#i got to tell him he’s a huge inspiration for me and that I’ve forced my roommates to look at his art a lot LMAO

[pastelluna]

Still can’t believe this is real!!! I managed to get a page of original lineart from Andy price at dragoncon yesterday!!

He was super kind and talked a bit about his process which was SO cool to hear

[tmntxthings]

Can i please hsc or oneshot angst for raph (2018)

∑一Change・゜・。

author’s notes: O.o angst you say? I saw this tiktok and the sound made me so sad!! SO INSPIRATION!

warnings: hurt / no comfort, angst, short, drabble, unedited

—————————————————————————

Raph thought, that as long as he tried his best, things would work out.

It seemed simple enough. And in most cases, his best got things done. When it came to his family, he was able to keep his brothers out of trouble for the most part. He was able to provide for them. To distract them from the many problems that surrounded their home as well as stepping up when Dad couldn’t.

It got easier with time. And Dad healed, he became a parent again. Raph didn’t have the same responsibilities that he felt only he could shoulder. But still, it was hard to change those habits. Always feeling the need to carry the burdens. To be the one to fix things.

Communication is always key. Raph learned the hard way that bottling up his emotions only led to having a huge blow up later on. So he did his best when it came to his relationship with you. He didn’t want to be the reason things fell apart between the two of you.

So he did his best.

But as he watched you turn to leave, without even trying to talk to him about what was wrong. He didn’t know what to think. It had to be him. Something had to be wrong with him.

“Y/n!”

He called out to you. But you only shook your head and continued walking further away.

So he went after you. “Can’t we talk about this?” He called after you. His snaggletooth digging into his lower lip nervously as you continued to ignore him.

Slipping past your form before you could reach the ladder that led to the manhole cover. His body a blockade though it wasn’t his intentions to force you to stay. He just wanted to talk to you!

“Please,” he pleaded. “Just tell me what I have to do.” His hand went out, reaching for your own. He couldn’t help himself but try to find any sense of comfort in this moment. He liked your touch. You were warm. You had always been a safe place for him. For his feelings. Even if you were angry with him. “Tell me what I need to change, and Raph will change.”

It would be just that easy for him. He would do anything you wanted. He could be different. Whatever you didn’t like he’d change it. Whatever it was that he did to upset you, he’d make sure it wouldn’t happen again.

“…Raph” you said in a solemn tone, tugging your hand away from his hold.

His heart broke. He didn’t reach for you again. But he went down on his knees before you. Making himself smaller. He needed to be smaller.

“No no, Y/n! You make me happy, we make each other happy!” Raph said with absolute certainty. But as your face met his, it was the epitome of hopelessness. “Don’t we?” He cried out in despair. Not understanding. Needing you to spell it out for him. He wasn’t smart enough to figure it out on his own. He wasn’t like Donnie. He wasn’t like Leo.

“I thought-��� your voice broke, the back of your hand going up to cover it as you held back a sudden sob. It was all Raph could do to stay still. To not instantly scoop you into his arms and hold you close. To calm you down and tell you that everything would be okay. He’d fix it. But he stayed in his place as you recovered yourself.

“I thought this could work. When we were young and stupid, but Raph… I’m human and you’re..” the hand covering your mouth went down as it gestured towards Raph’s form. Mutant. Was the word that went unsaid. He was other. He wasn’t human. But he hadn’t thought… you hadn’t seemed to mind…

In those quiet moments where it was just you and him. When you would lean closer than friends would get. How you would constantly text him.

“I just don’t think it’ll work Raph. It was nice to pretend. It was nice to dream. But I’ve got to be realistic. I can’t spend my life down here.”

In the sewers. In the shadows. Raph didn’t want that for you either. Maybe he had been too selfish. For ever thinking that the happiness the two of you shared was something that couldn’t be broken. He had thought his bond with you was so strong.

Slowly, Raph got up from his knees. He shuffled away from the ladder. “Oh,” was all he could say in response. He felt… how did he feel? It was hard to describe. But you didn’t hesitate to linger. You started to climb.

It seemed like this wasn’t something he could fix. He looked down at his hands. Big rough maws. Green. Not to mention the claws. Nothing like a humans. Nothing like yours. His hand closed into a fist as the manhole cover closed overhead.

He was disappointed. That was what he felt. Crazily enough, it was because he couldn’t change for you. Even though he desperately wanted to.

[reveriememory]

Astarion x Tav OC

Cat and dog energy. These lovebirds roam in my daydreams! Insight about this drawing in the Read More.

Draft - Sketch & Lining - Coloring

The draft was revamped a few times, especially with my Tav’s body angle. I forced myself to be quick with it as my goal for this drawing was something “quick” and simple…ish. Since it was only headshots, I was curious to see what I would prioritize considering I lifted off most stress from full body anatomy.

Sketch and lining are together because I basically did my final sketch then sculpted in the lines, meaning I cleaned and erased the edges to my liking. You can tell Astarion got a HUGE improvement! Liquify tool is a life saver! I allowed myself to be a bit messy, or at least forgiving about line quirks. Technically, I didn’t line the pupils and hair, as I’ve learned to work off its silhouette. I block in the shape, Alpha Lock, then render/color. It’s an awkward in between but for the sake of nice images, I adjusted them to fit the line art, otherwise I’d have to leave them bald.

Coloring, I work through sections, so here I jump around a lot! I had a lot of fun figuring out how to mimic traditional art, and kept swooning at how cute this was LOL. I had a lot of fun with my new brushes and the setup inspired me to keep working. Although, that could also be the 8 hour sessions of BG3 talking. Astarion was very scary to color, so you can imagine how HAPPY I was to have pulled this off! He took the most time. Goes to show just how comfortable I was with this style of drawing that I didn’t feel super drained!

Finalizing

I was going to call it done at that first one, but decided I could do more. Here is where I just messed around with different ideas, adding layers and color adjustments. In this case, I wanted something to compliment the traditional feel and really send the message across. I did a white border just as I would’ve years ago, when I did traditional art. It felt right to write in my signature instead as well. I used to love using gel pens. The final image has a little gradient map color filter, just to tie the colors together. I like giving my drawings a nice dreamy warmth to them.

Conclusion

I need to draw these two more. Astarion is a painful muse. Bury me with this drawing. I should do a proper character study on my Tav. He’s a sweet little redeemed Durge, I like to think of him as Astarion’s bloody droplet. Also I need to actually play Durge.

I’m so happy with this drawing. ;)

[sashi-ya]

𝑹𝑶𝑶𝑴 𝟑𝟎𝟏 ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ𓂃 ࣪˖ byakuya k. x m! reader

⤹˚ synopsis. "I got so scared, I thought no one could save me. You came along, scooped me up like a baby. Every now and then, the stars align. Boy and boy meet by the great design. Could it be that you and me are the lucky ones this time?" - Lucky Ones by Lana del Rey.

requested by: Anonymous ➡ Sweets Hotel Ruby, Shibuya. for sub! Byakuya x male reader pls! Byakuya and reader discover a couple of kinks together! (You can decide which kinks!) tw: MNDI. Byakuya discovers what it is to be loved by a man. pure bromance that turns into romance. first time anal sex. usage of sex toys. rimming. mutual masturbation. usage of alcohol. purely inspired by this specific room at the Sweets Hotel Ruby (room 301) wc: 4.6k masterlist

It hasn’t been easy for him since Hisana passed. A lonely CEO, and heir of all the Kuchiki Industries for himself.

Rich, so rich. And lonely, and oh, so sad.

“I’m tired of telling you that you should go out once and for all, Byakuya” you demand, lying on his office huge -expensive- couch.

“And I’m tired of telling you I am not in the mood…” Byakuya sighs, as he fixes his glasses and keeps reading whatever documents he has on his desk.

You sigh, too. He hasn’t been able to scape the grief of his late wife. He couldn’t, even if that happened more than two years ago. You’ve been there, on endless nights where he couldn’t stood up from bed and those when you needed to drag him to the couch from his desk when he passed out over it from exhaustion. Nothing, absolutely nothing related to enjoyment had been a part of his life since Hisana’s death.

“You can’t live the way you do, Kuchiki” you grunt, standing up and walking out… offended, with your hand on your belly, barely lifting your flowy white shirt.

You have tried helping him before, but he hasn’t changed. You know he won’t. But you tried… However, this time, things take an interesting turn.

“FUCK!” Byakuya growls, followed by the sound of dripping liquids on the floor.

You quickly turn around to discover your best friend covered in -luckily- already cold tea. His white shirt completely dampened, his black suit trousers as well.

“You idiot, what happened?” you tell him, running to where he is sitting.

Byakuya doesn’t answer, he stays looking down at the damp patch on his clothes. His façade stays concealed by his onyx strands of silky, long hair raining down.

Your eyes soften; perhaps you’ve been too hard on him. Maybe it is time to be a little more sweet, like the first months when he wasn’t that hostile towards the whole world.

Your hands land on his shoulders, and your chin on the crown of his head. Staying there for some minutes, none of you two dare to speak nor say anything. A soft sobbing fills the ambience, and your heart breaks like porcelain being thrown with force to the ground…

How hard it is to see your best friend suffer… And how hard it is to keep hiding how much you love him, too.

“Byakuya, let me help you. You will get sick if you keep your clothes that wet” you whisper, lovingly and pitifully. There is honest worry in your words, but there is also desperation for him to cover up. The shirt has become see through, and despite knowing how he looks naked, the way his abs are showing so lustfully through it is killing you… guilt and need. Byakuya doesn’t like men. Or so you think. But even so, you are for him as close as a brother.

He takes some time to answer but finally nods in acceptance. He looks at you with steel night sky eyes flooded of incipient tears and the stare of a lamb that’s being taken to a slaughter.

You let him stand up, but he doesn’t walk away. Byakuya stands still, crestfallen, in front of you. He is waiting for a hug; you are sure of it.

You open your arms and let him come to your embrace, surrounding him once his wet chest hits yours.

“I know I’ve been a heavy burden for you. I am sorry. I know I can’t keep living the way I do…” he whispers, almost with his lips on your neck. Yet, his posture keeps being as “masculine” as commonly conceived can be.

“You are never a heavy burden to me, my… friend” you murmur, with your hand on his back tracing soft almost non-existent circles.

 Perhaps it has only been a few minutes, or maybe all the night but you would want for his body to be that close to yours as long as possible. However, you can feel his slightly shivering. “Come on, you need to change. You have a change of clothes in here, right?”

Byakuya nods, and slowly your hug breaks apart. You watch him walk to the part of his office that’s also a mini room. Byakuya asked for it to be built there, as the workaholic responsible ruler of his family economical emporium he is.

Soon, he comes back with a similar change. A lot more relaxed, though. Byakuya is not wearing a tie and has changed the Italian leather imported shoes to Gucci sneakers.

“I’m ready. Let’s go somewhere and drink something” he says, putting his hair into a messy hair bun.

Your heart wants to jump off your chest; your throat goes dry. Byakuya stands in front of you, looking handsome, with still a light pinkish halo around his eyes from crying but with a mild-mannered look that invites you to feel dizzy.

“You- you wanna go to a bar? Sure” you blink repeatedly, but couldn’t waste the opportunity of making your friend feel better… even if your insides were a total mess.    You repeat yourself to stop seeing him as more as a friend, but still, you are glad your shirt is flowy and long enough to cover your crotch…

The streets of Tokyo, are as always as busy as humid. Somehow it always rain during these nights. The lights reflect on wet spots as well as your manly walk through the Shibuya cross.

Many girls giggle as you pass, paying special attention to Byakuya’s unfriendly -and extremely hot- sight. He walks with his hands on his pockets, so unintentionally sensual he can be probably mistaken by a famous model.

You try to look away, but it’s almost impossible. Who would like to miss his attractive façade bathed by neon lights?

“I don’t know any fancy bar, we should have come with the car” you chime, trying to look for conversation, even if you are very used to him being silent and reserved.

“I am not searching for a fancy place; I want a cheap one. The cheapest you can find. I want to meet a common woman, someone” he says nonchalantly, almost incurring in a highly destructive future behaviour.

You swallow… “a woman…” you sigh, out loud.

Byakuya stops right on his feet. “What? Should I stay alone forever?” he asks, almost offended at you. You were pushing for him to go out and now you don’t want him to have “fun”?

“No, I meant… never mind. I know a place…” you murmur, it hurts your soul… but it is what it is.

Byakuya notices the change in your face, but he prefer to stay silent and look away. The little shadows casted on his cheeks by his long lashes kill you, but you look away too and start walking.

There is tension. A tension you never felt before in between you two. You swallow and guide him through little streets to get to a rather calm bar. You however, focused on the word “woman” forget that such place is very close to a rather famous -but curious- establishment…

“What the hell?” Byakuya asks, looking the front of that exact place once you get there. A hint of laughter can be detected in his voice, but he still remains confused and perhaps even grossed out by the lack of “taste” of the building.

You can’t help but burst out laughing. Of course, Byakuya Kuchiki has never been to a love hotel, neither he needed to.

“Ah… I forgot about this place. That’s the Sweet Hotel Ruby… curious right? It’s a love hotel” you inform him, as Byakuya gets lost on the ridiculous and big decorations of the entrance.

The hotel has pink walls and enormous sweets ornaments placed all over them. It looks like a candy wonderland, like a gigantic cake… there are even three big ice creams sculptures by the entrance. And not to mention the cringey -perturbating- animatronic tree with a face inviting you to come inside.

Byakuya stands there looking at it with disgust, but still curious.

“I’ve never been to a love hotel” he drops an info you already knew. “I was sure you haven’t” you answer, scratching your nape. “Let’s get a room” Byakuya suggests.

You panic. Does he know what a love hotel is?

“Byakuya… do you know the purpose of this places? It’s not a normal hotel” “I know, people come here to have sex. But I wanna see how it looks on the inside. I might invest in one if I find the rooms fancy”

You massage your temples. Byakuya is as serious and mature as equally immature like a kid. He enjoys fancy weird looking things, and you are sure that if he invests in the build of a love hotel there would be those “wakame taiishi” figures he invented all over…

“Sure, if that’s your calling. Let’s go” you accept; torturing yourself, never in a million years you would have thought of visiting a love hotel with Byakuya… even if the idea of loving his body has been floating around your mind since the day you met him.

He gets inside first; Byakuya lacks any type of shyness when it comes to “a business opportunity”.

Fortunately for you, there aren’t people at the countertop but a machine where you get to choose the room, the time you wanna stay and the things you would like to consume inside.

Byakuya, who’s wallet has never been empty a single time in his life, picks the most expensive room and the most ridiculous option to drink. “mhh… bubbly romance combo? I have never tried this normal people champagne… and those chocolates? why not?”

You cover your face; he is probably not aware of this place not being a “friends” spot to hangout, much less ordering the “bubbly romance combo” to enjoy on a room that’s meant for… fucking.

As soon as the confirmation of payment came on the screen, the instructions were clear. “Go to the third floor and turn right. The room number 301 will be ready for you”

Byakuya walks first, he acts as if he was at the Sheraton hotel while you can stop your mind from running wild… those pants look so absolutely good on him…. the small of his back would look so beautiful arched as he bends in all four over the bed of this hotel… what if I get to drink champagne from his collar bones…

“(Name)… (Name)” Byakuya’s deep voice breaks your lustful dream.

“Hmm? What?” you ask, as you keep walking through the equally maximalistic decorated with sweets patterns walls of the hotel hall.

“Stop walking, this is the room”

Byakuya opens the door and the soft pink lights, like a cherry blossom spring, hits your eyes. Inside, there is, once again, 3D replicas of cookies, chocolate covered almonds, marshmallow hearts and many types of desserts wall mounted. However, the most interesting piece of furniture has to be the bed; a bed that looks like a shell sculpture made out of chocolate, with donuts pillows on top.

“What the fuck is this place?” you ask, trying to understand what the designer was thinking about when he chose to go with that.

“I have absolutely no clue, but it has to be the most interesting room I’ve ever been to” Byakuya says, genuinely interested in such grotesque crime against good taste.

“Well, that’s for sure…”

The long-haired hot CEO takes his sneakers immediately after closing the door. You do the same, grateful for your socks being in between your soles and the ground. You aren’t sure what type of strangers’ bodily fluids the furry white rug on the floor harbours inside of its fibres.

You take a look around, finding the place to be an extremely easy place to hide cameras, but that is not something you will tell Byakuya. After all, nobody is getting naked in here tonight, right? It’s just a curious pair of friends visiting an infamous love hotel…. Right?

It doesn’t take much for the workers to knock on the door and leave the “Bubbly Romance Combo” right by the entrance. You get the tray inside with hot cheeks and quickly close the door.

“Oi, here it is your combo. Are you aware of what this is?” you ask, looking back at Byakuya and noticing him lying on the bed like if he was some kind of god waiting to be fed -well, at least that’s to your eyes-

“Yes, chocolate and champagne. Bring it, I’m hungry” “Remember you can’t take much alcohol at once, bro…” you tell him, knowing him very well; maybe even better than himself.

Byakuya rolls his eyes at you; the arrogant look you melt for is back. “We are not young anymore, (Name). I can’t take it like a man”

“I hope you can… take it like a man”

Soon both of you indulge in the delicious taste of spicy chocolate bon bons and more glasses of champagne that you can remember. It doesn’t take much time for Byakuya’s cheeks to become as red as apples and his laughter finally blooming like beautiful cherry blossoms.

Like two adolescents on those sleepovers at your home, both have fun chatting about random nonsense. And you couldn’t ask for more, after all… coming to this place had to be the best idea Byakuya could ever had. Until…

“So, you aren’t getting married or what? Don’t tell me you are into boys” he asks, rather loudly. Byakuya still has a low tolerance to the bubbly beverage.

“Why you ask? Asshole. You wanna make fun of me, don’t you?” you spit at him, visible annoyed at him for asking; however, why you are that annoyed Byakuya doesn’t know.

He frowns. “You don’t need to be that rude, man. You could have told me you didn’t want to talk about it. Fuck you” he growls. Manners are gone when his blood has a hight percentage of alcohol mixed in.

Byakuya takes yet another chocolate and turns around in bed; he lies on his side and closes his eyes. He is mad, but also acting like a kid.

You notice you fucked up, so you reach out for him. You shake him softly by his shoulder, but you only receive yet another “fuck you”. However, you keep trying.

“Hey, come on, I’m sorry” you sigh, trying to force him to look at you.

“Stop touching me” he suddenly snaps, turning around and pushing you against the bed. Byakuya crawls on top of you, with a dizzy head and a fist ready to be plastered on your face.

“So, you wanna fight me, don’t you? Why? What have I done?” “Nothing” he tries to punch you, but you grab his hand by his wrist.

“You can’t even strike a blow. You are too drunk to fight. Plus, if I hurt you I could leave your handsome face marked for the rest of the week” you tell him, regretting the “handsome face” commentary.

His pupils dilate, his eyes fix in yours. You can see him biting the inside of his mouth, as his arm trembles within your squeeze.

It is, perhaps, too late for you to notice his hips straddled on your lap. And probably, it is too late too, to notice the growing hardnesses of both of your crotches.

Maybe, for just some minutes the time becomes slow… slower. Byakuya’s eyes turn sloppy, your lips barely separated, your pumping heart being the only sound gushing in your ears.

You can’t stop your hand from suddenly pulling from his arm, neither your lips from crashing against his in a violent, sexual kiss. A kiss that he seems too naïve to follow, that deepens with barely seconds. The sweet and sour taste of your tongue, feels more than delicious to him.

When the kiss breaks, but Byakuya doesn’t want to stand up from lying on your chest, you spit words you are sure he doesn’t need to hear but your heart needs to scream… “I do like boys, yes”

Byakuya takes a deep breath, and before kissing you back with desperation he murmurs “Thank God…”

You place your hands on the sides of his hips, to pull him even closer. Your sex graces his, finding with pleasure how hard he feels against yours.

You push him down, encouraging him to hump. And he does, almost immediately after you do. Byakuya is desperate, perhaps for your touch or maybe any touch… but you don’t mind, you really couldn’t think of anything else but enjoying the taste of his body at least one single time.

Your fingers travel a little up, lifting his shirt up, untucking it from the black pants that look beautifully tight to his legs and ass.

“Byakuya… I must warn you that if I keep on doing this… I won’t be able to stop” you moan, biting his lower lip and pulling from it after.

“Don’t- Don’t stop. I want this…I want you…” he whines, searching for more kisses as his life depends on it.

You smile, of course he wants you. Of course, he does.

You exchange positions with him in a quick motion. While he is the depiction of delicate manhood and dominance, he becomes putty in your hands. You crawl on top of him, moving his locks away from that enchanting face of his; you enjoy the way his cheeks are sprinkled by a reddish glow that is no longer because of the alcohol, but because he is in severe need of being touched, kissed, pleased, loved… fucked.

You lift his shirt off, exposing that nudity you know too well, but never once you were able to taste. His abs, toned and slightly marked… his hard pink nipples, the pale flesh inviting to bite, inviting you to leave endless bloody marks all over it. His belly button, the happy trail down his sex… what a beautiful creation of god you are, Mr. Kuchiki.

His soft hands pull from your shirt towards him, he is aching for more kisses. But you want more than that… you want to hear the sound of the only emotion you never had the right to enjoy coming from him…

Your lips do kiss the commissure of his lips, and then, slowly, sexily, criminally lustful, you go down to his neck. A bite, and then another one. He whimpers, very lowly.

You keep going down, nibbling on his collar bones… oh the wide protruding bones of his chest. The scent of his skin, so deliciously manly but still delicate as the most fragile flower…

You reach for his right nipple, surrounding it with your lips, licking, sucking. With your eyes fixed on his, you nibble on them. His back arches in response to the sharp feeling against sensitive pale pink flesh.

“It feels… good…” he moans, discovering the ambrosial reaction of his body. “It does, Bya-kun? Tell me you want more? You want me to keep going?” you ask, pinching his left nipple with your fingers as you blow some air over his right one.

He nods, loudly whining this time. His voice goes slightly more acute, his body is a mess under your possession.

And then, because it is not enough of a mess to you, your lips keep going down, leaving a trail of kisses up until his belly button and even lower.

He doesn’t even wait for you to take his belt off, nor his pants, and does it all by himself. A wet patch of precum garnishes his grey boxers that makes him blush more than ever before.

“So wet… have you come already?” you joke, in playful and dominant way. “I hav-I haven’t no…” he whispers, getting his hands to his bulge to feel the damp, sticky patch with his own fingertips. “I’m glad, I would love very much to see you cum all over your belly… you want me to help you do this, Byakun?” you ask, sadistically, noticing how much that makes him even harder, to sprout more and more precum… what a beautiful sticky mess, Byakuya-kun.

He keeps squeezing his sex, as well as his legs underneath your hips. Desperate is not even a word to describe this man’s state. This might be a lot more than curiosity; he is so absolutely into a man’s hands touching him that he is even trembling.  

You smile with loving eyes, after all you have loved him since forever. You take his hand away from his needy shaft. Then, planting a sweet kiss on one of his hipbones, you strip him away from his boxers.

Despite you seeing his sex a variety of times -in different, more brotherly situations- this time is absolutely different. Pinkish tip, perfectly groomed and clean. Of course, what would you expect from such a perfect man if not a perfect sex?

You are tempted to devour his shaft in one single blow, but that would be ruining the experience… even if he might be probably wanting it so badly.

But there will be enough time to do that, and instead, you use the tip of your tongue to get a taste of his pre cum while you begin to pump with your hand.

“Such a delicious man you are, Byakuya…” “Am I? how does it taste?” he asks, curious… so innocently.

You smirk, taking a little more of his salty delight in your tongue. It forms a string that loses its form against your chin, but you are good with it.

Getting closer to Byakuya’s mouth, you ask him to stick his tongue out and so he does. You trap it with your mouth, and both share his taste in the most sinful carnal kiss.

“You like your taste, ba… babe?” you ask, shily after naming him “babe”.

He smiles shily, nodding as he swallows. “Yes… thank you… babe…”

For your next step, you suddenly remember you saw when you get into the room. Maybe Byakuya didn’t notice, and you hope he didn’t… it would be such a great surprise.

“I think you would love this…” you chime, standing up to a surprised, blushed, and confused Byakuya.

You get to a shelf where a Hitachi magic wand rests, a common object every good love hotel includes in Tokyo for the couples in love to use.

You show the vibrator, crawling back on top of him. After inspecting it, you find out how to operate it and soon it reaches his sex at low speed.

He grunts loud enough to be heard by half the hotel, and you can’t get enough of it. His nails carve on your hips, his buck up and the small of your back curl more and more.

Your crotch, by now, feels absolutely hard, wet, and needy. Would it be bad to enjoy the warmth of his sex against yours without any clothing in between? Of course not.

While you keep stimulating him, with increasing vibrations, you let your shaft free from the black skinny jeans prison they were in. With extreme care, because even if you couldn’t stop yourself from playing with your best friend’s body touching him with your own still feels somehow illegal, wrong… you have praised him since forever, seeing him as a pure deity that must not be ruined, that must be not broken.

Byakuya’s eyes open wide when the warmth of another man’s dick grazes his. A loud moan escapes his lips, his trembling fingers reach for your kissing members and surrounds them with his whole soft hand.

“I… I…” he wants to say something, he can’t. His cheeks get more and more red, the tip of his nose, the tip of his ears too.

“Byakuya… is this your first time with a man?” you need to know, even if you already do.

“Y… yes…” he informs, feeling the graze of an erection that’s not his own for the very first time.

You stop using the magic wand, and instead, you give him the right space to pump both of you as he pleased. He does, shily at first but more and more desperately as time goes by.

It is beautiful to see the sprouting clear drops of precum mix one with the other, a mess in between his fingers forming strings as he strokes.

And you can feel his twitching intensifying, the little vein on the back of his shaft protruding more and more. And yours, throbbing… aching to be deep inside of him, aching to have his beautiful back facing you, arched up to let you bury into it and bond with him for the rest of the night.

“Let me be the first…” you whisper, in between gasping and grunting.

“I trust you…” he whispers back, knowing you will never, ever hurt him.

Soon, you help him turn around. So inexperiencedly he puts on all fours, so you use your whole palm to adjust his position. Passing it against his naked back, as pale as beautiful as you know it is, looking even more biteable now that he is so willingly ready to receive you in him.

You push down softly, right in between his shoulder blades. His right cheek squeezed against the pillow, his pecs against the bed. His hips up, his knees buried on the mattress.

You take some seconds to admire his whole anatomy, how his hips move side to side so involuntarily as a puppy happy to see his master…

“Byakuya… you have no idea how amazing you are” you murmur, planting a kiss on the small of his back. A skin as soft as his lips and neck. A scent so delicious.

He doesn’t answer back, he just moans softly, trying to reach for his hardness… he can’t wait no more, he needs release.

You smile, and the kisses on the small of his back keep going down until his entrance. The moment your lips touches it, he squirms, and his hips become weak.

“There will be enough time for you to become weak, now let me prep you. You need this so that it feels good to you. Relax for me, ok? You probably know what to do naturally ” you explain, you don’t want to force yourself in; you don’t want to hurt him at all.

He nods; his eyes shut close; his fine eyebrows squeezed in the middle of his frown.

You kiss and lick, slowly and deliciously. You coat his dilating entrance, slowly sliding one finger, feeling how tight his walls feel around it. You are dying to finally penetrate him, but he is not ready until you can stretch him properly.

A few minutes more are enough, however, for him to be ready. You would lie if you found it easy to do; something you have dreamed of for so many nights is finally about to become real.

“Are you ready, Byakun?” you ask, caressing his butt. “Mhj… yes” he answers right away, as he lifts his hips even higher and tries to get closer to your sex.

Your hand slides back to the small of his back, right where those little dimples form. Your other hand on your sex, guiding it to his entrance, previously coated with enough saliva that you hope someday would be Byakuya’s.

Slowly, unhurriedly, measuredly… first your tip, without pushing in, only staying right there. Then, as he throws his ass back, you begin to steadily let it slide inside.

Both grunt with the first intrusion; maybe it is a little painful to Byakuya, but soon enough when he has completely relaxed you begin to move inside his tight, warm, clenching walls.

“Fuck me more… please” he pleads to an astonish you, who is in total heaven by the feeling of his hole.

“Yes, my beautiful boy… just make sure you make a big puddle of cum right under you when you are done ~”

[twin-books]

I got sick and so I finally got some free time to finish Ben 10: Alien Force and Ultimate Alien. I am finally on the last season of Ultimate Alien (like half way through it) and I can safely say I enjoy it far more than Alien Force. I have no idea if that's actually a hot take but there it is. Now that I have finally watched this stuff and am nearly finished... I am still kind of shocked this is like considered top tier for the franchise. I find more issues with it than I did Omniverse. Not to say Omniverse is better because, aside maybe for my tastes, it isn't. To me they're pretty equal if I put my personal bias aside. It's just shocking in a sense because... I expected with how hated Omniverse was and how beloved these two were (besides season 3 of AF) that this would be amazing. It's not. I suppose I should learn that I can't take everybody at their word, especially when it comes to nostaglia. I still think the Og is top tier and these three other shows can't really compete with it. They each bring their own fun and frustrations to the table though. I can finally tell you my favorite versions of each character based on all I've watched. My favorite Gwen is Og, I think the following franchises didn't do her any justice. My favorite Grandpa Max is Og. I find every other iteration of him a pain. My favorite version of Kevin is obviously AF/UA. He is literally the best thing about those two shows. But my favorite Ben is in Omniverse. And I think this mostly has to do with the fact he's the most like Sonic (one of my most favorite fictional characters of all time) in Omniverse. Obviously he's still his own character but I can't ignore the comparison. I enjoy him the most in Omniverse as he's not quite as annoying as in Og (though I still love Og Ben), he's actually entertaining compared to Alien Force Ben who was kind of boring to me, I'm sorry. And while Ultimate Alien Ben was better his whole "I have a big ego and saved the universe dozens of times" jokes felt very inappropriately timed and wrong? Omniverse really gets that right for me, for whatever reason. I also feel as if it remained the most faithful to his character even in the poorly written episodes whereas in Ultimate Alien there's like this whole plot where Ben is ready to just kill a friend he’s known for a while now simply because they went a little insane with power which I wouldn't normally take issue with if this hadn't happened before and Ben wasn't like vehemently against hurting anybody originally. They even go as far as to point this out in the episode and Ben kind of steamrolls over it with, "Well, it was my fault so I should take this more seriously" despite the fact he never acts like this again so I don't get the point of it. It was actually really depressing, to be honest. Also, the amount of digs at Og Ben in Ultimate Alien is honestly frustrating. It's not huge or anything but it's enough to annoy me. It fundamentally misunderstands what Ben 10 Og was to prove some sort of point about their Ben. Look, I get it. They changed a lot so I'm sure so many fans at the time were complaining about how AF/UA Ben is nothing like Og Ben but do you gotta be this gosh darn insensitive about the source material your show is based off of and inspired by? Like in the episode Duped Ben splits into 3 different Bens and the rude and obnoxious one says, "I'm Ben 10 classic. Miss me?" Am I the only one who finds that mean? And then that episode where they have Og Ben actually show up and he's just an obnoxious asshole the entire time except that one deep moment they give which was to justify why he was an asshole as child which they didn't even need to do. He was 10. Of course he would be a brat. But he wasn't always a brat in the original and he did actually understand he could hurt peoples' feelings. Omniverse actually has a similar episode to this except big Ben and Og Ben switch bodies and in that he is not as a big of an asshole as Ultimate Alien made him out to be in that episode. I do not understand why it was necessary to make him so gosh darn mean. I really, really like Ben 10 so to constantly have these digs at the source material is frustrating. Aside from this Ultimate Alien is pretty great. I find Julie much less frustrating as a character, the episodes are fun, I have actually laughed out loud more than once, and, again, Ben is actually fun to watch. I cannot stress enough how much more fun it is that Ben actually seems to act like the teenager he is rather than some mini adult. I know realistically after all the hell he's been through he would have matured a lot but that doesn't mean he doesn't still have a teen mind and won't act like a kid sometimes. Also, Ultimate Alien actually killed a character on screen. Like no cut aways or some kind of logic to explain it or off-screen shenanigans. An alien just flat out died on screen and that took me so off-guard I laughed. I'm having so much fun enjoying an old cartoon I loved, despite my frustrations. This has been great. I couldn't recommend the whole of the Ben 10 franchise more. Aside from the reboot which I still have yet to watch in full but considering how upset the first two episodes made me, I'm a little scared to give it a chance again.

[anxiousqueenmarmaroth]

We Shall Remain: Ch. 2

Chapter 2: Tomatoes for the Girl Next Door

“Sometimes I doubt if this thing could ever really work: humans and turians. My dad always taught me to outthink the doubts by making the pros spare heat syncs and the cons enemies on the field. But I’ve actually been there: outnumbered with an Atlas marching on us. Funniest thing, this gorgeous girl gives me this crazy grin, tosses a clip my way, and says, ‘This part is going to be hilarious.’ And then I remember that’s my girl. I can just toss her out there like a frag grenade and boom! paint the walls.” Garrus Vakarian, Citadel Couples ep. 516

 Victus was certainly chattier than the last Primarch. Then again, the last one barely exchanged words with him, usually passing dismissively by him to speak to his father. The good news gave a pep to his step, though it was tempered by the urgency gained by the hours it took to secure it.

  Shepard was lounging on the lone chair in the room, her legs swung over one arm and her stomach rolled in that adorable way it did when she forgot that there was someone else in the room. She looked almost happy with her damp hair pulled back in a lopsided bun, her eyes trained on her datapad, and her feet tapping together to a song no one else heard. But his visor revealed her eyes were red and irritated and her pulse was erratic-- all signs of distress in humans. Her face had that familiar, devastatingly stubborn quality to it as if she could overcome the disaster with her scorn alone.

  She jumped a little bit when he touched her knee, her foot priming back for a kick before recognizing the intruder. 

  “Busy day?” she asked.

  “You have no idea.” He rested his head against the side of hers, letting out a soft rumble when she set down her datapad to fully embrace him with her half-naked body, still cool and damp from a bath. Was there anything softer than human skin when it molded to the shape of his hand like high-quality clay? Anything that smelled better than the crown of her head freshly washed? He doubted it.

  “Is there something I need to know?” It was dangerous, stiff, bracing for a shot to the gut.

 The thing about Shepard was she wasn’t real, she was an appealing character manufactured for recruitment posters and inspirational vids-- carefully applied in the morning like her eyeshadow or her lipstick. Commander Shepard was kind, honest, charismatic, the kind of leader that inspired the best out of an entire galaxy even in the face of certain annihilation. A rifle carefully calibrated and honed, but ultimately just a neutral tool incapable of thought or emotion. It’s not as if Keeva wasn’t any of those things, but she was also distrustful and vindictive: a sniper fashioned of raw emotion and a trigger finger made of sheer will. She preferred the shadows, finding amusement in the performance the same as a conman and finding even greater amusement when people so convinced with the performance threw accusing fingers at those that called it for what it was.

  The whole drive he was thinking about how he would tell her, a way to display his accomplishment in a way that practiced the subtle art of the humble brag. Maybe even a way that managed to impress someone that was capable of doing anything with only the slightest pressure of her finger. But now that he was here his carefully crafted sentences slipped through his fingers like loose sand, like they always did. All he could do was hold out his emptied hands and stare disappointedly at the huge gap between his fingers.

  She took them, filling them once again with something less determined to slip away.

  “Primarch Victus offered me a commanding position in an intermilitary task force. Everything’s laid out: Spectre status, freedom to pick my own team, the Normandy, all of it.” It wasn’t as flashy as he originally planned, but it got the job done well enough.

  “That’s amazing, Garrus! When?” She pulled her lips tight and crinkled her eyes in too flawless a mimicry. Her voice perfectly hit the pitch of human delight and excitement. All calculated, of course. He knew the signs to watch for when she was genuinely happy, like the blood rushing to her face with such force the blush popped through her warm, light brown skin and she couldn’t stop smiling if she wanted to, and the way she squirmed away from his gaze to keep him from noticing it.

  In Keeva’s head, she was already screaming and putting her first through walls and coming to terms with accepting the Council position because she couldn’t stand the company of ghosts anymore. It’s not like anyone had the chance to sit her down and explain how one was to gracefully accept the inevitability of losing. She never thought he was stupid, but she did hope he had a large enough blind spot to keep him for a little longer.

  “I won’t bore you with the details, but Victus has wanted to secure relations with humans since Relay 314. And he seems convinced that I’m the guy for the job. So, Shepard, honey, love of my life,” he rubbed soothingly against her knuckles, “I have a position open.”

  “What position?” Her tongue became thick and dry with the mixture of relief and dread that coursed through her body.

  “I need someone I trust as second. But Victus already said you can take the commanding position as long as I’m second. Something about me being the only person that ‘can survive a disagreement with that crazy woman.’”

  “I... I don’t think I want to- shit,” she had to take a deep breath to cough out the bitter confession that got caught on the sarcastic organ in her throat, “I don’t have it in me to make those big decisions anymore. I’ve seen enough people die with my bullshit playing in their heads.”

  “I won’t make you.” He thought very hard about what he wanted to say, “You’re always going to have to question my decisions, you’ll always have to pull me away from work, you’ll always have to make tough judgment calls. We’re in this together, Shepard and Vakarian, and that’s what makes us so damn good.”

  “There’s no human representative to the Council.” The words he was saying gently led her into dangerously romantic territories. Turning down the position would be a very public vote of no confidence that the galaxy was too fragile to withstand. She almost didn’t care. 

  “Victus is pulling some strings. Anderson was always going to be tough to replace, and Udina made it that much harder. But he wouldn’t have brought it up if he didn’t think we were close.”

  It sounded so perfect, it truly did, “Aren’t you worried about your mom? Do you think the salarians won’t take good care of her if I’m, you know?”

  “Well, you know me, I can’t be happy unless I’m worried about something. But she’s being moved back here with the other patients, and the team of researchers, so there’s that at least.” He made a vague motion with his occupied hands at her inquisitive look. “Look, Shepard, if you’re not ready for this just say the word.”

  ‘Not ready?’ That didn’t sound right. She was never ‘not ready.’ Tired, maybe. Tired of treading water, but desperate to breathe. Unable to override the conditions that fought over whether she should swim or drown.

  She gazed out at the tall tree outside, snuggly embracing itself in the warm light cast from their room. In the reflection the room looked welcoming, encircling the mismatched couple in a warm halo. They looked happy together, fitting together like pieces from different puzzles: slipping effortlessly into each other’s edges and grooves in a confusing, heady new picture. Framed in its sill, their reflection looked like a turn of the 22nd century space romances her sisters were obsessed with. It certainly didn’t look like one of those cozy domestic romance books that made the rounds in her mothers’ day that fetishized discovering the goodness right outside your door, setting down roots, growing tomatoes in the little planter box on the balcony. Garrus didn’t belong in those stories, he was still impatient, still believed the red tape he bit through didn’t immediately close up behind him like some kind of horror vid, still had no use for tomatoes. Archangel and Garrus Vakarian were destined for heroism in equal measure, and the only thing she could really decide was whether or not she was strong enough to keep him as steady as he had kept her.

  Chaos spilled out of her in a breath she didn’t realize she was holding, “If it’s a cross-species task force you’ll need a second that knows how to juggle all that. Plus, I’m pretty good with public relations in general.”

  “Are you sure?” It was nervous, excited, uncertain of the enthusiasm to be thrown back into one of the least appreciated jobs in the galaxy.

  The thing in the window wasn’t so hideous in this light, with dewy eyes that sparkled and a goofy little smile she couldn’t hide even if she wanted to. She had to move her hands just to be sure her and the reflection were in fact the same. Is that what love did to a person? Was it capable of breathing something so full of life someone might actually confuse it for a person? If his name tumbled from a stranger’s lips next to her statue, would she pry her feet from their pedestal just to cradle the earth in which it fell?

  “Oh please, do you know how long it would take you to find someone half as good as me?” Keeva’s eyes turned their full force back on him, unwavering in their newfound resolve.

   “I’d say we’d have to clone you, but good restaurants here are so rare.” He was proud of himself for that one.

   “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, Garrus.”

[kwonzoshi]

I’ve seen some discourse about this scene and I want to paint y’all a picture.

Crown Prince Wilhelm, age 16, was forced into giving a speech he didn’t want to do. He waited until the last possible second to stand up and make his way to the podium. He weighed every pro and con he could in his mind…

He’s standing there, recalling the speech that was written FOR him. Where he’s being forced, yet again, to say things he doesn’t believe in or agree with. Now, this is moments after Simme, the love of his life, made a giant compromise for their love. A sacrifice that to us may seem small, but Wille knows is huge. He knows it took so much for Simme to, essentially, do a 180 about their relationship.

He’s got all of these emotions and thoughts circling in that moment and he realizes that if Simme can compromise for their love, he can too and FINALLY tells the truth about the video. The one thing Simme asked of him, the one thing he’s actually WANTED to do from the beginning. He never wanted to hide that it was him, but the royal court and his parents made him. He took charge during the speech and we’re all so very proud of that.

However, that seemingly small act, had giant consequences for him and for Simme.

His mom has a whole fucking mental breakdown. Which is blamed on him. His father emotionally abandons him, letting the royal court handle him instead. Then Sara goes to the police, and all hell breaks fucking loose which, again, is blamed on him.

The royal court is up his and Simme’s ass. And now his duties are essentially being forced down his throat. He’s being forced to do things even Erik wasn’t being forced to do at his age.

Then, as if that wasn’t enough, he’s being blamed for Hillerska’s potential closing. Because his speech inspired a handful of people and now there’s a whole movement that he didn’t even MEAN to start.

He’s going through so much, but y’all are disappointed that a 16 year old unlabeled kid (that has gone through an entire year of traumatic shit, including a whole sex tape being shared) isn’t ready to be the face of the LGBTQ+ movement??? (Which again, he’s not allowed to do) After all the hate and homophobia he experienced?? And all the grief he was given by the royal court and his family??

Y’all are upset that this child is torn between what he WANTS to do and what he HAS to do?? That he’s trying to be the Crown Prince his parents want so that maybe his mom can get better, and give him time before he has to take over the crown??

Give me a fucking break.

if there’s something season 3 did perfectly was Simon’s character, I love how his care for social issues was fully explored, and the fact that he tries to show wille several times the actual power of his privilege is so important and this scene is the perfect example of that!

[ricardolugo1036]

The Glow: Part 1

Hello Everyone,

Here's an excerpt from a novel I've been writing for the past few months. It's called "Fusion Force" and this is one of the many stories in the novel. It was inspired by my disappointment in the show Xmen 97 for not putting Wolverine and Morph together. So I tried to do it in my own way. Oh, I also decided to make it happen in an alternate 1950's. This story is copywritten. I hope you all enjoy. More exerts of this story are to come.

THE GLOW ( Fusion Force: Episode 1) 

By Ricardo Lugo

Artwork by: Ricardo Lugo

1952 Outskirts of Miami 8pm 

Grizz, short for Grizzly, a massive 6-foot 5 built man, who as hairy as his name implied, sat at the edge of a massive lake just outside Miami, Florida. 

The ripples in the lake reminded Grizz that it was a body of water and not the endless black void it appeared to be.  

Sweat oozed from his furry chest in the 90-degree heat. 

But as insufferable as the heat was, he couldn't get his mind off the boy who jumped in the water all those years ago...and never came out. The boy who made his heart flutter. The boy who gave him his first kiss.  

"George. Oh George." Grizz thought, putting his heavily bearded face into his hand's tears flowing through the cracks of his fingers. 

He got so angry at himself for crying, especially since it had been at least 50 years. But his time in the great war taught him that tears were for the weak and if you were weak then you'd die. 

He started rocking back and forth crying more profusely but making sure his cries weren't audible. This continued for a few short moments until... 

SPLASH! 

Grizz looked toward the pitch black water and saw many ripples he tried to concentrate his eyesight and the rest of his enhanced senses to figure out what just entered the water and once his vision was about to change he saw what looked like a purple glow but it was moving like an animal at least until it got closer and then he saw it had the body of a person and it's arms were mid breaststroke when he saw it surface. 

Grizz was suddenly left completely breathless.  

The mysterious swimmer flicked its head back revealing a smooth bald purple head.  

The veteran could tell from how the droplets of water effortlessly fell away that this person's skin was baby smooth. 

More of the swimmer's body emerged from the water and as Grizz saw more of it, his heartbeat went faster and faster.  

The swimmer had breasts, but even though they were uncovered, they did not have nipples. 

Finally, the mystery person opened their eyes and even in the side profile made the veteran's heart skip a beat. Her eyes were solid Fuschia; there was no iris or any other detail about them. 

"My god what beautiful eyes." Thought Grizzly  

The Purple being then finally turned toward him, an expression of awe in its eyes and then shock which finally knocked Grizz out of his stupor and then the swimmer looked terrified. 

"I didn't know anyone else was here. Please don't scream. Please don't be afraid of me?" Said the Swimmer.  

Grizz looked down and answered. 

"Oh, wow I thought you'd be afraid of me...I'm so sorry to look at you like this, I don't know what came over me." 

The swimmer then tilted her head to the right in the water while looking at this huge built, hairy man, realizing that for the first time in her life that someone was looking at her true self without fear. 

"It's fine... Just let me put a little something on." 

Grizz nodded and kept looking down. 

After a minute, the swimmer told Grizz to look up and then the hairy veteran realized something about her voice. 

It was the perfect unison of masculine and feminine pitches and if he didn't see the Purple being he'd have no idea which gender they were. 

The swimmer wore a green sparkling emerald dress with black high heels, and Grizz was in awe again. 

"How are you dry and how do you put that on so..." 

"I always dress to the nines honey and It’s an ability I’ve had since birth. I can shape my entire body into all kinds of things." 

That voice just made Grizz's heart race. 

"What's your name baby doll?" asked the purple being with a smile on her face revealing perfect white teeth. 

It took a few minutes for the hairy veteran to respond since he got lost in the swimmer's perfect pink eyes. 

He shook his head aggressively and answered. 

"Grizzly. But everyone calls me Grizz." 

"Grizzly? Really honey?" 

Grizz struggled to respond appropriately since he had only explained this to one person, his paramour George over 50 years ago. 

"That's what my unit called me during The Great War and it's kind of stuck..." 

"What's your real name honey?" The Purple being demanded lightly. 

Grizz looked down and exhaled.  

"I don't know...I haven't known for as long as I can remember. 

The Purple being put her hand on Grizz's shoulder. 

"It's okay..." 

Grizz then looked up toward the swimmers' faces, their pink eyes once again taking his breath away. 

"I'm Paragon...That's my chosen name but I don't know my real name either." 

They both looked at each other for a moment. 

Grizz lost once again in what he thought were the most beautiful eyes he'd ever seen and Paragon wondering how this huge hairy man wasn't afraid of her. 

"Well, what's the last thing you remember Grizz?" 

Grizzly thought about it for a little bit and his eyes were watering. 

"Sitting here with Georgie back in 02. And I have memories of fighting the Confederates with the North and battling Germans in two World Wars." 

"02? As in 1902?" Inquired Paragon. 

"Yeah, I don't age like other people. I was born a freak." Said Grizz humorously. 

Paragon's face remained steady. 

"Grizz you are not a freak...You're one hairy motherfucker! But you're not scary." 

Both burst out into hearty laughter at that statement. After a few minutes. 

"I was born like this too. Anyone that can look at this..." Paragon gestured to herself as if she was a showgirl "And not runway is certainly not a freak." 

"Fucking fools..." Grizz felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him as he said that and Paragon smiled. 

"What are you doing out here exactly?" The swimmer asked. 

"Well today...way back George my sweet Georgie passed, and this place helps me remember him." 

Paragon put her arm around his massive back and held him. Grizz felt a warmth from her that he hadn't felt in almost 30 years and her supernaturally smooth skin had such a nice feel alongside his almost furlike hair. 

"Hey Para, do you mind if I call you para...and what pronouns do you prefer?" 

Para smiled from ear to ear.  

"Yeah, baby you can call me Para... I go by she/her. But I'm non-binary." 

Grizz was a bit confused at the term but taking a look at Para he was able to figure out quite quickly that it meant she didn't identify as a man or woman.  

"You're too beautiful to be either." Thought the hairy immortal man. It shook him to his core that he had just met this person and he already felt like he'd fight armies for her. 

"Well Para what are you doing here?" Grizz asked humorously. 

She grinned and in her wonderful unique voice replied.  

"I like to come here and swim when life is just too much...Or if I'm too much for life." 

Grizz chuckled again. 

"How come I haven't seen you around Fur Ball?" 

"I don't really like people much. I don't come out often." 

Paragon looked the hairy man over again and replied 

"Yeah, I got that honey. Do you have a place to stay?" 

"I sure do, could I show you?" 

Normally warning bells would go off in Para's head but there was something about this hairy man, a sweetness she hadn't seen in a long time. She did not want to leave him just yet. 

"Show me your pad honey." 

Grizz smiled and he wanted to take her hand so bad, but he didn't and showed her the way through the woods. 

After about 10 minutes they arrived at what looked like a cave hidden by heavy foliage and wooded trees. 

They went into the cave and Para thought. 

"This dude has me walking into a cave...what is it about him?" She thought puzzled. 

He then lit a match and turned on an oil lantern which revealed a small wool blanket on a small bed of straw and a six pack of beer canned beer next to it.

"Yeah, this is my palace." Grizz said proudly. 

Para looked at him like he was crazy. 

"You're not staying here." 

Grizz looked back at her puzzled. 

"What?" 

"We're going back to my place and we're going to get you a job tomorrow." 

Grizzly was about to respond but para's stern gaze stopped him cold and she grabbed his hand and pulled him out of his home of over 30 years. 

20 minutes later 

Grizz and Para arrived at a small two and half car length pink trailer with a small pink gazebo and a few fake flamingos in front. 

"Man, I've never seen so much pink." Thought Grizz. 

But then he snuck a glance at Para's mile long purple feminine legs. 

"But she could paint me pink anytime..." Grizz was not sure if he said that or just thought it and once again his cheeks flushed crimson, but Para reached into her green purse and continued to fumble for her keys.  

Grizzly exhaled and his embarrassment slowly flowed out of him. 

The purple being unlocked the door. And stepped inside. 

Grizz started walking up the steps and after turning the lights on Para grabbed his hand. 

GASP!  

Grizz couldn't help himself just her touching his hand sent a pleasurable jolt of lighting though his entire body.  

Para glared at the hairy man with a puzzled expression.  

"I'm sorry it's just been a while since anyone's held my hand." 

The Purple being cocked an eye. 

"It's okay honey, just breath." 

Para guided him inside and it was just pinker. It was like someone just sprayed the walls with Pink.  

The television, walls, tables, couch, doors, countertops, everything was light pink. 

Grizz was about to sit on the couch before. 

"DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE!" Roared Paragon. 

Grizzly jumped slightly and turned his gaze toward the purple being. 

"TAKE A SHOWER NOW!"  

Paragon grabbed Grizz's right arm and pushed him into the trailer's small shower circular stall and switched the water on. 

"Aghhhhh!!" Screamed Grizz as the Ice-cold shower water slapped and pelted all over his body. 

ONE HOUR LATER  

Para sat on her pink couch wearing an emerald, green kimono. Watching her favorite film "The Wizard of Oz" It was at the part where Dorothy's house was flying though the tornado. 

"She's so lucky." Though Para was already excited about Dorothy entering the land of Oz even after seeing the film dozens of times. 

"Oz oh Oz!" She thought. 

Then she heard a few heavy footsteps on her cheaply carpeted floor.  

She looked toward the source of the sound and saw Grizz in her extra-large pink bathrobe. Even with that size it barely covered his toned massive physique. He held the robe together with both hands and had a shocked expression. 

"How do you feel?" Asked Para 

"All nice and clean..." Para said in a baby-like tone. 

Grizz locked eyes with her, his expression still shocked and his lips trembled. 

"I... I feel...violated!" Grizz barely uttered. 

His shock caused Paragon to giggle slightly and that strangely calmed him down. 

"Come on, sit down fur ball." Para said with a grin and Grizz smiled which made her heart warm. 

He did so very slowly and sat down on the opposite side of the couch and even with his caution Para still felt the sofa shift under his massive weight. He still clutched his robe together, but he found his gaze switching from Paragon to the TV and he forced his gaze onto the television set to the strange film playing. 

Para's eyes widened. 

"You've never seen "The Wizard of Oz"? 

Grizz's eyes went up and down desperately, not wanting to disappoint his host, he responded. 

"Ye...Yes?" 

Para cocked an eye and responded. 

"It's about a teenage girl who gets mysteriously transported into a strange land with mysterious creatures. And tries to avoid an evil witch trying to kill her. She also makes good friends who help her along the way." 

"Oh Okay." Grizz responded 

He relaxed on the couch and began to watch the film as it turned to color. In the film Dorothy was standing in front of the munchkins. 

The image left both Grizz and Para breathless. 

"Those are the munchkins, the inhabitants of the land of Oz." 

"Why aren't they scared?" Inquired Grizz. 

Para had never thought about that before until her furry guest uttered it. 

"Because everyone in the land of Oz is different, they are just used to it. I wish I could go there." Answered the purple being. 

"How come?"  

"So, I could be myself and not be afraid." 

Those words hit Grizz really hard. He felt rage in combination with his sadness. He found his hand creeping toward Para's but forced it back. 

"You should never have to hide this..." Embarrassment engulfed Grizzly like a tidal wave realizing he said those words aloud and how tenderly they sounded. 

Paragon met his remark with a sly grin and spoke.  

"You know you're the first person ever to see me like this and not run away..." 

"What really?" Grizzly practically screamed. 

Para just nodded and looked back at the movie.  

Grizz did the same as well, the film just getting stranger and stranger. He asked his host question after question about the film and Para gladly explained in great detail about the backstories of the characters and how they were originally from a book. She also explained how the film was made, the struggles Judy Garland had filming on the film's set.  

The hairy man goddled every word. Not necessarily because he liked the movie but Para’s voice was just so enchanting to him. After a while Para decided to snuggle on his chest and fell asleep while images of Dorothy and her friends trying to escape the witch’s castle blared from the small but thick screen.

Grizzly was too excited to fall asleep and the warmth of his host made his heart soar. 

"Let's go to Oz fur ball..." She said in a slumber filled whisper. 

"I'd do anything for that to happen." Thought Grizz before he fell into sleep’s sweet embrace with the rumble of the television as his white noise. 

TO BE CONTINUED

[thenatvral]

FTR: For those who don’t know, who are The Natvral?

Kip: Oh, that’s me— Kip. I usually just write songs and play ‘em with my electric guitar. As my surname is Berman I didn’t want to be confused with the legendary David Berman of Silver Jews, and I didn’t think I’d be confused with Robert Redford playing a past-prime erstwhile baseball phenom with one last shot at redemption— but… maybe.

FTR: You’ve just released your second album, Summer of No Light, what can you tell me about recording the record?

Kip: We just went over to Andy Savours studio in Willesden (London) and banged out 9 songs, mostly live. I did blow out my voice at an ill-advised 90s hip hop night before we were going to do the vocals, so we were forced to use the scratch vocals (the ones you sing when you’re recording live so you don’t get lost), but it worked out alright.

Andy’s brilliant, and has been there with me at every step of this project (as well as 2 records with PAINS). I credit him with not letting us get up our own backsides. I think he does a lot of other groups that want to “use the studio as an instrument, man” – and “redefine what a G chord could sound like if played on Venus.” But I’m grateful he was pretty keen on us just using our instruments as an instrument and getting to the pub at a reasonable hour before making it home to do bedtime with his kid.

FTR: I was intrigued to read the album was inspired by the climate crisis of 1816, do you think there’s anything we can learn from that as we face our own crisis?

Kip: Hide? Get fucked up? Write Frankenstein to pass the time?

Nah, I’m not sure if it’s applicable. The one in 1816 wasn’t anyone’s fault – unless you blame the Volcano gods of the South Pacific. This one seems like everyone’s fault. Maybe there’s something to be said about harnessing crises for the sake of art – but I think most people would prefer to forego cataclysm where possible— or at least I would. Dying of plague while under siege during the Peloponnesian War wasn’t any more palatable cuz “Euripides was channeling this shit for the ages,” was it? That said, I suppose you gotta keep doing the non-essential things in life, because those are actually the essential things in life.

FTR: Much of the record was written at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Do you think the record would have turned out differently without it?

Kip: I am fully aware no one needs to hear another person’s account of “what it was like during lockdown” – as these experiences are sadly universal. Everyone dealt with the same shit. Some had it worse than others, and we can all laugh at the celebrities that sang “Imagine” by their swimming pools. But I don’t think it’s a huge departure to also mock “the guy who wrote an album in his basement” between bleaching milk cartons and reflecting upon a familiar world that vanished suddenly, exacerbating the isolation and alienation that was already rampant in modern life. Right?

That being said, it’s very easy to write songs that do not give a hoot about what anyone thinks when you are pretty sure there’s not going to be anyone to think anything of them. It’s freeing— that sense that, “well, this won’t matter to anyone but me.” I’ve never been able to fully escape vanity or a sense of expectation in my writing. I’m too petty or prickly to be that zen. But for a brief period in early 2020, I got about as close to writing without any corrupting consideration – and while the album doesn’t relate to what was happening in the world, its formation was born of that weird, dumb moment.

FTR: I was struck by the way the record feels at times very domesticated and others almost fantastical. Do you think there’s an element of escapism in the record? Was music an outlet when you were stuck at home?

Kip: Yes. But isn’t it just an outgrowth of a feeling one gets even without state mandated isolation? Like, Odysseus gets home – finally – and that homecoming was the thing that animated most of all his actions for a decade or so (except for chilling with that not-his-wife on that island for a long bit). And then almost as soon as he gets home, he’s all “gotta go.” I’m not quite that way, but there’s a continual desire to idealize domesticity when you’re away, and yearn for adventure when you’re home. I’m certain I’m not unique in that.

FTR: You’ve obviously been making music for quite some time now, how do you think the current climate for musicians compares to when you started making music?

Kip: To be fair, I think my old band could have only happened as it did in this strange in-between era when the old “major” system was crumbling and the internet briefly offered equal access to unsigned or indie artists to reach the same level of listeners that you would have once only seen by handing your demo tape to a smarmy A+R guy in LA with the hope that maybe you were deemed marketable. Sure, great indie bands existed in the 80s and 90s – but so many of them never got the chance to have the experiences we did, and for that I’m humbled and grateful. But Myspace and the mp3 blogosphere was essential in people discovering PAINS without having to “get signed.” We played to our 12 friends at Cakeshop – suddenly some guy in Sweden wanted us to play to his 12 friends, only he had more than 12 friends.

Now, it seems the mp3 blogs are gone – with For the Rabbits being a notable and wondrous exception. It’s harder to find ways to get your music out to people, whether it’s through recommendations at a local record store or people online saying what you’re up to is worthwhile. My record label Dirty Bingo is lovely and helpful, but it’s just a guy in London named Sasha who probably has some difficult conversations with his partner about why he’s doing what he’s doing and if he can “get those boxes out of the basement soon.” I am familiar. I think power has reformulated itself behind maybe 2 or 3 very for-profit oriented websites that prefer a celebrity gossip model (who someone is dating gets more clicks than what they’re making), and I’m pretty sure streaming services have monetized their “playlists and discovery” to cater to modern payola in a familiar pay-to-play model. Bandcamp is still relatively “noble” but an indie label told me that even their promotional/editorial consideration is weighted to their own manufacturing and distribution program.

But this system will be smashed too, someday. Even if I’m not a 17 year old kid, I know young people will consistently seek what is meaningful and real to them in ways that (briefly) escape the clutches of huge companies trying to exploit it. The exploitation will inevitably (or not?) follow, but for a few shining moments – that good stuff shines through. I think of Teenage Fanclub on SNL or Huggy Bear on The Word – and to paraphrase the latter, “this (will be) happening without your permission.”

FTR: If you were starting your career from scratch, do you think music would be a viable option as a career?

Kip: There’s a friend I have that runs a small label, and he only signs bands that are (usually) a certain age and able to tour constantly. Yes, he likes the music he puts out and much of it is good, but everything is through the lens of “is this a viable career.”

I have another friend who runs a label who just puts out music he likes. He’s constantly out of money, but seems not to mind. He works with all kinds of artists, and yes – some of them break through – but most of them are the kind of bands that play a DIY popfest here or there and exist far from the conversations about “relevant indie artists” that make year end lists.

I may be naive, but in my heart I know that the truest music often comes from less commercially viable people – people that don’t even care if their music is commercially viable – people who live on the margins, and may not be creating for the sake of money, but simply because they feel compelled in their heart to get something inside their bodies out there.

I know you can argue against this too, saying that creating without thought of anyone buying something is its own kind of privilege. But the tools to make music are so cheap now, you can make bedroom records that sound interesting and powerful. And if a music career is your goal, I think the surest way of not having a music career is to make the kind of music you think you “should” make, not the kind of music you want to make.

FTR: Are you going to be taking this record on the road? What can people expect from The Natvral live show?

Kip: I don’t know. I would like to. I’ve been playing mostly just on my own – which can seem like “less than ideal” – but for this music, it might actually be the ideal.

FTR: A lot of people will know you from The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart. How do you think your songwriting now compares to writing for the band? Are you conscious of trying to do something different to what came before?

Kip: I stand by what I did in PAINS. I don’t want to put that part of my life down, just because I’m focussed on different ideas and different ideals now. In a way, I think what animates me about music is the same – immediacy and getting out the feelings that can’t be said, so they have to be sung. Just about everything about my life and how I record – even my voice itself – is different now, but I think there’s more similarities to these projects than might seem superficially apparent.

I sometimes wish I was notable enough only so someone insightful would write critically about my music and life, cuz I can never tell if I’m lying to myself— if I’m full of bullshit or not. I’ve recently been listening to biographical music podcasts (The History of Rock’n’roll in 500 songs by Andrew Hickey) while driving and love reading biographies (or autobiographies) of artists i love (Please Kill Me, Our Band Could Be Your Life, Chronicles, Meet Me In the Bathroom, Waging Heavy Peace, Coal Black Mornings and its follow up). So much of what people think they’re doing is wrong – or at least, there’s things you can’t see in yourself, even if your work is inward looking. Actually, maybe I don’t want to know – maybe it would be crushing. Delusion is a thing you both need and need to avoid in able to be foolish enough to write a song.

FTR: What’s next for The Natvral?

Kip: I have a bunch of songs that I wrote before this album came out that seem to bookend this period of The Natvral, tentatively titled “Love in Idleness.” I hope to track ‘em like I did the last 2 records with Andy Savours, and, knock wood, that will stand up as a cohesive 3 album run. It doesn’t mean the end, it’s just that these songs are all built in a similar way – a bit rough and ready and all-of-a-kind.

[mrs-perfectly-fine]

awesome shit that happened in night at the museum when i watched it for the first time since my childhood

- the little cowboy saying “you can’t catch light, it’s as elusive as human happiness” when watching a cat video preceded by the army of little men using a makeshift device to comment “lol” from an account with the name of octodaddy

- the little men being so gay. like so gay. the cowboy called the roman one “baby” and then the roman one asked to hold hands. my otp

- i’m pretty sure i’ve seen a post about this, but the people of color in this movie are played by actual people of color! like the egyptian pharaoh is played by an actual egyptian, rami malek!

- there’s a scene when theodore roosevelt can’t figure out who he is, and he calls himself theodroe towel belt, president of the us. the joke isn’t funny, but robin williams delivery kills.

- in another scene, theodore introduces himself as the president of the united states, and sir lancelot says “i have no idea what that means”

- the dinosaur is so cute. i want one please.

- actual hugh jackman being in the movie, playing himself, not being recognized by the exhibit people, and instead they call him huge ackman

- the monkey looks so sad when the main guy larry is leaving, it was actually so sad. poor monkey.

- larry, the main guy, tells the little men that many people don’t know “how big you guys are” and let me tell you, that right there is such a powerful scene. this is a children’s movie, come on!

- robin williams’ last line in the franchise being “smile my boy, it’s sunrise” had me BAWLING. not only is it a beautiful sending away for the character and movies, but it’s his last line ever, as he passed away shortly after the third movie. what a quote.

- on the same note, after larry says “i have no idea what i’m going to do tomorrow” theodore says “how exciting!”

- “sometimes it’s more noble to tell a small lie than deliver a painful truth” what the fuck night at the museum. i came for the funny monkey and the sweet dinosaur not this.

- darth vader + oscar the grouch showing up, for like a minute, and beING MADE FUN OF. WHEN DARTH TRIED TO DO THE FORCE CHOKE, LITERALLY nothing happened and it was hilarious.

- the sheer power of the scene with tuskegee airmen and amelia earhart. the meeting of some of the most inspirational people really got me. i cried.

[harringrovetrashrat]

so i'm writing the fic of it out lmao but

doing a what we do in the shadows inspired harringrove where steve is the vamp and billy is his familiar. billy is not a vampire hunter like guillermo, but he does badly wanna be a vamp. he's been steve's help for 7 years now and like, how long does it take?? he's getting older and like, he kinda wants to still look like this when he gets bit

billy is annoyed, but figures it takes like a decade or something. maybe a big thing to prove he should be gifted with being a vamp. he can deal with it. steve is great no he doesn't think how great it would be if he and steve could be together forever no he totally is gonna go off after being turned and just do his own shit, he didn't fall in love these past few years and sooooo doesn't wanna stay as long as steve will have him hopefully forever and compared to what some other familiars have had to do, he's probably got it easy

and then carol comes home one night, talking about a girl she turned. just for fun. just because she could

"what?" she asks, face still dripping with blood "there's no-- familiars are rarely turned i thought you knew that. usually they're used for menial tasks. honestly i'm not sure why steve keeps you around because you don't even do that."

and billy is floored. he's furious. he confronts steve. demands to know what he's up to

"what, were you having fun dangling this over my head? Ha ha, the sad sack wants to be a vampire, watch the monkey dance for something he'll never get." and billy shoves steve, angrier still that steve just lets him. steve breaks alarm clocks on the regular, billy knows he's strong. "i am just some stupid human to you? like some cute fucking pet?!" and billy is so angry because he thought maybe steve liked him, but no, he's just some huge butt of the joke--

"no, billy!" steve protests, grabbing billy's wrists and holding them. "billy, please, that's not it--"

"then what is it?!" billy screams, angry tears starting to spill down his cheeks in the way he hates.

"you're going to leave me!" steve screams back and it's so broken and sad it's like a wave rocking billy to his core. the force of it makes him let steve go and stumble back. steve himself slumps against the wall and slides down, taking a shuddery breath and covering his eyes with his arm. “you’re going to leave me and i’d rather have any time with you than… than live an eternity knowing i can’t have you.” steve sniffles. “it’s easier if… if you’re mortal. then it’s not your choice to leave.” billy stares at where steve sits, rubbing his eyes onto an outrageously poofy sleeve of a renaissance shirt, the side tucked into the waist of the cat print boxers steve loves so much.

“why would i– why do you– what?” billy asks, because he’s so confused. because he’s happy and overwhelmed and still angry and so fucking confused–

“you always talk about your plans,” steve says, eyes red as he reveals himself from behind his sleeve. “about how you’re gonna leave, travel the world, do great things. and… and how you’re gonna do it alone.” billy had said all those things, that was true. but–

“i–” billy begins.

“it’s stupid,” steve says, “that i’ve been so fucking selfish. but i… i don’t think i can exist knowing you’re out there and i can’t have you.”

“you have me,” billy croaks out. “are you kidding? you’ll always have me.” and steve just looks pained.

“please, don’t lie to me–”

“steve, you can tell if i’m lying. i give you permission okay.” he takes steve’s hand, holds it to his heart as steve stares with wide brown eyes. billy takes a deep breath and says all the things he never thought he would. because he never thought that an old vampire, one who had lived for centuries, would have seen him and wanted him. would have thought he was funny, and worthy, and handsome. hoped, but steve had lived so much life, billy was an insignificant part. at least, he had thought he was. “i have been saying all those things to convince myself it’s what i wanted. because i fell in love with you along the way these past few years and i couldn’t– originally it is what i wanted. and i thought i could lie to myself enough that it would still be true.” steve is staring, gaping, shocked at the vulnerability billy was showing. “but it’s not what i want. not anymore.”

“what do you want?” is the whispered, eager response.

“you. forever.” and without another hesitation, steve pulls billy forward, kisses his neck, and bites.

[sassyduckqueen]

Miraculous: Rise of Anatis 74

I'm back!!!

Ok so chronically this is set just before Pumpkin King. I was intending to release it around Halloween but things didn't work out that way and I lost inspiration for a while. All the crap that is season 5 was putting me off because frankly it sounds so bad, I can't even deal with it. Luckily, inspiration came back and with good timing too as I heard about the spoilers for the end of season 5. I don't know all of them but from what I've seen it's going to be terrible so have some Anatis to cheer you all up. Also we're got some build up and new character kind of. Regarding Felix Sr, I did intend for him to simply be an Easter egg but this is also me we're talking about. Of course, it wasn't going to stay that way. Anyway, enjoy the chapter and fair warning. This is probably going to the last 'light' chapter for a while as we are going to be dealing with some dark stuff. Truth, Lies and Gang of Secrets are coming up but we also have Trio of Terror which is next, Assassin Bee and a chapter which is going to change everything for our heroes but I'm not gonna tell you who the villain of that one is. Get ready for one hell of a ride.

Also!!! I hope everyone have had good holidays and are looking forward to the new year!!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter Seventy-Four: Party Crasher

~Outside Agreste Manor~

 The young man stood outside of Agreste Manor, repeatedly ringing the doorbell but getting no answer. His expression fell as he listened to the sound of people laughing and music playing. Why was he excluded? He was a friend of Adrien's right. Sure, he was his biggest fan and had a habit of getting excited in front of him but he had his number and email. He traded messages with him and tried to treat him with respect so why wasn't he invited? Did Adrien feel deep down that he was only a fan and not a friend? He frowned and took out his phone, dialling Adrien's number. It rang several times but no one answered.

 "This is Adrien's voicemail," Adrien's voice declared, mocking his pain. "Leave a message,"

 He hung up and looked up at the manor with tears in his eyes. 

 "Not only are you allowed to have friends over but apparently a huge party is no big deal either," He declared, looking down. "Why did you lie to me, Adrien?"

 A single tear rolled down his cheek as the scene flashed like a broken tv, changing to a new one. This time, an akuma dressed in silver seventies dance gear kicked down the door of Agreste manor and began to attack people, absolving them into his disco balls. A number of them got away including Adrien but he was relentless, chasing after them. Luckily, Anatis and Lady Noir turned up, causing him to focus his attention on them. The three engaged in a battle, dodging each other's moves but somehow he was able to predict their moves. He kicked Lady Noir to the curb and went to absorb her but Anatis pulled her out of the way with his yoyo. However, the akuma fired at them, causing them to jump from where they were. Just as Anatis landed, the akuma hit him with his disco ball, absorbing him. Lady Noir cried out in shock but before she could work out what to do next, the akuma turned on her, relentless attacking her and forcing her to fight. She tried her best to fend him off but he was predicting her every move. It was obvious she needed backup as the scene once again flashed, changing once more. This time, Lady Noir was trying to catch her breathe as the akuma smirked at her.

 "You can't beat me, Kitty cat," He declared as she tried to hold her ground. "I can read your every dance step and you're all alone,"

 "She's not alone!" A second voice declared as the turtle hero Leatherback jumped down with Aspik and Valkyrie. Lady Noir couldn't help the smile that came on her face. "Don't worry, Lady Noir. We've got your back. Aspik!"

 "Second chance!" Aspik declared as the butterfly mask appeared around the akuma's eyes. Up in the rooftops, Apollo lifted his bow and arrow, pointing it at the akuma as the mask disappeared.

 "Flar-" He started but before he could activate his power, the akuma fired at him and absorbed him. Aspik flicked back the bracelet and went to throw his lyre at the villain but got absorbed and then the villain absorbed both Apollo and his arrow as well as Valkyrie. Leatherback then tried to protect Lady Noir with his shelter but like the others, he was taken out as well, leaving Lady Noir alone. Before the villain could attack her, Dame managed to knock him back and turned to Lady Noir.

 "Get ou-" She didn't even finish her sentence before he absorbed her. Lady Noir backed away as ashes surrounded the area but the akuma slammed his fist towards the right side, absorbing Phenix too. Once again, Lady Noir was the last one standing and this time she didn't last much longer...

 Felix Sr jolted awake with a startle, just as Lady Noir was absorbed by the akuma's power in his dream. He sucked in his breath as sweat dripped down his forehead and Bridgette made a noise, causing him to look over in fear. However, his eyes softened upon seeing her, cuddling to the plushie she insisted on having in their bed. He smiled a little and dropped a kiss on her hair before getting up and going over to their bathroom, glancing at the clock as he did. He regretted it instantly as it was 3.31am. That explained the dream. He shook his head and turned on the light, running the tap and washing his face.

 "Damn witching hour," He muttered, grabbing his towel and drying his face. "Stupid dreams,"

 He walked back into his room and sat on the bed, covering his face with his hand. He needed to do something about these dreams. He's had the same one for the last four days at the exact same time of 3.31am. He groaned as he thought about it. It was clearly an akuma and clearly Anatis and Lady Noir were going to lose but he knew they couldn't afford to lose. If Hawkmoth got their miraculous, it would be the end of the world. He knew what that wish did. He knew how dangerous it was but he swore he was done with this stuff. He didn't want to get involved. He shook his head and went back to bed, closing his eyes. However, the next moment he opened them, his location had changed. He was in the office and the clock read 3.31pm. His assistant manager was looking at him with concern. 

 "Sir, are you ok?" She asked, making him look at her. She honestly looked terrified. Looking down at the paper on the desk and the pen in his hand, he could see why."You zoned out and started to write like you were possessed,"

 He ignored her and picked up the paper, frowning as he looked at the drawing of the akuma smiling like he had won the lottery. This was getting worse. He may need to talk to a therapist again or take something to repress it. He got up and threw the paper away before walking out of the room, ignoring his assistant manager's concerned look. As he walked, he blinked and found himself once again, waking up from his nightmare at 3.31am again. He groaned and blinked. Another day in the office with the same drawing haunting him. Another blink. Back to the dream. Another and back to the office.

 "FINE!" He shouted after waking up from the dream again, causing Bridgette to jolt awake. "Fine! I'll help them ok?!"

 "Felix?" She asked, causing him to look over as she sat up. "Are you ok?"

 "No," He answered, making her frown and wrapping her arms around his torso. "The dreams are back,"

 "What did they show this time?" She asked, placing a gentle kiss on his shoulder.

 "The heroes falling to a new akuma," He replied, making her frown. "I can't stop that,"

 "But can you change the outcome?" She asked, making him sigh. 

 "Maybe," He replied, turning to her. "But I'll have to go see her,"

 "Want me to come with you?" She asked but he shook his head. "Ok but if you change your mind, just call me,"

 "Thank you," He whispered, climbing back into bed and hugging her. She ran her fingers through his hair, soothing him. "I'll call into the office today and go find her in the park,"

 "Tell her that I say hi," She replied, causing him to nod before they both drifted to sleep. A few hours later, Felix was walking towards the park, thinking about the events that were to come. He hated his dreams because he couldn't change the events that were shown in them. He tried but it never worked. He could only change the outcome which might sound like the same thing but it wasn't. If someone was meant to die, they would die but that doesn't mean that someone had to see it. In this case, the heroes would be captured regardless of what he did but that didn't mean Hawkmoth had to win. He could change that. He just didn't know how yet. He came to a stop as he saw an older woman sat feeding the birds and humming to herself. She had her grey hair tied in a bun and wore a yellow dress with a brown jacket. She glanced up with green eyes as he walked over.

 "Felix Culpa," She smiled as he sat next to you. "It's been a while,"

 "Grand Witch of London," He stated, making her smile. "I'm afraid this isn't a social call,"

 "Oh?"

 "Do you still have what I gave to you three years ago?" He asked, looking straight ahead. She pursed her lips and nodded. "Good. I need it back,"

 "Are you sure?" She asked. "You swore you were done with magic and miraculous when you entrusted it to me,"

 "Well, I was but my dreams are back, Marianne," He stated, looking at her. "And the universe keeps on bugging me,"

 "I see. Does this mean you'll also be taking back your official title again?" She asked, making him but he nodded nevertheless. She nodded as well before pulling out her purse and opening it. "Well, then it's lucky for you that I had a feeling that I should bring this with me,"

 She pulled out a collar brooch shaped like two black wings before handing it back to Felix Sr. 

 "Good luck, Felix,"

 ~A couple of Days later in Gabriel's office~

 "Is everything going according to plan, Natalie?" Gabriel asked as he held the phone to his ear. Nathalie was driving 'him' to the airport for Tokyo's fashion weekend but in reality, he was using the peace and quiet to harvest his akumas and study the grimoire with Su Han. Of course, he still had to appear at the actual fashion day but luckily, he had already got a plan for that. As usual, he would appear in tablet form. The whole thing with him in the car was really just keeping up appearances but anyone who knew him knew he wouldn't actually appear in person. 

 "Yes. Enroute to the airport, Sir," Natalie confirmed, dragging him out of his thoughts. "You will officially be spending the entire weekend in Tokyo. No one will ever suspect that you stayed home. Just don't forget to pick up when it comes to the gala,"

 "Perfect and I know," He replied before hanging up and walking over to the painting of Emile. He pressed the buttons in, activating the floor platform before it took him down to his butterfly garden. Nooroo flew out of his pocket and floated next to him. As soon as the lift door opened, he strolled across to Emilie's coffin and stood in front of it with Nooroo following him. "Emilie, we miss you so much but you'll be back with us very soon. Thanks to my akumas and my new mentor, it's only a matter of time before I take control of their miraculous. Merging them will give me absolute power to reshape reality and finally erase our past mistake,"

 "As long as you keep your side of the deal," Su Han's voice echoed as shadows moved around the room, making Gabriel frown. Of course, he had no intention of keeping his side of the deal but Su Han nor his creepy little pet needed to know that. "You've seen what happens to those who fail or betray us,"

 "Of course, I will honour my side," He lied, putting on a brave face as he turned around. He had no intention of ending up the same way as that fool Xavier. "But perhaps your beast should restrain it's hunger for now,"

 And why should I do that? An echo-like voice replied, sending shivers down Gabriel's spine as the shadows moved around, constricting around his neck. Or maybe I should devour your soul too...

 "Do that and I guarantee you won't find the mage," He replied, calmly as the shadowy snake hissed near his ear. "After all, once I have the miraculous in my grasp, we make the heroes talk and reveal who their guardian is and in turn, he will lead us to the mage then you can feast as much as your black heart desires,"

 "Simme, enough," Su Han ordered, causing the spirit to glare at him with crimson eyes but it pulled away from Gabriel and slithered over to the window. “We’ll be having a meeting with the rest tomorrow but for now let’s continue your training,”

 You two have no sense of humour but I digress... It hissed, climbing up the wall as both Gabriel and Su Han rose an eyebrow. I'm off. Have fun with your boring lessons and butterfly pickings...

 Just as the shadow slid out of the window, a number of butterflies fluttered around.

 "They're ready," Gabriel grinned before turning to Nooroo. "Time to Harvest,"

 ~The Next Day Outside of Agreste Manor~

 "I can't believe Adrien actually decided to throw a party for Halloween. I'm so proud of him," Chloe gasped, pressing her hand against her heart as she pretended to wipe a tear from her eye before grinning. Marinette and Luka chuckled as they walked with her to the party. Alya had to babysit her sisters so sadly she couldn't come along at that moment but promised to be by later on. Luckily, Nino and the rest of the gang were there to keep him entertained as well as Kagami. Zoe was also coming along. They were originally going to come dressed up but Adrien asked them not to. He also only wanted a small number of people there but progress was still being made. Luka was still proud of how far he had come. "Admittedly it's a bit early since it's half way through October but needs must and all! I'm still proud of him!"

 "Me too!" Marinette declared, smiling as she held Luka's hand. "I just hope nothing goes wrong,"

 "Well, we have the Gorilla on our side," Chloe grinned. "Even Nathalie went behind Gabriel's back and gave Adrien some suggestions on how to make sure the house looked perfect once we're done,"

 "Wow, I didn't expect that from her," Luka replied as they came to the gate of the mansion. They rang the doorbell and soon they were inside, hanging with Adrien. Luka couldn't help but smile as he listened to the music of the room. Normally it was an extremely sombre feeling that came from the manor and while it was still there, it wasn't the dominant song. Right now, a song of joy and fun was playing. Adrien was sitting chatting with his friends, visibly relaxed as Kagami stroked his hair. Nino and Max were playing with music and the girls were playing some pool. The Gorilla had ordered Pizza and not long after it arrived, Alya arrived as well, finally free from babysitting.

 "So what did I miss?" She grinned, grabbing a slice of pizza. "And why is this music so quiet?"

 "Ah that would be the sound control," Adrien replied, making her frown. "And not much. Lila attempted to come by but the Gorilla told her I was busy with my Chinese lessons so she wouldn't be able to tell Father what I'm actually doing,"

 "Urg typical Lila," Alya rolled her eyes as Max sat at the computer.

 "Well, we can't fix her but I can easily fix this volume," He replied, typing as Adrien gasped. "Don't worry it won't be too loud, Adrien. Marvok, care to assist,"

 "Of course, Max," Marvok replied, flying over as Max typed before plugging himself in as Adrien watched with fascination. "I just need to hook into the home's electrical panel,"

 "And we're in," Max grinned as the system appeared before he pushed up his glasses and began to read it. "Whoa,"

 "What?" Adrien asked, looking over. Max turned round and glanced towards him.

 "Your house's power supply is insane," He grinned, causing Luka to look over as Adrien got up and looked over. "This could compete with a nuclear power station,"

 "For real?" Nino asked, making Luka more curious. Why did Agreste manor have such a power supply? He got up and walked over as Max typed.

 "And a lot of it is being redirected somewhere," Max replied, making him frown as he looked over. He didn't understand any of it. "That is odd,"

 "I'm not surprised," A new voice stated, causing them to look over before Adrien broke into a massive grin as he rushed over to Felix who was stood by the door. He hugged him, causing him to pat him on the back before he walked over to Max. "Uncle always had to have the biggest and best things. Chances are that energy is going to some weird fashion device that he just had to buy,"

 "Sounds about right for Gabriel," Another voice replied, causing Adrien to look back. Felix Sr was stood leaning against the door, looking moody as usual as the kids looked over at him, unsure if they should continue with the party. "Oh, don't let my presence stop you from having fun. Adrien, rebelling against your father hm? I'm so proud of you,"

 "Thanks, Uncle Felix," He grinned, causing him to walk over and ruffle his hair. "I didn't expect you to visit though,"

 "If your father was here, I clearly wouldn't be," He replied, making Adrien. "But Felix happened to inform me that my dearest brother in law is out of the country at the moment and suggested I come by to spend some time with my nephew since I never get a chance too,"

 "I'm so glad!" Adrien grinned, hugging him. Felix Sr seemed taken back by it but patted his back nevertheless. "I wish Father hadn't banned you from the house,"

 "Well, that's Gabriel for you," He replied. "Ever so melodramatic,"

 "Hang on!" Nino declared, making him look at him. "You're both called Felix?!"

 "Yes," Felix Jr replied. "Family tradition,"

 "It is believed that good luck comes to our family if the first born son is named Felix," Felix Sr replied, making the kids nod. "But since there's two of us, you can refer to me as Lex. It's the nickname I go by. Though I don't want to interrupt your party so I'll go chat with Anton," 

 He turned on his heel and headed to the door.

 "Of course, I would advise you not to post about this on social media," He stated, making everyone blink. "I'd hate for Gabriel's house to get trashed but then again, you can't really call this a party now,"

 With that, he left, causing the kids to blink as Felix typed away on his phone.

 "And send," He stated, making everyone look at him. "What?"

 "Did you just post about the party on social media?" Adrien asked, a little panicked.

 "Uncle's idea," Felix replied, smirking. "Besides, your old man isn't here and as long as we clear up, he'll never know so let your hair down for once and have some fun. Also I said it was my party, not yours. That way Uncle can't get mad at you,"

 "Felix..." Adrien replied before grinning. "You're the best!"

 "Yes, well someone needs to liven this party up," Felix muttered but he had a smile on his face and soon enough, the small gathering had turned into a full blown party with practically all of Paris' famous there. Luka smiled to himself as he sat next to Jagged on Adrien's piano as he played his guitar with his dad. It was perfect. Adrien looked really happy to have his friends around, Marinette was goofing around with Juleka and the rest of the girls while trying to get Felix and Kagami to join them in their dance. Even Felix Sr had also come back in and had started chatting with Anarka. Seeing an opportunity to share how proud of Luka he was, Jagged stopped playing the piano and asked Max to take over the music before joining in with the conversation. Despite the conversation and the clearly happy atmosphere, Luka couldn't help but noticed that Felix Sr seemed on edge but then again Felix Sr always seemed on edge. Luka just assumed it was his nature. He smiled and jumped down from the piano before placing his guitar on the side and began to head over towards Marinette, who was leading the charge as the girl squad attempted to dance. She marched up and down happily as Alya spun around before both girls ended up almost falling over. They caught each other and burst into laughter as he smiled. However, he stopped as a cold shiver moved down his spine, causing him to look towards the bar area. To his surprise, he saw Master Fu sitting there. His eyes widened in shock but he quickly hid the expression and looked back over at Marinette. She was now attempting to get Zoe to join in. He walked over and gave Marinette a peck on the cheek as Jagged declared that the music should be louder.

 "Do you want a drink, Melody?" He asked, making her look at him.

 "Yes please!" She grinned, making him smile back. Her song was so loud and full of energy that he could write a thousand songs and it would not be enough to describe how beautiful she sounded. "Can you get me a lemonade please?"

 "Of course," He smiled, pecking her cheek again before heading back over to the bar area where Master Fu was sitting. He grabbed a can before looking for a cup near Master Fu before whispering. "Master... Why are you here? Are the miraculous... you know..."

 "The miraculous are safe... besides, don't party like this is bound to attract some trouble, don't you think?" He replied, not even looking at Luka who frowned as he patted the cooler next to him. He had a point. Police could get annoyed at the noise. Not to mention that the Gorilla could freak out. "Mila is here too..."

 Luka glanced around and noticed Mila chatting to his parents and Felix Sr.

 "On top of that, Mila and I noticed a number of people of interest entering the building through the back way half an hour ago,"

 "People of interest?" Luka asked, frowning.

 "Yes, Mrs Bourgeois, Mrs Graham de Vanily and Mrs Tsurugi," He replied, making Luka frown even more. "Yet I heard that Mr Agreste isn't here,"

 "So why would they be entering the building?" He asked, frowning as he put down two cups. "Did you happen to see where they went?"

 "Interestingly enough, they went into Mr Agreste's office," He replied, making Luka frown. He needed to have a look. He still suspected Gabriel Agreste is Hawkmoth even though he got akumatized but why have a meeting when Gabriel supposedly wasn't in town? Not just that but why did this house have such a massive power supply and where was it going to? "I planned to stick nearby in case but this party gave me the opportunity to come in,"

 "I need to have a look in his office," Luka muttered, frowning before he took the drinks and walked over to Marinette who was now joined by Adrien. "Here we are,"

 "Thanks," She grinned, taking it and slipping the drink as he sipped his own. "This is the coolest party I've been to!"

 "Thanks," Adrien grinned as Kagami smiled. "I didn't even know parties could be so cool. Even my chinese teacher came by and he brought his wife!"

 Luka almost spat out his drink at that. Mila was pretending to be Fu's wife?! Seriously?! He coughed as Adrien made sure he was ok.

 "I'm fine," He coughed, waving his hand. "But I could do with a little bit of fresh air so I'm just gonna step out. There's a lot of songs in this room. It's a bit overwhelming,"

 "Oh, would you like me to come with you?" Marinette asked with a worried look but he gave her a soft smile and shook his head. "Are you sure?"

 "Yep, I'll be fine," He reassured, pecking her cheek. "I won't be long,"

 "Well ok but don't be afraid to get me if you need me," She replied, kissing his cheek. He smiled bashfully and nodded before leaving the room. As soon as he was out, he ducked into a separate room and glanced around, checking for cameras in case. Satisfied with his look, he took out a yellow magicron.

 "Tikki," He whispered, causing her to fly out of his pocket as he held it up. "Time to test it out,"

 "Ok," She nodded as he tossed it to her. She swallowed it whole.

 "Tikki, power up!" He whispered, causing her to transform.

 "Altikki!" She declared, causing him to swipe his ear.

 "Altikki, spots on," He declared, transforming into a new form. His hair was completely black and he wore his usual suit but it was darker than normal and the red section had camouflage. He smiled before his suit shimmered, changing to blend into the place. In this case, it turned white including his hair making him blend in with the walls. "Time to investigate,"

 ~Underneath Agreste Manor~

 "I hope you didn't just invite us here to harvest butterflies," Audrey stated, looking at the butterfly garden with disgust as Gabriel clipped them. "It's like you're not even trying to hide that you're working with Hawkmoth. How much is he paying you to do this? Is that why your fashion house has fallen on hard times?"

 "I appropriate the concern, Audrey," Gabriel replied, placing a cocoon in the basket. "But whatever I have going with Hawkmoth is between me and him,"

 "Alright, keep your secrets to yourself," Audrey replied, smirking. "But seriously why gather us here?"

 "Because I asked him to," Su Han's voice stated, causing the others to look at him with shock as he walked over with his arms behind his back. Simme trailed behind him, munching on some pigeons. "I wish to know if any of you have made any progress with tracking down the mage,"

 "I have not, grand master," Audery replied, frowning. "But my darling daughter is investigating a number of people. I have her look into-"

 "I don't care unless they're the mage," He hissed, making her go quiet. "And you, Madam Tsurugi?"

 "The mage has not made an appearance to me yet nor to my kin," She stated in her usual manner. "I have taken the liberty to contact my brother . He is flying to france as we speak,"

 "Excellent," Su Han smirked. Tsurugi Zenaku was legendary in the underworld. A skilled assassin who could track and find any target and who didn't care whom he killed. He also had the Cobra Miraculous. Not that he needed it. "Send him my way when he arrives,"

 "Yes, Grand Mage,"

 "And you Amelie?" He asked, looking at her. "Any news for me?"

 She went to open her mouth but before she could, the electricity shut off. All of them looked around before Gabriel gasped and left the area. Su Han narrowed his eyes before following.

 "What is the meaning of this, Gabriel?" He demanded as the man checked on his wife before ignoring him and rushing over to the lift. He entered it but got stuck half way up. He slammed his fists against it before transforming into Hawkmoth and breaking free. He jumped down and rushed back over to his wife. "Agreste?"

 "The electricity has been switched off. My wife's cryo chamber is using the back up energy but it won't last forever," He declared, glancing back over there. "I need someone to restore power from the outside,"

 "So akumatize someone," Simme hissed before laughing. "Or your wifeicle will melt,"

 "Hush," Su Han replied, narrowing his eyes at Hawkmoth. "Sort it out while I continue the meeting,"

 "Of course," He replied, closing his eyes as Su Han walked back over to the other area. He tried to focus on a negative emotion. "I don't feel any negative emotion. There's only-"

 His eyes snapped open and widened as he felt it.

 "Joy!" He growled, getting annoyed. "What's going on in my house?!"

 He closed his eyes again and focused harder, trying to track down any negative emotion. As he did so, Wayhem stood outside of Agreste Manor and repeatedly rang the doorbell but was getting no answer. His expression fell as he listened to the sound of people laughing and music playing. Why was he excluded? He was a friend of Adrien's right. Sure, he was his biggest fan and had a habit of getting excited in front of him but he had his number and email. He traded messages with him and tried to treat him with respect so why wasn't he invited? Did Adrien feel deep down that he was only a fan and not a friend? He frowned and took out his phone, dialling Adrien's number. It rang several times but no one answered.

 "This is Adrien's voicemail," Adrien's voice declared, mocking his pain. "Leave a message,"

 He hung up and looked up at the manor with tears in his eyes. 

 "Not only are you allowed to have friends over but apparently a huge party is no big deal either," He declared, looking down. "Why did you lie to me, Adrien?"

 A single tear rolled down his cheek as Hawkmoth honed in on his pain.

 "Ah! I can feel a negative emotion!" He declared, holding out his hand and screwing it into a fist. "At last, an unexpected and powerful wave of disappointment!"

 He held out his hand, causing a butterfly to land on before charging it up with his evil energy.

 "Fly away, my little akuma and evilize him!" He declared, allowing to fly off. It made its way to Wayhem and entered the prank glasses he had just as he walked off, causing the connection between him and Hawkmoth to open. "Party Crasher, I am Hawkmoth... so you weren't invited?! Well, I'm giving you the power to crash that party and end it for good! All I ask in return is for you to bring me Anatis' and Lady Noir's miraculous? Oh and to find the source of this power cut? Do we have a deal?"

 "Let's get this party started, Hawkmoth!"

 "Excellent,"

 ~Back in Agreste Manor~

 Anatis frowned as he looked around Gabriel's office. Nothing seemed out of place but that's why he decided to try out the stealth suit. Not only did it allow him to move without being detected by anyone or anything but it also gave him some other useful abilities. He tapped the side of his mask, causing lens to appear over his eyes that allowed him to see footprints. He really should ask how Sir Rene came up with such an idea and how they worked in the ancient world. He glanced around and noticed several footsteps. So they had definitely been in here but they appeared to only lead into here. As far as he could see, they hadn't left yet but no one was in the room. He frowned and followed the footsteps, leading to the portrait of Emile Agreste. He frowned a little more and looked up. The portrait seemed fairly normal so he trapped his mask again, causing the lens to change once more. This time it allowed him to glance through the portrait. He could see there was a safe behind it but that made sense. Of course, Gabriel has a safe behind it but maybe there was a secret here that he couldn't see. He stepped forward and moved his hand across the frame, looking for a secret button. There might be a hidden passage behind the picture and safe but before he could examine it more, the sounds of screams caught his attention. He turned on his heel and rushed to the door, looking outside. The front door was missing, the gorilla was gone and the guests were running out of the manor, terrified. He frowned and shut the door.

 "Tikki, spots off," He replied, turning back to his normal form before rushing outside and throwing his yoyo. To his surprise, the villain who looked like some crazy disco guy ducked down, causing his yoyo to miss him but luckily his target was able to get away. He fired a silver beam at Anatis who jumped out of the way as Lady Noir's baton flew at the Party Crasher. Once again, he ducked and fired at her but she grabbed her baton as she jumped out of the way, landing next to Anatis. "Alright, Disco guy. This party is over!"

 "Fools!" He declared, pointing at them as he walked out of the house. "All I need is to touch you then your miraculous will be mine!"

 "Well, obviously, we're not gonna let that happen!" Lady Noir shot back. "We'll free your victims instead!"

 He charged at them, causing them to jump back into the street as they avoided his disco balls.

 "Lady Noir, would you mind distracting our party fiend?"

 "You got it, bug boy!" She winked before charging at him as Anatis threw his yoyo and flew up to a statue. He was about to summon his lucky charm when he saw Lady Noir being kicked by Party Crasher before he went to touch her.

 "Lady Noir!" He called out, throwing his yoyo and pulling her to safety. "You ok, Kitty?"

 "I am now," She grinned as he held her in his arms. "But how did he figure out my moves?"

 "He must have anticipated our moves?" He frowned as he put her down. "We're gonna need to figure out how to surprise him,"

 "How about we use some of that luck of yours then?" She grinned, leaning on her baton. "We might just need a party favour to sort out this guy,"

 "Sounds good to me," He replied, putting her down and throwing up his yoyo, causing his outfit to transform into the power up version. "Lucky charm!"

 The magical swamp appeared from his yoyo and formed a shape that dropped into his hand.

 "An old cassette tape?" He questioned, looked at it but before he could work it out, Party Crasher fired at him and Lady Noir. Both of them jumped out of the way and Anatis went to land on the ground but as soon as he did, Party Crasher slammed his disco ball into him, causing his eyes to widen in shock before he disappeared.

 "Annie!" Lady Noir screamed as he disappeared but Party Crasher soon came after her. She dodged and jumped out of the way but he was relentless in his attacks and she was clearly outmatched. She really needed backup and she needed it now.

 ~Meanwhile~

 Felix Sr frowned from where he was. He was stood on top of Agreste Manor Anatis had been captured and Lady Noir was on her own, just like his vision showed. He narrowed his eyes and saw the guardian of the miraculous placing various miraculous to whom he would assume were temporary heroes. Not far from the scene, Dame and Phenix Rogue stood nearby, already instructed by their mistress on what to do. She was smart enough to stay out of the fight and told them to wait until things were truly desperate before joining this one. He understood why they weren't moving yet, even with Anatis absorbed. Giving away their positions right now would be a stupid move. Their mistress had taught them that. His eyes returned back to the scene as Apsik was absorbed. It wouldn't be long before the others were absorbed, causing Dame and Phenix to try and save her but they will be absorbed too then finally Lady Noir. He knew he couldn't stop it but he will not let Hawkmoth win. He took out a swan brooch from his pocket and fixed it onto his shirt, causing a swan like Kwami to manifest. It resembled a black swan in looks. It blinked as it looked at him.

 "Fee!!" It declared, zooming around him. "I thought I'd never see you again!!"

 "Likewise, old friend," He replied, smiling a little. "But my time with the miraculous is not over yet, Vinne,"

 "Yay!!" Vinne declared, flying around him. "Let's kick butt!"

 "Yes, let's kick butt indeed," He replied, swiping his hand over the miraculous. "Vinne, Assemblé!" 

 "Whooooo!!" Vinne declared as he was sucked into the miraculous, causing it to glow and charge up before he moves his arms up and across each other, causing a red glow to appear on his hands before bringing them down and causing it to absorb his body. When it disappeared, his suit had changed into a new outfit. He wore a red shirt with a deep purple waistcoat that had silver buttons and swirls on it. His pants were black and he wore brown knee high boots. On his hands were fingerless gloves and his nails were painted black. The red glow formed a silver brooch with a red gem inside before travelling down as it created a red ruffle on the shirt. It spread across his shoulders, creating a black feather cape before it flowed down in three different areas, creating the rest of the cape that was black faded into purple in colour. He held one of his hands up in the air, creating a glowing red orb that transformed into a wooden staff with a red crystal ball on top that was surrounded by a black swan. He brought it down past his head, causing a mask to appear over his eyes and his hair to grow longer and wilder. His mask resembled a masquerade one. It was black and red with a silver line and half of it flickered up, resembling feathers. His eyes had also transformed from grey blue to red with black siries and upon his left ear sat a silver earring with a red crystal hanging off it. With the transformation complete, he casted his gaze down to Party Crasher who was now talking to Hawkmoth. Atrarus narrowed his eyes before diving off the building and slamming his staff into the ground, interrupting their conversation. Naturally, he missed Party Crasher but he dodged the beam fired at him and using his foresight, blocked Party Crasher's arm and slammed his staff into his ribs, sending him flying.

 "Now who's ruining my fun" Party Crasher demanded, glaring. Atrarus closed his eyes and saw Party Crasher coming at him, swinging his left disco ball before switching to his right. He opened his eyes as Party Crasher ran at him, swinging the left. He ducked and grabbed his right hand as he switched, throwing him over his shoulder and slamming him into the ground. "What?! How?!"

 "Did you think you're the only one who predict dance moves?" He questioned, smirking a little as Party Crasher growled.

 "Your miraculous is mine!"

 "Really now?" Atrarus answered, jumping back as Party Crasher rushed at him before almost hitting him.

 "Your miraculous won't help you predict my dance moves!" 

 "Funny because I'm not even using my miraculous power right now!" Atrarus replied, keeping up with Party Crasher's dance. "I'm using my own natural ability,"

 "Natural ability or not, I'll predict your next move!" 

 "Predict this!" Atrarus declared as Party Crasher fired at him as he lifted his staff. "Temporal Hiatus!"

 A red glow appeared in the crystal ball and echoed out, causing everything in its radius to suddenly stop including Party Crasher and his beam. Only Atrarus could move.

 "Even an akuma like you is not immune to the laws of time," Atrarus replied before jumping over to where Master Fu was hiding before he opened the cooler where the miraculous were hidden. "Excuse me, guardian but I need to borrow the monkey miraculous and I have just the person in mind,"

 He grabbed the miraculous and rushed back into Agreste Manor, heading into Adrien's room. When Party Crasher had crashed the party, most of the guests had ran out but to his surprise, Alya Cesaire, who previously had rushed head first with no regard for her own safety or her others, had actually used her brain and slipped into the bathroom instead during the chaos. Party Crasher didn't even think to look in there, he just assumed everyone had in fact left the building but Felix Sr had noticed her do that and saw the way to change the outcome because of it. He stepped inside the bathroom and saw her looking out the window. He only had a minute left of frozen time but he doubted that Party Crasher would follow him. 

 "Where did he go?!" He heard the sound of Party Crasher's voice and couldn't resist a smirk.

 "Wasn't there another hero?" Alya asked herself, causing him to clear his throat. She screamed and turned around. "What?! But you were just next to the villain!"

 "Yes and now I'm here,"

 "How?"

 "Magic," He deadpanned. "Now let's not waste any more time, shall we?"

 "Huh?" She blinked as he held out the box with the money miraculous. "Wait, is that? Anatis told-"

 "Anatis and Lady Noir are about to be delivered to Hawkmoth where he will then take the miraculous, merge them and use a wish that will destroy this world," He stated, shocking Alya. "And I have no intention of letting that happen so you're going to help me. Put that on and say the magic words,"

 "I'm sure Anatis has a full-"

 "Now Miss Cesaire before my patience wears thin,"

 "Ok, ok!" She gasped, taking the circlet out and putting it on her head. A golden ball of light appeared and spun around before turning into a monkey miraculous. "Oh wow!! This is wild!!"

 "Hey, what's going on here?" It declared, glaring at Atrarus. "You're not Anatis or the guardian!"

 "No but I am an ally and the acting Grand Mage of Paris," He replied, making the monkey gasp and Alya stare. "Now hurry up before the butterfly man wins,"

 "Right!" It replied, turning to Alya. "I'm Xuppu. To transform, just say Xuppu, showtime!"

 "Xuppu! Show time!"

 ~Outside of the Manor~

 "Excellent work, Party Crasher," Hawkmoth declared in his mind as he listened. "Now all you need to do is send me the miraculous!"

 "What about that other hero?" Party Crasher asked, concerned. 

 "He's run off like a coward," He replied, not caring. "Besides, he can't stop me! Now send them to me!"

 "Let's dance!" Party Crasher declared, using his powers to make a plane to get the miraculous to Hawkmoth but before he could get it to fly off, the annoying hero reappeared, slamming into him with his staff. "You again!"

 "Yes and this time I brought a friend to the party!" He replied, jumping out of the way of his beam before a staff was thrown at him. Party Crasher growled as he dodged it before looking up as a new hero joined them. She was wearing a brown and white suit with dark brown detail on the legs. Her boots were combat boots and she had some leg warmers that resembled ropes around her legs. She wore an orange jacket with dark brown arm pads and had brown gloves on. Her hair was tied up in a very messy bun with strands of her hair looking like a mane with two stands of hair by the sides of her face. The color was red brown that faded into orange and she wore a golden circlet on her head. There was a brown mask around her eyes and she had a rope around her waist that resembled a tail. She grinned as she grabbed her staff and jumped over to a statue, hanging off it.

 "Aww, you called me a friend!"She grinned before spinning her staff that turned golden. "Uproar!"

 Her staff created a golden light that in turn created a toy banana. She caught it and squeezed it, causing Party Crasher to laugh as the little plane flew off.

 "This is the best you could get?" He asked Atrarus who shrugged as the girl threw the banana. It hit Party Crasher in the chest and appeared to do nothing. "Seriously?"

 She smirked as the plane turned into a silver lama, causing Party Crasher to panic.

 "What's going on?!" He declared as the girl laughed. He stepped back in horror as his vision messed up, showing all kinds of things and colours. He couldn't predict anyone's moves right now.

 "Sorry about Tamarin!" Atrarus grinned as she ran towards the lama and jumped up. "She just loves disrupting others' powers! Right?"

 "Right!" She declared, slamming her staff into it. It exploded, causing a number of random things to rain down as she hopped back over to Atrarus as the other heroes and everyone else who had been captured appeared behind them. "Whoa, it worked!"

 "And to think you doubted my plan," Atrarus replied, placing his hand to his chest as Anatis looked around.

 "Everyone, get to safety! Me and my team will deal with Party Crasher," He ordered before turning to the new heroes. "Thanks for the assist,"

 "Yes, well I'd rather not see the end of the world," Atrarus replied as Tamarin grinned before he pulled Anatis out of the way of another beam. "Leatherback is it? Protect us will you?"

 "Yes, sir!" He replied, holding up his shield. "Shellter!"

 The force field appeared around them as Anatis rubbed the back of his neck.

 "Head in the game, Anatis," Atrarus stated sternly. "Now I believe you summoned a lucky charm before you were captured. Do you still have it?"

 "Yes," He replied, taking it out. "It's a cassette but I didn't get a chance to work out how to use it,"

 "Hmm, well Party Crasher's ability to prediction but clearly it's not on my level since I could easily outdo him,"

 "Your level?" Lady Noir asked, confused. "Wait, does your miraculous give you the same abilities?"

 "No," He replied, rolling his eyes. "I can simply see certain outcomes. Anyway, that doesn't help any of you. He can still predict your moves,"

 "You're right," Anatis replied, looking at the cassette before it lit up, along with everyone else. "Unless he can't predict our moves! Valkyrie, teleport here and get something that can play this!"

 "Yes, Boss!" She declared as he showed her a location, opening a portal and reaching in. "Sorry! I'll return it!"

 She pulled out an old cassette player.

 "Our friend here can predict our moves so the only way to defeat him is to make ourselves unpredictable," He declared, putting the casette in and pressing play, causing music to blast out as the rest of the group looked at him like he was insane. Atrarus had a feeling he was use to this. "In other words, freak out and show me your moves! Dame, would you mind making our dance moves better?"

 "Of course," She grinned, holding up her sword. "Empower!"

 The green glow went over all of them, making them feel stronger and faster. 

 "Well, here goes nothing," Phenix replied as Leatherback's shelter disappeared. Party Crasher grinned and went into a fighting stance but to his surprise and slight horror, the heroes just began to dance with no real rhyme at all.

 "What are you doing?! It's nonsense!" He stepped back as his vision began to be disrupted. "What the?!"

 He shook his head and charged at the group but thanks to empower and their own unique movements, they were able to block and dodge his moves before striking back. Phenix tripped him up and Dame aimed her sword at him, knocking him back as Apollo used Flare to blind him. He never got a chance to use it before he got captured. Aspik threw his lyre at his face as he charged at Valkyrie who ducked and kicked him in the back. He bounced back and charged at Leatherback who blocked his move with his shield then struck him in the gut, causing him to fall back. He growled and threw his fist at Tamarin who grabbed his arm and pushed him towards Lady Noir who kicked him in the first. Tamarin then struck him with her stick before Anatis jumped over and kicked him in the gut, causing his glasses to fall.

 "Anatis! The Glasses!" Atrarus declared as he saw them. "That's where the akuma is!"

 "Got it!" Anatis nodded and grabbed them, throwing them towards Lady Noir. "Kitten!"

 "Cataclysm!" She declared, grabbing them. As soon as they touched her hand, they crumbled into pieces. The akuma flew out and Anatis took out his yoyo before throwing it to capture the akuma and brought it back to himself. 

 "Bye, bye, Little Butterfly," He smiled as he tapped open the yoyo and let the now purified butterfly fly out before he pressed stop on the music and took out the tape, throwing it into the air as his outfit turned back to normal. The tape exploded into the magical swamp and swiped across the area, fixing everything before disappearing as Party Crasher turned into Wayhem. Anatis helped him to his feet before turning to the newcomers. "Thanks for- where did your friend go?"

 "Huh?" Tamarin gasped, looking around but Atrarus was nowhere to be seen. It was like he vanished into smoke. "Whoa! I guess he really is magic!"

 "Magic?" Anatis questioned before shaking his head. "Well thank you for the assistance, Tamarin but I'm afraid I can't let you keep the miraculous,"

 "I figured as much, Anatis," She grinned as Phenix and Dame said their goodbyes and jumped away. "But how come they don't have to give them back?"

 "They answer to someone else," He replied, making her nod as a number of the miraculous beeped. "I do have a lot to collect. Everyone, find a good hiding place. Lady Noir, could you lend me a paw to collect these?"

 "Sure!" She grinned, following Apollo, Valkyrie and Aspik while Leatherback hid in a different area. Tamarin followed Anatis to an alleyway before her transformation dropped, causing Anatis to look at her. "Hey,"

 "Alya Ceraise," He smiled as she handed him the circlet. "You did a good job today,"

 "Thanks," She grinned, rubbing the back of her neck. "But I guess this will probably be the only time,"

 "Keep on the right path and I'll be sure to call on Tamarin again," He smiled before swinging off to go get Leatherback's miraculous. Alya grinned and ran back to Agreste Manor to see if everyone else was ok from the attack.

 ~Underneath Agreste Manor~

 "I was so close this time, Nooroo!" Gabriel raged, slamming his fist against the wall. He had practically won then that new hero had appeared with his sidekick and saved the day. How did he even disappear like that?! Nooroo flinched as he slammed his fist again before hiding as someone knocked on the door. He opened it and glared at Su Han. "What?"

 "The meeting is to continue,"

 "Yes, that makes sense," He muttered, leaving the room as he walked over to the rest of the group. He looked at Su Han who looked annoyed. "Master Su Han, tell me is there a swan miraculous?"

 "Yes-"

 "A Swan?" Amelie asked, shocked before jumping up. "Forgive me, I must sort out something urgent,"

 With that, she rushed out. Su Han pinched his nose in annoyance.

 "Fine, this meeting is over," He replied, glaring. "I expect better results when we next meet,"

 The others nodded and left but Audery failed to notice Simme, following her. He tailed her inside the hotel then went his own way, searching. Not long after he came to Zoe's room and slipped inside as she sat in front of her vanity while her kwami brushed her hair.

 "Zoe," He hissed, making her look over as he appeared in his smaller form. "I require your assistant,"

 "Aren't you Master Su Han's kwami?" She asked, making him hiss and turn into his giant snake form. 

 "I am not a kwami, foolish girl!" He screeched, causing the shadows in her room to move and take scary forms. She gasped and jumped up in fear. "And he is not my master!"

 "I'm sorry!" She gasped, bowing. "I didn't know!"

 "Of course not, my dear child," He replied, changing back into his kwami form. "Now that we've cleared that up, I wish to have some fun and you're gonna help me,"

 "H-How?"

 "I want to join your school,"

 "B-But there's no more openings,"

 "Then make one!" He growled, making her gasp. "I'm bored and your school is a hot spot for akumas! A guy like me could have so much fun there. It's practically an all you can eat buffet,"

 "B-But you joining and then suddenly an increase in negativity could look really weird," She gasped, making him look at her. "That would bring the heroes to your front step so to speak but I have an idea if you're interested,"

 "An idea hmm?" He asked, moving around her as her kwami cowered away. Shadows wrapped around her neck making her gasp with fear. "It better not be a boring idea or I'll eat your soul,"

 "We-well, th-there's a school sports contest that is going to occur this week," She gasped, making him hum with interest. "Y-You could join the other school and play everyone against each other without looking too suspicious,"

 "Oh, my dear wasp," He smirked evilly. "Now that sounds like fun!"

 ~Felix Sr's House~

 "So are we back as a team?!" Vinne asked, flying around Felix's head as he placed a crystal on his window seal. "We were the best team!"

 "Well, I had every intention of leaving this world behind," Felix admitted as he waved his hand over the crystal, causing it to light up. "But apparently, it had no intention of leaving me behind so I guess we'll be working together but there will be some house rules. No dangerous pranks and you need to listen to me,"

 "Of course, of course!" Vinne grinned, placing his wings behind his head. "Ah this is gonna be great!"

 "I'm glad you think so," Felix replied as someone knocked on the door. "Vinne, stay here,"

 "Yes boss!" He declared, saluting him with his wing. Felix rolled his eyes and opened the door to his study before heading into the hallway as Bridgette let in Amelie. "Amelie, what are you doing here?"

 "I came because I need to talk with you,"

---------------------------------------------------------

Next Chapter: Coming soon (hopefully)

[naffeclipse]

Hello! I’ve been reading the Sleuth Jesters series (currently at What’s Due and Dead) and I simply had to come tell you that I’m in awe at how you write Eclipse. Huge applause for you! The way that just his name inspires fear when mentioned, how he has so much power that he has no problem flaunting. He is so smart, and you make an excellent job making the frustration in the protagonist the reader’s own because of it. Everytime we think y/n has any modicum of control, even for a single chapter, it’s snatched away. He is so ready to make sure they know that everything that happens is because he allows it, not because they got the upper hand. And also the ways you show his mind working. Always manhandling the protag to remind them they have no agency, or say. Yet he offers them luxury to tempt them to his side. But he makes sure the space is never theirs, but his. Even when not intruding in the room whenever he wants he leaves the smell of smoke as a reminder. As a “don’t get too comfortable”. But also! He’s not perfect in what he does, even if he comes close. Protag can get a rise out of him, when defying how much he truly thinks he gets them. Which tells me he’s addicted to control to a degree that it might be his downfall. And also, as much as he might hate it, he does crave connection and he’s seeking it in protag because he knows they have things in common he cannot find anywhere else. But that connection is not offered to him and he thinks he can force it in a twisted way. He seems to be desperate for it and thinks he can make it work with his need for absolute control. Just everything about how he’s written is Chef kiss! I want to punch him. I want to know more about him. It seems he did take care of Sun and Moon at one point but destroyed and built himself back as something they couldn’t stand. I’m very excited to continue reading, and I just have to come comment on this wonderful series!

I have the biggest heart eyes right now, reading this analysis on Eclipse. Just wow. I am stunned by how much you dove into his character and it makes me insanely happy that you enjoy him ♥

I can't say this enough but I am truly touched by this. I had a blast writing his character in this story. Thank you so much, and thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy what comes next ♥

[havethetimeofyourstyles]

in which you’re prince harry’s personal bodyguard.

a/n: hi angels! i’m SO EXCITED to be finally sharing this story, and i’m really proud of this piece! like it’s genuinely one of my favorites i’ve ever written and one of my babies, so i can’t wait to hear what you all think! this story is inspired by gold rush by taylor swift, and this story immediately came to me once i heard the song. so, enjoy and please reblog and leave feedback! 

thank you to my best beta and friend tina @sunflowers-styles​ and miss zoey @serendipitystyles​ who screamed with me when i just started writing it, ily both! 

WORD COUNT: 24.7k of prince!harry x guard!yn (it’s gonna be a rollercoaster <3) 

WARNINGS: ANGST (genuinely a lot of it), smut, mentions of death and disease 

COME INTO MY INBOX AND LETS TALK ABOUT ‘SINKING SHIPS’ i’d love to know your thoughts! 

pls rb to share! <3

.・。.・゜

‘Eyes like sinking ships

On waters so inviting

I almost jump in.’ 

With a slight groan, you were taken out of your slumber by the sunlight that was seeping through your curtains. The birds were chirping away quite loudly this morning—acting like there weren’t people who were sleeping at seven in the morning, but early birds get the worm, right?

You sat up, stretching your arms towards the ceiling as you let out an inhumane sound that was very ‘unladylike’ before freshening up in the restroom. After putting on your regular and daily uniform: black slacks, white crisp shirt with a black tie, and black formal shoes—you opted out on wearing a blazer since you were going to be out for most of the day—before you headed towards the kitchen that felt like miles away because the Royal House was huge. 

The chefs were already up, bright and early, ready to feed the Royal family. The aroma of French toast and sautéed vegetables filled your senses, making your mouth water. 

“Morning, everyone!” You greeted happily once you entered the kitchen. 

“Goodmorning, Y/N!” The chefs welcomed you into their kitchen in sync. You softly smiled, walking over to the fruit basket at the edge of the marble counter, grabbing a banana and orange before walking over to the island and leaning your elbows on it as you watched the chefs cook. 

You always loved watching them work on their art, it was quite mesmerizing—the way they sautéed the vegetables, tossing the contents into the air was always something you loved ever since you were young. They were always so proud and humble about their work, presenting it with a satisfied smile as satiated empty stomachs. 

Suddenly, the side door opened, revealing Maria tugging on the wagon that carried basketfuls of fresh vegetables and fruits. You quickly walked towards her, grabbing the basket from the wagon to set it down on the counter. The baskets were always quite heavy, and you always made sure to help her out every morning since she wakes up at sunrise to pick out and wash the produce for the day. 

“Thank you, my dear,” Maria said, smiling. 

“Of course, Maria. These are beautiful.” You handpicked vegetables and fruits. “One day, I’ll wake up earlier to help you out in the morning, so you’re not all by yourself,” you suggested. Maria was like a mother to you, and you truly looked up to her ever since you started to remember things. You never really knew who your real mom was because she had passed away when you were just a year old, so you saw Maria as a motherly figure. 

You remembered when you first visited the Royal House; your father, Josiah, used to be a stableman and would bring you to work with him every day, occasionally letting you ride on the horses with him if it was allowed. Josiah and Maria had a mutual liking towards one another, but neither of them had acted upon it. They had just simply acknowledged the fact they had feelings for one another. So, you were around Maria a lot, and it wasn’t forced because you genuinely took a liking towards her and she started becoming a female figure in your life that you never really had. 

“Oh, you’re so sweet, but that’s not needed. I know how exhausting your day is, so get those few extra hours of sleep, okay?” She raised her brows at you, and you chuckled, nodding your head at her. “And besides, I’ve actually got some help…” she trailed off in suspense. 

It was your turn to raise your brows at her. “Really? And who might that be?” A tint of pinkness hit Maria’s cheeks as she looked down, occupying herself by taking the produce out of the basket. 

“Just…Nathaniel.” 

“Nathaniel, really?” 

“Yeah, he’s nice, yeah? Handsome. Funny. Kind,” she started to sound like she was convincing you, but you really didn’t need all that much convincing because you actually knew him.

“I know Nathaniel, but thanks for the little recap,” you joked, chuckling as Maria blushed. “So, do you like him?” You asked. 

“I mean…I don’t know. Maybe,” she admitted shyly. You gave her an encouraging smile because you knew that she was only shy to confess the truth because she had been in love with your father. 

“Good—that’s good. Well, if you are taking a liking towards him, don’t run away from your feelings,” you told her sternly as if you were the mother now. “You deserve to be happy and in love!” 

“Suppose you’re right. I just feel…bad.” 

“Don’t be. He would want you to be happy, I promise,” you reminded Maria. 

You could definitely understand why she felt bad about the fact that she was interested in Nathaniel. Maria and Josiah were in love, once upon a time, but ever since your father passed away two years ago, due to his heart condition, it was difficult for Maria to move on from the love of her life. With regret wilting down on her face, she asked herself why she didn’t bother to do anything about her love for him, and she didn’t know if it was the right thing to do to be interested in someone else. However, you constantly reminded her that Josiah wanted you two to have a great life, containing a lot of love and laughter. 

Looking at the wall clock above the chocolate brown cabinets, you realized that it was a bit past seven, so duties for the day were calling. You kissed Maria on the cheek, telling her that you’ll see her during lunch before bidding the rest of the staff goodbye as you headed out of the kitchen

Your clad black shoes clicked against the shiny and polished tiled floor, echoing the corridor of the Royal House as you walked towards the West Wing of the house; the staff and employees all lived on the East Wing, and it was quite a walk from one end to the other. 

Knocking on the tall and heavy door, you heard absolute silence on the other side, which wasn’t abnormal. So, you knocked once more, hearing no movement before you allowed yourself inside of the bedroom of the Prince. 

As you expected, he was sprawled out onto his large bed, too large for one person, with his curls covering his forehead. His mouth was slightly agape with puffs of breaths coming out as he was in deep sleep. You opened the long curtains, letting the sunshine enter his room before walking over to the side of his bed, placing the two fruits on his bedside table so he could fuel himself as he’s getting ready; you gently tapped him on the shoulder. 

“Your Highness, It’s time to wake up,” you softly said. With no response, you shook his shoulder a bit harder to get him out of his deep slumber. “Your Highness, it’s past seven.” 

The Prince groaned, eyes still closed as he began to writhe around the bed. You took a step back from the bed, waiting for him to wake up fully before greeting him. He buried his face into the pillow, refusing to budge, as an exhausted muffled groan came out of his mouth. 

Once his eyes were fully open and he was aware of his surroundings and consciousness, he turned his head towards you, giving you a look as if to momentarily remember who you were; you gave him a smile to start off his day. 

“Good Morning—agh!” You let out an unexpected squeal, cut off by the Prince’s large arms wrapped around your waist, bringing you down onto the bed with him. His lips immediately attacked your neck and face, peppering your skin with his affection. You laughed softly, trying to keep your voice down in case anyone heard you, but you couldn’t help it because it tickled. “Your Highness!” You pushed his body away from yours, and you knew he only pulled back because of the name you had called him. 

He pouted, looking at you with puppy eyes. “I told you to stop calling me that, Princess,” he joked slightly. 

You raised your brows, mouth slightly open as you playfully patted his chest. “And I told you to stop calling me that, Harry.” 

“Then I’ll stop calling you that once you stop calling me ‘Your Highness,’” he said in a mocking tone before he raised his brows to see what you were going to respond with because he knew that you loved being called ‘Princess’ even if you were far from actually becoming one. You two would have these playful arguments on which nicknames to call one another, and ‘Princess’ and ‘Your Highness’ were both a bit of an inside joke now. 

You simply just rolled your eyes. “Not fit to be a Princess.” Harry’s arms wrapped tighter around your waist as both of your heads rested against the same pillow. You loved mornings like these, and although it was unusual to be sleeping in different rooms, it had to happen under certain circumstances. 

“You definitely are fit enough to be a Princess because you’ll be mine…soon…one day,” he lightened up the air, pressing a kiss to your cheek and forehead. “Perfect for me, I swear.” You smiled admiringly at the Prince, feeling incredibly grateful for him and his presence. 

For five years, your love for him had only increased when you thought that your heart couldn’t get any bigger. But Harry somehow made it happen; he filled your beating organ with so much love and devotion, making you feel so overwhelmed with happiness that you felt like you could burst any minute. You’ve known Harry since you were a little girl, but you didn’t play with him much since you had to stay close to Josiah. But when you did, you two would always go riding together; it was an innocent and pure friendship, and even when you were younger, you would find yourself missing your friend, who just so happened to be the Prince of the country. 

Five-year-old Y/N simply understood that he was a Prince, but you understood it just like the Disney movies. So, you and seven-year-old Harry would play Prince and Princess for fun. Every morning you would tell Josiah to dress you up in a pretty dress because your “Prince was waiting on the West Wing,” as you said. 

As the years went by and you two played less of Prince and Princess, but you and Harry were still inseparable. He was your best friend—still is, and you couldn’t be more happy that you two had never drifted off into the fog that vanishes every afternoon. 

With how close you were to Prince Harry, you realized you had feelings for him when you were thirteen, and it wasn’t until you were twenty when you two got together. Harry had told you that he’s liked you since he was seven, and fifteen years later, he finally had the balls to tell you. Typically for some, it wouldn’t be the most ideal relationship since your blood didn’t bleed royalty, but you’d rather have him in private rather than displaying your relationship to the entire world, especially his family. 

The bubble that was his room, was your hideout. The sanctuary where you felt most comfortable because it was where he slept in, as his scent roamed around the room, making it feel like home. You loved how you immediately felt safe and calm when you opened his bedroom room door, especially when you saw him peacefully sleeping; it was your favorite thing to do. 

Harry didn’t mind, either. He knew how brutal his family could be if they ever found out about your relationship with him, and no matter how much he wanted to shout his love for you from the top of his lungs to the world, they truly didn’t need that because the only people who were the most important in this relationship were you and Harry. As long as the two of you knew that you were in love with one another, that’s all that mattered. 

He was there for you for most of your life, and with a clueless mind, you didn’t know where you would be without him when your father had died. Since Josiah was working for the Royal Family with your occasional help, you had thought the Queen and King were going to kick you out because you had no place or purpose staying in the Royal House. But luckily, Harry quickly proposed the idea of you being his personal bodyguard. Someone who just followed him around while making him seem less lonely because the other men that were his guards before rarely said a word to him when he was out. 

The Dutch and Duchess, and especially the Queen, were a bit skeptical, but let him have his way to avoid any sort of resentment in the future. You were ecstatic and thanked him profusely for letting you stay at the Royal House, but he brushed it off, telling you that he would’ve asked a million times more until they said yes.

 So, for two years now, you’d been Harry’s personal bodyguard, and you thought it was the easiest job. One, because even if you weren’t his bodyguard, you’d protect him with your life, putting yourself in front of him when chaos would come his way. Two, he made the job seem fun and it didn’t even seem like a job because you two laughed and messed around from time to time, not actually doing work. And three, who doesn’t love working with their partner?

“Is that a promise?” You tested him, seeing if he was willing to promise you that he was going to marry you. It didn’t seem possible if you were honest. Either he would have to run away from home or you two wouldn’t get married at all, and just stay together, which you wouldn’t mind either. 

“That’s definitely a promise. You know me—don’t say shit just to say it,” he said, a smug smile on his face. 

“Okay, well. Whenever that day comes, I’ll be waiting to become Mrs. Styles.” 

“Princess Styles,” he corrected, and you breathed out a chuckle, shaking your head a tad bit as you surrendered your argument on him calling you that. 

You snuggled closer to him, enjoying his presence and warmth; and for a moment, you had forgotten yours and Harry’s responsibilities for the day; you just enjoyed this small and quiet moment you two had together that only usually happened in the mornings. But you cherished them nonetheless. 

Nearly drifting off to sleep, you jolted to stay awake. You looked at Harry to see him looking at you with a small but fond smile on his face, eyes gleaming ever so brightly as the sun gently cast its light through his window from above his bed. 

You gave him a quick kiss to his lips and nose before getting out of his hold, earning a groan from him. You stood beside the bed, smoothing out any wrinkles that creased on your clothing. 

“C’mon, we have so much to do today! Plus, we’ve already exceeded morning bedtime hours.” You grabbed his arm, tugging him towards the edge of the bed. He sighed, resisting as he pulled back. 

“Don’t wanna do anything today. Just wanna lay in bed all day with my Princess.” His words came out muffled as he spoke into the pillow. Your cheeks heated up as you held his arm; you wished that you’d get the chance to spend the entire day with him, doing nothing instead of keeping a distance from him throughout the day. But alas, being with him for most of the day was still what you considered a wonderful day. 

“Let’s go,” you softly insisted. You kneeled down onto the floor beside him, pecking his face all over. The left side of his face was smashed against the mattress, but you could see the smile forming onto his face as you kissed his cheeks. “Get up, dreamy.” You used your nickname on him, and you realized that was a bad idea since you were trying to get him out of bed. 

Harry suddenly perked up, smirking before he turned around to lay on his back. He pulled your arm, hauling you to lay on top of him; you giggled once you landed on him, and he connected his lips with yours, kissing you passionately and sensually. Your legs were straddling him, and you unconsciously ground against his sleep pants, feeling his bulge grow harder and bigger. Harry softly moaned into your mouth, slightly bucking his hips upward towards your center. 

You pulled away, about to tell him that you couldn’t do this right now, but once you saw his flushed face and swollen pink lips, not to mention his aching hard-on that was rubbing against your thigh, you decided against it. 

And Harry knew you all too well to know that you were going to say something but held back. So, instead, he grimaced and wrapped his arms around your waist before trailing them down to your ass, giving it a squeeze over your pants. 

“Think we got time for this?” He raised his brows teasingly at you, and you bit your lip. 

Grinding your hips against him was your way of giving him your answer, your mouth met his ear as you whispered, “All the time in the world for you to fuck me.” You nibbled on his earlobe before moving your lips down to the spot under his ear, resulting in a moan slipping out of his mouth. 

He flipped you two over, now his turn to hover over you. The Prince gave you a certain look that you knew all too well; it was a look of certainty like he had all the time in the world to have his way with you, and he definitely wasn’t going to shy away from it. 

“Wanna feel me? Think you could handle me?” He challenged teasingly. His voice was low, raspy, and deep—much deeper now since it was morning and he’d just woken up. But the way he spoke sent a shiver down your neck, making you jerk, causing a mess in your panties. 

“Know I could handle you. I’ve been handling you for years now,” you smirked. A flushed tint rose onto Harry’s cheeks; he always seemed to feel himself get giddy over the fact that you two had been together for years, and hearing it come out of your mouth made it much better. 

“Let’s see about that.” He began to kiss down your neck and body as you relaxed into the pillow, completely enjoying his lips and body on you. 

And just like all the other days, it was going to be a long morning. But the early birds get the worm, right? 

Harry headed towards the dining room where his family was eating breakfast. They all looked up at him suspiciously, like they knew about his morning escapade with his Princess, and he was nearly gutted because they had gotten caught, but they simply just looked at him and continued eating. 

“Morning everyone,” he relaxed, clearing his throat as he took his seat, unbuttoning his black suit jacket; a light pink button-down shirt clad on his tattooed torso. The servers that had been serving them for decades, Mariah and Deborah, poured him a tall glass of water and set down his mug of coffee. He thanked them, and they gave him a smile, always surprised to receive a ‘thank you’ in the Royal House. But Harry wasn’t snobby or arrogant, he had manners and was polite. 

“A bit late to breakfast, Harry, and you didn’t show for morning tea,” the Queen herself had pointed out. Elaine hadn’t even made eye contact with him, she just continued eating as she sat at the head of the table. 

Harry froze for a moment to look at his sister to see if she’ll help, but Gemma just raised her brows, not knowing how to back him up. 

“Sorry, Nan. Couldn’t sleep last night, so I slept in a little bit,” Harry lied. 

“Hmm, and where was that bodyguard of yours to wake you up? Isn’t she supposed to wake you?” She wondered, but by her tone, it was like she knew already; and Harry really hoped that wasn’t the case. 

“Uh, yeah. She did, actually, and I told her to give me a moment. Guess that turned into forty-five…” he curled his lips in, containing the smirk that was begging to show through. His cheeks formed a tint, and he quickly grabbed his glass of water to cool down and to cover his flustered face. 

The two of you had stayed in bed longer than anticipated, and when it was only supposed to be a quickie, Harry took his time with you the first round but decided to go two more rounds, fucking you hard until your teeth were biting the sheets and screaming into the pillow. You had to cover all of the marks that littered his neck, but the others that only you were able to see were casually resting under his clothes. 

Harry shifted in his seat, remembering how your eyes looked up at him as you kissed down his body to wrap your lips around his cock. His mind was spiraling, immediately thinking filthy things your mouth and body could do to him; that was until Gemma had kicked his foot under the table that got him out of his head. 

He looked at her, flicked his head at her, a way to ask ‘what was that for?’ She tilted her head towards the Queen as Elaine was still talking to Harry. 

“Okay, just wanted to make sure she’s doing something right. If not, you let me know, and we’ll have her removed from the House,” she advised quite sternly. 

“There’s no need for that, Nan. There hasn’t been a problem for the last two years she’s been my guard, so there certainly won’t be,” Harry explained quickly. He didn’t know if his eagerness sold his disagreement, or if it helped his case with his secret relationship with you. But he didn’t want you to leave his side, let alone, leave the House. He wanted you here, and if having you in private was the only way, where you two had to sneak around and kiss behind closed doors, then he didn’t mind that.

Elaine nodded, letting go of the subject before talking to the Dutch, Harry’s father, about some of the duties that needed to be completed today. Harry let out a sigh of relief once the Queen’s attention wasn’t on him anymore. He ate his breakfast in silence, thankful that the conversation he had with his grandmother didn’t go any further than a bit of scolding; he would say it was going to be a good day if they went a morning without Harry marching off early from breakfast. 

Breakfast went on quickly after that, thankfully. Mariah and Deborah began to clean the table before setting up a few cups of coffee for his mother, father, and the Queen. Harry and Gemma excused themselves, saying they had a few things to do for the day before they quickly walked out of the kitchen. 

The siblings rounded the corner and walked until they were far enough before Gemma spoke, not wanting their family to hear their conversation from the echo because of how large their home was. 

“You really need to be careful, H—the both of you, I mean it. Staying in with Y/N can’t happen consistently—I feel like she’s starting to get suspicious. ” Gemma started. She had a concerned expression as the part in between her brows creased. 

Harry sighed, nodding his head. “Yeah, sorry ‘bout that. We’ll try to be more careful. It’s just hard, y’know.” 

“I understand. I get it, I really do,” Gemma sighed before chuckling as if a realization had popped into her head. “Hell, I’m doing the same thing, but I’m just better at hiding it,” she chuckled.” It was true; Gemma was in a relationship with one of the servers—Sebastian. 

They’d been together for seven years, ever since she was twenty-three. She kept it a secret for three years until she decided to tell Harry, which of course, Harry was ecstatic to hear the news—only because he had just told his sister about his own relationship, which you two had only been together for a year at that time. 

Gemma and Harry were supportive of one another, looking out and covering up for each other because at the end of the day, they were on the same side and in the same situation; neither of them wanted the other to get caught because there would be worse consequences coming from the Queen, and the two tried to avoid those said consequences as much as possible. 

Naturally, Gemma loved you. You’d grown closer to her and seen her as a best friend, someone you could always go to and count on. The appreciation you had for her was vast, and you thanked her almost every day for how grateful you were that she was so supportive in your relationship with Harry. 

“Thanks for kicking me back there, though. Didn’t need another morning where Nan flames my ass,” he scoffed, shaking his head slightly. 

Gemma laughed. “Yeah, don’t know why she’s picking fights with you. She used to love you, wonder what changed,” she wondered, genuinely thinking what the cause may be. 

“Don’t know what it is, but if you know, tell me because I can’t always eat my meals stressed because she’s always onto me.” Gemma giggled. “Anyways, gotta go. I’ll be at the charity event until late afternoon, and I gotta find my girl. I’ll see you later?” 

“Yeah, I’ll see you. I’ll wait for you to eat dinner, so you’re not alone. Have a good day, little brother, be safe.” The Styles siblings hugged, a nice and warm embrace that showed much appreciation and respect they had for the other. 

“You as well, big sister.” 

Harry walked in the opposite direction as Gemma, smiling to himself as his heart felt so full. He was lucky to have a sister that was so encouraging and caring, and he always made sure to give the same love back to her because she needed it. Their parents were always a bit strict on them, but he was sure they had to have gotten that attitude from the Queen—well, at least his father. His mother, Anne, was a sweetheart. For some odd reason, she didn’t show much love to her kids because of Elaine. When they were kids, Nan would always get on Anne’s case about how she shouldn’t show them much affection or treat them like babies because they needed to learn discipline and from their own mistakes. 

Walking over to the East Wing and past the kitchen, Harry headed towards the living area, where some of the staff, including you, were hanging out, waiting for the Royal Family to finish their breakfast. One of his father’s guards immediately stood up, making the rest hastily stand up to greet the Prince. 

“Your Highness…” The staff greeted in sync; the men bowed as the women curtsied as Harry stood in the doorway of the living room. His eyes found yours, watching you curtsy; and on your way up, your head perked up, shyly smirking at him. Harry’s heart flipped as he puckered his lips to the side, containing his smile; you two would always laugh about these kinds of greetings, and sometimes Harry would greet you the same way because after all, were his Princess. He wasn’t one to be formal with greetings, and if it were up to him, he would tell the entire staff to stop greeting him like that, but he didn’t make the rules around here. 

“Goodmorning, everyone,” he greeted back. “Hope everyone has a great day. I should get going, though. Y/N?” He looked at you and slightly raised his brows. You walked across the living room and past him, standing before him before making sure to give him a smile. He bid everyone goodbye before you two walked alongside one another. 

The two of you headed towards the large front door in silence. You occasionally glanced up, but quickly averted your eyes towards the path, and Harry was also looking at you through his peripheral vision, smiling to himself as he saw how many times you glanced up at him. The silver Rolls Royce was waiting for the both of you at the end of the steps with the back door open with his driver, Benjamin, holding the door open. Harry gestured for you to get into the car first like the gentleman that he was. 

“Hi, Benjamin,” you greeted the middle-aged man with a smile. 

“Hello, Y/N,” he responded, tilting his hat down. 

“Thank you, Benjamin,” Harry shook his hand appreciatively. Benjamin had been Harry’s driver for the past ten years. He used to be his father’s driver, but when Harry grew older and was able to go to events and out on his own, they assigned Benjamin to be Harry’s driver. 

“You’re welcome, Prince Harry,” he slightly bowed before closing the door after Harry slipped into the car. 

Benjamin drove to the facility where the charity event was held. The privacy compartment screen between the driver and back seat was up; the fancy car seemed more like a movie theater with so much leg space and a middle console between the seats with a blank privacy screen in front of you. It screamed expensive, and Rolls Royce was the company that helped the Royal Family get from point A to point B as their entire underground garage was filled with these types of vehicles. 

You and Harry had about half an hour to chat and touch one another, so you unclicked your seatbelt, quickly moving towards his seat. He smiled, unclicked his seatbelt before letting you half-sit on his lap, your legs rested on his thighs, and he pulled the seatbelt over the both of you and clicked the metal buckle before pulling the seat belt strap behind him so it wouldn’t get in your way. 

A sigh came out of both of your mouths, enjoying this moment that felt short, but was cherished. You cuddle into his side, resting your head against his shoulder as his arms were tightly wrapped around you. You could feel his heart pounding through his chest, and you enjoyed the sound, knowing it was maintaining a steady heartbeat for you. 

Harry kissed your forehead, lips delicately brushing across your skin, making you flustered. You looked up at him as he smiled down at you, the two of you smiling like idiots before he took his lips in with yours. 

“What’s it like to grow up always being so beautiful?” He suddenly asked, very charmingly, might you add. He couldn’t get enough of you and how stunning you looked every single day; no matter how much you disagreed with him, he always thought you were the most gorgeous person on this Earth.

You smiled, looking, and studying his face. Some strands of his hair had fallen into place against his forehead; you pushed them back, softly kissing his forehead. 

“Could say the same for you. You always have a beautiful heart and a lovely face.” You grazed his jaw with your thumb, his stubble scratching against your finger. 

A breathy chuckle fell from his lips. “Love you, my Princess. Dream girl, I swear.”

“And I love you, Your Highness. Love you like crazy,” you softly giggled, kissing his jaw. “How was breakfast, by the way?” 

“The usual. Gemma said Nan is starting to get suspicious, so we have to be careful, can’t have too many mornings in,” he explained sadly. You slightly pouted, but quickly covered up your sad expression with a neutral face, not wanting to make him feel bad because he had no control over his grandmother. 

“Okay…” you agreed, nodding your head. 

“Hey, I’m sorry,” he said genuinely. “Know this is hard, but we’ll figure it out, alright?” His hand cupped your cheek, gently caressing your soft skin as he looked deeply into your eyes. His green eyes held an immense amount of care and love, just like his heart, and just being in his view of vision was an honor enough. 

You nodded, blinking back the tears that had quickly formed. “I know we will. Don’t mind having you to myself, though,” you chuckled. The corners of his lips turned up as his dimple popped out. You took your finger and poked his dimple, something you had been doing ever since you were younger. 

“I don’t mind it either, but sometimes the sneaking around sucks, doesn’t it?” His brows slightly furrowed, clear frustration expressed on his face. You took your thumb and smoothed out his stressed and wrinkled forehead, and he immediately relaxed. 

“It does, but if that’s what it takes for me to be with you, then that’s how it’s gonna be.”

Harry deeply sighed, resting his head against your neck. You lifted your head up, so he had more room to perfectly fit against you as you wrapped your arms around his shoulders. Butterflies soared in your stomach once you felt his lips against your neck, pressing soft and gentle kisses to your skin. After all these years, his touch still made you giddy while goosebumps rose on your skin. His kisses didn’t lead to anything more as they simply spoke the words of admiration and gratitude. 

“Hmm, don’t deserve you,” he mumbled against your skin. 

“Yeah, you do. Deserve love and happiness more than anything, and if I’m the one to provide it to you, then that’s all I need in life.” He pulled his head back, coming face-to-face with you now as your words had really meant something. Your hand grazed his cheek, feeling his soft but yet somewhat stubbled skin. 

“I love you so much. Genuinely think my heart is going to explode full with my love for you.” He took your hand that was on his face in his, giving the back of your hand a kiss before placing your palm against his heart. You felt his heart beating fast, hard, and it was all for you. “You have my heart in the palm of your hand.” His actions were literal, and you loved how he always had a way with his words. “Full of love for and from you.” 

You smiled, leaning forward to kiss him as your hand was still against his chest. For the rest of the car ride, you two relished in one another’s touch; it felt nice to be with one another outside of the Royal House where you didn’t have to hide behind corners or in secret passageways. 

When the car came to a smooth stop, you quickly unclicked the seat belt and got off of Harry, giving him a peck to his lips before situating yourself in your own seat. Benjamin opened Harry’s door and you let yourself out on your own side, quickly jogging around the car to stand next to Harry. 

A line of Rolls Royces were parked behind the vehicle you were in previously, and five guards, including you, were surrounding Harry as you all walked inside of the banquet room. You were standing in front of Harry, between two guards, while the other two were slightly behind the Prince, making sure he was safely boxed in between you all. 

Quite a few gasps were let out once people saw who had just walked in, and the volume in the room had increased. People were starting to walk towards you all, bowing and curtsying to the Prince as he said his hellos to everyone. Straight ahead, you noticed a woman running towards you, and you knew that wasn’t safe at all, considering this was a children’s charity event and you had the Prince right behind you. 

“Prince Harry-” her arms reached forward and she gained a little air, jumping a tad bit, but you had immediately stopped her, making sure she did no harm to the royalty. 

“Ma’am, please step back,” you stood in front of her like a brick wall, pushing her slightly as she stumbled back a bit. Her face had gone red, stepping aside; Harry softly smiled at her, waving his hand. You turned around briefly to see if Harry was okay, and a small smile appeared on his face, nodding at you to proceed. 

The group of guards walked Harry to one of the tables a group of kids were sat at. Harry told the guards that he was okay and that they could stand back until he was ready to leave. The four guards, including you, separated along the wall behind the Prince. 

You observed the room, noticing that there were a few photographers, clicking away at the charity event, making sure they get Prince Harry in their shot, along with volunteer workers and some parents at the event with their phones out, snapping pictures of him. You watched Harry interact with the children, helping them build legos with an enthusiastic smile on his face; he would high-five them, telling them that they did an amazing job building the ship before taking his phone out and snapping a picture of the wonderful sets the kids had built. 

Your heart warmed at the sight, and you couldn’t help but think about Harry being the father of your children because he would be the best dad; he would treat them so sweetly, spoil them rotten, and support them in letting them be whoever they’d like to be. A sudden warmth hit your face as you curled your lips into your mouth, hiding your smile—you suddenly thought about being pregnant and how Harry would be so gentle with you as he touched and kissed your stomach. 

With your leg shaking as you stood, you were getting jitters as you daydreamed. One of the guards noticed that you couldn’t stand still, so he slightly nudged your shoulder with his, bringing you out of your pleasant daydream. You looked up at Earl, raising your brows before he asked if you were okay. You nodded your head, standing straighter and placing your arms behind your back, interlocking your hands as you continued to watch how Harry’s smile brightened up while playing with the children. 

Harry absolutely loved charity events, not because they gave him good press but because every time he had gone to one, he would forget that there were cameras around him. Being and spending time with the kids had made him so happy, and the children seemed to enjoy their time with him as well, so that’s all that mattered to him. 

The charity event was being hosted by a foundation that helped kids who lacked a certain connection with their youthfulness because their parents didn’t have the money to get their kids toys or bring them to amusement parks. The foundation was a non-profit organization that simply organized donations to be used towards the children. They hosted toy drives every month, picnics every other Saturday, and sometimes Disney trips every six months if they reached their donation goal. 

Harry was all for donating to them, and this foundation was one of the five organizations for children that he was a member of and was very active with them throughout. He was very passionate about helping the children out, and he wanted them to have a nice childhood, helping them outweigh the good from the bad. His natural liking towards kids in general very much helped him easily bond with them. 

After a few hours, making sure every child got his attention, he was ready to leave. He didn’t leave without saying a small speech because it was expected; thanking everyone for donating and supporting this foundation, and he also thanked the kids for playing with him, which he earned many cheers from the young ones. 

Once he got off stage, he made eye contact with you, telling you that he was ready, and you headed towards him, the other guards followed after you. Just like you arrived, the guards boxed Harry in safely as he bid everyone goodbye. Everyone waved as a series of farewells were scattered across the room, sad to see the Prince go. Once you all were outside the venue, Benjamin was waiting by the passenger door. From the three hours Harry had been at the event, news had spread out like wildfire that the Prince was attending the event, so there was a swarm of paparazzi waiting outside the venue. 

The box of guards that were surrounding Harry closed in tighter since you had to get through the crowds. Harry, being the polite prince that he was, said hi to everyone as they reached out to hold his hand. But he rarely let anyone touch him because of an incident he had six months ago when he had reached over to shake someone’s hand, but they had taken advantage of the opportunity and harshly yanked him forward, making him stumble. Being frightened by that, he informed his guards to not let anyone touch him after that. He wasn’t being obnoxious or a typical ‘no one can touch me because I’m the Prince’ kind of guy, it was simply for his safety. You absolutely hated that someone was out to hurt him, and it pained you to see how shaken up he was that day. If the Prince had actually gotten hurt that day, there would be massive consequences for that person, but anyone would risk their lives to feel his touch. 

Once you were close to Benjamin, Harry let you get into the car first, but Benjamin stopped you. With a confused look on your face, you asked if everything was okay while Harry asked if there was something wrong. Benjamin leaned down to whisper in Harry’s ear, and you furrowed your brows, suddenly becoming suspicious as you watched them. Benjamin pulled back and Harry deeply sighed, shaking his head. 

“Y/N is my personal guard, though,” Harry mentioned. 

“Yes, but this was a direct message from the Queen herself. I’m only delivering the message, Your Highness. I don’t want to lose my job if I don’t comply,” Benjamin explains sadly. There was clear stress on his face, saddening him that he has to go against the Prince’s orders, but he couldn’t afford to lose his job when he has a family. And besides, it’s the Queen—everyone follows her orders. 

“Okay. Thank you, Benjamin,” Harry said, and Benjamin bowed. 

Harry turned towards you, leaning down to whisper into your ear just as Benjamin did to him. “Nan said that I have to take one of the other guards to ride back to the House with me. Specifically said, ‘Have the other guard come back with Harry, don’t care who it is.’ She told Benjamin that she wouldn’t be happy if he’d let us ride together. Fuckin’ ridiculous.” Harry pulled back, rolling his eyes. You simply nodded, knowing you couldn’t comfort him in any way since you were still in public, so you moved out of the way and stepped aside. 

Harry gave you a quick smile before turning his head to one of the guards, asking if he could join him. They quickly said yes, and safely got into the car. The rest of the guards waited until the car door was closed before walking towards the cars they arrived in. You slipped into the car, the one you didn’t arrive in, as you watched the one with your Prince inside drive away and towards the Royal House. 

Sighing, you looked out the window and watched the road and houses pass by. The Queen had never really taken a liking to you—never really made the effort to talk to you. You were the closest person to Harry, physically, since you were his bodyguard, but all she had ever done was question your actions when you���d been doing your job correctly, according to the instructions and demands from Prince Harry. 

But the worry and anxieties had increased because Elaine had become more suspicious than she was last year. Had she found out about your relationship with the Prince? You two had been doing well at hiding it besides this morning. And you had been good, denying Harry’s wishes to stay in up until this morning. But every day, it got more difficult hiding your love and affection towards the Prince. The word ‘no’ coming from his beautiful mouth as he would stare at you with those captivating emerald green eyes as he would plead to spend more time with him in his comfortable bed; the word completely vanished from your head. 

You wished the situation was different, but for now, you only hoped that things would get better from here. 

Once the car was parked in front of the large cemented steps that led up to the front door of the Royal House, Harry sighed, thanking Benjamin for driving him as well as Nico for accompanying him on the ride back. They both bowed, saying ‘you’re welcome’ before Harry let himself out and up those steps. Benjamin quickly reminded him that the Queen would like to see him when he arrived home, making Harry dread the conversation. 

He walked slowly towards the front door that was opened by two of the front gate guards. Saying a quick ‘hello’ to them, he walked towards the Queen’s lair, where she always prevailed when she said she needed to have a conversation with someone. 

The hallway leading to the double doors always made Harry anxious, ever since he was a little boy. He hated how dimly lit the hallway always was, and he never understood why she never wanted to put lights in this hallway. Probably to match her heart, Harry thought, but immediately took back the thought because he shouldn’t think that way about his grandmother, better yet, the Queen. 

Taking a deep breath, his shaky hand knocked on the door, hearing ‘Enter’ from the Queen from inside, and Harry opened the door. His grandmother was sitting at her large desk chair that was lined like a gold antique frame and was drinking tea out of her teacup that was passed down from generations. 

“Your Majesty,” Harry bowed, greeting his Nan. She placed her teacup down onto the small plate, placing her hand out to indicate him to sit down in the chair on the other side of the desk. There were no greetings, not a word out of her when he had entered, and now, she was staring at her grandson with snake eyes, ready to attack. 

Harry gulped, hands fidgeting in his lap as he sat straight up so she didn’t point out any more of the things he was doing wrong. 

“How was the charity event, Harry?” She suddenly asked, breaking her silence. 

“Uh, good. Had a lot of fun with the children.”

“Good, good. Anyways, I should get to the point with this, hmm?” She raised her brows as she asked her question as a genuine one. Harry’s face remained neutral, slightly nodding. “I called you in here because I wanted to tell you a bit of news that I found out earlier this week…” she trailed, taking a deep breath before she revealed her news. “I found out that I’m dying. I have a tumor in my brain, and the doctors have found it too late. They gave me the option to have surgery where they would try to take it out, but that would lead to very risky complications that I can’t afford. So, I told them that I would hold out.” 

Harry was shocked. His mouth was open, eyes wide, and speechless. Not knowing how to process this new information, he couldn’t believe how casual her tone was when she told him, even her face remained calm like she expected this to happen. 

“I, uh…Nan…” 

“I’ve been preparing for this—I’m getting older, so this was bound to happen already. I’m making sure the kingdom and our country are safe, and I’m making sure your parents are ready for the job they are about to accept.” 

Harry nodded, eyes welling up. “H-How much longer do you have?” 

She shrugged her shoulders. “Doctors said six months to a year, but that could change anytime. We just don’t know.” Harry exhaled deeply, looking down at his lap. He felt as if his heart was heavy as he listened to her talk about her disease—how okay she was with dying. Sure, now, he and Nan don’t get along very well, but once upon a time, they were closer than ever. The Queen absolutely loved her grandson and was always so sweet and gentle with him, but things quickly changed when he turned twenty-two. The older you get, the more distant they become, he thinks. He sighed, wishing it wasn’t like that. 

“I do have a wish from you…before I go.” 

“Anything,” he answered immediately, and he had wished he hadn’t answered so soon because the words that came out of her mouth next was his worst nightmare. 

“I would like to see you get married while I’m still alive. I’m arranging a gala this weekend and I’d like you to meet some people, you know, you can take your pick or whatnot,” she said with an emotionless face. He always disliked how much she lacked enthusiasm or emotion, and how she talked about things so casually. 

Elaine picked up her pen, writing out Thank You cards that she was sending to some people in the village. 

“I…what?” 

“Might I need to repeat that again?” She raised her brows annoyingly, hating when she needed to repeat herself. 

“I can’t do that…” 

“And why not?” She asked sternly, her change of voice had surprised Harry as she slapped her pen down onto the wooden desk. 

“Because…” This was it; he could easily out his relationship with you, tell her the truth, and it would be over with, but he didn’t because he knew that you weren’t ready for what was to happen after. Besides, you would have to know if he was going to tell her the truth, so Harry couldn’t go behind your back. “I don’t wanna meet someone at the gala just to get married right away. What happened to falling in love?” He questioned. 

Elaine scoffed, waving her hand. “Falling in love, that’ll happen when? Never? I’m gonna be gone, Harry. You’d rather fall in love in a year’s time rather than fulfill your grandmother’s wish?” Her voice started to increase, echoing, and bouncing off the walls of her office. Harry started to shake his legs anxiously from the volume of her voice and the idea that she proposed, absolutely hating it. 

The Queen had guilt-tripped him into marrying someone; she had used her disease and lifetime time limit so she could get what she wanted. Elaine knew full well he was going to obey her wishes because that’s how Harry was—he didn’t want anyone to feel bad and he certainly didn’t want it to come from him. She would ask Gemma, but she had much thicker skin than her brother, so she would turn the idea down faster than Elaine would be able to get it out. But Harry, on the other hand, was much easier to get to. 

“Harry, I’m only asking for one thing. When have I ever asked you for anything major?” She crossed her arms, resting them down on the desk. “This is my dying wish. Wouldn’t you want your wish to be-”

“Okay,” he interrupted. His voice was soft as he didn’t dare to look her in the eye as he spoke. 

“Great, it’s settled. Make sure to get your fittings done before the weekend. You have to look your best.” Harry didn’t have to look at her to know that she was absolutely beaming, knowing that she got what she wanted and didn't try hiding her excitement. “Please close the door on your way out.” 

Harry stood up slowly as he was in disbelief. Walking out of her office and closing the door, he started to breathe heavily. Tears were in his eyes and his chest felt heavy as his hands started to shake. He picked at his fingers to calm the shakiness down, but it didn’t work. Walking down the hallway, he rushed towards his room, not even checking to see if you had arrived yet, but he couldn’t face you, not yet. He had just agreed to marry someone that wasn’t you, and you were bound to be upset—he would be suspicious if you weren’t. How was he going to break this news to you? Hell, he didn’t even know how to process this himself. 

All he knew was that this was not going to end well. 

Hours later, you were wandering around the house, wondering where your Prince could be. You hadn’t seen him since you left the banquet hall earlier this afternoon; and Benjamin had told you he was to meet with the Queen once he had gotten home, but as the hours went by, you hadn’t heard or seen him. 

Quickly walking over to the West Wing, you headed towards his room because that was the last place you hadn’t checked. You walked by some of the guards and maids, saying a quick ‘hello’ to them as you passed by; it wasn’t odd for any of the staff to see you heading towards the Prince’s room because you had done it many times and Harry had instructed you, in front of the staff, that if you ever needed to see him, you could knock on his door. 

So, that’s what you did; you knocked on his door, waiting for a word from the other side, but you heard no movement whatsoever. You had checked the entire Royal House from top to bottom, but he was nowhere to be found, so he had to be in his room. You took a look around if anyone was near and once you saw the second floor was empty, you slowly opened the bedroom door of the Prince’s room. And what you saw was as if a tornado had hit his room; a mess was what described his room perfectly as objects were thrown all across the floor, the bed was unmade, chairs and sofa were flipped upside down, and the mirror was cracked in half, leaving shards of glasses on the dresser. 

You slowly walked in, afraid that someone other than Harry might be in his room, and had purposefully trashed it. There was light coming from his bathroom, so you walked towards the light, slowing your steps so your shoes wouldn’t squeak against the polished and shiny tiles. 

“Harry?” You softly called out. By now, he would have come out because you were the only one allowed in his room without permission, so you were starting to get worried. 

Once you were close to the restroom, you started to hear sobs echoing the bathroom, filling the room with soft and quiet heartbreaking sounds, making your heart drop because you knew those cries and you knew exactly who they came from. When you were inside the bathroom, you saw Harry sitting against the wall, arms leaning on his knees as his face was resting on his arms as Harry cried and sobbed. 

Seeing the love of your life in pain and in such anguish, it genuinely felt as if your heart was tearing into pieces or if someone had ripped your heart out and stomped on it. The pain that Harry endured was also felt through your heart as well because he was your soulmate, you both felt everything the other felt. 

You kneeled beside him, gently calling out for his name once more so he knew that you were right beside him before you placed your hand on his shoulder. Harry didn’t have to look up to know that it was you—your touch, your voice, and your presence before leaning to the side and into your arms, sobbing into your chest uncontrollably. You quickly wrapped your arms around his shoulders, comforting him in the best way that you knew how, and that was to simply hold him. 

He liked being held and it made him feel at ease, made his mind shut out the noise. You would simply hold him for the rest of your life if your life depended on it, and if that meant keeping him calm and at peace, then you didn’t mind. 

You ran your hand through the locks of his hair, scratching his scalp and pushing his hair out of his face. You kissed his forehead, giving him many pecks in a way to comfort him. Harry roughly coughed and sniffled; you could feel his heart beating radically, so you smoothed your hand down his back, somewhat rocking him in your arms. You knew he wasn’t a baby, you knew that, but if it worked with crying babies, then it must work with adults too. And besides, who didn’t like to be held while crying? 

To your credit, it had worked; Harry was calming down and his heartbeat wasn’t out of control. He looked up at you through his glassy eyes, sniffling; he looked defeated, and you hated that you weren’t there when he was breaking down because it must have gone on for hours.  There were visible tears that stopped against the crevice of his nose, so you took your hand and wiped his tears away before kissing his nose. 

Harry sat up, sitting against the wall as he was before you came in. Propping his knees up, you moved to sit in front of him, in between his legs, so he could know that you were there for him and that he had your full attention. He grabbed your hands, sadly kissing them but in a way, saying ‘thank you’ for comforting him and making him feel better just by your hold. You rubbed his hands with your thumb, gently caressing his skin as you patiently waited for him to talk to you. 

He took a very deep breath as if it physically pained him to breathe before he spoke, wishing the words that came out of his mouth were a sick joke, but it wasn’t—nothing that came out of the Queen’s mouth was a joke. 

“I spoke with my grandmother earlier…” he began to tell you that she had brain cancer and that she wasn’t going to do anything about it, just live the rest of her life until she couldn’t anymore. Your face saddened as Harry explained, simply just listening to him as he spoke. You placed one of your hands around his neck, playing with the curls that sat on the back of his neck. 

“Bub, I’m so sorry to hear that.” You leaned forward, kissing his cheek before giving you a hug. He wrapped his arms tightly around you, taking in your scent and comfort; he felt better for the time being—before he had to tell you the other part. A new set of tears streamed down his face, unable to hide his emotion now. 

Once you pulled away, you softly wiped his face with your hand before he spoke again. “Sadly, that’s not the news that I’m crying over.” 

Raising your brows, you looked at Harry with a surprised expression, wondering what got him so sad to trash his room and breakdown in the corner of the bathroom. 

“Oh…W-What is it?” You hesitated. 

You listened, watching his mouth as he spoke. Every ounce of hope had disappeared from your body as Harry explained the situation that he was in, that you were in. He cried, unable to be coherent as possible as his sobs won over his ability to speak a full and proper sentence. It genuinely felt like you were asleep like this was a dream, more of a nightmare. As if all of the plans and dreams you had patiently waited for was thrown out the window in a world record time of a minute, maybe less. The color from your face had completely drained, leaving you shocked, appalled, and hurt. Every word was just another twist of the knife that went straight to your heart as you wished his words would get better to relieve the strong and harsh ache in your chest, but they didn’t. 

Wake up, please, wake up, you told yourself, but this was reality. It was real.  

Silence had washed over you two after Harry was done explaining the horrible news. The silence was louder than glass shattering, loud and pitchy. Contrasting to the silence outside of your head that laid between you and Harry, the inside of your mind, your world, was similar to the glass, breaking and crumbling into pieces with one hard hit of the enemy.

“I-I’m sorry, baby. I should’ve said something, anything. But instead, I said yes,” Harry bawled through his words. 

“Are we…over?” You asked nervously. The lack of eye contact you were giving him only pained him, but he knew how difficult it was to say that. He took your face into his hands, tenderly cradling your sad but beautiful face. 

“No,” he immediately disagreed. “I mean, not if you don’t want it to be. I understand why you would, though—didn’t even fight for you. Please, let me fix this. I’ll talk to her, tell her everything. She can’t make me do this, I have a right to my own words and decisions, right?” You stayed silent. Harry understood why you were quiet as you were still taking in this information and how to process that your boyfriend was to be married in the next few months, but he really needed to hear your voice. He needed the reassurance from you because you always seemed to know the right words, but he knew you needed him more. “Princess, please look at me.” His voice was shaky, and you glanced up at him through your lashes. “I’m gonna fix this, okay? Not gonna let her walk all over me again. I love you, and it’s time for her to know that.” 

You nodded briefly, not able to get the right words out. Harry didn’t mind; he took you into his arms, wrapping his strong and tattooed arms around your shaking and frightful body. 

He held you tight as you both sat on the floor of his bathroom, pretending that everything was going to be okay. But in reality, neither of you knew if it really would be. 

The weekend had come by too quickly for Harry’s liking. He didn’t get the chance to have a moment with the Queen because she was busy with handling errands for the gala; from talking to event coordinators, caterers, and floral arrangements, so she hadn’t gotten a moment to sit down unless it was nighttime. Harry practically felt her negligence towards him, always telling him she’d talk to him later, which left Harry feeling defeated because the more she ignored him, the quicker the days had gone by—closer to the gala. 

And to his dislike, it was the morning of the gala, something he had been dreading ever since Elaine had told him she was hosting one. It felt like his world was crumbling; he noticed your demeanor change—how could it not. Things weren’t the same, and they weren’t going to be the same again until he got himself out of the unwanted arranged marriage that the Queen was putting him upon. 

You didn’t mean to act differently around Harry, your boyfriend, or whatever this meant for your relationship, but it was difficult to act like your normal self. You sought comfort from Maria as she told you that this wouldn’t be the last of you two; she had a gut feeling it wouldn’t be. 

You had always imagined getting married to him as you two would excitedly talk about marriage and how life would be when you were husband and wife. But Harry was soon to be meeting his wife, and you had to be in the same room as him, possibly feet away from him when he did so. Your heart ached, dropping to your stomach as you felt sick to your gut every time you thought about it.

You were wearing your usual attire but you added a black corset over your white shirt and a black blazer since the gala was a more formal event. Standing in front of the large bedroom doors, you closed your eyes for a mere second, taking a deep breath before knocking, entering right after. 

Upon your eyes was Harry standing on the block square step in front of the mirror that was placed in the corner of his bedroom. His seamstress sewing the crystals that were loose on his embellished jacket that he paired with white trousers. The gold buttons on the front of his jacket were engraved with his initials, adding a touch of personalization to his attire; along with his white lace gloves, white pearl necklace, and cross pendant. 

He looked absolutely marvelous, rightfully so, and you couldn’t take your eyes off him no matter how heartbroken you were. 

His eyes caught yours in the mirror, widening before turning around to face the seamstress. “Jaylin, I think we’re good, yeah?” He asked, hoping she wouldn’t find any more flaws in his suit. 

“Yes, we are. Have a great time at the gala, Your Highness,” she curtsied, grabbing her supplies before heading out the door. You greeted her on her way out, and you earned a smile from her. 

The click of the door was heard, indicating that it was just the two of you in his room. Usually, you would take advantage of being alone with him, but again, things were different this time around. 

Harry stepped off the step, slowly walking towards you. His eyes never left yours, piercing through you like fire, and you were going to melt. 

“Hi, beautiful,” he greeted softly, looking you up and down. You slightly grinned, looking down at your feet. 

“Hi, Your Highness.” 

He placed two fingers under your chin, lifting your head up. You looked at him with doe eyes, and he couldn’t help but fall in love with you even more with just your stare. 

“You look gorgeous,” he complimented. Leaning forward, he was about to place a kiss on your lips, but you felt his hesitancy as he pulled away. He hadn’t felt your touch, your lips in what seemed like years; completely deprived of your touch, but it’d only been a few days. 

“Thank you. You look wonderful as always.” You grabbed the edge of his jacket, tugging on it to straighten out the material before smoothing your hand over his shoulder and down his arms. Harry sucked in a breath; that was the most you’d ever touched him in days, and he was cherishing every second of it because reality had hit him, and this could possibly be the last time you were ever going to touch him. 

You sighed, pulling back as you crossed your arms behind you. Harry could tell that you had a million thoughts racing in your head and you were wary of saying them, but nothing you could say would scare him; he was already faced with his biggest nightmare. 

He walked towards you, taking your hands in his. The softness of your hands juxtaposed to the slight roughness of his that carried multiple heavy rings on his slender fingers. 

“Hey, I’m gonna fix this, alright? I’m telling her tonight, and I promise that I’m gonna be yours forever, no matter what happens,” he reassured, looking ever so deeply into your eyes so you would get the message. His eyes had captured yours, putting you under his spell, so you nodded and believed him. Harry sighed in relief, thankful that you trusted him. “I actually got you something.” He let go of your hands, walking over to his dresser before pulling out a square box from the drawers. 

Harry was always one to give, always the giver and he loved giving without expecting anything in return. Throughout your relationship, he would always buy you random but sentimental things that he saw at the shop simply because it reminded them of you. The thought was incredibly sweet and you loved the fact that even when you weren’t around him, he was still thinking of you. 

He opened the box, revealing a pearl necklace that had a gold anchor in the middle. It was a necklace that you had thought of getting to match the tattoo that was inked next to your right breast. You and Harry had gotten complimentary tattoos the second year of your relationship, and he proudly got a ship tattoo on his left arm as well as an anchor on his wrist to match with you. Harry was your anchor; he kept you upright. He was the backbone of your ship, helping you slow down whenever you needed a break. 

“You were secretly eyeing this when we visited that farmer’s market a few months ago. And since I couldn’t go and get this by myself since you’re always with me, I asked Gemma if she could get it for me. Hope this was the one you were talking about,” he explained shyly as he held the box open for you. 

You were speechless as your heart fluttered. “Harry…” Your fingers delicately grazed the necklace, studying and feeling his gold chain; it was the exact same one you saw at the market. 

“Do you like it?” 

“Yes, I do—I love it.” You softly smiled up at him. “D-Do you mind putting it on me?” He immediately nodded, taking the necklace out of his case, and you turned around, slowly pulling your hair to the side. 

Harry unclasped the necklace; the small skin on the back of your neck was exposed to him, so he leaned down, placing a small kiss on your skin. The action sent shivers down your spine, but you took the touch that you’d been starved of. He put the necklace on as it sat perfectly against your collarbone; and Harry wrapped his arms around your waist, taking in your delicious scent. You felt extremely warm as if you were standing in the courtyard and the sun was casting its light right down your spine, providing you warmth. You placed your arms on top of his, hugging him to yourself as he rested his face against the crook of your neck, tenderly kissing your skin. 

A deep sigh of relief was released from your lips as you let loose in his hold. His arms were a place you wanted to be in forever; it was a place where you found security and comfort, and the thought of leaving, a chance to never be in his arms, had never once crossed your mind. 

You turned around in his arms, facing him as you wrapped your arms around his neck, mindlessly playing with the small curls that sat so effortlessly on his neck. 

“Thank you for the necklace, I truly love it,” you sincerely said, reaching up to place a small chaste kiss on his lips. Your lips against his had made Harry’s stomach flip, and he couldn’t bear to hide the smile that made you fall so hard for him. 

“You’re welcome, my love.” 

“Do you mind…fixing my corset? It’s a bit loose.” You offered him a smile, and he nodded. You took off your blazer before he reached behind you to untie the knot that you had tried to make look decent. 

“I love you, you know that, right?” You suddenly asked as Harry pulled the strings tighter, making you take a big breath in before he started to tie them smoothly without the need to look if he’s doing it correctly; he’s tied your corset for you so many times already that it was all muscle memory. 

“Yeah, I do know that,” he nodded, looking deeply into your eyes. You had practically felt Harry’s doubts and insecurities of your love deep through because of the news that he broke to you the other day. And you figured you weren’t being a good enough girlfriend to him and failing to remind him that you loved him and it wasn’t his fault for everything that’s happening. “You know I love you as well, yes?” 

You raised your brows at him, nodding. “Mhm. Just wanted to see if you knew.”

He chuckled, finishing up the knot. “Yeah, I know.” 

He placed his hands on your hips, and you leaned to give him a kiss to thank him as well as just to kiss him lovingly, something you two hadn’t done in days. Giving you a smile, he was going to go in for another one, but a knock was heard on the door, making you two pull away quickly. 

That knock on the door only meant that the car was ready and that Harry should be heading to the gala now. That knock only meant that it was time to face his future—the future that was going to fight for, the one that he wanted and not the Queen. 

That knock only indicated that it would be determined if he was to live with or without you, and there’s no way in hell he was living without you. 

Elaine had definitely gone all out with this gala, Harry thought. It was held in a museum that was closed due to the Queen’s personal favors and demands. 

When a guest entered the gala, they were immediately caught with the gold antique lining on every end of the wall; the high crystal chandeliers reflected off the gold and illuminated the room even further, bouncing off the shiny and polished floors. Long champagne color curtains were draped in front of each window with a historical gold statue pushed up against the window. The dome-shaped ceiling was high, painted to tell the story of the Renaissance. When a guest entered the gala, they were welcomed with elegance, grace, and exquisiteness, prepared to have a gold evening that would only end in secret affairs and tragic events. 

You led Harry through the room, many guests greeting him with such poise as they tried to get his very best impression. With suits looking sharp and dresses were extra flowy, they bowed and curtsied as Harry politely said his greetings to them. 

Many of the guests had been mentally and physically prepared to have a proper conversation with Prince Harry, and hopefully get a chance with him on the dance floor, if he allowed it. Everybody wondered what it would be like to walk into the building with Prince Harry on their arm, how they would flaunt and brag about how they arrived with him. 

During galas and balls like these, the guards were instructed to be present, to be aware, so they didn’t need to always be close to the Royal Family. Once you got an approving nod and smile from Harry, you left him be; guests surrounded him, the men were shaking his hand as the women gave him a kiss on the cheek. He was completely soaked up in the attention, everyone praising him for the recent work that he’s done for different foundations and events that he attended recently. He’d been offered too many invites to grab a drink, or to the dance floor later in the evening, or even to their bedroom when everyone was asleep. 

Politely and respectfully, he told all of them that he’d see where the night would take him, knowing full well that he wouldn’t be able to reject them fully because the only one he wanted to have a drink with was you. The only one he wanted to invite and take on the dance floor, dancing and spinning the night away to classical and soft music was you. The only one he wanted to go to bed with, to make love under the sheets, and wake up in the early hours of the morning to admire how you slept was you. 

The Queen was sitting on her throne, crown sitting perfectly on her head as she watched Harry for over an hour, interacting with her guests. She could practically hear the conversations that the many women whispered to in his ear, inviting him for a night in their presence, but she noticed how uninterested Harry was—the look on his face said it all and how he would politely brush off their question without giving them an answer. She observed how he, quite often, looked over at you, standing against the wall, watching him as well. 

You were nervously watching him, observing the way he acted around the guests, seeing if his demeanor would suddenly change since you weren’t right by his side anymore. It wasn’t as if you were jealous—you were never one to be jealous; it was your own insecurities that made you constantly worry about how Harry could just pack up and find someone else that was much better for him. Everyone always wondered what it would be like to love Prince Harry, and you were the lucky one to know what his love felt like, and you would hold onto that love for as long as you possibly could. 

Elaine had made her rounds and chatted with several people who were eager to talk to her, and they were lucky enough to get a chuckle out of her. It was difficult impressing the Queen, her own family even struggled to get her approval, so it was a rare sight to see Elaine walk up to someone and initiate a conversation. 

But that person wasn’t just ‘anyone,’ they were that person the Queen had specifically picked out to wed her grandson, someone who was worthy of hers and the Prince’s time. Elaine had asked the woman to follow her, which she immediately complied as Elaine walked through the room, nodding her head at everyone who greeted her, for what seemed like the hundredth time. 

Harry was in conversation with one of the Dukes when his grandmother had walked up to him, the first time tonight, with someone, who he had never met before, trailing behind her. 

“Harry,” The Queen made herself known. 

“Your Majesty.” Harry bowed. 

“I would like you to meet Venus. She’s the daughter of one of the board members for the Water and Power Organization,” Elaine introduced the dark-haired girl. 

Venus curtsied. “Your Highness.” She smiled, flashing him her gorgeous smile. Venus was pretty, anyone knew that from just a glance. She wore a champagne silk dress that had crystals embedded on her waist, cinching her figure. She added white silk gloves and diamond earrings to top off the look. 

“Pleasure,” Harry simply said behind a smile, masking his anxious and nervous attitude. He knew this was the moment where the Queen would tell him who Venus was and what he was to do while you were standing in the back watching the entire interaction, holding in your tears as your heart broke a little more. 

“My dear, Harry,” Elaine started. Harry looked at his grandmother weirdly; she hadn’t called him that since he was younger. “Shall you accompany her to the dance floor? Get to know each other, hmm?” She suggested, brows raised. 

Harry was all too polite to reject the poor girl as Venus looked at him with hopeful eyes. He simply cleared his throat and nodded, hesitantly offering her hand to the dance floor. Venus gladly took his hand, and Harry led them under the high crystal chandelier before she put her hand on his shoulder while the other still held his hand. Harry respectfully placed his hand on the small of her back--his actions unsure. Sure, he had danced with many people throughout the years, even while being with you, but this was completely different; this was the woman who he was to be wedded to, and he was sure Venus knew that as well. 

“The Queen is very kind. I thought she disliked a lot of people, so I was shocked when she started up a conversation with me.” Venus made conversation to fill the void of silence between her and the Prince as they swayed to the classical music. 

Harry lightly scoffed to himself. “She’s the Queen, could do anything she wants.” 

“She told me the plan, and I will happily be your wife, Your Highness, an honor really.” Her voice was light and hopeful. Harry knew that she was a kind woman and anyone would jump at the chance to marry into royalty, but he couldn’t deal with this, not right now. Not when you’re standing feet away, containing your pain. Harry pulled away swiftly from Venus’ hold, leaving her confused. “Your Highness?” 

“I’m sorry, I-I can’t do this,” he told her before walking away and leaving her on the dance floor. 

The Queen had watched the entire interaction, anger, and disappointment present on her face as she watched Harry walk away and out of the main ballroom. You were about to follow him out once you saw him frantically walk out, but you noticed the Queen quickly trailing behind him. Holding tightly onto your thumbs to contain the shakiness, you stayed put as your mind had begun to wonder if your boyfriend was okay or not. 

You understood why he seemed upset and stormed off; dancing with someone who wasn’t your partner hurt just the same as watching it right in front of you. All you wanted to do was hide away with him, in each other’s arms forever, but that wasn’t reality. 

Harry’s footsteps clicked against the tiled floor, walking in pure frustration as he tugged on his hair. Tears threatened to spill out of his eyes, a groan slipped from his mouth. He heard footsteps following behind him, and he already knew who those particular steps belonged to. Turning around to face what seemed like the devil itself, he inhaled deeply, holding his breath. 

“What in God’s name are you doing? You left the poor girl hanging!” Elaine scolded, eyes piercing through him. 

“Nan, I can’t do this. You can’t make me do this.” His eyes and voice pleaded, begged for mercy as he was asking for a favor as her grandson, not the Prince. 

“And why may that be?” She tested. Harry’s mouth opened but quickly closed, refraining himself to say anything. The words were right at the tip of his tongue and he had told you that he would tell her everything, but when it came to the moment, anxiety and nerves got in the way. But it seemed like the Queen knew exactly what he was going to say because she spoke for him, saying, “Is it because of that girl out there who happens to be your personal guard? Y/N, is it?” Her voice had a hint of sarcasm, and that’s when Harry knew. 

She knows, she knows everything. 

“H-How did-” 

“Oh, for god sake, Harry. Do you think I’m naive? Oblivious? It’s painfully obvious--the way you two look at each other, how you walk so closely next to each other, not to mention, the mornings in. You can’t tell me that every time you sleep in, she’s nowhere to be found too? Hmm?” Crossing her arms, she knew she defeated Harry. There was no way around it and no room for lying because she knew everything.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” 

“I thought it was a one time thing, the first time I noticed it--that it wouldn’t last long. But I’ve watched it happen for five years, and now that I’ve had limited time on this Earth, I didn’t want to see it anymore.” She shook her head in disappointment. “So, you will marry Venus,” she instructed sternly. 

“I will not,” Harry bit back, holding his ground. 

“You will do as I say-” 

“Your Majesty!” Harry interrupted, his lip wobbling involuntarily. For a moment, Elaine had seen the seven-year-old Prince as he gave her big puppy eyes, pushing his bottom lip out as he begged. For a moment, she was about to give in to his wishes, disagreeing to be wedded to a woman he had never met before tonight. If it were twenty years ago, she would have, but twenty-seven-year-old Harry didn’t have the same effect on her as he did two decades ago. 

She loved her grandson, she did. As cruel and heartless as it was, her love for him had begun to slowly dissipate ever since he started dating you, making her a bit more harsh with him as it was a complete switch up from how she acted around him when he was younger. 

“You are to be married to Venus next Saturday, and that is final,” she said in an unrelenting tone before she walked away, heading back into the main room without another look back at her heartbroken grandson. 

Harry was left in the empty hallway on the verge of a full breakdown. His knees felt weak, about to give out from holding him up. Luckily, you entered the hallway, quickly walking towards Harry who looked completely stunned. The bottom of your shoes clicked loudly against the quiet hallway. 

You placed your hands on the side of his face, frantically worrying. “Harry, baby? What’s wrong? What happened?” 

He finally exhaled the deep and big breath that he had been holding in since his conversation with the Queen. The absence of your presence had made his breath shudder as he quite frankly couldn’t breathe properly when you weren’t around. 

His legs gave out as he couldn’t properly stand, and without warning, he collapsed, but you had caught him as you quickly placed your arms under his underarms, trying your best to pull him up. But his deadweight had won, bringing you both to the floor. You caught his fall, somehow maneuvering yourself to be placed behind him, so he wouldn’t completely fall on his back. Sitting in between your legs, he turned himself in your hold, burying his head in your neck as he began to sob. Tears soaked your skin as they slid smoothly down to your shirt, dampening the piece of clothing. His hot breath hit your skin as he bawled his eyes out, holding your top tightly between his fist, wrinkling your perfectly ironed white shirt. 

His wails broke your heart, and you had no clue as to what happened prior to getting this reaction out of him, but it must have been something horrible; something the Queen had said to him as you saw her walk into the ballroom just before you walked out. You only assumed it had something to do with the arranged marriage that she mentioned earlier this week. 

“Baby…please, you’re scaring me,” your voice was shaky, anxious as to what the reasoning for his breakdown was. Your fingers threaded through his chestnut curls, comforting him in a way you only knew how to do. 

Harry’s breath stuttered as he sniffled, catching his breath as he calmed down a bit before he spoke. “S-She knows.” Your breath had hitched in your throat, heart dropping to your stomach. The Queen knows everything, constantly replayed over in your mind like a broken record. “She knew from the very start of o-our relationship that’s why she started to become so harsh and short with me.” Your heart broke for Harry as he spoke about his grandmother, and you couldn’t help but think that you were the one that caused the Queen’s unpleasant tone with the Prince. “But I am to still be married to the woman in the ballroom. She scheduled it for next Saturday,” he added as his voice cracked towards the end. 

His words were echoing in your head, and it only added fuel to your terrible nightmare. You thought you had time, time to convince Elaine that your relationship with Harry was serious and that you loved him. But you’re starting to think that Elaine didn’t care if he was happy or in love, that she was doing this completely out of spite. 

“W-What are we gonna do, Y/N?” Harry needed your words—he needed your console, your reassurance that everything was going to be alright. 

But this time, you didn’t have an answer. 

Your footsteps were the only thing that were heard as you walked through the dark and quiet hallway, leading up to the Queen’s office. She had asked one of her guards to tell you that she requested to see you after breakfast, and your thoughts had been running ever since. This had been the first time the Queen would speak a word to you; the other times had been full of her ignoring your greetings as you curtsied politely. 

You asked Harry if she knew if he knew what she was going to say to him, but he just shook his head no. Rightfully so, he’s been in quite a gloomy mood, but he’d been more clingy than ever since this was most likely your last week together. You tried not to think about how Harry was to be married to another woman at the end of the week, and that only led to crying into your pillow until the early hours of the morning; Harry’s been the same, maybe even worse. 

With a shaky hand, you knocked on the door; not too hard but not too soft either. You gulped as you heard Elaine say ‘Enter’ from the other side of the door. Nervously opening the door, you were faced with the Queen sitting in her chair with her hands linked together as she rested them against her desk. 

“Your Majesty.” You curtsied, anxiously looking at her for some sort of approval, but all she did was gesture for you to sit down. 

Once you were sitting rather uncomfortably on the edge of the seat, she stared at you for a moment, looking at you up and down as her glare was rather deadly. You tried not to fidget or anxiously bounce your leg, but her eyes were probing into your soul, and you were afraid of how she may react if you disconnected your eyes from her. 

“I assume you know why you’re here?” She started. You nodded lightly, not saying a word. “I don’t appreciate you and my grandson going behind my back to have this…affair of yours, especially for years. First, did you think nobody would find out? You’re in the Royal House, everyone reports things back to me when they see something suspicious, so don’t think you were all that sneaky. Second, Harry’s a Prince, you’re a…guard.” She said with much emphasis on your title. “Did you think it was going to work out? I mean, he’s a Prince.” She added a bit of a scoff at the end, but her tone was stern. 

“My apologies for going behind your back, Your Majesty.” You hadn’t a clue on what to say to her other than to apologize because there was no reason for lying only to make the situation worse. 

“Hmm. You see, Prince Harry is to be married in four days. That means you are no longer in relations with him, and since you’ve disrespected me and my family, you are no longer needed in the Royal House. You are to be packed by Saturday, and you’ll never go close to my family ever again—more importantly, the Prince. Understood?” She instructed unsympathetically. 

Your breath was stuck in your throat, your stomach in knots, and your heart didn’t feel like it was beating anymore. You were absolutely crushed. The thought of not seeing Harry anymore frightened you; you didn’t want to do life without him. You needed him, and unknowing to the Queen, he needed you too. 

“I asked if you understood,” she said, wanting a vocal answer to seal the deal. 

Slowly, you nodded your head. “Yes, I understand, Your Majesty.” 

Elaine leaned back in her chair. “Very well. You may leave now.” 

You got up, making your way out of her office, closing the heavy door before you let out a wracking sob, chest heaving up and down. You quickly made your way to your room, covering your mouth to contain the volume of your cries. The fee staff that you passed by had called out for you, asking what was wrong, but you ignored their calls, heading straight to your room where you locked the door and cried into your pillow, just as you had for the past few days. Your heart broke into a million pieces for yourself and for Harry, and you didn’t know how you would ever recover. 

As you were talking with the Queen. The Duchess had found Harry lingering around Elaine’s office, pacing back and forth as well as pressing his ear up against the door. 

“Harry? What are you doing?” Anne asked worriedly. 

“Mum, please. I need you.” Tears streamed down his face, and Anne’s heart broke as she saw her son so heartbroken. All of the rules Elaine had instructed Anne to do on how to raise her children, like completely stop showing her kids affection, had completely torn in half. And just like that, her child needed her.

Anne quickly took Harry into her arms, and Harry sobbed into her shoulder, hugging her tightly. “There, there, my darling. You’re alright.” She rubbed his back soothingly. “What’s wrong?” 

Harry pulled back. “Uh, Y/N—she's in there with Nan. Mum, she knows everything.” Anne’s eyes widened. “We’ve kept it in for so long, why now?” Harry choked in between his words as his cries had heightened. 

Anne looked at Harry with a defeated face. She’s always known about his relationship with you ever since the beginning. A quite fresh six months into the relationship, Anne had caught you two running around in the courtyard under the moonlight, past curfew hours. Harry suggested sneaking out because that was the only time you two had alone, so you hesitantly said yes without thinking about getting caught. Sure enough, you two did get caught by the Duchess. You relentlessly apologized to his mum, saying you won’t pass curfew hours anymore, but Anne simply just smiled, telling you two to be more careful next time because it could’ve been the Queen who had caught you. 

As Harry’s mother, she understood the importance of wanting him to live his life the way he wanted to. She always encouraged that he could be whoever he wanted to be, and she would always be there to support it. She didn’t want to tell him who to love or who to marry because that decision should be completely up to him. And throughout the years, she’d seen how much love he has for you while that same love was also being reciprocated. That’s all she wanted for him—someone who would love and cherish him. 

“I don’t know what to say, darling. Maybe you could talk to her?” Anne suggested, caressing Harry’s arms. 

“I-I tried before, but she just brushed past me. I don’t know what I’m gonna do.” Frustration was clearly going through Harry’s body as he pulled on his hair, something he does when he’s anxious and frustrated because he was somewhat in control over it. 

“C’mon, let’s go into the living room.” She grabbed his arm, leading him out of the hallway, but he pulled back. 

“But…” 

“She’ll go to you when she needs to. The last thing you need is getting caught lingering around when I’m sure the Queen doesn’t want you two being around one another.” 

Anne was right; a mother does know best. Following her wishes, he nodded, trailing behind his mother and out of the hallway, away from his poor girl who was being confronted by the Queen. 

It was Friday night, and you had just zipped up the last of your luggage. Your room was empty, and it pained your heart that it was your last night at the Royal House, the last time you would ever see Harry. 

You were due to be out of the Royal House by seven a.m and off Royal grounds at nine in the morning; there was a boat scheduled for everyone visiting the grounds to departure at nine, and you would be on your way to God knows where, but far away from the one person who had your heart. 

Harry’s wedding was to be scheduled quite early in the morning, around eight-thirty, or so you’d heard from the staff. The entire staff had no clue of your leave, except a few of the guards that were going to escort you out of the Royal House and to the docks. The Queen had bumped into you in the hallways and specifically instructed you to not tell anyone that you were leaving because she was going to tell them that you resigned if they asked. You simply had no energy to argue, to disagree with her choice, so you nodded, not saying a word. 

You sat on the edge of your bed, completely drained physically and emotionally, and the one thing on your mind was to go to sleep—sleep and Harry, your dearest Harry who you hoped was okay. You got ready for bed mindlessly as a numbness fell throughout your body. You couldn’t feel anything but pain, and the suffering you’d endured for the past week had overwhelmed your mind and body, leaving you dazed. 

Your heart pounded through your ears with every movement as it started to make you feel dizzy, so you laid down on your side, facing the wall while you hugged your pillow tightly while your hand was wrapped around your gold necklace Harry had gifted you. Shutting your eyes, you forced your mind to go to sleep. 

A few moments passed by, and due to your ears ringing, you didn’t hear your bedroom door open and close. But you did feel the edge of your twin bed dip down, making you open your eyes in startelement as the figure behind you engulfed you into their arms, and you immediately relaxed. 

Sighing deeply, a few tears shed from your eyes, feeling relief from the pair of arms around you; you hadn’t felt his arms around you since Tuesday, the day you talked to the Queen. You also hadn’t seen him since Tuesday because after your meeting with Elaine, she had found Harry, telling him to stay away from you. Many arguments had come out of his mouth, but Elaine immediately shut him down after that, sternly telling him that he was to never speak to her that way again. Knowing that Harry would break the rule of not seeing you, Elaine ordered for you to not cross the boundary of the West and East Wing as she knew you wouldn’t break her rules. 

The feeling of being this close to one another after three days was such a relief, and it almost felt wrong because of the Queen’s wishes, but you simply couldn’t care less because you were in the arms of the person you adored. 

Turning around to face him, you were immediately greeted with a loving ‘I missed you so damn much’ kiss. His lips glided over yours smoothly, but rushed, desperate to feel your touch as his arms never loosened around your frame, needing your body close. 

“Hi, Princess,” he said breathlessly once he pulled away. 

You kissed the tip of his nose, making him blush. “Your Highness, how are you?” You asked concerningly. 

“Was doing horrible without you, but right now, I’m just happy to see you, happy to be in your bed.” You softly smiled, pecking his lips. 

You were also happy to have him in your bed. He’d only snuck out of his room to sleep in your bed a handful of times, but he could easily say that it’s the best bed he’s ever slept on because your scent was all over the sheets as well as your body being pressed up against his due to the lack of space you two had. You’d tease him, saying that you were baffled he would rather leave his king-size bed for your small one, but he would charm your pants off and come back with how he liked your small bed better because that meant you would be closer to him the entire night. A charmer, he is. 

A silence fell over you both, simply just looking and taking one another’s presence in. You had both memorized every inch of each other’s face throughout the entirety of your friendship and relationship—every mark, mole, crease, and wrinkle was ingrained into your mind as it was your fear that you would forget how your handsome Prince looked like—but this time, it was different. You two were looking at one another, so neither of you would actually forget what the other looked liked because you wouldn’t be able to see him again. 

You lowered your eyes to your neck, stopping yourself from crying, but it seemed like your tears and emotion for the best of you. A small sniffle came out of you and Harry pouted, bringing you into his chest and holding you tightly. 

“I’m gonna miss you,” you said against his skin. 

“C’mon…” Harry said with slight annoyance, lightly scoffing as he was in disbelief of what you were saying. 

“I mean it, I’m really gonna miss you.” You pulled your head out of his chest, looking up at him. 

He shook his head as tears formed in his eyes. His heart was breaking more than it already had, and it upset him how much you were letting all of this happen—accepting it, more like. 

“Don’t do this.” He looked deeply into your eyes, brows furrowed; you could tell that he looked frustrated and offended, but you didn’t know what you could do to make your situation better, so you shrugged your shoulders in defeat. 

“There’s nothing else for me to do, Harry. I don’t know what you want me to do. I don’t want you to resent me for not being close to your grandmother when she’s practically on her deathbed.” He pulled away from you, laying on his back as he looked up at the ceiling fan, hoping if he looked long enough, he would be hypnotized into another life—a life where it involved just the two of you. But he was still in your room and his realities were still coming true. “I don’t know what you want me to do,” you added. 

“Don’t accept the fact that we’re not gonna see each other again!” He whisper-yelled, trying to keep his voice down, still not making eye contact with you. How could he ever resent you? For most of his life, you’d made him the happiest—ever since you two were kids, you would always find a reason to put a smile on his face and get out of bed in the morning. 

You sighed deeply, closing your eyes. This wasn’t how you wanted your last night to go, and you could understand why he was frustrated, but you really didn’t know what he wanted you to do because there wasn’t anything you could do. 

He turned his head towards you, seeing that you were closing your eyes, exhaling through your nose deeply. He turned his whole body to lay on his side, facing you before bringing his hand to your cheek, caressing your skin with his thumb. You opened your eyes once you felt his cold touch, chills rose onto your skin as you looked at him through your glassy and sad eyes; a look that broke his heart. 

“I’m sorry for raising my voice, my Princess. I’m just…angry and sad.” He lowered his eyes, feeling subdued. 

“It’s okay, I understand. I just don’t know what to do to make this situation any better, but we have to accept that this is our ending. And it may not be ‘happily ever after’ for the two of us, but that doesn’t mean I’m gonna stop loving you.” He nodded as he took in your words. 

“Just…hold me, yeah? Until you have to l-leave.” His voice cracked at the end of his sentence, finding it rather difficult to accept the fact that you won’t be on the same grounds as him anymore. 

You nodded, closing the inch of space, and wrapping your arms around him. As your face was pressed against his chest, Harry’s chin rested on the top of your head as you two held one another. It was a surreal but heartbreaking moment, but the two of you cherished the last several hours you had with one another. 

You lifted your head up, only to be met with his chin, and you pressed a kiss along with the sharpness of his stubble jaw; Harry sighed in relief. You hooked your leg around his waist, pulling him closer than he already was, and trailed your lips to his neck, sucking and licking his soft skin. Harry groaned, involuntarily bucking his hips into yours as the feel of your lips had that much of an effect on him. 

Shifting upwards so you were face-to-face, you looked in his eyes momentarily, taken back by his beauty. He was so immensely beautiful that he quite literally took your breath away. He almost didn’t seem real, so tangible, but he was definitely a sight. You’ve had a crush on him for more than a decade, and not once had it minimized into something frivolous or vanished; you hadn’t doubted your love for him and you never would. You were always going to have a crush on the Prince until the day you took your last breath when you would think about giving him one last kiss goodbye. 

Connecting your lips together, you felt like you were home. The peace his lips provided made you melt with every kiss, every single time his tongue glided over yours, or when he bit your bottom lip and pulled back a bit—just being connected to Harry physically and emotionally made you feel secure, and you couldn’t ask for anything more in life because you would be too greedy. 

In the midst of moving your lips in sync with his, he traced his tongue against your bottom lip, making you open your mouth, a moan leaving your lips. His tongue met yours, swirling and tasting one another as the grip you had on one another had stiffened, pulling each other closer. With your hips slightly grinding against his, the breathy moans that left his mouth, and Harry’s lips perfectly and gracefully kissing yours, the electrifying feeling was more powerful than ever. The spark ran down your back, making you want more as chills ran down the course of your body. You would always want more when it came to Harry; he had that appeal where he would leave everyone wanting for more, but luckily, you were the only one he would be giving it to. 

You pulled away, completely breathless by his soft and pink lips before you whispered, “Want you, please.” Your eyes were pleading with him to do anything to your body as you just wanted to feel his touch, his body against yours. 

“Sure?” He asked as he always did before you two ever had sex, and you appreciated the thought because it really showed how true of a gentleman that he was before he fucked you relentlessly into the mattress. 

“Mhm. Give it to me…one last time,” you sighed, curling your lips into your mouth as your fingers pushed away the curl that fell onto his forehead. 

He shook his head softly, disapproving of your choice of words. “Okay,” he responded, brushing off your statement as he gave you another kiss, unable to get enough of your sweet, cherry-flavored lips. 

Soft kisses were pressed against your cheek, trailing down your neck as he gave you a love bite; you threw your head back into the pillow, allowing him more access to your neck. His hands found the hem of your baby pink silk nightgown, bunching the soft fabric up to your waist as he held your thigh up to his waist, softly grinding his pelvis into yours. 

You sat up and raised your arms straight up before Harry took the chance to peel your nightgown off of your body and on the floor. You laid back down, completely naked, besides the necklace that rested perfectly on your skin, as his eyes bored into you, admiring your figure and being quite mesmerized by you as he always was. Your room was dark besides the soft glow of the moonlight that peeked through the window and casted down at your body, giving Harry a clear and beautiful vision of you. 

“So beautiful, my love. Take my breath away every single time I look at you,” he said softly. You shyly smiled under his state, finding it quite intimidating for a moment. 

Harry raised his arms and reached behind his head to take off his shirt, showcasing his tattoos that you’ve traced, counted, and kissed plenty of times throughout the years. His inked skin was something you loved most about him because despite being Royal blood, he still wanted to be himself—not someone people assumed he was as if they’d figured out his entire life and personality. Just Harry.

He was outright the most stunning man you’d ever laid your eyes on. You were sure there would be no one like him because there was only one Harry that you loved, only one person that you loved. 

You reached your hands out for him, and Harry slowly placed his weight on you. His lips sucked and licked the swell of your breasts and nipples, giving each the same amount of attention. You grabbed his face, bringing it up to your lips as you missed them. 

He molded his lips with yours for a few moments, enjoying your touch before you briskly flipped the two of you over so you were on top now. 

Harry smirked, hands immediately finding their way to your waist. “My girl wants to be on top, hmm?” You nodded as you began to take his striped pajama pants off; his cock was hard, sitting against his lower abdomen. You leaned down, licking one long stripe from the base to the tip, earning a raspy moan from your Prince before kissing up his body, making sure to leave a few love bites so he had something to remember you by in the morning on his wedding day. Call it petty if his new wife would see them tomorrow on their night as newlyweds, but rightfully so, he was yours and you had his heart first. 

You reached his neck, littering his skin as you sucked and licked. ��Wanna feel you deep. Can you sit up, please?” 

“Always so polite. Of course, I can.” He sat up against the headboard, and you pressed your body against his as his cock laid perfectly between your folds. You could practically feel your arousal dripping onto his hard-on, so you slowly started to grind against his hard length as you feverishly kissed him. 

A throaty moan came out of both of you as your hands desperately held onto one another, grabbing whatever you both can to really feel each other. 

“Please,” he whimpered. “Need to feel you.” 

“Look who’s being so polite now, huh,” you teased, and Harry giggled. He loved being able to giggle and tease one another during the intimate times you two had together; it made things fun and less serious as you two were able to be yourselves around each other. 

You sat on your knees to raise your hips before you licked your hand and grabbed a hold of his cock, giving him a few pumps before you lined him up with your entrance. Slowly sinking down on him, your walls hugged him tightly as he graciously filled you up. After five years, he still filled your walls and stretched you out as his thick and long size was something you still had to adjust to. A soft moan left both of your lips once you were fully on him, keeping yourself there for a moment. 

“Fuck, you feel so good. Could stay like this for as long as possible,” he breathed out. 

You softly smiled. “Give me a moment. Always gonna need to adjust to you, just so big.” You praised him for endeavors, knowing he liked being praised; and he smirked. 

“All for you,” he breathed out, making you smile. 

After a minute or two, you started to move up and down on him, raising your hips until only his tip was inside of you before sinking back down, taking him in fully. He always hit that special spot in this position; with just one thrust, it had you moaning his name out like there was no tomorrow. 

You squeezed around him, making him throw his head back onto the headboard as he started to guide your hips that were working on grinding and bouncing onto him. Your movements began to pick up, finding a rhythm as you swiveled and grinded on his cock, feeling on edge already. 

His mouth attacked your tits as his hands squeezed and slapped your ass, leaving a red mark onto your skin, but you loved it, you always did. You wrapped your arms around your neck, hugging his face to your chest as he hugged your waist, keeping you close while kissing the valley of your breasts. 

His hands gripped your hips, pushing you down so you would stop your movements. You looked down in confusion as big doe eyes looked up at you. Pushing his hair back and scratching his scalp, you gave him a small smile, kissing his lips fully. 

“W-What’s wrong?” You asked once you pulled back from his lips, your voice soft and tender. 

“Just…wanna make this last longer.” 

You nodded, agreeing. “Okay.” You didn’t continue your movements after that, just simply staying seated on him, keeping him warm as he was tucked in away with your softness and warmth of your velvety walls. 

“I’ll love you forever, y’know that, right? Not gonna love another soul again,” he confessed sadly. 

“I know that, and I love you more than life itself. But baby, you’re getting married—spending the rest of your life with someone. You’ve ought to love her someday.” As hard as it was for you to tell him that he could love someone else, you knew that it was inevitable for him to catch feelings, especially for his new wife. 

He shook his head in disagreement. “No, no. I can’t do that, even if you’re telling me to love someone else, I physically and emotionally cannot open up my heart to someone who isn’t you.” His eyes were glassy; the moonlight still made his gorgeous green eyes sparkle. 

“I know, I know.” You lovingly placed a kiss onto his forehead, lingering your lips onto his skin for a moment as his fingers trailed down your spine. “Just know that I’m gonna love you forever, too.” 

“Yeah?” He asked, smiling slightly; you nodded. “Please do. Need your love,” he sniffled, a tear slowly streaming down the side of his face. 

You wiped it away, leaning down to kiss his nose and lips. “Need your love too. Can you feel mine? Can you feel my love?” You asked as you began to start moving your hips. 

A throaty moan left Harry’s lips as he nodded. “Yeah, I can feel it all over. Feel it everywhere—never want to not feel it.” He gripped your hips hard, squeezing the flesh as you whimpered. 

Slowly bouncing on him, you started to revive your orgasm as you started to whine and mewl, desperate to get there. Your thighs were shaking and burning from being on top and grinding on him for so long, and Harry started to see that as your movements slowed down and you had to take a few breaks. 

“Tired?” 

“Mhm.” 

“Okay, I got you, baby. Let me love you.” He shifted down so he was on his back and your body was pressed up against his. “Let me take care of you.” You nodded softly, burying your face into his neck, hiding away from him as you whispered from the movement. 

Harry planted his feet on the bed, bucking his hips and fucking up into you; it wasn’t fast, no, it was slow but his thrusts were hard. He was so deep that you felt the electrifying shock run down to your toes, making you curl them in. Hot breath hit his skin as you moaned out his name before he felt your lips continuously kissing, sucking, and licking his neck. 

“My Princess. My dream girl. Gonna love you forever. Gonna miss you, gonna miss this.” His voice cracked, hugging you tightly to his chest as he continued to thrust up into you. “Please, let me feel you,” he pleaded for your release. 

His cock was hitting your special spot as you were very close. After a few more thrusts, a few more moans, and a few more words that effortlessly slipped out of Harry’s mouth as he encouraged you to find your pleasure, you let go. Your beautiful sounds were muffled from the pillow and the way you buried your face into the crook of his neck. You were quite overwhelmed as you began to sob, a quarter of your distress was because of how powerful your orgasm was, but most of it was because of how empty you would feel when you had left the Royal Grounds tomorrow morning, and how you wouldn’t see Harry anymore. 

Harry continued to fuck you, riding your high out before he spilled into you, loud and raspy moans slipped filled your ear as he moaned your name and how much he loved you. 

Once he calmed down, the room was in absolute silence beside the sounds of the gut-wrenching sobs that came from you. You were incredibly sensitive and emotional as you held onto him tight, Harry still inside of you. His heart was breaking as he started to quietly cry with you, which caught your attention, so you lifted your head up to face him. Witnessing Harry crying wasn’t your favorite sight to see; it pained you to see him so upset, and you wanted to take his pain away and keep it to yourself so he would be happy. 

“No matter what…” you started, stroking his cheek tenderly. “I’m gonna love you. And even though I’m not going to be physically next to you, you’re still gonna have my heart and you’ll feel how much I love you. Just…remember that, please?” 

Harry nodded. “And you’ll have my heart,” he reciprocated. 

“Mhm, and I’ll guard your heart for the rest of my life.” 

He pecked your lips sweetly. “I know you know this, but you’re my ship. You’re the thing that brings me home safely and securely while I lay out in the sun for hours and be completely content and happy with life. And no matter what storm you, or we, encounter, you’re always able to guide us to a brighter part of the Earth. And for that, I will love you forever. Got you inked on my skin permanently and I will cherish the memories and the love you have given me for the past twenty years.” 

His proclamations had you in tears, sniffling throughout his words. You knew how difficult it was for him to say those words because it meant that he was accepting his reality. 

You captured his lips in with yours, sobbing and shaking against them as you cried, holding onto one another for dear life as you two only existed in each other’s arms—forgetting about the outside world. Your heart had sunk so far into your stomach, making your insides feel like they were in knots. Harry had been your safety net for so long, your source of happiness and love. But now, he was going to be added to the list of people that you had lost; the first two being your parents. 

The three most important people in your life had sailed a ship far away from you and you weren’t able to see them anymore. Maybe in another lifetime, but right now, you needed them.

It was quite ironic how Harry thought you were his ship, something that kept him afloat and content when all you felt was the numbness, the pain, and the sinking of your heart, making the depth of the ocean feel so inviting. 

A shake on his shoulder had woken an exhausted Harry up. Inhaling deeply before letting out a groan, he opened his eyes to be met with the day ahead of him. If it were any other day, he would be met with his love, looking at him so lovingly and sweetly as you would beg him to get out of bed, but he would pull you to get in the covers with him before spending half an hour of making giggly and sweet love in the morning. 

But today wasn’t any other ordinary day…it was his wedding day, and the person waking him was Anne, sadly smiling down at him as she wore a rather beautiful lilac gown. He looked at her confusingly before taking a look around the room; he was in your room and that’s when he recalled the night prior. You two fell asleep holding onto one another, whispering lovely words into one each other’s ear, pretending that the next wasn’t happening so you two could be Y/N and Harry. 

“Morning, darling. I see you’ve made your way in here last night.” 

Harry sat up, looking down at his body; he was fully clothed, and he smiled to himself at how thoughtful you were to put his clothes back on. But his smile quickly disappeared when he took a clear look around the room. Your belongings were gone and the luggage that was packed wasn’t there anymore. A piece of him felt like it was ripped out of his chest, leaving him to suffer and sleep through the nightmare. 

He sighed deeply, chin meeting his chest. “She’s really gone, Mum.” 

Anne didn’t say anything but nod. She rubbed Harry back comfortingly as she kissed his forehead. She’s never seen her son so heartbroken before; sure, she’s had to distance herself from him, but she was always observant of Harry. She noticed that whenever he walked into every room, he had a smile on his face and that was because he was laughing at something you had said or blew him a kiss that made him flustered. So, Harry being so sad and heartbroken was a new kind of Harry that she will have to encounter because for most of his life, he was always happy, never had a complaint in his life, and that was because he had you. 

“She left you this.” Anne presented a white envelope, which made his eyes widen, but he immediately took it from her hands. The front of the envelope wrote Your Highness with a heart at the end, making his heart flutter. He looked up at his mother and she smiled at him, caressing his face before planting a kiss on his cheek. “Be quick to read that. The Queen is still expecting you to be married today,” she sighed. “You have to be ready soon—the ceremony starts in an hour. Be out of this room before anyone else catches you.” Anne walked towards the door, and before she walked out, she called out for him, making Harry lift his head up. “Everything’s going to be fine. Trust me.” 

With that being said, she left your empty room, leaving him with the letter in his hands and your scent that swirled around the room, making him miss your presence even more. 

His hands shook as he carefully opened the envelope—you even spritzed some of your perfume that he loves so much as he brought the paper to his nose. Unfolding it, the letter was quite long—the entire page—and Harry could feel himself already getting emotional over it, but he read it anyway. 

My sweetest Harry, 

I am writing this in the early hours of the morning as you’re sleeping peacefully in my bed, hugging my pillow. You look so peaceful when you sleep, did you know that? Besides the occasional snoring, which I don’t mind because you know that I’m a snorer myself, you have this sense of calmness to you when you sleep. It makes me not want to wake you up in the mornings sometimes because you look like you’re at complete peace. But then I miss you too much and want your kisses so eventually, I do wake you up. 

I’m going to miss that, waking you up, and having a morning to ourselves where we get to be us. But I’m also going to miss all the other times we get to spend together. In the car on our way to events, in the courtyard running around like we’re kids, midnight strolls under the moonlight, and sneaky makeout sessions when you would pull me into a random room in the Royal House. 

I’m going to miss every single moment. 

It pains me that I am no longer by your side and we had to part this way. I’ve never felt so heartbroken in my life before, and I thought I wouldn’t ever get to feel this type of agony because I was with you. And we promised to not hurt each other, no matter what. But I’m proud of us because we kept our promise until the very end. We never hurt each other—we always talked it out and never left one another to fight one’s own battles. We were such a great team. The best team. 

You’re everything to me, Harry. My whole entire heart belongs to you, and it will always be yours as long as you hold onto it and keep it safe. Thank you for protecting my heart since we were kids. Thank you for always being there for me in a blink of an eye. You’ve truly helped me get me back on my feet when my father passed, and for that, I don’t know how to thank you enough. I felt like I'd lost the fight when he passed and I didn’t know what I was going to do, but then you reminded me that you were by my side, and for that, we won. 

It has truly been an honor to know you. To be in your presence. But to be in your heart is the greatest gift that I’ve ever received because you love like no other. There will be no other that’ll compete against you. It will always be you. 

My lips will remember the way you love, the way you taste. Your lips are my favorite, and I smile every single time I feel your touch because it’s quite unforgettable. 

You are my heart, my sun, my lover, my best friend, my dream boy, and my forever Prince that I will love for the rest of eternity. 

Thank you for loving me. Thank you for letting me into your heart, Your Highness. 

Yours forever, 

Y/N. 

With his face slightly damped from the tears that streamed down his cheeks while his eyes were swollen and red, he cried into his hands once he finished reading your letter a third time in a row. The feeling in his chest felt like it was physically tearing him apart as it was difficult to catch his breath, gasping for air through his sobs. 

All he wanted to do was to hug you, hold onto you for the rest of his life, and he would be completely satisfied with everything. But you were soon to be on a boat, sailing away from Royal Grounds, further away from him. 

He looked down at the piece of paper, making sure to not wrinkle the last physical piece he had of you. You signed your name off with a heart at the end, admiring your handwriting that he never failed to compliment every time you would handwrite him a note. Bringing the paper to his lips, he kissed your name briefly, exhaling heavy breaths through his nose before pulling away and safely putting it back into the envelope. 

His heart grieved for you two because neither of you deserved this consequential punishment that broke you two apart. 

Standing at the altar in front of hundreds of people wasn’t something Harry imagined his wedding to be like. He pictured his guest list to be quite small, only the people he truly loved and appreciated. It definitely wouldn’t have been in a large venue that held six figures worth of art. And it wouldn’t have been Venus walking down the aisle, meeting him in a white long gown with a veil covering her face. 

He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply as he felt slightly guilty. Harry knew it wasn’t his fault as to why he’s standing here, but he would have never thought he would ever be standing at the altar without you walking towards him. You two had talked about getting married and the wedding itself so many times that, naturally, it was the norm. Neither of you were scared of getting married to one another, so there was no need to worry about the other running away from the idea or the relationship. 

You always talked about wanting to get married in a garden where there would be bushes of flowers surrounding the area, giving the scene a pop of color. You two agreed on only wanting about fifteen to twenty people, most of the guests would come from Harry’s family and friends, and you would invite some of the staff that you had gotten quite close to throughout your life of living in the Royal House. You would ask Maria to walk you down the aisle as you wore a light champagne dress with hints of gold embedded into the dress; you always told Harry you didn’t want to wear a traditional white wedding dress because you would be too afraid to stain it, especially if you were going to walk on the grass. Harry didn’t mind one bit as long as you were the one walking down the aisle towards him; he would be the happiest man on Earth. 

But now as he watched Venus make her way towards him, this wasn’t the magical night he dreamed of ever since you two got together, and he wished this was a dream so you could wake him up as soon as possible. But you didn’t because it wasn’t a dream, and he realized that when he shook Venus’ father’s hand, giving her daughter away to marry the Prince as she was soon to become a Princess.

Harry and Venus stood in front of each other as she held his hands tightly, feeling that she needed to hold up his hands because he wasn’t holding onto her at all. Venus nervously gulped as she looked at the Prince; he wasn’t making eye contact with her nor the Priest. He was looking down at his shoes and the doors that she had entered as if he was impatiently waiting for someone to burst through those doors as he didn’t listen to a word of what the Priest had said. 

“Harry, do you take thee, Venus, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, til death do you part?” 

The moment was finally here as Harry blinked his tears away, knowing two words were going to change his whole entire life. 

Your heart was beating fast as you struggled to hold onto your belongings with your two arms. You rolled two suitcases that sunk their wheels through every crack of the wooden and old dock as you walked; your duffel bags took every other bump, struggling to remain on your luggage, making you stop once again to place it back in its rightful spot. Towards the side of the dock was a schedule on what time the faerie was arriving for departure, and you had about twenty minutes to spare if there were no delays. 

It was a quite gloomy day—unfortunate that Harry had to have this kind of weather on his wedding day, but maybe that was Mother Nature’s way of expressing her sadness with you. 

You looked at your small gold watch on your left wrist—an accessory your father had given you when you turned eighteen as he told you it was your mother’s and that she used to wear it all the time. The small watch made her feel powerful, independent, and a grown woman who had grown up from the beaded bracelets she used to make when she was younger. It was a piece of your mother that you got to keep with you wherever you went, so you cherished it with your whole heart. 

When it was nearing T-minus 5 minutes, you gathered your bags and headed towards the boat where every passenger crowded around. There were quite a few people and you hoped that the boat ride off the Royal Grounds was a quiet and smooth sailing ride because with the headache you’re enduring from crying and your heartbreak, you needed silence. 

One of the members of the faerie stood on the edge of the boat with a megaphone raised to his lips. “Attention! People who are boarding for the nine o’clock departure heading West of the Royal Grounds. We seem to have noticed a last-minute complication with the engine, which will delay us for about another thirty minutes. We will update you all if we need to switch boats, but for now, hang tight and hang around. Visit the Royal gift shop and get yourself a crown!” He finished his announcement as everyone groaned as you chuckled at everyone’s reaction. You didn’t mind the delay because it meant that you got to stay on the same ground as Harry for a bit longer, even though you weren’t able to see him. 

You headed towards a bench that overlooked the ocean and set your bags close by you as you grabbed an apple from your tote that you snatched from the kitchen on your way out of the Royal House. There were little kids running around with balloons in their hands while their parents tried to chase them, telling them to be careful or they’ll fall off the dock. 

Suddenly, a little boy jogged towards you, nearly startling you. “Hello, are you Y/N?” 

You raised your brows, leaning your arms on your thighs as you wondered how he knew your name. “Why, yes, I am. And who might you be?” You asked in a friendly tone. 

“I’m Russell. This is for you.” He handed you a bouquet of a gorgeous arrangement of daisies. 

“These are lovely, thank you! Did you pick these out yourself?” 

“No, I didn’t. I was told to give them to you. Your husband wanted me to give it to you!” He exclaimed excitedly. 

“Really? And who might my husband be?” You amused him, not thinking seriously about his statement. But he suddenly pointed behind you, making you turn around in suspense. 

There he was, your Prince, smiling down at you as you looked up at him in pure disbelief. He looked dashingly handsome in a silk hot pink blouse and a floral embroidered black suit that suited him very well. You took a moment to observe him, trailing your eyes down to his hands, only to find his left ring finger bare. His face looked too happy to be married to someone who wasn’t you, but his smile looked as if it was relieved as if his worst nightmare had come to an end. He was relaxed, the complete opposite of the trepidation that he held for weeks. 

Your observation was coming to a conclusion, and once you realized what was happening, you matched his smile as you stood up. 

“Your Highness,” you curtsied, making him giggle. 

Before he could explain to you why he was standing in front of you with no security, he turned to the little boy who had helped him. “Russell, thank you for delivering the flowers to my wife.” 

“Your welcome, Prince Harry!” The little boy bowed excitedly before running off to his mother who was waiting and watching on the sidelines. 

Once Russell was safe with his mother, you turned back towards Harry. “Your wife, huh?” You raised your brows, teasing him as you masked your giddiness. You intertwined your hands behind yourself, containing yourself from reaching out and grabbing him. 

“Yeah, my actual wife—someday—not the one that was walking towards me earlier.” 

You smiled softly, still lost on why he’s in front of you. “What are you doing here?” 

“I left. I ran away from the altar. I couldn’t do it, Princess. No matter how mad the Queen would be, I couldn’t marry that woman,” he explained. You exhaled in relief, tears pricking your eyes. “I felt guilty, y’know? Never have I imagined standing at the altar without you. It was…weird and I didn’t like it.” 

“How did you even manage to do that? To run away?” 

Harry slightly chuckled. “Mum helped me.” 

“Really?” Your eyes widened as you were in shock. 

“Yeah,” he answered, explaining to you what happened thirty minutes prior to him racing to the dock to find you. 

When the Priest was reciting the vows, he waited on Harry’s promise to marry Venus. But Harry had turned his head to look at his mum before earning a nod of approval. He turned his head back to Venus, and she had some sort of look of understanding like she knew Harry clearly hadn’t signed up for this wedding—to marry her. Harry gave Venus a small smile that apologized for what he was about to do before turning to the Priest and telling him that he couldn’t do any of what he had said. The guests’ chatter had increased, some softly gasping as they wondered why the Prince wasn’t complying with the marriage. 

He let go of Venus’ hands, heading towards Anne to give her a kiss on the cheek. Anne had sneakily handed him a pair of keys to one of the Rolls Royce cars, and he smiled in appreciation. He glanced at Elaine, not even bothering to say goodbye to his Nan, but Elaine had a few words herself, so she grabbed Harry’s wrists before he walked down the aisle. 

“Walk out those doors, and you wouldn’t even be considered a Prince anymore, you are not allowed back on Royal Grounds if you walk out, and you are no longer going to be part of this family,” she warned, eyes piercing with such disappointment.

He gave Elaine one last look before yanking his arm out of her hold, which earned a loud gasp from the guests. Elaine looked around at the people who had watched the two, and she felt embarrassment heat up in her cheeks. 

Once Harry walked out the doors, he jogged to the front of the Royal House where Gemma had closed the trunk. He took his sister into his arms, hugging her tightly and gratefully. 

“Thank you, Gemma. For everything,” he said, giving her an extra squeeze. She patted his back before pulling away, giving him a smile. 

“I’m proud of you, H. Now, go and get her. I’ve already flagged down the captain and told him to delay the boat for thirty minutes, so you should hurry before the other passengers start to fret. And the boat you two are going on should be ready by the time you’re there.” 

He smiled. “Thank you, again. I’ll see you soon? I’ll call you from wherever I am.” She nodded, telling him to reach out soon. “You take care of yourself, alright? Don’t take shit from her. You and Sebastian deserve to be with each other.” 

“I will. I won’t. And yes, we do,” she answered in the order Harry said, making him chuckle. “Now, go. You’re making her wait.” She patted his back once more before he got into the car. 

With one last wave, he was off to the docks where the love of his life was waiting for him. 

“So, here I am,” Harry said with a smile, arms opening as he presented himself. You smiled widely, giggling. You were still in shock how he simply gave up his family and his position to once rule the country for you. You knew he would do anything for you, but this was more than anything—this was leaving his family for good, walking away from being connected to royalty. And he left it all behind. For you. 

“Here you are,” you breathed out a chuckle. “I can't believe you’re here. That you didn’t marry that woman.” 

“You know I couldn’t do that. You’re the only one I want to marry, the only one I wanna see walk down the aisle, wearing a beautiful champagne gown.” You were slightly taken back, tears glazing your eyes; he remembered the small detail you had told him about not wanting to wear a traditional white dress to your wedding. “So, you’re not the Prince anymore, hmm?” 

Harry shook his head. “Nope. Not gonna leave me to find another Prince, are you?” He joked, raising his brows. You playfully slapped his chest, but he caught your hand, bringing it up to his lips as he placed a chaste kiss on the back of your hand. 

“Course not. I’ve had a Prince of my own for the past five years.” You unconsciously reached towards him to straighten his jacket. He pulled you forward by the hand that he was already holding, and your chest was pressed together against his with your faces inches away from one another as you looked up at him. 

“Our six-year anniversary is coming up soon. How should we celebrate?” 

“Hmm, now that we have all the time in the world, wanna go on vacation? I’ve been dying to go to Italy,” you suggested, and Harry’s eyes lightened up as if you had suggested the greatest idea ever. 

“I would love that. Where in Italy are you thinking about? Because I’ve been thinking of the Amalfi Coast. Think about it…driving along the coast, cliff diving, swimming in the ocean. Sounds nice, huh?” You nodded your head at his plans. 

“Sounds amazing. Maybe we could…get married there?” You suggested another plan hesitantly, testing the waters to see how he felt about it. 

“You wanna get married? Next month?” You nodded your head. “Are you proposing?” 

“Only if you say yes.” You wrapped your arms around his waist, kissing his chin. 

“You know I will.” A tint of pink hit his cheeks as he smiled down at you. 

He leaned down to place a tender kiss on the tip of your nose, and when he pulled back, your eyes sparkled with such love and happiness—a gleam that he’s missed seeing in your eyes, and a gleam he would make sure was always there as long as you two were together. 

“Well, in that case…Your Highness, my love, will you do the honor of becoming my husband in one month?” You asked with a hopeful and playful tone as you couldn’t contain your smile. 

“Of course, my Princess. Wouldn't wanna be by anyone else,” he answered as you softly squealed. 

Harry placed his hands on your jaw, gently bringing your face to his. His forehead rested against you as the tip of your noses touched, giving one another an Eskimo kiss. Your lips merely brushed together so delicately as you smiled once you felt his touch. With one last small touch, Harry kissed you with such passion and devotion as you two moved your lips in sync. The kiss spoke every beautiful and exquisite word in the dictionary that it wouldn’t be enough to describe how tenderly and passionate he kissed you, and how much love your heart held for him. 

 Neither of you cared if there were bystanders, wondering why the Prince was kissing someone in the middle of the Royal Grounds, in public. But there was not one hint of care because you two were together, and this kiss indicated what’s to come for the rest of your lifetime. 

He pulled away, and you were so caught up in the sensation and the feeling that you didn’t realize that he had stopped kissing you. When you opened your eyes, you were met by your favorite green eyes that stared at you with a big smile on his face, dimple indenting his face. 

“I love you so much, Princess, you have no idea.” His words were slow, hoping to engrave them into your mind so you wouldn’t forget it. 

“And I love you, too, Your Highness.” He smiled, pressing a quick kiss to your lips, too quick for your liking. 

“Now, c’mon, we have a ship to catch.” Harry grabbed one of your bags as he held one of the duffle bags on his shoulder. He informed you that you two were going to take the family ship and that his belongings were already loaded on the ship. 

You nodded, grabbing the other luggage and duffle bag. You turned around, taking a look back at the Royal House that peeked behind many buildings and trees. This was the end of the story, and it was time to start a new one. You were able to close the book and set it down while you reflect on the memories you had made in one house with the one person who had your heart. 

Sure, you don’t know where you and Harry would be settling down; maybe you two would constantly move around and travel the world since neither of you got the chance to do so, but whatever the universe had in store for you both, you were glad to do it with Harry by your side. 

“Hey, are you coming with or what?” Harry called out, making you turn around. A smile that was brighter than the sun was plastered on his face as his arm reached out in front of him, palm facing up, telling you that it was time to leave. That it was time to start a new life together. 

You smiled, walking towards him as your eyes were glossy. Taking his hand and intertwining your fingers with his, he held your hand tight as you two crossed the ramp that was securely resting on the edge of the dock and the edge of the boat. 

You leaned against the railing of the boat, looking out at the deep ocean that you once felt like you were drowning in. But once Harry’s arms wrapped around your waist, chest pressed up against your back while his lips attached to the skin behind your ear, you no longer felt like your ship was sinking. It was smooth sailing and immensely happy. 

please come into my inbox and tell me all of your thoughts, feelings, and favorite moments! thank you for reading <3

[eddisfargo]

Not a day will go by (8/?)

Want to start out with an apology for this taking so long! I've had a huge mental block towards writing, and I want to thank everyone who reviewed, hearted or reblogged for keeping me inspired and giving me the push I needed. And ESPECIALLY @motherkatereloyshipper, whose beta-ing made this chapter about 50% better than it otherwise would've been, and who gave me ideas that made the ensuing chapters look much less intimidating!

I'm going to try REALLY HARD to have another update like... in the month of September. Wish me luck!

Thank you so much for not giving up on this story!

So, when last we left our heroes, Hook had just taken a massive bite of his foot with some people who turned out to be Emma's parents.

Tagging: @resident-of-storybrooke   @everything-person @teamhook

AO3 Ch 1 Ch 2 Ch 3 Ch 4 Ch 5 Ch 6 Ch 7 Ch 8

Summary:  Awkward moments past (mostly), the family makes plans. Hook makes his own.

“Huh,” was all Hook could think to say. “I wouldn’t have… guessed that.”

“We’re older than we look,” the woman said, with a smile that looked a bit forced. “You might know something about that.” After a moment’s uncomfortable pause, she soldiered on. “But I should’ve introduced myself sooner. I’m Snow, and this is David.”

“You usually call me Dave,” the man – David, apparently – informed him, crossing his arm. “But for now, maybe you should stick to Your Highness .”

Hook raised his eyebrow. He might’ve been perceived to have insulted their daughter – he supposed they might not choose to see his words as complimentary – but how had he been supposed to know whose company he was standing in? He had no bloody context .

“Okay,” said Emma, breaking a silence that had gone on too long. “This is on me. I’ve got to remember that he doesn’t know anything right now.”

This more or less paralleled Hook’s own thoughts, but he thought she took it rather too far. “I know quite a bit,” he said, bristling. Allowing his temper to rise was certainly an improvement over his state of confusion. “But it certainly wouldn’t hurt to tell me who the hell I’m talking to at any given time.”

The man, David, stepped forward. “The first thing you need to know is that you do not talk to Emma like–”

“I think,” the Queen interrupted, sounding bored. She had been watching from the corner with her arms crossed and an expression of amused disdain that raised her hackles still further. She continued, “we have more pressing matters to deal with than a disrespectful tone of voice.”

“Right,” Emma said, all business. “We need to figure out why this happened, and how to reverse it.”

The Queen rolled her eyes. “How to reverse it is obvious. Unless he’s had a recent head trauma…” she raised an eyebrow at Hook. He took a moment to ensure that he felt no pain and shook his head. “Then it’s magic. We might not know who caused it, or why, but I’d think you’re all familiar with the remedy by this point.”

No one seemed to question this statement. He looked to Emma for explanation, but found her smiling at him – a strange, soft smile. He looked away quickly, turning his eyes back to the Queen, who was still talking.

“I’m going to operate under the assumption that you’ve already kissed him?” At Emma’s nod, she shrugged. “So, he doesn’t love you.”

Beginning to see where this was going, Hook risked another glance at Emma, who was biting her lip.

Regina spread her arms. “So, fix it. He fell pathetically fast for you the first time while you were actively trying to get rid of him. How hard could it be?”

Hook felt his jaw sag. That was how their relationship was supposed to have begun? Captain Hook was rarely inclined toward pathos, nor toward wasting his time on a woman who wasn’t interested. No woman was worth that. “Now, wait a – ”

She continued as if she hadn’t heard him. “No, curing him isn’t your problem. Your problem is that until you do, we have an unreformed pirate walking around Storybrooke. If you don’t win him over fast, our first priority is limiting the casualties.”

“He wouldn’t!” the other woman – Snow? – interrupted. “He’s changed!”

“He changed his ways for her , and he doesn’t remember her. We can’t trust that he’s changed, and we can’t trust him. The man he used to be solved all his problems with a sword through the chest.”

Now this, he couldn’t let pass. It wasn’t that he disagreed with this assessment of his character, but the blatant hypocrisy was astounding. He took a threatening step toward her. “Oh, that’s rich, coming from you ,” he spat, “Your Majesty .”

She didn’t back down, straightening from the wall to meet him head on. “At least some of us–”

“Wait,” Emma interrupted. She didn’t shout, but somehow with that one word, she took control of the room. She was looking at him, her brow furrowed. “I thought you said you had no idea who she was.”

Hook hesitated. He had said that, hadn’t he? He reached for an explanation. “I suppose something reminded me,” he said, trying to look surprised himself. “Her contemptuous tone, perhaps.” Deciding he might as well go all in, he brightened his voice. “Perhaps my memory is slowly returning!”

“That’s great!” said Snow.

“No,” said Emma, who was looking at him for the first time as if he was a stranger. Slowly, she shook her head. “You’re lying.”

“I just–” he began, reaching for a plausible cover story.

“Is Regina right?” Emma looked into his eyes as if searching for something. She didn’t seem to find it. “Can we really not trust you?”

He opened his mouth for a rejoinder and got caught in her eyes. He had rarely found himself so at a loss for words, but the way she was looking at him gave him pause. He found himself on the verge of saying something he ought not when Regina interrupted.

“I say we lock him up, just to be safe. He’s incapable of solving his problems with anything but violence.” She made eye contact with him, and the threat in her glare made him defiant. He felt a sudden stab of dread that she would reveal a piece of his history he was quite certain he wouldn’t have told his wife. She didn’t seem like the sort of woman who’d accept… well. Certain sins he’d committed, that he preferred not to think of. It crossed his mind that Emma seemed close to her own father. Hook shook himself out of this line of thought.

“I’ll have you know,” he said coldly, “that I am perfectly capable of controlling myself, if I so choose.” The Queen rolled her eyes. “I’ll believe that when I see it.”

Hook smirked. “What would you be willing to stake against it?”

At this, Snow interrupted, sounding appalled. “The stakes are people’s lives! Our friends and family!”

Regina scoffed. “No, we’d better make it something he actually cares about.”

Hook opened his mouth to deny… something. He wasn’t quite sure what, but he didn’t like a damned thing she was implying. Well, he’d show her. He’d show them all. “It’s a wager. I won’t harm a hair on any precious little heads for one week, and…”

“One week ?” Regina interrupted. “Please! Even you could hold yourself back for a week. One month , or until you get your memory back. Whichever comes first.” At his nod, she continued. “Fine. Now, what stakes would make this worth your while?”

Hook considered if there was anything he might want from her. There wasn’t much. She may have powerful magic, but he wanted no part of it. All he wanted was for her to pay . For her deeds in the past, and, of course, for her slights against him today. That was it. Humiliation. What would she hate more than anything? “And you admit, publicly, that you were wrong. A formal apology, and…” He grinned cruelly. “You bow to me. ”

The Queen gritted her teeth. “Fine. And when you fail, I’ll take… the Jolly Roger.” “You’ll do no such thing!” Hook said immediately.

The Queen smiled maliciously. “I should have known. Here I thought you were so sure you could win.”

Before he realized what he was doing, Hook had turned to Emma, as if for support.

Emma was biting her lip, looking troubled. “An exception for self-defense,” she said firmly. The Queen seemed about to protest, as was Hook–not, in his case, at the exception, but at the terms of the wager. But Emma held up a hand toward the Queen. “Look, someone might have done this amnesia thing on purpose. Which would mean we have an enemy. I’m not making him choose between his safety and his ship.”

Looking put-upon, the Queen agreed. “Fine. An exception for non-lethal self-defense.”

“Or defense of someone else,” Emma said firmly. When the Queen nodded reluctantly, Emma turned to him. “Agreed?”

His ship . On the ability to control his temper. Well. He could do it. It would be easy . Perhaps it would even be wise. An image intruded into his mind of a spotted dog and how he’d have felt if he’d–No. With intention, he changed the image to that of Regina’s face upon being forced to humble herself. It would be worth it. He nodded once to Emma, who gave him a smile of such relief that something inside of him twisted.

He supposed she’d been picturing him cutting a swath of bodies through her town, as well she might. He still could, in fact, and wager be damned. If things went south, he could abscond with the Jolly and none could catch him. But her eyes held such trust… He swallowed hard. Irrelevant. Far more important, of course, it would be bad form to go back on a wager. Unworthy of him. At any event, he wasn’t so dependent on violence that he couldn’t do without it for a month.

“Well, with that out of the way,” said the man–David. “Do we have any leads on who could’ve done this?” “While we’re placing bets,” the Queen said darkly, “ten to one Gold will know.” She sighed. “If he doesn’t know personally .” “Who’s Gold?” Hook asked. The room went instantly silent.

“He… owns the local pawn shop,” said David after a long moment. “They sell magic supplies. It does seem likely that if a substance did this, it went through there.”

Emma was looking at Hook with a worried expression. “I don’t know if bringing him in on this is the best idea.” Hook tried to keep his suspicion off his face. Whatever they weren’t telling him, it was clearly intentional. Let them think he was taken in. He was still capable of finding things out on his own.

“I’ll talk to him,” said the Queen, not looking thrilled at the prospect. “Elsewhere.”

“Sounds like a plan,” said Emma. After a small hesitation, she added, “Regina?” At the other woman’s raised eyebrows, she said quietly, “Maybe don’t mention any… bets.”

Regina made a face. “I think I know better than to volunteer any information, thanks.” She looked at Emma. “I suppose you know what you need to do?”

Emma took a deep breath and smiled tentatively at Hook. “I hope so,” she said, taking his hand. Hook looked down at their clasped hands for a long moment.

“What can we do?” Snow asked eagerly.

Emma thought for a moment. “Maybe try to think of anything else he should urgently know? There are a few things that… could’ve been avoided.” She grimaced at her father, who crossed his arms.

“I’ll say,” David said flatly. Hook couldn’t quite repress a smirk.

Crossing the crowded room in two strides, Snow pulled Emma into a hug. “Oh, sweetheart, I know how hard this is right now–we’ve been there! But you two love each other so much. Your father and I beat this. You can too!” Hook raised an eyebrow. “This has happened to you? This exact situation?”

“Well,” Snow said, looking a bit embarrassed. “it was a little more… intentional in our case.”

Hook found himself intrigued. “How did you cure it?” David grinned wickedly. “She shot me. Hey Emma, maybe you could try–”

“Thanks, Dad ,” Emma interrupted.

Completely ignoring the interruption, Snow beamed at Hook. “True love’s kiss! I just… had to fall in love with him first. Again. But it didn’t take long! Because we were meant to be together, just like you and Emma. You’ll get there!”

To fall in love with Emma. That, apparently, was the key to his memories. If he wanted them back badly enough, that was. But the more everyone talked about how much he’d changed, the more this version of himself–Emma’s husband–sounded like a different person. No one he’d seen seemed particularly afraid of him–the Queen had called him “pathetic,” and no one had really seemed to disagree. Did he want to return?

Certainly, Emma was beautiful... And there was something about the way she carried herself that couldn’t help but appeal... Not to speak of their experiences in the bedroom that they evidently shared.

But he barely knew her. Knew almost nothing… Except for the way she took charge of a room when there was a problem, or the way she looked at him – a way no one had ever looked at him before… But that was nothing, he reminded himself… Certainly not True Love . At least not on his side. And this whole roomful of people, they purported to care for him and yet, he was certain, they were still avoiding telling him everything. No, he couldn’t trust anyone here fully.

Pulling back from her mother’s arms, Emma took a deep breath. “Thanks, guys,” she said, looking around at everyone. Including, to Hook’s annoyance, Regina. Then she turned to him. “Let’s go home.”

[fandomfoodiedancer]

The stitch up job

Summary: trying to mend Eliot after a fight, you try not to think about your feelings for him, when all he wants to tell you is how he feels.

Word count: 1000 ish

Warnings: Eliot Spencer. That's it. He counts as a warning. Oh and stitches if that makes you uncomfortable.

A/N: I am in love with Eliot and have a huge amount of inspiration today. If anyone isn't sure, the TV show is Leverage and I highly recommend it!

A quiet gasp was the only sound in the room as you sat beside Eliot on the lounge, dabbing at his cut eyebrow. As always, there were unexpected problems with the job, and when everyone got back to Nate's apartment, it was your job to stitch them up. Or at least, stitch up Eliot as he was usually the only one to get hurt, as was the case tonight.

When Sophie found you a year ago, you were having a really rough time. She took you in along with the others and soon you were working with them all as part of the team. Mostly you acted as the glue that held them all together, making food when Eliot was exhausted, picking up skills from all of them, helping with anything they needed and being a shoulder for all of them to cry on, or even just vent to. They were your family, but with Eliot, you couldn't help but wish it was more. Part of you felt guilty about wanting more, after all he was about 10 years older than you. That's why you felt he could never love you back, believing he thought of you as only a little sister or friend. With that thought, you focused on the task at hand. All you needed to do now was stitch the cut on his chest.

“Can you take your shirt off? I need to stitch the cut on your chest.” You internally face palmed, feeling like you sounded stupid, but he just smiled, wincing as he shrugged his shirt off. You tried hard not to stare at the most beautiful man you'd ever laid eyes on.

Knowing from experience that it would be harder to stitch from beside him, you straddled his hips and tried hard not to blush, soaking a cotton ball in antiseptic. Handing him a pillow to squeeze with his left hand, you gently dabbed the cut going from his chest across to his right shoulder, feeling him gasp and tense as you did.

“m'sorry it hurts so much” You mumbled as you wiggle closer to him whilst attempting to thread the needle.

“It's all good sweetheart, I'm just lucky your the one patching me up” He smiled whilst staring at you, making you blush as you forced yourself to remember that he didn't feel the same way. You tried to smile back, but the stupid needle wouldn't thread. As Eliot took a long draw from the bottle of whiskey beside him to dull the pain, you finally got he needle threaded.

“This is going to hurt sorry, but I'll be as gentle as I can. Plus, the good news is I've learnt better since last time” you attempted to sound reassuring as you remembered how patchy your sutures were last time.

Bracing himself, Eliot put a wad of paper towels in his mouth, squeezing the pillow and nodding to you before looking away. You'd hoped that after the initial stitch the pain would ebb a bit for him, but it only seemed to get worse. Trying to take his mind off the pain and distract him a bit, you said the first thing that came to mind.

“Well, the good news is, when this is all healed you can go out on another date with that girl you picked up from the bar the other day.”

“Yeah, I don't think that'd be a good idea” you tried to stifle a laugh. As smooth as Eliot could be, he also fucked up royally with women at times. You thought this was the case, but wanted to keep him distracted.

“Really? What happened this time?”

“Well it's my fault really. I've got feelings for someone else”

You felt your heart drop into your stomach as a dull ache formed. Of course there was someone. Why wouldn't there be? Still, you didn't want him to know how disappointed you felt, so you plastered a cheeky smile on you face as you kept the stitches tight.

“Oh really? The great womanizer has feelings for someone? I'll bite. Who is it?”

“Well, let's just say she's gorgeous. She's the most beautiful person I know. Hot on the outside too” He winked at you. You felt dead on the inside. “ she likes to cook too. And she does this thing where she hides her feelings to look after everyone else, but I'm lucky enough that she usually lets me in”

You didn't look up. If you did, you would have seen how softly he was looking at you, the awe in his gaze as he smiled despite his pain. Your heart hurt, but you couldn't let this go.

“And does this mystery woman have a name?”

“Yes she does”

“Are you going to tell me?”

“Y/n”

“Yes?”

“...”

He blinked

You blinked

“Are you going to tell me her name?”

“You know, you are the most beautiful but incredibly dense person I know.”

“Thank you? I don't really know how to take that.” He chuckled despite his pain and kept silent as you neared the end of the stitches. After a moment he broke the silence as you tied the thread off.

“Say there was a guy, who is a fair bit older than you, but he really really cared about you. He’s even scared shit-less as he actually thinks he loves you. Would you give him a chance?”

You froze. The vulnerability in his voice told you this wasn't a hypothetical, or even an example. He was serious. This was real. You went over the conversation from a moment ago.

     Are you going to tell me?

     Y/n

You cut the thread. You heart was frozen solid, but his was beating fast enough for the both of you, as he held his breathe, waiting for a response. Looking him deep in the eyes, you felt a huge wave of emotions crash over you. You looked at his lips, and slowly lent down to graze your lips on his. Pulling back slightly to look back in his eyes, you checked this really was happening. His left hand reached up and gently held the side of you neck as he brought you back in for a searing kiss.

@immrbrightsideeee​  @wontlastimokwiththat​ @wannabemarlenabutiscoraline​