#i know that it might be shocking that i DON'T have the voice of louis tomlinson sitting on the floor surrounded by guitars

[allwaswell16]

A fic rec of One Direction fics where at least one of the main characters is a pirate as requested in this ask. If you enjoy the fics, please leave kudos and comments for the writers! You can find my other fic recs here. Happy reading!

- Louis/Harry -

🏴‍☠️ Swim In The Smoke by whoknows *

(E, 101k, captain Harry) “What about this, Captain?” Liam asks, nudging the boy kneeling between their feet with the toe of his boot. The boy hisses and swipes at him, slurring out something unintelligible around the makeshift gag Niall had to stuff in his mouth.

🏴‍☠️ Resist Everything Except Temptation by Lis *

(E, 100k, captain Harry) The one where Louis is the commodore's son who is forced to become a part of Harry's crew when he is captured.

🏴‍☠️ Ace of Spades (series) by @allwaswell16 *

(E, 90k, omegaverse) Living as a sheltered omega in a farming village has not prepared Harry for life aboard the most notorious pirate ship to sail the Atlantic. Or Louis is a pirate, Harry is his captive, and no one is who they say they are.

🏴‍☠️ A Sea Without Water, A Compass Without Direction. by loveraging *

(T, 84k, omegaverse) ”Tell me, Louis,” Captain Styles said, leaning forward a little. ”D’you think I’m an idiot?”

🏴‍☠️ Sodalite & Aventurine by @forreveries

(E, 80k, secret identity) The one where, in his travels to find Swan’s elusive treasure, Captain Louis Tomlinson of the Black Dagger discovers he has a stowaway onboard - a stowaway who is rather tall and pretty and pouty and can spout off Shakespearean poetry as though he had written it.

🏴‍☠️ Si Pudiera Volar by @softfonds

(E, 69k, based on Corazon Salvaje) When Harry’s fiancé leaves him for his cousin, he looks the other way for the sake of his happiness. It isn’t until his cousin’s former lover, a pirate, appears that he realizes everything is not as it appears, and an honest pirate might be the only person worthy of his heart.

🏴‍☠️ Into The Mist by babyhoneyhslt / @babyhoneyheslt

(M, 63k, captain Louis) Sneaking on board the famous pirate ship Compass Arrow to get a story for his journalist father, Harry must do everything to keep a low profile. But when one of the crew discovers him, hiding from the ruthless Captain Tommo becomes almost impossible.

🏴‍☠️ The Pirate and The Piper by jacaranda_bloom / @jacaranda-bloom *

(E, 38k, Peter Pan au) the one where Harry is Hook, Louis is Pan, and nothing is what it seems.

🏴‍☠️ I Sail With You by AFangirlFantasy / @afangirlfantasy *

(T, 35k, pirate Louis) Against his wishes, Omega Prince Harry Styles is arranged to mate with someone he doesn’t love, much less knows. Though he pleaded to his parents incessantly, they not only refuse to comply but force him to depart on a ship days later. 

🏴‍☠️ In Your Black Heart (Is Where You'll Find Me) by graceling_in_a_suit

(E, 35k, omegaverse) Louis Tomlinson has been lying for five years. His crew sees him as a pirate, a Captain, and an alpha; only two of those are the truth.

🏴‍☠️ Lead Butterfly by LadyLondonderry / @londonfoginacup

(M, 32k, secret identity) When the ship Harry lives on is boarded and overtaken by the crew of The Lady Charlotte, he thinks it’s going to be the end of the line. What he’s not expecting is to be brought onto the ship and provided safe passage.

🏴‍☠️ I Don't Have a Choice (But I'd Still Choose You) by Wishingforloushair / @wishingforloushair

(E, 31k, captain Louis) The men discover a stowaway on the ship, and to Louis' utter shock the man is Lord Styles, the man who broke Louis' heart years earlier and drove him out to sea in the first place.

🏴‍☠️ Sail Across Me by iwillpaintasongforlou / @canonlarry

(E, 21k, royal au) Harry is a prince that is about to be forced into marriage against his will and running away to sea seems like a much better option. Louis is the captain of the infamous pirate ship The Rogue and he has a thing for helping defenseless creatures.

🏴‍☠️ why take your life when you give it so willingly by we_are_the_same / @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed

(M, 19k, enemies to lovers) When Louis Tomlinson, Captain of The Rogue, ends up adrift at sea after Captain Cowell attacks his ship, he is surprised to find his enemy, Captain Styles, coming to his rescue.

🏴‍☠️ Gentle Rogue by @juliusschmidt

(E, 15k, captain Louis) Harry bets Nick a hundred pounds he can get Louis to sleep with him. He wins the wager and a thorough fucking.

🏴‍☠️ I Gave Up Hope and Found You Instead by Cyantific / @beyondxmeasure

(T, 13k, crossover) Where the Adore You music video ends and the Our Flag Means Death story begins.

🏴‍☠️ come my love be one with the sea by CuckooTrooke / @larrydoinglaundry

(M, 6k, mermaid Harry) Pirate captain Louis gets saved from the storm by mermaid Harry, and grows particularly fond of this mysterious creature.

🏴‍☠️ Tide's Deathless Death by Jennifer_Kaid / @poetsreprieve

(E, 4k, captain Harry) He was certainly going to relieve all the navies of their plight by taking down the captain. At least then, in his relatively newfound life of piracy, he would have done one good deed.

🏴‍☠️ Set Sail With No Compass by @zarah5

(M, 4k, captain Harry) Pirate AU. That's it; that's the summary.

🏴‍☠️ She's Never Been One to Stay At Home by QuickedWeen / @becomeawendybird

(G, 2k, girl direction) Harry Styles is the daughter of the governor in Port Royal, and a mysterious band of pirates is terrorizing the town.

🏴‍☠️ Tied Up Like Two Ships by @enchantedlandcoffee

(T, 2k, rivals) Captain Styles wakes up to find his rival and old friend, Captain Tomlinson, aboard his ship.

- Rare Pairs -

🏴‍☠️ I was a king under your control by frenchkiss

(M, 8k, Zayn/Liam) Liam Payne, co-captain of The Rogue and notoriously fierce pirate of the Seven Seas, meets runaway Zayn Malik. This is their love story.

🏴‍☠️ I've Never Painted Daisies on a Big Red Rubber Ball by tomlinsunshine*

(NR, 6k, Harry/Nick Grimshaw) It's a Pirate AU. Guns, puns, and tons of fun.

[covenofthearticulate]

Louis/Lestat: “ after all you’ve done how can i possibly trust you? ”  

asdgfgdvjkhsbslidfj sorry this one took me a hot second, these two give me brainrot.

"How can you—?!" It's not shock, exactly, that colors Louis' voice. Merely disbelief, perhaps a shade of disdain, an overall failure to compute what feels like insurmountable audacity as he's put on the line of defense against Lestat's question.

No, not question, Louis realizes as he watches something dark and cold settle behind Lestat's eyes. An accusation. Lestat is picking a fight.

"Please be serious."

"I'm being completely serious," Lestat spits like a viper. "After all you've done, how can I trust you?"

His temper is so terrible these days. It rears it's ugly head with so little warning, consumes him completely like some dark alchemy. It’s unlike anything Louis has seen through all their years together. He can't begin to comprehend half the things that happened to him in that human body, nor the suffering he endured to claw his way back to his old self, but the one thing Louis knows for certain is that it had left Lestat with a deeper, darker rage.

Perhaps if they were someplace else— back in the jungles of Brazil, or even wandering through the city streets— it might not feel so out of place, but here in the newly polished jewel of Rue Royale, it feels jarring. Reminds him of the old wives tales of whispering at the cemetery so as not to disturb the ghosts. 

The whole room seems to quake with the magnitude of his rage— there's a trembling in the beautiful glass fixtures on the wall meant to emulate their beloved gas lamps of centuries past, a dead silence in the air save the relentless hammer of his heart. The hotter it grows, the more this whole room suddenly feels like a mockery, like a hollow doll house primped and gilded to hide the rot beneath.

(It was a foolish decision to move back here. They both knew that. Foolish to build a home seek peace atop the ashes of their old life. For one split second Louis looks down the corridor, half-expecting Claudia to come bounding down to chastise them for their loud, disruptive bickering.

She doesn't, of course.)

Nothing in the space now, except the booming voice of Lestat, ricocheting from the intricately carved crown molding with all the wretched demanding of a wounded child.

"How could I possibly trust you after you left me there— after you walked away when I needed you, begged you, for just one drop of the power that you and you alone could share! How could I possibly trust you after you watched her take the knife—"

"ENOUGH, Lestat."

For one moment, Louis' face warps into something terrible, something gnarled and twisted with anguish. Something childish and brutal, bloody red. And even as he swallows down the pain, Lestat is struck by the brief rawness of it all, the unfiltered grief from depths he has never had the privilege of knowing. It strikes a different chord of rage in him, this realization that Louis cannot trust him with the anguish, that Louis, insidious gentlemanly Louis, will not share these wounds with him.

"I won't stand for this," Louis growls as soon as the last lines of grief are smoothed from his face. "I'll leave, if you don't want me here."

Lestat scoffs at the empty threat, throws his hands up through the air.

"Oh, you infuriate me when you do that."

"I refuse to engage in a conversation when you've so clearly made up your mind."

Louis takes a step toward the door. He expects Lestat to follow, but when his path remains clear, there's a new wave of dread that grips his innards. He doesn't bother turning back to face him; he can feel Lestat's eyes on the back of his head, burning like ice.

"You were always good at running away, weren't you?"

"What would you have me say, Lestat?" He's teetering on the edge of resign, running through all the reasons in his head whether it might be worth it to dig in his heels and die valiantly on this hill or lie down and kiss the sweet earth as Lestat tramples over him.

"Would you have me apologize again? Do you want me to beg on my knees for forgiveness? What could I possibly—"

Before the next syllable leaves his mouth, Lestat is there, with icy claws digging into Louis’ jaw, pressing him up against the wall with such force, his bones seem to rattle with it as he’s knocked back. 

"Sometimes, I just want you to suffer, Louis."

And there is a look in those eyes— those splendid iridescent eyes for which Louis had traded his soul away. Evil. Predatory. I want you to suffer, he says, and Louis knows that he means it with every ounce of his rotten soul.

It ought to scare him. If he were smart, or had a single iota of self-preservation, it would scare him.

But it doesn’t. 

Of course it doesn’t. 

Lestat won’t hurt him. Not in any way that matters, not now. They’ve played this game too many times. Even with Lestat’s hand at his throat, there is a gentle melancholy in the slope of Louis’ brow, a resignation in the heaving of his chest.

"But I do suffer," he whispers. "Why else would I agree to stay here, if not to suffer?"

There’s a moment of hesitation as the words slowly make their way past Lestat’s thorns, seeping into the manic beat of his heart. With the veil between them, Louis cannot hope to understand the meaning behind the pinch between blond brows, the movement of his jaw clicking back and forth. And even when he does release him, all Louis can do is watch with that same scrutiny as he turns on his heels and rips at the curtains in a sudden fit. 

His movements are slow, clunky; not those of a vampire, but those of a frustrated child. The curtain rod crashes to the ground as soon as he pulls at the fabric, but even that is not enough— curtains in hand, he shreds the material between clenched fists, pulling and pulling and pulling through the drapes as if they’re made of the finest paper. Still, even the nest of tattered fabric isn’t enough, doesn’t satisfy the need to destroy, the ache to have something to fight back against him. And there’s a scream in the back of his throat that arrives at the very same moment he feels the warm sting of tears, and all he wants is to hurt something, to break something, to tear the beating heart out of his misery. 

But then Louis’ hands are on his hands, and Louis’ eyes are on his, and, and—

"This is madness, isn't it?" Lestat rasps.

"Yes," Louis exhales so deeply it nearly sounds like a laugh. "Madness."

There’s a pause. Lestat stares at Louis’ hands covering his own. His skin is so dark now from the sun, or perhaps Louis is just getting lighter with age. Either way, they look equally ghastly clasped together.

"The drapes were hideous. I can’t stand it."

"The pattern doesn’t suit them, it clashes with the wallpaper,” Louis replies. Naturally. 

“I need to hunt.”

“Yes, you do.”

Another pause. He lifts his head to Louis. A silent plea in those brilliant blue eyes. Come with me, come with me, come with me, please. 

With a sigh, Louis releases his hands, brings one to Lestat’s shoulder with a soft squeeze, and even that is a mercy. 

“I’m going to look into replacing the drapes.”

[cbrownjc]

Could you explain why you are ok with ep 5? I hated seeing, yet again, the battered body of a black character beaten to a pulp by his white partner, especially since such violence never happened between Louis and Lestat in the books. While I know white people can't understand and probably couldn't care less, I'm genuinely curious about your take on this.

Hi Anon!

Okay, first I'm sorry this reply back took the long time it did for me to answer it but, aside from wanting to think on it, RL things got in the way too. And then I also got caught up with some other writing I'm doing. And, as I said, I wanted to think this out before I wrote on it.

Now, first of all, it's actually not true wrt the books that Lestat and Louis never fought before. Someone other than myself has taken screenshots of passages in the book ITWV where such fights have happened. So I do not believe that it was out of character at all for them to have even had a fight in such a way, as such things did happen in the books. (And honestly, I didn't think it was OOC for Lestat at the time it happened before people started posting screenshots of the passages in the book that showed them fighting).

What has upset people is how visceral and beaten Louis looked by the end of that fight. (And no one is wrong for feeling that way if they do/did). It is disturbing to see a black man beaten in such a way by his white partner. And I actually don't think the writers were completely unaware of that imagery when they did this either. Not when you take into account the other pointed underlying racial dynamics the show did and highlighted throughout the season, before and after that episode. (From basically all of EP3, to Claudia mocking Louis telepathically with the "massa" talk in EP6.) So no, I do not think they were at all ignorant of the loaded racial imagery in EP5 after that fight.

And whether some views can forgive Lestat for it will be an individual thing, at the end of it all IMO. Some views may never forgive it, and I think that is completely okay. However, for me - and why I not only wasn't that shocked by the fight itself but feel I understand what is going on with it is - is 1.) as said, they did have knock-down fights in the first book, 2.) knowing Lestat does have that level of violence-ability in him as I noted when the episode first aired and 3.) and this is the main point - that there, strategically, some clear missing context going on here wrt that fight.

Because the entirety of that fight never once was told from Louis' POV. Until that moment when Lestat took Louis out into the courtyard and then up into the air, the actual fight itself was all told from Claudia's POV.

And that was clearly a deliberate choice. Not just to highlight what it must have been like for Claudia to witness this but because there is clearly something about that fight that Louis is holding back about. And no, not because he's lying about the fight having happened at all, and him being beaten in such a way. The fight did happen, and Louis did get beaten in the way we saw at the end. Because, again, what we saw of the actual fight was all from Claudia's POV, and Claudia would have no reason to lie about such a thing in her diary, where the account of the fight was clearly taken from.

No, it's because I strongly feel that something was going on during it that I don't think Louis can - even now - really process. And I have a huge suspicion about what it is.

We're now headed into book spoiler territory and I don't know how much you might want those, so I'm going to stop with that here. All I will say is that the pauses in the fight when we heard Lestat's voice talking are very, very important, particularly when it comes to what he's saying.

Part of this, and that fight, has to do with the very nature of what Lestat and Louis, and Claudia all are as vampires. Again, I'm really trying not to spoil anything here, because I suspect the show might reveal some of this in Season 2, particularly wrt Paris and the Theater Coven.

Though I don't think the majority of it will be talked about until Season 3 when we finally get Lestat's POV. And it might even be something that carries on over into multiple seasons.

I understand the POV of people who will never be okay with the fight and the imagery it left wrt Louis. But I really do feel the writers didn't do it without one, knowing how it would look, and two, that there is a larger, overall, story arc point going on here which ties into the fact that we are not dealing with human beings here.

This isn't a story about vampires seeking redemption or a way back to humanity. With Rice's vampires, the longer they live, the more apart from humanity they become. That is, overall, one of the things the VC explores here. And they are all going to continue to do some really inhuman things, at least during these earlier parts of the story, towards people they love.

Over time, even as many of them, especially Lestat, learn better how to deal with that nature, particularly towards those they care about and love, those inhuman things about their nature will still be there.

So I think also having that view, understanding that about these characters, as well as everything else I talked about, (including something I strongly feel they are setting up as to why Lestat acted the way he did), goes into my few of that fight and why, when it happened, I honestly wasn't either surprised by it and am okay and want to see where they go from here with it. This is just all, personally, where I'm coming from it with it of course.

[dollivication]

Hihiiiii, this is gonna be long, i've got a rant AND an idea thingy. i've mentioned before not bein into anyone other than Wesker in Resident Evil buuuut I just watched Resident Evil: Vendetta and I GET THE HYPE, I ADMIT, I GET IT. LEON'S MODEL IS SO FINE. I'm guilty to say seeing him in the movie and the old games vs in RE2+4 Remake, I prefer this design. He's more rugged? LAIK I KNOW HE STARTS OFF AS A ROOKIE BUUUT THEY COULDA KEPT HIS LOOK I saw people speaking about the newer design for his character saying they gave him the 'dumbass pretty boy' look cuz it makes more sense for him as a rookie cop in 2 but man.... Rookies can look like anything so if that were the case for the change....eeeeeh.... Also unpopular opinion, I also prefer Louis' old design. I'M SORRY, HE DOES GIVE OFF THE CREEPY UNCLE VIBE IN THE REMAKES MODEL. ANYWAY, I hope you're doing well today, staying hydrated and fed! Gotta look after yourself above all else. To make this less of a rant, I shall be the first (I think) to make a Wesker scenario/idea thingy. Wesker is all about himself, right? It's a part I surprisingly love about him. BUT LAIK, if he deems you special enough to make you his 'pet', just know he's NEVER letting you leave him. He knows all, where you go, who you talk to, what you're doing, etc. And if you even think of trying to contact anyone (perhaps a certain STARS agent...) you can find yourself tied up by his Uroboros tentacles and used for hours until he's done with work and uses you himself. He's superior, he tells you that, and he'll fill you up with his cum, talk about giving you a 'purpose' , laik breeding you to have his obviously 'superior, god-like children' OOP- He's a feckin menace, I can imagine if you go to get help in person (he has eyes on you at all times, so ofc you can roam around but not for long if you keep creep round some rookie or CHRIS) you'll end up in a bloody puddle, not dead but certainly taught a lesson... ☉▵☉ JUST AN IDEA FROM A DEPRAVED WESKER FAN DON'T MIND MEEE Love ya, Dolly (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ -Nell 🍓

NELLLLLL HAI HAILLO HEY :3!!!! WHEN I SAW THIS I LIT UP I CANNOT LAI… it’s always a treat to hear from yu!!! ^.^ and oh my we have MUCH TO DISCUSS TAKE A SEAT MWAAA 🩷🩷🩷

VENDETTA LEON IS JUST A SKRUNKLE!!!! HE IS a sopping wet andgrumpy kity… AND NOW THAT YOU MENTION IT,, it would be interesting to see him laik dat in re2.. laik how could this stingy critter get even stingier… a leon miserable from the start would’ve been pretty funy methinks LMAO

you are SO right about luis’ old design you are voicing thoughts i am 2 shy to say.. laik his new design is great!! but there’s a certain peculiarity to his old wan that screams yucky weirdo uncle.. might be dat wack ass hair and outfit GIGGLING he looks laik a vampire too !!! they’re both in special parts of my heart…. 🩷

I AMMM DOING SPLENDID and oh my lordy lord i forgot to drink water today THANK you for the reminder LMHREKSLFG i promise that’s not usually like me.. I HOPE YOU ARE DOING THE SAME HOWEVER !!!!!! please take lots o care!!!! >.<

THE. THE WESKER SCENARIO. IM SAT.!!!!??? TENTACLES,, ESPECIALLY FROM UROBOROS,,, ARE THE WAY TO MY HEART …. THE SUPERIORITY COMPLEX. BY JOVE!!! he’s so narcissistic and he’d probably tell you to be thankful that he chose you to have his kids… anyone would die for a chance like that!! (he is NOT wrong HEL))

his freaky ass would probably even put a shock collar on you,… god forbid you do anything that’s remotely out of line! AND ESPECIALLY god forbid you go near chris he’ll actually tweak the fuck out … i want wesker to stab me and say it was my fault for pushing him i CANNOT lie.. laik yur rite king i’m sorryIMSO SANE IM SO SANY

nell i’m hugging yu so tightly rn this crumb of thought was yumy… i lauv wesker so badly….sighs dreamily💔💔💔

[talesofsorrowandofruin]

Friday Monday Kiss Tag

Thanks for tagging me, @autumnalwalker! :D We'll just pretend this is Friday ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Rules: post a smooch between your OCs for Friday. It can be as light as a peck or as intense as a makeout. It can be romantic or platonic or familial. As long as a smooch takes place it’s free reign!

Here's an excerpt from Silver Glass:

Louis appears in the doorway with an uncharacteristically serious face. "Can we talk?" he says, and shuts the door without waiting for an answer. Now David feels foreboding. "What's wrong?" "My mother has taken it into her head to do some matchmaking. She's invited an American heiress." Is that all? David feels sorry for the heiress. "Poor girl. Poor you, too." Louis shakes his head. "No, not for me! She wants Lennox to marry her! And his mother wants it too!" If he had punched David in the face he could hardly have shocked him more effectively. David sinks down onto the window-seat and stares at him in a daze. Louis does his best to make things better. "I'm sure he doesn't like the girl. She isn't here yet. I bet you twenty shillings she's one of those unbearable shrill brats. She wouldn't be Lennox's type even if he was interested in women. And I saw how he looks at you." The confirmation that Alec is interested in him makes the possibility of his marriage even worse. David makes up his mind on the spot that he hates this unknown American heiress. He finds Alec out in the gardens, sitting under a tree. He's reading a letter with a grim expression. "Have you heard about the American woman?" he asks, and can't quite keep the distaste out of his voice. "Unfortunately yes," David says. He sits down beside him. Alec folds up the letter. "My mother tells me all about her here. How much money her father makes every year, how eager he is for his daughter to have a title. I don't think my mother suspects about… about me. But she wants to see me married, and my father wants me to marry money." David listens with a sinking heart. He always knew there was never any future for him and Alec. The best they could hope for was if Alec stayed a bachelor and let his "best friend" live with him. But marriage… David can't imagine Alec being happy with a woman. And he has his pride. Some men might be happy with being the secret lovers of married men. But not him. He won't share his lover with anyone. After a pause Alec seems to come to a decision. "It would be cruel to her and unfair to me. I won't marry her." "Thank God," David says without thinking. Too late he realises he's given too much away. If Alec didn't already know, then he certainly does now, and there's no way to take it back. They stare at each other. Alec's face is impassive but a storm of emotion is raging in his eyes. He reaches out. Slowly, as if he thinks David might run away, he reaches out and cups David's face in his hand. David clasps his hand over Alec's to stop him pulling away. "David," Alec whispers, and it sounds like a prayer. He leans in, and David meets him half-way, and his lips really are as soft as David had wondered.

Tagging @writernopal, @digital-chance, @wmlittlemore-is-writing, @deanwax, and anyone else who wants to do this! :D

Also adding Glass's taglist: @writingpotato07, @oh-no-another-idea, @sarahlizziewrites, @lightgriffinsect, @kittensartswriting, @acertainmoshke, @author-a-holmes, @sam-glade, @late-to-the-fandom (Let me know if you want to be added to/removed from the taglist!)

[bandedbulbussnarfblat]

Gossip

the next fic in my vampire Daniel series. read it below or here

Louis calls him not even two weeks after he goes off with Bianca.

“So I heard you're with Bianca now,” Louis says, sounding amused. “Marius called me.”

“Yeah, how's ole Marius doing?” says Daniel. He leans back on the bed and kicks off his shoes. Bianca had insisted on going shopping today. Daniel wasn't aware vampires could get sore feet, but his are aching. He wonders if maybe it's psychosomatic. He could ask Louis about it.

“He's trying to get me back together with Armand,” Louis says and so sounds pleased. “Daniel, what did you say to him?”

“Called him out for being a sanctimonious, self-important, pervert,”Daniel says. “What do you mean he's trying to get you and Armand back together?”

“He says sharing me would be good for Armand and Lestat. Says it'd help them get along.”

“They'd shred you to pieces,” Daniel says. To be honest, he doesn't mind the idea of Louis back with Armand. He's used to sharing with Louis. But now Louis comes with Lestat, and Daniel has his limits.

Daniel hears a soft thumping sound then Louis voice shout Lestat's name followed a string of French. A second passes then Louis's back “Sorry, Lestat can't handle not being the center of my attention.”

Daniel hears Lestat in the background “I can hear you!”

“You was supposed to,” Louis calls. “How are things with her? If it's not working you can always come stay with me.”

Daniel snorts. “Yeah? How'd Lestat feel about that?”

“He ain't the one in charge.”

Daniel hopes that's true. He has no delusions himself about whose in charge in his relationship—Armand demands an insane amount of control. Or he had, back in the day. He hasn't shown quite as many signs this time around, though he's been on good behavior trying to win him over. He used to go so far as picking out Daniel's clothes. And Daniel would let him! He liked it even, sometimes.

Sometimes, it'd make him feel hot under the collar, obscenely aware that everything about him was a display for Armand. He felt utterly and entirely owned by him, and instead of the normal terror that would bring, it sent a sharp shock of arousal.

“Things are fine.” They truly are. And Daniel likes Louis, but he's not too keen on spending a lot of time with Lestat.

“Y'all should come visit. Stay a few days.”

Daniel props up on a pillow. “Problems with Lestat?”

“Nah, but his mom is coming to visit. They have a...weird relationship.”

Daniel isn't going to ask, because then he doesn't have to know. “You don't get along?”

“Gabrielle loves me,” Louis says, “But Lestat always gets all depressed when she leaves-”

“Mommy issues?” Daniel cuts in.

“Severe ones,” Louis says, “So having guests might, I don't know, distract him. Distract me from him.”

Daniel could recognize a cry for help when he heard it. “I'll have to ask Bianca. But it shouldn't be a problem. When should we get there?”

A few days later, he and Bianca are on a plane to France.

[homosociallyyours]

Hi!!

I'd love to know more about:

Filth (Canadian Cabin rare 3some)

And any other wip you really want to talk about.

THANK YOU MY FRIEND!!!

That's the one I was shocked nobody asked for, and one that I really love and very much plan on finishing. It's a special favorite of @jlf23tumble but I think you'll like it too! For a while I thought I might publish it on anon unicorns, but the problem is that there's nothing about it I wouldn't wanna claim? ANYWAYYYY

It's. Rande Gerber/Harry Hamlin/Harry Styles having a threesome that Louis actually took part in planning (which Harry finds extra hot) in Rande's remote Canadian cabin. It's the middle of the night and a little dark and fumbly, but it's got a flow. Enjoy:

The sounds were quiet, but distinct; familiar, certainly. There was the swallowed hum that Harry associated with taking a cock in his mouth, aroused beyond belief and yet somehow soothed by the rightness of how it filled him. It was followed by a choked sound, and he found himself pressing down on his own hardening cock, thinking about gagging on Louis’ only a few nights ago, tears in his eyes as he forced himself to open his throat up and take it. 

He didn’t think he was dreaming until he heard the rough whisper of his name. “Harry-- fuck, yeah. Missed this.” 

It was Rande’s voice, and Harry bit back a gasp as he slid one hand into his pants, fingers trailing over the hairs that led down to his cock. They’d never done anything together, but of course Harry had thought about it. It was a fantasy that he indulged in with Louis regularly, playing the innocent younger man being taught how to be used by a rough, rich daddy who took exactly what he wanted and left Harry wanting more. 

The cabin was fully dark, the moon not even a sliver in the sky, the Canadian woods swallowing up any light that might try to sneak in with thick branches and clouds that had threatened rain for at least a day of the camping trip. Still, Harry lifted up on his elbow, turning toward where he knew Rande’s bed was on the opposite side of the cabin. He slid his thumb across his slit, spreading the bit of precome over his cock as he gave it the slightest tug, trying to hold back from jerking himself off fully in case this really was just a dream.

BRIEF, UNDETAILED SEXUAL ASSAULT MENTION BELOW

THIS IS A CONTENT WARNING

I'll also talk about the BDSM fic I had a nice little start on, because I fully DID NOT remember actually getting anything down for it (I signed up for the fest but also had my first BB fic to work on, so I had to drop). The plot is that Harry and Louis are roommates. They're both queer and kinky but not sure they'd be compatible and not willing to test it when they like the relationship they already have with each other.

Then Louis comes home and finds Harry after a date that went really badly (boundary pushing and no aftercare) and is immediately worried/jumps into caretaking mode. The experience shifts Harry's perspective and eventually HL's relationship into something different. Here's a little bit

CONTENT WARNING OVER YOU ARE SAFE TO READ

DON'T WORRY IT IS 100% FLUFFY:

“I have a date Friday,” Harry says casually on Wednesday morning as he and Louis navigate their shared kitchen. Harry has already been up for a bit doing his usual morning routines and Louis is trying desperately to leave for work. It barely registers for him, but he nods anyway and asks who it’s with. 

“Matt from that party last week, Boy Pile.” 

Louis has a vague memory of someone tall and chiseled, built a bit like Chris Evans. “The Dorito?” he asks, filling his travel mug with coffee. “Thought you weren’t that into him.” 

Harry laughs and slides Louis’ phone toward him, making sure he won’t forget it. “He found me on Grindr a few days later and we started texting. Turns out we have some common interests.” He’s got a sly smile on his face and Louis just shakes his head, laughing it off. 

“You’re such a slut for mean daddies. I’ll never understand.”  “Because you’re a nice daddy, Lou.” It’s the kind of gentle teasing that they’ve engaged in since they first met, and Louis can’t help but enjoy it. He pinches Harry’s side, making him giggle, and grabs a piece of toast off Harry’s plate before heading toward the door.

(isn't that a nice little start?? I literally got to the end and was like damn why didn't the bitch who wrote this FINISH IT???)

[1000-directions]

1, 15, 16!!!

1. if someone wanted to really understand you, what would they read, watch, and listen to?

i went back and forth on this one a lot trying to think of what the perfect song would be, and ultimately i landed on the fact that uhhh i am a songwriter who has written literally hundreds of songs about every single aspect of myself so maybe one of those would be appropriate duh u idiot self. sharing my music kinda makes me want to light myself on fire but here have this.

15. five most influential books over your lifetime.

i read sandra cisneros’ the house on mango street when i was in high school, and it was the first time i’d heard of vignettes, and that method of telling a story really captivated me and changed the way i wrote. i read barbara ehrenreich’s nickel and dimed: on (not) getting by in america as a college freshman, and while it’s by no means a perfect book, it had a PROFOUND effect on my worldview and was definitely the first step towards me rejecting the sort of classist rhetoric i’d grown up with and developing my own understanding of how most people’s lives were so, so different from my own. i was an english major for one (1) semester in college, and i read and really enjoyed madame bovary which was really surprising to me? like it hadn’t really occurred to me that ~classic assigned books could actually be interesting and enjoyable, and it kinda blew my mind and rewrote a lot of rules in my head. my parents basically never gave me a sex talk, and young steph’s understanding of sex was basically borne from me reading trashy novels and looking up unfamiliar words in the dictionary (it was the 90s okay). my favorite was almost paradise by susan isaacs. idk how old i was when i read it the first time, but i was FAR too young, and i thought it was super romantic and sexy which is really horrifying in retrospect because what i remember of that book is fucking gross and misogynistic and FILTHY. and yeah for the fifth book let’s go with the beat up blue dictionary with the cracked spine that i grew up with. spellcheck didn’t exist when i first started having homework in school, and if i ever asked my mother how to spell anything or what a word meant, she made me consult the dictionary and figure it out myself. fun fact: i learned what being gay was from the dictionary when i looked up the word “homosexual” after reading it in a sweet valley high book.

16. if you’d grown up in a different environment, do you think you’d have turned out the same?

i am sure many of my circumstances would have been different. i think about this sometimes, if i’d have less issues and anxiety and shame if i’d grown up in a more laidback and supportive household, because i really don’t think my parents did me any favors in that regard. i think that a lot of the personality traits i developed were in spite of my upbringing, not a direct result of it, so i hope i would have ended up with a similar moral compass regardless of where i started. but i also think there’s something kind of arbitrary about it all, and i remember being fourteen and having this super vivid epiphany that i just as easily could have been born in another country or to another family, belonging to another religion, speaking a different language, with a different skin color, any of it, and it was a really sobering moment for me to be so aware of how much of who we are is determined by shit beyond our control. i had a very sheltered, privileged upbringing, and it took me a long time to unlearn some of that indoctrination and become more curious and nonjudgmental about other people. i might have come to some of those realizations earlier in life if i���d had any framework to build upon instead of having to construct it all myself. but i do think our experiences make us who we are. i was talking to a friend recently who was going through a tough situation, and she’d really never had anything truly bad happen to her before, and one of the things i’d talked about with her is the idea that even if the bad shit we all go through is different bad shit, going through it gives us new compassion to draw on because we understand now what it’s like. i think i might have had different bad situations if i grew up in a different environment, but hopefully i would have learned the lessons of compassion and resilience regardless.

identity ask

[astroluvr]

Hii I was wondering if you could do a small blurb with Zayn where it’s maybe during his One D days. Inspired by the video of the fans breaking in through the back where Louis is sunbathing. Reader is maybe his girlfriend and they were both painting in the back when the fans found them. They might have been rude to her so Zayn defends her. Sorry if it doesn’t make sense and is too long. Much love x

this took FOREVER and i am so, so sorry, BUT here it is. i am not huge on one direction (+ this will likely be one of my only posts focusing on that time period), so i didn't know exactly what reference this was, but i hope you like it regardless! thank you for your request.

warnings: swearing/insults, not much else i think

enjoy!

requests r open and i promise ill actually get to them in a timely fashion!

------

"do you think i should do a dark green here or mix it with the white?" you asked your boyfriend who was sitting next to you on a wooden stool.

it was a calm day and the boys had rented a beautiful villa for a week that zayn was kind enough to extend an invitation for. they'd gone out shopping and you and zayn stayed back, going into the city early in the morning to partake in some arts and crafts above the beach. you worked on a simple painting of trees over a lake while your counterpart worked on greece beneath you.

"i'm not sure, beauty. i think the sun looks to be coming from the left, so maybe light green there." he hummed, analyzing your painting before you.

"you're a visionary vision." you complimented, leaning forward to kiss his cheek and he grinned.

there were a few moments of peace between you, only soft compliments to the other before there was a loud slam that mase you jump and zayn stand.

"are the guys back?" you asked, standing behind zayn as he started to walk towards the sliding door.

"no, they said they wouldn't be back until late."

"this looks like harry's!" one screamed and both of you stiffened.

"fuck," zayn said and you put a hand on his shoulder. "stay out here."

"do you want me to call someone?"

"no, let's just see if i can get them out calmly, yeah?"

"they just broke in. there's nothing calm about this. what if they-"

"let me handle this, okay?" he turned to you and kissed you softly as you watched the two of them run all over and pick up dirty laundry.

zayn walked in and you kept your phone close, but allowed him to step in. when they saw him, their squeals were deafening. you felt uneasy about the whole thing and listened carefully.

"ladies, i'd absolutely hate to press-"

"zayn, oh my god!" one screeched and they jumped.

"ladies-"

"i told you that gold-digging girlfriend of his wouldn't be here!"

"excuse me!" zayn's voice boomed and they gained his attention once more. "i absolutely cannot allow you two to stay here, as it is highly inappropriate. i understand that you two are fans, but you are disregarding the safety of-"

"holy shit, it's y/n! what the fuck is she doing here?" one scoffed as you came into view and zayn snapped his head to look at you. "ew!"

"stupid bitch!" you didn't flinch at their words, it wasn't anything you hadn't heard before.

"since i have your attention, i'd like to ask you two to leave our villa unless i should call the authorities."

"we're here to see zayn and the boys, not you." one sneered childishly and zayn went to speak on your behalf, but you rubbed his back to stop him. the last thing he needed was bad press.

"okay, well you've seen zayn and he is not-"

"you don't speak for him, you freak! we've loved him way longer than you and you don't even deserve him. you're not better than him because you spend his money. as a matter of fact, you should just-"

"that's enough! enough!" he said in a tone he'd never taken with you in the years you'd known him. "you can get the fuck out of here or you can stay and wait for the authorities, but you won't talk shit about my girlfriend. you just won't."

you were just as shocked as them and zayn took your hand.

"baby, call the cops, please."

"no! n-no, that's so not necessary." one gasped and the other was already shaking in fear as you put in the emergency number.

"we're leaving. god, we're leaving."

you stood as close as you could as they scrambled away. once the door slammed, zayn took you into his arms and kissed your neck repeatedly.

"i'm sorry, z." you whispered and he shook his head.

"what they said- you know it wasn't true, right? you know i love you more than anything? and you are better than them because you're not a stalker."

you couldn't help but giggle before kissing him. "i love you, too. thank you for always protecting me."

"always, always."

--

@st-ev-ie

[covenofthearticulate]

Louis/Lestat: Louis gave Lestat a hard look and said, "You can't always have your way."

Send a pairing and a starting line!

Louis gives Lestat a hard look and says, "You can't always have your way."

"Says who?" Lestat saunters across the room, away from Louis, towards the vanity mirror. Taking a seat, he pauses for a moment to stare at his reflection, startled as always by the icy alien eyes that look back at him.

"Says I."

Louis doesn't often stoop to Lestat's juvenile taunts, but sometimes he wonders if it's the only way to get through to him. Logic certainly won't work, it never has in the past.

"Who died and made you king? Oh wait—"

Louis can hear that Cheshire Cat grin in his voice already, and it's utterly maddening.

It's one thing to slip into the night without the provided protection of those Blood Drinkers assigned to protect him and without informing a single soul of his whereabouts, but to come home with that smile, as if he's achieved some sort of triumph! Louis hates to fight like this, he's acutely aware of how he comes across. The angry housewife, the jealous lover. But he's past the point of caring this evening.

"If you are going to brag about your crown, I would expect you to at least live up to the title."

He's quick to cut deep with his anger, just as Lestat is quick to dismiss it: "Oh, don't be so dramatic, Louis!"

He punctuates the exclamation with a flick of his wrist as he reaches behind his head to take down his hair, admiring the way it tumbles back over his shoulders.

"I happen to be completely serious. You cannot just disappear like that. This isn't a game." Louis peers at him through the mirror, steps closer until Lestat has no choice but to turn and face him.

"Did you workshop this little lecture with Marius while I was away? You sound so very much like him, it's remarkable."

He makes himself laugh with that little quip, but before he can get another word out, Louis hand is on his shirt collar, and suddenly the wooden edge of the table cuts into his back. It isn't the violence of the act that shocks him, so much as the intensity imbued in each movement, the sudden tide of unbridled rage sizzling in his very bones. Louis could have pinned him with his gaze alone.

Ah, Lestat finally thinks to himself, so this is more than our nightly bickering routine.

"You listen to me now, Lestat." He all but growls. "You cannot run off like that again, do you understand me? Your recklessness will have consequences one day— it always does."

The room is silent, for a moment, as something switches in Lestat. Something old, and ugly, and only ever brought about by Louis' particular incisive confrontation.

In a flurry of movement, he pushes Louis away using only a small portion of his strength, and sends him stumbling backwards. A cruel reminder of his power.

"I can take care of myself, Louis."

"And what if you can't?"

"I can."

"What if something had happened, Lestat? What if, while you played hooky on your meetings, something were to happen to you? Do you have any idea—"

"—any idea of the responsibility I hold to all our kind, blah blah blah, yes, Louis, I know. God knows I know! Every breath I take, I am reminded of that responsibility, I do not need you hammering it into me!" He slams one hand on the vanity table in his frustration and sends the whole thing shattering.

"I am the vampire Lestat and I know goddamned well what that means to everyone around me!"

"I'm not talking about everyone around you, I'm talking about me!" Louis bites.

"You! What about y—"

"Do you have ANY IDEA, Lestat, how UTTERLY EXHAUSTED I am from WORRYING ABOUT YOU?!"

And there it is. An outburst decades in the making.

He raises his voice to a bellowing volume, impossible to ignore, filling the space with all pent up rage and resentment, grief and anguish at those years spent on the cold chapel floor. Every misadventure, from human bodies to the concert stage, with Louis right there just beyond reach, praying that they might meet again, that they might be together, that Lestat might live to see another day, if only for the selfish reason of holding Louis in his arms.

"I don't care if you leave." Louis finally breathes, softer now. "I don't care if you want to be alone. But I need you to trust me, and I need you to tell me. Not as your consort, but as your lover."

It's Lestat's turn to soften, now, as a pool of crimson begins to well in the corner of his eyes. "I just wanted...I can't breathe in here, Louis, it's suffocating."

He feels so small when he says it. So childish.

But Louis is there in an instant, pressing their foreheads together, inhaling a breath just to feel the way it fills his chest in this moment. The depth of the moment feels at once terrifying and tender. Like the comforting squeeze of a boa constrictor, it holds them tight for some time.

"One of these days," Louis sighs deeply, "I'm going to kill you myself just to avoid the agony of waiting for someone else to do it."

Lestat smiles at the bleak punch of humor, nuzzles his nose against Louis's, and whispers:

"You won't be rid of me so easy, lover."

"Is that a promise?"

"Promise."

[neondiamond]

☀️ Recently Read Fics - August 2022 ☀️

These are all the amazing fics I read over the past month (from shortest to longest). Don’t forget to leave kudos and comments to show the authors your appreciation if you read any of these! 💛

☀️ let me carry your burdens by @bottomhaztoplou (637, G)

Harry isn't understood by the world. Louis helps to give him a little peace.

☀️ Late Night Nesting by @harryslonecurl (769, M)

“Hurry up. I’m cuddle deprived.”

Louis climbed into bed, careful not to dislodge any part of the nest. Harry didn’t hesitate to cuddle right up to Louis’ bare chest. Harry stuck his nose right into the crook of Louis’ neck, where his bondmark lay. It wasn’t typical for alphas to have bondmarks along with their omegas, but Harry and Louis didn’t care to adhere to every tradition.

☀️ Logging In by @tommokat (801, G)

Harry’s new job comes with two main struggles: the technology hating him and the IT tech that’s fixing it all.

☀️ craving a kiss by @onlyforbravest (974, G)

“But Lou, I really want to kiss someone.”

Louis let out a heavy, irritated sigh. “I gave you a solution.”

“But –”

“Actually, I gave you two.”

☀️ Good Dogs Don’t Bark by @haztobegood (1k, M)

“Don’t know where it came from, but it’s here to stay,” Harry laughed into the mic. Barking at the crowd gave him such a thrill. He couldn’t remember the first time he barked at the crowd, but he remembered how it made his heart race every time. He always wondered how his Master would react if he were there. Would he be punished for barking in public? But Louis had been busy with his own world tour, and Harry kept barking.

☀️ heart meet break by @larrieblr (1k, NR)

A large, looming living room with half its belongings packed up. A kitchen, sink barely cleaned and two plates set on the table. And a skinny twenty-something on the middle of the rug, a hot phone pressed to a cheek so tear-stained it might cause an electrical shock.

☀️ Dark Waters Breed Desperation by @usignedupforthis (1k, NR)

If Louis has to stare at the ocean to remember who he is at least it doesn't care.

☀️ Cowgirl Take Me Away by @littleroverlouis (1k, T)

Louis has two great loves in her life: Harry and Harry's cowboy boots.

☀️ Hash Brown, Egg Yolk, I Will Always Love You by @loveislarryislove (1k, G)

Niall is a regular at Harry's hole-in-the-wall breakfast diner, coming in almost every morning. As such, he feels uniquely qualified to opine that another regular, Louis, would be a perfect match for Harry.

He doesn't realize they're several years ahead of him on that.

☀️ Downgraded by @wabadabadaba (2k, G)

I don't know why you downgraded what we had, but I did not make us up.

Or the one where Louis has too much time to think while in self-isolation so he calls Harry after not speaking to him in years.

☀️ Cannibalism Love Story by @londonfoginacup (2k, G)

It’s a hot summer day and Louis wants nothing more than to lay on the floor and do nothing.

Instead he’s with the twins at the science museum.

☀️ I don’t mind being lost at sea by @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed (2k, T)

“Would you like your eggs cooked, scrambled or fertilised tomorrow morning?”

Zayn looks at the stranger thoughtfully. “You know,” he says, “I don't think that pick up line works when we're both male.”

Or: the fic where Louis tries to cheer up a stranger in a bar.

☀️ we’re forever (and ever and ever and ever) by @onlythebravest (2k, G)

Five times Louis said "I wish I met you later" and one time he didn't.

☀️ tofu or not tofu by @hershelsue (3k, E)

Harry watches a documentary and decides to go vegan. It almost goes south, but Louis is as supportive as ever.

☀️ De Novo by @skipperxao3 (4k, M)

Harrie always knew that things weren’t right in her world, but it was many years before she had the answers, not only about herself but the world around her. With the help of two wonderful friends, she comes to embrace life as it truly is. She’s found happiness and confidence within herself, feeling truly content for the first time in her life.

One thing she longs for is to share her life with another person, but fear holds her back. She doesn’t know if she’s able to be accepted as she is now. But that doesn’t stop the world from trying and allowing her to see who she needs to be.

Despite her reservations, she realizes that one failed date doesn’t mean is it’s an end all. It simply means she wasn’t herself the first time around.

With a deep, steady breath of fresh air, Harrie knows now. She’s ready and the future is here in the form of a wonderful person who doesn’t hold her past against her. In fact, he finds her imperfectly perfect exactly as she is, and that’s all Harrie needs.

☀️ We Can Get Together by @tommokat (4k, M)

Louis tries his best to not have regrets in life. Or rather, he tries not to regret decisions he’s made with logic and reason. It seems he's found the decision that finally makes him question it all, however. Because logic and reason meant the best way to make it across the country for his cousin’s wedding in the middle of the summer was a Greyhound bus.

If only he had chosen a bus that didn’t leave at 2 in the morning.

☀️ Close Our Eyes (Pretend We’re Miles Away) by @haztobegood (5k, E)

Louis and Harry have been on the run for a day and a half now. It’s a hard situation to be in, and they’ve been trying to cope the best they can since their relaxing girls’ weekend at a rented cabin turned into a living nightmare.

Just forty eight hours ago, Harry never would have robbed a bank. Hell, she barely would have touched the gun she’d used in the robbery, let alone wave it around to threaten anyone. Forty eight hours ago, Louis hadn’t used that same gun to shoot a man.

☀️ It’s Just Another Full Moon by @larry-hiatus (6k, G)

The last time there was a Wolf Moon in the sky, Harry fell into an omega drop. Now that another Wolf Moon is coming, he’s not taking any chances…

☀️ Wild As You by @greenblueish (9k, M)

As much as Harry had not been overjoyed at the prospect of leaving Minnesota behind and starting high school in rural central Nebraska, it had definitely changed his life in ways staying at his childhood home never would have. Within days he had found fellow students to sit with at lunch, within weeks he had considered them friends, within months he had learned to love Nebraska, and within four years, he had wildly fallen in love with Louis Tomlinson.

or, a story about how Harry figures out whether the ideal of a house with a white picket fence in the suburbs of a medium-sized city is what he wants, or whether Louis' sheep ranch is the home his heart really desires.

☀️ there’s always room for common ground by @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed (10k, T)

Zayn never thought his life would be this way. When he’d first met Liam, he’d known that this was it. This was the man he was meant to marry, to be with for the rest of his life. And for a while things had been perfect. They had their dream wedding, their dream home, and after a few years, their perfect little girl. Things had been – well, perfect.

It’s why it’s so hard to swallow that these days Liam will barely look at him. That they’ve gone from being cuddled up on the couch together to barely being able to exchange pleasantries when they’re dropping off their daughter with one another.

☀️ That How I Know by @allwaswell16 (19k, E)

Louis Tomlinson has just landed his dream job, coaching soccer at Augustus University. When he moves into a new house near campus, he meets his very fit new neighbor, English professor Harry Styles. Although their first meeting leads to an instant mutual dislike, the more Harry gets to know Louis, the more he likes what he sees.

Or the one where Harry’s African grey parrot spills his dirty secrets to his very hot neighbor.

☀️ I’m a Fool for You by @berzerkshires (24k, E)

Harry is a successful, past MVP player in the NBA. When he gets news of his stepfather's passing in the middle of a game, he walks out of the game, threatening to never come back. He's not been true to himself for years, and it's going to take a stranger from his hometown to help him understand that being yourself is not as scary as he thought.

☀️ I like the way you say my name (when you soak it in grace) by @liminalkitty518 (65k, E)

Louis is transferred to a new city to temporarily cover for his counterpart while he is on maternity leave for the next six months.

His new co-workers talk endlessly about Harry, the omega who he’s covering for. And Louis finds himself jealous of whatever alpha as snatched him up.

Until he learns Harry is actually an unmated omega three months out from becoming a single parent.

☀️ Have Love, Will Travel by @kingsofeverything (97k, E)

Rather than spend the summer working at their desks, Louis and Harry are given the opportunity to crisscross the country together in a tiny camper, filming their adventures for a YouTube series.

It soon becomes obvious to their viewers that there’s something more than friendship between them. Eventually, they figure it out.

☀️ Where you’d rather be by @itsmotivatingcara (103k, M)

Louis runs the best Canine Search and Rescue school in Augusta, Maine, one that trains dogs to track missing persons. He lives an idyllic life on Togus Pond where he's built his career from the ground up. He has everything he could ever want, a beautiful home, friends he adores and a dog that aids his students in their training. Romantic entanglements have never been high up on his list of priorities.

That is, until he stumbles across a body in the woods. A woman was brutally murdered and dumped on his doorstep. It doesn't help that the Detective on the case happens to be devilishly handsome and just the right amount of broody.

Detective Harry styles has a murder to solve, he's just gotten out of a long-term relationship and he's certainly not looking for another. Regardless of whether the man who run's the SAR unit's blue eyes sparkle with promise and a sense of belonging. Something he may or may not have been searching for all his life.

[hongjoongscafe]

Blind Beauty

{one}{two}{three}

Pairing: blind!hongjoong×insecure! reader(grace)

Genre: fluff, angst, implied smut, nudity

Summary: only the mind's eyes can see the true beauty.

Warnings: DIALOGUES. otherwise, nothing for this part.

Word count: 8k+

Masterpost

Note: I know I said I'm on a break but I wrote this part a month ago. So, I'm just posting it. The next part will be out somewhere in the summers.

*DO NOT REPOST, PLZ*

"You bloody asshole!" The shrill voice yelling at someone caught her attention as she was walking out of the coffee shop.

It was a little above four in the evening. Her work finished earlier than usual. All of her days pass by her drowning herself in the work. She was a CEO, founder, and designer of a semi-luxury clothing brand, The Glorious. Taking some time off from routine, made her happy and relaxed. She planned the rest of the day perfectly.

"You just touched my $1000 Louis Vuitton purse with your filthy stick!" She yelled.

The shrill voice lady's $1000 purse was on the ground as she was lounging outside, enjoying her drink from the same cafe.

Her eyes fell on the man, who was standing there with a distant look on his face and a white cane in his hand.

"Hey, you!" She got the attention of that shrill voice lady. "What is your problem? Why are you harassing him?"

"See his filthy stick just touched my $1000 Louis Vuitton purse. Who even allows these blind people to get out of their poor houses!?"

"Enough! Your bag was on the goddamn ground. Which is more filthy but not more than your personality!" She answered back.

"How dar—"

"What? Huh? Do you even know what you are saying and to whom you are saying it? You spoilt rich assholes think so highly of yourself that you even forget that you are a human too! Shame on such a human being. You better apologize to the young man!" The shrill voice lady was shocked when she lashed out at her.

"N-no it's fine, really, no need to apologize," the man said.

"It might be oky for you, but not with me..." She gently said. "And you, what are you looking at? Say sorry and get the fuck out of here."

"Sorry..." The lady whispered, shaking in anger.

"You fucking say it or else I'm throwing your drink at your disgusting self!" She demanded.

"I'm sorry for harassing you. Oky!?" The lady grabbed her $1000 purse and got lost in the crowd.

She let out a deep sigh.

"Hey, I'm sorry about her. She shouldn't have said those things," she apologized properly on her behalf. "I don't know how people can be so insensitive!"

The man chuckled.

"It's fine, really. Her bag must be precious to her," he smiled.

"No, don't say that. Her bag can fuck off. She was mean for no reason and she didn't even apologize properly," she pouted. She was filled with humanity and kindness. It was so uncomfortable for her if someone would disrespect someone for no specific reason. So when she heard that shrill voice lady yelling at this fine man— he looks young by his face, though, made her boiling angry.

"Thank you for taking my side, btw. My friend usually accompanies me but he got a date today, so, he was there," he shared.

"Oh, he sounds like a good friend," she said.

"Yeah, he is. We are childhood friends," he smiled.

"Wow, that's great..." She waited for him to fill it with his name.

"Hongjoong, sorry I didn't introduce," he chuckled shyly.

"It's a pretty name for a pretty boy! And I'm Grace. Nice to meet you, Hongjoong!" She cheered.

"Ah! Your name is prettier. Nice to meet you too, Grace," her name sounded so sweet when he said it.

"No, no," she giggled. "Where are you going? I can drop you," Grace offered.

"No, please. I can go. I remember the path," he shook his head.

"It's okay, I can drop you. I'm free today. I have nowhere to be," she insisted.

"Um, I was going to the library, next block."

"Oh! I was going there too. I wanted to go through some books," she chimed.

"That's great," He smiled.

"I-I'm gonna hold your arm, oky?" He nodded and extended his left arm for her to hold.

Grace's touch was soft. She held him gently and guided him further.

"So, do you come here every day?" She questioned.

"Almost. I love reading books. Plus there is just a perfect amount of silence. Nobody disturbs anyone," he answered. She just hummed.

Grace was stunned by the handsome man. She probably has never seen such a man. He was soft-spoken. Didn't even try to fight back with that shrill voice lady. He handled everything calmly. But somewhere inside his distant eyes, she could see the sadness lingering and torturing. She could see the pain.

"Which types of books do you read?" They were walking without any rush. The chilly breeze in the summer evening calmed their nerves. It was a bit cloudy, which made the environment nice and cool.

"I read different types of books. Sometimes I read fictional books. I also enjoy reading extra knowledge books... It's fun to read. I love to read."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. They not only take me to another world but makes me feel capable of doing something. I can't see but I can still read! That's a win-win," he chirped.

"It is a win-win," she chuckled and took a right turn.

Grace was thinking about what he said. His words were so deep if one thinks deeply. Reading made him feel that he can do anything. Since one can only read with eyes, he reads with his senses of touch. He is far more capable of doing things than normal people. He is excited to know more, to explore through his touches and senses. It was amazing to think about it.

They were walking without saying anything. She could see other people walking by, talking. She could hear the faint sound of Hongjoong's white cane tapping on the ground. But a sudden halt in her step brought her back.

"What happened? Everything alright?" Grace worried.

"We are here," be simply said with a small smile, eyes still looking distant.

"Huh?"

"The library," he pointed towards their right.

"Oh," she awkwardly chuckled. "I kinda spaced out."

"No worries. I told you I know where it is," he teased and started moving inside.

"Which floor do you wanna go to?" Grace asked.

"Third, please."

"Sure!"

They took the elevator to the third floor. The familiar receptionist greeted them. She was in her mid-thirties.

"Hi, Hongjoong. How are you today?" She asked.

"Hi, Anna. I'm fine as always. How are you?"

"Ah! Just fine. My youngest boy got his hand fractured."

"No, how did that happen?"

"Fell from the swing... Anyhow, where is Seonghwa?"

"He got a date today."

"Ahhh, so I see you came with— Grace! Oh my God, where have you been? It's been so long," Anna's eyes grew twice the size.

"Hello, Anna, just working. Days were a little tight. So didn't get much time to come down here. I missed you, tho," Grace pouted.

"I missed you too. Don't overwork yourself. When was the last time I saw you?" She paused. "Ah, it's been two months! But it's oky. I saw the magazine. God, every single piece of cloth was so beautiful. They were designed so nicely. All of your hard work is paying off! And your interview was great!" Anna was excited. She saw her working on stuff and issuing some fashion-related books here and there.

"Thank you! I know, everybody worked so hard. It's the first time our clothes appeared in the magazine and it was amazing. It took a lot of work but it was fun too!" If anything Grace loves the most, that is her passion for fashion. She loved when people recognized her work. By the time, they got more attention and she hired professional designers. She loves to work with her staff. She was their inspiration, an icon. So when their designer clothes were shown off in a famous fashion magazine, she was bouncing off the walls.

"That's great! I won't keep you here for long. You guys go and find your books."

Hongjoong started walking towards the section where books for blinds were organized. Grace followed him. She looked at all the books. There were written in Braille.

Hongjoong was feeling every book.

"You can go find your books," he said. "I will find mine and sit."

"No problem. You can find yours. I'll make sure you sit in a perfect seat. And I'll know where you are, it'll be easy for me to find you," she said. Her hands behind her.

"Oky."

After going through some books, he found what he wanted.

"Found it!" He smiled.

"Oky, great," She took him to one of the tables for two around the corner. She helped him get in the seat.

"I'll go and find my books. Oky?" She informed and he hummed with a smile.

She was in the mood for an erotic/romance book. She stepped into that section and saw many books. She one by one picked the books which caught her eye the most. After about eight minutes, she had ten books.

Grace always read the first chapter of the book before buying. In her opinion, the first chapter explains a lot about the whole plot. If she finds it interesting, she would buy it from the bookstore on the way back.

She came back to the table and saw him reading his book. She took a seat opposite him.

"Took you long enough," he said.

"Yeah, I wanted to go through some books. If any of them interests me, I'll buy it from the bookshop," she opened the first book. Dirty by Megan Hart.

"Clever," they chuckled.

They sat there and read their books quietly. Hongjoong was enjoying whatever he was reading. He was giggling and was looking really happy. At this time, she forgot about her books and admired him. He was beautiful, so gorgeous. He had a sharp nose. His eyes were distant but so beautiful. They were looking towards the side but you knew if you make eye contact with him you won't be able to look anywhere else. Well, you can't look anywhere else when he, an angel, is sitting in front of you. His jawline was sharp. His beautiful pink lips were nicely hydrated. He was gifted with commercial teeth. His skin was clear and looked soft. She wanted to caress it. His hair was dark blue. His sharp features went perfectly with his hair. He was wearing a plain black t-shirt with acid wash jeans. To fill up the look, the black converse was a perfect choice. He looked simple yet unique.

Hongjoong silently started laughing. Her curiosity boosted.

"What are you reading?" Grace asked.

"A Confederacy of Dunces," he answered.

"What made you laugh?" Her voice was filled with amusement.

"It's written: I am at the moment writing a lengthy indictment against our century. When my brain begins to reel from my literary labors, I make an occasional cheese dip. It's so random," he giggled. "What are you reading?"

"Uh, I was reading the first chapter of some erotic/romantic books," she blushed.

"Oh, you must be into Disney stuff when you were younger?"

"No, I wasn't into Disney stuff."

"No?" He was a little shocked.

"No, I think they are stupid and create a false image of what love is."

"I had a friend. She used to love to watch those every weekend. So I thought you would be into them."

"Ugh! No. I mean, they always have a standard, you know? The 'Princess' is always so beautiful. They have that perfect little nose. Pimples are afraid to pop out on their faces. Their bodies are so lean and perfect. Rapunzel is beautiful, crack but so beautiful. And, oh, Snow White... *scoffs* Florian only kissed her because she was flawless. But imagine if she was an evil lady, you know? She could have stabbed his neck while he was kissing an unknown girl in the forest among seven dwarfs. What if there was some poison on her lips. Like so fake. They have risen false hope for the kids. I loath Disney world. They just have typical beauty standards. And their movies revolve around it and instead of love, they show obsession not love. They make normal people insecure."

"Makes sense... But you are beautiful," he said out of nowhere.

"Huh? Me? Beautiful? You don't even know how I look..."

"So what? I know that you are beautiful."

"Right, with pimples and faint wrinkles around the corner of my eyes and the dark circles, stretch marks around the body. Sure, I'm beautiful," she scoffed.

"So, who is setting typical beauty standards?" He asked with a smug look.

"I-I," she was left speechless.

"See. You are beautiful," he smiled.

"Did you just shut me up like that?" she chuckled while blushing.

"No, no. I am just saying that pimples or no pimples, dark circles or no dark circles, you are beautiful," he said. "And you didn't stab me!"

"What?" She tilted her head in confusion.

"You offered to take me wherever I was going and I came with you and I don't even know you. You could have kidnapped me or killed me by now. But you didn't," she smiled to herself at his statement. This was the best conversation she ever had. Being around him, relaxed her. She felt confident around him, much more energetic.

"Thank you," Grace shyly said.

"For what?" He asked.

"For telling me that I'm beautiful... And for trusting me today," now she understood that for him trust has a deeper meaning. As he said you could have killed him or kidnapped him but he trusted you with his life and let you guide him to his destiny. He can't see so automatically his chances of getting hurt are more.

"You don't have to," his cheeks visibly turned red.

'Cute,' she thought.

They continued to read in silence. Grace glanced towards him in between. He was peacefully reading with a big smile on his face. He was so strong. He didn't let his disability define him. The courage and passion he carried for the stuff he loved were amazing. His sweet voice hypnotized her. She didn't want him to stop talking.

Nearly after an hour and a half, they came out. Hongjoong has read a few chapters and Grace decided what she wanted to buy. They started going towards the book shop which was not so far away. Still holding his arm from his elbow.

The book shop's bell jingled marking new customers' presence. The book shop was decently big. There were many books around. The erotic and romantic section caught your eye almost immediately.

"How about you sit here and I go fetch my books?" Grace asked.

"Yes, please," Hongjoong smiled.

It took her about ten minutes to find her books. Grace always enjoyed reading books. For her, books were more than an escape. They calmed her down. Books were like her second home. She always chose them with a lot of care, never wanted to get disappointed by a book. Her method of buying a book was different. People would always get irritated by how much time she took to buy a single book. But for her, it was like choosing a new family member so she took all-time in the world just to buy a book.

"Found 'em!" She chuckled. "Just wait, lemme pay for them."

"Take your time," he smiled.

Hongjoong was amazed by the girl. She had a charming personality and a helpful nature. People like her are so rare. He wished he could know her more. But it was just a favor done by her. And nothing else. Right?

"Alright, I'm done! Shall we go? Do you want something to buy?" She asked.

"Ah, no. I don't need anything. We should go," he hummed.

Grace held his arm again. Before they could leave, a man came in.

"Oh, Hongjoong! How are you?" The man greeted.

"Hello, I'm fine. What about you, Jim?" Hongjoong asked.

"I'm fine too. And also, your mother asked me to bring this poetry book. The stock has arrived and I separated one for you. Wait for a second let me get it for you," the man hurried behind the counter and brought a packet with him. "Here, your mother already paid for it when she visited last week."

"Thank you so much, Jim. My mom did tell me about it but it slipped out of my brain. Thank you!" He cheered.

"Nah, man. And who is she? The charming smile on her face tells me that she is your... Girlfriend?" He looked towards her.

"Oh, no. I'm just a friend. He accompanied me here, I wanted to buy some books. That's it," she politely corrected him, failing to hide the blushing cheeks.

"Ah, I hope you got the books you needed?"

"Yes! I got all of them. Thank you."

They bid their goodbyes and left.

"Where do you wanna go now?" Grace asked.

"Back to the coffee shop. My friend will pick me up from there," he informed. "Also you can go now if you want. Don't feel like you have to join me. I'm totally capable of going back."

"I didn't say that you can't... I wanna make sure that that bitch doesn't come back," she lied. She was enjoying her time with him. He was so fun to know. "But if you don't want me here then I can go."

"It's fine. I just don't want you to feel that you have to be here."

"No, I don't feel like that," she smiled. "You live with your mother?"

"No, she visits me often."

"She lives nearby?"

"Yeah, about thirty minutes from where I live."

"That's great!"

"Yeah, it is." He replied with a smile.

They were walking slowly. Both of them were enjoying each other's company. They wanted to spend more time.

"So what did you buy?" Hongjoong asked.

"Umm, I bought four books. Dirty by Megan Hart, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, The Virgins by Pamela Erens, and Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James," now she realized that she might sound like a horny girl. Well, Wuthering Heights saved the day!

"Oh, Fifty Shades of Grey? Why do I assume that you might have watched it?" Hongjoong looked confused.

"Yup, I have watched it. But I think movies are just a summary of the book. Books are more detailed and they can make me feel things I have never felt before. Plus they feed our imagination too! Books are great," she said.

"That's a language of a book lover," he teased.

"Well, what can I say? They are amazing," she giggled.

"I wanna read Dirty. My friend said it's really fun to read," Hongjoong pouted.

"Why don't you read it then?"

"It's hard to find erotic novels in Braille."

"Ah... Ask your friend to read it for you. Seonghwa, was he?"

"Yeah, Seonghwa. And no! I can't ask him to read me an erotic novel, not that I want him to!" his little outburst broke her in laughs. She laughed loudly. And pulled him closer to her from his arm.

"You are so cute, *laughs* oh my God," she was laughing to the point her tears fell. He joined her too.

The cafe was busy. There was only one table left. Grace hurried and made him sit there.

"Why you are so funny?" Hongjoong was giggling at her childish behavior. He couldn't see but he was sure that there was a huge smile on Grace's face.

"There is no more place left! Stop giggling, you blueberry head," she tried to be stern but ended up in a fit of giggles. "What is your order, I'll order it for you," she asked.

"Americano, please. And here take my card," he offered.

"Keep it with you. It's my treat. In the recent edition of a fashion magazine, they have interviewed me. And because of it, our brand is becoming more popular. So, I'll pay for it," she said.

"Congratulations on that!" He beamed.

"Thank you!" She turned to order their drinks. Since she drank coffee just before going to the library, she ordered a peach iced tea for herself.

The environment around them was peaceful. People were chit-chatting with their friends. The sound of people typing on the laptops was audible. Some people were in a rush whereas some were sitting without any care. They were sitting there comfortably. They both reflected calmness, comfort to each other. But it was interrupted by a call.

"Ah, my roommate is calling," she said and picked up the phone.

"What is it?... I'm at the coffee shop. Why?... Oh, my God! You are an idiot! How can you leave the window open, for goodness sake!... Oky, I'll be there, wait," She hung up the phone.

"Ugh!"

"Is everything alright?" Hongjoong worried.

"No, my roommate left the window open, and now there is a goddamn cat inside our house, trashing our kitchen!" She sighed.

"That's funny..." He mumbled.

"You are so bad!"

"I didn't leave the window open. Your roommate did!"

"Why did you say it was funny? I have to clean it all now," she faked cry.

"Then you are wasting your time. You should go or else the cat will trash your whole place!" He suggested.

"Yeah, it was nice to hang out with you. I felt so comfortable. Thank you for trusting me. I hope your friend comes and gets you soon," she collected her stuff and got up.

"I enjoyed it too. Thank you for taking care of me," he got shocked when he felt a pair of soft and warm lips on his left cheek.

"Bye, Hongjoong," she mumbled.

"B-bye, Grace," he blushed.

With that, she left him there.

~~~

-Grace's standpoint-

"Where is the cat?" I asked my roommate, Yunho.

"Oh, the cat is gone but the kitchen is a mess. Take care of it, will you?" He asked with a puppy face.

"You are such a fool. You could have told me that the cat is gone!" She snapped.

"Oky, sorry... Why so angry?" He pouted.

A blush came across my cheeks when Hongjoong's pretty face came to my mind.

"Are you blushing!?" Yunho exclaimed.

"No, I'm not blushing!" I immediately replied and covered my cheeks with my hands.

He looked at me with a sharp glare.

"Oky fineahhh... I met this guy today when I was coming out of the coffee shop," I opened up.

"Oh, oky, oky, tell me more," he took a seat on the couch and was waiting for me to tell him the details. Now interested.

"Well, before I tell you any details, the first thing I wanna tell you is that he is blind."

"Oh," his face got serious.

"There was this bitch ass lady who was harassing him. So I kinda took his side."

"That's great! I'm proud of you, sis."

"Thank you," I chuckled. "After that, I asked him where he wanted to go so that I could drop him and he said library so I took him there. We spent some time there. We talked about books. And then we went to the bookshop and I bought my books," I pointed towards my packet of books. "And then we came back to the cafe and then you called," I sighed.

"Aw, sweetie. I'm sorry. You could have told me!" Yunho genuinely felt bad.

I never take interest in people. My last relationship, which was five years ago, left me insecure about myself. It was after so long that I mentioned someone. My insecurity got the worst out of me. "He was so nice and kind. He didn't even talk back when she was barking. I have never seen someone like him ever... He said that I am beautiful. He thinks that I'm beautiful no matter what." I smiled.

"He is not wrong. You are beautiful," he complimented. "So like you are attracted to him?"

"I think so. But I don't know if I ever gonna see him again, you know?... Apart from this, I had the best time with him."

"I'm happy for you. I hope you meet him soon," he got up and hugged me.

"Thank you, Yuyu."

"I have to tell you something..." He nervously said.

"What is it?"

"I proposed Mingi..." Yunho blushed.

"You what!?" I gasped.

"I proposed him!"

"Di-did he said yes?"

"Mhm," he shied away.

"Ahhhhhahaha congratulations, congratulations!!! Oh, my God. I'm so happy!" I jumped around. They have both been dating since high school. Their relationship was difficult. But they were the strongest together. They fought for their love and won against the world. Nobody ever believed in them. But they proved to the world that love alone can win the whole world.

"Thank you so much! But stop jumping, you might fall, and people downstairs already complain," he chuckled.

"I don't care I'm happy for you!" I exclaimed.

"Hey, tell me more about this guy you met. I wanna know more. How he looks?" Yunho asked.

"He has these perfect little eyes, a perfect nose... He was perfection. His kindness and calmness added to his personality. He looks so dreamy. I wanna know more about him too. He looked mysterious."

"Mysterious? How?"

"There was sadness in his distant eyes. They looked like they were longing for something," she recalled the moment when she took a glance directly into his eyes.

"Honey, he is blind. That can be the biggest reason," Yunho pointed out.

"You are right. If he doesn't show that being blind doesn't bother him, doesn't mean that he is fine with it. But he is so strong, you know. He doesn't want his disability to define him as a weaker person. You know that when we were walking towards the library, I spaced out but he stopped right in front of the library and said that we have arrived. I was so embarrassed but so proud of him..." I said.

"Well, there goes your distant and clumsy ass," Yunho laughed.

"Shut uuuup," they giggled

-Third-person standpoint-

Grace has been through enough. Her past relationships always left her feeling more insecure about herself. She was pretty. But somehow men were too blinded by the beauty standards that they ended up hurting her more than they thought.

Hongjoong made her feel one thing: beauty is not about appearance all the time.

People with full faces can use it to their advantage and cause harm to innocent people.

She took a shower and laid back in her bed. The events of the evening with a handsome blind man rolled in her brain. She couldn't get him out.

She was grateful that Yunho didn't say anything about Hongjoong's blindness. He was happy about the little infatuation I gained for him. Yunho has always been a practical one. He never judged anyone by their appearance or their body's abilities. He believed in love. And Grace knew if she is going to be with someone who can't see, he won't ever stop her. Love has more power than anything, he believed.

Her mind wandered around and reminded of one thing.

The kiss.

She blushed and covered her head with the comforter. His cheek felt so soft on her lips. She wonders how his lips would feel against her. Soft or softer? She blushed even harder. It was hard to resist when his cheeks were so welcoming.

~~~

-Hongjoong's standpoint-

I wanted to spend more time with her when she left. But I prayed for her kitchen. It was so silly. I wonder if her house is close.

I wonder how she looked. I wanted to feel her beautiful face and carve it beautifully in my mind. Her voice was so peaceful. I wanted to hear it on repeat. I wanted her to stay. Her soft lips... I wanted to feel them more on me, feel all of her. One thing I know without anybody telling me that is she is beautiful. She is more beautiful than anybody in this world. She is just like her name, Grace.

Maybe this was all the time I had with her. She wouldn't want to be with a blind man. I won't be angry because it is true. Everyone just left.

In the end, I'm not normal.

I was snapped out of my trance when the bell of the coffee shop chimed. My gut feeling immediately guessed that it was Seonghwa.

"Hey, buddy. How was your trip to the library?" Seonghwa half hugged me while I was sitting.

"Ah, I had a great day. You tell me how was your date?" I smiled.

"It was wonderful. We are gonna meet up again!" His voice was excited. That was all I wanted, him to be happy.

"I'm happy for you, Hwa."

"Why do you look so glowy-glowy? Something happened?" I couldn't see but I could tell that he was smirking.

"I- I met a girl today," I was feeling shy.

"Mhm, tell me more," he paid attention.

"Well, when you left me here, I was walking and my stick touched someone's expensive bag so they started yelling at me—"

"Oh, that bitch people! Are you alright?"

"Lemme finish first," I whined. "So, that lady was going on and on. But then I heard this soft voice shutting up this lady. And she took my side. Her name is Grace. She offered to take me wherever I was going, I said no but she insisted. Then we both talked. It was great to meet her. She was sitting in front of me, waiting for you to come and get me. But her roommate called and said that there was a cat inside their house and was trashing the kitchen so she had to leave," I finished.

"If I ever meet her I will take her on a treat with you. She seems like a wonderful girl," Seonghwa appreciated.

"Mhm, she was kind and beautiful," I blushed.

"Beautiful? You don't even know how she looks. Or did you feel her face?" He was confused.

"No, I didn't feel her. But I know she is beautiful. Really beautiful. I have never met someone as beautiful as her," her warm touch was still lingering on my skin. I could feel her hand and arm around my left arm. But he doesn't need to know that. He doesn't need to know that she kissed my cheek.

"Wait a minute," Seonghwa said. "Is that a lipstick mark on your left cheek!?" Oh no. "You bastard! When you gonna tell me that!?" You didn't need to know that! "...when she will give birth to your kids?" Oh, God!

"I don't even know if I ever gonna meet her again," my voice turned into a whisper.

I knew that Seonghwa caught the sadness in my voice even though there was a smile on my face.

"What if she does meet you again?" He asked.

"She won't choose me like that. She won't want a blind's burden."

"You are not a burden, Hongjoong. You don't need anybody to assist you. You do what you want to do. Just don't say something like that ever again," he held my hand.

No matter how much I am capable of doing things regardless of my blindness, it's always a burden. It's a burden of pain, of longingness. Nobody wants their partners with a disability. The certainties of life are like this for us.

"Thank you, Hwa," what else could I say to him? It's tough to be where I am. Realities are far more different for me. My cosmos work differently.

I sighed.

I have always manifested my time in the things I could possibly do while not being able to see. It was not easy but I came this far. There were many barriers I had to break and I did. That was not easy to do. But no matter what I do the fact that I can't see only highlights. And all I get from people is pity or hate.

"Ah, it's been two months! But it's oky. I saw the magazine. God, every single piece of cloth was so beautiful. They were designed so nicely. All of your hard work is paying off! And your interview was great!"

I remembered Anna's words.

"Seonghwa?" I called.

"Yeah?"

"We need to go to the library. Now!" I got up stepped outside the coffee shop. Seonghwa followed me behind.

"Whoa, didn't you just come back from there?" He questioned.

"Yeah, but there is something important I need to do," I rushed.

We reached there sooner than before. Luckily Anna was still on her shift.

"Welcome back you two. It's good to see you again, Hongjoong. And Seonghwa, how was your date?" Anna whispered. From that, I knew that there were some people.

"Ah, he told you didn't he," he chuckled. "It was great. I think she will fall for me after a quality time, you know," I could feel his flirty look.

That bastard. I chuckled.

"You both are just so handsome and kind. I think that if she doesn't fall in love with you, they are fools... And Hongjoong," she called me.

"Yeah?"

"You should date someone too."

"I don't know about that," I awkwardly chuckled.

"Oky, tell me honestly, are you dating Grace?" She asked with a serious tone.

"What? No!"

"Yo, don't lie. You can't see but I saw her, you were so happy too. She was paying more attention to you than her books. And let me tell you one thing, she doesn't like a distraction when in the library. But today, she was just looking, no, admiring you. She looked happy. There was a wide smile on her face. I have never seen her that happy. Well crap, her smiling face was rare. I have hardly seen her with a genuine smile. I honestly thought that you guys have chemistry going on." She opened new information.

"Yeah?" I was dumbfounded.

"Yeah. Poor girl has been through many difficulties. I don't know much but her partners were always crap to her. She is a girl with a broken heart. She built many walls around her. But when I saw her with you, I could see that she broke one wall. I felt like she was trying to give it a chance, to feel something," she said. "She has always been—"

"Insecure..." I completed her sentence.

"Yeah."

I felt sad. This was a lot to take in at once.

"I feel a little dizzy. I think we should head home, Seonghwa?" I suggested.

"Yeah, sure!"

What it is you are hiding, Grace? Why there are walls around you? Did I really break a wall around you?

I was eager to know more about her. I wanted to know what to assholes did that she got insecure. That she stopped smiling. But somewhere deep down in my heart, I felt proud. The fact that she looked happy with me and Anna thought that we were together, happily, made me happy. The music of her laughter was playing in my head.

'It's wonderful to meet you, Grace.'

"Well, I think if we run into Grace, we should ask for her number. Maybe you stand a chance with her," Seonghwa broke the silence.

"I don't know. I don't want her to feel uncomfortable," I said.

"As you wish... By the way, did you go back to the library to talk about her?"

Ugh! I forgot about the magazine!

"No, leave it. I wanna go home and rest. My head hurts," I pouted.

"You got it, man."

Grace's thought never left me behind.

~~~

-Third person's standpoint-

It was only three days since Grace met Hongjoong. Her mind was filled with his thoughts. Whenever she looked at her book: Dirty, she could only see him laughing or how he wanted to read it. She wanted to offer him that if she could read it for him but that might have sounded inappropriate and creepy. So she let it go.

Grace wished she could run into him again. He was a delight. He made her feel secure. They were together for about two to two and a half hours but it made her feel much better than she felt in ten years.

"How about Saturday?" Yunho asked.

They are planning on giving a small party at their place. Just to celebrate their engagement with their friend.

"It's convenient to me," Mingi, his fiancé said.

"And you?" Yunho asked Grace.

"Yeah, we can do that," she agreed.

"Should we call our parents as well?"

"I think we should visit them later," Mingi suggested. "Three of our parents live next to each other. So that should not be a problem."

"Yeah. And our friends don't need to pretend. Or else they will feel a little restricted," Yunho hummed.

Grace was not paying attention. Her mind was asking her to go back to the coffee shop. Wait there so that she could see Hongjoong's oh so beautiful face. His voice was all she wanted to hear. She regrets not asking for his number or something.

"Back to earth, Grace... Are you still thinking about him," Yunho snapped her out of her daydreaming.

"Who is that him? Is it a new him? Or an old him she ran into and now having life crises?" Wooyoung came out of the bathroom.

"It's a new him," Yunho wiggled his eyes.

"And I don't know about him!" Wooyoung's eyes widened. "Who is he tell meeee!!!"

"She met him outside a cafe," Yunho answered.

"Romantic," Mingi commented.

"They spent more than two hours together!" Yunho gave more information while Grace was hiding her face behind her hands.

"This is embarrassing!" She exclaimed.

"No... Give me details!" Wooyoung asked.

"Well, he looks around our age. He is so nice and sweet. I just wanted to spend more time with him. He was humble and our interests match..." Grace told them, cheeks red.

"Aww, look at you all over him! I love it for you. You should date him," Wooyoung said.

"I don't know. I forgot to ask for some sort of number or something. And I might never see him again," her face frowned.

"You never know."

Grace was so lost. All she could think about was him, Hongjoong. 'If the universe wants us to meet again, we will meet again. Then I won't leave you...'

~~~

The blindness of eyes is oky. But the blindness of mind is dangerous.

~Sanaa (me)

~~~

Its been a week since Hongjoong met Grace. He would go to the cafe more than he normally did. He spent most of his time in the library. To his luck, he didn't run into her. Or maybe he did but he is blind.

"I was thinking about taking Nancy to that restaurant we tried last month. It was pretty neat. What do you say?" Seonghwa questioned.

They were sitting in the same cafe, enjoying their drinks. Their table was near the counter and Hongjoong's back was towards the door.

"Yeah, the food was good," he replied.

"Nancy is wonderful. I want her to like me, you know. It's just a second date but I can see us being a happy family," Seonghwa opened up.

"If you feel like that, you should give it a try. You need to work hard for that."

"I'm willing to do anything, honestly. I won't let her go. I never felt this way. I wanna keep her," Seonghwa didn't know but his words lit a new fire inside Hongjoong. He never felt that happy around anyone but Grace. She made him feel complete. She didn't question his abilities as everyone else did. She didn't speak the language of pity with him. She didn't treat him differently.

His mind came back to the present when he heard the bell of the cafe make a noise, implying someone had come into the cafe. His heart, oddly, started beating fast.

Then he heard that voice. He was dying to hear it again.

"Good evening, can I get one affogato coffee, cappuccino, and a slice of strawberry pastry?"

"Grace?" Hongjoong's sweet voice echoed.

Grace was done ordering when she heard a familiar voice. How can she forget? She was longing to hear it again.

"Hongjoong!" She gasped. "Oh, my God. How are you? Wow, it's good to see you again!" She placed her hand on his left shoulder as a greeting.

"I'm fine. It's good to meet you again, too," he chuckled.

Seonghwa witnessed the whole scene. He was stunned how Grace's face lit up from an unamused, cold expression. 'So you are as whipped as my friend is. Huh, Grace?' He talked to himself. Seonghwa was so happy.

"You can join us. Please have a seat," Hongjoong offered.

"That would be nice," Grace sat next to Hongjoong.

"This is Seonghwa," He informed.

"Ah, hello, I'm Grace... How was your date?" She greeted the man sitting in front of Hongjoong.

"So I have heard. And the date went well..." Seonghwa cleared his throat, "Hongjoong, did you tell that to everybody?" He chuckled.

"It just slipped," Hongjoong mumbled. It made you and Seonghwa chuckle.

"Anyhow, Grace?"

"Yeah?"

"Hongjoong told me that you got him out of a situation with an expensive bag lady? I just wanted to say thank you. He never says anything to anybody. It was good to know that you helped him. I was thinking if we could give you a treat somewhere. You know, three of us."

"Make it four," Yunho came in and sat next to Seonghwa, in front of her.

"Sorry?" Seonghwa looked at him with confusion.

"He's my roommate," Grace introduced.

'He:(' Hongjoong thought.

"Hi, I'm Yunho. Nice to meet you guys," he introduced himself.

"I'm Seonghwa."

"I'm Hongjoong, nice to meet you."

"Oh. OH! You are quite famous in our conversations these days!" Grace kicked Yunho under the table.

"In a good way?" Hongjoong asked.

"Believe me, it's better than good." And Yunho received a kick under the table, again.

Seonghwa was observant. All he could think was how much Hongjoong and Grace were vibing in each other's presence. Hongjoong was not the kind to get flustered. But Grace's presence was more than enough to turn him into a ripped tomato.

"That's a relief," Hongjoong chuckled.

Yunho was immediately impressed by the man. He was so sweet. His little toothy smile won Yunho's heart. Now he knows why Grace is head over heels.

Yunho approves!

"Are you guys free on Saturday?" Grace asked.

"Yeah," Seonghwa answered.

"Why don't you guys come to our place? We have a little party. I'm sure our friends will love your presence," she offered.

"A party?"

"Yeah! Last week, the day we met," Grace patted Hongjoong's arm as a reminder of that day and he nodded. "That day, Yunho proposed his boyfriend and he said yes!"

'His boyfriend:)' Hongjoong thought.

"Congratulations!" They said in unison.

"Thank you, " Yunho shyly said. "I'm sure Mingi would love to meet you guys. He is always so excited!"

"That sounds like fun!" Seonghwa said.

"Hongjoong... You will come to the party, right? Please don't say no," Grace requested and held his hand to emphasize her interest in having him at the party.

"How can I say no..." He blushed.

"...when a pretty lady asks me to come to her place," Seonghwa pretended to complete his sentence and smirked. Well, it's not false either.

Now this time Hongjoong kicked Seonghwa from under the table.

"What!? I was completing your sentence! People don't respect you when you help them. Right, Yunho?" Yunho nodded with a smirk.

"I just love him, you know. Mingi is ju—"

"It's not about you, Yunho," Grace groaned.

"Why? I just got engaged!"

"So what!? People get engaged all the time." Grace smacked Yunho's shoulder.

"Did you just smack my shoulder?" He widened his eyes.

"Sure I did," She mocked.

Grace dramatically gasped when Yunho smacked back.

"Did you just smack my shoulder!?" She said.

"Sure I did," he smirked.

And the fight begins. They both started smacking each other's arms or shoulders.

"I have seen you wetting your pants!" Grace said.

"Your crush said he doesn't know you... We were in the same class!"

"You cried when you first touched yourself!"

"You—"

"Enough!" Elena, Mingi's sister, brought them back to reality when they were pulling each other's hair. She was working in this cafe for two months. "Are you two ever gonna stop fighting?"

"She started it!" Yunho whined.

"Alright, you two. You better behave or I'm calling your parents!" She warned.

"Why would you do that? Don't do that," Grace pouted.

"You guys grew up together. And still, fight like this. Your naked picture, when you were infants, is still hanging at your parent's place, Grace. How can you still hate each other like this?" Elena sighed.

"We both are best friends," Yunho said.

"Mhm, we take care of each other," Grace said.

"So why do you fight?"

"Because he stinks."

"Because she stinks."

They said in unison.

"No, I don't stink. You stink!" Yunho exclaimed.

And they started bickering again. But Elena slammed their order on the table as a warning. Well, at least they shut up.

"Now one more time... And yes, this is a bill of the two glasses you both broke last time," she handed them a receipt.

"They have that naked picture still?" Grace asked in tiny.

"Literally in front of the main door."

"That's embarrassing!"

"Why don't you get your head out of the work and visit your parents?"

"Well, we are going there next week for dinner."

"Oh, yeah! I remember I won't be able to stop by on Saturday. I have some work. So, I'll be there when you take our parents out for dinner."

"That's actually great!" Yunho said.

"Why?" Elena asked.

"Last time you were acting like a mom. None of our friends were able to enjoy it since you were busy giving lectures!" Yunho said with a cute pout.

"Whatever!" And Elena left. Well, she turned again. "Yunho... In the picture, your thingy is really small."

"I was eight months old in that picture!" He defended himself. "Now I'm big, you know." Now Elena left.

"You are rude!" Grace said to Yunho.

"What? I said what I said. Plus she is Mingi's sister, she doesn't get angry," he shrugged.

"But still,"

"What!?"

"You are annoying!"

"Shut up!!!" Elena's voice echoed.

The silence surrounded them. They quietly enjoyed their drink. Seonghwa was amazed by them. Hongjoong couldn't stop blushing. They all had very different vibes going on. It was funny if other people look at them.

Hongjoong and Grace were so happy to meet again. For them, this one week was like an eternity. They wanted to swim in each other's warmth.

"Can I get your numbers? I mean, you know, to send you the address of our place?" Grace asked.

"Yeah, I will give you both of our numbers... Can I have your phone? I'll just save it," Grace gave her phone to Seonghwa. She was more excited to have Hongjoong's number.

Seonghwa gave her phone back after saving their numbers and giving a missed call so that they can save her number as well.

Grace opened her phone to re-check the numbers. There was one contact saved as 'Hwa' and the other was saved as 'BAE❤' now that made her eyes bulge out. She looked towards Seonghwa and got a wink in return.

'Is it that obvious?' She asked herself. But she didn't change it. In the end, it's true. That's exactly what she wants— what they want.

One thing they both know is that this is the beginning of their love story. Slowly- slowly, they will take another step, suiting themselves at one rhythm.

{two}

.....

Sanaa's note:

Hiii guys, how are you all? I hope you liked this part. I wanted to make this a one-shot but this turned out to be a long-ass thing😂

Anyhow, I hope you guys are wearing your masks in public. Take care of yourself. Thank you for reading! Feedback is always appreciated.

Last but not least, the behavior of all the characters is visualized.

Tag list:

@veneziamadness @captainjoongiekissme

*lemme know if you wanna be tagged*

*original pictures are not mine, I just edited them*

Have a nice day/night💓

[kenmas-consoles]

Hello honey! I hope you don't mind me requesting something with this topic but my father told me today that I should kill myself just because I bleached my hair and then that I should care about other's opinion and not my own so can I request how would William react to his s/o saying this to him? If you don't feel comfortable writing this it's fully okay, I understand 🤍 Thank you in advance though 🤍

Pairing: William Moriarty x Reader

Summary: You bleach your hair and your father disapproves and says harsh words that lead you crying and William is there to console you.

Word Count: 1,878

Warning: Mentions of death/ act of suicide

It was never a secret to anyone that being born into a prestigious lineage meant that you had watchful eyes on lock with your every move. Every action you made was like a public statement and it was quite restricting, never being able to act out in the open in fear of public judgement. It has been that way since you were young, (y/n) (l/n) the eldest daughter to a famous business tycoon in England.

Though upon meeting William a few years back right after a business transaction made by your father and William’s eldest brother Albert you had become close friends, and maybe something even more. The time you’ve spent with him made you feel free, free enough to express yourself because you knew he wasn’t one to judge. It was a breath of fresh air, you never had to worry about the public eye whenever you were with him. These days you have a little skip in your step, after gaining the confidence to just be yourself.

You had made a big decision of getting your hair dyed and you were quite jittery upon entering your estate with your newly done hair. The little adrenaline rush of somewhat planned impulsivity of getting it dyed thrilled you though you know that others may have mixed feelings about your new hair. It hadn't mattered to you much since you were sick of playing the perfect daughter role. You knew your parents would have to find out one way or another you just hoped they would be accepting. Besides, it was just hair and it wasn’t that bad. If anything you thought you looked 10x better a blonde.

Still, you made an effort into hiding it for the day and probably dropping the gun and talking about it tomorrow since you were still pretty tired.

Closing the doors silently you enter your room and just as you set out a sigh of relief you hear a clatter and a piercing shriek.

Maggie, your personal maid, was in your room with tea now stained on the carpet floor as she looked at you with wide eyes. Upon realizing it was just you, her young mistress, she had calmed down and rushed towards you. Holding you by the shoulders she inspected you in amazement.

“You- you’re hair!” she exclaimed in excitement, “You’re blonde! How-”

You giggled lightly at her amazement and loss of words and babbling as she held a few locks of your hair in her fingers.

“I’ve had it done earlier,” you said, giving a little spin. “How does it look?”

“Absolutely stunning dear!”

Her response brings a smile to your face.

“What in the heavens?!” A deep male voice exclaimed from behind the door and your smile had grown shaky as you realized that the voice belonged to your father.

You mustered up a smile and took a deep breath before facing him.

“Do you like it?” you asked. “It’s preposterous! outrageous! What were you thinking?! Or did you even think at all?!” “Please calm down it’s just- “Hair?” Pinching the bridge of his nose he turned away from you with a shake of his head. “ You’re being selfish again, why can’t you just listen?”

In a much quieter tone he says “why can't you just get it through your head that your actions greatly affect the family! your brother is months away from getting married and you-

why can't you just think about what others might think and stop with this nonsense.”

Each word brings a pang in your heart as your eyes sting with tears. You couldn’t bring yourself to face him either as you grew small in his presence, self conscious even.

A silence passed and neither of you spoke. The tension in the room was suffocating, your father looked as though he had more to say but he just clicked his tongue before moving towards the door.

“Maggie, please clean up this mess,” your father said without turning back to look at the now scampering maid.

Sparing one last look he sighs and says, “I’m done with this conversation, with you, you can go jump out the balcony for all I care.”

Once the door clicks shut, you fall on your knees. Never before had your father said anything so harsh nor has he raised his voice towards you before. The tears threatening to spill had already made its way down your cheeks and you choked up a sob. All the confidence you had built over the past years felt like it was deteriorating and the only feeling that ate you up was guilt and shame.

Maggie comes back in and rushes towards your side as she sees you crying. “He doesn’t mean that sweetie,” she says all while cooing consoling words and holding your crumpled form.

You couldn’t fall asleep that night, your fathers words replaying like a broken record. Were you selfish? Was it your fault? You couldn’t help but think that and once again the ugly feeling of shame was boiling up within the pits of your stomach.

Watching from your balcony, your father who was talking to the coachman below. Downcast, he hadn’t spoken to you all day. Thinking back to last night where he couldn’t even look at you during family dinner nor even say a word to you during breakfast.

As though you were drilling holes into his head from above he had turned to face your balcony. You stepped back to avoid being seen but you saw him shake his head and then you felt the shame creep up again.

You were frustrated. At your father’s silence, his words, at yourself for letting it get to you so much. It was so really unlike you and you felt tears start to sting at your eyes. You knew your schedule was free today so you had decided to head for the Moriarty manor, your safe haven.

You made your way there without delay, gripping at your skirt as you sped through the streets of London, ignoring the weird stares and whispers of those who had recognised you. Nothing was more important now than getting there, since you were minutes away from breaking down once more.

Upon reaching the manor you were greeted by the familiar face of Louis who was tending to the gardens by the gate. Delighted you made your way towards him. “Louis!” He turned his head and stood with a shocked and bewildered expression as he blinked twice almost as if checking if what he saw was correct. “(y/n)?” he asked and you happily nodded.

“What happened to you, you look like you have been crying?” he asks.

You scratch your head a bit and mention how it was a long story not even denying the fact that he found out you were crying. Louis offers you another understanding smile as he walks with you to the manor telling you he’d go fetch William for you.

“I forgot to mention,” he says as he led you through the long hallways of the manor, “You look beautiful by the way, I’m sure my brother would think so too.”

You in turn blushed in response to his words.

“You can stay in the living room (y/n), I’ll go inform William of your presence now,” he says with a curt nod and a smile.

“Thanks Lou,” you say as you both exchange another set of smiles before he takes his leave.

A few minutes pass and you hear the sound of quick steps, the door of the living room bursting open to reveal none other than William Moriarty with the most agitated expression ever.

His agitation morphed to shock as he took one long look at you and he slowly moved towards the couch you had been sitting on.

One of his rare small smiles grace his face as he takes your hand in his, rubbing his thumb over the back of your hand tenderly.

“You look different,” he jests, then takes a lock of your hair between his fingers and rubs them. You both sit in comfortable silence and he takes this time to inspect your face, he notices the little circles around your eyes and how puffy they look not to mention your slightly rosey tipped nose. It wouldn’t take a detective to know you had been crying.

He looks at you expectantly and you take it as a sign to start spilling the beans. You tell him of how you had dyed your hair the other day to sneaking into the family manor that night uptil how your father had scolded you for your actions.

William just sat there with his hand in yours, staring at you lovingly as you replayed the story. Squeezing your hands ever so lightly when you had told him that your father had told you to kill yourself. He was appalled with your father to say the least, you the most brilliant person he had met and someone had the audacity to say such hurtful things to.

As you move your arms around animatedly to show your frustrations he found them rather cute and amusing, another smile moves up to his face. You were too caught up in retelling the story to notice him bring his hands to your chin. He moves your chin to face him and this action silences you.

Smiling at you once more he moves the hand holding your chin to caress your face. “Listen,it's true you have to consider others' opinions but that's just the tip of the iceberg, think about it... do we have more confidence in their opinions than we do our own? self-care is never a selfish act.”

You sigh, taking his hand that was on your face in your own, “It’s different when those people are your family. I don’t know how I could go back and face th-” “You don’t have to go back,” he grumbles under his breath but enough for you to hear.

“...then where would I go?”

“Simple,” he says with a compelling dangerous glint in his crimson eyes. “You are of age now, stay with me. I will marry you.”

Your eyes widened in surprise and awkwardly laughed it off thinking it was another one of Williams jokes but the look in his eye told you that he was dead serious. Your cheeks then set aflame as numerous butterflies crashed around your stomach and chest.

“I know it is much too early for a proposal but I promise to love and cherish you for as long as my heart keeps beating,” He then stands and extends a hand for you to take, almost a silent sign of asking you to accept. And once you do slip your hand in his he holds you by the waist for an embrace and whispers in your ear.

“Besides, I think you look lovely as a blonde.”

This comment leaves you in a fit of giggles. William James Moriarty will always continue to be your safe haven, a pillar of support.

Hey there angel I hope you’re feeling alright please remember that you cant let others decide your self worth for you so try not to let huetful comments let you down. I’m pretty sure you look amazing and hopefully your father will come around with getting used to seeing your hair that way. I hope this story was to your liking as well have some moriarty love!

Also I pretty much crammed this cause I only saw the request today and aaaaaaa im sorry anywayz hope you like it again sweetie!!

[the-villian-i-seem-to-be]

[Flower .2]

[1.]

It was around 9:00 in the morning, the sun had risen with it's bright light. All the while gossip had stirred in the streets of London. Louis had brought his brothers breakfast and the morning newspaper. The youngest Moriarty was silent as his brother thanked him for the meal and read the paper. "Phantom Thief (T/N) once again terrorises nobility.."

William read aloud, his ruby eyes scanning the newspaper article. "How peculiar, very peculiar." The blonde headed man mused, still reading out the rest. "(T/N) had stole from Lord Henderson and Mrs. Henderson's, a married couple and are in the high ranking class. Phantom Thief (T/N) had stolen a priceless emerald ring that was to be auctioned off at their estate for a private gathering."

A cryptic smile appeared on William's face. "(T/N) has still yet to be captured by authorities, the only trace left by them was a small peice of paper that reads: "Good luck next time."" William tilts his head back and joyfully laughs once he finished reading. "My goodness, I wish I could of seen this up close." The second eldest Moriarty looks back at the newspaper.

"(T/N).. What a perfect adversary to have." William says with complex expression. Louis nods, his brother was a very smart man. Cunning and calculated, so his decision would be as well. William grabs his tea cup and takes a sip of the warm drink.

His eyes focusses to the tiny vase next to his breakfast tray. The vase it self was a pretty pale blue, though the single flowers inside it stood out the most. A simple red rose was in the vase, the same one from (Y/N)'s bouquet that she had given to them the day before. William slowly reaches towards the rose with a singular hand and touches one of the plush petals gently. He let's go moments after.

~°~

"Phantom Thief (T/N) once again terrorises nobility.." (Y/N) reads over the newspaper with bland eyes. Sighing, she placed the paper underneath her counter. Deciding to watch people pass by her shop for entertainment on this slow day.

(Y/N) puts her elbows on the counter and props her head on her right hand. Leaning lazily against the counter. (Y/N) watches the outside through her glass window.  Middle class and nobles alike stroll down the sidewalk, with the occasional carriage on the road. Which didn't change the boredom she felt.

It was the same old view whenever it was a slow day. Though before (Y/N) could curse the lack of life in her shop. She  hears a horse cry and a man shouting. Gainging her curiousity, she saw something new for a change.

Police were arriving to the farther side of her street. Something must of happened, but what? (Y/N) contemplates on whether or not to check it out. It would be better than listening to herself breathing. But if she left her shop and a customer comes in..

"What a bother, I might as well wait until whatever is happening outside to pass than be in the mess." Just as those words left her throat. A two men walk into her shop. A smile crossed the females face as she greets them. "Hello, is there anything I can help you with today gentlemen?"

The first man looks around her shop. Starring at the wide variety of flowers. The first man responds to her, "yes actually. Can you please tell me about the murder that happened just down the street." The mans dark blue eyes meet her own shocked (e/c) ones.

"A murder? Sir, I don't know what you're talking about." (Y/N) says with confusion, the blue-nette falters after her words. "Oh.. I see." The air was now tense.

"Did.. Did a murder occur." The female asked with fright. The second man turns a bit solemn, "yes" he said. The first man speaks up again. "But I'm a detective, detective Sherlock Homles. And here beside me is Dr. John Watson. We are here to investigate the murder that has occured. So that is why I am asking for any information that you have."

"..." (Y/N) was silent at the introduction Mr. Homles had gave, though responds to him. "I'm sorry, but I don't believe I know much about what happened, but I will answer any question you give me."

Dr. Watson asked the first question, "do you know Mr. Edward Samuel?" (Y/N) hums in agreement. "Yes, I do. He must of been murdered, correct?" The two went silent at her accusation.

"How did you,-" "I could tell by the look on your face Dr. Watson. Your very easy to read." The female says with a weak playful smile. Mr. Homles starts to snicker quietly while Dr. Watson turned embarrassed. Muttering a few words, most likely telling his companion to be quiet.

Sherlock stopped his chuckles and asks the intriguing woman another question. "How do you know Mr. Samuel? Was he a frequent customer of yours?"

"Yes he was, Mr. Samuel bought flowers from me twice a month or so. He would by a bouquet of red roses for his wife." "His wife? Was he a helpless romantic?" "No, his wifw had passed away two years ago. He visits her grave twice a month."

"Has Mr. Samuel told you this personally?" "Yes, I grew curious of why he kept buying flowers from my shop so often. And he told me that he visits his wife grave twice a month so he can change the flowers for her."

"What flowers did he buy so frequently?" "He always bought orchids." "Do you know the last time you saw him?" (Y/N) nods, "yesterday. A few minutes after I opened, he told me his son was graduating college that afternoon."

Mr. Homles sapphire eyes scan (Y/N)'s (e/c) orbs. Looking for any trace of weakness in her words. The woman stood proudly and stares at him blankly. Waiting for him to back down, Sherlocks lips turn into a smirk. "I see. Thank you for your cooperation."

"It's not a problem sir, I hope you can find the culprit who killed Mr. Samuel." (Y/N) said with a sad smile. Dr. Watson says a small "of course."  But Sherlock stares at the female with clouded eyes. As if he was trying to figure her out with his eyes alone.

"Anything else I can I help you with?" Sherlock stops his analyzing once her voice called out to them. "No- I mean yes. Can you please give us your name?" "My name is (Y/N) (L/N), you can call Ms. (Y/N)."

"Thank you, Ms. (Y/N) for your cooperation."

"Of course."

The two walk out of her shop and vanish from her sights. (Y/N) takes in a deep breath, and forceful giggles erupt from her throat. "That wasn't what I was expecting today.." The (h/c)-nette wipes away the tiny tears in her eyes.

(Okay, I made a part two! To be honest, I have no idea where this is going, I just type whatever is on my mind and try to find a puzzle peice that may or may not fit the puzzle. Who knows? Hope you enjoyed a part of this installment, will there be more in the future? I dunno. If I could make a part two, it's anyone's guess. Thanks for reading! Ps. anyone saw ep six?)

Peeps who wanted to be tagged, @im-way-too-many-fandoms

[alit0my]

if you're still taking prompts: while in exile Booker dies some death that fucks his brain a bit and makes him lose his memories in a weird way. The team steps in to take care of him in order to prevent the secret from coming out and just care for him bc they still love him. And Booker doesn't remember them but still has FEELINGS from before. And one day he tells them all "I don't remember who any of you are, but I do know that I love you all SO MUCH" and the team is stunned and like "OH GOD"

im always taking prompts anon ;-) i hope you like this!

~

Andy’s cell phone rang in the middle of the night, waking the others as the ringtone blared through the small sleeping quarters. Quickly, she picked up the phone and murmured her apology to the team. 

“Copley? It’s four am, what’s going on?” Andy spoke, knowing the man was on the other end. He was the only person who had the number after all.

“Andy. I’m sorry, but this couldn’t wait until morning. It’s Booker,” Copley said with an urgent tone. “He’s been injured.” 

Andy sat up a bit straighter in her bed, resting against the headboard. “He’s not healing?” 

The others became more awake at her words, glancing at each other in alarm. Booker was still young, there was no way he wasn’t healing.

“Somewhat. I sent him on a simple job to get intel and it went to shit,” Copley sighed. “It’s his memories, they seem to not have returned to him when he woke, and I’m worried that will cause unwanted trouble.” 

Andy’s breath hitched in her throat, her grip on the burner phone tightening. “How far back does he recall?” 

“He thinks he’s back in Marseille, 1800’s. Unsure of the exact year I’m afraid” 

“He’s looking for his family,” Andy cursed quietly, nodding at the others to get ready to leave. “Where is he now? Do you have an address?” 

“I’ll send it through. I’m also not sure if he remembers you, so I’d be weary about busting the door down and putting him on the defensive foot straight away.” 

Andy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Alright, thanks Copley.” 

“What’s happened?” Nicky asked, zipping up his duffel bag. Andy stood and swung her own duffel bag over her shoulder, grabbing the car keys off the bedside table. 

“I’ll explain on the way.”

~

Sebastien stood in front of the land that once held his family home. Finding it an empty field of tall grass made him furrow his brows in confusion. Where was Claire? Louis? Michel? Jean-Pierre? Had they moved and not told him? Surely he hadn’t been away for too long to have the house pulled down and grass to grow. 

He watched as groups of people walked past him, not paying him any mind. Frowning, he tried to find something he could identify in his surroundings, but came up short. 

“Excuse me, can you tell me what happened to my home?” He asked a group that walked by, earning him strange looks. 

“Sir, that has been a vacant block for as long as I can remember. There hasn’t been a property there for years,” One of them replied, smiling even though they were confused. Their answer only made Sebastien just as bewildered. 

“What do you mean? What is the date today?” 

“Um,” the stranger pulled a flat object out of their pocket and then put it back just as quickly. “27th of October, 2036.” 

“20- No, that’s not-” 

Something buzzed in his pocket which cut him off. He reached in, pulling out a contraption that looked familiar, but he couldn’t put his finger on what it was called. He gave the stranger his thanks as they walked off, and the thing still buzzed in his hand, so he flipped it open and brought it to his ear. It seemed like the right thing to do with the object. 

“Booker?” A man’s voice came through, shocking Sebastien. How was this possible? 

“Who are you? Who is Booker?” He spoke in French. “Where is my family?” 

He waited impatiently before the other man replied in shaky but understandable French. “Sebastien, my apologies. I understand you might be feeling lost, but I have people on the way to help you.” 

“Who? I don’t want help! I want my wife and children!” He shouted, throwing his hands in the air. 

“I understand, but right now you need to get to the address I’m going to send you. Can you manage that?” 

Sebastien pulled the phone away from his ear as the object buzzed once more. The address that appeared on the screen wasn’t too far from where he was. 

“Sebastien?” 

Bringing the phone to his ear once more, he nodded. “I-I will be there.” 

~

Sebastien walked up to the door of the address the man had sent him, finding the key under the course mat outside. Walking into the house, he was greeted with four strangers. Halting at the entrance, fingers still gripping the doorknob tightly, he chuckled awkwardly. 

“I think- I might be in the wrong place,” he stammered, the French slurring together as he rushed the words. “So sorry.” 

“Nonsense,” the older woman spoke in perfect French. “Come in. We are here to help you.” 

Sebastien hesitantly closed the door behind him as he stared at the group. The two men sat together on the couch, a little too close for what was normal with their knees touching. The younger woman had dark skin and tight braids falling over her shoulders, and the other woman had short hair, like his own. Sebastien blinked and shoved his shaky hands into his pockets. These people seemed familiar to him, but he didn’t know how. 

“You can’t help me unless you know what happened to my family,” he whispered and cast his eyes to the floor, missing the knowing looks shared between the strangers. 

“Book- Sebastien, your family is standing right in front of you.”

He looked up and scoffed. “Non, unless I gained two daughters and my wife cheated on me with darker men, you are not my family.” 

He saw the man with curly hair clench his fists and the young woman clench her jaw. He had hit a nerve, but he was unaware of why. 

“Okay, let’s start with our names, no? I’m Andromache,” the fair woman spoke again, gaining his attention once more. “Everyone calls me Andy.” 

“Nile,” the dark woman said.

“Nicolo,” he said with a strong Italian accent.

“Yusuf,” was said with a curt nod. 

None of the names brought Sebastien any closer to figuring out what the hell was happening. At his blank face, Andromache spoke once more. 

“Can I ask what year you think it is?” 

“1807,” he replied, and he gauged their reactions. 

“Alright,” Andromache nodded, chewing at her bottom lip. “Well, we’re here to help you remember. But I think we should start with dinner?” 

’Remember what?’ Sebastien thought, but nodded, which set everything into motion. 

~

He had learned that they called him Booker. He was unsure as to why, and they refused to tell him, so he paid it no mind. They shared stories of their time together, leaving out his betrayal all those years ago, but Sebastien couldn’t remember any of it, and nothing was flashing in his mind as a reminder. 

Months passed and Winter settled over France, sending chills through Sebastien’s bones even when he was seated in front of the woodfire with a woolen jumper wrapped around him. His fingers shook as he flipped the pages of the novel he was reading and he grunted in frustration, placing the book down by his side and sticking his hands out in front of him, closer to the fire to warm them. 

Sebastien frowned as he absently stared at his hands in front of the flames. He remembered that he loved the cold, playing in the snow and building snowmen with his siblings, all of them returning home with noses and ears flushed red, so he couldn’t understand why he felt so cold now. 

Yusuf -Joe- sat down next to him and silently offered to share the blanket that was wrapped around his shoulders. Only hesitating for a moment, Sebastien scooted closer to Joe and leant into the warmth that radiated off him, feeling the blanket wrap around his shoulders and Joe’s hand squeeze his arm. 

It felt familiar, friendly, loving. 

“Did we ever tell you about Russia?” Joe asked quietly, keeping his eyes on the flames. At the shake of Booker’s head, he continued. “It’s where you first died in 1812, fighting for Napoleon.” 

Booker closed his eyes and tried to remember, but nothing came to mind. He felt frustrated, surely memories would have started to seep through back into his mind, but nothing ever did. Instead, he rested his head on Joe’s shoulder and snuggled closer to him. 

“You.. You were hung for desertion, and you hung for three days before the Grande Armee left camp. We didn’t find you until you were nearly back to France,” Joe spoke softly, and Sebastien could listen to his voice forever. “A Russian winter can be so utterly cruel, and your immortality made you suffer over and over while your comrades succumbed to death. It is why you feel the phantom cold as you are, and a few years ago we discovered that they stop when you are cuddling with one of us as we are now.” 

Sebastien thought over the new information. Fighting for Napoleon in Russia? Surely not.

He didn’t mind the cuddles though. 

“I’m sorry I don’t remember any of you,” Sebastien spoke, voice breaking through it’s lack of use. He found himself not speaking much, preferring to listen to the stories his friends told him and asking questions when he got lost. 

“Nonsense, Bastien.” Joe ran his hand through Sebastien’s hair softly. “We’re here to help you remember, no matter how long it takes.” 

~

The pair had moved to the couch by the time the others had returned home from their shopping, Nile being adamant about having a big dinner for Christmas in a few days. Sebastien was curled into Joe’s side with the blanket still wrapped around them both, and he felt himself flush at the looks they got from the others. 

Nicolo -Nicky, now, remember?- smiled and walked over, kissing both Joe and Sebastien on the cheek in greeting, before crouching down in front of them. “How are you doing, Bas?” 

“Better. Joe is rather warm,” Sebastien replied, curling further into said man’s warmth. 

“He is, isn’t he,” Nicky chuckled softly, grabbing Sebastien’s hands and rubbing his thumbs over the cool palms. “Nile is cooking dinner tonight. Don’t tell her, but I don’t have much faith in her.” 

Sebastien laughed loudly before burying his face in Joe’s neck as Nile rounded the corner with a faux annoyed look on her face. “Hey! I’m a good cook!” 

Nicky moved to sit on Sebastien’s other side, and rolled his eyes playfully. “I’m sure you are, Nile. That soup you made a few weeks ago was seriously under seasoned.” 

“How dare you! Never in my life would I have imagined a white man telling me I’ve under seasoned my food!” Nile scoffed, but it had become their thing to tease the other about their dinners, so Sebastien didn’t intervene. He had each and every dynamic sorted out by now, and he knew this was playful. 

He felt warmth blossom from his chest as he watched them interact, playfully jabbing at the use of spices and ingredients in Nile’s failed soup attempt, and a grin spread across his lips. Sebastien truly felt at home with these people, they made him feel safe and happy and were always there for him.

He didn’t let himself think that maybe it was because of his memories no longer being with him. He didn’t want to tarnish the few months they’ve had together by believing they didn’t want to be around him. 

He was brought out of his thoughts by a dishtowel hitting him flush in the face. “Hey!” 

“Sorry Book! I was aiming for Nicky!” Nile laughed as the towel fell short when he threw it back to her. Andy had joined them in the room, opting to sit on the armrest of the single recliner with a glass of water in her hands. Sebastien didn’t know what it was about the woman that drew these deep feelings out of him, but he didn’t shy away from them. He didn’t shy away from anything he was feeling towards this little group he found himself in. 

“You good?” Andy asked across the room, making eye contact with the Frenchman. Sebastien thought for a moment, going back to how he fit into this little family, and he nodded, smiling as Nile entered the room with a tray of biscuits. 

“I may not remember who any of you are, but I do know that I love you all, so very much.” 

~ 

Weeks passed and Sebastien -non, Booker- still remembered the looks on his family’s faces as he told them he loves them. The amount of tears spilled that night would have filled the Seine, and he wouldn’t change it for the world. They had ended up in a dogpile on the couch, holding each other close and whispering words of affirmation to each other, promises were made and love was shared. 

Waking up the next morning with a stiff neck but surrounded by the four most important people in his life was worth it. 

Booker woke with a jolt, breathing heavy as he orientated himself. Still surrounded by four bodies, all still and silent, he closed his eyes again and took a few deep breaths. His dream was strange to say the least, with all five of them shooting their way out of an extremely white building, with flashes of being strapped to a plinth in a lab fighting to stay in Booker’s recollection. What on earth had happened?

“Book? Are you okay?” Nicky whispered as he shifted by his side. “Hey, you’re safe.” 

“I know, I know, I just.. I had a weird dream,” Booker whispered back, shimmying a hand out from the blanket that was still wrapped around himself and Joe, to rub at his face. 

“Tell me?” 

Booker paused. “We were fighting in a building. It was really white and there were a lot of corridors, and so many bodies. I’m getting flashes of us strapped down to tables also,” he stopped as he gauged Nicky’s face, which had turned sour. “W-What did I do?” 

He heard a soft curse from his other side which drew his attention to Andy. “Of course the one thing you remember is the worst possible,” she mumbled and sat up. 

“What did I do?” Booker repeated. If he had caused them pain, then that changed everything. 

“Something that you have already paid for,” Nicky grabbed his hand and squeezed it. “It was a painful yet brief moment in our lives, but you need not worry about it anymore.” 

Booker frowned but nodded. He didn’t want to argue so he kept his mouth shut, but that didn’t stop him from searching his brain for answers. 

~

The team had taken up a job from Copley, who Booker discovered was the man who had called him that day in Marseille, and were infiltrating a small terrorist hideout. It was meant to be easy; a stakeout had meant that no resistance should have been present when they attacked, but alas, nothing is ever that easy.

Upon extraction, they had been ambushed by a few terrorists who had returned, and all hell broke loose. Bullets flew through the air and swords hacked away at bodies, and they almost made it out without a casualty. 

Almost.

Booker was shot in the chest and went down. He felt the warmth spread under his clothes and he dropped to his knees, feeling dizzy and the world went black. 

Joe cursed and pulled Booker’s body into an alcove, hiding them from the gunfire. Joe had his gun in his hands, half watching Booker and half looking for any threats coming their way. Andy had reached their location and stood guard as Nile and Nicky joined them, guns still raised in case they had to use them. 

Joe grabbed Booker’s hand and squeezed it, praying silently for his friend’s return to life. He waited anxiously and glanced at Nicky, who had the same look of despair on his face. Joe counted the minutes, praying harder as it went over five. 

“C’mon, Booker,” Andy whispered, nudging the man’s arm with her boot gently. “You’re still in this game with me, remember?” 

A moment passes, and with a gasp the Frenchman sucked in a breath and opened his eyes, frantically searching for his family. Not needing to look far, he immediately calmed at the sight of them altogether. 

“Hey,” he grinned, looking at them all. “Hey Boss.” 

Andy let out a strangled sound and knelt down beside him, encasing him in the tightest hug he thinks he’s ever received from her. 

“You asshole. It’s not your fault but you’re an asshole,” she mumbled as they pulled away. “Is everything back? Do you remember everything?” 

Booker nodded as he quickly ran through his brain, picking out key moments in his life that shaped him for the better and for the worse. “I’m all here, Boss.” 

Booker had the breath knocked out of him as Joe hugged him tight, and he laughed softly, returning it in earnest. 

“If all you had to do was die to get your memories back I would have shot you myself!” Joe huffed as he pulled away, smiling as he picked up his gun that was dropped by his feet. 

“I don’t mean to be rude,” Nile interrupted. “But we’re in the middle of a terrorist camp. Can we have a happy reunion when we are, I don’t know, safe?”

Booker laughed and stood with the help of Joe and Nicky and he raised his rifle, fighting with the team seamlessly as they escaped the compound. 

Back at the safehouse, they showered each other in tight hugs and shared memories and alcohol, toasting to their love for one another as they drank the night away.

~

Available on AO3 also: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26527225 

[1000-directions]

8 and 30 for the music thingy please and thx

8. a song that speaks the words you couldn’t say

i’m gonna interpret this as ‘a song that speaks that words i couldn’t say to someone’s face’ and go with something i wrote nine years ago called ‘amazing.’ (that recording is p cringe but it is v old) i didn’t dare say it to his face, but i felt it with every fiber of my being that night, and writing it felt like BREAKING THE LAW, it felt so fucking illicit to let myself be angry, but i was angry, and i was hurt, and i deserved better.

30. your all-time favorite song

oh man. i don’t know if i even believe in such a thing. it was ‘st. lawrence river’ by david usher for so long, but that song belongs to such a specific segment of my life, and i am not that person anymore. i am not someone who feels a lot of nostalgia. i’m a constant work in progress, and i’ve spent a lot of my life…feelin real bad lol.

WAIT JUST KIDDING I DO HAVE AN ALL-TIME FAVORITE SONG and it’s ‘part of your world (reprise)’ from the little mermaid I DON’T KNOW WHEN I DON’T KNOW HOW BUT I KNOW SOMETHING’S STARTING RIGHT NOW 😭😭😭😭

music asks