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kissingmilfs · 1 year ago

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dream devil girl!au | natasha romanoff

summary: reader and natasha are natural born enemies it feels like at this point. defying the odds of a collegiate level jock and cheerleader having something in common. yet all the constant bickering leaves you both frustrated. always for more than you can chew off. sequel to 🌫️

cw: bullying (sorta), one (1) slap, degradation, pet play-ish, name calling, 18+

a/n: i didn’t include any pronouns for reader but i am afab! so that’s the pov i’m on <3 i used mostly non-gendered type nicknames. also sought guidance doing final pieces on this fic layout from my gf’s @pocolottie fic layouts <33

⛓𓌹*♰*𓌺⛓

you’re storming off somewhere upstairs in the sorority’s huge mansion. you’d only agreed to come to this stupid speed dating event because your entire friend group wanted to be supportive of kate. she was stepping out of her comfort zone. friendship solidarity or whatever.

you didn’t mind that a few sorority girls spent most of their times trying to flirt and get your number. it was flattering, certainly a welcomed ego boost. what you did mind was a certain aggravating voice the entire evening making snide remarks your way. scoffing and rolling her green eyes every time another girl floated your way.

natasha, annoyed with the constant attention you were receiving, made up some lie to all of the girls. she told them some bullshit story of you breaking some freshman’s heart and sleeping with her fucking roommate! one of the sorority girls even threw her champagne in your face.

all you heard was natasha’s snickering and a group gasping, before you pushed through the crowd to escape. now you’re in some guest bathroom upstairs washing the sticky residue off your face. you’re mumbling underneath your breath the entire time. calling natasha heinous and foul names you’d never repeat to anyone else. swearing every couple words because you’re so fucking pissed off.

once your face is dried, you swing open the bathroom to see natasha standing in front of the door with her arms crossed. she looks angry. the audacity for natasha to feel any negative emotion in this situation. you don’t even bother acknowledging natasha or even uttering a word. instead, you attempt to brush pass natasha, but the girl forcefully pushes your shoulder back.

“get back inside the bathroom.”

you blink your shock at natasha’s firm statement. she seems extremely serious about it too. her tone harsh and demanding.

“you’re out of your fucking mind. get out of my way.”

“or what? you’re gonna cry and run away? you already did that and it was pathetic. just like you.” natasha basically spits out her words at you, resentment laced with each one.

you roll your eyes. that is one of natasha’s favorite words to use for you. pathetic. she really sees you as some second class citizen. someone below her. you’re the lowly, dumb jock and natasha’s the pretty, smart, and talented cheerleader everyone loved. except for you. natasha always fucking had an attitude around you. always scoffing, rolling her eyes and even sneering your way. one day you had to ask wanda if you smelled bad from soccer practice.

you stare down at natasha. the girl is a lot of bark for someone whose a few inches shorter too. an evil smirk spreads on natasha’s lips. as if natasha read your mind.

“i will scream bloody murder and humiliate you even further. get back in there. now.” natasha basically barks her order at you and something inside of you snaps and lulls you back into the bathroom.

natasha’s smirk returns once more as you follow orders. she mirrors your footsteps, crossing the threshold of the bathroom. natasha immediately locks the door.

“see? old dogs can learn new tricks. good puppy.”

you open your mouth to protest, only getting out, “na-“ before natasha’s palm makes contact with your skin, a sharp sting remaining.

“you don’t speak until i tell you to. not after what i heard you say about me in here. you’ll listen like the mutt you are, okay? nod if you understand.”

you grind your teeth down, holding the pained cheeked, desperately wanting to snap back at natasha. but whatever that lulled you into the bathroom—it also kept you quiet and obedient. so, you nod your head while glaring at natasha.

natasha beams almost triumphantly with smile that looked sincere. natasha leans forward and pats your head.

“good dog! you’re too dumb anyway. i should punish you even more honestly. that slap was nothing. you’ve earned a hundred by now. but…mommy can start us off on a clean slate.”

you cock your head to the side, wondering what the hell natasha is ranting about. failing to understand what’s shifting between you two.

“don’t worry too much about it, mutt. i’m not here to use your brain. i’m afraid that’s long gone. remember that party two months ago when we fought the entire way there and then they locked us in the van…” natasha trailed off, as she looked over at you sitting on the closed toilet bowl.

heat rushes into your face at the sudden trip down memory lane. of course you’d remembered it. you convinced yourself for the next two months that it wasn’t the best sex you’d ever have. you even fought harder to convince yourself you didn’t enjoy natasha taking full control. i nod my head at natasha question. natasha rolls her eyes.

“yeah, of course you do. you were a pathetic whining bitch in heat. anyway, it had me thinking and wondering, why you decided to fuck half the female body population in that time? every fucking practice all i can from the girls’ mouths is y/n this and y/n that. as if you weren’t begging me to fuck you that night. clawing at my back, so desperate to be fucked and used. have you even let anyone touch you like that since then?”

you swallow thickly, squeezing your legs at the aching feeling natasha’s words left in your cunt. she mastered the language of dirty talk. her raspy, low pitched voice adding a delicious twist to them.

natasha commands, “speak, mutt. i asked you a question.”

“no. no, i haven’t let anyone touch me like that since.”

“mhm…when was the last time?”

“the last time what?”

“you’re so fucking painfully obtuse. the last time someone touched your greedy pussy.” natasha plainly said, as if the conversation were boring her.

you chew your lip nervously, knowing natasha will easily catch you in your web of lies. or completely humiliate and mock you with the truth. you close your eyes shut, dropping your head.

“it’s been a while…like maybe two years…”

natasha’s face immediately upturns into the most wicked grin she’s ever produced. your answer fills her with a sense of pride and accomplishment. what a beautiful, beautiful addition to natasha’s ego this was. natasha knows the game is afoot. she’s already made you her bitch. there’s nothing else to be done or said.

all you hear is the click of the bathroom lock, cueing natasha’s exit.

#dream girl evil!au #natasha x reader #natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff x fem!reader #natasha romonova #black widow

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winter-sol · 2 years ago

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🧡birthday night with Levi🎉

word count: 4,6k contents: AFAB reader, explicit sex (minors dni), fluff and smut. porn with feelings, some rough sex and possesive dialogue. levi only has one dick, sorry. repost! since tumblr is messed up. hey there! this is something I wrote for leviaday, following the events of his birthday event '23, after the party at the hotel. started as something fluffy and slightly horny. got out of hand, oops. hope it's not too late for a birthday fic uwu

also at ao3 here ;)

“Well, once again it’s only me, you, Asmo and Mammon. So much for an epic party, lmao”. Levi’s voice is a bit difficult to hear with the roaring noise of the two party animals singing a song at the karaoke machine. Asmodeus is an amazing singer, but it’s late, they’re drunk and at this point they’re screaming more than hitting actual notes.

“Yeah, it’s late though, and everyone gave their all collecting those cards today. I’m sure they all fell asleep as soon as they hit their beds”.

“Yeah, I agree.”

A particular loud sound comes out of Mammon, he seems to be quite passionate about those lyrics. Asmo sips what’s left of his drink and proceeds to do the chorus. It’s going pretty well, to be honest.

Leviathan’s hand finds yours slowly but surely, his grab is gentle and firm. He’s absolutely not shy tonight, not after he had such a great day. And not after he was so open with you a couple hours ago, at that fountain. You squeeze his hand and lean your head on his shoulder, relishing the softness of his clothes and the fragrance of his hair.

“Do you want to sing another one? I made sure to put all of your favorite openings and endings before we started.”

“You’re the best, I mean it. But I think I’m fine like this”, you answer while you intertwine your fingers with his, emphasizing your words.

You feel his breath speed up a bit only for a moment before he says “Okay. Let’s just watch those two embarrass themselves then.”

The next song seems to be a ballad, one that Asmo wants to sing alone because he claims he’s too talented to share the spotlight with stupid Mammon right now. And he wasn’t wrong at all, it was coming out quite good since he was putting his all.

The alcohol from the champagne and the wine you had drunk that night wasn’t affecting you as strongly anymore, but Levi’s companion was so pleasant and cozy you found yourself being silent while reading the lyrics on the screen through heavy eyes.

It talked about a lover who made your days brighter, who you wanted to spend the rest of your days with. Suddenly, you remembered that afternoon, at the park. The sunshine resting on your skin was warm and blissful, you had missed it so much. Still, nothing made you as happy as hearing Levi’s nervous tone while he wondered about a hypothetical wedding. You could feel your heart racing once again at the memory.

You turn to face him, and find him wearing a silly smile, though you’re not sure if it’s directed at his brothers’ display or it comes from having spent a long, enjoyable day that simply makes him happy. Maybe he’s feeling as content as you after all you two have been through today.

Leaning forward, you press your lips to his cheek, making him startle at the unexpected sensation. He looks at you with big eyes, but once he notices your expression he immediately softens. Without a second thought, he kisses you on the mouth, not as chaste as you’re used to in his advances, but still a calmed, romantic one. It’s so full of feeling you melt in it for a moment.

His lips are smooth and slightly moist, the sight makes you want to keep pressing into them. He barely starts separating your mouths when you insist on kissing him again, and again. It’s not an inappropriate scene but you’re sure on any other day you’d avoid doing it in front of others, even if they’re distracted blasting the speakers. Still, right now you can’t really care about that. You can only think of Leviathan.

After a while, you two finally break the kiss, your breathing coming out restless. His arm had found its way around your back while you were busy, and now you realize how close you are to him. The joy that fills you is so strong you need to hide your face on his neck, unable to break the distance. A couple minutes must have passed, and you finally realize the song had ended and only the background music of the karaoke menu is coming out.

“Well, well, my dear MC, my dear big brother, we’re heading to our bedroom. Make sure to not stay up too late, ok? Though I wouldn’t blame you for it, am I right? Heehee.” Asmo says, a wink accompanying that sentence. Realization hits you but you try to keep it hidden.

“Hey, don’t mention something like that! Ugh. Bye, losers.” Mammon waves his hand while they disappear through the long corridor heading to the dorms.

…

“…They totally saw us, right?”

“Yep... Whooaahh, what do I do with this cringe?!” Leviathan says while he dramatically lifts his free hand to his forehead.

You grab his hand in order to calm him down, “Don’t mind, Levi, I’m sure we’ve embarrassed ourselves to their eyes harder with our cosplays and all of that. This is nothing”.

“That… doesn’t sound any better at all but I take it, lol”, he pauses and then says in a lower tone “Anyways… Well, now we’re alone and all… Do you… Do you remember what I said earlier? That maybe after the party, we…”.

You were expecting this to happen, yet you can’t help to be touched by his initiative. He’s grown so much in the time you’ve been together. “Of course. I… want to be with you tonight”. A pause. You aren’t that confident either, it’s hard to voice this kind of stuff sometimes. “Shall we head to our room?”

“Y-Yes.”

He stands up and grabs your hand, leading the way through the floor.

When you enter, you realize how luxurious the bedroom is as well. A big window displays a breathtaking scenery, city lights decorating the sight accompanied by a huge moon lighting up the dark, spacious alcove.

It’s a beautiful place, and you really want to savor this moment. You grip his hand and guide him to the large bed, expectation rising inside.

There is something you want to tell him, that you need to tell him.

You stand in front of him, suddenly thanking your height difference so you don't have to directly look into his eyes.

“Levi… today, you said it many times, and I’m not sure if I was reciprocal enough. But I wanted to tell you that I love you… I love you so much that only the fact of spending today with you, of being here with you now, it makes me as… nervous, as the first times we went out together…” God, this is harder than you thought. You end up looking at the floor when you feel his arms wrap around you tightly.

“Hey… How the tables have turned. How is it possible I’m the one comforting you suddenly? Haha…” He says, his chin resting above your head. Before he can say anything else, you continue.

“I love you. I also… want to spend many birthdays with you. And now… I want you to tell me what you want from me. Anything, everything you want, I’ll give it to you.” Your own words overwhelm you, but you try to stay calmed.

But you feel his breath catching and now you’re sure you’re not any better at all.

Before laying you down on the bed, the squeezes you in his arms one more time. Slowly, he positions himself above you, and his eyes rest on you with a look full of adoration, mouth slightly agape, kissable lips parted that you only wish to feel again.

He directs an unexpected smile towards you. “You are always everything I want, but now… I’ll take your offer, ok?”

Idiot. He made you nervous again. “Y-Yes”. You were ready to give in to whatever he’d do next, but you suddenly remembered something.

“Wait!” You exclaimed. “I need to do something first!” He only watches intrigued as you cast a simple spell directed at the door.

“It’s done. We don’t want anyone to hear a thing, right?”

“Oh?... Oh! That’s so cool! You’re so amazing!” He beams at you, expression full of admiration.

You laugh a bit. “Levi, it’s not a big deal.” Of course, you were happy at his compliment. You stare at his bright, adoring eyes, and between smiles, your lips meet each other in the middle.

The kiss starts innocently, slow and sweet. But as you give into the feeling, it grows hungry quickly.

His mouth is hot and wet, tongue finding every single spot he wants. His hands run through your hair, to your neck, your shoulders, touching everywhere he can. One goes to your upper back, holding you there, while the other goes lower. He stops for a moment, but once you grasp the hair of his nape a little too strongly, he gets the message and grabs your breast without any more reservation.

The palm cupping it moves, relishing everywhere it can, delighting in the softness of your chest. You wished your clothes weren’t interrupting, though.

His mouth moves to your neck, and he starts kissing there, tongue lavishing and giving small bites. Asshole, he wants to leave a mark. You know he has wanted for a while, but you’re too reserved to let all his brothers see that. But now, not only you don’t care anymore, but you actually gave him permission this time. You’re his to take and take you he will.

Not like it matters, you know there’s a spell you can cast to hide it tomorrow anyway.

Your train of thought is interrupted by his hands reaching under your shirt, touching your scorching skin directly. Your shirt ends up at your neck while curious fingers start grabbing your chest, softly rubbing your nipple. His other hand has moved lower as well, grabbing your thigh, a strong grip squeezing the plumpness in there, followed by a light caress.

The duality of his bold, desperate grasp, and his kind, gentle touch is only reflecting his true self, his true intentions, his unapologetic desire and sweet respect. He's just like that, and it was driving you crazy.

A violent pinch drives you back to the moment. Moving down, he looks into your eyes while he starts relieving the pain with his tongue, tenderly lapping at it while his hand now stimulates the other one.

After feasting himself with your chest, he shifts his position and grab your legs, spreading them for him to accommodate between them. He starts giving attention to your exposed belly, open mouth kisses going lower each time. When he starts unbuttoning your pants, clearly getting his intentions, you panic for a second.

“H-Hey. Is that ok? Shouldn’t I be the one… doing things to you? I… want to do it.”

His slight surprise is quickly replaced by a small laugh. “Eh? You’re worrying about that? No way, I get a free pass to do what I want, right? Then let me do this!” He says as if the mere idea of thinking that going down on you wouldn’t be pleasing for him is ridiculous. “W-Whatever comes next… Well, we’ll see, ok?”

You sigh. Fuck, now it shouldn’t be the time to make him doubt a thing. “Ok… Let’s do it”.

As he lowers the garment, he has your panties in front of him. He stays there for a while simply looking, fingers grazing the cotton fabric, following the outline of your intimate area. Of course, the pervert likes panties a little bit too much. He's captivated, the way he touches is devoted and erotic, and you find yourself wanting more.

A shameless kiss to your clothed nub makes a moan come out of you. The sound is invigorating to him, driving him to give more wet, open-mouthed kisses to your cunt. You close your eyes when he gives attention to your clit once again, sucking at it through the fabric.

“L-Levi! Ah…”

Your sweet, high-pitched whines are like music to his ears, he’d do anything to take them out of you. He pulls the fabric aside and starts tasting your folds directly, savoring your wetness.

You open your eyes and lower your gaze; you simply want to look at him while he does it. You grab his hair, soft at first, petting him tenderly. But the sensation of his fingers slipping inside you while he eats you out makes you pull at his strands. The violent gesture is arousing to him, making him delve into his ministrations even harder, his own moans muffled while his face is buried into your sex as he keeps licking and sucking, making a mess with his tongue and fingers, getting you closer to your orgasm.

“Levi, I-I won’t last much longer. I-If you want more then you should stop-”

“No fucking way. I wanna make you come. You really think I’ll end this now?”

You won’t argue with him, you’re far too gone for that. You try to look at him while he finishes you but the frantic pace of his fingers and the sloppy, wet kisses he’s giving you are too much for you. You can barely stand the pleasure growing, your legs closing around him and squeezing his head in place, unable to move out even if he wanted to. He actually likes your thighs restraining him, encouraging him to keep going harder.

His feral tongue, his knuckle-deep fingers moving inside you finally take you to the edge. Your vision blurs and only see white when your climax hits you, a loud whine escaping your throat.

As you come down, your legs relax and let go of him. You feel a final kiss down there before he parts from you, fluids and saliva running down his chin. It’d seem forbidden to even look at him right now.

“…How was that? Did you like it?”

“Huh? You’re asking that?! Don’t fuck with me.” You mutter, only playing with him, and at this point of your relationship you’re certain he gets it. “… Of course, you were amazing… As always.” You end up adding.

He beams at you, though you’re sure it’s not an innocent smile after all. “Hehehe… Great, because I’m not done with you yet.”

“Hey, let me touch you.” You let out before he gets another idea. He doesn’t have time to answer when you already reach for his clothed erection.

“A-Ah." He seems somewhat taken aback. But he reacts faster after getting so turned on, giving in. "You know I can’t say no, right?”

You can't help but grin. “On your back. Now.” You order after having his consent.

“Y-Yes.”

Resting above him, you give him little kisses on his forehead, his nose, his cheeks, and his lips. The taste is not good at all, but you don’t care.

You grab his length under the hem of his pants and give a firm squeeze at the base. He lets out a groan, looking at you through his long, blue eyelashes. His dark eyes, color engulfed by his large pupils, reflect the moonlight. A shiny, innocent look to a lust-filled gaze.

“You’re beautiful, Levi.” You whisper closely to him, making sure he can hear your devotion. Your hand starts a pace, up and down, a slow movement that will lead him crazy.

“Nnnggh… MC… Keep going.”

He already has precum leaking. You pass your thumb through his slit and smear the liquid down the shaft, easing the movement. You speed up the pace only a little, and he already is squirming under your touch. So easy, so desperate.

“Give me more. Do it faster.”

He’s open about what he wants tonight, and you can’t say you don’t like this side of him. He’s so gorgeous, you want all of him.

You give his neck a few kisses before heading down, sure of what you’ll do next. He only looks at you, not even shy about it. He’s feeling greedy and won’t stop you.

A small, feather light touch of your tongue on his head has a sharp breath coming out of him. He inhales slowly, his buffed chest looking splendid from your point of view. God, he’s so sexy.

“Could you take that out for me?” You say while resting a hand above his torso, grabbing the fabric of his shirt.

He obeys easily. He wants you to look at him, he wants you to desire him. You’re greeted by the sight of his toned figure, abs and pectorals delicious under the moonlight, strong arms supporting his weight as he leans, watching you.

You’re eager to taste him, engulfing his head in your mouth, tongue teasing. Your hand works through the base while you take the upper part of his dick deeper into your wet heat. You bob your head, saliva running down his length. It makes the movement of your hand smoother. You suck firmly and after you take it off your mouth, you work it swirling your tongue. It’s sloppy, you're sure you don't look as attractive as you'd like, but you can’t stop. It's delirious, doing this to him.

He brings a hand to your hair, petting it at first. But after your pace increases, he grips the back of your head, starting to guide the movement.

Ah, you can’t complain when he gets like this. The thought of your usually timid boyfriend getting rough is the hottest thing ever. Heat builds between your thighs, eager for more.

You can feel yourself drooling around his cock, the motion fast and intense, its head hitting the back of your throat. Your eyes have slightly watered at the roughness of it, you can almost feel yourself choking on it, but he always makes sure to give you some space to breathe before pushing you down again.

You hear him moan shamelessly at the sensation, completely surrendered to the pleasure.

He slows down for a second and says “I-I’m coming. Can I… Inside…?” His voice is soft and breathy, as hot as it’s cute.

You manage to nod, unable to speak.

Resuming the movement, he guides your head down and up again, as frantic as before. The pressure drives him to the edge, and between loud whines, you feel him climaxing and filling your mouth, a thin, slightly creamy liquid easy to swallow. You’re thankful he’s a demon, with… well, different anatomy and such.

He lets out with a ‘pop’, rests of cum escaping your lips. You look at him and he looks as wrecked as you think you should look right now. Well, you must be even more messed up after that.

Mimicking his previous words, you say “So… Was it good? Did you like it?”

He laughs, with the audacity to sound embarrassed. “Y-Yeah. Thank you.”

His face is filled with bliss, but you won’t forget about the pressure you feel down there.

You decide to tease him. “So, should we get ready to sleep or-!”

“Nonononono. Nope. Not yet, ROLF. I told you; I’m not finishing with you soon. I mean, it’s already past midnight, technically it’s not my birthday anymore but I still get to have more wishes come true�� Right?”

“Yes, ‘cause I’m going to kill you if you leave me like this.”

“Eek! Sorry, on my way!”

He guides you to his lap and after he settles you inside his arms, he takes off your shirt. You lift a little to undress your pants and underwear while he does the same.

After that, you take a moment to simply rest your head on his chest, feeling his heartbeat. You’re eager for more, but that won’t stop you to relish your time with him. He caresses your back and your hair, giving soft kisses to your forehead.

He speaks again, his voice is hushed. “I love you, MC. Can you give me a little bit more of you tonight?”

He’s tender and sweet, it fills you with contentment and want.

You turn to face him, kiss his chin, and say “All of it. You can take all of me.”

Between passionate kisses, you straddle him, settling your arms around his neck. He locks an arm around your waist, while the other cups your cheek. Your tongues are still bitter, but the need to taste and relish each other is stronger.

You can feel his hardness against your thigh, ready for more. After parting your mouths, you murmur in his ear “Levi… put it in…”

He inhales, mentalizing himself for what’s to come.

“Ok. Move up a bit.”

You do as you’re told, and he positions his erection at your entrance. The sensation of his tip prodding at your core fills you with anticipation, and you lower yourself on it. It’s pushing inside you, inch by inch, slowly. You two are desperate for it, but you won’t accelerate things.

His cock is finally buried inside you, as much as it can fit. It’s spreading your walls, throbbing, and you give yourself some time to adjust to its girth.

You feel stuffed, it’s thick and warm, a burning sensation runs through your body.

“MC… You feel so good inside. So wet and hot…” He sounds like he’s under a spell, enchanted, fascinated with how good it is.

“L-Levi…”

“C-Can I move?” He says, his next words murmured in your ear “Please, please. Let me fuck you.”

There’s no way you can refuse to that, not now, not in any universe. You kiss his lips and nod.

The movement is slow, taking most of it out before entering again, savoring the drag. You’re so close to him, enveloped by his arms while he thrusts from below. You kiss him while he sets a pace, whining into his mouth by the sensation.

It’s starting to feel like it’s not enough, so you start moving your hips, meeting him and matching his movements. The increase of friction gets to him, a moan escaping him as well.

His hands grab your ass, decided to guide the rhythm again, growing faster. Pleasure boils inside you, arching your back while you grind your hips against him. His pounds start getting erratic, desperate for your velvety heat.

It hits your core over and over again, deep, strong, your breath is shattered, his name on your lips coming out quietly, broken.

“Leviathan- Ah! It feels good, Levi- Ah!”

He pants, his voice is rasped as he speaks, “Fuck, MC, you feel so good. Please, let me go harder.”

“Yes, please go harder, please- Ah!”

You cry out as his tempo is ruthless, unrelenting, the dirty sounds of smacking flesh resonating through the walls. He fucks hard into you, chasing his pleasure into your warmth. You look down just a little and can see his cock disappearing into your body repeatedly, an indecent view only meant for you two. It’s hot as hell.

Even if you try to match the pace with your hips, you’re not in control at all. His movements are frenetic, desperate, his strong grip using you as he pleases. You have completely given up yourself to him.

You catch his expression, furrowed brows, lascivious eyes barely open, looking at your bodies merge into each other. It only makes you even more aroused, you want him like this so badly.

“Levi” Your voice comes out as a strangled noise. “Levi! I love you. I-I’m yours. Forever- Ah!”

Your sounds turn into choked sobs, no longer able to make proper words. He’s euphoric, groaning his words “You-You’re mine. Only mine. You belong to me, no one else!”

One of his hands go to your sex, fingers stimulating your clit with a strong, merciless pressure. It takes only a few seconds to send you over the edge, hitting your second orgasm of the night. You scream at the exploding pleasure, his thrusts hard as he comes too, whining loudly as your tight walls clench around him through his climax, emptying himself inside you. Your body convulses as the last of your orgasm hits you, and collapses above him.

He pants, matching your shaking breath. After some seconds, he pulls out, and you can feel his release leaking out of you. Ugh. Well, you can’t complain, you enjoy to do it like that as much as he does.

He lays down completely on the bed, taking your weak body with him, caging it protectively in his arms, as if he’s not ready to let you go yet, not after you told and proved him you belong to him.

Your erratic breathing needs to calm down. Resting above him, your fingers brush his chest while you relax, hugged tightly against him.

Some minutes must have passed. Your head is pressed against him, face directed at the window. His heartbeat echoes through his chest, and the sound of it is comforting. Your eyes are focused again, and you can see the lights of the city. They’re still on.

You’re not sure what time it is. Apparently, dawn is close to come, but the night seems to be extending only for you. You’re thankful that suddenly the time feels so slow. At this moment, you don’t need anything else, nothing that isn’t being right here with him.

He had been petting your hair for a while, his lips pressing into your forehead makes you lean to face him. He’s smiling, infatuated eyes looking at you.

“I think this is exactly what I wanted… hehe.”

You giggle too. “Well, I’m glad you’re happy with it. I love you, Levi.”

“I love you too. You’re everything to me, my best friend, my partner, my Henry.”

You lean to kiss him on the lips, a chaste one perfect for this moment.

“Well, once you’re feeling more… recovered, I’ll ask you to take me to the bathroom. I… really need to clean myself.”

“Oh? Oh! Sure. Shit, sorry, lmao.”

You chuckle at his clumsiness, and close your eyes for a while, relishing in the moment.

---

You wake up to the sensation of a late morning sunshine touching your face, curtains wide open since no one closed them the night before. It’s a nice, cozy sensation, though. You didn’t know how much you liked sunbeams until you found yourself missing them at the Devildom.

Levi’s pressed tightly against you; the night owl seems to be still in a deep slumber. Apparently, you were the big spoon. Somehow. Considering how tall he is compared to you. You like it anyways, his hair is smooth, violet locks softly decorating his peaceful features. The word for him right now could be… ethereal. Yes.

You remembered the spell is still active, so no sound comes from outside of your room. Do you need to lift it? His brothers (though, now they’re like your brothers too) might start making a fuss over some foolishness, not something you want to deal with right now.

It’s April 10th, time waits for no one, and his birthday is over. Today, you’re all heading back to the Devildom. You certainly can enjoy this moment for longer, right?

As if sensing your thoughts, Leviathan slowly wakes up, taking his time to shift and face you, eyes barely open but clearly focused on you.

“Hey… Good morning, love.” You murmur.

His words are mumbled “Good mornin’… Why are you awake…” He yawns. “You know it’s still morning, right?”

“I don’t know. Maybe I wanted to look at your cute, sleeping face.”

“W-What… Shut up!” He whines, hiding on your chest. You laugh at the silly interaction, how is he embarrassed by that after last night? He’s incredible. You kiss his temple, and after sensing his smile, you feel like you have the energy to start your day.

Another year together awaits.

thanks for reading 💖 likes and reblogs are appreciated.

#obey me leviathan #obey me #obey me shall we date #obey me smut #obey me x reader #obey me levi #obey me fic #obey me fanfic #leviathan smut #omswd #obey me x afab reader #Winter writes

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steddieas-shegoes · 1 year ago

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saturate me, i can't get enough

rated e 4,066 words cw: please read full note below the cut in regards to terminology used in this ficlet/warnings A really big thank you/shoutout to @patchworkgargoyle for proofreading this and giving me a few great suggestions to make sure this was absolutely perfect for @steves-strapcollection's birthday! Also available on ao3.

This labor of love (and smut) is for my favorite transmasc Steve truther, Gerry. I am so grateful for your contributions to this fandom, and I am even more grateful that you welcome me into your chaos (Tig threads I'm lookin' at you 👀). While I may still not think my writing could be a gift to anyone, let alone a talented writer like you, I will just be positive that you'll enjoy this for what it is which is soft and tender fuckin'.

A VERY SERIOUS NOTE FOR EVERYONE ELSE: I am very much a cis woman. I spoke with Ger before even starting on this because I wanted to make sure he was comfortable with me even attempting to write transmasc Steve. I am using masculine and feminine terms for lower anatomy that he uses in his own fics and his own life with his express permission to do so. If you think this might be a trigger for you, please don't read. I wrote this specifically for Ger, and realize that it may not be for everyone. Taking care of yourself is the most important thing!

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

If Eddie had known what exactly he was getting into when he asked Steve on a date, he probably would have done it a lot sooner.

He tugged on the silk ropes around his wrist, just tight enough to keep him in place on the bed, but still loose enough that he knew he could pull out of them if he had to.

Steve refused to tie them any tighter.

“Need you to feel safe with me, Eds,” he’d said with a soft kiss to his lips.

As if he could feel anything other than safe with him. As if he hadn’t spent the last five or so months falling in love with him, learning what makes Steve Steve, figuring out how he could fit in Steve’s life.

Somehow, Eddie ended up naked first, tied up in his own bed, breaths heavy with anticipation of what was to come.

And he had very little idea of what was to come.

He’d already been surprised at how quickly Steve took charge of their date, their first kiss, the torturous ride back to Eddie’s apartment where Steve’s hand just brushed against his cock every minute or so.

Now, he was at Steve’s mercy entirely.

Just the thought of Steve leaving him like this while he touched, and kissed, and bit every part of his body was enough to have him leaking.

“Can’t believe how good you look like this,” Steve groaned from his spot between Eddie’s legs.

Oh, his shirt was off.

Finally.

Eddie whined as he saw Steve’s one and only tattoo, a baseball bat with nails sticking out of it, on his left side just under the scar from his top surgery.

He wanted to trace the outline with his tongue, maybe mark it up so that it wasn’t just black ink, cover him in purples and blues that would take days to heal.

But he wouldn’t be able to do that now, not with his hands tied above his head and his legs spread wide enough that he couldn’t get leverage to pull himself up or Steve down.

Next time.

“Steve, please,” Eddie begged, though he wasn’t sure what he was begging for at this point other than touch.

“Sorry, baby. You’re just so distracting.”

Eddie knew he was blushing, could feel the heat on his face and neck, on his chest.

His hands were sweaty where he had them clenched into fists, somehow already overwhelmed before even being properly touched.

Steve’s fingers glided across his chest, pausing to pay attention to his only nipple, laughing to himself when Eddie jumped.

“Sensitive? Maybe this one got all the nerves from the other one being gone,” Steve smirked as he leaned down to flick his tongue over the soft, pink flesh of his one remaining nipple.

It was like an electric shock, a fire burning through his veins and Steve’s tongue was the match that lit it.

He arched his back, chasing the feeling as far as he physically could, pouting when Steve pulled away.

“Hey,” Steve touched his cheek, smiling when Eddie relaxed into the touch. “I know we’re moving fast, but I kinda wanna take my time with you. Is that okay?”

Eddie nodded, thankful that Steve said it first.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like the idea of going as far as they could as fast as they could, not at all. Eddie would be happy with anything.

But taking their time?

He would take all night.

“Wanted this for so long, baby. You have no idea,” Steve whispered, breath hot against his lips as he leaned back in.

“Me too,” Eddie’s voice trembled.

Steve’s palm settled against his chest, no doubt feeling how hard and fast Eddie’s heart was beating, but not saying anything about it.

Eddie could feel his pulse in his fingertips, in his toes, in his hair.

“You like being tied up?”

Eddie nodded, biting his bottom lip between his teeth and letting his mind drift to thoughts of being like this hours.

“You want me to do what I want? Not let you pick?”

Eddie didn’t even care about his teasing tone, his knowing smirk.

He wasn’t asking for an answer, he was asking for control, and he already had both.

“I think you want me to take over, ride your face maybe? And then your cock?”

Steve was spot on.

Eddie couldn’t count the amount of times he’d pictured that exact scenario in his head. Just last night, while he was cooking dinner, he thought about the way Steve would taste, how he would look while Eddie took him apart with his tongue, his fingers.

He hadn’t even gotten to picture his cock inside him when the fire alarm started beeping to let him know he was burning his supper.

“Yeah, that’s what you want. Don’t even have to say it, I can see it all over your face,” Steve teased.

He could only imagine.

Steve got off the bed, shushing Eddie’s whines with a quick kiss to his forehead.

“Just getting everything else off, Eds.”

It was said to calm him down, but it just caused him to cant his hips upwards, seeking any type of friction on his leaking cock.

Steve’s eyes never left him as he stripped his jeans and boxers off in one fell swoop, his feet stepping out of the pant legs as quickly as he could without tripping.

He joined him on the bed again, settling between his legs and staring down at him, eyes holding so much affection that Eddie wasn’t sure what to do with it, where to put it all.

When they made eye contact, Steve smiled softly down at him.

“You okay with this?” He asked, wanting to be sure before they got too carried away.

“More than okay,” Eddie nodded. “Wanna taste you so bad, Stevie.”

“I can make that happen.”

Steve untied one of his hands from the bedframe, but didn’t let it touch any part of him yet.

“This is only so you can tap out if you need to. You’re not allowed to touch anywhere except my leg. Three taps if you need to stop, okay?” Eddie nodded. “Show me.”

Eddie waited for Steve to climb up a bit, straddle his chest, the warmth between his legs enough to make him forget for a moment what he was supposed to be doing.

“Eddie. Show me,” Steve’s voice was stern enough to grab his attention again, and Eddie focused on making his shaking hand tap his thigh three times. “Good boy. You can keep your hand there if it’ll help you remember, but no moving unless it’s to tap.”

Eddie’s head felt cloudy already, something he so rarely experienced with anyone, something he hoped he’d get to keep experiencing with Steve from now on.

Steve shifted back down for long enough to leave a kiss on Eddie’s lips, tugging his bottom lip between his teeth as he let out a laugh.

“I can feel your heartbeat between my thighs. A bit excited, aren’t you?” Steve teased him again, but Eddie wasn’t complaining. If anything, it just made his heartbeat louder with anticipation at what he was about to get.

“Need you,” Eddie managed to say.

Steve didn’t wait any longer, scooting his body up so his pussy was level with Eddie’s mouth.

Eddie groaned, lifted his head an inch so he could be even closer.

He needed it, needed him. He couldn’t wait any longer to get a taste.

Eddie’s tongue lapped at Steve’s hole, the only part he could reach at the moment, but it was enough.

Steve let out a long moan, gravelly voice letting out a long “yes” as he rocked his hips forward to get Eddie’s tongue inside.

Eddie closed his eyes and let himself be surrounded by Steve.

His slightly musky smell, the sweat that was rolling down his thighs, the surprisingly sweet slick dripping from his pussy, all of it was better than Eddie could have possibly imagined.

The noises got louder as Steve adjusted himself directly over Eddie’s face.

He pulled away just enough for Eddie to catch his breath, but Eddie didn’t want to catch his breath.

“Need your cock, please,” Eddie begged, not caring if he was breaking an unspoken rule, not caring if he suffocated for it.

But he didn’t get in trouble. In fact, he got exactly what he wanted when Steve settled back down, his dick rubbing against Eddie lips in silent instruction.

Eddie opened his mouth wide, stuck out his tongue, and moaned.

“God you’re so good,” Steve grabbed Eddie’s hand on his thigh, squeezing as he rocked back and forth, taking things slower than Eddie expected him to.

Eddie whimpered, letting out what little breath he had as Steve rested more of his weight on his tongue.

“You made me so wet just laying there, all tied up for me, hng,” Steve groaned.

The hand squeezing Eddie’s moved to the headboard, giving Steve just a bit more leverage to bear down and chase his own release on Eddie’s tongue.

Eddie could feel his fingernails digging into Steve’s thighs, but he couldn’t, and wouldn’t, stop unless Steve made him.

He could feel slick and drool dripping down his chin, his cheeks, his neck, probably making a mess of his hair and the pillow under him, but he couldn’t find it in him to care. Steve was making low groaning noises now, his pace getting faster every few thrusts back and forth.

Eddie opened his eyes, wanting to try to see what Steve looked like from this angle.

He wasn’t disappointed.

Steve’s head was thrown back, his arm muscles straining as he held onto the bed, leg muscles and stomach tensing as his pleasure started to crest.

The flush that Eddie had barely gotten to enjoy before was now covering his hairy chest and his neck, a few drops of sweat dripping to his stomach.

Eddie hoped he could lick them up after Steve came.

Steve let out a loud whine and one of his hands fell to Eddie’s hair, his fingers tugging at his roots in a way that reminded him he had no control over any of this.

Eddie decided to take matters into his own hands the best that he could, curling his tongue into a sharper point so that on the next thrust, Steve’s dick was given more pointed pressure.

“Fuck!” Steve yelled out. He looked down at Eddie, hair flopping into his face. “You wanna suck it, baby? You can if you want.”

He sounded so close, breathlessly framing his own wants as something Eddie wanted. And Eddie did want those things.

He was starting to realize he wanted everything with Steve.

It should have been a scary thought, especially when this was just the ending of their first date, but instead of worrying about it, Eddie used all the energy and muscle he could to lift his head up and start to suck on his dick.

“That’s it,” Steve panted, holding Eddie’s head against him, not giving him a chance to move away again. “You’re so good, baby. Gonna make me cum so hard, fuck.”

Eddie started to nod, and the extra movement seemed to set Steve off.

He felt Steve’s thighs clench, then loosen, then clench again, his hand tightening in Eddie’s hair, and a long moan left his body.

Eddie moaned too, and the vibration sent Steve over the edge.

Steve slowed his pace, but didn’t get up, letting Eddie slowly lick along his folds, gathering up the slick dripping out of him.

When Eddie’s tongue brushed over his cock again, he flinched, but let out a huff of a laugh.

“Sorry, baby, you got me so oversensitive already. You’re too good at that,” Steve said, still trying to catch his breath.

“Good at what? Being used?” Eddie managed to ask, voice hoarse.

Steve looked down at him as he moved down to settle against his stomach instead.

“Good at being good for me,” he finally said, seriousness ruined by the hint of fondness in his tone and smile.

“Always wanna be good for you, Stevie,” Eddie admitted.

Steve looked at him for a moment, searched his face for any sign of him lying or being too sex-drunk to be realistic.

But whatever was on Eddie’s face must have shown him that he was serious.

“Yeah, baby. I think you could be,” Steve leaned down to kiss him, licking into his mouth like he wanted to taste himself on Eddie’s lips and tongue, like he wanted to know what they tasted like together.

Eddie felt his cock pulse, felt the tug in his stomach that let him know he was probably much closer than he should be just from eating Steve out for five minutes.

He didn’t have time to be embarrassed though; Steve was moving down his body further, reaching a hand back to touch his cock.

“Wait!” Eddie leaned his head away.

Steve pulled his hand away and looked at him, frowning as he took in the panicked look on Eddie’s face.

“I just, um, I’m close. Like, pretty sure if you touch me, I will cum all over your hand and probably never be able to look you in the eyes again.”

Steve snorted out a laugh.

“What’s wrong with that?” Steve asked, slowly tracing his fingers across Eddie’s waistline, not even looking as he got closer to his cock.

“I…I don’t know?” Eddie admitted.

And truly, he had no idea why he shouldn’t cum. That was the goal of this, and Steve was making it pretty clear he didn’t mind if he did, might even prefer if he did.

The only thing stopping him was that he didn’t want any of this to end.

“Eds, you’ve been so good for me, I kinda want you to feel good, too. Unless you really don’t want to-”

“No! I do!” Eddie ignored the way Steve was trying to cover his laughter. “I just thought you wanted to ride me.”

“Ohhhh. I see. You’re being selfish.”

Eddie’s mouth snapped shut, teeth audibly clacking together.

No one had ever called him selfish in bed, not even jokingly.

But Steve’s tone wasn’t joking. His face wasn’t joking.

“I guess you think I don’t wanna see you squirming because I’m wringing the third orgasm from you in less than an hour? Is that it?”

“Uh…”

Steve clicked his tongue.

“I planned on you begging to stop soon enough. Unless you want to stop now? Seems like it might be hard to go to sleep like that, though.”

Steve’s brow raised as he glanced behind him for a moment at Eddie’s red and dripping cock, then looked back at Eddie.

“No, please don’t stop. I…can I be inside you?” Eddie was desperate, and didn’t care if he sounded like it.

“You wanna cum inside me? Fill me up good, make sure I feel who I belong to?” Steve asked as he slowly moved back further, his hand firmly grasping the base of Eddie’s cock.

Eddie whined, bucking his hips up, but not making the contact he needed.

“You can if you promise to clean me up after,” Steve’s hand slid up Eddie’s dick slowly, the pressure not nearly enough to satisfy him, but enough to make him whine.

“I promise. Please,” Eddie nodded, his one free hand making a fist in the sheets while his still tied up hand tugged on the binds.

Steve didn’t respond with words, just sat back and guided Eddie’s cock along the inner lips of his cunt, moaning at the sensation.

“So warm,” Eddie groaned.

“Gonna get me all wet again, baby,” Steve rocked his hips slowly, teasing the tip along his folds and against his entrance. “You’re leaking worse than I am.”

Which may be true at this point. Eddie had spent enough time licking up as much of his mess as possible.

Steve sat down on his cock with no warning.

He hissed, clenching his fists and curling his toes to fight off the impending orgasm.

Absolutely nothing could have prepared him for the way Steve’s pussy sucked him in, clenching around him in a way that left him shivering and panting.

“Good?” Steve asked, smug grin the only thing keeping Eddie from losing it completely.

“Yes, yeah, so good, fuck,” Eddie threw his head back, arching his back as Steve slowly lifted himself up and dropped back down.

Fuck, Eddie wasn’t gonna be able to hold off. He’d just have to live with the embarrassment.

Steve reached up to untie his hand, grabbing his wrist and massaging it in his own hands as he moved his hips in circles.

“Wait, you didn’t-”

“Yeah, I did.”

“When?” Eddie knew his brain hadn’t been working for a while now, but he was certain his eyes had been. Steve hadn’t stretched himself on his fingers this entire time, and going from just Eddie’s tongue barely breaching his entrance to suddenly sitting on his cock, no matter how wet he was, had to be at least a little painful.

“Bathroom when we got home,” Steve shrugged.

Steve had been fingering himself in the bathroom not even an hour ago. Without Eddie. Without even making a noise.

God, Eddie was so fucked. Literally.

“You okay, baby?” Steve asked, smug grin back in place as he guided Eddie’s hands to his own hips. “Think you can do this part or do I have to do everything?”

Eddie gripped his hips, hoping his fingers would leave bruises, and let himself have this. It may only last for another minute, but he was going to make it worth every second.

He lifted Steve up, then dropped him down, smirking at the loud yelp Steve let out.

“I’m gonna fuck you so hard later, this is just a preview,” Eddie growled out.

“Promise?” Steve gasped as Eddie shoved his hips up as he pulled Steve down.

“Swear. Every night you want me to from now on, Stevie,” Eddie slowed his thrusting, felt the tension building in his abdomen.

Steve groaned as he placed his hands on Eddie’s chest and started lifting his hips up on his own, clenching as he moved up Eddie’s cock.

He quickened his pace, little whimpers leaving him every time his ass met Eddie’s thighs.

“You feel so good, Stevie, gonna cum,” Eddie whined as his thighs clenched.

“Yes, yes, please. You’ve been so good, Eds,” Steve nodded, not pausing for a second.

Eddie’s eyes closed without his permission, Steve’s words hitting him right in the chest, making his breath leave him in one long, drawn-out moan.

Steve didn’t slow down, lacing his fingers with Eddie’s and pushing them backwards onto the sheets as he rode Eddie through his orgasm.

“Kiss me, please,” Eddie begged, opening his eyes to look up at Steve’s flushed face. Sweat was beading along his hairline, bangs flopping into his eyes.

Steve’s lips hovered over Eddie’s, not quite making contact, but close enough for their breaths to mingle together, for the small whimpers Eddie was unintentionally letting out to be swallowed by Steve’s hungry tongue as it grazed against his own.

Eddie was coherent enough to pull one of his hands loose, reaching up to cup Steve’s jaw as he chased his second orgasm of the night.

“Can I?” Eddie asked, moving his hand down his neck, tracing a finger along his collarbone. He looked up at Steve’s wide eyes, felt his pace slow to a stop.

“Can you…?” Steve asked, breathless as he tried to figure out what Eddie was trying to ask him.

“Can I touch your cock? Want you to come on mine.”

Eddie felt Steve clench around him, his cock almost over sensitive enough for it to be painful.

“Yeah, I’m close,” Steve admitted, pulling his other hand away to sit back so Eddie had easier access to his dick.

He was dripping, and Eddie’s cum was leaking from his hole now that he’d stopped moving and Eddie was starting to get soft.

Eddie’s fingers gathered up as much as they could, gliding down to where his cock was still inside him and away a few times, just to tease.

“Eddie…”

“Sorry, sorry. Just like touching you,” Eddie smiled up at him, at the way Steve’s back was arched, at the way his thighs were trembling with the effort of holding himself up.

Steve grabbed his wrist and guided his hand to his dick, impatience finally taking over.

“I like you touching me too, but if I don’t get to come again soon, you won’t touch me again for the rest of the night,” Steve snarked.

Eddie loved him.

He didn’t hesitate to curl his fingers so his knuckles rested against the sides of his dick, still teasing, but at least where Steve wanted it now. He didn’t move for a moment, wanted Steve to be desperate enough to rock forward.

“Eddie, please,” Steve whined.

“Look who’s begging now,” Eddie teased. “You’re so hard, sweetheart. Should’ve told me you were this close earlier. Would’ve taken care of you.”

Steve whimpered, shaking his head as Eddie’s knuckles started dragging up and down his dick.

Watching Steve fall apart above him like this, making him fall apart, especially when he’d been the one in control all night, was making Eddie feel unstoppable.

This was all he ever wanted: making Steve feel good in any way Steve wanted or needed.

Eddie started jerking his fingers faster, watching as Steve’s eyes fluttered closed.

“Fuuuuuck,” Steve groaned, shifting his hips up for more pressure, for anything else he could possibly get.

“That’s it, Stevie. Wanna make you feel good. Wanna be good for you.”

And just like Steve’s words had done for Eddie before, Eddie’s must have been the final straw for Steve.

Steve’s thighs shook as he came, his fingers digging into Eddie’s shoulders as he fell forward, trapping his hand against his pulsing dick.

“Hmm,” Steve moaned out as his grasp loosened, leaving half-moons in Eddie’s skin.

Eddie knew he would be hard again soon. At this rate, he wouldn’t be surprised if he got hard while still inside Steve.

But Steve’s eyes opened, and Eddie somehow fell further.

“I don’t wanna stop,” Steve whispered, leaning in to kiss along his jawline, letting his teeth gently brush against his chin before pecking his lips.

“I’ve got perfectly good fingers. Or…” Eddie leaned up to kiss him, smirking when he felt Steve grind against him. “You could also fuck me.”

Steve’s responding groan was muffled by Eddie’s chest, a laugh immediately following.

“As much as I would love to, and will as soon as I have energy, I was thinking maybe we could just…stay like this?” Steve looked up towards the end, a pink blush coating his cheeks unlike anything Eddie had ever seen on him before.

Steve didn’t get embarrassed or nervous, he didn’t get flustered, at least not where others could see him.

He was Mr. Charming, the smoothest guy around, the one who always knew how to respond in a flirty situation.

But right now, all Eddie saw was vulnerability, his eyes mirroring back the love Eddie felt but hadn’t put into words.

“Like this or on our sides?” Eddie whispered, not wanting the moment to be broken.

“Like this for now.”

Eddie gave a single nod, not mentioning that they should probably clean up a little, or the fact that Robin would be home soon and the bedroom door was wide open.

Steve kissed his chest before he settled with his head in the crook of his neck, breath hot against Eddie’s pulse point.

Eddie’s cock was hard again inside Steve, but both of them ignored it, savoring the feeling of finally having each other.

Steve was asleep quickly, and Eddie let his mind wander as he traced his fingers up and down Steve’s back.

This first date felt a lot like the beginning of a long future.

–

When Eddie woke up the next morning, his cock was in Steve’s mouth, and Steve already had two fingers in his hole, lube slowly dripping between his cheeks.

“What a way to wake up,” Eddie moaned.

Steve pulled off of him, already smirking, lips red and glistening with spit.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, Stevie. Keep going,” Eddie’s voice was rough from sleep.

“You got it, baby.”

#steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #stranger things #transmasculine steve harrington #light d/s #soft dom steve harrington #sub eddie munson

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selunesdreams · 1 month ago

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Chapter 3: Sympathy is a Knife

“Are you saying my debt is now paid in full?” “I don’t know. Is breaking you out of an underwater prison an even exchange for a glass of wine I didn’t have the chance to finish?” Lucanis smirked, a huff of air escaping his nose. Her moxie rivaled Caterina’s. He shuffled out of her way as she squeezed past him to peruse another section, her long, dark hair sweeping against his shoulder, the curve of her hip just barely brushing against his- “SMELLS LIKE-” “So…was that you or Spite who had my back there with the Warden?” Rook asked, thumbing through stacks of fabric. “-ROSEWATER AND SMOKE-” “You can say it was both of us.”

Pairing: Lucanis x Fem Rook/OFC x sometimes Spite??

Summary: Lucanis asks Rook for moral support in planning Caterina's funeral, Rook asks him for a favor in return, Varric has a lot to say about chess, Davrin gets recruited, and Rook has to make an impossible choice…Link to Chapter 1

Word Count: 4.5k

Things of note/warnings: 18+ fic, MDNI! Blood, blight, decomposition, Spite smelling people an inappropriate amount, protective Lucanis and…dead grandmas? I think that covers this chapter. Please read on AO3 if you need to track warnings, they will be inevitably detailed better there (or just want to be real sweet and give me hits/kudos/comments).

─── ⊹⊱♤⊰⊹ ───

To her relief, the Demon of Vyrantium’s addition hadn’t upset the peace of the Lighthouse much, but he had a terrible habit of brooding.

With Varric still on the mend, Rook had been savoring her moments with Neve, Bellara, and Harding in the days leading up to Lucanis’ arrival. Even with almost certain death on the horizon, the four had spent several evenings lounging with their feet in the small pool, centered in Harding’s room. Lace’s quarters more closely resembled a vibrant greenhouse with trails of thick ivy cascading from the ceiling, the floor littered with potted plants from regions of Thedas Rook had never even heard of.

In more recent days, Lucanis had revealed talent in the kitchen that rivaled his expertise as an assassin, and he soon became something like a savior. He possessed an uncanny ability to transform a loaf of bread, spices, and tomatoes into a dish one would serve to impress on a first date. If she was honest, his food rivaled Rook’s mother’s and flooded her with nostalgia, but she’d never admit it. Or maybe it would, if it meant she’d never have to consume one of Neve’s oil-drenched fish again.

“So, we have the Shadow Dragons backing us, the Veil Jumpers, the Crows…now what?” Bellara, never still for more than a few minutes at a time, paced the floor of the main sanctum where the other women were gathered.

“We need Wardens. If we’re dealing with blight, they’ve got centuries of experience under their belts.” Neve said. Beside her, Harding was curled up in a way that made even the stone bench seem inviting.

“Not to mention all that corruption they love sweeping under the rug,” Rook grumbled.

Harding straightened in her seat. “Hey, not all Wardens are-"

The doors swung open and Lucanis strode in, his steps falling quietly on the granite floor. “Rook, do you have a minute?”

She arched an eyebrow. “Of course, is something the matter?”

He waved her on to follow him, silently climbing the stairwell to her chambers.

“Don’t be too long, Rook,” Neve said, miming a rather offensive gesture with a wink before her face turned serious again. “I’ve arranged a meeting between you and the First Warden at the Cobbled Swan at sundown.”

Rook returned Neve’s gesture with one of her own and followed Lucanis upstairs.

“You’re starting to give everyone the wrong idea about us.” She said, shutting the door behind her. “Any reason this needed to be top secret?”

“Teia wants to meet.” He said, pacing the floor with his hands clasped behind his back. “To plan Caterina’s funeral.”

“Oh.”

“If you don’t mind, I could use some backup. In case Spite gets out of hand. And I thought, since this is Crow business, and you and Caterina had…some sort of relationship...”

“Understood.” Rook grabbed her staff from its place on the wall. “Let’s not keep Teia waiting.”

─── ⊹⊱♤⊰⊹ ───

The casino was enveloped in a heavy silence as they entered, the lights dimmed as a show of respect. Most of the non-essential staff and Crows had been dismissed, adding to the stillness.

“Good, you’re here.” Teia pulled Rook into a tight embrace while Illario idled behind her, his downcast expression mirroring his sullen mood. Among all the people she had left behind, the absence of Teia weighed heavily on her conscience. She hadn’t even left a note, yet the Seventh Talon had shown no resentment since their reunion.

Lucanis joined them, lingering near the back wall. “Thank you for making the arrangements, Andarateia.”

“For Caterina? How could I do otherwise? I’m so sorry, Lucanis. This must be such a blow.”

Rook felt a pang of sympathy - he looked so lost. It was easy to forget that someone like Lucanis, who had grown up under the care of the hardened First Talon, could still experience such profound grief. Especially when his only remaining family was Illario, who was emotional enough for the both of them. She shuddered, reminding herself that Viago was a blessing, even in the moments when he felt like a curse.

Teia reached out, her hand gently squeezing Rook’s. “Thank you for coming with him. I need one Dellamorte to plan this. His cousin has been no help at all.”

“I’m sorry, Teia. This is just…too much right now,” Illario said, his hand passing wearily over his face. Rook suppressed the urge to dismiss his words as melodrama, choosing instead to inject a hint of levity into the conversation.

“Lucanis wouldn’t have come without me,” she quipped playfully. Beside her, he folded his arms, widening his stance and shooting her an irritated sideways glance.

“Here for emotional support? You’re always such a dear. You certainly didn’t learn that from Viago.”

“Well, I did care about Caterina. She deserves to be honored.” Beside her, Lucanis’ posture softened a bit, but Illario remained tense as ever. “What do you need us to do?”

Teia nodded. “There’s a lot to plan, but first I need the ashes.”

“…Ashes?” Illario’s face slacked.

“Maker help us. Caterina’s ashes … from the cremation?”

“Oh. Yes. Of course.” He let his arms fall heavy at his sides. “I’ll get them to you right away.”

“Illario, what happened?” Lucanis asked, standing up straight. “How did the Venatori get to Caterina? When? Where? In the estate? In the city? How did they get past our people? What did they use? Poison? Blades? I need to know!”

Illario stepped forward and pressed a palm to his shoulder. “Cousin, stop. You can’t dwell on this. It will drive you mad.”

Lucanis brushed his hand away. “I’m not dwelling. Zara killed the First Talon. I have to know how if I’m going to stop her!”

“And I’m telling you, I’m handling it!”

“Boys! Enough of this. We have other things to discuss.” Teia snapped.

“My apologies, Andarateia.” Illario said. “Please, continue without me. I’ll…get you the ashes.” He cast a final, pained glance in Rook’s direction before he left. It was obvious he wanted her to follow, to comfort him so he could talk her into taking her clothes off out of pity.

She rooted her feet firmly in place. Not happening.

“Something’s going on with him.”

“When he’s not on the job, my cousin always has his head in the clouds.” Lucanis said dismissively.

“She’s right though. Illario can be a handful, but the only time I’ve seen him this way was when you were presumed dead.” Teia gave Lucanis an appraising look and grinned. “You’re worrying, aren’t you? What will people say if they hear the Demon of Vyrantium has a big, soft heart?”

“It’s been an issue before.” Lucanis mumbled.

“An issue?” Rook glanced between them. “What kind of issue?”

“Remember Lucanis’ big contract for the Wigmaker? What he didn’t tell everyone is that he went rogue and freed a bunch of slaves before killing his target. Good karma, but bad for his reputation.” Teia said. “Sound familiar?”

Rook blinked. Maybe this was why he’d gone so much easier on her than Viago had. Save for her accidentally interrupting a Crow operation, their situations were nearly identical.

“I ignored Caterina’s most important teaching - not to let emotions become involved in killing. It makes you sloppy.”

“You’re kidding.” Rook scoffed. “Only Crows could make something like freeing slaves into a shameful occasion.”

“Fiamma…” Teia warned as Viago stepped into the room. She tugged on Lucanis’ sleeve, pulling him aside. “Come, I’ll get us some drinks and we can make arrangements.”

Viago moved closer, the sound of his boots echoing on the casino walls. “Any more complaints about how we should be running things around here?”

“Come on, Vi. You know what I meant.”

“Illario was inconsolable at the wake.” He said, changing the subject. “He needed you, Fiamma. I had to use a mild poison to sedate him and get him to stop blubbering. Maybe you should try to be there for him this time around.”

“I owe him nothing.”

“At the very least, you could help another Crow-”

“Please. Are you upset that Illario’s alienated everyone in his life, or that you couldn’t pawn a drunk spoiled brat off on me at your friend’s wake? Who, might I mention, is alive and well in the next room.” She said, gesturing at the wall.

“Forget Illario! I’m upset that I grieved two people at once!” Viago roars. “Lucanis was my friend, but you were my family . And you abandoned me-”

“You abandoned me!”

“You disobeyed orders!” Viago closed his eyes and swallowed hard enough that she saw his throat bob before he lowered his voice to a whisper. “You could have died.”

“Vi-I’m going to be-”

He cut her off and pulled her into a crushing hug.

“I am a bastard. My father does not want to know me, and my half-siblings took their hush money and disappeared. My mother is gone.” He said, holding her close, “Sure, I had Teia and Illario and Caterina. But we are blood.”

The back of Fiamma’s throat burned as he broke the embrace and held onto her by her shoulders. She narrowed her eyes and glanced at his hands.

“We never hug. Is there poison on your gloves?”

“Could be. Don’t let your guard down, cousin.” he released her, clearly embarrassed by his own display of affection. “But I’m serious. If someone could take out Caterina…I’m glad Lucanis is with you, at least.”

“I handled myself fine without him before.”

“And you’ll handle yourself better with him now. He could teach you a thing or two about restraint. And patience.”

“Not with that demon in him.”

“Don’t make me worry again, please. I haven’t gotten a full night’s sleep in months.” Viago groaned.

“I think the demon likes me.” Rook winked and Viago wrinkled his nose.

“I regret saying anything at all.”

“Fine. I’ll change the subject…” she lowered her voice. “You and Teia seem close.”

“We’ve always been close. She’s a Talon.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

“Fi, flirting is what Teia does. You’ve known her your whole life.”

“She is not just flirting…” Rook ended the exchange as Teia and Lucanis’ voices drew nearer.

“Our house owes you for handling all this.”

“Caterina was family. Can you imagine what she’d say if she saw us all like this?”

Old Crow instincts kicked in, and both Rook and Viago eavesdropped, letting their conversation go unfinished.

“How is working with Fi?”

Rook couldn’t hear Lucanis’ reply.

“She’ll come around. You remind her of difficult times.”

Viago suppressed a grin as Rook cursed under her breath. Teia was always spilling her secrets.

“How…is she?”

“Too hard on herself. But a good leader. My…Spite listens her. Which is odd. He doesn’t really listen to anyone.”

“Spite?”

“The demon.”

“I told you,” Rook nudged Viago, earning her a sharp elbow to the ribs in return. She pinched his forearm, and he took two large sidesteps away from her, folding his arms across his chest.

“Oh. And you?” Teia continued, her voice echoing off the walls.

“And I what?”

“Do you listen to her?”

“When she has something to say, sure. Usually, she ignores me.”

Rook’s mouth fell open. “She’s doing this on purpose!” she hissed. “She knows we’re eavesdropping.”

A curt “yep” was all her cousin said in return, clearing his throat as Teia and Lucanis rounded a corner.

“I’ll have my people keep an eye on Illario.” Teia said, winking at Rook as she sat down on a nearby sofa and crossed her legs.

Lucanis nodded. “Thank you both.”

Teia shooed them away with a wave of her hand. “Go on. I’ll let you know if something comes up. And Fi? We’re overdue for a chat. When you have the time. I know you’re a busy woman these days.”

Rook nodded, giving Viago’s wrist a quick squeeze before following Lucanis across the walkway back to the Eluvian. Perhaps she and her cousin hadn’t completely worked things out, but this seemed like a step in the right direction.

“Lucanis, you wouldn’t be feeling…generous, by chance?”

“This sounds foreboding.”

“I was just thinking, since I was such wonderful moral support, that you could be my backup on a little errand I have to run?”

“Fine, as long as you stop trying to charm me into it.”

Rook placated him and dropped the act.

“Are you up for a quick trip to Dock Town with me? Neve set up a meeting between me and the First Warden.”

“Wardens? Ugh. Isn’t there something I could stab instead?”

“I had to stand in the same room as Illario for you. You can bear a Warden. Come on, I’ll let you sulk across the bar. I just need you in case things go south. You won’t even have to introduce yourself.”

He mulled it over. “Is there wine?”

“I’ll make sure of it.”

“Deal."

─── ⊹⊱♤⊰⊹ ───

Lucanis settled into a booth at the Cobbled Swan with a bottle of Antivan Red and a glass that he had to polish himself a few times with the cuff of his sleeve before feeling comfortable drinking from it. Rook had definitely misled him when she dragged him along, conveniently “forgetting” her coin purse, forcing him to pay for their drinks.

“Don’t pretend you can’t afford it. With all that unspent money accruing interest in your bank account while you were in the Ossuary?” she had teased him. There was a delighted laugh somewhere in his mind.

“LIKE HER. FUNNY. NOT AFRAID OF SPITE.”

He took a long sip and grinned. If he was stuck with a demon, he could at least find a little solace in the company.

From a safe distance, he watched Rook attempt to reason with the Warden. At first, her side of the conversation appeared to go well. She carried herself like a leader - Wardens were always receptive to that. But the First Warden - Jowin, he’d called himself - became less and less amused the longer she spoke. As he placed his glass on the table, Lucanis discreetly reached for the dagger at his hip.

“The important thing is, the gods are making the blight worse. D’Meta’s Crossing was just the beginning. That’s why we need the Wardens-”

“It’s clear whatever you did to unleash the blight has corrupted your already weak mind.” Jowin nodded to his guards behind her. “You will be taken to Weisshaupt and placed under heavy guard until the danger you caused by unleashing the blight passes-”

“No, wait-”

Lucanis sprung from his seat, and with a flash of steel, appeared at Rook’s side, daggers drawn.

“She’s not going anywhere. Try again.”

“I was handling this,” Rook growled.

“By getting yourself a private escort to prison?”

“I should have known.” The First Warden said, “You Crows are meddling where you-”

“Adamant Fortress. 9:41 Dragon.” Someone announced loudly from across the room. “The Grey Wardens tried to raise an army of demons.”

A man strode between them and the Wardens, placing a hand on his hip. His clothes bore the Shadow Dragon mark, and there was a slight burn behind Lucanis’ eyeballs.

“MAGE. STRONG ONE. SMELLS LIKE TEVINTER-”

“Hardly the models of good judgment yourselves, are you?” He continued, examining his fingernails.

“Everyone knows Warden-Commander Clarel acted alone at Adamant Fortress.” The First Warden retorted.

“Acted alone, you say? Imagine if everyone saw the letter I discovered where you authorized her actions…”

The First Warden scowled. “Are you prepared to risk the security of the Grey Wardens for this girl?”

“DISRESPECT! NOT A GIRL. WOMAN . LET ME KILL, PLEASE .”

Lucanis pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to keep Spite at bay. High emotions always gave the demon a chance to break through.

“You may be surprised to find I care very little about the security of the Grey Wardens.” The mage continued with a shrug.

The First Warden squinted at Rook.

“Stay away from the blight, and do not address the Grey Wardens again with your nonsense,” he said, motioning for his guards to follow and storming out of the bar.

“Blackmail, really? Impressive.” Rook murmured, extending a hand. “I’m-”

“Rook. I know. A mutual friend thought you might need some support.” He took her by the hand enthusiastically.

“Are you Dorian? Of the Shadow Dragons? Varric’s mentioned you.”

“The very same.” He turned to Lucanis and frowned, undoubtedly picking up on his demonic passenger.

“Lucanis.” He introduced himself with a bow, preferring to keep his distance.

“You’re both Crows?”

“Yes.” Rook answered.

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Dorian eyed Lucanis as he shoved his hands inside the pockets of his robes. “Right, well…” He cleared his throat with a smile. “Don’t hesitate to call on me if you need assistance. A friend of Varric’s is… usually, a friend of mine.”

As Dorian took his leave, Lucanis leaned over to murmur in Rook’s ear. “He can sense Spite.”

“Are you sure? Maybe assassins just make him nervous.”

“Really? He’s a Shadow Dragon, Rook.”

“Just trying to make you feel better.” She shrugged and looked at the empty booth where he’d been sitting. “Should we have another glass before we get out of here?”

“Viago would have me killed if I let you drink unsupervised wine.”

“Good call.” She said and tossed a coin on the bar, slipping out the door.

“I thought you forgot your coin purse?” Lucanis fell in step with her on the street, his cloak billowing lightly in the breeze behind him.

“And I thought you owed me a debt?”

She ducked into a small clothing shop, and he followed. From floor to ceiling, tailored garments hung on display, textile samples arranged neatly in long lines on battered tables underneath. Several were missing a leg, or propped up on bricks to keep them steady.

“SMELLS LIKE LEATHER AND MOTHBALLS.”

“Are you saying my debt is now paid in full?”

“I don’t know. Is breaking you out of an underwater prison an even exchange for a glass of wine I didn’t have the chance to finish?”

Lucanis smirked, a huff of air escaping his nose. Her moxie rivaled Caterina’s. He shuffled out of her way as she squeezed past him to peruse another section, her long, dark hair sweeping against his shoulder, the curve of her hip just barely brushing against his-

“SMELLS LIKE-”

“So…was that you or Spite who had my back there with the Warden?” Rook asked, thumbing through stacks of fabric.

“-ROSEWATER AND SMOKE-”

“You can say it was both of us.”

She hummed to herself and picked out a leather pantsuit, holding it up against herself to check the size before placing it on the counter. As she dispensed a few gold pieces on top of it, the shop-owner’s eyes widened as he did a double-take, confirming Lucanis’ suspicions that she overpaid.

His head began to feel fuzzy again, and he positioned himself sideways, watching the shop door out of the corner of his eye. A few hooded figures milled about, and he placed his hand on Rook’s lower back.

“You look exhausted. Best we get back.” He turned his attention to the shop owner. “Mind if we use the back door?” Lucanis asked politely.

The shop owner nodded and gestured between two clothing racks, appreciatively holding out Rook’s purchase. Lucanis guided her out, stepping carefully across clothes strewn across the floor.

Rook huffed indignantly. “I look exhausted? You look like you haven’t slept in weeks.”

“SMELLS LIKE-”

“I believe you.” He said, pushing her into the alley.

─── ⊹⊱♤⊰⊹ ───

“So, Scout Harding glows now? Is that a thing everyone’s doing or just her?”

Rook flopped on the bed opposite Varric and sighed loudly.

“Fuck off. I need some advice.” She let her hand fall to the side, allowing him a glimpse of Solas’ dagger in her palm. “What do you think this is?”

“Shit. That looks like the one my brother tried to kill me and Hawke for. Lyrium.”

“How do you think Solas cleansed it of the Blight?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.”

“Ugh. This is all too much.” Rook whined and rolled over, burying her face in a pillow.

“Chin up, kid. You’ve got this.”

“Do I? I’m starting to feel as crazy as the First Warden thinks I am.” She turned her head to catch her breath, muffled voice becoming clear again. “I mean…fuck. I seem pretentious, don’t I? Masquerading around like some kind of leader, asking people who’ve known me since childhood - my own family - to call me Rook?”

“You remember when I gave you that nickname?”

“Yeah, yeah. When you taught me how to play chess, passing time in Minrathous while we waited for a contact.”

“The rook on a chessboard represents strength, stability. It’s second only in power to the queen piece.”

“Are you the queen in this scenario?”

“Funny.” Varric glared at her. “As I was saying - it’s a major player. But unlike the queen, who can move in any direction she wishes, it’s up against odds, limitations. The rook has the unique job of protecting its allies, while it also searches for its enemy’s weakness. It must move around its fellow pieces carefully, sometimes waiting for them to act before it can make its move.”

“You sound like my father.” She whined. “All lessons and metaphors.”

“Fatherhood was never my calling. But I am a damn good mentor.”

Tears brimmed in Rook’s eyes for some reason, and she swiped them away hastily. “You are,” she whispered.

“Hey Rook-“ Harding knocked softly on the door as she entered the room. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

She sat up so quickly she saw stars. “No, not at all.”

“Tell us what you’ve got, Harding.” Varric said.

“Lucanis mentioned your trouble with the First Warden…”

Rook grimaced. “How kind of him.”

“I was just thinking - I have some friends. A married couple in the Wardens who have been researching the Blight for years. I could reach out to them, if you’d like? See if they could help?”

Rook exhaled. “That would be great, Harding.”

“I’ll get on it.”

“Hey - did Lucanis…say anything else?”

She shook her head. “Only that the First Warden was an ass to you, and he wanted to tell him where he could shove his blade. Now that I think about it, though, I’m not sure if that was him or the demon talking.”

“You’ve got to look at the eyes. Purple is Spite.”

“Oh. Well…then I guess it was just Lucanis.”

Rook hummed to herself as Harding left, falling back onto the mattress as she looked at Varric, who was grinning ear to ear.

“What? You have something to say?”

“No, no, just…touching that the Demon of Vyrantium is so heated on your behalf.”

“Why don’t you take another nap, old man?”

─── ⊹⊱♤⊰⊹ ───

“Oh!”

Rook covered her mouth and suppressed the bile that rose in her throat. Harding’s connections had sent them searching for a Grey Warden in the High Anderfels, and so far, all she and Lucanis had found was a tent full of blight and decomposition.

“That’s…unfortunate.” Lucanis said, before something above caught his attention. He searched the sky carefully, one hand reaching for his dagger.

“What-”

He held a finger up to cut her off, beginning to crouch low, just before a loud squawk echoed throughout the canyon and a pair of claws came barreling down towards them. Lucanis shoved Rook out of the way, and she landed hard on her knees, hands scraping on the rock as she scrambled to catch herself without plunging to her death. The creature swooped in front of them again, landing a few feet away, scratching at the earth and snapping its beak.

Rook pushed Lucanis aside and crawled forward, holding out her hands in invitation. The half-eagle, half-lion, cocked its head curiously as Lucanis lowered his weapon.

“Rook! Are you crazy?” He hissed.

“It’s a griffon! A real griffon!”

“Trouble is, he’s not sure what you are. Neither am I.” Announced a tall elf in full Warden armor, climbing up the nearby hill. Rook rose to her feet, offering her hand.

“I’m Rook.” She inclined her head backwards. “This is Lucanis. We’re looking for Davrin.”

“You’ve found him.” He placed his hands on his hips. “Mind telling me why you smell like darkspawn? Griffins hunt darkspawn.”

“It’s the tent.” Rook protested. “It was like that when we got here…blighted.”

“Blight? Where are Remi and-?”

There was a sudden chorus of griffons crying out overhead, and Davrin drew his sword, bracing himself.

“Time to go. You can explain while we run. Come on!”

Recruiting their new friends hadn’t gone as planned. Ambushed by a Gloom Howler and several darkspawn, the remaining griffons were abducted, but Davrin agreed to return to the Lighthouse with them, under the agreement that they’d help retrieve the stolen griffons in return.

“So, you live in the Fade?” He asked as they stepped off the Caretaker’s boat. Behind him, his griffon, Assan, screeched excitedly.

“Yep.” Rook cleaned darkspawn guts off her blade with the heel of her boot. “And the gods can’t find us here. It’s a pretty solid setup. There are plenty of rooms to choose from. Your odds on getting a good one are high since Lucanis chose to camp out in the pantry.”

Lucanis glowered. “Rook, would you please -”

As they rounded the next corner, the rest of their companions came barreling into view.

“Well…here’s everyone.” Rook gave them a skeptical look. “Everyone, this is-”

“Dragons!” Bellara braced her hands on her knees as she caught her breath. “Dragons.”

Davrin drug his hand across his face. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Minrathous is under attack.” Neve clarified.

“Treviso too.” Harding skidded to a stop behind her.

“Mierda.” Lucanis breathed.

“We can’t be in two places at once, Rook.” Harding said, “You’ve got to make the call.”

Lucanis seized Rook by the arm, a pleading look in his eyes. “Rook, it’s Treviso . People will die without us-Teia, Viago, Illario-”

Her stomach churned as she locked eyes with Neve. Her new friend. The one she’d grown most attached to during her fleeting time in the Lighthouse. The only other person handpicked by Varric.

“Neve, I’m so sorry. I have to-“

“I get it. Treviso is your home. But I have to go save mine.” She fade-stepped backwards and took off running to Dock Town’s Eluvian without another word. Rook glanced around at her companions as they waited for her to make a decision.

Damnit, Varric. She never wanted to be a leader.

“Davrin, with us.” She didn’t want to split him up with people he hadn’t even been properly introduced to yet. “The rest of you go with Neve. We’ll meet you there as soon as we can.”

Rook stared down at her arm, where Lucanis still had ahold of her, expecting him to release her, but he pulled her along, as if afraid she’d turn her back on Treviso if he didn’t drag her there.

“Is it always like this?” Davrin asked as he quickened his pace, following them through the Crossroads. Behind them, Assan flitted through the air anxiously.

“I wish I could say it wasn’t.” Rook replied over her shoulder. She yanked herself free of Lucanis’ hold as they reached the Eluvian, and followed him in, gasping as she materialized on the other side.

Her city was burning.

#lucanis dellamorte #spite being a little shit #eating crow #lucanis x rook #lucanis fanfic #illario dellamorte #dragon age lucanis #da4 lucanis #lucanis romance #lucanis fic #dragon age the veilguard #dragon age fanfiction #veilguard fic #dragon age veilguard #spite dragon age #rook x lucanis #da4 #lucanis #lucanis fanfiction

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happilyfeatherafter · 11 months ago

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Happilyfeatherafter’s ficrec Fridays

Happy Dean Winchester's 45th birthday week, and happy Friday! I was absolutely blown away by everyone's incredible posts for Dean this week, you guys. It made me all emotional.

Back with my fourth week of fics I've read and loved recently. If you missed last week’s you can find my previous rec lists here for more!

26 January 2024

american oracle by @handsliketruth and whiskeyjuniper (@satinsolace) I spent all last Sunday reading this one and it was such an immersive experience! An earthquake shakes something loose in the bunker, seemingly trapping Dean, Cas and Sam inside with it as they attempt to fix what's gone wrong, only the bunker isn't going to make it easy for them! Super creepy, twisty, reality bending and really beautifully, unsettlingly written. Whatever's happened is messing with their minds, and the creeping horror of real or not real persists, but even through that the Dean and Cas of it are really fascinating in how they navigate their intense feelings for each other. I was also incredibly impressed with how the effects of canon wrapping up were woven into the plot in such a powerfully potent way, exploring fate, free will, and the future. Really a stand out (and I know a lot of you have been reading it because I found this fic open in no less than three separate tabs in my bookmarks when I came to read it myself. So adding one more rec to the pile!)

Slouching Towards Bethlehem by @norahastuff (art by @logsdrawsthings) is a brilliant and seamlessly written missing conversations DCBB fic set in seasons 4 and 5. The dialogue is so on point for that era Dean and Cas, at times I had to remind myself what came from the show and what was brand new. As they navigate their way towards the apocalypse, and Cas watches over Dean in reality and in dreams, it seems hard to find solace. But in getting to know one another better, they both question their parts in the grand plan, and also find peace, connection, and company in their deepening bond.

A Fic About Dean’s 45th Birthday by @scoobydoodean both does exactly what it says on the tin AND made me cry lol. After Mrs Butters plants the seed in his head that he's too old to celebrate his birthday, Dean gets a little upset, but he doesn't let on to anyone. The poor man just wants to be appreciated and celebrated on his birthday! But he feels guilty about causing a fuss, and anyway, he can still show his love through making sure everyone else's days are marked for the occasion. But on his 45th, his family is acting a little suspicious, and they seem to want him to stay away. Angsty, sweet, give that man his krispy treats!!!! Check out Dean with Scoobies.

found it here in your love by nevernevergirl (@yorkesteins) is another Dean's birthday ficlet, but taking a 180 spin on it. Cas has plans. LOTS of plans. Dean deserves to be celebrated. But some pesky snow has derailed Cas' thoughtfulness, and despite his best intentions he's awfully upset about letting Dean down. "In which learning to live your life after nearly two decades of saving the actual world is a process. They're doing it together, though." Sweet, domestic, heartwarming love (even when there's a tantrum involved.)

Plus shout out to @angelsdean's I spy Dean's birthday game, @dean-isms's birthday party watchlist, and ALL of the incredible fic, art, AMVs and edits you made. TALENT.

#happilyfeatherafter ficrec friday #destiel fic #dean fic

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chloecherrysip · 2 years ago

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all the pain will change into a memory of when we were amazing (mario & luigi-centric post-movie fic, part 1!)

(My weekend got a little busier than I was expecting, but I was still DETERMINED to get this up today and hey, I succeeded!!! I will eventually post an AO3 version as well, so if you'd like to wait for that, you can (and I will of course link it here), but sharing on tumblr is just a little easier for me to start out with. :)

Remember that this is just the first part and there will be at least two or three more coming soon!! Like I've already said in other posts, this fic has become SO LONG that it needs to be split up a little just for ease of reading. The title comes from the song Casey by Darren Hayes, which for the record, is a song about siblings and really fits movie!verse Mario & Luigi's relationship, in my eyes. Also, just so you know, this part (and only this part) has some Mario/Peach moments as well! I hope you enjoy!)

It took roughly eleven hours to put Brooklyn back together.

Not to how it was before, just to be clear. Not even close. Just enough that you could no longer tell right away that it had been subjected to a catastrophic tear between dimensions or alternate realities or whatever the two worlds were in relation to one another — who even knew? Instead, it looked more like it had suffered a few earthquakes in quick succession, or a hurricane closely followed by a tornado for good measure. Y’know, normal disasters.

It would no doubt require weeks of work to fix the cracked roads, replace all the crushed cars, reassemble the shopfronts enough to reopen and finally, finally get rid of all the black chunks of molten rock and huge mushroom stalks that were still being found in the strangest crevices and alleyways. But there was a lot to be extremely grateful for too. It was an outright miracle that Bowser’s airship had happened to crash down into the empty construction site mere minutes before the workers were scheduled to get started, somehow missing all occupied buildings. Everyone on the block was unhurt and accounted for, and they all still had a mostly-intact place to sleep that night. That, Mario reasoned, was more than good enough for now.

He’d jumped headfirst into helping with the emergency cleanup efforts as best he could, of course. It was the very least he could do after unintentionally causing the whole mess to begin with, and Luigi had jumped right in alongside him, ready to go. The star had worn off — even if Mario was still seeing glimmering afterimages of rainbows in the corners of his eyes every time he blinked — but it seemed like there were some lingering aftereffects. They felt better than ever, every injury down to the slightest bruise or cut completely healed, an overflow of joyful energy humming pleasantly all through his core. Mario guessed it was some kinda mixture of leftover magic and his own adrenaline and relief, which probably could have kept him going strong for a long time all on its own. They’d actually made it home. They’d seen their parents and family again. His brother was back within arm's reach, smiling and solidly warm and safe. How could he not feel like he was on top of the world?

So they’d spent the rest of the day working with neighbors to clear debris and shattered glass, move cars safely out of the way that were too crushed to move on their own any longer, nail up boards to cover gaps where windows once were. There were various damaged water fixtures and pipes that desperately needed some TLC before they came entirely undone and caused more damage (thankfully, Mario knew two talented plumbers who were more than up to the task). And of course, there was the not-so-small matter of rounding up all of Bowser’s minions and stuffing them back through the pipe before they snuck further into the city and started causing mass chaos. Most of that went smoothly, thankfully (other than one notable incident of some Koopas messing around at a bowling alley and accidentally getting stuck in the ball return). The magician in the blue robe, the one with the wand, had vanished entirely, though. Luigi had been the first one to notice, nervously mentioning that he’d seemed important, like a second-in-command to Bowser. Mario didn’t like that one bit, but Peach reassured him that they would stay vigilant.

Speaking of Peach, she’d taken charge of the chaotic situation right away, her leadership skills shining bright in a way that left Mario quietly in awe. She’d personally overseen Bowser’s transfer and imprisonment back in the Mushroom Kingdom while also coordinating efforts on both sides of the warp pipe, DK and Toad providing support as they all passed back and forth between worlds several times throughout the day, transporting as much of Bowser’s broken-up airship back to where it came from as possible. Toad Town was still a mess from the invasion as well, and many of the Toads who’d evacuated needed to be helped back from the forests. Mario had only spent a little time there, but thinking about such a lively, cheerful place in abandoned disarray troubled him. He considered going back for a little while to help out there too, just to make sure everyone got home safe.

But the familiar warp pipe loomed before them, and Luigi’s smile strained. Mario, hand lightly pressed to his brother’s back, registered the sudden, new tenseness, the way his breathing became shallower, despite his best efforts to not let it show. And there was Mario’s answer. He wouldn’t put Luigi through that again, not so soon, and if Luigi wasn’t going, Mario wasn’t going — end of story. The thought of being an entire world away from him after everything they’d just struggled through, even briefly, was too much to handle. All day, that uneasiness had hung around him, the one wrinkle in his light-as-air happiness and boundless energy. He hadn’t even liked Luigi being out of his sight for too long as they worked on the cleanup, which he fully knew was silly and unreasonable. That was why he'd never breathed a word of the feeling outload, even when the discomfort settled in heavily like a bad stomachache.

It'll get better once a little more time goes by, Mario kept insisting to himself with a sure, stubborn forcefulness. What's there to be worried about? We made it, both of us. We're together. Everything's gonna be okay. It really is.

“Don’t worry! We’ve got it all under control,” Peach reassured him. “I promise. The Kongs are helping, and so are the penguins from the Ice Kingdom. We’re going to work with them to rebuild their castle as well. On the bright side, I think our alliances will be much, much stronger after this mess.”

“Are ya sure?” Mario couldn’t help but press, interlacing his fingers tightly. “I dunno, I just feel like I need to do something. If it wasn’t for you, all of you, I wouldn’t have gotten to Luigi in time.”

“Oh, and like you didn’t do even more to help us?” She gave the brim of his cap a flick that was somehow both playful and graceful. “Mario, you and your brother stopped Bowser in his tracks. Both of our worlds are safe from him now because of you two. If anything, we owe you! Toad was already talking about organizing a parade, or giving you both a chest of gold coins!”

“What? No, no, who needs all that?” Mario insisted, his face flushing a little. “Besides, those coins won’t even fit in my wallet! There probably isn’t an exchange rate or anything here for ‘em. Just my luck.”

“I thought as much.” She placed a fingertip to her pursed lips, tapping lightly as she pondered. “What about a house?”

“A whole house!?” Mario nearly choked on the air. “For free?”

Peach gave him an odd look and a shrug, as though it was perfectly reasonable in her world to offer someone she’d just met a few days ago real estate with absolutely no strings attached. “Why not? You and Luigi are always going to be known as heroes in the Mushroom Kingdom, you do realize. It's the least we could do. But…” She thought in silence for a moment longer and then smiled, the curve of it a little heavier, more subdued. “A house doesn’t do much if no one will be living in it, huh?”

Mario considered that. Across the sewer room, the black of the warp pipe’s insides spread out behind Peach, vast and unending. “That’s…yeah, that’s true,” he said, his shoulders sinking a bit. “For now, don’t worry about doing anything for us, all right?” He swallowed around a strange, new lump in his throat. “Before anything else happens, I just really need to make sure my family’s all right.”

Peach nodded. “And I need to make sure mine is too,” she said, voice warm with understanding.

She shot a meaningful glance over Mario’s head, and he followed her gaze to where Toad and Luigi were sitting off to the side. Toad was excitedly talking, making big, bombastic gestures with his pan as though he was reenacting something. Luigi, for his part, looked a little bewildered but interested, following along as best as he could manage with lots of nodding. The strain in Mario’s chest eased.

“But you’ll both visit before too long, right?” Peach brought his attention back to her, her tone pointed. “There’s still plenty of beautiful places to see in our world. We barely scratched the surface! But we can start with a nice cup of tea in the castle, of course.”

Mario couldn’t help but smile widely. “Definitely,” he said. “And besides, I already made a promise to DK before he headed back. Me and my “stupid overalls” have to give him a rematch at some point. C’mon, how can I pass up a chance to kick his furry butt all over again?”

“And I want to come back and visit this world again too!” She added excitedly. “I want to know more about the bowling we saw, and video games, and — what did you call that one thing? A calzone? — and well, everything!”

Mario laughed outright. “Sure, come back anytime! Luigi and me know allll the best spots in Brooklyn like the backs of our hands. With us, you’ll never have a bad time, guaranteed.”

Some bright, delighted mischief flashed in Peach’s eyes. “And besides,” she said, “your mom said she would show me some of your baby pictures next time. I have to see that because I can’t imagine you without a mustache, honestly. It just doesn’t seem possible.”

Mario’s laughter got less boisterous and much more strained in a big hurry. “Right, right,” he said, voice cracking. “Gotta remember to, heh, burn some of those before then.”

“Don’t you dare!”

With more than a little reluctance, she waved over at Toad, signaling that it was time for them to say goodbye.

“I’ve got to get out of this wedding dress already,” she joked, holding up the skirt so Mario could clearly see all the tears and scorch-marks and dark staining, all intermingled with white and glittering pink. On the top, she was wearing a new, light pink “I LOVE NY” shirt from a cheap souvenir store; Luigi had actually been the one to get it for her, having noticed that she was spending a lot of time standing out in the sun with her shoulders uncovered. At some point along the way, she'd also tied up her blonde hair in a messy ponytail to keep it out of the way. “What a disaster, huh?”

Mario honestly thought that she looked beautiful. But there was no way he could say that, and he also didn’t want to agree because that sounded rude. Thankfully, he had only had a few more seconds of mounting internal panic left to go on that subject before Toad and Luigi came over.

“Your brother’s just as cool as you are, Mario!” Toad brightly announced out of the blue, which in turn made Luigi jolt and blush behind him. “But I should have guessed! You guys are the SUPER Mario Brothers, after all!”

“Hey, I coulda told you that a lot sooner!” Mario grabbed Luigi around the middle with one arm and squeezed tight, enough to make his brother wriggle with a hoarse, surprised laugh. “He’s always got my back!”

“Hey, hey, I’m flattered, but there’s no way I’m as cool as Mario,” Luigi insisted, grabbing and squeezing Mario right back, playfully poking at his stomach. “Are ya kidding? This is the best guy in the world, c’mon! No contest!”

"You c'mon! Who came up with using a manhole cover as a shield out of the blue, huh?”

Luigi blinked a few times and then ducked his head down with a big, bashful grin. “Okay, maybe that was me.”

“Exactly.” He smushed his brother’s cap, ruffling his hair underneath. “What were you guys talking about, anyway?”

“Ohohoho, wouldn’t you like to know,” Toad insisted right away with a thick air of secrecy. He mimed locking his mouth with a key and then tossing it away, winking in Luigi's direction. “No need to be jealous, Mario. I can have two best friends.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Mario replied dryly.

“It was no big deal, r-really!” Luigi backed Toad up, a little too loudly. His eyes looked somewhat glassy, as though he was teetering on the verge of tears, but when Mario met his gaze full-on, worried all of a sudden, his brother smiled back, big and sincere and seemingly very happy. “We’re all good! Better than good! We’re great!”

Peach stepped forward, then. “You really made a difference when it counted most, Luigi,” she said warmly, taking one of his hands in her own and patting it. “Thank you again for that. I know you didn’t see the best our world has to offer, but I hope you’ll give us another chance soon enough.”

Luigi, having stiffened a little at her touch out of sheer surprise, relaxed again. “Of course, Peach — I mean, Princess Peach. Your highness? Ma’am!” He gave her a salute with the other hand, for some reason. “I, uh, definitely appreciate it.”

She let go of him and reached for Mario’s hand in turn. Out of the blue, he thought about kissing the back of it — she was a princess, right? Wasn’t that what people did in all the fairytale books? — but that was a silly idea, stupid enough to make the back of his neck burn from embarrassment. Instead, he simply held onto her tight for a long moment, reflecting her sweet smile back at her, his heart pleasantly fluttering.

Further down, Toad grabbed one of Mario’s legs and one of Luigi’s legs in both arms and hugged them fiercely at the same time, sniffling a little. They gave his head a few soft pats in return (and winced when he loudly blew his nose into their overalls).

“See you around, Mustache,” Peach said softly. She took a small step backwards towards the pipe but didn’t let go of him, their arms stretching out further. “And don’t forget what we talked about,” she added after a beat, delicate, maybe even the tiniest bit hopeful. “What I offered…it’s always on the table, if you ever do decide you want it.”

“I won’t forget,” he said in return, softer too. “Stay safe.”

She squeezed his hand one last time, and then she and Toad were gone. The warp pipe’s signature sound bounced off the impossibly high walls of the room they were in until it was just a tiny echo. Mario took a deep breath. He turned to find Luigi beaming at him, eyebrows raised high and wiggling a little at the ends.

"Shut up," he sighed.

“What!? I didn’t even say anything!” Luigi insisted, even as he continued to grin.

“Yes, you did. I can read your mind.” Even Mario’s sternest do NOT go there, I’m serious look could never do much when Luigi was ready to do some ruthless teasing, but he tried it anyway as they started to trudge towards the stairwell at a much slower pace then when they’d first come down it. When had he started to feel so tired? A big yawn fought its way up his throat before he could continue. “I just met her! We’re friends. That’s all there is to it, thank you and goodnight.”

“Look, you can't prove a thing, but if I was saying something, well, I'd start with the way she was looking at you.” Luigi whistled. Mario pulled down the brim of his cap, if only to hide the sudden warmth creeping into his face a little better. “She certainly seems like a princess with good taste, y’know?”

“All right, all right. Ya done?”

“As a matter of fact, I’m not! She’s already got a dress too, which is really convenient. After all, weddings are expensive—”

“Stop, Lu. You better not breathe a word of this back home! Cause you’re gonna get Ma and Dad all riled up too and then I’ll never hear the end of it."

“Are ya serious!? Oh, my poor, sweet, naïve Mario. They already smelled the blood in the water at least five hours back. They were talking about little blonde grandkids when you were in the bathroom and everything.”

At least the long trek ahead of them out of the sewers would give Mario time for his face to cool down to a normal temperature again. “Great, great, just what I need,” he grumbled. “Now I gotta find a princess for you to get the heat off me.”

“W-What!?” Luigi sputtered. “I mean, I wish. But a kingdom only has one princess, right? And you’re the lucky guy.”

“There wasn’t just one kingdom,” Mario mused. He was climbing the stairs by then, metal clanging with each step. “I betcha all the money I have that if I went looking around long enough over there, I could find a real cute royal out there who has a thing for the color green.”

He reached behind him to give Luigi’s shoulder a playful shove, only for his hand to meet nothing but air. Turning fully, he saw that his brother was moving a lot slower than he’d expected. He was still at the bottom of the stairs, clinging to the railing and blinking furiously, his gaze focused on nothing in particular.

“Luigi?” Mario asked hesitantly. “You good?”

Luigi perked up at that and gave a thumbs-up. “A-okay!” He chirped, starting to climb. “I just — whew. I’m a little, uh, dizzy. It feels like that crazy star hung around for a while, eh? Like, we weren’t super-powered anymore, but nothing hurt, and I still had tons of energy to do whatever I wanted. But now…”

“Yeah, I’m definitely feeling that too.” Mario realized it more clearly, his breathing already labored after only climbing one flight of stairs. The injuries weren’t back, thankfully, but he was aching all over, a new heaviness creeping into his bones more and more. Luigi was hurrying to catch up with him, moving unsteadily.

“Just go slow,” Mario called. “We’re not in a hurry. Be careful.”

It didn’t seem like Luigi heard him, still trying to talk as he climbed, huffing and puffing. “I mean, wow! We were running all over the place! We were fixing things! We were saving Brooklyn! But…huh. Something’s kinda weird.” His voice had dropped down into a mumble, so quiet and fast that Mario almost couldn’t understand him. “I’m having that pins-and-needles feeling, like my legs are asleep, but I’m still walking just fine. Right? Do I look normal walking? Be honest. I…I can’t tell.” He looked sleepy, and then he suddenly looked frightened, unfocused, as though he wasn’t even sure where he was at all. “Wait. Am I upside down? Mario…”

It happened so fast. With one last shuddery breath, Luigi’s eyes rolled back into his head. He started to fall backwards, about to topple down a nearly full flight of stairs.

Mario’s heart seized. “Luigi!”

He covered several steps in one desperate jump. Somehow, he managed to get one arm around his brother and pull him back with every last scrap of strength he had left, crushing their bodies together. The other arm, he wrenched over and around the railing blindly, worn metal scratching and squeaking against him painfully as he struggled to hold onto it. For a long, agonizing moment, the fight against gravity seemed like it was going to be too much to overcome, and Mario, teeth gritted, mentally prepared himself to turn them around in the air so he would take the brunt of the long fall. But miraculously, his shoes found enough purchase on the steps, and his aching grip lasted just long enough for Mario to pull their combined weight back in the other direction. The two collapsed in a heap against the ascending stairs instead.

Mario’s gasping breaths seemed like the only sound in the world, the echoes bouncing wildly all around.

“Luigi,” he finally managed to wheeze — quiet at first, then again, much louder. As gently and carefully as he could manage, he scooted up into a sitting position and turned his brother over onto his back, cradling him. He was still out cold. Mario patted his face. “Hey, Luigi. Come on, Lu, wake up for me, all right? I’m here. I’ve gotcha.” He patted a little harder, steadfastly ignoring the way his hands were trembling at that point. Every second passing with no change stretched on, an eternity and then some. “You’re all right, everything’s all right. Come on, Luigi, snap out of it…”

Up close, Luigi looked extremely pale, sweat beaded along the line of his cap. How had Mario not noticed that before? He’d been too caught up with all the cleanup efforts, too distracted by Peach and Toad and the thought of that hypothetical house. How could he not see that Luigi was starting to struggle? What kind of brother was he?

The kind that does something really, REALLY stupid because of pride or "destiny" or whatever you wanna call it. The kind that not only drags his brother down with him to do the stupid thing, but almost gets him killed because of it.

Mario's shoulders sagged. He gripped Luigi tighter, pressing his little brother's face close to the crook of his neck, if only to try and desperately ground himself in the knowledge that he could feel him breathing still, at least. Their injuries were gone, it was true, but for Mario, it was suddenly like the star had just shifted the pain around instead. He could feel it pressing up from under his skin, a deep well that was ready to split him open all the way through if he let it.

It no longer seemed like he'd just been in a magical world on a whirlwind adventure, or that he'd defeated a spiked turtle monster with anger issues and saved Brooklyn in a glorious, technicolor blur. Now, he was just a small, ordinary man in a dark sewer room underground, exhausted and terrified and unable to help the person he loved most.

All of a sudden, Luigi jolted under his hands. “Noooo more flambé for me, thankyouverymuch, I’m-a good!” He shouted, the words slurred together to the point of being nearly unintelligible. With a handful of slow, very confused blinks, he finally managed to focus on Mario’s extremely relieved face overhead. “Waaaaaaait. Whuh happen?”

Mario bundled up all those sharp, aching feelings behind a new wall and regathered himself. No matter what, he was going to stay strong, stay in control. He needed to do that for Luigi’s sake. There was no other choice. “You went down like a big sack of bricks, ya lug,” he tried to joke, even as his voice cracked badly on the last word. “Nearly gave me a heart attack! Are you okay?”

Luigi considered this information, eyes unclouding bit by bit. “I’m sorry,” he finally said, soft, a little embarrassed. “Y-Yeah, I think I’m good. I, uh, don’t really know what happened there! It was like…it all just hit me at once, I guess.”

“Yeah, no kidding.” Mario worried his bottom lip between his teeth. “When’s the last time you slept, bro?”

Discomfort crept into Luigi’s expression at that. He looked away from Mario, not able to meet his gaze for more than a few seconds at a time. “Well, I dunno if I — I was wandering around for a while, and then I couldn’t really sleep in that cage, y’know? All that lava made the metal real hot, so I had to keep moving to not get burned, and you have no idea how hard it is to nod off when there’s a creepy star laughing its head — body? — head off in the next cage over, and, and...well, I’m sure I got an hour here and there,” he scoffed lightheartedly, waving off the thought with a wobbly sweep of his hand through the air. “Nothing worse than those all-nighters in high school!”

“You almost had a nervous breakdown because of those all-nighters,” Mario said. His grip on Luigi’s shoulder tightened, fingers winding snug in the green material. “And…what about food? Water? We’ve been go-go-go all day. I didn’t even think about…”

A brand-new sense of dawning horror came over Mario, sudden enough that he trailed off. He couldn't remember them ever taking a break, even sitting down in the shade for a few minutes. There'd just been so much to do, so many people in need of help, and the two of them had felt so good, laughing and joking and keeping up with no problems whatsoever. The time had flown by. But now...

“Pfft, who needs it?” Luigi said, extremely casually and extremely unconvincingly. He coughed, closing his eyes again for a long moment, resting his cheek sleepily against Mario’s chest. “Hmm. A guard gave me some sips a couple of times? And there was some weird bread. I think it was bread. Who even knows? It was stale like croutons. Not like the really good garlic ones Ma makes, though. These were like…like erasers or something. Blech.”

A few sips of water and some "bread." A couple of hours of sleep, if that. Luigi was on his own, scared and struggling and eventually imprisoned in a maniac’s floating lava airship, for over two full days.

“Well, no wonder you passed out,” Mario sighed, rough and very quiet. He had to talk like that — any louder, and his voice was going to become too unwieldy. It already felt like someone had promptly stuffed his heart into a blender and cranked it up to the highest setting. “Speaking of Ma, she’s probably got a full spread out by now. I’m gonna get you home, you’re gonna eat until you pop, and,” he had to pause for a moment to swallow, his throat hurting, “and then you’re gonna sleep until you can’t anymore, okay? That’s what we’re doing.”

Luigi sighed too, his smile resurfacing. “Man, that sounds like heaven. What are we waiting for?” He started to sit up with newfound determination, only for the dizzying sight of the stairs descending down into the dark beneath them to make his motions distinctly more rubbery again in a hurry. He sunk back into Mario’s arms, breathing faster, eyes closed again.

“Just, uh, one more minute," he half-wheezed. "Nothing to worry about, I’m getting up right now, I swear, but…is it just me or is it really, really hot down here? Those burns I had, they’re all gone, which is great, but I can still kindaaaa feel them? Is that a medical thing? Or am I freaking out? Because, heh, it’s starting to feel like I might be freaking out, and not to toot my own horn but some might consider me an expert when it comes to the signs of freaking out—”

“Just breathe, Lu,” Mario interjected, gently but firmly, the way he always did when Luigi got lost in a thought process that wasn’t going to lead him anywhere good in a hurry. “We can wait as long as ya need. No rush at all.”

Mario pressed back the brim of Luigi’s cap so he could brush his hairline soothingly, wipe away the sweat. He leaned down, gathering Luigi close enough to bump their foreheads together so they could breathe in slow, deep unison. He’d done that little motion to Luigi their whole lives, an unspoken shorthand that only they understood. When his little brother was scared or anxious, touching foreheads was a way to make the world smaller, less overwhelming, if only for a few seconds. It was an easy way to say: who cares about any of that? Focus on me instead. It’s just the two of us. I’m here for you. I’ll always be here for you.

(And he’d tried, hadn’t he? He tried, and he hadn’t been good enough this time, when it mattered most. Luigi had suffered because he couldn’t hold on tightly enough. Because he hadn’t fought harder, been smarter, pushed to move faster throughout every part of the trip. And at the end when he’d finally found his brother? It had just been dumb luck, really. He’d squinted up at all the cages at the right time through the haze of the lava heat, breathless from the climb and still half-focused on trying to stay in the air without plummeting, and he’d seen his brother fall, and his body had just reacted without any thought, desperation and adrenaline screaming in his veins, the only word in his head echoing out as faster, faster, FASTER. And if one little thing had gone differently — if he hadn’t found that specific powerup, if he hadn’t figured out how to use it properly, if he'd been looking anywhere else, if he’d misjudged the speed or simply missed his grab entirely — then that would have been it, and it would have been all his fault. The sight felt seared into Mario’s head, something he could see whether his eyes were open or closed. He saw Luigi tumbling in the air, terrified and yelling and out of control, hurtling towards the lava at full speed. Only this time, he couldn’t reach him, he couldn’t move at all, he could only watch helplessly and in horror as he—)

“Mario?” Luigi asked quietly. “Are you okay?”

Mario jolted back into the moment. He was breathing too hard, too fast; a tremor ran through him, bone-deep. Luigi was holding one of his arms, his eyes big and shining with newfound worry.

Mario smiled reassuringly for him, as easy and unthinking as a reflex. He took Luigi’s hand and wedged his fingers through his with a tight squeeze, resolving not to let go again until they were safely at home. That awful drowning feeling was rippling all through him, but he could keep his head above it if he focused hard enough, if he refused to let it sneak up on him again. He could do that. He would do that, no matter what it took.

With a slew of careful, slow-going movements, the two brothers finally stood up together on the stairs.

“Don’t worry about me,” Mario said, and turned to lead the way. “C’mon. Let’s get out of here."

#mario movie #mario movie spoilers #super mario bros #mario and luigi #mareach #super mario bros movie #cherrysip fic #super mario bros movie spoilers #a succinct summary of this part: things are going great! and then things are going not so great :(#this feels very derivative of other people's fics but hey that's what happens when you take over a month to delve into your own #post-movie scenario - everyone's done most of the common things before lololol. I GOTTA JUST BE OKAY WITH THAT #anyway much MUCH more to come as soon as i can make it happen! thank you for reading - i appreciate you all!#(also i always hate having to say it but please do not tag this as ship!!! just don't!!!)

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xxblairexxss · 1 year ago

Text

I Tried

Pairing : Jude bellingham x reader

Themes : Angst

Word count : 4.4k

Hi! It’s 4AM and I just had an overwhelming feelings to write something in 30 minutes before I go to sleep. This is my first fic and am no where as talented as those amazing fic writers. Please go easy on me! This fic is heavy on self-doubt. Please skip if it could trigger you.

p/s : I don’t know how to properly work on this app and still trying to figure things out. I am also still learning about leaving warnings before any fics so please forgive me if I use the wrong warnings and such! Promise I will improve on this! 🥹

Growing up as the only child in the family, Y/N grew up and learnt almost everything on her own. Well, not everything as in raising herself but no one was there to keep her accompany as she watched her favourite tv shows, no one was there to tell her that Hogwarts wasn’t a real school, no one was there to tell her that she won’t receive any letters from Hogwarts like Harry did, no one was there to play Barbie with her. She thought it was fine and never cared about it because she eventually learnt it all by herself as she grew up.

But no one was there to teach her about love.

She read about it in novels that she borrowed from the library. She watched movies like “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” and thought to herself that love is beautiful but she never imagined herself to fall in love nor did she imagined herself capable to make someone else’s fall in love with her but then,

but then she met Jude Bellingham, a kid who went to the same high school with her.

She met him through a mutual, who thought it would be fine to play cupid and pair these two together because they thought it would be an interesting pair, a shy, introvert girl who had never been in any relationship and a friendly guy who got along with everyone, the one who had been in multiple relationships.

Of course, Y/N didn’t know how to differentiate if it was just a silly puppy crush, with love. She never knew if what she felt for Jude was just her desire to fall in love or she did genuinely fell in love with him.

“Hi, I’m Jude. Jude Bellingham.”

“Hi, I’m Y/N.”

Over the weeks, they got closer and closer. No one thought it would be a problem at all because, well, Jude can be friends with anyone.

“I really wanted to be a professional footballer.” He said, taking a bite from his burger. “I don’t think that is impossible, Jude. Look at you! You are so talented.” Y/N replied with a wide grin on her face. She had been to his friendly match before and Jude was indeed very talented. “You might even get picked to be in England national football team one day.”

“If I make it, then I want you to be there with me. As my girlfriend.”

“..what?” Y/N could have sworn this felt like an actual dream. Did he really ask her to be his girlfriend? Could this be a chance for her first ever relationship and could possibly be her one and only relationship?

She would have said yes straight away if it wasn’t for the sudden waves of anxiety. What if she made the wrong decision? What if she wasn’t ready? What if he was just playing around?

“I promise I’ll make it worth. I like you, Y/N. I really do.”

And she said yes. Because he promised,

but promises are meant to be broken.

Y/N did everything she could think of to make Jude the happiest boyfriend ever. She baked him cookies, she sent him a box of his favourite chocolates with handwritten letter to cheer him up when he lost his match, she spent days thinking about what she should give him as his birthday gift and she taught that those “relationships” she read and watched were indeed true, love was indeed the most beautiful thing a human could ever felt. Falling in love is like planting those roses and daisies in your heart and watched it grew to be a land of flowers.

But flowers will eventually wilt if you don’t keep taking care of it.

And soon she realised that Jude never reciprocate her actions. She was the only one who kept on flowering those flowers, Jude was just …..there, watching them getting limp.

‘Did I try too hard? I thought I was making him happy. Did I annoy him? Am I not enough? I swear I tried my best to be there with him when he needed me. Am I not worthy of his love? Did he realised that I was not the girl he actually wanted?’ Y/N cried and cried as a train of negative thoughts kept on going round in her head.

But again, no one was there to tell her that she was worth even more. That he wasn’t even worth it. That she was perfect enough. That he wasn’t the one. That him leaving her with no explanation didn’t meant no one was gonna fall in love with her no more.

And Y/N then figured out that she said yes because she thought she found love and that maybe, she was too excited to know how it felt like to fall in love and how it felt to be loved by someone, that she was too blind to see that Jude asked her to be his girlfriend not because he was in love with her but because he wanted to be her first in everything, to feed his ego, to feel superior amongst his friends.

#jude bellingham #football imagine #football imagines #jude bellingham x reader #jude bellingham imagine #jude bellingham blurb

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shyvioletcat · 1 year ago

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ROWAELIN MONTH: DAY 10

~ Co-host/Guest Star with Chemistry ~

You might remember this fic from last year. Well, I had plans to make it a one off thing but then I couldn't help it and I got another idea. And I just want to say thank you to everyone who read the first part and loved it. It's so fun when you guys love something as much as I do. Without further delay, please enjoy Part 2 who we really and truly have to thank Rowaelin month and @rowaelinscourt for.

~~~~~

All Aelin could do was stare at her own reflection in the mirror of her dressing room vanity. She didn’t have long before she had to leave her sanctuary and face a crowd of strangers like her entire world hadn’t been rocked at its foundations. Acting was a talent she’d taken to at a very young age, the tales of her dramatics often told around the dinner table. Aelin would be fine, she’d put on one of her charismatic smiles and give her audience her all, and everything would be fine. But for now, it was only her stunned expression to keep her company.

That was how Rowan found her however long later, silent and still as her mind was whirring with thoughts of the future. Aelin had lost track of the minutes spent doing absolutely nothing, and as Rowan appeared in the mirror she startled, a hand flying to her chest as if to stop her heart from flying out of her chest.

“Holy gods, you scared me,” she breathed as Rowan removed his cap and kissed her on the cheek.

“I’m sorry, love,” Rowan murmured onto her skin as he kissed her again. When he noticed she still hadn’t moved, not in the slightest, to look at him or seek out another kiss his voice changed from teasing to concern. “Are you all right?”

Aelin finally found the compulsion to move, swivelling in her makeup chair to face Rowan. It was always infinitely more pleasant when he could come to the studio without the threat of being in front of the camera. Not as exciting for her, but she was still happy to see him. When he came to visit her here Rowan had to sneak in and from the sheer amount of times he’d done he’d developed quite the skill for it. The tricky part was not drawing attention, and with years of practice he had the art of blending in down to a fine art.

The key was appearing so much unlike his professional self that it would take more than a double take to place why he looked so familiar. So today with his scruffy hat hair, hoodie and stubble covered cheeks, he was a far cry from the suave and composed image he gave the camera.

Since Rowan’s last public performance here he’d been promoting his new album and gone on tour. Over the past eight months Aelin had hardly seen him except via a phone screen. The last time they had managed to see each other in person was when he had shows in Suria and snuck away when he should have been sleeping in to come see her. That was about six weeks ago.

“We have a situation,” Aelin had said, looking up at him and jerking her head towards the vanity. “And I think we have this room and that couch to blame.”

Rowan’s brows furrowed then looked to where she had directed. His eyes went wide and he did a few double takes before his gaze finally settled on her. There was an open question in his eyes and Aelin just nodded. Then he let out a shaky laugh as he realised fully what this all meant, a hand rubbing his stubbled chin.

“Well, I guess this changes things,” Rowan finally said.

“Indeed it does,” Aelin confirmed. “We need a plan, and I think I have one.”

THREE AND A HALF MONTHS LATER…

Aelin always got butterflies waiting behind the curtain for the final call of action. The crowd was still humming with chatter and she could hear the last camera checks over her in-ear monitor. This time the butterflies were worse, enough to make her nauseous. Today’s show would be one to be remembered and it had taken a good amount of deceit and scheming to get here.

“Alright, Aelin,” a voice said into her ear. “Curtains open in five, four, three…”

Aelin took in a deep breath, the last two counts sounding in her head. Two, One.

The applause started and then the curtains opened, Aelin taking the ten steps forward to get to her mark. She smiled and waved while she made eye contact with a few people seated in the audience. There were cheers and whistles, and when it went on a little too long Aelin held up her hands to start quieting them down as the prompt screen undoubtedly displayed QUIET PLEASE. Once the audience had settled Aelin began her welcoming monologue.

“Thank you so much,” she said, her smile stretching wide, and there were cheers again. “Now, now, as much as I would love to stand here and lap up every bit of your admiration, I don't get paid for that.” There was a healthy amount of laughter. “I get paid to put on a show and what a show do we have planned for today. They’re always special, what am I talking about? It reminds of something my father used to say, slightly inappropriate but I think—”

The strum of a guitar interrupted her and Aelin made sure she looked affronted even though she knew exactly what was going on. When the the chord turned into music she sent a confused look to the audience a millisecond before they broke out in raucous cheers. Aelin whirled around to see Rowan strutting out, centrestage from where she had been standing moments before with the smallest of smug smiles on his face. He was looking down at his guitar and Aelin put her hands on her hips to show her displeasure. Rowan had the gall to wink at her. If he wasn’t careful he’d give the whole gig away.

Even though it wasn’t his job, it was Fenrys who darted out from the wings and dropped a mic and stand in front of Rowan, and then he was gone again. It became a stand off, Rowan playing while he challenged her with a look that told her to get off his stage, even though it was her stage.

He had to win for the whole ploy to work, so Aelin gave an overexaggerated and exasperated sigh, her hands falling to her sides as half turned to the audience as she said, “I guess I know when I’m not needed.”

It was hard, but Aelin withheld her own smile as she gave Rowan the limelight. He hadn’t stopped playing, the chords effortlessly coming from the instrument and he never missed a beat. Aelin found a spot by the foot of the low steps near her interview platform, right beside Fenrys who had decided not to head out of sight. He nudged her with his elbow and winked. Aelin tried not to look too pleased with herself.

The tempo picked up and Rowan readied himself in front of the microphone. Aelin’s breath caught in her chest, it always did in the anticipation of the song beginning. It always happened when Rowan was about to sing. He closed his eyes, grounding himself to the melody and then his deep voice filled the studio.

I found a love, for me

Darling, just dive right in and follow my lead

Well, I found a girl, beautiful and sweet

“Sweet?” Fenrys muttered under his breath.

Aelin tried very hard not to snort and ruin Rowan’s performance. “Artistic licence. Now hush”

'Cause we were just kids when we fell in love

Not knowing what it was.

They might not have been kids but they were young and stupid enough to mistake their mutual animosity for other feelings that were way at the other end of the spectrum. When they had admitted to their true feelings it was like Aelin’s entire world had fallen into place. Rowan was everything she wanted and she had just been too willfully ignorant to see. Thank the gods they had come to their senses. Eventually.

I will not give you up this time

But darling, just kiss me slow

Your heart is all I own

And in your eyes, you're holding mine

Baby, I'm dancing in the dark

With you between my arms

Barefoot on the grass

Listening to our favourite song

When you said you looked a mess

I whispered underneath my breath

But you heard it

Darling, you look perfect tonight

Aelin remembered that night, Rowan had surprised her after she’d been deep cleaning her house all day. It was the first time that Rowan had seen her so dishevelled. Her cheeks had burned, he didn’t notice, just sweeping into her kitchen to make dinner. They had sat outside, eating on a blanket, and after Rowan had pulled her to her feet to dance under the night’s sky, the cooling grass beneath their feet.

The backing curtain rose, revealing a small band to accompany Rowan and his guitar playing. The music swelled to new heights and Aelin was reminded of just how much she loved this song.

Well, I found a woman, stronger than anyone I know

She shares my dreams, I hope that someday I'll share her home

I found a lover, to carry more than just my secrets

To carry love, to carry children of our own

Unconsciously Aelin’s hand drifted to her stomach. It was an unconscious gesture, but how could she not when he was singing about that.

We are still kids, but we're so in love

Fighting against all odds

I know we'll be alright this time

Darling, just hold my hand

Be my girl, I'll be your man

I see my future in your eyes

Baby, I'm dancing in the dark

With you between my arms

Barefoot on the grass

Listening to our favourite song

When I saw you in that dress, looking so beautiful

I don't deserve this

Darling, you look perfect tonight

When the instrumental bridge began Rowan stopped playing, letting the backing band have their moment. Confused, Aelin sent him a questioning look with a raised eyebrow. He just pulled his guitar over his head, walked over and handed it over to Fenrys. Before Aelin could even ask aloud about whatever was going on right now Rowan had taken her hand and spun her into a dance. Fenrys’ laugh was audible and she knew they must have looked quite the sight. It was hard not to melt into his embrace, which came to her so naturally in this moment. They were still on camera, and they had images to maintain. Her the larger than life social star, he the cold and callous musician, although with this break in character Rowan’s was very quickly unravelling. Aelin knew this song by heart, he’d played it for her enough, so she knew when he had danced too long for that standard interlude, but the band covered him.

He did dance her back over to her spot by the stage before it was too obvious that he was stalling and took his guitar back. Rowan was effortlessly able to join back in, his voice impassioned as he started the final rendition of the chorus.

Baby, I'm dancing in the dark

With you between my arms

Barefoot on the grass

Listening to our favourite song

I have faith in what I see

Now I know I have met an angel in person

And she looks perfect

I don't deserve this

By the gods he did. With everything that he had been through and what he had given to Aelin without question, he deserved every bit of happiness they had together. As her thoughts ran off the music slowed, Rowan closing out the song, strumming the last few chords himself and ending it on a truly acoustic note.

You look perfect tonight

The applause was deafening, and Aelin joined in. Like he always did, Rowan went a little shy when accepting the adoration being rained down on him. His cheeks went a delectable shade of pink and he nodded at the crowd who just kept clapping. Aelin gave Fenrys a jab in the arm to get him moving off camera and out of the way. Knowing the camera was now on her, Aelin put on her signature teasing smirk, clapping as Rowan approached. Gods damn him, but he held out his hand like the gentleman to help her up the miniscule steps. His back was to the camera, convenient as he scowled at the towering heels she’d chosen to wear today. He would say they were a safety concern, Aelin was adamant they made her outfit.

They sat in the arms chairs, sinking into the plush cushions. Their eyes were on each other while they waited for the commotion to die down enough for the interview to start. Rowan must have made quite the impression because it took the QUIET PLEASE flashing longer than usual for the audience to follow the instruction. When they finally did Aelin grinned.

“How dare you interrupt my monologue,” she said.

Rowan had assumed his cool and aloof demeanour, and he just shrugged. “That song was more heartfelt than any spiel you were about to give.”

Aelin gasped. “Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.”

In fact, she’d woken him up with soft kisses that had led to more, and he’d left bed in the best mood possible.

“Now that song,” Aelin said, drawing out each word. “It’s a love song, and from those beautifully written, heartfelt words, it feels like it might have been written about someone special.”

“If you have a question, Aelin, just ask it,” Rowan challenged.

She lent forward, the thrill of the game exciting her. “I have many questions. First, what can you tell me about this,” Aelin waved her hand flippantly over her shoulder, where she knew a photo from Rowan’s Instagram was being shown. “I showed this post a few months ago and I can tell you there were more than a few broken hearts in this studio.”

A murmur of agreement rippled through the audience. Aelin shot a glance at the picture, admiring the large emerald set in a gold band. Rowan couldn’t have done better in picking the perfect engagement ring for her, Aelin had hated that she hadn’t been able to wear it and to show it off. The only public admittance of their relationship was this photo and because it only showed Aelin’s hand she had remained anonymous. There was just the widespread devastation that Rowan Whitethorn was officially off the market, the media sent into a tizzy because no one knew who his mystery woman was. It cost them both an exorbitant amount in NDAs but somehow they had managed to keep it all out of the public eye.

“My favourite comment is this one: WTF But you and Aelin! I shipped the two of you so hard. You’ve broken my heart,” Aelin read. “How could you break their heart like that, Rowan? Have you no compassion?”

“I don’t know how people can see the way we interact and imagine us together,” Rowan said.

“Shipping is the word you’re looking for,” Aelin explained. “You may be too old to be down with the lingo, unfortunately.”

Rowan scoffed, selling his arrogance. “I could say the same about you, I doubt kids today know what the word lingo means.”

“At least I’m not as old as you,” Aelin threw in a little bite to her words to make her anger believable. “I have that going for me amongst all my other admirable and desirable qualities.”

“If you say so.” She saw Rowan fighting his smile but he kept his composure in the end. “You just like anything that draws attention to you. Never mind how ridiculous and unfounded that attention might be.”

“I see falling in love hasn’t done any favours to you manners,” Aelin teased.

“Maybe it’s just you, Aelin. You seem to make it your mission to make me as nasty as I can be." Rowan sounded both impatient and offended, a practised tone for him.

“What can I say, I love to ruffle your feathers. And It’s not my fault they’re so easily ruffled,” Aelin countered. “But I should at least offer my congratulations. An engagement is one thing but I’m more interested in what comes after.”

A video played on the large screen behind the two of them, the song Rowan had just sung playing again in lower quality with just him and his guitar. Aelin watched the grainy video footage, seeing him dressed in dark pants with the buttons of is white shirt rolled to his elbows, the rest of his features were blurred by the terrible quality of the camera work. His stand out feature was his voice as he sang to an unknown figure. The heads of the guests obscured the view of who that was, the only thing that was seen of her was her hands dancing above her head for a few moments. Fenrys had done a wonderful job purposefully terrible camera work.

There were some murmurs from the audience as they put together the other pieces of information the video showed them. It was more than clear what this delightful snippet was from, but Aelin began the dance anyway.

“That looks like you’re at a wedding,” she said.

“My own, in fact,” Rowan confirmed. There were a few cheers at that, the news wasn’t new. It had been hard won but they had managed to fully control what information had gone out about the special event. “You should know, you were there.”

This time there were a few surprised gasps and muttering of what. The animosity between Aelin and Rowan was notorious, and although some tabloids tried to put a flirtatious spin on it it never seemed to stick. Their feuding held more entertainment and money.

“I wasn’t invited directly, I came as a plus one for a very important guest.” Aelin lent back in her chair, consciously keeping her hands on the arms of it. “It was a magical affair and a wonderful night. I must say though, I think you could have done better. You’re worth millions after all.”

Rowan’s eyebrows rose with indignant surprise. “Care to elaborate?”

“Well, the venue for starters,” Aelin said. “It felt like a prison inside, all those high walls and artificial lighting. Why were we punished for your success?”

“I’m a private man, as you well know. There’s certain things I can’t compromise on to maintain it.”

“And the colour scheme,” she made a disgusted sound. “So basic. Green and gold? Sounds like the colour scheme for a sports team.”

There was a chuckle from Rowan at that. “I didn’t know you paid attention to such things.”

“You’d be surprised at what I pay attention to,” Aelin said with a flirtatious wink. “That dress. Stunning. Couldn’t have chosen a more stunning piece of art.”

“At least you have one positive thing to say,” even though he sounded completely unimpressed. “She was stunning as ever, even though wedding planning did make her kind of a diva.”

Aelin lent a hand on her chin, a smile quirking up the side of her mouth even though she wanted to insist the contrary. “Pity about that, though I’d say your temperaments match. Or more likely she realised it was your sorry ass that she was marrying and didn’t want you to face the embarrassment of being left at the altar. I think you should thank her for that kindness.”

“Anything else that didn’t meet your expectations, your Highness?” Rowan made sure to add an edge of mocking to his voice, but Aelin could see the mirth dancing in his eyes.

Aelin tapped her chin, sending a conspiring look to the audience as they sat on the edge of their seats waiting for her next biting quip. “The wine, I would have chosen better.” That held some truth, because Aelin hadn't exactly participated in the trying before buying.

“You didn’t even drink any,” Rowan said, almost ruining everything by laughing. They would need to wrap this up quickly before he gave them away completely. This man couldn’t keep a secret to save his life.

“That,” she drew the word out as a warning, “was because I heard it was so terrible I didn’t even bother with it. Now let’s get back to your lovely little song.”

“If you’d like,” Rowan added callously.

In return Aelin sent him a wry smile. “I understand it was for your wife. A serenade for her on your wedding day.”

Rowan just nodded. There was a call of but who is she from the audience. Host and guest both pointedly ignored it.

“The lyrics are beautiful, and obviously come from the heart. She must be a very lucky woman to have your devotion.” Then Aelin turned towards the audience. “Who knew Rowan Whitethorn could be such a softy, even his vows had me in tears.”

There was no word of a lie there. As Rowan had declared his love to her, and promised to honour and care for them as long as he lived, Aelin couldn’t keep back the tears. Her father had to pass her his pocket square so she could dab the tears away without ruining her makeup.

“Over all, it was quite the party,” Aelin said.

Rowan snuck her a secret smile. “It was.”

“I’d say the party really started once the bride and groom left,” Aelin mused.

“Did it just?” Rowan said in that dry way of his.

“Mhmm,” she hummed, trying not to remember too vividly how they had gone back to their room and really celebrated lest she blush on camera. “Your presence has that kind of impact.”

Rowan had to look down to hide most of his smile as he shook his head at her antics. It really was time to wrap it up before he lost all restraint and just blurted everything out because Aelin teased too hard and he bit too quickly.

“Where is your shiny new wedding ring anyway? It just about blinded me at the reception,” Aelin said.

This was the predetermined phrase that would uncover them at last. For nearly two years Aelin and Rowan had managed to keep their relationship private and out of the public eye. They were about to undo all their hard work, but it was about time and most definitely worth it. Bringing their relationship to light would save them from all the speculation and rumours that continuously surrounded them. Not completely, there would always be gossip of cheating and the like, but it would be nice not to hide anymore.

Rowan shifted so that he could reach into his back pocket and then showed off his ring, holding it between his thumb and forefinger. “I took it off to play, didn’t want it getting in the way.”

Even though they had no idea what they were anticipating, the audience seemed to be holding their breath, waiting for something to happen. Rowan slipped his ring onto his finger then looked right at Aelin.

“I’ve got yours, too,” Rowan said, this time reaching into the pocket over his heart. There was tittering from the audience, Aelin struggled to keep her face neutral. “I found them on the bathroom counter, I thought you might want them.”

The was a singular, very high pitched WHAT from someone in the audience. Rowan held out his hand to her, palm up with the emerald on full display.

Biting her bottom lip to stop her grin was futile and Aelin only had eyes for Rowan as she said, “Thank you, but I’d left them there on purpose.”

Rowan was grinning too, his eyes darting down to her stomach. “Why?”

“Well, I couldn’t get them on,” Aelin said casually, risking a glance at her audience who looked like they were ready to explode. “My fingers were too swollen. Tends to happen when you’re pregnant.”

Absolutely pandemonium broke out. Aelin stood, watching as the audience collectively lost their mind and smoothed her hands over her dress, showing off the small bump she had hidden beneath. Everyone was on their feet, cheering and clapping, there were whistles and a few screams. She smiled, caressing her bump affectionately again. It had been difficult but they had managed to keep the pregnancy out of public knowledge. A few of the tabloids had run stories about her looking pregnant but when nothing came of it, they just gave up. Aelin had faced pregnancy allegations every other week for years, this time it wasn’t a lie. She was just too good at keeping secrets. A baby had been a surprise, to say the least, but not at all an unwelcome one. The wardrobe department had a hard time dressing her lately in an attempt to hide the pregnancy and to keep her comfortable. Even more NDAs were handed out over it.

And then Rowan stood too, off script. He swept an arm around her waist and she went willingly into his embrace. Rowan tucked her hair behind her ear and gave her a sweet smile, the kind that was just for her, his eye crinkling in the corner. When he kissed her Aelin let him, returning it fervently. It was probably too amorous for day time television but Aelin couldn’t find it in herself to care—not when Rowan whispered I love you and looked at her like that.

Once the chaos died down Rowan had been sent off and Aelin had to focus on her real job, Getting through the rest of the show had been a feat. As soon as Rowan had left the stage Aelin pretended like nothing had happened. The next segment had been promoting various popular books, followed by video chatting a school telling them her studio was providing them with iPads. All in all, it was a fantastic show, but now that it was over she was free to return to her dressing room.

Rowan was waiting for her, arm draped over the back of the couch and looking far too good. Aelin tried not to slam the door but her excitement got the better of her. Kicking off her heels she wasted no more time before climbing into Rowan’s lap, grabbing his face with both hands and kissing him. His hands went to her waist, his thumbs brushing over her sides.

When they finally broke apart Rowan said, “You could have let up a little.”

“I’m still mad about it being a shotgun wedding,” Aelin pulled back and narrowed her eyes at him. “I don’t know if it was the hormones or purely the lyrics but I had to blink back the tears.”

“How is that my fault? You’ve heard that song a hundred times.” Rowan was giving her a look that only insisted that part was not his fault.

Aelin ignored it completely. “And you almost gave it away so many times, like when you told the world I wasn’t drinking.”

Rowan's deep chuckle rumbled through his chest and he urged her closer. “We were heading in a wedding direction anyway. We just needed a little bit of a push. You can’t blame me for getting a little excited over telling everyone.”

His hand rested over her stomach, right over the tiny thing that had given them much more than a little push. Finding out that they were pregnant had accelerated all the plans they had for their future. They didn’t see the point in waiting to get engaged or prolonging the time between that and a wedding. They had chosen each other, and like their vows had said, they were in this together until whatever end. Still, the joke of the shotgun wedding was too funny to let go of, and there had also been the fact she hadn’t been able to wear her engagement ring outside the house. It was beautiful and deserved to be shown off.

The feeling of Rowan’s lips making their way up her neck drew her back to the present. “I worked it out.”

“Worked what out?” Rowan asked but wasn’t deterred by her shift in topic and kissed her jaw.

“That we most likely conceived on this very couch,” Aelin explained. “You were busy with your tour and I checked the dates and you were only in town for those few days.”

Rowan stopped kissing her to laugh. “Is this a lucky couch then?”

“Hmm, I dunno,” Aelin said, her hand slipping into his hair tugging it just the way he liked. “I certainly like to get lucky on it.”

Rowan groaned, leaning in so that scrape his teeth over the sensitive skin of her neck. “Did you lock the door?”

The words were whispered onto her skin and made Aelin shiver. All resolve lost, she melted against Rowan, sighing as his hands wandered over her body. Gods, she needed him, her blood still thrumming from all the excitement of the interview. And she could feel how much Rowan needed her, a teasing roll of her hips only intensifying the situation.

“There’s no need,” Aelin said and Rowan pulled back enough to see his face. “To quote our dear friend Fenrys, after all that foreplay no one would even risk disturbing us right now.”

Rowan’s grin was near feral. “No more wasted time then.”

They both moved, meeting in the middle for a kiss that set every fire within them blazing. The couch it seemed, would prove to be more than useful yet again. And like Aelin had said, lessons had been learned and no one interrupted them… this time.

~~~~~

Hope you like that one! I know I certainly did

#rowelin month #rowaelin month 2023 #dressing room drama

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alexrosekey · 1 year ago

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Hermione-centric and HP World Building Expansion edition

A late entry from me. Beware that this list is based on my personal preference. If you don't like the ships, remember the rule - don't like don't read. Ship and let ship!

That being said, it has been a while since the last time I've come up with a rec list. But reccing great fanfics has remained one of my greatest passion. Having decided to fully integrated myself into the Harry Potter fandom again, I'm amazed at how creative and talented the authors of this fandom are. There are a plethora of interesting ideas and premises, with various themes and genres along with inquisitive, thoughtful observation regarding the characters and the world building of Harry Potter.

Without further ado, let's dive in to my submission for today's @hprecfest prompt: fics with over 100k+ words. All the fics below are Hermione-centric (one less than the other two but still), with amazing social commentaries on the HP world and impeccable observation on the magical world, which to me are the best aspect of HP fic.

unsphere the stars by @cocoartistwrites (M, 222,827, Hermione Granger/Tom Riddle)

When you can't change time, but you can't go forward, what is left? Hermione learns how to be the protagonist of her own story.

To quote one of the bookmarks: Hermione is more than she ever was. This story is a journey of Hermione to grow, to love and to explore magic and its beauty more than she could ever be. Don't let the pairing deter you, this is no doubt one of the most memorable fanfic reading experience I have in my years of being in fandoms. Hermione and Tom are both portrayed spectacularly and thoughtfully, and the prose are some of the most poetic I've ever seen.

To sum up the whole of my reading experience, I laid on my bed and stared at the ceiling for 30 mins after reading the last chapter, completely shell-shocked.

All I could say is, if you want an astounding character arc for Hermione, with in-depth magical system and immersive world building, plus interesting OCs and breathtaking writing, then this fic is definitely for you!

*This fic could also be placed under the prompt of Day 7: A Canon-Compliant Fic.

2. What's Past is Prologue by ABitofWit (E, 244,611, Hermione Granger/Lucius Malfoy)

It's eight years after the war and Hermione Granger has taken a break from her career at the Ministry of Magic to compile an oral history of the conflict. She's interviewed just about everyone she can get her hands on but she wants to be thorough. And that means getting in contact with a very unwilling Lucius Malfoy.

Listen, I know the pairing is weird as fuck. I know, I had my doubt too before reading it. But the raving bookmarks convinced me to give this a chance. And boy, it was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

This fic is more than just a ship fic, it's about love and what we would do for it, the greyness of life and choices, of redemption and finding one's self worth outside of pre-existing, archaic ideas and values. It's about change and how we're never too old to learn. WPIP is everything I've ever wanted in a fic, emotional, sincere, humorous, gorgeous, sexy, steamy and sweet. Full of heart and soul.

Most of all, the development of and between Hermione and Lucius is so natural and makes a lot of sense, without them being OOC. This fic reminds me that Hermione is not at all flawless (the opposite of the usual Mary-Sue, little-miss-perfect trope that Hermione tends to be portrayed in fics), while successfully humanizes and makes Lucius Malfoy one of the most interesting HP characters in my eyes. (Who would have thought that I've spent years not giving a jot about this guy, only to fall in love with such a mess of a man like him??)

Combine with sharp commentaries and observations on the British Wizarding World, Wizarding politics and a not-canon folder supporting cast, this is no doubt one of the best HP fic, and one of the best fanfic I've ever had the pleasure to read.

*This fic could also be placed under the prompt of Day 2: A Comfort Fic and Day 9: A Rare Pair Fic.

3. Six Pomegranate Seeds by Seselt (E, 185,965, no pairing but implied Theodore Nott/Hermione Granger)

At the end, something happened. Hermione clutches at one fraying thread, uncertain whether she is Arachne or Persephone. What she does know is that she will keep fighting to protect her friends even if she must walk a dark path.

Sooo, this is one very weird fic. One of the oddest fics I've ever encoutered, in fact. I've read it twice, one before I read the book series in full, one after I've finished the books. And let me tell you, SPS is a stunning work.

The odd, floating third-person POV, the dry and sharp, straightforward tone of Hermione. Her competency, her compassion despite all the pain and the emotional repression. This is definitely not your usual time travel fix-it fic.

Most of Hermione's work happened in tandem with the 7 books' main storyline. Hermione's soul is put into the body of a young orphan Pureblood heiress. This gives the fic one of the most interesting spin on the Hermione-is-a-pureblood trope.

Through Hermione, we have a closer look into the background and the context of the main events of the books, plus a deeper understanding of the Pureblood society and a much more sympathetic view into the students Slytherin house. All without whitewashing and offsetting the corruption and the effects of the Purebloods and the Slytherins' stuffy, archaic views on not only the young generation of students but also the British Wizarding world.

I lost count of the amount of time I slapped my knees while reading this work the second time whenever I encountered a particularly sharp line of thought/commentary from Hermione in this fic. I'm also amazed at how much work and research the author has put into SPS, particularly in terms of making up tons of new magical theories and the use of exotic and lesser known vocabulary (seriously, if you decide to read this one, prepare a dictionary next to you, or get ready to regularly stop mid reading in order to look up certain words 😆)

*This fic could also be placed under the prompt of Day 7: A Canon-Compliant Fic.

That being said, thank you for checking out my list! Thank the admins of @hprecfest for holding such a fun activity. Feel free to join in yourself. Happy reading 💋

Day 16: A fic that made you laughed

Day 19: Fic with the hottest smut

Day 22: An unfinished fic (hasn't updated in 10 years or the author stated it has been abandoned)

Day 26: A fic with an ending you can't stop thinking about

#hprecfest2023 #rarepair #tom x hermione #hermione x lucius #lumione #tomione #hp fanfic #hp fic #hp fic rec #hermione granger #lucius malfoy #tom riddle #voldemort #fic rec

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fangbangerghoul · 10 months ago

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Snippet Sunday!

Thank you as always for the lovely tag @therealgchu ! I loved your snippet and all the ones I've been able to catch so far!

I know since it is later in the day everyone is probably tagged already so if you see this; You're it!

This snippet is going to be a part of the FINAL chapter of Fleeting Pleasures!

This scene is in Delgado's POV. I can at least tell you that within this chapter you will have three different point of views. (I am sure you can guess who.)

I had a lovely time this past weekend and unfortunately none of that time was spent writing really. But the break was nice, and I am hoping soon I will have deliciousness ready to server to you all! As always thank you for reading, reblogging, commenting, and leaving kudos for this fic! It has helped make the journey all the sweeter.

Please enjoy!

He had waited long enough, been patient long enough, and there was an eager need waiting inside of him. He had let her disobedience slide the first time even though he knew what that would look like from an outside’s perspective. Delgado needed her to trust him. To want to cooperate for his legacy plans.

Ghoul – no Carmilla was skilled, durable, stubborn yes, but where other rooks had lacked beforehand, she persevered. He considered what a one-on-one match would be like between the two of them often and a part of him knew she would most likely best him no matter how ruthless he let himself be. One thing he recognized as soon as he laid eyes on her, traitor or not, was she had unbreakable willpower. The will to do whatever it took to get her where she wanted to be. Therefore, he needed her to want to be beside him whatever it took. Was it love? No. But a faux love was something he was willing to play around with if it persuaded her his way. The Crimson Fleet would always be his first but perhaps he could spare some room for a second.

The door to the command center opened from below and there she was, finally. The sound of her boots echoed throughout the room announcing her presence purposely. He knew she could move quieter than that. Her citrine eyes searched the dim room, observing every minute detail that she could absorb. Another talent he appreciated about her.

“You finally graced me with your presences, mi bellaquito.” He said loudly, purposely giving her his whereabouts, knowing her ears would lead her piercing gaze to him. Those eyes as cold as the gems that lay wait within dark caves on artic worlds.

“I heard you missed me.” Ghoul’s quip was followed by a sly smirk, giving away her amusement.

“Don’t get full of yourself now.” He tried to refrain from letting his own amusement show on his face even if his playful tone slipped. She always had an ego; it didn’t help that he had sent his own extra hands to fetch her. He started his way towards her feeling the pull of her gravity bring him in. Something he disliked but acknowledged that it was that type of presence that he needed for his mission.

“What did you want from me?” Her face was now strewn from annoyance as if he was the one pestering her. He let her forget once who was boss, but he didn’t plan to make a habit out of it.

“Tsk tsk tsk.” He wagged his gloved finger at her and shook his head. Refusing to give a real answer to her question. “I am the only one allowed to demand answers here. Like where the hell have you been so long?”

“A little bit of everywhere. Do you want to know specifics? I got the Fleet some credits and myself in the process.” Her answers were kept just as vague, and it got under his skin. Delgado saw how she bit her lip before answering. She was holding back what she really wanted to say and he wondered what it was. She was obviously going to be a handful during this meeting of theirs just by the way she stood, arms crossed as if ready to throw a tantrum.

He finally stopped in front of her, holding his breath and his temper back as much as he could. She riled him more than most. He centered his gaze onto her, tempting her to talk back again but instead he responded with a snap.

“Do you think this is a game, Rook?” He felt his nostrils flare with the hiss of his words. Her smirk was no longer amusing, his patience no longer forgiving. A part of him considered just throwing her out of an airlock and find someone else. It was making him lose his own focus. “You should be thanking me every day that you wake up breathing because I could have just as easily put a bullet in your head.”

He felt the high tension between them, their locked gazes a part of their game set in motion. He wanted her to drop the act. Delgado knew even if it wasn’t entirely intimate there was chemistry between them. He wanted her to submit with consent but with her it so far had never been that easy.

“Thank you, Delgado.” His name playfully fell off her tongue with such rebellion. Her thanks was not a real thanks but a proclamation of how she refused to give in so easy. Something he both admired and loathed.

#starfield #starfield fanfiction #delgado #ghoul vibes only #starfield delgado #fang writes #fleeting pleasures #the big finale #the coemancer crew

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rodolfoparras · 6 months ago

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It's so disappointing that Elliot is a shit guy:( I'm not surprised since y'know, CoD is literally military propaganda, but ☹️ what the fuck

I don't actually plan on watching the Boys but knowing some of the actors on it are horrible definitely turns me off to it.

I hate when actors because it completely turns me off to any show theyre in (which should happen to everyone) but then I can't watch shit like The Umbrella Academy's last season 👎also the next season of The Last of Us and I was so hyped for em

For people who don't know about, The Last Of Us part 2 was originally based off the Palestine Israeli "conflict" and the creator is a huge Zionist, and I'm pretty sure the new woman playing Deana in the show isn't even Jewish

And then the guy that plays Five in Umbrella Academy is also a Zionist and supports Israel (he's also kind of just weird from what I heard??)

But on a completely different note, take your time pooks! You're a busy man, we all understand. I just sent the fic recs because I think you'll enjoy them, I don't expect you to read the whole thing and then respond to me. Read them whenever you get the chance and good luck with all your work and chores 😊😊

Tbh I’m surprised that the whole cast of cod except for Neil and Barry I believe ?? Are shit ppl but Elliot being a shit person sucks a lot more bc he’s very attractive and very talented but watching him leaves a bad taste in my mouth same with the idf guy he doesn’t just leave a bad taste he physically repells me from watching clips of his and Elliot’s character being cute and what not

You know what sucks the most ? You can’t even expect famous ppl to be decent human beings anymore like I’m expecting human decency respect and kindness and you can’t even offer that

Thank you lovey!!! Today I had my first real day off after working 20+ days in a row and I spent all day sleeping like my body is absolutely exhausted (working in the family business sucks at times)but I’ll def give it a read mostly bc I haven’t enjoyed fics in a good while! Would love to wind down with a movie or a fic 😭

#alec answers #🐧 anon

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lunarbuck · 2 years ago

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Dance With The Devil (7)

Pairing: mafia!Loki x f!reader (any race)

WC: 1.7k

Summary: There's something there that wasn't there before.

Warnings: smut (p in v), choking, blindfold, fluff, happily ever after <3

A/N: it's the last one!!! i'm not crying, you are 😭 i hope you guys enjoy,,,, thank you guys so much for reading!! my author's note is the next chapter so feel free to check that out, I love and appreciate you all so much :)

series masterlist | main masterlist | script | fic playlist

Chapter 6 / Author's Note

Epilogue

Flower

Loki’s talented lips kiss down your torso to your panties, goosebumps erupting on your skin. He’s insatiable. Ever since that day a few weeks ago when you’d been reunited, he hasn’t let you out of his sight or out of his bed. You’ve spent days wrapped up in Loki and his embrace, though you have to admit, you don’t mind.

You gasp as Lok’s fingers tug your panties down, leaving you exposed for his tongue to taste you. Your fingers spear into his raven-black hair, pressing him even closer to you.

Loki is a man starved, he devours you, plays you like a fucking fiddle. You’re entirely at his mercy, but that’s how you like it. He works you up easily, circling your clit with his tongue in a way that makes your legs shake.

“Come for me, pet,” he groans against your pussy, sliding two of his slender fingers inside of you. You burst at the seams, putty in his hands. Loki grins, biting your thigh just enough to leave a mark, but not to break the skin. He’s left dozens of marks on your skin, so many that they practically are tattooed on you now. He’s showing everyone you’re his, and you love it.

Loki climbs up your body, biting and kissing your skin until he reaches your lips. You kiss him, tugging his lip between your teeth and giving him a taste of his own medicine. As if spurred on by your action, Loki roughly pulls his pants down his legs and thrusts into you.

You both release strangled moans at the feeling of him inside of you, at the feeling of you tightening around his cock.

Loki begins to set his pace, hitting you hard and deep and you can’t hold back the noise you’re making. He grins at your sounds, drinking them in.

A knock on the door makes your blood run cold but Loki’s smile just widens. You stare up at him as the person on the other side asks him a question, but you’re too caught up in Loki to hear the words.

“Go away,” he says, thrusting his hips hard, not turning away from your gaze. “I’m busy.” You hear the footsteps retreat and Loki fucks into you faster now, making your eyes roll back in your head.

“Oh my god,” you murmur, heat flooding to your face at the idea of someone hearing Loki fuck you. Your head falls to the side, suddenly aware that his men might be able to hear your wanton moans.

“No,” Loki grits, fingers gripping your chin to turn your head back to him. “Look at me. Look at what you do to me. Focus on me, on my cock and the pleasure I’m giving you.”

Your eyes screw shut, trying to tune out everything except Loki. It works for a moment, but the thoughts start to creep back in. Loki must notice, because for a moment, he draws away. When he returns, he has one of his black silk ties in hand. He holds it up and without even thinking, you nod, sitting up so he can tie it around your eyes.

The fabric is soft against your skin, pulled tight enough to not let any light in. Your breaths come faster now that one of your senses has been stripped from you.

“Loki,” you say, unsure of where he stands now.

“Now you have no choice,” he whispers in your ear. “You have no choice but to focus on me and the way I’m going to use your body. I’m going to wring every ounce of pleasure out of you until you’re sated and unable to go on. Is that what you want, pet? You want me to take all you have to give me?”

“Please,” you whimper. “Please, Loki.” You feel his hands grip your ankles, opening your legs back up for him. His fingers slide up your legs as he positions himself on top of you.

“You’re so beautiful when you’re begging for me, pet,” he grunts, pushing back inside of you. Every touch feels electric when you can’t see what he’s doing.

Loki’s breath fans over you, sending shivers through your body. You feel the tickle of his hair on your chest as he dips his head down, taking your nipple between his teeth. He grazes it lightly before running his tongue around it.

He thrusts into you slowly, making you feel every inch of his cock and you moan loudly. Your hands fly to his hair, tangling in it to hold him close.

“More, please, Loki,” you groan. All his touches are soft and fleeting, he’s torturing you and he knows it.

Loki releases your breast from his mouth and kisses up your chest, up your neck, all the way to your ear. “What do you want, pet? Tell me what you want from me.”

Your jaw falls open as he nips at your ear, soothing the marks with his tongue.

“I want you to fuck me.” Your voice is hoarse and low, but you can hear Loki’s breathing pick up. “I want you to use me, take everything from me.”

Loki laughs darkly, one of his hands circling around your neck. He presses lightly, hinting at what he could do, what he’s capable of. It just makes you even more needy for him.

“Your wish is my command, pet.”

Your senses are heightened without your sight, each touch more sensitive, each sound more precise. Loki loses control, fucking you like he never has before, drawing the pleasure from you viciously.

Your body is tight with the promise of your orgasm, your belly floods with heat. Your mouth is stuck open on an “o” and all you can do is take it. Take the pleasure he gives you, take the love he pours onto you.

You come like you’re exploding, like you’re flying. Your eyes screw shut and your body shudders, but Loki just keeps going.

“So fucking beautiful for me,” he grunts, squeezing his hand tighter around your neck. “But so filthy, pet. So fucking filthy.”

Loki follows you over the edge, holding your heaving body close to his, desperate for the connection. “I love you, my beauty,” he whispers against your ear, kissing the shell.

“I love you, Loki.”

Loki pulls the car up to your house– your father’s house, and cuts the engine. It’s been a few weeks since that dark night, and you’ve seen your father nearly every day. The day Loki’s doctor cleared him, he challenged his uncle for control over the Laufeyson mafia. You watched from the sidelines as men loyal to Loki’s father decided how to proceed. Cade explained the agreement Loki had with his father, about marrying for love, and it made you think about Loki in an entirely new light.

He could’ve forced you to marry him, he could’ve forced another woman to be his bride. But he didn’t.

You testified before Loki’s Uncle and family about your love for him, you told them about that night and how Loki fought, how you begged him to live.

In the end, Loki won. You can’t lie, you love watching him be in control, watching how he so easily commands a room of powerful men. He’s given more responsibility to Levi and Cade, leaving him plenty of time to fuck you on every available surface.

You officially moved in two weeks ago after Loki hired in-home healthcare workers for papa.

So today, as the two of you walk into the house, you’re greeted by one of your father’s nurses, Carrie. She and all the other healthcare workers are trained in your father’s treatments, which are all covered by Loki.

You didn’t ask him to pay, you never planned to, he just did it. Part of you knows it’s because he feels guilty about the debt papa had been in to the Laufeysons, but the other part of you knows he’s doing it because he loves you. Papa’s debt has been forgiven, the money refunded to him so he can continue to pursue his passions while doing treatment.

Loki holds your hand while the two of you sit on the couch across from your father, who is currently tinkering with his newest invention. Since getting better treatments, he’s gained back more of his mobility; it brings tears to your eyes to see your father able to return to his passions. He’s not cured, there is no cure for Multiple Sclerosis, but he’s better than he has been in a long time, and it’s something to be thankful for.

Your father explains what he’s doing as he adjusts a few of the pieces and you nod along, squeezing Loki’s hand. Loki just watches you, a pleasant smile on his face.

Loki

I watch her face light up as her father talks. I never tire from seeing her smile, seeing her eyes brighten as he speaks. Maurice has been through so much, all of it my fault, yet he welcomes me into his home, he allows me to love his daughter. I am forever indebted to him.

I never thought I would have this, her . I never thought someone would love me, that someone would learn to see past the dark parts of me.

Though every day I wish we had started out differently, I am grateful that she came into my life. I am a changed man for her, I would go to the ends of the earth if only she asked.

My love for her feels like destiny, like fate, though for so long I thought them to be simply stories. My flower talks about love like she talks about fairytales, and I am starting to understand.

She is the beautiful princess and I’m the hideous monster, instead of falling for her prince charming she’s fallen for me, and for that I am thankful. She doesn’t need a prince charming, she doesn’t need a knight in shining armor. She is strong and capable and far superior than any knight.

She is my flower, my beauty. My love, and I am hers.

She will be with me evermore.

Certain as the sun

Rising in the east

Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme

Beauty and the Beast

The End.

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Series tags: @huntress-artemiss @buckysteveloki-me @raelorns21 @yukiartistz @sarhabee @apollonshootafar @harlequin-hangout @mocswift @phantombaby @blog-the-lilly @vickie5446 @samsgirl93

General tags: @peaches1958 @pono-pura-vida @emi11ie @paulasocean @silverfire475 @lovingchoices14 @searchf0rtheskyline @writerwrites @late-to-the-party-81 @jobean12-blog @prettylittlepluviophile @prettywhenicry4 @nekoannie-chan

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arom-antix · 2 days ago

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feel free to publish this...wish I was braver but *shrugs* first lemme give you n everyone else brave enough to not hide under anon (like me, lmao) ur flowers for speaking up b/c this drama feels like a long time coming

one of the weirdest parts of Samurai's deal is how she acts against her own interests. at the end of the day, ur main goal is to get ppl to read this 300K fic that youve spent years on, right?

which, fair. no issue with that

heres what I do have an issue with, Samurai: you acting like no one in the fandom respects ur writing talent when ur stats tell a different story. (notice i said respects ur writing talent. not respects ur social media presence...more on that later)

anyway, Samurai: be so fucking forreal right now

calling urself "an underdog"?! (if anybody doesnt know what im talking about, @arom-antix screenshotted a post from Samurai's social media where she says she doesnt wanna do fandom events b/c she would just get ignored)

do you really have the right to call urself an underdog when you have 600+ kudos n 1000+ comments on ur fanfic??? I have friends in newer n bigger fandoms who are multichap fic writers who would commit murder for those numbers. n let me add that their fics have been complete for a minute. unlike Samurai's fic which she completed *checks notes* this past fucking weekend

the funny part is its giving Katsuki Yuuri thinking hes lower than dirt even when hes made it to the gpf/is japans best figure skater. that screenshot you included where she's like "my stats are nothing to be proud of..."

like ????

does she not realize how fucking insulting that is to allllll the fic writers who have nowhere near the numbers she does? im not a writer but if i was n saw that itd make me feel like shit. like a minami kenjirou 'you dont have a dark past' kind of thing lmao. n to that point, its like you said earlier. its fine to have anxiety n to not be perfect in dealing with it. but when you dont sort that shit out with a therapist n instead make ur insecurity an entire fandoms problem over n over again is it really that big a fucking puzzle why ur losing readers? or why nobody wants to reblog ur shit?

if shes really that clueless n cant see how ppl might be turned off by her personality (the reverse from before: im not saying shit about her actual writing here which i think is pretty decent) it makes me wonder, like...

why did her beta reader never sit her down? why didn't her friend @cecebeanie ever tell her "stop being a dick on social media ur ruining everything ur working so hard for?" or, maybe they did n she told them to fuck off because she seems to think she knows everything.

ok, imma stop there before i really go off lmao. thank you again for being a go-between for ppl too scared to chime in by name. appreciate youuuuuu <3

Thank you very much for this ask. Don't worry, there's nothing wrong with not feeling comfortable with publically including yourself in Internet scuffles by name. I'm glad to be the middle man so people like you get to have an anonymous platform to speak through.

And yeah, a bunch of what you've said is exactly what my point was with pointing out Samurai's simultaneous lament of her "bad" stats and dismissal of any explanation of why their stats might look like that. Also, let me reiterate: There is absolutely nothing wrong with feeling insecure or demotivated by something that someone else might find incredibly motivating. We're all different and have different PoVs. However, there's a difference between feeling insecure and dealing with it privately and feeling insecure and then making that everyone else's problem by vagueposting and getting upset with the people supporting you for not being enough. I'm not saying you can't post whatever you want on your socials but if you do you also have to accept that people might find that off-putting. That's just how it is. Especially if those posts imply, whether on purpose or not, that any support you might still have doesn't count because it's not what you were hoping for.

And there's a good point in this ask that I want to highlight: The implication in a lot of Samurai's posts that they're not respected leaves a sour taste in the mouths of those who read those posts. Contrary to what Samurai's way of posting would have you believe, they have plenty of readers who very much do respect their writing. And if you respect someone and then that someone repeatedly publically laments how no one respects them, you're going to feel disrespected and ignored, the exact things Samurai is so upset about being (see links at the bottom of this post to find the full discussions of Samurai's online attitude). It's quite ironic, if I'm honest. It's basically a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you constantly insist that no one cares about you, eventually you'll convince the people who do care about you that maybe they shouldn't because you only bring negative attitudes and no one wants that.

And so, you're now in exactly the situation you feared so much specifically because you couldn't let yourself or the people around you exist without that frustration of yours being at the forefront of every conversation. Trust me, I'm heavily medicated for anxiety, I know how easy it is to fall into a cycle of only thinking about your fears. But if you want to escape them, you either have to contront them head on or learn to live in spite of them. If you only ever focus on how much they're dominating your life, they'll just consume you and ruin you.

I know I've been pretty harsh in my posts about this situation but if you're reading this, Samurai, know that I don't want you to suffer. I don't want you to leave the Internet or stop doing the things you love. I know you love writing, I can tell it's a big passion of yours and I know you love YOI. I encourage you to keep engaging with your passions and finding joy in whatever you love. However, you also need to let others do the same. Even if their "non-academic" posts lessen your enjoyment of what the ideal fandom experience would be, too bad. You don't get to decide how others engage with fandom. The only thing you get to decide is how you engage. If other people's posts annoy you, you're not required to look at them. Of course it sucks if there are very few people and posts you enjoy when you'd rather have a litany of stuff to engage with but that's just how being on the Internet is. You don't get to control these things. Be the change you want to see in the world but don't look down at others for not sharing those same goals of change. You do you, they'll do them.

Just because you prefer your way of doing fandom doesn't make it better than anyone else's and either you recognise that and get over yourself or people won't want to interact with you. End of. That's just how it is. People don't like interacting with people who make them feel lesser and the way you're interacting with the fandom at the moment is very much making people feel like that. I know, I know, you don't intend for that to be the takeaway, but it is. That's how you come across. And if you don't know how to not come across that way, you're allowed to ask.

I know you have friends such as Cecebeanie who you can talk to about this. I know you probably don't want to talk to me but if it comes down to it, I don't hate you and would love to help you if you'd let me. Again, I would not be shocked if you don't want anything to do with me ever again. I am kinda repeatedly coming after you. I wouldn't want to talk to me even if I agreed with the criticism. But if it ever becomes relevant, I do not hate you and while I have my hang-ups about you, I don't need to be BFFs with someone just to talk to them. You're not an idiot. You're not stupid. I know you're not. But you're behaving really immaturely and irresponsibly, both generally and towards individuals. That does not make you a lost cause.

While I don't have high hopes that you'll actually take any of my criticism to heart, if you decide to give a redemption a try, I'd gladly help if you'd let me. I don't want to crucify you. I just want you to do better for the sake of everyone, including yourself.

That became longer than intended. Anyway, thanks again for the ask, anon. For anyone else who has something they want to say, my ask box is always open, regardless of whether you agree with me or not. I don't cherrypick who gets to voice their opinion in a public debate. I'll be answering every ask regardless. And choosing to be anonymous, regardless of what stance you take, is also nothing to be ashamed of. I totally get it if you want to voice an opinion or comment on this situation but don't want to be publically tied to it. That's totally fine. It is kind of a lot. Especially considering how many have mentioned being afraid of retaliation from Samurai, I don't mind being the middle man at all. Ask away with whatever you want to add to this discussion.

Thank you for the ask, anon.

Links to the two main threads this discussion is running through: Thread one Thread two

#i really do got a phd in yapology dont i #welp i guess my “you dont need a phd to engage with fandom” argument just got a little less credible /j #anyway how is it almost 3am again #i never learn #this time ill go to bed before the ermine returns #ask #yuri on ice

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