#i will be eaten by the early birds

[rapidevolution]

Ive made it a mission to like every single piece of ultrakill media that comes across my dash no matter the content so I can violently curate my feed and it's working

Please please more prime soul bbgs I need to writhe through their artwork and headcannons like Im a worm in moist soil do not let me dehydrate please please please

[the-barefoot-hatter]

As Fidds will find out soon find out, terrordactyls are less gamey but more hallucination-y than pterodactyls. You are what you eat they say~!

-

Party Billiam's Weirdmageddon/Wedding photographer was local film legend Harry Claymore. The slightly edited video became something of a minor cult classic but most critics panned the bizarre choice of love interest, excessive weirdness, and the claim it was a "true story! i swear!!!"

[fazedlight]

I routinely manage to screw up various turns-of-phrase.

"Good things happen to those who show up early" is almost opposite the normal phrase of "good things happen to those who wait" 😅

[ceilidho]

prompt: forced throuple au; Ghost decides that you and Johnny are his (part 1; ghoap x reader) masterlist

-

Johnny’s been bragging about a pretty bird lately.

Ghost listens because the periods between missions are long and colourless—he fills the time with paperwork, PT, exhausting his muscles in the gym, and dissociating in a booth at the only good pub on base when Johnny drags him along—and it’s better to tune out the thoughts in his head and replace them with something else. Besides, for as much as he gripes about poorly trained dogs barking too much, he enjoys the sound of Johnny’s voice. It quiets the faint ringing that follows him wherever he goes, an agitated humming that leaves him, on his best days, on the brink of rage.

“Tinnitus,” a doctor says when he brings it up during a routine check-up. Can you shut that fucking noise up?

“Best we can do is get you hearing aids.” Apologetic, sincere even. Stained, as always though, by a trembling, noxious unease. It emanates off the doctor in waves. 

Hard not to feel uneasy around a man in a mask, Ghost assumes. That’s all part of it though. He doesn’t cultivate comfort, doesn’t attempt to engender soft feelings or put the mind at ease. His body and persona are designed to put the body and mind on the knife’s edge of fear, and then tip it over. He leaves the sweet talking and charming to men like Johnny, who babbles red language in a tongue like larkspur. 

Ghost’s first language is oil slick. It stains and it covers and it darkens everything it touches. 

And now, Johnny’s talking about a bird.

A couple months after Las Almas, the first picture comes out. Not a folded up keepsake tucked away in the pocket of a bag or a wallet or the inside of his jacket, but right on Johnny’s lockscreen on his phone. He disapproves at first glance. Not of the girl, but at the thought of keeping something so valuable on display for anyone to see. It’s not how he functions. Everything sacred is burned, destroyed, or—if precious enough—buried so deep underground that salt miners might greet it on the way down.

“Pretty, eh?” Johnny goads, nudging Ghost with his shoulder. He’s all wide grin, eyes electric-blue like the flames of Kawah Ijen. 

She is pretty. Pretty as pie. Not a speck of grit or blood on her; if there’s any edge to her at all, it’s tempered by her smile in the photo on Johnny’s phone. A sugar sweet cunt, by the looks of it, sure it’d taste like candy if he got his mouth on it. He angles his eyes with Johnny’s lips and wonders how many times he’s eaten her out, if hers was the last cunt he ate. Likely. His boy’s the loyal kind, hard to shake off once he’s got his teeth in. Swapping spit or blood, he doesn’t leave once he’s got a taste. 

“Where’d you find her?” he asks instead of agreeing, and takes a swig from the bottle in front of him. The bar’s hardly filled out yet; the two of them come early because Ghost’s an old man—that’s what Johnny would say—and doesn’t like to be around people once the sun’s set. It’s a burnished gold now, sun hovering low in the sky when Ghost turns an eye to it. 

“Florist. Met her when I picked up flowers for mam’s birthday.”

Nearly a month then. “And I’m just hearin’ about this now?”

Not in this same pub three times a week since then. Not on the tarmac, suited up and sweating already beneath two layers of gear. Not in the shower beside Ghost’s, fingers reaching over the side for a bar of soap because Johnny can’t be arsed to get his own. Not with his head slumped to let Ghost shave the sides of his head nice and neat, thick fingers splayed over the delicate bone of his skull that Ghost knows would take nothing to break. 

It rankles him until he looks back down at the phone in his hands—the one he’d plucked from Johnny’s fingers even while he whined about Ghost always stealing his shit—and feels his heartbeat slow. It levels out like staring into the scope of a rifle, the molecules of his breath melding with the molecules of the air until even the sound of his heartbeat dulls to the insects around him. 

Johnny purses his lips. “…Wasn’t sure then. Am now.”

“Cunt’s a cunt. What’s there to be sure about?”

“No.” Johnny shakes his head vehemently. “She’s no’ like that. She’s special—I’m telling ye, Lt—” he stresses when Ghost snorts, the sound thick with scepticism, “—she’s a good egg. Smart one. Sweet as pie.”

Sweet as pie. Mutt half-shares his thoughts these days. They must have brought more home than just shellshock and keloids. 

Johnny squawks when Ghost unlocks his phone and thumbs through his photos, trying to wrench it out of Ghost’s hand to no avail. He’s easy to hold back. All he has to do is put down his beer for a second and get a handful of hair and jerk, and there it is. Peace and quiet. A wince bleeding into his peripheral vision while Johnny mumbles something under his breath about him being a mean bastard. 

He snorts again. Even from Johnny, he’s heard worse. 

There isn’t much left of him these days. A tired husk and a taste for Guinness. He bleeds and shaves and wipes it off, smells the viscera still staining his mask that he hardly ever washes, can’t bear to honestly. Waste of fucking time, as far as he’s concerned. Just going to get dirtied again, soaked in blood again within the week. Shaves his head too just to have less to deal with, less to distract him from the single-minded intensity he brings to the job. He’d dematerialize if he could, become a ghost in name and shape, if only the laws of physics allowed. 

Instead he’s saddled with a body that echoes back his age in creaking joints and low back pain. Scar tissue that aches when it gets cold. 

In the months he’s known Johnny, he’s never let himself think about the world outside their bubble. His rank demands a certain level of socialising, and while he doesn’t schmooze with the brass like other lieutenants might, Ghost hardly has the privilege of isolating himself all the time, but still he can count the people he considers close on one hand. 

Not family, but close. The thought of family is sheathed within him; he knows to leave the knife in lest he bleed. Still, Johnny’s fought his way onto the list and now he has to pay with his pound of flesh. 

There’s a switch that’s been off for years, closer to a couple decades, and it flips back on when he finds this man that trusts him without question, that follows his orders and looks up at him with these big, puppy blue eyes. It twists something in his chest. It turns him into a thing that says maybe it’s better to take than just covet. 

There are other photos of the girl in Johnny’s phone, some likely not meant for present company (Johnny flushes red when Ghost flips to a picture of his bird in a pretty little number, lace cupping her tits and ass, sitting on Johnny’s bed back home and looking back at him over her shoulder with a little grin). Still, it interests him to see this side of his boy; he’s maybe thought of it before in abstract terms. He knows that Johnny’s no stranger to a wandering eye, not with the way he’s built and his pretty boy face. He’s well acquainted with Johnny’s dick, hard not to be in such close quarters; it’s a nice, pretty thing, just like him, a good handful. Nothing like the ruddy battering ram in between Ghost’s legs. The one Johnny once got a glimpse of in the showers after a two week long stint in Kyrgyzstan and paled, mouth gaping open while he stared until he could finally laugh it off. 

Ghost remembers thinking detachedly about how lovely that little gaped open mouth would feel around his cock. 

Surprising that it took this long for him to cotton on to his own desires. 

“Bring ‘er around then. I’ll see for myself how sweet she is.”

Johnny scowls at the sudden uproar from a nearby table. “No’ a chance in hell. Dinnae trust any of these fuckers to behave around her.”

Ghost hums. He’s not wrong to be wary; under the table, Ghost runs a hand over his bulge and gives it a squeeze, lifting his thigh to readjust. She has a lovely mouth too. 

He’s been breathing fire and brimstone recently. Hungering to hear something break. It takes Johnny’s hand on his arm to hold him back, every cigarette puffed down to the filter. The pictures on Johnny’s phone make it seem easy though. 

Johnny’s been bragging about a pretty bird lately, preening at every opportunity to show her off. He doesn’t know that it takes approximately eight seconds for Ghost’s brain to file the girl in Johnny’s phone under mine, slotting her right under Johnny in that category and isn’t that just perfect because it also takes approximately eight seconds for Ghost to imagine what she might look like under Johnny. 

He hands Johnny back the phone, face down. “You get one week. Then I wanna meet your bird.”

[megalony]

You've Done Enough

Okay, this is a new Evan Buckley imagine, based on a few similar requests I've gotten. I absolutely love this trope and I am hoping to do a few more like this if I can.

Let me know what you think.

Taglist: @justagirlthatlovedtoread @musicistheway @avada-kedavra-bitch-187 @luula @missdreamofendless @bradleybeachbabe @woderfulkawaii @amberpanda99 @daggersquadphantom @marvel-and-chicago-fan @angryknightstatesmantrash @minjix @lyje @kmc1989 @itsmytimetoodream @noonenuts @hiireadstuff @ashie-babie @classyunknownlover @jayyeahthatsme @sp1ritssz @dumb-fawkin-bitch @oliverstarksbae @gimatida @heart-35 @supernaturalstilinski @kyky9103 @wutheringhearts2275 @gay4hotmilfs @itshamleth @chaoticnosleepinfluencer @gs29 @wh0reforsmutstuff @mel-vaz @natashamea18 @chrisevansdaughter @alexandra848484 @deena-beena-weena @targaryenluvs @kpoplover-19 @marvelmenarebeautiful @gillybear17

@zoeybennett @mrspeacem1nusone @zephyrmonkey @estella-novella @eleventhdoctorsangel @kniselle @senjoritanana @shauna-carsley @dottierose @cfdhouse51 @darkfemme1 @rainechase45 @lolalolsstuff @jupiter1700 @ashdoctor @an-aliens-ghost @lunaroserites @houseoftwistedspirits @callsignwidow @winterreader-nowwriter @reneinii @bellsbomb @western-pyro @itsgigikay @harry-satellite @midsummereve1993 @babyqueen17 @buckyyyismahhlife @sammiejane22

Evan Buckley Masterlist

Summary: A family meal with the Buckley parents takes a bad turn when they begin to insult Evan's heavily pregnant wife and upset her.

Enjoy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When she felt a gentle hand curling around her thigh, (Y/n) opened her eyes and looked out the window her temple was resting on. They had arrived.

She could feel adrenaline bubbling up in her stomach and fluttering around in her chest like millions of birds wings coming to life within her. She did her best to force a smile on her face and perk herself up, but she could feel her energy draining to almost nothing.

She wasn't ready for this.

Her hand reached down to curl around Evan's wrist and she gave a tight squeeze before she tilted her head to look over at him. He didn't look so eager for this either.

"Off we go."

(Y/n) tried not to groan at Evan's words as she unclipped her belt and heaved herself down from the jeep. She shut the door with a band and leaned against the bonnet while she watched Evan round the front to stand next to her. She couldn't help but fold her arms over her bump, staring up at him with that look which told Evan she wasn't too happy about this.

"We don't have to stay long." He was bargaining with her already because he knew exactly what was running through her mind without her needing to say a word.

Reaching down, Evan cupped the side of her neck and began tracing his thumb along her jawline. He stepped closer until his abdomen was pressed up against her bump and he grinned when he felt (Y/n)'s posture begin to slack. Her arms dropped from her chest and she moved her hands to hold his hips.

Neither of them were usually this uneasy when they came over to Maddie and Chimney's home. But this wasn't just any usual family dinner. Evan's parents were in town.

"We can leave after we've eaten, and we've got the perfect excuse this time." His hand stayed cupping her neck while he moved his other hand down to glide across her stomach.

Evan was more than willing to use the pregnancy as their excuse to cut this family gathering short. (Y/n)'s due date was five days away, it was safe to say that they were almost ready to meet their baby. And that gave them the perfect reasoning to leave early. (Y/n) hadn't been feeling too well lately and they both knew Evan's parents could be a lot. They would stress everyone out.

So this time, when they were ready to leave but didn't want to be rude or cause problems, they could simply say (Y/n) was tired or feeling unwell and needed to go home and rest.

"You'll use our boy to get out of seeing your parents?" (Y/n) looked down at her bump with a pretentious tone to her voice just to tease Evan. Because she would do the same.

"Absolutely."

(Y/n) let him tilt her head back and steal a kiss before he wove his arm around her waist and guided them up the front path.

She could feel anxiety pooling in her stomach, causing the baby to liven up when they got to the front door.

Much like Evan had an estranged relationship with them, (Y/n)'s wasn't much better. They had tried to include her and be civil, but it was simply clear that they weren't very interested. As far as everyone was concerned, Maddie was their child and Jee was their granddaughter, no one else mattered in their small lives.

When they told Evan's parents that they were expecting a baby, (Y/n) thought it would change things. She thought they would try and make the effort, like when Maddie had been pregnant. And they had seemed genuinely happy for Evan, that he was settled down and starting his own family, but that was as far as it went. They hadn't asked after (Y/n), asked how the pregnancy was going or asked about the scans.

(Y/n) tucked herself more into Evan's side when he rapped his knuckles on the door before walking inside. Maddie's home was their home, Evan didn't have to knock, he was welcome to just walk right in or use his spare key, but it was polite to knock first.

She let Evan guide them both inside and they followed the sound of voices to find everyone gathered in the kitchen.

"Oh, there you are! You both okay?" Maddie set down the tray in her hand on the side and wiped her hands on a teatowel before she hurried over to them.

Her arms looped around Evan's neck, pulling him down to her for a bear hug before she turned to (Y/n). With (Y/n) having no siblings, Maddie had become her sister too. She gave her a loving hug and when she pulled back, Maddie gently brushed her hand over (Y/n)'s stomach with a sweet smile. She was very eager to become an aunt.

"We're good." Evan kissed the back of Maddie's head and he held his breath when he saw his mum shuffle over towards him.

He let her reel him down for a brisk, short hug and peck his cheek and he felt his father pat his shoulder.

"How are you Evan? Ooh, that looks sore." Margaret grazed her fingertips over the back of Evan's hand were a blister was just starting to heal up into a scab. It made his skin feel taut and tight and he'd had enough of massaging burn cream into the wound. He'd removed his gloves a bit too eagerly at work last week and found himself diving back into a fire to help a trapped victim. Hence the burn on his hand, and another one on his left arm just beneath his shoulder. Hidden by his shirt sleeve.

"It's healing up now, and we're good. No more work for the next three weeks, ready for the baby."

Evan folded his arms over his chest and leaned back against the counter, crossing one leg in front of the other. He found a grin worming onto his face when Maddie grinned and clapped excitedly. She knew Evan was bubbling over at the thought of having his baby boy any day now. He was now on leave so that he could be with (Y/n) when she went into labour and be home with his family for the first three weeks. He couldn't wait.

His grin broadened and he loosened his arms from his chest when a squeal of "Uncle Buck!" hit his ears and he saw Jee making her way over to them. She had her hair done up into two little bobbles on top of her head and her arms were stretched out in his direction.

"Ahh, there's my girl." Swooping down, Evan picked her up and cuddled her to his chest, pressing a kiss to her cheek. He cuddled her for a few moments before she turned and made grabbing hands out towards (Y/n).

Evan leaned over and gently set her back down to her feet so she could attach herself to (Y/n)'s legs and give her a hug.

"Hi girly."

"Come play, I have ice cream machine." Jee gave a sharp tug on (Y/n)'s hand and started strutting off towards the living room, giving (Y/n) no choice but to follow after her.

(Y/n) cast a look over her shoulder to see Evan grinning at her and Maddie quickly muttered 'play dough' under her breath. So it wasn't real ice cream (Y/n) was going to get. That wasn't fair; the baby had a hankering for ice cream lately.

She let Jee guide her into the living room and when she pointed to the sofa, (Y/n) grinned and obeyed. Her hand moved to her back and she eased down, feeling a lot better when she was sitting than when she was standing. She shuffled to the edge of the seat and ran her hands along her knees while Jee sat down on the floor right beside her leg.

There was a play dough ice cream maker in the middle of the table, with various coloured pots scattered around and moulds for sprinkles and decorations. The machine itself was mainly a tube which play dough was squeezed through the top into a cone or one of the plastic sundae cups.

"What flavour?" Jee held the cone out expectingly, silently telling (Y/n) that was what she was having.

"Can the baby have cherry ice cream?"

A smile lightened up Jee's face and she reached across for the dark red play dough cup before she twisted to look up at (Y/n). Her hand moved to (Y/n)'s stomach and she carefully patted her hand along (Y/n)'s bump. The three year old was fascinated with (Y/n)'s tummy and the fact that soon, she would have a baby cousin to play with.

"One for baby roo." Jee muttered quietly before she set to work making a strange looking ice cream with green and orange sprinkles. She had taken to calling the baby roo and she was adamant that they should call the baby roo because then combined with Buck, it would be buckaroo.

(Y/n) kindly took the pretend ice cream she was offered and made sure to admire it before she slowly deconstructed it to pretend she had eaten it.

After about three pretend ice creams that made (Y/n) desperately hungry for a proper one, she was ready to go get a drink and see if she could help Maddie with dinner.

"Shall I give this one to uncle Buck? It's his favourite colour."

Jee nodded excitedly and watched as (Y/n) took the purple ice cream while her other hand moved to her stomach that always felt low and heavy these days.

She looked over her shoulder when Jee grinned and waved and (Y/n) felt her smile tightening when Margaret walked into the room. At least she could take over playing the customer at the ice cream shop so (Y/n) would have some time to get a drink.

The elder woman walked into the room and perched down next to (Y/n) on the sofa. She smiled and leaned over to pat (Y/n)'s thigh as if they were old friends or close family rather than estranged relatives.

"How are you?" The question rather surprised (Y/n) and she tried to soften her smile. It was nice that Margaret was trying to make a little effort and take an interest. God knows she had been much more involved in Maddie's pregnancy and (Y/n) knew that had really upset Evan, though he never voiced it to anyone.

"A bit tired, but I'm good, thank you. What about you?" The only person (Y/n) would admit she was struggling to was Evan or Maddie. She would never say to anyone else that she was struggling with back ache or feeling sick, which got worse with the strange cravings she'd suffered from.

She wouldn't say anything to his parents because she knew what Margaret was like. She would downplay anything (Y/n) said and make her feel bad or like she was being silly over nothing.

"Oh, finally recovered after the drive down here." She looked down at Jee and nodded to the colour Jee was holding out to her. Somehow, Margaret's smile seemed more genuine when she looked at her daughter or granddaughter.

When she looked back at (Y/n), she hummed quietly and reached over to graze her hand along the side of (Y/n)'s stomach. The touch was slow but surprising, Margaret hadn't done that any other time she had seen (Y/n)'s bump.

It was a bit uncomfortable considering (Y/n) wasn't used to any kind of touches or physical contact with her mother in law. And she was mainly only comfortable with Evan touching her in this manner, other than the odd times Maddie would reach for her bump.

"You've filled out since the last time we saw you."

A shiver crawled down (Y/n)'s spine and the smile faded from her face when she registered those words.

The last time they had seen Evan's parents was three months ago when they came down for Maddie's birthday. (Y/n) had only been six months pregnant by then, of course her body had changed. She was pregnant, she was almost ready to go into labour any day now. She was supposed to change shape and get a rounder stomach and have more curves by now.

"Yeah," Her eyes diverted down to the pretend ice cream she was still holding, and she resorted to counting each funny shaped sprinkle Jee had placed on top for added decoration.

Margaret pulled her hand away with a fond smile and she finally looked away from (Y/n)'s stomach to drag her eyes up and down her frame instead. She made a point of patting (Y/n)'s arm before she gently plucked at the strap of (Y/n)'s dress.

"That's pretty." Margaret dragged her fingertips along the strap before her hand retracted and she tilted her head at an angle to observe (Y/n) who felt uncomfortable under the scrutiny.

(Y/n) looked down at the dress she had chosen to wear; it was one of Evan's new favourites. It was black with plum coloured designs and swirls along the soft cotton fabric. The straps were thin and it had a V-cut line around her chest and the dress was long enough to reach her knees, even with her bump in the way.

Thank you was on the tip of her tongue before her mother in law made another comment.

"It's not very decent, though, looks rather tight on you lovey. It's a good thing you'll be having the baby soon, you look like you're eating for three."

Her heartstrings snapped, dropping her heart down to the pit of her stomach as bile rose in the back of her throat. She clenched her hand around the plastic cone and moved her free hand to the arm rest, using it as leverage to push herself to her feet.

She could feel tears burning in the corner of her eyes, but she did her best to push them away. (Y/n) didn't want to cry. They had been here for less than an hour and already she was desperate to go home.

Her eyes scanned down her dress as she walked out the room as fast as she could with the shooting pains in her lower back and the constant ache in her stomach.

The dress wasn't tight.

The waistband sat neatly on top of her bump and the cotton was very stretchy, if (Y/n) pulled it she would have a lot of room in here. It was a maternity dress and (Y/n) had been rather pleased that it didn't look like a maternity one, once she'd had the baby she would still be able to wear this dress. Which had quickly become Evan's favourite from the moment he saw it on her.

Did she really look bad in this dress? Surely if she did, Evan wouldn't have attached himself to her the moment she put it on. They were almost late this afternoon because (Y/n) had to keep re-adjusting the dress when Evan pulled the hemline down or raked it up over her thighs.

Did she look like she was having a multiple pregnancy? Did she look that big- too big? Did this dress make her look bigger?

She trailed her free hand along her stomach but it only made her shiver and caused her thoughts to amplify ten times worse.

"How many ice creams did she make you?" Chimney turned his head to speak over his shoulder when he caught sight of (Y/n) walking into the kitchen. But he turned round when he heard a meek 'too many' filter back to him; she didn't sound chirpy.

Evan turned around from the stove where he had been helping Maddie with the last of the veg, but he didn't like the uneasy look on his wife's face. His brows furrowed and a frown pulled at his lips while he set the tea towel down and grabbed the drink he had made (Y/n) a few minutes ago.

"Everything okay?"

"Jee made you this."

Evan took a step back when a play dough ice cream was thrust into his hand and in the blink of an eye, (Y/n) took the glass he held out to her and turned around. He watched, bewildered, as she walked away from them all, taking great care to steer clear of the dining table where Phillip was sat nursing a cup of coffee.

Shock continued to rattle through him while he watched (Y/n) slip out the back door and move over to the garden furniture beside the patio door. He watched the way she leaned to the left, clinging to the arm of the small outdoor sofa to ease herself down. But he couldn't see her expression and see if she was panicking or even crying; her back was to the doors, probably the reason she sat on the sofa and not one of the chairs.

Setting the ice cream down, Evan looked around, sharing a worried but utterly dismayed look with his sister before he stepped towards the hall. Surely Jee hadn't said or done anything to upset (Y/n)? She'd never even raised her voice to Jee, their niece was on her best behaviour around (Y/n). (Y/n) was the only one Jee wouldn't be cheeky to or say no to.

But when he peered into the living room and saw his mum sat playing with Jee, something sparked in his chest and his skin bristled like barbed wire. Had she said something to upset (Y/n)?

"Give me a minute." He murmured to Maddie and carefully set down Jee's work of art on the counter so he didn't drop or crush it.

He headed past the dining area and cautiously walked out onto the patio, being mindful to shut the door behind him to give them both a bit of privacy.

His eyes took in the way (Y/n) was sat. She was leaning to the left, slouched into the arm rest and she was slouched back into the sofa like she was starting to melt or had no willpower left within her. Evan knew more recently, especially when they were out, (Y/n) sat on the edge of her seat and tried to sit straight. So she didn't hurt her back and so she didn't struggle to get up from low seats like this.

Her left hand was propping up her head with her elbow on the arm rest, while her right hand was curled around her glass that was resting prominently on her bump.

Pressing his lips into a thin line, Evan moved round and sat down next to her. The garden furniture was rather small and Evan always sat with his knees spread meaning he was now pressed up against his wife with their knees bumping together.

He stretched his left arm over the back of the sofa, behind (Y/n), and he leaned forward to gently take her glass. He was glad she'd had a few sips, she hadn't had a drink for a while and Evan knew the headaches she got if she didn't drink enough.

"Don't rest things on him." He chided playfully to see if she would smile, and he was relieved to see (Y/n)'s lips quirk up to one side just a tiny bit.

But Evan was dismayed to see a few tear tracks traced down her cheek. He set her glass down on the table but he couldn't refrain from dragging his thumb along her cheek.

"What's up, baby?" He watched intently as (Y/n) leaned closer to him rather than the arm rest and she leaned her cheek on his shoulder. And his eyes followed the way her hands slowly traced her stomach in odd patterns, but she stopped for a moment when Evan pressed his hand to her stomach.

"Do I look okay in this?" She pulled the cotton fabric a little to show what she was referring to. She snapped her eyes closed and leaned further into Evan when she felt his chest tighten against her and his arm left the back of the sofa to curl over her shoulders instead.

"Why would you ask that? Didn't I tell you this morning you looked beautiful?" Evan leaned down to peck the top of her head while his thumb glided up and down her bare arm.

He tried to take the dress off her as soon as she put it on, was that not enough confirmation that he loved her in it so much? He thought she looked devouring in that dress.

"Yeah, but does- does it… nevermind. Let's see if Maddie needs some help." It took a great deal of effort to shimmy out of Evan's embrace and sit up properly. And (Y/n) couldn't help but wince when she felt her back twinge when she sat up.

Her hand moved to Evan's thigh and gripped tight, trying to will herself to move and shuffle to the edge of the seat to get up. But she barely managed to lean forwards before Evan had both arms looped around her waist. His hands splayed out on her stomach and he gently but firmly reeled her back into his chest.

"No, not until you tell me what's wrong. Come on baby, I know something's upsetting you. Talk to me." He pecked her shoulder and made a trail up her neck until (Y/n) was shivering in his arms.

"I don't look too… big, do I?" (Y/n) cringed as she spoke and she kept her gaze on her lap when she felt Evan take another sharp breath.

"Did my mother say something to you?" The brisk tone to his voice made (Y/n) wince. She didn't want to tell him. She didn't want to admit that his mother's passing comments had struck a nerve, but she couldn't help it. Those words had cut deep and (Y/n) couldn't help but take them to heart.

When she didn't respond, she felt Evan uncurl from around her so he was sitting up straight. He moved his right hand to cup her chin and he tilted her head up in his direction so she had no choice but to look at his stern expression and those steely blue eyes.

"What did she say?"

"I look like I'm- I'm eating for three."

A horrible twinge tore through (Y/n)'s stomach when she watched Evan's expression change within a split second. Those eyes became glazed and hardened. His cheekbones popped against his skin and his teeth sank down into his lower lip, pulling it tight causing his chin to tense.

When Evan detached from her, clearly about to get up, (Y/n) scrambled to grab his arm and pull him back to her. She didn't want to make a fuss, she had already done enough by letting the words upset her. She didn't want Evan to go arguing with his parents over this. They needed to be civil, for Maddie and Jee and Chimney. Once they'd eaten, they could go home just like they planned.

"Don't say anything, Evan please-"

"She's upset you! And what she said was spiteful-"

"Babe, please, no arguments… I don't feel well." (Y/n) gave another little tug on his arm until he sat back down beside her.

Her back was starting to ache again and the worry was going straight to her stomach that was doing summersaults. She didn't want to be the cause of an argument between Evan and his parents. She didn't have the strength to play referee or be in the middle of this. She shouldn't have said anything.

When Evan nodded, (Y/n) pressed a soft kiss to his shoulder and moved his hand down to cup the bottom of her stomach where the baby was moving. She felt his fingers tap against her skin and she started to relax when he swooped down to steal a fiery kiss from her lips.

"You need to eat, come on." The fire was still burning within Evan's eyes and his tone was gritty and anything but calm, but he didn't want (Y/n) feeling any worse.

He moved his hand to (Y/n)'s back and his other hand entwined with hers so he could carefully give her a push up. Once she was on her feet, he got up and moved both hands to hold her hips while (Y/n) picked up her drink and walked back inside ahead of him.

(Y/n) leaned her forearms on the kitchen counter when they headed over towards Maddie and she couldn't help but arch her lower back out when her back felt like it was seizing up. She felt Evan's hands curve around to her bump as he leaned over her and peppered a few kisses to her neck and behind her ear.

"You okay honey?" Maddie reached across to give her arm a squeeze and when (Y/n) nodded, she pushed a small plastic bowl towards her.

(Y/n) lifted her head and rose a brow when she saw the grin on Maddie's face as she pointed at the bowl. She took a peek inside and gingerly reached out when she realised it was filled with crisps. (Y/n) could feel her mood lightening and she smiled when she realised it was the smoked crisps she had been eating non-stop lately. Evan must have mentioned they were one of (Y/n)'s new cravings, something she wouldn't have eaten before she got pregnant.

"You found them."

"I have my ways." Maddie tapped the side of her nose before she found some plates and handed them over to Chimney so he could set the table.

"Go sit down, baby." Evan murmured against the shell of her ear and he gave her hip an affectionate squeeze before he moved to the side so (Y/n) could stand up properly again.

When she turned in the direction of the table, she felt Evan's hand on her hip and his other hand hovered in front of her, holding out the bowl of crisps. Maddie got them specifically for her. His hand moved down to squeeze her bum before she walked over towards the table.

Jee had vacated the living room and was now sat at the middle of the table, a colouring book and some pencils dotted around her. While her grandad was sat opposite her, trying to engage her in conversation.

A shooting pain tore through (Y/n)'s hip and down her leg when she eased down into one of the dining chairs so she could sit next to Jee. She took a moment to try and regulate her system and sat up straight against the chair to see if shifting her posture would help her feel a bit better.

"Want one?" She murmured softly to Jee and placed the bowl between them so they could both dive into the crisps.

When Jee handed (Y/n) a crayon, she obliged and began colouring with her, resting both elbows on the table and reaching out for a crisp every now and then. They both looked up and smiled when Chimney walked in and started setting the plates down around the table. Dinner would be ready soon so everyone would be sitting down and they would have to pack the crayons away.

He walked out the room and (Y/n) glanced her gaze across at Phillip, sat opposite her, but she didn't like the tepid expression on his face as he looked between her and Jee.

"I think you've both had enough."

A cold shiver ran through (Y/n)'s blood and she clenched her hand down on her thigh to stop from saying anything or letting another tear cascade down her face. Especially when Phillip reached across the table and pulled the bowl of crisps away from them both.

She didn't hide the unease or the distaste from her expression but she didn't bother responding. There was nothing she could say that wouldn't cause an argument and she didn't feel he deserved a response.

She wasn't a school child or a toddler like Jee and even if she were, Phillip was being unreasonable. A few crisps before dinner wouldn't do them any harm, it wasn't as if they had gone back for more handfuls. But it was the fact that he moved the bowl that unsettled (Y/n). It was a shrewd move and uncalled for, even Jee looked up in confusion. Her parents never took snacks away like that or chided her for eating.

"Let's put these away." (Y/n) packed up the crayons and the books just as everyone started to pile into the room.

She felt more at ease when Maddie and Chimney both sat down after putting the dishes down in the middle of the table so everyone could help themselves. Although it wasn't comforting to have both Phillip and Margaret sat directly opposite her.

She tilted her head back when Evan stood behind her chair and moved his hands to her shoulders. He leaned over her and pressed his lips down against her temple, smiling against her skin while his hands moved up and down her shoulders and along her arms.

"Do you want another drink?" His words were slightly muffled against her temple, but she heard him all the same. She reached behind her to pat his hip and give him a squeeze as she nodded against his lips.

"Please."

"I'll grab Jee a juice." He looked over at Maddie before he let go of (Y/n)'s shoulders and moved towards the kitchen.

(Y/n) tilted forward again once he'd let go of her but when she looked up, she found herself shrinking in her seat. Margaret was looking at her. She had her hands clasped in front of her, elbows planted on the table and her lips pressed together like she was studying (Y/n) for something. And when she looked across at Phillip, he had a similar expression.

Her father in law was slouched back, one elbow on the table propping his chin up while his other hand tapped against the table edge.

"Does he do everything for you?"

She could file bile rising at the back of her throat and her eyes switched to glance towards the kitchen. She wasn't quite sure if she was praying for Evan to walk back in and calm the situation or for him to hear that comment and shut his father down. But if he heard, it might cause problems and they were just about to eat.

It was even worse that she could feel both Maddie and Chimney looking at her, unsure what to say, only knowing that what Phillip had said was by no means fair or just.

He heard.

(Y/n) just knew Evan had heard because she could see the steely expression on his face and the way his jaw was grinding from side to side. Not to mention he was holding her glass so tightly it was about to splinter into pieces.

"I know how to treat my wife." Evan's response was sharp and his expression told his father not to argue with him. At all.

He set down (Y/n)'s glass in front of her and leaned over to hand Jee's beaker to her before he took his seat next to (Y/n) with Chimney on his right and his dad directly opposite him.

(Y/n) did her best not to start shaking or feel the need to flee the table and she felt a bit better when Evan leaned in front of her to take her plate and he began plating up for everyone. She leaned forward and pressed her face into his arm for a few seconds.

The conversation felt somewhat stilted but Maddie did her best to divert it into a different direction.

Once they were all eating, Evan slid his hand down to give (Y/n)'s thigh a gentle squeeze beneath the table. He didn't want her to feel uncomfortable, especially not because of anything his parents might say. But a smile tugged at his lips when (Y/n) held his wrist and moved his hand up from her thigh to press against her stomach.

The baby was lively today. Evan kept his hand there, feeling each movement and each way (Y/n) shifted from right to left, seemingly trying to get comfy or ward off some sort of unease.

(Y/n) wasn't too sure if she felt better or not after having something to eat, but at least she felt a bit calmer with Maddie controlling the conversation. She could still feel the baby moving though, and a few sharp twinges every now and then which felt worse every time she panicked and lit up with adrenaline.

Having Evan's hand constantly reaching out for her bump was comforting though. As if he couldn't be parted from her for more than a few seconds before he was back to touching her again.

"Who wants cake?" Maddie clapped when Jee started to giggle and nodded her head. "Let's go get some." She held her hand out for her daughter and guided her into the kitchen to get some cake and more plates to dish out for everyone.

Slouching a little in her seat, (Y/n) dropped her head onto Evan's shoulder and moved her hands to her stomach to see if it would settle the baby at all. She smiled, nuzzling her nose against Evan's neck and he turned in her direction and looped his left arm over her shoulders, keeping her pinned into his side.

She could feel his hand feathering softly up and down her arm and it made her smile, right until Maddie and Jee handed out slices of cake to everyone. She could feel Margaret looking over at her.

"Anymore snacks and you won't get out of that dress."

Evan's hand clamped down on her shoulder and he straightened up in his chair, glaring holes through his mother who clearly thought she hadn't said anything wrong or insulting at all.

"Why the Hell would you say that?" His free hand curled into a fist on the tabletop and he felt his nose curling as he glared daggers across at her.

Why did she have to do that? Why ruin a family meal that didn't happen often, and think that being insulting was okay? Why did she think trying to pick at (Y/n)'s self esteem was normal or that it wouldn't rile Evan up?

"What? I just think she should take it easy." Margaret waved her hand in (Y/n)'s direction and smiled so coyly as if this was a normal conversation or she had given (Y/n) a passing compliment rather than a rude remark.

"Really? You think a pregnant woman needs to watch what she eats?" Evan could feel his knuckles grazing along his jaw, rubbing back and forth to try and give himself something to focus on. He couldn't understand what planet his mother lived on. She had had three children herself, surely she couldn't believe that (Y/n) looked like she was eating too much or had to watch what she ate.

If anything Evan would be more concerned if she wasn't eating. He was happy she had an appetite considering in the first two months she barely managed to eat a thing.

"Well, yes-"

"Then I think you need to watch what you say to my wife."

"Alright, Jee let's go get some cream for this cake." Chimney held his hand out and waited for his daughter to toddle over to him, unaware of the situation unfolding at the dinner table.

Evan felt the shudder that rolled through (Y/n) and he looked down at her when her hand curled around his thigh. But he was dismayed when she pushed her plate away towards the middle of the table. Suddenly, she wasn't hungry anymore.

"Baby, no." His words tickled the side of her head as he kept his voice low and pushed the plate back towards her.

He didn't want her to feel like she couldn't eat when she was in Maddie's home and when she was rightfully eating her dinner. It wasn't right, but he felt his heart dropping down to his stomach when she shook her head and pushed it away again. She wasn't going to eat anything else. Not if she felt like she was being judged, and the atmosphere was making her too nervous to eat anymore.

Twisting in her seat, (Y/n) turned to Evan's side and pressed her cheek into his shoulder, looking away from the table. She moved her hand from his thigh to curve around Evan's torso so she was practically hugging him. She could feel her heartbeat pulsing in every inch of her skin and she hated it. She hated the sickness clawing at her throat and the tension building in her stomach.

"I don't feel great." She muttered quietly in Evan's ear, squeezing him tighter to try and get the silent message across.

She wanted to go home. She wasn't sure whether she was going to throw up or just feel awful for the rest of the afternoon, but either way, (Y/n) wanted to be in the comfort of their own home. She wanted to go home and curl up and pretend this had never happened.

She moved her hand from Evan's waist to his shoulder and her other hand moved to cradle the side of her stomach as she turned to look behind her at her sister in law.

"I'm gonna- gonna go sit through there." She could sense that Evan wasn't finished with this conversation, but (Y/n) wasn't waiting here to watch the argument unfold. She would sit out the way and try to calm down before she got ready to leave.

And when Maddie nodded understandingly, (Y/n) felt Evan's hands on her elbow and hip, helping her to her feet.

"Look, let's not get hormonal about this. Once the little one's here you'll see you're taking this the wrong way."

(Y/n)'s hand began to shake as she gripped Evan's shoulder once she was on her feet and she looked over at her in-laws. Phillip had made a similar remark once when they found out the baby was going to be a boy and (Y/n) disagreed with them and told them that they wouldn't name their baby after Daniel.

They had not been happy when (Y/n) said Evan had suggested naming the baby after Bobby, something (Y/n) agreed with. But the Buckleys thought (Y/n) was instigating it and putting 'ideas into Evan's head'. It didn't seem to be enough for them that they had inadvertently made Evan feel bad his whole life about not saving Daniel. But asking them to name their boy after the brother Evan owed his existence to was too much to ask.

It would only serve as a reminder of why his parents had already treated him differently. It would remind him that he could save hundreds, if not millions of people throughout his life, but for his parents, it would never make up for the fact that he didn't save the one person he was created to help.

"Funny, I don't remember you being there for most of Maddie's pregnancy, and I don't remember you making the effort with (Y/n) either when we told you about our baby."

"We're making the effort with you, Evan."

"You're making the effort to disrespect my wife and I am this close, to losing my temper with you. If you don't apologise soon, you can kiss goodbye to seeing your grandson."

Evan leaned forward, planting both elbows down on the table while he pinched his thumb and finger together to show how near he was to the end of his tether. If they kept this up and harassed (Y/n) any more, Evan would do what he had done before. He would cut his parents out of his life just like he did for over two years when he left home and went travelling.

Only this time, he wouldn't let them see or be around his son either. They wouldn't get close to Evan's baby if they were going to be disrespectful to (Y/n) and make her feel bad like this.

"Evan! You know we…" Whatever Margaret started to speel went in one ear and out the other for (Y/n).

She turned as if to walk away, hoping to get out of the situation and get away from them. But she stopped and latched her left hand tightly around Evan's neck, gripping him so hard that her nails started to pierce into his skin and made him jump.

He spun in his chair, looking up at his wife in confusion until he took in her stance. (Y/n) was stooped over, leaning forward with her right hand cupping her stomach and tears welling up in her eyes.

"Baby?" His hand moved to grip her wrist tightly and he twisted to try and stand up with (Y/n)'s hand still latched onto his shoulder. But he scraped his chair back and held his breath when (Y/n) whimpered and tilted her head down.

When Evan glanced down to see what she was staring at, his shoulders tensed and his body bristled at the sight of water trickling down her legs.

Her waters broke.

The tears started to trickle down (Y/n)'s face as she lifted her chin to stare up at Evan. The aching twinges in her stomach had turned into a throbbing cramp and her lower back was killing her; clearly this was why. The anxiety and stress of today and helped push her into labour. Thank God her due date was around the corner so this wouldn't cause any problems.

"Still think she's hormonal?" Evan didn't look at his parents for long before he looked back to (Y/n) as she leaned forward and pressed her face into his chest. He cupped the back of her neck and tilted his head down to kiss her head before he looked behind him at Maddie.

She was already on her feet and moving round to his side to help them both while their parents got up, shock splattered all over their faces.

"Okay, let's head to the jeep. We're going home." His thumb glided up and down the back of (Y/n)'s neck while he felt her hands moving to hold his arms.

They needed to head home and get their bags ready and time the contractions. They had to get ready and get everything in order before they went to the hospital to have their boy.

Evan spared his mother one glance when she tried to say something along the lines of 'we'll help you' but she stopped immediately at Evan's glare.

"I think you've done enough."

***

Tilting his head down, Evan pressed his lips to the top of his boy's head, unable to stop himself from smiling against the full head of hair resting on his chest. He had never seen a newborn baby with so much hair before.

He began gliding his left hand up and down his boy's back, grinning to himself when he felt the newborn nuzzling into his chest where Evan had undone the first few buttons on his shirt for skin to skin contact.

He slouched down in his chair a little, pushing his knees into the bed frame so his chest was tilted back to accommodate his boy a little better. He could feel each soft breath fanning against his chest and Evan was rather surprised that they had stayed like this for a while now, and his boy hadn't even woken or made one little whimper. He was completely settled in Evan's embrace.

For a few more moments, Evan trailed his hand in a soft motion up and down the newborn's back, loving the way his tiny legs were curled into his tummy, resting against Evan's abdomen. As if he thought he was still in the womb and had to be tiny and compact.

But he finally lifted his head when he felt (Y/n) lean over and nudge his thigh. She looked more awake than she did earlier. She had taken a nap after almost two days of labour finally ended and their boy was here. And while she slept, Evan had stayed cosied up to their baby.

He looked over at (Y/n) when she held her phone towards him. "Maddie and Chimney are on their way up."

(Y/n) knew Evan had texted them to say that the baby was here and everyone was doing great. He had told his sister she could come up whenever she was ready to meet her nephew, and she had just messaged to say they were here. But they both knew it was a maze in the hospital, especially the maternity ward.

"I'll go find them." Evan didn't want them wandering around the hospital, lost and going the wrong way trying to find them.

He carefully pushed up to his feet and moved to lean over the bed when (Y/n) motioned her arms out to him. ever so gently, Evan eased their boy into her arms and moved his hand to cup the back of (Y/n)'s head, kissing her temple lovingly before he made his way out the room into the corridor.

He headed out the corridor, round the corner and down towards the lift just as his sights set on Jee. The little girl bounded out of the lift, Chimney and Maddie in tow behind her as she clocked onto Evan immediately and ran towards him with a giant teddy held out in her arms.

Evan grinned from ear to ear and quickly bent his knees so he could scoop Jee up into his arms, squishing the teddy between them as he gave her a bear hug. He pecked her cheek and bounced her in his arms.

"Hi girly, is this for me?" He loved the cheeky way she giggled and shook her head, holding the bear tighter as if she thought Evan might just try and take it.

"No! Baby roo."

"Ooh." Evan kissed her cheek again, but the smile on his face dampened when he watched who walked out of the lift after his sister.

His parents.

"Think you can show daddy where the room is? Right round that corner, then right again, room 115."

Jee nodded eagerly, although Chimney was listening to the directions and he nodded. He walked forward, placing a hand down on his daughter's shoulder while the other hand gripped Evan's arm. He grinned up at his brother in law, something akin to affection swelling in his eyes.

"Congratulations, Buck." He murmured softly before he and Jee started their way down the corridor to find the newest addition to the Buckley family. Chimney had to calm Jee down over the past two days since they told her auntie (Y/n) was going to have the baby. She thought it would be an instant thing and was very eager to go down to see the baby. Now she was bubbling over with joy at being able to meet her cousin.

Evan watched them round the corner while he planted his hands down on his hips and turned to look at Maddie. He could see something in her eyes; they didn't need to have a verbal conversation for everything to pass between them.

She had tried. She had tried to tell their parents that coming down to the hospital wouldn't be the best idea with how they had acted towards (Y/n), but they had come down here anyway.

"How are they?" Maddie reached her arms up to loop them around Evan's neck, reeling her tall brother down to her height so she could give him a hug.

"They're doing great, he's seven pounds three." Evan smiled softly down at his sister and ran his hand up and down her shoulder for a few moments before he looked across at his parents.

They were smiling as if wanting to make peace, as if they hadn't done anything wrong the other day and caused problems for them all. If they hadn't of been so rude, (Y/n) probably wouldn't have gone into labour when she did. Her blood pressure wouldn't have been sky-high when they arrived. They might of had a calming family dinner, for once in their lives, and made some sort of peace, if only his parents could of been civil.

"Do you have a name?" Maddie kept her eyes focused intently on her brother, staring up at him so she didn't have to turn and see the hopeful look on their parent's faces. So she didn't have to see that look get wiped away when Evan talked to them.

His eyes set down on her and his expression softened as he nodded.

"Robbie."

They wanted to name him after someone important in their lives and Bobby was certainly someone important. He took Evan under his wing when he didn't have to. He was there for him in their personal lives, not just as an authority figure at the station and he had done everything he could for Evan over the years. Evan felt like Bobby was his father, he was closer to him than to his actual father.

Naming their boy 'Bobby' didn't feel quite right because things could get confusing, and neither of them quite liked Bob. But Robert would be his full name, like Bobby, and they would call him Robbie for short. It was a name that had quickly grown on them.

Evan liked the grin that spread across Maddie's faces, and a small sense of glee lit up his stomach when he watched the dismay plaster across both parent's faces.

"Can we see him?" The raw tone of Margaret's voice made Evan's skin bristle and he tried his best to hold his nerve and not simply back down like he used to do because it was always easier. He never argued or stood up to his parents until the day they told him about Daniel.

It always seemed the best option to just swallow down his thoughts and feelings and let them have their own way. But not this time. Evan wouldn't let them worm their way around him again.

"No."

He felt the way Maddie cringed and squeezed his arm before she ticked her head to the side. She didn't want to witness this argument and she didn't want to get involved either. This was Evan's choice, not hers. She felt Evan squeeze her elbow before she pulled out of his embrace and headed down the corridor to go and see their family.

Evan turned to face his parents, planting both hands down on his hips while he looked over at their aghast expressions and slack jaws.

"Evan, please. This is our grandson, don't keep him from us."

"He's with (Y/n), and I don't think it's a good idea to let you near her after what you've done. Do you?"

"We didn't do anything." The gritty tone in Phillip's voice made Evan clench his jaw and tighten his hands on his hips. They had some nerve trying to defend what they had said and done. They were all here in the hospital because of how they had acted towards (Y/n).

"You insulted her- more than once, and upset her enough to push her into labour. You couldn't say one nice thing to her all night, you just berated her every chance you got. And you haven't shown much interest in the pregnancy so why should I let you near either of them now?"

They didn't seem to have an answer for that, and for once, Evan was glad. He was glad they were listening rather than debating with him because he didn't want answers, he just wanted to explain and have them listen to him.

He ran his hand along his jaw and down the side of his neck before he stepped back, creating a bit more space between them all.

"I don't want you here. You're not going to see him, so you need to leave. We're fine without you."

His nails scratched into the back of his neck as he turned on his heels and walked away from them before he could see his mother start the water works or have them try to change his mind.

It was for the best; it was for his family. All they did was insult and become rude to (Y/n) and she had just gone through two days of labour. She didn't need them around to make her nervous about the way she looked or nervous in case they said anything else unbecoming to her.

And Evan didn't want them around his son if they were going to be so uncaring. They hadn't been bothered with them during the pregnancy, they didn't ask how (Y/n) was or how the baby was doing, they barely acknowledged that Evan was going to be a dad. So they couldn't try and play the doting grandparents now. Evan wouldn't have them around his boy, they had named him after Bobby for a reason.

He headed down the corridor, grateful he couldn't hear his parents walking after him. They were listening, they weren't going to follow and try to plead their case. Evan could go back into that room with a smile on his face, surrounded by his family. And the rest of his family, the team, would be coming down this afternoon to see them.

This was their time to enjoy the newest addition to their family.

[thesummerestsolstice]

A Birdwatcher's Guide to Rivendell - Expected Sightings

(Exerpt from Bilbo Baggins' A Hobbit's Traveling Companion)

Many species of singing finches, some of the color and kind of the Shire, but some of bright hues– dusty pinks, deep purples, and gentle greens– that I have yet to see anywhere else.

A great number of sweet-singing nightingales.

Ducks. For the avid birders among you I would recommend visiting in the spring and early summer to ensure you see the duckling season.

An exceedingly small type of shimmering bird which does the work of a bee and which the elves refer to as "hummingbirds." Feeders are set up for them around the valley and, with much patience and time, they can be convinced to eat out of one's hand.

A number of swans, both black and white. Very elegant, though best witnessed at some distance. One of these has silver feathers and often seems to be "laughing." This one you will find on certain days only, usually following Lord Elrond.

A small population of chickens. Apparently they were a gift to Lord Elrond, and intended to be eaten, but instead have become the collective pets of the valley. They are dark-feathered and, apparently, dark-fleshed, though I can't be sure of that last bit.

Addendum to the previous note about nightingales: there is one in particular, which sings much better than the rest, though much more sadly. It is easy to recognize, as unlike all the others, it is pure white.

Owls. The natural kind in Rivendell are the horned ones, though you will occasionally also spot barn owls, which are apparently messengers from the witch of Lothlorien. They are given time to rest and eat before being sent back, and enjoy perching on any in the valley who will let them.

Doves and pigeons, of all shapes and colors, taken as both messengers and as pets by various inhabitants. Lord Elrond is occasionally numbered amongst these, though I can always pick him out.

Eagles, which are magnificent to behold. One particularly large bird– which can speak in elvish tongue– occasionally joins the household for dinner. I am told his name is Thorondor, and that he has a long-standing friendship with the Lord Glorfindel. He has also obliged my of my questions about the history of the First Age.

Pheasants and quails of many varieties. They appear to gather in the valley because hunting is forbidden there, and enjoy mostly peaceful lives because of it.

One magpie. Initially I thought there was a small population, but after careful observation, there really is just the one. He's a fiend about shiny objects, and difficult to spot, but has a rather remarkable singing voice, especially for such a bird. I have found him often in concert with the white nightingale– a behavior I have not observed amongst any other birds. It is a marvelous performance, and I wouldn't miss it.

Lindir, who has the most birdish mannerisms of any elf I've ever met, and who therefore counts as one, by my reckoning. He does also sing very nicely.

[a-spes]

I always complain about my life, and how I should not be working because I am just a girl who is born to be the trophy wife of some older, and rich, woman.

Bonus point if that woman can be Natasha Romanoff. Like, yes, ma'am, take me 🙆

The woman wakes you up every morning with soft touches, and whispered sweet words. She was awake long before you were — you are not much of an early bird — and she took time to prepare a copious breakfast. She only wants the best for her girl, so some fresh fruits, and hot pancakes, are waiting at the kitchen's table.

She makes sure that you are eating enough because “if you want to play big girls by coming to daddy's job, then you will need a lot of energy.” That is what she had said when she put another pancake on your plate, deaf to your protests.

Once you have eaten enough for her liking, she helps you get ready. Your clothes are just like daddy's, the woman always making sure to lay down matching outfits, just so everyone knows that you are hers. She had bought you your first suit after you whined about wanting to try hers — something she would not let happen. No matter how much she loves you, she doesn't let anyone touch her precious suits.

“You are daddy's perfect girl now” she has teased you, the first time you've worn the suit. Yet, there is nothing she likes more than the sight of her girl wearing it, it makes her feel proud. Every morning, she likes spending a few seconds observing you in the mirror, her hands around your waist while she pulls you as close as possible.

Then, the woman would do your hair. They are always tied up in neat, and sophisticated, braids. She would even put pretty bows in your hair because she thinks it looks pretty, and makes you even more adorable.

Everyone at her work got used to your presence, and has learned to not make comments or ask questions — the last person who tried was fired as soon as the words fell past their lips. Only her closest associates can risk it, as Maria, who loves to slip snarky comments every time she crosses your path — you suspect that she deliberately spends more time than she needs on Natasha's office, just so she can tease.

Sometimes, the woman would let you help by giving you easy tasks to complete, but today you've spent the day just sitting on Natasha's lap, doing nothing but existing — and being pretty. Your front is pressed against hers, your face buried in her neck, and your hands are clutching at the fabric of her shirt.

She doesn't pay much attention to you, but you are fine with that. You are content enough with her pressing soft kisses on your temple from time to time, and with her hands drawing circles at the back of your neck. It is a soothing motion, for the both of you, and maybe you did fall asleep because of that at some point — you are not sure, your mind being completely lost in that bliss.

[dyeher]

includes| Akaashi Keiji x Fem! Reader x Bokuto Koutaro— smut(1.3k words)

warnings| Oral Sex, Cum Play, Anal Fingering, Degradation, Mentions of Cucking, Mentions of Orgasm Denial, Mentions of Overstimulation, Dom/Sub Relationships.

notes| mean akaashi my beloved.

people regularly made the mistake of accusing akaashi of being the sane one in your relationship. his refined features, lean build, and gentle demeanor usually gave the illusion of elegance, propriety, vanilla. the assumption that a man who preferred to read and write in his spare time was boring was so, incredibly wrong. boring?

he was not.

akaashi keiji, behind the mahogany doors of your shared bedroom was a tyrant, a madman, an unforgiving dictator. the worst kind of leader. it was especially bad when he found one of his meticulously crafted rules were broken. there were three of them, two of which were assigned punishments and one that was left up in the air. open to anything.

rule 1: no one cums before you. the bane of koutaro’s existence is that once his dick gets anywhere near your soft walls, or your equally soft lips he’s left brainless. hyper-focused on the feel of them around him, and this leads to him cumming early. it’s almost like he can’t help it. punishment is overstimulation. the pro-athlete is strapped to a chair, a vibrator tied to the shaft of his cock, and left to stare in agony as akaashi eats you out, sucks and fingers at your pulsing walls until you scream koutaro’s name. koutaro is allowed to cum, as many times as he likes, and punishment usually ends when his orgasms come dry and leave him sobbing akaashi’s name.

“I’m sorry, ‘m sorry, ‘m sorry,” he sobs, “won’t do it again, ‘kaashi, ‘kaashi please, ‘m sorry.”

rule 2: no toys without supervision. you’re dating a manga editor and a professional athlete, not only are they busy often but, you make it an unfortunate habit of not saying anything when you feel neglected. this is where the trouble starts. you always end up sitting on the bed, the black box in your lap chewing on your lip as you consider how much time you have to get yourself off before one of them gets home. if it’s kou, then maybe you can guilt trip him into forgiving you but, if it’s akaashi? punishment involves denial.

you’re not allowed anywhere near their cock for the next seven days. they’ll play with you as they like though; keiji runs long fingers through your folds, teases at your hole absentmindedly, stuffs you with his favorite dildo, and watches your cunt flutter around the glass while koutaro fucks him on your shared bed; koutaro lets you watch as he fucks his fist in the shower, slaps your hand away when you reflexively reach out to help him, sucks on your nipples and litters your pretty skin with his marks but, ultimately leave you unfulfilled. on day eight you’re fucked senseless, made love to slowly, eaten out, doted on, whispered to, worshipped. their way of reminding you what they can do toys cannot.

rule 3: no lying. situations like these were when the real monster came out. an akaashi who took his glasses off before getting to the bedroom was a dangerous one. it was a stupid little lie, supposedly a prank that you and kou had dreamed up but, it had stressed akaashi out and now? now you were going to be punished.

“on your knees,” his voice is deceptively calm, like the lull in the seas before a tsunami, the silence of birds in the trees before a storm. “take me out, suck me off until I say to stop.”

koutaro scrambles to undo the waist of akaashi’s slacks and drag his dick free of it’s confines, he’s soft and koutaro instinctively leans in to run his tongue along it. it twitches, and koutaro hums.

“i don’t want to hear those; don’t hum, don’t moan,” akaashi sighs, “just, shut the fuck up, and suck my dick.”

you gulp where you’re kneeling next to kou, you can see the way he swallows around the head of akaashi’s cock and your pussy weeps a little at how badly he’s going to punish you. he’s moved your antics to the living area, so your knees are probably going to bruise from the rug under them but, you stay silent because you’ve not been addressed; you listen, to the wet sounds of koutaro choking on the pretty head of keiji’s dick.

you glance up to find glacial eyes trained on you. his lips are parted, and you can see that he’s breathing heavily.

“are you going to let him do all the work?” he asks. “get over here.” he shoves koutaro’s head off and motions for you to get closer. “you can both do it.”

kou watches from the other side of akaashi’s cock as you lick a long strip up the shaft and suckle the head into your mouth, he leans in and joins in, bringing one hand up to cup akaashi’s balls, as he sucks at the base and shaft. you pull back as one to run your tongues along the bottom. they rub against the heated flesh and each other, and akaashi moans at the sight.

“fuck,” he groans. “the only thing you’re good at-” kou gives a particularly hard suck at the base at the same time you dip lower to take one of his balls into your mouth and he whines, “-shit, being my little cock suckers, it’s the only thing.”

your lips and mouth are stained with akaashi’s pre-cum so are koutaro’s. by the time akaashi cums along both your tongues where they’re sticking out next to each other, koutaro’s cock is leaking everywhere and your cunt is soaked.

kou turns to you, tongue coated in cum and grabs you by the back of your head and shoves it against yours. your mind hazes, thoughts going cloudy; only akaashi’s cum mixed with kou’s saliva as it swishes around your mouth mixing with yours.

you moan as his tongue swirls around yours, the actions forces you to swallow the concoction and you’re just about to climb into him, when you’re separated by a harsh tug on your hair. your neck protests at the rough handling, your scalp burns but, the pain goes straight to your throbbing clit.

“always so selfish,” akaashi hisses. his cock twitches against his stomach when you let out twin sobs. “you’re not getting anything tonight.” he points out. “don’t do shit to make me angrier, who said you could use my cum like that?”

when no answer comes, he lets go of your hair with a shove. “get me the silicone dildo in the safe koutaro. the one with the vibrating head, and the lube,” he says, and you lock eyes with kou for a second. kou opens his mouth to tell akaashi that doesn’t sound like a punishment, and you slap a palm over his mouth.

“he’ll do it,” you say, “he’ll get it.”

akaashi laughs. “yes, he will.”

you’re concerned about the way akaashi’s smug smile grows wider when koutaro returns with it.

“i’ll be using it on myself,” he smiles. “you’ll sit over there and watch,” he motions to the other side of the room the matching armchairs stare back. “if I can’t make myself cum,” he tuts, “well, i have a few friends who’re willing to help.”

koutaro chokes, and you sink to your ass on the floor with a whimper, “’kaash-”

“sit, and watch,” he says, the hard edge to his voice has you both scrambling to the other side of the room. “if i don’t come, i’ll call osamu,” he chuckles, and koutaro glares at him from across the room, “him and suna would take care of me,” he sighs.

“we’re so-”

“i know, and after this you’ll think really hard about what you do and say without me,” he snarls the words and goosebumps erupt across your chest. “lying to me? what did you call it? a prank?” his laugh is hollow. “it’s almost like, my rules mean nothing to you.”

he’s stripped fully, and settled onto his knees on the couch, face down into the cushions.

“let’s hope i can make myself cum,” he groans as one of his fingers disappears into his ass. “otherwise…” he doesn’t have to say anything. both you and kou know he’d do it, this isn’t akaashi that they can argue with, this is the tryant.

[infiniteimaginings]

VIOLET BRIDGeTtON PLEASE PLEASE

A Courtship? (Violet Bridgerton x GN!Reader)

Summary: You court the dear Violet Bridgerton and she is surprised, but quite flushed at the idea. Pronouns: You/Yours, They/Them Warnings: Slight angst Word Count: 4.8k A/N: I've had this idea for months. Months. I love this woman with my whole heart. There will be a part two because this got too long. Tagging: @etherynn @theonefairygodmother @ignaciocv

The Bridgerton home was a home that everyone wished for. The structure itself was beautiful, multiple floors, dozens of rooms, chandeliers, paintings of the family. It wasn’t the structure itself that the people of society were necessarily jealous of, no, it was the family themselves.

The Bridgerton family were blessed with handsome sons, beautiful daughters, all from a gorgeous, loving pair of parents. They were blessed with talented children in the arts, in the mind, and even in the heart. 

When the new season arrives for daughters to find husbands, mothers are already preparing their own children for the Bridgerton daughters arrivals. Daphne was the diamond of the season, she was almost engaged to a prince, and she is now a duchess. Eloise consistently gained the attention of each suitor on the floor, and Francesca was named the ‘Sparkler’ of the season for her intelligently beautiful compositions on the piano, which everyone knew the meaning of. The Bridgertons were a family that could not be out-charmed.

That wasn’t the only reason that society was jealous of the Bridgertons, they were jealous because the family seemed to love each other so dearly. Whenever they were seen out in the gardens, at the lakes, at balls, they were all laughing with one another, dancing even. Not many families can reflect such a powerful bond, that is why everyone is jealous of the Bridgertons, because they have each other.

It was an early afternoon where the birds were chirping, the sun was shining warmly through the windows, and everyone was ready for the day. The family were all in their day clothes, already having eaten breakfast and practiced any compositions, writings, and or drawings they wanted to complete that day. Due to that, the Bridgerton home was lively and bustling with laughter as it typically was in the day. 

Gregory and Hyacinth were up to their usual troubles, swiping sweets from their siblings plates, discussing future plans that were way too far out for them to worry about, and playing games that they couldn’t understand how they were losing to each other.

Anthony was teasing Colin for his activities at the prior party quietly, away from their mothers sharp ears across the room. Though they hid their whispers and scolding, anyone could see how Anthony gently hit Colin in the back of the neck before shaking him by his shoulder with a gracious smile.

Francesca was practicing one of her pieces, creating a peaceful background to the activities at hand. This was also known as her not wanting to involve herself in the activities of her siblings, which everyone was quite fine with. Kate was enjoying the music as she sat on the bench with Francesca, enjoying her cup of tea as she listened to the melodies. 

Two others who weren’t invested in what was happening with the rest of the house were Eloise and Benedict, who constantly looked as if they were planning something. Eloise would point to something in her book and Benedict would chuckle, rolling his eyes as he looked away. The brown haired girl would close her book and smack her brother in the shoulder with her hand and he simply laughed harder. No one knew what they were talking about, but everyone knew that it was just how they were.

Watching all of the Bridgerton children happily tending to themselves within the same room, within the comfort of each other brought a smile to someone's face. That someone was Violet Bridgerton, the mother of each and every one of those beautiful children. She had her hands rested on her lap, her eyes shifted from the couch across her where Benedict and Eloise sat to the piano where Francesa and her daughter in law Kate didn’t speak, but enjoyed each other's company. She watched her youngest children run across the room, almost knocking into their older brothers who stopped their conversation to grab hold of them and join in on the excitement. 

Violet Bridgerton loved her family, and they all loved her dearly as well. That’s why they fit together, that’s why they always worked.

It wasn’t unusual for the Bridgerton home to receive visitors, so when the footman walked in no one paid him much mind. The only person who turned their head was Violet, as she had been the one to pay more mind ever since Daphne's first season.

The footman stood tall as he entered, hands at his sides, the door now open. “My lady,” He greeted, not looking anywhere in particular, “a noble has arrived to call upon you.”

The Bridgertons focus was now set to the footman before they all looked at one another, more specifically they all looked at Eloise, the girl who has yet to find a husband. 

The brown haired girl looked around for a moment before turning to look at the footman, “Me?” She asked hesitantly, grabbing hold of Benedict to hide herself from whoever may have walked through the door. The brother, in response, shoved her from him with a teasing smile, causing the girl to only pull him even more to shield herself.

The footman didn’t look at Eloise when she spoke, he looked at Violet for a moment before speaking. “For the Viscountess Violet Bridgerton.” He announced slowly, no clear expression on his face.

The Bridgerton children all went back to their typical tasks, a little quiet since they had a visitor, but they did not mind the visitor at all. It could’ve been anyone, Lady Danbury, any of the neighbors, or simply her friends. It didn’t necessarily concern the children, so they continued with their afternoon.

Violet clapped her hands and stood with a smile, “Please, send them in!” She spoke happily, walking from the couch to the center of the room to be able to greet the visitor.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t a known person on a personal level who had walked into the Bridgerton drawing room, it was someone Violet had only ever spoken to for a few moments at balls or other parties. 

You were a noble who was well known within society for your estates, businesses, your family lineage, and overall your general charm. There were no rumors about you, but there were also no praises within Lady Whistledown nor from the queen, you were simply a sharp noble who kept up with expectations.

Though it was a bit surprising, Violet still greeted you with a gentle smile and sparkle in her eyes. “How unexpected!” She announced, causing her children to turn their heads to the door where you stood with a soft expression. “It’s wonderful to see you, Noble.” She spoke as she curtseyed, greeting you.

Her children all followed suit with a collective, “Good day”, all bowing and/or curtseying to greet you.

You walked in a little further, facing Violet as you bowed, “Good day, Viscountess Bridgerton.” You spoke softly, soon turning to face the others before greeting them as well, “Good day, Lord and Lady Bridgertons.”

After greetings ceased, Violet tilted her head a bit, “To what do I owe the pleasure?” She asked, gently turning her body as she awaited your response. 

You finally remembered that you hadn’t expressed why you had found yourself at the Bridgerton home, you bowed once more as a sign of apology, “Dearest Viscountess-” You began to speak, but Violet soon filled the room with her laughter, waving your words off politely, “Oh, please, call me Violet.” 

You nodded, taking a bit of a deep breath. You could feel your heart pounding in your chest as all of the Bridgerton eyes were on you, something you should have expected, but you did not account for. “Dearest Violet, I’ve come to inquire if…” You trailed off, seeing if you could find the right words to let this visit go smoothly.

“If?” She asked expectantly, shoulders raised high, polite smile still gracing her face.

She was met with no answer for a moment before you let out a shuddered breath and stood tall, your eyes only meeting hers. “If I might seek your favor in courting you.” You finally spat out, your voice stronger than you expected, but as long as you didn’t stutter, you didn’t mind.

The room filled with silence. Francesca abruptly stopped playing, the children all stopped their giggles to stare at the doorway, any conversation was paused at the sudden announcement.

Anthony walked to stand next to his mother, getting a good look at you, “Court?” He asked, brows furrowed in a bit of confusion. 

Kate quickly stood from the piano and walked to Anthony, grasping his arm gently, “Anthony, I implore you.” She mumbled into her husband's ear before turning to smile at you, “I apologize.” She spoke on his behalf, trying to stay as polite as possible.

You bowed gently to her, “There is no need for that Viscountess Bridgerton, I do understand why he would ask.” You assured her, standing straight as you made eye contact with the man of the house who you had yet to answer. “To answer your concerns, Viscount Bridgerton, indeed. I wish to court the Lady Violet.” You spoke, turning to the subject of the matter, the subject who held a shocked expression on her face.

Violet couldn’t even respond, she could feel her face warming but she was unsure if that was because she was flustered at the sudden position she was in, or if she was flattered. Before she could open her mouth to speak, someone else weaved their way into the conversation.

“You’re asking her?” Gregory asked from the side of the room, voice filled with confusion as he stood next to his sister. 

The room seemed to murmur with agreement, typically if you were courting a dowager, you would go through the eldest son to ask for permission. Anthony seemed just as confused as Violet, so it seemed you didn’t ask him.

You let out a nervous laugh as you finally noticed all the eyes boring into your figure, all you could do was stand awkwardly as you tried to think of an answer for your choices.

Violet noticed your sudden pulse of anxiety and clapped her hands, “Children, could give the noble and me a moment, please?”

Anthony began to shake his head, “Mother-” 

Kate gently tugged at Anthony, “Of course.” She spoke quietly with a nod, looking at Anthony sharply as she led him out the room.

Gregory and Hyacinch were ushered out by Colin who followed behind, Francesca stood from the piano quickly and quietly to walk out the door. Eloise stood with a slightly impressed expression and Benedict did the same, holding out his arm to her to which she took, the two walking out, turning their heads ever so slightly to observe you a bit more.

Soon enough, you and Violet Bridgerton were alone in the drawing room, sure that all of the children were listening at the door. You didn’t mind, you just couldn’t handle all of their eyes on you at once.

Violet laughed a bit, turning to sit on the couch, “I beg your pardon for my children’s behavior, we are all deeply involved in each other's lives.” She spoke softly, turning her head to see you standing in the same place stiffly. “Please, come sit.” 

You nodded with a tense smile, walking to the couch and sitting a respectable amount away from her, turning to face her. “They’re remarkably kind to be as protective as they are.” You responded to her, thinking about how even the youngest was concerned for the break in societal norms.

“I love them dearly.” Violet stated a bit awkwardly, placing her hands in her lap as she looked down at them. “Um, I do not wish to be impertinent, but why are you asking me, initially?” She asked you, looking over at you hesitantly, a bit scared to look at you fully.

You paused for a moment to gather your words before you adjusted your clothing, “I wanted to inquire directly, as I was unsure of your interest.” 

“In you?”

“In a caller who holds interest for you.” You specified, taking a deep breath. “I would never want to place you in a situation where I inquired of another if you were comfortable with someone courting you.” 

Violet hummed, her eyes crinkling as the corners of her lips gently upturned, “So, you sought to ensure that I was… ready?” She tried to confirm, licking her lips slightly.

“If you are not, I completely understand.” You responded, your body relaxing slightly now that you were comfortable in the conversations. 

The woman in front of you thought for a moment, “I shall be honest, this is all so-” Her words were interrupted when the doors broke open, shocking the both of you. Violet let out a small surprised gasp and you clutched the side of the couch in shock of the sudden interruption.

Hyacinth rushed in, looking around before locking onto her mother, “Mama! The noble brought gifts!” She announced, looking behind her and running when Benedict came to collect her. 

“Hyacinth!” Benedict spoke through gritted teeth before giving you both a sweet smile, turning to grab his little sister.

Due to the interruption, everyone filed back in, as did carts and carts of presents for the Bridgerton family.

Violet stared, wide eyed, at the collection of different items, some of which she had never seen sell in their town. “This is too much!” She spoke, standing, hand over her chest as she watched more gifts appear. 

You stood as well, dancing on your heels slightly, “Having developed an interest in you and your family over these past few years, it only felt appropriate to present gifts.” You expressed, looking to make sure everything was there.

“You neglected to mention that you brought gifts.” The woman told you, an unexplained feeling being expressed on her.

“I will be honest,” You began, chewing the inside of your cheek, “your family is beautiful as well as intimidating.” You breathed out a chuckle, looking to the floor before looking over at Violet, “I did slightly forget.”

The woman couldn’t hold back her laughter at your words as she placed a hand on your shoulder, “This is all so beautiful.” She told you, watching as the children all went to separate carts before she herself walked forward to one filled with flowers. “These are gorgeous.” She told you, hand gently running over the petals of them.

“I did not know which were your favorite.”

She turned to you, “Hyacinths are my favorite.” 

“I shall note that.” You told her gently, standing back as they all admired the presents.

Eloise stumbled upon a cart filled with books, strange material dawning the bindings, “I’ve never laid eyes on such books before.” She commented, mostly to herself. 

You overheard her musings to herself and spoke up, “They are from my expeditions. Journals penned by philosophers and doctors I have encountered.”

She spun to face you, “Oh, how delightful. More men regurgitating the same ideas they’ve echoed for ages.” She spoke sarcastically, sighing as she returned her attention back to the books.

You nodded a bit at her blunt response, “Most of the writings are by women from different cultures.” You responded, walking over to where Benedict was eyeing another set of gifts.

Eloise watched you walk off and tilted her head thoughtfully, “Oh.”

Benedict lifted a polished wooden box, opening it to reveal a spectrum of vibrant paints within it. “These paints…” He began, marveling at the richness, his gaze shifting to the other boxes, a few engraved with his name, “They’re extraordinary!” He complimented with a smile, examining all the different shades and colors. 

Hearing footsteps approaching him, he assumed it was a sibling and turned to tell them about the paint sets with enthusiasm, but it was you. You grinned at him and asked, “Do you enjoy them?”

Surprised, Benedict responded with, “How did you know I like to paint?”

“I’ve seen your pieces.” You responded simply, not elaborating further.

Benedict scoffed within his laughter, “Where on earth-”

“I cannot divulge that information, unfortunately, I do hope you like them.” You interrupted gently, walking over to the others, leaving the conversation to hang.

This is the way that most of the conversation went, from the sweet treats for the children, the jewelry for the women, the saddles for the men. When you reached Francesca, on the other hand, she wasn’t drawn to any of the items necessarily.

You stood next to her, “Do none of these catch your eye?” You asked, gaze fixed forward rather than towards her.

The girl looked over at you briefly before returning forward, “Everything is lovely,” she replied in a soft voice. 

“None of them catch your eye?” You repeated, your tone calm, almost peaceful.

Francesca shook her head, “They do not.”

Acknowledging her response, you nodded. Leaning forward to one of the carts, you picked up a rather thick box and handed it to Francesca. 

“I do not paint.” She informed you, anticipating what was inside of the wooden boxes due to Benedict's reaction.

Leaning closer to her you whispered, “They are not paints,” before walking back over to Violet who was still looking over everything, unsure of how you were able to get so many items into her home in a short period of time.

When you walked away, Francesca sighed and settled at the piano bench, opening the box you had given her. She was surprised at the sight, they were indeed not paints. A smile broke out onto the girl's face as she eagerly scrambled through the wooden box. It was paper, they weren’t blank sheets, but they were intricate piano compositions. They hailed for composes she had never heard before, but they seemed just her pace, she couldn’t wait to try it out.

Once you finally reached Violet again, the woman seemed calmer than her originally nervous stature. She met your eyes and thanked you over and over again for the gifts, she spoke about how happy her children looked, she spoke about all the beautiful things you brought.

You looked at her with a gentle light in your eyes, not speaking over her, simply listening. When she finished her thankful rambles she awaited you to speak but you gently took her hands and kissed them, almost feather-light. 

Your eyes flicked up to her and stayed in her gaze as your head lifted to its original position, “Please, do think about it.” 

That was the final thing you said to Violet Bridgerton before you took your leave, removing yourself from the Bridgerton home, your mark being made on the family.

The Bridgerton home was now filled with conversation about the almost mysterious noble who filled their drawing room with gifts, and basically asked for their mothers hand. The only topic of conversation at dinner was everyone expressing the presents they had been given, their reviews, how interesting they all were, and more. The only person eating in silence was Violet herself.

After dinner Violet found herself in front of her mirror, brushing her hair quietly as she prepared herself for bed.  A knock sounded at her bedroom door gently, almost too quietly. She rose from her seat in front of her mirror and opened the door, greeted by the face of her eldest son, Anthony, who appeared troubled..

“Anthony, darling, is something the matter?”

Anthony had a deep frown on his face when she asked such a question, “I should be asking you that.” He told her, silently seeking permission to enter the room. 

Violet opened the door wider and walked into her room, sitting on her bed as Anthony closed the room door quietly, opting to stand rather than sit. 

His mother hummed quietly, “Something seems to be wrong.”

The eldest son huffed as he looked at his mother intently, “How do you feel about this?”

She blinked, slightly taken aback, “Whatever do you mean?”

“I mean,” Anthony began, sitting next to her, “the noble asked to court you.” He reminded her, looking at her a bit confused on how she would have forgotten. “It doesn’t matter how they’ve charmed the family, they’ve asked to court you, personally.” He told Violet, crossing his arms slightly, “How are you feeling about that?”

Violet turned her gaze to the wall in front of her, contemplating. She had thought the initial shock had settled when you had left, but it was evident that it was still there. She gently placed her hand over her heart as she took a deep breath, “I find it quite flattering, unexpected, but flattering.” She whispered, avoiding her son's gaze.

“But, are you going to accept their request to court you?”

There was a pause as Violet pondered deeply, “I do not know.” She admitted honestly, shaking her head as she imagined the possibility, “I do not know if I can.”

Anthony sighed, gathering his thoughts. “What do you mean, if you can?”

Violet shook her head again, her hand still pressed against her chest, it suddenly felt painful to breathe. “I do not believe I am allowed to.”

“Allowed?”

“Am I able to just…” She took a breath, tears welling up unexpectedly. “Am I able to just move on like that, so easily?” She asked, her vision fogging as a sob quietly choked out. “Would Edmund ever forgive me?” She covered her mouth with one of her hands to stifle any further cries but it proved ineffective.

Anthony had witnessed his mothers vulnerable moments and it had always been difficult. After his father's passing, he had assumed the role of head of the household, yet he had never seen his mother so distraught.  She was giving birth to his youngest sister, and she was devastated at the mere idea of his father not being there. Anthony froze in the moment, he didn’t know what to do, he didn’t know how to be there for his mother…and he realized that now, he still didn’t.

Seeing her cry over the guilt of moving on from her first love, questioning if she deserved to be loved by someone new, shattered Anthony's heart into pieces. He slowly wrapped an arm around his mothers crying figure, letting her lean into him as she wept. He smoothed her hair with one of his hands, cheek to the crown of her head as he slowly rocked them both. 

She had every right to feel this way, he just never expected it to hit her all at once. It must’ve been overwhelming, so Anthony just held her quietly, smoothing her hair until her cries quieted down to small hiccups.

“Mama,” He whispered to the woman, waiting for her to respond.

She hummed to let him know she was listening, but she couldn’t find the strength to say anything more in that moment.

Anthony nodded, still holding her close, “I think father would just…” he tried to speak but the words caught in his throat as he thought about his father. 

He remembered how kind his father was, how he wanted nothing but the best for all of their family, how he was never a man to raise his voice. Anthony considered a world where he could speak to his father one more time, where he could ask one last question. He wouldn’t ask if he missed them, if he wanted to be with them, because Anthony knew he would want to. He would ask if his father would truly forgive his mother, and after a moment of contemplating the idea, Anthony believed he knew the answer.

“I think father wouldn’t forgive you.” He suddenly declared, feeling his mother shift her head to look up at him. He knew she would try to speak, but he stopped her with a gentle hand, “I think he wouldn’t forgive you, because there’s nothing to forgive.”

“What do you mean?” She asked, her voice trembling.

Anthony blinked back his own growing tears as he spoke about his father, it was always hard, it would never become easier. “Father always wished for us to be happy, to live, to love, to enjoy ourselves…” He trailed off, trying to find the courage to continue.

“He did always want us to enjoy ourselves, what does that have t-”

“I believe father would want you to remarry if you were ready to love again.” Anthony interrupted, his words were rushed and emotional. It almost seemed as if he struggled to get the sentence out, as if it were hard for the reality of the situation to be accepted.

Violet blinked at Anthony, taken aback “Pardon?”

“Father would want you to live happily; he always wished for it.” He spoke, looking at the floor as he cradled his mother, “I believe…no…” Anthony interrupted his own thoughts, “I know he would want us to remember him fondly, but he would never want to be the reason we hold ourselves off from moving on.”

“Anthony, I am happy with all of you…”

“If you truly had no intention of accepting, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” Anthony stated firmly, pulling back from his mother to look her in her eyes. “If you really weren’t considering it, you would have declined the noble’s offer.” 

The words rang in the air for a moment and Violet found herself unable to respond. She couldn’t articulate her thoughts because Anthony was right, she wouldn’t be agonizing over Edmund if a part of her didn’t yearn to accept the courtship.

Seeing as his mother wasn’t ready to reply, Anthony gently withdrew himself from her embrace, “Think about it a bit more, Mother.” He urged gently, walking to the door, “Goodnight.” He bid her, closing the door behind him and leaving Violet Bridgerton alone in her bedroom.

The only thing the woman could think of as she laid her head on the pillow were her son's words, “I think he wouldn’t forgive you, because there’s nothing to forgive.”

A week later, and there had been no sign of you. Violet seemed quieter than usual, but the children didn’t necessarily comment on it, neither did Anthony as he had seen how conflicted his mother was.

In the drawing room, only Violet sat, she would sit alone for a few more moments, even after her family had left. No one questioned her sudden solitude or asked if she wished to join them, they knew she would in due time

Lost in thought, Violet was absently playing with her fingers. She gazed at the windows where she could see people walking the streets, the sun shining on them heavenly. After a while, she stood and brushed herself off with a soft smile, making her way to the door to rejoin her family.

She would’ve continued had the footman not arrived at the door, hands at his sides when he entered. “My lady, you have a caller.” He announced, awaiting her response.

Violet straightened, her eyes widening briefly before she composed herself, “Yes, of course.” She mumbled slightly. “Please, send them in.” She told him quietly, standing in front of the entrance. 

You entered with a warm smile on your face, holding a bouquet of the most exquisite flowers Violet had ever seen. 

Violet curtsied graciously, “Good day, Noble.” She greeted, looking up nervously, her demeanor resembling a debutante in her first season.

You bowed in return, “Good day, Viscountess Bridgerton.” You replied, standing tall as you approached her, gently presenting the bouquet. 

“My favorites…” Violet whispered, observing the Hyacinths with lightly sparkling eyes.

“I took note.” You responded quietly, admiring her reaction.

Violet lightly laughed in response, turning to arrange the flowers in a vase. “Um, do you have time for lunch?” She asked somewhat hastily, attempting to be welcoming, but she was overall fairly nervous.

You shook your head regretfully, “Unfortunately not, I’ve come to bring you a gift and thank you for accepting my invitation.”

“Oh, well, you’re welcome.” She spoke a bit solemnly.

You stepped closer, gently taking her hands in yours. “I have business this morning, but I would like to return tomorrow. Perhaps we could take a walk in the afternoon, if you would enjoy that?”

The woman gently nodded, a stray curl from her pinned up hair gently escaping, “I would enjoy that…” She responded, her voice falling off as you tucked the curl back into place.

“I shall look forward to it then.” You said, bowing gracefully before making your way out of the Bridgerton estate.

Once you were gone, Violet couldn’t help but gently smell the flowers you had gotten for her. You were quite thoughtful and she recognized that early on, but the flowers only reinforced the sentiment.

The brown haired woman smiled to herself, “Maybe this really will be good for me.” She whispered, walking out of the drawing room to join her family.

The beautiful hyacinths rested on the ledge amidst the family portraits, appearing as though the space there was meant for them all along. As though they belonged there.

[love-at-first-sight-23]

Days in the Sun

jj maybank x fem!reader

warnings: fluff, mild cursing, smut/unprotected sex, slight violence. NSFW.

word count: 1.1k

plot: y/n is spending a day at the beach with JJ, this time without any of the Pogues. After a run-in with the Kooks, JJ makes you feel better after accidentally making you mad at him.

a/n: sorry I haven’t posted in a bit- this fic is a little longer than usual, so enjoy!

Sunlight creeps through the curtains as you wake up, yawning. You roll over and see JJ sleeping soundly next to you, his mouth slightly open. The sight makes you smile. 

You had spent the night before at your boyfriend’s after much convincing, and ended up asleep in his arms. You have to admit, it had been one of the best nights you’ve ever had.

JJ’s awake now, and he blinks up at you sleepily. “‘Morning, beautiful.”

“Good morning, Jay. Sleep well?”

“Best sleep I’ve ever had,” he assures you as he sits up and stretches.

“Good.” You get out of bed and change out of your outfit, seeing as you’re still wearing your clothes from yesterday, and slip on a light blue sundress. JJ whistles in approval when he see you, making you blush.

After you’ve both eaten breakfast you head down to the beach together, watching the rising sun turn everything to gold. JJ’s hand finds yours and wraps around you tightly as you walk on the sand.

Since it’s still early, not many people are on the beach, allowing you to enjoy the scenery in peace. The deep-blue waves crash onto the shore, matching JJ’s eyes almost perfectly.

Gazing over at you, JJ can’t help but think how beautiful you look. Your glowing skin and sparkling eyes; and your hair blowing slightly in the breeze. His mind wanders as he contemplates how on earth he ended up with you. Just then, a seagull swoops down, nearly grazing JJ’s head. He jumps and curses, making you laugh.

“Damn those seagulls,” he mutters.

“Scared of a little bird, are you?” you taunt him. JJ shoves you playfully.

“‘Course not.” Nearing the ocean’s edge, he splashes you with water, kicking off a fun-spirited water fight between the two of you. Before long, you’re both soaked. You find the look of JJ with his blonde hair plastered to his head adorable.

The peace and quiet doesn’t last, though. Rafe Cameron, Topper Thornton, and Kelce walk walk onto the beach, sauntering as usual.

“We’d better go,” JJ tells you under his breath, a look of disgust on his face. It’s too late. The group has spotted you and stride over, smirking.

“Well, look who it is,” Rafe sneers. “JJ and his pretty little girlfriend.”

“Leave us alone, Rafe,” you snap, trying to move around him. He steps to block your path.

“Leaving so soon?” Rafe crosses his arms over his chest threateningly.

He reels back as JJ throws a punch at him. “Fuck off,” JJ snarls. Rafe’s expression flashes.

“Not very friendly, huh?” He starts forward and shoves JJ in the chest, knocking him backwards into a waiting Topper, who holds him in a headlock.

“Guys, stop,” you say in frustration, avoiding Kelce as he tries to grab you. 

“Y/n, run. I can handle this,” JJ commands, struggling in Topper’s grip.

“I don’t think so.” Taking a nearby beach bag, you swing it at Topper’s head, catching him by surprise. He lets go of JJ and stumbles backwards.

“Run! Now!” Turning around, you and JJ sprint back down the beach and out the farther entrance, the Kooks yelling after you. Thankfully, you don’t hear them give chase.

“That was a close one,” JJ gasps, stopping to put his hands on his knees. “Thanks for getting me out of that.”

“It’s no problem,” you reply dryly. “Maybe try not to get into a fight with Rafe as soon as you see him next time?”

JJ reddens in embarrassment. “Yeah, I guess I could’ve stayed calm a little better…”

You sigh. “I just don’t want you getting hurt,” you say sternly, rubbing the spot where Topper grabbed him.

JJ grins sheepishly. “I know.” Then an idea pops into his head. “Let me make it up to you, princess.”

* * * 

JJ takes you to lunch at the Tiki Bar, a Hawaiian-themed restaurant a short ways from the beach. He orders a burger and fries for each of you, along with two Margaritas.

The server carries a tray to your table with your food, and you clink your glasses together. 

“Cheers!” After finishing your first drink, JJ quickly orders you a refill.

“Wait, you don’t have to-“ you begin.

JJ cuts you off. “It’s on me,” he says earnestly. You beam. Turns out, you can’t stay mad at your short-tempered but sweet boyfriend for long.

At the end of the meal, you reach for the check, but JJ stops you, insisting on paying out of his pocket.

“Are you sure? I thought you were broke,” you say skeptically.

“Not today. It’s the least I could do for you, baby,” he adds when you open your mouth to say something. You roll your eyes but don’t argue further. 

“That was really nice, JJ,” you tell him as you walk back to the house. “You do know how to make it up to a girl.”

“Oh, but we’re not done yet,” he hums teasingly as he maneuvers you through the door and up the stairs.

“What do you mean—“ JJ opens the door to the bedroom and guides you inside, and you fall silent. The smirk on his lips tells all.

You lay on the bed obediently, clothes off, and JJ begins kissing you swiftly, sucking your breath out of you until you finally have to pull away, then kissing you again. He moves to the skin on your neck, nipping at your tender spots and leaving purple and blue love bites.

JJ’s hand moves to your panties, and he chuckles. “Wet already?” 

“Y-yes,” you mumble. “Just— get a move on, Jay,” you plead.

“Alright, alright. Be patient cupcake.” He slides them off and begins making rapid circles on your clit, making you gasp and hold you head back.

“Let me see those gorgeous eyes of yours, pretty girl,” he commands, and you obey, breath coming faster. You guide his hard cock into your waiting pussy, making the both of you moan in pleasure.

You dig your nails into his muscular shoulders as he pumps in and out, bucking his hips. The sound of his voice gasping out your name only drives you closer to your edge. 

Likewise, JJ seeing your tangled hair falling in front of your rosy face and feeling your hands grope his shoulder blades causes him to barrel toward his climax as well.

JJ cums inside of you at last, painting your insides white. He lifts out, and the combined mixture of both of your juices drip out of you.

Laying together on the bed minutes later JJ murmurs to you lovingly.

“Now I know what to do next time I make you upset.”

“Do it to me every day,” comes your whispered reply.

[bonefall]

what are the main prey animals that Shadowclan eat in better bones? because in my rewrite, i can only find like 5 british marshland birds, the frogs like canon, and a common lizard, while the other clans have dozens of prey species. I don't think 7 prey species can feed 50 cats for the generations i need them to, yknow?

This is hard to find out because of the unfortunate reality that wetlands are an "unpopular" natural biome. It's hell out there. No one appreciates their local swamps and marshes </3

But I'M here, NUMBER 1 GOO FAN. Quickie on some of the most common species ShadowClan will be hunting, in an English wetland. 5 for your convenience.

Small intro/recap to BB!ShadowClan's food culture; For a mixture of several reasons, including early collaboration and trade with WindClan, living in an area heavily affected by seasonal changes, and cultural pride in being able to eat anything, ShadowClan has one of the most varied diets of any Clan. Mammals, fish, birds, if they can get their mouth on it, they will eat it.

(Yes. This means predators as well. Other Clans will avoid eating predators for culture and taste reasons. ShadowClan finds it offensive to just let good meat rot.)

The most important reason in that list must be stressed; winter is CRUEL to ShadowClan. The RiverClan river is a moving source of water which rarely completely ices over, most animals in ThunderClan don't hibernate, WindClan's rabbits are active in the snow. For most Clans, they will not feel the "bite" of winter until towards the end, when the prey populations crash. ShadowClan feels it immediately.

That's a problem because Prey Item Number 1 Will Surprise you. The most popular prey in ShadowClan is...

1: Ducks.

And with the most common species, mallards, at about 2 pounds on average (with males being slightly larger) you're looking at 5,442 calories each. Enough to feed 15 warriors for a day.

(Note: This estimate is low; actual value would probably be higher. This measurement is taken from this chart which measured whole carcasses and caloric value rounded from 5.9 to 6, and this particular duck was "dressed"-- so its organs, the most valuable part of the animal, were already removed.)

Ducks are SO valuable as prey it's hard to oversell them. They're huge, they're highly nutritious (thiamin, vitamin a, vitamin b, iron), and they're PACKED with fats. They also lay eggs, TONS of them, which ShadowClan will happily snatch from inattentive hens.

The problem with ducks is, they don't stick around in the winter. Mallards might stay if the weather is mild, but if the water starts freezing, they're a-leaving.

That means that right when ShadowClan needs them the most, they'll vanish. If the marsh freezes, which is VERY likely because it's stillwater, they can't access ANYTHING under the ice. So Prey Animal Number 2 ALSO becomes an issue;

2: Carp

Their size and weight varies immensely, but the european carp is a species that AVERAGES 6 - 15 pounds. Using our rough estimation numbers and only a 6 pound fish, that's 10,884 calories. That's a whole Clan fed, if it's rationed perfectly.

Many carp are larger and heavier than cats. Here is a picture of a human fisher with two 5-pound bass so you can get a feel for just how big fish are

The biggest problem with carp, aside from the fact that icy winter conditions will block access to catching them, is that their gallbladders are poisonous. Carp bile is the only dangerous type of bile Clan cats encounter (that I know about so far). When being eaten, Clan cats must take care to gut them gently and remove the organ without spilling toxic green slime everywhere.

(ShadowClan actually collects and uses this bile for other purposes. Dried and diluted, it can be used as a medicine for treating parasites, and wet and mixed into a poultice it can be used to dress wounds. If gargled, it can also dissolve and loosen stuck bones in the throat, VERY important for unknowing kittens who tried to eat cooked bird bones.)

These two are the most common animals in the highly varied ShadowClan diet. Hunt in the shallow marsh, and you're bound to bump into either a duck or a carp at some point.

But when winter rolls in, they start to rely on mammalian prey.

3: Rats

While some rats can breach 2 pounds (SHOUT OUT TO ALL MY NEW YORKERS) most of them only clock in at about half a pound-- 250 grams. That's 1,250 calories. About 3 cats fed.

(NOTE: These estimations of how MANY cats they feed assumes that these bites are being distributed evenly, such as if the animal was being put into a soup or meticulously portioned. It's more likely that a single rat is eaten alone or only shared between two warriors who then bulk up. The sensation of "fullness" is determined by weight rather than caloric value.)

Rats are highly adaptable omnivores, but most of their diet is actually plants! Humans associate them with garbage and filth, and yes, the rats from carrionplace would certainly taste awful. But most of the rats ShadowClan catches would be living in natural conditions, eating nuts, fruits, and smaller animals. So it doesn't make sense that canon sees ALL rats as dirty-- they should actually be a HUGE part of a warrior's diet!

Especially in ShadowClan, where the invasive brown rat has all but eliminated the native black rat population. Brown rats are huge, thick-tailed, excellent swimmers who stick around in the winter and find themselves right at home in a marsh or swamp.

In fact, ShadowClan thinks hunting them is a two-way blessing. A cat stays fed through the winter, and more resources are freed up for the rarer, but more delicious water vole. ThunderClan isn't the only Clan that understands population management.

And speaking of...

4: Squirrels

Significantly smaller than carp and ducks, gray squirrels are usually about 500 grams. I've heard it said that they triple in mass over the winter, but since I'm not sure if that means they triple in weight, I'll simply rule that a wintertime gray squirrel is 1000 grams. Which means about 5,000 calories, enough to feed 14 cats.

...but also. don't underestimate how big a squirrel is. You are a 200-pound bipedal ape, these are 10 pound cats. They are also eating all the organs you, a human, would usually toss.

The general term, wetland, refers to all land that is... take a guess... wet. The difference between a marsh and a swamp is that a swamp is wooded land, which means squirrels can live there!

ShadowClan often finds itself in conflict with ThunderClan over squirrels. The native, endangered red squirrel is a cultural icon to ThunderClan and they believe it's important to protect it at all costs by killing gray squirrels whenever possible. ShadowClan, meanwhile, agrees red squirrels are beautiful, but isn't willing to be aggressive with gray squirrel populations to protect them.

5: Cheating

In true ShadowClan fashion I do what I want and use number 5 to babble about several animals they turn into grub

And SPEAKING of grubs, they love to forage for larval treats. They regularly make snacks out of chafer grubs, stag beetle larvae, cutworms, and if they can manage it, baby honeybees. Chafer grubs are their absolute favorite, which is another reason why WindClan is so passionate about maintaining their moorland; when it turns into grassland, ShadowClan is energized to fight for grub foraging space.

The "problem" with the meat of predators is that it's said to be tough and taste strong and unpalatable. ShadowClan doesn't entirely mind it, but if they end up with a predator in spring and summer, they like to use the seasonal stream (called a syke) that cuts across ThunderClan to soak the meat in running water for a few days.

Not to mention that they really will just grab at any animal, in addition to those lizards and frogs they're notorious for. Hedgehogs, crayfish, waterbirds, snails. There's all sorts of spices they'll use to try to season a strange meat, between mushrooms, pellitory, juniper, rosemary, so on.

It's harder to find something they WON'T eat.

[snixkers]

Movie Night

Emily Prentiss × GN!Reader

Fluff

For: @d33pd3sire-blog

Content Warnings: Mention of wine, miscommunication trope my beloved

Summary: Movie night doesn't go exactly as planned.

Author's Note: I'm back!!!! So sorry for the wait, but I have stuff in the works, I promise!

Feedback is always welcome!

Requests are OPEN!

It was movie night. The two of you always curled up on your couch, joined by Sergio, popcorn, and the remnants of whatever you had eaten for dinner and the wine that went with it.

Every Friday night, you alternated between her place and yours. But by six, you were getting antsy. She hadn’t come to your apartment yet, and you weren’t sure when she would arrive. Emily always got there a half hour early to eat together.

New Message: Em ❤️

Do you want to cancel?

Recieved 6:30

You narrowed your eyes in confusion, trying to understand what she meant.

Why would I cancel?

Sent 6:31

New Message: Em ❤️

Because you’re an hour late.

Received 6:34

You weren’t an hour late. She was the one late, and now she was getting on your nerves.

We watched ‘Lady Bird’ at your place last week.

Sent 6:35

Now she wasn’t responding, and you were worried.

Babe? Is everything okay?

Sent 6:42

After a few more minutes of nervous pacing, you heard a knock on the door before she gave up and let herself in.

“I’m so sorry, I was exhausted and I thought you were coming over and I was prepared for you and everything-”

You cut her off with a quick hug, planting a kiss on her cheek.

“That’s fine. I was worried you were blowing me off.”

She laughs at you, shaking her head and returning the kiss.

“Why would I ever blow you off?”

You shrugged, trying to think of a response before realizing a mouth-watering smell filled the room.

“What’s that?”

She grins sheepishly, setting a tray on the counter beside the two of you. Your eyes widened in surprise as you examined the tray.

"Lasagna? Did you make this for me?"

She shakes her head, shifting on her feet awkwardly.

“Yes and no. I tried making one, but apparently, I botched Rossi’s recipe. Luckily, there’s an Italian place that offers to-go near my house.”

You smiled at her gesture. Here you were, thinking she was blowing you off, and instead, she was trying to make you a homemade dish on her day off.

“Still sounds delicious, babe. Let’s eat.”

[01zfan]

stress relief | o. sh

boyfriend!shotaro x reader | 6k words

this fic was fueled by a request and a compilation i saw of him using his hands…shotaro we freaking love you. listened to too sweet by hozier while writing this. not proofread.

contains: using toys

shotaro woke up before the sun did. he dreaded hearing his alarm so much that he often found himself waking up before it had the chance to go off. every week thursday’s loomed over him like a dark cloud. 

each thursday was shotaro’s dedicated day of the week that he would be in the office from sunrise to sunset. he never considered himself to be an early bird, the exact opposite actually. most days it wouldn’t be until ten in the morning before he could speak, but every thursday he was forced to arrive before everyone else got there. 

shotaro would drink his black coffee while walking around the office, assigning roles for next projects. he would be desperately trying to get himself awake while getting clerical things in order before the teams arrived. during the day, shotaro was in charge of checking that the projects he managed were on track to be completed by the deadline. after everyone left, he would spend an hour or so taking notes on current problems in the projects and how to fix them. 

shotaro always thought that as he moved up the corporate ladder he’d have less responsibilities, or atleast more people to pawn them off to. but when he became lead project manager he suddenly had more things he was in charge of and his allotment of errors in his work greatly depreciated. sometimes he couldn’t believe he went from being the assistant that was on his phone all day to the leader of multiple teams, and how important it was for him to always be right. shotaro shook his head and rubbed his eyes to refocus on the computer screen. he believed that if he thought about his obligations too much, that nasty habit he had of biting his bottom lip would return.

the sun had gone down when shotaro was able to finally leave. he was the last one out, turning the lights off behind him locking the doors. he sighed heavily, letting his shoulders sag in relief as he made his way down the sterile office hallways. at first he was scared to be in the office by himself at such late hours, but now he couldn’t care less. on thursday nights the only thing on shotaro’s mind was getting home.

on his way home he turned the music up a little higher than usual, drumming along to the beat on the steering wheel and singing loudly. at each stoplight he got impatient, waiting for the light to turn green. shotaro looked to his phone in the empty passenger seat, waiting for his lockscreen to light up from a notification. it wasn’t fair that after the long day he had at work red lights were stopping him from coming home. he drove safe, resisting the urge to floor the pedal to get home faster.

shotaro’s patience was already dwindling when he exited the office. by the time he made it to the apartment building he was almost a completely different person. when the elevators were taking shotaro up to your shared apartment, he impatiently checked his watch each time it stopped on a floor that wasn’t his. something was eating away at him. the something started in his mind when he thought of you. once shotaro got started he couldn’t stop. he spent all day letting the thoughts of you marinate. he thought about you working from home, taking naps, and meandering around the apartment in between breaks. you probably haven’t left the apartment once. you probably hadn’t eaten either. shotaro thought about your routine all day, if you were still sleeping when you had set so many alarms the night before. 

shotaro knew you had spent the day sleeping and the night working when he walked through the front door. the apartment was the exact same as when he left it in the morning. the day passed by in the apartment without a single thing changing. everything was still off, the low glow of a computer screen coming from the bedroom being the only light. shotaro shook his head and smiled while setting down his things. all those alarms were useless—shotaro knew you had hit the snooze a thousand times before finally getting up. 

he broke your concentration when he opened the bedroom door. your eyes that was focused on the computer screen snapped up, almost embarrassed that shotaro caught you so stressed over work. 

when shotaro got promoted in his job, you became the carefree one in the relationship. the one that had the luxury of going to bed at a reasonable time and the one that would wake up for the sunrise. the role you had was easy, funded by your boyfriend who worked a corporate job and bought you whatever you wanted. you still had your own job, one that was remote and you could choose your own hours. 

your role in the relationship was something you were very dedicated to. you made the point to give shotaro health tips, to help him destress after a long day. you had been so relaxed you forgot what it was like to be stressed. to have your jaw clenched so hard it felt sore, or to have that feeling of failure loom over you like a dark cloud. 

when shotaro came through the door you had forgotten what time it was. you looked back quickly to your phone, where a reply to your boyfriend was unsent in your messages. both of you knew it was locked away to limit distractions. shotaro knew it was necessary but he hated it so much. without your get home safe text he had to be extra safe on the road, and without seeing your face shotaro almost forgot why he was working so hard at his job.

“you don’t have to be so quiet when you come in, ya know.” you said.

shotaro smiled, a hand going underneath your chin to squeeze gently. he knew he was dramatic, but he had almost forgotten what it felt like to touch you. feeling you underneath his fingertips eased the stressed of the day and seeing you smile only made him smile harder. he was always so quiet when coming home late, careful to not wake you. each time he did it you had to remind him it was unnecessary, and each time he shrugged his shoulders before saying it’s a habit. 

“it’s late.” shotaro made his way past you to sit on the bed. he plugged in his phone as he sat on the edge, setting it on the bedside table. “i thought you would be asleep by now.” he said.

you didn’t look up from your screen, resting your head on your propped up knee while you continued to type. shotaro watched the back of your head move while you reread lines, trying to make sure you weren’t rambling due to exhaustion.

“got a late start today.” you said.

shotaro hummed, knowing he was right that you got up late. you probably haven’t even eaten, only getting up for a quick snack that burned right through you. shotaro continues to look at your back as he gets himself undressed. he starts with his socks, a checkered colorful pair you got him for his birthday. he went with his dress shirt next, undoing each button slowly and take it off. shotaro got his pants last, making a point to be a little louder taking off his belt and letting the pants fall to the floor. 

he was only a little embarrassed to admit how badly he needed your attention. usually it was shotaro coming home to you already in bed, all he had to do was get undressed before sliding into the sheets next to you. it was almost primitive how shotaro instantly felt happy, how the stress from the day melted off of him just by being on the receiving end of your affection. he would slide into the sheets and you would pull him in close, before murmuring that you missed him.

shotaro working at an office and you working from home caused a chasm in your perception of workplaces. when shotaro was in the office, he was professional. he was the leader his company needed, and was serious about his work. in the bedroom, he was needy. he needed to always be touching you, or talking to you. so seeing you treat the bedroom like an office space still through shotaro for a loop. if you had turned around, or stopped typing for a moment just to look back he could’ve been sated. but you stayed focused on the screen, only taking a break to stiffly straighten your back.

when you went back to your hunched position, shotaro felt his fingers start to move. he got up from his side of the bed, walking over to you. he put his hands on your shoulders before pressing gently. you stiffened for a moment before relaxing slightly. shotaro tried not to think about the possibility of you forgetting he was even in the room still when he started gently prodding your back. when shotaro felt the knots beneath your skin, he wasted no time driving his fingers deep until you tried to move out of his hold.

“shotaro that hurts.” you complained.

you didn’t even throw a glance over your back before going back to your terrible posture. shotaro looked at the digital clock. it was too late in the night for both of you to be awake—or atleast too late for both of you to not be in bed.

”you are going to destroy your back doing that.” shotaro said.

he went back to the knots on your back, gently until you eased underneath his touch. shotaro almost wanted to laugh, now it was him giving you tips on your health and him trying to help you ease your stress. 

he almost thought you would laugh at it too, but you only continued to focus on the screen in front of you. 

“i have to finish this.” you said.

shotaro tried to focus his bleary eyes on whatever work you were doing. nothing could be comprehended by his tired mind. he leaned forward acting like he understood what was on your computer until his face was beside yours.

“you know it’s scientifically proven that your mind won’t retain information past a certain time?” shotaro said.

you scoffed, moving your face closer to shotaro’s until your cheeks touched. you relaxed further as shotaro found a stubborn knot. you stayed in place, letting your head hang forward as shotaro pressed deeper into the knot.

“i need to get this done.” you said still with your head hanging low.

“you have all weekend.” shotaro said quietly.

he continued to work on massaging your back, actively feeling your inhibitions crumble as his fingers continued to do their work. he reached up further, wondering if you could feel the thin bands of his rings press into the bare skin of your neck.

“so tense.” shotaro chided. you sighed, taking your hands away from your keyboard to let them fall at your side. “let me give you a massage.”

shotaro knew he was being too presumptuous when you snapped your head to look at him. he tried to give you the most innocent smile he could muster. shotaro tried his best, but it was hard to feign innocence after hearing your tiny sighs of relief. shotaro felt himself wanting to help you relax the same way you always helped him.

“aren’t you tired?” your eyes were low and bleary as you looked at him. “i’ll be in bed soon.” you said.

shotaro shook his head slowly while he continued to massage your back.

“just for a little bit,” shotaro drove his fingers into your skin a little more, smiling to himself when your sighs of relief got a little louder. “i’ll set an alarm and everything so you can get back to work.” he reasoned.

you looked at the words on your screen, how they stopped making sense a long time ago. you still feel shotaro’s fingers continue their ministrations on your back. the bed behind you looks inviting, and so is the smile on shotaro’s face. 

you get up from your seat to look at shotaro. his smile is big, reaching up to his eyes before he goes in for a kiss. 

he’s gentle at first, thumb stroking your hand gently. when shotaro tries to deepen the kiss, you pull away.

“only thirty minutes,” you walk over to the bed and shotaro follows behind you closely. when you sit down on the edge shotaro stands in front of you. the smile on his face didn’t falter when you pointed your finger at him menacingly. “and no funny business.” you say.

“what do you mean?” he asks.

shotaro plays dumb, tilting his head while you tilt your head sideways and give him a hard stare. shotaro folds, putting his hands up in defeat as you lay down on the bed. 

you lay facedown on the bed, trying to urge your body to relax. you haven’t been this stressed in so long you forgot how to manage it. it wasn’t until shotaro’s hands moved your limbs to the perfect place you felt your body begin to loosen. when you felt him straddled your lower back you had to repeat the motion to get yourself to relax again.

shotaro started high, a little below the space he had been working at since he got home. every part of you felt rigid, brought on by the mental strain of work. shotaro sympathized with you silently—he knew what it was like to have an unbelievable workload that seemed unbearable at times. he also had the luxury to leave everything at work. you had no choice but to be reminded of your unfinished projects each time you looked up from the bed to stare at your computer. when shotaro saw your eyes stay on the screen of your computer he started to become brash. his hands that were over your shirt was suddenly underneath the fabric, running his hands so far down your sides his hand was wedged between your stomach and the mattress. you didn’t stop his hand, or remind him about no funny business. you only let out a content sigh and turned your head back to face the pillow.

“don’t think about work right now.” shotaro said.

his voice was gentle but stern. you gave in quickly, saying an ”okay” muffled by the pillow. you tried to sound even with your voice, but the end of your words had an airy lift. the near whimper in your voice went straight to shotaro’s pants. usually he was better at controlling himself, but the view of you under him going slack and the feeling of his crotch pressing against your ass made him lightheaded. it didn’t help that you had been on shotaro’s mind all day, or that he was able to bring you relief from your stress.

he tried to remain professional, he tried so hard. he tried to not partake in the funny business, but when he pushed your shirt all the way up to your neck you didn’t stop him. when shotaro got up from the bed to grab lotion you let out a pretty whine from loss of contact. when shotaro returned and let the cold lotion spurt on your back you only shivered and made the feeble attempt to reach back and undo your bra strap knowing shotaro would do it for you. 

excitement creeped over shotaro’s body, and he wondered if you could tell. he tried his best to not let the tent in his underwear poke you, but shotaro knew that you knew what drove him insane. 

he kept part of his promise though, working his way up your back rubbing out the tension until your skin was damp from the lotion.

“so tense.” shotaro says above you.

you only groan in response, letting one of your arms go limp over the side of the bed. it is so relaxing, you think that if shotaro keeps going you’ll fall asleep. 

if he listened to what you said, he would’ve just given you a massage until your alarm went off to let you go back to work. but your sighs of relief were so blissful to his ears and the skin of your back was so soft. your moisturized skin had started to glow from the light of your computer skin. shotaro couldn’t stop his mind from thinking about your body glistening in sweat and the toys you two kept in the bedside table called out to him like a devil on his shoulder.

“babe?” shotaro said, still looking at the drawer of his bedside table.

you were nearly asleep, only being able to hum lightly to let shotaro know you heard him. shotaro was silent for a moment, letting his hand drift all the way down your until he rested above your ass.

“can i go lower?” he asked.

you only hesitated a second before mumbling a yes. 

shotaro didn’t hesitate moving his legs further down your body, until he could comfortably lean his crotch against your ass. shotaro felt you perk up and preen your ass slightly backwards to really feel all of him. his hands kept you down, kneading your ass over your pajama pants. he wished you were wearing those thin shorts to bed, the ones that were too short to cover all of you. but he would settle for the thin material of your pants. 

he kept kneading the skin, until your body started working against his force to put your ass further in the air. both you and shotaro got quiet, driven by the feeling of your bodies touching. shotaro fully delved into the funny business he promised not to do and you were no better. 

your ass was grinding against his dick when the alarm on your phone went off. it was blaring and it was loud, overtaking the sounds of quiet pants and breaking through the fog in your brain. your monitor screen had timed out, leaving you and shotaro only in the light of your screensaver. 

shotaro quickly grabbed his phone from the bedside table, turning it off while cursing it in his mind. he purposely pressed his dick into you as he moved, dragging it back and forth slowly as he went back to his previous position behind you. if you wanted to get back to work he would not stop you. deadlines were deadlines, and shotaro would always be here. but that did not stop him from leaning forward, so close to you that his breath fanned against the shell of your ear.

“thirty more minutes?” he asked with a smile.

you laughed into the pillow. shotaro felt the bed shift as you pressed your ass flush against his hips. shotaro’s hand gripped your hips and travelled to your stomach, pressing against your skin to perfect your form.

“when has sex with you ever been thirty minutes?” you asked.

shotaro pulled back from your ear, using his other hand to open the drawer of the bedside table. he could see you snap your head to the drawer, laser-focused on his hand as shotaro shuffled his hand around. he knew exactly what he was looking for, but he wanted to see you squirm as he obnoxiously rummaged through, making the metal cuffs clang around. 

when shotaro finally pulled out the matching set of pink toys, he could feel you draw in your breath. he was having trouble breathing on his own, the anticipation that was building stacking exponentially. your body stiffened and shotaro could feel the energy in the room change as he purposely took his time dragging the tip of the dildo down your smooth back. you shivered again and shotaro gave you the space to perk your ass up in the air as you took off your shirt and bra the rest of the way. your face was still down and shotaro grabbed a handful of your clothed ass, reveling in your whine.

“this isn’t sex.” shotaro said.

he rested on his haunches and leaned down, so close until he could press his face into your bottom half. when you rubbed your ass against his cheek shotaro put both hands on your ass spreading them. he breathed in the scent of you, something he spent all day thinking about.

“just stress relief,” he reached behind him, putting the tip of the vibrating dildo over your clothed clit. “so you can get back to work, yeah?”

“yeah.” you said meekly.

shotaro laughed and cooed, pressing a gentle kiss to your ass before straightening his back. from his space above you he could see how you turned your head, one side pressing against the pillow. shotaro wished he could see your whole face, but he got what he needed seeing your eyebrows stitch together as he turned on the dildo. 

the initial vibration made you jolt. shotaro anticipated it, holding your body in place by a hand on your hip. your hands instantly fisted the sheets, letting out a weak whimper.

“so jumpy.” shotaro tsked. 

he pressed the button on the dildo before putting it to the side. he knew the instructions to the dildo better than you. when shotaro initially bought the toys, you were too embarrassed to even look at them. you brought the covers up to your eyes while shotaro diligently read the instructions, pressing the buttons over and over to figure out how to use it. you made him keep the toys on his side of the bed at first too, and almost always looked nervous when you had to reach in his drawer for something. 

but now you loved the toys almost as much as shotaro did. he would come home from work on occasion and find them missing, hidden on your side of the bed. those were always the best days. shotaro got to show you how to properly use your own toys, and he got to tease you relentlessly when your eyes would go wide after finding out a new function. he would tease you until you wer a crying mess, talking about how you don’t even know how to get yourself off properly with your own toys.

his favorite function on the vibrating pink dildo was it’s ability to warm up. it took a second, but when it was ready it would emulate the warmth of his own dick. shotaro was a modern man and he loved innovation. so while he waited for the pink dildo to warm up he brought the reliable vibrator. it had one setting, and barely worked but it always got the job done. 

shotaro slotted himself between your legs, forcing them further apart with his own. you let yourself become malleable underneath his touch, moving to the exact position he placed you in.

“just relax for me.” shotaro said.

he peered over your body to look at your face. when your hand quickly reached back he held it tightly, pressing it against your back. he only needed one hand now to turn on the vibrator, causing you to instantly fidget. you pushed your ass in whatever direction shotaro would pull the vibrator to. shotaro was fascinated seeing you chase stimulation so desperately. when he pulled it away you wiggled your ass, and when shotaro dragged it down your slit you pushed your hips backwards so desperately it made the vibrator prod your entrance. you were whimpering chasing the feeling, only pulling away when shotaro would place it on your clit.

“need you.” you whimpered pathetically into your pillow. 

shotaro hummed sympathetically, still dragging the vibrator along your bottom half. he felt himself straining in his underwear, so hard that the precum started seeping through the fabric. 

shotaro had the habit of taking out his stress on you in the bedroom. something about seeing you come undone at his hands eased the weight on his shoulders. for some twisted reason, seeing you cum from anything else but his dick helped ease his stress even more. deductive reasoning told shotaro it was probably about control, maybe projection, or maybe taking care of you first made shotaro feel like he was taking care of himself. there were multiple times that shotaro had finished without touching himself, only touching you. he had heard the horror stories from his friends about cumming too early, but once again shotaro was a modern man. he was ready to go again quickly, and was resourceful enough to keep you going long after he was done.

“i’m right here, baby.” shotaro cooed. 

he let go of your hand briefly to reach and touch your cheeks. it made your eyes open, and shotaro saw you try to look for him behind you. he moved his body to enter your lined of sight, still playfully prodding his vibrator at your entrance. when your features softened shotaro went back to pressing it into your clit. your high pitched whine went right to shotaro’s dick, bringing him forward to grind it on your ass. the precum that seeped through his underwear got on your pajama pants. shotaro looked up at the ceiling, going back to pressing your hand against your ass. he pressed the vibrator further into your clit, until you turned your head forward and your hand pressed against the headboard. 

shotaro watched your body rock against nothing, and he saw your thighs shake. he started gripping your ass again, pulling you back to press against his dick against your ass. shotaro got distracted, feeling you wiggle against his ass. he almost missed your whine talking about how close you were, and how your hand started pushing at the waistband of your pajama pants. shotaro used the last of his self control to bring your waistband down calmly. he couldn’t stop himself from sucking on the swell of your ass, biting with a force that caused you to jolt. 

with your pants halfway down your legs you became more sensitive. there was one less layer separating your body from the vibrations of the toy. you couldn’t hide behind the extra layer, turning your head to whine in the pillow when shotaro pressed into your clit. he could see the splotch over your underwear, and when he pressed his finger into your panties the fabric stuck to your folds. 

“i’m going to cum.” you whimpered.

shotaro went back to kissing your ass, alternating between sucks and love bites. he used his free hand to bunch your underwear, until the fabric pulled between your ass. he lifted slightly, applying just enough friction to your cunt. you were moaning now, failing to muffle your sounds in the pillow.

“let it out.” shotaro encouraged.

with your bunched panties in his hand he brought it back to your ass, only freeing his thumb from his fist. when shotaro lightly pressed his finger against your asshole your body tensed for a split second before melting underneath his touch. your first orgasm was never loud, only high-pitched whimpers and repeating his name over and over. you almost always relaxed after the first one, losing all force to keep yourself up causing you to slide on the soft sheets.

shotaro could’ve taken you from the back like this for the rest of the night. he resisted the urge to hold your body in this position with his strength while he spent the night relaxing every tense muscle in your body. part of him wanted to fuck you with the dildo then give you his dick until the back of your thighs were glossy from slick and you had to press your legs together pathetically to save yourself from overstimulation—but the way you kept puckering your lips and clutching at the bottom of his shirt made his tunnel vision disperse. so when shotaro guided your wobbly legs out of your pants he let you lay on your back. 

you pulled him down to you quickly, wrapping your legs around his waist and peppering kisses all along his face. shotaro smiled from the quick kisses, thinking about how you must’ve stored all your affection up the whole day. 

shotaro reached behind him in the middle of your kisses, bringing the dildo to rest beside your head. when your kisses ceased, shotaro brought you in for a big kiss, one that still connected your lips with a string of spit. shotaro broke the string with the dildo, letting it rest on your bottom lip while you looked up to him with blown out eyes. shotaro gave you a simple head nod and you poked your tongue out, laving the tip until it was glossy with your spit. shotaro licked a line down it himself, making you widen your eyes. 

he barely gave you time to register the lewd act before he brought the dildo down between your two bodies. he pressed the tip to your clit before dragging it down to collect your slick. you brought shotaro down closer to put your head in the crook of his neck as the wet sounds filled the room. shotaro liked playing with you this way, making you hear how wet you always get. he was almost able to imagine it being his own dick spreading your arousal around and teasing your entrance. your legs that were wrapped around his waist spread apart and you let your hips thrust upwards, desperate to have something inside of you.

shotaro pulled his body away from you until you were forced to look at him. he could see the bleary look in your eyes were wet now with tears threatening to break your water line. shotaro used his free hand to stroke the skin underneath your eye. he watched your big eyes stare at him desperately, flickering down quickly to his consoling smile.

“just relaxxxxx.” shotaro prolonged his words as he slid the warm dildo into your heat.

your mouth was agape taking it all. you almost immediately began squeezing around the toy, your walls still sensitive from your first orgasm. it slid in and out of your with ease, both you and shotaro’s foreheads pressed against eachother to watch the scene unfold together. you swallowed it up each time, and if you looked further past you could see shotaro’s dick twitching in his underwear. there was a wet patch, one that you would have to teasingly bring up later. 

you were pulled from your thoughts when you felt shotaro’s eyes look at you. with your foreheads still pressed together you maintained eye contact, biting on your bottom lip when shotaro turned the vibrator on to it’s lowest setting.

you started whimpering immediately and found yourself in the same position of desperately looking for things to hold onto. shotaro found your hand first, squeezing it tight and pressing it into the sheets next to your head.

“so wet and tight,” shotaro increased the speed of pumping the toy inside of you. “i can feel you sucking it back in.” he cooed.

you didn’t know how to respond. any words you could’ve formed turned into quick motions of your heads and whimpers. when shotaro increased the speed of the vibration your whimpers turned into moans and cries of his name.

“you pretending it’s me?” shotaro teased.

you looked down again while shotaro lifted one of your legs to rest on his shoulder. you shook your head, muttering something about how it’s not as good as the real thing. 

shotaro felt a pulse in his pants again as he pulled his body up, getting a full view of your entire body. he settled back on his legs to get a better angle and view. from here he could see your chest shudder as your breaths became more broken, and how your leg tensed from the pleasure. you were going through a full body experience, and shotaro got to witness it all. how could he be stressed about anything after seeing this? how could you be stressed after going through it? he was unrelenting and could stop himself from sighing in content. shotaro was coming towards his own climax, just from watching your squirms become more intense.

he wrapped a hand around your leg and pulled you closer. shotaro licked his hand and brought it to your chest. he rolled your sensitive nipples between his wet fingers, pinching harder until you brought your own hands to your chest. you placed your hand over his, guiding how you needed him to hold you. shotaro felt his mouth go agape slightly watching you touch yourself. he knew he told himself that he would be doing all the work, but something about both of you coming together to bring yourself pleasure drove him insane. shotaro had to let out a deep breath, he had to save whatever he had left for you. he turned up the speed and went faster, until your hand clutched onto his bicep. 

your eyes were fixed on shotaro as his expression got serious. he kept going, letting a glob of spit land on your cunt to add more lubrication. your nails dug into shotaro’s arm and he bit his lip.

“you close?” shotaro said, already knowing the answer.

“yeah.” you moaned.

shotaro smiled and continued the same speed.

“give it to me.” he said.

for a moment you were silent. it was only the sound of your computer fans whirring, the low sound of the vibrator, and the squelching that filled the room. it was you arching your back of the bed and shotaro egging you on, coaxing you to the edge. when you felt the tension snap again your whimpers came out in pants before a cry came from your throat. it got louder as shotaro didn’t stop, still thrusting the vibrator in and out of your heat. your nails didn’t let up in his bicep, gripping him so hard your body shook. your legs closed around shotaro’s hand, causing the leg on shotaro’s shoulder to pull him in. didn’t separate them, instead watching your body react with enchantment fueled by lust. 

shotaro didn’t stop until after your frantic head shakes turned weak, and your grip on his bicep went limp. shotaro pulled out the dildo quickly, letting it vibrate on your stomach before turning it off. your full body twitched from the situation, and continued to twitch as shotaro ran soothing hands across your body. he let you lay there limp as you caught your breath and gathered your composure.

“you okay?” he asked innocently.

shotaro asked the question like your twitching body wasn’t his fault. the smile on his face was small, pressing heart shaped kissing on your hot cheeks. your world was still spinning when your snoozed alarm went off again. thirty minutes slipped through your fingers, you weren’t sure if you could even get up anymore to make your way to the computer. your full body went slack, so loose you were almost limp. if it wasn’t for shotaro, you don’t think you could’ve turned the alarm off.

he set his phone back down on the bedside table, hovering over you as he continued to touch you gently. this time it was shotaro giving you a flurry of slow kisses, each one wetter than the last. shotaro helped you come back to earth quicker, silently letting your body gain it’s strength again. 

when you were ready, you propped yourself up on your elbows to look at him. you saw his full body, still in his undershirt and briefs. before you could reach for his waistband he spoke.

“i came.” shotaro said.

his confidence in the statement almost made you bashful. you only nodded, swallowing whatever spit you had in your mouth to try and wet your throat. 

you words inevitably came out hoarse and quiet, asking shotaro to cuddle with you. he got up from the bed quickly, taking the toys into the bathroom to be cleaned and coming back with a cold bottle of water. you downed it quickly, but not as fast as shotaro was coming back to bed. he didn’t bother to get changed and you didn’t bother to get dressed as you cuddled together above the sheets. 

you both knew it was useless getting dressed, you were going to go for another round when the snooze alarm sounded off again.

[billys-slutcherson]

'Strawberries'

Peeta Mellark x Gen!Reader

────────────────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.───────────────

Oneshot:

After it all, you are still you and he is still Peeta.

He will always go above and beyond to see your smiles, always.

Tags:

Pure Fluff, Domestic Bliss, Romance, Pre-Established Romance, Hand Holding, Hair Playing, Post-Mockingjay

────────────────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.───────────────

The wind blew crisply through your hair, as you sat cross-legged under the morning sun. The birds chirped, it felt, for the first time in a long time, still. Feeling your skin prick under the fresh heat, hunching forward to hug your knees. Sniffing the wet dewy grass.

You swallowed slowly, and your thoughts left you. Your mind started to race. Memories darted by, slight panic rose, and sweat formed on your neck. Tricking against the digits of your spine. You raised your shoulders sharply, tensing as your breaths grew hasty, that familiar uncertainty in your chest. Biting on your lips as you feign tears.

Suddenly, it all stopped. Like a flash of warm light over your soul. Cradling your pained heart.

The warmth of his hand clutched over your shoulder. Squeezing tightly, his thumb rubbed against your cold skin. The touch is gentle, and grounding. Feeling his lips meet the top of your head, pressing into the windswept strands of hair.

Peeta.

He was standing over you, with his head tilted to the left. A soft crooked smile tugged on his lips. As he crouched, tipping back onto his rear as he sat as close as he could. A small bowl in hand.

You couldn't help but stare at him. He was so pretty under the morning sun. So beautiful all the time. The light danced across the blonde hairs on his head. The freckles of his nose, you wanted to count each and every one. Tilting your head into the nook of his neck. Smelling that familiar scent. The lavender from washing his clothes, and an earthy dirt smell from pruning his little garden patches. With a lingering hint of primrose.

His smell was like home.

Peeta was your home.

"Hey..." His soft voice whispered against your skin. Shivering a little as your breath tickled his neck. His fingers grazed your cheek, silently wiping away the stray tear with his thumb. Moving to brush through your hair softly. Nuzzling his chin against you, feeling you rest closely into his touch.

"You are up early, have you eaten?..." Asking peacefully, without pressure, but with purpose.

You shook your head softly.

His brow furrowed only a little, though he wasn't all too surprised. All Peeta wanted was to ensure you were ok. More than ok, blossoming. He felt dedicated to providing you with the care you deserve.

"Well, I have a surprise." He nudged with his elbow narrowly. Noticing your sudden gaze. Gotcha.

Peeta sighed softly with a short laugh.

"Never change." He begged joyously, seeing that little glimmer of light in your eyes. Hope. Peeta carefully lifted a small cotton cloth off of the little clay bowl in his hands.

Raising your head abruptly, almost knocking his chin. Peeta watched you eagerly, encouraging you as he felt you clutch at the bowl.

"Strawberries..." You whispered, almost inaudibly. His other hand cupped your cheek softly. Your smile that you couldn't hide, healed him. You felt like you were melting under his warm hand that caressed your face so affectionately. Peeta gave your cheek a quick squeeze. His touch was delicate, and he couldn't prevent his shy laugh.

"I know they are your favourite... Haymitch managed to snag some seeds for me. I grew them by the Primrose..." Pressing his forehead to yours. Noses brushing.

Flicking your eyes to his, you felt them well up with tears. Your breaths shuddered. How long, had he kept them a secret? Biting your inner lip, unable to find the words. Peeta knew, he always knew. He didn't require the words. Nodding to you.

The dedication, the time he had taken to grow them, and tend to them. Nurturing them, like he nurtures you.

He thumbed your bottom lip. Shaking his head as he subtly stopped your anxious chewing. Without words, or chastising.

"How did I get so lucky?" You murmured. Peeta's face warmed, the pink on his cheeks grew as you said it.

He shook his head, his little smirk showing.

You felt him wrap his arm against your waist. Lifting a strawberry from the bowl, the sun struck the bright fruity red as he nudged it towards you. Lifting your head to take a bite. The sweet juicy taste filled your mouth, and you could smell it filtering through your nose. That lovely sweet almost floral smell. Humming as you chewed the mouthwatering fruit.

The red stained your lips pink, as Peeta smiled. He couldn't look away, not for a second. Incapable of missing any moment of your happiness. Ever.

Your eyes opened catching his gaze as he offered another, you nudged it to him and he tutted.

"Hm, do you think I didn't steal some already when picking them? These are yours." The sound of your laughs after he said it made him glow. He utterly adored you.

Shaking his head, as he lifted the bowl, setting it on the grass in front of him. Patting his lap gently, you scooted softly to lay down against his thighs. Watching the blades of grass waft in the wind. As your fingers crept into the bowl stealing another strawberry. His soft lips crooked back to that smile as he played with your hair gently, brushing his fingers through each strand so attentively. Fingernails tickling against your scalp, tracing little shapes, and squiggles.

Shifting his hand to a little daisy nestled in the earth. Peeta plucked it gently, tucking it behind your ear.

"Almost as lovely as you." Mumbling a little as he said it.

Leaning down to kiss your cheek. Feeling his soft lips sink on your skin. Lingering the way he always does. You could smell the strawberries on his breath and it tickled your skin feeling his exhale. Reaching to take his hand in yours, he instinctively curled his fingers between yours. Squeezing tightly.

"I am here, always." He reassured.

"Always." You echoed.  

────────────────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.───────────────

So, after all these years, I finally watched all of the Hunger Games films.

NO, I AM NOT OKAY, OR NORMAL ABOUT IT.

I will continue to break my heart about it, and I would die for Katniss and Peeta.

This one shot is totally inspired by Bill and Frank from the Last of Us, because what is love, if not growing strawberries for the love of your life?

[littlenahsstuff]

When will my life begin- Pt2

Chloe Charming x Red x F!reader

Synopsis: you are adjusting to school life with your favorite roomies and unknown feelings quickly pop up. Castlecoming is around the corner and you aren’t sure what’s happening with it.

Warnings: still a little angst but really cute. Not proofread. I think that’s it. We’re learning guys!

Word count: 3.4k

Pt 1.

“Y/n please, sit down, dinner will be brought shortly,” Rapunzel-you mean, your Mom says. She glances at your fingers nervously tapping the chair.

“Yes, of course.” You sit down at the long table. At least two feet to your left sits your new brother. He’s pretty young still. Your parents told you he was ten but he was decently tall for his age.

“Hey Y/n, I know you are still adjusting like mom says but do you think you could come to my tourney game tomorrow?” He exclaims. Your mom looks nervous at the mention but quickly smiles. You are too. Your younger brother William is surprisingly very sweet already.

When you first met he seemed impartial to you but quickly found out your shared love for birds. It was one of the only books you had. You have no idea what tourney is though.

“I would like that very much,” you respond. He grins but doesn’t say anything else as the best looking meal you’ve ever seen comes out.

You wait before taking anything, trying to gauge what is an acceptable portion. Even then you avoid the deserts. Once you got a cupcake for successfully getting your powers to work. You had only a bite before it was snatched out of your hands when you failed but it was the best thing you’ve ever eaten until now.

During dinner it was nearly quiet save for the occasional question about you.

“Y/n, what do you enjoy doing?” Your Father asked.

“Uh… I like reading and drawing. I’ve always wanted to work with paint but um…. she said it was too messy,” you swallowed the lump in your throat. Your mother gave you a bittersweet look before an idea popped into her head.

“I too like those things, in fact painting is my favorite hobby. We should try it together sometime!” She suggests it and you think you’re life couldn’t get any bet-

“Your majesty, I apologize for the interruption but I have two letters. Both are for Princess Y/n, one from Auredon Prep,” some footmen says.

“Very well,” the queen says. He walks over and hands you the two letters. Your father raises an eyebrow.

You open it and read,

“Dear Princess Y/n,

Auredon prep must notify you that, due to extremely limited space, you must either start your school year this following Monday or be forced to stay behind.

We understand your particular circumstances and will offer free tutoring, exemption for all assignments during the two weeks you have missed, as well as counseling. We hope we see you early.

In addition to the limited space you will end up rooming with two students who have requested you. Red of Hearts and Chloe Charming.

Thank you,

Auredon Prep Staff.”

“Oh dear,” your mother says. “It’s up to you sweetie.”

You think about it, while you’ve had zero to none experience with the real world the offer of school and rooming with your two saviors is tempting. You don’t know what to do.

“If it’s alright I think I need the night to think on it?” You ask.

“Of course,” your Dad responds immediately.

Your mother nods too.

****

You get to your room, a stunning and very spacious purple room, and flop on your bed with the other letter in your hand. There is no address or name besides your name.

You tear it open.

“Hi Y/n, Sup,

We wanted to write to see how things are going. OH it’s Chloe, and Red!

We hope it’s okay but we heard you might be coming to Auredon prep and wanted to see if we could room with you.

You haven’t missed too much here. The classes are wonderfully boring. Not all of them! And if you are worried I can totally help you out.

This school is actually interesting on occasion, apparently they brought back some elective magic classes to “better teach the students control and the dangers of it all” but sometimes it kicks. I managed to make the teacher breakdance. It was cool.

That and the food here is not bad.

Anyways we respect your decision very much, but we would totally want you to be our roomie. Yup!

Chloe, and Red.”

The letter makes you giggle and your feet are kicking in the air weirdly. It seems like you’re excited about it now. It’s decided, you’ll go.

***

It’s your first day at Auredon. You were amazed by how magical everything looked. Your suitcase was heavy from your books but you lugged it in fairly easily, the stairs were a bit much.

When you opened the door Chloe immediately jumped up and squealed.

“Y/n you’re here! Come in, come in!” She drags you to what you presume will be your bed and sets the suitcase next to it.

“Good to see you,” Red softly smiles and sits on her bed across from yours.

“I’m glad I’m rooming with you too, thank you!” You reply cheerfully.

“Oh it’s no problem, we did promise we’d be there for you and besides I get how hard this whole, new world thing, can be. We got your backs Y/n” Red says. Her sincerity makes you blush a bit internally.

“Yes, and if it makes you feel better, we all are still new to the school. I’m sure barely anyone will notice you” Chloe adds.

***

She was in fact very wrong.

School was hard; as expected when you don’t know anything, but what was harder was the rumors that got worse by the day. You were this celebrated princess when you were missing apparently. You had a festival that took place on your birthday and everything! But when you turned out to be not that smart and without anything that set you apart in a good way, you were talked about a lot. Loudly too. It’s not even that you’re an idiot, you just legitimately do not know basic algebra or history.

Today was bad. The daughter of Mirabel Madrigal was a massive gossip and she did not inherent her quiet aunts nature. She saw you get an D minus on your first test and was in your history class when you were called upon and completely forgot the name of the school. Mariposa wasn’t a complete jerk about it, in fact the worst part was you can’t get too mad because she sounded worried when she told the entire school.

Chloe was the first to find out, Red didn’t have too many other friends unlike Chloe who was the best in Fencing club. Chloe didn’t exactly know what to do but it’s now she realized she should make good on her promise and help you out. Red was supposed to get help from her too. She felt a little ashamed. So she decided to remedy it the next night.

“Hey Red, Y/n?” You were so lost in the equation muttering to yourself about the different variables and how the heck some pig would need 18 pieces of coal per day for a random project.

“Uh… Y/n?” Red asks too, she gave up on the same problem a minute ago and was doing all the easier ones first. You now look up at them.

“Oh, did you say something? I’m sorry it’s just, I’m having a bit difficultly with some of the language here. What even is a square root? Pigs are mammals not plants and if I remember correctly, neither is this coal stuff!” You groan, flopping back onto your back.

“Want a little help guys? That problem does look difficult but I am fairly confident I can explain it better than the two year one math teachers. They aren’t very thorough. Don’t feel bad.” Chloe’s offer has you sitting up again and Red flips back to the question.

“Yes please,” you whisper, grateful Chloe is able and willing to help.

“And for the record….” She starts, “failing a test does not mean you’re dumb. Bookish intelligence is only one trait amongst thousands that can make a person good.” Now you know she knows which embarrasses you, but does Red? There’s no way she doesn’t.

“You’ll find what makes you tick tock tick,” red adds. She definitely knows too. “For me it was dance and art.” You sigh.

“Thanks, a lot truly. Anyways, please oh wise Chloe show me your brainy ways.” You say, causing all of you to giggle.

“Wish pleasure!” You weren’t perfect still but at least by the end of the night you found out what a square root was and even worked through the hardest problem. The teachers at the school are actually really bad because, while it wasn’t immediate, you could understand what Chloe was explaining. Red could too!

***

You start feeling like a third wheel by fifth week. You couldn’t understand the burning ache came from everytime they talked about castle coming. They were secretive beyond belief about it. They talked about it incessantly but you only caught bits and pieces. You yearned to know why they weren’t excited outwardly while talking about it. You couldn’t tell why it hurt so much and you felt bad about it. Whatever it was didn’t seem so healthy and you hadn’t felt like it since your time locked up.

You often shamefully stared at them while they were interacting. It was interesting to see such affection and how they felt a little more comfortable with you being there.

At the moment you were listening to them talk about dresses for castlecoming. Over the few weeks that and dance proposals was all anyone could talk about. You were told everyone could go but you didn’t want to be alone. You also didn’t want to ask to get a fancy dress. Your parents paying for your school supplies alone felt like a massive gift.

You didn’t want to see them have fun without you and it made you feel guilty as heck.

You stayed awake the majority of the fifth night from castlecoming. The next morning you looked like a zombie. Chloe had to go into practice early but when you awoke with a groan before realizing you had roommates again, Red looked at you funny.

“Y/n you don’t sound so good, and pardon me if it’s blunt but you look dead. Are you okay?” Red comes over to you. You sit up.

“Oh yeah I’m fine, it was just a weird night. Anyways um, so. Can you tell me more about your hobby’s? Chloe told me all about hers and it sounded cool but not something I would enjoy. Other than her gardening club. I might join that one.” You rub your eyes and yawn. Red sits on the edge of your bed.

“Of course. I like to work with spray paint the most, but it typically requires more room so I stick with regular paint nowadays. There’s actually an art club here, I joined it. The people there are pretty quiet and it’s relaxing. But when we show each other our work everyone is really supportive. The club ranges from people who don’t have any experience to those who are really good. I like to think I’m on that side.” She says wiggling her brows. You smile, it sounds like it’s right up your alley.

You shuffle a little. “Could I maybe join you sometime? I don’t want to intrude, but I do love art,” you admit. She nods enthusiastically.

“Yes! That would be so fun! I got to admit I was feeling a little jealous over you and Chloe spending some time together at a club. I wanna hang with you too!” She says but you’re confused again.

“If this sounds stupid, forget about it. What… what is jealousy?” You softly ask. She looks a little surprised but not completely aghast.

“Oh uh… it’s like an icky feeling within your soul. Like you want something and because others have it you get a little sad? Chloe could probs tell you better than me. Jealousy is normal but in some cases it could complicate things and if you let it get the best of you it could hurt your relationships. But again, it’s completely normal!” She finishes, sure of her explanation. It made her feel good that she could answer one of your questions and not just Chloe for once. You kinda are frozen now.

“Oh, I get it now. Thank you,” You say. Red doesn’t want to make you feel stupid and you already look uncomfortable, so she decides to drop it. Something she later realizes, she shouldn’t have done.

***

The weekend finally came and your roommates worried about something. What you didn’t know was they wanted to ask you to go with them to the dance. As far as you were concerned, however, couples went only with each other. You were avoiding them and the dance was this Sunday. Friday night they had to ask you to give you enough time.

Despite everything that happened during the original castle-coming at Merlin Academy, Auredon Prep would be much better. They knew that. They were still nervous about it and could tell you wanted to know why they were talking about it so quiet but they couldn’t tell you what happened yet. They also couldn’t agree on how to ask you to go. There was no time now, they needed to just get it over with and ask you to not only go to the dance as friends but as their third.

It was wild for both when they figured out they both liked you a lot. They think you are sweet, kind, funny, and the hardest worker they’ve ever seen. Your refreshing take on life reminded them of young Bridget and Ella at the same time and while they didn’t want to think how weird it sounded, they loved those traits.

After you got back to the room, as soon as curfew hit they were a little worried. As far as they know you only did two clubs and had two besties so far. You walked into the room and saw them staring at you.

“Hi guys!” You switch up. You know they know you’ve been avoiding them at this point. It will be okay because everything will go back to normal after the dance…. You hope.

“Hi Y/n” they both say In sync. You smile but it’s whiped away after Chloe says,

“Could you sit down for a sec? It’s nothing bad, we just wanna ask you a few questions.” You tense a little but comply.

“Are you going to the dance?” Red starts off. You shake your head no. Both Chloe and her look at each other with slight frowns.

“Why?” Chloe questions. You fiddle with your hands.

“Well, aren’t you not supposed to go if you don’t have anyone ask you or friends that aren’t going single. Nobody told me the rules but so far that’s what I’ve observed. And also, I don’t have anything fancy to wear. I don’t want to ask the king and- I mean my parents. I don’t know, I’ll go if you want me there but just… I don’t want to be left alone.” You admit and their eyes widen.

“No we really do want you there and you can go or not, any student can go. About the dress thing, Chloe has hers but I’m an insane last minute shopper. We were gonna pick it up tomorrow. You can pick yours out too!” Red says frantically.

“Yeah and you haven’t been here all day but your parents sent you an envelope with what seems like a pretty fat stack of cash in it and a letter. I’m assuming that it’s for the dress anyways.” Chloe adds, you are a little shocked. You are so close to saying you’ll go but then they grab each others hands and your heart drops.

The real reason you’ve been avoiding them was so you don’t show them you’re jealous of the both of them. You don’t know why but you assume it means wanting both of them. Why you have no idea. They’re awesome but it’s not like you know what love is when it comes to you experiencing it.

“Hey, what’s wrong? You zoned out a little, you don’t have to go if you don’t want to that bad.” Chloe offers.

“I don’t want to lose you,” you start sobbing and both of them look very confused from what little you can see through your bleary eyes.

“Hey, hey you aren’t what’s wrong?” Chloe rubs your shoulder. You sniffle. Red looks a little frozen now. Unsure of what to do with herself.

“I think I’m jealous but I don’t know why and I really don’t want to lose you. I’m sorry for avoiding you but I didn’t want you to know about it and now you know anyways! I don’t even know what I’m feeling but I really like you both and-“ Chloe comes over to you and kisses you on the cheek. You freeze. Thinking that Red was gonna get really angry. Chloe kissed you to make you feel better and now it’s such a mess and it’s all your fault.

“Shh, Y/n. Deep breaths. We aren’t going to leave you, we like you way too much!” Chloe soothes.

“The both of us do.” Red adds with a nod and she leans closer to you.

“I do have to apologize though, I may have been a little hard when explaining jealousy to you. It’s not that big of a deal unless you were screaming angry about us and sometimes it can be justified.” She pauses, your sniffling has lessened. “I am gonna try to be more careful when I say this but… I think you like-like us Y/n. And thats okay! I mean it’s like really obvious but we understand you don’t even know the signs yourself. I get it’s a lot, I had to have this conversation with Chloe around a month ago myself. But Chloe and I have talked and-“

Chloe interrupts Red, “We like you too. So much! We can take things slow but tonight we were gonna ask if you wanted to be our date to castle-coming romantically. Do you?” Everyone is frozen now with bated breath. Your brain is on overload now and even though this is everything you could have wanted it’s so much.

Red tries to break the tension, “No presh.”

It snaps you out of it.

“Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes! I would love to!” You cheer and hug Chloe tightly before jumping up and hugging Red. She flinched but seems to melt right into it before you notice.

“Wait…” you stop, “does this… how does this work am I like your girlfriend or is this just me hanging with you more than platonically or- do we kiss for real? Do three person couples exist. I’ve heard of the seven dwarves but that’s it…” you trail and they giggle.

“It means that yes we kiss, and yes you are our girlfriends if you want to be” Chloe answers.

“And don’t worry they exist, especially in Wonderland!” Red says. “Maddox my old tutor was once in one.”

“Oh, girlfriend. I really really like the sound of that.” You say it softly as if it’s a promise. You’re stomach is replaced with fluttery sensations and instead of your heart hurting it feels as if it would burst into giggles.

“Can we maybe, kiss you?” Red asks, face flushed. Chloe nods too.

“Please-“ you make out before reds soft plump lips are on yours and it’s the best sensation ever. It’s hard and impactful. It gets replaced by an equally as awesome feeling when Chloe kisses you, it’s still strong but soft too in a way that tickles. They kiss each other and it’s not long before you are all covered in Red’s signature lip color. You giggle.

“So this is love,” you say dazed and they both burst into full on cackles. “Wait- what did I say?” They both just kiss you on the cheek and continue making out until you somehow manage to fall asleep all in your bed. Thankfully it’s fit for royalty. You are left excited for whats to come, especially getting to dance with your new girlfriends.

[shadowflorecita]

Elain x Azriel

This dazzling art is by my wonderful, skilled, hardworking friend @moshimoichi, and I am so thankful for the time & care she dedicated in creating this beautiful commission for me.

Please do not repost, reblogs are welcome & appreciated! 🖤🌸

Below the cut is a little ficlet to accompany this sweet moment.

𖥧⚘𖤣𖡼

The sunlight was a steady stream, gilding the cottage in a summer morning radiance. Sparrows sang their cheerful melody as they flitted from branch to branch of the fruit trees, more birds joining in the chorus as they awakened.

Elain and Azriel had created a shared routine to rise early and witness the sunrise together. Sometimes they were tangled in each other, all tousled hair and sheets askew, watching the daybreak from the windows of their bedroom. Sometimes they were on the balcony cuddled in comfortable silence. And sometimes they shared Elain's favorite meal of the day in the garden. The most important meal, as she often reminded the Shadowsinger.

It wasn't a previous habit for Azriel to take time to eat slowly and savor a breakfast. Aside from official court gatherings or traditional family dinners, he usually had his meals on the go; quick and fuss-free. Boiled and peeled eggs, slices of toast, links of sausage, anything that could be eaten within a short amount of time or as he flew to his destinations.

Since spending more time with Elain, he found he rather enjoyed a moment to sit down with her for a meal. He indulged in her quiches and pastries, sweet and savory alike. The creations she orchestrated in the kitchen were some of the most delicious food he had ever tasted. He delighted in settling beside Elain, her eyes wandering his face, gauging his reactions to her cooking. They often mirrored each other's expressions, communicating in their secret language.

Azriel helped himself to the food on his plate, chewing slowly and luxuriating in the buttery flavors. He was fully armored today, prepared for a swift reconnaissance mission with Cassian. They would scout the coasts of the mortal lands, keeping a lookout for any odd activity, armed to the teeth and prepared for anything. Especially after the events earlier in the Spring with Briallyn and Koschei. If all went well, Azriel would reassign his spies back to the lands to remain as the Night Court's eyes and ears, ready to report if trouble transpired.

Beside him, with her legs draped lazily over his lap as she leaned against the bench with Azriel's free arm around her, Elain sipped her tea. She reveled in the nearness of him. It was not long ago that Elain had stormed into Rhysand's office on an early morning just like this one. The light of dawn was still peeking into the windows of the river house study when Elain threw open the doors, prowled to Rhysand's desk, her teeth bared with fury and demanded that the high lord understand that she had every right to gift her affections to whom she wanted. Without his unwelcome scheming.

Feyre and Rhysand had froze then. A stack of parchments fell from Feyre's hands all over the desk and Elain would forever remember the panicked look on Rhys's face once Feyre whirled and began snarling at him, viciously recalling Rhysand's own promise that Elain would be wholly protected in Velaris should she choose to reject the suppressive cauldron forged bond.

There were countless times Elain had been thankful to Feyre and filled with pride for her sister's tenacity for justice, but this moment immediately became one of her favorites. Feyre was a mother now, and the protective essence of an irate wild bear shone in her eyes and the scrunch of her nose. The image would remain in Elain's memory for the rest of her immortal life.

Elain triumphantly left the study and took the appropriate course of action with Lucien that very day to formally reject the bond. Lucien was... thankfully relieved. Elain had known that Lucien had a blossoming love of his own for the red haired human queen Vassa, but Elain would no longer politely wait for him to gather the courage to take action. She was an Archeron, and trembling fawn aside, like her sisters, she was also a fanged beast. The resolve to fight for what she desired for herself was enough for Elain to bravely face all consequence and cost.

It was a liberation, for that odd and misplaced link to go permanently dark. She understood the lifeless thread would always remain, but she felt like she wholly belonged to herself once again. Lucien took Elain by surprise by declaring an everlasting oath to never call in a blood duel against anyone Elain chose to spend her life with. She in turn, graced him with thanks and blessings for his own journey of the heart. Afterward, Elain immediately went to Azriel, explaining her actions, her heart, and her wish to never leave his side. If he would allow it.

The teacup clinking against the ceramic plate tugged Elain from her memories as Azriel finished the last of his tea. She had particularly enjoyed learning how he liked his tea- cinnamon bark and orange peel was his usual brew. He was also fond of peppermint.

"Regretfully, it is time I must be off."

The pair stood from the bench, their dishes whisked inside the cottage by Azriel's shadows. Elain was pleased that he had helped himself to two servings of quiche. She brushed off the crumbs from his polished plackhart into the graveled path. He was the epitome of a heroic and unvanquished knight, his dark armor and fastened weapons at a complimentary contrast with the bright, delicate blooms of their garden.

Azriel peered down at her, his inky curls brushing against his brows in the way Elain was so fond of. She reached up to run her fingers through it, overwhelmed with the need to always be touching him. Azriel beamed, pulling her into his arms and kissed her reverently on the soft skin of her earlobe. Then both cheeks, her chin, her lips, ending his affectionate conquest by softly nuzzling the tip of his nose against hers. Elain shuddered at his touches, the feel of home as his mouth and scarred hands roved over her. She peered into his hazel eyes, the colors glittering the way sunshine dances upon the surface of the Sidra.

So long ago this moment felt like an impossible dream yet here it was, real and palpable and hers. Elain's heart fluttered with gratitude and awe as she stroked Azriel's strong jaw, the tiniest prickles scrubbing her palm.

Azriel read the thoughts reflected in her eyes, felt them in the special way he was always able to. His hands squeezed her waist, pressing his lips to hers. Hesitant to pull away, his wings lightly enveloped them, the sun now peeking over his broad shoulders.

"I miss you already. I will think of you every moment until I see you again" he murmured.

Elain chuckled, a roll of her eyes and subtle shake of the head "You won't be gone long, I will see you for dinner! I hope everything goes well."

Azriel grinned, his hidden dimples revealing themselves. "Whether I am away for an hour or a full day or a month, you are always on my mind Elain. You and that lovely smile of yours. I will see you this evening."

Elain's expression was soft, her doe-like eyelashes fluttering "Until then" she said.

"Until then" Azriel nodded, and after one last kiss to her hand, took a few steps down the garden path and launched himself into the sky, the breeze from his wings caressing her. As he flew into the clouds to meet his brother, Elain scattered a silent "Be safe, my darling" to the winds.

--✿--

Thank you for reading! A very special thank you to @tealeaves-and-rosepetals for helping with proofreading & edits, I really appreciate your endless kindness and encouragement!

Feliz año nuevo friends 💕