#i thought of this because of this cover of Merry-Go-Round of Life

[jaim-inhothekid]

𐀔 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞

[ W.C ! ] : 1.7k

[ Summary ! ] : Reader is a fairy, Luffy is a human – could i make it any more obvious?. As a fairy, you have the power to make flowers grow! Luffy is eager to see it firsthand | SFW ; GN!Reader ; Fairy reader

⌗ ✎ Author's Note : This was originally a trade piece for the lovely @nina-ya!!

The irregular flooring of a ship's deck couldn't be farther from what would be considered comfortable. Even with the soft sheets layered upon thick duvets in a clumsy, but honest attempt at imitating a similar structure of a mattress, you could still feel the bumpy unevenness of the teak planks under your back, mostly due to the gaps in between the floorboards. Ranging in sizes, caused by the expansion and contraction of wood during different seasons – the floor blocks also seemed to resemble a bow-like shape in some places, in others it resembled more of a small mountain, like there was something underneath making the center higher than the edges. In others, the flooring felt soft under your feet and had a funny smell, with dark stains that seemed permanently engraved into each plank.

Little ol’ Merry has definitely seen its better days, if the obvious signs of age were anything to go by – worn out, tired, but still standing tall despite lacking the shiny glory of a brand new vessel. You could pinpoint exactly where it had been damaged, and then repaired with someone's best efforts, like old scars that were once covered by patterned band-aids and kissed better by a loving parent, it was cherished and cared for. And you had a feeling that, even if it lacked the consciousness for it, Merry knew how dear it was for those who were on board of it. Humans were such funny creatures, beyond the very real and ever present capacity of immeasurable destruction, they were so full of love towards something that couldn't even return it, at least not in a way it could be seen or felt or heard. Something about when an action is truly genuine, when it comes straight from the heart, free of anything but raw emotion, you don't expect a return – you simply do it, because it feels right, because you want to.

Humans were such funny creatures. Dangerous, deceiving, worthy of suspicion – yet compassionate, caring, loving, and kind. They are a family, I've found a family.

This is nice, you thought. Under a sky much too extensive to fully fit in your field of vision, glistening brightly with stars whose names were buried too far in your mind to reach. Your stomach is pleasantly full with the food Sanji gave his best to prepare – “He says that all the damn time, about every meal” Zoro pointed after hearing the giddy exclamation from the blonde, which earned him a kick and a shouted insult, that quickly turned into a match of hurled expletives. You only gawked and smiled at the scene, and your smile widened further when later on, you caught a glimpse of the duo washing the dishes together, funny creatures. Nami slept soundly to her left, ginger hair sprawled around her head and over the white pillow, ember in the snow. The girl snored – but that's okay, you didn't mind, and neither did Usopp, who didn't stir once despite sleeping back to back with the redhead, seemingly accustomed to the noise. Feels like home.

And there's always something special that truly makes a place into a home – family pictures littering the walls, a favorite chair to plop in after a long day, that one cup in the kitchen that you never outwardly proclaimed it's yours but everyone knows that it's yours. Little details of life, of belonging, are what makes a home.

On the Merry, it's Luffy.

Lively Luffy who smiles wide and carelessly, baring all of his teeth, the corners of his lips rounding his cheeks until it squints his eyes, like he never had a reason to frown, like the only feeling he ever knew was joy. Welcoming Luffy who hugs as wide and carelessly as he smiles, arms that inhumanly stretch and loop around waists like the ropes securing the ships to the docks, that traps you in place and grounds you to reality, that make you feel like you belong no matter how far from home you may be.

You haven't been keeping track of how long you've been talking, only that you didn't feel like stopping any time soon. The others are fast asleep and the sky has only gotten darker, yet you feel like you can keep going until it fades back to the soft pastels of sunrise, maybe it's because Luffy just naturally makes people feel energized, maybe it's because she has never met someone who had so many things to ask about you. About your world, your culture, if the fairytales were accurate in their descriptions, if pixie dust was an actual thing – everything that came to mind, he asked, his curiosity had no filter, funny creature.

“Of course I do!” You couldn't keep from laughing at the absurdity of the question Luffy had just made, covering your mouth with your palms to stifle the noise and not disturb the sleeping figures around you “Everyone does, why would you ask something like that?”

“I'm curious!” Luffy shrugged, as if pointing out the obvious, crossing his arms behind his head to cushion it as he looked up at the sky “And not everyone! ‘cause sometimes Usopp gets conisitipated and Sanji has to make him a whole gallon of green tea so he can p–'' Luffy grew gradually quieter as he looked back at you, who had your face scrunched up in an expression akin to disgust “What?”

“I don't really wanna know about that.”

Luffy pouted as he looked back up towards the night sky, eyebrows furrowed softly furrowed in thought as his gaze roamed through the stars, searching for words. When he does, Luffy's eyes widen along with his smile. He turns to lay on his side and rapidly taps the floor below him before speaking “You haven't shown me your power yet!”

“Haven't I? Ah– Yeah! I haven't!” Your own eyes widened as well, pointed ears quirking up. You smiled back at Luffy – just as wide, just as excited. Something unexplainable about how every action of his managed to be so contagious “There's actually something special i want to show you too, it must've slipped my mind–”

You weren't given a chance to finish your sentence, as a firm pair of arms stretched and wrapped around your waist in two tight loops, lacking all resemblance of finesse by yanking you up from your makeshift mattress and onto your feet – when did he get up?. Luffy just kept smiling, with the cheekiness of a man who probably pulled stunts like that on a daily basis, unashamed and unapologetic, like the way he did everything else.

“What's the hold up for? Lemme see!”

—————–

Being mindful of the creaky flooring beneath your feet, you guided Luffy through the hallways leading into the more intimate parts of the ship, said Luffy who did not share the same mindfulness, slippers smacking against the wood as he walked. He kept asking where they were going, what you wanted to show him, and most importantly, could he eat it? You brushed off all of his questions, insisting that he had to see it for himself.

At the end of the hallway, you gently pushed open the last door to your left, urging Luffy inside and then shutting it behind you. Stumbling clumsily into the pitch black room, with the only source of light being the faint glow of your wings, Luffy only grew more and more impatient.

“(Name),” He whined, huffing, “What are you–”

Completely crashing his train of thought, Luffy could only stare with almost childlike amazement at the new form of life sprouting from your cupped palms. Flowing with the grace of a skilled dancer, in a choreography that could not be replicated nor taught, small vines curled and fell in gentle swoops from your hands, adorned with leaves that opened and closed in the same way a butterfly bats its wings. A big, yet delicate flower slowly bloomed in between the vines and leaves, layers upon layers of gradient petals, colored from a deep indigo to a soft lilac, opened to reveal a glowing center – that lightened up the room with a brilliant hue that Luffy has only ever seen in the skies of a distant island in the far north.

“I've read about it a while ago, the flower is called lamperí kardiá, it translates to glowing heart…” You went on about the plant, where did it grow, when it was discovered, something about older generations using its crushed petals as ointment for wounds – all of which flew straight over Luffy's head, rendered speechless for once.

You looked beautiful with your face lit up by the glowing plant, with youe beautiful eyes and your beautiful hair and your beautiful lips. Everything about her was beautiful – breathtakingly beautiful, indescribably beautiful. Under the ethereal lights, Luffy was reminded of how the person in front of him wasn't human, a mythical creature whose presence alone was something out of a tale, something sacred that maybe should make him feel bad for touching so carelessly like he was used to doing with others, you looked intangible, unreal – and yet, on the moment that you looked up from the flower and back at him, you were his reality.

“You're so pretty,” Luffy mused, voice a little airy, eyes a little dazed “I wanna kiss you, can i kiss you?”

You froze, and time seemed to freeze along. You blinked once, then twice – and Luffy was still staring at you with that mesmerized look in his eyes, your cheeks felt hot, and a giggle involuntarily tumbled off your lips as they parted open, “Yes”

Your giggle ripped one out of Luffy as well, and you both just stood there laughing at nothing in particular for a second or two, before Luffy took a step closer and cupped both of your cheeks in his hands – warm hands, always warm, comforting hands.

Your lips touched together, and you dropped the plant on the floor to bring your palms up to cup the ones holding your cheeks. Lips only slightly parted, mouthing at each other in slow movements – you shyly licked your way into Luffy's mouth, and your faces changed angles as the kiss deepened and Luffy swiped his tongue over yours as well, a soft line of spit dribbling from the corner of his lip.

Your hands squeezed his wrists, He pressed your chests together. It felt weird – but good, funny.

Luffy was such a funny creature.

[antiromanticbaby]

Black Lotus - Satan

Prince!Satan x GN!Reader

[✧] ー we need more Victorian era themed stuff of these characters :( happy late birthday, Satan <3

Summary: Satan's birthday ball had been quite suffocating, he wanted a break. And who else better than the masked stranger on the balcony to strike up a conversation with? Similar to: roses - lucifer beware: I'm trying to write something historical (just tad bit) so correct me if any title was wrong alright? It's kinda hard keeping it gender neutral ;-; You can listen to: undecided for now, any classic song goes well. my recommended song is merry-go round of life Not proof read

TO think he would be stuck here of all places. Yes, Satan appreciated the fact that his brothers had gone as far as throwing a full blown ball for his birthday, but it was so unnecessary. Uncomfortable in his own skin, hidden behind a mask and smile. He would much rather sit in the silent library, without all these eyes on him, as he enjoyed a roller coaster of adventures with his beloved books. These restrained smiles, two faces now turned three, laughing and enjoying a birthday he wasn't. The big reveal was yet to come. The plan was for him to communicate with other nobles without them keeping themselves back just because he was the fourth born prince. Hence why masks covered everyone's faces. But Satan would much rather do the communication with what the others deemed as peasants than nobles. After all, many of these nobles were of no interest to him. They were just puppets, thinking they were the puppeteer, unaware to all the strings his brothers had attached to them.

He could read these nobles like open books, yet they thought a smile would protect them from Satan's sharp mind and eyes. While this ball did boost his ego (and was his chance at meeting suitors), he wanted a break. There people hired by his brothers to look like the 'prince', and converse with others so they would be distracted from the actual prince. Satan glanced at where all the gifts where.

All these and yet no books? How disappointing.

He needed a break, didn't he? He was tired of keeping up this act. Unfortunately for him, as he approached his favorite spot in the ballroom -the balcony- someone was already there. At least it was one person, not a group of drunk nobles. Whoever this person was, they seemed to be silent too. Good for him. But if this other guest also wanted a break from these nobles, perhaps they could get along. So he decided to approach them, you. He was the prince, he could break rules anytime.

"Good evening, sir/miss. You know, there is an indoor space with couches and tables, correct? Surely your grace wouldn't want to catch a cold." Satan spoke, keeping his distance. Neither of you knew each other's identity and he wondered just how he should address you. You probably had no idea. He decided he would speak about this matter later tomorrow with his etiquette teacher.

You turned around, unbothered by his presence. Of course you were, you viewed him like any other noble guest here and not the prince. "My sincerest apologies, my lord. The ball was getting quite suffocating, so I came to the balcony for some fresh air."

"I know how that feels," Satan replies, his tone of voice still sounding dull. He couldn't help but agree. All night, nothing had grabbed his attention and that was boring him to death. He was tempted to sneak out and back to the library but knowing the annoying eldest, he'd be dragged back in no time. He frowned. Usually nobles came to balls with a partner, so where was yours. "Please disregard my question if it seems to invasive, but are you alone?"

"Yes unfortunately, I couldn't find a suitable partner for the night." you spoke. "If you do not mind answering, how about you, my lord?"

"Hm… I was here by force, this day is more of a celebration for my brothers than myself. I never took a liking to such events, people, conversations." Satan is rather blunt about this. However he made sure his statues are hidden. "What a coincidence, that we both find ourselves in the same predicament." he pauses, then adds, "You are very mysterious, I've never seen you before."

"What a coincidence, that you speak the same lines as the forbidden book 'Black Lotus*', the tale of a musician and a blind prince who only realized he had fallen for a man once the musician was executed." You hummed, smiling. It was the same predicament of the book too, only that none of you were blind. And that you hadn't expected him to be the prince.

"You are quite the bold one, admitting that you have read a forbidden book." Satan pauses for one moment before speaking, "But I must admit, I have read it too. I can't say I feel any sympathy for the blind prince, if only he could've seen the man who he loved, maybe it would've been a different story."

His expression, rather cold from the outside, is warmer than usual as he speaks. You nodded, speaking up. The sudden shift in Satan's attitude hadn't gone unnoticed by you. "And of course, the musician could see. The piece he had written out for the prince and him only... the piano sheets were written in the book and I am truly amazed at how beautiful it was." You sighed dreamily. "For our tale will never end in love. The name of the ballade was… fairy tale, right?"

"Yes, I believe 'fairy tale' is the name of the ballade. As if fate was mocking those who read it. Quite the wise of choice of name if I may speak." If it wasn't for the expressionless and masquerade mask, it would be possible to tell exactly how intrigued Satan actually is by the conversation; he might have even chuckled.

"Quite informant, my lord. I wonder how vast your library and how powerful your connections are." You chuckled, teasing him just the slightest. If the noble in front of you could have his hands on a forbidden book, you wondered what else he could do with his power. He raised his eyebrows, however the action was hidden beneath the mask. "Are you impressed by such things?"

"Who knows, my lord." You turned away from his prying eyes, a smile pulling up to your lips. "A wise and knowledgeable man such as you must have travelled a lot, am I correct?"

"Yes, my lord/lady. However, I have only travelled a little." he shook his head bitterly. "I live quite the secluded life, you see, I have been on a couple of... diplomatic missions. However, the most I've travelled is in and out of the palace library. I still read about distant lands and people and learn of their ways and customs. Though I am no longer allowed outside of our kingdom or this castle." he looks rather saddened by this comment. "My family has quite the power, and after my oldest brother, I would be the most suitable to take over. If he were to somehow die, I would be the first in line to take over our family, based on our parents' will. That would put a target on my back so my mother and father don't allow me out of the castle and our kingdom anymore."

"What a bitter tale, my lord. This reminded me of the tale of the magician who escaped the life of nobles and once his family took a hold of him again, he was forced to live a life of isolation until he was in power. And until then, his only escapism of this cruel reality were books." Your frowned at that. "And yet, all along, he knew that these books could only give him a semblance of reality."

"You mean 'The Mad Magician'? Were you aware that this book has been written based on true stories?" He asked, interested. You knew so many books didn't you? Perhaps you were more interesting than you let on. And in that moment, the mask on your face was looking more like an obstacle than anything else. What a mystery you were.

"There are days I could relate to that story." He pauses, a bittersweet smile forming on his face. "Sometimes I dream about leaving the castle, running away with nothing but the clothes on my back and whatever books I can carry, and never look back." he laughs, but there's a sadness to it.

You frowned at that. You knew how strict most royal families were, but to this extent? Perhaps if you knew more about his title and just who he was, you could have a better grasp. Before you could speak up, he did. "I often think of what would happen to me if my eldest brother is gone, will my life be any better? And as much as I try to despise him, I imagine that I would feel empty without him. The imagination of not having him is quite saddening, as much as I hate to admit it."

"You know, my lord," You paused, wondering how to word it. "Perhaps one day we can go on adventures together, and remake our favorite scenes in books."

"That sounds… appealing… we could explore the world and escape, even for a little while." Satan's eyes lit up. "To be free from our duties, our restrictions and to just explore… it's an alluring prospect, indeed."

"And perhaps, we can begin by sharing our full names, by taking our masks off." A smile tugged up to your lips. "After all, we have spoken of forbidden book and romance, this wouldn't change a thing, would it?"

You were caught off guard as Satan stepped closer, closing the distance between you. He grasped your hands in his and brought it to his mask, a smile finally gracing his cold demeanor. He allowed you to take it off, relishing in the way your eyes widened. You were talking to the prince all this time and only now you understood. "If our secrets are to be told, then I believe we should start with our faces. Now may I see yours, my lord/lady? What is it that I ought to call you?"

Your mouth fell agape and your hands went to your mask, but before you could take it off, hurried footsteps approached. A deep voice spoke up, and you could identify those intense red eyes anywhere. The crown prince, Lucifer. "It seems that you have taken your mask off before the due time, Satan." He gave you a passing glance before motioning for Satan to put it back up. "No matter, come with me quickly, it is about time we reveal who you are."

There was no room for objection as Lucifer walked back inside the ballroom, expecting Satan to follow. Just as things were going well, the eldest had to ruin it for him again. He put his mask back on, giving you a warm smile and nod of the head before leaving. That night, you left a black lotus in the balcony where you stood. And going home, you thought he would never know you.

Little did you know, you didn't go home alone that night.

But as time passed, you would notice lotuses appearing on your balcony. Each time on top of a new book, sometimes even forbidden books. Perhaps the ball wasn't as fruitless as it seemed, because soon enough, letters arrived too.

happy birthday Satan, our little ball of wrath.

Black Lotus: I came up with this book very randomly and chose this name because black lotus symbolizes death, and rebellion.

p.: And after two weeks of receiving endless flowers, a majestic carriage stopped in front of your castle/palace/mansion/place. You can decide how it went :)

[sirowsky]

Part 17 - Remember Today

Pero Tovar and Female Reader (nicknamed Bee) Modern AU

Christmas is here, which means that Pero is about to have his first ever real celebration, and the family does not disappoint.

Creator chooses not to use Warnings! This is 18+ONLY! I’m happy to elaborate on what to expect from this part via DM.

Word Count: 4960 Masterlist(this story) Author’s Masterlist

Link to Part 18

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   “Good morning, pintora. Did you sleep well?” Pero’s drowsy voice asked from behind you, before his lips gently pressed against your neck.

   “Perfectly well, thank you,” you answered, just as drowsily, wondering why it sounded like he was a bit smug. “How about you?”

   “I did not sleep much, I’m very excited for today,” he said, and you could’ve sworn that the smile in his voice sounded even more smug then.

   You twisted around to look at him, but by then he’d schooled his features to show only happiness, which you didn’t doubt that he was feeling, but you knew that there was something else going on too.

   “What are you up to, mister?” you probed, and he just smiled wider, kissing the tip of your nose before almost leaping out of bed.

   “Come on, get up! It’s Christmas Day, we need to get ready,” he chirped while pulling the covers clean off the bed and then stepping back up and starting to jump next to you, making you bounce on the mattress.

   “I know what day it is, silly,” you laughed, unable to stop the giggles as you watched his childish energy grow with each little hop. “What’s gotten into you?”

   He didn’t answer that. Instead, he reached down to pull you up, snaring you into a bouncy little dance, round and round on the bed until he was satisfied that you were fully awake. At which point he dragged you into the shower with him.    The sparkling joy didn’t diminish under the warm water, more so the opposite, although he channelled it into really hot and slightly frenzied sex instead.

   “Honey, I know that this is your first real Christmas, but there’s no rush,” you reminded him while getting dressed afterwards, watching him hurry his way through the whole process. “We want the festivities to last throughout the entire day.”

   His only response was a happy little chuckle, so you just shook your head at him and finished putting on your knitted sweater.    In this family, the holidays had always been associated with comfort, so no one dressed up or got all fancy. Pj’s were permitted to be worn throughout the day, should anyone want to.    But you actually had your own little tradition.

   You always wore the knee-long, naturally grey wool sweater with a pattern of white reindeer over the chest, that your mother had made for you to prove that she could indeed knit, even though she hated it.    Wearing it always made you smile, because you remembered the look on her face when you’d opened the gift one Christmas morning and been completely shocked to find the garment. You really had thought that she couldn’t knit to save her life.

   She’d been childishly happy to have proven you wrong.

   Pero held your hand as you made your way down to the living room, and the newly decorated tree which stood against the large windows and the backdrop of the snow-covered landscape.    Once there, his urgency seemed to lessen, and he came to stand behind you, wrapping his arms around you and holding your back against his chest.

   “Merry Christmas, my love,” he whispered against your cheek, and you repeated the words back to him. “Today is going to be perfect,” he continued. “No matter what happens, it will be perfect, because you’re here with me.”

   Before you could formulate an equally sappy response to that, your father walked in, carrying hot cocoa and a loaded tray of sandwiches, wearing his comfiest sweats and his favourite plaid shirt.

   “Did I hear you two jumping on your bed earlier? Like five-year-olds?” he asked with a comically raised brow, and you playfully jabbed Pero in the ribs.

   “That was all him,” you accused, to which your partner merely grinned proudly, as if he could think of no greater honour than being told off for being childish.

   “Well then, you’ll have worked up an appetite, I’m sure. Dig in, kids,” Dean offered, and you snorted a little.

   “Who are you calling a kid, grandpa…” you huffed with a smile, and both he and Pero paused and grinned softly at you, so unbelievably happy that that would soon be a reality.

   Then Abby came bouncing down the stairs, before jumping into the living room and setting off a confetti-cannon.

   “Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals!” she imitated from the Home Alone movies, just before all the dogs came charging into the room.

   But since Dean was all smiles and Abby clearly wasn’t any threat, they immediately settled down.    She hugged each of you and then you all took a seat in the couch and turned the TV on to watch one of the channels that only showed holiday-themed movies all day, and Groot came to sit beside your legs while you had breakfast.    As a rare treat, the other four dogs were also allowed to join you that day, either sitting with you in the couch or tangled around your feet on the floor, that was their choice.

   You spent most of the morning like that. Just languidly watching funny and overly romantic films while chatting about nothing in particular, but all of you clearly eager to hop on any topic that could lead to more laughter.    And when it came time to start thinking about lunch, you all moved over to the kitchen and prepared the meal together, while also getting started on a few things that would be served with dinner, but needed some time to stew first.

   Lunch passed in much the same vein, the four of you and the dogs simply enjoying each other’s company and making the most of the light mood.    Then you and Pero volunteered to check on the horses, taking the canines with you to let them run off some excess energy in the fresh snow, while you groomed.    Groot played with them for a few minutes, but then came to your side again, as if he was worried about leaving you alone for too long.

   When you got back to the house, your father and Abby had prepared the living room for boardgames and general playfulness, removing carpets and breakables so that you’d have some room to move.    And since you and Dean were known to be unbeatable if you were ever on the same team, it ended up being him and Abs against you and Pero, which turned out to be a really even match.

   There were games played with dice, others with cards, some with your own bodies and one which forced all of you to sing.    Which led to the shocking discovery that despite your recollection of what he’d told Detective Jones that time at the café, about not wanting to inflict his singing on anyone, your partner’s vocal capacity was easily the best in the room.

   “Uuuh… Yeah, you’ll be singing all the lullabies, honey. Sorry,” you smiled, and he laughed a bit nervously, clearly not sure if you were joking, since the entire mood of the day had been playful banter.

   “Why? You can sing too…” he persisted, but you just shook your head at him.

   “Nowhere near as good as you, you’re like… a smoother Johnny Cash,” you suggested, and Dean sucked in a breath.

   “Oh, my god, Bee! You’re absolutely right!” he excitedly exclaimed with raised eyebrows.

   Your father loved Cash, so you’d grown up listening to him, and Pero did sound a lot like him, just without that roughest, most gravel-like texture.    A honey-smooth Johnny Cash.

   “Pfft… Not even close,” your partner scoffed, waving a hand dismissively at you both. “Just tell me, did I get the point? Because if I did, we won…”

   “Yep, you did,” Abby declared, “Which means we’re tied! And the house rules says that there must be a winner, so that means one more game.”

   It was getting close to dinnertime by then, but none of you were tired of the games yet, so you settled on a final battle, which was going to be a physical challenge.

   Basically, it was one of those “think fast” type of games, where you worked in pairs. One person would read a card with a task to be performed, which could be anything from touch your toes to tap the nearest metal, which your partner wasn’t allowed to help you with.    It was just a matter of completing the task as quickly as possible, and then picking up another card to hand to your partner to let them do the next one. And the pair with the most completed tasks after four minutes, would be the winner.

   And since some of the tasks required the performer to move to another room, while others could be completed within a single second, it was a truly exciting game, constantly shifting who was in the lead, until there was only time for one more task, and you were tied.    Now, it could possibly be considered cheating, and indeed the rest of the day would see the topic revisited on numerous occasions, but the simple fact was, the rules didn’t say anything about ninja-moves not being permitted.

   So, when both participants had to move clear across the room, Pero to write an invisible X on a piece of glass, and Abby to retrieve a music CD, there was a moment of confusion from all of you when it first appeared as though your partner hadn’t moved at all.    And then…

   “NO! You didn’t…!?” Abby growled when she returned with the disc after just three seconds, finding him seemingly still at the starting point, but with a smug smile on his face.

   “No way, you didn’t even move…” even Dean was doubting it, because like you, he’d been sitting in the sofa to observe the match, looking at them both.

   Excited to hopefully prove them wrong, you bounced up and trotted over to the nearest window, exhaling over the surface at chest-height, where he was most likely to have drawn, and sure enough, there it was.

   “Argh! You fucker!” Abby admonished, lightly punching Pero’s shoulder, but he just laughed giddily.

   “Not my fault you cannot keep up, perezoso,” he teased, and then added, “That means slowpoke,” before shooting her a huge, gloating grin.

   “Oh, no, you didn’t!” she warned before launching herself at him in a mock attempt at a wrestling match.

   You stood back and watched, laughing heartily at your favourite people having so much fun and being so comfortable with each other.    That is, until Pero hit Abby with a full disappearing act, leaving her almost landing on her nose on the floor when his mass suddenly just wasn’t there to absorb her fall.    And like Dopey in Snow White, he then reappeared perched on the back of the couch with his legs dangling, although he couldn’t wiggle his ears as impressively as the dwarf.

   The scene was too funny for anyone to keep arguing any points, and you all just collapsed in fits of laughter.    And once you’d recovered enough to start functioning again, it was time to get dinner started, and just like lunch, you all pitched in and kept talking and throwing the odd jab at each other throughout.

   The food was excellent, and you all ate way too much, as was customary, leaving you warm and pleasantly sleepy for a good long while afterwards.    You all piled up on the couch again, but this time tangled up so that everyone could lay down and give your distended bellies enough room to work, while The Holiday, one of your all-time favourite Christmas movies played on the TV.

   It was getting late by the time Dean announced that it was about time for presents, at which point, Pero practically leapt out of the sofa, all excited and giddy again, which confused you.    Because he’d been all sad about it, last night, realizing that he didn’t have anything for you, but he’d also been by your side all day, so he couldn’t have gotten anything since then either.

   Yet, here he was, goofily smiling as he reached for something underneath the tree and then came back to sit beside you as he handed you a small, neatly wrapped present.

   “Feliz Navidad, mi amada Abeja,” he purred, and you smiled warmly at his obvious joy.

   “What’s this, now? You said you hadn’t gotten me anything…” you probed, but he just kept smiling while he watched you start to pull the paper off.

   Once the gift was unwrapped and you held it between your fingertips, big blobs of tears started falling down your cheeks, because yeah, hormones, but also… this man was just too damned sweet.    He must’ve gotten up sometime during the night and made it for you, because you really didn’t think that he’d been messing with you when he’d said that he didn’t have any present for you.

   You would never forget that day, in the shade of your indoor trees at the studio, when he’d told you exactly how he felt about you.

   “It was like I had become a falling star, doomed to burn up in your atmosphere.    The moment I saw you again, I was trapped by your gravity, and there was nothing I could do but keep falling.”

   That was his gift to you. Then as well as now, because what you were holding was a little wooden star threaded onto a thin gold chain that you recognized as having belonged to your mother.    But he’d made the star of tiny fragments, and then put them together in such a way that it was somehow always moving if it didn’t rest against something.    So, in a way, it was perpetually falling. Unless you kept it steady.

   “Dammit, Pero…” you snivelled, too overwhelmed to think straight. “All I got you was an apron.”

   That befuddled him for a moment, but then he remembered what that was in reference to, and he snorted into a laugh while he got up again to retrieve the gift in question.    He snickered the whole time that he opened the present and then unfolded it on his lap, a simple cotton garment with the words “Caution Extremely Hot” followed by “no, not the food” printed on it, and he looked so fucking pleased.

   “This is the best Christmas present I have ever gotten!”

   “Well, yeah, it’s the only one you’ve ever gotten…” you countered, but he just smiled wider and gestured to the apron.

   “Exactly! Which is why I will remember this forever, so good thing it was a clever one,” he retorted with a wink, and you had to chuckle.

   “I should’ve gotten one of those that says ‘dad joke loading’ instead,” you offered, and he lit up like the tree behind him.

   “I don’t know what that means but I love how it sounds.”

   “I’ve got you covered there, son,” Dean chipped in while he got up to start handing out his presents to everyone.

   And as if the stars had indeed aligned that day, of course he’d gotten his adopted son and soon-to-be newbie dad, a book full of dad jokes.    It kept your partner entertained for the remainder of the evening, quietly humming with laughter every now and then while the rest of you settled down and got increasingly sleepier, once more crammed together on the couch.

   He was kind enough to spare you from having to listen to any when you crawled into bed sometime after 11pm, but you felt certain that like a loaded gun, he’d be ready to shoot once the opportunity presented itself.

   “Pero?” you asked after you’d snuggled up in bed together.

   “Mm,” he answered contentedly.

   “This was the best Christmas ever,” you declared, and felt his responding smile throughout his entire body.

   “Yes. It was. We will always remember today.”

<><><><><><><> 

   You stayed for breakfast and a lazy morning the following day, and then helped to clean up the house a bit.    And while Pero and Dean took care of the kitchen, you and Abby were in the living room, tidying up after the games and the unwrapping of presents, which led to your partner overhearing a very interesting conversation between you and your old friend.

   “Hey, Abs… I’ve been thinking about something, concerning the studio and the future and all that.”

   He’d been on his way to ask you if you wanted to take home some of the leftovers, but he stopped when he heard you say that, because he knew that the question about your future still weighed heavily on you, and he wanted to know if you’d made any progress.    It wasn’t eavesdropping, he was just concerned…    At least, that’s what he told himself when he deliberately stayed out of sight as he listened.

   “Okay, what are you thinking?” Abby responded, and Pero heard you pause whatever it was that you were doing.

   “I won’t know for quite some time yet just how much mobility I’ll be able to get back in my hand, and it seems stupid to start up my business again unless I actually have something to offer,” you said, and he didn’t like that you sounded so defeated.

   “I’d say that it would be pointless rather than stupid,” your friend observed, “but I see your point. So, what? You got something else in mind?”

   “Kinda…” you answered before pausing again, and this time it seemed like a very nervous sort of pause, which made your partner nervous too.

   “Do I have to guess?” Abby pressed, and he heard you clear your throat.

   “I want you to come and work with me, as my partner.”

   The room went completely silent then, for what seemed like a long time, and Pero had to seriously restrain himself not to barge into the room and interfere.    Because he thought that it was a wonderful idea, but he also knew that Abby might very well completely disagree, which was why your nervousness now made a lot more sense.    She’d always been a free spirit, always refused to tie herself down with anything that might sprout roots and become permanent, so odds were, she would reject this without even truly considering it.

   “You are so talented, Abs…” you continued after a beat, even though you knew that this was a woman that would never be convinced to do anything that she didn’t already want to do. “I’ve seen you make sculptures that could rival Michelangelo, out of fucking fruits or vegetables.    You can write perfect calligraphy despite the fact that you’ve never once had use for it, you taught yourself how to make wire trees just because you like the aesthetics of them, you know how to bind books and crochet, how to work with leather, clay and ceramics-…“

   You cut yourself off then, and he heard you sigh deeply, but there was still not a sound coming from the other woman.

   “I know that you’re not interested in creating things just to sell them, that you only create when you feel like it or when you’re bored, but I’m not suggesting that you become a creative machine, sitting at an office and pumping out goods for the rest of your life.    I’m suggesting that you keep doing what you’ve always done, just with me. And that instead of throwing away whatever your momentary creativity puts into the world, you let me find a use for it.”

   Pero held his breath, hoping with every fibre of his being that Abby would at least agree to think about it, because this was a really good idea.    It would allow you to buy some time to heal while still keeping your business alive and perhaps even your old client base from moving on. And even though your friend probably disagreed, it would be good for her too.    Such a job would still permit her all the freedom that she was used to, just with a permanent base to stand on.

   “Yeah, okay. I’m in,” she suddenly declared, and Pero felt himself go into mild shock.

   Really?    Just like that, she was onboard?

   “A-Are you serious?” you stammered, clearly just as struck as your partner.

   “I’ve never been very good at being serious about stuff, have I?” she asked, but it was less of a question and more of a statement. “Honestly, Bee… ever since the abduction, and then all the shit that followed, I’m not sure that I even know how to go back to life as usual.    This past week, being back in my apartment, I’ve never felt so alone.”

   “Oh, Abs… Why didn’t you call me?” you asked, clearly saddened to hear that your dearest friend had been struggling without telling you.

   “Because for once, I wanted to actually deal with what I was feeling. For real, you know.    I always talk to you when I’m going through something, but I never really let myself just be in that circumstance, in those feelings. But I did this time, and guess what?    Nothing terrible happened.    I was sad and I felt like everything I’d normally do to cheer myself up was just crap, and then it passed, and I was alright. The world didn’t end.”

   He could hear a smile in her voice in that last part, and without even seeing you, he knew that you were smiling too.

   “So, I’m not gonna pass up a chance to work with my best friend every day, and maybe finally carve out some actual meaning in my life. And if it helps you stay on your feet and feel like you have a chance to come back, then of course I wanna do it,” Abby finished, and he heard the two of you embrace and exchange soft laughter.

   He left you alone then, deciding that leftovers weren’t important enough to disturb such a precious moment, and quietly snuck back into the kitchen.    And when he came back there, Dean gave him a quizzical brow, clearly aware that merely asking you a question wouldn’t have taken him so long.    Pero held up a finger to his lips, to let your father know not to ask about what he’d been up to, just in case you might overhear it.

   Which was perhaps hypocritical, and a bit ironic. Then again, it was also harmless.

   Later, in the car on your way home, he let you tell him all about your conversation, not once hinting that he already knew all about it, because you were so excited.    For the first time since your hand had been damaged, you seemed truly optimistic about the future, ready to believe that even if you didn’t have all the answers yet, things would still work out somehow.    And it made him so happy to see that hope in you.

   But his joy was quickly snuffed out when you reached your house and found a police cruiser parked in your driveway and Detective Jones sitting on your front porch.

   “Somehow, I’ve got a feeling that this isn’t gonna be a holiday greeting card exchange,” you mumbled as you unbuckled your seatbelt after turning the engine off.

   “I’ll get Groot,” Pero said, but you put a hand on his arm to halt him.

   “No. She knows what he can do, she might consider that a threat.”

   “Preciosa, when an armed police officer is waiting for us to come home, I consider her a threat,” he griped, and you scowled at him.

   “Let’s just find out what this is about before we start throwing punches. She’s helped us before.”

   He wanted to remind you that she hadn’t really had much of a choice when she’d done that, and been ambivalent about her involvement throughout, but you were already stepping out of the car by then, so he quickly followed instead.

   “Hey, Jones,” you greeted once you’d stepped around the car, and she nodded.

   “Bee, Pero. I’m sorry to just show up like this, but I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news,” she offered, and you threw a worried glance at him as you both made your way up the steps to join her on the porch.

   “What’s going on?” you wondered, crossing your arms over your waist, already subconsciously trying to defend yourself.

   “Some corporate bigshot showed up at the precinct this morning, accusing the two of you of destroying his factory and killing all of his staff,” Kate bluntly explained, and you both froze. “Now, obviously I already know a lot more than I should about all this, which is why I’m puzzled by the fact that this man claims that it was Bee who did most of the damage.”

   “That is a lie,” Pero countered, taking a small step forward, just enough that he was closer to the Detective than you.

   “I know,” Jones confirmed, “but there’s more. This man has presented evidence of his supposed findings, in the form of video footage of Bee shooting a man in the head.”

   Pero suddenly went cold.    Because he’d taken care of all the evidence, the footage had been erased, and all prints and blood-smears had been corrupted by a chemical process involving gas. He knew how to leave no trace behind, even in a large building.

   The brothers had never named who their investors were, but now that he thought about it, it was reasonable to assume that those investors would’ve had deep pockets and plenty of resources.    Surely, enough to survey the Falcons without their knowledge, and if they were smart, create backdoor entrances into their systems so that they could steal or at least store all their data, in case it would turn out to be useful down the line.

   He felt idiotic for not considering this earlier, because he knew how companies like this operated, it had been his job to understand and circumvent strategies like this.    But he’d been so relieved to have it over with, to get to go home with you unharmed, that he hadn’t wanted to think about it anymore.    Most corporate bigshots knew to cut their losses, to just let businesses die when they no longer generated a profit, so he’d told himself that it was safe to let it go.

   Unfortunately, whoever this person was, he was clearly not your typical businessman.

   “Bee is innocent,” he persisted, taking another step, putting himself more in between you and the Detective.

   “I believe you, Pero. I know that she only did what she had to,” Kate offered, but her eyes were grim. “But I still have to take her in. I have to at least pretend to investigate this.”

   “No.”

   He took another step, this time completely blocking Jones’ access to you, and she took a step back, recognizing that she had no chance of getting to you unless he allowed it.

   “Listen to me… I won’t let anyone take her away, or do anything to her, but if I don’t detain her and get an investigation started, I’m gonna have to explain why, and that would mean having to expose both myself, and your entire family in this mess,” she clarified, but Pero didn’t care.

   He was not about to let anyone take you away in handcuffs, not even a cop that he actually did have a modicum of trust in.    It simply would not happen.    But then a warm hand slipped into the crook of his elbow, shifting his focus back to you, and when he turned back to look at you, you smiled softly and stepped forwards, until your back was turned to the Detective.

   Then you let go of him and pulled your arms back, offering Kate the opportunity to cuff you, and Pero almost reached around you to snap her neck the moment he saw her reach for the metal bracelets.

   “Honey, stop,” you said firmly, knowing where his head was at and that only you could halt him. “We can’t fight unless we know who’s accusing us, so I’m gonna go along and you’re gonna let me, because that is the fastest way that we’re gonna learn what this is and how we stop it.”

   There was no fault to your reasoning, he knew that.    But you were his entire world and if you left with the police, he wouldn’t be allowed access to you for an unspecified amount of time, and that was unacceptable.

   “I will find them and stop them myself,” he growled, and he knew that it was a threat that he could make good on.

   “I don’t doubt it. But if this man knows who we are, then what’s to stop him from using Dean or Abby against us?    You can’t protect all of us, especially if you’re off hunting, and I can’t let them become targets again because of me,” you argued with clear determination, finally breaking through the red mist of anger that had settled over his mind, opening the gates to his fear instead.

   “I cannot stand back and just watch you get taken from me…” he tried, but where his mind was crumbling, yours had turned into steel.

   “Call dad and tell him to get Abby and go to a safe place,” you said, and it wasn’t a suggestion. “Then… we can fight.”

   With that, you stepped forward and kissed his cheek, and then allowed Kate to lead you off the porch and into her cruiser.    He kept his eyes on the floor until he heard the car back out of the driveway, because if he looked at you while there was still a chance that he could stop this, he would.    You met his eyes for just a moment before the car turned away, and you still looked so solid and so certain.

   But then you were gone, and without you, all of Pero’s restraint died.

===============

Link to Part 18

Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this, please consider reblogging, I would dearly appreciate it.

@idreamofboobear @deadhumourist @prostitute-robot-from-the-future @sjdraws-00 @shsoba05 @radiowallet @thisshipwillsail316 @myfavpedrothings @cannedsoupsucks @bluegalaxyprime @tintinn16 @winter-fox-queen @shadesofnerdlygrace @tanzthompson @little-mrs-morales @hotchlover @gallowsjoker @xlostitx @cosmicbreathe @criminalmind1927 @harriedandharassed @bilibiche

[send-me-a-puffalope]

Muzzle of Nemesis Orchestra cover.... (Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra cover of Muzzle of Nemesis)

Orchestra...

Vanessa being front and center stage. The kids making music, as her life plays out. The violin at the end being played by Garrett and then the rest of the kids join once again. — the crowd claps and cheers, and claps and claps and claps.

(Queen of The Glass by Mothy .. is now playing)

↓

But the stage is now covered and transformed into vines. Chains, vines, whips and everything long with spikes.

Capturing the princess who thought she was free. Trapping the kids into items.

Princess is free for a while,

She questions “How am I able to transform the kids back?” — failing to preserve their lights and innocences, as she drowns and drowns. For what?

Looking for answers; meeting a lone brother and a smart sister. Do they have them?

Alice Merry-go-round, Queen of the Glass. - always to spin back to her father, the one she knows who has the actual answers, – and to be seen as a ruler; serving justice while doing injustice herself.

Hiding the truths, as she saw it all happen. I am nothing but a sinner, but a saint when I'm with her — the doors to a bigger end.

What do they have in store for her? What is their proposal, to her life that she travels from attached onto a long leash (she is not on a short leash, so close to her father that she's going to stay forever and forever on his side until they are both dead and in their graves. She's on a long leash. Able to do what she needs as a police officer, and able to be away. All she does is listen to by-gone rules from him and the law. But she is still able to do what she wants to do. She can do what she wants, but she needs that hidden until the end. Because she is monitored, as if she did a bad thing)?

Life, a stage for a wealthy family. A happy family of four members, and four of the most happiest of memories.

The end that the two boys bring, bells chiming - choking and the echoes of the cheers are at sound again.

Eyes to see, hands to act with, the blood spills. Is she useful?

Is this how she'll bring them back, is this how she'll be able to have them transform back? — in her, the sin dwells. Will it explode? Or will it impale everyone, to bring them with her?

Life, a stage. She falls down — a puppet with no strings as the puppet master fails to keep his eyes open.

His desire turning life, the happy stage and the smiles around, into a fight to the death.

“Thank you so much, ... [Cassidy]!” — the flowers are falling, tree wilting. The two harlequin rabbits in an embrace. — “I promise to keep you safe”, such a false positive promise.

False words,

— Both on the ground.

A servant, and a princess. Pity them as they uphold the mechanical father of Evil. ; the father, being their father. The servant and the princess's father.

Forever to taint others with a slip of a card. / Having masks to hide the faces of his children. White and black.

Tints of Gold. Royalty is what they are. But they of one side of Ying and Yang. Becoming masters, of their own Hells.

The lone man, stays by her side.

The smart girl, as well, stays by her side.

Cassidy leaves as he hears a tune he knows (Vanessa also knows it, she just.. can't move) — leaving a third time (him leaving the place to the back, him leaving his physical body= dying, his spirit leaves the survivors alone). Not to waste time, he joins the other one, who's like him. A protector — Garrett Schmidt. (As he's a tool and this boy, a glitch)

The bells, cheers, and fireworks lit up and are amplifying the most powerful sounds.

Nothing and no one is there.

The older and last Harlequin rabbit, yet, she won't disappoint the crowd even if she is now living a life away from the immortal vampire. Eating everything that will come her way. — Desperate, for anything of a genuine feeling of actual love (one that she read in childhood books, one of them being A Little Match Girl)

The toy bear, beat-beat. ; just like a clockwork tower.

The sound, it has affects. — “Immortal Vampire... Immortal Vampire..” is all it said.

Two words made it clear.

While it slept. And she, and she, and he both reached of older age; it was never dead.

It slept. As she reached her 30s. As she reached her teens. As he reached his 30s.

Such a concert. The orchestra is back?

The dead sure is.

More of that. More of that.

Eat until everything is gone— let that vampiric hare die.

The lone man, the harlequin rabbit, and the pink cat mage.

All spiralled.

Down and down and down and down and down and down and down and down and down and down and...

It's never an end. To the princess, to the servant and to the peasants.

The hall is never empty. The presence is there. “Oh, that sinful man. — Time has come.”

To burn it all. The hole is the only proof.

The rotting mix-match of the once alive rabbit. Rot has made it into a hare — eating, eating, more and more. ; joining a circus (as if she wasn't already a part of one before, in all seriousness), the ring leader being the reason why she was chosen as an Afton. A seed planted, they both hunger as it grows.

If we were to be reborn again ....

Maybe we could've lived a better life. A cook and his daughter thought as they wished. (The moon glows down on them as if to cause harm)

The orchestra is back. The drums being new, the violin still being the lead. — signal of an end. One of this world.

The drums being new. — signal of a New world.

The ★* Fifth Pierrot ★* — as he plays a boy, a fool. To be caged under the moonlight. Changing all of the dried red to a cream brown, while madly dancing.

Ms. Santa, time and again. Would pat the Pierrot's head. And at times the gentle touch... Somehow reminded her of.... (The brown bunny would be mistaken as a pink cat sometimes by her) / The winds, the ground has been dirted - the winds blow it away. The springs, to calm it all away. The winds blow, the doll is asleep. Flowers next to the springs; beautiful.

Is this a Utopia that the rabbit wished for? — gun shot. Stab wound.

Scar of it from the previous life. From this life.

To be stuck in that god forsaken, forbidden, and damned name.

A forest, the place of the play made by the mad man. The princess is always a princess. - a prince and a servant of the same face.

The same peasants appear. — oh it will continue. The hunger of it and everything.

Evil to foulest of things. The desperate will devour them, as they yearn to be more than playthings to their father; the one who made this tiny theater.

A choir joins. Faint but it's there. Like the cheers of the past.

Oh what it could possibly be, that could satisfy the royals? Oh what, what is it? — Praise and Honor to our Great Queen of The Glass! Oh, oh! Praise and Honor our Great Queen of The Glass!

A tiny, tiny seed planted, name of Cassidy; body should rot away, he’ll be reborn any number of times. That was the doing of gods, as a prank of demons: living many lives just as the other tiny seed, name of Vanessa; body should rot away, she’ll be reborn any number of times. That was the doing of gods, as a prank of demons.

Cassidy will appear

While not knowing his own destiny

Whether he’ll become an angel, or an insane familiar

That depends on you standing before his eyes / Vanessa will appear

While not knowing her own destiny

Whether she'll become an angel, or an insane familiar

That depends on the you standing before her eyes.

______

Sorry. Evillious Chronicles makes my brain go. Insane 👍 (was doing this whole ask while having a Evillious Chronicles playlist play. And I'm. Not normal <- is so normal)

Pierrot/prince/brown bunny; Gregory

Pink cat mage/smart girl(sister)/daughter; Abby

Princess/Harlequin rabbit; Vanessa

Lone man(brother)/cook; Mike

Servant/(other) Harlequin rabbit; Cassidy

Yeah. Some Papillomatosis references. 👍👍 :3

OOOOOO KELLIE I,,, you straight up wrote like the entirety of a fanfic in my asks HAHDJSKDISK /pos this was all so good, i love,,, symbolism. Though, the kids playing music makes me laugh. As someone who was in orchestra in elementary school, there is no way that music sounded good, they’re like 8 HAHDJSJDJAJ

I am taking you by the hands and twirling you around, this is so so so so cool and you are so so so so cool

[heartofmorioh]

Top 5 Saw Traps I Personally Would Not Want to Be In

5 - 1st Reverse Bear Trap. This one would be like number 2 for me because the idea of having to touch someone else's guts is an instant KO for me. But then I thought, if I was in any of these, I would still retain my prior knowledge of the traps, right? So I might be able to get away with not gutting anybody. I could just do what Hoffman does.

4 - Merry-Go-Round. Instant mental KO. If I was tasked with choosing who lived or died in a group of people, I think I'd just kill myself actually. How could I ever make a decision like that and go on living my life? I'd be better off dead.

3 - Water Cube. I've nearly drowned twice in my life. I've had ultra-vivid dreams about drowning, including one where I sank to the bottom of a river in a car and had to come to terms with my own death while it slowly filled with water. It was so realistic that when I woke up I just started crying. Drowning is probably my 2nd worst fear.

2 - Flammable Jelly. Also an instant mental KO. This guy had a long time to solve his puzzle, if I remember correctly. But I know my dumb ass would not be able to solve it. I would spend all the time just freaking the fuck out. Imagine spending your last hours alone and naked in a dark room covered in shards of broken glass. Imagine THAT being the place you have to come to terms with your death. Literally cannot think of a worse situation to have to spend your final hours in.

1 - Death Mask. This was the one from the 2nd Saw movie when this dude had a spiked mask that would close on his face if he didn't unlock it in time. But here's the thing: the key was surgically implanted behind his eye. I physically could not. If there's one thing I don't think I could ever do, it's mutilate my own eyes.

[icxnvc]

If you’re hearing MERRY-GO-ROUND OF LIFE by JOE HISAISHI playing, you have to know MI-JUN "MICAH" LEE (HE/HIM; CISMALE) is near by! the 24 year old EMPLOYEE AT FINDERS KEEPERS / WANNABE ARTIST has been in denver for, like, THIRTEEN YEARS. they’re known to be quite SPINELESS, but being GENTLE seems to balance that out. personally, i’d love to know more about them seeing as how they’ve got those SOFT SWEATERS, SHAKING HANDS AFTER CONFRONTATION, AND AWKWARDLY LONG BLANK STARES  vibes. and maybe i’ll get my chance if i hang out around the LAKERIDGE DISTRICT long enough!

Basics:

Name: Min-Jun Lee

Nickname: Micah

Age: 24

Birthday: January 14th

Occupation: Employee at Finders Keepers / Wannabe Artist

Sexuality: Bisexual

Residence: Lakeridge

FC: Lee Seung Gyu

Appearance:

Height: 6'

Hair: Black

Eyes: Brown

Tattoos/Piercings: None

Scars: A few, but they're hidden

Aesthetic:

If Micah could be a walking cherry blossom, he would be

Light colors, baggy clothes, sweaters that cover his hands, the color lavender

Bio: tw: abandonment, anxiety, mental health

Micah doesn't remember much of the town he grew up in, though he knows it isn't Colorado

In fact, he doesn't remember most of his childhood except for brief flashes of things in his nightmares and the few photos he has that were in his backpack

He's never gone looking for his family or his memories because if they didn't want him, he doesn't want them

When Micah was 11, his parents took a bus into Denver, and when they got on the next bus, they didn't take him with them

He spent hours in the bus terminal until somebody called the cops to pick him up.

The only reason he knows his name is from the tag that was attached to his backpack. The backpack contained a few pictures, a few changes of clothes, and a stuffed animal

The next three years were full of foster homes that didn't have enough patience for the boy who didn't want to speak, or otherwise replied in a language they didn't understand. He doodled a lot, and for a while, drawing became his main form of communication.

It wasn't until he was nearly fourteen that somebody thought to try getting a translator for him, and it helped. He'd been learning English since he was picked up, but it still wasn't comfortable for him.

By the time he ended up with his current family, he was mostly conversational in English, but still borderline mute. He let other kids pick on him, let adults boss him around, and then some, all while staring off into the distance as if it wasn't happening.

Micah blossomed with his final placement. He grew confident enough to speak, though he was still the quietest of his siblings, and his personality became so much more than "the weird kid in the corner." They adopted him when he was seventeen.

Micah still draws, he even went to college, just a local state school, and sees his family.

College was where he figured out his sexuality, having spent many nights tipsy and making out with any pretty boy or girl that looked at him twice.

Now, he works at Finders Keepers and dreams of what he could do next

Connections:

Friends: You can't go wrong with some pals

Enemies: Micah probably wouldn't have started shit, but he is an easy target

Romance: He's bi, he's shy, and he will not make the first move. If he gets flirted with, he turns red from the tips of his ears all the way to his toes. Though, he's a flirty, giggly drunk. Do with that what you will.

Friends of his family: Micah has 3 siblings, somebody probably knows them, and they might recognize him because of them

Shop Patrons: He works a lot of hours at Finders Keepers, running into him there is highly likely

Comfort Zone: Somebody needs to push him out of his comfort zone, it could be you

The Flirt: Could be a joke or for real, Micah won't know he's being flirted with, let alone know if it's for realizes. Once he does, he's a cherry tomato at all times.

Gym Buddy: You'd never know it looking at him, but Micah is built. He usually goes to the gym alone, but maybe they made friends at the gym, or they think they can help him out.

Date Night: Micah doesn't really go on dates, he's terrified to ask people out, but he would go if somebody asked. He might go because he'd feel bad saying no, but maybe not.

Fuck Buddy: He's not a virgin, but he might as well be. Somebody could fix that.

[repo-net]

loosely based on @light-wynd's recent art of nagisa in da winter, which is in the provided link. go check them out, they're rad.

Cold Love

The winter breeze blew softly in the suburbs of a small, humble neighborhood in the east. The city miles away from the area blared and roared with the flashy lights and sounds of Christmas season, providing a modern but homey background noise that set the scene.

A scene in a playground with it's surroundings covered in snow that was being tossed away to the side by a tall, blue-haired man with his hands. Some of the snow had ended up blocking and obstructing the use the playground attractions had, from the slide, to the monkey bars having icicles on them that he had to pull off with force.

Honestly, this process was starting to take a toll on his back and his body as a whole. His pale skin didn't help either, cold temperatures were a no-no to him for the most part and he was lucky to have so many layers of clothes on him. The scarf he still wore and the mittens he had on his hands probably helped him from getting any worse aches.

Shivering as another breeze blew by him and grazed his sensitive skin, he turned his back to look at the young child - who he'd covered their hair with using some small, self-made hats he specifically created to cover the kid's hair with. He's starting to wish he made some for himself too, now that he thought about it...

"And... there."

Kneeling down to fix the earmuffs attached to the kid, he gave them a tiny, content smile as he rubbed their hair a little, fixing the hats on their cowlicks again when it displaced again because of his mini show of affection.

"Are you okay, Father? You look a bit tired."

"Me? What makes you think that?"

"Umm... the clouds coming out of your mouth are getting bigger."

"... What?"

Unknowingly, he exhaled another deep breath, eyes gazing down for a few seconds as his kid's point was proven; it was getting pretty big, huh... he really wishes he had taken Masaru up on that offer a few years back to work out with him and at least not be so out of shape.

"Nevermind that. Your father's fine. Come on, I promised I'd let you play on the playground today, and I would never, ever break your heart. Look, up you go."

He turned his back to the child, patting his own back as if to tell him to get on him, to which the youngster eagerly agreed to and piggybacked themselves onto their parent, with Nagisa having to stifle a groan from coming out. It was getting harder and harder to do this as his kid got heavier, he couldn't lie...

Hiding the difficulty he had while bringing his kid up the slide, he plopped them onto the seat and turned around quickly once they were settled there, and took a few moments to catch his energy back. He really didn't want his own child of all things to be worrying about their dad being weak enough that he had a hard time keeping up with their bolstered energy in their youth.

Nagisa faced the slide again, watching as what he'd call 'his greatest success in life' happily slide down, the cold and slippery exterior of the slide's material providing an extra boost to their descent as they landed safely, giggling with pure joy as they went back to the ladder attached to the slide and scaled it to have another ride.

God, at the age he was and all the troubles he's been through, he was never going to get tired of hearing what's essentially a younger version of himself so innocent and carefree of the world around him. This simple feeling was nothing short of magical and the best kind of reward to him.

If this was the fate he had every time he was born, he would go through the same abuse and pain he grew up with over and over again if he knew that he would have something so dear to him when it all finally settled.

"Father!"

His small little daydream session interrupted by the call, the child was pointing their finger at a merry-go-round near the side, signalling to him that they wanted to play there.

"Alright. Come on, sit on my shoulders."

"Eh? But..."

"I don't think I stuttered. Get on."

A small bit of hesitation from the child out of concern for their father, they'd eventually place themselves on Nagisa's shoulders, sitting down on them as they barely missed out on hearing a discomforted sound from him.

He was starting to regret doing that. He'll just stick to the piggyback rides, he thinks to himself...

Moving fast to not have to spend so much time in a taxing position like the one he was in, he squatted to give the child enough space to get off of him and get on the circular playground spot, before giving it a nice and hard spin by the handles as it rotated the kid around with glee.

Facing away from the scene once more, Nagisa took a handkerchief from the inside of his coat's pockets and coughed into it. Yeah, he was really never gonna do that shoulder carry thing again, not until he was physically fit enough for it. He'll have to call Masaru up and see if he's still around to doing that.

Another thought came across his head when he remembered Jataro had found a really nice paying job as a part-time freelance artist. Maybe he could ask him to make a small painting of his family...? Wait, was that a bit egotistical and arrogant to ask? Actually, now that he thought about it, it doesn't sound as grand of a gift that he thought it was-

"Hu-WAh!"

Eyes nearly popping out of his socket when the sound of his child getting dragged reached his ears, he turned around and saw the youngster gripping on the side of the circle of the merry-go-round, and all the aches and pain he felt on his body disappeared, instinct taking over him as he rushed to the child with worry in his soul.

"What happened?! Are you okay- are you hurt anywhere?! Let me see your leg, let me see your arms!"

"Father, I'm fine-"

"Oh god, I'm a horrible failure, I should've kept my eye on you the entire time. No, I shouldn't have left you on something so dangerous in the first place..."

"Fath-"

"Why, why am I such a mes-"

"Father! I'm fine!"

Nagisa's little spiel of self-hatred and fear was cut short when his cheeks got pressed, his vision returning to him properly now as he saw a pouted, slightly annoyed child standing in front of him.

"I'm fine. Look!"

The child pulled their sleeves and the end of their jeans, revealing that there really wasn't any actual injury sustained or caused by the slip-up.

"I just lost my footing, but I'm okay. Please don't say those things about yourselves... you're not a failure. Not to me! I think you're an amazing father! The best one in the world!"

The kid said it with stars in their eyes, hands clenched as they made that claim with a smile on their lips.

Nagisa froze; not out of the sheer cold that filled the weather, but because he was taken aback by the complete unadulterated attachment and reassurance that his offspring was showing him. That expression in their face, with no trace of despair being present at all. Just trust and faith in their own father.

That got Nagisa to stop and snap out of it, getting on the child's level as he pulled them into a tight hug that warmed the both of them from the cold air. He didn't want to let go, rubbing his child's back as he wiped a single tear with his finger.

"God, I love you so much. I'm plenty of things, but a man that doesn't love you is not one of those. Promise you'll always remember that for me."

"I... understand. I love you too, Father."

He kissed the top of their head when they replied to them with that, nothing but familial love and fondness for one another engulfing the two of them as Nagisa finally looked his child in the eyes again, a wider than usual smile on his face, before he spoke.

"Come on! Let's head back now. I'll make you some nice, hot cocoa once we're there."

[true-blue-sonic]

HI HI BLUE!

In this last month of the year, the christmas decorations has already settled everywhere...

So I thought about Gold, after living almost her whole life in Onyx City, being in the past during this period.

Oh boy, the girl would get mesmerized after every step along the streets, seeing the different ways the Xmas lights can be positioned, let alone when it is not the only thing in the external decorations...

And more, what if the city have the tradition to put a great Xmas tree in the center? This girl could easily be 3 hours straight standing in front of it just admiring the structure, its colors and its lights while Silver would be regretting by not taking a camera to register the cute tenrec...

Well, I don't know how usual it is around the globe, but here by my country at least is quite common find 2~4 meters tall trees constructed with CDs or plastic bottles, I like to imagine Gold's curiosity while she examines this to understand how it was assembled...

Anyway, Merry Christmas in advance! 🎄🧑‍🎄

Hello there to you too!🍀

Indeed, I've seen them too: all the lights and prettiness ^-^ Tis the season... of cold icky weather too and by god I need those lights for some cheer in my own life because Dutch December weather is just dreary as all heck😩😂

I can imagine Silver and his friends from the past extensively told Gold about Christmas, but she never really managed to picture it: there's light on the streets and it gets decorated. Nice, street lanterns are a thing whole year round, and everything in the past looks pretty already anyway😂 (I love the idea of Gold on occasion being a horrid li'l sceptic only because she lives with Silver and he ain't always the most reliable source of information, lol.) So when the Christmas decorations are put up and Silver takes her to the inner city to see for herself this girl is blown away. She'd be amazed by how bridges are covered in strings of lights (with patterns they flicker in!!) and how there's all sorts of chandeliers and shapes made with the lights also. And the Christmas tree... she'd be unable to stop marvelling at it, especially if it's a large one🥺 With all the baubles and garlands stuff inside she'd indeed be spending quite some time in front of it! Enough for Silver to sneak back home for a sec and grab his camera after all, cuz he's just gotta capture his big sis being cute💕

That's a really interesting way they make trees in your country, I think Gold would indeed adore seeing how it is created and how everything fits together! In Holland it's common for organisations and stuff to place a Christmas tree inside their buildings (usually a fake one haha), though outside we're more of solely the strings of lights in the places I've been at so far. Though, we do have those Christmas markets and fairs in some cities; Silver and Gold can go there and enter the ferris wheel and eat winter snacks with hot chocolate! :>

Merry Christmas to you too if you celebrate, and thank you for the ask!🍀🎄

[sellbuymusic]

Artist of This Week : Lallaworks

Hello everyone, Welcome to SELLBUYMUSIC, the royalty-free music library! We have brought you this month's artist interview!

Shall we go check out the interview with our second artist of June, 'lallaworks'?

Q1. Please introduce yourself. What genre of music do you mainly create?

A1. I'm lallaworks, a composer who mainly creates BGM (background music). I had a turning point in my life five years ago due to health issues, which led me to start making music. In the early stages, I uploaded music to SELLBUYMUSIC.

Q2. How did you become familiar with SELLBUYMUSIC?

A2. I had experience creating YouTube videos, so I was aware of the existence of such platforms. While searching for ways to monetize my music, I came across a blog post about SELLBUYMUSIC and decided to check it out.

Q3. Do you have any artists or songs that inspire you?

A3. Even during a period of life when I was quite distant from music, I loved "Joe Hisaishi - Merry-Go-Round of Life”, which resonated strongly with me compared to now. As a reference, I'm constantly creating songs like "Story: cinematic bgm" and "sad love: cinematic bgm" among my own compositions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7SS57LFPco

https://en.sellbuymusic.com/musicDetail/24915

https://en.sellbuymusic.com/musicDetail/24681

Q4. What aspect do you pay the most attention to when creating music?

A4. I always strive to make it "a little more innovative!" Rapidly changing and vast, I believe that in order to grow, music representing such a world should be slightly more fresh.

Q5. If you have a favorite song among your creations, which one is it?

A5. I particularly like "Space Exploration," and the cover art I drew for it. Most of all, this song holds a special place in my heart because it made me realize that I could share my music with others. It's a story of exploring the unknown world of the universe and overcoming challenges, which resonates with my own journey. Whenever I listen to it, I gain energy.

Q6. Please personally introduce the attractive points of your music to the readers.

A6. Diversity. It encompasses various genres and moods, and it will continue to expand in the future! 😊

Q7. Is there a moment in your daily life when you find musical inspiration?

A7. Every moment. I try to jot down ideas no matter what. It usually starts with contemplation, but the most focused moment is when I sit down to work. It's a very interesting time when all the gathered thoughts and ideas come to fruition.

Q8. What kind of artist would you like to be known as?

A8. I want to be known as an artist with anticipation. Someone who makes people curious about what kind of music they will create next and when they listen, they can't help but say, "Ah, it's them again!" I want to become a versatile artist.

Royalty free background music library

SELLBUYMUSIC

https://en.sellbuymusic.com/

[harlequinslament]

Ok so I may have made a Sensei x Tusk story...

I am so sorry for whatever you’re going to read ahead

(as a note, I gave them real names other than “Sensei” and “Tusk.” Sensei is Yamato and Tusk is Haruka. Ok back to the story once again i am so sorry)

“You don’t know how to dance?”

Haruka confessed to his embarrassing secret with a shake of his hanging head. Yamato did not seem to mind; in fact, a shimmer of excitement sparkled in his wide eyes. He rushed up to his friend and pulled him off of the small rock he was sitting on. The snow crinkled underneath their feet as the two boys skipped to the mountainside overlooking a forest of evergreen trees coated in layers of snow. The smell of pine and fresh snow reached their noses as they caught their breath.

“Yamato, what is this all about?” Haruka questioned before his eyes popped. “No… Yamato, please! I’m hopeless!”

“You’re not hopeless! It’s so easy! Just follow my lead!” Yamato beamed. If anyone else dared to grab onto his wrists and tug him forward, Haruka would have stricken them instantly with an icy blow, but he could never unleash such cold wrath onto Yamato. His smile could melt an entire blizzard, and the warmth of his hands expelled the shivering from Haruka’s body. Now that Yamato looked so overjoyed to teach him something new, how could he say no to him?

“Alright! You better not be lying!” Haruka huffed.

Yamato scoffed as he adjusted his position, “I’m not lying, I promise! Just take my hands.”

Haruka struggled to find a comfortable spot for his hands to fit within Yamato’s much smaller hands, so he resolved to grip his wrists and hope that his friend was strong enough to keep himself anchored to the ground and prevent himself from flying around from Haruka’s movements. Yamato’s fingers wrapped around Haruka’s wrists as far as they could reach before he began to list his instructions.

“Okay, it’s simple, really. All you have to do is move your feet around and try to stay balanced. We’ll start with some easy steps,” Yamato explained before he pulled Haruka along to a simple pattern of stepping back and forth. Despite the overwhelming howl of the wind, Haruka could feel the presence of a melody that they waltzed along to. Yamato seemed to hear the melody as well, for it was as if he was using its rhythm as guidance for his steps. He spared enough attention for Haruka to say, “You’re doing great! We’ll try something more intricate.”

Soon, their shuffling escaped their solitary spot and pranced through the area around them. The mountainside became their ballroom as Haruka gained more confidence in his balance and loosened his grip around Yamato’s wrists. Their circular patterns now peppered the snow on the ground in the shape of their shoes the longer they danced until those traces fused with one another into a messily formed circle. At this point, Haruka found himself laughing with joy alongside Yamato and even dared a stunt of twirling his friend in an unexpected pirouette.

Nevertheless, Yamato only reacted with a fit of giggles, “Where did that come from?” Haruka only shrugged and began leading the dance in his direction. In response to the usurp of his power, Yamato wrapped his arms around Haruka and tucked him into a low dip. “See? Now, I got y— WOAH!”

Both of the boys tumbled into the snow and burst into side-splitting chuckles and howls. The cold clumps of snow matted onto their training gis and soaked the fabric, yet no amount of freezing cold snow and ice could match the warmth of their moment of glee. They rolled onto their sides and locked their eyes for a second, their bodies still shaking from laughter. Haruka slid his hand into the snow between them, and Yamato’s hand layered over his with a gentle stroke of his thumb.

“It really is easy, isn’t it?”

“I guess it is.”

* * *

The blizzard painting the breathtaking scene with its lovely glistening snowflakes finally drifted back to the ground and settled into piles around the cave walls. Sensei watched as one of the fondest memories of his childhood—now weaponized against him to leech some form of guilt out of him—crumbled at the seams into nothing but a cruel trick. His former friend made his presence no secret, as a simple sigh of painful nostalgia alerted Sensei of his essence in the room. The thundering footsteps of the vessel with a hardened heart rattled the cave until a tall shadow loomed over him, yet Sensei could not find the courage and inner peace that he collected throughout the years to face the one he called a friend.

“You can’t even look at me anymore, is that so?” Tusk’s voice spoke, his whisper of agony poorly hidden behind a growl.

“I shall admit that, but only because I do not want to see what my mistake has done to you,” Sensei controlled his tone to speak words of wisdom, though it desperately wished to crack and shatter into sobs of remorse.

“Did you only realize it was a mistake once you found what I had become? After you found that my power surpasses yours?” Tusk countered, but Sensei’s skin crawled hearing Tusk utter such a lie.

“I knew it was a mistake the moment that avalanche took you. I should have looked for you longer,” he confessed.

Tusk flinched so hard that he nearly lost his footing and stumbled back.

“You… searched for me?”

“Of course I did. How could I simply leave you without looking for you first?”

“Then… Why did you leave?”

“Because I found this.”

Sensei inhaled a deep breath to gain composure before he turned to his friend towering over him. Even though he did not meet his piercing gaze, he picked up his walking stick with his two hands and held it up for Tusk to see. The Master of Snow hitched his breath for a moment as his eyes fell upon his lost horn fused into the walking stick that Sensei clutched to at nearly every moment. One of the horns of the helmet that Tusk bragged could never break now stood as a testament to his weakness.

How could he blame Sensei for leaving if he found that?

“You really kept it after all of this time…” he breathed, still in disbelief of Sensei’s dedication after all of these years… after all that he did to him and his ninjas.

“I could never let you go.”

The walking stick clattered into the hard snow once Sensei allowed it to slip from his hands. His hands slipped around Tusk’s wrists just like all of those years ago on the mountainside.

“It really is easy… Isn’t it, Yamato?” Tusk whispered.

“I guess it is, Haruka,” Sensei answered.

For the first time in many years of suffering and solitude, Haruka finally felt the joy of a low chuckle as his hands ill-fittingly wrapped around Yamato’s smaller wrists.

[dilemmaontwolegs]

OLLIE OLLIE OLLIE !! Hey ! How are you ?? I’ve had an idea and I’m gonna burst if I don’t share it . So Bucky , any AU Bucky would do but maybe Mafia !? Where Bucky is a fuckboy , sleeping with a different girl , sometimes more than one , every night , always walking around with a girl on his arm and making out with them even when he’s handling business . But then he meets you … he stops sleeping around and does everything in his power to win you over . And everyone is dumbfounded seeing the notorious mob boss and womanizer having puppy eyes for a girl that’s seemingly so unlike him and so different from all the girls they’ve seen him with before . And then you’re the only girl he’s kissing and having on his lap in public ! I couldn’t stop thinking about it and I thought you might like the idea !! Have a great day

I’ve spent too much time in Australia because I immediately wanted to chant back Oi!!! Oi!!! Oi!!! 😂

Been a while since I wrote for mafia! Bucky, thanks for the request!

Obsidian Nights || mafia!Bucky

Warnings: 18+ only, nsfw, mentions of sex, sexual themes, fluffiness WC: 3.3k

bucky masterlist

Every night was the same for Bucky, like Groundhog Day but involving a lot more sex. His bedroom door may as well have been revolving the way he worked himself through every single lady in New York. There was a rolling joke that Bucky checked women's names off his list faster than Lou Bega in Mambo No.5. His youth passed in blurr of unfamiliar faces waking up next to him with the hopes of another night together but they never came. 

Bucky was certain he was living his best life and happy riding his metaphorical merry-go-round each night in Club Obsidian. He was certain he would never fall for the greatest trick of all time - monogamy. He was absolutely certain, until he locked eyes with an angel. You shook him to his core, made him question his beliefs, your innocence attracting him like a moth to a flame.

“Steve, who’s that?” Bucky asked as he nudged away the woman who had been sitting on his lap waiting until he was ready to leave and take her with him.

Steve shook his head as yet another woman caught his best friend's eye and turned in his seat to follow his gaze. “Not a clue, pal, but she’s not your type anyway. She looks like a good girl.”

Bucky downed his drink and rose from the VIP table, ignoring the hands that trailed his body as he walked through the crowd towards the bar. He couldn’t deny what Steve said, you were everything Bucky had avoided; a kind smile, shy eyes and a dress that, however beautiful on you, covered far too much skin. 

“Are you lost, doll?” Bucky leant in and asked, a quiet squeak of fright escaping as you stepped back. His stomach knotted at the sweet sound and his heart rate spiked as he followed your step with a teasing smile that disarmed you. “I didn’t mean to scare you. Let me get you a drink.”

“I don’t drink.” You answered, finally finding your voice after staring at his eyes for too long, the blue seeming to be too iridescent for the dark club. Over the handsome strangers shoulder you spotted your friends who had invited you, their attempts at getting you out of your apartment finally working, and you waved to get their attention. “Thanks for the offer.”

You ducked out before he got a chance to reply, his frown deepening as he felt his first rejection in years. Immediately you noticed how excited your friends were as they pulled you into a close circle.

“Holy shit! You were talking to the one and only Bucky Barnes.” Your roommate Nat gushed as your friends all sighed longingly.

You looked over your shoulder but he had disappeared into the crowd, no doubt off to find another woman to buy a drink for. “It was nothing.”

“I wouldn’t call that nothing.” Nat scoffed knowingly as a regular patron of the club. “He barely leaves his Ivory Tower in the VIP section, he must have thought something of you to descend among the commoners.”

“Jesus, you make him sound like a King.” You laughed as waved off her silliness but found the others nodding seriously. 

Nat leant in and whispered in your ear, a shiver running down your spine. “Word is his family runs the mob.” 

You looked around inconspicuously and froze as you caught sight of him standing at the edge of the VIP section, gripping the metal railing as he scanned the crowd and stopped at you. A smile played at his full lips and the strobe lights illuminated his sharp cheekbones as he stood up a little straighter and ran his tongue over his bottom lip hungrily. 

The air of dominance, the tailored suit, the glint of a diamond encrusted rolex on his left wrist - you stepped back and shook your head. “I just wanted a nice night out and you brought me to a bloody mob hangout?” 

“This is Brooklyn.” Nat pointed out with a laugh. “They practically own everything.”

Your fingers twirled your bracelet around your wrist and you snuck another glance to the VIP area but Bucky was nowhere to be seen. You weren’t quite sure if the feeling in your stomach was from relief or disappointment but you put it from your mind as your friends dragged you to the bar to order some drinks. Your mocktail looked delicious as you handed some cash over the bar but the bartender gave it back with a shake of his head.

“Courtesy of Mr Barnes.” 

“Oh, that’s not necessary.” You said, trying and failing once again to pay before tucking it back in your clutch. 

“If the big guy wants to pay, I say let him.” Nat said as she clinked her glass with yours. “You could do with a little male attention. Dust out the cobwebs, have some fun.”

“I have no interest in being another notch in a belt.” You laughed, taking a sip of the fruity drink. “Thanks for your concern but I am quite happy-” 

“Running up the electricity bill every night with your wand?” She teased before choking on her drink. “Um, I’m going to go check out the dance floor.”

She darted into the crowd quickly with her agile steps and disappeared as you were left along to question what had just happened. The answer came in the form of a hand on your lower back and you turned to see a pair of bright blue eyes sparkling with amusement.

“Here I was thinking you were a good girl.” Bucky chuckled, his thumb rubbing over your spine in time to the music. “But this is so much better.”

“Isn’t there anyone else for you to bother?” You sighed, unintentionally piquing his interest even more.

He looked over the crowd, a dozen women openly undressing him with their eyes but he felt nothing for them. “Sure, but there’s really no fun in that.”

You rolled your eyes, forgetting for a moment who it was you were talking to. “Lucky me.” 

The pressure on your back increased as he stepped closer and it was either take a step and let him lead you where he wanted or have his body flush with yours. It was a tough choice but you let him walk you to the VIP area, the velvet rope being opened for you by a sinister looking man with a gun on his hip. Bucky paused to talk to the bouncer at the bottom of the steps and pointed out your friends on the dancer.

“Get them a table and service on my tab.”

You stopped in your tracks and turned on Bucky, taking the high ground and using it to bolster your confidence. “You do realise that dropping money isn’t going to make me sleep with you.”

“It’s cute that you think that is dropping money.” He teased as he stepped up so he was eye to eye with you. “Tomorrow, 6 o’clock.”

Your jaw dropped and you blinked dumbly as you waited for the punchline that never came. “Excuse me?”

“Have dinner with me.”

Your heart skipped a beat at the thought but you did you best to hide your surprise. “I get the feeling that’s not a question.”

He tipped his head to the side and you would have said it was cute if it wasn’t for the cocky smirk on his face. “I get the feeling you would say no if it was.”

“God forbid anyone say no to you.” You said as you failed to hide the smile growing on your face. “Fine, but I’m choosing the restaurant.”

“Deal. Seal it with a kiss?”

You couldn’t help laughing at his confidence and you leant in to press a chaste kiss to his cheek, the sly mobster seeing your intention and turning his head at the last moment so your lips connected with his. Every nerve ending in your body electrified at the touch and you were lost in the sensation of his soft lips as his hands curved around your waist.

“That was very sneaky.” You pointed out as you regained your senses and remembered where you were, ignoring the part of you that wanted nothing more than to taste his lips again.

He ran the back of his knuckles gently over your cheek, his eyes tracing your lips. “You don’t get anywhere in life without a few risks.”

Nat was barely waking up when you were getting ready for your dinner date, her moans and groans echoing through the apartment as she dragged herself from her bed to raid the food cabinets to ease her hangover.

“Why are you getting all dolled up?” She asked, pressing a cool bottle of water to her pounding forehead. 

“You don’t remember anything from last night?” You chided as you tossed her a bag of crisps. “You probably bankrupted Bucky with the drinks you were ordering.”

She frowned as she tried to remember the details of the night, finally gasping as she pointed at you. “Holy shit! You and Bucky! You were getting awfully friendly at his table. Did he drive us home?”

“Well, technically his driver did.” You corrected as the apartment buzzer sounded. “And that is probably him now. Don’t forget to rehydrate and I’ll see you tonight. Love you.”

She groaned in response as she dropped her head to the table and buried her hand in the packet. “You too, stay safe, use protection.”

“What do you mean you’re going on a date?” Steve laughed through the phone. “With the teetotal good girl?”

“Her name is Y/N.” Bucky growled as his driver pulled up to the apartment he had stopped by the night before, when he helped you carry your half conscious roommate inside. “Were you calling for a reason or just to bust my balls?”

“Nah forget it, it’s nothing urgent.” Steve chuckled. “You have fun while I console all the sad and lonely women, mourning the loss of James Buchanan Barnes.”

“Shut up.” Bucky laughed. “I’m going on a date, I’m not getting married.”

“Yet…but this is how it begins.”

Bucky hung up the phone as Steve hummed the tune to ‘Here Comes the Bride’, the teasing thankfully not enough to ruin his mood as the car came to a stop. He had memorised your apartment number and quickly hit the buzzer beside the door, noting your last name on the little tag. He couldn’t stop fiddling with his cufflinks or decide whether he looked too formal with his starched dress shirt buttoned to his neck, a wave of disconcertion he wasn’t used to washing over him as he tugged at his neckline and unbuttoned the top before he suffocated.

“Oh, wow. You look…” You were lost for words as you stepped out of your building to find Bucky waiting in a full suit, his hair slicked back and his eyes taking in your far more casual appearance. “Over dressed.”

You giggled as he looked appalled at the idea but he closed his mouth when you stepped closer and opened another button so you could see the gold chain hanging around his neck. Next you grabbed his suit jacket that was already unbuttoned and eased it off his shoulders before folding it up.

“Roll your sleeves up.” You ordered as you messed his perfectly styled hair up and stepped back to see the result. “Not half bad.”

“Who needs self esteem anyway?” He winked, doing a turn that was worthy enough for a runway model at a Milan fashion event. “So, judging by this high end street fashion, you haven’t chosen a restaurant I would have heard of.”

“You gave me the VIP treatment last night, it’s time to return the favour.”

His eyes narrowed at your evasive tone but he didn’t question you as he led the way to the car, opening your door before walking around. You had already told his driver where to go when he slid in beside you, even more curious than before.

“It’s not often that I’m the last to know what’s happening.” He said as he took your hand, the thick signet ring on his finger warm to the touch.

“Just relax, I promise this will be the best cuisine money can buy.”

He looked doubtful as he watched the streets roll by until his driver came to a stop outside a busy underground parking lot.

“Come on.” You enticed him with a curled finger as you opened the door. “There’s no valet here.”

He followed you into the cordoned off parking lot, the aroma of food drifting up from the ramp to the next level down.

“There’s a restaurant in a basement?” He asked with confusion and doubt.

“Not quite.” You smirked, the full sight of the night market spread far and wide, dozens of food trucks all lined up with their music and food creating a bustling atmosphere. “If it makes you feel better, I’ve never once got food poisoning from eating here.”

“That’s really just super comforting.” He laughed and shook his head. “Where do we begin?”

You were absolutely stuffed by the time you made it around all the stalls, Bucky indulging you both in almost every type of food they had to offer. You had collapsed onto a picnic table as you waited for your food to settle and found Bucky watching you with a reserved reverence.

“What?” You asked as his smile grew.

“Nothing,” he grinned, “it’s just, this is the best date I’ve ever been on and it was completely unexpected.”

“I suppose I’ll be just as surprised next weekend when it’s your turn to choose.”

“If you think I’m going to wait a week before I see you again, you’re crazy.” He said as he shuffled closer and straddled the bench seat.

You swung your leg over the bench so you were mirroring him. “Tomorrow, 6 o’clock.”

“Deal. Seal it with a kiss?”

“I feel like I never see you anymore.” Nat pouted as you flattened out a crinkle on the dress Bucky had bought for you.

“You could always come with us?” You offered but she shook her head. “I thought you liked his club?”

“I do but no thanks, I’m still recovering from the last hangover.” She complained. “Maybe next month. God, I sound old.”

You gasped and reached for her curly red hair. “Is that a grey hair?”

“Shut up.” She slapped your hand away and even though she knew you were kidding she had to go to the bathroom mirror to check. “Ha, knew it, now get out of here.”

It was one of the rare nights that Bucky wasn’t able to pick you up and it felt strange riding in the back seat of his Bentley all alone. At least when you arrived at Obsidian you were able to walk straight in and not have to join the long queue snaking around the building and off down the street.

The club was absolutely packed but nothing could get in the way of spotting Bucky. His ringed hand was resting on the rail as he looked over his kingdom, life flooding into his cold eyes when he spotted you. He met you halfway, his bright smile reaching his eyes as his hands caught your hips and pulled you in.

“Hi beautiful.” He greeted, his hands spreading across your back until one caught the nape of your neck. “You like to torture me, don’t you?”

You opened your lips to answer but it was swallowed by his kiss that melted you into his embrace. The intense feelings that had been building between you were raging in your body, the need to have him completely leaving your core throbbing. But it was his idea to take things slow, not that you argued, you both wanted this to be special and not just another lost lover between his satin sheets.

“This isn’t a walk in the park for me either.” You admitted as you played with the stiff lapels of his pinstripe suit.

“Your poor wand must be working overtime.” He teased, earning a soft slap to his chest.

“That was so embarrassing.” You muttered as you looked away and cringed only for him to catch your chin and turn you back.

“Why? I find it sexy as hell.” He bit his lip and pressed his hips into yours, showing you exactly the effect you had on him. His voice dropped even deeper as his lips brushed below your ear. “Been imagining the things you’re doing late at night when I’m not there.”

Your heart rate spiked and you sucked in a lungful of air as he kissed his way down your neck to your collarbone, a trail of goosebump left in his wake. “Bucky? How important is it that we are here tonight?”

He groaned as he spotted the very businessman who was hoping to buy Bucky’s protection from a rival family. “Hold that thought for five minutes, doll.”

“I’ll hold you to that.” You kissed his cheek and headed to the VIP area where you wouldn’t be bundled about in the crowd.

“Drink?” Steve offered as he sidled up beside you before smirking. “Oh wait, you don’t drink, right? No drinking, no sex - what does my boy see in you…”

“I don’t think that it’s any of your business.” You said, turning to face Bucky’s best friend. “And I’d like to keep it that way.”

You caught movement at the stairs and found your boyfriend passing the velvet rope so you pushed off from the bar and paused at Steve’s broad chest to look up at him. “Just for the record, you don’t seem to be having such a bad time rolling in his leftovers. Maybe that’s where your focus should be and not worrying about what I may or may not be doing with Bucky.”

“Hey, doll, ready to get outta here?” Bucky asked, his mind filled with thoughts of you and completely oblivious to the tension.

You stepped into his open arm with an eager smile. “How about we go back to your place tonight? Wouldn’t want to keep Nat up.”

Steve’s eyebrows shot up his forehead and he shoved his beer up to his lips before he made a remark that would keep him on your bad side.

“You sure?” Bucky asked quietly.

You nodded, absolutely certain you wanted to take your relationship with him to the next level, but you couldn’t help a little teasing along the way. “I’m sure…we just might have to burn your mattress first. God knows what filth a black light would find on it.”

“Way ahead of you baby. I bought a new one weeks ago.” He said proudly, punching Steve in the shoulder with a laugh when he pretended to whip the air behind Bucky. “Fuck off, punk.”

— —

“So this is the best money can buy.” You moaned as you floated on cloud 9, the mattress the most comfortable thing you had ever laid on before. “It’s amazing.”

“Only the best for my girl.” Bucky chuckled as he flopped down beside you.

Rolling over to rest your chin on his chest and look him dead in the eyes. “As long as I’m the only girl in this bed.”

His lips curled up into a panty dropping smile and his arms encircled you to pull you over his body. “You’re unlike any woman I’ve ever met, the only one I ever want in this bed.”

Your stomach tightened at his promise and you pushed yourself up so you were left straddling his hips, your desire driving your hips to roll and increase the friction between you. “Then how about we break this bad boy in?”

[gotham-ruaidh]

Little Bit Better Than I Used To Be

Catch up:Chapter 1 (Starry Eyes) || Chapter 2 (Save Our Souls) || Chapter 3 (Dancing On Glass)|| Chapter 4 (Merry-Go-Round)|| Backstage (1) || Backstage (2) || Chapter 5 (Danger)|| Backstage (3) || Chapter 6A (Love Walked In) || Chapter 6B (Without You) || Backstage (4) || Chapter 7 (Stick To Your Guns) || Chapter 8 (Time For Change) || Backstage (5) || Chapter 9 (Take Me To The Top) || Backstage (6) || Chapter 10 (Home Sweet Home) || Backstage (7) || Chapter 11a (Nightrain) |||Also posted at AO3

-----

Chapter 11B: Nothing Else Matters

Never opened myself this way // Life is ours, we live it our way All these words, I don't just say // And nothing else matters...

Soundtrack: “Nothing Else Matters," Metallica, 1991 [click here to listen]

~~Summer 1990~~

“There she is. Wake up, sweetheart. It’s all right.”

Claire’s eyes fluttered. Arch’s kind, lined face swam before hers.

“Welcome back. You need to take deep breaths, Claire.”

She turned onto her side and threw up.

Arch’s weathered hands soothed her back. “That’s it. Get it all out.”

Dimly she remembered that he’d served as a Marine corpsman in Vietnam – had patched up hundreds of men in the jungle, skills that not too infrequently came in handy on the road with Print.

“Jamie,” she spluttered. “Where’s Jamie?”

“We got him downstairs in the service elevator, back to your room.” Ian. “Jenny’s with him now. He’ll be all right, once that shit gets out of his system.”

Claire coughed and tried to sit up. Ian and Arch helped.

“What happened?”

“The fuckers from Poppy – the twins – they emptied an entire speedball in the punch bowl.” Angus – still seething, but now hugging the girl (wrapped in a towel) on a deck chair nearby. “They know how outspoken Jamie is about his sobriety. And they deliberately wanted to fuck that up.”

Claire blinked harshly. “I need to go to him.”

“You need to rest,” Arch chided gently. “You just saved his life, Claire. He’s being taken care of.”

“I need to be the one to take care of him,” she insisted, voice firm. “I need to be there for him.”

“She’s right, Arch.” Ian stood, and so did Angus. “You know that as well as I do.”

So with Ian and Arch at her elbows, she stood. Angus helpfully wrapped a towel around her shivering shoulders.

The deck was deserted.

Ian guided her toward the elevator.

=====

“Can we please get some more water?”

Ian nodded from the bathroom doorway and disappeared into the suite.

Claire rubbed Jamie’s bare back – the muscles strung tightly – and held back his hair as he vomited yet again into the toilet.

“That’s it. Get it all out, sweetheart.”

She handed him a damp washcloth, and shakily he sat back and wiped his face.

“Oh fuck,” he said for the twentieth time in the past half hour. “Cocaine doesn’t make you throw up. So why am I throwing up?”

“There’s a lot of shit in a speedball. It’s probably the heroin. Did you ever do heroin before?”

Ian reappeared with two bottles of Perrier from the minibar. He cracked one open and handed it to Jamie, who downed it in a long gulp.

“Ian, did I ever do heroin?”

With a quick glance to Claire, Ian nodded. “Back in ’84. Miami. You picked up a girl at the gig. She must have brought the smack with her to your hotel room. I only know because you broke down my door because you thought you were dying, and you scared the hell out of Jenny, and then threw up all over the sheets.”

“Fuck.” Jamie covered his face with the washcloth. “This is so fucked up. I’m so fucked up.”

Claire lay a careful hand on his shoulder. “Just breathe deep. Remember what they taught us at The Ridge. Deep, centering breaths.”

Jamie breathed in, and out. In, and out.

Ian squeezed Claire’s shoulder. “I need to talk to Colum. He’s waiting down the hall.”

“Those Poppy bastards are paying for everything that happened,” Jamie seethed. “Who the fuck are they to mess with me like this?”

Ian pinched the bridge of his nose. “We need Colum to help us, Jamie. He’ll keep it out of the press.”

“Fuck the press.”

Claire pulled the washcloth away from Jamie’s face. “Stop it,” she said in her firmest Doctor Fraser voice. “Ian, do what you need to do. I’ll stay.”

Wordlessly Ian left the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Claire stared down her husband. His pupils were still dilated from the drugs. His gaze was unfocused. But he didn’t back down.

“It’s terrible what happened, Jamie. I agree. But we need to let other people handle it now. That’s what we pay them for.”

“I fucked up, Claire.”

“It wasn’t your fault, Jamie.”

“I fucked up. And now you’re gonna leave me. Take Bree and leave me all alone.”

“Oh, my love.” She scooted closer to him on the tile of the bathroom floor and sat in his lap, framing his face between her hands. “I will never leave you.”

“I never wanted you to see me like that,” he whispered. “This is who I was before you came into my life. Before I grew up. I promised you I’d never be that man again.”

“You keep your promises, Jamie. You’re not that man.”

“But I broke my promise to you, Claire. That man came out tonight. Everything I’ve worked so fucking hard for – gone.”

“Stop that talk. You’re still you. I don’t love you any less.”

“I’m always afraid, Claire. Afraid you’ll see that man, and leave.”

She kissed his forehead. “I’m right here. Bree’s in the next room. We’re both here, with you, because we love you.”

His chin trembled, and tears streamed down his cheeks. “I’m so sorry, Claire. So, so sorry.”

She pushed his damp hair back behind his ears. “Sshh. Lay your head.”

Claire pressed Jamie’s face into the crook of her neck. His hands wrapped around her middle. He kissed her clavicle.

“I can’t live without you.”

She kissed the crown of his head. “You won’t need to.”

Suddenly he twisted away, and heaved into the toilet just in time.

She sighed and picked up the washcloth, folded it, and placed it on the back of his neck.

=====

“Well, Doctor?”

Claire packed away her stethoscope in the travel medical kit that was always at her fingertips during the tour. “Your heart sounds fine, and so do your lungs. You finally slept last night after two long days. And you aren’t weirdly sweating anymore. All in all, I’ll say you’re fully recovered.”

“Did you hear that, Bree? Daddy’s all right!”

Jamie tickled their daughter’s tummy, and she giggled – nestled among pillows on the hotel bed.

“You know I’d never do anything to screw this up, right?”

She leaned across the bed and kissed him.

“Every day. Come on. Let’s go home.”

[bowieandqueen11]

For the 5.5k Follower Celebration: Congratulations!! Can I please request Jaskier (Netflix The Witcher) please? Thank you so much!

Heart’s On Fire / Jaskier Drabble

Line: Oh Darlin’, my heart’s on fire / For you.

Of course you can my lovely, thank you!! <3

Warning: mentions of injuries and a tiny smidge of strong language!

(I do not own The Witcher or its characters, all credit goes to creators. Song credit goes to Passenger. Gif credit goes to @inber.)

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°

Disaster couldn't even begin to cover it.

The hunt had been a catastrophe, and the meagre bags of silver the inn folk had thrown at your feet with snarling thanks was not nearly worth the damage it had wrought. Jaskier was still fumbling swears from where he sat perched on the rock in front of you, trying to reach round and slap your hand away any chance he got. His knees rocked against the ground, his expletives only stopped in their war path by some mumbled rush of song lyrics he threw out to try and distract himself from the pain.

‘Oh- mother of a goat Y/n how many stitches can possibly be left??’ 

‘Well, you did get kicked by a Wyvern, Jaskier. Your complaining isn’t going to magically wish the wound away.’

He trailed off from his tense humming when you replied, his smile dropping into a etched frown as he noticed how still you had become. How your eyes were so far away, looking out into the still depths of the pond, but your hands were still hovering over the bloody gash swiped across your bard’s back.

‘Yn-’

‘This is my fault, you know’, you start again, blinking once as you draw back to yourself. ‘Your life was in danger, and it was my fault. I can’t let you come anymore Dandelion.’

You don’t give the man any time to respond with a quip, instead poking the point of the needle back into the last flap of his skin and closing the wound for good. His hand balls into a fist as he hits his knee, biting down his teeth on his bottom lip until you thought he had drawn blood. 

‘MmmPH son of a whore.’ Despite how forlorn you were feeling, Jaskier’s words managed to draw an unexpected bubble of laughter from the back of your throat. Tenderly teasing your fingertips over his skin, you rub the freckled expanse of his soft shoulder blades in apology. You don’t notice the way he shivers against your touch as you use the last of your clean water to wipe the remaining blood stains from his skin, and then pull his doublet back up over his arms.

Before you even had a chance to roll your few herbal bottles and string back up into your apothecary bag, Jaskier had swung his legs around and nearly knocked you off your mossy log. He grabbed your hands quickly, massaging them between his calloused fingers as he furrowed his eyebrows at you.

‘You must know that I will never part from you. I never could, it would break my heart too much.’ He pretends to swoon, raising the back of his right hand to his forehead. He peeks an eye open, laughing as he notices you snort and roll your eyes, but likewise you refuse to pull away.

‘But seriously, Y/n. I know this life isn’t easy, but I chose it. You didn’t force me to come along with you - I did it because I enjoy your company. Because I’, he swallowed thickly then, and you could feel the start of fear radiate off the usually so jubilant bard. For a second he was silent, only playing with the edges of his fingers as he stared harshly at the ground. For once, he found words would not come easily to him. How could they? There was too much to say. Too much for his jumbled heart to spit out. With songs, perhaps, he could whisk away a melody and draft along some accompanying lines to exaggerate reality. But with his own words, truth had never come so easily.

He glances up behind heavy eyelashes, finding his face light up with a slow twitch of the lips as he sees you sitting stock still. Just watching him, expectantly. You were one of the only people whom he had ever met who had ever truly seen him, realised he was more than just merry entertainment to be used and taken and thrown away at the first experience. You were the first person, in as long as he could remember, that had truly wanted to hear what he had to say.

And now he had the most important thing to say stuck in his throat, he couldn’t do it.

‘I- I lov-’

A growl from the edge of the clearing snatched your attention away from the desperate man as you shush him. Squinting your eyes around the tree line, you leave the Bard behind and instead reach for the sword left abandoned underneath your sack. His hands still burning from your touch, Jaskier sighs as he closes his eyes and shakes his head in an attempt to try to recollect himself. He purses his lips, before standing himself and coming over to join you with yet another smile and joke on his lips.

Another day, perhaps. He could wait for it, as long as his heart didn’t burn him from the inside out first.

[ackerfics]

comparing hand sizes with eren or erwin 😩

i'm your satellite — eren jaeger, erwin smith (separate)

— eren jaeger x female reader, erwin smith x female reader (modern au)

— warnings: none, just fluff <3

— summary: they have a list of things that they love doing with you but when you suggested comparing hand sizes, they're blanketed with the feeling of pulling your heart closer than it already is.

— word count: 2.4k

— notes: i specifically didn't answer this yet because i wanted it to be an anthology of sorts --- it's just so cute aaaaaa both of these men make my heart stutter in the best way possible. i'm so sorry if i answered this late thooo :<<< i was sorting through my requests just now and found this. and i simply love it. maybe i'll start writing more these days because i'm starting to feel the side-effects of the vaccine hhhhhhh my body feels so tired all day, which means i'll be on my bed typing away on my computer. i based one of these scenarios on my own experience bc one of my guy friends just loves to compare hand sizes for bragging rights djnejdej also, i indulged myself in a little dad!erwin bc i'm a sucker for those. happy reading, love !! i hope you enjoy this owo

reblogs are greatly appreciated!!

Class is becoming boring for Eren, the theories being discussed by the professor flying from his mind even after he writes them down on his iPad. He's an exceptional student, no doubt about that, but if there comes a day that he's feeling under the weather, Eren will just let the lecture pass by in front of him. He'd rather watch movies, cuddled into your warmth, than watch the short documentary on the discovery of quantum particles and their vitality in the great merry-go-round of life. He sighs before looking at his wristwatch --- there's still one more hour of staying physically present in this class and he will finally have dinner with you in one of the university restaurants. As if the thought of you sparked life into his body, he turns to you with a glint of mischief lighting up his eyes. Suddenly, every fiber of boredom became tendrils as he looks at your stunning side profile.

Like water, you flow through every stream of thought Eren has.

His admiration for you runs deeper than you let on. The love is visible as he trails his iridescent emerald irises over your visage. Rather than seeing the colors of the spectrum, his vision is dyed with all shades of anything pastels, the sparkles throwing you in a different spotlight than anyone else in the lecture room. Your eyelashes curve over your eyes as if they're butterfly wings every time you slowly blink while writing down the important details of the class. Eren is a sucker for the way you become so focused on every little thing. He loves seeing you lightly bite your lip as you draw diagrams or highlight with those pastel colors you adore you much. He enjoys the little nose scrunches when you don't like your handwriting, which was something he's thoroughly baffled about because it's so pretty as you. He even relishes how you blow on the stray lock of hair obscuring your vision. Everything about you is so perfect for Eren's eyes. It's not something he admits out loud but it's always conveyed through his actions.

It was a stroke of luck when you compared schedules with your boyfriend at the start of the academic year --- thinking that probably you wouldn't share classes with him aside from the general ones. You're both in the same major so most likely some of your classes align with each other just as it had been the previous year in university but it was never the vital course. He whooped in your shared apartment the moment he saw that you share all of your essential courses with him. It was something he was wishing for since you both started university.

The memory makes Eren smile, the giddiness he feels urges his hand to reach out to you. Finally, you look back at him in mild surprise when his hand covers yours. The small smile he had becomes a grin at your narrowed look. He shakes his head lightheartedly, "What?"

"What are you pulling right now?" You mumble slowly to not disrupt the class.

"Oh, nothing," he sings, running his fingers through every gap of your hand. The more time he observes every ridge and marks your hand has, he discerns that it looks so small compared to him. Eren always swoons whenever he feels how small you are against him. Something tugs on his heartstrings every time he hugs you from behind, only for you to be swallowed by how tall he is. Butterflies always cause tornadoes inside his rib cage when you walk around in your shared apartment wearing only his shirt. He can't resist his clothes reaching the middle of your thighs so he snatches you to throw you on the bed for another round of cuddles. Don't even start wearing his sweaters. The sweater paws are the death of him. "You are so tiny," he marvels in awe.

You scrunched your face in confusion. "Okay? I'm always tiny compared to you, 'Ren." You turn back to writing on your notebook, scribbling the diagram flashing on the projector screen. You feel every touch he pours onto your skin and it takes everything in you not to shudder at the heartwarming sensation of his fingers trailing over the back of your hand. You try to push down the warmth seeping into your cheeks and focus your attention on the lecture. The remaining minutes will fly by if you try to connect yourself with the theories your professor rambles on. But when Eren speaks again, your concentration breaks for the tenth time this day.

"No, no, you don't understand."

Your eyebrows furrow, stopping before you reach a period in your notes. "What am I not understanding?"

"Look."

Turning your head to see what caused Eren to say his sentences with breathy adoration, you see him placing your free hand on his, palm to palm. "Eren, what are you doing?"

Eren looks at you with the brightest emeralds before pointing his stare at your joined hands. Your palm is flushed on his --- your middle finger barely reaches half of his. It makes you blink at the sheer difference. You always knew that Eren is like a giant teddy bear behind that gruff appearance he always shows in public, with that man bun and blank face that often scares people, but you never really thought about how he practically engulfs you with just his build. His hand is so much larger than yours that you're starting to feel your heartbeat pound in the same melody as Eren's, the green-eyed man looking back at you with his universe reflected in his eyes. He's staring at you as if you complete him and it heals him to know that you complement him in any way he can think of. So, he folds his fingers over the gaps of your hand, covering you in a protective cocoon he created just for you. You're making him love you like a fool and he hopes you know how much he feels for you.

"You're so cute. It warms my heart seeing this." Eren never strays his gaze from your hands. "I think it's just me but I have butterflies when I realize that my heart is much bigger than yours," he glances at you with a small smile, "which means I can love you much greater than anyone else could. And every single inch of it is beating just for you." He leans his head back on his chair, a besotted look washing over his face as he gazes at your wide eyes, parted lips, and warm cheeks. "You are the reason why I enjoy living now. Feels great to let you know that I kind of love you more than you ever know."

You're speechless. Sometimes you have the tendency to blurt out any random thought when Eren makes your voice disappear like this. "All this because of a Physics lecture?"

Eren laughs before pulling up your joined hands to his lips. He presses the most gentle kiss on your skin, looking at you with half-lidded eyes over your combined hands. "Partially yeah because it's boring me but I know you know I'm telling the truth."

If you're perfect in Eren's eyes, he's shining in yours --- much more radiant than every satellite the universe has to offer.

Free time for Erwin is so rare and short that he cherishes every single one he has with you.

His work as the CEO of his rising business serves as the reason why he spends his nights inside glass walls instead of your home's comfort. With a junior like Levi who's always making sure that he stays in line without any distractions, Erwin is bound to be working more than enough hours to provide for your little family. Ever since you gave birth to his baby boy, he's working harder than he already is, saying along the lines that your little boy needs all the luxury a child should have in their life. Although, with that in mind, you prevented him from going back to work the first three months of your son's life on earth. As time passed, with your son now reaching one year old, all the little boy can pinpoint from his father is his eyebrows (something that he didn't inherit in all the features he has from his father) because that's the only thing he can remember from his workaholic dad.

So, once Erwin texted you that he will be having the week off because he felt like he was working too much, you are undeniably elated.

It's the first night of his vacation and Erwin spends it with you and your son, Atlas, doing a marathon of Disney animated films (well, up until your son falls asleep). You are snuggled against Erwin's chest, with your one-year-old son laying comfortably on both of your laps, fixated on the display of Simba being lifted in the air by Rafiki. The bowl of fruits near Erwin's side is slowly consumed by the blond baby sitting between the two of you while you and your husband are indulging in a bowl of popcorn. Atlas's exclamations of awe make you and Erwin laugh, endeared at the sight of him so immersed in the world of talking animals and magic. He occasionally looks up at you and imitates Simba's attempt at roaring before tugging on Erwin's shirt to randomly feed his dad a piece of strawberry (clumsily because he shoved the fruit on Erwin's nose). Everything is going well until Atlas sees the scene where Mufasa died.

"Daddy!" Atlas cries, eyes welling up in tears as he's clutching the fabric of his onesie in tiny fists. His sobs turn to wails as he turns to Erwin's chest, wrapping his small arms around the large expanse he's seeking comfort from. Erwin's chest rumbled with low laughter while you're brushing your fingers over Atlas's tuft of blonde hair, thumbs catching his falling tears. The baby boy continues nuzzling on Erwin that your husband looks at you for help. "Daddy don wan to die!"

"Sweetie?" You try calling out, cupping the side of your son's head in your palm. Those blue eyes he got from Erwin shine even more with that sheen of tears covering his irises. His little teeth are peeking through as he's gritting another sob, in which you have to take a deep breath just to contain your smile. "Daddy won't go anywhere." You lean your head on Erwin's shoulder, taking Atlas's curling fist and placing it on top of Erwin's heart. "Do you feel that?" A shy nod is your son's response. "That's Daddy's heartbeat. As long as that sound is around, he's always here."

"That's right, baby," Erwin tells Atlas, the toddler looking up at him with similar eyes. "I won't be Daddy lion any time soon."

Atlas tilts his head, speaking in a broken, "Really?"

Erwin nods. "Really."

The baby boy pouts and looks down on his father's free hand, the one that's not wrapped around him. With a set mission in his mind, Atlas took Erwin's hand with both of his. You share a glance with Erwin when your son lets his father's palm face his small face. The movie is now forgotten as Atlas expresses his small noises of awe at how Erwin's hand can cover his entire head. He huffs and makes himself comfortable, sitting on his calves, before smacking his palm on top of his dad's. He then laughs at something remotely funny to him, doing the thing all over again and muttering along the lines of, "Daddy big!" You and your husband watch as Atlas takes your hand and does the same thing. His giggles tug at your heartstrings, warmth spreading across the living room at the sight of Atlas enjoying the smallest act as if it's the most amazing thing on the planet. By now, the grins on your faces will never be erased at the energetic spark of light bouncing on both of your laps, eager to share what he discovered with you two.

"Mommy and Daddy do, too!"

"Oh, you want me and Mommy to do it, too?" Erwin translates.

A squeal rings through as the answer.

"Okay, then, as the little hero says so." Erwin turns to you with a smile, transferring his hold on Atlas on the other arm. "You heard our son, darling."

Erwin opens his palm, patiently waiting for you to complete the puzzle. Your loving stare trailing over his face turns him into a puddle of enraptured sighs and butterflies he's never shy to show you. The little sky-carrier giggling below anticipates the moment as much as Erwin.

Your pretty smile is the perfect accompaniment as you finally place your palm on top of Erwin's. When he sees how small your hand is compared to him, he's reminded of the times you randomly did this during college. Every single time he sees you marvel at the stark contrast between his calloused fingers to your dainty ones, Erwin is sent to the seventh heaven --- all because you look so beautiful staring at your joined hands with so much affection dripping from your eyes. He can't help but lean forward to gently press his forehead against yours, his hold on Atlas tightening because the baby is leaning back to capture the moment as one of his core memoirs. It must be because he feels so at ease in the comforts of his home or it could be because he touches you gently for a long while --- but regardless of what reason it is, Erwin feels so thankful that you came to his life like a shooting star impending for impact in his hollow heart, turning the chambers into a glowing artwork painted by you. Your hands are always laden with gold as you shower Erwin with the most unconditional love you ever gave a person, which is now extended to the bundle of starlight excitedly babbling.

"I love you so much, darling," Erwin murmurs, his breath too close as it hits your lips. He entwines his fingers through yours, slightly feeling Atlas standing up to join the little love-fest. "Thank you for everything you gave me. Thank you for bringing me to zenith every single day."

"Yeah!" Atlas cheers. "Mommy best!"

"You're right, baby," Erwin agrees, two blue eyes glancing at you with adoration. "Mommy is the best."

To them, they're mere planets revolving around you --- their luminary but for you, they carry the entire cosmos in their huge hearts --- pulsing with utter vibrancy for the little things in life at every beat.

[botphobiaa]

TEASE 𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑒𝑑, eli moskowitz

summary: in which, you’re lost in a corn maze and you’re met with a surprise.

notes: it’s a short drabble based on a request that i got! tysm for everyone’s patience and since schools coming to an end, i should be able to start to update more.

warnings: mentions of killer clowns, blood.

word count: 807, short bb :)

HALLOWEEN WAS NO JOKE to Los Angeles, and that became quite evident as the month of October came rolling by. The stores were devoted to setting up the best halloween decorations, and the street lights were decorated with small stickers that made an outline of either a pumpkin or a witch.

And then there was, of course, the fair that everyone was beyond excited for. It had everything a fair did, the tall rides, the ferris wheel, the merry-go-round, and the corn maze.

The corn maze was beyond terrifying to kids in elementary school, but as a high schooler — you shouldn’t have been affected as much as you were. The only reason you were terrified was because of the clown that would chase people in the maze, hysterically laughing as the people screamed in terror. Most kids at your school were over the whole thing, and opted to stay home and watch scary movies. But of course, your friends didn’t.

Which lead you to where you are now; lost inside the maze that you’ve feared your whole life.

Your costume was making it hard to navigate in, seeing as you chose to be a nurse. Not a sexy one, of course. Your parents would never let you even come close to buying something along those lines. Instead you chose blue scrubs that were very loose and big on your frame. The converse that you were wearing at least made your costume a bit more bearable, but you swore you were going to die from a heat stroke if you stayed any longer.

“Miguel! Eli! Demetri!?” Your voice was strained from the amount of times that you yelled your friends names, and you could hear it start to give up. Your phone had died almost 10 minutes ago and even if you tried to call them, they wouldn’t answer.

Because they said it would ‘ruin their experience’.

“I knew we should’ve just stayed in and watched Scream…” You mumbled, kicking dirt with your shoes as you tread through the maze. Only to hear a rustle in the corn to your right. And you felt your heart drop immediately as you took a quick stop.

Your breath stopped as a hand reached for your shoulder, and before you could process what was happening, you kicked your assailant in the nose. You quickly thanked whatever was up above for your parents actually letting you take those karate classes that Miguel was so hellbent on taking.

“Y/n?! What the hell?!” Your assailant hissed as they clutched their nose. Wait, how did they know your name? And that’s when you glanced down.

The dirty blonde on the ground peered up at you with a confused and hurt look in his eyes. And you immediately kneeled on the floor with him as your eyes widened, and your hands cupped his face gently.

“I am so so sorry. I thought you were that stupid killer clown thing,” You apologized, moving your hands of his face to cover your mouth. There’s no way that you just hurt your best friend and crush, there’s absolutely no way.

“It’s fine, I shouldn’t have snuck up on you.” He said, trying to wave it off with his right hand, only for you to catch a glimpse of the blood that was littering it. And you felt tears well up in your eyes.

“You’re bleeding, oh my, what if I broke your nose? Your parents already don’t like me…” You ranted, standing up and pacing back and forth as your hands went up to your hair, running them through it. Your e/c eyes met his blue ones and you could see the small teasing smile on his face.

“Why are you smiling? I could’ve killed you!”

His laugh filled your ears and you looked at him like he was a mad man. Eli stood up, still clutching his nose as he walked up to you.

Eli towered over you, and as you peered up at him, you could feel his breath on your face. Your apologizing stopped as he took his non-bloody hand and lifted your chin a bit. It made you smile and glance at his lips quickly, which you were sure he noticed. And it made him smile even more.

“We need to go find our friends, and maybe even go to the hospital.” He says, removing his hand from your face and walking away. It was obvious that he had a smirk on his face, because you knew him, and you knew just how cocky he would be seeing you get flustered by him.

“You’re such a tease.” You mumbled, crossing your arms and staring at his figure that was walking away. Only to run after him quickly when you remember where you were.

“Those lessons are really helping you.”

“Shut the hell up.”

[lucifer-is-a-bag-of-dicks]

what happened the first time Wes tried to crack open the Danny is Phantom conspiracy did he like, confront Danny first or was it all behind his back like, maybe hoping ground zero would be lost among the gossip and that Danny wouldn't find out who spilled the beans once everyone knew

I mean it obviously wouldn't work because nobody believed him and the gossip didn't take off very far beyond a few people talking about Wes being kinda weird

I should absolutely write a fic about this.

I am absolutely going to write a fic about this.

I AM RIGHT NOW GOING TO WRITE A FIC ABOUT THIS.

----

"Hey Fenton! Fenton!!" Dash came bounding over and threw a meaty arm around his shoulder.

"Jesus Dash! What?!" Danny buckled under the weight (pretended to anyway) as Dash gave him a surprisingly lighthearted punch on the arm.

"You haven't heard?! Wes has this total batshit insane theory, it's hilarious!"

Dash was in a genuine giggle-fit, Danny didn't think he'd ever seen him this merry, he was also starting to suspect he was going to leave this conversation being the butt of the joke somehow. Wait-

"Wes? Who the heck is Wes?" Danny asked, it wasn't like he knew everyone in school, like Dash seemed to.

"He's on the basketball team, you know, tall guy, red hair, threw a sick move at least month's game! You know, WES!"

"I didn't watch that game."

"Oh," said Dash, flatly, "Oh yeah, almost forgot you're a total nerd. Anyway, like I was saying!"

Dash grabbed Danny by the shoulders and nearly lifted him off the floor.

"Wes thinks," he could barely speak through his giggling, he even snorted a few times, "Wes thinks your secretly PHANTOM."

Dash dropped Danny back down as he doubled over laughing.

"Could you imagine?! You! You're not even DEAD!" Dash honest to god slapped his knee in mirth.

Danny went through an incredibly swift array of emotions in the span of about five seconds.

The first was fear, clear and bracing, then came confusion, how did he know? Had he seen something? Then there was hope, Dash didn't believe it, and if DASH didn't believe it, maybe nobody else believed it either. Then relief, he could roll with this, he could TOTALLY roll with this! Dash was right! It was absurd, it was ridiculous, it was hilarious, him being Phantom? What utter nonsense!

Sam and Tucker had been standing by his side at a Dash-safe distance, looking absolutely horrified. Sam looked ready to jump in and lay down a swift defence, but Danny gave a quick little low wave for her to stand down. He got this.

"Oh my god SERIOUSLY?" Danny busted out a slightly hysterical laugh, okay so he wasn't completely over the initial terrified anxiety.

"How could I- I mean what- WHY does he think I'M Phantom?! I mean how does that even work I don't-"

Dash clapped him on the shoulder, this was probably the most contact he'd ever had with him without being physically assaulted.

"I know right?! Like apparently he thinks you look alike? And he's all like 'But I've seen his eyes glow green' and 'they're never in the same roo-hoo-hoom." Dash wheezed and started hacking and coughing.

Danny carefully constructed a look of offence.

"Hey I mean, it's not THAT funny. Why couldn't I be Phantom! I know how to use a Fenton Thermos! Look I even HAVE one right-" he torn open his backpack and pulled one out, making sure to fumble it in a terrific display of fuck-uppery and drop it noisily on the cafeteria floor, he dropped to his knees trying to grab it but knocked it under a table.

A few girls standing nearby who'd been listening in started tittering, one of the guys sitting at the table snorted milk through his nose and Dash was just about on the floor in hysterics.

Even Sam and Tucker covered their mouths in an attempt to look like they were holding in laughter. Tucker muttered to Sam, just loud enough for people around to hear.

"I mean, he's our friend and we love him, but god that was painful to watch. He knows he's terrible at ghost hunting! He's got like, nothing but thumbs."

Danny climbed under the table, grabbed at the thermos and lifted it up as he crawled back out.

"See! See! I have a thermos! I could TOTALLY be Phantom!"

Sam walked over and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "It's okay bud, I think you'd be a great Phantom." her voice was thick with her usual sarcasm, soaked in pity though it were.

Danny's ears burned in embarrassment, he might have been humiliating himself on purpose, but it was still humiliating, watching everyone laugh at him for being so weak and incompetent. He was grateful to his friends for pushing through their discomfort and keeping up the act, it was still painful, but it came with a wash of pure unadulterated relief.

Nobody believed this Wes guy, nobody thought it could be even remotely possible. People would talk about it for a little while, have a laugh, maybe there would be a few memes and in-jokes, but eventually it would drop off. People would forget all about it and it would be just another notch on the gossip mill belt.

Even if someone DID believe it, they could never admit it for fear of vicious ridicule, for once in his life peer pressure was his friend.

And then Wes walked in.

Once Danny saw him he realised that he did recognise Wes, he'd seen him hanging around Kwan a few times, and chatting with Star, he was also in Danny's english class. That was about as familiar as he got with the guy, they'd never spoken a word to each other.

Wes had a terrifying expression of seething fury ripping across his face. He was glaring at Dash.

"It's NOT. FUNNY."

Dash was completely unable to stand, it was honestly overkill, Danny almost thought he was hamming it up on purpose, but maybe not, his face was turning an alarming shade of red after all.

"Wes don-" Dash gasped. "Don't do this to me man, I can't brea-" Dash was gasping for air, trying desperately to hold down the giggles.

Danny could almost see steam rising as Wes seethed. Then suddenly that furious stare was shooting daggers straight at him. Danny shrank into himself, looking as small and helpless as he possibly could.

"Uh hey Wes, um, I've heard the news." he joked tacking on a nervous laugh for emphasis. "Uh, soooo," he tossed the thermos from hand to hand, nearly dropping it again. "Is this like, just a joke or do you really-?"

Dash continued to wheeze, Kwan was holding him up by the arm, muttering about getting some water to cool off.

Wes strode over until he and Danny were face to face, he was taller by a good couple inches, even more so with Danny making a conscious effort to appear small.

Wes jabbed a sharp finger into his collarbone.

"Don't think I'm fooled by this pathetic act you've got going on, I am ONTO you, Phantom." he spat.

Danny glanced sidelong at the table beside him, silently begging for assistance, they only watched in silence, strained faces trying not to laugh. A glance the other way to his friends, they simply shrugged.

"Um, okaaay," Danny started backing away slowly. "Uh look Wes I am honestly really flattered but, do we really look that alike?" Danny ran a hand through his hair and then pointed up at Wes. "I mean we BOTH kinda have Phantom's haircut."

Sam deadpanned from the sidelines, "Maybe they're BOTH Phantom."

"We should start marketing that haircut." Tucker muttered to himself, tapping something on his tablet. "We could make a fortune, are you any good at hairdressing?"

Sam shot him a look of disgust and did not dignify the question with a response.

"Don't play dumb you two," said Wes, flipping his focus, "You're definitely in on this!"

The entire cafeteria was awash with giggles by this point. Just about everyone had heard about Wes' theory, but were mostly convinced it was some kinda joke. Now? Now they knew Wes was straight up fucking delusional.

He glanced around as people laughed, at him. At HIM.

"It's not funny!" he yelled over the crowed, the tittering increased in volume. Someone across the room yelled-

"Hey if I get the haircut, can I be Phantom too?"

One of the goths stood up on her seat.

"I've GOT the haircut! Mom says it's MY TURN to be the Phantom!"

There was a fresh round of mirthful laughter, some kids wheezing as hard as Dash had been. Another few kids piped up above the cacophony, throwing jokes of their own.

"I've got a soup thermos so I'm Phantom now, sorry sweaty I don't make the rules."

"If I wear a Phantom shirt does that make me Phantom ALL the time or am I only Phantom when I'm wearing it?"

"I have an ass, Phantom has an ass. Conclusion: I am Phantom's ass."

"Tag yourself I'm the thermos."

"DO THE BUTTS MATCH?"

Wes had been trying to scream over the din, infuriated, desperate to find SOMEONE who would listen.

Danny gave him a pat on the back.

"Hey, if it makes you feel any better, The Guys in White once hunted some guy down because he had white hair, if a government agency can fuck that up then-"

Wes slugged him.

It wasn't a particularly solid punch like Dash's hits, it was quick and precise, Was wasn't a brawny guy, but he was lean and fast and had good aim.

Danny whuffed out a heavy breath as Wes' fist collided with his sternum and he collapsed to the floor.

Everyone in the cafeteria lost their shit, a few people screamed and one table of football jocks all stood up chanting, "FIGHT. FIGHT. FIGHT. FIGHT."

Tucker ran over to him as Sam stepped up and without hesitation slammed a fist straight into Wes' nose.

The footballers lost their minds, one of the goths stood up on their table screaming "REPRESEEENT!!"

Wes backed up immediately, crying out from the sharp pain blossoming across his face, he'd never been hit before and couldn't pull his thoughts together quick enough to throw a punch back at her, so he was taken by surprise once again as Sam placed a solid roundhouse kick to his stomach.

He had certainly not been expecting that kind of brute strength from her, she had incapacitated him swiftly and effectively, barely having broken a sweat.

One of his teammates hollered over the crowd and came barrelling down on the goth, she dodged without batting an eye and darted nimbly out of the way, giving the guy a quick kick in the pants to throw him off balance as she rocketed for the cafeteria door.

As Wes took a deep breath through his mouth, his nose dripping blood, he realised that Danny and Tucker were gone. The fight had lasted only seconds but Sam had run distraction well enough for the boys to take off without anyone noticing, a glance around showed Tucker supporting Danny about to exit through the cafeteria doors.

The doors opened to an out of breath Mr Lancer on the other side.

"'The Light Fantastic!' WHAT is going on here?!"

Oh they were all so fucked.