#i know i owe you another prompt and I'm almost done with it but it is como se dice not something i can work on in public

[abarbaricyalp]

Hi! 3 sentence prompt: SamBucky + remote

Ooooh, a homonym gets two

Bucky stepped over the back of the couch with a plate of snacks in one hand and snatched the remote from Sam with the other. When Sam made to lunge at him to get it back, Bucky braced a foot against his hip to hold him away and laughed, "Do not lick me again, you child!"

Sam took the snacks as retribution and kept half a glare on Bucky even as he pointed out, "Stop stealing the remote, you'll stop getting licked," then added, "Besides, you liked it anyway."

. . .

Bucky only ever seemed to fuck up in remote areas, with snow and trees and bears.

And angels that floated down on metal wings from the sky and said things like, "One of these days, I'm not gonna come looking for you."

And Bucky took the salvation of a hand and hauled himself up and wiped away blood and said, "Sweetheart, I do not remotely believe you, but I dread the day"

[thezombieprostitute]

Trick for a Treat

A/N: Written for @yenzys-lucky-charm and @sweater-daddiesdumbdork's Horny Hoes Hootenanny using the prompts:

🍁 "I'm gonna make you mine"

🍁 "Will you quit acting like I have the plague?"

🍁 fantasy/supernatural AU

🍁 praise

🍁 meeting a demon/ghost/witch on All Hallows Eve

Word Count: ~2.9k

Warnings: DARK FIC!! Coercion, Forced submission, Mind control, Noncon. Please let me know if I missed any!

The company Halloween party was in full swing and you were determined to enjoy yourself. You weren't really one for dressing up, but you wore some accessories and wanted to take part in some of the games. Really you were happy to get time out of your department, away from your boss and his attempts to win you over with his "so pathetic you have to love me" ploy. You'd tried to bring it up with HR, present your case, but it didn't get anywhere. Andy stayed just on the legal side of things so your only options were either find a different job or just endure.

You're enjoying some of the hot apple cider when you see him. Your smile drops and you move to another area of the building. He follows you, keeping you moving until he finally catches up, giving you nowhere to leave.

"Will you quit acting like I have the plague?" he gripes. "You don't have to keep running from me."

"Will you accept that I'm not interested in dating you?"

His face hardens, "why not? What have I ever done to turn you away?"

"You don't take 'no' for an answer. That should be reason enough!"

"Not when you can't tell me why you said 'no' in the first place," he growls.

"I don't owe you an explanation!"

His jaw tightens as he leans in far closer than you like, "I'm gonna make you mine. And you will love me for it."

You start to retort and push him away but then his eyes darkened. Literally, they turn black, causing you to freeze, oddly mesmerized by them. He smiles and you find yourself unable to turn away.

"I got a present for you," he whispers, his voice sounding almost otherworldly. He opens up a jewelry case and you see a cutesy, pink butterfly collar necklace. It's the sort of thing you would normally scoff at, especially after Andy's continuous comments about how you'd look so cute if you wore more pink. Instead you're frozen, unable to even blink, still mesmerized by his eyes.

He tells you to put the collar on and you can't help but comply. Internally you feel like you're trapped in a dream, limbs sluggish, voice not working. You clasp the necklace on and it's like you're frozen in place. You can't even struggle for control anymore, cut off from your own body.

Andy's eyes return to normal and he takes a minute to catch his breath. "You took up a lot of power, Butterfly, but I should've figured as much from you." He place a hand on your cheek, you're unable to stop him, to pull away, to do anything. He smiles smugly, "I knew I couldn't use that spell on you forever, so I worked out a little deal to get this necklace for you. It's already working better than expected." He gives you a small kiss on your lips. You want to vomit, smack him, protest in any way, but you can't.

He pulls away, "you're going to be a good girl for me from now on, right, Butterfly?"

"Yes, Master," you automatically respond.

"Good girl," he whispers in your ear and you let out a whine as you feel a jolt of pleasure in your core. He smiles cruelly, "did that make you wet?"

"Yes, Master," you reply, your voice strained.

"Perfect," he purrs. "Now go back to your desk, clock out for the day, and wait for me out front."

"Yes, Master." You're moving before you finished speaking. Seemingly every fiber of your being is determined to be obedient and make Andy happy. Your body is going through the motions while your brain keeps kicking and screaming, trying desperately to make it stop. You must be having some kind of effect given that tears are currently blurring your vision.

Stepping outside, you wait. Andy's car pulls up and he looks at you, expectantly, but you don't move. I was only ordered to wait, you realize. This whatever-the-hell-it-is has limits!

He's clearly realized this as well given that he opens the passenger door from his seat and motions for you to come into the car. Again, your body doesn't respond. You allow yourself a moment of smugness as you see his jaw tense in irritation. He calls for you to join him and your body finally moves as he wishes. At his command you buckle yourself up and he begins driving.

When you get onto the main road you hear the sound of Andy's zipper coming undone. You want to cringe, get away, but you remain motionless. He takes your hand and places it around his half hard member. "Be a good girl and stroke me until I come," he orders, causing your hand to start moving. You're glad you only have to look straight ahead, you don't want to witness yourself doing this.

He starts moaning, "feels so good. I knew you'd know how to treat a man." Your hatred for him is interrupted by his utterance of, "such a good girl." Just like last time, you feel a shock of pleasure, causing you to whimper, your body wanting more. "Squeeze tighter, Butterfly," he whispers. Your hand automatically goes a little tighter but you jump at an idea. He never said how much tighter to squeeze. You're able to get your body to listen and it keeps squeezing until Andy cries out.

"BAD GIRL!" he shouts.

Your body collapses on itself, mouth open in a silent scream. The pain is intense, the worst you've ever felt. It feels like you're being torn apart from the inside. It feels like an eternity passes before Andy puts a hand on the back of your neck, ceasing the pain.

"Have you learned your lesson?" His voice is dripping with anger.

"Yes, Master," you sob.

"Good. Now get back to stroking my cock like a good slut."

"Yes, Master." Your hand gets back to work, and he calms down as he enjoys your touch. You're certain his power over you is making him hard as opposed to your actual touch. His cock twitches and you feel the precum leaking.

"Be a good girl and suck me off," Andy growls. You don't even have time to get the "yes, master" out before taking his cock down your throat. "Holy shit," he breathes. "Should've known you'd be such a good slut for me. Fuck, you feel so good. Gonna have to pull over so I can enjoy this."

You barely notice the car pulling to a stop, distracted by your attempts to fight whatever spell your under. You thought you hated this man before, but now you feel an even deeper rage, accentuated by the taste of him in your mouth. Your anger intensifies as he strokes your hair and repeats, "good girl", making you whine with need and pleasure. He calls himself "daddy" in the midst of his praising and you wish you could vomit. You almost do when he pushes your head down as he comes. You can't breathe but your body wasn't ordered to do anything so you can't fight it and you end up passing out.

You wake up as the car pulls into a garage. Andy looks at you, smile on his face, "we're home Butterfly! Welcome to the rest of your life." He caresses your cheek, turning your face to him, "you're going to make me so happy, aren't you?"

"Yes, Master." Inside you are raging. You've been kidnapped, controlled, humiliated and you can still taste him in your mouth. You decide to lay low and keep an ear out for opportunities to break his spell, or whatever the hell is in this collar.

"Get inside and take off your clothes, leaving the jewelry on," he orders you. Clearly he's being careful with his words.

"Yes, Master." At the very least, once inside you can gather more intel on your options. You remove your clothes, leaving the collar in place, though some of the dangles almost get caught on your shirt.

"And make sure you fold up your clothes, nice and neat," you hear him say from behind you, still in the garage.

"Yes, Master."

Once your clothes are off and neatly folded, your body goes into standby mode again, waiting for the next command. Andy circles you several times. If you'd had any control you'd at leas try to cover yourself. Instead, he's getting to see everything. You itch to smack that smug smile off of his face.

"I can't believe you resisted me for so long," he coos. "I'm sorry it had to come to this, I genuinely tried to go about this the traditional way, but you fought me for so long, I had to go another route." He cups your face in his hands and moves you to look at him. "But we're together now and I promise to make you so happy you'll never want to leave me."

If you had the ability you'd scoff at him.

"Now, let's get you properly dressed up," he sighs as he gropes your breasts. "I have some more appropriate attire for you in the bedroom. Follow me."

"Yes, Master." Looking to test the limits of this magic, you think, I wasn't told I couldn't look around. Frustratingly, your eyes remained locked in place, staring at Andy's back. He didn't say how quickly to follow him, you try. You're rewarded by taking slower steps than you were before. I'm limited by what he says, but I clearly don't have to be told to do things like blink or breathe.

Inside the bedroom Andy moves you to the stand in front of the closet and tells you to stay. "I think you're going to like what I have for you," he grins. "It's nothing like what you normally wear, it's so much better." He opens the closet and you feel a fresh wave of hatred. It's full of dresses and skirts. All so much shorter than anything you'd ever wear voluntarily. "I know I've told you how beautiful you'd look in these kinds of clothes. Maybe once you see yourself, you'll believe me. Maybe even thank me for opening your eyes."

He grabs a pink cami dress with butterflies on it. "I think this will be a good match for you collar. Be a good girl and put it on."

"Yes, Master." The fabric feels soft in your hands. You already suspect it won't fit you properly, clearly designed for someone with a skinnier waist. Sure enough, you can feel some of the seams start ripping as you put it on. Again you let yourself take some joy in the frustration written all over Andy's face.

"Well, we'll definitely have to adjust your diet," he gripes. You feel another wave of rage at his words. You worked hard to be comfortable with your body. You're not about to let this asshole undo all of that because he thinks you should look differently. If you get the chance you'll happily leave scars on face. See how he likes being judged. He does a double take and you wonder if he can see the fire in your eyes. His face hardens again and he growls, "be a good girl and tell me what you'd like to wear."

"Whatever you'd like me to wear, Master." Of course that's why he'd ask. It's a reminder to you that he's in charge.

"Remember that," he glares at you. You're sure it's meant to intimidate, make you feel helpless, but you will never stop hating this man, this creature. He must see the defiance in your eyes because he straightens himself up and says, "bad girl."

This time, you're ready. It still hurts enough that your body collapses on the floor and your mouth opens in a silent scream again. Your body writhes in pain and flails about. He wants to say I'm a bad girl, so I'm going to be bad! Your hand reaches up to the collar and, before Andy realizes what's happening, you rip off one of the dangling gems. The pain is lessened and Andy starts shouting at you to stop, but you've got leverage now.

It takes everything you have to resist him. You don't ignore the pain, you use it to fuel the hatred that gives you strength. He grabs your hand to stop you from removing another gem and you bite his hand, causing him to let go. I'll show you how much of a bad girl I can be. You break off another gem and the pain eases even more. Using the energy from the sudden relief, you push yourself to fully remove the collar. Andy grabs your hands to stop you, hold you in place, but you're so close to freedom!

"You can still be a good girl," he comments. "I could be so good for you." You gather your strength and headbutt him, forcing him to let go, giving you the break you need to remove the damned collar. You lay there for a moment, relieved to no longer be hurting, reveling in Andy's complaints about you breaking his nose.

Your attempts to move are interrupted by someone clapping. Looking up you see what looks like a man with dark brown hair, blue eyes, a pronounced mustache with a good amount of stubble. He's wearing slacks with a button up shirt and tie. Andy looks at him and immediately starts trying to crawl away. You blink and the "man" is next to Andy, holding him up by his neck.

"Well, Andrew, it looks like you didn't keep your end of the deal."

"Please, Walker, I...she...it's..." Andy stops as the other man's knuckles go whiter. You can only imagine the force Andy's being choked with and you're enjoying it.

"Shhh," Walker shakes his head at Andy. "The deal was, I give you the tools you ask for, and break the spirit of the one who fed your hatred. The hatred that feeds me and my power. It would have been a glorious testament to your devotion to master your rage in such a manner. Yet, here we are." Without looking away from Andy, he points to you. "She's nowhere near broken. You didn't even have her controlled for a full day," he laughs. "If anything, she broke you."

Andy's face is a dark shade of red, you think his lips are turning blue, but you can't find yourself able to care. Suddenly he's dropped on his ass, gasping for breath. Walker snaps his fingers and Andy is bound in chains.

Walker turns to you and helps you stand up. He hums in delight as he looks you over. "So much rage. I'm genuinely impressed."

You sneer and back away from him. "You helped him," you snap. "You helped him hurt me!"

"I am a demon, my dear," he grins. "It's what I do. But clearly I chose the wrong mortal." He goes to grab your chin and you pull away, making him chuckle. "Such delicious energy," he comments as his eyes turn fiery. "Let me offer you a deal."

The room shifts and distorts until it looks like you're in an office. Walker takes a seat at his desk and motions for you to sit across from him. Warily you take a seat. You look at Andy who's still chained up and looking very scared and your nostrils flare.

"Mmmmm, such delicious energy," Walker comments. "Now, as for the deal, I'd like to offer you a couple of options. I'm normally not so generous, but you are certainly something special."

"You don't have anything I want," you spit.

He grins, "I have Andy. And I can give you control over his punishment for breaking my deal with him."

"I'm listening."

"Normally I would just offer you the option of being my acolyte. Letting your rage loose on the world in my name and feeding me power through that. But there's something about you that makes me want to give you another offer: Be my bride."

You scoff, "this is a lose-lose for me. Either way all I get is to hurt him while taking on a new 'master'. I'll pass."

"As my bride, you get to hurt him for eternity," Walker counters. "And not just him. All others who have done as he sought to do to you."

That gives you pause. "And if I only choose to be your acolyte?"

"Then you only get to hurt them for as long as they're alive," he explains. "But you will be given the means to hunt them down, trap them, and break them."

"But in both cases, I am bound to you. I appreciate the offer, the compliments, but I'll pass." You look over to Andrew, "I'm not interested in being bound to anyone."

The office disappears and you're back at Andy's house. Walker looks a little chagrined at the declined offer. He hands you a business card, "if you ever change your mind, let me know. In the meantime," he snaps his fingers and Andy is magically moved into a standing position. "I have some business to take care of."

You smile at Andy as tears form in his eyes. "Not quite the metamorphosis you were hoping for, is it?"

Tagging: @alicedopey; @delicatebarness; @icefrozendeadlyqueen; @lokislady82; @ronearoundblindly

[fanaticsnail]

Maybe it's just me, but I feel like tumblr has been eating my asks. I sent one to you a little while ago about an idea I thought was pretty funny, but if it's because you didn't feel comfortable answering or just didn't like it, that's totally okay. I won't be upset if you ignore this for your own comfort. I'm sorry if this is coming off as rude in any way, I'm not trying to come off that way, I promise.

The silly idea I had was, considering the beef between Kid and Beckman (probably one-sided all things considered), what would happen if Beckman had a daughter that fell in love with Kid? I'm imagining a "But daddy, I love him!" type of situation.

Reader: But daddy I love him! 🥺

Beckman: 💀 *thinking about buying 20 more packs of cigarettes*

Shanks: *dying of laughter*

Beautiful, darling anon.

Firstly, I swear to you that Tumblr has not eaten your ask. It's sitting very comfortably in my ask box while I covered my hands and muffled the initial scream of joy in my palms. The cogs have been turning ever since, and it's one of those fics that I simply cannot stop thinking about. I am consumed with it so much that I can almost think of nothing else.

Secondly, I AM OBSESSED WITH THIS PROMPT. I TOLD MY MUTUALS ABOUT IT AND I AM PHYSICALLY IMPLODING.

@jintaka-hane - here's the synopsis 😏

I have made an outline, set up several events, and attempted to make it a one-shot to no avail. It has gotten really angsty really quickly, but I am slowly but surely chipping away at it.

Here is the playlist for "But Daddy, I love him." Synopsis below the cut.

Synopsis:

Shanks always knew the risk he took in claiming a single father as the first-mate to his crew - but not ever did he anticipate an experience such as this.

Having you as Beckman's daughter, and apple of his eye, aboard the Red-Force was always a joy. Seeing the growth from a small child in infancy to a woman of such strength and courage was one of the few rays of sun against the storm clouds gathering in the raging sea.

As assistant to Hongo, the doctor aboard the ship, you opted to remain behind to seek and source out medical equipment for resupply while your father and your crew set sail for a month. Two weeks before they were due to return, you adventure to port where you witnessed the sight of a masked man dragging an unconscious, hulking redhead over his shoulder, with blood and bone breaking away at a mutilated and partially decapitated arm.

Immediately snapping into medical survival mode, you usher the two men to your lodgings and begin the horrible task of claiming the rest of this man's arm and suturing up the rest of his scarred flesh. Slipping in and out of consciousness, his tongue and lips would sing nothing but your praises each time he awoke. You bully him, yelling at him to stay put and keep still - and he flirts with you, telling you "yes, ma'am" and "no, ma'am" with as much of a grin as he can grimace through the pain.

When he finally gains full consciousness, you feel safe enough to tell relay to him the exact amount of damage done to his arm. You tell him you recognise the wound as a haki-infused bullet - something you know of intimately well. You know the treatment, you know the damage, and you know how much pain they can bring to an individual far into the future. He gruffly utters his thanks, asks you how much he owes you for treatment, and you simply roll your eyes and leave.

Before you have an opportunity to leave, he tugs at your hand and urges your faces ever closer together, looking up at you through his eyelashes and claiming your lips atop his. The kiss sparks passion, his injured state prompts your actions to remain careful but longing. He ushers you into the bed beside him and shows you just how much passion he can muster with only one arm and his partial strength.

By the end of the fortnight, you're hopelessly in love with one another. He offers you a place on his crew, and you inform him you already have one. As he reaches the pier where his ship is being repaired, you see your vessel on the horizon. He hooks his arms over your shoulder, first narrows his eyes before immediately widening them in shock.

As you point out your vessel to him, his lips part in shock. He has not only slept with a pirate rivalling his crew, but he has slept with the daughter of a man who claimed his arm from him. And he was in love with you. Desperately and unapologetically in love with you.

And you were none the wiser, only seeing your dad and your family sailing into bay to take you on their next journey.

IT HAS BEEN ON MY MIND EVER SINCE, AND I WANT TO KNOW MORE BEFORE I EXPLODE.

Anyway, that's just me. Thank you for your beautiful prompt, I am chip chip chipping away 🖤

[meraki24601]

Hello, Meraki! I hope you are doing okay :)

In case you don’t mind writing something new… How about a traveller whumpee? Just a lonely traveller who wanders around the country, maybe even becoming famous among the local innkeepers, aka the one who never stays for more than one day and almost always leaves just before the dawn (or something like this).

Then, there’s another person, Traveller’s friend. This friend is more… prosaic than Traveller and kind of disapproves the latter’s lifestyle.

I actually had a dream once with these characters, where Traveller got sick and Friend had to take care of them. I clearly remember Friend saying: “You should stop letting wind travel through your lungs and head, one day this will kill you.” I know that it sounds old-fashioned, but… could you please consider putting it it the story🥺

Anyway, thank you for reading all of this) Also, you are more than welcome to refuse to write it if you don’t want to, I will understand:)

Hello, Friend! Thanks for the awesome prompt. I'm not sure if this is exactly what you were thinking, but I hope you enjoy!

The Traveler

-----------*-***-*-----------

Traveler was the reason Innkeeper’s Inn and the ones in the larger surrounding towns began collecting payments as people arrived and before each additional night rather than a collective sum at the end of their stay. Of course, Traveler had never failed to pay Innkeeper what they owed, but it made Innkeeper nervous to hear they had left hours before sunrise while all but the drunkards were asleep. 

They would arrive in the morning or early evening to trade in the market. Their wares were never of the highest quality, nor did they trade for anything of greater value. Instead, Traveler was known for bringing goods from far-off lands. Then, they were gone the next day, leaving only the money they owed behind.

The stranger wasn’t a merchant or trader. Their hair was uncut, their clothes too ragged to be a merchant, and they were too honest to be a trader. In the market, they only traded for things they were interested in and to gather enough money for food and a bed for the night. They never pushed to exchange any item they had brought if the townsfolk seemed uninterested. Tales of distant lands and people Innkeeper and the others in the village would never see spewed from their lips for anyone who wanted to listen. So, the people called them Traveler and flocked to the area anytime word spread that they had returned. 

Innkeeper never bothered to follow the crowd. Theirs was the only Inn for several miles; Traveler would come when the day’s work was done, and with them would come the gossiping townsfolk, ready to drink and eat in celebration of the unknown. Like always, Innkeeper would watch from their place behind the bar, serving and taking in what information they found valuable. They rarely spoke to Traveler besides confirming the cost of a room and the call for another ale. They had no need for adventure or the danger that often came with it. 

As Innkeeper knew it would, as Traveler's popularity grew, so did the threats that came with it. 

One quiet, late evening, nearly three months after the previous visit, Traveler stumbled into the Inn. No enraptured shouts of excitement or herds of people followed after. Traveler was all alone. 

“I am sorry, Innkeeper. I have no money to pay, but might I have some water and bread? Please forgive the rudeness of the question. Whatever your answer, I won’t take up much more of your time or the space at your bar.” Traveler’s voice was raw and barely loud enough to understand.

With a deep sigh, Innkeeper gestured for Traveler to seat themself at the bar and slipped into the kitchen. They recognized the bruise causing Traveler’s left eye to swell and the marks covering their arms where their jacket had been torn. Combined with the flatness of their usually bulging travel pack, Innkeeper had a relatively good idea of what the other had been through. Traveler had brought them enough business. That had more than paid for one of the untouched meals they had prepared and a safe place to sleep. 

Innkeeper brought the steaming plate and a mug of ale back to the main hall to find Traveler sprawled in a chair, head down, at the bar. After confirming that the other was only sleeping, Innkeeper set the meal down and stepped outside to bring Traveler’s horse to the stable. Only the horse was nowhere to be seen. Of the two, Innkeeper had always preferred Traveler’s calm and cooperative horse over its master. It saddened them to see the beast missing. 

Stepping softly back into the Inn, they found Traveler was awake and eating at a frightening pace. “My horse is dead. They killed him.” They called without looking up from the plate of food.

“The bandits at Hilford Cross?” Innkeeper asked, sighing at Traveler’s reserved nod. “Eat. I have bandages to treat your wounds when you’re done.”

Traveler was quiet as they finished eating and allowed Innkeeper to bandage their wounds. Only after Innkeeper refilled their Ale and handed them a room key did the unpaying guest speak, “Why are you being so kind to me? When the traders saw my empty bags, they wouldn’t allow me into the market. I have nothing to give you except maybe a story. Though, I fear you’ve already heard most of them. My recent travels have not seemed to end well.”

“You owe me nothing for this night. Your visits have kept my family fed and comfortable through many challenging months. That is payment enough. Though, you could tell me your name. Through the many months you have come and gone, I have never heard your name, only what the villagers call you.”

Chuckling softly, Traveler’s brow rose in question, “What do the villagers call me?”

Innkeeper’s lips quirked up in an unwitting smile, “They simply call you Traveler.”

This time, full-bellied laughter filled the main hall, leaving Traveler clutching their side against the pain. “Traveler. I have been called many names over the years, though that one seems to fit the most. My true name is one I haven’t heard in a lifetime. It seems the thieving winds that try to blow me away as I walk down the winding roads have swept into my mind and stolen it from me. You may as well continue calling me Traveler, as I have no other name to give you. Though, Innkeeper, I do wonder… If you can give me a new name, might I give you one as well?”

“Perhaps. What name would you give me?” 

“Friend.”

Traveler was gone the following morning. The same as every morning before. They tried to visit the village more frequently after that night. Innkeeper always smiled at Traveler’s mischievous wink as they opened the Inn’s doors to allow the flood of hungry villagers following them to enter. 

One thing that changed was that Traveler began going to their room earlier. They would hide away until the villagers finished their food and drinks, then returned to the main hall to sit with Innkeeper. 

Sometimes, the two would simply sit in companionable silence, Traveler exhausted from the day of travel and evening of entertaining the villagers. Other times, the two would talk. Innkeeper would keep the remaining guests' drinks filled, then linger around Traveler to hear the stories they didn’t tell the others— their struggles, as well as the small joys the crowds would find boring. 

Then came a month when Traveler didn’t come to the village. One month became two, then three, and four. Four months became a year. Each time news of a lone stranger in the town spread to Innkeeper’s small Inn, they prepared a new lecture to give Traveler for staying away and leaving their business to rot without their support. Each time Innkeeper was disappointed when a different stranger walked through their door. 

A year and three months passed, and word finally came that Traveler had returned. It was the blacksmith who told Innkeeper the news between giant bites of his lunch. Traveler was back and telling his stories to all who would listen right in the middle of the market. 

If anyone asked, Innkeeper would deny that they ran all the way from their Inn to the market. They had just wanted to get more fish to cook later for dinner, and encouraging Traveler to bring the village to eat was just an extra incentive to take the opportunity to go. Innkeeper wasn’t worried about Traveler or why they had been gone so long.

If they had been worried, it would have been for good reason. The sight before them was worrisome indeed. Traveler stood on the wall of the well in the middle of the market. Though, standing was a bit of a stretch with how heavily they were leaning against the beams holding up the bucket for drawing water. Their skin was pale and covered with sweat as they told their story with half the enthusiasm Innkeeper was used to seeing when they performed. 

Traveler seemed moments from falling backward into the well, so Innkeeper did what needed to be done. They marched through the crowd and, as they yanked Traveler down from the wall, announced, “Thank you all for your attention. Traveler is needed elsewhere.” It took two tries for them to lift Traveler’s bags onto their back and untie their new horse from the post, but soon they were off with Traveler in tow. 

The walk back to the Inn was quiet. Traveler kept their eyes down on their feet, only occasionally glancing up to find their bag and their horse. They stumbled so much that Innkeeper eventually helped them into their saddle to let the horse carry them for the rest of the short walk. Moments later, they were asleep. 

Hidden away in the inn’s stables, Innkeeper let themselves press the back of their hand to Traveler’s forehead. It was burning up. This close, they could see just how much weight Traveler had lost. The sight was frightening. 

Despite Innkeeper’s encouragement, Traveler could only barely wake enough to stumble along, leaning heavily against Innkeeper as they walked Traveler to their personal room. 

Innkeeper stayed with Traveler through dinner and late into the night. They weren’t in good shape. The sickness had a deep hold on them. The fever was worse and a deep cough in their chest made their body lurch in Innkeeper’s bed. It wasn’t until near dawn that the fever eased, and Traveler opened their eyes. 

“Good morning. If you’re thinking of leaving before the town wakes, then think again. You owe me a little more than what you have in that lightweight money pouch for the room and for nursing you back to health,” Innkeeper whispered as they wiped away the sweat from Traveler’s brow.

“My friend. It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I’m at the Inn then?” Despite the audible sickness in Traveler’s voice, Innkeeper was glad to hear it again. And yet, they found a sudden anger rising in their chest as Traveler attempted to rise from the bed.

“More than a year, you fool. You’ve been gone for more than a year, then come back half dead and still call me friend?” Innkeeper shoved Traveler back down and stood to dump the bowl of water they had been using to dampen their rag out the window and onto the street below. “What happened to you? No stories. Why didn’t you come back?”

“A year.” Traveler draped their arm over their eyes. “The thieving wind. It must have slipped into my mind and stolen the time away. I had no idea—”

“No stories.”

“They wouldn’t let me go. I was just looking for a home. It’s all I want. I thought I’d found it, but they wouldn’t let me leave. Then I got sick… Where is your spouse? Is your son caring for the bar?”

“My son has found a wife and has moved to the town to the south in search of better work. My spouse passed away nearly six months ago. A lot has happened in a year.”

Traveler’s body tensed, but they didn’t move their arm. “I see. I am sorry it has taken me so long to return to you, my friend, but as time has slipped away, wisdom has taken its place. I know now I cannot stay for long. I need to keep looking. I can’t pay you in full for the room, but I promise I’ll pay you the rest when the wind pulls me back to your Inn.”

“You should stop letting wind travel through your lungs and head; one day, this will kill you.” Innkeeper pulled the blankets up around Traveler’s shoulders. “If a home is what you’ve been looking for all this time, can you not find one here? I am an innkeeper. The people who come to see me are always passing through on their path to another town. I could use a friend who will stay around.”

“You would call me your friend?” Traveler’s eyes peeked up at Innkeeper. The fever was back, but their vision seemed clear. 

“I would. If you stick around until tomorrow to let me.” Innkeeper turned down the lantern next to the bed. The sun would soon shine through the window well enough for them to see without it. “Rest, my friend. We’ll talk more when you’re well.”

Part 2

[httpsdana]

HI BABS ITS ME AGAIN (OFC)

Can I have 33,39,44 for my man Ofc bcs you know I’m obsessed with ow you write him for me

He’s just WOW

I LOVE YOU THE MOST

- your lil 💖💖💖

Cleaning Time~Eric Garcia

*GIF isn't mine. credits to the owner*

When my Lil asks you know I have to write it immediately. enjoy babes <33

YALL MY BOYS WON THE LEAGUE IM SO PROUD OF THEM

you can request from my prompt list

this is my master list

players/drivers I write for

33-"I hate you" "love you too sweetheart"

39-"Shut up you're not my mum/dad"

44-"I'm tired" "come here"

It was one of those days were y/n just felt like cleaning the whole house. Hers and Eric's apartment was huge, but she knew she'll do it anyways, its just who she is.

Waking up at 6am, y/n got out of her bed and opened the curtains of her bedroom. Eric, who had no training that day and was in deep sleep, groaned when the light from outside entered the room. The sun still hasn't rose up completely, but there was definitely some light.

"y/n...what are you doing?" he said in his deep morning voice, covering his face with her pillow.

"up up Eric. Its cleaning day" she clapped her hands before walking to the bathroom

After doing her business and brushing her teeth, she went back to the bedroom, to see Eric asleep again

"Eric!" she yelled, making him jump up with his eyes widening

"I'm up. I'm up" he raised his hands in defeat, letting out a sigh as he rubbed his eyes still adjusting to the light

She smiled at him, pressing a kiss on his cheek before ushering him to the bathroom

y/n had a plan, for her and Eric. She knew if they were cleaning in the same room, they wouldn't get anything done. So she distributed the chores on her and Eric.

"okay so first I'm gonna be cleaning the kitchen cupboards while you do the laundry okay?" she asked looking up from the paper she had her plan on

Eric looked at her with an amused look making her roll her eyes

"I'm serious Eric!" she whined at his lack of seriousness

"okay okay. just give me a kiss first" he pukered his lips, reaching out to pull her closer by her hips.

She rolled her eyes jokingly, standing on her tiptoes to reach his lips. She connected their lips into a small kiss, before she pulled away. Eric pecked her lips a few times making her giggle slightly before she pushed him away

"thats enough. the laundry is waiting" she reminded him

He rolled his eyes with a sigh before he walked out of the kitchen

If there was something y/n regreted, it was making that day their cleaning day. She already finished everything in the kitchen and had moved to their bedroom, while Eric decided to take a break and play some FIFA with the boys

y/n let out a sigh as she looked at the cloth mountains in front of her. She started arranging them, putting everything in its place, making sure to put her clothes on one side and Eric's on another, even when she knew she almost never wore hers.

"y/n? amor, are you still working here?" Eric asked, watching as she let out another sigh

"I am. I have to finish our closet, and then move to the living room and clean it too" she said, not giving him a single glance

"I think that's enough for today. you're tired" he pointed out, making her roll her eyes

"Shut up you're not my dad" she said, making Eric chuckle

"thats true I'm not. but I am your boyfriend and I think that you should stop for today" he walked closed to her, taking the hoodie she was holding in her hand away from her, making her groan.

"I hate you" she grumbled with a sigh of defeat

"love you too sweetheart" he blew her a kiss, before folding the hoodie and putting it in the closet

He got up and pulled y/n up with him.

"I'll be in the living room. take a shower and freshen up. you need it" he pressed a kiss on her forhead, making her smile

After taking a shower, y/n put on one of Eric's t-shirts with a pair of his shorts

She walked to living room, where Eric was still playing FIFA. He looked up when y/n came, giving her a smile as he paused his game

"I'm tired" she mumbled with a yawn

"come here" he patted his lap, spreading his legs a biy

She walked to him, sitting down on his lap, with her face in his neck, and legs around his hips, while he put his arms around her waist

"go to sleep my love. you need it" he whispered, pressing a kiss on the side of her head.

[genork-the-fandork]

Thesis

Word Count: 585 Prompt: & Takeru A/N: I stopped fighting my clear need to write about Kizuna era. Perhaps that will make the rest of these easier. In any case, I've always adored the dynamic between Taichi and Takeru, almost more than the dynamic with their biological siblings. Found siblings are always so much fun to me, I don't know why! (Maybe because I have so many.) @taichiyagamiweek

"I never would have taken Patamon for a caffeine addict," Taichi mused, watching Patamon slurp down the frappuccino Takeru had ordered for him.

"Honestly, me neither. I think he really likes the whipped cream." Takeru was typing furiously on his laptop, reminding Taichi of the days when Koushiro had been furiously typing on his in the Digital World. But unlike Koushiro, Taichi knew that Takeru was writing instead of researching. Well, he was researching, too, in his own way, he supposed.

"Thanks for meeting me," Taichi began, nodding to Patamon. "I just… I had to see for myself that you all were fine."

Takeru nodded, giving the older boy the understanding smile that he'd always had. Even when he was eight years old, he'd had a strange wisdom about him. It was nothing like Yamato, but everything like Hikari. No wonder they got along so well. "I get it. Really, it's weird that we weren't affected." He frowned. "Well, weird that I wasn't affected. I met Patamon the same time you met Agumon."

Taichi shrugged. "The rules have always been different for you, special kid that you are." Takeru rolled his eyes, and Taichi chuckled before turning serious again. "I'd wager a guess that you're not done yet."

"Why did I have a feeling you'd say that?" Takeru sighed, reaching out to scratch between Patamon's wings. "Am I the Jou of my generation of Chosen?"

"Now that's a comparison I never thought I'd hear." Taichi let out a hearty laugh, drawing the attention of other café patrons. "But I know you can handle it. You've always been more mature than you've realized."

"It's a blessing and a curse." Takeru dramatically fanned himself, and the boys grinned at each other. The blond's eyes returned to his laptop, and he smiled. "Maybe it's something about my Crest or whatever, but I'm sure we'll all see each other again. It wouldn't make sense for them to just take them away with no hope of seeing them again."

"Always filled with hope, I get it." Leaning back in his chair, Taichi folded his arms behind his head as he'd been prone to do as a kid. "You and I are on the same page, then." But then, it was rare when they had not been on the same page, even when they were younger.

"There's another reason you asked me here, I suppose?" Takeru said, eyeing the bag on the table between them.

Taichi grinned. "I was hoping you'd ask." He dug through his bag and whipped out a sheaf of paper, presenting it to his friend. "I wanted your opinion on this."

Takeru took the papers and scanned the first page, his eyes lighting up as he took in the contents. "Your thesis? Taichi, this is—" He bit his lip and kept reading. After a few minutes, he set down the draft and smiled over at Taichi. "It already sounds fantastic."

"I'm glad you think so. Would you mind terribly taking a look through it and giving me some feedback? I don't want to turn in something half-assed. I owe Agumon that much." Taichi cupped his hands around his drink, smiling down at it. "It's because of him that I could even figure out what to do."

"I'd be happy to help out, Taichi." Takeru smiled at him, and Taichi returned the expression. Patamon slurped loudly on the remains on his drink, and the two of them laughed.

With Takeru's help, Taichi knew his thesis would be perfect.

[papermatisse]

Don't Look Back || K.JM

† genre: horror

† word count: 2.7k

† warnings: automatonophobia, liminal spaces/warped reality, explicit death scene

† synopsis: one of these mannequins is out of place...

† (a/n): third installment of my spooktober anthology event, but ironically the first story I actually finished! this one is based on this mannequin game I played once where you were being chased by mannequins. at first it was creepy, but as it dragged on, it got kinda funny lol. this one does not get funny ☺️

† taglist: @scuzmunkie @hipsdofangirl @hydroyaksha

anthology | main masterlist

Working in retail is hell on earth, but it's not so bad when you have your best friend to suffer alongside you. Shenanigans between tasks, shared breaks for lunch dates at the food court, inside jokes to keep you going through the shift. One inside joke in particular was in regards to a certain mannequin in the men's section.

"Why is he… hot?" Jennifer asked as the two folded clothes on a shelf situated before said mannequin. (y/n) looked up at the mannequin towering over them, wearing the articles of clothing they were currently dealing with, prompting her to snort at the commentary.

"Only you would point out a mannequin's physical attributes."

"No, I'm serious!" Jennifer pushed in her defense, chuckles bubbling out by the end of her sentence. She raised a hand to the man as she began passionately explaining herself. "He has gentle eyes, and the classic Disney prince smolder! And his hair!"

"It's all painted on!" (y/n) couldn't stop laughing along with her friend, who only seemed to grow even more offended with the ongoing dismissal of her newfound beau.

"You're telling me you've never found a painting so beautiful that it keeps you awake all night thinking about it?" At this interjection, (y/n) grew quiet, knowing she's done exactly that and Jennifer knows that just as well as she does. Nevertheless, (y/n) continued her folding with a dismissive grumble, Jennifer giggling to herself as she did the same.

(y/n) spared a few glances to the mannequin, acknowledging the details Jennifer highlighted. The soft, faded brown of his round painted eyes, the chiseled molding of each of his strong features, the almost Adonis like creation of this seemingly out of place mannequin.

The store was older with a variety of mannequins. Blank ones of varying poses, delicate ones with makeup styles straight from certain decades, many of which were broken or dilapidated in a way. The mannequins on display were, of course, the most put together of the bunch, and this included the mannequin perched atop this men's shirt display.

Since that day, the two would continuously tease each other about him. Snapping photos of him as they pass by to send to the other, faux discussing a boy they met only to reveal it was the mannequin the entire time, or merely the subtle winks and glances that fully conveyed their jesting intentions.

Nevertheless, the mannequin, of which the girls had affectionately nicknamed Suho, remained a permanent fixture of the store, even during remodeling. Instead of tucked away at the back in the men's section, he now stood on a display only a mere few feet in front of the cash registers, facing out towards the customers. With his back facing them, it prompted a few more jokes out of Jennifer, easy bait that they both knew was practically handed to them on a silver platter, but still as funny as ever.

"Hey, are you okay manning the station on your own?" Jennifer asked, nervously glancing up from her phone.

"Of course. Why? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, my mom's car broke down on the highway." She sighed, shooting another text from her phone before looking back to (y/n).

"That's tough. Go ahead, I'll be okay."

"Thank you. I seriously owe you one!" With that, she ran off to the back of the store, leaving (y/n) on her own at the register.

She really did mean it when she said she'd be alright. With only about a half hour left until closing time, and with only a handful more customers remaining, it wasn't anything she couldn't handle.

The air was stuffy and the fluorescent lights above were somewhat irritating. A monotonous pop song that has played about a hundred times today alone droned distantly from the speakers, and without her friend to drown it out, (y/n) was beginning to lose herself to the elements of the store.

Discreetly out of the corner of her eye, she could see an old woman, bundled up in a dense purple cardigan, carding through the rack of dresses. As far as (y/n) was aware, this was the last customer, and she highly doubted she'd be buying anything from that selection.

She drummed her fingers along the counter, eyes getting lost in its beige void, waiting for her day to end so she could leave this long and tedious shift. Beyond the grainy ambience of the playlist, she listened to the metallic screech of hanger against bar as the woman pushed aside each article of clothing.

Screech.

Screech.

Screech.

It was a cycle of monotony encircling (y/n), in which every element blended together in a jarring cacophony of noise. The woman with her hangers, the next pop song starting up, the low hum of the fluorescent lights above.

But between all of this, an element of surprise somehow managed to slip into the mix. A scrape which sounded so distinct, yet something (y/n) could not pinpoint. It grated upon her ears however, drawing a grimace out of her that had (y/n) immediately glancing up to survey the woman again.

Instead, what she was met with was Suho. More specifically, Suho now fully facing her.

She felt her stomach drop at the sight before her, her jaw falling in a silent gasp as he now faced the cash registers. The positioning of his limbs were all the same, that lifeless and distant stare still directed aimlessly forward.

He was just… turned around.

There was no one here. No one to have moved him at that very moment. The thought rattled her brain, hopelessly attempting to conjure some reason to the almost supernatural display before her, but nothing came to mind. No explanation as to how Suho could have moved.

"Excuse me," a voice startled (y/n) out of her stupor, redirecting her to the customer awaiting service. The old woman. She had chosen her dress.

(y/n) had quickly rung her up, bidding her a good night and thus being condemned once more to a bout of solitude. The fluorescent lights still pulsed above her, the next pop song now well into its playthrough, and Suho was still very much so facing her.

The moment her phone had indicated closing time, (y/n) all but rushed out of the cash register nook, not daring to look back at Suho. She had instead opted to retrieve her phone, quickly texting Jennifer the freaky encounter she'd just had. Though before she could make it very far, however, she patted her pockets, realizing her keys were not there.

In a brief moment of panic, she patted her other pocket, worry shooting through her as she was sure she just had them. That must mean they were dropped by the registers or something.

She sighed, turning around to retrace her steps, though stopping immediately as she stared down the walkway of the store.

In regards to the general layout of the store, carpeted sections of varying genres surrounded the reflective ceramic tiled pathways. Men's section, women's section, children's section. And among those sections were, of course, mannequins. So many mannequins. Mannequins which usually stared forward with a blank canvas of a face.

They do not usually crane their necks to stare at the exact spot you stand in—though that's the reality (y/n) met when she turned around.

Every mannequin in her general vicinity stared at her with those barren faces of theirs, heads all turned in her direction no matter where they stood. The sight had her entire body leap with fright, a brief yelp of shock expelling from her lips as she was greeted by such a sight.

(y/n) took a tentative step forward, eyes nervously bouncing from one figure to the next, monitoring for any movement of the sort, looking out for that telltale scrape of their porcelain-like joints shifting. Yet as she reached the end of the aisle, there was nothing of the sort. No change. They remained staring at the spot she once stood, and as she turned the corner to head back to the register, she felt silly for even toying with the idea of mannequins moving.

As she arrived to the registers, she began rummaging through the various hideaways she could find, coming up empty. The counters were spotless and the drawers contained their usual miscellaneous items tossed in over the years. She began considering other locations to check, and while she stood there in her own thoughts, her eyes naturally wandered up and ahead of her to where Suho usually stood.

Except now, there was no Suho.

(y/n) froze for the umpteenth time tonight, though only for a moment before she rushed over to the now barren spot. And where Suho once stood, there lay her keys, abandoned on his pedestal with no sign of the mannequin.

Without sparing another thought, (y/n) grabbed her keys and booked it for the backroom. Her feet slammed against the tiles beneath here, breath already heaving as she barreled down the long aisle of mannequins whom she ignored at all costs. She didn't care where they were looking. She didn't care if they were even still sitting there. All she knew was that she needed to get out of there as soon as humanly possible.

She yanked open the door to the backrooms. The walkways between the different storage areas and facilities of the store, and the only way to get to the back where she was parked. The fluorescent lighting here was more sparse than that of the store inside, bringing a repetitive pattern of lit spots alongside dimmed ones down the gray walled corridors which seemed to stretch as far as the eye can see.

Why was the corridor so long? Was it always this long?

Why was she out of breath? How long has she been running down this corridor?

She suddenly came tumbling to the floor, gasping as her body collapsed onto the concrete floors of the backrooms. She lay there for a moment in shock, gasping for air, wincing at the scrapes now lining her hands and forearms. A grimace slipped out of her as she pushed herself up, the sound of her weak voice reverberating off the endless labyrinth she had found herself in.

There was only the sound of her huffing and puffing as she attempted to regain herself. And then there was a sound of porcelain dragging against the floor.

With a gasp, (y/n) whirled around. He was a distance away, though still as clear as day. Standing beneath one of the fluorescent light fixtures from above.

Suho.

His expression was unchanged, as was his pose. He just… stood there. Staring at her. Yet even with his painted, stoic face, (y/n) could feel… contempt. Disdain. Like he meant her harm, and would do so at all costs.

She whimpered beneath his glower and quickly staggered to her feet, turning around to keep running down the corridor, though the moment she had stopped looking at him, the sound returned. And when she looked back at him, he was in the ray of darkness between the light he had just stood in and that of the next.

He was approaching her.

A sense of dread washed over her as the realization struck, and hot tears began pouring down her face in endless streams. With one last ditch effort, (y/n) turned and dashed down the corridor, arms swinging rapidly back and forth as her numb legs carried her as quickly as they could, purely fueled off the adrenaline which coursed through her feeble body. Blood pumped through her ears, and the sound of her pulse and her labored breathing masked whatever sounds may have transpired behind her.

She couldn't turn back. She knew turning back was certain death. And at this point, she realized that something was wrong with her surroundings. Something was wrong with the corridor. But there was no time to dwell. There was no time to rest. The moment she stopped running would be her final moment alive.

As if a miracle, the door to the outside finally came into her vision, right at the end of the corridor as it usually is. A smile twitched at the corner of her lips as she booked it for the exit, slamming her body into the dense slab of metal, though screaming in agony as she was met with resistance. She pushed again, pressing at the release, yet it didn't budge.

A screech tore at her throat, fear and rage broiling within her as she repeatedly slammed her fists at the door, begging for anyone to perhaps hear her desperation—her final moments. Yet as the sounds of her yells fizzled into that of sobs, she knew there was nothing more to be done.

In the suffocating silence of the dimly lit corridor, she found herself weakly sliding down the door, trembling breaths and quiet tears coming out shallow and broken. She had hit a deadend, and there was no way of escape. No hope left in her to even believe in any righteous intervention of the sort.

The scraping sound of porcelain drew nearer, and she finally looked up at what was coming for her.

He dragged himself forward, gliding across the cement in a smooth and unhindered manner. His lifeless eyes and unnerving smile continued to penetrate forward, straight ahead at the door, and somehow the lack of attention directly on her struck more terror into her. Inch by inch, he drew closer and closer, fading in and out of the beams of light until he had finally reached the patch of light directly before he'd be where she stood.

And then he stopped. He stood there. Unmoving.

(y/n) felt her hands scrambling for something, reaching out as far as she could from where she lay, hoping to find something she could as a weapon. Though she came up empty with only her set of keys trembling in her hands. She clutched them between her fingers, each key protruding forth like a set of claws, and she cradled her only defense to her chest, waiting for his next move.

It had grown deathly silent for moment, her breath hitched at her throat, and she quaked upon herself in whole body tremors.

Then his finger twitched. A sickening crack like breaking bones, yet he remained perfectly intact. Merely his finger was in a different position. And then his hand. And then his arm. Each followed by that resounding snap as he shifted in a broken and robotic manner. She watched with bated breath and trembling gasps as Suho began ambling forward once more in this terrifyingly decrepit manner, limbs contorting all while those cracks continued to resonate in the atmosphere surrounding her.

Her heart pounded hopelessly against her chest, utter fear squeezing at her throat with a vice like grip. There was no way of escaping. No way to evade the sinister presence creeping towards her with this impenetrable persistence.

As Suho drew nearer, this unsettling sensation washed over, as if the air around her had grown thick with pure malevolence all but emanating off him, suffocating her with endless dread and despair. She felt a presence unlike anything she'd felt before. Something more than just the lifeless form that stood before her.

Suho stood where her feet lay, limbs still jerking sporadically. And in the midst of these jolts, his head finally snapped down to where she lay, prompting her to press even further into the door. A loud and fearful gasp ripped out of (y/n) as Suho collapsed onto his knees, crawling up her body on all fours as she all but begged for mercy—desperate and incomprehensible mumbles while her trembling hands which gripped her keys fell limply to her side.

The cold, icy touch of his porcelain fingers grazed her hot skin, stretching along the planes of her neck, light as they encircled her throat before suddenly clenching with a furious might. Panic suddenly encompassed her as her airways became obstructed, her hands flailing up and grasping at his arms, nails scraping against him, though sliding off with no effect whatsoever. Meanwhile, his fingers constricted against her throat, their stone-like surface burrowing into her skin and drawing warm blood which trickled down her body as black spots began blurring her vision.

His force was unrelenting, all the while staring down at her with those soft brown painted eyes and that charming smiling, the last sight she saw before she finally faded away.

[elvenlia]

I found a pintrest post of a writing prompt & I made a continuation/ ending. All credits to the original posters idea.

Continuation;;

Both men, now grey with age, took a long moment to stare at one another. Though their bodies had wrinkled and ached, their spirits could still be seen within their eyes. Bilbo's nearly welling with tears in this moment. As when he looked to Fili, he seen Thorin. Fili had done honor to the Durin name as he stepped up to take the throne after his uncles tragic death.

"Do come in, come in-" Bilbo snapped from his daze and gestured to Fili to enter his home.

"What do I owe this visit?" Though Bilbo didn't need to ask, he knew why he came.

Over the years it had become common for Fili to randomly show up at Bilbo's door. At first Bilbo didn't understand. It didn't take long for Bilbo to catch on that Fili comes to him, to his home, for comfort. There was solace within the Baggins home where all those many years ago the dwarfs gathered at his table, ate, drank, sang tunes and discussed a dream.

" Can I not visit an old friend without being questioned?" Fili chuckled lightly, the light hearted gesture never quiet reaching his eyes.

Truth was, Fili was growing tired. His mind often wandered, his heart ached to be reunited with his bother and uncle once more. He often found himself wishing it was Kili who lived. Who took the throne and got to continue his life, he could have done it with grace. He would have lived on easily. Where Fili did not live, but dragged on. The weight heavy on his shoulders.

As the Dwarf King stepped further into the Hobbits home, his steps faltered at the dinning room. It looked the same, Bilbo never changed it. And Fili could practically see all the dwarfs gathered around the table, he could hear them. Hear his brothers laughter as he tossed a bread roll across the table and at his head. He could envision his uncle watching them with the smallest of grins himself as he ate. He could hear Thorins deep voice singing a tune of their people as it echoed throughout the home-

"Of course you can." Bilbo patted Fili on the back as he gestured to the sitting room. "Though I wish you'd send me a letter before, it's a long journey to the shire. What if something happened to you along the way? Hm?" Bilbo muttered, practically scolding the King as Fili took a seat on his sofa.

Fili didn't mind a scolding, it actually warmed his heart. In a way, he had started looking to Bilbo as family, almost like an uncle.

"Yes, yes, you are right." He chuckled, this time with more feeling behind it, his lips twitching into the smallest of smiles.

"Here- " Bilbo came back into the room with two tea cups of freshly made tea, taking a seat across from the dwarf.

Fili sipped his tea, both sitting in the silence for a long moment. Though Fili couldn't sit in the silence to long, he thoughts would only grow louder and louder until they drove him mad.

"I miss them, Bilbo..." Fili sighed, sitting his tea down on the small table beside him.

"I know. I miss them as well..." Bilbo's tone was low, his eyes dipping down to watch the soft ripples in his tea after to took a long sip.

"It's been 60 years." Fili took a pause, running a hand through his golden mane. "60 years without them... I'm growing tired, Bilbo."

He didn't need to voice that for Bilbo to see, he could tell by the droop of the dwarfs shoulders and the way his hair no longer shinned as it once did.

"I am going to pass on the crown." Fili spoke again, his voice more stern and serious now. His eyes glowing with a new found determination and ... peace.

"I am going to pass on the crown and relive our journey once again. Walk the same path as I once had with my kin."

"Fili- " Bilbo started though his words died on his tounge as he seen a twinkle in Fili's eyes he hadn't seen in a long time. He knew the dwarfs mind was set.

"Once the journey has finished, my mind will be free and I can meet my brother and uncle in peace..." Tears beaded in Fili's eyes as he spoke.

Bilbo clutched his tea cup tightly between his fingers, the china nearly trembling.

"Starting here, I take it?"

The dwarf smile sheepishly as he nodded. "Starting here." He repeated.

After their talk, it was time for Fili to leave along his journey. Bilbo stood at his old green door as he bid him a farewell. His chest felt heavy and his stomach churned as he watched him go. He knew there would be no more unexpected visits from the Dwarf King, he was loosing another...

[cosleia]

Love and War

Originally written on Twitter for yet another kiss prompt. girl_among_mts asked for "in a rush of adrenaline" or "as a promise" for gingerrose. I did both.

--

He knelt before her, searched her eyes as he said the words he knew would make him appear suitably monstrous to everyone else. I'm going to save you, he thought, willing her to hear him and be comforted.

But she pinned him with a glare that told him no.

Just a few days ago, she'd told him: You're too important. You can do too much good where you are to throw yourself away for a small victory. Don't get distracted from the larger goal.

But that couldn't possibly apply here.

Rose wasn't a pawn to be sacrificed as part of a strategy. She was Rose: brilliant, brave, beautiful. She was too important. She was, frankly, the only reason Armitage was helping the Resistance to begin with. He couldn't let her be executed. He was going to get her out of this.

No, her eyes said. And then she bit him, so suddenly and hard that he shrieked.

Armitage pushed through the pain. He needed her to let him save her. He pretended to fight to free his finger from her teeth to give himself time to plead with her with his eyes.

But Rose's eyes remained hard, and in that moment, Armitage knew that if he revealed himself here, if he blew his own cover now, when the Resistance was desperate for any advantage, she would never forgive him.

I don't care about the Resistance, he thought at her desperately. I care about you.

He could almost hear her reply: If you care about me, you'll honor my wishes.

Armitage closed his eyes, drew a deep breath, and wrenched his finger out of Rose's mouth. "Execute them both!" he cried. And then he stalked out of the hangar, because he was a coward, because he couldn't face what Rose had asked him to do.

(On his way back to the bridge, he came across the Resistance's orange and white BB unit doing battle with a First Order BB-9E. It was winning, but it looked like total victory would take some time. Armitage drew his blaster and shot the 9E. It was ludicrous to think a single BB unit could defeat an entire legion of stormtroopers and free Rose…but it made him feel slightly less worthless and pathetic.)

~

In the chaos of the next several hours, he wasn't able to confirm Rose's death—or Finn's, or Phasma's. The Supremacy was heavily damaged, with internal sensors mostly nonfunctional. He tried not to think about it. He didn't want to know. If she was dead, it was his fault.

~

She wasn't dead.

Ren had started dragging Armitage along on every single planetside mission he undertook, probably so Armitage wouldn't blow his shuttle out of the sky as soon as he launched—a reasonable precaution. Once on planet, Ren generally dismissed Armitage, ignoring his input on the mission in favor of barreling off on his own.

On one such excursion, Armitage found himself aimlessly roaming the mostly empty streets of a small, dreary outpost. The dust was doing nothing for his sinuses, and he was nearly ready to just go sit in the shuttle until the self-styled Supreme Leader decided he was done here, when all of a sudden another being, shorter than he, stepped out in front of him too quickly to dodge.

The impact was hard enough that Armitage briefly lost his breath; he was reaching for his blaster when the person he'd run into drew back her hood enough for him to catch a glimpse of her eyes. Then she glanced toward an alley, muttered "Excuse me," and stumbled off.

Armitage forced himself to stroll around the block before circling back to join Rose in the alley. Almost as soon as he finally stepped into the shadows, she dove into his arms, flinging her arms around his neck and pulling him down into a kiss.

"You're alive," Armitage said against her lips. She was alive, and she was in his arms.

"Thank you," Rose said without breaking the kiss. "Thank you for not trying to be a hero."

Armitage's fingers tightened in the fabric of the hooded jacket she was wearing. "You owe me," he murmured into her mouth. "Next time, you have to let me save you."

"I hope there won't be a next time," Rose said, still kissing him. "But if there is, you know the mission comes first." She cut off Armitage's sigh by deepening the kiss, pulling Armitage more tightly against her.

When they finally broke apart, chests heaving and lips flushed, Armitage said, "At least promise me that we'll be together when this is all over." He'd meant to sound strong, but the words came out sounding petulant.

Rose laughed. Her smile brightened her face, the alley, the planet, everything in the galaxy. "I promise," she said, and then she kissed him again.

~The End~

[spaceyaceface]

Not really a request but more of a curiosity. If you're up for it, can you write something about your character (and/or pairing) of choice based on your current mood right now? I just heard that doing a "brain dump prompt" is a good way to stave off the writer's block and checking in on your mind. I hope this isn't too much, hope you're doing good. 🤍

What an interesting prompt! I decided to write with my MC, Layla, and Ominis. I've talked about Layla, but never written her before. I've been in a bit of a funk lately, and oops I think it came across here. (Don't worry I'm ok tho lol)

This would take place near the end of their seventh year. For a little bit of background on Layla, she grew up without a home after her mother died until she got accepted late to Hogwarts.

Warnings: Worries about the future, ig?

It was a quiet night. The moon reflected on the surface of the Black Lake, drowning the world around her in a silver glow. She was so lost in thought she almost didn't hear the footsteps approaching her until they were right behind her.

She turned, and a small smile graced her lips. Her best friend was walking toward her, with his wand outstretched. Ominis came to settle on the dock beside her.

They were quiet for a moment, both just sitting in one another's company. When he broke it, his voice was soft.

"Imelda said you never came up to the dorms. I figured I'd find you here."

She smiled. "I'd give you a prize, but I'm all out of chocolate frogs."

Ominis chuckled. "A sugar quill would suffice."

"Ah. Then I owe you one sugar quill," she answered.

He tilted his head toward her, expression softening. "What brings you out here? It's well past curfew."

"Curfew is for losers."

"Layla," he said, voice a little more stern. He knew her too well to let her hide behind small jokes and deflections. She sighed.

"I was just thinking."

"About?" he pressed.

"Things. The future. Missing this place. Missing... missing people."

She bit her lip. With graduation approaching, she couldn't help but feel a pull of sadness growing stronger every day. Some of her old habits were starting to come back---ones she thought she'd done away with. There was that instinct---the one that told her to pull away, that said she'd better disconnect now, on her own terms, before life inevitably ripped those she cared about away from her.

"Nothing will be the same anymore," she said softly, eyes staring out across the water. "I don't want things to change."

"I know what you mean," he said. "But change isn't always awful. For example, I remember quite the change in my fifth year when this bumbling new fifth year decided to stir things up."

She leaned a bit, bumping her shoulder on his. He chuckled.

"That was a change for the better," he said, voice softer.

She sighed. "But what if this one isn't? What if we graduate, and... and I'm alone again? People don't mean to, but they grow apart. I don't want to start over. Not again."

His hand found her own with little effort, so used to intertwining with her fingers in a comforting grip. "You won't be alone," he said quietly. "Not if I have any say in it."

Tears of gratitude pricked at her eyes, but she blinked them away. She'd fought too hard for a home to lose it now. Fought to hard for her friends, her make-shift family, for... for whatever this was, with Ominis. She held his hand tightly.

"You better follow through with that," she said softly.

"I will," he said. "That's a promise."

Breathing came just a little easier as she laid her head on his shoulder, as he leaned into her warmth in turn. She could do this. She could face whatever came.

She'd always felt invincible at his side.

[graces5169]

300 prompts, categories and character descriptions.

Leave however many prompts you want with the genre of writing and any necessary character descriptions and any extra detail needed. :) (make sure you also leave

character x reader so I know who I'm writing about)

¡Prompts! (From Pinterest)

1. Why did you leave me

2. Am I that useless to you

3. I hate you

4. I love you

5. Can you hug me

6. Do I mean anything to you

7. Please stop your hurting me

8. Don't look at me

9. You disappoint me

10. I am (so) proud of you

11. Can I sleep beside/with you tonight

12. I'm scared

13. Can I hug you

14. Please hold me

15. Your hands are shaking

16. Stay by my side it doesn't have to be forever

17. Promise you'll return alive

18. I've always hated you

19. I've always loved you

20. Your safe now I've got you

21. Your the only one I trust to do this

22. Your too good for me

23. You've got to be kidding me

24. Have you lost your damn mind

25. Please don't leave me

26. Why don't you come over here and make me

27. Are you jealous

28. I almost lost you

29. Wanna bet

30. Looks like we'll be trapped a while

31. Just once

32. Shut up

33. It's not what it looks like

34. Sometimes it's hard to keep pretending

35. And if I don't

36. I can't help but stare

37. Make me

38. Can't you pretend you love me just once

39. Is your ego really that big

40. Come dance with me

41. Just shut up for one minute

Original/ (not off Pinterest)

42. What are you afraid of

43. Just love me damnit

44. I'm broken and unfixable

45. She's mine

46. I suggest you back off

47. Fuck off mate

48. I'm not watching you mope around like a loser

49. I'm trying to break up with you

50. Did you ever care

51. I was a fucking game

52. Im not your toy

53. She's so annoying

54. Your nothing but a stupid mudblood

55. You tried to kill me

56. I could've killed her

57. Im a monster

58. I hate myself to

59. How'd you do that

60. She never smiles anymore

61. She only smiles when he's around

62. I'd rather date Sirius

63. This time your 'prank' went to far

64. Just my parents

65. You don't deserve this

66. They don't deserve you

67. You have a beautiful voice

68. She's stunning

69. I have to go I'm sorry

70. I can't do this

71. Are we just friends

72. You could never hurt me

73. Your a wolf

74. Are you serious

75. I'd never date you

76. I don't believe you darling

77. You're cheating on me

78. It's over

79. Im pretty sure I'm drunk but you're really hot

80. We can't do this

81. Im sorry

82. It's better this way

83. "Fuck you!" "When?"

84. Im going

85. Im stopping at nothing to get her back

86. Because I'm in love with you god damnit

87. It's too late for me

88. I fancy you

89. Would you fancy a date day at hogsmade this Saturday

(From Pinterest)

90. Im tired of being your secret

91. Who did this to you

92. You are not fine

93. I thought you hated me

94. Im not leaving you

95. I don't owe you an explanation

96. I thought pushing her away was for the better

97. Nobody wants me

98. I want an answer goddamnit

99. No one's ever done that to me before

100. This feels nice

101. I haven't been hugged in years

102. Im pathetic

103. Im not happy here

104. I want my best friend back

105. Go away

106. If he can't see how amazing you are that's his loss

107. What are you smiling about

108. What's in it for me

109. Do you ever stop talking

110. Isn't this what you wanted

111. She's better off

112. Can I hold your hand

113. You can't do that shit

114. You can borrow mine

115. I'll wait

116. He hit me

117. Your one of them

118. I like your scars

119. Don't fall asleep on me

120. Can I date your brother

121. Your a deatheater

122. Don't make me say something I'll regret

123. Can I braid your hair

124. Your really pretty

125. Let me help you

126. You stubborn arse

127. Your in love with her

128. Stay I need you more than you know

129. Your killing me here

130. Tell me I'm wrong

131. I'd be lying to you

132. Lie to me

133. Prove it

134. I'll never get another chance to say this

135. I never stood a chance did I

136. Tell me again

137. This is why we can't have nice things

138. Do you regret it

139. I'm not going anywhere

140. Another nightmare

141. You've thought about it haven't you

142. We need to talk about last night

143. We were drunk we can just put it behind us

144. You were my biggest mistake

145. Are you drunk

146. What happens if I do this

147. I can't have you

148. Just for tonight

149. Be mine for just one night

150. She was crying because of you

151. We're not just friends and you fucking know it

152. You could die and I couldn't care less

153. I never cared

154. Please don't cry I can't stand to see you cry

155. Walk out that door and were through

156. Yell, scream, shout, say something

157. I can't breathe

158. I hate how much I love you

159. Where do you think your going

160. I'm not letting you walk at night alone three miles back

161. I need time and space

162. Run away like you always do you fucking coward

163. You can keep pretending it didn't happen all you want but guess what it fucking did

164. Can't we just be friends again

165. Stop acting like your okay cause I know your not

166. Just talk to me

167. Bite me

168. If you insist

169. I think I'm in love with you and that scares the shit out of me

170. I think your just afraid to be happy

171. I'm afraid I'll hurt her

172. Why are you so nice to me

173. Choose me

174. Shut up and kiss me

175. Your blushing

176. Is that my shirt

177. This is awkward

178. Please come home I miss you

179. It won't happen again

180. I don't see a future with you

181. Why are you helping a monster

182. Stay the fuck back

183. Please pull the trigger

184. Leave! I don't fucking care

185. I can't save us

186. So save yourself

187. Why didn't you tell me how bad it got

188. I never said I wanted a relationship with you so why are you crying

189. I deserve more than this

190. I'm not anyones favorite person

191. I just want to be wanted I'm tired of being needed for everything

192. I know! But you didn't have to use her like that

193. We can start over, please I'll do anything

194. Everything can be perfect so please don't leave

195. I guess we just weren't meant to be

196. You're always leaving me

197. Stop lying

198. If you die I'll go out of my fucking head

199. Your cute when your mad

200. And Your adopted

201. You gave us quite a scare

202. We can work it out

203. You're overreacting

204. You're all I have left

205. I don't care what they think

206. It's me

207. You make me feel safe

208. You guys read my diary what are you five

209. I don't recognize you anymore

210. You make me sick

211. Sorry can't fix what you've done

212. Do you really have feelings for me

213. Don't look at me like that

214. Give me a break

215. It's not a party without alcohol

216. Truth or dare

217. It's six in the morning your not having anymore firewhiskey

218. Your drive me fucking crazy

219. I'm dangerous please stay back

220. Did you hit your head as a kid

221. She's not yours anymore

222. She's deaf dumbass

223. I'm sorry for my brother he's an asshole

224. Oi, fuck off please

225. "I could kiss you right now." "Do it then"

226. What are you doing to me

227. Just admit I'm right

228. He's hot

229. Your my brother I'll always care for you

230. I'm personally offended I didn't get picked to be your fake date

231. They don't love me they're not that stupid

232. We'll what can I say I'm badass

233. Do I get bonus points if I act like I care

234. Excuse me I have to go make a scene

235. I'm gonna need therapy after this

236. Do your parents realize they're living proof that two wrongs don't make a right

237. I'm going on a date

238. Will you be my girlfriend

239. Would you rather kiss me or Lilly

240. Your bloody obsessed

241. She looks so perfect

242. You look beautiful

243. I wanna become an animagus

244. Stop coming back

245. Do you love him

246. I can't love you

247. You made me better

248. You ate my leftovers

249. Just get it over with

250. Were best when we're together don't you think

251. Can I kiss you

252. If I kiss you It's gonna change everything

253. Fuck it

254. I'm pretty sure I just made a fool of myself

255. Can you stop ignoring me

256. I'm friends with a bunch of two year olds

257. Hug me

258. Oh deer

(Amortentia)

259. Chocolate, old books and rain

260. Cologne, wet dog and leather

261. Cologne, broom polish and fresh cut grass

(Pinterest)

262. Are you hitting on me

263. This was fun, we should do it again

264. You owe me

265. I swear I'm gonna slit his fucking throat

266. Did you just kiss me

267. Huh ironic isn't it I'm a lone wolf

268. You hooked up

269. You kissed her

270. Teach me

271. What are we

272. What if I do

273. I want you to be happy

274. I think your beautiful

275. Why do you have scars

276. Shut up before you wake them

277. This is why we don't listen to you

278. What do you mean maybe

279. Hey whose side are you on

280. It's okay you didn't know

281. At least my parents are still alive

282. That wasn't love it was a perfect illusion

283. She makes my heart beat at a million miles per second

284. I'm not in the mood to fight with you tonight

285. Come stay with me

286. Don't call me love

287. I always keep my promises

288. Revenge is my best work

289. Why are you up

290. He's amazing

291. She's not going with you

292. I wasn't lying when I told you I loved you

293. Why are you scared

294. Why aren't you scared of me

295. If your a monster for what you've done than I'm the fucking devil

296. You fucking traitor

297. I'll always love you

298. I will never leave you no matter what happens between us I'll always be there

299. Please stop

300. I fucking love you thats why

Genre/ type of story

Friends to lovers

Enemies to lovers

Fluff

Angst with a happy ending

Angst with a sad ending

Fluff to angst

Angst to fluff

+ more

No smut

Character x reader

Sirius black and reader

James potter and reader

Remus lupin and reader

Lilly Evans and reader

Regulus black and reader

Marlene McKinnon and reader

Characters house

Slytherin

Gryffindor

Ravenclaw

Hufflepuff

Any added features

Name?

Hair color

Eye color

Attitude/personality

Relationship status with parents and other characters

Any important details.

[blackbutler-readerinsertsandjunk]

May I please request “That Would Be Enough” from Hamilton + Dagger or Peter? If I already made this request before, please lmk.

you didn't make this one yet, you're all good!

anyway if you'll excuse me I'm gonna go cry myself a sweater of tears over this =)

DISCLAIMER: This is a songfic to the song “That Would Be Enough” from Hamilton! I don’t own the song, don’t claim to, and am not profiting off this piece at all.

Look around, look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now look around, look around how long have you known? A month or so (Name), you should have told me I wrote to the general a month ago (no) I begged him to send you home you should have told me

As much as PETER knows it isn’t really your fault that the fact of your being pregnant came out the way they did, he’s feeling far too many things to settle.

Joy, because some small part of him always wanted children despite not knowing if he was capable of having any. Fear, because the two of you weren’t planning this, and this life of his is no life for raising a child. Anger, because he should have known about all of this sooner and been by your side before now. Pride, because… there’s no way he couldn’t be proud of himself and of you.

Worry, because how the hell is he going to take care of a child when his small family is only just scraping by? What kind of fucking father is someone like him going to be?

He left after an outburst that probably makes you question whether you actually want to have a child with him. And he hates that he reacted this way; now he has another thing to be afraid of, that you might think he’s upset that you’re pregnant.

He’s not. He’s just… scared. That’s a big thing to admit to you, and he doesn’t really want to do it.

It’s a good thing you know where to find him after giving him an hour or so to cool down a bit. He still finds himself jumping when you set a hand over his. “Peter.”

“’Ow long?” He can’t help that it comes out so harsh, like a snap at you. It’s a curse, that he feels like he doesn’t know how to exist any other way. “’Ow long y’ been… was I ever gonna find out? Y’ didn’t want me t’ know till now?”

The mere sensation of your fingers curling around his tells him that isn’t the case. “I wrote a letter to Joker, asking that he would give you a day or two off to come see me, because I had news for you. I put that letter right into the Baron’s hands, and he assured me he would… make sure it reached you all.”

Peter has to scoff at that. Their so-called father never would have given that letter to Joker, would he? The Baron has never been generous when it comes to letting them mingle with other people. Should the letter have reached its intended instead of the Baron’s fireplace would be a surprise. “Well, ‘e didn’t. Y’ shoulda told me before. Y’ shoulda come ‘ere ‘n’ told me. I…”

Can he even say it? He has to look away from you and mumble it. “… I wish I woulda known. I woulda been ‘appier knowin’ sooner.”

I’m not sorry I knew you’d fight until the war was won (the war’s not done) but you deserve a chance to meet your son look around, look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now will you relish being a poor man’s wife, unable to provide for your life? I relish being your wife

Even without looking, he knows your other hand is fidgeting with your dress. God, the two of you know each other far too well. “I didn’t mean for you to find out like this. Believe me, Peter, I wanted you to know. It’s just…”

Just like that, the noise of shifting fabric lets him know that you’ve put a hand over your stomach. Almost protectively, sounds like. It’s such a simple thing, but he wants to cry. You’re not really even showing yet, and you already want to keep this child safe.

“I thought this would be easier,” you sigh. Your head comes down on top of his, prompting him to lean closer. He’s not wound so tightly that he doesn’t want to be close to you. “You and the others are so busy. Whatever you’re trying to do, it won’t be over for a while. But… I thought if I sent for you… and then I got to tell you in private… maybe you would take a break. Maybe you would be more… careful.”

He lets out a scoff. Whether or not you understand what’s really going on is up for debate. Those words from you still make him feel warm. “Careful, precious?”

You shake your head, lightly so it doesn’t jostle him. “I just… worry, that’s all. You don’t sleep enough, you don’t eat enough, you work too hard…” Your face turns to press a kiss into his hair and immediately, he feels the tension start to bleed out of him. “I want you around to be a father to your son.”

“Dunno why y’d want that.” He wants to kick himself, that his first reaction is to say something bitter. That’s not right. He should thank you for saying that, he should express how ungodly happy it makes him that you want him alive and healthy. It makes him happier than anything that you want your child to know him. “Ain’t like I’ll really be able t’ take care’a y’ two.”

He leans against you; in an unconscious bid for security, stability, things he only ever feels when he’s in your embrace. “Look round f’r a minute, sweet’eart. Look where y’re at, ‘n’ w’o I am, ‘n’ wot I’m doin’. Y’ think I could give a family anythin’? Y’ really wanna stay wit’ someone… I… I ain’t gonna be able t’ buy clothes f’r a little one. Ain’t gonna ‘ave a real ‘ouse ‘r nothin’. Y’ really want our son t’ grow up in a fuckin’ circus?”

“Yes.” Your answer is instant, accompanied by pulling him into a hug. Tears prick at the edges of his eyes, and he thinks he sees some in yours as well. He knows, he knows you hate it when he talks about himself like that. “If it means he knows his father, and you know your son, then yes.”

look around, look around look at where you are look at where you started the fact that you’re alive is a miracle just stay alive; that would be enough and if this child shares a fraction of your smile or a fragment of your mind, look out, world that would be enough

He almost tries to fight at first, because dammit, he wants to be angry about this. Anyone in their right mind would be angry! Who are you to act like everything’s going to be alright just because his child will grow up having a father?

What about food? A home? Clothes and toys and an actual education? Even though you’re better off than he is, there’s so much that a child needs and should have. Wouldn’t you rather go have someone who can take care of you and the baby? He doesn’t understand. If it were his choice entirely, he’d take this stupid simple ring off his finger and give it to the next person who had some money, so that you and his child would stand a chance at being taken care of.

There are so many things he can’t do. Taking care of a family is just one more, and he’s never felt fear like this before.

“You look around for a minute, sweetheart.” Your voice jolts him out of his horrible, terrifying spiral. You even draw away from him briefly, grasping his cheeks in your hand and turning his face out to the fairgrounds. He loves his family, deeply, and they’re all doing the best he can, but he doesn’t see anything that’s any good for a child.

You apparently have a different opinion. “Do you know what I see when I look out there? I see the perfect place to raise our child. You told me you grew up on the streets, didn’t you? You and Wendy were alone until you found the others. You started out there, and look where you are now. We’ve still got our troubles, but every time I visit, I’m swallowed up by so much love it nearly drowns me. Not just from you and Wendy, but from the others. You all beat the odds. Every breath you take spites the world that was cruel to you, and you are a strong man, Peter.”

Here you turn his face back to you, so that you can give him a kiss. He softens himself the smallest bit, pressing into you desperately. He didn’t know how badly he needed the reminder that you chose him. That you see something good in him.

“Please don’t make this the hill you roll over and die on,” you whisper against his lips. “It doesn’t matter that you aren’t some wealthy nobleman. If that’s what I wanted, I would have gone after one. But I want you. And I want you to be my son’s father. I hope to God he’ll turn out to be even half the man you are.”

Your hands sift through his hair, and that’s the point where he can feel tears start to roll down his cheeks. It’s so much, it’s all so much.

“What’s that thing you always say…?” You press the tip of your nose to his. “We’ve got each other, so fuck the rest of the world. That’s enough.”

I don’t pretend to know the challenges you’re facing the worlds you keep erasing and creating in your mind but I’m not afraid I know who I married so long as you come home at the end of the day that would be enough

Peter doesn’t recognize his own breath when he takes it, shaky and out of control. He never cries. What the hell is wrong with him? There are so many thoughts racing through his mind, so many possible futures that could be ruined because of things that he does or doesn’t do, he can barely keep up.

The idea that he might love his child as much as a person is capable of love and something still goes wrong scares him more than anything. It’s not fair. He can see it happening, that he works as hard as he can and he still can’t provide for his family.

He can see you leaving him because he isn’t able to take care of you and the baby. He can see his son crying with hunger because there isn’t enough food. He can see the two of you on the street, somewhere he never wants to be again, with a little bundle in your arms that you’re struggling to keep warm. He can see the Baron, God fucking forbid, making an order and… he can’t… I can’t do this…

As always, you dull his thoughts with another kiss. He suddenly comes back to the present, and it dawns on him how tightly he’s holding you. His hands are probably making fingerprint bruises on your back, with his grip on you as if you’re a lifeline on a sinking ship.

He cries into the kiss and he doesn’t feel strong enough to let go of you. Even though you were just telling him how strong he is, he feels so weak.

“I’m scared,” he finally admits before looking up at you. He’s a mess, isn’t he? He’s a miserable little creature, so full of anger and fear that he can’t see past his own damn nose for it. You’re trying to comfort him, and instead of feeling any solace, his mind can’t stop jumping to the worst things that could happen. “Our son deserves the w’ole world, and I know I can’t give it to ‘im. I can’t even give it t’ y’. We’re jus’ one tiny slip away from fallin’ int’ somethin’ really, really bad. I’m scared. I’m so fuckin’ scared, (Name).”

Your hand in his hair again, brushing it away from his face with a long, slow stroke, is enough to keep his heart from beating out of his chest. He can’t believe it when you smile at him.

“I’m not, because I know the man I married. You don’t take good care of yourself, but you’ll take care of us.” You press your forehead to his. “As long as our child and I have you, everything will be fine.”

we don’t need a legacy we don’t need money if I could grant you peace of mind if you could let me inside your heart oh, let me be a part of the narrative in the story they will write someday let this moment be the first chapter where you decide to stay

Not being afraid in this situation doesn’t make sense to him. How? How can you be so sure? He’s not sure! How on God’s green Earth are you not the slightest bit frightened about what the future holds? Just because you have him? He has you and he’s terrified!

At last you reach down to take his hands, and he knows they feel so small in yours. But he can also feel, as you run your fingertips over them, his calluses and the little muscles that run through his wrists. He can feel you tracing the aches that he always has, the ones that are a result of working so hard.

He knows he works hard, because he feels it in every bone of his body. Is that why you’re not afraid? You think all his hard work means something?

“Who cares about money or status or any of those things? I don’t. We don’t need it.” You give his hands a gentle squeeze. “All we need is you. We’ll have love, so that means everything else doesn’t matter. Love will get us through times of no money more than money would get us through times of no love. I wish I could make you see that… as long as we have each other, then we can figure everything else out. We don’t have much, but I know you won’t let us need for anything. And I’m not going to simply sit here and look pretty; I’m going to do what I can to help. Neither of us are alone, my love. Can’t you see that? Can’t you open up that big heart you pretend you don’t have, and feel that everything’s going to be okay?”

He tries to squeeze your hands back in kind. Another handful of breaths are pulled in through his lips, an attempt to steady himself. If he’s as strong as you say he is… and he knows that he’d push himself to work twice as hard to make sure he could provide for you and his child…

He doesn’t want to just leave you. He loves you so much. He loves his unborn child. He wants to be around to be your husband and to be his son’s father. Even if he’s scared right now. The thought of walking away because he doesn’t feel competent makes him angry with himself.

Did he really think you should go be with someone else? Doesn’t that just make him a coward who has no faith in himself? Isn’t he better than that?

“Please don’t leave.” Your voice is quiet, and he almost feels his heart break. The last thing he wanted was to push you away. “Let me be a part of your story, Peter. I love you, and I… I know we can make this work. Even if it might be hard sometimes. You need to believe in yourself, because… I believe in you. And if you can’t believe in yourself, then I’ll believe in you hard enough for the both of us.”

Peter lets his hand slip out of yours, and after a moment with his hand shaking, he reaches over to place a hand over your stomach. “… The three of us, darlin’. Believe enough f’r the three of us. I’m still fuckin’ scared outta my mind… but… I ain’t gonna leave y’. Ain’t no way. Y’re the firs’ person I ever really loved, ‘n’ I… I wanna meet my li’l boy. Or girl, or whatever the ‘ell they end up bein’. Y’re batty if y’ think I’m missin’ out on that jus’ ‘cause I’m…”

“It’s not bad that you’re scared. You’re balancing me out,” you laugh, and your hand comes to rest over his. Even though you can’t see it yet, you can feel your child starting to grow inside you. “I’ll believe for the three of us, and you can be afraid for the three of us. We’ve got each other ― that’s enough, isn’t it?”

If Peter closes his eyes and presses his palm just a bit more against your stomach, he thinks he can see a glimpse of another future. A good one.

“Yeah. ‘S more than enough, precious.”

and I could be enough and we could be enough that would be enough.

[chiffiorra]

₊❏❜ ⋮ Don't Say "No" Now

Kinktober Day #22

Prompt: Recording Character: Sosuke Aizen This Work Contains: fem!reader, coworker!reader, modern AU, dubcon, noncon recording, blackmailing, coercion, oral (male focused, forced), aizen is an ass as per usual lol WC: 881 Note: well i'm just gonna drop this off and run away giggling ehehe. also holy shit i beat my record from last year, go me! 🥳 Taglist: @enchantedforest-network, @arlertsbaby, @nanamis-wifey-reye, @stygianoir

He clicked his tongue as you once again rejected his offer to go out with him. This was his third attempt over the year he knew you and for some reason, you just kept refusing to go out on a date with him. Was there something wrong with him? Did you secretly not like him?

Whatever the case was, it irked him. Aizen pushed his glasses up his nose as he watched you turn away from him after declining to have some lunch with him at the new restaurant that opened up recently. 

Another thing he didn't like was your attitude towards him. The previous times he tried to court you were polite in turning him down. Now? It was like you were annoyed with him, as if he were some bug to swat aside. Were you tired of him already? Pity… because he sure wasn’t tired of you even if he wanted to be. You were always on his mind day and night. Aizen craved you like he craved no other before. And unfortunately for you, this would come back to bite you in the worst way. 

And he just had the plan for it, now there was no way you could ever turn him away again.

That night after everyone had finished up their work and gone home afterwards, you were still at your office finishing up on the project you were assigned to. ‘Just a few more finishing touches and I’m all done and free for the weekend!’ You thought happily to yourself, ready to go home and catch up on your favorite shows. But you were unaware of the hell that awaited you.

Sneaking up on quiet footsteps, you never noticed Aizen began making his way up to you, smile already growing into a wide grin as he was ready to proceed with his plan. Like a snake, he would strike at his prey. You, the unfortunate prey, almost yelped in surprise as you felt him cover your mouth and muffle any screams that would escape you. 

As you immediately began to fight back, you felt a strong arm wrap around your torso and lips brushing against your earlobe. “Come now, we’re all alone here. No one can hear you scream here,” a familiar voice whispered into your ear. You felt your skin crawl as you felt hands run across your body, heart beating wildly in panic. Was what he was saying true?

“Look- I won’t say anything, just let me go please! I’ll even go out with you next time,” you pleaded, tears already filling your eyes. But to your horror, all you heard was a chuckle in response.

“Now now… why change your mind now?” He responded, lifting you up from your chair before not so gently placing you down on the floor. You once again tried to fight him off but it was no use, he was much too strong compared to you.

“Besides, I believe you owe me some time with you, no?” You were helpless as he held your wrists above your head, free hand unbuttoning your shirt and revealing your bra. He continued removing your shirt along with the rest of your clothing. “You also don’t want anyone, especially our own boss, to catch wind of this, do you?” 

You didn’t know what he was referring to until you saw him point to something distant. Your eyes followed along to see what he was pointing to until you saw it: a red blinking light. To your horror, it was a recording camera.

Not paying attention to your reaction, he only unbuckled his pants and shucked them enough to reveal his cock. Before you could even react, you felt your hair being grabbed and his cock being shoved down your throat, immediately making you gag and grab onto his thighs to pull away but he refused to let up on you. You had to force yourself to relax around him but at the very least he was granting you little mercy by holding himself still and not moving until you stopped resisting him and relaxed. 

With that, Aizen thrusted into your mouth, going at a moderate pace but still a little fast but the sooner it was over the better. You hummed around his cock, moving your head along his pace, refusing to look up until he demanded you to.

“You look so pretty like this. Maybe I should have you like this more often,” Aizen took delight in the tears running down your cheeks thanks to his fast pace. He also took note of your thighs squeezing together despite you not wanting to do any of this earlier and yet your body fought against this. He was grateful to catch you alone in a time like this where he could have you all to himself without any interruptions. 

You continued rubbing your thighs together before you felt him pull away from you, choosing to not release down your throat. Aizen would then lay you down on the ground and spread your legs away to reveal your pussy to him, already wet for him.

“Smile for the camera, my dear. We’ll be here for a long time,” he would say, smirking at your panicked expression. “Now you will never deny me again.”

[mrsalwayswrite]

Sinners and Saints (Sihtric x reader)

Summary: One day you stumble upon your childhood friend, Osferth, whom you have not seen in years. Yet the more time you spend with him, the more you find yourself drawn to his companion, Sihtric….and the butterflies his dark eyes give you.

This is my contribution to @emilyhufflepufftlk 100 followers challenge! Congratulations again! I’m so happy for you! 

My prompt was - "Love doesn't discriminate, between the sinners and the saints." - Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton (in bold within the story)

Words: 5500

Warnings: A couple of swear words, fluff, my poor attempts at humor, Osferth being a good bro. 

Tag List: @deans-ch-ch-cherrypie @flowers-in-your-hayr​

This gorgeous moodboard was made by @flowers-in-your-hayr​. All credit goes to her! 

"...so there she was, aye, and next thing I know, she flips 'er dress up and I see the most perfect set of…."

 "I'm going to be sick." Osferth mumbled to himself, trying to block out Finan's retelling of his prior night. To the laughter of his companions, he started to push away from the outdoor table at the alehouse. He was no virgin anymore, Finan and Uhtred had seen to that, but he still felt squeamish when listening to their stories of recent conquests. His mother's voice whispered in the back of his mind, things she had told him before her passing, about respect and love. Plus, he could not help but think that this idea of conquests, of women's worth derived from what pleasure a man could take from their bodies, was what brought bastards into this world….like him. 

 "Alright, Finan, we get it. You saw the arse of a goat and couldn't help yourself." Uhtred teased, slinging an arm around Osferth so he could not escape them- most likely to find a church and pray for their souls. 

 "Oi, lord! Ya know that was one time!" Finan feigned mock-outrage, making Uhtred and Sihtric laugh. 

 Osferth put a hand over his eyes as if that would somehow block the image from his mind. Something he desperately did not want there. 

 "How much longer are we here, lord?" Sihtric asked, changing the subject, while twirling a dagger between his hands fluidly. 

 Although Osferth would never admit it aloud, and God forgive him, it was hard not to be jealous of how easily his companions handled their weapons like they had been born with weapons in hand. They continued to tell him it was practice. Recently though, he decided it was a gift that he clearly did not have. 

 "Until I feel satisfied with the training of Lord Godwin's fyrd and his defenses." Uhtred stated indifferently, as if it was something he had to repeat to himself often. 

 "Ya think King Alfred knew how much of a horse's arse Lord Godwin is?"

 Uhtred glanced up, a tiny smirk on his lips. "Probably."

 "But he knew you were the man for the job." Osferth commented. Not necessarily to defend his father but to hopefully bolster Uhtred's confidence. "The men respect you, even if their lord fails to acknowledge his own respect."

 "The baby monk is right." Finan said. "What else needs to be done for the town?"

 Uhtred and Finan began discussing ideas and strategies, Sihtric adding an occasional comment but mostly just listening. 

 Osferth found his attention wandering, since this was an area outside of his expertise. His gaze drifted to the town and its residents who moved about to complete their duties under the midday sun. Their group had only been in this large town for two days and already Osferth was keen to return to Coccham. 

 From amidst the crowd, a familiar face caught his attention. The world tilted off its axis as his entire body went rigid, all his focus zeroed in on her. His heart hammered in his chest and the air whooshed from his lungs painfully. 

 "Y/n?" He muttered to himself, disbelief and shock clearly painted in his tone and on his face. 

 "Baby monk, ya alright?"

 Finan's words did even register, so consumed by the ghost before him. Rapidly, he slid off the bench, almost losing his footing when he went to stand, but pressed on, hurrying towards her. 

 "Y/n!" He called, an almost desperate tone in his yell. 

 When she did not turn around, he shouted louder. "Y/N!" 

 That time she paused, then slowly turned to find him standing still amongst those walking around him, a solid rock in a stream of people. He held his breath as he intently watched her expression, suddenly worried seeing him would not be as meaningful as he hoped. He could see her utter his name silently, eyes wide. Then in the next moment, she dropped the basket on her hip and ran towards him. He opened his arms just in time for her to collide with him, and with her embrace, a painful wave of nostalgia and guilt crashed over him with the strength of a tempest. 

 "It's really you." She finally whispered, peering at him in awe. 

 "Hi." He smiled, his own shock clouding his mind from forming coherent sentences.  

 Then to his surprise, she reared back and punched him in the arm. 

 "Ouch! What was that for?" He whined, rubbing the offended limb. 

 Throwing her hands in the air, they landed on her hips as her voice rose in anger. "For disappearing in the middle of the night without telling me!"

 "I did tell you."

 "That you were THINKING about leaving, not that you WERE leaving!" She reared back and punched him in the arm again, ignoring his pained cry as she continued to berate him. "I spent an entire day running around the monastery trying to find you only for Father Harold to finally pull me aside and tell me you left for Wincheaster." 

 And there was the heaping of guilt he knew he deserved. "I'm sorry….I just….I just knew if I didn't leave that night, then I never would."

 Her face softened at his quiet admission, understanding passing in her eyes. "I know. I wasn't truly surprised…. Just wish you'd have told me before."

 "I'm sorry."

 She sighed, all anger and frustration disappearing, much to his relief. She was a force to be reckoned with when truly in her fury. "So, what are you doing here?"

 "Ah, traveled here with the Lord Uhtred to assist Lord Godwin in his defenses….or something."

 "Uhtred? That Uhtred?"

 He smiled at her, catching the reverence in her tone. "That very one."

 "How did you find him? How did you join him? Wait! Are you a warrior now? We have a lot to talk about and you better get started." There went the hands on her hips again, making his smile widen at the image. Even as a young girl, when her hands were on her hips, you knew she meant business. 

 "Would you like to meet him first?"

 A shy look passed over her face that he was unused to seeing. "I'm…. I'm not presentable to meet a lord."

 He scanned her, noting the dried mud on the hem of her dress and shoes, the small smear of what looked like flour on her left temple. What he noticed most was how the years had made her even more beautiful. She had always been a pretty girl but now, she truly looked like a beautiful woman. A fact he was unsure of how to feel about. 

 He chuckled lightly after a moment. "Well, you certainly smell better than Lord Uhtred so I think it's fine."

 That caused her to tip her head back and laugh loudly, the desired effect of his comment. She gathered up her basket and walked next to Osferth, back to the table where his companions were. It was impossible to ignore their curious stares as they approached. 

 "Lord Uhtred, may I introduce y/n. Y/n, this is Lord Uhtred of Bebbanburg." Osferth said, standing next to her at the end of the table.

 Uhtred nodded graciously, clearly wondering why this woman mattered and why Osferth was introducing her. 

 "Oh, it's an honor to meet you!" Y/n gushed, a bright smile on her face. "Uncle Leofric told us so much about you, but I never thought I'd ever meet you in person."

 "Leofric?" That caught his lord's attention, his gaze narrowing and eyeing her with renewed interest. "How did you know that turd?"

 "When he came to visit Osferth, he'd tell us stories."

 "Ah….all exaggerated, of course." Uhtred said with a cocky smirk. 

 "Wait. I think we're missin' the most important thing here." Finan leaned forward, dark eyes bouncing between Osferth and her, as he pointed a finger at them, hand still wrapped around his cup. "Ya said 'Uncle Leofric'....are ya related to Osferth?"

 Osferth answered quickly. "No, her family owned the farm next to the monastery, so we grew up together." Then he furrowed his brows as a thought hit him. He had been so amazed to see his childhood best friend (only friend really) that he had not realized that she should be back at the farm and not in this town. "Wait, y/n, why are you here and not at the farm?"

 Her face crumpled for a brief second before she was able to mask it into a neutral expression. She shrugged casually, but he could read the subtle tension in the action. "We lost the farm, so mother and I came here to look for work."

 "Ah." There were so many things he wanted to ask but could tell now was not the right time. If she lived here, he would have plenty of time to hear the full story later. Instead he decided to change the subject. "So, you know Lord Uhtred, the others are Finan and Sihtric…. And Sihtric is also a bastard." He added as an afterthought. 

 That made her face light up as she turned to look at the Dane. "Hey, another bastard! We really need to start a club. We can all rant about how awful our fathers are."

 "You're a bastard?" Uhtred asked, shock evident in his voice. 

 "Yes, my lord. My mother was a servant for a lord. Got pregnant. The lord's wife did not like that so sent my pregnant mother back to her family. Certainly, it was our Lord's Will because how else would I have been able to grow up with Osferth?" She asked, patting him on the cheek affectionately. He blushed and swatted her hand away, much to the other's amusement. 

 "I reckon you have quite a few amusin' stories of growin' up with Osferth, eh?" Finan smirked. 

 "I might….but I don't share secrets for free." She matched his smirk with her own crooked smile. 

 He slapped his hand on the table. "I'll owe ya a drink! I need to 'ear this."

 "No….oh no, no, no." Osferth said but knew it was a lost cause before he even tried to deter them. The rest were already deciding when and where to meet that night. "Lord help me."

 "It's not that bad." She teased, bumping his arm with hers. "The worst one is when we went streaking naked through the monastery."

 Osferth felt his face heat up like the flames of hell itself as everyone laughed. "It was your idea."

 "Yeah, yeah, so you like to remind me." She smiled fondly. "Now, if I don't get back home, my mother is going to think I've run off with some man or I've been kidnapped. Either way, she will raise the fyrd herself to find me. I will see you all tonight."

 The others said their goodbyes but before she could step too far away, Osferth gently touched her arm, halting her movement. 

 "Y/n….I'm….I'm glad our paths have crossed once again."

 She pulled him into a tight embrace. "I am too, Osferth. I've missed you." With that, she turned and walked away with her basket still on her hip; but not without glancing over her shoulder at the group before disappearing around some buildings. 

 Once out of sight, Osferth sighed and turned back to his companions, only to see them all still staring intently in the direction she disappeared. 

 "No….y/n is off-limits to you fornicators." He stated firmly, well as firmly as he could be. 

 "She's very pretty…." Uhtred declared, a playful grin on his face. 

 "Lord, no. All of you, keep your hands off of her."

 "Or what?" Finan chuckled, eyes alight with mischief. "You'll fight us, baby monk?"

 "I will if I must."

 "Alright. Her dignity won't be tarnished." Uhtred lifted his cup in Osferth's direction. "Your reputation might be tonight depending on what stories she shares." 

 Osferth groaned, sitting back down next to his lord. "I'm going to need a lot of ale."

 "That can certainly be arranged!" Finan laughed, jovial once more. 

 As discussion started back up again, they all missed the silent, longing glance Sihtric snuck one last time in the direction she walked away….

 *****

 Over the next several weeks Lord Uhtred helped increase the defenses of the town and instructed the guards and fyrd how to better defend against the Danes. 

 During those weeks, you found yourself frequently spending time with Osferth and his companions. First it started off with meeting them in the evenings for ale, laughter and good company. Within days, it became almost expected for one of them to purposefully seek you out. Most of the time it was Osferth and Sihtric coming to join you in whatever your tasks for the day because they were bored or unwanted in meetings. It was not difficult to tell that although they were certainly welcomed members of Uhtred's group, not everyone else saw them in such a positive light. 

 So the three of you often passed the hours away together, waiting until evening to rejoin Uhtred and Finan at the alehouse. Their presence became such a regular occurrence that your mother practically adopted them, they even had their assigned seats at your small kitchen table for meals. Somehow, they seamlessly slipped into your daily life in a way that seemed like they were meant to be there this whole time. 

 Even at the alehouse in the evenings, you usually found yourself nestled between Osferth and Sihtric on the bench. A place you certainly found yourself enjoying more and more….especially next to the Dane. 

 Over the weeks, there was something growing between you and the Dane. It gradually revealed itself with each passing day, growing like the roots of an oak tree. It was through the borderline flirtatious comments that you teased each other with. It was in the subtle touches that caused butterflies in your stomach to dance, from your fingers barely gracing each other when passing something, to the way you leaned your head on his shoulder when your eyelids threatened to close, to the way your thighs would touch under the table and away from view of the others. It was in the lingering looks when your gazes locked and you swore you never wanted to look away. It was in the consistency of being next to one another whenever you could, either sitting at a table or just walking down the street, almost like your bodies were magnetized to one another's. 

 Plus the more you talked to Sihtric, the more you desired to know about him. For he was like no other man you had ever met. 

 Almost a fortnight after you reunited with Osferth, there was one particular evening after staying out far too late with the four men and drinking a bit too much, Sihtric graciously offered to walk you back home. You knew propriety demanded Osferth should be the one to escort you but he was already passed out, head on the table and snores emitting from his mouth. Giggling at your childhood friend, you accepted Sihtric's offer and the two of you easily fell into step. 

 On the walk you learned more about his past, about going up in Dunholm and his cruel father. You had heard bits and pieces while with Osferth and the others. Maybe it was under the cover of darkness, maybe it was the extra ale flowing through both of your blood, but he confessed secrets to you he had never told another besides his mother. When you reached your home, before he could slip away, you clutched his arm and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. After, you bid him goodnight and slipped inside your humble home. 

 After that night, he always walked you home, sometimes alone and sometimes one of the others would join. But when it was just you two, when you were alone, you would bid him a goodnight with a kiss on the cheek or he would kiss your hand, locking eyes with you in a way that made a fire stir in your belly and your core clench. 

 There was definitely something between the two of you, but neither seemed able to verbalize it or take the next step. 

 *****

 "So, what is going on between you and Cedric?" 

 You turned your head to look at Osferth, who laid on the grass next to you, soaking in the heat of the early afternoon sun. "What?"

 "You know….that blacksmith. The one you were talking to the other day."

 "Oh." The memory hit you. You had stopped by to drop off your mother's damaged cooking pot for Cedric to attempt in fixing, although you personally thought it was a helpless cause. The dent in it was significant, but he offered to see what he could do. As you dropped it off at his workshop, the two of you began discussing an approaching saint's day and the celebration that would occur with it. 

 Several minutes later, you heard your name called and looked over to see Osferth and Sihtric walking towards you. You bid Cedric a farewell, promising to stop by the next day to come pick up the pot. After receiving his promise to try his best at fixing it, you headed off towards the stables with your fellow bastards. At the time, you had not thought the encounter significant but with it happening two days ago and Osferth now bringing it up, you wondered how long he had been ruminating on it. 

 Finally, you simply said, "he's a good man, and has been kind to my mother and I since we arrived here."

 "Is he….pursuing you?" Osferth turned his head to scrutinize you, his lips pursed slightly as if concerned about your answer. 

 You openly laughed at the notion. "No, that's silly. He is just a kind man."

 If anything, you had to fend off flirtatious advancements from some of the young men that worked under Cedric. Those same young men quickly learned to keep their eyes on their work and mouths shut. When one openly called out to you, and before you could offer a sharp retort, Cedric threw a hammer at him from across the shop. He bellowed that he did not allow heathens to work for him and if they chose to act godless then they needed to find a new place of work. Their blatant interest diminished after that and Cedric made a point to be the only one that conversed with you if you came to the shop. Although he was easily ten years your senior, you found him a likeable man with a quick wit and sarcastic comments that occasionally left you in stitches. 

 The idea of him pursuing you was an amusing idea. He was still a bachelor, never having married, claiming that his work and apprentices kept him far too busy for much else. 

 Your answer appeared to satisfy Osferth. A thoughtful look crossed his face and he opened his mouth as if to speak, but immediately slowly closed it and turned his head back to stare at the blue sky. 

 A stillness settled after your answer, only interrupted by the frequent bird song and the wind through the tall grass. You closed your eyes, enjoying the sun's warmth and just lying around relaxing on the hill outside of the town, away from the hustle and bustle and chores that demanded your attention.  

 "He was watching you like a man who wants a woman." Sihtric stated after a couple minutes of peaceful silence. 

 Startled by his sour tone, you shifted up to look over at the Dane. He sat on the other side of Osferth, one leg propped up and an arm casually slung over it, but his gaze was focused straight ahead, staring off into the distance. Now that you thought about it, over the past two days Sihtric had become more reserved and sullen than you had ever seen. Even his companions commented on it a few times to which he would shrug his shoulders or make an excuse and walk away. You had thought he just missed Coccham, the group having been away for so long, or something happened that made him introspective. It had also not escaped your notice how the prior closeness between you two had halted. Now you wondered if there was something more to his demeanor.  

 "Well, that is most unfortunate for him since I am not interested in him."

 "Does your mother not want you to marry?" Osferth asked, his voice deceptively neutral. 

 Sighing, you leaned back on your hands. Eventually you knew Osferth would bring up the topic, he was your friend after all and you were certainly of marriageable age. Actually far too old to not be married by some people's standards, but you ignored them. "She does but she has told me that she will not force it upon me. She said I should make my own choice….that if I am able, I should choose love."

 You knew your mother offered you that choice in hopes your life would turn out differently than her own. 

 "But if Cedric is a good, kind man….could you not love him….or someone like him?" Osferth pressed. 

 "Perhaps. There are plenty of men I have seen who the church would call a 'good' man but are cruel in their own home, and there are many men who are calloused but it's obvious they love their wife and children. My love doesn't discriminate, between the sinners and the saints. I would rather choose a man whom I know loves and cares for me than a man I know is 'good' but carries no love in his heart." You paused, the candid confession rolling off your tongue before you realized it. Sighing, you ran a hand over your hair before quietly saying. "I just….I just want someone that loves me….sinner or saint."

 Not a word was spoken as all three contemplated your statement, the silence hanging heavy like a brewing storm. Tilting your face to the sky, unable to meet the gazes of your companions, you chastised yourself for the candor with which you spoke. Osferth had asked a simple question initially and you chose to make it complicated. They did not need to know how you longed for love, how the hope for it in your potential future was what kept you going. It was foolish and you supposed after this, they would only see you as a silly girl with outlandish dreams of a storybook romance. 

 Finally, Osferth broke the silence. "Well, I shall be praying fervently for this man….hopefully he knows what he is getting into before he marries you."

 You laughed, appreciating his lighthearted comment. Reaching a hand out to smack Osferth's arm, you teased. "Keep that up and you won't be invited to my wedding."

 "Your mother will let me in."

 "Yeah, you're probably right." You glanced over in the direction of the town, regretting that your time away had to end. "I need to head back, those chores won't finish themselves."

 The three of you headed back to the town, quiet contemplation cloaking your group. Yet you feared that whatever spark lay between you and the Dane had been extinguished forever by your unexpected honesty. For still he refused to look your way, keeping his gaze focused forward. If your heart fissured within your chest, you swallowed down the pain. It was better for the spark to die out now then burn brightly only to be smothered later. 

 Or at least that was what you told yourself. 

 *****

 "What you said….about the sinners and the saints…."

 You whirled around, heart leaping into your throat with a silent scream on your tongue. In the small herb garden behind your house, you had thought you were alone. After the awkward conversation on the hill earlier that day, you sought solace in your chores. Thankfully Osferth and Sihtric headed back to meet with their companions on their own accord, leaving you to trudge through your muddled thoughts with all the grace of a newborn foal. 

 Now you found the very person who your thoughts centered on, standing just a few paces from you….and your heart began to race for a very different reason. 

 When his voice trailed off, those dark eyes that set fire licking through your veins dropped to the ground, you quietly stood up from where you had knelt, wiping the dirt from your hands, although you moved no closer. 

 "Sihtric?" You tried to prompt him. 

 "Is it true?" His piercing gaze lifted to meet yours, stealing the very breath from your lungs. "Your love doesn't discriminate?"

 "Yes." You breathed out. 

 He nodded silently before taking a step closer to you. "And what about….what about Danes?"

 Your chest pulled tight at his words, yet a coy smile grew on your lips. The flutter in your belly made your gaze drop for a moment as you tried to stifle the excitement making butterflies dance. Although this was no declaration, it was the closest the two of you had talked about what lay between you. Taking a steadying breath, you prayed this moment would not pass by without confessing the truth that you had harbored in your heart for weeks now. 

 "Not even towards Danes." You shook your head, the smile still on your lips. "And…. There is one I'm becoming quite fond of lately."

 "Yeah?" He took two steps closer, somehow moving cautiously but eating the ground with each determined step. 

 "But….do you think this Dane could be….fond of me?" You softly murmured, feeling as if your heart lay in the palms of your hands for all to see. 

 That last step separating you two disappeared almost before you finished asking your question. His hands ever so gently reached over to take yours, entwining your fingers together. The two of you stood so close, your chests almost touched with each breath you took. Your breathing seemed to cease under the intensity of his gaze and a shiver raced up your spine. Yet you had no desire to withdraw from him.

 "He would be a fool not to." He whispered, the barest hint of a tremble in his voice. "I'd bet you are constantly on this Dane's mind. That he cannot go a day without seeing your face and hearing your laugh. You are the first thought that he wakes to and the reason he falls asleep with a smile. That you have become the north star that it seems the gods have been guiding him towards for his whole life."

  As he spoke, everything faded to oblivion around you. The past and future vanished. Dane versus Saxon disappeared. The world narrowed down to this….this moment….this moment that you had dreamt of but never thought would come true. 

 The two of you continued to stand there, lost in one another's eyes with fingers intertwined. Your heart raced within your chest but a cooling breeze swept away the fears that plagued your mind. For staring at him, you knew he spoke no falsehoods. That he owned your heart just as much as you owned his. That very heart you could feel hammering away in his own chest. His eyes fervently held yours, a silent conversation, a confession, spoken only in looks but you both understood the language. His gaze dipped down to your lips, tracing them before slowly rising once again to your eyes. A curl of pleasure blossomed in your core as you witnessed the fire now in his eyes. 

 "If this Dane wanted to kiss me…. I wouldn't mind."

 A deliciously, sinful smirk teased his mouth. "As my lady commands."

 His head tilted, leaning towards yours. Unconsciously your eyelids fluttered closed. Then the briefest of touches made your knees weak and your mouth part open in a sigh. After a moment's hesitation, he continued to shower your jawline with kisses. Needing to touch him, your hands landed on his chest, feeling the tunic that covered his firm chest. Your hands moved upward to grasp the back of his neck, his pulse jumping for a second as your nails scraped his skin. His hands landed on the curve of your waist, bringing you even closer to him, erasing the unwanted space between your bodies. 

 As his lips began their ascent upward along the otherwise of your jaw, you moved. For the burning sparks in your body screamed if he did not kiss you, you would spontaneously combust. Shifting your face, you stole a kiss on his lips before he could place it on your skin. It was more of a gentle pressing of your mouths, but even then, you heard a sharp inhale from him. Before you could question him, his mouth returned to yours with soft, probing kisses that urged you to respond. Not that you would ever deny him. What started off as a gentle flame quickly became a roaring fire. Breathing became unnecessary, for how could air bring you life when your body craved Sihtric, when your lungs demanded to breathe him in instead. He led you in a drugging kiss that had you melting against him. Your lips drank from one another as if that alone could sustain you forevermore.  

 "THANK YA, GOD!!" 

 The passionate kiss abruptly ended as Sihtric and your gazes darted towards the side of your house. Only to be met with the sight of his three companions standing at the entrance in various states of smugness. 

 "Oh, for the love of Odin…." Sihtric mumbled. 

 You buried your face in Sihtric's chest, face heated in embarrassment but unable to stop the giggles that poured forth. So caught up in finally confessing your feelings and kissing the man who haunted your dreams, you forgot that anyone could walk by and see you. His arms tightened around you, keeping you within his protective, loving embrace….and you knew there was nowhere else you would rather be. 

 "Took the two of ya long enough." Finan continued, leaning against the side of your humble home with a shit-eating grin. 

 "Amen." Osferth had a small, teasing smile on his face. "Thought I would have to lock them in a room together before one of them finally confessed."

 Apparently, you and Sihtric were not as subtle as you previously thought. Now it made sense why Osferth was questioning you about Cedric and your thoughts on love and marriage earlier. Your heart flooded with gratitude towards your childhood friend, for without him you doubted neither Sihtric or you would have spoken up. Peering over, you caught Osferth's eye and mouthed a quick 'thank you'. He nodded, a simple joy radiating from his face. 

 "Lord?" Sihtric called over with a blank expression. "Permission to continue?"

 Uhtred chuckled. "I guess you've waited long enough. Go ahead." 

 Without waiting a moment longer, Sihtric tipped your face back up towards his and claimed your lips once more. You vaguely thought you heard laughter coming from the others but it all blurred away, like a faint sound while underwater. All you could see, all you could feel, all you could hear was Sihtric. 

 Just how you wanted it. 

 Suddenly you yanked your head back, your breathing labored and lips swollen. "My mother is helping at a nearby farm today. She won't be back until it's dark."

 He hummed against your skin trailing small kisses along your jawline and down your neck as if unable to keep his hands and mouth off you now that the dam had been released. 

 "I'm not as pure as Osferth thinks me to be."

 That statement made his actions stop. Carefully he raised his head to meet your gaze. "After dark?" He confirmed, voice rough in a way that sent a bolt of heat through you. 

 "Yes, she planned on having supper with them….so my home is currently empty….and I did just clean my blankets the other day…."

 He swooped in to give you a feverish, greedy kiss that left no doubt where his mind had gone. When he finally pulled back, you were surprised your legs could still hold you upright. Your whole body felt like puddy in his arms and he had only kissed you, albeit you doubted you would ever forget the way his mouth worshiped yours. 

 "You are certain? You want this?" He softly asked, staring into your eyes once more. "You want me?" 

 It was the last question, the vulnerable undertone, the hint of insecurity in it that sealed your decision. Letting your actions be your answer, you grabbed his hand and started pulling him in the direction of the door to your home. It did not take more than a second for him to come beside you, wrapping his arm around your waist. 

 With his taste on your lips, the future did not matter right now. It did not matter that he was Dane and you were not. All you knew was Sihtric was neither a saint nor a sinner, but simply a man deserving of love. The river of your love was pointing you directly towards him, and you silently vowed to never let it run dry. 

[lyrabythelake]

Can I send a prompt for the Lost Prince AU ? (I have another, independent, prompt for you if not, or if you just want to hear it) Remember the one I wrote on a comment on the fic ? For reminder :

The royal Links often used the bedroom of their missing eldest brother to go vent their problem away. One night, one of them tried to do so again... Forgetting that their Eldest had been found and that the room was now occupied.

Hi Lilli!! Thanks for reminding me of this lovely prompt, I had completely forgotten about it!! I hope you enjoy this little drabble <3 I'm sure it will be absolutely no surprise to you which of the boys I chose for it ahaha

“...and sometimes I wonder if we don’t have completely different goals. He says the kingdom is the most important thing to him, that he’ll do whatever it takes to do what’s best for the people, but I can’t help but wonder… he’s changed so much since we were young…”

Twilight stood with his arm outstretched, fingers hovering over the handle of his bedroom door. The voice that drifted from inside was muffled but unmistakable despite carrying very little of the haughtiness usually directed at him.

He had been about to burst through the door and demand to know what Warriors was doing in his room, but something had made him stop. Perhaps it was wrong to listen, but then again Warriors hadn’t exactly been welcoming since he had arrived here; he owed him nothing.

“We used to tell each other everything. We used to be inseparable, especially after you disappeared, but now he lies to my face daily. Yesterday, in the council meeting... it was just... it was so humiliating. Do you know how many hours I’ve spent forming battle strategies and contingency plans for the coming months? I’ve spent night after sleepless night in the battle room, and all of it–all the work I’ve done–it’s all useless now that Time’s princess has been added to the mix. He was humouring me all that time, he was never going to use my ideas; I feel… Goddesses, I feel so embarrassed.”

Warriors paused, and Twilight listened for another answering voice in the room. None came, and the silence was deafening.

“Like I said,” Warriors began again, his voice smoother than before, as if he had pushed down all the emotions that had snowballed in his monologue. It sounded a more familiar tone to Twilight now, more compatible to the Warriors he knew, “we used to tell each other everything. We knew each other’s deepest, darkest secrets, and that used to be so comforting, to know there was always someone there who knew me better than anyone, who would be there to comfort me when I was down. But now… Goddesses, it makes me almost terrified that he knows so much about me. I–I don’t trust him, I don’t think. That hurts to say, but I don’t. 

“You were probably too young to remember him before you went missing, but before he went on his adventure, he was a whole lot different to how he is now. Sort of like all the good parts without the bad; he was kind and loyal and I thought he knew all the answers.” Warriors huffed humorously. “I really thought the sun shone out of his ass. I just… wish he would have some respect for me too…”

Enough, Twilight thought, finally closing his fingers around the brass door handle. These weren’t his secrets to know. Yes, it was abundantly clear that Warriors was speaking some strange version of a diary entry to his long missing brother, but Twilight was not that person, not the big brother figure Warriors had lost back then. Not anymore.

Warriors visibly jumped as he entered the room, blue eyes wide like a deer startled by torchlight. It was almost like he had forgotten someone now occupied this room after so many years of emptiness. Twilight tried his best to arrange his face into a somewhat neutral expression.

“I wasn’t snooping,” Warriors said defensively. Twilight didn’t reply; he knew Warriors was telling the truth, but if he had come in without overhearing him beforehand, he probably would have assumed the worst. “I swear, I wasn't.”

“Okay.” He hoped the untamed pity he was feeling for him wasn’t obvious. In his mind, Warriors was the picture of well-constitution, the perfect soldier. Thinking on it now, perhaps he was just as naive as Legend accused him of being; no one was that well-adjusted, especially after a lifetime of unimaginable pressure. 

Without another word, Warriors practically flew from the room, scarf trailing behind him and his face a blotchy pink. It was the most disarmed Twilight had ever seen him.

Twilight was left in an empty room, the ghost of who he once was echoing in the stone walls and the wooden furniture. Not for the first time, Twilight almost mourned the loss of him; the unblemished image of the boy who had been stolen from this very room all those years ago.

He supposed, in that moment, that if what Warriors needed to open up was a ghost, a nameless face from his past, then Twilight would gladly be that for him. For now.

[mysticpetals]

Supermarket runs

Pairing: Jake × mc (Syianne)

Genre: fluff, humor

Words: 2.5k

Summary: Three times Jake ran into Syianne and one time he actually made plans.

Anonymous asked: Hello. If you do still requests, can you do 27 and 40, with Jake and MC from Duskwood from fluff? Sorry I forgot to add that.

Prompts: 27. "Are you blushing?" 40. "Why are you so afraid of loving?"

Notes: here it is! A cute meet up fic with Jake's point of view. I hope you like this one because it's going to be the last thing I'll be posting for a while 😬

Jake had reached his new hideout just a few hours ago.

After evading yet another capture from the government and planting false trails in his wake, he had escaped to a small town, renting an apartment for the time being.

Opening the door to his new house for a few days, he put his cat down, opened his cage and let him explore. Glitch immediately disappeared and Jake put his bags down, sighing tiredly.

He needed to make a quick run to the store nearby, getting some food and other essential items since it was clear that they didn't stock it in the room.

Before he could change his mind, Jake picked up his wallet, locking the door and walked to the store he came across on his way over to the apartment.

It was a medium sized store, probably the one of the few in this small town. Jake browsed the shelves picking up the things he needed along the way. He avoided eye contact with everyone, putting his hood up.

When he was done, he quietly put the few cup noodles and microwaveable dinners on the counter and waited for the cashier to scan his items. Just as he went to pick up the first item, the cashier's phone rang and he glanced at the screen, eyes widening in surprise before his face settled into panic.

"Oh shit, oh shit, I completely forgot," he mumbled to himself frantically and giving Jake an apologetic glance, ran towards the back room.

Well then, it wasn't like he was in any hurry either. He didn't want to go back so soon anyway. He rocked back on his heels, adjusting his mask so that it still covered the lower half of his face and looked around in boredom.

From the backroom, he could hear two voices arguing, one male and other female and just when he thought that maybe it was going to take a while, the cashier ran out of the room, hefting a jacket over his shoulders and looked back.

"I owe you one, Syianne! Thank you so much!"

Jake tilted his head on hearing the familiar name, memories of conversations with his Syianne creeping up.

"You really do, Percy! I better have a three day weekend after this!" The girl shouted back and Jake smiled behind his mask. She even sounded like her.

The cashier yelled back something but he was already out the door to hear properly. The girl came out from the back, wearing her uniform jacket and grumbling about having to do two shifts, but Jake had frozen.

"Sorry about that. My coworker forgot about the date with his girlfriend and had to bolt. Between you and me, she's pretty scary so I'd be running too," she said, already ringing up his few items but Jake couldn't reply. He kept staring at her familiar face, which he had accidentally accessed when going through her chats before.

This was his Syianne.

She glanced at him, probably wondering why he didn't say anything before looking back on the screen. He broke out of his stupor when she told him the total and held up a bag with his items.

His fingers brushed against her and it felt like a lifetime, blood rushing to his cheeks and heart pacing.

"Thank you," he said and got a smile in return.

"You're welcome! Sorry about the delay earlier."

He shook his head rapidly, telling her that it was no trouble and he completely understood. That made her smile widen, her eyes crinkling with happiness.

"Come again soon!"

Oh, he'd be coming back very soon, indeed.

The first thing he did after reaching home was to power on his laptop and search for Syianne's location. Glitch hissed angrily at him for disturbing his slumber atop the chair he was now sitting in but Jake's eyes were fixed on the screen.

The results baffled him, as it showed her living in a completely different country from when he had searched her before, when he had just gotten her number. And then, realisation dawned on him that she might be using a VPN.

He banged his head on the table in frustration but also a little impressed that Syianne had thought of doing something like this to protect her identity.

He was supposed to stay away from all of them, to prevent pulling people into his messes but now one of the most important people in his life literally worked a walk away from his hiding place. He couldn't change places so frequently as it hadn't even been a day and he had to give some time to the police to cool off, before he got on the move again.

He sighed, too wound up to make anything but cup noodles, he got up and went into the kitchen. Glitch trailed behind him, sniping at his heels for his own food and Jake emptied the last can of cat food into Glitch's bowl.

With a jolt, he realised that he would have to go to the supermarket tomorrow again and it brought him equal parts of excitement as well as anxiety at the thought of seeing Syianne again.

———

The next evening, he put the cans of cat food on the counter and was disappointed to find that the guy from yesterday – Percy, if he recalled right – was going to scan his items.

Jake shifted the mask on his face and looked around to see if Syianne was somewhere but to no avail. If Percy noticed him looking around, he didn't say anything. When he grabbed the bag from him, the employee room opened and Syianne came out wearing casual clothes, a bag slung over her shoulder.

"See you tomorrow, Percy!"

She came out from behind the counter and her eyes widened in surprise as they fell on him.

"Oh hi! You're the one from yesterday."

Jake cleared his throat and let out a hesitant, "Y-yeah."

Percy snickered, throwing a knowing look at Jake before turning to Syianne.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow, idiot. Bring some coffee with you." He handed Jake his bag as he scrambled to bring out his wallet to pay and gave him a wide smile.

"Syianne here works the morning shifts." He winked and Jake was mortified to hear the amusement in his voice, knowing that he had been caught.

"I'm not bringing you anything until I get my three-day weekend. Anyway, nice to see you again…." She trailed off when she turned to Jake and his mind went into overdrive as he thought about whether he should tell her his real name or not.

"Phil." He blurted out, "My name's Phil."

She tilted her head, no doubt thinking about that bartender from Duskwood who was currently locked up in jail.

"Funny, I know a guy named Phil. Not from around here though." She glanced at the door giving him a final smile.

"Because all the customers come in the evening." Percy complained and Syianne only rolled her eyes at his antics.

"Well, come by in the morning if you want to chat. It's pretty chill that time."

"Deal with it. Anyway, see you tomorrow." She waved one last time and walked out, Jake's eyes following her figure until she disappeared around the corner.

"She's sweet and a little too trustful. I better not hear any complaints about you from her Phil or I won't hesitate to throw a punch or two." Percy threatened and Jake flushed before muttering a hasty excuse and practically running out of the store.

She actually talked to him today and hearing her voice, her words just made it harder for him to stay away. But it was okay if he didn't tell her who he was, right? She won't be in any danger then, right?

These thoughts chased him as he walked back to his temporary home, almost tripping over Glitch when he entered and found a disgruntled cat, waiting for his food.

———

The next morning, Jake worked in his room, occasionally shooing away Glitch who was determined to get his daily dose of affection.

"Just a minute, Glitch." He muttered, typing rapidly, his eyes scanning the screen with an eerie quickness.

A loud, disgruntled meow from his cat breaks the silence again and Jake heaved a frustrated sigh, pushing his laptop away and glaring at the culprit.

"Fine, you little devil! I'll give you breakfast first."

He walked out of the room, Glitch trailing behind him, purring in appreciation and hopped on to a chair while Jake took out the instant pancake mixture that he had recently bought. And that reminded him of the fact that Syianne was here, so close and whether he should tell her or not.

Making the pancakes in a daze, he put a plate in front of Glitch who immediately started gobbling it up. Jake huffed out a laugh and made his own plate, sitting across from his cat. The syrup was towards Glitch and when he leaned forward to take it, he was met by Glitch's paw swatting at his hand.

"What the hell? You ate already! Let me eat too!"

Glitch's paw rested on the syrup bottle and edged it towards the end of the table.

Jake froze.

"Glitch, no. Give me the syrup."

The bottle shifted a bit more.

"No, Glitch. Stop that."

The cat looked at him and stopped and Jake gave a sigh of relief, only to throw back his head in exasperation at the next moment as the bottle was finally pushed off the table.

"You little devil! I'm going to—"

The cat sprang up and ran into the other room, leaving Jake in the kitchen alone.

"Why is it always me?"

———

After cleaning up the kitchen and eating pancakes without any syrup, Jake found himself in the supermarket once again, embarrassed about being there everyday for the last three or so days.

When he put his items on the counter, including a syrup in a plastic bottle this time, he found himself facing Syianne who gave her an amused look.

"Having a good day, Phil?"

It took a moment for Jake to understand that she was talking to him and he flushed when he met her gaze.

"Not really. My cat decided to be an asshole today."

Syianne laughed and if Jake could have heard it everyday, he would. When she scanned his bandaids, she raised an eyebrow, and Jake gave her a sheepish smile, showing her his poorly wrapped hand.

"Oh no, that looks bad," she said but Jake only shook his head.

"It's better than it looks, I promise. I'm just bad at wrapping things up."

She didn't smile but only looked behind him. Seeing no more customers, she gestured for him to come to her side of the counter. Confused, he did as she asked and understanding dawned on him when he saw her opening the packet of gauze he had just bought.

"Oh, no, no. It's okay. I can do it at home." He rushed but she didn't listen, silently asking for him to hold his hand forward. When he realised that Syianne wasn't going to take no for an answer, he sighed and put his hand forward, face heating up and he regretted forgetting to wear a face mask that day.

"Are you blushing?" She asked teasingly and his flush only worsened.

"I-I'm not used to other people caring for me."

She hummed.

"That must be lonely."

She carefully unwrapped his hand, winching at the sight of blood and cleaned it with antiseptic wipes, before wrapping a bandage around the cut. Her hands were gentle but firm, as if she knew what she was doing and had done it a hundred times before. Jake was suddenly hit with a weird nostalgia, a feeling of wanting to know who she was, how many siblings she had, what her goals were.

He didn't realise when she had stopped, staring at him, as he was looking at her and only after several minutes had passed, did Syianne dropped her hands, letting him know that she was done.

The thought struck him like lightning and he quickly grabbed his bags, muttering another thank you and getting a simple smile in return. Before he knew, he was out on the streets and on the way to his house, his thoughts a raging turmoil.

"Thank you very much." He spoke softly, quietly, overwhelmed by such a gesture from her. He was essentially a stranger and she had still helped him, not knowing who he was.

She didn't know who he was.

What was he doing? Going to see her like that, finding excuses to go to the supermarket in hopes of seeing her? What did he want to accomplish?

He released a shaky sigh, running his hands through his hair, when he reached the place. Glitch, knowing that it wasn't the time for his shenanigans, only gave a welcoming meow from his place on the couch.

Maybe it was time he started searching again.

Jake opened his laptop but the ping from his phone made him look for it, heart quickening when he saw her name on it.

Syianne [5:00 pm]

Hey Jake!

How are you doing? I hope you're safe

I patched up a guy today who came in at work. He had a cat too!

Anyway, I don't know why I'm still writing but I hope you're safe and nobody got to you

Why are you so afraid of loving?

Sorry, insensitive question. Ignore that

Waiting for when you come back

...I'm still looking forward to that date

Jake's lips quirked at her messages, warmed by her concern. She had messaged him everyday ever since he went into hiding again. He hadn't replied then, being busy because of his relocation, but now….

In a bold move, very uncharacteristic for him, he messaged her back.

Jake [5:03 pm]

What if I told you that the guy you patched up was me?

Syianne [5:04 pm]

What?

His name was Phil

Oh

Jake waited as she typed and erased, all of it going on for two minutes before she stopped. Jake had a sudden, terrible feeling that perhaps he had made a mistake but soon enough, she replied.

Syianne [5:06 pm]

You're cute in real life as well <3

Jake laughed, amused by her flirty response and decided that perhaps he'd stay there for a few more days.

Syianne [5:06 pm]

What about that date at the Chinese restaurant you promised me?

Jake [5:07 pm]

Does tomorrow work for you? ;)