#i promise carrot boi will get some comfort eventually

[rhenuvee]

Nighttime Routine with Genshin Boys [Liyue + Childe]

Summary: A/N: Welp this series seems pretty popular so I'm continuing this but for night. Check the "How They Greet You In The Morning" imagines from my Genshin masterlist!

≿————-　❈　————-≾

Xiao: If I'm being realistic, he probably says goodnight then dips- he always insists on going out to protect you from monsters lurking at night, but you may need a lot of convincing and almond tofu to make him stay. He doesn't sleep but he's willing to at least lie in bed with you, though he grunts and sighing about how mortals need sleep. You know he's there to watch over you, but you like to reassure him that it's okay for him to rest. "Goodnight. I'll be here."

Childe: Also a guy who says goodnight and dips (bruh), probably busy with Fatui duties. When he does get to have a goodnight's sleep with you, he enjoys snuggling under the covers with you, especially if it's cold outside. Once you say goodnight, and turn the other way, he frowns and starts being a menace. He pokes your arm every 5 seconds until you can't take it and slap him with a pillow. He jokingly winces and says it is "the most fearsome and difficult battle he's ever had" and you roll your eyes. However you can't stop smiling and end up turning back to face him to have a nice peaceful sleep.

Zhongli: He likes to hear about your day first, tell him everything in detail. Is willing to brew you a cup of something that will help you sleep if you have trouble sleeping, and even tell you a story. Always makes sure that you are feeling comfortable in bed, and smiles when he sees you nod your head, and joins you. Waits for you to fall asleep first before he does. Smooths his hand on the top of your head, as if to soothe you to sleep as your eyes start to close.

Xingqiu: Would you be surprised if I said he's already sitting in bed reading a book? Because he is. You're a little annoyed when he does that, him always being so invested in his literature. "Just one more chapter, I promise." You slit your eyes and say mockingly, "Just one more carrot, I promise." He puts down the book immediately. "Even Chongyun doesn't bully me like that." "That's because you're the one bullying Chongyun." He grumbles, but is always up for friendly banter, so your nights are full of playfulness.

Chongyun: I think his nights are usually routined and neat. You think it's cute when he washes his face when you do your routine together, because his hair is messier, and his bangs are out of his face (look at drummer Chongyun). He gets flustered if you say it out loud, and you giggle when he calms himself by splashing more water on himself. You both so to bed with some air conditioning on (does it exist in Teyvat...) and a thin blanket for Chongyun. He makes sure to say goodnight every time, even when you're already asleep or too tired to listen.

Baizhu: No matter how tired you are, he wants to make sure you take care of yourself by doing your nighttime routine. When you decide to have a skincare night, though he may not join since he usually stays up late doing work, but he still likes seeing you enjoy yourself while being healthy in some way. Probably has a nice herbal incense thingy to make you both fall sleep better. You literally have to convince him to take rest and eventually, he can't say no. He sighs and gets in bed, booping your nose lightly. Changsheng: "I'm right here you know :/" and that is why she made her own little nest on the bedside table to sleep.

[susiequaz12]

Carrot Top- 14: Afraid

Woooh! Another update! I didn’t expect this one to come so soon, but it did, so here yah go. Time to also meet some new people!

CW: Medical whump, restraints, blood/knives/torture mention, non con (nonsexual) touch mention, possessive/creepy whumper.

Tag list: @imagination1reality0, @just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi, @thehopelessopus

Masterlist here.

The small girl burst into the Doctor’s office, dragging a boy behind her by the hand. 

“Dr. Tusik!” She called. “Tusik!” She threw out her arms, releasing the boy’s hand as the Doctor turned around from his stack of papers he was investigation. “It’s been far too long! We definitely have to do something.”

The doctor set a paper down and looked at the girl, speaking in a slow voice, with an accent long faded of his home country. “Slow down vnuchka, is this about what I think it is?”

“Andrew!” She cried. The doctor nodded. The boy standing in the doorway dropped into a seat behind them in the small office. 

“This is not like him.” She continued. “I mean, sometimes he’ll hold a grudge- and, and we’ve all argued before, but usually you just, give him a day, you give him some space and he’ll be fine. Dr.- It’s been five days.”

“Slow down now child, just breathe. We’ve sure to find an explanation.” The old man pushed his glasses up his nose. He adjusted the papers on his desk and took the stethoscope off from around his neck, placing it on the messy pile of paperwork and writings.

“An explanation for why Andrew’s been mia for almost a week?” The boy asked. “I’m sorry Dr Tusik, but what kind of good explanation could there possibly be for something like that?”

The girl spoke again. “Justin’s right, where could he have gone? He lives with us for goodness sake, he hasn’t answered his phone, his mom’s is too far away and he doesn’t have a car, there’s- I don’t know where else he could be! There isn’t anywhere else he could be!” 

“Ali, calm down, pozhaluysta, please.” Dr. Tusik stated gently. “It’d do good to remember you’re not the only ones with concerns for the boy.”

At the shouting and the noise, a figure had stood in the doorway behind the two. They turned around to find a young girl. Younger than Ali by a few years, but much taller and ganglier. She had beautiful curly auburn hair that tangled itself up no matter what you did, and freckles across her nose. You couldn’t mistake who she was related to- it was obvious. 

Andrew’s sister. 

Her eyes were red and she held a crumpled tissue in her fist. She sniffled and wiped her eyes, and then smiled. 

“Hey guys.” She stepped into the small office. 

“Mickie- hey.” Ali stated. She approached the younger girl and wrapped her arms around her in a hug.

They all sat down in chairs around the small office while Tusik explained.

“Mickie came in a few minutes earlier with the same concerns. She’s visited a few times now, and we’ve previously discussed some things. Possible explanations, and solutions.”

“I just can’t get it out of my head that he’s really mad at us.” Justin stated. “I mean, I feel like I kinda pushed him over the edge a little that night- it’s understandable if he’d want to ignore us.”

Mickie shook her head. “Andrew doesn’t ignore people. He’s too kind for that.” She sniffled. “We’ve literally gotten into some of the worst arguments you could imagine growing up. I mean, he shoved me in a suitcase once that ‘accidentally’ fell down the stairs, all because I’d broken his Star Wars Lego set. We didn’t talk for the rest of the day but after that we were fine.” She turned to Justin. “He doesn’t hold grudges. Andrew’s not mad at you, so don’t blame yourselves.”

Ali kept a hand on the girl’s shoulder. She changed the subject. “So have you heard from him? When was the last time you guys talked?” 

She shrugged her shoulders and got quiet, wringing the bottom of her t-shirt in between her hands. “Just that night. We were texting and I could tell he was getting frustrated with you guys-”

Justin interrupted. “I knew it, I knew he was mad at me, I should have given him that ride home, I shouldn’t have-”

“Justin shut up.” Mickie stated. Justin stopped abruptly. She brought a hand to her face. “Sorry, I- he wasn’t mad at you okay? Just frustrated- trust me.” She sighed and fiddled with the crumpled tissue in her hands. “He talked to me more than anyone. Sure, he lives with you guys, but put yourselves in his shoes. You have each other to hang out with. When you’re spending all your time making him feel like the third wheel it’s understandable for him to get a little frustrated. He wasn’t mad, I promise. Just tired. He was saying how he needed to clear his head, just walk, spend a bit by himself.”

Dr. Tusik began to speak, breaking the silence that had begun to fill the room. “Mickie and I have previously discussed where he could be- potential theories and such, as well as our ideas as to how to solve the problem.”

“Oh?” Ali asked.

“Andrew and I talked almost constantly. I mean he’s not just my big brother, but he- he’s my best friend. He’s not- he’s not ignoring anyone, he couldn’t be, so- he... he-” Mickie’s voice began to break. Ali rubbed her back as she began to cry.

Tusik finished for her. “He was taken.”

Mickie regained her composure quickly, dabbing at her eyes with the torn up tissue. “There’s no other explanation. Why else would he ignore us all for so long? He probably- he probably feels just as bad about it as we do.”

“But who? Who possibly could have taken him?” As Justin asked the question, silence filled the room once more. They all knew the answer immediately after the idea had been posed. The man had been looking for them for a while now, ever since they all discovered their abilities. 

No one wanted to admit that that was where he was right now. 

- - - 

Andrew twisted his own fingers in his hands as he sat. He twisted the bottom hem of his shirt up, wrinkling it between his fingers.

His ears popped as a yawn got trapped in his mouth. It was late at night, after dinner. He knew because he hadn’t been fed- his stomach growled ever so slightly. He had been left alone all day, and had fallen asleep only to be awoken roughly to be dragged down to another one of these rooms.

There were often times he’d be dragged down here, and spend all day in an endless misery. 

Those days were the worst.

They were the days he was taken in to be tested- to be poked, prodded, examined. Rough hands grabbing at him, stabbing him with things, treating him like a lab rat incapable of cohesive thought.

One day he was forced to run on a treadmill until he passed out or threw up. They were testing his heart rate apparently.

Another day they cut into his muscles. Poking at them to “see how they worked”. Other times they just sat and stared. 

So when Splice said that the doctors had a new drug they wanted to try, anything could have been possible.

He was placed in the medical chair as Splice sat on a stool next to him, waiting for the “Doctors” to come in. They were called Doctors, but for all intents and purposes, they were just people curious about how peculiari worked- hired to treat them like lab rats using whatever unconventional methods they saw fit. 

When they came into the room a wave of cold chills instantly ran over Andrew’s body. There were three people- all wearing medical masks in white coats and gloves. They didn’t acknowledge Andrew as they walked in and set a massive amount of supplies down on the counters. 

Splice stood up from his stool while one of the doctors spoke to him in regards as to what could be expected from this procedure. Andrew tried to pay attention, but it was difficult when the other two doctors were surrounding him where he sat. 

His wrists were grabbed and strapped down to the armrests of the chair- his ankles restrained in a similar fashion. He felt the mechanical humming of the chair through his muscles as it was lowered until Anrew was laying nearly flat on his back. Then a thick strap came to wrap across his forehead as well, keeping his head in place.

He tried to remember to breathe as he began lose track of what was happening around him. 

He felt something tight around his bicep, cutting off circulation, and then something cold and wet wiped across the crook of his arm. This was followed by the sharp sting of a needle before an iv was slid into his vein. 

The cuts on his other arm were quickly cleaned and bandaged without a second glance. 

He flinched, as cold gloved hands reached under his shirt, placing several small patches onto his chest. They connected to wires that stuck out of his shirt and tangled around him, leading to machines that surrounded the chair he was strapped to.

The third doctor quickly finished explaining things to Splice, and the man sat back on the stool, content with whatever was about to happen to the boy in front of him. 

A cart was rolled over with a massive amount of different knives, tools, vials, and bottles. Andrew shivered- thankful at least for the small protection of his shirt.

The actual administration of the drug went quickly. It was slid into the iv and Splice and the doctors sat with clipboards, simply waiting.

At first Andrew didn’t feel anything. 

And then all of a sudden everything was closing in on him. The world started spinning around his head- he felt cold chills up and down his spine and sweat started dripping down his face. His eyes couldn’t focus on any specific thing as shapes distorted, growing larger and smaller, spinning around and flying through the air. Any slight movement around the room seemed to fly at his head, causing him to flinch and recoil back at the foreign objects.

He thought he heard voices but they were muffled. Just sounds that echoed in his ears and throughout his brain. Undecipherable, but loud and invasive.

And then out of nowhere, his heart seemed to betray him.

Without a second warning, his heart sped up, pumping as fast as it could. He heard harsh, shrill beepings around him as it felt like his heart would explode out of his chest. His breathing got heavier and he felt a weight on his chest. Like all 350 pounds were suddenly on top of him again and he couldn’t breathe. 

And then he had a singular, prominent thought. It spoke so loudly, and so clearly in his mind.

I’m going to die.

The fear of that thought struck into him and he suddenly had the image of Splice coming towards him, knife in one hand, whip in the other. Then the man was on top of him, and his hands marked ownership- gripping at the collar, grabbing at his hair and face. He saw the whip crashing down over his body, the knife tearing through his skin. His limbs began to feel warm and sticky as he felt his blood pooling over his sides, washing down him in rivers, splashing onto his face as Splice began to beat him senseless.

And Andrew screamed.

Though he was muzzled, you could still hear his terrified cries as he truly believed that his tormentor was carving him open and beating him to death at that moment.

Though at that moment- Splice was still sitting on the stool next to the Doctors, watching Andrew thrash about on the bed. He smirked as the screams tore at Andrew’s throat, coming up empty behind the muzzle surrounding his face. 

“That’s genius.” The man stated. “You said it mimics fear?”

The doctor closest to Splice nodded. “The drug triggers the body’s natural responses to fear, making them actually think they’re in danger. We’re hoping with some alterations it will cause more extreme hallucinations and paranoia. Of course this is just a test run.”

“It’s brilliant.” Splice stated.

Andrew’s eyes were clenched shut tightly as tears and sweat poured down his blood-stained face. His body shook, knuckles white as he mumbled incoherently through the muzzle. 

He suddenly arched back as if in recoil from pain, his chest heaving in the air, legs scrambling to try and curl into himself. 

And he screamed once more. 

It was harsh, and loud, and guttural, and brutal. He choked on his own spit before bursting back into a series of sobs. The whole time his body continued to shake and thrash about, eyes occasionally shooting open, only to be clenched tightly once more.

They waited maybe an hour or two to try and see the full effects of the drug from beginning to end. Andrew didn’t know how long it had been, and Splice didn’t care to know himself. The boy had periods where he would flare up with terror, the shock and phantom pains taking over his face and body. And then for long stretches of time he would lie there, quietly sobbing to himself as tears streamed from his eyes. 

Sweat dripped from his forehead and chills wracked his body as his temperature spiked. His wrists and ankles were raw and red from where he’d struggled against the restraints.

His reactions were getting slower as the drug began to wear off.

They watched the boy suffer for a few more minutes before one of the doctors inserted new fluids into his iv. The fluids ran through and within a couple more minutes the drug had been completely flushed out of his system.

Andrew lay in a broken mess where he was restrained in the chair. The doctors pulled off his restraints, and Splice chuckled as the boy flinched at every hand that came near his face, and every jostled movement of his body.

After a couple more minutes, the iv was removed, the machines turned off, and Andrew was being pulled to his feet. Splice stood in front of him, hands bracing his shoulders to keep the boy from toppling over. 

Andrew fell forward, his head lolling into the man’s chest. Splice rested a hand on the back of his head, gently carding through the pale locks of hair. 

“I want full updates on the progress of this drug. I expect an updated version within the week.” Splice stated. He tilted the boy’s head up by the chin to look him in the eyes. They looked blurry and unfocused.

“How nice it will be to be able to hurt you without getting my hands dirty.”

He let Andrew’s head fall back to his chest.

Splice began to guide the boy towards the door when a guard burst into the room. The man look disheveled, clearly in pain, and a little confused.

“Sir!” He cried.

“What is it- what’s happened?” Splice asked.

“There’s been a break in. We have intruders in the building.”

A look of shock washed over Splice’s face, followed by a small smile. The man gripped Andrew by the shoulders and looked down at the boy. “Well, let’s go meet our guests, shall we?”

[peachheadjones]

🥺🥺🥺 gosh I'm hungry for fluff that just clings on you like a warm blanket. AND I'm in the mood to spoil Sweet Pea lots. This is a bit too plotty for a nsft blog but-

Sweet Pea is a farmer; a modest, rough spoken man with a soft interior. He understands animals far better than people. In fact, the number of names labelled as family is fairly low, and he likes it that way.

Tabitha Tate happens to enroll in that puny number. This is a small town. You make nice with whoever you can. Love thy neighbour and all that. She has that ability, to make everyone like her in some capacity. He even saw Hiram Lodge himself crack a smile or two her way.

But she's holding a man by the hand and leading him patiently to him; He can't explain what he felt, not in so many words, - he's not that type of man. Words are hard, - but his ears were pounding and his stomach was summerslamming in waves.

The man is petite, but fairly built; That classic white silk shirt sits fine and painted on toned arms, - not necessarily made for work as much as they were for admiring, but nice nonetheless. And his hair, - it's raven with a drop of midnight, a stark contrast to moonlight skin.

Sweet Pea embarrassingly stares too much at his lips, - they're just so plump and red and he's pretty sure they're glossed with a product he wouldn't know if put at gunpoint. And he's pretty . He's just so, so pretty.

And he won't fit in here.

He has a routine and workline he abides to and enjoys. He needs things done his way, and his way is tough, he's a one man operation after all. Pretty boys had no business being touched by his rough hands anyway.

The man eventually ventures off to the bunny pen; Sweet Pea stores them into those spacious after catching them red pawed, munching on crops, only to be later moved to Toni's clinic. And because kids like them, whenever they visit.

He's very gentle. Very soft. He's like porcelain afraid to break glass, but the animals like him and it surprises Sweet Pea. Can't get the furry bastards to even eat a carrot from his hand.

" He's a friend of mine. I knew him since we were little, and he's just... He's kind of in a tight space. He wouldn't spill too many details, but apparently, his ex husband is looking for him. Not for anything good. "

He can have a wild guess. That make up can only cover so much. It's hard, concealing cruelty. Stories rise, one way or another. And that shade of purple blurred around Jughead's, - strange name, but he likes it, - face tells him enough.

He wants to hit something. It's been a long time since this anger sparked inside him.

" I'd fake him myself, but that worthless piece of shit probably knows he'd come to me first. So just until we find something, -"

" He'll be safe here. I'll take care of him."

But. Jughead Jones has his own routines. And that seems to include taking care of Sweet Pea in ways no one, - no one that shared his sheets for more than a night, that is, - ever offered before.

It's ghostly, this presence of him at first. Jughead makes himself as small as possible, as if his mere presence is so offensive and irritating he'd rather be seen, not heard. He's quiet, too. To such an extent it makes Sweet Pea wonder if he can speak at all.

" No. "

His hands are small and soft and well groomed; Cushy skin, pink, flawless, not a rough, worked mess like his. But it helds strong. He's like petal and thorn In one skin. " Don't go. It's too cold."

True. The rain pouring outside promises at least one week of being bed ridden, but he's so sure there's something he needs to do. There's always something to do, always something that needs fixing, something that needs tending, something that needs to be fed cleaned brushed -

" Please don't. I'll- I'll go check later."

"...Okay."

Jughead, goes from, in a lack of better words, barricading himself in that guest room to being some sort of comforting earpiece around the house. He loves to bake and listen to Sweet Pea's boring engineering documentaries.

He gains some courage too. Poor boy, couldn't even hold eye contact without flushing before, now speaks softly but boldly, and isn't squeamish about sharing his thoughts. " Not boring. Stop it."

And he hums a sweet tune, under his breath. His voice is terrible. Sweet Pea could listen to it all day. He even asks for a song. A private spectacle, he says, just for him. Jughead blushes sweetly. It makes Sweet Pea want to eat him whole. " My voice is not, um, it's- its not good."

" It's perfect for me. Please?"

"... Okay."

Sonically, it's rancid and not easy on the ears. But the lullaby puts him right down, on Jughead's generous, plushy thighs, warm like July on Sweet Pea's ear. There's fingers in his hair. Lips on his forehead. He can't sleep.

He's tortured; By Jughead’s sturdy shoulders, by his lean, strong arms, by his waist, perfect for grabbing, for sinking your nails right in and let them drown in pale, creamy skin, by his his hips, by his adorable tummy, by his perfect, plump thighs and peach of an ass. He's tortured by them all, it's a constant, perfect pain.

But he's relaxing. He's at peace. Jughead won't have him working till he drops and kisses the ground. He'll pout and drag him to the house, or under the shadowy kiss of an apple tree, and bury his face under a bunny's fur.

" Jughead. No."

Jug stops, for a mere few seconds. He does it again. And again and again despite the many faux threats thrown his way,until the final forfeit comes to be. " He just wants to be loved with you."

" I do love the fluffy fucker; I'd just rather not sneeze everytime I hold him and not have fuzz on my tongue."

Jughead grumbles something about him being ' mean' and ' such a brute' and he buries his face under the fur again and his fingers gently hold sweet pea's jaw. So tender, so lovely, so sweet.

"... I want you to stay."

" ... I'd like that."

[amintyworld]

Michael Underscore Beloved Headcannons:

Michael did not speak for the longest time which made both Tubbo and Ranboo worried. He’d make a few pig noises here and there but that was it.

Happy squeals when he was very cheerful, grunts when he was angry, small whines when he was sad.

It was only when he had a big breakdown one day they brought the kid over to Uncle Techno, who began speaking in piglin to him to help him calm down, that they realized he didn’t know English. Technoblade gives him lessons every Tuesday from then on.

The first word he says is ‘Dad’ to both Tubbo and Ranboo at the same time when they were putting him to bed and he didn’t want them to leave yet, still a little scared of the dark. Both of them had that moment where they were both convinced they were the ones who got called ‘Dad’.

Cue little zombie piglin rushing in after a nightmare a few hours later, tears in his eyes as he looks at both of them, and they rush over to comfort him, the piglin hugging them both tearfully. “Dad!”

He has a stuffed animal chicken that he cannot get to sleep without, he calls it ‘mine’ so Tubbo and Ranboo just call the stuffie ‘Michael’s Chicken’.

Michael loves loves LOVES carrots, so much so that he’d find ways to climb on counters and reach high places to grab carrots to munch on, places often even he doesn’t even know how he got up there in the first place.

Tommy, first time babysitting, had no idea what he was in for, and nearly lost him for almost 40 minutes when he was just chilling on top of the fridge.

Speaking of Tommy, he’s Michael’s favorite babysitter by far. Often he’ll ask for more stories of his adventures, and of course Tommy may have twisted them a bit on how cool he really was in a few situations, but Michael loved hearing them. He even drew him and Tommy fighting against a slimy green monster labeled ‘Drem’. Tommy nearly cried when Michael showed him and keeps the drawing in his echest.

When Michael is misbehaving, often Ranboo will just pick him up with his tail and hover him off the ground in a timeout as he wriggles and squirms, crossing his arms angrily. This is the only way that piglin will ever sit still - Tubbo tried telling him to sit in a chair but found him with his hand in the cookie jar five minutes later.

Sometimes Tubbo will go out gathering honey for breakfast (Tubbo loves honey on toast) and bring Michael with him, who’ll sit there, looking up in absolute awe, pointing excitedly. “Bee!”

During something very urgent, Tubbo drops Michael off with Phil as he assures worried Ranboo and Tubbo over and over again that he’s in good hands, since the piglin is not used to being with anyone alone except for Tommy.

Phil spends the day with him playing out in the snow, and while cooking lunch for both of them Phil lets Michael wear his hat, and the piglin just lets out the happiest squeal - “Fil!”

When a snowstorm approaches later as night falls they make a campfire and Phil shows him how to make s’mores. The small piglin ends up passing out on the couch wearing Phil’s hat, and Phil just pulls the blanket up on him. “Night, little mate.”

When Michael gets a cold for the first time Tubbo and Ranboo go into full on PANIC MODE and then when they call up Phil he has to reassure them, no he’s not dying, he’s just sick.

As Techno’s English lessons improve he learns to read and of course Technoblade reads him all the Greek Mythology stories he has, and ends up calling Tommy “Fee-Fee” for Thesesus thanks to some encouragement from the Blade himself.

Bath Time used to always be a struggle until Ranboo found ‘Mr Duck’, an old rubber duckie from Phil’s older things - stuff that he kept from when Wilbur was a baby - that he washed and cleaned which entertained the piglin to no end.

Michael loves shiny things just about as much as he loves carrots, and that’s saying something. He became quite the little thief at taking anything shiny - gold ingots, iron ingots, diamonds, Ranboo’s crown - and making a little stash in his room. They eventually broke him of the habit, though his love of gold never really went away.

Tommy once, trying to be the cool uncle, went on a thieving trip for shiny things with Michael, and though many of the things they stole he had to return, he let him keep a gold nugget, which Michael treasured ever since, Tubbo even making the nugget into a necklace he could wear.

Ranboo, being the taller of the two, loves putting Michael up on his shoulders to go on walks, even introducing him to a few endermen after telling him the zombie piglin wasn’t a threat.

Michael was so scared at first, clinging behind Ranboo to his legs, holding out his small wooden play sword in fear. Ranboo knelt down next to him and gently pull away his sword to lay in the snow. “Hey, it’s okay, it’s okay, don’t be scared...” One of the enderman just comes up to Michael, looking to him in wonder before gently patting his head, letting out a glitched chirp before disappearing. “Where?!” Michael yelled, reaching to grab his sword again before the enderman appears again, making Michael scared and scrambling back into Ranboo’s arms. “It’s okay, it’s okay, look...” Ranboo reassured him as Michael looks over to see the creature offering up a dirt block, tilting its head in curiosity. Michael slowly approached, taking the block as the enderman picked up another and placed it beside the child, letting out another glitched chirp to encourage him. Looking over to his father for a moment, Michael moved to place the dirt next to the enderman’s, looking up to the creature, who leaned down to pat his head again as Michael hugged it tightly. Ranboo had never been more proud of him.

When a few people on the SMP started staring at the dark hole where his right eye should be, (not trying to be mean of course, they’re just a bit shocked when they finally meet him) Michael began to try to hide his face behind his parents more to avoid being seen. They told him that they knew a secret that he couldn’t tell anyone: people stared at him because he was special, so amazingly special that sometimes people were jealous of him and his amazing chicken herding and bravery. He brightened up after that, promising and crossing his heart never to tell, since it could make the others embarrassed. Michael grew more and more confident since then, and his parents could not be more prouder.

They were right. He was special. He was their special boy, and he always would be. <3

———————————

What do you guys think? I’d love to make more of these, I have some ideas/Headcannons of older Michael if you guys are interested!! Hope you enjoyed, I love Michael so far and his place in cannon as well as lore, little tiny zombie piglin boy my beloved-! -Minty

[the-crows-typist]

Hi Lemilia-senpai! Can i ask for a romantic and fluffy ficlet with Silver and a fem crush with the word “cooking” please? Thank you!

Good day, I’m back. Work has been kicking my ass but hopefully I get to the full swing of things as the year progresses. Please enjoy this fic with some hints of familial and romantic love.

Word count: 4,735 

The Possibilites are Endless

“I want to make you proud.”

Silver’s family was among the fae, it had always been, and despite being the only human many did not hesitate to show affection towards him.  Try as he may, Silver had no memory of his youth before Lilia took him in though the old man did say he smelled of charred wood when he found him but that was all he could surmise. Malleus, another boy Llia raised into adulthood, looked after him and another boy, Sebek. Their lives were relatively easy but it came with the promise and training to become Malleus’ royal guards

Silver had a knack of roaming the halls alone when he wasn’t studying or practicing swordsmanship. He liked to trail the smell of the kitchen; the staff were nice to him and since he didn’t pose much trouble, they allowed him to look through their work station granted he doesn’t touch anything hot. The soft creaking of the door and pattering of feet would always be acknowledged by the chefs before they went back to work.

Ever the curious boy he was, he walked up to the one of the stations with his nose smelling salt, pepper, and thyme. His eyes would sparkle at the cooking materials before him, palms almost itching to grab it.

His small hands reached for a hammer, one made of wood and had spiked endings. He looked up at the sound of laughter, the chef smile down at him after cutting crosses into the meat he was preparing. “Interested in that?” Silver was inclined to put it back before it was lifted out of his hold with magic. “This is a meat tenderizer, it helps you make the meat softer before cooking.”

“What happens if you don’t hammer it?” Silver tipped his toes, looking at the raw meat seasoned with spices that tickled his nose.

“It’ll be tough to chew,” The chef let the hammer float out his hands, hovering over the peace of meat to beat it with hard slaps. “Why don’t you sit down over there and I’ll make you a snack and then you’ll see the difference.”

He sat obediently on a stool, watching the chef get to work with the many spices and herbs that he smelled that sizzled with the meat. Yes, he had enjoyed the luxury of his new life under the fae but it wasn’t always this comforting or relaxing. Malleus and Lilia were often busy and Sebek…While Sebek was fun to play with, his loud personality often made Silver exhausted.

“Can I help?”

There was a beat of hesitation and the drop of the shoulders that he had seen almost familiarity “When you’re able to handle the hammer with magic.” The chef smiled at him again but Silver already knew what that meant. What he could handle was different from people like Lilia could handle.

His look was dejected but it was something he was used to hearing. The limits of those of the fae and humans were vastly different and their treatment of him was a testament to that; always protected and never seeing the front, always staying behind and never someone’s side. The silence was deafening and his eyelids grew heavy, slipping into a sleep he didn’t want to go into. A dream begets one’s deepest desires, a long yearning for something so awaited for so long. He dreamed of standing next to someone, their cloak fluttering in the wind.

Ah, yes…This is what he wanted the most.

Perhaps one day, he’ll stand side by side with someone. Someday…

His eyes opened, the apple tree lending light to him from the small crevices and holes formed by leaves and branches. Riddle sat next to him, sweaty from their previous ordeal. They had cooked so much meals that day that the ghosts had asked them to take a break.

“Heat doesn’t affect us,” Said the head chef. “The students are not yet accustomed to the kitchen so it’s best to let them rest.” His head craned to Riddle and Silver. “A good thirty minutes will do.”

“Hm,” Riddle leaned his head against the bark. “The next judges are Jamil, Vil and Malleus…They’re the hardest trio to please.” Silver grimaced, first a dream that bore into his heart then having to face Malleus? Talk about bad timing. “What are we cooking this time?” Silver asks.

“Beef stew.”

There was a grimacing from both of them and Silver pushed himself off the ground. “The sooner we finish this, the better.” Offering his hand to Riddle, he pulled his classmate from the grass. “Please don’t hesitate to tell me when I’m dozing off this time.” The redhead let out a small laugh, remembering the moment Silver fell asleep while stirring some ingredients. “I will.”

The two walked back to the kitchen sharing a brief silence together, “Do you…” Silver began. “Do you often doubt your abilities?” Riddle tilted his head before Silver explained once more. “What I mean is that you question if you’re really as strong as people say you are…Or something like that.”

“I do. Many times.” Their walk slowed and Riddle looks at his pen, its pristine gem clear and pure of the ink that once dwelled within it. “Even after I became the dorm leader, I always do. My magic cancels out others, yes, people often think that my magic is the strongest they’ve seen but in reality, it’s rigid and stiff and above all, conditional.”

There was a look of remembrance in his face and Riddle sighed, pocketing his pen neatly onto his uniform. “People like Leona, Azul and all others after me hold magic far greater than what I can ever hope to achieve. I have moments when I think of myself as not being strong enough, being bitter about what I can’t do.”

Silver sighs, perhaps he shouldn’t have asked but seeing Riddle suddenly smile made him pause. “But that also means that even I have a long way to go in perfecting my magic.”

“And what better way to improve than by improving one’s talent in cooking?” Riddle’s smile was sweet and Silver couldn’t help but return it. “That’s right.”

“Ah, but…I should really get used to cutting onions.”

“You’ll get them right, eventually.”

The three judges took their seats. Silver closed his eyes, holding the meat tenderizer tightly in his hand. The presence of someone he wanted to impress wasn’t doing wonders for his insides.

Vil pulled him seat closer, eyeing Riddle with a smirk. He had been a judge in the past along with Jamil. “We’ll be in your care.” Vil says. “As far as charred remains go, I expect a lovely dish. Perhaps control the fire you use this time.” There was a noise of embarrassment and Riddle pouted. “I…I have improved my craft with Silver,” His goes back to his dignified pose, of that of a king, “I will not serve food that isn’t up to your standards.”

A huffing laughter and Vil leaned back on his seat. “Make my taste buds sing, Queen of Hearts.” Malleus regarded the two with a calculated gaze. “How is Silver in all this?” He asked his junior, Riddle had just taken out some garlic, onion and potatoes while Silver went to the back to prepare the meat, clearly not wanting to look but listening to Riddle’s criticisms.

“He has done well with a few close calls.” Riddle explained. “I cannot say for certain which of us is doing the best since I have resigned myself from that thinking. This event isn’t to see who cooks better but to teach those who want to know the craft.”

Malleus chuckles and Riddle lets him go on his way. “Then he is in good hands. I shall look forward to your creations, Rosehearts, Silver.”

Jamil looked to his side, eyes wide suddenly. “I didn’t you were coming along, prefect.” You came in with a camera and some notepads in your hands, it was clear that you rushed your way to the building. “I have to record this moment for the school newspaper.”

You waved at Silver and gave you a smile in return. While your appearance in Night Raven was sudden, you and Silver had grown close quickly and often joining each other for lunch or spending time together after school. Your presence was calming him but also an indicator that he should do well.

“Just act like I’m not here.” You ready your camera and took a shot.

Jamil’s eyes looked at how they worked through the kitchen, so far so good in terms of food prep. Riddle was meticulous with handling the knife…Though he needed some time to perfect cutting onions without crying. He can’t blame him, he had the same problem when he was starting out. The meat tenderizer hit the raw meat a few times before being cut into small pieces.

Silver seemed to have prior knowledge to cooking and he was faring out better than Riddle. The smell of garlic, onion, carrots and potato mixed together perfectly. So far, so good. It wasn’t long for you to kneel beside him to take a picture of the cooking area from a different angle. “I think they’re doing well. No bad fires or anything!” You whispered to Jamil and he only shrugged his shoulders.

“Indeed.” Jamil leaned back on his seat. “Silver and you hang out together often, correct?”

“Yup, during lunch times mostly.”

Jamil nodded his head. “Then you’ll be able to see what I’m seeing in a clearer light.” A wave of confusion washes over you and you look onto Silver without the eyes of a photographer. His eyes determined yet his shoulders tight and rigid, those shaking hands handling equipment flimsily.

“It’s only proper that you put good posture into everything you do,” Jamil lectured. “In cooking it is a necessity, no less. And while I understand he wants to do his best given the leader of his dorm will be a judge …” He placed a hand on his chin in thought.

“You think this behavior runs deeper, is that it?”

Jamil smiled at you, shrugging his shoulders. You set your camera on the table, letting your knees rest. “Silver doesn’t talk much about his dorm.” You explain. “He feels that he doesn’t need to…But out of the group he’s always with, he tries the hardest.”

Silver sets the meat and cut vegetables into a pressure cooker. “The hardest?” You look down at your feet, your memories filing to the days he chose to be vulnerable around you. It was under one of the apple trees.

“When you’re different, you do what it takes to belong. While I have been reminded time and time again that it isn’t needed…” His eyes are downcast, staring into nothing; a big sigh lets his shoulders grow and recede. “It’s harder to keep trying when the difference is so obvious.”

Jamil is silent and so were you. The pressure cooker had been set and the waiting game began, Riddle was quick to shake Silver out of what might have been a sleeping spell. “Silver’s strength is immense and his skills make him almost a danger to those who try threaten the people he loves,”

“I just wish he wouldn’t be so hard on himself.” The camera was pulled to your chest, you expression worrisome.

Jamil looks down, almost feeling guilty for prying. “I’m sorry I asked.”

“You didn’t know.” You reassured him.

The judging round was tense for both Silver and Riddle, the three students in front of them had the most refined palates in the entire school. The plates were shaking in their hands, Riddle handing one plate to Jamil then to Vil and leaving Silver to Malleus.

The flash of the camera made everything hazy, suddenly the sound of silence was too deafening. The plate rattled in his grip.

He needed to do well. He must do everything well.

“Silver?”

He closed his eyes and breathing deeply. There was anticipation and then concern as he tittered over.

“Silver.”

The light headedness was gripping him and he was swaying, he couldn’t breathe properly.

“Silver!”

The plate shatters when it slipped out of his hands and Silver goes down to the ground with a loud thud, a collective gasp runs silences the entire room. You and Riddle bolt, taking Silver up in your arms and pulled him up from the hot mess of ceramic and spilled food. He was blinking wildly, only coming into consciousness seconds later.

He sees the mess, he sees his own legs sprawled on the floor with his head reeling in confusion and fear. Then he looks up at Malleus whose green eyes bore an expression he couldn’t understand in all the panic that rose within him.

All the words said to him were things he couldn’t hear in the strong beat that rattled in his ears. Malleus blinked, a hand reaching out to him with lips speaking but couldn’t be head. “Silver, are you—?” Silver gets up and immediately runs out of the building, pushing you and Riddle aside.  

“He’s not answering his phone.” You say, pulling the receiver off your ear. The mess had already been cleaned and destroyed plate disposed of. Malleus stood beside you, holding the last shard of broke plate carefully in his hands.

“Please give me the shard. I’ll take care of it—.” Riddle offered his hand but was met with only a question in return. “Tell me, Silver has been practicing with you this whole time.” The redhead faltered and his hand went limp on his side. “Has he said anything to you, anything at all?”

Riddle was silent, his head hung in thought. “All he ever told me was all about cooking but…He did ask me one question about doubting yourself..” Malleus blinks then sets the shard down on the table behind him.

You set your phone back and Malleus closed his eyes. “I see.”

Pocketing your phone, you give your camera to Riddle. “I’ll go look for him.”

“I’m coming too.”

Jamil walked to your side but before you could deny his request, he gave a sympathetic smile. “Consider it my apology for prying.”

“Silver, what is this?”

Lilia had come in at such a bad time, the stew he was trying to cook had burned in his sleep. With a flick of his wrist and snap of his fingers, the fire has disappeared into a pillar of smoke. The stew was a murky black and it smelled of charred remains.

“Papa, I—!”

Dread filled his soul, Lilia had approached the cauldron to lean down and scoop a spoonful of ruined stew and ate it in one bite.

“It’s good.”

Silver didn’t flinch when Lilia’s hand set itself on his head. “Needs a bit more salt but it’s good. You’d make a good chef one day.”

“You didn’t have to lie to me.”

Silver’s hat had been discarded and so was the meat tenderizer, the tall boy huddled between the large roots of an old tree with hands around his shoulders and legs to his chest. He closed his eyes, remembering Lilia’s smiling face as he pat his head and assuring him whatever he makes tasted good.

And yet…

His body calmed, limbs relaxed and eyes hollow. The winds blew the trees, the wood irked and the leaves hissed like rain. He blew it. He totally blew it. Everything he had been doing up until that point was perfect and thanks to Riddle he didn’t fall asleep even once.

That was until he had to present his work to the judges. Malleus was a prince, after all, it was expected that he would be served nothing less than perfection. What he did was an absolute embarrassment to him and as the appointed knight to the royal family.

“Raise your head a little higher, strengthen your grip on the sword. Yes, very good.” The young boy’s hand was adjusted, the heir apparent holding it gently with his long fingers against his wrist. “This part, your wrist, is the most valuable part in handling a blade.” Malleus’ smile betrayed his concern for him. “So take care of it for me, alright?”

Even in his youth, Malleus was so careful with him as if he were an extremely delicate porcelain doll.

“Lilia told me you had come down with a bad case of the stomach bug. Honestly, what were they thinking feeding you such a meal?” Malleus’ hand would come to feel his forehead. “I’ll have the palace healer bring you some brews to ease your stomach pain.” The prince brushed some hair off his sweating face. “Rest, Silver.”

What was the point of being a knight if all he ever did was stay behind at his orders?

“You have to stay here and protect Sebek.” Beyond the castle walls, Silver could hear the roars of invading beast of the night and corrupted village people. Malleus held the boy’s shoulders while Silver pulled at his robes. “I can’t let any one of you get hurt. No one should.”

All he ever wanted…

“Silver,” Malleus would call for him.

Was to be next to him.

His hand would come up as it always did, his fingers ready to run through his hair. “Silver,” He’d call out to him.

That’s all he ever wanted.

“Silver,”

“Found you.”

His eyes opened, your hand resting on his shoulder. The wind blew and making your hair fly, framing your face as you smiled at him. “You…” He turned his head when Jamil made his presence known

. “I didn’t expect you to choose the forest as a hiding place. It took us a while to pinpoint where you were.” Your hand left his shoulder and you sat in front of him. “Do you want to talk about it?”

The wind blew again, the warming breeze provided him time to think things through. “All my life it’s been that way.” He buries his nose onto his knees. “I don’t want to stand behind someone forever.”

“Then don’t.”

Jamil kneels down next to you Silver’s stunned silence made him look away from a moment, flushed embarrassment on his cheeks. “W-what I mean is…If you don’t like the position you’re in then you have to move. It’s a hard process but the first step matters the most.”

“I don’t know—.”

“Uncertainty comes with it, if that what you’re asking.” The boy shrugged his shoulders. “There’s no going around it.”

“Malleus was upset when you left suddenly. I think its best you talk to him, let him know you’re alright.” Your smile had become a calming factor for Silver and soon the cold grip on his insides loosened. “Can I make the beef stew again? I think I got it right this time.”

“Ah but I’ll need some help.”

You giggle, waving your hands and waggling your fingers. “You’ve got four hands readily available.”

Malleus had walked the campus to every corner he could and not once did he see the familiar mop of messy white hair in the sea of people. The prince sighed, looking down at the shard of ceramic plate tucked in his hand.

“Sebek.” He called for the guard who straightened up too much. “You’re dismissed, I can handle this on my own.”

“But Master—.”

He folded his hands over his chest, the arching brows giving the younger guard the entire message in one go. He reluctantly bowed his head, “Understood.” And left for another route but not without turning his head to Malleus one last time.

Now that he was alone, Malleus let out another sigh. As years go by, his heart becomes no stranger to loss but time did not ease the pain no matter how long or how distant the memories were. Raising Silver brought on emotions he did not expect to feel in a very long time, this human boy once so fragile and small grew to be one of the greatest guards he could ever hope to raise.

And it all happened too fast.

It made him protective, even hesitant to let Silver into any harm even if he was raised to be his guard.

“Silver, come here.”

A young boy held his robes over his knees, the sore wound red after tripping over sharp rocks. Malleus’ hand hovered over his wound, healing it shut but the pain still remained. It wouldn’t be long until Silver was taken into his arms and resting against his shoulder that his heart felt a sudden warmth, contentedness.

Lilia smiled at him where he stood and turned to leave, giving them privacy. The young boy’s small hands held Malleus’ robes into his palms with a sigh and the prince stroked his back. The warmth in his heart never stopped no matter how many years hand passed.

Yet the bitterness of lost time always found its way back.

“Silver.” The piece of plate in his glove suddenly felt more sentimental than once perceived.

“Please let us cook again.” All of you had bowed your heads in front of the ghost who was getting ready to leave for the afterlife. “Ah but—.”

“Please, I won’t fall asleep this time…Or break a plate…Or burn myself…Or—.” Silver was promptly stopped at the ghost’s laughter. “I understand, I’m in no hurry to leave but since this request is so sudden, I’ll have to relegate all the cleaning to you. It’s only fair.”

You, Jamil and Silver smiled together and the ghost only felt warmth at the spry young people in front of him. “Riddle.” He turned to the redhead. “Please show them where the meat is being stored.”

“Of course. This way, all of you.”

“We’re gonna cook, we’re gonna cook!!!” You say, pushing Silver’s shoulders as you walked to the freezer.

“They’re a bit too excited, aren’t they?” Riddle asked Jamil who only shrugged his shoulders.

“That’s just who they are.”

The comfortable silence was long and the students were cutting up their greens just as the meat seared in the pan. “Back home, my grandma taught me all the recipes I needed to know to keep the family going.” You’d explain, peeling the potato perfectly and handing it to Riddle to be cut. “Once a month, we’d have a big get-together and cook our favorite foods and eat it.”

Silver set aside the chopped onion, washing his hands knowing what happened to Riddle when he didn’t. The meat was taken and in came the vegetables into the pot. “Okay, we should stir fry the vegetables for a moment and let it cook.” Riddle says, tipping his toes to look into the pot.

“I’ve mostly cooked for necessity.” Jamil explained, leaning against the sink with a smirk. “But I can see the charm of being able to cook with or without help. It’s calming.”

Riddle sighs and begins to add water into the pot along with the meat and seasoning. “It was only recently that I started cooking, can’t say that it’s fun but the end result is rewarding. I want to perfect my skill as much as possible. I can’t always rely on others or on magic all my life.”

“What about you, Silver?” You ask, moving to cover the pot to let everything simmer.

“…My father’s cooking is not very good.”

There was collective sigh of understanding, you pat his back knowing he went seventeen years of this. “But he tries very hard,” He explains further. “More than anyone else in the Valley of Thorns. He’d cook for everyone he took care of despite the packed schedule he has.”

He remembers Lilia slaving away over a cauldron one night all those years ago, plates of mushrooms and prepared rice around him and a cookbook floating overhead. His fingers were bandaged and eyes trained to the book. Mushroom Risotto. Silver’s favorite dish.

“While I do want to cook for myself, I also want my father to enjoy tasty meals whenever he can. It’s only right that he does.” You smile, leaning your head against his shoulder while your hand rub the other one. “You’re a sweet person, Silver.”

“I’m just doing the right thing.” He reasoned.

“And that’s the sweetest thing anyone can do.”

Silver wasn’t telling the entire truth, he shamefully admitted to himself. While his father, his family, meant so much to him; you had a special place in his heart. The way you spoke to him, the way your presence soothed him, everything about you was something he cherished.

Just seeing you smile was enough to last him the day.

While he wanted his father to enjoy yummy meals by his son, he also wanted you to smile with each bite.

But he can’t say that, no, he shouldn’t. It would ruin the surprise and bitter the meal.

“It should be ready.” Riddle says, placing a protective cloth over the lid and pulling it open. Silver could not hide his smile when you let out a sound of amazement, the smell of cooked beef and the spices made your mouth water.

“I wanna try a bite.” You say but Jamil had to pull you away. “Let it cool,” He says like a tired older brother. “You’re going to burn your tongue.”

“But I wanna taste!”

Riddle sighs, shaking his head. “Let us at least plate it and have it judged.”

Your whining voice was met with a pat on the head and the food was whisked away to be plated and presented to the Jamil and then you. Silver’s huffed when you let out a sigh of delight when they delicious looking food was set in front of you.

“Dig in, both of you.” Riddle said. “Tell me what you think.”

Utensils brushed against each other and the anticipation built up when you and Jamil took a bite. You squealed at the taste, tiny jumps on your feet when the flavor exploded in your mouth. “It’s good!” You exclaim. “The balance is just right and the meat is so tender.”

Jamil nods his head, taking in another bite of the stew. “It’s good, you need to be careful with how you handle your seasonings next time. Too much of anything can ruin the dish but your method of tenderizing the meat is good and your vegetables are cooked and stewed perfectly. Good work.”

Riddle and Silver smiled to themselves, their chests beaming with pride at a job well done. You move forward, bringing your spoon to Silver’s lips. “Say ah!” You say and his cheeks go pink, you were too close and by the seven, you looked so cute.

“I—.”

“Ah!”

The spoon went into his mouth with a surprised expression, the taste of meat and the knowledge that spoon was used by you before him made his heart flutter. An indirect kiss. He chewed, his hand over his lips. “It’s yummy right? You cook really well.”

Your smile melted his heart, his shoulders hunching over and lips pursed. “Thank you. If you’d like, I can try other recipes for you.” He offered and you gleefully nodded your head and holding your hands to his. “Yes, yes! I’d absolutely love that.”

Jamil leaned over to Riddle, whispering “Smooth.”

The dorm leader chuckled. “Indeed.”

Silver stood next to you, speaking about the food you ate and sharing in the sweet clarity of a wish he didn’t know came true.

The ghost floated afar, settling just under the tree with Malleus by his side. The two watched the youth eating their creations in the kitchen, being merry and experimenting, discussing and playful. Silver’s smile was soft compared to yours but the playful personality of a young boy growing was still there.

The ceramic shard sat inside the hold of the heir apparent, the green eyes seeing world after world basking in the new reality of one he had held so dear. “He’s grown, hasn’t he?” he asked the ghost. “He has, indeed.”

You hugged Silver’s arm laughing, Malleus’ heart beating slow in tenderness for the smiling boy who stood beside you.

“To think he had troubles holding up your hammer all those years ago.”

The ghost laughed, bringing his hands behind his back. “It had been that long, hasn’t it, your majesty?”

Silver stood next to you, his wish finally fulfilled.

“Long enough to for time to pass by like in a blink of an eye.”

[ashtheshortstack]

beautiful disaster - ch 2

Rating: M Ship: Kyoru Chapter 2/5: “I want to please you.” 

Tags: Fluff, Smut, Learning intimacy, Virgin Dorks, Post-Curse, Manga/Anime Spoilers

Tohru was floating the rest of the evening. There were so many times she had to hide her smile while cooking dinner. Never before had she experienced something like that. Something so… she didn’t even have a word for it. Nice? Pleasurable? Her body had been so warm and tingly from Kyo’s touching and exploration. 

Of course, Tohru knew how sex worked. She was a bit dense, she could admit, but she wasn’t stupid. She’d read books. And Kyoko had explained to her once her period started what it meant to be a woman. The birds and the bees talk had confused her to no end at first, but she eventually understood. Her mother had found her innocence through the conversation to be humorous, laughing behind her palm as she explained how babies were created to her teen. 

Granted, Tohru hadn’t really thought she’d fall in love. Her mother had always been her top priority… the most important person in her life. The one she loved the most. Tohru could never have imagined abandoning her to be with someone else. Even after Kyoko passed, all she could focus on was achieving the goals she and her mother had set for her. Tohru wanted to work. Wanted to earn her way in the world. That’s what they had agreed upon. 

But Kyo changed all of that. Kyo opened her world up to so many more things. Of course, she had planned to find a job when they moved. It would be a little different from the original plan, but not too much. Having Kyo by her side made it better. Made her feel whole. 

Tohru felt her cheeks heat as she thought of their encounter again. She tried to focus on stirring the stew, but her mind kept wandering elsewhere. Into uncharted territory. She never knew just being touched could set her skin ablaze. Could overwhelm her and make her heart pound. The pleasurable feelings that had coursed through her were unexplainable. Would Kyo feel like that if she gave him the same treatment? She wanted to. Kyo deserved to feel those things too. He deserved everything…

“Honda? Are you feeling well?” 

Tohru yelped when Yuki’s voice suddenly yanked her from her thoughts. “I-I’m fine!” 

“Are you sure? Your face is flushed.” 

Panicked, she touched her cheeks. “I-Is it? It must be from the hot stew! Can you watch it for a moment Yuki-kun? I-I’ll be right back!” she sprinted out of the kitchen quickly before slamming the bathroom door behind her. 

She quickly splashed cold water on her face. Breathe. Breathe.  

There was a knock. 

“Tohru? You okay?” came Kyo’s voice from the other side. 

Swallowing, she nodded. “Y-Yeah, I’m fine. J-Just needed some cold water.” 

When she opened the door, Kyo was there with a concerned look etched on his features. “I-If earlier was too much for you we don’t have to--” 

“No!” 

Blinking, his cheeks flushed as he stared at her stunned. “What?” 

“I want to. I want to do that again.” 

Kyo swallowed thickly before giving her a tiny nod. “Okay,” he murmured and leaned in to give her a small peck on the forehead. They stayed like that for a moment, Tohru leaving her forehead resting against his chin. The affection he showed her was always comforting. 

The sound of Yuki clearing his throat sent them flying apart. 

“S-Sorry!” she screeched before zipping past both of the boys and back to the stove. 

She needed to calm down. She had to calm down. 

If Yuki suspected anything, he didn’t act like it at dinner. Thankfully. Tohru was grateful he wouldn’t call her out on the public displays of affection. The last thing she wanted was to make Yuki uncomfortable in any way. 

When she finally retreated to her room for the evening, she quickly changed into her pajamas and slipped into the covers of her bed. She snuggled into the warmth, letting the memories from earlier in the day sweep through her thoughts. Tohru rolled onto her back, touching her lips with a small smile, remembering how tender and heated the kisses were that she and Kyo shared. She wanted that again. 

Suddenly, she was very excited for their alone time after school tomorrow. 

  Kyo seemed jittery the following day. She understood… Tohru felt a buzz floating through her as well. The feeling of being with him was addicting. She had already wanted to touch him all the time. Always be close to him, lean on him, hold his hand. But after the day prior, there was so much more of that desire. 

She didn’t know the new feeling was noticeable until Ou-chan pointed it out. 

“Hey, Tohru. You alright? You seem even spacier than usual today.” 

Blinking, Tohru looked up from her desk. “Oh! Um. I’m fine!” 

Ou-chan gave her a look, cocking a brow. “This doesn’t have to do with the fact you and Carrots were home alone yesterday, does it?” 

“Oh my, well this is news,” Hana-chan mused. 

Tohru gave a frantic wave of her hands. “N-No! It’s not!” 

“Hey,” Ou-chan bent down in front of her desk. “There’s nothing wrong with it, alright? I just wanted to know what was up. You can talk to us about it, you know. There’s no judgement here. I just want to help you out.” 

“Are… Are you sure?” 

Hana-chan took her hands. “Of course, Tohru. We want to help you through your first relationship before you leave us.” 

“And if Carrots does anything we don’t like… we can rough him up a bit,” Ou-chan grinned with a crack of her knuckle. 

“O-Oh, um, please don’t,” Tohru murmured as she felt her cheeks heat. 

Ou-chan chuckled and patted her on the head. “Ah, don’t worry. We won’t hurt him too badly.” 

Tohru knew Ou-chan was teasing… but part of her thought she might have been serious. She hoped her best friends didn’t actually beat up her boyfriend for anything. 

“So,” Hana-chan said as she took a seat. “What’s been going on?” 

Feeling the flush on her cheeks, Tohru glanced away as she tapped her lip. “I-It wasn’t much. We--We didn’t, um…” she trailed off. How on earth was she supposed to talk about this? 

Ou-chan smirked. “Things were just a little handsy?” 

Tohru bristled at that. “Uh! Maybe!” 

“Did you touch him?” Hana-chan asked, stoic as ever. How could she ask such a thing so easily?

Shaking her head, she fiddled with her thumbs. “Um, no, actually. Yuki-kun got home so I needed to start on dinner so we… yeah.” 

Ou-chan smiled. “Did he make you feel good?” 

“Yes,” she squeaked. 

Ou-chan stood, stretching a bit. “Then that’s all I needed to know,” she stated before taking her seat. 

Tohru felt her brain frazzle from the interrogation she just received. Kyo was busy chatting it up with his fellow classmates, so she silently prayed he hadn’t caught any wind of the conversation between her and her best friends. That would be so embarrassing! Maybe, that’s what he meant yesterday about girl talk. Would Kyo be uncomfortable if she told Ou-chan and Hana-chan what they did? Maybe she should ask him? 

  As she and Kyo walked hand in hand back home, anticipation bubbled through her. She was so nervous. She didn’t know what to do. What they had done before was rather spontaneous. Would it be different now that they were expecting something to happen between them? 

“Hey,” Kyo’s voice distracted her from her worries as she looked up at him. Clearing his throat, she could see the light flush on his cheeks. “Ya don’t need to worry about us-- doin ’ anything if you don’t want to. Yesterday was really, uh, a surprise for both of us, I guess. I don’t want you thinking that just because we both want to do that again doesn’t mean we have to, ya know?” 

Tohru had never seen him talk quite so fast. Or so rambly either. She appreciated his worry. And it always amazed her how Kyo could read her like a book. How he always knew what she was thinking, what she was feeling or planning. 

“I-I know. But I’m okay. I want to.” 

“Really? You sure?” 

“Yes.” 

His cheeks flushed at her admission. Tohru watched him as he swallowed hard, just as nervous and jittery as she was. Clearly, neither of them had a clue as to what they were doing. Or what they would do when they got home. But Tohru couldn’t help the bubbling excitement of anticipation inside her stomach. Her heart fluttered, chest tight. She wanted this. Wanted to be with him more than anything. Yesterday, she’d given Kyo her word that she’d take care of him. That it’d be his turn. And Tohru had every intention of seeing that promise through. 

  They were on her bed that day. Probably the better option considering that her bed was much bigger than his futon. Kyo hovered over her, his lips melding with hers. Kissing Kyo lit a new fire inside her she hadn’t even known existed. Tohru didn’t know how to want someone. How to desire another person like she did Kyo. There was a pounding heartbeat in her ears that throbbed throughout her veins. The only thoughts her brain could form were about him. How nice he smelled, how soft his lips were, how gentle his hand was on her hip. 

Kyo flattened his body against hers, and Tohru nearly swooned. The feeling of him pressed against her still took so much getting used to. For so long, she was unable to touch him like this. To feel his chest pressed against hers. And now she only wanted it more. The thought was selfish and greedy. She knew she wanted Kyo to herself too much. She hoped that no one would be upset with her for hogging his attention all of the time. 

Tohru shifted beneath him, her thigh brushing against the growing bulge in his pants. Kyo groaned against her lips, a sound she had learned was a pleasant one. She repeated the motion and earned a small hiss from him as he pulled away from her lips. An apology was at the tip of her tongue, but when she opened her eyes and saw him panting with half-lidded eyes, the words swept away from her. There was a fire in his amber eyes, pupils blown so wide they almost resembled the cat-like slits he used to have sometimes. 

His hot breath fanned her face, his cheeks rosy from their heated kisses. He leaned down, pressing his forehead against hers. “Are you sure?” 

“Yes,” she sighed. “I want to please you.” 

Kyo scoffed lightly. “You can’t say things like that.” 

“It’s the truth.” 

Shifting, he gave her another kiss, soft and chaste that time rather than urgent and hurried as their lip-locking had been previously. Kyo cleared his throat. “I-I, uh, should probably take off--” he trailed off. 

Tohru glanced down a moment and realized suddenly that neither of them had changed out of their school uniforms. What if they wrinkled them!? Her evening would be spent ironing out clothes for sure. Yuki-kun and Shigure-san would be awfully suspicious. 

“Hey.” 

Her eyes locked with his after he spoke. 

“Quit thinking so hard. I’m gonna take them off in case things get, uh, messy.” 

Tohru nodded, unable to speak. Her throat was tight as she watched Kyo lean back and undo the buttons of his pants. She’d felt him through his pants the day previous… but seeing the increased size of his bulge when it was no longer confined in his uniform made her heart leap into her throat. She’d never… seen male anatomy before. Not in person anyway. What was she supposed to do? 

Tohru already felt herself panicking even though his manhood was still covered by his underwear. It looked a little funny, if she was honest. He was still wearing his uniform shirt. Swallowing, she gathered as much courage as she could and gripped the material of his shirt. 

“Can you… take this off too?” 

Kyo’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?” 

“Y-You don’t have to! I-I just thought it may make things easier.” 

She was so stupid! Of course, he wouldn’t want to move things so quickly. He’d already taken off one article of clothing, and yet there she was asking for more. 

Kyo gave her a once over… before leaning back on his haunches and slipping both his uniform and undershirt over his head. He tossed them aside onto the pile on the floor with his trousers. There was a light flush kissing his cheeks as he crawled back over her. 

“Better?” he asked, his voice a bit hoarse. 

Tohru nodded hesitantly. “Y-Yes.” 

There was a gentle gaze in his eyes as he looked over her. With a slight smile, he leaned back in and caught her lips with his own. The kisses were soft at first. Gentle and caring just as he always was. But they once again escalated. Tohru cupped his face as his lips slanted against her own. She really wanted to touch him. Maybe, that was needy of her… but she wanted to so badly. 

Her hands drifted lower, along his shoulders first. They were so built and strong and smooth under her touch. Her fingertips ghosted his skin as she traveled downward along his chest. His skin jumped beneath her fingers, but Tohru found that only to spare her on further. When she reached his abs, she admired the taut muscles that were so firm yet so soft. She’d never felt someone else’s skin like this. Never touched someone so intimately. But Kyo’s tender kisses never ceased, so he didn’t seem to have a problem with her exploring. 

When she reached the v of his hips, she felt the light dusting of hair along his navel as she brushed his knuckle across it. Gingerly, she dared herself to move forward and keep her promise as she dipped a finger beneath the waistband of his boxers. Kyo’s lips stilled against hers, and Tohru momentarily thought maybe she’d done something wrong, but instead he buried his face in her nape taking a few solid breaths as she touched him. 

Tohru continued her journey downward. She brushed past the coarse hairs along his public bone before reaching his length. Cautiously, she took hold of him. 

“ Shit, Tohru,” he gasped against her. 

“S-Sorr--” her grip began to loosen.

“ Don’t apologize,” Kyo grunted. 

Tohru was unsure what to do. She was touching him, but what next? Timidly, she moved her hand along him in slow strokes. His skin was so hot and hard but softer than she imagined. Kyo groaned again before pressing a kiss to her neck, a sensation she hadn’t been expecting at all. The feeling caused her to gasp, squeezing him a little too tightly. He yelped, and Tohru quickly retreated. 

She sat up quickly, nearly knocking Kyo off the bed. “Sorry! I’m sorry! I-I don’t know what I’m doing and--” 

“Oi, stop it,” Kyo retorted quickly. Sighing, he sat up and pushed himself away from her. “Let’s try this another way. Like yesterday?” 

Tohru nodded hesitantly, watching as Kyo shifted and fell onto the bed beside her. 

“I’ll lay on my back and you can reach me easier, aight?” 

“Okay,” she murmured. 

Tohru laid her head on his chest, his skin warm beneath her cheek. Reaching downward, she decided to be just a bit daring and make this easier on both of them movement wise. She tugged his boxers down slightly, revealing his length to the room as it bobbed slightly. Tohru nearly squealed at the sight of it. So strange… Nothing like she thought it’d really look like in person. 

“Oi, don’t stare at it,” Kyo squeaked. 

Tohru quickly looked up at him seeing his face completely red. “Ah! Sorry.” 

“N’ stop apologizin’,” he muttered. 

Tohru wanted to do this for him. So she took him gently into her grasp, rubbing the skin gently so as to not hurt him. She heard him sigh above her, and suddenly his hand clasped over her own. 

“Like this,” he said and used her hand to stroke himself up and down. 

Tohru’s eyes widened at the motion. That wasn’t exactly what she thought was required of her, although, she didn’t know what she expected. He squeezed her fingers around him, causing her to tighten her grip just slightly. 

“Yeah,” he breathed, “like that.” 

She continued the movements, stroking him from base to tip, following his motions. He released her hand and she continued on without his guidance. She realized that different speeds garnered different reactions. The little soft groans and moans he let out only fueled her desire to pleasure him. As she increased the speed of her movements with a flick of her wrist, she noticed him breathing harder. He panted and whined, making all sorts of sounds she never would have expected to come from the man she loved. Kyo gripped the sheets, teeth clenching. Tohru swallowed at the sight, somehow it only made heat pool in her own gut. 

“ Fuck, Tohru.”

Tohru nearly yelped when he came as it took her by surprise, taking her out of her own arousal.. He spilled on his chest and some oozed over her fingers. She tried not to be grossed out. It only made her curious, if anything. 

Kyo huffed a breath, sitting up on his elbows. “Sorry, shoulda warned you about that,” he blurted. 

“No, no! It’s okay. Wait here, let me get you a towel!” 

Tohru quickly left the room, careful not to touch anything with her soiled hand. She washed her hands before grabbing a cloth and soaking it with warm water. When she returned, Kyo hadn’t moved just as she instructed. His amber eyes watched her as she cleaned his essence from his skin. She’d have to wash that cloth carefully. The last thing she wanted was for their housemates to know of their slowly budding intimacy. 

When Tohru returned after placing the cloth with the dirty laundry, Kyo had righted his clothes and had apparently gone and grabbed a pair of sweatpants from his room. He lounged on her bed, making Tohru smile as she reentered the room. 

“Hey,” he said. 

“Hi,” she replied as she slipped onto the mattress beside him. 

“You okay? Not scarred for life or anything?” 

Tohru giggled at that. “No.” 

Kyo pursed his lips for a moment, cheeks pinking a little. “You, uh, need me to touch you too?” 

Tohru’s face went hot. “No, no! This was about you, Kyo.” 

Snorting, he shook his head. “This isn’t about taking turns, Tohru, it’s about the feelings, right?” 

“I guess you’re right… b-but I should get started on dinner soon. But I…” she trailed off, glancing away shyly. “I really liked this. I want to continue, if you don’t mind.” 

Kyo smiled slightly. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

[stillebesat]

Christmas Eve (3/5)

Sanders Sides: Janus, Patton, Roman, Virgil Pairings: Past Roceit (was toxic), Familial Moceit (Dad Janus, Son Patton) Blurb: Of all the barriers that Janus expected to have to overcome in order to get his son a pet for Christmas, encountering his Ex, Roman, working in the pet store had never once crossed his mind. Fic Type: Christmas!Eve Fic, Past Lovers to Enemies to ??? trope, Dad!Janus, Kid!Patton, MythicalMin!AU, Frogmin!AU Overall Fic Warnings: Past Toxic Relationship Talk, Manipulation/Lying Talk Taglist in Reblog To Catch Up: Part 1 Part 2 

He supposed it was the shock of Roman actually helping him that allowed his Ex to drag him halfway through the store before Janus remembered he didn’t have to be complacent in this. 

“Seriously.” He rasped, jerking his arm, finding it difficult to focus on anything more than the burning grip of Roman’s hand around his wrist. “You don’t have to do this.” 

It sounded so flimsy soo--so trite. So insincere. Even to his own ears. Roman had to be dissecting his words and tone even now, searching for the trick--the manipulation he had used as easily as a fish breathed water all throughout his--well his entire life, even if Roman had only experienced it first hand for a couple of years during college. 

With that sort of bad history between them...of all the possibilities that had flashed through his mind when he and Roman had made eye contact...having him actually help them had never--well it had--briefly. Very very briefly. Crossed his mind. But it had been a fool’s hope. Not when their relationship had ended more explosively than the grand finale of a firework show.

“I--” He swallowed trying again as he adjusted Pattey’s weight on his hip. This wasn’t at all how he’d pictured them meeting again. He wasn’t ready for this. “We really can just leave. He’ll understand.” His son knew all too well about his history with the Prince even if it was just through bedtime stories. “You don’t have to--”

“Shut up, Dragon Witch.” Roman growled, tugging him around a corner. “I don’t want to either. But I’m not heartless.” 

“You’re not.” He agreed. Roman was anything but that. He was good. He’d been the best thing that had happened to him before Patton came into his life, and Janus had taken advantage of that in the worst ways possible, using him and then tossing him away like so much trash without realizing what a treasure Roman actually was. “But you don’t have to force yourself on my--” Janus cut off as a small hand covered his mouth, his son’s bright eyes filled with excitement. 

“Shh, Daddy.” He patted his lips. “You told me if a Prince offers to help you, you let him help! You don’t say no.”

Yes. But he hadn’t meant that to apply to himself! What he’d done--it could be considered unforgivable. No one should be treated how he’d treated Roman--or well, any of his former relationships. It had taken Patton’s birth to get him to...stop. To want to change. To be better. 

Roman had the gall to smirk at him as he stopped in front of a display of cages, letting go of Janus’s wrist so he could fish out a set of keys from his pocket. “Correct, little man. It’s a Prince’s duty to help all those he encounters in distress….even if the fair damsel turns out to be a---.”

“Aaraog!” Patton piped up.

Roman froze, looking nonplussed at the nonsequir. “Aaraog?” 

“You can’t trust them. They’re Evil.” Patton said solemnly before bouncing in Janus’s arms as he stared eagerly into the cages. “Daddy says that even though the Dragon Witch is a jerk, he still occasionally helps the Prince! And so they can’t be meanies to each other all the time like Aaraog sooo if the Prince can help the Dragon Witch then you, Prince--” 

“Roman.” Janus said softly, the name feeling like he was tasting the forbidden fruit as it rolled off his tongue. He looked away as his Ex shot him a dark look. Yah...he didn’t think they were on first name terms anymore, hence why he only ever called the Prince...well Prince. But Pattey had been upset that the Dragon Witch always fought with the Prince and always lost...so he’d told a slightly different story from the usual, using a giant spider as the villain instead. It’d been... a kind of self wish of his. Where he hoped things would eventually...maybe...work out.

“Prince Roman! And my Daddy can be friends today too as you help!”

Ha. That would be the day. He wasn’t a fool enough to believe them rekindling any sort of...friendship...would ever actually happen. Even if he wanted a redo...he was pretty sure he’d burned that bridge and then buried the ashes in a pit a hundred feet deep back in college.

“I--I--don’t think he’s...uh...I’m sure the Dragon Witch can be...nice.” Roman said, rubbing the back of his neck.

And Janus was a platypus. “Liar.” He mumbled. Roman had only ever known his manipulative nice. Not his genuine niceness. How could he? Janus had only learned how to be so after Patton had said his first word. Years after everything had...ended between them. 

“You’re one to talk.” Roman hissed. 

“Yes and?” 

Pattey looked between the two of them, before deciding that comforting his Dad was needed. His little hands squished Janus’s cheeks. “But Daddy isn’t a true Dragon Witch!” He said firmly, maintaining eye contact before he flashed his hundred watt smile, succeeding in melting Janus’s heart once again. “He’s the bestest Daddy in the whole world! Even if he doesn’t think so.” 

Janus flushed. “Liar.” He repeated. He was sure there were plenty of other Dads who were far better than he could ever be.

“Truther!” Patton grinned. “The best best best BEST Daddy!!” 

He shook his head as Roman scoffed, hoping his face wasn’t as red as a tomato--this awkward encounter was only going to get much worse if he didn’t hurry this up. Janus quickly set his son down, pushing him towards the cage his Ex had unlocked. 

“Go pick one you like.” He encouraged, staying crouched to discourage Roman from talking to him even if it did mean his Ex would be hovering over him like the Sword of Damocles. It wasn’t ideal, but it would hopefully keep himself from saying something he would regret and get them kicked out before he could buy a Frogmin for his son.

After all, Roman had to only be helping him on Patton’s behalf. If his kid hadn’t been here he was sure his Ex would have taken one look at him and thrown him right back out, no questions asked. So the sooner they could get out of here the sooner they both could forget this whole encounter. 

Not that Janus would be able to forget. Not when Pattey usually demanded a Prince story for bedtime. 

“Oh!!!” Patton pressed his face against the glass where little multi-colored frog-like humans crouched among the branches inside the cage. “Look at them, Daddy!!! LOOK! FROGMINS!! They’re here! AWWWWWW. Look at their cute little spots!!”

Janus let out a slow breath, the tension in his shoulders easing. Finally. After fifteen stores he could finally make good on his promise to his son.

“Careful. You don’t want to scare them.” Roman said, also kneeling down, keeping Pattey between them as he pointed to the half dozen Frogmins inside. “While they have frog characteristics, it’s easier to think of them as mini people. And some of them can get really scared when a giant face suddenly appears in front of them.”

His son’s eyes went wide. “Noooo. I don’t wanna scare them!” Pattey leaned back, wrapping his arms around himself as he twisted back and forth. “They’re just sooo cool! And so Princely! Cus if you kiss one they can turn large and save the day! Like the stories! But I want mine to remain small, so I’ll be very careful in my kisses. And they can hop and climb walls like--” Patton made a face and Janus had to bite back a smile at his son’s reluctance to say Spiderman. “Like superheros!! And they eat bugs! Like...like!!!....like….spiders.” He shivered. “I don’t like them.” 

Roman tilted his head, amber eyes flashing with understanding. “So you’re looking for a Frogmin to protect you from spiders?” 

Pattey nodded hard enough he looked like a bobble head. “He’ll keep me safe while I sleep!”

Roman chuckled. “A good reason to get a Frogmin. Though not all of them like to eat spiders. Just like some little boys don’t like to eat their vegetables.”

His son grimaced. “But carrots are icky!!”

“And some Frogmins think spiders are icky too.” He said gently, opening a small hatch in the side of the cage where three of the Frogmins had already gathered. “While you can just pick one that you like the look of...you could also come over here and hold out your hands--don’t reach in, but hold out your hands and ask them if any of them would like to come live with you and eat spiders...or well, like to have them as a treat as I’m sure you don’t want to feed them dried ones.” He glanced over to Janus as he spoke.

Ha. No. While he did have some dried spiders waiting at home, there was no way he’d pull out any of the creatures...even dead ones...where his son could see. One meltdown at the first pet store had been enough to convince him why having his Lilypatton see spiders--dead or alive--was a bad idea. 

Janus let out a slow breath as Pattey eagerly moved closer, his small hands held out to the opening. 

“Do you guys like to eat spiders?” He whisper-shouted to the group. “If you do, we have plenty of them at home and I really really REALLY want you to eat ALL of them. Please? Pleeeease.”

And now Roman was going to think they lived in a haunted house or something. Really, it was more of an issue of all the spiders in their backyard instead of inside. 

Janus shook his head, holding up a hand. “I have a variety of other dried insects to choose from at home if the one Pattey picks doesn’t like spiders.” He said, glancing at his Ex before turning his attention back to the cage, watching as more Frogmins crept out of the leaves towards his son. 

Sure, he knew that Pattey wanted the Frogmin mostly for their ability to eat spiders--and their connection to Princes--but he wasn’t a fool to expect that to be the only food source.

Though knowing his luck, whichever one his son picked would be extremely picky and want to eat only the most expensive of the bugs. 

Roman raised an eyebrow. “You already have everything else as well? The cage?” 

Janus rolled his eyes. Nooo he’d just spent months preparing and all day searching for a Frogmin and totally forgot about getting the creature a home to live in. “Yes.”

Roman pursed his lips, an obvious indication that he didn’t like the answer and stood, tilting his head down the aisle to where a variety of cages sat on the shelves. “Show me.”

To Be Continued. Part 4

[obutsuwrites]

work friends (miruko x reader, part 2)

summary: basically, miruko convinces reader to meet at the mall. possessive behavior and fingering ensue. 

warnings: light dom/sub, thigh riding, face-sitting, vaginal fingering, mommy kink

part one

my ao3 for more shitposts

my ko-fi~!

word count: 3,729

A high-pitched chirp pierced the woman’s dreamless sleep. Setting such a deafening ringtone was supposed to be an advantage. Hot stories don’t stop once night falls, an unfortunate truth the woman had already learned. The woman rolled over; tired hands latching onto her phone.

「UNKNOWN NUMBER」 | 12:45 am

ur laugh was almost cute 🤪

Speak of the devil, and she will appear.

Air caught in her throat, somehow worse than a punch in the gut. Crimson eyes burned in the woman’s mind. Cherry pits she couldn’t ignore. She exhaled. The act was almost orgasmic as greedy lungs resumed function.

What… what do I say? Naturally, words came to the woman like magic. A gift she attributed to countless All Might articles. All Might. His name felt heavy somehow now. The woman sighed and typed a short response.

「XXX」 | 12:47 am

This is Miruko, right?

Three dots appeared as half lidded eyes struggled to maintain focus. What does this stupid bunny want this late? Her mind felt fuzzy, as if she hadn’t slept at all. Exhaustion was rooted in her bones; a slow ache.

「UNKNOWN NUMBER」 | 12:48 am

wats ur addy

Of course. Wait. Is… is she trying to hook up? A lump of disgust and anxiety swelled within her stomach. Casual sex wasn’t foreign to the woman. It was a concept she celebrated, but the image of hungry, crimson eyes plagued her. Carnivorous orbs that threatened to eat her alive.

「XXX」 | 12:49 am

You woke me up. It’s *midnight*. I can interview you tomorrow.

This was a bargaining chip. Perhaps ignorance would save her. Or maybe I’m committing career suicide, she mused. Rumors and whispers of reporters doing “favors” for interviews wasn’t unheard of. Morality wasn’t a concern for the perfect article.

The woman stared intently at her phone, eyes bleary and heavy. Dread mounted in her stomach as minutes passed. The woman rubbed her eyes. Maybe she’s asleep already. The thought brought her comfort as sleep dusted over her. Fatigue had won.

≛

A hearty exhale left the woman as throbbing muscles stretched against morning light. Another dreamless sleep with a side of awkward sleeping positions. Nothing out of the ordinary for her. She layed in bed, determined to absorb the early sunlight. Eventually, the woman rolled over and began to check emails. Ignorance was a blessing. The woman’s phone vibrated in her hand, the motion jarring and obnoxious. Right. The rabbit.  

「UNKNOWN NUMBER」 - INCOMING CALL

Red eyes flashed through her mind. Soft hands trembled, knuckles white and taunt. Her finger hovered over the answer button. The notification was imposing; a beast that dwarfed her. An electrical wave crept through the woman’s spine. Anxiety now rooted in her stomach.

“H-hello?”

The pro hero snickered. “Finally ya answer, kit. Think you owe me your name for the wait.” She could almost feel Miruko’s hot breath through the phone. A sweltering gust that starved the room of oxygen.

The woman swallowed, saliva thick and tongue bulky. She muttered her name like a prayer.

“Cute name, kit. You never replied to my text. Still game?” Miruko’s voice cut into the word kit, as if it were an insult. Belittling.

She shifted in bed, words unable to become tangible. Prey caught in the powerful jaws of a predator. Shivers continued to assault the woman as she opened Miruko’s text.

「UNKNOWN NUMBER」 | 12:55 am

watever. meet me @ hiro mall.

Hiro Mall. Hiro Mall! She giggled; the sound unnatural and falsetto. A laugh she hated. Hiro Mall was thirty minutes away via car, but… I don’t own a car. No reliable transportation!

“I don’t live near Hiro Mall. S-sorry, can’t do it.”

Miruko’s thin lips pulled a mischievous grin. “Don’t apologize, it’s annoying like that laugh. I’ll pick you up,” the Rabbit Hero insisted, tone assertive and deep. Like rich chocolate.

A sour expression spread through the woman’s features, panic in her veins. An icy chill ran into her skull. The beginnings of a migraine.

“N-no it’s fine. You’re probably too far away.” She glanced around, desperate to escape the call. “We can arrange an interview later in the week.” A mall is too unprofessional anyway.

“C’mon. I gotta scoop for you, little kit.” Miruko sounded almost eager. A tight edge to her voice.

Another laugh left the reporter as she spoke, “Listen, M-Mi-Miruko… I appreciate this offer I really do. I just can’t today. I have -- I have other arrangements today.”

The Rabbit Hero released a hearty chuckle. Playing hard to get, huh?

“Can’t clear your schedule for an interview with the number seven pro hero Miruko?” She teased.

She feigned a smile. “I did agree, didn’t I? O-okay. I’ll text you my address.” There was no escape from the rabbit. Coils of anxiety refused to unravel within her gut. Painful, hot bundles that tore into her.

“Good kit.” A click followed the rabbit’s voice. The woman released a pent-up whine.

Are all pro heroes this rude?  

≛

“I like your hat,” the woman mused, her sentence punctuated by a gentle chuckle. Miruko’s ears twitched at the sound.

Pro hero Miruko stood before her in casual attire; denim shorts, a plain t-shirt, and a brown baseball cap. It felt almost wrong to see the number seventh hero like this. Vulnerable. Human.

“That laugh was cute. Why don’t you laugh like that?” The ghost of a smirk rested against Miruko’s lips. Blush for me, kit.

A yell echoed through the mall before the woman could reply, “Hey! It’s Miruko! Miruko, can I get an autograph?!” Like magic, a young boy appeared in front of the couple, his smile was sunlight. Too bright to ignore. Pen and paper in tiny hands.

Crimson eyes observed the child with anticipation. She was not a rabbit, but a peacock. A peacock that revelved in attention.

“Sure!”

Miruko bent down and lightly grabbed the parchment from the boy; signing an indecipherable signature. The action seemed too gentle for the carnivorous woman. She’s creepy when she’s nice, the reporter thought as a shiver crawled down her skeleton. Like a dull ache in her bones.

The boy’s face broke out in a boyish grin; a smile too big for his face. Curious orbs drifted from the mythical hero and stuck to the unfamiliar figure beside the rabbit.

“Hey… are you a hero too? Are -- are you Miruko’s friend?” the boy prodded, his voice soaked in excitement and stars in his eyes.

The woman awkwardly shuffled and inspected her shoes. A pit began to widen in her stomach. The feeling left her empty and anxious. Starving. “Sorta. Work friends.”

“What’s it -- “

Before the child could ask, Miruko interjected. The woman’s tone was hard and rough, like sandpaper. “Sorry kid. We gotta bounce.”

Calloused hands reached for the reporter, finding purchase around her waist. A quiet yelp was exhaled from the woman; the sound sharp and sudden. Maroon rage bubbled under Miruko’s intense gaze as she ushered the woman away.

“Friends?” Miruko hissed, a dangerous glint in her eyes. The woman felt like injured prey, ready for the slaughter. “We’re not friends and you fucking know it.” Snowy ears twitched in annoyance. Little kit doesn’t know her place. The thought was venomous and ravenous; a lion starved and wild.

Her hand burns.

"Miruko… Are we not friends?" Curious eyes locked onto the rabbit. Begging for Miruko's attention. Was a pro hero a liar? Her brain felt branded by the question. Burnt. Ruined.

Large hands released the woman. Strong arms encased the woman; like a dragon hoarding gold. A wolf with teeth trained on a young doe. Poised, prepared. Miruko's heart threatened to leap from her chest, the sound like thunder. The woman couldn't ignore the roar against her.

The hero swallowed. "I want you to call me Usagi. No, Usagi. It'd sound cuter coming from you." Miruko grinned, lips too tight and teeth too sharp.

"Usagi, let me go. This is too intimate," the woman stated plainly. The situation was too familiar. Too similar to last night.

"You like my hat?"

Gross hot carrot breath.

Silver strands hung over muscular shoulders as a confident voice tickled the woman's ear.

"I'll try some on for you, because it's you!" Stars danced in Miruko's eyes. Crimson orbs now enveloped in joy.

≛

The couple sat on a bench, both parties tired from a day of giggles and coy smiles. Hidden signs of affection between the two. A genuine laugh from the woman made Miruko’s ears twitch in excitement. It was the same feeling she experienced before; the hero’s stomach was in knots. A hot, tangled mess that stung.

Miruko watched as the reporter gingerly checked her emails. She demanded a detour to rest and get her bearings. Miruko peered over her shoulder, unaware of the anxiety that began to bubble in the woman’s throat. Like mucus stuck in her nose. Thick and suffocating.

The woman turned to her, lips tugged into a curt grin. Too formal, too polite.

“I was thinking,” she began; still enamored by work, “you promised me an interview. We can grab lunch and I can pick your brain.” Finally, I’ll get my story. The woman vibrated with elation. It was a buzz that warmed her down into her bones. Her dreams were within reach; so many opportunities.

Miruko’s calloused palm slid across the woman’s thighs, creeping along as if to memorize the supple flesh. The rabbit wanted to bury herself between them. Pillowy thighs that touched deserved to be worshipped.

She caressed the woman’s thigh as she spoke, “Don’t live too far from here… You like your coffee black?” The hero’s casual attitude left a horrible taste in her mouth. A bitter, rotten taste. Miruko’s hand was scorching against her thigh, a juxtaposition to her clammy skin.

“No, tea. I know… I know of a cafe not far from here.” Words were impossible again. Intangible things. The woman’s sentence was punctuated with a shrill chuckle, another sign of internal concern. A part of her dreaded being alone -- in a private space -- with the hero. Famished eyes still regarded her as prey. Oval cherries.

“Got tea, too. I think you’re just scared. I don’t bite!” Much, Miruko thought, playful lips stretched into a lop-sided grin. She was desperate to taste the woman, to spread her apart and worship. Miruko kneaded the doughly flesh underneath her, as she waited for a response.

Finally, the woman looked away; too ashamed to face the rabbit.

“O-okay.”

≛

Miruko’s apartment was unexpected. It was plain -- almost unbelievable to imagine a hero living here -- much less the number seventh hero. The only noteworthy addition were flowers, as if the room had exploded in a bomb of flora and perfume. They looked out of place with morning dew still fresh on vibrant petals. Was she anticipating this? Hints of flowers assaulted the woman’s nose; the smell was nauseating.

“I redecorated!” Miruko blurted out, a move uncharacteristic for the headstrong woman. She felt exposed like this. The object of her desires was so close -- and yet the rabbit had to be vulnerable. It wasn’t uncommon for Miruko to bring a woman home, but a sea of flowers wasn’t her normal. She was inexperienced in...  this. The hero’s heart began to tremble again, the sound booming, leaving her breathless.

The woman only nodded, as if aware of the lie. “Flowers are pretty, aren’t they? I suppose we can start with the first question; Miruko… you don’t have a scoop for me, d-do you?” Her voice faltered as the woman lost her conviction. Plush lips quivered, afraid of the answer.

Her lips look so soft. Without thinking, a tanned finger brushed against the woman’s lips. Miruko quickly withdrew her hand. A muted pink dusted her cheeks, like a child caught. The hero’s snowy ears burned with embarrassment.

“Do it again.”

“What?” Miruko asked, hungry eyes wide. Saliva pooled in her mouth. A predator drooling over wounded prey.

“D-do it a-again.” The woman’s tone was pleading, in need of attention.

My attention, Miruko thought as she swiped a thumb across delicate lips. The flesh reminded the rabbit of her thighs. A familiar heat began to pool in the bottom of her stomach. The rabbit inched closer; the woman’s chin cradled in her palm, thumb still caressing her lips like ritual. Touching the woman was electric. A shock that left Miruko in a daze of want.

Hot breath tickled the woman’s nose as Miruko spoke, “I’m going to kiss you.” Chapped lips collided against the woman. The kiss was forceful and hungry. A lion finally ravishing a meal. Miruko continued to lean into her, as if trying to establish dominance. Gentle hands rested against the rabbit’s toned chest. Miruko tasted like carrots and mint. An obvious attempt to hide the vegetable. The weight of Miruko caused the woman to stumble, and the pair landed awkwardly on the carpeted floor. Miruko landed on top of the woman, hard muscles pressed against delicate flesh.

“Sorry, kit. Guess I got a little too excited. Are you okay?” Miruko’s tone was laced with worry. The genuine concern was new to the woman. Humanizing. Patches of red decorated the woman’s cheeks and her heart pounded against her ribcage like a drum. The sound was deafening.

Red orbs watched with interest and long strands of silver hair settled across small shoulders. Her hair tickled. The woman tried to stifle a chuckle and nodded, even now her soft frame was dwarfed by the hero.

Abruptly, Miruko kissed her again, grinding wide hips into the woman. The rabbit’s hands transversed the woman’s body, starving for her touch. Calloused palms cupped large breasts and massaged. Miruko’s touch wasn’t gentle like a lover’s, but rough and greedy. An involuntary moan slipped from the woman, who was now unable to keep composure. The hero took advantage; seeing the moment of weakness as an opportunity, and jammed a wet tongue into her mouth. Miruko’s hot tongue explored the damp chasm. She wanted to commit every part of the woman to memory.

The rabbit pulled away, the act only to allow her companion fresh air. Lungs gasped for air. Hungry and starved. Before she could force in another lungful, Miruko pressed further against her, and roughly grabbed tiny wrists. The woman was puzzled by the action until she felt the warm presence of Miruko’s finger hooked around her waistband. Miruko licked her lips in anticipation as drool threatened to leak out.

Crimson orbs locked onto the woman, as if to ask permission.

“Please,” she begged. Her voice was small and quiet. Too ashamed to admit the burning ache that settled into her core. The need for Miruko hurt. The woman was racked with impatience. She wanted needed the hero’s greedy fingers in between her.

A thunderous laugh vibrated from Miruko as she discarded the woman's undergarments. “You’re so cute. Submissive and begging for Miruko the hero.” The rabbit shoved a thick finger in between large thighs -- thighs Miruko wanted to dig into. Miruko’s finger curled inside the woman’s craving, wet core. Vicious teeth were bared in a smirk; she could just eat the woman. Devore her whole. On instinct, Miruko’s mouth latched onto the woman’s neck. Her pulse was rapid against the hero’s tongue as Miruko began to suck upon the supple flesh. Erotic sounds of pleasure escaped the woman. Her face was flustered and on fire, a sweltering heat that ravaged her.

Determined fingers pumped into the woman’s slickness. She lifted her hips into Miruko, franic for the hero. Her stomach twisted as shivers shot through her spine.

“Tell Mirko the hero how needy you are. Beg for me.”

"U-Usagi --"

"Miruko," the hero corrected, her sentence punctuated by a second finger. The sudden intruder caused the woman to gasp. Such a cute noise! Miruko curled the second finger and pumped both digits in rhythm. The woman continued to lift her hips, greedy for Miruko's touch.

A low whimper drifted from the woman, "Mi-Miruko, please, please, please … Kiss me. Claim me." She shrunk under the rabbit's gaze. The heat across her cheeks felt permanent. The woman quickly turned away, too embarrassed to allow Miruko a peek.

Miruko grabbed her hips and shoved the soaking woman against her. A small puddle began to pool against the rabbit's shorts. The woman -- too enthralled by Miruko's fingers -- was blissfully unaware of her mess. Delicate wrists were released as sturdy hands palmed the wet spot.

"Look at what you did, kit," Miruko said, placing the woman's hand against the puddle. Gentle orbs locked onto the mess; her cheeks now a vibrant red. Like poppies on her cheeks. She quickly withdrew her hand; as if the puddle was fire.

The woman's voice was muffled and hushed. "I’m s-sorry…” she mumbled, her face hidden by trembling hands. Embarrassment was segmented back into her reality; the woman left too conscious of Miruko’s gaze. It was uncommon for strangers to see the woman so… exposed. Even past lovers weren’t afforded the treat.

“You’re just leaking for me. So fucking wet for Miruko.” She wiped a finger across the mess and used another hand to free the woman’s sight. “I want you to watch.” Miruko’s sentence was entwined with lust. An insatiable need. The rabbit brought her juice stained finger to her mouth and sucked, cannibalistic red eyes locked on the woman. Her pink tongue swirled around the digit. A line of saliva connected the rabbit’s finger as she slowly dragged the apendenge from her mouth. After teasing the woman, Miruko shoved the spit covered digit into the woman. Her cunt now ached with three thick fingers. It felt like too much; her core stretched around Miruko.

The hero didn’t continue to finger fuck the woman. Like a predator playing with injured prey. Enjoying her meal.

Pleading eyes bore into Miruko as she pulled her soaked fingers from the woman. Lips held a dirty smirk. “Rub your clit against my thighs, mommy wants to feel your cunt.” The woman winced at the word. It sounded so dirty, so inappropriate… and yet she shivered at the hero’s words. Desperate for relief, desperate for stimulation; the woman began to rub her slickness against the hero’s exposed thigh. Her face almost sizzled with a crimson blush. She felt the heat up to her ears. Molten lava.

The woman was unable to face Miruko’s starving eyes. Cherries that wanted to rip and tear into her. Muffled sobs racked the woman; the sensations of embarrassment and pleasure blended together in a blur of pathetic arousal. Her body betrayed her as she grinded harder into Miruko’s thigh, the stimulation proving not enough for her swollen clit. The woman could feel the hot blood that pulsed through her core.

“Mi-Miruko, f-fuck me,” she begged.

“Look at you, kit, using such dirty words. You call this begging? This is pathetic. Tell Miruko how much of a slut you are.” Her tone was aggressive, as if the woman’s pathetic nature was an offense.

She swallowed, her mouth devoid of spit as she sobbed, “Please, Miruko! I’m such a slut; I need your fingers! Please, please, please.” The woman’s sentence was chanted, almost like a mantra. A perverted prayer.

Sharp teeth clashed against the woman’s ear. “Sit on my face. Wanna fuckin’ drown in you.” Miruko’s voice was no higher than a whisper. Like a secret between friends. Without hesitation, the woman nodded and stood up as Miruko positioned herself between pillowy thighs. The rabbit’s mouth salivated in anticipation. I’m going to fucking devour you.

The woman slowly lowered herself onto the hero, afraid of injuring her. She wasn’t small and fit like Miruko. She was big and jiggly. Like jello. A body Miruko wanted to grab fistfulls of as she fucked her into a mattress; letting the woman know how beautiful she was. Her aching, wet cunt finally made contact with Miruko’s pink tongue. Sandwiched between gigantic thighs, Miruko began to run her tongue down the woman’s folds. The woman released a lustful moan. She clamped a hand to her shy mouth as Miruko’s tongue slipped into her. She yelped at the sudden action. Miruko snickered underneath the woman, her sounds were like calls from heaven. Honey that coated her ears in a thick sweetness.

She worked at the woman’s mound, only encouraged by her lewd sounds. The woman could no longer muffle her moans; her body stuck in a sea of shivers. Her tongue -- her tongue felt so fucking good. Wide hips grinded into Miruko, hungry to have her tongue deeper within. Two thick fingers plunged into her hole, replacing Miruko’s tongue. The rabbit’s digits slapped into the woman’s drenched thighs. Her tongue wandered up to a swollen, red clit. She took the bud into her mouth and swirled the blood filled nub.

“F-fuck…” A long moan punctuated her sentence as Miruko began to suck on her clit; her fingers scissoring within her, stretching her. The woman’s greedy walls contracted around Miruko. The woman’s large chest heaved as breathing seemed impossible. Hot, short breaths mixed with wails of ecstasy. Miruko continued to suck on the woman’s clit, treating her puffy nub like a treat. Her tanned face now slick with the woman’s juices. The room was filled with the sloppy sounds of the woman’s cunt and her moans. Miruko’s ears couldn’t help but rapidly twitch, the rabbit almost too excited.

“Stop… stop, I’ll cum!” The woman whined, her voice lecherous and heavy. Like a fog. Her confirmation caused Miruko’s fingers to ramp up in speed, fingers now curled inside. An audible pop sounded as Miruko released the woman’s puffy nub. The rabbit’s sharp teeth grazed the sensitive flesh. She alternated between sucking and nibbling the woman’s clit. The woman felt an uncomfortable tremble crawl through her stomach, settling at the bottom. Her body begged for release.

A string of profanities erupted from the woman as she came, juices squirting down Miruko’s chin. The hero licked her lips, still hungry. With her moment of bliss gone, and her body weak, the woman gingerly stood up. Her ears and face were a bright pink; like cotton candy.

Miruko gazed at the woman, a lop-sided smirk ghosting her face. “You got me drenched in your pussy. C’here and clean it up, kit.”

[pandawriterstuff]

Pinehallow Ranch Pt 2

Part 1

The next morning Monty woke up and stared at the crackly ceiling above him. The sun was already shining bright through gaps between the window and the yellow curtains, illuminating what was now his room quite well even with the overhead light off. Yawning, Monty rolled over on his side and surveyed the space. His bed was in the corner of the room, the head against the outside wall, so he could see most of it easily. There was a desk under the window, one the right size for a boy who was slightly small for his age, with a stack of books he’d only glanced at. The chair had a deep blue cushion on the seat. A large rag rug of mostly blue and gray, but with little splashes of yellow here and there was in the middle of the floor, giving the room a cozy feel-he hadn’t been in the mood to appreciate it yesterday, but he was too sleepy to do anything else at the moment. On the opposite wall from the desk a tall chest of drawers sat a little ways away from the door and above it was a painting of an astronaut wearing cowboy boots jumping a cow over the moon.

Squirming slightly to get more comfortable and pulling the blanket up so it was tucked around his shoulders, most of Monty was pleased that something rather splendid was his. Or at least his to use. But between the books, the desk, and likely the painting-though as his uncle wore llama socks as a grown-up rancher perhaps he’d merely thought it nice for the spare room-it was quite obvious that Uncle Keith had had some time to prepare for his coming.

More time than Monty had been given to get used to the idea. It was possible that Mother had been going back and forth on the decision, and Uncle Keith had started planning long before he knew his nephew was coming for sure, but it was also possible that this had been decided upon ages ago and no one had told him.

Which was ludicrously unfair, but it wasn’t as though he could change it now. Whatever the truth was, it had already happened. And he didn’t want to be mad at Mother anymore, not when she would be leaving and it would be months before he saw her again.

Monty wasn’t sure how he felt about his uncle picking out things just for him. It was complicated, he decided. Having enough of thinking, he pushed back his comforter and went in search of a change of clothes. It felt early, even with the sun so bright, but they were far enough south it would rise earlier here than he was used to now, and Monty was hoping to get in a bit of exploring while his mother was still asleep and Uncle Keith was probably already working. Stepping carefully out into the hallway, he all but tiptoed across to the bathroom he’d been shown the night before. Monty had been so tired by the end of the day that brushing his teeth had slipped his mind entirely and now his mouth felt like it had had something small and fuzzy crawling around in it while he slept.

That taken care of, he walked quietly out to the front porch, knowing that if his mother woke up she’d insist he eat something and wait for someone to explore with, so he didn’t get lost or underfoot. Monty wasn’t planning to go far anyway, just to look around the yard and go over to the corral, and he didn’t see how he could get either lost or underfoot when it could be seen from the house. For a minute he just stared out over the expansive land, feeling overwhelmed. There was so much of it, before you even got to the ranch proper, with hay fields and outbuildings and a tractor he could see rumbling along in the distance. He wondered if Uncle Keith was on the tractor.

Eventually the overwhelmed feeling drifted away and curiosity quickly took its place. Monty stepped off the porch and decided that the yard itself could wait-the corral, and a glimpse of the horse his uncle had told him was called a blue roan propelling him that direction. Monty, who could see clearly that the horse was black and white thought that horse people were rather strange as he stepped across the well swept yard. He wondered how many children had been disappointed when someone showed them a ‘blue’ horse and it was just ordinary animal colors!

Not that there was anything disappointing about the creature that Uncle Keith had told him was a mare, a spirited, but sweet creature called Stardust, who was currently gamboling around with a brown and gray dappled horse, both looking as though being a horse on a sunny morning was the best thing one could be. Monty, enthralled, made a beeline toward them, only paying enough attention to the rest of what was in front of him to keep from tripping and falling on his face. When he got to the corral fence he leaned against it and just stared. Watching the horses drift and play was the best show he’d ever seen, Monty was sure.

Most of the horses ignored him, or seeing that he wasn’t one of the humans they knew, started to move away. Some snorted at each other as though telling their friends there was a stranger nearby, but the blue roan and her playmate continued to romp around, only slowing to occasionally nuzzle or butt at one another with their long noses.

And then, her ears flickering back and forth in what Monty was half convinced was some sort of secret horse code, the mare’s eyes landed on him. Tentatively, eyes curious, she picked her way forward, legs stepping high.

Oh, why hadn’t he grabbed a carrot or an apple from the kitchen? He knew horses liked them, and he was sure once Stardust got close and saw he had nothing for her she’d decide he was boring and go back to enjoying her exercise in the sun. Still, as she came close, Monty held out his hand for her to snuffle at and get his scent, saying quietly, “Hi, I’m Monty,” and grinning with giddiness when she actually sniffed his hand, even nuzzling into it a little. “Next time I’ll bring you a treat, that’s a promise.” The horse let him stroke up her regal nose a few times before deciding to trot back to her friend. Monty stared after her with an enormous smile on his face.

“Well now, it looks like you made a friend!” Uncle Keith’s voice startled him, Monty jumping at the sound of loud good cheer so close behind him, but he had made a friend and it felt amazing, so by the time he turned around to face his uncle he was smiling wide again. “Stardust already knows what a good horseman you are, ain’t that something?”

“You really think so?” Monty blushed at the way he’d blurted out the question, but Uncle Keith nodded, his smile softening into something that could only be described as ‘fond’.

“Sure. The most important thing for dealing with any animal is to respect them, and if it’s an animal you’re working with you got to care for them too. Stardust looked at you and knew right away those were two things you weren’t going to fail in.” Monty looked at him for a long moment, a little worried he was being humored, or even made fun of. But Uncle Keith didn’t look like he was doing either of those things at all. He looked like he meant it.

“I won’t let her down,” Monty promised, meaning it just as much. Or Uncle Keith either, but he wasn’t going to tell him that just yet.

“‘Course not. Now, how you’d like to come and meet the chickens with me? We’ve got a few litters of chicks running around, they’re awful cute.” Monty nodded, stepping away from the fence and looking at the tall man expectantly. “Alright, just follow me.” Monty did, wondering what kind of socks his uncle had on today-he couldn’t see because of his boots, but he hoped it was something interesting again, like cactuses or more llamas.

A grown-up who wore llama socks was more likely to understand a boy than one who wore argyle or plaid, Monty was sure.

[oboevallis]

Hi! Can u do one of a party dinner at Merediths or Jackson’s and everyone is in love with the baby and asking how they’re and they say like tired and all that? Thanks 😁

dinner party

“Meredith I’m not going to your dinner party.” Amelia sighed as she scrubbed in with her sister.

“Amelia, you have to go. Come on it’ll be fun.” Meredith unconvincingly said.

“No, I just had a baby.”

“Yeah, 15 weeks ago. Your maternity leave is over, and your back at work. Please Amelia?”

“No.” Amelia confirmed walking into the OR to start surgery.

“For me? Please?” Meredith begged a couple minutes later after their patient was opened up. “You can bring Scout.”

“Why are you so adamant on me coming?”

“Because I miss you.” Meredith tried, sensing her sister not convinced with her answer. “Fine, Maggie told me she’s thinking of moving in with Winston and I want you to convince her to stay. I mean I know she has to move out eventually but it’s all happening really fast and I don’t want Maggie getting hurt. And also Links a really good cook.”

“Soooo, yooou want me to convince Maggie to live in your house for her whole life. And have my boyfriend cook for your dinner party, even though we haven’t slept in weeks?”

“I knew you’d understand.” Meredith smirked under her mask, causing the neurosurgeon to dramatically roll her eyes.

_________________________________________________

“Don’t you look handsome.” Amelia playful directed at her boyfriend.

“And you look drop dead gorgeous.” Link replied kissing his girlfriend.

“No I don’t.” Taking her son from Links grasp to situate him into his car seat.

“You totally do.”

“Do we really have to go to this?” Amelia dramatically exclaimed.

“You promised Meredith.”

“Ugh, I mean I get why she’s worried for Maggie, but I mean Maggie is so happy! I mean we moved fast and we’re doing well. But I also understand how scared Meredith must be I mean it was always the three of us taking care of a kid each morning, we’d focus on one kid. And Mer is about to be completely alone.” Link kindly smiled, finding her ranting endearing.

“It’ll be fun this will be our first time out since the little sluggers been born. And our first outing as a family.”

“Family.” Amelia tested out, still getting acquainted with the word now that it had a new meaning. “I guess it’ll be fine, but are you sure your good with cooking? You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“It’ll be just fine, don’t worry about it.” Link sent a reassuring smile to his girlfriend. “I won’t have to worry about someone burning down Merediths house. I barely trust you with the stove.”

“Link it was one time. You’ll never let me live that down will you? I mean come on I was heavily pregnant and you really expected me to remember I had the stove on?” Amelia laughed whilst saying.

“Hmm.” Link seemed to consider this. “Yeah I kinda expected you to not burn the apartment down while I was out.”

“Oh come on.” Amelia playfully hit his shoulder.

_________________________________________________

“Here let me help.” Link interfered, clipping the buckle behind his girlfriend so their son was secure across her chest.

“Thank you.” Amelia pecked his lips before making her way over to the front door letting herself in. “We’re here.”

“Oh there’s my favorite godson.” Maggie greeted once they entered the kitchen.

“Don’t think I’ve forgiven you for giving that title to Maggie.” Meredith added.

“Sorry, Mer.” Amelia smirked while popping a baby carrot into her mouth. “Soooo, when is Winston getting there?

“Oh, around thirty minutes with everyone else.” Said Maggie failing to conceal the smile creeping onto her face.

“Sooo he asked you to move in?” Maggie took Amelia’s arm and directed her into the living room.

“I don’t want to talk about it in front of Mer.” Maggie whispered as the pair stood in the far corner of the living room.

“Okay, but are you going to?”

“I don’t know maybe? That’s kind of the point of the dinner party for you guys to judge him.”

“Maggie we can’t tell you what to do. It’s just going to happen if it’s right.”

“It feels right, I think.”

“You don’t have to know right now Maggie. It’s only been a couple of months.” Amelia bounced up and down trying to calm the baby who’d just woken up. “Whatever you decide we’ll all support you.”

“Thank you that means a lot, because Meredith seems against this whole thing for some reason.” Before Amelia could respond the doorbell rang and Maggie went to go greet them.

_________________________________________________

“Oh gosh there’s the cute little baby.” Jo gushed over the tiny boy who was wide awake. “Can I?”

“Yeah of course here.” Amelia replied carefully shifting the baby into Jo’s grasp.

“Oh my gosh look at you! You are so so so cute.” Jo told the small baby who was now smiling up at her.

“I’m going to go see if Link needs any help.” Amelia gestured towards the kitchen only to receive a distracted nod. “How’s it going in here?”

“Oh it’s good, almost done. I’m exhausted though.” Link chuckled, looking at his girlfriend admirably. “Where’s the baby?”

“Oh he’s with Jo, everyone’s gushing over him. Don’t blame them though, he is the cutest baby.”

“You got that right.”

“I’m going to go take our baby back, he’s probably hungry by now.”

________________________________________________

“Where’s Amelia?” Meredith asked as everyone settled down for dinner.

“Uhh, I’m not sure she may be upstairs I’ll go check on her.” Link answered standing up to make his way upstairs. Once he got to Amelia’s old room, he realized she was passed out with their baby on top of her chest. He carefully lifted the baby up, and placed him down in the pac and play. Then placed himself next to Amelia covering them with the comforter.

“Hmm.” Amelia stirred so she was facing her boyfriend. “Is dinner ready?”

“Yeah, if it’s okay with you I just want to sleep. If the baby starts crying we can only pray one of the competent doctors downstairs will come to his rescue.” This caused his girlfriend to slightly laugh as the two of them drifted off to sleep.

________________________________________________

“Hey where are Link and Amelia?” Maggie whispered to Meredith.

“Not sure, probably having sex upstairs.”

“Oh god.” Maggie laughed drunkly.

“I’ll go check up on them.” Meredith smirked standing up to head upstairs. She was glad to get up from the dinner table, things were awkward between Teddy and Owen, and especially tense between Deluca and Hayes. She also didn’t know how she felt about Winston yet, but she couldn’t talk to Amelia about it because she’d been AWOL most of the night. Once she got to the room she realized the couple was out cold, and their baby was wide awake babbling to himself, seeming like he wanted to get out of the pack and play. “Come here little guy.”

“Where are Amelia and Link?” Richard asked once Meredith walked back into the room, with the baby clinging to her chest.

“They are out cold.” Meredith answered as she sat back down in her spot. “I guess it was a little much too soon after having a baby to attend a dinner party.”

________________________________________________

“Link, Link, where’s the baby.” Amelia frantically asked shaking him.

“Huh?” A groggy Link sat up taking in his surroundings, then realizing why his girlfriend seemed panicked. “God I- I don’t know.”

“If he’s not downstairs I’m going to lose it.” Link followed close behind his girlfriend as she raced down the stairs. To see Jo cradling the baby as Richard and Winston seemed to be in a tense conversation beside her. “There my little guy is.”

“Oh thank god.” Link sighed standing next to his girlfriend who now cradled their son. “Thanks for keeping an eye on him.

“Of course.” Jo smiled. “He’s such a good baby, very mellow.”

“Yeah for anyone other than us.” Amelia frowned as she sunk fork into the couch.

“We’ll watch him tonight.” Meredith offered walking back into the living room with Maggie who was balancing drinks.

“Really?” Amelia asked hopefully.

“Of course, you’ve done it for me for years.” Meredith smirked taking the baby from her sister. Before Amelia left with Link, Meredith quietly assured Amelia she’d fill her in on everything about Winston.

sorry this is so choppy and bad, hope everyone is still doing well and staying safe

[falling-feuilles]

Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

 CW/TW: Parental Death

Y/N rose early the next morning, sitting up in bed. Soft, golden sun had just begun to seep in through the window, filtering through the curtains. She stretched her arms above her head, wincing as the movement adjusted the bandage on her wrist. Remembering her promise to Alexandra, Y/N stepped out of bed, quickly moving over to her wardrobe. She quickly prepared herself for the morning, struggling to perform simple tasks such as lacing her own stays and closing her own dress. 

Eventually, she opted to call in one of her maids to assist her, an aged woman by the name of Anna. Anna had been working in the household for as long as Y/N had been living there, probably for longer. She plaited Y/N's hair with practice ease, lifting and pinning it into place.

"How's your sister?"

Anna looked up, locking eyes with Y/N in the mirror they sat in front of. She let out a sigh, continuing to finish her task as she answered.

"She says she feels better, but the doctors don't think she'll last a fortnight…"

"When's the last time you visited her?"

"About two months past, my lady."

"You should be there with her, she must be terribly lonely. Take the next few weeks, spend some time with your sister; I'm sure it would increase her spirits greatly."

"You are too kind, my lady."

"Nonsense. Now, be sure to keep me updated on her condition."

"I will, my lady."

 After ensuring that Y/N's dress was situated properly, Anna exited with a curtsy, leaving her to finish any last bits of necessary preparation. 

Y/N adjusted the embroidered shawl around her shoulders to sit on her forearms, assisting the sleeve of her blue dress in covering the bandage, allowing her to avoid any suspicion from the general public. The sun, at this point, denoted the time as roughly seven in the morning. 

The halls were empty as she traversed through them, making her way to the back door and out to the stables. Inside, a stable boy was refilling the water troughs, being careful not to spill. Y/N knocked lightly on the door, trying to avoid frightening the boy, who couldn't have been more than eight or nine in age. He turned, searching for the source of the disturbance; when he saw Y/N, his eyes widened and he quickly set down his bucket, sloshing a small amount onto the dirt floor.

"M-my lady! How c-can I help you?" he stood as straight as possible, attempting to brush the dirt and hay off his trousers.

"I was wondering if you knew where Sergei was, I have a request to make of him," she moved closer to the boy, noticing him tense up as she did.

"Papa's not here right now, he's getting more feed for the horses." 

"Sergei is your father?"

"Yes, my lady," he fidgeted nervously, seemingly preparing for a beratement.

"You must be Ivan! Your father’s told me so much about you; I'm glad we finally had the chance to meet."

 Y/N extended her hand to the boy, beckoning him to take it. When he placed his small hand in her own, she shook it, causing the young boy to smile broadly.

"He's really mentioned me? What did he say?"

"He's always told me what a hard worker you are, and how much you love working with the horses." she continued in a conspiratorial tone, "He tells me you're quite the horse-whisperer." 

Ivan clearly looked up to his father very much, and was more than overjoyed that his father was so impressed with him. 

"Would you like to meet the horses? They're all really nice, except for the big, gray one," he pointed to the large shire on the end. Y/N chucked quietly; that large horse was hers, had been since she was about thirteen.

"What's wrong with him?"

"His name's Emil, he's mean," Ivan whispered, not wanting the horse to hear him, "And he's scary…"

"Maybe you just haven't given him a chance yet; let's go say hello, shall we?"

"If you say so, miss, but I don't think he'll like you very much."

She led the boy over to the stall, feeling his hand grab hers as Emil snorted, moving his head towards the two. Y/N held out her hand, allowing Emil to sniff it before nudging his muzzle against her fingers, blowing hot breath on them with his nose. After seeing this new change in attitude, Ivan seemed eager to interact with the horse. He stood on an overturned bucket with his hand out; he giggled a little when Emil nuzzled his hand, nibbling it with his lips.

"Ivan?” Y/N turned, seeing Sergei enter, cloth sack in hand.

"Good morning Sergei, how are you?"

He seemed surprised to see Y/N in the stables, quickly dropping the feed and bowing.

"What brings you to the stables, my lady?"

"I came to ask a favor of you, but I seem to have gotten distracted. I wasn't aware your son had started helping you care for the horses."

"I'm terribly sorry, my lady, whatever he's done-"

"He's done nothing wrong, Sergei, he's just been introducing me to Emil over here."

Sergei caught on quickly, smiling proudly at his son.

"Thank you for your help Ivan, would you mind feeding Emil a carrot for me?" she continued in a hushed tone, "I think he likes you more than me."

The boy nodded eagerly, moving back to the horse after grabbing the orange treat. Y/N beckoned Sergei to the doors of the stable

"Do you have the time this morning to drive one of the maids to Doctor Federov's then to her aunt's house? She'll direct you where to go."

"Of course, my lady; when are you planning on heading to the Rostovs' today?"

"I was planning on leaving at ten, do you think you'll be back by then?"

"No, my lady, but I will arrange for a cab to take you."

"Excellent. I expect you'll be done by the time the party ends?"

"Yes, my lady, I'll be there."

"Thank you Sergei," she made to leave, thought for a moment, before turning back, "Will you need someone to keep an eye on Ivan for the day while you're away?"

"Yes, my lady, but I expect the women in the kitchen wouldn't mind watching him for me."

"Wonderful. He's a fine boy, Sergei, your wife would be very proud of him."

Sergei smiled, looking over to the boy; he stood in front of Emil, stroking his muzzle and talking to him animatedly.

"Thank you, my lady, I'm honored you think so."

Y/N smiled, waving goodbye to the boy before continuing on her morning stroll.

~

The morning had been a busy one for Y/N. She had accomplished a number of tasks, including, but not limited to; ensuring that all her necessities were packed for the trip, arranging the finances to send to her mother's relatives, and, finally, responding to the influx of letters directed to her Father.

Now, she was finally able to make her way to the Rostovs'. Y/N had become close to the Rostovs through her relationship with Sonja. Sonja's mother had known Y/N's and had been one of the driving forces in helping her parents elope. Y/N's mother had sworn Sonja's to secrecy after discovering her pregnancy. Eventually, at Y/N's christening, Sonja's parents were named her godparents. Until their deaths, they had been a staple in Y/N's early life. Although they had never brought Sonja with them during visits for fear she would expose their activities, Y/N had grown up hearing stories of the girl and, when they finally met at Y/N's first name day celebration with her Father, they connected closely. Through Sonja, Y/N became familiar with Natasha and the other members of her family.

The short cab ride to their home was uneventful. However, when she arrived, she discovered she was not the only guest that day. As she entered the front doors, a butler directed her to the sitting room. A small number of people sat in various locations around the room. This small number consisting of the Rostovs, save for Natasha and Sonja, who were nowhere to be seen, as well as Anna Drubestkaya, her son Boris, Julie Kuragina, and, surprisingly, Pierre.

“Ah, Princess!”  exclaimed the Count, rising from his seat to kiss her hand, “It’s wonderful to see you! I hope you are well?”

“I am, thank you, and yourself?”

“We are doing well, thank you. You know everyone here do you?”

“Yes, I believe so.”

“Well, do sit down, we were just talking about Pierre and his bear friend, have you heard?”

Y/N looked to Pierre as she sat next to him, he was clearly embarrassed. He looked her in the eyes, desperately begging her to change the subject.

“I have, I have; a… strange business that was,” she paused, quickly looking for any other thing to speak of, “Where are the girls? I’d have thought Natasha would be more than happy to receive guests on her name day.” The Count nodded, gesturing to the far door of the parlor.

“Natasha went to comfort Sonja, she’s upset for some reason or another, you know how it is.” Just as he finished, Y/N saw Natasha peek her head through the door.

“There you are! Natasha, look who’s come to see you!” Natasha’s face lit up, and she moved over to hug Y/N tightly. Y/N returned the hug, pressing a kiss to each of Natasha’s cheeks before pulling away. Natasha moved to her arm, clinging tightly to it. Y/N winced, feeling hot, stabbing pains move up her arm; no one noticed, save for Pierre, who saw her discomfort. 

“I’ve come to wish you a happy name day from myself and Lise, are you excited for your party?”

“Yes, very! Don’t leave yet, I have to help Sonja and Nikolai,” The last part was whispered, as though she was trusting Y/N with an important, yet very obvious, secret.

Natasha moved quickly away from Y/N, seeming to have remembered her true purpose for entering the room. She dragged Nikolai out into the hallway with her, shutting the door behind the two of them. Y/N sat back down, unintentionally cradling her wrist with her left hand, gently adjusting her sleeve. While the other guests continued their conversations as if nothing had happened, Pierre leaned closer to Y/N, whispering in her ear.

“Are you alright?” she started slightly, calming when she noticed Pierre staring at her arm. She placed it back on her lap, turning to respond. 

“Yes I… I’m fine,” she paused, realizing the conversation she wanted to have shouldn’t take place in front of everyone. She stood, beckoning Pierre to follow her into the hallway. The others were too preoccupied in discussing Nikolai and Boris’ future service to notice their disappearance. They stopped in a small alcove, near the sitting room but far enough to avoid being overheard

“Listen, I wanted to apologize to you about last night, It wasn’t-”

“There’s no need to apologize,” he interrupted, “You were right…”

“No, I… are you alright?” she asked, noticing Pierre’s paleness and the light sheen of sweat on his forehead, “You look awful Pierre, are you ill?”

“Y/N, my father...” he grabbed her hand, looking for some semblance of support; Y/N breathed in sharply, feeling her wrist spasm in Pierre’s hand. His brows knitted in confusion, “What-? Y/N, what’s going on, are you hurt? Do I need to call a doctor?” the concern in his voice was evident, but she didn’t want to trouble him.

“No, I-I hit it on a… a dresser last night, it’s nothing serious.” 

He clearly didn’t believe her, eyes finally noticing the bandage edging out beneath her sleeve.

“N/N…“ he reached out, resting his hand gently on her other forearm, “What happened?”

Before Y/N could answer, she heard their names being called. Pierre made to ask again, but she shook her head, gesturing that they should go back into the room. Apparently, they hadn’t moved quickly enough. Anna Drubetskaya came into the hallway, looking suspiciously between the two before continuing.

“Pierre, shouldn’t you be with your father? Hasn’t he been worsening?”

“Your father?” Y/N asked, seeing the distress on Pierre’s face, “Oh, Pierre…” He shook off her concern, plastering a weak smile on his face.

“Yes, I’ll be heading there later.”

Anna dragged the two back into the room, away from their brief reprieve, and back into the reality of their lives.

~

Natasha’s name day party was just as Y/N had expected. It was packed full of loud music, dancing, and far too many people for her tastes. She made a concerted effort to stay by Pierre’s side; she didn’t want to force him to see his father, nor did she want to make him feel guilty by not going. That is, until the message came. When Pierre discovered his father had another stroke and wasn’t expected to last the night, Y/N, with help from Anna Drubteskaya, managed to convince him to see his father in his final moments.

In Y/N’s carriage, Anna was talking quickly to Pierre, explaining how he was to go about dealing with the situation.

“It's a matter of life or death. You must be a man now. You have to look after your own interests. Don't expect your Cousin Vassily to. You need to let the old Count see you before he dies. He might give a little sign, you know,” she paused, allowing him a moment to think before continuing, “In any case, it will be so much better for your soul if you can kiss him before he goes, he always loved you.”

Y/N sat beside him, holding his hand out of Anna’s sight; after seeing the two alone earlier, she had continued to pester them all evening. Y/N rubbed her thumb across the top of his hand, attempting to lessen the tremors stemming from it. He looked at her sadly, before turning to the window.

“Yes, yes, I've been a poor sort of son to him…”

~

When the trio arrived at the Counts’ residence, a group of men, dressed all black, stood outside near a hearse. Pierre, seeing this, rushed out before the carriage fully stopped. Y/N chased after him, holding her skirt to allow for freer movement.

“So,” sneered Prince Vassily, seeing them enter, “At last you deign to turn up at your father’s deathbed.”

“Am I too late?” Pierre was winded, eyes scanning desperately about for any sign of his father, “We saw the undertakers outside and I thought…”

“Just touting for business; The Count still lives.”

Pierre let out a sigh of relief, shoulders relaxing slightly.

“But really,” the Prince continued, looking disdainfully upon the man’s ruffled visage, “What were you thinking of?”

“I’m so-”

“You have no business here, I think.” Vassily glared at Y/N and Anna, who had followed close on the heels of Pierre.

“I have a perfect right to be here. You know very well the Count is my near relation, and poor Boris his dear godson.” Anna paused, allowing herself a moment before continuing, “Who has more claim than us to be here at this sad time?”

“Yes, yes, very well. But she,” he gestured to Y/N, “Has no claim to be here.”

“But-”

“He’s right, Pierre. I’ll wait in the hall for you.” She exited as Anna and Pierre entered the old Count’s rooms. As soon as the door closed behind her, she heard whispers between Vassily and Catiche; they spoke of the will naming Pierre as the rightful heir, plotting to destroy it. Y/N listened, furious at the pair. As soon as she heard the click denoting the opening of the Count’s doors, she cracked the hall door ajar.

“Anna!” she whispered, trying to catch her attention. Anna noticed Y/N peering around the edge of the door and moved quickly to her.

“What is it?”

“Vassily and Catiche mean to remove Pierre from the will, they have a copy naming him as the recipient for the Count’s fortune. You must do something, they’ll surely leave him destitute!” Anna nodded, spotting the folder Catiche held.

“Wait here, I may need your help.” Y/N did as she was told, peering through the crack in the door. She saw Anna approach Catiche, grabbing at the paper in her hands. Pierre stood off to the side, miserable and dissociated, unaware of the squabble between the two women unti Anna called him to her. Vassily attempted to break it up, halting only when a woman ran out of the Count’s room, proclaiming his death with a sob. In the chaos, Y/N was able to reenter the room, heading straight for Pierre and Anna.

“I don’t understand…”

“You are Count Bezukhov now, my dear friend.”

Pierre stood, clearly in some state of shock. Y/N grabbed his arm gently, moving to guide him out of the room. He stared at her blankly, unable to understand his new place in the world. Anna patted him on the arm, leaving to return to her home.

“My friend,” Vassily approached, catching the attention of both Y/N and Pierre, “We sin so much and deceive so much, and all for what?” His philosophical question was left unanswered, and he moved away from the pair, back into the Count’s room.

“Pierre, let’s go.” he nodded slowly, allowing her to lead him to her carriage. Sergei noticed the guest, looking to Y/N for instruction. Y/N looked at Pierre, quickly deeming him unfit to be alone for the time being.

“He’ll stay with us tonight.”

“No… I-I don’t want to impose,” Pierre protested weakly.

“Pierre, you could never.” 

Sergei nodded, moving to open the door; Y/N guided Pierre up the steps, sitting him down next to her on the bench. The carriage began to move, lilting back and forth on the uneven road. Y/N looked at Pierre, noticing his expression shift from one of shock and disbelief, to one more akin to sorrow. Despite not knowing his father well, Pierre still cared for him deeply; the Count had provided Pierre with things he would never be able to attain had it not been for his father; an education, social status, but… not the affection one would expect from a father. Still, Pierre had loved him.

“Pierre… I’m sorry about your father…” he nodded, unable to speak. They sat in silence for a few minutes, shoulders pressed together. Pierre reached for her hand, being mindful, even in his dazed state, to avoid the injured one. He placed his head in the other hand, trying to contain himself.

They sat like that for the carriage ride, neither speaking; there was no need for words. Nothing Y/N could say would change what lay in the future for Pierre, and Pierre couldn’t bring himself to speak, knowing he wouldn’t be able to maintain the last semblances of composure he still had. When the carriage finally stopped, Y/N helped Pierre down again, making sure he exited the carriage safely. He was despondent, following her around like a young child. She led him inside, instructing the nearest maid to arrange for a tray of tea to be sent to her sitting room. 

Y/N’s cousin, a young man named Vladimir, had stayed at her house for a number of weeks the previous year. He had left abruptly, never returning for the clothing he left behind. Y/N sat Pierre down on the bed of one of the many guest rooms; she opened the drawers of the dresser placed against the far wall, rummaging through the neatly folded clothes. She found a night shirt that seemed as though it would fit Pierre, as well as a navy house robe to wear over it, instructing him to go to her sitting room after he’d changed. Y/N moved back to her chambers, changing quickly into a nightgown, covering it with a thick, maroon robe. She removed the pins in her hair, permitting the singular braid to rest on her shoulder.

When she walked through the door, she noticed Pierre sitting on the couch, tea in hand. She sat next to him, pouring herself a cup as well. The tea was very aromatic, causing the air to smell strongly of citrus and bergamot. Steam lifted slowly from the cups, twisting slightly in the drafty room; spreading the scent. Pierre’s spectacles were discarded on the table, lenses shimmering softly in the low lights.

“Do you want to talk?”

He didn’t answer at first, opting to sip slowly from his teacup, formulating his response.

“I… I don’t know how I’m to be Count Bezukhov… It just, doesn’t feel real.” He looked towards her, eyes searching for an answer, a suggestion, anything. Y/N tasted her tea, allowing herself a moment to think before answering.

“Well, it is real and, as much as I know you’ll disagree with me, you are most definitely worthy of the title. Don’t shake your head, Pierre. You are one of the most intelligent, compassionate, brilliant men I know; if anyone deserves that title, it’s you.”

“I… thank you. That means… more than you know.”

“I’m sure you’re exhausted, I’ll leave you to rest,” she stood, setting down her cup on the tray.

“Wait, please…” she stopped, turning back to face him,”Would you just… sit with me for a while? I don’t want to be alone…” She sat back down beside him, placing her hand on his.

“Of course. I’ll be by your side for as long as you’ll have me.”

A/N: If you find any spelling mistakes, please message me the part, chapter, and sentence. I’ll do my best to fix it, thank you!

[hollyhomburg]

Call Me Yours Pt.3

(Ot7 x Reader) (Hybrid Au!) (Blind! Reader)

Summary: You never would have imagined that more love was hidden right next door, just over your garden fence.

Pairings: (Human! Hoseok) x (Human! Reader) x (Wolf hybrid! Namjoon) x (Dog hybrid! Seokjin) x (Cat hybrid! Yoongi) x (Tiger hybrid! Taehyung) x (Bunny hybrid! Jungkook) x (Cat hybrid! Jimin)

Tags: Established relationship, Mentions of Hospitals, Indications of hybrid Mistreatment, Panic Attacks, hurt/comfort 

W/c: 4.5K

A/n: I Had to split this chapter because it started to get way too long! a few reminders- This is a Sequel! All Parts are under my master list as Part of the “Dance To This” universe. ALSO- I do not separate my tag list from fic to fic. there is only one tag list, so if you want to be tagged- go to the link in my bio and like that post. 

- In the next few days after the first impromptu afternoon meeting and the following weeks, the 4 of you become extremely accustomed to the company of Hoseok and his hybrids. 

- Not that you have much of a choice when Hoseok’s three hybrids eventually get bored after they wake up with Hoseok, kiss him goodbye before he goes to work, eat breakfast, play video games, and come over to your house to bother Seokjin, Namjoon, and Yoongi. 

- Luckily this is usually some time after you sequester yourself on the second floor. Usually, you’re Determined to get some work done even if the promise of cuddles and seeing the 6 of them interact is more than a small distraction. The few times you don’t manage to make it up before 11 you end up with a lap full of a very cuddly Taehyung or Jimin for half the day. 

- But, you and Hoseok do need to work, regardless of what you often find each other texting in the morning- though you’re fonder of voice messages. 

- It’s usually a welcomed mid-morning reprieve after the giddiness of 2 cups of coffee has worn off. Which feels ridiculous, because you’d only just seen him last night- it wasn’t like you’d spend any time apart and yet, and yet you’re stopping everything to pick up your phone when it dings. The drone of his office the clicking of pens and shuffling of papers behind him as he breathes into the mic, his voice low enough and quiet enough that it’s husky “I should warn you,”

- “I think Jungkook is going to surprise Yoongi with a water gun today- he shot Jimin with it yesterday and he jumped like 5 feet in the air- and Taehyung and Jungkook spent like 40 minutes laughing at him. Just a polite heads up that Yoongi might be traumatized.” 

- You replay the message at least a half a dozen times before you respond. Happy to hear his voice in your office and imagine for a second, that you worked in the same place. As foolish as it seems. Seokjin tells you that you’ve been watching too many office themed dramas. 

- You giggle at Hoseok’s message- taking a short break to send him a voice note back. “I will do no such thing, but I will have Seokjin video record it for you, and start planning Jungkook’s funeral, did you want lilies or roses?” you text Seokjin. 

- Sure enough, A few hours later. You hear a shriek of Yoongi and a shrill yowls of “you brats!” through your open window as the three younger hybrids (Jimin included because there was no way he wasn’t going to take the opportunity to tease the elder cat hybrid) dash to find a hiding place with Yoongi on the hunt. Taehyung hiding behind Namjoon and Jungkook unceremoniously jumping the fence. 

- Seokjin sends the video to you, and you send it to Hoseok, and he sends you back another message, just him laughing before he rapidly sends another “fuck- I’m so glad that I went to the bathroom before opening it- Jesus Christ my stomach hurts, Yoongi looked about ready to- fuck” he wheezes. And you send back a stream giggles. And Hoseok definitely doesn’t replay the message half a dozen times and wish he could take off early from work just to hear it in person.

- Definitely doesn’t think of doing that- because like, that would be something someone who like- had a crush would do- and Hoseok definitely can’t have a crush on his cute neighbor. Who also may or may not have hybrids that may or may not also have crushes on Hoseok’s hybrids, because that would be ridiculously complicated for a bunch of 20 somethings to handle. 

- Hoseok was just beginning to get the hang of loving 3 people instead of just Jungkook. And loving 4 others would be dizzying, and why the fuck is he thinking about love when it’s obviously just a crush. 

- Especially When Hoseok can definitely definitely not have a crush on his incredibly cute neighbor. So he goes back to work, and concentrate on the stocks and bonds and projected growth estimations over the next quarter. And absolutely does not have the growing pink heart emoji next to his neighbor’s name in his phone (you know- this one 💗 because it’s Hoseok’s favorite emoji, and is also- kind of apt for the situation) 

- Back in Namjoons garden, exactly 43 minutes away from Hoseok’s office if you speed on the highway, The three of them end up in a pile on the grass by the end of the day, all vendettas involving water guns forgotten. 

- Taehyung licking against Yoongi’s hair and grooming him. Jungkook cuddled up with Jimin half in his lap and half in Yoongi’s. They quickly pull Namjoon and Seokjin into the pile, exchanging purr (and chirping crunches in Jungkook’s case) in exchange for a plate of healthy snacks from Seokjin. (Those boys eat way too many bags of chips and chocolate in his opinion). Seokjin falls asleep to the gentle hum of conversation- somehow sleepy despite the fact that it’s barely the afternoon. 

- Seokjin wakes up with his back against that grass, his head moved onto a more bony thigh than Taehyung. A small hand carding through his hair, fingers tracing feather light across his lips, his cheekbones, the arch of his eyebrow. And the sound of muted conversation notable absent. Seokjin cracks his eyes and looks up at Jimin.  From this angle, he looks pouty and soft with his tangled hair, and the light hanging all hazy through the trellises, the white shirt he’s wearing so baggy the sleeves almost go to his elbows. 

- Jimin catches Seokjin’s sleepy staring, brushing his bangs back from his forehead. “How are you so pretty Jin hyung?” Jimin murmurs, something heavy and almost half sad in his when he looked down at Seokjin. Jin smiles, and teases, “a little jealous Jiminie?” Seokjin lets the promise of a question hang in the air- what’s wrong, open up to me, tell me why you look so sad. 

- Seokjin has never ever seen Jimin like this- or ever seen him be anything other than sultry confident, or bratty happy. Jimin sucks in his lower lip. Letting his hands do most of the talking against Seokjin’s scalp, his beautifully pointed years, the perfect silky hair. “No, I’m not it’s just-“ 

- “Jimin I was just teasing.” Seokjin says, nudging his head into Jimin’s hands. the request just as much about comforting Jimin as it is for Seokjin. letting others care for him has always been that way, and screw it, Seokjin loves head rubs. “I know.” Jimin seems like he wants to ask something, looking away from Seokjin “Would you mind if sometimes I-“ 

- Jungkook and Taehyung choose that moment to pounce jumping and picking them up (how the fuck that bunny was strong enough to lift Seokjin- he’d never know) and move them into a sunny spot as Yoongi fluffs out a heavy knit blanket and Namjoon comes out with a box of ice pops. 

- Jimin’s words die alongside Seokjin’s screeching protests at being picked up. To which Jungkook only grins at and proceeds to hold Seokjin more firmly. Leaving the elder to wonder exactly what Jimin had wanted to ask about. 

- In the past few weeks, there is no one that has been a more constant in your house than Jungkook, who will come over to help Namjoon with the garden nearly every day, and will text Namjoon things like Sorry hyung, say hi to the carrots for me, Hobi-Hyung took us all for hair cuts today T_T, but I’m thinking about keeping it long what do you think? if he doesn’t come over before 12.

-  In the mornings Jungkook waits until he hears the slide of your porch door (Nothing could get past those large brown ears) before he bounds over to the fence in excitement, literally hopping and lifting his body over the side instead of going around the corner. 

- “Yah Jungkook you’re going to land on one of the beds!” Namjoon will chide, hair still ruffly from sleep, and Jungkook will happily beam, “I’m a good jumper hyung! I won’t hurt the squash!”

- In the coming months- Namjoon will also go over to Hoseok’s side of the fence and - only with Hoseok’s explicit permission, because Namjoon is nothing if not respectful of the yard that is not his own- erect 4 raised garden beds with the help of Jungkook and Yoongi- who has a new found talent for making things.

- Jungkook loves gardening so much, and spending time with Namjoon just as much, he bugs Hoseok for gardening gear and it’s almost a shock when he comes over one day, with matching green gardening gloves, a canvas apron, and a matching set of green trowels and a straw hat with two holes pierced in the top for his ears (which Hoseok had cut very very carefully). 

- Namjoon can barely look at the bunny; he’s blushing too hard. Last week Seokjin found Namjoon scenting the younger, His lap full of a very happy bunny munching on some of the fresh radishes that Namjoon harvested that morning. 

- Which makes Seokjin coo and squish the Youngers cheeks with how cute he looks. And take about half a dozen pictures of him and Namjoon working in the garden because – wow, just wow, how is Jeon Jungkook so cute with his curly brown hair hanging in his eyes as he diligently weeds the window boxes. 

- Seokjin comes up to your office to tell you such, rolling around a little bit where you’re stretched out on the floor with your computer in front of you (a change of pace to keep you on task) groaning, “ughh he’s just so cute? How do you handle having a crush when you can’t do something about it? Jesus, I thought I was done with this with Yoongi.” (said hybrid has currently disappeared with Jimin and Taehyung somewhere on Hoseok’s side of the fence and it’s a guess as to what they’re doing or where they are)  

- You snort, Seokjin’s thigh pins into some of your papers as he rolls from his back onto his side, propping himself up on one elbow. “That’s easy you just do something about it instead of coming to your girlfriend and gushing about the cute bunny next door.” 

- Your phone dings next to you, another voice message from Hoseok. Seokjin clicks it open and listens to it.

- “Yah you need to stop feeding them so much! I swear they can just get food from my house! They’re gonna eat you out of house and home! I promise the next chance I get I’m going to go to the store and replace all of the food they’ve probably eaten.”

- A laugh ends the message, and before you can stop yourself you’re smiling way too hard. You can tell Seokjin’s smirking before you say it. “Ugh- his laugh is so cute!” Seokjin replays it so you can listen to it again.

- “So gushing about the bunny is apparently less bad than gushing about the cute boy next door?” he teases, you shove his thigh away playfully in reply before he pulls you down, on top of the papers and all. 

- Let’s just say work ends a very different way then you intended. With a shower in the upstairs bathroom after Seokjin explains that they’ll definitely be able to smell him on you if you go downstairs like that. Clothes all skewed and hair all ruffled, a small amount of rug burn in some unfortunate places that Yoongi 100% teases you both about later. Office sex has its downsides. 

- You few stolen moments in the middle of the day, rubbing conditioner out of his hair as he tells you about Jimin and the curious question he’d never finished the day before. “I think Hobi mentioned something about Jimin drawing a lot the other day, that could be it?” 

- Seokjin returns the favor of the conditioner, sliding your hair through his fingers appreciating how long it’s grown. Something primal in him both loving taking care of you, providing like this, and also hating that he has to wash his sent off of you. But it’s not polite to smell like sex around hybrids that aren’t your own. 

- Taehyung will come over to help Namjoon in the garden too- sometimes; Namjoon can sense him watching through the crack in the fence, if he’s feeling bold he’ll peer around the gate by the side. Jungkook does a good job of dragging him over to your side and not leaving him alone. It’s a bit funny to see the massive bunny wrangle the whining tiger. The hybrid is still noticeably shy and quiet to an extreme around them.  

- Especially the first time he tries to go beg pets from you during a workday, with you on an important call upstairs only to be stopped by Seokjin in the kitchen. “You can’t bother her when she’s working Taehyung” he chastises, the tiger’s shoulders dropping terribly low as he makes to leave, assuming that no one wants him here. Really he should just go back home and not be in the way- even if he like- really really wants pets right now, the touch starved ness reaching a fevers pitch inside of him. 

- Seokjin is quick to stop him, hand sliding down to the nape of his neck and making Taehyung shiver. “but I am baking some pies today if you want to help.” The tiger’s ears perk up almost instantly. And though Taehyung might be the messiest cook that Seokjin has ever seen, spilling flower on the floor and getting preserve on his cheeks, it is really nice to have someone to nudge shoulders within the kitchen and show how to knead dough out to the right thickness. Even if Tae barely speaks except to ask careful questions. 

- Hoseok and you have been dancing around each other over the last two months. Seokjin invites him and the hybrid trio over for dinner often enough to try and foster the affection that he can see in both of you. If Hoseok didn’t like you Seokjin would be incredibly surprised. 

- Why else would Hoseok bring you sweet-smelling flowers and little things, stopping by after work with the pastries that Seokjin just happened to mention where your favorite the last time he was over. 

- Why else would he lean in close and blush when you hang out on the back porch, greeting you with a hug instead of a hello. Not that you mind at all- Hoseok had practically grown up with Jungkook, so affection is more usual to him than the absence of it. 

- The first time he hugs you is just after Jimin and Taehyung’s monthly check-up. Taehyung has to get a few shots- he’d missed out on so many of them when he was a hybrid working in the circus industry that the doctors were trying to play catch-up. Hoseok is used to the tantrum that he and Jimin go through every time that the 6th of the month rolls around. and hopes that they’ve forgotten about it. 

- Hoseok had reminded Jungkook about it. In the kitchen the night before when Jimin and Taehyung were upstairs. Taehyung had unfortunately overheard from the hallway. 

- Hoseok has so much trouble just getting him out the door to go to the doctor’s office. (he’d been planning on saying that they were going to the park and then pulling a fast one on them to get them into the car- but Hoseok knows that Taehyung must have found out or something) 

- Jimin locked himself in the bathroom earlier but Jungkook’s managed to extricate him before Hoseok has had a chance to placate the frightened Taehyung and now Jimin stands next to Jungkook, holding his hand, More subdued and more still then he ever is, His tail wrapped around his pant leg for some form of comfort while Hoseok tries to convince Taehyung to let go of the beam in the kitchen. 

- Taehyung has literally wrapped himself around it, “I’m not letting go until you call the doctors and cancel” and maybe Hoseok would be angrier if it weren’t for the fact that Taehyung is trembling- Jimin is too, neither of them wants to go. But they have to, and it breaks Hoseok’s heart to make them go. He reminds himself that he has too- he to not take them is to be like their other owners. 

- So he picks up the phone and calls you. You are such a comfort to Taehyung that he thinks it will be good for him, that you might be able to convince Taehyung to let go of the beam. Of course, Seokjin comes too, walks into Hoseok’s kitchen to Taehyung shaking his head every time Jungkook tries to pull him off. Hoseok honey voice trying to bribe him with a trip to the amusement park (not that Taehyung really knows what that is). 

- All Seokjin has to say is, “Tae, come on.” His voice nothing but a pure command for Tae. All the hybrids to straighten up, Tae has his head down, ears pinned to his hair and his hands sliding off the coulomb to hang by his side. “Yes alpha” he murmurs, suddenly contrite. Much to the wide-eyed surprised of everyone in the room- especially Hoseok.

- “Okay that’s new” Hoseok mentions, only to receive a well-placed elbow from Seokjin, “shut up” he hisses, the blush turning his cheeks bright bright red. Seokjin is definitely not used to being called alpha. No one- not Namjoon or Yoongi has ever referred to Seokjin as such. 

- Hybrid dynamics aren’t all that new to you- but to Hoseok, who had only ever dealt with one other hybrid until recently, it takes some explaining for him to understand the connotation of alpha.  

- (You end up explaining Later though on the phone. Hoseok ends up falling asleep on the other end, tired from the excitement of the day, it’s not the last time he calls, however. 

- You make a habit of it, always after dinner, Hoseok will call you on your house phone and you’ll sit on your bed chatting with him for an hour or two, sometimes he’ll be doing the dishes in the background and sometimes Jimin will steal the phone to gossip about whatever cute thing Yoongi or Namjoon did that day, endlessly telling you about Seokjin and how the way to a hybrid’s heart is through their ears but also stomach.)

- Jungkook decides to stay home as there simply isn’t room in Hoseok’s car for all of them to go to the doctor’s office and you seem to have more of a positive effect than Jungkook does. He’d been looking forward to some music Yoongi wanted to show him anyway. The ride in the back of Hoseok’s car to the doctor’s office is long and bumpy. You sit in the middle back seat so that both of Hoseok’s hybrids can line themselves along your sides. 

- Taehyung folded over your lap and Jimin’s head hidden in your neck.You run your fingers through Tae’s hair and hold onto Jimin’s hand. Murmuring comforting words to both of them the whole way. 

- Even Jimin has lost his sunny disposition by the time you pull into the medical center, folding himself between Hoseok and you, looking small and scared eyes vacant in the wake of so much panic. Murmuring, “Hate this place” every time they pass a doctor and hiding under Hoseok’s shoulder. It doesn’t take much to wonder what happened to them. 

- (Hoseok will tell you later on the phone, that after the circus Taehyung had to get some serious surgery on his knees, while Jimin had been so sick from neglect that he needed to be in inpatient care  and a few rounds of antibiotics to get rid of some serious pneumonia before he could be transferred to the adoption center. 

- You could imagine how traumatic that could be, could imagine that whatever doctor’s had treated them, they probably hadn’t bothered to explain to them why they were doing what they were doing- and left them in the dark about what was happening with their own bodies.) 

- You’re steely and stalwart, holding Taehyung’s hand just as strongly as he’s holding yours, whispering reassurances every few feet. Taehyung’s knees knock the entire time. 

- Through the entire check-up, Taehyung shakes and whimpers, golden eyes wide and terrified of absolutely everyone that approaches him. The only reason why he doesn’t push the doctor away (he’d done that last time and actually climbed on top of the counter) is because both you and Hoseok hold onto both of his hands through it. 

- Seokjin is babbling in the corner, holding Jimin’s hand while he waits for his turn looking like he’s about to head to the gallows rather than the doctors wax paper covered table. Seokjin talks to them about the new videos he’s making for his YouTube channel to distract them. Telling them he’d love it if Taehyung and Jimin guest starred and decorated cookies with him one day. It isn’t a lie- but you can hear the distress In Seokjin’s words, how much he’s trying to comfort the two hybrids. 

- It’s not surprising that Taehyung starts to cry when they give him the first shot, the big fat tears soaking the shoulder of your shirt even has you hum and scratch at his scalp. Jimin too when he gets his a few minutes later- you can tell he tries to hold back the tears before sniffling. Seokjin almost growls, narrowly avoids letting out the noise strangled in his throat. 

- It’s nothing that ice cream can’t fix, though they both hold their arms stiffly and seem a little quieter on the way back. The adrenaline jump and then the come down make them both sleepy but twitchy. Hoseok takes a moment to text Jungkook when he’s a stop to pick up half a dozen ice cream cartons from the store. 

- It takes a few hours and no small amount of cuddling That night on the stoop of Hoseok’s house, 4 of the hybrids piled on Hoseok’s dark blue hammock, the others fallen off on the grass giggling and happy as Jungkook uses his body weight to make it sway this way and that and Jimin cries, “you’re gonna break it!” Yoongi and Seokjin laughing from the grass, ducking to avoid the swinging feet. Already fallen off but punch drunk from a little bit of sangria that Seokjin had supplied and too much rocky road. 

- Hoseok hugs you, startling you a little, but not unwelcome, his whole body lined up against yours, lithe and a little broader than you’d expected but firm and steady under your hands. His hand cupping the back of your head. he speaks through the thickness in his voice, and though you knew hoseok hadn’t been happy to do what he’d done today, you hadn’t realized he was close to tears. “Thank you- I don’t know what I would have done without you today, y/n I-”

- “Hobi” the nickname slips out without you realizing it, “it’s okay- I- I love them too much to let them be so scared on their own like that.” You can almost taste the smile on Hoseok’s mouth when he says that he likes it when you call him that. You pull away but stay a little closer than usual, and maybe it’s Hoseok’s imagination but you look like you’re trying not to show how happy you are. 

- “This is starting to feel a lot like family isn’t It.” he says, you nod agreeing even as Jimin shrieks and falls off the hammock, much much happier than he’d been 5 hours ago. “Yeah,” you say, soft and heavy. And Hoseok can tell that you don’t mind one bit. “Yeah, it does.” 

- Your new closeness isn’t missed by any of your hybrids and even when you go back to your own houses (albeit reluctantly) Jungkook and Jimin smirk at Hoseok, but don’t say anything. 

- For the next few days, every time he thinks about it he groans and slaps his hands over his own flaming cheeks, Jungkook poking at them. Jimin’s sing-song voice teasing of, “Hoseok and Y/n sittin’ in a tree” Jungkook and Taehyung joining in for the k-i-s-s-i-n-g part. They must have heard it at the park the other day because he has absolutely no idea where they would have learned it.

- Hoseok starts to realize, every single time he gets a notification on his phone from you, your name popping up on his home screen, his heart beats quick and heavy. it Dosesn’t matter if it’s Another voice message or a text or a picture that one of them has taken, he can’t help but start smiling.

- One night after you send voice messages back and forth, you end yours with “sorry I’m being dragged away by Yoongi to cuddle, goodnight Bobi! I’ll see you tomorrow” and even after Hoseok sends back a “goodnight! sleep tight! don’t let the bed bugs bite” he still finds himself lying in his bed legs hanging off the side, Jungkook and Taehyung giggling from the bathroom, while Hoseok lies in bed and replays the message again and again just to hear “goodnight Hobi! I’ll see you tomorrow.”

- You know how little kids get? when they get so excited about going to some amusement park or zoo that they can’t fall asleep the night before. So excited for tomorrow to come that today somehow drags. That is exactly how Hoseok feels. Jimin sidles up to the side of his bed, listening to the message twice, 

- “You’re crushed like a grape” Jimin nudging Hoseok’s thigh with his foot when the message ends. “You are so so fucked”  he laughs, Hoseok whines. He replays the message and Jimin smiles, Pressing a kiss to Hoseok’s forehead before he goes to join Taehyung and Jungkook in the bathroom.  Whatever they’re doing it required not one but 2 types of bubble bath and dish soap and would probably inevitably damage Hoseok’s floor. 

- “I feel objectified when you compare me to fruit” Hoseok complains, but Jimin just winks at him from the door, licking his plush lips and eyeing the little bit of skin at Hoseok’s waist where his shirt has pulled up- where Hoseok knows there are still hickeys, barely faded, from a few nights prior. “at least you’re yummy?” he says, before he’s pulled into the room by Jungkook and leaves Hoseok to wallow. “Woh! how did you get the bubbles that big?”

- And when Hoseok takes stalk of his emotions, feels his crush on you multiply, he realizes that he is absolute- irrevocable- pass the point of no return-

- Jimin is right,  Hoseok is royally fucked. 

(Please comment and reblog! Likes are nice, but they do little to support content creators!)

[fafulous]

Life in Wakanda with Bucky Barnes would include:

First Time:

You knew Bucky as a mere acquaintance. But beyond that, the endless stories that you heard from Steve made you eager to meet the man.

Bucky had no idea who you were since you were a new recruit to the Avengers.

Just like Bucky, you decided to move to Wakanda upon T’challa and Steve’s persuasion after the mindnumbing mission you had gone with the both of them.

Shuri was kind enough to show you where you were going to live which was near to Bucky house as well.

After Shuri left, you changed into the traditional Wakandan clothes and stepped out of your hut, only to meet the gaze of THE James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes.

And damn did he freeze like a deer in headlights when he saw you

You instantly tensed up the minute he began to walk away from you because damn did he look a greek god.

But you didn’t know that the reason Bucky went away from you was that he had no idea how to interact with such an attractive dame.

Bucky and you would always run into each other unintentionally, or that’s what either of you assumed

But finally got the guts to talk to you upon Shuri’s persuasion

and he did that thing again:

He froze and stuttered.

“He froze like a deer in headlights, our very own white wolf, just like you brother”

“Oh Shuri you have no idea how it feels”

Realizing his starting problem you helped him out

“You’re James aren’t you?”

“Wh-what, how do you know me?”

“Our very own star-spangled boy of course, who else?”

Friendship:

Ever since then for the next couple of days, Bucky would talk to you standing by the lake. For a minimum of five minutes.

Because let's face it, he was scared.

Scared of doing something he's never done before: getting to know an exquisite woman like you.

And the best part was you didn't mind the short-lived meetings every day

As long as you saw him

Until one-day he gathered up the courage to expand this small, budding friendship:

"Would you like to meet my goats?"

"Sure!"

And he went on and on, introducing all of his seven goats patiently to you. The ways his eyes lit up every time he told their names gave you happy jitters in your heart. It was too difficult to stop blushing.

"This one is Steve because this was my first goat ever"

"And this one is Sam because, you know, he's a jerk...but I love him."

And at one point few of the goats, especially the ones named Natasha and Scott kept scuttling around you which made you coo and play with them even more.

Which also made Bucky fall harder for you even more

"So James-"

"Bucky"

"What?"

"Call me Bucky, doll."

Attraction:

Safe to say at least, Bucky no longer ensured that the meetings would last more than five minutes.

They'd last for the whole day.

Bucky wanted to take you to the Wakandan Market since you were always pampered by Shuri to ensure you were supplied with whatever that was needed.

Your breath completely stopped when you saw Bucky.

Geared up in the Red Wakandan robe along with the scarf that covered his left arm fashionably.

With that goddamn rough stubble and his man bun.

How did he do it?? With? One? Arm?

All you could think of was how you wanted to stroke your fingers along the strands of his gorgeous hair and how his beard would feel on your-

"Shall we?" He asked by extending

Now it was your turn to freeze like a deer in headlights.

"Y-yes"

In the market, you ran around like a child seeing a supermarket for the first time. So many artisans selling so many things. Your eyes lit up at every shop amidst the busy crowd.

But Bucky didn't mind the crowd, all of his attention was on you. The way your hair moved and the way your eyes lit up whenever you saw something that interested you extremely.

He even noticed how she completely wrapped arms around his right arm, gripping it harder whenever she was excited.

And he loved it. Made him proud rather

But at one point she rushed off without warning him, which made him worry intensely.

Only to return with a handful of plums.

"I overheard you reprimanding Sam yesterday of how he ate all your plums."

He doesn't know how to respond and unfortunately ends up staring. Again.

"Bucky.exe has stopped working brother."

"Oh leave the man alone Shuri"

You would pop into his hut sometimes, helping him with some daily chores

It felt so domestic and pure, one could get used to this he wondered.

The first move:

In the evening, you and bucky decided to have a bonfire set up

With enough fruits and food, both of you began indulging in stories of the past, showing each other how vulnerable you can become

While Bucky spoke about his literal fall and HYDRA, you spoke about the abusive mission that you had to endure with Steve and T’challa.

“Nothing can ever hurt you now Doll, you’re here with me now”

“And I, with you Bucky”

And involuntarily both of you pulled in together...for a hug.

Your sensations went wild when he buried his nose between your hair and neck, which made you stroke his wavy hair.

After some time, you realized his breathing became uniform and you decided to lean down.

The white wolf has gone to sleep 

The next day, bucky woke up entangled between your arms on the grass.

The Bonfire ceased and the sun was up

You looked so peaceful.

He slowly removed his right arm underneath your body, only to move the strands of hair blocking your face.

She's too serene

Too beautiful

Too good for you Bucky.

He knew it right then and there as the first set of the sun's rays fell on the both of them.

She is the one.

Waking up the next day and not finding him next to you made you a tad bit sad, especially since you couldn't spot him the whole day.

The WHOLE DAY.

It was extremely disheartening, maybe thinking something went extremely wrong last night after the beautiful moment you both shared

Until you finally found him babbling to all of his goats at night

And he stopped the minute he saw you

And the conversation became too angsty, asking him where he was the whole day

and damn Bucky was shit scared since you looked so regal and scary under the moonlight.

And in the slip of his tongue:

“I don’t have to always tell you my whereabouts Y/N”

That stung your soul like a wasp

“Did anything mean to you yesterday?”

He panicked like a lost child, seeing tears streaming down your cheek.

And came over to you, tugging you closer, his right arm wiping away those tears

“Everything, doll. Every single minute meant more to me than you think”

Both of your gazes are on each other's lips

And you’re too eager to make the first move

And you do.

It wasn’t needy as you thought it was, but soo passionate

And gosh Bucky could taste the strawberry off your lips, and he wanted to bite those lips of yours

Only to be interrupted by the bleating of his goats, followed by the incessant giggles of you both

“Such a romantic first kiss Bucky”

“Tell me about it”

The fluff domestic life:

You couldn’t believe that both of you were actually a thing

Bucky quickly explained that the only reason that he avoided you that day was that he was nervous and felt he was out of your league.

“That’s so stupid Barnes. Stop thinking like your goats”

“Hey, not a word about my goats!”

T’challa and Shuri were so happy for the both of you were together now

And even helped to move into a slightly bigger house for the both of you

and Bucky’s goats

“Doll, they’re ours now”

Both of you shared a bed, although Bucky was skeptical, especially because of his non-existent arm.

But you reassured him that didn’t matter. Always. 

Mornings became lazier, both of you always entangled in each other's arms

“Good morning sleeping beauty”

And Bucky’s hoarse morning voice was a godsend gift

And if you didn’t nudge, he will pepper your face and neck with soft kisses, especially your sweet spot

and eventually, you’d give in sleepily, with a sloppy morning makeout session between the sheets

both of you would cook together although most of the time you ended up learning from him because clearly, he knew way better than you did

and breakfast, lunch, and dinner went by talking and getting to know each other more and more

Bucky would also teach you how to take care of his goats

"Steve and Scott are fine with anything but do not feed Natasha carrots for God's sake"

And you just thought they were goats.

They’re family.

Bucky also flexed his muscles literally and would show how he could do one hand pushups.

And you would definitely take the opportunity to slide underneath his glorious torso because he would peck on your lips every time he came down

and your giggles would drive him crazy

Comforting each other’s nightmares and bad days

And whenever he would get phantom pain on his left arm, you’d massage it and coo sweet sweet words to relax him

“You’re going to be okay bucky, I promise”

Later in the evenings, Bucky would sometimes sit outside to watch the sunset

While you took the opportunity to french braid his hair and putting flowers wherever you could

“I could get used to this doll. Do this every day?”

"I'll think about it"

Followed by Bucky chasing you around until you submit to him

And you eventually do and fortunately get tickled to death

(Things gonna get NSFW kids bye bye chilren)

Sex was never brought up by Bucky though he did want to. He was just a bit hesitant due to his physicality.

But you on the other hand never saw it as a disability

You wanted Bucky. Wanted him so bad.

Like whats not there to want? Great body, soft hair, a really cute ass.

There would be times when the sexual tension was so bad, you both had to leave the room. But alas, it was solved.

It was when you went by the lake surrounded by thick trees, you saw Bucky. An ethereal Bucky.

He was sitting on one of the branches, his legs spread in naked glory, his Blue Wakandan robe conveniently covering his manhood. 

Those thighs could kill you

The glorious ends of his hair were dripping with water onto his bare torso. He probably took a dip in the lake

You getting turned on was an understatement because he looked like a fucking god

You whispered his name involuntarily and your brain was clouded with so much lust you had no idea what you were doing.

Bucky, on the other hand, was in the lake a few minutes back because he was hot and bothered thinking about you, and unfortunately had to take care of himself. 

Especially because you decided to wear your cute black tank top and shorts with a messy bun, teasing him every time you took a step.

He froze, again of all the times to freeze as he saw you coming towards him, her eyes clearly showcasing one emotion.

You looked up to him, your hands roaming his wet torso and you swore bucky choked.

“Doll you’re so good to me. Are- are you sure?”

“I want you so bad baby. So so bad.”

And all you had to do was jump onto his waist, and wrap your arms around his neck.

Both of you made love to each other for the first time near the lake and it was so hot (figuratively obv ;)

Bucky’s beard burn throughout your body

and he loved to hear those pretty lil moans of yours, making him hard instantly

and he was vocal too, and boy did it make you flip

especially when he whispered hoarsely into your ears

“beautiful girl”

“you feel so good doll”

“Harder baby” you’d moan 

and you both came screaming from your highs together. And ever since then, he’d try something every day

But he’s extremely vanilla

and has come to the conclusion that he loves loud sex

because why not.

Both of you would go down on each other whenever you both were stressed

He’d ask you every time if whatever he was doing okay and you didn’t mind.

Because you love this man too much.

Trailing your body down with sloppy kisses was his favorite. 

And you? You loved biting him.

You loved his thighs. And riding him every time was your kink.

“You’re a fucking goddess, doll”

And he could never decide if he was a boobs or an ass person

“Its hard baby. You do have great assets”

“I know it's hard” you’d wink

His after sex care was spot on and you ended up cuddling him as always.

Angry sex happened like one time

Because you forgot to mention to Bucky that you were to spend the day with T’challa

some pieces of furniture broke but it was alright

But it ended up with both of you saying those three words for the first time to each other

“I can’t stay mad at you. I love you too much Y/N”

“Oh Bucky I love you too”

And you knew life in Wakanda couldn’t get better

--

Tag: @padmaaavati @marauderette130 @dendrite-lover (ILY frens)

Posted on 18th June, 2019

[soundofseventeen]

Happy Ending Pt. 5 (Lee Seokmin)

me: wasn’t going to update today. me: doesn’t have brain capacity for homework. me: updates anyway 💛

Masterlist

You looked around the stable, trying to find two good suitable places to sleep. There were a couple stalls that appeared to be empty, so you selected two that seemed to have the most hay in them. You had managed to get to the castle just too late, trying to think of where to go. You thought of going to Seungcheol’s, but you wouldn’t know how to explain to him showing up in the middle of the night with the prince. Seokmin then suggested the stables, which were just outside the castle grounds, but would be close enough that you could hopefully sneak in when the gates opened for shipments in the morning. 

You then went to find where the prince had wandered to. He went the opposite direction as you when you entered the stable, so you lost him pretty quickly. 

“Seokmin?” You loudly whispered, looking around the stable. You knew that you were probably the only two people in the stable, but you couldn’t be totally positive that someone on the staff wasn’t here. You knew that they would probably be swayed by the prince into silence, but you also knew they had to answer to the king and queen.“Your Highness?” You continued to walk, stopping when you heard a voice. 

“...alright?” You heard someone whisper, tiptoeing around the corner. You stopped as you saw the prince, standing in front of one of the stalls, petting the horse inside. “We just need to borrow it for the night. I promise we will give it back in the morning. No, we won’t ruin it for you.” Seokmin chuckled, smiling at the horse. “Is that alright? Thank you. I promise to come back with lots of carrots for you for your generosity…” He turned and saw you standing there, the smile only growing on his face. “Oh, hi.” 

“What are you doing?” You whispered, walking closer to him and the horse. You put a hand up to pet the horse, seeing how calm he looked. 

“I was asking permission to borrow the cover from this beauty.” Seokmin held up the large blanket. You looked back at the horse and noticed that it didn’t have one like the others did. “It can get cold in here at night, so I figured this could keep us warm.” 

“How do you know that he agreed?” You asked, looking at the prince. Seokmin looked from you to the horse, clearing his throat. 

“Well…” He said, looking back at you. “He didn’t get mad.” You let out a laugh, shaking your head and continuing to pet the horse. Seokmin looked at you with a soft smile on his face, only for a couple seconds before he realized he was staring. He cleared his throat again, stepping back. 

“We should probably get some sleep. We’re going to have to get up early to get back into the castle once the gates open.” You looked over at him, patting the horse one more time before starting to walk away. 

“Yeah. I found a couple stalls over here that we could sleep in…” You said, making your way towards the stalls. Seokmin followed you, which you only knew by the second sound of footsteps following you. 

“Oh, these should work.” Seokmin said, walking into one of the stalls. “This one appears to have more hay…” He muttered, looking around. You nodded, turning to walk to one of the other stalls. “Where are you going?” 

“Hm?” You looked at him, confused. 

“You should sleep in this one, you’ll be far more comfortable here.” 

“Oh, no I couldn’t-” Seokmin shook his head, walking past you out of the stall. 

“Don’t make me make an order.” He smirked, handing you the blanket. You quickly handed it back to him. 

“If I’m in this stall you should take this.” You looked at him. He opened his mouth to protest, but you held it out to him. “Don’t make me make an order.” You said, letting go of the blanket and walking into the stall. Seokmin looked humored for a second, before shaking his head and walking to the stall next to yours. You took a deep breath, sitting down on the hay, attempting to fall asleep. 

Meanwhile, Seokmin lay in the next stall, wide awake. He had more fun today than he had in a long time, even when you were basically sprinting to the castle. If it weren’t for the fact you were in a dire situation and locked out of the castle, he almost wanted to laugh during that time. It felt so natural to be walking around the village with you, letting you take his hand to move him out of the way of a cart or to lead him in a new direction. He had never seen the village like he had today, and for once he almost just felt like a boy spending the day with a girl. 

While during the day it made him happy and his heart warm, now in the chill of the night, it almost made him sad. It made him sad because this was probably the only time he would be able to do this. He knew his father was diligently looking for a bride for him, which thankfully he took his sons opinion into consideration. But every person Seokmin would meet would either have no effect on his heart, or he would develop a small crush that would disappear within an hour of conversation with the suiter. 

Which added another reason to why he was sad now. That didn’t happen this time. His miniscule crush on you was still there, and if anything it had grown. The fact that he even had the thought cross his mind to possibly kiss you just… 

He didn’t know what to do. 

Deciding that sleep wasn’t coming to him soon, he quietly got up and left his stall, peeking into yours. You had managed to already fall asleep, bringing a small smile to Seokmin’s face. Even when you were asleep, you were beautiful. He noticed you were curled up, probably to keep warm. He grabbed the blanket, carefully placing it over you. Then with a sigh, he made his way back to the horse he had originally borrowed the blanket from, hopefully to talk his thoughts out a bit more. 

You woke up a bit later, slightly confused. It took you a couple seconds to figure out exactly where you were, but then your memory came back slowly. You sat up, feeling the blanket fall off of you. You blinked at it, looking at the wall towards where Seokmin would be. Shaking your head, you slowly got up, stretching a bit. You knew today would be long with the ache in your back. As you went to wake the prince, you saw that he was no longer in the stall. You furrowed your eyebrows, looking around the stable. 

“Seokmin?” You said, starting to walk away. You actually managed to find him rather quickly. The sight of him almost made you laugh out loud, but you managed to stifle it and cover your mouth. 

The prince, the future king of your kingdom, was laying against one of the stalls sound asleep, a horse licking his hair. He must have woken up and come back to see the horse again, causing you to shake your head. You had to admit, the sight was rather cute and endearing… 

You quickly shook your head, quietly walking over to him. You shushed the horse, lightly petting him. You found some sugar cubes to distract the horse while you woke the prince, which thankfully worked. 

“Hey…” You said, lightly shaking his shoulder. It took a couple times, but you eventually saw his face scrunch up and his head pick up. Before he opened his eyes, a hand went to rub his neck, which had to be sore from how he slept. “Wake up…” 

Seokmin’s eyes opened, showing the confusion you must have had on your face when you woke up. He blinked a few times to adjust to the light, eventually looked at you. He stopped when his eyes met yours, suddenly remembering the entire day before. 

“You have got to fix your hair before we head back up to the castle.” You smiled, ruffling it a little bit. One of Seokmin’s hands when to his hair, feeling it stick up in places (and a little wet?), letting out a laugh. He looked around, finding his hat on the floor a bit away from him. “The gate should open soon.” You said, getting up and walking towards the entrance. Seokmin went to catch up to you, offering a quick thank you to the horses for sharing their home. 

You and Seokmin made the walk to the kitchen in silence. You both wanted to start a conversation, but neither knew where to start. 

“I’m sorry.” Seokmin eventually said, causing you to look at him. 

“Why are you sorry?” You asked, giving him a slightly confused look. 

“I should have paid more attention to the time, we wouldn’t have had to be out all night.” He said, giving you a small smile. 

“It’s not too bad. If anything, you’ll probably get into more trouble than I will.” You said, hoping that you would both be back before anyone really noticed. You spotted the cart with today’s produce up by the gates, meaning it should be open. 

“Well, I’m still sorry.” He looked at you, letting out a sigh as you stopped by the doors. 

“I’m sorry too.” He raised an eyebrow at you, causing you to shrug. “You were my responsibility yesterday, I should have paid more attention to getting you back in the castle before the gates closed. Something bad could have happened.” 

“Thankfully nothing bad did happen.” He said, nodding towards the kitchen door. “You know if Jun is in there, we’re never going to hear the end of this.” 

“Oh, I’m counting on that.” You said, taking in one last moment of just having a conversation with a boy, not the prince. “Shall we?” You smiled, holding out a hand for him to go first. 

“After the lady.” He smiled back, you shaking your head as your head, walking into the kitchen, Seokmin following behind. 

Thankfully, the kitchen was empty when you two entered. Jun either must not be there yet or was putting stuff away. You quickly walked Seokmin to the door, opening it slightly. You peeked around, not seeing anyone in the hallway. 

“Okay, the coast looks clear.” You said, opening the door more for the prince. “Now’s your chance.” He nodded his head, going out into the hallway. You let out a sigh, starting to shut the door when a hand stopped it, causing you to look back up. 

“What’s wrong?” You asked, looking at Seokmin in front of you again. 

“Just uh…” He took a deep breath, leaning forward to place a quick kiss on your cheek. “Thank you, for everything.” He grinned, running down the hall again. 

You stood frozen for a couple seconds, feeling your cheeks burning. You slowly shut the door, leaning against the back of it. You lightly touched your cheek, feeling yourself smiling. Even your internal scolding couldn’t stop the smile though. 

Jun entering the kitchen did though. 

“What’s wrong with you?” He asked, carrying a container of peaches. 

“Nothing.” You said, starting to leave. 

“Woah, woah, woah. Hold on.” He said, you looking at him, not liking the smirk on his face. “Forgive me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that the same outfit you wore yesterday, when you left with the prince?” 

*

Seokmin snuck through the castle, using the passages he learned many, many years ago. He at one point ran into some maids who were just starting to get ready for the day, but quietly held up a finger to his lips, smiling as they nodded to his request, mouthing a quick thank you back. 

It took a bit longer than he thought, but it finally made it back to his room. Once he shut the door, he quickly leaned on the back of it, a hand going to his mouth. He couldn’t believe he did that. Why did he do that. He knew you were with someone. He knew you had a family. Hopefully you would think it was just a friendly gesture, and nothing more than that. 

Even with all that, he still had a smile on his face. He leaned back a bit, a small laugh escaping. He just managed to spend a night out of the castle without his parents and they never even knew. He managed to pull together a good story of being sick and needing to sleep without disturbance, and was relieved it had worked. 

“So.” Seokmin’s eyes widened, turning towards his bed, where the queen sat with her arms crossed. “Are you going to tell me where you were all night?” 

“..M-Mom…” He said, internally cursing. Maybe his plan didn’t work as well as he thought.

[oh-theatre]

Objection!: Chapter 13

Chapter title:  A Spooky First

A/n:  Oh look! I'm not dead! And thank god that uh I planned this to come out on Halloween! I've never been so happy! In other news, I LOVE PATTON SANDERS AND THERE IS NOTHING I WOULDNT DO FOR HIM. Also, Character asks are always open and for people asking yes you can do art for this (I've gotten some asks, and IM HONORED SO IF YOU WANT OH MY PLEASE DO) Don't forget to leave me some comments!! They make my day!! And Happy Halloween!! 

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words: 4300

summary: After Romans unfortunate incident, the gang still has to prepare for Halloween

pairings: Eventual logicality, eventual prinxiety, platonic demus, romantic remile

warnings: swearing, blood, hospital, passing out/fainting, poison mention

Ao3 Link  

“Excuse me, would you like some Xanax? Because you are freaking out and it is freaking me out and we are all freaking the fuck out” Virgil claps, Logan turns to him huffing annoyed.

“Language!” Patton exclaims softly, they face him now the same expression plastering their face.

“Patton!” They groan in unison, he shrinks away, his eyes darting towards Romans empty bed.

“Sorry” He mumbles. He makes his way carefully towards the bed, sitting on the remains. He can hear the pair arguing behind him.

“You're telling me? To not freak out? That's like your brand!” Logan retorts, Patton clutches the bed knowing that that will only spark more of a debate. One Patton would rather not be apart of. “I'm mister can't keep my pants on and freaks out over every little thing” Logan mocks, the lawyer had never seemed so childish

“My brand? Oh, I'm sorry that I'm not ‘mister cold and frozen twenty-four-seven!’” Virgil responds, Logan scoffs. Patton shuts his eyes, feeling like a child again, except he can't escape the arguing parents, he has to get them under control. “No wonder Patton doesn't like you!” Welp there it is, Patton stands now. Now Virgil knew that wasn't true, but it sure would hurt, and that was his only aim.

“Oh I'm sorry, ‘mister oblivious towards Romans feelings’” Logan rushes, praying Patton had not heard the last part. Luckily, Logan had the same agenda, they were upset. Although by the look on Virgil's face, it didn't matter, they had really dug deep.

“Enough! Both of you!” Patton intervenes, quite angrily forcing himself between the pair. He faces Virgil first “You, will apologize to Logan about those awful things. And you will calm down, we are all very worried ok? Roman is our friend and the last thing we need to do right now is argue, understood?” He wiggles his finger in Virgil's face, the frozen detective nods.

“Yes Patton” he whispers, a little too afraid to speak. Now it's Logan's turn, Patton spins on his heel, Logan prepares himself.

“And you will apologize to Virgil, you were just as mean! He is allowed to be worried! Our friend is lying in an operation room alone, and we have no idea what's going on!” Patton takes a deep breath, steadying himself “Got it?” He questions sternly, feeling trapped between his own kids. Except they were grown adults.

“Got it” Logan mumbles shamefully. He had to admit, Patton was very good at conflict resolving. And a little scary. They bow their heads, preferring not to meet the lawyer's eyes, waiting for something to shift.

“Good, I'm going to go and get some coffee, you two” he glares “Are going to fix this and be nice to one another, you're friends, don't forget that” He reminds, Logan and Virgil glance up, locking regretful eyes. “And Lo?” Logan snaps his head towards him “I like you very much” He confirms before promptly leaving the room. Virgil notices the blush immediately, he wonders if Patton knows how much that meant.

“I am...sorry Virgil” Logan begins, going first to rid himself of the jumbled ideas in his mind. “You have every right to be worried about Roman, I shouldn't have snapped” He admits, now feeling the effects of his previous words. “And I shouldn't have said...that about your..brand” He quotes, using his fingers to mimic an air quote. Virgil holds his breath, exhaling only when Logan's shoulders fall.

“Guess it's my turn” he jokes, chuckling dryly. Logan nods, avoiding anything. “I'm sorry dude, you're just worried and I think that just freaked me out a bit cause...you're never worried” Virgil rubs his arm, squeezing it to make sure he's actually there. “And it's fine, my anxiety is usually better than…” He shrugs knowingly, Logan purses his lips.

“You have been doing better lately” Logan notes, recalling the techniques Virgil had utilized.

“I have yeah thanks” He smiles, the pace picks up, there's just one thing neither want to address. A word spoken makes it real. “Ok I'm just going to say it, I'm so sorry about what I said...about you being...and Patton and…” he's rambling now, apologies are never easy. Logan winces, Patton's face standing in the doorway, promising, assuring that he likes Logan. As if the lawyer is so desperate for confirmation. “You're not-”

“Let's not do this, shall we?” Logan interjects. His face reserved once more, Virgil curses himself, so close. “I apologize, and you apologize and that is that” He finalizes, Virgil decides not to push, too exhausted for round two. Thankfully the door opens once more, introducing a new topic. Patton returns, smiling and bright as ever, instantly Logan softens, his face morphs ever so slightly. Virgil wishes he could put Patton's energy, his essence in a bottle or something and just bring it out whenever Logan was tense, annoyed or… just needed some light.

“All happy in here?” He asks cautiously, handing the pair coffee. They share one last look before agreeing to nod, saving themselves and the hopeful figure more distress.  “Yay,” He celebrates weakly, the matter of Roman still fresh in the air. As if on cue, the door slides open once more, a familiar doctor enters. You can hear the trio seize their breath.

“Judge Reial did very well during surgery” He assures, the collective sigh of relief quite audible. “They are finishing him up before rolling him back here…” Patton smiles, the doctor coughs unsure “However, I would like to...discuss what we found...during his operation” He explains, Virgil's internal alert system goes off, his eyes shift.

“What? What did you find?” He requests, wanting the information more than anything.

“I cant...well...I have to wait for the police” Patton's heart drops, tightening his grip around the coffee cup. Virgil wastes no time pulling out his badge, shoving it in the fearful doctors' face.

“No waiting required, what did you find?” He tries again, the doctors swallows, leading Virgil out of earshot.

“We believe…” He glances back at the worried lawyers “That Judge Reial was...poisoned”

~~~

“Alright kiddos, let's just settle in” Emile advises, herding the trio into the cushioned seats of a nearby diner. Remus hopped in first bouncing until he found the perfect spot, Damian followed reluctantly taking a seat next to his new friend, Valerie sat politely at the end next to Emile.

“Mister pickle can I have some fries?” Remus wonders, showing the item on the menu to Emile, his small fingers tremble as he tries to sustain the giant menu.

“Of course, but you have to get something of sustenance as well” He informs, Remus cocks his head, his little brows raise in confusion. Emile smiles weary, not sure how to continue.

“Little kids Em, you gotta use your little kid speak” Remy teases as he joins the group, kissing Emile on the head before sitting opposite him, next to Damian. The little boy waves politely receiving a ruffle of the hair in return. “You gotta eat something else with your fries little man” Remus sighs, hearing this before, Emile averts his eyes.

“Can I have chicken nuggets and fries please?” He decides, growing impatient already. Remy considers it, stroking his chin.

“Only, if you get some carrots” He offers “Take it or leave, final offer” Remus folds his arms, pouting. “Deal or no deal mister Hart?” It almost felt odd addressing anyone other than Patton as that.

“Deal!” Remus exclaims, shaking Remy's hand quite ferociously. “What are you getting?” He turns, asking Damian who is still perusing the menu.

“Mmm I don't know, Papi usually helps me” He comments, Emile pulls out his phone in remembrance, shooting a quick text to Virgil. The kids continue their conversation, finishing their orders and moving onto their colors. Damian and Remus collaborate on a drawing, using purple, yellow, green and blue to create a wonderful world. Valerie sits pleasantly chatting away with Emile, talking about her day. Remy watches, the kids so...oblivious to everything. And Emile so...happy and relaxed. Remy had to wonder what was really going on in his partner's head, he hates to admit it but sometimes it was hard to read Emile.

“Rem? Everything alright?” Emile cautions from across the table, Valerie joins her brother in his activity adding spruce of red to the mix.

“Yeah...I just-”

“Hold on, sorry, I'm getting a text” Emile checks his phone, his eyes tracing the text, Remy watches the reflection in his glasses. “Oh!” He chimes, he looks to the kids who turn their focus towards the bright figure. The twins find it comforting how much he reminds them of their dad. “We gotta eat quick! Your dad is expecting you home soon!” He tells them, Damian pouts returning to his drawing.

What about my dad?

~~~

“I feel bad for leaving Roman” Patton laments, returning home Logan by his side. He helps his fellow lawyer hang up his coat, before inviting him towards the living room. “Would you like a cup of tea? Coffee?” Patton offers from the kitchen through the window that connects to the living room.

“Tea is adequate” He responds examining the newly hung decorations, little pumpkins strewn around each carved. It was quite easy to tell which ones Patton made and which ones the twins did. Logan finishes his observations, sitting at the kitchen counter watching Patton work.

“One cup of tea!” He exclaims, placing the beverage in front of Logan. The lawyer smiles at Patton, thanking him with a nod. “Do you think V is alright?” Patton fiddles with the sugar packets laying in front of him, trying hard not to reach for his phone. He hadn't wanted to leave Virgil and Roman but it was Halloween night. Logan watches carefully,

“I think…” He starts slowly, taking Patton's hand so he stops. “That Virgil will be ok and that you…” Patton looks up, meeting Logans' eyes, only now can they see just how tired they are. “Need to focus on tonight, its good for you, a distraction. Plus, Roman needs his rest and you and Virgil need a break” Logan explains, Patton nods thankfully. The door creaks open, two scurrying feet rush in followed by a disheveled Emile.

“Papa!” “Dada!” The twins shout in unison running directly into their father's arms. Patton was noticeably happier as they made contact. They instantly began rambling about their day as Patton leads them to their room to change, Emile takes a moment to breathe.

“Heya Logan!” He greets finally noticing the lawyer, Logan turns his focus from the spot where Patton had left towards Emile. “Whatcha doing here?” He asks serving himself some tea, Logan had to wonder how many times everyone had been to Patton's house to feel comfortable enough to do as they please.

“I was invited for Halloween” he responds, Emile's smile glistens. “Where is detective Nyx, might I ask?” he references the empty spot next to the doctor.

“He’s dropping off Damian at Virgil's house” Emile clarifies, Logan nods finishing his drink. He makes his way around counter washing his dish in the sink, Patton returns a moment later.

“Well, they are off getting ready! They are much too excited for this” Patton proclaims, Emile giggles delighted for the twins. “Thank you so much for dropping them off” Patton turns to Emile, the doctor waves it off grateful to spend time with the twins.

“It was nothing, you know how much I love them” Emile admits, Patton laughs softly giving his friend a farewell hug before watching him depart. The twins emerge after a moment, Valerie first spinning around as she shows off her outfit. Logan has to commend Patton, his handiwork on the clothes was astounding. She wore a poofy top with a red sash around her, slowly going out into a short skirt with leggings. She had a fake and very dull sword by her side, and a tiara lay perfectly on her head.

“Beware! It is I! Princess warrior Valerie!” She announces swinging her sword around. Patton claps, laughing delightfully. She jumps into his arms, hugging his neck. “Thank you, papa!” She says nuzzling herself comfortably into his arms.

“Of course angel face,” Patton says kissing her on the forehead before releasing her to play. She takes a swing at Logan, he tilts his head confused but understands after a while ‘falling’ off his chair. Valerie giggles, covering her mouth as she does so. Patton sighs content, shooting a grateful glance towards the lawyer, hoping the dim lights covered his blush. Luckily he wouldn't have to know seeing as Remus joins the group soon after.

“Behold!” He pauses turning to Logan “Is that the right word?” He wonders, Logan nods proudly that Remus even listened to the man's ramblings sometimes. He resumes his position showing off his own royal outfit. The green was prominent, meshing beautifully with the dark black. As opposed to Valerie's outfit, he was messier and fluffier. He waddled around the room, showing off his outfit. Quickly tackled by his sister as the pair engage in a mock fight, careful with one another.

“Kiddos!” Patton stops them checking the time. “Ready to go?” He asks, the twins share a glance before turning back to their father and nodding ecstatically. Patton chuckles turning to the table where he left a witch hut, putting it on carefully. Logan genuinely thought that Patton couldn't get any…

“Cuter! I'm cuter!” Remus claims, he pudges his face, pursing his lips “Look!” Patton sweeps the boy off his feet, placing him comfortably in his arms.

“You're both adorable” He reassures, Remus grins holding his trick-or-treating bag steadily. Logan takes this as his cue to collect Valerie, she wastes no time jumping into his arms, causing an ‘umph’ to escape him.

“I...concur” Logan adds as Valerie stares at him with nothing but joy. They were really cute, Logan wasn't one to deny that.

“Remember we’re going to go for a little bit and then meet up with Virgil and Damian, go with them for a little while and then come home and-” The twins are ready. Disappointment should not have been what Logan felt at the mention of meeting up with Virgil.

“Movies!” Remus exclaims, squirming in his dad's arms.

“Candy!” Valerie adds, Logan chuckles at their antics. Patton nods, he leaves a bowl of candy outside with a neatly handwritten sign with the message ‘Take two! From me to you!’, he leaves the string lights on and locks the door.

“Alright, here we go” He smiles, the bustling street full of kids chattering excitedly to collect candy. Logan has to wonder what is so enticing about walking around for hours, on foot, bothering the neighbors for an unhealthy amount of sugar.

“Down! Down!” The twins chant wanting to be one with the others, Patton sighs looking around before hesitantly setting Remus down keeping a delicate grasp on his small hand. Logan follows suit holding on to Valerie's hand for safety. The twins jump and bounce around as they walk, finally deciding on a house. Remus, with a lift from Patton, rings the doorbell. They wait practically vibrating as the owner comes to the door.

“Trick or treat!” They exclaim together, holding out their custom made bags, as the door swings open. Logan and Patton smile politely at the woman as she fills up the bag, complimenting their outfits and wishing them well on their journey. The rest of the night goes similarly, the twins go from house to house filling up on candy. Slowly the quartet falls into a routine, the kids are allowed to wander freely as long as they don't go too far and Logan gets a moment to breathe.

“Having fun?” Patton inquires, his eyes fixated on the skipping twins who sing a sweet tune ahead of them. Logan sighs, the night was cool but not too bad. Patton, with the addition of his witch hat, was wrapped up cozily in a grey coat. Logan wore a darker coat, longer as well.

“I am having an enjoyable time Patton” He assures, it's quite obvious to tell Pattons nervous. But logan wasn't lying, sure there were moments where he felt uneasy or out of his comfort zone but it was enjoyable. Not having to think about the case or murders. He wonders if Patton knows how amazing it is he gets to experience this, Logan himself never got to do Halloween but this was the twins first time. Something they would remember forever and Logan got to be apart of that.

“That's good, I'm glad you're here” He admits, Logan's face feels hot almost immediately. Patton releases a quick, shaky breath, rubbing his shoulders in a fast motion. “I hope they are bundled up enough, its really quite cold” He expresses, the twins seem fine. With the amount of clothes, Patton made sure they wore, and the amount of heat they circulate by running around proves that. He blows warm air into his hands, wishing he had brought gloves.

“Here,” Logan says taking Patton's arm and linking it with his. It could be debated whether it was for more...self-indulgent reasons but Logan's body heat (As proven by research, he swears) would transfer towards Patton. He expects some kind of retaliation or resistance but Patton adjusts comfortably. Neither could tell whether the redness present on their face was due to the weather....or… ”Better?” Logan asks distracting himself from his thoughts.

“Better” Patton clutches tighter, yawning as they continue.

~~~

“Dee? I'm home!” Virgil calls out setting his things down. A moment later two figures appear, Damian, all dressed up in his wizard cloak and hat, waving around a little wand. Remy appearing behind him. “Well look at you!” Virgil admires kneeling down as his son comes pummeling towards him, wrapping his arms around his dad's neck and hugging him.

“I'm ready! I'm ready!” He dances around, Remy chuckles watching him go.

“Alright alright, how was your day?” He asks taking a coat off the rack. Remy sits at the table, pulling out his phone, no doubt sending a text to Emile.

“I had so much fun! Papi, I made a friend! And then we went out to eat! And then we came here! And I played with goo!” Damian explains, Virgil has to wonder if he already has sugar in him, the boy was never this...hyper.

“You made a friend? That's so good, I'm very proud of you” He encourages grabbing Damian's treat bag, his squiggly name inscribed under the inside flap should it ever get lost. Damian nods, trying his best to drag Virgil to the door, revving to go. “Hold on” Virgil laughs, he walks over to Remy. “Thank you so much for dropping him off” He acknowledges, Remy shakes his head waving it off

“Dude anytime, as much as I would love to stick around I gotta go, Emile and I have plans” He smiles coyly, Virgil swats his arm frowning. “Not that you weirdo, I mean actual plans” He corrects, Virgil sighs. “See ya” He dismisses himself, hugging Damian goodbye as he goes.

“Okey! Time to go” Damian decides, Virgil shakes his head chuckling, no point in delaying. He shuts the house down, putting a bowl outside with candy before starting on the street, a very tugging Damian in his hand.

“Where to first?” He asks his son, Damian points forward with no specific target in mind. Virgil shrugs and follows his son to the first house. Damian had done this last year and considered himself an expert, bouncing from house to house, until finally, they were to meet up with the others.

“Papi...carry” Damian requests, his small hands grabbing towards his dad. Virgil smiles sweetly picking him up, they walk slowly back towards the meeting spot. Virgil would have been worried about missing them but the sounds of shrieking were a pretty good clue. Emerging from a darker street Virgil walks up to them.

“Hey” He greets, Patton swivels around taking Logan with him, as Patton unlinks himself to say hello to Damian, Virgil gives Logan some much-deserved shift eyes. Receiving a glare in return. “How's the night going?” He asks handing Damian to Patton, the little boy seemingly found some extra energy. The twins join the group hugging Virgil's legs as hello, he ruffles their hair, picking up Valerie who seems more adamant to say hello.

“Good! The neighborhood is really bustling tonight” Patton replies, allowing Damian to fiddle with his glasses. Remus pouts feeling a little too short, Patton nudges Logan hopeful. Logan nods offering his own arms to Remus whos mood improves as he takes his place in Logan's grasp. Following Damian's example, he removes Logan's glasses playing with them.

“Look! I look like uncle Patton!” Damian shows, the glasses practically falling off his face. Remus giggles placing Logan's own specs on his face, Logan isn't sure whether his heart can take anymore, or if he's upset.

“I look like LoLo!” Remus decides, it's safe to say, Virgil and Patton couldn't contain their laughter. More than embarrassed, Logan takes his glasses back, desiring to see once more. Damian, bless his little hands, tries his best to place pattons glasses back on the lawyer's face, succeeding only slightly. He fixes them, smiling tightly at the little boy.

“Alright, where to next?” Patton queries. Virgil turns his focus from playing with Valerie towards Patton.

“I don't know, why don't we ask LoLo?” Virgil teases, Logan groans knowing he won't be living that down.

“I'm going home if you continue with your mockery” Logan informs. Patton smiles sweetly watching the pair. Virgil and Logan continue their exchange walking ahead, Patton follows with a sleepy Damian in hand. He releases a breath, he had tried so hard but he missed Roman. He missed the way he entertained the kids, he missed his smile, his booming voice, he missed his friend. He catches up taking his place next to Logan, his energy dulls now, he's exhausted and it finally caught up to him.

“How about a few more houses? And then we settle in for the night?” Virgil proposes, Patton yawns nodding lazily. The kids, as much as they want to have the energy to continue, enjoy the prospect of cuddling on the couch. Virgil examines the trio before laughing his words “Or maybe we just head home” He decides. And so they did, returning to Patton's home after a while. Logan, Virgil, and Patton set the now napping kids on the couch, placing a blanket over them. Patton removes the now empty candy bowl, locking the house as he returns.

“Guess they tired themselves out” Patton comments, Virgil nods stroking Damian's head from behind the couch. Logan sits on the other side, he's not sure how it happened but Remus and Valerie had found their place huddled up with Logan and he was not going to move and risk them waking up. Patton finishes cleaning up, sorting the candies into respective jars labeled for each kid. Once finished, he joins the other two in the living room, stopping himself at the sight of Logan adjusting the blanket so it fits atop both twins. He goes over leaning slightly. “You don't have to do that” He whispers, Logan shakes his head softly.

“It's alright, wouldn't want to wake them up” He lies, honestly he is quite comfortable and the image laid out in front of him is not a sore sight. Patton fights the urge to squeal and hug Logan, instead he nods making his way towards Virgil.

“Hey” Virgil greets, his voice low as he watches Damian's little breaths, his chest puffing in and out as he sleeps.

“You wanna spend the night here? I wouldn't want you to have to drive home at this hour” Patton offers, Virgil ponders for a moment, his own anxieties of intruding overlooked by pure exhaustion.

“Yeah but only if you're totally ok with it” Virgil ensures, Patton nods immediately leaving to set up the guest bedroom. Virgil cradles Damian to go and help, closing the door quietly behind him. “So...Logan staying over?” Virgil raises his voice no, not too much as to not wake his son.

“Oh! Well I don’t want to bother him and honestly, the twins love him and I don't mind having him around so...I suppose” Patton babbles, carefully crafting the bed for the pair. Virgil groans softly, Patton cocks his head.

“Oh come on Pat, go for it!” He enunciates, Patton shakes his head, face riddled with confusion. “With Logan! It's been four years...and longer technically” Virgil glares, Patton stops his grip tightening on the bedsheets, he takes a breath shutting his eyes.

“I don't want to...go through it again” He pauses sitting down, Virgil softens taking a seat next to him. “I know it's silly but...what if Logan...is exactly like Liam?” His voice is so low now, his words seize into a fearful whisper. “I just can't do that again” He slumps his shoulders rubbing furiously at his eyes, his glasses lifting as he does so, clinging to the tiniest ear.

“Logan would...never do that” Virgil hopes, he wants to say something to Patton but how does he know? In all honesty, he doesn't want to see Patton go through that again. Virgil watched Patton suffer silently for years, he knows ...hopes that Logan would never do the same but even the idea…

“I know…” He starts, he shakes his head, a squirmed breath “I know, let's just forget about it” He says standing quickly.

“Patton”

“No it's fine” he refuses to meet Virgil's eyes “I'm fine”

[kessielrg]

[KHUX] Once Upon a Dream

Summary: In which Ephemer and Anora (Player/OC) share the same dream. (Or, in which I enter Kingdom Hearts hell for a week to finish a story idea I’ve had since December.)[heavily implied EphemerxPlayer]

Rating: K+

Word Count: 2,046 words

If you enjoy the story, please buy me a coffee!

. . .

“Why do you keep looking at me like that?”

Ephemer unintentionally flinched; had he been staring at her for too long? He hadn't meant to. To hide it, the boy put on a wide smile and asked, “Like what?”

His friend, the soft-spoken and generally reserved Anora scrunched her face into a look of confusion.

“I don't know.” she admitted. “But it's starting to worry me.”

“Sorry,” came the sincerely apologetic answer as Ephemer sheepishly scratched the back of his head. Anora did not seem as convinced- she arched an eyebrow at him but didn't say much else about it. When she looked away again, Ephemer continued to stare at her.

He wasn't going to tell her about it anytime soon, but he did have a reason on why he couldn't look away. In what seemed like such a long time ago, Ephemer had made Anora a promise. It had became a promise he didn't keep, and it lay way to having to watch Anora die. To say he felt guilty the entire time would have been a stretch, but he was definitely trying to make up for lost time now.

If only he wasn't a Union leader and she didn't have to partake in daily missions.

“I need to get going.” Anora decided as she started to get up. “My party is going to notice that I haven't collected any lux today.”

“Don't go, not yet!” Ephemer told her, getting up with her and almost blocking her from leaving. “How about we get some ice cream?”

Anora recoiled at him. “I have to go.” she asserted before gently pushing past him. But Ephemer couldn't let it end there; biting his lip, he quickly tried to think of something to get her to stay. Or, maybe, arrange a future meet up.

“Let's meet up again later!” he quickly tried to tell her. Anora did not stop walking away- instead, she turned around and started to carefully walk backwards. Ephemer couldn't hold back his laughter; always a surprise, that Anora.

“When?” she mused.

“Tonight, in our dreams!”

Anora smirked. “Right, and then we'll steal pixie dust and fly to the Never Never Land.”

“It's a date!” Ephemer agreed with a wide grin.

Anora rolled her eyes as she let out a laugh of her own, turning around to walk properly before going into a light sprint. Ephemer only smiled as he watched his friend leave. If only his Chirithy was as amused.

“Why would you tell her that?!” it asked him as he was getting ready for bed.

“Dunno.” he admitted. “But it can happen, right?”

“Rarely!” Chirithy pointed out. “The only time you meet someone in a dream is if you're destined to be with them- like a princess dreaming of her prince charming.”

“Prince charming, huh?” Ephemer mused to himself as he got more comfortable. “Does being a Union leader technically make you royalty in some way? You definitely have that level of responsibility, huh?”

“Ephemer!” his Chirithy cried in astonishment. But the headstrong boy didn't reply, instead he laid his head down on his pillow and instantly fell asleep.

. . .

He knew he was dreaming because he never would have worn such a ridiculous suit in public. Also, no one had a face. His rational mind figured it was because this was all a dream anyway, or perhaps he was only seeing their hearts. His dreaming mind didn't even notice, it was hazily trying to remember why he was wearing a dress suit in the very crowded Fountain Square.

Slowly, Ephemer started to understand what was going on. This was a celebration for the Dandelions- a special group of Keyblade Wielders that have proven themselves the only light in pitch black darkness. It was all one big culmination to the real event; the change of Union leaders. Ephemer was going to be one of the new Union leaders. As he moved through the crowd, several Dandelions greeted him and shook hands. But none of them had faces. None of them really mattered.

Where was she?

Unknown to him, two people were sitting on top of one of Fountain Square's nearby buildings. They were both dressed for the occasion, but neither felt inclined to join the others. On the left was a girl with long carrot-red hair, but her face was missing like the others. On the right was another girl, this one with short strawberry-pink hair. Her emerald green eyes looked down at the crowd in worry.

“This is a nightmare...” she mumbled to her friend.

The carrot-red haired girl tilted her head. “I thought you didn't mind crowds?”

But her friend only nervously shook her head, a brief flash of the crowd changing to a different scene; there was still a crowd, but they were surrounding what looked to be Master Aced and the strawberry-pink haired girl. As soon as the vision came, it ended just as quickly.

“I want to forget that day, Zia,” she admitted as she looked away from the crowd, “But I can't.”

“Maybe it won't be so bad once you're down there?” Zia suggested, moving closer to her friend. If she had a face, it would have looked rather concerned. “You're the bravest person I know, Anora! You shouldn't be stuck up here with me because of something that happened in the past. Go down and have some fun. I think someone might be waiting for you...”

Anora turned to Zia as she carefully arched an eyebrow. As far as Anora knew, she had never met Zia in the waking world- assuming Zia was even real to begin with. There was an inherent kindness in Zia - and worry - that led Anora to believe that her friend was real, or had been at some point. It still felt like something important was missing though. What was it?

“I can't leave you alone here.” Anora argued.

Zia gave a small sound that indicated a bittersweet chuckle. “I'm not afraid of being alone.” she informed her friend. “You'll come back eventually, and then you can tell me how it went!”

But for a long time, Anora only continued to stare at her friend. She gave in after a few moments of thought and carefully started to get down from the building.

Anora was able to sneak into the crowd through a back alley. No one had particularly noticed as she made her way through them- not sure of where she was going, but knowing anything would have been better than just standing around. As Anora was able to reach the fountain, she accidentally bumped into someone.

“Sorry.” she apologized almost immediately before looking to see who she had bumped into. When she did recognize them, Anora almost couldn't hold back the surprise when she said, “Ephemer?”

The boy seemed to take a moment to recognize her as well, and when he did, his smile was bright and happy.

“There you are!” he joyfully exclaimed in seeing her. “I've been looking all over for you!”

Anora raised a skeptic eyebrow. “You were?”

“Of course I was!” he agreed as he took her hand. “Come on, we can go somewhere a lot less busy.”

“You can't leave.” Anora immediately tried to argue. “You need to be here for… for...” Her voice trailed off as she came to realize she didn't know why anyone would have needed Ephemer so badly. Even more, she was beginning to realize that she didn't know why there was such a huge crowd in Fountain Square to begin with.

All the while, Ephemer only seemed to smile a bit wider. He held Anora's hand tighter as he told her, “I promised we'd meet again in our dreams.”

That was when something in Anora jolted in realization. She looked up at Ephemer in confusion (and perhaps a slight annoyance) before trying to say something, but her friend pulled her away from the crowd. She didn't have much choice as Ephemer pulled her away from the crowd and into Waterfront Park. No one was there- so much more quiet than Fountain Square that it almost seemed eerie.

“This is much better.” Ephemer decided, letting go of Anora's and gesturing to the empty park around them. “We can do whatever we want now with no one to stop us!”

But Anora was silent. It took Ephemer a good moment to realize how perplexed she looked. His smile started to fade a little.

“What's the matter?” he asked.

Anora looked up at him with a confused glimmer in her eyes. “How are you able to do this?” she finally questioned. “Is it something you learn when you're a Union leader?”

“Nope.” Ephemer beamed. “I don't know why this is happening. Chirithy even said that we might not have been able to meet like this.”

His friend still continued to give him a suspicious side glance.

“You've changed since you became a Union leader.” she then informed him. “Don't think I haven't noticed that you're in charge of my Union now.”

Ephemer gave a sheepish smile as he scratched the back of his head. “We're a bit more coalition than the previous leaders...” he carefully admitted. “But, yeah, I do try to keep track of the members in your Union.”

“Like me.”

Ephemer took a step back in shock, despite a part of him being impressed. Anora was still one of the most observant people he knew- even while dreaming. And so, with that observation out of the way, Ephemer extended his hand to her.

“May I have this dance?”

Anora blinked. “You're changing the subject.” she noted in a toneless voice.

“Maybe I am.” he casually admitted. “But we're dreaming, so we might as well argue somewhere else. Right?”

The response he got was another blink. Anora looked at him, to his hand, and then back at him again. She ended up giving in, and took his hand.

Unfortunately, it took a lot of trial and error before they stopped stepping on each other's toes. Once they found their sense of rhythm (and a mutual agreement on who was leading), the two started to take turns moving closer to each other. Ephemer's heart stopped for a moment in glee when Anora decided to rest her head against his shoulder. At that position, however, they were unable to do the 'pretty' things one would do when ballroom dancing, and instead they opted for smaller movements.

“Hey Ephemer,” Anora eventually spoke, her voice quiet and content, “This is the nicest dream I've had in a long time. Thank you.”

Ephemer didn't say anything, but the smile on his face said it all. He leaned his head against Anora's as the two continued to dance in place. This was a pretty good dream, wasn't it? It was a shame that, like all good dreams, it would have to end eventually.

“Hey Anora,” Ephemer found himself saying, picking his head back up.

“Hmm…?” came the small answer as Anora looked up at him. For awhile, Ephemer did say anything- instead he smiled at her with a certain fondness in his eyes. He would absolutely deny doing it later, but he moved his head closer to hers and brought the two in for a kiss.

This was an absolute mistake because it was the very thing that woke them up.

Ephemer immediately shot up in his bed. It took him a good minute to collect his bearings on where he was, and when he did, he absently pressed his fingers against his lips. Did he really just do that? Did he really just kiss his friend in their dream?

“You looked like you were having such a nice dream.” Chirithy's voice spoke up, snapping Ephemer out of his thoughts. “What happened?”

Ephemer looked at Chirithy for a moment of bewilderment before putting on a smile.

“Oh, nothing.” he claimed. “It's still late, isn't it? I should just go back to bed.”

Chirithy seemed to be taken aback by this, but didn't argue against it. “Of course.” it agreed. “You have a busy day tomorrow.”

Ephemer smiled at Chirithy before resting his head back down on his pillow. Maybe, just maybe, if he was lucky enough, he and Anora would share the same dream again.