you knew that the way he stumbled back on his feet was out of respect. “After years and years, you hold yourself back— like you’re afraid of your own passions. No— that’s not it. You want to prove to yourself that you’re not just some force of destruction, and you use our time together as some form of escapism from all the destruction and carnage you choose to deal with every day.”

“I don—“

“No,” you stopped him. “Don’t act like I can’t see it in your eyes— that I can’t feel it inside me; you always held yourself back from me, to feign tenderness and weakness because your strength was your insecurity. And now that that very might is fading, you can’t help but want to prove you’re still that man who can destroy buildings with the flick of his finger.”

“You’ve always been so full of these delusions you’ve had of me, Y/N,” he said calmly but you could tell his words were strained due to the shortening of his breath. “I’m not as complex as you believe me to be… And if your words are true then if nothing is holding me back, what’s stopping me now?”

“The moment you stop the tender caresses, the loving whispers, and slow breaths is the day you admit to yourself—“ and to me “— that that man is dead.”

He left your room shortly after, and this time you were left unsure if he’d return.

His second battle with All For One left a mark on everyone. That was one of the things you had slowly begun to resent about Toshinori; you could never truly mourn him alone. His retirement announcement was what left the most of an impression on you— All Might had stepped down after decades of victories, and five harrowing years of being tormented by an injury that you could’ve dug your fingers into and truly ended his career.

His visit a few days after the victory was what truly did you in, however.

You had only opened the door when his body effortlessly dove down to press his lips to yours. In your state of surprise, you gasped allowing his tongue to push against yours. Instinctively your arms moved to circle around his shoulders. You couldn’t recall a time where his actions were this frenzied, and his shaking so feverish. You felt Toshinori’s hands squeeze your ass and shove you closer before sliding his digits under to cup your thighs. Following his hints, you leapt, your legs moved to circle around his waist, his fingers dug into the back of your bare thighs, your shorts had long since ridden up.

Questions buzzed around your head as he stumbled with carrying you— something that was never a problem for him in the past. You knew that if you spoke anything you said would sway him; you weren’t ready to lose him again. You barely noticed he had managed to hold you long enough to bring you to your dining room. A moan of pain crept out of your throat as he carelessly dropped out onto your wooden table, the thin table cloth doing nothing to protect your elbows as they made contact with the hard surface. You couldn’t help but look to his eyes, as if to check if he was bothered by your discomfort. Typically any form of pain you expressed would be enough to halt his movements; the idea of hurting you in any way was just always too much to bear.

His breaths were shallow when he finally removed his lips from yours. You couldn’t be sure if his ragged pants were from the strain of overworking himself or his rabid need; for now you didn’t care.

“This is what you wanted, isn’t it?” His large hand moved to squeeze your jaw tightly. You didn’t speak— you felt embarrassment at the way your cheeks squished under his fingers. “You just want me to treat you like a whore, don’t you?” His fingers squeezed particularly tighter, and in spite your moan of pain you could feel the familiar sensation of arousal pooling in your lower stomach.

With no regard for your comfort, the retired hero flipped you onto your stomach. Your ass and legs sticking out from the side of the table as he harshly grounded his clothed cock into you. The force caused your pelvis to painfully dig into the wood of the table. Though the pain wasn’t enough to distract you from the feeling of Toshinori pulling down your shorts. With only a shaky sigh escaping your lips, his fingers harshly groped your cheeks, spreading them roughly before shoving his fingers into your core. A gasp of pain shot out of your lips, the intrusion only making your hips to dig further into the rough wood.

You felt like a mess. You were panting uncontrollably as his large fingers fucked into your gushing cunt. To gain some control, you planted your elbows on the table, to lift your skull only for Toshinori to remove the hand that was gripping your hip. He shoved your head down without the slightest sense of hesitation. His fingers were thick around your head, his other one girthy inside your cunt, their speed quick as they dug into you whilst thrashing around in scissor motions. You could feel the familiar sensation bubbling deep inside you, but it was happening too soon, and it felt like too much all at once.

“I-it’s too much Toshi,” you managed to gasp.

Then it all stopped.

Your core was replaced with only emptiness, and all the moments where he halted because he had gone too far and ceased his movements played in your head. You wished you hadn’t opened your mou—

“A-agh!” The stuttered moan tumbled out of your lips repeatedly. You could feel the veins of his cock pulse inside you whilst your hips dug into the table.

“Is it too much now?” He mocked, and you could practically feel him harden more as he drilled himself into your wet cunt. His hips repeatedly knocked you further into the table. The wet slaps of your bodies colliding nearly obscuring the sound of the wooden legs scraping your floor. “This is what you wanted, isn’t it?”

You only moaned, his thrusts only increased in pace, and his hand only held your head down harder as his fingers curled through your hair. “I want you to say it— say that you wanted me to fuck you dirty.”

“N-no,” you managed to say before a particularly hard thrust caused an embarrassingly loud squeal to escape your throat.

“Say it!”

“I ne-needed you to f-fuck me—d-dirty,” you gasped.

“You’re disgusting, ” he raved. “Allowing yourself to be fucked by someone who looks like me… You’re so pathetic.” At his words you could feel his cock reach a particularly spongy spot inside you, tapping and tapping it repeatedly. A familiar bubbling sensation returned as continuous moans jumped out your throat. “I can feel you getting tighter— ack,” he paused in his words to rut deeper into your heat. “You’ve been chasing me fo-for years, hounding me for this, getting fucked by your washed up hero .”

You felt yourself clench, squeezing your cunt around his cock as he kept up his pace. The sensation of your pelvis rutted against the table turned numb, you could only feel him stretching your walls, and the curl of your toes as he brought you closer and closer to your peak.

“You’re more pathetic than I am.” His words were raspy, you could practically feel his tongue on your ear as he had pulled you back by your hair and lowered his lips to say the words you’d been thinking since you first laid your eyes on him. Your cunt pulsed as it squeezed around his cock, sucking him in deeper. Your moans only grew louder as you came, squirting down his balls and likely staining your panties that had only been pushed to the side.

Toshinori had only paused, and allowed for the feeling of your orgasm to clench around him before continuing his thrusts. A low groan bubbled out of his throat from the feeling of your tired cunt milking all its juices. It wasn’t long before he chased his own high, his release shot deep into you. Its warmth fluttered into your lower stomach, and suddenly you were hyper aware of the pain in your abdomen. When he finally pulled out and allowed you to stand on shaky legs, you felt the pain from the table intensify. You groaned before leaning back on the table, pulling your tank top up to inspect small bruising from the repeated slams.

Before you could even think to use your quirk to heal it, Toshinori’s hand gently caressed your lower belly tenderly before bringing you closer to his chest. Rather than shake him off and remind him of your ability, you allowed him to hold you and rub you softly. Perhaps you both shared the same comfort that came with pain.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. His expression morphed into one of resentment, it was as if he gained clarity— or his words were simply out of obligation. “I didn’t mean to go too far… I-I hurt you… and those awful things I said… No woman should have to hear.”

“Well I wanted to hear it,” you replied. Slowly you turned, his hand resting on your hip, “I loved that side of you… Now that you’ve officially retired, perhaps I could see more of it… And of you.” Your (s/c) fingers danced over his chest before wrapping around his neck, pulling him down towards you.

“I-I could set more time aside in my schedule for us,” he stuttered. An adorable blush coated his cheeks as you brought him closer. His nose kissing yours whilst you only hummed in reply. “I want to make up… for all the time we should’ve spent together.” His words were now only a murmur, a ghost of the man who had just fucked you and left bruises over your thighs and stomach from his roughness.

“I would like that,” you whispered.

The words you wished to say were crushed down your throat as your lips met. Gone was the feral passion, and instead in its place were love and words that had long since turned empty for you. It took you years, but you knew, you always knew that one day you’d be the only one he could turn to when it came to little deaths.

As he caressed your waist and held you close to his heart, you couldn’t help but brush your fingers over the fabric that which covered his scar. A swirling tunnel of black and green, your fingers hovered over it for a moment before sliding up to feel his heart beat. Years of patience led to this moment, and the guilt subsided— but you knew it would always eat away at your stomach like a wound, just like his.

“Toshi,” you said. “I should be the one saying sorry,” (because I lied to you all those years ago). He only shushed you, and held you impossibly closer.

“My...” quirk... I thought you would’ve retired... “I hoped...” for it... I’m as selfish as you are selfless...

“Shush Y/N,” he cooed softly. “It doesn’t matter now, what matters is we’re here— nothing holds me back from you... I love you; I always loved you.”

“But,” you paused— you thought better on it. Stilling your ragged breathing, you inhaled his scent before rubbing your cheek into his chest. “I love you too...”

“I know...” He murmured. “I know... It’s okay...” His words caused you to pause— something shifted in your stomach and for an instance you wondered if the pain paralleled his own. A digging in your gut; one you may have deserved. No— he couldn’t have known, and if he did... it didn’t matter now. You finally had him in your arms— even for just this moment.

After all, he deserved to be selfish sometimes— and frankly, so did you.

It came with the wait, didn’t it?

—

send requests 🥳

[mythicamagic]

Funeral Flowers: a Sesskag Oneshot

Summary:  Sesshoumaru knows what Kagome's favourite flower is- because it just so happens Forget-Me-Nots have been filling his throat for months. Hanahaki Disease fic. Sesskag oneshot.

AN: for @drosselmeyerwrites​, who is also a lover of the 'suffering Sesshoumaru' trope. She's been a lovely commenter and wholesome person in the fandom ^^

Warning: body horror elements. This is a Hanahaki Disease fic with a twist on the concept.

Words: 10,000

Rated M

@cookieasylum​ drew an amazing fanart for this fic so please check this fic out on Ao3!

Funeral Flowers

It started as a mere flutter. Sesshoumaru could feel it at the back of his throat: the beginnings of something that tickled and irritated his windpipe- not enough to cause anything serious, but just noticeable. This sensation only worsened with time.

Kagome looked at him like he'd grown a second head after hearing him stifle a certain noise clumsily behind his fingers.

"Huh," she mused, peering closely at him. "I don't think I've ever heard you cough before."

After a few weeks, he'd begun coughing. A little blemish that he could easily hide behind his hand. Sesshoumaru had wanted no one to notice such a shameful thing. An unwilling action, but required in order to clear his airways.

"Hn," peeling long fingers away from his down-turned mouth, he looked away. Kagome shifted bare legs in the glittering water, lounging on some rocks by a river while half-heartedly sunbathing in a tank top and shorts. Golden eyes slid back to the slim, pale stretch of her smooth, toned leg as she swayed it.

"Kind of a human action, isn't it? Do demons even get colds?" her concern only seemed to increase. "You're not sick, are you?"

"No," he huffed, adjusting himself beside her. They kept a respectable distance. 'Friends' was what she called them. Sesshoumaru tried and failed to tear his gaze away from the parting of her thighs as she stretched languidly. "I do not get sick," he added, "such a thing is beneath me."

Kagome slid both arms behind her head to act as a cushion, laying down. "A few years ago you'd have said sitting beside a priestess ankle-deep in a river would be 'beneath' you. Things change."

Sesshoumaru tilted his chin up to regard her haughtily and gave a dignified snort, adjusting his rolled-up hakama pants. "It is beneath me."

Kagome rose a brow, fluttering one hand carelessly in a shooing motion, "go on then. Leave if it's so offensive," she sighed, trying and failing to hide her smile.

No.

His body flared alive at the thought, unsettled. Sesshoumaru bit back another prickling cough, settling for clearing his throat. "You should be the one to leave. This one was here first."

"Wha- no! I got to the river before you!"

"I was referring to age. Bratty mikos should listen to their elders."

Kagome burst out laughing, sitting up to lightly bat his shoulder. "That makes you sound ancient! You're such a dork. No one else knows how much of an absolute dork you are, do they? It's a crying shame."

Sesshoumaru did not know what a 'dork' was, but he assumed it to be something unflattering. He should've been annoyed by it, aggravated. Kagome's playful, happy scent made this notion impossible.

Thin lips twitched at the edges, dragging his heels through the cool current. He couldn't honestly put into words why exactly he'd shown up, following her scent. Logically, he knew he should leave her alone.

They fell into an amicable silence again, one that had been born from months of time spent together. Odd snatches of coincidental meetings had flourished into something more, and they'd begun seeking one another out for company whenever he visited the village. Sometimes she even paid him a visit the Western Stronghold. Any demons who complained about it were silenced by how… determined the miko was to make friends. A force of nature. It had amused him to no end watching ancients tripping over themselves to try to avoid her bad books.

He could also deeply understand those who had taken an immense liking to her.

Kagome was warm and teasing, a rare thing not wholly unwelcome. Her stories of the future were interesting, personality vibrant but down to earth and occasionally sassy. He enjoyed her more than he should, a quiet, snarky male by nature basking in her effortless glow.

"What's your favourite flower?"

He blinked, "this is a question belonging to Rin. I do not expect such fanciful notions from you."

Kagome huffed and flicked her hand to splash some water over his knee. "I can talk about flowers if I want to. Shinto asked me what mine were, so I got to thinking. I'd like to know what yours are too- or do pretty dog demons baring flower crests not have an opinion on them?"

He sniffed, bringing down one leg to create a splash that soaked her side. Kagome let out a yelp. "The Shiragiku flower. "

"Oh you can't be serious!" She giggled. "When I asked what your favourite colour was, you said 'white' of all things. White! That's the absence of colour!"

"This one is aware. You kept rabbiting on about it," he wiped some imaginary lint off one shoulder.

"But still! And now you tell me you like flowers that are infamously used for funerals," blue eyes rolled skyward, glittering with mirth. "Why am I not surprised, Mr Killing Perfection?"

Thin lips lifted into a sneer free of malice. "Very well, Shikon miko. What is your favoured flower?"

Kagome hummed. "Forget-Me-Nots."

Letting out a noise between a huff and a chuckle, he shot her an exasperated look. "And you give me grief over mine. Did you not say that blue was your favoured colour?"

"Hey, Forget-me-Nots can be pink, white or blue! I'm not as predictable in my tastes as some people."

That was most definitely true, he thought flatly. She had moved on from her first love, a Hanyou- only to bond with a Daiyoukai, and then…

And then…

Kagome stood, stretching both arms above her head. Sesshoumaru knew what she'd say before she even said it, wincing and bringing a hand absentmindedly to the base of his throat. It throbbed. Now the ache even seemed to seep lower.

What is this pain in my chest? He wondered. What is this strange sensation?

"I should go."

Sesshoumaru slid tired attention up to her and nodded silently. He would not wish her well.

"Shinto will wonder where I am," she needlessly elaborated.

"Indeed."

Kagome glanced at him and dropped her arms. "What's wrong?"

He thought to tell her, not for the first time. But it was silenced by everything else that had come before. Their history. Their species. Her lack of discernible interest, her new flame. A heavy weight pressed down upon his chest. His shoulder ached.

"Nothing. I am fine."

Dark brows pulled together. Sesshoumaru stood and nudged her away with a single palm on her back that lingered too long. "Go. I am… merely hungry."

"Oh!" a look of relief swept over her face. Kagome laughed, "okay, I'll leave you in peace. Happy hunting!"

Sesshoumaru felt his chest ache and constrict while his expression remained a blank mask. He covertly winced after she'd jogged away to a trail within the forest that would take her back to Kaede's village. She stopped to wave, and he quickly wiped his expression clean again, rendering it neutral.

Kagome smiled gently, her face full of friendly affection. Sesshoumaru regally inclined his head, eyes burning.

Do not go.

She left him alone, hurrying away to see her new flame in complete ignorance.

Sesshoumaru coughed and massaged the base of his throat as soon as she was gone, frowning.

Feeling something stuck to the roof of his mouth with his tongue, he curiously parted his lips and reached behind a sharp tooth to pluck the soft, small thing out.

Damp from saliva, a tiny, pretty blue petal caught his attention, clutched between forefinger and thumb. Sesshoumaru stared. A sense of creeping foreboding slipped into the back of his mind at the discovery.

This did not bode well.

---

His affliction made visits to the village difficult. It was easier in the beginning when he could hide a few coughs and tickles of the throat. Steadily, however, the discomfort increased. Sesshoumaru needed to pick out petals from his mouth every day, and the number of them only grew with frequency. He had to remove the irritating little things every hour now.

"Lord Sesshoumaru has been picking at his teeth a lot lately," he heard Rin whisper to Jaken, pausing mid-brush. She had been tasked with caring for the old miko's horse. "Is it a toothache?"

"Shh! Don't comment on such a thing so loudly, girl! If Lord Sesshoumaru wants to do some teeth maintenance, then he may do so!" Jaken squawked, frowning up at her.

Sesshoumaru cut golden eyes to the sky and turned away.

"Ah, I didn't mean to insult you, Lord Sesshoumaru!"

"You're STILL drawing attention to it!" Jaken griped.

Pointed ears twitched, blocking out their animated voices and tuning into a set of quick footsteps. Sesshoumaru inhaled, wincing as his lungs protested- the scent of citrus, summer and home comforts reaching him long before Kagome appeared from around the side of a hut. She beamed. His heart ached.

"Hey," she called, trotting over.

"Hello, Kagome!" the little girl waved enthusiastically, wobbling.

Steadying Rin atop her wooden perch as she continued brushing the tall horse, Kagome flashed him a knowing look. "You look tense. Is it from being near the stables?" she teased.

Rin gasped, "does Lord Sesshoumaru not like horses?"

"It's their smell, you nitwit!"

Kagome frowned at Jaken, before searching Sesshoumaru's face for answers. Obviously his silence and demeanour was starting to worry her. Taking a breath, he tried to ignore the petals stuck in the gaps of his teeth. He could feel more building, pooling in the back of his throat like thick mucus.

"They are skittish and afraid of this one. It is better to keep distance."

Predictably, Kagome gentled- but surprised him by easing closer. She seized his hand, tugging- and he was helpless to do anything but follow. Heat touched his cheeks.

Kagome walked backwards, maintaining eye contact like the femme fatale she wasn't, shifting her soft touch to grasp the back of his hand, lacing lithe fingers through his. She then forced the Daiyoukai's palm to rest against a warm neck. The horse shifted slightly, tail flicking, yet it did not startle. With Kagome's prompting, Sesshoumaru glided the flat of his calloused palm down the length of its powerful neck, the thin layer of brown fur tickling his skin.

"Maji isn't like other horses, he's calm around demons. He has to be if Kaede is gonna ride him to fight Youkai," her voice glided through his ear canals like melted honey. Kagome hummed, "though she said because of her age that he might be mine soon. Weird, huh? It's like she's prepping me to be the village miko more and more."

"It is not 'weird,' it is expected," he uttered, thrilled at the prolonged touch. How foolish. The heat of her palm felt exquisite, hand clasped intimately around his. "You will make an acceptable village miko."

Blue eyes flitted up to him, smiling. She gave his hand a squeeze. "Thanks, but… sometimes I wonder if-"

"Ah, so this is where you escaped to."

Sesshoumaru stiffened. Kagome ripped her fingers away- tearing open a gaping hole inside him. He quickly stifled a cough, but it was larger this time, throat clogged. His shoulders shook, sweat dotting his brow.

Kagome was busy being scooped up by Shinto, a large male. He dressed well, for a human, a jagged scar running over one eye. A momento from his mercenary days, he'd called it, though he was now reformed.

Kagome laughed and swatted his shoulder, demanding to be put down. Jaken piped up, yelling about indecency. All the while, Sesshoumaru fought not to let anything show. To not let the agony out. The jealousy. The consuming desire to act upon instinct and take what he ached for.

He couldn't stand it. Couldn't stand seeing the male's burly, meaty hands drag over her hips to settle at the base of her spine. Like they belonged there. Sesshoumaru coughed again, drawing away.

Kagome caught the action, turning to him. "Sesshoumaru?"

He hated the concern swimming in her gaze. It would be so much easier to despise her.

"I have lingered too long," he said quietly, trying to mask the rawness of his voice. "This one should be going."

Kagome nodded slowly, "do you want some honey to soothe your throat? It sounds a little-"

"No," he quietly snapped, starting to walk away. Confusion immediately curdled in her scent, and he regretted the lapse in control. Now she'd worry.

Foolishness.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" Jaken hurriedly ran after him, following his Lord from the village. "Bah, those humans get more presumptuous every day. I don't blame you for leaving in such a hurry," he muttered, keeping up his tangent long after they'd met the treeline of Inuyasha's forest.

Sesshoumaru unexpectedly stopped, slamming claws into tree bark and causing it to splinter.

Jaken yelped, jumping and dropping his staff. "Mi-mi Lord?" bulbous eyes widened upon seeing him stoop over slightly, silver hair obscuring ashen features.

Sesshoumaru's shoulders shook, dry heaving sounds reaching Jaken's hearing. The retainer gasped, watching him cough, gasp and choke. Thick trails of dewy saliva pooled onto the ground. Rasping noises shuddered out from clenched teeth. Trembling claws reached inside his mouth, feeling something at the back of his throat. Grasping it, Sesshoumaru fought not to gag, coughing while removing the thing and looking at it with stinging eyes.

A Forget-me-not flower sat innocently between forefinger and thumb.

Both demons stared. Phlegm soaked petals rested at Sesshoumaru's feet. Jaken stood gravely silent for a while.

"Mi Lord…" he said thinly. "You have fallen prey to something very old…"

"You will not breathe a word about it to anyone," Sesshoumaru coughed, eyes stinging. He straightened and wiped his mouth, collecting himself. He threw the flower aside.

"But-"

"No one, Jaken," Sesshoumaru hissed, molten golden eyes burning. "Or I'll kill you."

Jaken yelped and quickly bowed several times, promising wholeheartedly not to interfere.

"I-I understand! However, if it's not too much trouble, perhaps you could hear out a suggestion?"

Sesshoumaru sneered and started walking again, his breathing slightly hoarse and rasping now, no longer quiet. His lips pressed together, trying to silence himself. It proved painful, and he quickly breathed through his mouth again.

Jaken tentatively continued; "your affliction is something ancient. I know little about it, but I do remember that it's possible to have it removed before it claims your life."

Sesshoumaru stopped, hands curling into fists. Claws scraped palms.

"That will not do, either," came his soft response.

"W-why ever not, milord?! This matter is potentially deadly to demons!"

Sesshoumaru stared ahead unseeingly. He knew of the affliction too. Had recognised what it was immediately. If he removed the flowering bud from within his chest, wiped away all evidence from her from his body, then he'd lose the very thing that had made him catch the illness in the first place.

His feelings for Kagome Higurashi.

"My reasons are my own," Sesshoumaru coughed behind his hand. "I will not die. Do not fuss over trivial matters, Jaken."

His retainer gaped, hurrying after him. Fierce worry painted his features. The infamous and deadly Hanahaki Curse could fell even the strongest of Daiyoukai.

---

It interfered with eating.

Sesshoumaru thankfully did not need to eat too often, but hunger inevitably gnawed its way into his gut. Transformed, he raced through the forest on all fours in a smaller version of his true form. Low-hanging branches lashed at his face. Forget-me-not flowers lodged in his throat conglomerated into a thick mass. They were practically a ball stuck at the back of his mouth. Sesshoumaru managed to ignore it just enough to track the scent of a deer- only to lose it and find a green pheasant within range.

Barely a snack, but it would do.

With a gurgling snarl, Sesshoumaru sprang at some bushes. Squawking with distress, the bird took flight- only to be caught in his jaws. Bringing sharp teeth down elicited a satisfying crunch. The taste of iron filled his parched mouth. Tilting his head back, Sesshoumaru had every intention of swallowing it whole. He'd done so before. The bird was small enough compared to his form. However, this quickly became impossible.

Red eyes widened. The flowers acted as a barrier, preventing food from travelling down his throat.

Spitting out the bird, Sesshoumaru tore into it. He tried again and again, breaking the kill into smaller pieces. He even tried drinking from the river to wash down the flowers. Nothing worked. No food could pass into his stomach.

With a low crooning noise that hissed out between his teeth, Sesshoumaru padded away from his uneaten kill with an agitated flick of his tail.

---

It affected his sleep next.

At his Stronghold in the Western lands, Sesshoumaru set aside his paperwork and retired to bed. Curling into a nest of furs, he stretched out long legs, sprawling on one side.

Only to feel a dull ache thrum from his ribs.

Wincing and setting a hand over the spot, Sesshoumaru frowned. He was unfamiliar with the sensation, however, Kagome had once whined and complained about 'pulling a muscle.' Perhaps the tight, clamping sensation echoed that pain. Deciding to roll over onto his opposite side- he abruptly burst into a coughing fit. The angle had upset his breathing, lungs protesting.

This vicious cycle continued long into the night. He tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable. Even laying still made him feel tense and pained. In the end, Sesshoumaru rose from his futon and began running.

Too tired to think, he transformed, relying on instinct to guide him. He whined softly; the ache spreading. He wheezed a little, breathing constrained despite being physically fit.

The inuyoukai sprinted to the outskirts of Kaede's village. Scenting the air, he caught a welcome fragrance on the breeze.

Mate.

Clearing the hillside with a single bound, Sesshoumaru shrank his form even further to that of a regular dog. Sniffing around the outside of a hut, fluffy ears perked. She was not home.

Where?

Following the invisible trail in the air, he padded around the village, passing by unseen by some villagers. Their lack of vigilance disgusted him. What lax security. Stopping at the Monk and Slayer's hut, he listened, hearing a soft humming from within. The sharp tang of blood, vomit, faeces and afterbirth caught his frayed attention.

The Slayer had been pregnant. From the sounds and smells of things, she had given birth and now slept while Kagome remained awake. He could pick up the faint fussing from a young babe.

Sesshoumaru stayed still, listening to the miko gently hum. Slowly, his body weakened, and the inuyoukai lay down outside the hut, resting a weary head atop large paws.

Something stirred from within, the rustle of covers. "Mn... are you alright? Want me to take over?"

"No, I'm fine," Kagome answered in a hushed tone. "He seems completely zonked out, little cutie-pie."

The Slayer paused, "your head. You said it was aching again earlier."

"Heh, Sango! You've just had another baby! Focus on yourself!" her lovely voice tinged with exasperation. "Really, everything is okay. It just hurts from time to time ever since that night with the boar youkai attack. It's no big deal."

"Prolonged headaches and amnesia does not fall under 'no big deal,' Kagome."

Laughing this off breezily, he could hear the shrug in her tone. "I just blank on a few things from the month prior to the attack. I'm sure it wasn't anything important."

Tired lids slid shut, and Sesshoumaru gained some sense of rest while imagining the woman within cradling a newborn pup instead of a gurgling infant. The two women talked some more, lulling him into a false sense of comfort even as his throat thrummed with continuous pain.

---

Breathing was a struggle.

Every inhale became a wheezing, quivering thing. Like crumpled paper that had been smoothed out and squashed too many times. Mucus constantly filled his mouth, senses clogged. His breathing ranged from laboured to a noisy, rasping thing.

He could no longer afford to visit the village. Sesshoumaru took to monitoring Rin from afar whenever he felt the need to check up on her. Needless to say, he avoided Kagome at all costs. The miko was an infamous busy body who would become a nightmare to deal with if she knew of his suffering.

Yes, that was the only reason.

However, on a random day he briefly let his guard down, the unthinkable happened.

Inuyasha found out.

If Sesshoumaru had comprised a list of all the beings he did NOT want to know about his affliction, Inuyasha would be right up there, along with his meddling mother.

Inuyasha stared, watching him with a complicated, horrified look on his gruff features. Shifting, Sesshoumaru stood from where he'd been knelt by a river.

Forget-me-nots floated downstream.

"... What the hell is wrong with you?" were the first words Inuyasha blurted out.

Sesshoumaru wiped his mouth, sneering. "I need not explain myself to you, whelp."

"Keh, if anything warrants a damn explanation, it's barfing up flowers."

He didn't need to hear anymore, turning with the intent to leave. No doubt the fool would talk nonsense, and he had no patience for such things with his current headache. His temples were pounding, throat parched.

"Why don't you just fucking tell her, you coward?"

That certainly caught his attention. Sesshoumaru halted. "What?" he croaked.

"Ya think I'm that ignorant, huh?" Inuyasha rolled his eyes, shoving both hands inside his sleeves. "I know."

"Know what, exactly," silken tones rasped. "You are but an ignorant pup. You were not raised within youkai circles, and so could not possibly understand."

"And whose fault is that?" shaking his head, Inuyasha huffed. "I dunno what crap you're yappin' on about, anyway. I'm talkin' about your secret relationship with Kagome that you had a couple of months ago."

Stiffening, Sesshoumaru felt his bones lock and throat inflame. He swallowed, wincing slightly. He flashed his teeth, "whatever you think you know, it is incorrect. A baseless assumption."

"Bullshit!"

Continuing to walk with every intention of escaping the pending conversation, he stopped dead the second Inuyasha opened his mouth; "I could smell you on her! But that all changed the second she hit her head. Did she forget you or something? You were happy to just abandon her after she stopped being useful for a good time?"

A deafening snarl upset his aching throat, ripping something inside. Blurring through the air impossibly fast, Sesshoumaru snatched up his sibling's throat and slammed him into a tree, causing the trunk to shudder.

"Silence," a blood-curdling rasp hissed out from clenched teeth like boiling steam. Crimson eyes glowed, claws itching to bury into the nuisance's windpipe.

Even while choking, Inuyasha managed to bark out a laugh, grasping a striped wrist. "You really do like her, huh? Never thought I'd see the day, bastard." White ears pulled back flat against his skull. "What's the deal? Just open your mouth and tell Kagome. Then I don't have to smell your pining ass all over the forest while you stalk her."

Burning embers were snuffed out. Sesshoumaru coughed, lifting a hand to his mouth. His shoulder thrummed, aching. "I cannot do that."

"Why not?"

"She does not remember," releasing him, the Daiyoukai stepped back. "The miko fell quite quickly for the male who rescued her that night. The fault lies with me that she sustained injury. If she is content with another, I cannot force her gaze to me."

It wasn't as though he hadn't tried. However, Kagome seemed happy with their relationship as friends. Guilt, stung pride and other such ugly emotions were all tied up with the incident.

Inuyasha blinked with disbelief, sizing him up. "When the fuck did you get so noble?" Sesshoumaru sneered, glancing away as his brother continued. "And anyway, what does that have to do with you coughing up flowers?"

Since he'd revealed more than intended as it was, Sesshoumaru felt no inclination to divulge extra information. He turned and this time; resolved not to stop walking. "Drop the subject, whelp."

"Maybe I'll tell Kagome about it."

Sesshoumaru did not falter, knowing the fool's game by now. "Do as you please," he dismissed in a wheezing, thin voice, stepping under the cool shade of weeping willow trees and leaving him behind.

---

He did not intend to revisit their old rendezvous point. Sesshoumaru had wanted to put it behind him, to let everything that had happened within the cave fade into obscurity.

The second he stepped foot within the mossy mouth of its opening, however, Kagome's lingering scent fanned over a striped cheek like a breathy exhale.

Long white lashes slid half shut. Hooded golden eyes became hazed. The memory of her salty, sweet taste wrapping around his tongue flooded his senses. Claws twitched, recalling the phantom sensation of full breasts falling into his palms as her back arched exquisitely. Her eyes had darkened into a lush, deep blue.

She'd been memorable, to say the least.

Walking further in, so that he stood fully submerged in their love-nest, Sesshoumaru basked in the illicit scents and breathy whispers he could remember caressing his hearing. It hadn't just been about sex. It never was with her.

Kagome had held his demonic hand without fear and stroked his cheek, murmuring ardently or giggling quietly. She told him things he hadn't thought he'd wanted to know before.

'You're nothing like your father' she'd said easily but with a conviction that made the ageless demon believe her. The notion should've been insulting. His sire had been unbeatable in strength, so of course he should wish to be like him.

Yet Sesshoumaru had never appreciated such compliments. He wished to be unique, bold, powerful, walking an entirely different path. Her words had been strangely welcome.

"And yet here I stand, Father," Sesshoumaru uttered to himself. In love with a mortal. Dying, because of a human woman of all things.

Just like you.

"Sesshoumaru?"

Golden eyes snapped wide open. A wave of elation, dread, guilt and longing washed over him. Every fibre of his being flared to life, muscles stiffening, heart racing. His lungs constricted.

Sesshoumaru swallowed a rasping breath, shifting to face the priestess.

Kagome crept closer, glancing around the cave curiously. "Was just in the forest to collect some things. I thought I sensed you close by. Looks like I was right. What are you doing in here?"

"Nothing," he said softly. His voice sounded fragile these days.

He could tell she was confused, radiating hurt. He hadn't visited in so long. No doubt she'd wondered why. The flowers buried within his windpipe felt heavier in her presence. He cleared his throat.

"Oh," Kagome scuffed a sandal over the dirt-covered floor. "Well... I'm glad I caught you-" she offered a tentative smile. "I've missed talking with you."

Sesshoumaru's insides screamed at him. The marks on his shoulder felt like blistering iron tongues being thrust into his flesh they wailed so loud.

Mate.

"I dunno what's kept you away," Kagome continued talking, making her way out of the cave. He followed, "but you haven't missed much. Rin is progressing nicely with her riding though. I'm not too shabby with that thin sword you gave me either, though Shinto says I need more practice."

That very sent icy needles piercing his skin. Stepping foot outside, Sesshoumaru couldn't stop the abrupt bite in his tone; "why are you here, miko?"

Kagome blinked and glanced at him over one shoulder. She then threaded her fingers behind her back, attention sliding away, voice unreadable.

"Shinto proposed to me."

Sesshoumaru stopped. A profound sense of loss rendered him breathless. He anticipated a coughing fit. Wheezing. Pain. But there was nothing, just him and Kagome standing alone in the silent woods. But she'd be beyond his reach for good soon.

He'd tried. He'd tried hard to forget, as she had. To push all the feelings and words right down from his throat into his chest. Maybe that was how the curse had started.

But he'd have kept the curse for good if it meant lingering in the 'almost' fantasy of them.

Now that illusion would shatter.

The very idea of her belonging to another felt like a wound somewhere inside him that he couldn't locate. The sensation of teeth on his shoulder thrummed, and he coughed, snuffing out the sound behind his hand.

"I didn't really know what to say," Kagome was muttering. "A part of me feels like it's too soon. I wanted to talk to you about it-"

"This one is needed elsewhere," he said in a clipped tone, turning on his heel.

He couldn't be her confidant anymore. Not about this.

"What?"

He began walking, trying to put distance between them. He should've known it wouldn't work as Kagome quickly caught up and planted herself firmly in his way, halting the demon.

"Okay, what is going on with you?" she demanded. "Is it the cough? Are you in so much pain that you can't talk to me?"

Sesshoumaru flashed his teeth in a faint sneer, throat protesting at the extended use of his vocal cords. "is it so unthinkable that for once, I may not have time for you, miko?"

"Yes," Kagome planted both hands on her hips. "Because this isn't an isolated thing. I've hardly seen you all month! And besides that, you're my friend, Sesshoumaru. Friends tell each other things. Remember how you talked about the court and how obnoxious General Kito was to deal with? Things like that. I need to talk to you about this- and clearly, you need to talk to someone about whatever's going on with you. I'm worried about you!"

His heart clenched, and Sesshoumaru bit back a hiss at the stab of pain it caused. Thin breathing rasped and rattled. He raised a hand, urging her aside via a gentle grasp on her shoulder to continue walking.

Kagome's grip was not so gentle as she latched onto his arm.

Frustration abruptly burst in his chest and Sesshoumaru snarled, whirling with the intent of spilling everything to her. Ruin their friendship. Burn everything they'd built and admit his failure to protect her-

-only to cough up a mouthful of blood onto her collarbone.

Kagome yelped in surprise, eyes wide. Touching the wet substance dazedly, horror paled her complexion. She looked up at him with palpable fear.

"S-Sesshoumaru?"

Humiliation stung white-hot and burning into his body. The visceral, blinding sensation of being exposed- of being seen- felt like too much. Too raw. As a demon unused to such things, his first instinct was to remove himself from the situation.

Sesshoumaru blurred away from her outstretched hands, putting the length of the clearing between them.

Kagome called his name again with alarm, asking him to wait, but he would not heed her call.

Taking to the skies, he flew fast and erratically, a wobbly figure. Coughing hard and feeling blood clog up his windpipe like mud, Sesshoumaru had no choice but to land not long after.

Within an overcast clearing upriver from Kagome, he steadied himself against a gnarled tree.

"Hah- hah-" he wheezed, doubling over and squeezing stinging eyes shut.

Something suddenly constricted tight around his lungs, around his very ribcage. Bones protested and ached. He gasped for breath, blood leaking from his open mouth to pool on the floor. Forget-me-nots mingled with it, petals stained red.

Jolting and snapping upright, Sesshoumaru arched his back, throwing back his head. A cry escaped him unlike any other. Loud, agonised and roaring in its ferocity tinged with pain.

Stems shot out from within his ribcage, tearing his chest asunder.

---

Her friends made noises of alarm at the sight of Kagome's bloodied clothes, but the miko ignored Sango and Miroku's questions, bypassing them in favour of finding and grabbing Jaken by the scruff of his robes.

"You're going to tell me in 10 words or less what the hell is going on with your lord," she demanded.

Jaken yelped and squinted, hanging from her hold. "Haven't the faintest idea of what you could be alluding to!" he sniffed.

Kagome snarled and bared her teeth, lifting him closer with a menacing expression and gesturing to the red substance marring her priestess robes. "This is HIS blood. He looked awful. Like- like he was dying, Jaken," her voice broke. "Please. I need to know what's happening. He won't tell me what's wrong and I'm scared."

Yellow eyes rounded wider, swallowing the imp's face. He appeared conflicted.

"Kagome!"

Releasing Jaken, Kagome shifted her attention to Inuyasha, who leapt towards her with alarm pinching his gruff features.

Dread dropped low in her stomach. That was never a good sign.

Distant snapping noises like wood being felled reached her ears. From behind the approaching Hanyou within the forest, large vines could be seen shifting and slithering over a portion of the trees.

"What is it?" Miroku gaped. "I sense a demonic aura, but it's distorted."

Kagome shuddered, feeling strange. She recognised that energy. Identified it as easy as breathing.

"Maybe a forest spirit has been disturbed?" Sango guessed, clutching her son a little more protectively.

"It ain't that," Inuyasha dropped from his jump, landing before them. He panted, white hair windswept. Of all people, his gaze landed upon the miko first. "It's Sesshoumaru."

----

Their way became blocked by a thick mass of vines crisscrossing through the forest. It created a wall, preventing any from entering.

"Lord Sesshoumaru must be further in," Miroku observed, leaning to inspect the leaves. "Beyond this 'barrier' I suppose you could call it."

"I wonder what could have happened," Kagome murmured, brows pulling together. "Sesshoumaru doesn't even have nature powers."

"Why on earth did you bring ME along for this?" a high pitched, nasally voice reached their ears. Sango and Inuyasha readily ignored it, while Kagome frowned down at the imp she held by the scruff of his robes.

"Because you're clearly hiding something, and until you come clean, I'm not letting you out of my sight."

His mouth thinned into a stubborn line, glancing away.

Kagome turned her attention back to the vines. Worry took root in her stomach. The memory of the Daiyoukai spitting up blood remained fresh in her mind, evidence of it staining her clothing and plastering it against her skin.

Handing Miroku their son, Sango went first. She swung Hiraikotsu with a seemingly effortless toss- the bone boomerang spiralling, cleaving trees in half but bouncing straight off the vine wall. It didn't so much as leave a dent.

Not wasting another moment, Inuyasha unsheathed Tetsusaiga. Everyone immediately gave him a wide berth, watching as he shook the sword out into a monstrous blade. He swung it back over one shoulder, feet planted far apart- delivering a swift blow downwards with a loud cry.

A burst of power shot out, heading straight for the vines. They made contact, and for a moment Kagome thought the consuming golden light might break through, only for it to fizzle out. The insurmountable wall remained intact.

Inuyasha tried again and again, using different techniques. None of them worked.

Nocking an arrow in her bow, Kagome took aim. Pale pink reiki split forth, coating the arrow while glowing ever more blinding until she set it free.

She held out hope as it shot through the vines, managing to burst through the dense foliage- which repaired itself almost immediately, covering up the hole.

"Nothing appears to be working," Miroku muttered, turning his friends. "Perhaps we should seek advice elsewhere first before trying to continue."

Her friend's voices faded into background noise as Kagome approached the vines. Frowning slightly, she stretched out her senses, using her aura to touch and brush against the barrier. It felt like him.

If that were the case, the wall was of Sesshoumaru's own making, whether he'd consciously chosen to hide away or not. Perhaps they were going about things the wrong way.

Thinking back to Maji and how carefully they'd run their linked hands down his neck, she raised a palm. Gradually easing closer, Kagome set it down gently onto the vines, stroking downwards.

Hearing outcries of alarm as the greenery parted, only for swirling stems to curl about her shoulders- Kagome quickly grabbed Jaken.

"It's okay, guys. Just find a way to follow me in later," she met their startled gazes. "I feel like I need to reach him quickly."

"Kagome, wait!"

Ignoring their protests, Kagome lept into the fray. She welcomed the green vines that wrapped around her, enclosing the miko and wailing kappa securely behind its wall.

---

Mercifully the winding tendrils of vines that moved as though infused with a will of their own allowed her freedom of movement. Kagome climbed through their moving, twisting stems, occasionally losing her footing and having to grasp hold of some.

"Again, I ask; WHY ARE YOU BRINGING ME ALONG WITH YOU?!" Jaken shrieked, clinging to her back and looking around fretfully.

"You know the answer to that. Tell me what you know about Sesshoumaru's situation and I'll let you go," Kagome hummed, shielding her eyes and looking up at sprawling branches above where sunlight streamed through. Maybe she could punt him over the treetops.

"I have sworn not to break my vow of silence on the matter!"

Grinding her teeth, Kagome stopped and reached over her shoulder, tearing him from her back to frown at him. "If your silence ends up hurting him, is it even worth it? Which means more to you; Sesshoumaru's trust or his life?"

Jaken clamped up, thinking about this for a moment. His eyes abruptly filled with tears, "fine! But you had best save me from his wrath once this is over."

Kagome grinned and patted him on the head, continuing to walk. "I promise."

He huffed, "Lord Sesshoumaru is suffering from a curse."

Blue eyes widened, and Kagome set Jaken over her shoulder like she would Shippo. He did not appreciate the gesture as the kit would while she minded swirling vines aside from their path and ducked through. "What kind of curse?"

"How much do you know about youkai mates, foolish mortal?"

At that, she tilted her head, noticing a blue flowering bud among the vines and gently touching it in passing. "Very little. I know they're like married couples. They, uh... make love and bite each other instead of having a wedding ceremony and stuff. That about sum it up?"

"Insolent girl!" Jaken griped, noticing the bud she touched opening up into a flower behind them. "It is far more than that! Their energies synchronise, aura's linking. However, it's quite imperative they both bite one another."

"Or else the mating is incomplete? What's so bad about that?"

"The partner that was bitten will consider them mated and suffer a one-sided attachment. This isn't so terrible if they have the bite mark healed and lose their troublesome feelings towards their mate," he continued with a self-important air. Kagome didn't mind it if it meant getting answers. "But... if they choose to linger in longing and are prevented from completing the mating, then their energies become distorted! Their youki takes on a life of its own as flowers."

"That's what these vines are," Kagome mused. She shifted, a strange, unsettled feeling churning in her gut. "You're implying someone bit Sesshoumaru? He'd never allow someone to do that if he didn't want it- let alone not reciprocate. Besides, if he could remove it, he'd have surely done so."

"I agree this situation is unprecedented! Unthinkable! Besides that, ANY partner resisting Lord Sesshoumaru's advances is unworthy of being his mate! AH-!"

Kagome jolted, feeling a weight lift from her back. Glancing over her shoulder, she gaped and strained to reach Jaken. Vines had wrapped tight around his mid-section, lifting him away.

"Hang on!" she shimmied her bow off her arm, quickly taking aim. Releasing the arrow, she watched as it hit the mark, sailing through a vine and breaking it in two. Jaken yelped, falling, only to be caught by another vine that continued dragging him back the way they'd come.

"J-just leave me!" he wailed. "Go save Lord Sesshoumaru!"

Kagome blinked, strangely touched. Nodding with conviction, she turned and hurriedly continued to make her way through the dense foliage.

---

Her breath caught the second she caught sight of the flowers.

Forget-me-nots littered the area, becoming more frequent the further in she ventured. Soon she practically waded through a sea of blue petals. They hugged trees, peppering logs, the ground beneath her feet, even climbing above to hang from branches. The vast mass of familiar flowers eventually opened out into a huge clearing packed full of them.

And there, at the centre of it all, Kagome finally saw him.

Vines had burst his chest open, putting quivering lungs on full display. To her horror, she witnessed them expanding and deflating with each struggling, wheezing breath. His ribcage had been repurposed for a vase of flowers. Vibrant blue forget-me-nots poked out between his ribs, green stems tightly wrapped around his bones, constricting.

Sesshoumaru's body lay tilted back, face turned upwards to the sky. Glassy eyes were vacant, blood caking his chin. His armour and hankimono lay shattered and torn on the ground. Around him, the stems that had spilt forth from his gut propped up his lifeless form, clearly part of the mass of greenery that had hindered her approach. Kagome covered her mouth, hand shaking. Tears pricked her eyes. Blue veins visibly spread over his flesh, causing her to wonder if the stems had buried beneath his very skin.

This was not Sesshoumaru. It couldn't be.

Choking on nothing, Kagome hurried closer with a thin noise. Reaching his motionless form, her hands hovered uselessly over his decimated chest. She didn't know where to start. How could she even help him?

"Who did this to you?" her voice wobbled. Stinging eyes misted over, running over his body. He looked like a corpse that had been picked clean by crows. His moving lungs moving were the only indication he was even alive.

"Sesshoumaru- I don't know if you can hear me," Kagome tried, reaching out and touching his cheek. It shocked her skin, icy to the touch. "But please- let go of the person who caused this," she said, locating what she assumed was the mating mark upon his shoulder. "No one is worth dying over. You could start over with your mate. Ask them out- anything!" she shuddered, looking at the flowers poking out from his ribs.

"Just don't die! This isn't like you!" Kagome snapped, tears rolling hotly down her cheeks to slide free from her chin. "Fight this! Keep living. T-there's still so much I want to talk to you about."

The tears landed upon pretty blue petals.

Leaning against him slightly, Kagome sobbed. She wondered if she could just reach out and rip the awful things free from inside his chest.

Why Forget-me-nots, anyway? Why not another flower-

The mating mark halted her hand, fingers brushing the stems. It didn't look like an animal bite, nor did it belong to a demon.

Kagome's eyes slowly widened. She had a distinct tooth at the back of her mouth.

The tooth marks looked like a perfect mould of her teeth.

"Was it...me?" she breathed, glancing up at Sesshoumaru's features dazedly. "Those blank spots in my memory. Was I... with you?"

The puzzle pieces slotted into place perfectly. Kagome stared, feeling like a fool for having not noticed. She'd just thought, assumed- he would never look at her like that.

But if the miko cast her memory back and pictured Sesshoumaru's lovely features, his honeyed gaze resting upon her face, half-lidded, lips quirked, face soft and drinking her in- maybe he had been looking at her 'like that' the whole time.

Kagome shook her head, feeling frantic. She latched onto his shoulders.

"I-I'm so sorry. I'm sorry! I never meant for this to happen. Why didn't you bite me? Why didn't you TELL me, you stupid demon!" she snapped, cheeks reddening as a fresh wave of tears stung her eyes. "All that time we spent together goofing off and talking- and you were suffering in silence? You're so stupid, Sesshoumaru!"

His anguished face did not stir. Kagome mindlessly wiped away the dried blood from his chin with shaky fingers.

"There's no taking this back now," she said quietly, glancing at the bite mark. "So... I guess there's only one thing for it."

It sounded terrible, but Shinto was far from her mind as she lay a hand over her mating mark and began concentrating. When resolving to save someone, Kagome became bullheaded. Sesshoumaru was all she could see as her aura rose out from her body, seeping into his bloodstream via the bite marks.

"You need to wake up," she mumbled, using her free hand to adjust the parting of her white kosode. Sliding it off one shoulder to bare her flesh, Kagome remained heedless of the vines growing and curling around them. They seeped into her ebony hair, twining into the long locks like a lover's hands.

Kagome straddled the Daiyoukai, shuddering a little at being so close to his bare bones. She couldn't have sex with him, obviously, but she suspected it wasn't truly needed to complete the bond. Feeding her energy into his body, she bit her bottom lip. Sweat beaded on her brow.

She began to mumble and pray under her breath.

When her spiritual energy had spread through most his system, Kagome grit her teeth and hoped he'd forgive her. Laying one hand atop his rib-cage directly over his heart, she raised her voice.

"Wake up!"

A pulse of reiki shot out through her palm.

Sesshoumaru jerked beneath her. A ghastly, chocking noise escaped him. His head lolled to the side as he looked at her unseeingly, a trickle of blood welling from the corner of his pale mouth. Kagome quickly wrapped an arm around him, guiding his head to her shoulder.

"Bite down, Sesshoumaru," Kagome whispered fiercely into his ear.

Sharp canines brushed her skin, causing a shiver. Wet flecks of blood accompanied it as he coughed. Whimpering with desperation, the miko curled trembling fingers into silver hair. She pressed a kiss against his cheek.

"Please- I want this." She'd do anything to save him. Besides that, a small, buried part of her felt strangely at peace with the action and its meaning. "Bite down!"

A blood-curdling snarl vibrated out from his open chest. Fangs sank deep into her shoulder. At once, dark, dominating youki burst through her system like a shot of adrenaline. Kagome gasped, back arching. It turned her heart into a burning star. Sesshoumaru's presence filled her until she practically burst at the seams. She distantly understood why youkai had sex before biting each other, reeling from it. The orgasm probably softened the intensity. Completion was something the mind could fathom, a release, the pooling of cum inside her.

This felt overwhelming. He was everywhere. His energy burned and licked, igniting and soothing her body like burning whisky.

Kagome felt the pinpricks of fresh tears in her eyes, overcome with a hurricane of emotions she couldn't quite name. She could feel his weakness. His exhaustion. The part of him tethered to her became a lifeline between them, feeding him the energy he'd lost.

Sesshoumaru's mouth peeled back from her flesh. He panted, sinking back. Kagome caught him about the shoulders, cradling him close.

A wave of tiredness sent her sinking down against him, lashes falling shut as dizziness spun her vision.

The last thing she saw before surrendering to the lure of unconsciousness was a canopy of Forget-me-nots surrounding their weary bodies.

----

Drowsy lids slowly cracked open- wincing at the setting sun's harsh orange light peeking out from between the trees. Golden eyes averted and Sesshoumaru stirred with a dusty rumble.

Something heavy lay over his bare chest. He lifted his head.

Kagome rested against his shoulder, dark hair spilling everywhere. Sesshoumaru stared, feeling he must be dreaming. They were laying within a clearing together, which looked clear, quiet and picturesque.

Squinting, he sat up, adjusting the woman against him. Kagome sank against his side, revealing a gaping hole in his flesh, exposing his rib-cage.

Ah, that's right.

The flowers. The vines spilling forth from his chest as blood asphyxiated him, making breathing impossible.

And Kagome...

The miko had come for him. Saved him.

Sesshoumaru ghosted stiff fingers over his mouth, dragging clawed nails down to the fresh bite mark branding his shoulder. He then shifted Kagome, running an aristocratic nose to similar marks adorning her shoulder- a tongue sliding out to drag over bloodied flesh. She tasted wonderful.

Kagome groaned and wrapped her arms around him tighter, burying her face in the juncture between his neck and shoulder.

Closing his eyes, Sesshoumaru held her close and revelled in the sensation. However, he soon picked up on the far off shimmer of his barrier enclosing them within their mini safe space. He could sense Inuyasha waiting outside, along with Jaken.

Deciding to lower it, Sesshoumaru rested his lips against the crown of Kagome's head before drawing himself up to stand unsteadily, lifting her into his arms.

When Inuyasha burst into the clearing, leaves scattering and clinging to his thick white hair, he brandished Tetsusaiga, only to lower it with a raised brow.

Sesshoumaru stood clad in his hakama pants, arching a regal brow in return. He approached the hanyou and passed Kagome over wordlessly, ignoring his noise of surprise at the sight of his ribcage.

"It is healing," the demon dismissed.

"Uh, alright," Inuyasha grunted, supporting Kagome. "Should I even ask what the hell happened?"

Sesshoumaru ignored him in favour of looking at the miko. His shoulder ached, and when he drew back his heel with the intention to leave- a fresh wave of discomfort elicited a wince.

Kagome stirred, blue eyes blinking open. She then drew a hand out towards him, "where are you going?"

"This one is..." he trailed off. "I must..."

"No, you don't," she murmured. Patting Inuyasha's shoulder to prompt him to set her down, Kagome flashed her friend a smile. "Thanks for coming for me, but I need to stay with this impossible guy to make sure he heals alright."

Inuyasha eyed the bite mark on her shoulder, nostrils flaring. "You sure?"

Kagome nodded firmly.

"What do ya want me to tell Shinto if he asks where ya are?"

Guilt passed over her face, and blue eyes flicked away, before finding him again. "Just say I'm visiting another village. I need to tell him the truth myself."

Relenting, Inuyasha stepped away, shooting Sesshoumaru a warning look before reluctantly leaving them be again, feeling like the wind had been thoroughly knocked out of his sails.

The Daiyoukai watched her, stunned.

"It's crazy you're even up and walking around in your condition," Kagome rubbed at her forehead, reaching out and seizing frozen fingers. "Come on, let's find a cave to take shelter in for the night."

----

The demon lord stopped and slid unrelenting attention down to her once they reached the mouth of a cave. "What made you choose this place?"

"I dunno, it wasn't far away and it felt familiar," Kagome hummed, meeting his gaze. "Have we... used it before? In the past?"

Golden eyes cracked wider. "You remember?" he asked in a quiet, brittle tone.

She shook her head, "not at all. I just figured it out. Would've been nice if you'd told me," releasing his hand, she wandered inside, finding a bed of furs awaiting them further in, cracks of sunlight streaming in through holes in the rock ceiling. Her cheeks reddened a little, imagination running wild.

"You really scared me back there," she murmured, back turned to him. "I thought you were going to die."

"That is why you completed the mating," Sesshoumaru uttered. To save him, and for no other reason.

A part of him had hoped she'd remembered, but another had immediately recognised the sacrifice she'd made. Kagome was a selfless individual in the face of danger. If Inuyasha were dying, or any of her other friends, he wondered if she'd mate them if it meant saving their lives.

With a benevolence he did not truly feel, Sesshoumaru forced himself to prioritise her comfort. "If this is not something you wish for- there are ways of severing the bond."

"Stop," she grit out, whirling to face him. Flinty blue eyes took his breath away. "Stop lying all the time. I remember valuing your company and opinion because you were always so blunt with me. You never held back your opinions."

"I am not lying, there is a way to sever it."

"But that's not what you want! Damn it- you nearly died because you couldn't open your mouth! Just be honest for once and tell me how you're feeling, Sesshoumaru. What do YOU want?"

Energy lashed at the air, kicking up a breeze that caused dark hair to fly back. Hands closed over the back of her neck, cradling her skull. Lips were shoved against hers, smothering startled breath.

"You," Sesshoumaru breathed in a brief parting, kissing her fiercely again. His mouth slanted ardently over hers, the hint of a fang brushing her lips. "Is it not obvious I cannot abide anything but having you? Foolish woman, it is for your sake I held back. Once you submit, there is no escaping me."

Kagome gaped, unable to keep up with the sheer amount of heated kisses. Her hands settled over his arms, heat igniting her cheeks. She'd never received a kiss like it before and tentatively returned it. A small gasp and accompanying noise from him only confirmed to her how much he wanted it. She could feel the tension in his frame. He was holding back even now.

When he pulled away, she panted, thumb dragging over magenta cheek stripes. "Didn't that feel so much better than burying everything?" she teased weakly. "Even if I'd rejected you, surely that would've been better than regret- than nearly dying."

Sesshoumaru's gaze slid away. He then released a long sigh, clawed hands curling in her hair. "You seemed happy with the mercenary."

"Ex-mercenary," she corrected out of habit, leaning into his touch. "And I was. I like him. But..." Kagome looked at him. Really looked, and somehow it clicked that his face was the only one she wanted to wake up to in the mornings to follow. When had things gotten to that point? Had she wanted this while lazing on the riverbank with him so long ago? Things would've been so much more simple if she'd identified it sooner. If he'd said something.

How foolish they both were.

Stepping closer, she blushed and tilting her head back in order to ghost her lips over a firm jaw. "I like you more."

Power sparked her insides at the ensuing shudder he gave. "Mating entails more than 'liking' one another, miko. Can you deal with my extended company? Being mine?"

Kagome pretended to consider this. "For how long?"

His lips quirked. "Centuries. Possibly thousands of years."

"That's a long time," her eyes danced. "I guess I'm okay with that if you work on your communication skills."

He inclined his head gravely, dipping his nose into her hair and inhaling a lungful. It felt so good to have clear airways again.

"Sesshoumaru, there is something I want to ask you about; Why didn't you bite me? And what happened during that night I lost my memories?"

"I intended to, miko," he said with dark promise. Displeasure curled his lip. "You managed to bite me during climax. I do not think you understood the ramifications of it at the time. I would have reciprocated nonetheless. Unfortunately, my senses- brilliant as they are- sensed a disturbance in the forest. A herd of boar youkai were bolting towards your precious village."

He could scowl all he wanted about it, but Kagome knew of his attachment to Rin. No doubt they'd both wasted no further time in lovemaking and quickly made for the village.

"We fought them, tried to redirect them. You asked me to save a boy that had fallen during the village's impromptu evacuation. Naturally, I did so- but it meant leaving you alone."

Kagome winced. Her hand found the back of her head, remembering waking to a sizable bump and stitches. "They got me, huh?"

"One struck you down," Sesshoumaru uttered with a weary tone. "I did not know where you were, as we had become separated in the chaos. When I eventually found you... the mercenary was nursing your wounds."

"I remember," she said gently. A stab of sympathy clenched her heart. Stroking a hand down his bicep, she sighed. "That must've been awful, to lose me so soon after almost completing the mating. I didn't realise, didn't recall our relationship. I greeted you so casually and didn't get why you were lingering around in his hut."

"The fault is not yours," Sesshoumaru rested large hands possessively on her hips.

Kagome glanced at him, squinting. "Neither is it yours," she pressed her fingers to his lips when he opened his mouth. "Nope! Not yours. I wouldn't have wanted you to prioritise guarding me that night. If you had, that boy you saved might've lost his life. Besides, I can usually take care of myself. They caught me on a bad day."

The two fell into silence. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, resting thin lips against the crown of her head while Kagome leaned carefully against him.

"I find it weird that we've had a whole conversation while you have a massive hole in your chest. At least I can't see your whole ribcage like before. Seems like the skin and muscle are repairing," she mumbled.

"It will heal quickly," he dismissed, palms gliding over her back.

Kagome made a soft noise, basking in his warmth. "It's also weird that this feels so natural to me," she lifted her head, catching his eye. "I might not remember us. Ever. So just... promise me you won't search for my past self in me. I've been through that before."

He swept her down into the furs, covering her form with his own. "Hn, we will live in the present."

Heat flushed her cheeks as she sank into the soft, comforting furs. Her heart fluttered, stomach jumping. "Thank you."

A silver curtain of hair blocked out their surroundings as Kagome pulled him closer, both mindful of his injury. She smiled, searching his gaze and slowly delivering a sweet kiss to his lips.

Sesshoumaru let out a long sigh of relief, their foreheads meeting.

"Hey, on the bright side..." Kagome gave him a cheeky grin. "I get to experience my 'first time' with you again."

Astonishment painted his features. A simmering, darkly satisfied look soon replaced it, transforming his face into something more raw and honest. Kagome accepted his anticipation, his hunger, not dissuading him from it. She endeavoured to encourage even more displays of emotion from him.

"You don't need to hold back," she murmured, accepting his searing kiss. "Tell me everything you've wanted to say to me since losing my memory. I don't mind."

Their energies twined once more, and the miko hooked her leg over his hip to anchor him against her without any seductive intentions. She merely wanted him close, and Sesshoumaru did not argue, burying closer to her the second he healed. Skin met skin, noses brushing.

In the hush that followed, Sesshoumaru took his lips to her ear and began talking.

End

[spice-chan]

I Wish

Tags : @sacro---sainte @pixxiesdust @ererokii @etegomanere​

Word count : 7 k 

pairings : Kirishima x reader  previous Bakugou x reader  

You were kicked out of Bakugo’s majestic and overrated castle. That’s fine, you find your footing somewhere better, and build a future anew with a handsome, shark toothed dragon.

warnings : angst, implied violence, mentions of slavery ( very brief), eventual happy ending. 

…...…….. 

Bakugou has had this thought for a while. A thought that plagued him whenever he laid in bed with you, whenever he strolled in his lavish gardens with you in the dim hours of the night.

This shouldn’t last.

Even as he reluctantly relents to your requests to meet up, spend time together, this thought plagues him. He was a king, and you were not royal, not even of rich descent. You were just...you. He was an ambitious king with plans for generations to come, enhanced senses and powers, a genius among geniuses. You were just a scholar who happened to intrigue him. Who got too close for comfort.

Bakugou, who’s mind was usually logical and unclouded, was seeing the world through rose coloured lenses.

A rabbit, with nothing on her name, and him.

But this was no fairytale, the struggle will just be ripping the bandaid off. Bakugou knows it will sting, but it will fade away with time, just like those ridiculous feelings.

“What is this about ?” You asked vehemently, trying to reason yourself out of thinking that this is true, willing yourself to believe in him.

“It’s exactly what you think.” Bakugou replied carelessly. Apathetically.

It’ll be just like ripping a bandaid off.

So why did it feel like a blue flames’ burn ?

Why did it sting like a snake’s bite ?

Time will tell, but until then, fake it till you make it. Maybe the apathy his face shows will eventually become all that he feels for you.

You just stared at him in disbelief, bottom lip quivering, eyebrows furrowing in a pained glare, sight getting blurrier.

You wanted him to tell you it’s a joke, that you’re the one that he wants to spend the rest of his life with, not a pompous, rich princess from a fairytale like kingdom. You wished he’d take you into his arms and tease you that you ‘liked him that much huh ?’

He rolled his eyes.

You wished he’d express his melancholy at parting ways with you. You wished he’d give you half hearted reasons why he’s marrying someone else. You clung to the hope that he’d lie to you, but he’d done enough lying. He broke every single promise he made to you. Still, you clung to the hope like a tiny child clings to the side of the pool, afraid of the traitorous waters.

“While you’re at it, pack your shitty things and leave, I don’t want to see you here anymore.” He ordered, moving to grab his writing quill and paper.

Writing away as if you didn’t exist.

You wished, but wishes don’t always come true. Your future with him was going to be one of those wishes, made to wither away with time.

You didn’t offer him any words of heart break, he wished you’d at least shout at him, maybe that way he’d hear your voice one last time.

No, the only thing he heard was your footsteps padding away, not even stomping, just softly enough that if his pen fell if would deafen him to the sound of you walking away.

The clock ticked, his door opened. The bandaid ripped.

And you left. 

You walked aimlessly on an unfamiliar path. Your eyes looked cold, dead, their bright glow lost along with the faint yellow light in the sky. The grass crunched beneath your feet, and the trees were growing ominously large, their spine looming over you.

But you continued walking, aimlessly, and without direction. But that was the last thing that plagued your mind.

He broke up with you, he kicked you out, without hesitation. You didn’t shed a tear, but you knew the dam was going to burst.

It was your fault for having naive expectations, he was a king after all, and who were you ? A nobody compared to him.

You were probably just a distraction, seeing as he didn’t seem to have a hair out of place when he told you to leave.

You just thought he was above arranged marriages, that he was capable of keeping his kingdom solid without the aid of another. But you supposed the deal wasn’t half bad.

While you were lost in your head, you didn’t notice the camouflaged figures that began to appear around you, slowly forming a caging circle.

A hand clamped around your mouth, silencing your shrieks, while your eyes widened in fright.

You attempted to pry his filthy hands off you, your muffled shouting and crying ringing out with an echo throughout the deadly forest. That is, until the frog like man around you started to laugh, mocking how easy it was to “capture a bunny that will bring them thousands”. You dreaded the implication of their words.

You writhed in futile effort to get away, but your efforts were rewarded when you heard a growl a few feet away. A growl that certainly doesn’t belong to anyone here.

Your eyes glistened in uncertain hope, turning your eyes to look at the approaching stranger.

Now that he was closer, you could clearly see that he was a dragon, his shark like teeth bared threateningly at the man around you, his tall and buff figure dwarfing the strangers around you.

“What are you trying to do to her ?” He questioned, his red eyes holding a bloody promise. Some wouldn’t bother for a mere stranger, but Kirishima wasn’t some. When he heard cackles and distorted crying, he hoped his keen ears were deceiving him, but his eyes testified.

“Nothing, move along.” Spoke the ‘leader’, who kept his hands around your mouth, his bravado was crumpling though, his hands were growing lax, but he still tried to keep the situation in his favor. Futile effort.

You shook your head desperately, your eyes bleeding his, watching them turn grim.

He closed his eyes and sighed.

“Close your eyes, you might not wanna see this!” He suggested way too cheerfully, giving you another look at his dragon teeth.

Nevertheless, you heeded his advice, closing your eyes tightly, the darkness slightly comforting, however, the loss of sight amplified your other senses, and you were once again painfully aware of the grimy hand pressed against your mouth.

With your eyes shut, you missed Kirishima’s throat turning red as he conjured fire, the blistering rage leaving his throat and burning  the man holding you. You quickly moved away when the hand left your mouth, but kept your eyes closed when you heard a painful screech. The fire of a dragon being the purest and most potent of its kind quickly transformed the man to ash.

You opened your eyes to see the remains of the man flying around the forest, disappearing into nothing along with his presence. By that point, the circle that previously surrounded you was obsolete, the cowards having fled to save their life.

You felt sick, having never witnessed something like this before, but you eased the guilt by reminding yourself that this man was going to sell you, make you a slave for some perverted and cruel old owner. Maybe even put you in a brothel with no escape. You should have been more careful, but now the lesson was seared in your head.

You could remember the barbaric laughs that rung all around you, finding humor in stealing your life, your future. They thought your struggle for freedom was comical.

They deserve to die, you bet they caused many others to wish they could. The life of slavery was a hard, inescapable one. The life of sex slaves even more so.

They deserve to die.

They do.

But that doesn’t stop your stomach from churning painfully, for your mind to keep replying the events in a loop, making you feel lower then dirt, even if you shouldn’t.

You felt nauseous.

You saw the dragon approach carefully, and despite your sickened state, you willed yourself to look at him.

“Thank you for helping me.” You said, giving him the best grateful tone you could muster.

It felt like an invisible weight was lifted from your shoulders when you saw him smile, but the sharpness of his teeth still served as a reminder of what he’s capable off.

He approached you slowly, tentatively, as if scared you might suddenly flee. Being a former knight, he was well trained into how to use his fire powers and such, so he made sure not to hurt you, but he was sure that something like that might be traumatizing for you, but it was the fastest way to ensure your safety.

When he stopped in front of you, you could clearly see his intimidating height, he towered over you, but it was hard to find him scary with that smile he sported.

“Hey, I’m sorry about that, are you ok ?” He questioned in a low voice, attempting not to sound intimidating. He visibly exhaled when he saw you nod.

“What are you doing here at night all alone ? Are you trying to reach the town ? I can escort you there.” He tried to berate you for your carelessness, but he saw how shaken you looked, so toned he down the scolding. He saw how the soft rabbit ears you had were droopy, the fluffy appendages signifying your mood.

“I don’t know where I’m going.” You confessed.

A minute passed, carrying the ongoing silence with it as you nervously fidgeted.

“Huh ?” Came the dragon’s dumbfounded response.

You lifted your head, your eyes looking up at him blankly.

“You heard me.” Came your brisk reply.

Kirishima furrowed his brows, trying to formulate a reply that wouldn’t offend you or worsen your state, but the frown on his lips showed how much progress he was making in that regard.

A chilly breeze swept past the area, making you feel frozen, even your bones felt iced. The forest was suddenly wider then ever, and you were suddenly just alone as you had been when you were 7. The moon shone, but it didn’t provide any light.

Your throat felt clogged, you tried to snap your self out of it, to say you were ‘fine’, and that ‘yes, I am going to town’. But the words wouldn’t come out, the lies refused to leave your lips.

Because no, you weren’t alright, the man you loved, the man you helped win wars, the one you woke up every morning wondering what the day held for the two of you, the one you sometimes spent leisurely nights with, planning your future, and making promises to love faithfully despite his flaws; is marrying someone else.

He said he doesn’t care that you aren’t royal, told you to stop pestering yourself with  those troublesome thoughts, because he belongs to you and only you. But he lied, he strung you along, then told you to leave. Callously showed you the truth in a letter he wrote accepting to marry a princess from a prosperous land.

It felt like the weight of the world was sitting on your heart, crushing the already bruised organ.

A breeze came by again, but your face felt especially cold. You lifted a hand up, softly touching your face and feeling wetness coating it.

Oh... you were crying.

A hand clasped your shoulder, squeezing assuringly. He more or less got the picture.

“Let it out, it’s ok.” He said. You felt overwhelmed by the kindness of a complete stranger, and -

the dam broke.

Your shoulders shook violently, tears streamed down your face in endless waves, and just when a wave crashed against the shore, another, more powerful one replaced it.

The man enveloped you in a hug, his warmth cocooning you tightly, making the looming trees seem shorter and meeker, and the biting wind a little less cold. You stained his clothes, but whenever you tried to force yourself to talk amidst your tears, to apologize to him, to thank him, he would shush you and tell you to talk later.

Eventually, the onslaught of tears died down to harmless hiccups. Even tears were turbulent, and emotions were sometimes out of control, but the warmth of a complete stranger anchored you.

And when the hiccups stopped, you had a feeling that the everything will be alright.

.....

“- and he told me to leave and never show him my face again.” You finished with red rimmed eyes. The man, who you learned was called Kirishima, nodded in understanding, but his eyes help a solemn anger towards that pompous jackass. Your heart hardened at the memory of your ex lover, remembering his emotionless face as told you to read it. Knives stabbed into your heart as you remembered the words of his letter, how willing he was to set himself a wedding date even though you were the one that always stood by him and offered him endless support and love.

You ground your teeth in frustration, anger taking root where the sadness festered. But the ambers of the fire illuminating the rubies in front of you smoothened it out.

“He reeks of douchebag, totally unmanly. You’re better off without him.” Kirishima said, nodding to himself in agreement.

It was beyond his imagination how someone could not only do that, but take your home away from you for his own convenience.

“Do you have a place to stay ?”

You sighed, shaking your head. You had no one. He knew you had no one. Nowhere.

“That’s fine ! You can stay in my cave with me, I’d love some company !” He exclaimed cheerfully, trying to put you at ease. Truthfully, he really didn’t mind the company. After he quit being a knight to indulge in his natural instincts, he found an uninhabited cave, as mature dragons often do, and begun hoarding in it. The cave is meant to eventually be their own family home until the hatchlings reached a mature age and moved to their own caves.

Kirishima was trying to memorize how to get to his cave by foot, and he was glad he chose today, otherwise he didn’t want to think about what could have happened to you. You seemed like a really nice person, and regardless, nobody deserves to be taken advantage of.

He didn’t know where this sense of protectiveness came from, it could be his knight instincts making a reappearance, but he didn’t want you to get hurt at all.

He could help you get back on your feet, after all, there’s nothing that Kirishima loves more then seeing people smile in true happiness, and he has yet to see yours. He somehow felt sure it will be enchanting. But you were frowning now and looking all mopey and sad so he can’t tell.

“Would you like me to shish kebab something for you ? Food always helps me ! I can shish kebab a deer or a chicken, or a rab- no thats cannibalism for you right ? Uhh I can roast some carrots !” He rambled, watching as your stare got more and more weirded out. He started to feel self deprecating knowing he probably made you feel worse.

You laughed at his attempt to cheer you up, your mood lightening up by his intentions alone. You saw him go quiet and thought you’d better talk before he thought he weirded you out.

“You know what, I think I did bring some comfort carrots with me.” You said, reaching for your bag and pulling out some peeled carrots in a container. You gave the container to him, trying to muster a smile, although it probably looked awkward.

He seemed to brighten up, his dragon teeth making a reappearance as he grinned at you while enthusiastically taking the carrots from  you.

“You can shish kebab the carrots, or whatever it is.” You said awkwardly, having never paid attention to those foods before.

He pulled out some stickes from his own bag, sticking it in the middle of the carrot so he can roast them comfortably.

Rabbit food, but he was too tired and cautious to haunt.

The carrots were clumsily made, but they tasted sweet after the roast, Kirishima appreciated the taste, although he still wanted meat. You, on the other hand, had your comfort food, but it felt like sandpaper as your mind kept replying the events of the day. Just yesterday, you felt like you had the world in your palm.

Everything passed by in a blur, you finished eating and then started walking, because sleeping here in dangerous.

You could see a faint trickle of light as the previously black sky begun turning into navy blue, and only then did you arrive to his cave. The cave that looked so high to seemed to be touching the clouds.

“If you tell me we are climbing that I’m going back to the forest.”

“Whaaat ?! No, no, I’ll fly us up there no problem !” He declared making your eyes widen in fright.

“No what the heck ?!  You’ll destroy the trees !” You exclaimed in shock, unable to believe he’d be so willing to shift here and damage the beautiful trees.

His eyes widened, he shook his head rapidly while he rushed to explain “No ! I can semi transform, don’t worry.”

Your mouth formed an ‘o’ shape, suddenly seeing Kirishima in a new light. It takes an extreme amount of practice and mastery for a dragon shifter to do that. God, you really hope he doesn’t kidnap you. Maybe this was unwise, but you really wanted to sleep, and the streets were just as dangerous for all you know.

Kirishima impressively sprouted wings from his back, two horns grew on his forehead, and his skin pigmentation turning red, a clue to his dragon colour.

He carried you and flew up to his cave in ease, enjoying the familiar rush of air as he soured up to the sky, and the warm comfort of being back to his abode.

He saw the wonder in your pretty eyes as you took in the place, your eyes lingering on his massive hoard, whipping your face to him as you pointed a finger in its direction.

“You gathered all that ?!” You asked, making Kirishima puff up his chest proudly, who nodded at your question. Said hoard contained jewels unseen by the eyes of many in their lifetimes. It contained gold, rubies, emeralds, hand carved rings and hand made necklaces. Among many others.

Immeasurable to the untrained eye, but Kirishima knew everything about his hoard, down to the most minuscule jewels, because a dragons hoard is a sacred thing, a part of them, one could say.

But while every piece is cherished, one is irreplaceable. Kirishima walks over to his hoard, digging seemingly aimlessly, until he pulls out a golden ring with a ruby jewel incrusted in the middle, the first handmade jewel made by him, and the heart of his hoard. Without it, Kirishima would go crazy.

The ruby, which still shone immaculately, was his birth jewel given to him by his father.

He put it own, suddenly feeling content and safer with the weight of the familiar ring on his finger.

You looked on curiously, thinking that the red of the ruby complemented him pretty well, it brought the colour of his eyes out.

“It’s very pretty, did you make it ?” You questioned, peering at him inquisitively.

He nodded vigorously, moving his hand unconsciously to let you admire his ring better.

“I made all of those”

You did read something about dragons being hoard enthusiasts, you just didn’t imagine it’s to this extend.

Kirishima offered you some feather blankets to make your night more comfortable while you slept. Soon, you slumbered peacefully, feeling more content and safer then you have this whole day.

Life was more... anticlimactic after that day. But it a good way. You lived with Kirishima, due to his insistence and your situation, he persisted saying that you can stay with him as long as you need until you get your life back together.

He took you down the next day, as per your request, and escorted you to the town. He went to do his own thing, something about meeting old friends, while you searched for a job.

The town was full of all sorts of people, from mages to shifters, it was a very diverse place, you could even see some rabbits like you here and there. Back at the castle, there was a few rabbits that worked in logistics and the like, you were among them, as rabbits were great and distinguished problem solvers and thinkers.

Being a genius among already intelligent rabbits, you were given the opportunity to study at the age of 9 in the castle, and work there, which you did, but you guessed now you weren’t needed anymore.

Before you could get desponded, you walked  around, taking the place around you but still careful not to get lost and stray to far from the meeting place.

You saw someone exist a place with two thick books clutched tight to their chest. You glanced at the door behind them, seeing an ‘open’ sign. You stopped in your tracks.

You could start there.

You pushed the door open, hearing a bell jingle, alerting a bespectacled tall man of your presence.

It was a large library, and from what you could see, there was only the man in front of you working, while a couple of others sat in the seating area reading quietly.

You approached him, making him smile politely and adjust his glasses which slipped down the bridge of his nose.

“Can I help you miss ?” He asked, his back straight as a rod.

“Yeah um, are you possibly hiring ?” You replied, getting straight to the point. He faltered for a moment, before contemplating quietly.

“I suppose it is incredibly hard to manage on my own...” he murmured.

“Very well then, can you come back tomorrow around this time ?”

You kept your excitement at bay as you reunited with Kirishima later on, who didn’t question you, assuming you came back with no luck.

This time, he made you fly on his back as he lead you back to his cave, and only when he came back did let the excitement take over. You put rationality on hold for a moment, overtook by the moment, and tackled him in a hug, bouncing on the balls of your feet.

Kirishima felt the wing knocked out of him, hugging you back awkwardly as he felt his face flush. ‘Damn, what happened ?’

You practically heard unasked question, and decided to elaborate.

“I got a job, and it was the first place I walked into ! It’s in a library.” You gushed. You liked libraries.

Kirishima’s cheeks quirked up, his eyes looking at you proudly, “I knew you could do it ! You’re so manly !” He gushed excitedly.

Manly ?...

“Huh, manly ?”

“Yes, To be manly you have to have a resilient spirit and courageous heart !” He explained, making you nod. Although you doubted his meaning, it was endearing, he was a pretty quirky dragon.

“Guess I’m pretty manly.” You mused.

...........

A while after working at the library, you managed to feel like you were finally getting back on your feet. You still think about Bakugo sometimes, and it still hurts, but the wound was scabbing, and the hurt was no longer threatening to pour out.

Throughout all of this, one thing was constant: Kirishima.

You will forever wonder what compelled him to offer his kindness to you for so long, but you will forever be grateful to him. When your heart was threatening to harden and ice over, he was be there to bring you warmth and melt it away, like a gentle flare he can breath out so effortlessly.

You never experienced having a friend like that, but you can admit that Kirishima was the best friend you ever had. He was different, but the more differences, the more things you can appreciate and learn about. He was not a man to shy away from helping someone, a quality he told you was hard earned; it’s something he had to implement into himself.

And when the moment came that you can move out, you didn’t expect it to hurt so much.

It almost felt like you were leaving your second home.

“What ? But you don’t have to go !” Kirishima said, quite loudly, that it bordered on shouting. He felt himself getting agitated, and his dragon become unsettled at the thought of you leaving. You don’t have to go.

“But, I’ve intruded long enough, I can’t take advantage of your hospitality any longer.” You coaxed, feeling yourself become upset too at seeing Kirishima’s frown. You never saw him so upset, he was always your cheerful, manly pillar.

“But you’re not intruding, I can’t even remember what it was like to live in this cave without you.” He persisted. But you had to stand your stance on this.

“You know I’ll still visit you, right ?”

His shoulders slumped, sighing, before nodding his head reluctantly.

It felt like he was parting away from his hoard for good, but he had to remember that you aren’t cutting ties with him. His adorable, bunny friend will still be around.

And so, you guys hugged goodbye, but with a promise of seeing each other.

He helped you move your stuff over to your new place, a small sharing house, you and one roommate. You accumulated quite a few things during your stay with Kirishima, along the things you took from ... that place.

Now, you got your own place, your own job, and an amazing friend, life was finally back on track, although very different from what you previously thought It’d be, this one somehow reminds you that you are still self sufficient, and even if a jerk didn’t see the point in having you around, you’ll still live a much better life then he can imagine. Even through the simplicity of it. And that, will be the best revenge.

A few months prior however, a certain hotheads mind wasn’t as lackadaisical about your parting as one would presume.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck

Did he really have to do that ?

Bakugo can remembers the heartbroken and betrayed look on your face and grimaces. He lost you forever now, didn’t he ?

Just like ripping a bandaid off, but it feels like his own heart was ripped out.

He stared at his wall, replaying his words.

He looked at his parchments, the courting letter he made you read flashes before his minds eye.

He tries to sleep, he remembers your adorable figure huddled up to him, demanding him to share his warmth, even though your own was so powerful, it seeped through to his very own blood.

He’s a king, he should behave like it and cut out those child like fantasies.

But then he thinks back to how he imaged you’d look ruling beside him. He always thought you’d look like a goddess with a crown adorning your head and a thron-

Bakugo grabs the nearest object, and throws it across the room, the chosen vase, unfortunately, shatters to it’s demise, it’s previous shape nearly unrecognizable, some pieces were so small, they were almost powder.

Bakugo grabs something else, throwing mindlessly, a beast who lost his sense of reason. He chose what he wanted to do, but his heart was protesting, urging him to go and fix things with you, to kiss you and tell you that you’re the only one for him.

Words that he spoke before, but didn’t live up to.

He looked at his room, panting in the wake of destruction.

Glass shards filled the floor, ink littered it, and blood was splattered, and Bakugou could vaguely feel a sting on his feet and hands, he wasn’t even what just occurred.

The servants cleaned it, and he finally managed to sleep, albeit restlessly.

When he woke up, a couple of hours earlier then he usually would, he sent for the butler, checking whether you were still here.

His heart fell when he heard that you left last night.

Fuck. Fuck. “Fuck.”

Where did you even go ? Bakugo processed the weight of his cruel actions. He sent you away from your only home, where was he expecting you to stay ? Was he stupid ? God, he must be a new, downgraded breed because what dickhead in their right mind would do this to the women they love ?  

His chest ached, he urgently sent guards to the nearby forest and all neighboring places to look for you.

While they were busy, he busied himself with something of his own. He crabbed his quill and a paper, writing an apology letter and cancellation of the wedding. He doesn’t want to marry some pompous princess, and he certainly doesn’t really need to. He only needs you, with your support, he can achieve more then what a measly partnership through marriage can give him-

“We found no trace of her, my king.”

- but he’d already written you off his future.

A heavy weight pressed against his chest. If only he can do things over.

And a month later, he married a princess whose name he didn’t even bother to know.

He saw you you in every corner of the walls, he saw your nose buried in a book in the library, saw your eyes as the moon shone down on you. Even the flowers in his garden remind him of how they looked tucked on your ear.

His ... wife, he supposes, although he despised calling her that, was just as pompous, bratty and arrogant as he assumed. But her kingdom was powerful, now he can reap the benefits, hooray.

She always tries to get him in her bed ( Bakugo couldn’t share a room with her, a requested a separate room a week after they wed) and looks down on anyone, declaring them beneath her and not worth her time with an egocentric huff and an eye roll.

You’d never do that, you were always so compassionate.

The familiar weight pressed down even harder.

He wonders how you’re doing now. Are you happier without him ? Or are you still pining like he is. Did you... find someone else, God, he hopes not, as selfish as it is.

Just like ripping off a bandaid, he thought.

Which brings us back to here.

You sat on your bed, exhausted, but feeling as rejuvenated as ever. This is the first time you lived truly alone, and while is was slightly lonely, it gave you the feeling of freedom you never had back in the castle, or with Kirishima.

You felt like you wanted to take advantage of that, but instead you opted to sleep.

You slowly but surely adapted to your new routine, waking up, doing your shift, visiting Kirishima when you can, and spending the rest of the day lounging at home. Utterly mundane, and your roommate disapproves.

You weren’t exactly close to her, she spent her mornings somewhere unknown, and her nights partying, only coming home to sleep and eat.

Somehow, even though you moved out from Kirishima’s cave, it felt as if you’d gotten closer.

His red hair and crimson eyes made your heart do flips, and his toothy smile caused your stomach to do summersaults. It was a familiar feeling, it caused your heart to ache with a familiar warmth, but the organ was bruised.

Kirishima felt close to you, but so unreachable, he was a free spirit, who where you to bind his wings ?

So, this caused you to do the stupidest, and most cliche move ever. Yes, you avoided him. You stopped going to see him, bringing him trinkets.

God knows you missed his virile musk and familiar warmth, you missed even lounging on top of his hoard, something he insisted on you doing whenever you went to choose a spot to indulge in reading.

You used to compare him to Bakugo a lot, used to sometimes miss the blond man through Kirishima’s actions, but the moment you stopped doing that, the moment you thought about Kirishima whenever you pictured a future, it should’ve warned you, but you were too busy turning to an apple whenever he caught your stare and -

No. “Stop that” you muttered to yourself, putting away the last book in the return pile to it’s

section.

“Good work for today, (L/N) !, see you again tomorrow !” Exclaimed your employer, Iida, making you smile and nod as you walked, leaving the bookshelves behind you and bidding the bespectacled man behind the counter goodbye.

You opened the door, hearing the jingle that you became accustomed to as you closed the door behind you. You only managed to take two steps before your feet were lifted off the earth.

You gasped, instinctively hitting randomly, but relaxing your muscles when you heard a familiar voice.

“Heeey, no need for violence, or did you forget me already !” Although his tone was cheerful, there was a slight bitter note in it that you couldn’t ignore of laugh off.

“How could I forget you, Eiji ?” You replied sombrely, glancing but at him with a small smile, which didn’t manage to fully brighten the seriousness your eyes.

Eiji held on tightly to your midsection as he flew you guys up towards the sky, and it felt like he was carrying you to heaven. The pedestrians nearby stared in astonishment at what seemed to be something akin to an abduction. It happened way to fast for the moment to have been real.

Eiji brought you so high, everyone else looked to be the size of ants, their existence irrelevant, but coexisting with yours and Eiji’s. Everything below looked so unimportant, but the hands around you kelt you rooted to reality as wind whipped through your hair, and his muscular chest pressed against your back, making you scared of making the slightest movements that could shatter the moment.

Suddenly, the landscape beneath you was scrapped and replaced with rippling blue waves and sand. The blue looked so pure and unadulterated, that when Eiji brought you closer to it, you kept almost see your reflection. What a reflection, wide eyes with a mouth to match, and a sexy hunk staring back at you through the glacier mirror. You brought a finger down, touching the water and creating a small, unnoticeable ripple in the huge ocean, afraid of touching it with your whole palm and tainting it’s purity. A small white ripple as you flew was the only fleeting evidence that you ever made contact with something so divine.

How ethereal beauty is, Kirishima mused. He wasn’t about to let you be ethereal in his life though, because although enchanting, you stumbled upon him to stay.

Eventually, he landed down on the sand, putting you down to your feet gently, but already missing your contact.

You guys sat down, uncaring whether your clothes got sand all over them.

Kirishima didn’t try to mask his displeasure anymore, frowning at you grumpily.

“Care to explain why you’ve been avoiding me you silly bunny ?” He asked. The ocean continued to coexist beside you, but Kirishima was once again the only existence you cared about.

You felt the urge to pour your heart out to him, the words traveling from your brain, down to your vocal cords and to the tip of your tongue, and before after-thoughts could plague you and render you voiceless, you took the plunge.

“I like you, no scratch that, I love you.” You confessed, your eyes looking away from his, missing the crimson becoming as intense as a volcano at your confession. You loved him too ? A feeling so euphoric traveled through Kirishima, his fantasies of a future with you were now more than mere fantasies.

Your nervousness spurred you on, making you grab one of your fuzzy ears and caressing it as heated words came out like word vomit. You spoke and spoke, but Kirishima remained silent.

Suddenly, he lunged at you ferociously, stealing the very words from your mouth.

He brought his lips to yours, kissing you roughly yet passionately, as if he was pouring all his repressed desires into locking lips with you. His slightly chapped lips created just the right amount of friction as amorous sounds filled the otherwise empty ocean around you. You brought your hand to the back of his head and pulled him closer, taking his bottom lip and sucking on it gently, and he understood your cue, opening his mouth to let you kiss him deeper.

It felt before like you stood up steady in the dark, finding your footing after stumbling, now, it was like the whole world was being showcased in a clear white light.

You moved back to Kirishima’s cave, his words being ‘no mate of mine is going go be staying far’, you had to complaints. Finally, you can call this familiar place your home. While Kirishima used to be something of a freelancer, he eventually opened his own jewellery store, as per your suggestion. It became incredibly prosperous, but nothing can compare to the incredible jewels of his hoard. Or the incredible mating gift he gave you, a more feminine version of his ruby ring, hand made by him, every time you looked at your hand, you remembered his eyes and a rush of happiness would coarse through you.

Although the income was pretty high, Kirishima would never leave his cave, it was already humongous, so it wouldn’t have trouble fitting family. The business was only there to provide for your future kids with no trouble.

And as another year went by, a hatchling joined your little family. It was a baby boy with black hair and red eyes. Kirishima eventually told you that he wasn’t really a red head, but you could already spot the black roots showing so it wasn’t any surprise. You assured him that his natural hair colour was already manly. He never died his hair again. The baby boy, Eito sprouted wings at the age of two, and managed to fully shift then. Quite early, bit we made do.

The process of teaching him how to fly was frightening for you and Eito though.

You had to have him shift, then throw him off , kind of like teaching a bird how to fly.

Eiji waited down just in case, but your nervousness vanished when Eiichi flapped his wings and soared.

A year later, you gave the three year old Eito a baby sister. A gorgeous baby with red eyes and your (h/c).

Finally, the huge nest Eiji created could be out to use.

.......

Bakugo finally found a reason to divorce his wife after a year of marriage. He found her giving the head night flirty looks, and his suspensions were later confirmed when he caught them in bed in her chambers.

The divorce was quite swift as her kingdom sought to keep the shameful scandal under wraps.

Now, Bakugo could mask in his memories of you in peace.

Four years passed by in a blur for Bakugo. It’s been five years since he last saw you, and weight on his chest didn’t get any lighter. It still hurts to think about the future he scrapped, the things he could’ve been doing with you had he not gotten arrogant and decided marrying a princess was better than pursuing his future with you.

He never searched for you again after that night, you’re better off without him. What would he say to you anyway ?

He’s pathetic, still pining after a woman who he hasn’t seen in 5 years.

........

Bakugo was in a nearby village, looking for any suspicious activity relating to the recent abductions. He wasn’t required to be here, but he had nothing better to do. He’s always at the top of his work.

He walked around, straining his senses to try and capture anything conspicuous or otherwise.

He eventually found himself at a tiny playground for kids. Although by the time he arrived there, the sky was painted a hue of orange, and the park was empty save for one lone figure on a swing. He would have turned around, but he was out for anything, and being at a kids park was slightly odd.

He looked at the figure, and his throat felt as dry as a Sahara. His heart palpitated wildly when he saw your familiar figure parched on a swing cooing at a bundle in your arms.

He always thought imagined what you’d look like with a baby in your arms, but seeing it now caused him un imaginable pain. His heart burnt, as if a dagger coated with poison kept stabbing him time and time again.

Before he knew it, his feet carried him over to you, and now his shadow loomed over your figure.

You looked up, your pupils shrinking upon seeing his familiar face, hooded with a pessimistic sheen. You’ve never seen him look like this, even when he kicked you out, its a foreign look on his face, like looking at a piece of art you’ve long given up on.

“(Y/n), is it yours ?” His strained voice asked, so softly, if could have disappeared with the passing wind. He was staring at you, his vermilion eyes seeing yours for the first time in years. You’d gotten even prettier.

“Yes, her name is Eiko.” His heart dropped at your answer. You seemed fo live her a lot, you probably loved her father a lot too. A pang went through him at the thought of the lucky bastard.

He looked down at the girl, he could pretend for a moment that her red eyes were his.

How ironic for your daughter to have the same - or at least similar - eye colour as him.

It’s definitely a slap in the gut when he sees a dragon’s mating mark on your neck, and then to see said dragon himself.

“Heey babe, I got you crepes !” He said, kissing you on the cheek as if you’re the only person he sees. Which is proven when he say Bakugo and frowned, turning to you.

“Babe, who’s that ?” He asked innocently, making Bakugo grind his jaw. His head felt shaky when he saw a short boy come out from behind his dad’s legs. He looked a lot like his father. You had what seemed to be the picture perfect family.

“It’s nobody Eiji.”