#i know i said i wasn't going to make more but copper is so pretty so who knows if i won't make eps 1-7 too at some point

[sherrymagic]

Copper Phuriwat as JIN in Episode 12 DEAD FRIEND FOREVER (2023-2024)

[serpentandlily]

Lost in a Labyrinth - Azriel x Reader

Lost in a Labyrinth I - Azriel x Reader

Summary: Lonely and heartbroken after his near kiss with Elain, Azriel finds himself at the door to the most exclusive pleasure house in Hewn City, The Labyrinth, taking Rhysand’s cruel advice. What he expected to find was a pretty girl to warm a bed with him for a single night. But instead he finds something he never thought existed—his mate. A mate that is tangled up in something far more sinister than he could ever imagine. 

Warnings: smut (minors dni), reader is a prostitute

─── ⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ⋅ ⋅ ───

Part I

─── ⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ⋅ ⋅ ───

“So you will leave Elain alone. If you need to fuck someone, go to a pleasure house and pay for it, but stay away from her.” 

Rhysand’s words had played over and over again in his head since the Winter Solstice, three months ago. Azriel wasn't sure why he was taking him up on his shitty advice now but by some will of his own, he was standing in the shadows of the alley across the street from The Labyrinth—Hewn City’s most exclusive brothel. 

Azriel only knew of this place because some of the high ranking nobles he spied on talked about it often. It was known for its secrecy, for making sure their clientele had confidentiality. There were far more pleasure houses that were known to the public, even one in Velaris, but the last thing Azriel wanted was word getting around that he had been seen visiting one. Partly because he liked keeping his love affairs secret, but mostly because he didn’t want to give that satisfaction to Rhysand. 

When his shadows came back with no reports of any sightings of faeries nearby, Azriel crossed the distance to The Labyrinth. He knocked five times on the plain looking, unassuming door, following the instructions he had overheard. 

A sliding peephole opened revealing a pair of dark eyes. “A bargain, Shadowsinger,” a male voice said through the door. “A copper for your eyes.”

“A silver for your tongue,” Azriel agreed. He felt a burning sensation behind his ear, the bargain tattoo forming. 

This was another thing he had learned from spying— the secret bargain that would grant you access to The Labyrinth. A bargain that he wouldn’t speak of the people and things he might see here so long as they kept their silence in regards to his identity. 

The door swung open a second later and the male guard ushered him in. The guard gave him a once over, his eyes stopping on the dagger sheathed on his thigh. 

“No weapons allowed, Shadowsinger,” the guard ordered. “Especially around the girls.”

Azriel wordlessly unsheathed Truth-teller and let his shadows take it away. He didn’t tell the guard that it was pointless, that he could summon it back at any time regardless of whatever wards they had set up around here—his shadows didn’t abide by the typical rules of magic. But the guard didn’t need to know that. 

The guard held out a gloved hand. “The entrance fee.”

Azriel reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pouch filled with coins. He set it in the guard’s palm without question. 

The guard gave him a dip of the head, satisfied, before gesturing for him to continue on. Azriel strided down the dim hallway. He could already smell various aphrodisiacs and drugs amongst the intoxicating scent of arousal in the air. It spurred him on, kept his feet moving on the dark red carpet, not allowing him the chance to second guess his decision to come here. 

He wasn’t sure what magic was at play, or if they specifically scented the hallway to further get their clients in the mood, but something was tugging him forward. 

He finally made it to the other end of the hallway, where a black door was awaiting him. He opened it slowly, cautiously and when no threat appeared, stepped through the threshold. The door opened up into a large foyer of sorts with a large candle chandelier hanging from the ceiling. 

Straight ahead was a grand staircase that led to the second floor. On both sides of the foyer were large double doors with masked guards standing in front of them, swords strapped to their backs.

Waiting for him in the center of the room was an older, High Fae female with generous curves, dressed decadently. A polite smile graced her pretty but aging face as she took him in. 

“Shadowsinger,” she greeted with a dip of the head, her hands clasped in front of her. “Welcome to The Labyrinth. My name is Lydia. I will be your point of contact during your time here. Please follow me, I will show you to the girls so you may make your selection.” 

This wasn’t the first time Azriel had visited a pleasure house. Gods, when they were younger, him, Rhysand and Cassian had gone to some together. Had even taken the same girl once. But this felt…different. The atmosphere was soft, sensual—not rowdy like the other brothels he had been to. 

He followed Lydia into the first set of double doors, which led down another long corridor with more doors lining the wall, all numbered. Until they reached the end where another set of double doors waited. As soon as Lydia pushed them open and gestured for him to continue, soft music crept through the air.

Azriel walked into a heavily perfumed room, dimly lit much like everywhere else in this place. Dark red, velvet settees and cushions lined the walls and floors. Silks hanging from the ceilings gave each space a bit of privacy. A bar was on the opposite wall, fully stocked with various alcohols. Males and females, alike, were milling about the room in various states of undress, some paired up on the couches and chairs. 

At the front of the room was a wall made entirely of glass that overlooked a courtyard. Hanging plants and flowered vines decorated the space. A large fountain bubbled in the middle of it. Girls in lingerie and silk robes sat on the stone benches and cushions on the floor, lingered near the fountain, danced to the soft music in corners of the courtyard—all giggling and chattering with each other.

“These are the girls in The Labyrinth,” Lydia explained. “If you would like to see our selection of males, let me know.” 

His eyes wandered over the girls, all so beautiful and unique. Every single type of fae was here—from nymphs to firelings to High Fae. But his gaze was drawn towards a lone figure in one of the second story alcoves. 

His breath was sucked from his lungs the minute his eyes fell on her. She was…she was so beautiful. The most beautiful female he had ever seen in his five hundred years of living. She was dressed in a light pink lingerie set, a sheer robe hanging over it with white fur trims. She was alone, resting an elbow on the stone railing with her chin plopped in her hand as she gazed out into the carved mountainside within Hewn City. 

He couldn’t rip his eyes away from her. 

“Are any of them suited to your tastes, Shadowsinger?” Lydia questioned from beside him, knocking him out of whatever spell he had been put under. 

“Her,” he answered, his voice a mere whisper, as he dipped his head towards the female he couldn’t help but stare at. 

Lydia murmured something to one of the masked servants walking around with trays of champagne flutes. A moment later, one returned and handed the female a slip of paper. She clicked her tongue at whatever she read. 

“Apologies, Shadowsinger,” she said, “But it looks like she’s already been chosen for tonight. Do any—”

“By who?” Azriel growled before he even realized, his shadows whirling around him. Lydia looked up at him with a stern look that accentuated all the fine lines on her face. 

“You know I can’t tell you that,” she chided. Azriel gave her a sheepish look, not knowing what had come over him. “It looks like any of the other girls are still up for the taking if you’d like to choose another?” 

But Azriel couldn’t stop staring at the girl in the pink. Couldn’t help but be mesmerized by her. None of the other girls caught his attention. He had come here looking for a quick, no strings attached, fuck but that desire, that need—it was like it had been sucked right out of him. 

“I…” he trailed off, suddenly reeling back into his body. Lydia was staring up at him expectedly but he took a step away. “N-no. I’m sorry. I should…I should go.” 

Not a second later, his shadows swirled around him, whisking him away. 

⋆˙⟡☾𖤓☽ ⟡˙⋆

Azriel wasn’t sure what drew him back to The Labyrinth the next night. Or the night after. Each time he came, he asked for that girl in pink, and each time, he was told she had already been booked for the night. It would’ve been easy to accompany Mor to Rita’s and find a plethora of females that would fuck him for free. But none of them would’ve been her. 

He wasn’t even sure why he was becoming so obsessed with a girl he’d never even talked to. Obsessed enough to travel to Hewn City, pay the copious entrance fee, just to leave when he was told she was still not available. 

But here he was. 

Again. 

Standing at the doors to The Labyrinth. 

It had become such a reoccurrence that Lydia would merely shake her head no at the sight of him, already knowing what he was there for. He was sure tonight would go more or less the same. But he was surprised when he caught sight of Lydia standing in the large, intricate foyer and she shook her head yes. 

“Well, Shadowsinger,” she said, “I admire your persistence. It seems it is your lucky day. The girl you’ve been waiting for is available. Please, continue on up the stairs and into The Labyrinth. She will be waiting for you behind the ninth door.” 

Azriel gave her a dip of the head before striding past her to the staircase. His shadows were swarming him—excited about something. He tuned them out, pushing open the black doors waiting for him at the top of the stairs. 

He paused for a second, feeling like he had suddenly been transported somewhere else. Instead of one long hallway like he’d been expecting, the doors opened to a maze of large pillars, multiple pathways lit by candles placed on the floor. 

He sent his shadows forward to scout the place and locate the ninth door that Lydia had mentioned. He followed their trail which led him to a red door with a number nine painted on it in a darker shade of red that looked suspiciously like blood. 

He let out the breath he had been holding as he wrapped his scarred fingers around the doorknob and slowly pushed it open. 

Slow, sultry music met his ears and the scent of pomegranates and cardamom flooded his senses. It was intoxicating, beckoning him forward. He softly shut the door behind him before he completely paused in his tracks as he turned to face the room. 

There, standing with her back to him, was the girl who had been utterly consuming his mind since he had first laid eyes on her. She was wearing a light pink nightgown that laced down her lower back. She was bent forward slightly, lighting a candle on a coffee table set up in front of a pair of red velvet couches. 

His eyes trailed over the room for a second, trying to gather his bearings. It was a large room, large enough to have a sitting area separate from the four-poster bed covered in silk and textured fabrics. Everything fit the same color scheme as the other rooms he’d been in, red and black. Lit only by candles, the soft lighting only added to the sultry atmosphere. 

Some smoke lingered in the air, making everything a bit more hazy. He recognized the scent as a popular aphrodisiac often used during parties with high nobility. His shadows seemed lulled by the music, drifting around him lazily as he stood in place. 

He stood frozen as she finally turned around and met his gaze. He had thought her beautiful that day he had seen her up on the balcony, but this close, well… beautiful was not strong enough of a word. She looked crafted for the Gods, a being not meant to walk alongside man. His breath was sucked right out of his lungs again, his eyes widened as his shadows reacted by lowering themselves onto the ground, leaving him bare. 

“There you are,” she purred, her voice as smooth as silk and honey. “I’ve heard you’ve been waiting for me.”

Azriel swallowed harshly, his throat bobbing with the motion. He watched her eyes track it, watched how her smirk slipped into a soft smile instead. He opened his mouth to speak, to say anything, but it was like no thoughts existed in his head except for an image of her. 

“A bit shy, are you?” She teased after he failed to speak, walking towards him and holding out a hand with well manicured nails. “That’s okay, my love, let me take care of you.” 

She grasped his hand in her much smaller one, not even flinching when her skin met contact with his brutal scars. He let her guide him to the couch and push him to sit, entranced by her very presence. She moved to the bar cart behind him, running a delicate hand over his shoulders as she did, before pouring two glasses of whiskey. 

She meandered back over to him, plopping on the couch next to him before handing him one of the glasses. She clinked her glass against his. “For the nerves, my love.”

Azriel wanted to tell her that he wasn’t nervous, but that would be a lie. He had no idea why he had been reduced to the shy teenage boy he had been in his youth but he couldn’t shake himself from the feeling. Her presence was overwhelming, intimidating. Like she somehow held his entire being in the palm of her hands. 

“Thank you,” he grunted out, his voice rough. He cleared his throat before downing his glass of whiskey in one go. She followed his lead, her smoky eyes never leaving his as she swallowed her whiskey. Beneath the exaggerated desire he found in them was a more calculating look, like she was trying to figure him out. 

A bit of the whiskey slipped out of the side of her mouth, dripping down her chin and neck to the crevice between her breasts. Azriel’s gaze followed it, his cock tightening in his pants as he wished to lick it off her gleaming skin. 

“Oops,” she giggled, swiping it up with a finger and sucking it into her mouth. “Would you like another glass?” 

He shook his head. He didn’t want to be drunk for this. He wanted to savor every second of his time with her, the girl who had been plaguing his thoughts night and day. 

“You seem tense, Shadowsinger,” she purred with a pout, making his eyes dip to her full, red painted lips. “I can fix that.” 

She reached forward and ran a slender hand up his chest and he nearly moaned at the feeling of her touching him. His hand latched onto hers, stopping it in its tracks. 

“What’s your name?” Azriel asked, finally speaking. He needed to know. Needed to taste the way it felt to say it on his tongue as much as he needed to taste her. 

“Serenity,” she replied with a coy smile. “But you can call me anything you like, my love.” 

His eyes searched hers. “That’s not your real name, is it?” 

“Of course not, darling,” she giggled. She leaned towards him, close enough that her breath fluttered over his ear. His cock twitched in his pants, his skin heated. “I think the real question is, what would you like me to call you, Shadowsinger?”

“Azriel,” he breathed out. “Just…just Azriel.” 

“Azriel,” she repeated in that voice of silk and honey. 

His eyes darted down to her lips again. He couldn’t help it, couldn’t help how turned on he felt. Was it the aphrodisiacs in the room? Or perhaps the whiskey had hit just right? He didn’t care. All he knew was he needed to have her. 

Azriel let go of her hand, letting her continue her travel up his chest until she grabbed the empty glass in his hand and set it down on the table in front of them. She made eye contact with him again, slowly moving to straddle him on the couch, wrapping her arms around his neck lightly. He bit back a groan as her weight fell on his hardening member.

“What is it you’re here for, Azriel?”

His brain couldn’t focus with her in his lap. Her eyes were so mesmerizing, her scent one he could get high off. His hands found her waist, the silk fabric of her nightgown so smooth against his rough skin. 

“You,” he whispered, honestly. Because that was the truth. He had seen her and knew he needed to have her. 

“I’m yours, Azriel,” she giggled. “Any way you want me.” 

If he were a better male, perhaps now would be the time he realized this might be a mistake. But he wasn’t a better male. He couldn’t be. Not when her body was pressed against his, not when she looked so beautiful staring up at him with her large, expressive eyes, and certainly not when his body was singing for her—hungering for her like she was the only sustenance he needed. 

So Azriel surged forward and kissed her. 

Lightning exploded, skittering over his skin, the moment his lips touched hers. He groaned at the feeling of their softness. She let out a small sigh as she kissed him back, melting in his lap, pressing herself closer to him. 

Azriel slid a hand up her exposed back until he grasped her by the back of the neck and tilted her head so he could deepen the kiss, finally taking control of the situation. His cock hardened painfully as she spread her legs further, allowing her heat to rub against him. 

He kissed her like a starved male, licking along her bottom lip, compelling her to part her lips for him. She let him consume her, let him slip his tongue into her mouth and taste her fully. 

So sweet. 

So divine. 

Azriel broke the kiss, letting her gasp for air. The scent of her arousal had his eyes rolling back in his head. Still holding her by the back of the neck, he twisted her head to the side and pressed his lips just below her ear before trailing down her jaw and to her delicate neck. 

She moaned, squirming in his lap and rubbing against his hard length, only spurring him on more. His other hand started working on unlacing her nightgown. His fingers fumbled over the ribbon, until finally, it came undone and fell, pooling at her waist. 

Azriel pulled back to look at her, now bare before him from the waist up. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly with her breathing, her eyes dilated and full of lust, her lips swollen. The perfect image of desire. 

“So beautiful,” he growled, before leaning forward and latching his mouth around her right nipple. She gasped, arching into his mouth as her hands fisted his hair. 

“Azriel,” she whimpered, pushing her hips down against his bulge. He growled again, thrusting his hips up to meet hers. 

His lips made a path back up to hers, taking her breasts in his palms as he kissed her deeply. She grinded down on his cock again, pulling a whine from the back of his throat that had her smiling against his lips. 

He wanted to take his time with her, wanting to draw this out as long as he could. But he knew he wouldn’t last. Not when the need to be in her was causing him to strain against his pants to the point of pain. 

Azriel stood, lifting her up with him with an arm under her ass and the other wrapped around her. He let his shadows swarm them, stepping out right in front of the bed. She was breathless as he dropped her onto the soft pillows and sheets, her hair fanning around her head like a halo. 

An Angel. 

That’s what she was. 

A godsdamn Angel. 

He couldn’t keep his hands off of her, running them down her body as he pulled her nightgown all the way off, leaving her entirely bare before her. She moved to sit up, reaching for the buttons of his shirt but he lightly grasped her throat in his hand and pushed her back down.

“How do you want me, Azriel?” She hummed, seductively, wrapping her hands around his wrist.

Azriel leaned down, running his nose along the column of her throat until his mouth was beside her ear. 

“First, I want you coming on my fingers,” he commanded, his voice husky with desire. “Then my tongue. And then my cock. Do you understand?”

She swallowed audibly, nodding her head. 

“Words, angel,” he smirked. “Use your words.” 

“Yes, Azriel, I understand,” she whimpered, the scent of her arousal peaking. 

He inhaled deeply before pulling away and dropping to his knees before her. She sat up on her elbows, letting out a small cry as he hooked his arms around her thighs and yanked her towards the end of the bed. 

Her sex was glistening with her want and Azriel groaned at the sight, unlacing his pants with one hand to relieve some pressure. He watched her as he dipped forward and ran his tongue up her slit, his eyes rolling back at the sweet taste of her. 

She tossed her head back with a moan, spreading her legs wider for him. Azriel didn’t waste any time. He sucked and licked at her clit with a hunger he’d never felt before, his cock twitching every time he drew out a moan or cry from her lips. 

True to his word, his finger swirled around her entrance, causing her hips to thrust closer and closer. He continued his ministrations as he slid a single finger inside of her, cursing as he felt how tight she was wrapped around him. 

“Azriel,” she cried out as he added a second finger before slowly thrusting in and out of her. “Fuck.” 

He continued to suck that spot that had her crying out, pure waves of euphoria crashing through her body. His fingers began to thrust inside of her faster and faster as her moans became more frequent.

“That’s it, angel,” he praised as she rutted against his fingers. “Fuck yourself with my fingers.” 

She whimpered, her movements frenzied as he latched his mouth back on her clit, sucking in rhythm with his fingers. One of her hands gripped his hair while the other fisted the sheets and she squirmed in pleasure until he pushed her over the edge. 

“Az…Azriel,” she cried, arching her back as flames licked their way through her body. “I’m gonna—”

Azriel didn’t stop, palming himself with his free hand as she orgasmed, pulsating around his fingers with a loud moan. He slipped his fingers out and replaced them with his tongue just in time to feel the aftershock ripple through her. 

She tried to pull his head away, but he didn’t relent. He needed her on his tongue, needed to fulfill the hunger inside of him. It wasn’t long before he had her screaming through her second orgasm, lapping at the wetness pooling between her thighs. Azriel didn’t let up as he rode out her orgasm with his tongue, not until her body was writhing in pleasure and she was begging him to stop. 

He stood, sticking one of the fingers covered in her juices into his mouth, eyes rolling back in his head as he groaned. “Gods, you taste so good.” 

He left her panting on the bed as he made quick work of ripping his clothes off. His eyes were black with lust, his shadows spilling all around him in his craze. Gods, he needed her so bad. Every piece of her. 

He climbed onto the bed, hovering over her and crashing his lips against hers. His tongue was still claiming her mouth as her hands roamed the muscles of his chest, sliding down to his cock. He groaned into her mouth as she ran her hand up and down his shaft. 

“Please,” she begged. 

“Please what, angel?” He nipped at her bottom lip. “What is it you want?” 

“Please fuck me, Azriel,” she whined. 

The noise that came out of his throat at her words was one he’d never made before. He sat back on his haunches, replacing her hand with his as he guided himself towards her entrance, rubbing up and down against the wetness that was waiting for him. 

Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as he slid himself inside of her slowly. She moaned as Azriel let out an animalistic growl at the feeling of her wrapped around him. It wasn’t until he was all the way in her when they both finally released a breath.

“Fuck,” he grunted, falling forward and peppering kisses along her throat. “You feel so good.”

She whimpered at his praise and felt him smirk against her neck before he started to finally move, pulling himself all the way out her before thrusting back in, faster this time. She cried out as he slammed into her.

Azriel set a punishing pace, thrusting into her again and again. His shadows seeped from him until nearly every crevice of the room was taken over by his darkness. 

Her nails raked down his back, between his wings as she let him take her. He claimed her mouth again, passionately swallowing each moan he pulled from her. Her hips began to meet his with each thrust, pushing him deeper and deeper inside of her. 

“Gods, Azriel,” she cried, squeezing around him as he hit that sweet spot inside her. 

“Are you going to come on my cock, angel?” he cooed. 

“Yes,” she mewled. “Yes, gods, yes.” 

“Good girl,” he growled, nipping at her throat with his canines. 

His words pushed her over the edge into the hot bliss of pleasure. She screamed his name as the lightning shot through her, her core pulsating with each strike.

“Fuck,” Azriel groaned. He rode out her orgasm and then his thrusts became harder, faster but sloppy with no rhythm as his own release slid up on him.

His tongue swirled around the base of her neck before an utterly feral growl ripped through him. And then he bit down on that spot. His canines ripped through the skin, sinking down into her flesh as he came, thrusting once, twice and one final time—burying himself in her. 

They both panted in silence for a moment, coming down from their highs before Azriel slowly slipped out of her with a small whimper. He pulled away from her and she smiled up at him, her eyes glazed with pleasure and satisfaction. 

And then something happened. Something he never thought would. Something he had only dreamed about but never wished for because he had thought it a waste of breath. 

A golden string of light unwound itself and shot across the darkness, all the way to the beautiful girl before him. 

The mating bond snapped. 

His mating bond.

Azriel let out a choked noise, rising fully. He stumbled back in shock, his eyes wide as he stared down at her. Her brows furrowed in confusion and she sat up. 

Fuck, his mate…

She was his mate.

His godsdamn mate. 

This couldn’t be happening. Not like this. Not after he had just paid her to have sex with him. Not after he had come here for a shameless fuck. She’d never want him now. Why would she? 

He hastily began picking up his discarded clothes and dressing himself. She did the same in her confusion, slipping her nightgown back on as she frowned at him. 

“What happened?” Her voice was meek as she hugged an arm around herself, looking at him. “Have I…have I done something wrong?”

“N-no,” he stuttered, not looking her in the eyes. Gods, she would hate him if he told her now. She would not want anything to do with him. “No, I’m sorry. I-I need to go.” 

“But you paid for the whole night,” she said, perplexed with a hint of insecurity. “Please, if I wasn’t good…if you didn’t enjoy it…I can do better, I swear it.” 

He finally looked at her, at his mate. His heart sank in his chest at her words. Fuck, he was making this worse. He couldn’t stand the sight of her looking at him like she’d done something wrong. She was perfect. She had been perfect. It was him who fucked up.

“No, no, don’t. It’s not you," Azriel tried to reassure her. “I…it’s me. I need to go. I’m so sorry.” 

“At least let me get you your money back,” she said, rubbing her arm. He felt sick to his stomach.

“No! No, please keep it,” he murmured, buttoning up his shirt as fast as he could. “I’m…I’m so sorry. This was a mistake.”

And then he disappeared in his shadows, her confused and hurt face the last thing he saw. 

─── ⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ⋅ ⋅ ───

a/n: so obvious this was entirely from Az's perspective but it will be reader y/n just in case it wasn't super obvious! Hope you guys enjoyed it! If you asked to be tagged but don't see your username, it wouldn't let me tag you for some reason :((

(also, now that the whole chapters out, if this isn't what you thought you were signing up for, no hard feelings if you asked to be removed from the taglist)

taglist: @itsswritten @impossibelle @lilah-asteria @heartless-tate @sheblogs @jesskidding3 @landofpetrichor @thecollegecowgirl @5onedirection5 @cherry-cin @fayeatheart @brieflyclassymortal @saltedcoffeescotch @glitterypirateduck @eyebagsanonymous @chxosangxl @daardyrnitta

[renlyslittlerose]

Written for @bunnywan 🐰 Inspired by her undying loyalty to seeing obikin in pretty panties~

NSFW under the cut on account of two handsome Jedi humping each other in silk underwear.

“I’ve never done this before.”

“I should think not.”

“Not that I couldn’t have, you know, if I wanted to.”

“Anakin.”

“Because I could—”

“Darling.”

Obi-Wan held his hand out to Anakin as he relaxed further on to the couch. Anakin followed the length of his fingers down to his wrist, across the broad expanse of his chest and down along his stomach. And further still, following the trail of coarse hair that ran from naval to the banding of them.

A pair of ocean green silk underwear.

Anakin’s fists tightened just as Obi-Wan’s thick cock pulsed against the delicate confines of his chosen adornment. Anakin had picked it out when they’d gone shopping, the colour reminding him of an ocean they’d visited when Anakin was still Obi-Wan’s Padawan - sea moss and the light reflection of the green twin moons making the water look like lush undergrowth. Anakin had been captivated by the way the colour contrasted with Obi-Wan’s auburn hair, copper becoming richer, greys more stark.

And now the colour served to accentuate the paleness of his thighs and the curve of his cock.

A pool of precome stained the silk, and Anakin bit back a groan.

“Come here,” Obi-Wan said, his hand still hanging in offering.

Anakin took his hand and stepped forward, his own cock rubbing pleasantly against the silk panties Obi-Wan had picked for him. His were black and embroidered with red flowers that shifted and warped as Anakin’s length grew. Obi-Wan had said he’d look good in black and red in the middle of the shop, his forefinger and thumb rubbing the embroidery as he stared at Anakin with blown out pupils and cheeks already flush with excitement.

For a moment Anakin thought Obi-Wan was going to drag him into one of the changerooms and fuck him right then and there. But instead he squeezed Anakin through his trousers before heading to the check-out.

They had to wait a full week before Anakin dared to try his on, courage giving way to embarrassment. It wasn't until Obi-Wan convinced him it would be worth it, tongue wet along his throat and palm hot against his balls, that Anakin was finally convinced.

He found the restriction uncomfortable, the banding tight along his waist and against the swell of his ass, but Obi-Wan’s gaze stamped out any uncertainty he’d had.

This made Obi-Wan happy, and all Anakin ever wanted to do was please his Master.

Tangling their fingers together, Anakin locked eyes with Obi-Wan and hovered over his lap, knees dug into the plush cushions that shifted beneath their combined weight. Sucking back a trembling breath, Anakin kept their eyes locked as he sunk down and—

“Kriff,” Anakin mewled as their cocks pressed together.

The soft shift of the silk against the hot length of their cocks made Anakin’s thighs shake and his toes curls, and he squeezed down on Obi-Wan’s hand while the other gripped the side of his neck, thumb pressed into Obi-Wan’s frantic pulse point. Closing his eyes, he let out another whimper as Obi-Wan pushed up just as he ground down, their cocks pushed together messily, precome spilling out to stain the beautiful fabrics.

His balls pressed into the soft silk, tightening as he spilled another drop of seed into the expensive underwear while he humped against Obi-Wan, chasing the contradicting sensations of soft against hard, cool against heated, slick against rough. The couch creaked from their movements, the sound of it mixing with the gasps and moans as they got lost in their newfound obsession.

“Feels so good,” Anakin panted out, another pool spilling out as Obi-Wan dropped his hand and went to grip his hip, fingertips digging into the muscle and pressing the banding of his underwear against his skin.

“N-nothing quite like it,” Obi-Wan murmured, breath hot against Anakin’s collarbone. He thrust up, sliding his length along Anakin’s own, the silk now soiled with their seed and sweat. “A-almost came just seeing your pretty cock sheathed in your panties. It was obscene - you barely fit in them, you were already so hard.”

"N-not because of the underwear. Just because of you."

"There's no shame in liking the feel of silk against your skin," Obi-Wan murmured. Anakin felt his cheeks burn even more “In fact, I'm glad you’re enjoying this. I’d be disappointed if it d-didn’t please you as much as it pleases me.”

When Anakin opened his eyes again, he was greeted with the sight of Obi-Wan staring up at him with a delirious smile. Anakin stilled his hips a moment and brushed Obi-Wan’s bands from his forehead.

“E-everything you’d hoped?” Anakin asked.

“That and so much more,” Obi-Wan mumbled.

Cupping Anakin’s cheek, Obi-Wan brought him down for a deep kiss, swallowing up Anakin’s moan as the continued to grind their silk covered cocks together.

[that-1d-blogger]

Niall Horan as Niall Horan

Barbara Palvin as Amy Jones

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

Plot - Niall and Amy have been dating for 6 months now, Niall wants to take things on the next intimidate level but felt Amy wasnt ready for it. Little did he know that the plans Amy had for them was little more than just an innocent date.

Mature - Sexual content which includes edging, orgasms denial, handcuffs and anal play.

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

The autumn leaves danced on the tree branches outside as Niall pulled into Amy's apartment complex. He took a deep breath, checking his hair in the rearview mirror before grabbing the flower bouquet and bottle of cabernet from the passenger seat. Niall had been seeing Amy for a few months now, and he was pretty sure he was falling for her. The only problem? He wanted to take their intimate relationship to the next level, but he could never work up the nerve to make a move, worried she wasn't ready.

Amy pulled open the door with a radiant smile, that smiled that made Niall's heart skip a beat. "Hey stranger," she grinned, giving him a peck on the lips. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Me too," Niall replied, hoping his nerves didn't show. He handed her the bouquet of sunflowers. "These are for you. And I brought some wine to go with dinner. What did you have in mind?"

Amy's kitchen was warm and inviting, with a large wooden table and racks of copper pots and pans hanging above the center island. "Well, I know this amazing shrimp scampi recipe we could try together," she said. "If you're up for cooking with me, that is."

"Absolutely," Niall said, already rolling up his sleeves. "Just tell me what to do."

They moved in sync, Amy sautéing the shrimp in a skillet of garlic-infused butter while Niall got the linguine boiling and prepped the vegetables. When she needed fresh lemon juice, he was there with a reamer. As the kitchen filled with fragrant aromas, Niall snuck glances at his girlfriend, marveling at her effortless grace.

God, she's beautiful, he thought. Especially that little crinkle she gets right between her eyes when she's concentrating.

As if she could read his mind, Amy looked up and their eyes locked for a heated moment before Niall quickly looked away, his face flushing. ‘Get it together, man.’ , he scolded himself.

Once the pasta was plated and grated with parmesan, Niall carefully decanted the cabernet while Amy lit some taper candles on the table, adding a romantic glow to the room. When they settled across from each other, Niall raised his glass in a toast.

"To us," he smiled, "And many more incredible home-cooked meals like this together."

Amy clinked her glass against his. "I'll drink to that," she replied, taking a sip of the deep red wine. "You've been such an amazing teammate tonight."

All through the delicious meal, the two laughed and joked like they always did. But Niall couldn't deny the undercurrent of nervous sexual tension he felt, the wanting to take their relationship to the next level. Amy, for her part, seemed blissfully unaware, chatting and giggling away as she polished off her second glass of cabernet.

Finally, when their plates were cleared and the last crumbs of bread were sopped up, Amy stood and began gathering their dishes.

"Oh, don't worry about that," Niall said quickly, jumping up from his chair. "You cooked most of this incredible meal, at least let me take care of the cleaning up."

Amy tried to protest, but Niall was already at the sink, rolling up his sleeves. So instead, she opened another bottle of cabernet to let it breathe. "Why don't you go get comfy on the couch?" she said. "I'll join you in just a minute and we can figure out a movie to watch."

As Niall scrubbed and rinsed, he replayed their evening over in his mind, thinking about all the little moments he wanted to seize but didn't. Like when their fingers brushed together while plating the scampi, or that heated look they shared when he handed her the reamer. Why did he always get so flustered and shy away from moments of intimacy?

Get it together, he scolded himself again. ‘If you keep holding yourself back, you might lose her for good.’

By the time Amy returned, the dishes were drying in the racks and Niall had settled onto the plush leather couch with the fresh bottle of wine and two glasses. She immediately curled up against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Thanks for doing all that cleaning," she said, planting a soft kiss on his neck that sent a jolt of electricity down his spine. "You're the best."

Pushing down his nerves, Niall turned to face her and pulled her in closer. Searching her warm brown eyes, he saw nothing but openness and affection. Slowly, he brought his lips to hers and they began to kiss, gently at first but quickly escalating into heated passion as their months of unresolved sexual tension took over.

Ally kissed him hungrily, her hands roaming up the back of his shirt as she pressed her body against his. Just this once, don't pull away, Harry told himself. Let yourself have this moment with her.

As if she could sense his hesitation, Ally suddenly broke away, breathing heavily. "Hey," she panted, asoft smile playing across her lips. "As incredible as this is, maybe we should pick out one of those movies first before getting...distracted."

"R-right," Niall stammered, annoyed at his own inability to go through with it. "Good idea."

Ally threw back the covers and stretched with a yawn. "You know what? I'm just going to run to the bathroom really quick, then maybe we can find a movie to watch and make a night of it?"

"Sounds good," Harry smiled, trying not to stare at her adorably tousled bedhead and sleepy smile. She padded off to the en-suite bathroom, leaving Harry alone with his thoughts once more.

Harry had just about psyched himself up when suddenly, every light in the bedroom cut out, leaving him in total darkness.

"What the..." he began, scrambling up from the armchair. Had he accidentally clicked something on the remote? Or maybe there was a power surge happening somewhere?

"Uh, Amy?" he called out, feeling his way along the walls with his hands outstretched. "The lights just went out in here, I'm not sure what happened. Are you okay?"

No response came from the bathroom. A little plume of surprise rose in Harry's chest. Had she fallen and hurt herself? Or was this some kind of weird prank she was playing?

"Amy?" he repeated, his voice taking on a concerned tone as he reached the bathroom door and did a gentle push...

A sudden movement behind him caught his attention, and he turned to see Amy standing in the doorway, wearing a red lace lingerie set that left him breathless.

"Amy, you look... wow," Niall stammered, taken aback by her seductive appearance.

"I thought you might like it," she replied, her voice low and sultry. She sauntered towards him, her hips swaying seductively.

Niall's heart raced as she approached, his eyes fixed on the lace-covered curves of her body. He reached out to touch her, his fingers brushing against the soft fabric of her bra.

"Mmm, not yet," Amy whispered, pulling away from his touch. She took his hand and led him to the bed, pushing him gently onto his back.

"Amy- are u sure ? i thought u didnt want this now" Niall hesitantly asked.

Amy tutted with a seductive smile, as she gripped his hair hard making him moan, "I wanted this Niall, but I want control. Now be my perfect slut, wont you?"

She climbed onto the bed, straddling him. Niall could feel the heat of her through the lace, and he groaned with desire. Amy leaned down, her lips meeting his in a passionate kiss as she handcuffed him discretely

Niall pulled back in shock, looking down at the restraints , “where did they come-“

His words were cut off as Amy kissed him again, straddling him and slowly unbuttoning his clothes

Niall, for his part, was more than happy to oblige. He reveled in the feeling of Amy's soft body pressed against his, her hands exploring every inch of his skin. He could feel himself growing hard with desire, his cock throbbing with need.

Amy, noticing his arousal, began to lick and tease his nipples, her tongue flicking back and forth across the sensitive buds. Niall moaned with pleasure, his hips bucking upwards as he tried to grind against her.

But Amy had other plans. She moved down his body, her lips trailing kisses down his stomach until she reached his cock. She took him in her mouth, her tongue swirling around the head of his shaft as she sucked him deep.

Amy's lips wrapped around Niall’s cock, her head bobbing up and down as she took him deeper and deeper into her mouth. She could feel him growing harder with each passing moment, his hips thrusting up to meet her eager mouth.

But Amy had a surprise in store for him. She pulled back, letting his cock slip out of her mouth with a wet pop. Niall looked at her, puzzled, as she stood up and walked towards the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" he asked, his voice husky with desire.

"Just wait," Amy replied, a mischievous glint in her eye.

She rummaged through the freezer, searching for what she wanted. Finally, she found it - a tray of ice cubes. She pulled it out and grabbed a few cubes, wrapping them in a cloth.

When she returned to the bedroom, Niall’s cock was still standing at attention, eager for her attention. Amy knelt down between his legs, wrapping her hand around his shaft. She stroked him a few times, feeling him grow even harder in her hand.

Then she leaned down and took him into her mouth again, but this time, she was careful to keep her teeth away from his sensitive skin. She swirled her tongue around the head of his cock, teasing him with every touch.

As she sucked him, she reached down with her free hand and began to massage his balls. Niall moaned with pleasure, his hips bucking up to meet her mouth.

But Amy wasn't done yet. She took the ice cubes from the cloth and began to run them over Niall’s thighs, feeling him jump with surprise. Then she moved them up to his balls, feeling him gasp as the cold ice met his hot skin.

She alternated between the ice and her mouth, teasing him until he was on the edge of orgasm. Then she pulled back, letting him cool down.

"Please, Amy," Niall begged, his voice strained with desire. "I need to cum."

She looked up at him with a sly smile and said "Not yet baby, I want to drag this on a little longer."

She then stood up and slowly removed her panties, revealing her wet and inviting pussy. She straddled him and sandwiched his cock between her folds, rubbing herself against him. Niall moaned with pleasure as he felt her wetness on his cock.

She ground her hips against him, her moans growing louder with each movement. Niall, unable to resist, reached up to touch her, his restraints stopped him from doing so.

"Please baby, I can make us both feel so good, just let me out of these" Niall said as he clenched his jaw.

"Not yet, my love," she whispered, her breath hot against his ear. 

Amy, a vision of pure sin, straddled him, her damp folds enveloping his throbbing cock. Her fingers traced the outline of his lips, leaving a glistening trail of her essence. "Taste me, Niall," she whispered, her voice husky with desire. He obliged, swirling his fingers around her hungrily as he sucked her arousal from her fingers.

"Such a good boy, so good for me" Amy said "And good boys should get rewarded"

Niall's breath hitched as she guided him to her entrance, her eyes locked onto his. Inch by inch, she sheathed him within her, each movement drawing a ragged moan from deep within him.

Once he was fully seated within her, she began to move. Slowly at first, she ground against him, her muscles clenching and releasing in a languid rhythm that drove him to the brink of madness. Her breasts bounced with each movement, her nipples hard and begging for attention. Niall could only watch, transfixed by the sight before him.

As the tempo increased, so did the symphony of their moans. Each thrust elicited a gasp, a sigh, a plea for more. Niall’s hands clenched into fists as he fought against the restraints, wanting nothing more than to bury himself deeper within her.

Amy's fingers found their way to her clit, her moans growing louder as she circled the sensitive nub. Niall watched, mesmerized, as her orgasm approached. Her body tensed, her breath hitched, and with a final thrust, she shattered around him.

Her muscles milked him, drawing forth his own release. He cried out, his voice mingling with hers as he spilled himself within her. Spent, Amy collapsed onto him, her breath warm against his neck.

"That was ...incredible" Amy said as she recollected her breath.

"Who said im done with you?" Niall asked in a deep voice which made her confused as she furrowed her eyebrows

"what are-" she didnt get to finish her sentence.

With that, Niall broke free from the restraints and I mmediately rolled Amy onto her stomach, her luscious ass presented to him like a banquet for a starving man. He couldn't help but marvel at the sight, his cock throbbing with need. He leaned down, pressing tender kisses to the soft skin of her lower back, eliciting a soft moan from Amy

"I hope you had your fun, now it's my turn baby." Niall growled as he put his hands on her waist

"Oh, Niall ," she breathed, her voice heavy with desire. "I need you, I need to feel you inside me."

Niall couldn't resist the temptation any longer. He reached for the bottle of lube they kept within arm's reach, slicking his fingers with the cool liquid. He gently parted Amy's cheeks, his eyes locked on the puckered rosebud of her anus. He leaned in, his tongue darting out to taste her, to prepare her for the invasion of his cock.

Amy's breath hitched in her throat as she felt Harry's tongue on her, her body trembling with anticipation. "Oh, yes," she moaned, her voice a raspy whisper. "Lick me, prepare me, I am yours to take."

Niall obliged, his tongue exploring every inch of her, his fingers gently massaging her opening. He could feel her muscles relaxing, her body welcoming him in. With a final flick of his tongue, he straightened up, his cock poised at her entrance.

"Are you ready, my love?" he asked, his voice thick with desire.

"Yes, Niall ," Amy replied, her voice trembling with need. "Take me, claim me, make me yours."

With a slow, deliberate motion, Niall began to push inside her, his cock sliding in with ease, her body already slick and ready for him. Amy's breath hitched as she felt him filling her, her body stretching to accommodate him. Niall lay on top of her back and stretched his hand to interlock it with her fingers as he pushed in more.

"Oh, Niall ," she moaned, her voice a breathless whisper. "You feel so good inside me, so big, so powerful."

Niall began to move, his hips rocking back and forth as he thrust in and out of her, each stroke driving them both closer to the edge. He reached around, his fingers finding her clit, rubbing gentle circles around the sensitive nub.

Amy's moans grew louder, her body trembling with pleasure as Niall’s cock and fingers worked in tandem, bringing her to the brink of ecstasy. She could feel another orgasm building within her, her muscles clenching around Niall's cock as he continued to thrust into her.

"Oh, Niall , I'm gonna cum," she cried out, her voice a ragged moan. "Don't stop, don't you dare stop."

"Oh yeah, should i make you edge like u mad me? maybe that will teach u a lesson" He said stopping his movements

"No, baby im sorry, i wont do it again , please please dont stop." Amy pleaded with desperate gasps

Niall's fingers moved faster, his thrusts growing more urgent as he felt Amy's body tighten around him. With a final thrust, he sent them both tumbling over the edge, their orgasms crashing over them like a tidal wave.

Amy's moans turned to cries of pleasure, her body shuddering as she came, her inner walls clenching around Harry's cock, milking it for all it was worth. Niall's own orgasm tore through him, his cock twitching as he filled Amy's ass with his seed.

As they both came down from their high, Niall gently pulled out of Amy's, collapsing beside her on the bed. They lay there, panting and spent, their bodies glistening with sweat.

“Holy” Amy started

“I know” Niall said, just as shocked as he processed the events.

Finally after cleaning up ,they fell In a comfortable slumber, wrapped in each others arms.

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

If you like this, check out my other stories here

[tilltheendwilliwrite]

Reflections

Chapter Seven

Master List / Real People Master List / Reflections Master List

Pairing: Mia MacAlsdair x Au Tom Hiddleston

Warnings: language, fluff, angst, mentions of suicide and self-harm, 18+ Minors do not interact

A/N: I apologize in advance should my Scottish/English interpretations be incorrect. I am Canadian playing in a world of my own making. Do not @ me.

**I do not tag. **To be notified of updates and new works, subscribe to me or the story on AO3 for email notification, or follow the library blog @tilltheendwilliwrite-library  with notifications turned on so you’re not missing out. An account is required to access my work on AO3. For more information on how to get your FREE AO3 account, see this post.

~

In a borrowed coat and boots, Mia walked the grounds with Tom. He listened as she talked, asked intelligent and insightful questions, and occasionally interjected with facts about his home.

"So you have an altar for him?"

Mia nodded. "I do. Not just him, though he features. Freya is there, Thor, Odin, Fenrir and Jörmungandr. They're the ones who niggle at me most often."

"Can I see it?"

"No," Mia chuckled.

"Please!"

She shook her head. "One, it's in my bedroom, and two, an altar is very personal. I might be inclined to share it with you someday, but I don't know you well enough right now."

He sighed but nodded. "I understand the hesitation. May I ask what's on it?"

"Candles, crystals, some pretty feathers I found while walking. Loki likes candy, so there's often a bowl with something sweet and a few fun trinkets, again for Loki. Recently, I found a beautifully carved raven that seems to please Odin. Freya likes flowers." She shrugged. "I go where I feel led."

"The way you speak of them…."

She sighed. "It's fine. You wouldn't be the first to call me crazy."

He grasped her elbow, causing her to stop and look at him. "I don't think you're crazy, Camila."

She blinked at him in surprise. "How do you know my full name?"

He tucked his hands in his pockets and ducked his head. "I may have checked out your website. You list yourself as Camila online."

"Yeah, Camila Alasdair. It's my artisan name to help me avoid creepers. Not that I'm anywhere well-known enough to have creepers." She chuckled. "The only person who ever called me Camila was my dad." She smiled at the memory. 

"It suits you," Tom murmured. "Camila, the firebrand with the copper penny hair and temper to match."

Mia shook her head. "I don't have a temper. You were an ass."

"Ah, that isn't what I heard. Did you not also threaten Benedict Campbell?"

She crossed her arms. "Again, a perfect example of assery."

Tom chuckled. "I think you Canadians have cultivated this persona of politeness, but it is complete rubbish."

"Don't test me, Hiddleston. You're stomping on the Geneva Accords again." 

He snickered and grasped her hand. "And we wouldn't want that, would we love? I'd hate to get on your God's bad side. I know what trouble he can bring."

"And he's already annoyed about the hair," she quipped, attempting to ignore how his thumb pressed and caressed her palm. 

"You said that before. What was wrong with my hair?"

"It wasn't red."

"How do you know it should be red?"

She bit her lip, studying him hard. She already spilled much about her private life to this man, but no matter Henry's warning, she felt a pull toward Tom that had nothing to do with liking his acting and everything to do with liking the man. 

"No one knows what I'm about to tell you, and I'd appreciate it if it stayed that way."

His smile slipped into seriousness as he closed the distance between them. "You have my promise, Camila."

She sighed. "When I was thirteen, I met him."

His eyes widened. "What? Like actually met him?"

The disbelief was palpable, and Mia stepped back, causing him to release her hand, creating distance to protect herself from the skepticism to follow. "Yeah. I was in the worst of my foster homes, where the dad drank and screamed. There were five of us, four boys and me. Two were terrible, always pinching me and pulling my hair, making fun of my freckles and anything else they could poke at. The oldest one was indifferent, and the youngest didn't care. I learned to defend myself and fight dirty in that home. I had to, but it was a hard time. Really hard. I was thirteen, my body was changing on top of everything else, and I hated it. I hated life. I hated living. I hated foster care." 

She hugged her elbows and turned to face the town, the view from the hill spectacular. "I was depressed and still grieving. No one thought to get me help, and after two years, I couldn't do it anymore."

"Camila." His hands were warm through her coat as they squeezed her shoulders. 

"I ran away," she whispered. "I found the highest bridge I could and climbed over the railing."

"Fuck, Mia," he murmured against her hair. 

"Then, out of nowhere, there was this… person crouched on the railing like a raven. "Girl, what are you doing?" he asked me. For the first few seconds, I couldn't tell if they were male or female. I didn't understand the shifting of their face until it stopped on these pretty masculine features, all angles and sharpness, almost too delicate to be male. His hair was long and red as blood, a sunset, a fall leaf. It was full of braids and twists and feathers, bits of gold and tiny bells. He crouched there with these piercing eyes like he could see my soul."

She stopped to wipe her cheeks, the tears coming unbidden. "Girl, what are you doing?' He sounded disappointed, shocked, and sad. I told him I was tired and couldn't keep going when everyone dragged me down. He talked to me, told me this wasn't the way, that there were other paths to follow, and when I took his offered hand, he helped me back over the railing."

It was why she always knew his touch. She could never forget it or his voice that day. 

"He kissed my forehead and walked with me as we headed back to that house. He told me he could help, that he understood and loved the parts of me others saw as weird or quirky. He said it would be hard, but I could make it if I had the heart to try."

"And so you tried at the behest of the God of Mischief?"

"Not at first." She smiled. "I didn't even know who he was for a while. Then, we had a class on Norse Mythology at school, and it clicked. I spent weeks in the library figuring it out. He's been around ever since."

You would miss me if I left, girl.

"And he still calls me girl. And yeah, I did think I was losing it for a while. I wondered if I had a tumour - I don't. I even considered that I was hallucinating because I was malnourished and sleep-deprived, but when both of those regulated, he remained. Like a tick, you can't scrape off."

Rude.

"Does he appreciate such remarks?" Tom chuckled. 

"He makes worse ones."

Lies.

"You do, too, and you know it," she huffed.

"He's speaking to you now?"

She turned to face Tom, eyes narrowed, wondering if he was humouring the crazy girl, but his genuine curiosity released the tension from her shoulders. "Yes."

"Can you see him?"

She shook her head. "Not since the bridge, but I can feel his presence and his touch. Sometimes, when he wants me to know I'm not alone, there will be a flash of red and a raven."

One quorked in the nearby tree before flying down to land in the grass and hop along beside them. 

"Like that," she chuckled. 

Tom stared at the raven. 

"Look, I get that you probably don't believe any of this, and that's fine. As I said, faith versus fiction is hard for people. Most people. My stuff is likely dry, so I'll just change and head home."

She tried to walk around him, but he pulled her back. 

"I do believe you."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "You do?"

"Yes, and I'll be forever grateful he stopped a child from ending her life," he whispered hoarsely as he cupped her cheek. "So she could grow into an incredible woman. A very beautiful woman. A fascinating woman."

His voice dropped sentence by sentence into a deadly velvet-soft purr that shook her to the core.

"I'm… I'm not fascinating," Mia insisted without much effort behind it, her knees now weak.

"Oh, but you are, Camila. You are bewitching. I thought it the moment we met."

"You didn't even like me."

"I was under a misconception," he huffed. "An error that irritated me."

"Why?"

He moved closer. "Can you not guess, Camila? Can you not feel the pull between us?"

She nodded, her eyes drifting to his lips as he licked them. 

"Fuck it," he murmured. "I can be a gentleman later."

Again, Mia saw it coming, but when Tom ducked his head, she pressed up on her toes and met him in the middle. Her mind blanked as his mouth slid over hers, tilted, and locked. 

Mountains could tumble, stars could fall, and Gods could walk the Earth. Nothing would drag her from the lightning wick of excitement that coursed her veins and dropped her to drown in a sea of searing desire unlike any she'd ever known.

The intensity made her gasp and break the kiss, but they didn't pull apart. His nose brushed against hers as tingling lips came together in small, almost delicate kisses. 

Big and warm, his hand caressed and cupped her nape, keeping her near. He held her close, fingers splayed against her lower back, urging her into his body where she relished his heat. 

Mia worked her arms up his chest and around his neck, her knees threatening to buckle when he bit gently into her lower lip. 

When he finally drew back, it was only an inch, allowing her to see kiss-darkened lips and heavy-lidded eyes full of want.

She couldn't remember the last time someone looked at her like that or if Colt ever had.

"Camila MacAlasdair, where in the world did you come from?" he murmured, gently squeezing her nape. 

"Canada," she said, a little lust drunk. 

The man had power over parts of her she thought dried up and out of commission long ago. Now, they were awake, alive, and firing on all cylinders. She was embarrassingly wet. Add in her lack of underwear, and Mia was practically dripping down her leg from nothing more than a few devastating kisses.

He chuckled softly. "I suppose you did."

"So, that was unexpected," she said, rocking back on her heels. 

"But not unwelcome?" he asked.

She blushed and shook her head. 

"Mm," he hummed, eyes twinkling. 

Mia didn't know they could do that outside fiction. 

He stroked her hair, collected her hand, and led her to stroll toward a paddock fence. A couple of horses wandered over when they stopped at the railing. 

Mia pet their soft noses.

"Do you ride?"

She shook her head. "That's the second time someone asked me that today."

"Oh?"

"Henry, he said my grandmother rode. He offered to teach me."

Tom stiffened. "Henry Stewart?"

Mia nodded, watching the emotions sweep across his face.

He cleared his throat. "How do you know Henry?"

"He looks after the farm."

The wince was subtle but present. "And he is aware you are here?"

"Yes. I drove his truck."

Surprise widened his eyes. "And he let you come?"

Mia frowned. "Because he's my keeper and has a say?"

"No, of course not! But…" He struggled to find the words. 

Mia took pity on him. "He doesn't like you. I'm aware."

Tom cringed. "It's a bit more than that."

"Oh?"

He looked at her and sighed. She wasn't going to prod him into telling her. If he wanted to, he would. 

Tom rubbed a hand over his mouth, then scratched the chin of the horse when it nudged him. "Henry blames me for his sister's death."

~

Emma squealed and yanked on Kip's arm. "I knew it! Oh, she's perfect for him."

Kip chuckled as they spied from a third-story window as Tom showed Mia around the grounds. Emma had her nose stuck to the glass and attempted to break his ears with enthusiasm. 

"She's quite perfect for him. Sweet but unwilling to put up with his brooding," he agreed. 

Tom spent the last years with his chin tucked, full steam ahead, fighting and clawing to save what they nearly lost. Sometimes, it felt like he meant to prove the sacrifice of his career wasn't in vain.

Kip wished it hadn't happened. He knew how much Tom loved acting, but he wouldn't hear of it when Kip offered to step back and do the hard thing. Tom insisted it was his duty, his responsibility. He wouldn't pass the burden to someone else. 

That he sank nearly every quid he had into keeping Highpark afloat while they figured things out didn't go unnoticed. He never said anything, not one peep about basically going broke to keep the lights on, but it was a scant few years before and during the pandemic.

Now, they had breathing room and thriving businesses, and Kip was working more than ever. So much so that taking time for Serina and the baby was an easy choice to make. 

But once in a while, he could see the far-off look, the stare of longing, the memories surface and hold his brother hostage, as he looked at Kip's life and thought… what if?

Tom spent so much time with his head down that he stopped living. If he kept going, the resentment would kill him. 

Meeting Mia at the market was like a little miracle. She was funny, easy to talk to, and not impressed by fame. But oh, how her eyes lit up when she spoke of the other Loki. And not in the crazed superfan, murder you in your sleep and wear your skin as a trophy kind of way, but in the, I appreciate the effort you put into making the role something special way.

She didn't even cop to the name, making him doubly sure he wasn't introducing his brother to a nutter. 

Then the idiot went and nearly muffed it. 

The wanker.

"Oh… oh… oh!" Emma shrieked and slapped his arm repeatedly, dragging him from his musings. 

"Dammit, Em! Leave off-" He caught what she was on about and stared in disbelief. "Oh, that cheeky bastard! And he gave me shit for moving too fast with Serina."

They were locked in an embrace, too far away to know for sure, but if he weren't kissing Mia, Kip would be disappointed. 

Then, like something out of a damn period film, the sky broke just enough to bathe them in a shaft of sunlight. Mia's hair glowed like copper fire, Tom's like aged bronze.

As quickly as it came, it went, hidden behind the clouds that appeared less daunting than before.

"I have to tell Ethan!" Emma shrieked and dashed off, leaving Kip watching alone. 

They'd plotted to toss the pair together as often as possible for just this moment. That his brother made a move in barely hours impressed and surprised Kip. He didn't think Tom had it in him to steal a kiss so blatantly.

Their moment lingered for long heartbeats before they broke apart.

Kip couldn't help his smile. 

"Well done, Tom." 

It was about time he found his happily ever after.

When they walked off toward the paddocks, Kip left the room.

~

Mia stared at him, her face drained of colour, causing her freckles to stand out starkly against the cream and her ocean eyes to appear bigger. "He… what?"

Tom sighed. It was never an easy thing to talk about. "Back in the day, Henry and I were mates. Best mates. I spent as much time at his as he did mine, and Sarah, his sister, often tagged along. She was friends with Emma, as they were in the same year of school, but often wanted to chase after Hen and me." He patted the horse's cheek and pushed her face away when she tried to nibble on his shoulder. 

"Do you mind if we walk and talk?" he murmured, motioning down the fence line toward the barns. 

Surprisingly, Mia took his hand and squeezed it encouragingly. That one point of contact slowed his racing heart and calmed his fear that she would run from him when she heard what he had to say. 

"At four years her senior, neither of us wanted to entertain his little sister. It was our last summer before college, and Sarah was especially clingy. She was taking Henry's leaving hard, but the minor infatuation I had ignored for some time escalated that summer." 

She left him notes, snuck into his room, and showed up at parties she knew he would be at, causing him or Henry to have to take her home. 

"She was fourteen to my eighteen, and while four years now may not seem that big of a deal…."

"It was a really big deal when you were dealing with a girl trying to be a woman," Mia murmured. 

"Yes," he sighed, relieved she understood. "The night before I was set to leave for school, she showed up here, in my room, in my bed."

"Oh, wow," Mia whispered. 

"It made me sick, a little mad, and desperately frustrated. The implications and the gravity of the situation were not lost on me. Luckily, I was with Emma and Kip, so they knew I had nothing to do with her appearance." Even now, the thought of what could have happened, the accusations that could have followed, broke him into a cold sweat. "I sent Emma in to get her out of my bed and dressed and Kip off to get Mum and Dad because enough was enough. She damn near invented a scandal with me at the centre."

They left the grass to crunch into the gravel drive that led to the barns. "How mortified was she?"

"Very," he sighed. "And Emma has never been known to hold back. I don't know what she said, but they weren't friends afterward." 

"Emma would have wanted to protect you," Mia murmured, tightening her grip. 

"Unnecessary but appreciated. When Kip returned, I found out Mum and Dad had gone out, leaving three teenagers to handle the mess alone." He thrust his free hand through his hair, remembering with a clarity clearer than glass. "So we marched her into the parlour, where, with Kip and Emma as witnesses, I told Sarah that I didn't like her that way. She was Henry's sister, would always be Henry's sister, and I would never see her as a woman."

“Ouch,” Mia murmured. 

"I admit, I could have handled it better, been nicer about it, but I was leaving for college. I thought four years without me around would cure her of her obsession. Had I known, fuck, I don't know…."

Mia drew him to a stop just inside the shade of the cool, musty barn. "Tom, so far, I don't think you did anything wrong. I think you're fortunate that so much of it went right. If Kip and Emma hadn't been there…" She shook her head. "She was a girl with a crush and a dangerous infatuation. I don't know if nicer would have been better or encouraged her to try harder."

He nodded. "Such were my thoughts." 

"So what happened? Henry mentioned Sarah died at sixteen. If you were away at college, how are you responsible?"

He closed his eyes against the sick feeling rising in his stomach. "I was home for the holiday, Christmas. Highpark always hosts a party, and that year was no different. Henry and I kept in touch, but we drifted. Going to different colleges, school work, and life made it hard to keep up our friendship, but he was there, and so was Sarah. We never told anyone what happened; Emma and Kip ensured she got home safe, but not even our parents knew what she'd done. But that night, she was dressed to the nines, flirted with everyone and pretended like I didn't exist. I was relieved."

"Clearly, she was planning something."

He snorted and shook his head. "Clearly, you are smarter than me. I didn't suspect a thing."

"I'm suspicious by nature," Mia shrugged. 

"If only I were the same, I wouldn't have gotten pissed. I would have noticed when she disappeared toward the end of the party. I would have checked before I walked into my room and turned on the light only to find her naked on my sheets… with a fully pissed Henry on my heels."

Mia's eyes widened into round orbs. "Oh, shit!"

"Yes, well, as you can imagine, it went about that well. Henry raged and took a swing at me; I took one at him. Sarah screamed and cried, racing to get her clothes on as we beat on each other. When she finally managed to make us stop, I…" He swallowed thickly past the bile. "I said, "I told you the last time you pulled this stunt, I wasn't interested in fucking a child." She paled to a ghostly white and ran off. Henry cursed me out and went after her."

Tom attempted to release Mia's hand, but her grip tightened, and her free one lifted to rest against his chest. "Tell me."

He swallowed hard. "I chose to wash my hands of it. Sarah could explain to Henry whatever she wanted. I was done. The next morning, he found her dead. She'd overdosed on sleeping pills."

Mia's jaw dropped. 

"Henry blames me. I went to him, tried to apologize, tried to explain what happened, but he wouldn't hear it. Sarah was troubled, he said. If I hadn't been so brutal, maybe she wouldn't have-" 

Soft fingers pressed against his lips. 

"You are not at fault for the decision she made. When a person decides…" Tears caused her eyes to sparkle. "When they make up their mind, not much will stop them."

He cupped her cheek, heart aching for her. "You stopped."

She leaned into his hand. "I had an intervention. I'm sorry the same didn't happen for Sarah."

"As am I. Over the years, Henry's hatred of me has grown. Now, we avoid each other as much as possible."

"The town isn't that big. You're going to have to come to terms with this eventually."

Tom shook his head. "I've tried. He damn near takes my head off each time."

"Then what you need is a peacekeeper." She smirked. "Oh, would you look at that? A Canadian. How fortunate."

Tom chuckled. "I still think it's all poppycock. A reputation built on fabrication."

Mia rolled her eyes. 

"You do that a lot," he murmured. Every time, he wanted to back her into the wall or spank her bottom pink.

"You annoy me a lot," she quipped. 

He leaned closer. "I think you enjoy it."

"Maybe." Mia snickered, heading into the barn where a few faces watched them over stall doors. 

"Welcome to the stud," Tom purred against her ear, his hand spanning her waist. 

The woman had an ass on her that would make a pleasing handful and thighs he longed to grip, but she had a tucked-in waist and generous breasts, and he tried hard not to think about how she had nothing on under his clothes.

"Why does that feel like a line?"

He chuckled. "Unintentional, but would it work?"

Mia snorted. "No."

He laughed, and the sound echoed, causing a few people working in the barn to stop and stare. Tom ignored them as he introduced her to each stallion waiting for his attention. 

"These five are our top producers."

Mia stroked the white spot on the end of Mystic's nose. "Producer of what?"

"Foals, love. They are our prize breeders. Once, they were tops in their fields." He turned and pointed at each. "Jumper. Steeples. Polo. Racer and this old man," he patted the cheek of the black whose nose she stroked, "ran like the wind in his day. They are all proven sires whose offspring have gone on to be just as talented as they are."

"So you just breed them? You don't raise racing stock too?"

"Ah, that would be the other barn. We have a few prospects we breed or purchase ourselves yearly, but the stud is where the money is. Ethan, Emma's husband, does the training and travels for the races or shows when needed, and while I'm fit to ride and give the old men their exercise, I leave the pairings to the farm's breeding manager."

"Did your family always raise horses?"

"Back down the roots of the family tree." He chuckled. "We weren't always Lords of Highpark, but horses are in the blood, though we shifted away from racehorses into a wider range. I was a polo man myself in my younger years."

"And you still ride every day."

He looked at her sharply. "And how would you know that?" 

She glanced at him, a slight blush in her cheeks. "I see you when I walk the fields most mornings."

"Do you? And do you enjoy watching me ride?" 

She nodded, and he could tell she held a firm appreciation for him on the back of his horse. It was a nice stroke to his ego.

They made their way out the far side of the barn, where he crowded her against the wall, bracing his hands to either side of her. "Perhaps tomorrow I will ride down to the fence so you may see everything closer."

"That…" Her voice caught. "That would be nice."

His grin spread, wicked and wide, as he leaned in. "Maybe you would like to ride with me?"

"I don't know how yet."

"That won't be a problem," he murmured, his heavy-lidded gaze back on her mouth before his lips slowly brushed across hers. 

"Tom," she sighed, slipping her hands inside his open jacket. 

"Sweet, surprising, Camila," he purred, cupping her nape and tilting her head up. 

His lips brushed and retreated. Brushed and pulled her bottom lip. Brushed and teased until she whimpered, body erupting in shivers. His nose caressed hers. She breathed in his exhale. Their mouths met, and she moaned.  

Potent wasn't the right word for Camila. Explosive. Dangerous. Devastating. Those were closer to how easy it would be for him to fall into something with her. He could only imagine how the rest would go if kissing her was this good. 

He kissed her until she was breathless and panting, then traced his lips down her throat to suck where his jumper gaped between her shoulder and neck. The quiet groan she released had him slipping his knee between her thighs and pressing more of his weight into her welcoming body. 

"Would you have dinner with me?" he asked, tugging her earlobe with his teeth. 

"I would. When?"

"Tomorrow. I would say tonight, but I have an obligation I cannot escape," he murmured before sucking on her neck again.

"Tomorrow is good," she agreed, running her hands up his back. 

"Excellent," he crooned, returning to her mouth to kiss her because he couldn't get enough of how she tasted. 

A drizzle began to fall, dampening only a little of the heat they created, but it was enough for Tom to lift his head. "I should return you to my sister. I seem to have monopolized your time."

Mia laughed. "I don't think she'll mind."

"Why's that, love?" he frowned. 

"Well, she's spent the last two weeks texting me about how great her brother is, and she wasn't talking about Kip. They think they're so tricky, but I know they intended to set us up."

Tom cursed softly but inventively and shook his head. "And I nearly muffed it up. No wonder Kip looked seconds away from beating my arse."

"At the time, it was an arse worth beating," Mia teased. 

He snorted and stepped back, pulling her from the wall to tuck her under his arm as they headed for the house. "I was a complete prat, but I've never been so thoroughly jealous of Kip in my life."

"Not even when he took over as Loki?"

He looked down at her. She couldn't possibly know losing her to Kip - had that been a possibility - would have hurt far more than losing Loki. 

He slowly shook his head. "Not even then."

Mia blushed and tightened her grip on his waist. 

Unable to stand it any longer, he asked, "Do you still regret meeting your hero?"

"Oh, Gods!" she cringed. "I can't believe I said that to you."

As they crossed the lawn, he whispered in her ear, "Would you like to explain how, in all the realms, I'm your hero?"

Her face burned scarlet, but she murmured, "You did him justice. You took the role and very clearly put thought, research, and effort into it. There was passion in your performance, and while I wasn't familiar with the comics then, I could tell you researched the source material. The guy who played Thor was decent, but if he ever read a passage of the Eddas, you could have fooled me."

Tom stopped, drawing her to a stop with him in the grey mist that added tiny droplets to her hair like individual crystals. "You could tell that from my performance? And this makes me your hero?"

She shook her head. "It's difficult to explain. What I am, who I am, being Lokean is part of my identity. By then, I'd practiced for years, hearing him, following him, and, yes, loving him. I had also put up with ridicule and discrimination for just as long. When I found out about and then watched Thor, seeing someone else care that much?" She shook her head. "You don't know what that was like for me. Did I think you were Lokean? No, but you cared enough about Loki, about doing him justice as a character to go above and beyond what was asked of you."

Heat warmed his cheeks. "Camila, I'm… I'm honoured."

She tilted her head. "I was so disappointed when you weren't in Ragnarok, but then I didn't enjoy that movie. I felt it made a mockery of the growth and effort put into the other films. I stopped watching after that, and I never was much of a movie watcher before Thor."

 "Which is why you didn't know who Kip was."

"Yeah. And I've never been great with names, so yours just slipped my mind until Emma explained who you were." She shrugged. 

"Yes." He sighed. "I faded swiftly and thoroughly from the limelight and everyone's memories."

"Maybe," Mia murmured. "But today, Loki isn't why I think you're a hero."

He frowned. "Oh?"

She shook her head and hesitantly brushed her fingers over his cheek before combing the water droplets from his hair. "No. What you did to save your home and your family is far more heroic than anything you might have done on screen. I know it's not my place, and my opinion isn't likely to matter, but… I'm really proud of you, Tom."

"Camila," he whispered, voice thick and hoarse with emotion. Her opinion suddenly mattered most of all.

She smiled, pressed up on her toes and kissed his cheek. "We should head in."

He cleared his throat and nodded before tucking her back under his arm and leading her to the house.

Next Chapter

[shelbgrey]

Glory of love(Eleazar Denali)

Chapter 9: home sweet home

Table of contents

“c-come on, you gotta know something?” Bella stuttered out from the dinning room table. I sighed and slammed the wooden spoon I was using to cook dinner.

“Bella whatever it is... It's none of your business” I said turning towrds her.

“so your telling me you haven't noticed anything weird about your boyfriend?” Bella asked as I continued to heat up the spaghetti sauce. Duke came up to me and started to beg. I shrugged at bella as I fed the dog a piece of meatball.

“I don't know, Eleazar is pretty much perfect” I smiled deciding on a sarcastic come back. “and have you given any thought that Edward might think your weird?”

“I resent that!” Bella scoffed as I started to chop some garlic. I rolled my eyes, my back was to her so she missed it.

“I'm sorry honey, but your given a fresh start. maybe you should work on yourself instead of obessing over a boy who thought you stunk in Biology” I said starting to chop faster. She continued to complain and...

“shit!” I said jerking back.

“what happened?” Bella asked just as the door bell rang. The tip of my finger fadded into a deep red.

“I cut myself” I mumbled and headed to the bathroom.

“who's at the door?” Bella asked heading towards the door. “it's Eleazar, let him in please” I said going up stairs with Duke in tow.

As I was rinsing my finger I heard heavy foot steps get closer to the bathroom. “y/n?”

“hang on, don't come in here” I said not wanting to make him uncomfortable with my blood.

I quickly patched my finger up and left the bathroom. I opened the door and saw Eleazar leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

“are you okay love?” he asked taking my hand. I just shook my head.

“I just nicked myself cooking Bella's dinner” I said. He Kissed my wounded hand. I should have been afraid he'd drink my blood, but I felt at ease. My blood wasn't desirable to him.

“are you sure it's not deep? Carlisle can stitch it up when we get to the house” I quickly kissed his lips silencing him. “I'm fine”

“let's get going” I said grabbing his hand and lead him down stairs.

“dad's working late tonight, Bella” I said grabbing my leather jacket. She nodded grabbing a plate from the cabinet. “okay, have fun”

“bye Mr. Denali” Bella awkwardly waved as we left.

~~~~~~~~(.......)~~~~~~~~

We drove deep in the woods, I knew the Cullens and the Denalis lived outside of town but I never expected for them to be this far out.

As we got closer to our destination my chest tightened with worry. I looked out the window and started to bounce my leg nervously.

“What's troubling you?” he asked placing his hand on my knee to stop the fidgeting. Without thinking I shot him a useless fib.

“I'm fine”

He glanced at me for a second then looked back at the road as he raised an eyebrow. “so it's normal for your heart to sound like a weed eater?”

I chuckled at his unexpected comparison. I rested my head on the back of the car seat and looked at him. “What if your family doesn't like me?”

Eleazar let out an airy chuckle. “that's what's got you all riled up?” he glanced over at me after he took a turn down a dirt road. “I'm taking you to the lions den, you should be more worried about being eaten then being excepted”

I rolled my eyes with a smile. Eleazar sighed and rubbed my thigh. “hey, it's going be fine... I promise. Edward and Tayna already talk so fondly of you and everyone eles is gonna think just the same” I smiled softly.

“here we are” Eleazar said as we got to the drive way. My jaw dropped when I saw the beautiful mansion that peaked behind the trees. It was covered in windows and sleek copper colored wood. It had a modern touch and it was huge.

“holy shit” I mumbled. Eleazar chuckled and parked his Coupe Deville next to a massive blue jeep. The garage was full of expensive vehicles and the room was almost the size of my house.

Eleazar lead me to the front door and opened it. “mi casa su casa” he joked.

“it's amazing in here” I said looking at the glass stair case and all the old antique paintings hanging on the walls.

“what were you expecting Dracula's Castle? Perhaps a few cofens?” Eleazar asked as he rolled up the sleeves of his black dress shirt.

“I don't know what I was expecting” I said lacing our fingers together.

Suddenly I heard foot steps coming from above, I looked up and saw a girl with short dark hair looking over the railing on the second floor.

“Eleazar is here with his girlfriend!” she said happy. I blushed at that label, it was the first time actually hearing it.

The girl was shorter than I was, if that was even possible. I've seen her in the hallways and with Edward countless times but I never got to interact with her. She had gold eyes like the rest of them, but her's held so much more hope and joy.

“I'm Alice, Eleazar's neice” she immediately pulled me in a hug, disconnecting mine and Eleazar's hands. Eleazar rubbed his face and nervously chuckled.

“Alice, she just got here... Giver her some breathing room” I rolled my eyes and waved him off. “oh hush, you wanted me to meet your family, right?”

Alice laughed and gave Eleazar an 'I won' look. She turned back to me and took my head. “come on, everyone eles is in the living room”

She pulled me to this huge room that had a huge Charcoal gray couch that was shaped into an 'L'. A crossed from it was a huge flat-screen and a couple of book shelfs. Windows surrounded it all, making it bright and beautiful.

As I stood there I was met with a dozen pairs of gold eyes. A woman with wavy reddish-brown hair came up to me with open. Next to her was a man about her age. He was young and blond. He was handsomer than any movie star I'd ever seen. Of course he wasn't has handsome as Eleazar.

“I'm Esme and this is my husband Carlisle”

“nice to meet you” I smiled as Esme pulled me into a hug like Alice did.

“I'm glad your finally here... Eleazar wouldn't shut up about it” Carlisle smiled. Eleazar rolled his eyes and playfully pushed his best friend.

“well you already know me” Tayna said coming up next to me then pointed at two blonds. “these are my sisters, Irina and Kate”

“nice to meet you” they both smiled, Irina shook my hand but Kate just smiled and waved. I remembered Eleazar telling me about Kate's gift and how she's always nervous about touching Humans.

“then you got the other Cullens” Eleazar said turning to the couch that was holding a big Buff vampire with dark curly hair and demples, I knew him to be Emmett and he was in my 6th period film class. Next to him was a beautiful blond girl.

“that's Emmett and Rosalie” Emmett set his gamming controler down and smiled. “Jasper is around here somewhere”

“he's out hunting” Alice said then turned to me with a shrugged. “he's the newest to the diet so he's a bit shy around humans” I nodded understanding.

Rosalie then stood up and held her hand out. “nice to meet you”

“huh?” Edward said dropping his book in shock. I raised eyebrow as Edward leaned down and picked his book up.

I turned back to Rosalie and shook her hand, she smiled brightly. “Eleazar talks about you all the time, it's good to finally meet you”

“who are you and what have you done with Rosalie?” Edward asked. Rosalie shot him a nasty look and snatched his book, she bonked him on the head making him tumble back into the couch.

“yeah... Never mind she's back” he grumbled.

Eleazar rolled his eyes and took my hand as I chuckled at the sibling rivalry. “I'm gonna show her around the house”

I waved good bye as Eleazar lead me down a hallway then up the glass stairs. “you have a lovely family”

“yeah... I'm lucky to have them” he said. I stoped and looked at huge frame that held graduation caps. I pointed to them with a arched eyebrow.

“yeah it's one of their inside jokes... We move around a lot” he said as we continued to walk around.

“that must suck... Having to redo school over and over” I mumbled. Eleazar shrugged. “they've gotten used to it”

He showed me a big open room with a huge table and big glossy paino was nestled in the corner. “where we have our 'family meetings'” he air qouted.

We traveled around his humongous home and each room didn't disappoint. Towrds the end he lead me down a hallway that was full with different colored doors.

“umm...this is my room” he said opening the door for me. I walked in and was amazed how well the room fit his personality. It was a dim room with big windows. The meddiem sized room was full of books and records, there was a queen sized bed the set in the middle of the room and on both sides was tall black book shelfs.

“you have so many books” I said gliding my finger tips acrossed the spines. I had myself a laugh when I realized he used the Dewey decimal system to organize his books.

“is this a first addition?” I asked grabing a copy of The Great Gastby, it looked ancient.

“yeah, I got it when Fitzgerald first published it” he said walking up behind me as I studied the old hard back book as his hands fell to my waist. I set the book back in it's original place and continued to explore his corters.

His bed was rustic looking with a dark wooden headboard, above the headboard was an old faded flag of Spain. The bed was made neatly but covered in graded school papers.

“I thought vampire don't sleep” I asked running my finger tips on the black comfter that the bed was dressed in. “we don't... But we like to be comfortable” he chuckled.

I looked around and took notice to his other treasures. There was a pirate like trunk that sat open and it was full of old journals and artifacts from Spain. Next to it was a black Ramirez Guitar.

“you play?” I asked.

He smiled a little and and held up his thumb and pinter finger just half an inch apart. “solo un poco(just a little)”

I gave him and innocent smiled and looked up at him. “play for me?” he looked down like he was debating it really hard. I held my hands together and playfully begged.

“Por favor(please)” I asked giving him puppy eyes. He smiled and rolled his eyes. “okay” I smiled as he grabbed his guitar.

He sat at the edge of his bed and I sat down next to him. He placed his fingers on the neck and strummed it a couple of times to make sure it was in tune.

“any requests?” he asked. I shrugged resetting my chin on his shoulder. “play anything”

“okay” he played and couple of notes and I quickly cought on that he was play Elvis' 'Can't help falling in love'

I fought the urge to Humm along, I just wanted to hear him. By the time he finished the song I was speechless, he played the song so flawlessly and perfectly.

“that was beautiful, I thought you said you only played a little bit” I chuckled as he got up and put the guitar back on its stand.

“Correction, I don't play very often”

“well anytime you play I'm here for it” I said softly. He smiled and held out his hand.

“you want to see the rest of the house?” he asked. I took his hand and he pulled me up from his bed with no effort.

~~~~~~~~(.......)~~~~~~~~

“you have a pool?” I asked. Eleazar chuckled and opened the glass door that led out to this greenhouse like room. Inside was this huge in-ground pool, the water was crystal clear and had beautiful white and pale blue stones suronded it. “yeah the girls wanted a pool, so when Esme designed the house she added it” Eleazar explained.

I looked around and saw the interior design matched the the house. There was expensive beach chairs with nice pillows around it. The pool also had a few love taps, there were cracks in few of the stones and couple of waters guns thrown around.

We walked along the edge as Eleazar talked more. “they use it all the time... It really brings them together”

I stoped at the ledge and stood before him with a playful smirk. “you in swim trunks is a sight I don't mind seeing” he smirked as I placed my hands on his chest.

“Yes... It's a sight to see” he said sarcastically. I rolled my eyes, he truly didn't know how handsome he really was. “but next time we decided to use it you'll be the first to know”

“so you won't mind if I did this” I laughed and pushed him in the pool. He fell gracefully and made a splash the caused my Converse to get soaked. He came back up pushing his dark hair out of his eyes. I chuckled as he locked eyes with me.

“very funny... Very funny” he said as his lips cracked into a smile. I laughed as he swam closer to the edge. “it's not funny, it's hilarious” I said plainly.

I was in the pool in a flash, he moved so fast I missed him leap out of the pool and pull me in with him. I screamed as I fell into the cold water.

He placed his hands in my waist pulling me closer. “now we're even” he clarified. I rolled my eyes playfully and placed my hands on his shoulders.

“correct?” he asked with a smirk. I splashed him and back leaned back a bit. He moved forward and planted a quick kiss on my lips. He pulled back and then splashed my face. I laughed and pushed him back.

This went on for a few minutes and as I was wipping my eyes he disappeared under the water. I looked around noticing that he was gone. “Eli?”

Nothing...

I screamed when I felt myself getting lifted up bridel style out of the water. He laughed as I wrapped my arms around his neck, hanging on. I wiggled out of his grasp and continued our little battle. He grabed my wrists, stopping the splashing. He stared down at me like he succeed in what he was trying to catch. I smiled and got closer to his chest, placing my hands there. He leaned down and captured my lips with his. I felt gust of moist wind as he sped forward. It wasn't his full speed but I felt my back gently hit the pool wall in seconds. I lost myself in the moment as his hand came up and cupped my face, the coolness of his lips and how strong yet gentl he was being. I melted into the kiss as I threaded fingers through his damp hair. I shuddered against his lips when I felt his cold finger tips trailed down the water to my skin.

-------(Cullen's pov)-------

“I haven't heard him laugh like that in years” Tayna smiled as she passed the pool room with Kate. Kate smiled as the laughter didn't let up.

“I hope it ends well” Tayna sighed.

“it will” Esme said. “and right now y/n is what makes him happy, so we'll figure out how to keep her safe”

~~~~~~~~(1st pov)~~~~~~~~

“here you can change into these” he said softly. I looked up from drying my hair and saw his bear chest, it was toned and smooth. My eyes couldn't help travel all over his body. His body was tall and perfect in every way. The dark Levi's that he changed into framed his hips perfectly.

“T-thanks” I stuttered. He handed me his black crewneck and a pair of shorts with a knowing smile. He leaned down and and our noises touched. “am I making you nervous or are you just cold, Darling?”

I gulped after relizing I got cought. “I-i don't know”

He took in my sent then kissed me gently before standing up straight. “you can get changed in the bathroom if you like, you can throw your wet clothes in the tub” he said pointing the the small bathroom that was connected to his room.

I nodded and grabed my towel and the clothes he gave me. I closed the door and sighed when I noticed how red my cheek were. “be cool” I mumbled as I stared at my reflection in the mirror.

I quickly shedded my wet t-shirt and jeans and layed them out to dry in the black bath tub. I took off my soaked bra as well and and dried the rest off the way. The huge, black crewneck gave me immediate comfort. It was warm and his cologne lingard on it. I pulled the shorts up(they were probably one of the girls') and walked back into his room.

Eleazar was setting on his bed with his back against the headboard and a copy of The Shining in his lap. I smiled at his domestic state, hair going different direction, white t-shirt and jeans... The man didn't have to do too much to look perfect.

He looked up and smiled. “care to watch a movie, or are you due back home?” I smiled and pretend to think about it for a second. “I don't think the house will explode if I'm gone for one night”

“excellent, there's movies on that shelf by the Tv, pick anything you like” he said setting the book down on his night stand.

I turned my back and read all the dvds titles. There was a lot of war movies and some dramas. My fingers ran acrossed the spins till my eyes spoted a movie that I loved, Halloween. I grabbed the movie and showed him. “this okay?”

“Sure” he said. I popped the dvd in and climbed under the covers next to him. I scooted close to him and rested my head on his shoulder while his arm wrapped around my waist.

I snuggled deeper into his embrace, his scent overwhelming but comforting at the sametime. Settling down further into his warmth, I closed my eyes just basking in his comfort. I hadn't felt this at peace in forever, in the back of my mind I knew things for moving quickly, but I didn't care he made me happy and I felt safe with him.

His hand gently ran through my fingers as he looked down. “your not too cold are you?” he asked softly.

I shook my head and nudged my face into his neck. He's a vampire, of course he's ice could but I could care less. It was almost comforting since I had a history with getting hot easily.

“it doesn't bother me” I said placing my hand on his chest. A small smile formed on his face as he leaned down and kissed me softly. I reached up and placed my hand on the side of his neck, pulling him closer. As the kiss got more heated I felt his hands start to roam my body. We've kissed before but this felt different, I wasn't complaining though.

I swang my leg over him and stratled his lap as our lips locked. His hands fell and grip my waist, our eyes locked as I grind against him. He let out a grunt as I move my hands to the back of his neck, running my fingers though his hair. His hands moved the the back of my neck pushing his lips harder to mine. His toung gently touched my bottom lip asking for entrance. I granted him entrance as my hands fell to the button of his jeans.

He grunted against my lips and he quickly flips us, making my back hit the bed in seconds. His lips smashed against mine in a sering kiss as his hands had a death grip on my hips. I let out a quiet moan as he quickly worked down my neck, I moan as his teeth biting softly into my skin.

I was like his actions cought up to him, once his teeth gently bit into me he quickly leped from the bed. “I'm sorry”

I looked at him concerned as he started to pacing back and forth infront of his bed. He started rambling in Spanish, words I couldn't understand. I wasn't hurt or anything... I thought it was amazing actually.

I got up and grabed it forearm to stop his pacing, I quickly cought on that it was a nervous habit. “Eli, look at me”

He shook his head. “I can't lose control... And surly don't want to hurt you”

I stared deeply into his eyes then pulled him to my chest. His face nesseled into my neck while his arms coiled around my frame. “you didn't hurt me... And I trust you”

He softly kissed my jaw and looked up. “get some sleep, I'll take you home in the morning” he said dodging the subject. He lifted my body and set me back on his bed, I quickly got comfortable on his side. “do you apose to cuddling?” I asked resting my head on his chest.

“never” he said hugging me closer as I drifted to sleep.

[aberrant-webnovel]

Chapter 1 - Vault Breaker Applicant

Content Warning: Violent reference

Chapter 1 - Vault Breaker Applicant

There's a massive building ahead of me. Made of dark steel and copper piping along the exterior. There were rivets lining every panel of the building and lights intermittently placed to illuminate the front of the building.

Above the main entrance rested a symbol, rather than any words. A red skull decal with red rifles crossing behind it like an 'X'. Rather ominous in general, but in this city the sight of this simple symbol held hope for us.

The Vault Breakers were heroes of the Igneol Domain. For over 1,000 years, they have served Domain to better life for people all over the Calabasas Continent. Here in the Igneol Domain, people rely on technological marvels from long ago that can help people better survive in these conditions. The people who go and hunt down these pieces of tech are the Vault Breakers.

Nobody knows what's inside these Vaults until they're cracked and explored, but the reward will make someone rich enough to survive years in leisure. But the rush of hunting this tech and bringing home a payday keeps Breakers going out and fighting for their fortune.

I, Ymir Gajjet Sorenson, will become a Vault Breaker today and fight for the improvement of life for all of us. And more than that, enough money to move me and my family to the Luxor Domain. I've heard so much about the tech they've implemented there. So much stuff that just makes life easy and wonderful for all who can make it there. THAT is my goal. To let mom live happy, healthy, and and safe. More so than in this blazing hot desert.

With each step towards the massive doors ahead of me, I feel my knees buckle. My body sinks and I feel faint. These doors must be sixty feet tall. Must be like a bajillion pounds. I could never move something like that. Oh geez! Why didn't mom tell me anything about this? Why didn't Auntie or Uncle tell me!? How do I get in?

I take a few moments to collect myself. I stare at the doors. I'm about a hundred feet away, but they're immeasurably daunting. I could swear that they grow every time I lose hope in my heart.

Just then, they creep open. Slowly. The sound of metal scraping rings out and I can hear it reverberating in my ears. What amazing power is forcing these massive metal walls to move!? What sorcery!? How can I gain such power!?

I looked near the base of the door. There is a small girl. Maybe a younger teen. I can't quite tell from this far, but she's got some very pretty blue hair. Blue hair that looks just like….

"Silva! What the hell!?"

I couldn't stop myself from shouting and drawing as much attention as I could. It was totally involuntary. I swear. The blue haired youth turned around to looked at me. She scowled.

Silva is a young woman who is actually a little older than I. Only by two years, though. She's my cousin. Like a lot of our family, we all had dreams of being Vault Breaker. This year, I was to apply to join the ranks. My older cousin was also thinking that she'd enlist one day. She wasn't ever particularly interested in the dangerous tasks involved, but rather wanted to join the R&D Corp. She took after her father, who was currently the head of Research & Development for the Vault Breakers.

"You didn't know that I'd be applying with you? I was sure I hinted at it last time I visited."

"Hell no! I was told by Uncle Varun that you weren't going to apply for another few quarters! Auntie Fran said you were thinking about going to school somewhere instead, though."

"Mom always says things like that. She doesn't want me playing with weapons all the time so she tells everyone I'm leaving to go to school. I actually snuck out today to take the tests for the R&D corp. Do me a favor and don't tell mom, kay? Or Auntie Harper. Telling dad is fine, though. He can keep a secret."

"Yeah, I guess Uncle is pretty cool. Plus, won't he be giving you the exam? I don't have to tell him. He's going to see you."

"No, dad's going to be busy today. Some of the others from his department are here to handle the testing. Apparently some team brought in a piece of tech he'd never seen before. Once he sees something crazy, he can't do anything but study it for about a week. I expect I'll get the results back before I even see him leave his lab."

"Geez, Uncle really is a geek, ain't he? Haha!"

It's nice to talk with Silva. She's a bit older than me, but she's never looked down on me for any reason. I was never strong enough or fast enough to compare with the Sorenson family. At my age of 19, I would have already been serving as a Vault Breaker for three years. It's been a tradition for a long time in my father's family to join at 16. I could never keep up. My mother never pressured me to join.

Today is my day, though. Dad, I know you're not with us anymore, but I'm ready to make you proud. It's time that your son Ymir becomes a Vault Breaker!

Together with Silva, we entered through the massive steel doors. They had swung open because Silva presented an authorization keycard to the terminal just outside the doors. I didn't have one with clearance to enter here, but she let me know that her dad slipped her one a while back so that she could visit whenever she wanted. Even though she had such a thing, this was the first time she used it. Typically, I would be entering with a sponsor and directed to the testing areas.

I stepped through the intimidating arch and then stared out to all extraordinary things before me. Lining the walls of the hall were twenty foot statues of the greatest Vault Breakers in the history of the group. Every single one of them is a hero in their own right. All of them achieved enough during their service to earn a place in this hall as one of the six greatest to have ever been called a Vault Breaker.

I walked through the hall and admired each with every step I took. First, to my left, I saw a statue of the founder of the Vault Breakers. Just over 1200 years ago, was when this man, Maximillian "Vault Breaker" Atom, smashed through a blast door with a crazy tech hammer that he looted. Inside the vault, he found a power source called the Igneol Core. This core was able to power a complex series of machinery based on magma flow within a Vault.

This piece of tech became what founded the city that would later be called the Igneol Domain. With this act, Maximillian went forth to found a group dedicated to enriching the lives of humans all around the world with lost technology found deep underground in these mysterious Vaults. Henceforth, his group were called the Vault Breakers and continued to operate out of the center of the Igneol Domain.

Maximillian might have been the first of the great heroes of this place, but across the hall was a statue depicting one of the later leaders of the Vault Breakers. Her achievements, however, came quite a bit before she took over the mantle of leader.

Rochelle Rutherford. She was a powerful fighter. This great woman walked with a force that could shake the crust of the earth and strike terror into the heartiest of Vault veterans. All on her own, she breached a vault, slaughtered a thousand aberrations, and laid claim to valuable technology that led to crucial discoveries in the domain's hydroponics systems. Thanks to this discovery, the lives of everyone in the domain, and later the whole continent, would be enriched by this amazing discovery.

The 6th Chief of the Vault Breakers, Rochelle, was a no-nonsense woman who led with an iron fist. She trained the members and taught them everything needed to do the job. Her teachings would later become adapted and create a system detailing the roles that each Vault Breaker must play.

The Breaker, or Breacher, was a heavy-duty operator. Rather than relying on weapons and offensive gear, they would infiltrate with equipment capable of cutting through defenses that locked Vaults away from them. Once the breach is complete, then they would send in the next roles. Once all members of a team had entered, the Breaker team would seal the Vault and prevent escaping aberrations.

Scouts were trained with the intention of mapping out all dangers and pathways in unknown territory, but only to an extent that danger could be avoided.. Even outside of a breach event, Scouts often did work to find new entries for Vaults. Once inside, a Scout's specialty was not being seen, moving through the territory, and acquiring information to relay back to the rest of the team. Once enough info was acquired, they would return and report. From there, it was up to any Runners in the squad.

Having specialized jobs like Breakers and Scouts was helpful for the Runners. Unlike Breakers and Scouts, every Runner had to learn everything about Vaults. The enemies that were inside had different weak points. The pathways had tendencies in their blueprints that Runners could read and follow. While a Scout could give an initial impression of what's to come, the Runner would know the path that led to the end. Therefore, Runners were the front of the pack.

Runners carried the best weapons, the strongest defenses, and the best tech for surveillance. Gear was usually bulky and required extensive training just to move around with it, as well as augmentations to one's anatomy. This was more than just a fighter role. It was a leader and powerhouse role. Most of the pressure was on the Runners to ensure the safety of all others once they were inside the Vaults.

Rochelle Rutherford was regarded as the greatest Vault Breaker in history because she was able to perform all three roles and to such a degree that she rarely went into Vaults with a group. The last time she did, she died. She fought as hard as she could to protect the lives of those she brought along. Rochelle will always be in the hearts of those who survive. A common ritual is to ask for her protection before leaving for a deployment.

The third hero in this hall is a bit of an obscure one. Ornn Sorenson. He's my ancestor. I forget how many generations back he is, but he lived hundreds of years before I did. His achievements were much less based on merit and skill as a Vault Breaker. He earned his place in this hall from the value of his finds.

Ornn had a nose for treasure and sniffed out the Vaults with some of the best tech that anyone had ever seen. New weapons were able to be created after he brought back ancient military tech one time. Another time, he looted a power cell that redefined how we store energy. Our lives became so much more efficient once we replicated it. His place here is proof off his commitment to enriching the lives of everyone with his efforts.

One day, I want to bring back some awesome score and show it off to everyone. I can just imagine Uncle Varun lighting up at a chance to play with new tech while Auntie Harper lectures me about doing dangerous things.

On my right side now is the fourth statue of a hero. Lars "S-Ranker" Sorenson. Another one of my ancestors. His life was closer to mine, but I still never got to meet him. I hear that he trained my grandfather directly, but I never got a chance to meet any of the men in my family.

Lars, though, had a reputation in our family. A reputation as the strongest and most diligent Vault Breaker that has ever been born in our family. He rose to the top of the ladder within a few years of joining the service. He defeated hordes of aberrations and cleared one Vault after another. He led a team of elites through each one, never taking a casualty.

After countless deployments, Lars retired from action and put his knowledge to use. He created two class systems revolving around the Vaults and the Vault Breakers. The systems are easy to understand and put emphasis on protecting the lives of everyone going inside the Vaults.

Each Vault is listed in one of five classes. Class 1 is the easiest Vault to clear. That makes Class 5 a Hell hole. The class for each Vault is decided off of multiple factors. The biggest one being the presence of aberrations. Not every Vault has those creatures inside of them. The ones with absolutely no aberration presence recorded are in that Class 1. Class 2 doesn't always have them, but the presence of a few will land them here.

Class 3 Vaults are something else entirely, though. Most Vault Breakers don't have the opportunity to ever get inside one of these. Just clearing enough lower classes is enough to make someone quit or they end up dead off of a rookie mistake. Inside a Class 3 Vault is a swarm of aberrations. The type of creature is typically something manageable by a solid team, though. Most weapons are effective against them and the more elite Vault Breakers are tough enough to outlast the waves.

Things get hectic in the next class. Class 4 Vaults are notable as they show signs of evolved creatures within them. Sometimes the aberrations swear fealty to one high-powered creature or they operate like a hive mind. The intelligence of them increases dramatically at this point and only the most elite Vault Breakers are allowed to enter such a place.

Class 5 Vaults are something that Lars insisted was an arbitrary ranking. Something that is listed at this rank has never been truly found. It represents the possibility of a cluster of aberrations capable of breaking out of the Vault themselves. No aberration has ever made their way out of the vaults, except for the rare times that lower class Vaults ended up damaged. Occasionally, aberrations wander the surface and hunt, but they aren't too powerful. The strongest ones never leave the Vaults. Class 5 Vaults represent the fear and anxiety of them trying to leave, though.

The class system for the Vaults is pretty simple. The class system for Vault Breakers is a bit more bureaucratic, though. It's a few stacks of paper work for insurance purposes, paying dues to the corps you join, who to notify if you die, and covers all standard harassment policies and how everyone is expected to operate. After doing that, there's some testing in some lab room machines and some physical tests. Then they give a grade. That grade can improved upon un order to qualify for better benefits, opportunity, and level of work.

The lowest in this system is the "F-Ranker". It's typical that anyone who scores an F is not allowed to work as a Vault Breaker out in the field. Rather, they're directed to the Medic corps or the R&D corp. Those who insist on entering the field will have to retake the tests to be judged on their improvement.

"E-Rankers" typically end up as Scouts or Medics. They're allowed to take jobs, but must always accompany a team in order to ensure their own safety. Their job then becomes that of a support role in the Vaults. Those who don't enter the field begin to train under the leadership of a Captain within their corp.

When you make it to "D-Ranker", you're usually considered strong enough to lead a small team of similar ranks. Nobody can be placed above this point when getting their initial exam done. As a Runner, this is where one's training would actually begin. Learning how Vaults operate. Learning how aberrations move and how to kill them. It's all hands-on training, too. There's nothing to study at home. You have to study in the Vaults.

Becoming a "D-Ranker" was a turning point for many Vault Breakers. Going forward, it was likely that the job could not be done without significant change to the human body. Vault tech would be integrated into the body. Different types of machines would become one with the body and begin to change the way that a person functions. All of the changes were made to assist in the role that the Vault Breaker chose. Scouts had help being quick and elusive. Breakers would get stronger to carry more gear or augment themselves to become tools meant for clearing Vaults. Runners would become living weapons.

"C-Rankers" are considered the beginning of the elite ranks. Everyone who fought to make it to this point has the experience of a hundred soldiers. Most of have the scars to prove it, too. At HQ, there's a bunch of tech that gets sold to Vault Breakers for the purpose of doing their job. "C-Rankers" and above are allowed to look at the crazy cool stuff and get a discount on the generic gear.

"B-Rankers" are officers in their corps. Captains, Sergeants, and Commanders. Captains are leaders at the base level. They take out larger groups on deployments and often oversee everything when going into a Vault. Sergeants are a bit more independent. They're given more incentive to move on their own and can make decisions on a grander scale. If a Sergeant ordered a team of 200 Vault Breakers to charge inside a Vault, they'd do it in a heartbeat. Commanders are those who spend nearly their entire lives as a Vault Breaker. Standing at the top alongside the Chief. They serve as the direct subordinates and team members to the leader of the Vault Breakers. Each corps has at least one Commander overseeing their operations, too, and they are responsible for giving out advancements to those who perform well.

Almost every Vault Breaker thinks of "B" as their final rank to achieve. Any authority you could need is all right there. All the power and money you can earn is best once you make it to "B". It's rare that someone with enough drive and ambition will move into the "A-Rankers".

"A-Rankers" don't receive the rank because they fought really hard as a "B-Ranker". "A-Rankers" are required to go above and beyond to learn about the vaults. They have to teach other, train themselves, and lead the entirety of their corps. Physically, an "A-Ranker" isn't allowed to get tired in a Vault. They aren't allowed to fall behind. They must always stay alert, even for days without end. "A-Rankers" are the embodiment of everything it means to do this job. Only the best of the best make it to this point.

"S-Ranker" is the only thing above the best. It doesn't represent anything as far as merit and ability are concerned. "S-Rankers" are just "special", one might say. Something about them is unquantifiable. Lars Sorenson created the list and was deemed an "S-Ranker" by the system. He had augmented his own body to increase his physical capabilities. His brain was augmented to allow him to calculate faster. He operated on a scale that was above almost all others in the Vault Breakers. Because they couldn't even dream of catching up him, the upper command of the Vault Breakers deemed Lars to be "special".

There are two more statues in the hall. These two were the newest. Until just around twenty-five years ago, maybe a bit more, these two were put up at the same time. On my left is a legendary man. Yorrick "Sarge" Bartman. A hulking mass of muscle in every sense. People said he must have ate his own brain to get stronger and so he didn't have to think anything other than how big he was getting. That wasn't the case. Sarge's body was proof of his dedication. He augmented his body not for size, but for power and protection. He wanted power that would mean absolutely everything when it was needed.

Sarge himself broke into over thirty Vaults in the Terran Domain. His effort alone turned the domain into a powerhouse in producing new tech for the other Domains and producing some of the finest soldiers that they could send into more Vaults. His arms were designed to deliver force strong enough to break through waves of aberrations without tiring. With a piece of tech that he developed himself in the Crytin Domain, he could break through Vaults all on his own. A lot of Breakers used heavy and sophisticated tech to open blast doors. Sarge's arms simply could disable the magnetic locks and leave his massive physical power to open it the rest of the way.

In his final moments, Sarge used every ounce of his power. He split a blast door half-way open. Not nearly enough to fit through himself. Instead he tossed his friend through to safety and allowed it to close. It's believed that this was done to prevent the aberrations from making it out of the Vault.

Yorrick "Sarge" Bartman was a hero. A man who did more than was ever expected. And he did it with a smile. He smiled all the time, even in those final moments. At least, that's what my nana told me.

My nana was the most badass woman to ever be a Vault Breaker. Her statue actually stood across from Sarge's. After all, they were best friends for a long time. This woman, Gajjet "Hellion" Dirge, was the 60th Chief of the Vault Breakers. She earned her position through her applications of the knowledge she brought back from Vaults. She had theories about what the Vaults' purpose was and why they even exist. She led teams into the most dangerous of places. She did this all just to learn.

Gajjet never left a Vault without something to gain from it. It was only a few years before she retired that she discovered something that had never been confirmed or researched. Some of the Vaults were once labs for engineering life. It wasn't known how they were active and how they produced life still, but they seemed to be creating the aberrations. Unfortunately, Gajjet grew too old to fight through the Vaults. At that time, she stepped down and handed off her title to the next in command.

"Shit, Ymir, I gotta hide. Quit gawking at grandma's statue and hurry up!"

"Ah, fine! Fine! Why the hurry!?"

"Auntie Harper is coming!"

"….!"

I heard it for the first time ever. The sound of boots slamming against the ground in unison. In the HQ, a few dozen Vault Breakers had stopped everything they were doing, spun on a heel, and held a solid salute pose. A woman with the most powerful walk I had ever seen was walking towards us. There was no escaping this. She was looking right at me and Silva.

The woman with fiery crimson hair, tied back in a messy pony, stood before me with her arms crossed at her chest and feet shoulder width apart. She wore a white suit with a gold trim. On the left breast rested the symbol for the Vault Breakers, also embroidered with gold.. This was the 61st Chief of the Vault Breakers. Harper "Fireball" Dirge.

[siriannatan]

Jinn & Other Troubles chapter 3

Why did I decide to put both updates in separate posts?

Today we're hanging out with a Scott. :}

And I'm officially out of old chapters to modify...

AO3

Did Scott like working for the Copper King from time to time? Yes. He paid well. Didn't bother him much outside it and recently asked him less often to join his organisation. And once again, paid very well. But no amount of gold was worth the situation Scott was in now.

But maybe we should start with how it started. fWhip, Copper King's right-hand man, pet mage and bartender of his bar, somehow found Scott when he was picking up his brand new daggers from the Big Eyes Emporium - enchantments might not be cheap but sure are worth the price if they make his life easier. Copper King needed a very specific noble dead and his signet ring brought to the Vigil - the bar. Sounds easy? Scott thought so too back then. Sneak into a villa outside the town. Stab some nasty noble. Sneak out. Get back to town. Big profit. Nothing that sounds like trouble.

Getting into the mansion was a piece of cake but it was also the first sign something was going on. There were no guards anywhere. Or gardeners. Or anyone. No noises of an event of any sort either and those tend to carry pretty far. Same inside. Not a living soul until Scott reached the formal sitting room - the main and the biggest one. When the smell of blood and other nastier in his opinion fluids hit him it was too late. A cold hand with nails too long for a human was wrapped around his neck, lifting him off the ground and pressing into a wall. The ruined and blood-soaked wallpaper sticking unpleasantly to his jacket. But he had no time to think about his clothes. Not with Scott's curved daggers clattering to the ground, his hands grabbing at the arm. Miss-matched eyes frantically looked at who or what he was up against. Went wide as he met the curious blue eyes of a jinn.

Aren't those supposed to be extinct or fat from civilized society? And why must he be damn hot? These were the last thoughts that crossed his mind before the jinn spoke.

"You don't look like you belong here," he hummed - Scott was certain it was he based on his open vest exposing very nice to look at if he wasn't being choked chest. "What is a pretty little elf like you doing here?" he asked as shadowy tendrils pulled and pinned Scott's arms to the wall. The same happened to his legs. But the hand around his throat loosened enough to let him speak comfortably. Why was a whole damn jinn here? What did this dang lord get involved with? Did it really have to be today? Why could the jinn not just leave once he was done killing everyone?

"Working..." Scott said. He knew little about jinn but it seemed like a bad idea to lie. "Someone wanted his signet ring," he pointed his chin at where his target's mangled body lay not quite on the pile. The upper half of it at least... The signet was still on his finger. "Badly enough to hire me to get it for them, and maybe kill him in the process..."

Scott froze as the jinn backed away from him. The same tendril that pinned him to the wall picked up his daggers, moving them away from the blood, and Scott, as the jinn walked to the corpse and pried the ring off. "Why would they need this? It's not magical or anything," he wondered inspecting the thing.

"Don't know, it's not my job to ask questions," Scott answered as well as he could. Maybe if he managed to satiate the jinn's curiosity he'd be allowed to leave with his guts in him and not on the walls. If he did he'd really need a new jacket...

The jinn wore a sleeveless dark green robe with golden embroidery around the neckline and sleeve edges and a maroon sash wrapped around his waist, with golden tassels at the ends. There was not a speck of dirt on his clothes or his heavy-looking leather boots. His dark brown hair curled elegantly with a curl hanging down between two, pointy and sharp-looking, maroon and green horns on his forehead, just under his hairline. With three more on both sides of his head, behind his pointy but shorter than Scott's ears. A single golden earring with a shining red gem hanging off of his right ear. Golden necklaces wrapped around his neck and bracelets decorated his wrists with solid bands and chains and ropes. Rings embedded with colourful gems shining around his fingers and a golden band around his left upper arm, matching his earring red gem. Thin, dragon or lizard-like, tail swishing from under the robes, with spikes on both sides.

"And this ring is all you came here for?" the jinn asked, once again interested in Scott.

"I mean... the guy's dead so there isn't much more for me to do here," the elf shrugged as much as the binding allowed.

The jinn hummed toying with the ring. "Would you happen to know what year it is?"

"Umm, 357 after the Collapse," Scott said hoping the jinn knew what the Collapse was...

"Three hundred years," the jinn hummed as Scott held his breath. "Not bad for a nap," he nodded. "You know what, I like you... eh..."

"Scott," he had no idea if saying his true name was dangerous or not but it sounded better than the jinn finding out he lied to him. And if it was good that a jinn, a creature even the strongest and oldest mages had trouble controlling, liked him. "Scott Smajor."

"Scott," the jinn tested the name. "I like it," he smiled and Scott let the air in his lungs leave, slowly. "You can call me Mythical Sausage, or just Sausage, at least that's how you'd say it in this language. Why don't you talk in elven?"

"I never learned, grew up with humans," Scott explained struggling slightly with his bindings. It wasn't at all comfortable to be pinned to a wall like he was.

"I see," the jinn hummed and put the signet in Scott's breast pocket and patted it. "I think I'll stay with you for some time, it sounds interesting," he decided and snapped his fingers. "Do you happen to know a Pixl Riffs? Or just Pix?" the jinn asked letting Scott clatter to the ground and walked to the corpse.

Scott watched him pry the ring off the corpse's finger. "Not, but the guy who wants this ring knows a lot of people, he might?" Scott offered. He felt in no way bad dropping this guy on Copper King's head. Who knew, jinn-man might just not kill him if he at least attempts to help him... Okay, maybe he felt a bit bad about Copper King's new boy-toy elf but his own life always came first.

"Okay," the jinn hummed staring at the ring as Scott grabbed and sheathed his daggers. He really didn't feel like losing them. "So, I give you the ring, and you bring me to your friend?"

"Employer, but yes, I can bring you to him, I need to get the signet to him anyway," Scott nodded. He was just glad he didn't have to propose it to the jinn.

Scott yelped as the shadows holding him all vanished at once. Bracing for a quick meeting with the floor which never happened. Sausage caught him and steadied him. "Sorry about that, I didn't mean to drop you like that," he hummed patting Scott's shoulder. The unpleasant wetness on his back vanished. "Much better," the jinn nodded as Scott picked up his daggers and sheathed them. Lucky for him they did not land in a blood puddle that covered most of the floor.

"Umm, you might need a human disguise..." Scott hummed. Carefully weighing his words. "I mean if they look weird at my ears... I don't think the general population will like the horns and stuff, not that I d,o they're cool. I mean to say... they suit you but..." Scott rambled as the jinn's eyebrows went up and up. It just occurred to him that Sausage was... well overhead taller than him. "It'd be better if half the town doesn't try to instantly kill us while others flee in terror..."

Sausage hummed, presumably thinking about what Scott said. Or how to best kill him for insolence and speaking out of turn.

"Or lock you in a bottle," Scott added before he could bite himself.

"No, that wouldn't be good," Sausage agreed and soon the horns and tail and claws were gone. His skin went from ashy grey to tan brown, and together with his robes made him look like some merchant from the Eastern Empires. After just one blink his eyes were normal, with white sclera and pupils there. Still as bluer than the Western sea near which Scott grew up. "How is it?" Sausage asked doing a spin as he noticed Scott was staring at him.

"Looks good," Scott nodded, patted the pocket with the ring and sighed. He only needed to get this to Pix's bar, the Vigil, and he was going to be great. Aside from Sausage likely insisting to stay with him longer... "We should go before someone comes here and notices something's wrong," he decided, and if they wanted to be home before sundown.

"Lead the way," Sausage grinned extending an arm towards the door. And Scott did. Luckily they weren't that far from Stratos.

The manor wasn't that terribly far from Stratos but it would still take some time. Scott calculated that they'd have enough time to go to the Vigil and once he left the jinn there he could go and have a good meal at Glitter Grove and be home way before the curfew. He just really hoped he didn't get stuck with the jinn longer than necessary, no matter how good he looked.

Sausage wasn't too terrible a companion. He asked a few things about the city. Humming in that weird thoughtful way when Scott explained that Stratos was technically ruled by the god of the sky, thunder and war, Joel but in practice by the church since the god rarely left his plying palace in the sky. After that, the jinn was content to just follow Scott and look around them with curiosity. Especially when they passed something more interesting than another field. Which wasn't often and was mostly big rocks and small trees. Or a total of three different orchards, from one of which Scott stole them a couple of apples.

By the time they reached the city, the sun has almost set.

"Let's hurry, we have about two hours before everything closes and I hate cooking," Scott huffed pulling his hood up. "I'd rather avoid children pointing at my ears," he grimaced and led Sausage through dark alleyways towards the Vigil, the establishment didn't serve any food, probably for the better.

"How can I help you?" a red-headed, black-skinned tiefling grumbled at them from behind the bar. There was no one else inside and the bartender was lazily wiping some cups.

"I came with a gift for the Copper King," Scott said the secret password and the tiefling's attitude changed.

"Made a friend Scott?" fWhip, the tiefling, grinned, instantly relaxing, and jumping over the bar to close the deal Scott had with his boss.

"He's looking for someone, and you guys know a lot of people," Scott shrugged pulling out the signet.

They had no chance to talk any further. A man Scot guessed was the Copper King by a blonde elf tightly grabbing to his arm. came downstairs. Glaring at no one else but Sausage who, in turn, looked to be mildly pleased and surprised. "You two with me," he growled, pointing at Scott and Sausage. "fWhip, be a dear and bring me something strong to drink," he tossed a bit more kindly at the tiefling and went upstairs, leaving the door open. He pretty much carried the elf

Scott was somewhat worried it was bout the mess Sausage left in the noble's manor. The pile of bodies was a rather ghastly sight.

When they got upstairs, Sausage was smiling smugly like they were in no trouble the whole time while Scott felt like he was about to die.

The Copper King was already in his chair, behind his heavy desk with Jimmy in his lap. Playing with the elves' hair. The corners of his lips lifted when fWhip came in through a hidden door with an expensive bottle of whiskey. No glasses. Pix would say if he wanted them. He didn't leave making Scott feel like he was in even more trouble, instead standing to Pix's right. Playing with the copper bracelet on his left wrist... Scott knew from working alongside him couple of times that it was more than just a sign of who he was working for. It was his damn magic focus, what he used to cast many spells he knew thanks to the Copper King liking to invest in his favourites. Gold for Jimmy and magic books for fWhip.

"So, dear brother," the Copper King finally spoke after a big sip of his alcohol. "Care to explain where in the seven hells were you?"

Scott was shocked. Did he say 'brother'? "Here and there," Sausage shrugged grinning. "I see you're doing well for yourself." Scott felt more than a little lost but kept his mouth shut.

"You disappear for years along with your damned library and now randomly walk to my bar with Scott, no offence, of all people?" Pix growled causing Jimmy to wriggle in his lap. "Does he even know...?"

"He does, does your boy toys know?" Sausage asked back. "Pixl?"

Instead of answering Pixl dropped his disguise... The family resemblance was really there, Scott noticed. In their matching horns, Pix's were brown and dark blue though, and the too-blue eyes. But while Sausage liked to wear gold on himself, Pix preferred to weigh Jimmy down with it.

"So where in the seven hells were you Sausage?" Pix sighed, relaxing a bit. Scott guessed he tried hard to be calm to not freak Jimmy out more than necessary. "I spend three hundred years looking for your dumb ass all over the three continents."

"Having a lovely nap," Sausage hummed, dropping his disguise. His tail instantly wrapped around Scott's ankle and the elf couldn't rid himself of the image of it wrapping around his shin to toss him against Pix's wall of bookshelves. "Scott found me shortly after I woke up, might have killed a whole mansion's worth of humans."

"Ehm the church weirdos will think he was playing with demons or something like that," Pix shrugged. "Did you get the ring at least? Or did my oaf of a brother destroy it?" he finally turned to Scott.

"Yeah, no, got it right here," Scott passed him the signet through fWhip. He was glad the tiefling got it from him and he didn't have to get out of the chair he was pretty much frozen in. He just learned more about the Copper King than he ever wanted to.

"Great," Pix sighed in a 'my day isn't completely ruined' way. "Up," he patted Jimmy's thighs and went to grab Scott's reward money. "What will you do now brother? You can stay here if..."

"Nooo. I'll stick with Scott, he's more interesting," Sausage hummed and Scott's hope of making him Pix's issue got crushed. He really didn't want Sausage anywhere close to him anymore but he was not about to say it. Not with two jinns and a powerful mage loyal to one of them in the room.

"If you say so," Pix shrugged and dropped a big bag of money in front of Scott. "What we agreed on and a little bonus for dealing with my brother," he grinned. "You can go if you want, it's getting late," he added as Jimmy yawned.

"The less I have to see you the better," Sausage nodded, disguising himself again and following Scott out. The elf left with a polite bow as soon as Pix said they can go, not even waiting for him to be done.

As they left they still heard Pix telling Jimmy to remind him of something. Not that Scott cared. All he wanted was some food, a warm bath and a nap. Did elven meditation count? And there was the issue where he'd store Sausage. His house wasn't meant for two. Well, more like it was meant for two if they were very close...

"Eating out?" Sausage asked as Scot lead them to Glimmer Grove. His probably my favourite spot to get food. Katherine was never weird about his ears. After a quick chat and introducing Sausage as 'a friend of a friend,' they squished into a corner booth and waited for their food. Scott's fruit porridge, bread and jam and beer, and bread and meat, just meat, for Sausage. "I hate cooking," Scott sighed in relief once he pulled his hood off.

Unlike the Vigil, the Grove was packed with smiling and cheerful patrons. Relaxing after a hard day of work before everything closed in about an hour. Only a few other patrons stared at Scott and Sausage but still more than usual, the damned jinn was just too tall to hide in the booth, unlike Scott, even when he pretended to be a human.

Scott was not in the mood to talk after the whole thing at the Vigil so he shot down any of Sausage's attempts at conversations. Once they were done Scott led them to his house. A cosy, little place in the middle of three tiers of Stratos. Far enough from the top to avoid religious fanatics. But close enough to be nice and comfy and fairly priced.

"We're here," he announced after a short silent walk, stopping by a quite well taken care of red brick apartment complex. There were a total of four apartments in the building and Scot's was at the very top. At least there was running warm water. Thank you magic, and the Sky God for not being against it. "We're at the very top," he added pulling the jinn in and up the many stairs.

After some fumbling with the keys, Scott let jinn in first and double-checked the lock after them. Just in case.

Scott's home was... small but that wasn't a problem, not usually. On the left of the door was his dining table. Small with just two chairs. On the right was a small kitchen he never used. Deeper in there was a corner bookshelf. It was slightly dusty but if anyone asked Scott would blame it on being busy. Then, on the right again, was his bed. Separated from the kitchen with a wall but still not in a separate room. Other than the toilet the whole place was one room. Then, in the last corner was a solid brass bathtub and a side table of bathing supplies and foldable privacy screens he was about to use for the first time since he moved in.

"Nice place," Sausage hummed inspecting the kitchen and dining area.

"It's a place to stay and keep my stuff," Scott shrugged, dropping his bag on the table, followed by his daggers and the elaborate leather sheath contraption. "You can bathe first if you want," he offered, hanging his cloak by the door.

"You go first," Sausage waved him off settling in the chair by the bookshelf. His disguise was gone. Blue eyes traced Scott's every move as he hung his jacket over a dining chair. "I'll be fine," he grinned showing his teeth. A bit more than there probably should be. All razor-sharp and perfectly white. "What are those for?" he asked as Scott started to set the screens.

"Privacy," the elf tossed over his shoulder. He was starting to feel a bit more confident around the jinn.

"A shame," the jinn sighed but his grin was still there.

"Just get yourself a book or something," Scott huffed. Ignoring the shiver that one word send down his spine. Or were it Sausage staring at him with far too much intensity?

As he undressed Scott listened to what his 'guest' might be up to, worried he'd try something Scott wasn't quite in the mood for. He couldn't hear anything wrong so he relaxed slightly and undressed as the bath filled with warm water. Letting out a low whine as he got in. He really should have loaned a horse even if that manor was decently close to town. Or he just could just blame it on a freaking jinn pinning him to a wall.

"You've got a book in elven here," Sausage announced as Scott relaxed, trying not to think about him.

"Ah, that thing. Can you read it?" Scott hummed lazily washing all the tiredness of the day off. "fWhip passed it to me as a birthday gift from his boss. I have no idea how he found out when it is. And he should know I don't know any elven so I suppose it might have been an attempt at a joke."

"Sounds like Pix," Sausage chuckled. "It's stories for children," he added after some noise of flipped pages. "There's one about an owl eating someone's face," he found it important to say.

"As expected from elves," Scott sighed sinking a bit deeper. If Sausage could shut up it would be so nice.

"I have a feeling you don't like elves," Sausage hummed, dropping the book somewhere.

"All proper elves I met were holier-than-thou jerks, I mean elves who grew up with other elves, as I said, I pretty much grew up a human, in an orphanage in a port city not too far from here, and my hair colour's not helping, reminds them of sky elves," he said, wondering why he was telling this random jinn he knew less than a day his whole life story.

"What are they up to? Winged... sky elves I mean."

"Dead or enslaved by forest elves. Or hiding as far as they can. Shortly before I was born forest elves rebelled and collapsed their flying cities," it felt somewhat nice to tell someone all of that. Even if it was spoiling his bath.

After quickly rinsing the soap out of his hair he left the tub, ignoring Sausage's chatter, and just then remembered he didn't grab any clothes. Ugh. He could just wrap a towel and... As Scott made his plan a certain jinn sneaked up to the screens, worried about the sudden silence from him.

"What are these?" Scott nearly jumped as Sausage touched one of two big scar's on his back. Quickly wrapping a towel around his hips.

"Nothing," Scott groaned as Sausage traced along the edges of the scars. His other hand joined in. He was shockingly gentle when compared with their meeting. "They've been there since I can remember," Scott huffed his legs shaking. When did he last... a while and it was nothing like... Nothing gentle and... He almost moaned as a pair of cold lips left a soft kiss between his shoulder blades.

"They look terrible," Sausage hummed guiding Scott to the edge of the slowly emptying tub.

"As I said they've been there my whole life," Scott huffed trying and failing to move away. "I can..."

"Shh, just relax," Sausage hummed grabbing a fresh towel. "I won't pry," he assured gently drying Scott's hair. Pulling him closer until he was leaning against the jinn's chest.

"You'll get wet..." Scott protested and struggled but got nowhere. Too tired, he told himself. nothing to do with his isolationist tendencies and trust issues making him super touch starved. "Sausage?" he squeaked as his hands moved from Scott's back forward. Teasing and tickling slightly as Sausage pulled the elf into a loose hug.

"Tell me about my brother. It's been a while since I saw him last... He changed a lot," Sausage sighed, continuing to gently dry Scott off. "And he'll never tell me much even if I do get some quality family time with him."

"I'm afraid I know very little," Scott sighed enjoying jinn's warmth. "The Copper King is a mysterious boss behind most of the crime this side of the continent," Scott started.

"Copper King? That's little Pix for you, making up a scary name for himself," Sausage giggled tossing the towel away and started to lead a very much naked Scott towards the bed.

"Mhm, I worked for him a few times as an independent contractor of sorts," Scott shrugged, letting himself be moved about. He did bite back a whine when Sausage went to look for a nightshirt for him. "A few weeks Jimmy showed up..." Scott continued talking as Sausage gently washed him off. "I don't know much but I can guess there was something sad by the state of his ears..."

"His ears?" the jinn asked.

"He's an elf like me but it would seem someone 'trimmed' his ears... He was like this when I first saw him, listening as fWhip explained the contract, I assumed he was just hired to take some of fWhip's duties, but then I saw that fancy necklace and figured out he's probably a bit more important and better to be not messed with," he finished with a shrug. "Not much more to say. He kept me busy since I moved here and hopefully will keep giving me work for many more years."

Sausage hummed but said nothing. Scott assumed he was lost in his memories and simply waited, leaning back into him.

"Thank you for indulging my curiosity," he finally hummed and got them into the bed. Keeping Scott in a tight warm hug through the whole night.

[copperxxgalileo]

isaac powell, gay, male + he/him ― hey look, it’s copernicus "copper" mcintrye-rossi! they’re 27 years old, they’ve lived in shrike heights for most of their life (they've recently returned), and they’re currently working at shrike aquatic centre and spa service in shrike mall (and as a paramedic). i heard they’re pretty distrustful, but i think they’re so loyal at the same time. can they make it out alive?

About Copper

Full name: Copernicus "Copper" Galileo McIntyre-Rossi Age: 27 years old Birthday: September 5, 1961 Sexuality: gay Relationship status: single (widowed) Family: Two fathers, two siblings (brother and sister) Residence: A rented cabin in the mountains (family estate is just outside the central business district) Occupation: lifeguard at Shrike Aquatic Centre and Spa Service/paramedic Skills: First-aid/CPR, self-defense

Copernicus "Copper" Galileo McIntyre-Rossi was named for two famous astronomers, and it always inspired him to look to the stars. It helped keep things in perspective, the vastness of the galaxy above, and every time he would look to the night sky, he would feel so blissfully at peace. It was what he found himself doing more and more as he got older and he began to learn that life wasn't going to be as peaceful as he had always thought.

Copper was adopted by two men - Matthew and Owen - who had fallen in love and longed to have a family, and his life had been happy. Raised with his adopted brother and sister by their loving fathers, Copper had always had everything he needed in love, whether that be material goods or things like love and care and protection. And he had had even more: Copper's dads were both successful doctors at Shrike County Hospital, and both had inherited money through their families, so the McIntyre-Rossi family was always very well-off financially. That being said, it had been important for the patriarchs of the family to mold their children into individuals who were humble and grounded and kind, so they had tried to raise them in such a way to the best of their ability. They'd always had expensive clothes and other such luxuries (such as a car on their 16th birthdays), but the children had also had part-time jobs during school, and their had had an allowance. Sure, it was an allowance beyond what a typical teenager might have, but they didn't have limitless access to funds to buy whatever they wanted. Similarly, all three children had been required to volunteer somewhere in town. Matthew and Owen had wanted to teach their children the value of money, and they wanted them to never forget just how lucky they were. That was why Copper had continued volunteering at the Animal Rescue Shelter in Shrike Heights even after he was no longer required to, even continuing on summers home from college. Matthew and Owen had been successful in their effort to raise their children into adults who knew how to love.

During high school, Copper had been popular, but in a more restrained kind of way. People generally liked him, but he was introspective and quiet, only opening up to the close friends he really trusted. He would hang out with others at school, go to parties, things like that, but many of Copper's classmates felt like they didn't truly know him. Some of the few people who did were those on the soccer and swim teams. Copper had been a part of both, and he was as loyal to his teammates as he was to his close friends, and it was because of this that he'd been named soccer captain his senior year of high school. He wasn't the best on either team, but Copper was talented, and his family and friends always cheered him on. But despite their strong support system, Copper wanted to see what else was out there. Their family traveled frequently, but Copper had never set out on his own, and that was what he wanted to do. So after graduation, Copper had gone off to college in Seattle, wanting to prove to everyone - and himself - that he was strong enough to make it on his own.

As it turned out, he was right. Although there was an adjustment period, Copper thrived in college, coming out of his shell a bit and making new friends, though he never forgot his old ones, keeping in touch with them and his family frequently and visiting during nearly every school break. While in college, Copper met a man named Deacon, and they fell in love. Copper had dated different guys before, but with Deacon, he finally knew what true love felt like, and he was so unspeakably happy with Deacon. People would always say they were meant to be together, like they had literally been made for each other. Plato once said that humans had been created with two heads and four arms and legs, and Zeus had split them in two, cursing them to search for their other half. While Copper didn't believe that, if it were true, then Deacon was his other half without a doubt. Deacon helped Copper believe in soulmates, and he'd found his. There was no reason for Copper to believe that anything would shatter his idyllic existence. He should have been looking over his shoulder.

After college, Copper and Deacon lived together, and a year after graduation, they were married. While Deacon worked in tech development, Copper focused on writing, working for a newspaper in Seattle. Life was everything Copper had hoped for, but a couple of years after graduating from college, the first cracks began to show in the veneer of Copper's heretofore perfect life. Copper began receiving letters. At first they had been strange but not completely alarming. They had been anonymous love letters sent without a return address, and Copper had genuinely believed at first that they were from Deacon. Copper played the game he thought his new husband had started, never mentioning them to Deacon, and for about six months Copper would receive a new letter every week or two. Soon after this, they began to change. While the frequency of the letters increased to at least once a week, the content shifted to something more sinister. The writer talked about Copper's various activities, the places he went and the people he talked to, and they also began to express jealousy about Deacon or any other man Copper associated with, be it friends or coworkers or just various clerks and baristas and the like. This was when Copper realized the letters weren't coming from Deacon, and he finally told his husband everything. Naturally Deacon was mortified, especially as the letters kept coming. It was clear that the writer was watching Copper and had been for some time, and neither man had any idea whom it could be. They didn't want to think anyone in their lives was doing this, but at the end of the day, the only one either truly trusted was each other.

The letters kept coming, and the tone became more erratic. It was like the writer was becoming unhinged, sometimes loving and sweet while others wrathful and threatening. Neither Copper nor Deacon knew what to do, and the police were of no help at all when they finally went. It became clear that the writer had been following Copper for quite some time, mentioning various events in Copper's life even as far back as college, including things that had happened during trips home to Shrike Heights. This terrified Copper, especially when the writer would threaten the people in his life, such as his family and close friends and most especially Deacon. And when he began receiving letters that weren't even post-marked - meaning that the writer had personally delivered them - Copper knew that he and everyone he cared about were in danger. The two men moved to a new home, but it was like nothing could keep Copper's stalker - because that's what he was, they were sure of it now - away. They would always find where Copper and Deacon at, meaning they had to move frequently. And then something even worse happened: Deacon was attacked while leaving work. He managed to evade his attacker, but it had been close. The attacker had meant to kill Deacon, brandishing a knife, and it had been a narrow escape. This was when Copper and Deacon decided it was time to leave Seattle, moving to Copper's hometown of Shrike Heights to stay temporarily with his parents. They didn't want to start their careers over, but their safety was the most important thing.

On the night before they were to leave, Copper and Deacon went out with friends for a going away celebration. While they knew they would miss Seattle, this was the right thing, and they tried to enjoy their last night. However, upon returning home, Copper found an envelope on their front porch. It was for Copper, and there was no return address or postmark, so Copper knew that it was from his stalker. Once inside, Deacon went upstairs to get ready for bed, and Copper remained downstairs in the kitchen, opening the letter. What he read chilled him to his core: it said, "If I can't have you, no one can." Immediately Copper ran upstairs to show Deacon, but once he got there, his worst nightmare became a reality. As Copper showed Deacon the letter, someone burst out of their closet, someone dressed in all black - including a black ski mask - and holding a knife. A fight ensued, and everything that happened became a blur. Later Copper's therapist would tell him that he suppressed the hardest aspects of the experience, but Copper remembered enough. He remembered watching the stalker stab the man he loved, remembered Deacon falling to the floor, lying there motionless in a growing pool of blood. Copper remembered fighting against the stalker, and he remembered the sharp pain of the knife sliding into his gut once, twice, three times. And Copper remembered falling to the floor, reaching out for Deacon as everything went black. They were far enough away that he couldn't quite reach him, his fingertips barely grazing Deacon's hand.

When Copper woke up, he was in the hospital. Apparently a neighbor saw a masked figure running from their house and called the police, and they had arrived in time to rush Copper to the hospital and save his life. Alas, Deacon was not so lucky. The stalker was never found, and Copper would never forgive himself. He was the reason the killer was in their life, why they had targeted Deacon, and Copper knew that Deacon's blood was on his hands just as much as the killer's. Now the man he loved, his soulmate, his everything, was dead, and Copper would never be the same. Once he recovered, Copper moved around for awhile, using his trust fund and what he had inherited from Deacon, never staying in one place for long. There was a dark period of six months when Copper was rarely not drunk or at least buzzed, anything he could do to deal with the pain of his loss. But finally his family and friends intervened and convinced Copper that this wasn't the life Deacon would want for him, so Copper cleaned up his life, picking up the pieces of what remained of it, but he felt empty. It was like he was going through the motions. Copper continued to drift around, never staying in one place for long, but a year after Deacon's murder, Copper decided to return home to Shrike Heights for his family and the friends who had known him before his life had been shattered. They wanted him to come home, so Copper rented a cabin in the mountains of Shrike Heights. Despite coming home of his own volition, Copper wanted something somewhat isolated, something private, a refuge he could return to when life became too heavy, which was often these days. He got a job at Shrike Aquatic Centre and Spa at the mall because he had always loved water, and these days Copper needed to find joy in anything he could. And Copper began working as a paramedic too. Maybe he hadn't been able to save Deacon, but if Copper could help someone else in need, he was going to do it.

After moving home, a friend from Seattle confessed to Copper that she worried about this choice. "What if that psychopath finds you?" she had asked him. After all, Copper hadn't heard anything from his stalker since leaving Seattle over a year ago, so why return to a place where his stalker could easily find him? Copper told his friend that it was a risk he would have to take, but there was something else, something he didn't tell his friend or anyone else: that he hoped the fucker would find him. Since his attack, Copper had been working out and taking self-defense classes as well as training to use various firearms, and he was ready now. When his husband's killer finally found him again, Copper was going to make him pay.

Other facts

Copper still writes, but he doesn't know if he wants to do it as a profession anymore. It feels like that's from a different life

He's really into astronomy, inspired by one of his father's love for it and his name (he was named after two famous astronomers, so he was destined to love it too)

From a young age, Copper knew he was gay, and his family was completely accepting of that...obviously given that he's got two fathers

Copper is a vegetarian, but he doesn't care if anyone else eats meat. It's just not for him

He's more of a cat person, no question

Even though he knows he shouldn't, Copper smokes occasionally - cigarettes that is. He smokes pot a lot more often. Also he tends to drink too much sometimes

He used to love horror movies, though recent events have sort of changed his perception of them

More to come

[pbandjesse]

It has been a very long day and it's not even over yet. Starting my poster previously start and stop it for the entire night. Or maybe I'll finish it quickly who knows. I just know that when I go home at 9:00, I want to go directly to bed.

It wasn't a bad day though. I had a great time. I slept pretty well last night. I woke up in James wasn't in bad. They're still struggling to sleep through the night. But everything was okay. I got washed and dressed and we left on time. I even had three drinks with me because it felt like a three drink kind of day.

We got the museum and I had some time to work on my tablet because I wanted to make a PowerPoint for my workshop on Saturday. It's more of a handout than an actual PowerPoint. That's just a few things that I want people to be aware of and it's nice to have a piece of paper. And then Jack was there and we talked for a while. And I went and set up tables.

I was mostly with the new girl, Jess, training her on the D position. And that's what we did. All day.

Like I said last night it was a triple camera. Two to schools. And the first one I would mostly lead on the position I was training her on. But she was a really quick learner. And by the third one she was basically leading it alone. The kids were really nice and it was just go go the whole time. And a lot of other things she struggled with were just timing issues and small things that you just learn over time work better. Like pointing out the places the kids can't go before telling them where they can, because if you tell them where they can first they run away before you get a chance to tell them where they can't.

But really it was just a lot of fun. The kids were really good. The adults were a little overbearing. There was too many of them and they kept trying to do the jobs for them. Which I find very annoying. Your child is perfectly capable. But it was a good time.

I did take a little break when I could to eat a snack. But I knew that me and James would go and get Chipotle later on. So I wasn't that concerned. I was hungry but that's okay.

After the last group left I went up to work on oysters and eventually started making cans. I checked in with Jessica a lot today about little things. Missing materials, issues with having a person sending cans down not send me cans. And then it turned out it was because there were no cans to send down but they were not communicating with me and I'm like screaming asking for cans. And I don't understand why they weren't telling me what was going on. Because I could have found something else for my fillers to do but instead I just had them keep yelling because no one is bringing us anything or telling us anything. The rest of the day was fine. It was just that first one we didn't have enough material and it wasn't communicated well. But I talked to Jessica and we figured out a system everything would be okay.

And I enjoy doing oysters and making cans. I showed new Jess how we clean the oysters. And I made cans. Until I didn't want to do that anymore so I went down to print shop to make a chase for the event tonight.

Gordon, are other print volunteer, was back there working on stuff and so we talked. He was very funny. He said when they used to make prints back in the day they would drop the blocks on the ground so that the copper would come off and they would sell it for the scrap man for beer money. He's very silly and I enjoy his company. We haven't spent a lot of time talking so this was really the longest conversation we've ever had. And I worked on my little Chase and I'm very happy with it.

Now I'm sitting in the car. Not our car. The car inside the museum. Me and James just came back from getting dinner. A very early dinner. But it was good and the Chipotle up in the shopping center didn't disappoint me like it often does. They were not out of anything, except the soda that I got tasted like regular and not diet. And so I didn't like it. But we came back here and James got roped into doing more work and I'm about to go jump into the event.

So everything written after this will have happened later on.

Were most of the way through the event now. And it's been a good time but not as well attention as I think they thought it was going to be. Apparently the partners comped 70 tickets. Which is a crazy percentage. But every other person that bought tickets seem to have shown up. And while I haven't had a ton of people come back I have had a good dozen. And everyone's been so nice. Very happy to be here. I've been working on print stuff for the last couple hours. Since I haven't had a lot of people and since the actual event part is staged conversations in Decker, I've had a lot of time to make my own stuff.

Until I'm working on a calendar. I'm not positive but I am having fun doing it. I found that we have all of the zodiacs. And so I am going to put those on each month zodiacs.. The calendar that I already found made was from December 1969.

So I spent the last hour or so working on that. I have January, August, and October done. I think my plan is I'm going to make all 12 months and then I'm going to scam them and then make a nice print. I won't be hand pulled but I think it would be really cool piece. Even if they don't sell it here at the museum I think we'll just be cool for me. Sometimes you just have to do things for yourself.

Very strange though. Everyone's really nice but some people just got here and it ends in 15 minutes and other people left right after the first speaker. I'm very unclear with the whole point of this was. But the people who are out there seem like they're having a good time.

We're about to have them open up the museum again and have a reception of some kind that's only supposed to last a half an hour. So I just finished cleaning up my stuff and I'll finish cleaning up the ink before 9:00. And then I will finally get to go home. James, bless their heart, has stayed here with me all day. Which honestly they should have gone home. I really appreciate them staying because I love having them around but they're so tired. And so when we go home I'm hoping that we just shower and brush our teeth and go to bed.

Because tomorrow is going to be a really long day too. I have another double, and James was supposed to go to Charlotte's trivia thing but there's no way for them to get out there. And they feel bad about that. But I still hope that we'll be a really good and positive day. And I hope that you all sleep really well tonight. Take care of each other and try to go to more events in your neighborhood. It's important.

Good night everyone.

[rosethroned]

Margaery hailed them when the two columns met and fell in beside the queen's litter. Her cheeks were flushed, her brown ringlets tumbling loosely about her shoulders, stirred by every puff of wind. "We have been picking autumn flowers in the kingswood," she told them. I know where you were, the queen thought. Her informers were very good about keeping her apprised of Margaery's movements. Such a restless girl, our little queen. She seldom let more than three days pass without going off for a ride. Some days they would ride along the Rosby road to hunt for shells and eat beside the sea. Other times she would take her entourage across the river for an afternoon of hawking. The little queen was fond of going out on boats as well, sailing up and down the Blackwater Rush to no particular purpose. When she was feeling pious she would leave the castle to pray at Baelor's Sept. She gave her custom to a dozen different seamstresses, was well-known amongst the city's goldsmiths, and had even been known to visit the fish market by the Mud Gate for a look at the day's catch. Wherever she went, the smallfolk fawned on her, and Lady Margaery did all she could to fan their ardor. She was forever giving alms to beggars, buying hot pies off bakers' carts, and reining up to speak to common tradesmen.

*

"You're not supposed to leave the column," Sansa reminded her. "Father said so." Arya shrugged. "I didn't go far. Anyway, Nymeria was with me the whole time. I don't always go off, either. Sometimes it's fun just to ride along with the wagons and talk to people." Sansa knew all about the sorts of people Arya liked to talk to: squires and grooms and serving girls, old men and naked children, rough-spoken freeriders of uncertain birth. Arya would make friends with anybody. This Mycah was the worst; a butcher's boy, thirteen and wild, he slept in the meat wagon and smelled of the slaughtering block. Just the sight of him was enough to make Sansa feel sick, but Arya seemed to prefer his company to hers.

*

Back at Winterfell, they had eaten in the Great Hall almost half the time. Her father used to say that a lord needed to eat with his men, if he hoped to keep them. "Know the men who follow you," she heard him tell Robb once, "and let them know you. Don't ask your men to die for a stranger." At Winterfell, he always had an extra seat set at his own table, and every day a different man would be asked to join him. One night it would be Vayon Poole, and the talk would be coppers and bread stores and servants. The next time it would be Mikken, and her father would listen to him go on about armor and swords and how hot a forge should be and the best way to temper steel. Another day it might be Hullen with his endless horse talk, or Septon Chayle from the library, or Jory, or Ser Rodrik, or even Old Nan with her stories. Arya had loved nothing better than to sit at her father's table and listen to them talk. She had loved listening to the men on the benches too; to freeriders tough as leather, courtly knights and bold young squires, grizzled old men-at-arms. [...]

sansa says she'd have liked a sister like margaery instead of one like arya, but margaery and arya have lots of similarities (and i think! especially as a child she wasn't at all unlike arya! would cover herself in mud and ruin pretty dresses and giggle at alerie's despair!). by the time they meet, margaery has been polished enough to be perfectly courteous and charming, but that restlessness, the ease to talk to common people and show interest in what they have to say (and in plenty of occasions be genuine about it, even), it wasn't erased it was turned into something she can use.

ned's lesson about knowing your men and letting them know you is so very in line with how margaery acts; i do think the tyrells are less genuine about it than the starks, but the idea is the same. people who love her are willing to follow her and there's power in that (see: the northern lords and ned's little girl, or when it comes to margaery herself the people shouting for her in the streets when she's imprisoned).

anyway. perfectly poised as she can act she's... really not that perfect lady at heart, and she does prefer to be out and about doing things and talking to people (regardless of their birth) than just the certified ladylike activities. she's much more like arya than sansa in that sense; she would prefer to go riding over needlework, she does go out to pick flowers in the wilderness as arya does, etc etc

[the-firebird69]

fight club movie - Google Search

So my brother had me making Thanksgiving dinner I think with the computer and it was a joke this movie is a serious topic the events that he was destroying we're not as obvious as his piping which is embedded or his cable which is thicker and people try and fry it I hear now I'm here yet and you can't so...

Zues Hera

He's in construction as people had him do it and there's tons of them know we see it these buildings are now crap especially the old ones they said that it's concrete and it's probably pretty decent and a lot of people say it is even when it sits around you can still reconstitute it some of it gets harder and there's a ton of it and there's metal in it a lot of it and a lot of it is precious metals copper brass aluminum and there's a bunch of gold but there's a bunch of Saint Elmo's fire and with all these wires in there you can't tell if someone's hooking in or not and you have to pull them out down below and it's this is a nightmare they're all made out of copper and it's not true there's a lot of fiber optics and they're easy to pull out but then you have the conduit and we have to make machines to do it and just rip it all out so jobs it will take a while and we have clusters he says you can go to just rip the cholesterol if we can get away with it and we haven't tested that yet

Mac

This is the funny part we are in a lot of trouble and he said it and we're bothering him and everybody else and he's finally struck gold and he knew about it and he couldn't get to it and he's alone except for Will and Bill and Ken and they didn't think it was like this and he did maybe not this big he says but pretty big he knows that they owned all this stuff and it was in the family and these two are taking it and he was tricked and he wants to stop them make some valuable makes him valuable

Mac daddy and he was not tricked by an amateur or an idiot or a sleaze ball or somebody saying like one word it's a huge program of his own that somehow he got to with threats and more from down below using technology that he took to enslave people because he's a giant it will get big and he go real fast and steal things he could run and jump and sunset 5 MI and we believe it and he says when he's bigger he'll show us that he can jump very far and it's ridiculous and some people are witnesses

Mac Daddy

It's dangerous from to do it because I think it's him but he doesn't remember anything cuz he wasn't there and nobody can really place him there and everyone saying it was him and it's not

Olympus

This is another breakthrough and Trump wants to do it when he has money

Thor Freya and her son advises you hire the construction company to do the demo and he says why it says they want to come in and examine it even if they're your guys and he says wow the good ideas and they think they can wire it up so he says this is intoxicating I sort of get that

Olympus

I have some of them calling and they want to do it

Trump

[duhdumb89]

A Forbidden Happiness | Chapter 12

Jiayi felt tears well up in her eyes when she stepped through the gates of Xianfugong. The dizzying mixture of happiness, relief, and fear made her hands shake, and knees wobble. Pie'er was standing at the doors, head pointed to the ground.

"Little Cutie!" She called.

Pie'er wasn't prone to raising her voice or making sudden movements, so when the young girl screamed Jiayi's name and barreled her way into her arms, Pie'er nearly knocked her to the ground. She buried her face in Jiayi's chest and burst into tears.

"Don't cry, don't cry! I was only gone for two days!" Said Jiayi, hugging her tight.

Through her tears, Pie'er said, "Susu said that you weren't going to return! She said they would hang your body outside the divine gate to teach the other maids a lesson!"

"She was just trying to scare you," said Jiayi, "I'm already back,"

"Mistress! It's Jiayi! She's back!"

Two more pairs of arms crushed Jiayi before she could raise her head.

"Jiejie, you're back! You're back!"

Ping'er added to Pie'er tears while Molan's mouth was running a mile a minute. Try as she might, Jiayi ended up with tears running down her face as well. She couldn't help it. It was overwhelming to know that these girls loved her as much as she loved them in such a short time.

"Jiejie, you're not allowed to leave again," Pie'er said, a wobbly glare on her red face.

Jiayi nodded.

"You wild girl, where did you run off to?" said a familiar voice. 

Jiayi wiped her face and gently extracted herself from the sobbing pile of girls. She kowtowed to her mistress.

"Xiang gui ren, I've returned,"

Xiang gui ren helped Jiayi to her feet and then tweaked her nose, "So unruly. You kept those girls up worried for you day and night,"

Her mistress' lips wobbled as she spoke, and an errant tear welled up in her eye before she dashed it away.

"I'm sorry for worrying them," replied Jiayi.

"Xiang meimei, His Majesty will scold you again if you make a stir about leaving. Hurry back inside before someone notices!"

When Jiang gui ren caught sight of Jiayi, her face when slack with shock; a second later, she smiled.

"Meimei! Your maid is back! What good news," said Jiang gui ren.

Jiayi greeted Jiang gui ren properly and did her best not to slap her. How dare she behave like she wasn't almost the reason for Jiayi's death?

Jiang gui ren went as far to pet Jiayi's face to play the role of a concerned friend. It made Jiayi's skin crawl. 

"Xiang meimei was so scared for you! Thank goodness you've returned,"

"This servant isn't worthy of your concern," replied Jiayi.

"Nonsense! In fact," Jiang gui ren slipped a jade and copper ring off her finger and pressed it into Jiayi's hands, "For you, to celebrate your return,

Jiayi quietly thanked her. Being touched by Jiang gui ren made her feel even dirtier than she already was after spending two days in The Office of Careful Punishment.

Susu cleared her throat, "Mistress, you have to change. His Majesty is waiting,"

"Right. Congratulations, Xiang meimei, His Majesty has learned the truth. I'll come back and celebrate with you later, okay?"

Jiayi glared at Jiang gui ren's back before Molan tugged at her, "Jiejie, is that...blood on your sleeve?"

It probably was.

"Oh," Jiayi said, inspecting her dirtied clothes, "I'll go wash up,"

"You're lucky. Pretty just finished setting up my bath," said Xiang gui ren.

Jiayi shook her head, "Mistress, I couldn't use your bath. All I need is some water. I can bring it myself,"

"Aiya, all the trouble you've caused, and you still have the nerve to talk back?" Said Xiang gui ren.

Molan and Ping'er dragged Jiayi inside before she could protest, "Jiejie, you'll love it! There's pearl powder and rose petals. It's so fancy,"

There wasn't much Jiayi could do but undress and step into the bath. Molan was right; she did love it. However, the delicious warmth from the fragrant water couldn't melt away the ice that had settled in her heart. Jiang gui ren was more dangerous than she thought and Xiang gui ren needed to know. 

"What's that face for?" Asked Xiang gui ren as she sat near the tub, "Sick of us already?"

Jiayi shook her head, "Mistress, did His Majesty tell you why I was arrested?"

"No!" Ping'er butted in, "When Mistress went to ask, he wouldn't tell her and then locked her in her rooms!"

Ping'er quieted down at Xiang gui ren's glare, "Jiang gui ren was happy to let me know what everyone was saying,"

Jiayi took a deep breath and began to talk. The bath water had long grown cold when Jiayi finished her tale.

–––

As the Phoenix-Luan Spring Favor Carriage ambled towards Yangxindian, Xiang gui ren fumed. She wanted to say that Jiang gui ren was the target of her fury, but she was indeed the most furious at herself. She had been a fool, thinking that Jiang gui ren was a jealous child with nothing more on her mind outside of stealing His Majesty's favor. Women had been killed at the brothel for things like a better room or a few silks. So why had Xiang gui ren thought Jiang gui ren wouldn't kill to have The Emperor's favor? The gentle rocking of the carriage was at odds with her whirling mind.

Jiayi had identified Jiang gui ren as the mastermind of entire debacle, but Xiang gui ren couldn't  wrap her head around that. Where did Jiang gui ren get those lewd pictures? Or that paper? Did The Empress Dowager help her? Did The Empress? Frankly, it could've been anyone. Even if it wasn't said out loud, she knew she wasn't the most popular person in the back palace.

When she lifted the carriage door after it stopped, Zhang Wei was waiting to escort her inside.

"His Majesty is eager to see you," he said, leading her up the steps, "He instructed the kitchens to make those pea-flour cakes that you're so fond of,"

In fact, everything in The Emperor's rooms that night looked to be catered to her preferences. Her favorite incense, her favorite tea; His Majesty was even wearing an outfit in orange, her favorite color. His Majesty was doing his best to please her. Xiang gui ren could use this to her advantage.

"This concubine greets His Majesty," she said. She had only touched the ground before The Emperor was pulling her upright.

"You can do away with the formalities, dear," he said.

"Can I?" Replied Xiang gui ren, "How can I believe that with how you treated me these few days?"

"It was for your protection. It showed that you weren't swaying the investigation,"

"How could I sway an investigation that I didn't know existed? You arrested Jiayi and locked me up. I was–" Xiang gui ren stopped and bowed her head, pretending to be contrite, "Forgive me, Your Majesty. I've been too wordy,"

The Emperor raised Xiang gui ren's chin, "Speak," he said.

Xiang gui ren threw herself into his arms and squeezed out a few tears.

"I was so scared. I thought...I thought that you lied to me. That everything you told me in Nanjing meant nothing,"

The Emperor tightened his arms around her, "Never. We will leave peacefully and grow old together. I knew from the start you would never do something like this. But I am The Emperor before I am your husband, so the law must be upheld. Had I not investigated, I wouldn't have known a few disloyal servants tried to harm you,"

Running her hand across the silken fabric of his back, Xiang gui ren replied, "You've found the culprits, then?"

"The Empress is investigating," he said, "Enough of this talk, come,"

The Emperor led Xiang gui ren into his bedroom. He sat her at the vanity and began to pick the accessories out of her hair. Xiang gui ren fought to keep the downtrodden look on her face.

"Jiayi told me that Jiang jiejie's servants did this. I always knew she was too nice,"

The Emperor paused, "What do you mean?"

"Jiejie has a good heart, but she's really still so young. She treats her servants like family, and they take advantage. Hopefully, Her Highness gets to the bottom of this, or I fear something like this will happen again,"

Xiang gui ren sighed as The Emperor finally pulled her hairpiece free. Next, she removed her jewelry and rubbed her neck.

"When did Your Majesty get so good and undoing hair like this?" she asked

With a quiet laugh, he bent down and kissed her neck, the soft bristles of his mustache tickling.

"Her Highness' hands tend to swell when she's pregnant. Lucky for you, I helped her first, so we don't have to call for help when I tangle your hair,"

He stepped away so his servants could undress him. Xiang gui ren did the same. When their jobs were finished, the servants left, and the couple crawled under the covers. Xiang gui ren laid her head on The Emperor's chest.

"I wonder what I'll look like when if I get pregnant," she said before peering up at him, "Would you still love me if I become all swollen and awful?"

"Of course,"

"Even if my hair fell out?"

"Of course,"

"Even if teeth went brown?"

"Of course,"

"Even–"

The Emperor cut her off with a sweet kiss, "Huifen, we can worry about this when you get pregnant,"

"When?" She said against his lips, "Your Majesty, at my age, you know that might not happen,"

"I'm The Emperor. If I want it to happen, it will," He rubbed a warm hand across her cheek,  "And I want this very, very much,"

––

Jiang gui ren pressed a peeled grape to The Emperor's lips before returning her attention to the stage before her. Since the investigation, she had been sitting on pins and needles, waiting for the other shoe to drop.  For two weeks Wang gugu and Shiyi gugu trawled through the Forbidden City, sniffing for clues. In the end, only two people were punished, some no-name maids from the A Ge Suo. 

She was annoyed that things didn't turn out even with Shen huang gui fei's help, but there wasn't much she could do about it now. At the very least, His Majesty was spending more time with her. Of course, she would've preferred that he flipped her tag, but watching an opera together was fine, too.

"Your Majesty, aren't you bored seeing the same opera over and over again?" She asked.

The Butterfly Lovers was her favorite opera. In her eyes, nothing could compare. His Majesty had put the play on at her request so often that Jiang gui ren recited the words in her sleep.

"I'll put it on 1,000 times more to see you smile," The Emperor replied.

Jiang gui ren hid her face behind her fan, embarrassed by his bold words, "Your Majesty is too gracious,"

"Oh? So you don't want the gift I have for you?"

A gift?

Perhaps it was a promotion? That little thing, Fan gui ren was tossed one for sticking her nose where it didn't belong. There was no reason she couldn't get one, too! Jiang gui ren glanced at Susu, who looked just as eager to see the gift as she was.

"Your Majesty, don't tease," said Jiang gui ren with a pout. 

The Emperor laughed before nodding his head.

Wang gugu clapped her hands, and a stream of servants filed into the courtyard. They were older, with bowed backs and grayed hair.

"These folks used to serve The Late Emperor. They did their jobs so well that each of their families was given good land and a stipend to retire on"

"This servant doesn't deserve Your Majesty's grace," the servants replied.

The Emperor smiled, "Cui momo and Yao gonggong were some of the Late Emperor's closest servants. I saw them as much as I saw him. Seeing them now brings back many fond memories,"

Jiang gui ren nodded along, confused.

"What do you think of them?" The Emperor asked.

"If Your Majesty speaks warmly of them, they can only be good," said Jiang gui ren.

"Good! They're yours," The Emperor declared.

Jiang gui ren smiled. She would have eight servants again! And this time, they wouldn't be on loan. That would put Xiang gui ren and that rat Fan gui ren in their place. She bowed to him.

"This concubine thanks you for your grace,"

"Rise,"

Susu helped Jiang gui ren back into her chair.

"Guards!" Called Zhang Wei gonggong, "Seize them,"

Jiang gui ren watched in shock as the guards rounded up her servants.

"Wait!" She said as she jumped out of her chair, "What are you doing?! Wei gonggong, you can't do this!"

Zhang Wei bowed his head with a soft smile, "Jiang gui ren, these lowly slaves are rebellious and unruly. They dared to frame Xiang gui ren. His Majesty has granted them death,"

Jiang gui ren flinched a Susu's loud whimpers.

A heavy hand dropped onto Jiang gui ren's shoulder. She turned to The Emperor and grabbed his arm.

"Your Majesty, what's happening?" She cried.

Wang gugu came to stand in front of Jiang gui ren.

"The Empress investigated the incident involving Xiang gui ren and the princesses and found that Haoyu gonggong paid a cleaning maid to slip the paintings into the gifts Xiang gui ren sent over."

The Emperor squeezed Jiang gui ren's shoulder softly, "It won't do to have someone of your standing served by such people. So I asked The Late Emperor's former servants to travel back to the Forbidden City to serve you,"

"Susu and Haoyu would never do something like that, Your Majesty," said Jiang gui ren, her voice shaking, "They're innocent. Your Majesty–"

The sound of the opera reached a screeching crescendo that blighted Jiang gui ren's ears. The Emperor slid his hand away and stared down at her.

"Her Highness was merciful for not finding fault in you for having such treacherous servants. Was she wrong?"

Jiang gui ren swallowed. There was nothing she could do.

"Of course not, Your Majesty," said Jiang gui ren.

A maid that Jiang gui ren didn't remember the name of cried out, "Have mercy, Your Majesty!"

The dam burst, and then all the servants began begging and lamenting for mercy as they were dragged away. Jiang gui ren clenched her fists and smiled blankly at the stage through tears.

––

When Jiang gui ren arrived that night to serve His Majesty, Wang gugu almost couldn't believe her eyes. The woman who stepped out of the carriage was wearing a plain white chenyi, dotted with pink flowers. Her hairpiece was modest in size and there wasn't a single bit of gold to be found. This wasn't unusual attire for a Noble Lady, but for Jiang gui ren? It was practically a joke. Clearly, her new servants dressed her based on her status and not her ego. It almost made Wang gugu smile. There was a sullen pout on the concubine's face and her neck was pink with embarrassment. 

Wang gugu led Jiang gui ren into The Emperor's bedroom and closed the door behind them. She nodded to Zhang Wei, who was standing just outside the doors.

Standing a few feet away, Wang gugu thought of her tasks for the next day. The Empress Dowager's birthday was in two months, so the time to source gifts was now. The Empress Dowager was a very particular woman regarding gifts, especially from The Emperor. At 68 years old, very few things dazzled her anymore. So perhaps Wang gugu would suggest the Emperor see if a few Western trinkets would interest in her or maybe an addition to Cininggong would be better. 

"Zhang Wei!"

The Emperor's voice rang out into the night, startling Wang gugu from her musings. Zhang Wei jumped to attention and darted inside the bedroom. Wang gugu crept closer, wondering if she had imagined the panic in The Emperor's voice.

Zhang Wei stumbled back outside and waved her over, "Gugu, come inside, please,"

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"It's Jiang gui ren,"

She followed after him. The Emperor stood by his bed, looking down at Jiang gui ren.

"Your Majesty," Wang gugu greeted.

The Emperor ran a hand down his face and nodded towards Jiang gui ren, "Attend to her,"

He held out his hand, and Zhang Wei led him outside.

Wang gugu stepped closer to the bed where Jiang gui ren was writhing under the covers. Upon closer inspection, she realized that the concubine was writhing but itching. Wang gugu brought a lantern close to the bed, dragged down the sheets, and fought back a gasp.

The blush that Jiang gui ren was sporting earlier wasn't a blush, but a rash. The bright pink splotches covered her skin and was accompanied by small weeping pustules. Jiang gui ren's face fared no better. Her lips and eyes were swollen with irritation. 

Biting back a sigh, Wang gugu called for the servants. Whatever was happening to Jiang gui ren couldn't occur in the presence of His Majesty.  Yangxindian would have to be scrubbed top to bottom because of this.

"Jiang gui ren is ill," said Wang gugu to the junior eunuchs that filed inside the bedroom, "Take her back to Xianfugong. Burn your clothes and wash yourself well when you return,"

The eunuchs rolled Jiang gui ren up in the blanket and hoisted her away. Wang gugu called for the maids and told them to burn the sheets and pillows and open all the windows.

It was going to be a long night.

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

(You can vote for this story on wattpad here)

[palialaina]

Most of the time, I kind of like Hodari. He's not exactly what I'd enjoy in a father figure, but I can tell he's trying.

But then there are days like this one, where I wonder what actually happened.

So, Hodari knows Naj and I are pretty close (Seriously. Smartest kid ever. I don't understand half of what she says, but I learn new stuff every time we chat.), and he apparently really messed up a conversation of his own and came to see if maybe she'd talk to me instead.

And you know, I was feeling sympathetic until I learned he'd asked Najuma where some dynamite went. And I wonder if he asked, or really accused her.

A master of his emotions, this one is not. I wish his wife was still around to whack some sense into him, because good grief.

But I told him I'd see what I could do, then went and sat down with Naj for a while. She was pretty upset when I asked her about it, but when I reiterated that I wasn't accusing her, she calmed down a bit. And honestly, she made a good point; why the heck would she need to steal dynamite? She can make the stuff!

Literally. The ingredients are right there in their workshop. She showed me.

So that begs the question of who did steal the dynamite. We haven't figured that out yet, but after chasing down Kenli to get a key to the one mineshaft that got closed down ages ago (I have a picture of it farther back, and yep. I was right about why it was closed down), I actually found the stuff at the end of the cave.

When I told Hodari where I found it, I swear, he looked like he was going to faint. So clearly I was very right about what that place is, and this idiot needs to talk to Chayne about all these bottled up feelings and grief and stuff. His knee-jerk reactions are going to make it so that when Naj grows up more, she just flat out leaves, and then where's he gonna be?

But at least this particular spat is over. He pulled his head out of his ass, and Najuma forgave him (she's a sweet kid like that.), and he also gave me a gold bar and a silver bar.

I still haven't found a use for the gold, but I keep hoarding it. I suspect it'll turn up eventually in something.... That said, the ore is really hard to find, stuck with either iron or copper like it is. So maybe it's just a lucky find, who knows?

Jel has mostly forgiven me for the cream, but he got his revenge, the sneak.

I told him I wanted to buy two, so he bought me the other one, and I just know he did that in revenge. The brat.

But now I have two pretty springblossom vases, so I'm pretty happy with the whole thing. The market's going to be up for a while, so maybe I'll get another bloom lantern, or another basket so the palcats stop fighting over the one in my room.

It can be funny, but I'm worried they'll knock my stuff off the cabinets, because naturally they get the zoomies right after someone else steals the basket...

Bah.

Oop, there's my boys. We're trying out a trio date tonight! Hopefully this works out well!

...I mean, I may also end up a pile of mush if they both say squishy things at me, but like... I'm not going to complain.

[blackcatxmagic]

Based on what he already knew about Reagan, her reply made sense, and Copper smiled. He liked that he only infused her treats with magic when the other person was aware of it. "There's always a small bit of risk involved with magic," he said, "of it going wrong. It might only be minor, but it's good that you don't practice it on people who don't know you are." It made him like Reagan even more to hear that. It seemed like she had had a slightly better time growing up when it came to learning magic. "I'm adopted," Copper told Reagan. "My birth mom was a witch, but I didn't know her. And my dads are both human, so they couldn't teach me anything, though at least they were supportive." He always assumed that was in part because they knew what it was like to be born a certain way that society didn't always accept. "It's easier to find magical tomes here at least," Copper went on, "so hopefully that will help me."

As Reagan described the treat she was going to give Copper, he said, "I'd love to try that." Mint wasn't his favorite flavor unless he was eating, well, a mint, and it sounded like a strange thing to combine with strawberry. But Reagan was the expert, and Copper would trust her. Shaking his head, Copper disagreed, "I think it depends on the person writing. I never found it hard before, and actually I think it helped me work out some things. We all have a certain level of existential dread, you know? But when your life becomes the horror, well...it makes it harder to write about that." Copper didn't elaborate, hoping he had gotten his point across even with his vague assertion.

Copper wondered if he would always be haunted by the past, not just at losing Damon but by everything that was associated with that. Right now he was at least; that was the whole reason he had moved to Cardinal Hill to begin with. Most of the time, Copper worried he'd always be running, and one of the unexpected (and scary) things about that was the fact that he was getting used to it. That wasn't something anyone should ever be used to. But as Copper had said, his abilities hadn't warned him of what was the come, and now here he was. Some things you just can't predict, he knew that now. Smiling at Reagan and forcing these thoughts away, Copper replied, "Hey, it's the least I can do. I'm doing pretty well at the shop, especially with my back room. I can afford to give away some free tea."

The IMAGE OF COPPER SCROUNGING AROUND LIBRARIES in search of witchcraft earned a soft chuckle. “I didn’t start learning about magic until I was almost fifteen or, at least, not really. My mom came from family with magic, but she didn’t have it and didn’t think I did either.” Instead of learning her family’s ways, she spent four years shoving down feelings of unease until the truth was glaring her in the eye. “I taught myself sigils from my grandmother’s old spell book. We all just have to learn where we can, right?” She tapped her fingers on the counter, as if in deep thought. “Nothing more than was there in the first place. First rule of kitchen witchery: consent is key," her teeth flashed in grin. It was important to her that only those who sought the craft received it. “Next time you’re in, I'll make you a proper batch of strawberry mint cinnamon scrolls and you'll taste the difference. The mint will cleanse your energy, the cinnamon is a basic protection charm, and the strawberry… adds color.” The strawberries had been her idea. Everything she cooked for her had been infused with magic, small charms to keep the fates at bay. To stave off the hand for just a while longer. “Horror’s not an easy genre to write well.” It demanded sacrifice, of innocence and sometimes of so much more.

“We’ll crack it, don’t worry,” she winked. It was strange to feel the swell of enthusiasm settle in her stomach at the thought of teaching him. She’d never been the one to help, never the one to look to for guidance. To be fair, she hardly considered herself an authority and was far from carrying herself as such; it would prove to be a learning experience for both of them.

Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she looked at him, watching something slip across his features. It flickered and was lost, but it had been there. Perhaps they were more similar than she had initially thought. “That's not a very wise business model, Copper.” Nonetheless, she grinned. "But, if you insist.”

[syddsatyrn]

Chapter 1 ⛤ Chapter 2 ⛤Chapter 3 ⛤Chapter 4 ⛤ Masterlist

⛤Pairing: - Eddie Munson x Metal!FemReader

⛤Warnings: Swearing, smoking, alcohol, drug use, reader gets stoned, fluff

⛤Words: 3.7k

⛤Song: "Heaven" by The Cure

⛤Series Playlist

⛤Summary: With no one left in Hawkins to tend to your little cousin, you step up and rise to the challenge. Time for a new start and a chance to prove to yourself you can be a responsible adult. But Robin left out one little detail, the hot metal head that lives two doors down.

⛤Notes: This series is 18+ Minors scram. I'm glad you guys enjoyed chapter one! Thank you for all the compliments and notes, once again I'm tagging @hellfiremunsonn for assisting me as my beta reader. Go check out her stuff, she's a lovely writer. If you would like to be on my tag list, let me know!

⛤Tag list: @sidthedollface2 @shinical @totallynotkaibiased @bibieddiesgf @brittanyyydamnit @smileygoth @tayhar811 @groupie-love-71 @haylaansmi @josephquinussy

Chapter 2⛤ Pretty Boy

It was getting late in the evening and the sun had set. You grabbed your leather jacket, keys, smokes, and wallet, stuffing each item into various pockets. Max grabs her backpack and skateboard and you both take off to the car. Max was the navigator, confidently showing you the way to Mike's place. She talked about her friends the whole way there, telling you various stories and describing their traits. You were honestly so relieved she had good friends to rely on, her previous school was a lot harder on her. She was kind of a loner and seemed to get into trouble much more frequently back then. When you pulled up to the Wheeler household, Max grabbed her stuff and said goodbye. 

“Don't forget to pick me up.”

“How could I forget?” You laugh and wave as she walks up the driveway. 

You pulled into the parking lot next to the bar, parked, and made your way inside. It was a pretty standard bar. Various pool tables, low lighting, a stage in the back, and dark brown ashtrays on every table. Robin spots you and rushes to pull you into a hug. “Hey! I didn't know you would be here!"

“Eddie invited me this morning, thought I’d check it out.” You shrug, trying not to make a big deal about it.

“Oh really?” She teases and you roll your eyes in response. “Don’t roll your eyes at me, I just call it like I see it.” Robin links her arm with yours and leads you to the bar. You both order a drink and take a seat. She asks for rum and Coke and you order a vodka soda.

"Sorry I didn't tell you Eddie lives in the same apartment complex. That was not very 'girl code' of me." Robin says with a sincere tone. 

You laugh and take a sip of your drink. "It's totally fine, I was just…very surprised." An unexpected hand lands on your shoulder and slightly startles you. 

"Hey! Y/N, Robin! Glad you guys could make it." Eddie gave Robin a small side hug. When he wrapped his arms around you, you didn't know what to do with yourself. You managed to let out a muffled hello. You can't say you weren't bummed when he pulled away. His cologne smells like cedar and citrus, mixed with cigarettes and a hint of copper. Your face turns a few shades of red from the sudden contact and Eddie notices.

"This place is packed, are you nervous?" Robin asks and takes another sip on her drink

"Nah, this place is like home. Playing here is a breeze." 

The first band approaches the front of the stage and opens their set. Eddie plucks your drink off the counter and takes a little sip. He cocks his head and gives you a playful wink.

"That's my cue, see you guys in a bit, yeah?" Eddie smiles and disappears into the crowd before you can form any kind of response. If your face wasn't red before, it sure is now. Robin covers her mouth and looks at you with wide eyes.

"Did he just–" 

"Okay, okay, he's into me, you're right. Happy now?" You admit trying to hold back the dumb smile forming on your face. 

"Toldja so." Robin continues to poke fun at the whole situation. You're starting to think she enjoys how flustered you are.

The first band was actually pretty good. You and Robin clapped and cheered. When you both hear Eddie's voice ring through the PA, Robin grabs your hand and leads you to the stage. You weave through the groups of people until you're front and center. Eddie glances at you while he introduces his band, you can tell he seems a little nervous despite his previous statement.

"Hello, again Hawkins! We are Corroded Coffin, are you ready to get loud?!" Eddie shouts and the crowd hollers. Eddie quickly counts down from 4, and they all start to play in unison. Watching Eddie play was a show in itself. The way his curls fell from his shoulders as he moved to the rhythm, his ring-clad fingers dancing up and down the neck of his guitar gracefully. He's even more stunning when he plays. You look up at him with almost a star-struck look in your eyes, frozen, surprised, amazed. So many feelings running through your head all at once.

After each song, you and Robin cheer, whistle, and yell. Eddie's heart is pounding, but he keeps his composure. He's done well at catching your attention so far, he's actually rather impressed with himself. Eddie keeps sneaking glances at you both having a good time. Your smile is so bright, that it makes his stomach do backflips.

The metal head is so captivating you almost didn't feel Robin's arm wrap around your shoulder, encouraging you to head bang with her. Eddie keeps sneaking glances at you both having a good time.

They announce their last song. This one was a bit more intense, which makes sense to play it last if you want to leave an impression. His music was fierce and intricate, he puts such passion behind it. Eddie suddenly drops to his knees to finish out the song with a complex solo. Your eyes are fixed on his fingers and how close he was to you while kneeling down. The stage lights highlight his wavy brown hair with an amber hue, he just looked so pretty up there.

"Thank you, Hawkins! We are Corroded Coffin!" Eddie shouts into the mic then promptly unplugs his guitar and slings it over his shoulder. He gives you a small smile before exiting stage left with his bandmates. Robin waves her hand in front of your face as your mind drifts away.

“Hellooo, Earth to Y/N?”

“Shit, sorry!” You say as Robin links her arm with yours once again and steers you outside. The crisp air nips at your nose, Robin pulls her gloves from her pocket and slips them on. Its getting colder as the winter months set it.

"Okay…I admit, he's pretty good." You confess and pull a cigarette front he box stashed in your jacket pocket.

"Right?!" Robin says as she sees Eddie turn the corner, "I'm gonna go pay the tab!" and before you could protest, she had disappeared back inside.

"Enjoy the show?" 

"Oh, you were fantastic." You didn't mean to say it with such enthusiasm and your cheeks flush.

"Got one of those I can bum?" He asks and you fumble to get your smokes out of your pocket and hand him one. He places it between his lips and leans forward, eyes locked on yours. His eyes are like black pools, so alluring you could fall in at any minute. You flick the lighter and simultaneously light your cigarette and his. 

"Thanks, babe."

"I never got a chance to say but I think it's pretty cool what you're doing for Max. She could really use someone in her corner." He admits and takes a long drag. 

"Oh! Shit, yeah, well I love the little brat y'know?" You rub the back of your head, why does he make you so nervous? 

"Do you need a lift?" Eddie offers and takes a long drag. How very sweet of him. You're sure there are plenty of girls he could be driving home, but here he is, making sure you're taken care of.

"Oh! No thank you, I brought my car. I gotta go pick up Max. I assume I'm also driving Robin home."

"I'll see you around, drive safe, okay?" He says while taking your hand and giving it a soft squeeze. His rings chilled your palm and you almost didn't want him to let go. Robin returns and he releases your hand,

"You ready to go, Y/N?" She asks, trying to contain her mischievous smile. You nod and Robin compliments Eddie's show and says her goodbyes. You walk Robin to your car, the second she was out of earshot she almost burst. "Were you just holding his hand?!" Robin asks, opening the car door and settling inside.

You hop in and roll your eyes at her behavior, she seems really invested. "No, I don't know. He's just really nice." You remark and put the car in drive.

"Trust me, I know Eddie. He's nice to you because he wants to–" You cut her off before she could say anything further.

"Robin. Please!" You beg her not to finish that sentence.

"What?! I'm just saying!"

You drop off your nosey friend at her place and wave goodbye. Despite Robin casting herself as your wingman, you are thankful. She has this ability to make everyone around her feel better about themselves. You are almost at the Wheeler residence. You can't stop thinking about the way Eddie behaves toward you. He looked nervous and the way he hugged you and grabbed your hand made you feel something. Something you haven't felt in a long time. 

You pull into the driveway and park. You get out of the car halfway and Max hurries down the driveway. You see Mrs. Wheeler in the window and give her a wave. She waves back and smiles, Max tosses her bag and skateboard in the back seat and settles into the passenger side. You get back in the car and put it in reverse.

"Hey! Did you have fun?" 

"Yeah! I made Dustin laugh so hard that milk came out of his nose."

"Gross, but funny." You laugh as you pull onto the main road. 

"My new board is great, I tested it out. It's way better than my last one." 

"Glad to hear it, you deserve it."

You finally pull into the apartment complex and park next to Eddie's black van. You try to brush off any more thoughts about the earlier interactions. It started to rain so you and Max rushed inside. You can tell she's pretty tired, it's almost midnight. After slipping off your boots and jacket, you make your way to your room to change.

"I'm gonna shower and hit the sack if that's cool?" She calls from her room.

"Totally cool. Goodnight Max."

This leaves you all by yourself. You slip on a pair of black, cotton shorts. You ditch the bra and pull an oversized "Megadeth" hoodie over your head. The apartment complex is quiet, Max takes her shower and turns in for the night. The only sound you could hear was the rain hitting your bedroom window. 

You're not exactly tired, your mind keeps roaming from thought to thought. You head to the kitchen and grab a beer. You haven't bought a bottle opener yet so you pop the top off with a lighter. It's a trick your dad taught you when you turned 21. The action makes you feel a little homesick, even though you know you're doing right by Max. You can only hope you don't screw it up.

You grab your jacket and take your beer outside. You quietly shut the door behind you and pull a cigarette from the box in your pocket. You light it and take another swig of your beer. The rain splashes against the concrete, pooling into small puddles along the pathway. You lean up against the wall to avoid the wind. It's a bit colder than you expected and you wonder if a storm is moving in.

An earthy smell abruptly catches your attention. You look around to find the source, but no one was outside. Despite the cold concrete, you walk barefoot down the path to Eddie's apartment. The smell gets stronger and you can see a small light shine through the front window.

The door swings open, you step back and gasp, then cover your mouth. Eddie gives you a confused look, holding a joint between his fingers. He's wearing a pair of sweatpants and a faded Black Sabbath t-shirt. You probably look like a raccoon that's been caught stealing from a trash can. 

"Oh, uh shit. Hey Y/N, what are you doing out here?"

"I was uhhh…" You stumble on your words, "I couldn't sleep so I came out here but I smelled your uhm–"

Eddie chuckles, "I'm sorry, I can put it out?"

"No!" You almost choke, "I was honestly wondering if I could buy some. I just haven't found the time to track any down."

A small smirk forms on the corner of Eddie's lips.

"Yeah, I think I could hook you up, sweetheart." Eddie takes the cigarette from between your fingers and hands you his joint. He looks you up and down, immediately noticing your bare legs. "It’s kinda cold out here. Wanna come inside?" You take a hit of the joint and nod. Eddie opens his front door and motions for you to enter.

Eddie's place was exactly how you imagined. The low yellow light from a single lamp just barely lights up the room. Band posters and fliers are all over the walls. His guitar sits in a corner on a stand. There's a large "Corroded Coffin" tapestry hanging on the living room wall behind the TV. You recognize the Def Leppard album softly playing on his stereo. Eddie sits on the couch and pats the cushion next to him. 

You sit next to him and he opens a metal box on the table and pulls out a small plastic bag full of marijuana. "Don't worry about it, it's on me. Think of it like a housewarming gift."

"Shit, thanks, Eddie." You take the bag and inspect it. "You're definitely becoming my favorite real quick." Eddie starts rolling a second joint and smiles.

"I thought Robin was your favorite." He jests and playfully bumps his shoulder with yours. You return the light shove and giggle. 

"Well, she's not a hot guy who offers me weed and coffee." When you realize what you just said you cover your mouth. You must be stoned or something because your filter is no longer with you. He turns his head and locks eyes with you. 

"You think I'm hot?" Eddie raises his eyebrows and chuckles.

"I mean, yeah. Have you seen yourself?" 

"You're uh…pretty hot too." He admits. “I honestly thought you were out of my league.”

“Everyone else seems to think you're my type.” You counter, and you could visually see Eddie’s mind malfunctioning. He fell silent for a moment, took a deep breathe and turned to meet your gaze.

“Could I…Maybe take you out sometime?” Eddie places the joint between your lips, which could be his own version of a love note. He lit it for you but the smoke in the air barely covered his blushing face.

Your face feels extra warm and you can't think of anything smart to say. You swallow thickly, and your thigh and shoulder are pressed up against his. You didn't expect to have any feelings for anyone after moving to Hawkins. Especially after the way your ex acted, you almost swore off men for good. You're supposed to be focusing on Max and being an adult. But his lips look so soft and the way his hair cascades around his face is just right. 

“I’d Like that, pretty boy.” Your words are sticky and sweet like honey. His face is so much closer than you realized. Eddie knew that if he kissed you he’d be a goner. He’s no longer thinking any coherent thoughts, it’s like you’ve infected him with some kind of virus. He leans in slowly, cupping your cheek gently, his silver rings are cool against your skin. Eddie brushes his lips against yours, tentatively, for the first time. His lips are just as soft as you imagined. Eddie tastes like whiskey, mixed with the earthy taste of marijuana with a dash of bad decisions.

“I’m sorry if that was–”

“No, don't be sorry. I like you a lot more than you think.” You can’t help but smile at how flustered he is. 

You both continue to pass the joint back and forth, the weed is making you extra touchy and you know it. Eddie doesn't seem to mind the attention. He asked you how you and Max are settling in, you talked for hours about music, Hawkins, and your family. 

Your eyes start to flutter as your body sinks into the couch cushions, you lean your head on Eddie’s shoulder and rest your eyes for just a moment. You often struggle with sleep, and this stuff always does the trick. It's been a few weeks since the last time you smoked and it may have hit you harder than you expected. You haven't been this content and comfortable in a long time. 

You are not entirely sure when but at some point, Eddie laid back on the arm of the couch and you crawled into his arms. Your head resting on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. You twirled his hair around your fingers and eventually fell asleep. Eddie kept wondering if this was all just a dream he was having. He didn't want to wake you, you looked so soft and peaceful. You said you couldn’t sleep, after all, he's just glad to be of assistance. Eventually, Eddie dozes off, his cheek pressed against your hair. His chest softly rises and falls, if this is a dream, he doesn't want to wake up anytime soon.

---------⛤

Your eyes flutter open to see the early morning sunshine seep through the blinds in the window. You quickly realize you are practically on top of a snoozing Eddie. His arm is wrapped around your waist, his other arm tucked behind his head. He’s even prettier when he’s asleep.

It dawns on you Max is probably still in the apartment, you carefully lift yourself off of Eddie. He groans and pulls you back down and slightly tightens his grip on your waist. “Eddie, baby, I gotta go check on Max.” He huffs and slowly opens his eyes. It takes him a moment to register exactly what happened and why you’re on top of him.

“Take me with you?” He pleads, his voice is deep and gravelly. You couldn't help but move a few stray hairs away from his face and brush your thumb against his jawline. 

“Yeah, I owe you a cup of coffee, right?” You can’t help but giggle. He's so clingy right now and It’s adorable. You get up off the couch and extend your arm to help Eddie do the same. You grab your smokes and stuff the plastic bag full of pot in your hoodie pocket. Eddie props the door open and you both exit his place. You walk up to your front door and push it open.

Max is on the couch listening to some tapes and reading a comic book. She locks eyes with you and throws her head back with a loud groan. 

“Shit.” You say under your breath. “Hey, Max.” Eddie gives her a small wave.

“I knew you were over at Eddie’s being gross.” Max sneers.

“I was uhhh…” You couldn't think of a good enough excuse. "Alright, you got me, we were being gross.”

“Knew it.” Max retorts. You drag Eddie inside and shut the door. 

“How are you doing? Need anything?” You quickly change the subject.

“Nah, I’m okay. But I was wondering if I could stop by the library?” Max requests.

“Totally okay. Just be careful.”

The coffee drips into the pot slowly. You make your way to your bedroom and leave Eddie with Max. You put away your weed in a small wooden box in your closet.

Eddie looked a little lost, he glanced around your apartment aimlessly. "You can sit, you know." 

Eddie chuckles and takes a seat on the other end of the couch. "How ya been, Red?"

"Good, I'm almost done unpacking." She says while flipping the page.

"Glad you're settling in. Really beats that shitty trailer park, right?" He grins and Max looks up from her comic book. Eddie was afraid he might have said the wrong thing, so he spun his rings around his fingers.

"I hated that shitty trailer park. The neighbors never took care of their dog and well…y'know. The whole upside down bit." Max explains.

"It's over and that's what matters." Eddie shrugs.

"Did your scars heal up okay?"

"Yeah, actually." He places his hand on his side where the worst of his wounds used to be. "I think we are both in better places now." 

Eddie smiles and Max smiles back at him.

You open the door and walk though the living room and into the kitchen, the coffee is almost done brewing. It fills the house with a comfortable bitter smell. "What were you two talking about?" You inquire from behind the counter, they both look at each other and then back at you.

"Just reminiscing about the days we spent at Forest Hills." Eddie answers. Despite Max's distaste for most people, it seemed like she and Eddie had a special bond. Seeing her smile at Eddie tugged at your heartstrings a little too hard. You grabbed two mugs and filled them both with coffee. 

Eddie leans over to get a peek at what she's reading. "Wonder woman, huh?" Max nods and flashes the cover in his direction. "She's pretty badass." Eddie remarks.

"Oh, totally. She's one of my favorites." Max says proudly.

You walk over and hand Eddie his cup. You lack furniture in your living room so Eddie pats his thigh, offering you a seat. You carefully settle into his lap.

"I'm gonna get ready to go," Max says, getting up from the couch. "Don't be gross until I'm gone." She sneers and shuts her bedroom door behind her. Eddie can't help but laugh, you almost choke on your coffee.

"So, what are your plans for tomorrow?" Eddie inquires and cocks his head to the side.

"For you, my schedule is wide open." You reply and lean into his chest just a little more.

Eddie smiles and squeezes your thigh. "Can I take you out? 7pm okay?" Eddie asks, his hand now playing with the hem of your shorts.

"Sounds fun. What do you have planned?"

"It's a surprise." He answers with a playful smile plastered across his face.