#i’ll probs delete this in like an hour but i just had to shout into the void for a sec

[yuukimiyas]

໒꒰ྀི ◞ ◟꒱ྀིა

[kyun-toast]

[ATEEZ] Mafia!San - Will You Join Me?

word count: 2.9k warnings: explicit language, gun use, violence, description of death (not explicit), sexually suggestive, gets a lil steamy summary: cupid has a bullet with your name on it a/n: Y/N a little dramatic and San annoying af. I wrote this in a two hour flash at 2am, so this might be deleted after I reread it tomorrow because I’m pretty sure a lot of this is just me chatting shit.

1. Yoon, David – 12:45 Note to self: likes donuts. probs dunkin’, maybe krispy? idk just look for a man w a paper bag.

“I’ll have to warn you though, the lift is under maintenance, so you’ll have to take the stairs.” The receptionist smiled at you sympathetically. “I can get someone to help you with your suitcase if you’d like?”

“Oh no, it’s ok, I’ll just find another place to stay. I have weak knees anyway.” You forced a laugh and hoped the lady didn’t notice the dead look in your eyes.

“I’m sorry about that, love.”

Turning away with your suitcase in tow, you headed towards the building opposite the hotel and hoped that the rooftop would be easy enough to access.

It was quite irresponsible of you not to have a backup plan. It seemed that being named the sharpest shooter in the underground world had gotten to your head a little, but you argued that a bit of spontaneity never hurt anybody. Though your target would beg to differ.

Being a public building of offices, it was all too easy for you to reach the roof of the building. You found that walking with your held head high and gaze set straight ahead would never get you questioned. Who would ever stop someone with a walk so confident?

Thankfully, the rooftop hadn’t been turned into some garden space: an air-conditioning fan over here, a water tank over there. You checked your wristwatch reading 12:40 and muttered under your breath. The damn hotel lift had taken precious minutes of your time and compromised your view.

You opened your suitcase to set up your sniper, giving your little black cat charm on the side of your gun a squish. Cute.

Sitting on the case with your stock snug against your shoulder, you peered into the scope to get a closer view of the revolving doors to the bank. Oh great, there’s a lamppost in the way.

Mr. Yoon was apparently quite the punctual man, always seen stepping into the bank doors after his lunch break at exactly quarter to one and therefore, your window of opportunity was thin.

“I want it done today or you’re getting sniped yourself, Y/N.” You heard the voice of your boss yap in your head again. Blah blah blah, same old threat. You argued that procrastinating the man’s death was actually something very considerate of you to do.

You heard a familiar clatter of metal hit the floor and you turned your scope to the rooftop opposite to see a man in overalls with his toolbox open on the floor.

“Lift maintenance guy?” You muttered to yourself and wondered if the mechanics of elevators ran all the way through to the rooftop. You made sure that you wouldn’t be in his line of vision and swivelled back to your original position, cursing the man under your breath for ruining your first choice of setup.

12:44

“Come on, Yoon. Lunch time’s almost over.” Your finger lay restless on the trigger, itching to get a glimpse of the bank teller.

20 seconds.

“Krispy or Dunkin’ what will it be today, entertain me.”

10 seconds.

You saw the man turn the corner and waited for him to get a little closer for you to shoot.

5 seconds.

“That’s it, just past the lamppost and you won’t even know what hit y- what the FU-?” You shouted and quickly clasped a hand to your mouth. Mr. Yoon hadn’t even made it past the post, and he was already laying on the pavement in a growing pool of blood.

Calculating the angle in which he was laying, you spun your vision around to the hotel rooftop and saw the maintenance man begin to pack up a sniper back into his toolbox. Taking off his cap, you noticed a flash of white in his jet-black hair and just like he knew you were watching, he turned with a smug grin on his face and shot you some finger guns.

“Oh, you little fucker.” You spat, and watched the man jump down into a hatch to disappear.

You slumped dramatically onto the floor and splayed your limbs to stare blankly at the sky. Never in your life had you ever missed a shot, let alone have it stolen by someone else, and your boss had your phone ringing to rub it in your face.

“That wasn’t you, was it?”

“Listen, what if? You know, what if that was my thirteenth reason? I just couldn’t take it anymore and that was it. No more Y/N. You wouldn’t even come to my funeral, would you?”

“No, I wouldn’t because you’d be too broke to have one. You realise you’re not getting paid for this?”

“Why? He’s still dead?” You sat up in disbelief.

“Well, it turns out someone else wanted him gone too. I can’t lie to our client and say that we did it.”

“You’re oddly moral for someone that runs a hotline for hitmen.”

“I’ll call you if I find you another job.”

“Justice for freelance contract killers.” You muttered weakly as he ended the call. The faint sound of police sirens filled the air as you let out a heavy sigh and lay back on the concrete.

You pictured the man and wondered who it was that would even think to render the notorious Y/N L/N jobless. Though you did have to admit that it was a clean shot.

“Skunk-hair looking ass.”

2. Kim, Seungho – 18:00 Note to self: babysitting. easy target but kid knows NOTHING.

You were stationed by a corner window in an unfinished apartment building with a trainee by your side, setting up his kit.

Stood by the trainee, you scanned to see if everything was in the right place, checking the kid’s posture too. You had been sent by your boss to reluctantly train a young recruit and you joked if you had been demoted following your last predicament. You were never in it for the money though, you lived for the adrenaline.

The boy had potential and you saw it, he just needed to make cleaner shots because three bullets somewhat near the target’s vital organs wasn’t going to cut it.

“What’s your name again?”

“Jisung. Han Jisung.” The recruit replied, his eyes never leaving yours, in absolute awe.

“Eyes on the scope.”

“I’m sorry, nobody told me I’d be getting trained by you. The Seoul Shooter? Like wow.”

“Ew, is that what they’re calling me?”

“Yeah, well I think it’s a pretty cool name, they used to call me ‘Jitman’ in my hometown, not very creati-”

You shushed the boy and tapped his shoulder as you pointed to a small figure in the distance.

“You see him through the scope? Now keep your hand steady, never feel as if you’re being rushed. Death works to your schedule.”

“Got it.” Jisung said, following the man with his gun.

“Ok, on 3… 2… 1…”

You heard the bullet cut through the evening air and hit the target neatly through his office window.

“Bro? That was so clean? That has to be one of the sexiest shots I’ve seen in a while-” You began.

“Uhh, that wasn’t me, Y/N.”

Before you could even process what had happened, you heard the rustle of footsteps patter down the stairs behind you. Taking out your handgun, you moved towards the open door to find the same man you had seen on the hotel rooftop stop in his tracks on the landing. Clad in a fitted black sweater and jeans this time, he looked a whole lot more attractive close up.

“You again?” You exclaimed; gun still pointed at the man as he dropped his duffel bag to raise his hands.

His eyes widened, not in shock, but more with an excited glint in his eyes.

“Oh my, it’s Y/N, the Seoul Shooter.” A coy smile painted his lips as he shook his white fringe out of his eyes.

“See, everyone calls you that.” Jisung interjected from behind.

“Shut up, Han.”

“Word around town is that you’ve been unemployed for some time now,” nodding towards Han, he added, “and it looks like the rumours are true.”

“I’ve actually decided to take a break you know? Let the other kids have a chance at making a name for themselves. Bit of charity work.”

“Y/N kinda got demoted because you keep taking their shots.” Han interrupted again.

“Hey, who told you that?!” You narrowed your eyes at the boy. Han Jisung was a smart ass and you vowed then and there that you wouldn’t take on any more training sessions.

You whipped your head back around to the man eyeing your body up and down.

“My eyes are up here, sir. Unless you really wanna get shot.” You spat.

“Well, I’d die a happy man if you were the last thing I’d see.” He smirked in retaliation and studied your eyes carefully. “Well, my job here is done, I better be on my way. Got a big cheque waiting for me.” He grinned as he reached to grab his bag and carry his way on down the stairs with footsteps too light-hearted for your liking.

“Why didn’t you shoot him?” Jisung asked as you watched the man disappear into the evening.

“I don’t think killing a man for taking my shots is justified.”

“What, and sniping Mr. Kim Seungho just before he gets to feel the bliss of clocking out is?” He laughed. “Do you know what I think, Y/N?”

“What?”

“I don’t know, I’m not going to say anything.”

Han Jisung tormented you the whole drive back to the quarters.

“Y/N and Skunk Man sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes lo-”

Smack.

“Ouch, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I was just kidding.” He laughed as an idea struck him, “K-I-D-D-I-N-”

Smack.

3. Park, Kiha - 10:32 Note to self: bad man. bad, bad man. but big, big cheque.

Having had your last two shots stolen, mystery Skunk Man was beginning to get on your nerves. You were seething to the point that you demanded your boss give you another job, itching to defend your title of being the finest shooter in Seoul.

Laying on the floor of a rooftop hangar, the man had the gall to pop up out of the hatch to set up his station right next to you, as if you were both on some picnic.

"Nice seeing you here today, Y/N." He said, sitting cross legged to mount a scope to the top of his sniper.

Not even bothering to take your eyes off the target, you muttered, "I got here first, you better back off." voice laced with venom.

"Well I've been promised a cheque too, we're all just trying to get fed around here."

Ignoring him, you glanced down at your watch that read 10:31. Any time now, Park Kiha would be walking through the glass bridge to get to his meeting in the twin building.

Steadying your finger against the trigger, you held your breath and counted down from three, two, o-

"I like your cat charm by the way."

You pulled the trigger only for it to stray a little to the right, still hitting your target, just a little less central than you would have accepted.

You shot up from your position to face the man laying on his side, head propped up against his hand to look at you.

"Do you have something against me? Do I even know you?" You exclaimed, carding your gloved hand through your hair.

"No uhh, but I saw your face on a bounty poster once and thought you were cute." He said, attitude too blasé. "That was a nice shot though, I was going to wait a few more seconds."

"So you saw my picture, and started following me around to antagonise me?"

"Nah, I just happened to be super lucky to have been put on the same cases as you. Big bad men have a lot of people after them I guess?"

Throwing your equipment back into your bag, you watched the man proceed to roll over onto his back with his arms behind his head to look up at the sky.

The mid-morning sun cast a golden glow over his skin and though you spent most of your life working with guns, his uniform and kit next to him looked a little different, almost attractive. They suited him a little too much and you thought that if a sleek sniper were to be personified, it would look exactly like this leather clad man.

"I should ask for your number, the way you're looking at me right now, Y/N."

"Good luck, you won't get it." You turned to step down the hatch as he propped himself up again to watch you leave.

Choi, San – 15:25 Note to self: he’s kinda hot tho :/

So, we had finally put a name to the face. As your boss handed you a folder, you were slightly taken aback at the small ID picture pinned to the top of the file.

“You might be a little happy about this one.” He said, taking a sip of coffee. “He’s been recently recruited by ATEEZ as their sniper. Quite a deadly one too. He was scouted shooting pheasants down in the Namhae countryside apparently.”

“Hmm, how much?” You questioned.

“A million dollars.”

“Excuse me? A mill-?” You choked on the air and composed yourself just as quick to nonchalantly lean against the filing cabinet and look out the window, “I don’t know, he didn’t look a million dollars-worth to me.”

“He hasn’t been in the game long, but man has he taken down some big names.”

Though you didn’t necessarily feel too attached to Choi San, you did think that you were going to miss him a little. It was nice having a friend on your level to spar with.

Who were you kidding? You thought he was hot and that it would be a shame to have to shoot him.

But on second thought, you had been itching for the adrenaline in the trigger again, and the million dollars looked a lot sexier to you than some man.

“I’ll take it.”

-

San was all too easy to find. He seemed to enjoy hiding in plain sight since no common person would recognize him in the bustling streets of Gangnam. Nestled in the corner of another rooftop, you zoned in on the recognizable black and white hair sat outside on the terrace of a café.

Once you were ready, you repositioned your finger on the trigger and focused the cross hairs on the familiar head. You were steady until San lifted his head and stared right back at you through the scope, sending you a wink.

“Shit.” You muttered, his actions throwing you off and when you repositioned your aim, he had slipped into the crowd, now lost.

“No, no, no, no, no, Choi San, ugh.” Seeing that he knew what you were up to, you got up to pace around the rooftop. Your mind worked nonstop to find an alternate solution but all you could conclude was to go home, stay low and pick another day to continue.

This man had thrown you into the worst slump of your life, but you were somewhat enjoying the chase and you hated to admit it.

The abrupt sound of a closing of a door behind you had everything clicking into place.

“You pretty motherfucker, had this planned, didn’t you?” You laughed.

Upon hearing the cocking of a gun, you turned to pull out the throwing knife strapped to your thigh and pulled his body in by his collar to reach his throat. And it just turned out that San had the same idea in pushing his handgun up underneath your chin at the same time, faces a little too close.

“I like your beret.” San said candidly, jerking his brow up at the hat on your head.

“Me, too. It’s Marine Serre.”

“Nice choice.”

“I’m going to count down from three and we’re going to drop our weapons, ok? And talk this out like adults because I for one, didn’t wanna kill you.” You bargained.

“Sure.”

“Three, two, one!” The both of you pulled away for a split second in bluff only to reposition your weapons against each other’s throats again.

“I knew it.” San smirked.

“No, for real this time. I mean it.”

“Go ahead, baby.” He smiled as his gaze dropped to your lips.

“Three, two, o-”

San cut you off by leaning into your lips, placing onto them a kiss so intense, almost mirroring the violent nature of the situation. However, what surprised you more was that you let yourself melt back into him. He let his gun clatter to the floor to walk you backwards into the wall behind, hoisting your leg up around his waist.

You broke away from the kiss for air when he smiled, “I mean, it is kinda hot, but I would appreciate it if you could stop holding that knife against my throat right now, Y/N.”

“Ugh, fine.” You muttered as San leaned back in to kiss you whilst roaming his hand around your thigh, ridding you of the rest of your knives and smirking against your lips in satisfaction.

Feeling his bulge grind between your legs, you both only grew more fervent for each other as you kissed.

“Wait, I wanna take you on a date first.” He pulled away to look you in the eye.

“Are you serious right now?”

“Mhmm, to Bar 1117.” He hummed, nuzzling his face into the crook of your neck.

“Isn’t that your company’s place…?”

“Yeah, they’re gonna love you.” He whispered, peppering small kisses down your throat.

“Are you trying to recruit me or fuck me, San?”

"I mean, you can kill me now and leave for that million dollars or you can come with me for a new job and that million dollar dick."

"You're unbelievable."

“I heard you were doing freelance anyway, baby.” He looked into your eyes again, a mischievous glow blooming across his face, “So, will you join me?”

-

disclaimer: San’s pie chart hair is one of my all time faves but I also can’t stop thinking that it looks a little skunk-like. In the cutest way. a/n: I've edited this a lot since I posted it and I think I'm gonna keep it

-

Mafia AU Masterlist

[tarotdeckshuffle]

Love Letters from the Chocobros + Ravus, Luna, Cor, Nyx, and Ardyn

Earlier I wrote a love letter from Ravus that I really enjoyed writing, so I thought I’d do one for all of my favs! I sliiightly edited Ravus’s as well and included it here!

You wake up to find that your S/O has left in the middle of the night without waking you. This is how each would let you know.

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

Noctis

Noctis would send you a simple text message after he left. He likes to send everything that’s on his mind in one long message. He’d likely text you each night with updates and to hear from you. Texting is his jam.

This man so rarely communicates with anyone that it is truly special for him to have a message chain with you. You can bet that he never deletes anything you send him. You’ll probably also get King’s Knight invites. Playing the game together helps you two feel closer, even if you can’t be.

Hey, we had to leave like suuuuper early. Didn’t want to wake you. I hope your day goes well. I’ll try to text you when I can, probs when we stop tonight. I miss you. I can’t wait to get back. Love you.

[Simple, but sent to you as soon as he’s functional (so like noon)]

Prompto

Prompto would also text, but he’d send a selfie with either heart stickers all over it or doing the heart hands thing (or both, depending on how much time he has). He also sends multiple messages as things come to him. Prepare for a cheese fest with this cutie.

You know you’re special with Prompto because he always replies as soon as he can, we’re talking like a three second response time. If he can’t respond right away, he’ll apologize profusely when he does text you. He’d use tons of emojis, just...all of them. Prompto is probably the only one who you can reach out to whenever you want and he’ll always try to make time for you.

Hey babe! <3 sorry I left without waking you. Don’t be mad, ok? You looked just so cute sleeping. See?!

[sends you the photo of you sleeping we all know he took]. How are you so pretty EVEN WHEN YOURE ASLEEP?<3<3<3<3

Save the spot next to ya for me! I’ll be back before you know it![thumbs up]

[There’d be a pause in the messages as he becomes serious]

I miss you already...I love you. Remember that, ok?

Ignis

Iggy would want to be a classic romantic by leaving you a letter, but he’d also opt for practicality above all else. His actions would speak louder than words. He’d likely leave a note and a flower on the counter for you, next to the already prepared coffee, a breakfast that takes little to prepare, and all of the dishes done.

This man is one of the best strategists in all of Eos. He’d know every plan the two of you made better than you would and would be utterly disappointed that he had to skip out on them due to his sudden departure. Knowing him, he’d pull all the necessary strings to make sure your plans would be rescheduled for his return.

[Note]

Urgent business to attend to. Will return promptly.

Love,

Ignis

[A text message at his first possible opportunity]

Love,

I apologize for my sudden departure. Matters progressed quicker than expected, making it imperative to leave. Please know that I will be home to you as fast as possible.

I’m deeply sorry that I will miss all of the plans we made for this weekend. I made arrangements for us to visit the Royal Gardens upon my return and I have moved all of our reservations.

You will find a surprise awaiting you tonight! [It’s likely he ordered you your favorite takeout to be delivered when you return from work and flowers to be delivered at the same time.]

I love you. Be safe.

-Ignis

[Ignis would want to call you in the evening, but Gladio always finds the best conversation spots before him and he doesn’t want to be away from his duties for long.]

Gladio

Gladio loves being close to his beloved, so he’d probably risk waking you to kiss you before he left. He’d also call you and leave a voicemail the first chance he got.

Gladio makes sure that everything is personal with those he loves, so texting would be out of the question for him unless it was his only option. While he’s very learned, I don’t see him as enjoying giving you letters, perhaps because his handwriting is so bad? Perhaps because it’s still too distant for him. He’d rather take the time and call you each night. He aches to hear your voice.

This man doesn’t like using the L-word, but for him, “Be safe” means about the same thing. He really loves domestic life and would be disappointed about ruined plans, regardless of how simple they were.

[Voicemail left for you]

Hey babe,

Sorry I had to leave so early. I tried to wake you, but [chuckles] we both know how that normally goes. I got called out on an escort that had to leave before dawn. I shouldn’t be gone for too long, but I’ll let you know more details as I can.

[He’d pause to take a deep breath]

I know we made plans together for this weekend. It kills me that I won’t be able to make them, now, but duty calls, ya’know? [a forced laugh] I rented one of the movies you wanted to see, it’s by the TV. And yes, you can have my leftovers. [He chuckles again at the normal fights over leftovers you two have.]

[He sighs and gets quiet after trying to lighten the mood]

I really do miss you.

I won’t be able to answer my phone most of the time, so I’ll call you when I get a chance.

Be safe for me.

Ravus

Ravus’s letter to you would a full love letter, done on his personal stationary, sealed in an envelope, and your name beautifully written on the front. It may be brief (for him) due to the sudden need for his departure, but it’d still be one of the most eloquent letters of the bunch.

This man loves you so much, but he doesn't always know how to say it. That’s why he loves writing to you: he can take the time and think about how he wants to express himself. He knows the perils of his position and always fears he may never see you again. That’s why he leaves you physical letters, so that if the worst should happen, you have something to hold and remember him by.

My Dearest Star,

I must leave you as Chancellor Izunia has discovered “urgent business�� that must be attended to at this late hour. With the morning light you shall wake and I shall be dreaming of you.

While a great distance may separate us so unexpectedly, know that I will do all that is in my power to make sure that my time away from you is limited:  I hope to return to your arms within a fortnight.

I realize that my schedule grows tiresome on you. I promise that, upon my return, every moment I breathe shall be devoted to you and your desires. I long to bask in the radiance of your smile and to lay my hands upon the perfection that is your body, once again.

Your love is the greatest treasure I have been fortunate enough to be granted.

May the astrals watch over you until you are safe by my side.

With all my love,

Ravus

Luna

You are in love with the busiest woman in all of Eos, good luck. She would want to be romantic, having learned from her brother, but she doesn’t have the time or the means as she seeks out the astrals. To make up for this, she’d likely leave you notes at every gas station and town she passed through, hoping someone would recognize you and give you the note. Sometimes, she’d even call you, when she got your number right and had free access to a phone. Umbra and Gentiana would deliver messages to you whenever Luna could spare them, but that’s not often seeing as they’re also assisting the True King.

The fact that she’s taking any time to think of you and reach out to you is special. Yes, it’s a unique way that doesn’t always work (who knows how many notes are out there), but the creative solution to the problem is very special to you; it shows she really put time into thinking about it. It’s like a scavenger hunt for your love!

[First Note, given to you by Cindy]

Dearest Beloved,

I write to inform you that I am safe beyond Insomnia’s walls. Contrary to my deep desire to await your arrival here, I must continue on. I hope to see you soon.

Please be safe. I love you.

Your Dearest,

Lunafreya

[Second Note: Left at a campsite for you by Gentiana]

Dearest,

I’m so happy that this note has reached you. Know that my heart belongs to only you and my every thought includes you.

I head onwards to the astrals. Meet me soon.

Your Beloved,

Lunafreya

[Third Note: Left at the gate to the Meteor of the Six]

Dearest Love,

If you are reading this, I have already moved on. While my duty lies with Noctis, know that my heart lies with you. Please, come to me.

I await you where my tears meet the sea.

All My Love,

Luna

[A call from Luna]

[Hello?]

Hello!

Oh, my treasure! How I’ve missed your voice!

No, I must speak!

I’m afraid I cannot wait any longer, I must leave!

I’ll wait for you in Altissa!

Please hurry, I’m afraid my heart cannot take much more of your absence.

I miss you. Are you safe? Are your travels well? Have my notes reached you?...

[You calm her anxiety by simply saying, “I love you, Luna.”]

[you hear her sigh]

I love you, too.

[shouting in the background]

I have to leave.

Take care, but I’ll see you soon…

Cor

This man loves you, but he is ALL ABOUT practicality. He’s too slow at texting you, so he’d probably just call you later after he leaves you with a kiss.

Cor is a hard man to figure out. Looking from the outside in, it’s hard to tell just how much he loves you. But to you, it’s the little efforts he’s constantly making. Like he’d get the coffee ready to go before he leaves and maybe leave a note on the counter saying “Be back soon.-Cor.” You know he loves you because this dedicated workaholic makes the time to call you ever so often. While he doesn’t say much, you are one of the only personal calls he makes, so it’s extra special.

[Voicemail]

Hey…

I had to leave early on...royal business. I can’t say more. You...slept through it. [He knows not to bring up your sleeping habits by now but you can imagine the teasing smile on his face.]

Some of the guard may come by to check on you, I put in a request for it. Sorry, but just to be sure.

I’ll call you later.

I love you.

Bye.

[Between the two of you, it’s implied that he misses you, but he leaves you so often that you just know it. So much goes unsaid between you two, but you know you’ll regret it one day. Cor must know it, too.]

[The next day, Cor actually sends you a message!]

I miss you. I love you.

[Cor likes to bring you flowers from wherever he was when he returns.]

Nyx

Nyx would be out the door so often that text messages would be the norm. He’d be another one that you knew to read between the lines with.

This man would use so many shortcuts. Anything to be able to send you a message in his few spare seconds. Knowing him, he often gets his phone broken, so you get messages from new numbers a lot. But you know Nyx loves you because the man that can’t remember to eat or bathe regularly has your number memorized.

If his shifts are inside Insomnia, he’d stop by your work or apartment to steal a kiss if he found even one moment to spare.

Had to go early. Emergency. Be back tonight. Love you.

[or]

Heading out for a few. I love you. Libertus will b by l8r.

[The mere fact that Nyx is texting you shows that he cares. He typically doesn’t communicate if he doesn’t care at all.]

[If you tell him you love him.]

I love you too. I miss you. It’ll be awhile, but wait for me. I’m coming home.

Ardyn

This overdramatic wonderful man is a spectacle to behold. If you thought leaving you notes was romantic, this man is over the top. He leaves a full paper letter to you, left pinned to your door (to make your neighbors blush), AND sends you a dozen roses later in the day to show the ENTIRE WORLD that he loves you.

A good way to describe Ardyn is that he lingers. He would make his party wait to leave until after he gave you a long, slow kiss before he left. He’d stop by your apartment or work if given the chance and likely be there for at least an hour. He’s immortal and has all the time in the world, so he may as well spend as much of it as he can with you.

My dearest, sweetest [Y/N],

You have my sincerest apologies for my sudden departure. Unfortunately, urgent business must be attended to.

While attending to said duties, you will be a constant presence in my thoughts. I find my mind wandering to the sound of your voice, the softness of your skin, the smell of your hair, and the light in your eyes. You are a most welcome distraction to the monotony of bureaucracy.

Know that upon my return, you shall be treated like the royalty you are. I shall pull you into my lap and take the time to kiss you that you deserve. The bindings of clothing will melt away, that I may bask in the radiance of your body, taking my time to properly worship every inch of you. Your moans will be the sultry and sweet tones of a choir to the gods above. Oh, to have the taste of you on my lips again. May the entirety of Eos hear our love and have jealousy bloom in their hearts, knowing that you, the most beautiful and perfect human, nay, you must be a god yourself, is mine and mine alone!

Oh,I’m giddy for my return just imagining it.

My nights shall be lonely without you by my side, but know that I will stop at nothing to return to you. I have arranged everything, that you may want for naught until my return.

You have all of my heart, my beloved, my treasure, my starlight.

Your Beloved,

Ardyn

[themurphyzone]

Ficlet: Techno Trouble

So...in light of recent happenings....

An unholy wail shook the walls of the house, causing several picture frames to crash to the floor. Two windows in the living room were cracked, and Martin had to rush outside to check if the satellite dish had been knocked out of place, much to his frustration. 

The season 16 finale of Let’s All Dance Until We’re Sick had been interrupted. Brigitte would be going crazy all night if they didn’t get the connection back. She’d been rooting for the team of Joanna Gaits and Valerie Sinclair for the past few months, and would not rest until they got the prize money so they could achieve their dreams of establishing a dance school in Nepal. 

Diogee pushed his head under a pillow and whimpered. His tail was tucked between his stubby legs. 

“I’ll go check on Sara,” Milo offered. Brigitte didn’t respond. Her eyes were still staring at the static-filled screen, fists clenched in her lap. “I think she’s reached a pitch only dogs can hear again.” 

As he approached Sara’s room, the sound of furious clacking filled the air. When she got mad at something over the Internet, her typing grew more erratic until even her most slang-fluent peers couldn’t make the words out. 

Her door was open, but Milo still knocked on the frame to be polite. Sara spun in her rolling chair, head lolled back in frustration as she waited for a page to load. Which would probably take a while. 

It really depended on the magpies that had taken residence in the Murphy chimney. Going onto the roof to fix even one shingle required a lot of protection. 

“Sara? Are you okay?” Milo asked. “Dad’s gone out to the roof to check the dish. TV’s out too.”

Sara paused in her spinning. “I’m peachy. And I mean the type of peach that got knocked off a delivery truck, bounced along the John P. Tristate Freeway going south on rush hour, and eventually reduced to a pile of mushy cells that will be taken to who-knows-where by millions of uncaring drivers in this game we call life.”  

“So where did the peach come from?” Milo asked. 

Sara stared at him blankly. 

Milo grinned. “Sorry, bit of an inside joke.” 

She sighed, hands running down her face dramatically. “It came from my Rollr account disappearing. All the work I put into those headcanons? Gone. The meta I poured the depths of my soul into? Poof. It’s like all of those hours I spent researching ape anatomy didn’t matter at all!” 

“Did you accidentally delete it?” Milo asked, nervously smiling as Sara pushed her face into his, clearly offended by his suggestion. 

“I cannot believe one of my own kin, who shares his blood with me...well, not really since our blood types aren’t compatible, but that’s besides the point...would even ask such a question,” Sara placed her hand over her heart and swooned. Milo quickly inflated an air mattress from his backpack just in case. 

Then Sara’s phone lit up with a text message from Kris. 

Kris: ROLLR!!!!!!! :(

Sara: Tell me bout it. Zonefan4life down

Kris: WHAT????????????

Sara: im salty 

Kris: Binarytrash gone too. So is unicorn-oldbie

Sara: Wally and Frank doing ok? :P

Kris: Wally slaying stuff on Zonecraft server, Frank making ventart

Sara: Good luck with yours

Kris: Gonna need it. Heard if you try contacting Rollr support, they can restore account with everything intact. Might take a while though idk 

Sara: Ill try thanks for tip 

Kris: No prob. Gtg Walls going off the wall again 

Sara: Boo bad 

Kris: LOL

“Wow, you weren’t kidding,” Milo admitted. “Hope you can get that back.” 

“I’ll survive. By the hair of a camel’s tail,” Sara sighed. “I’ll see once Dad fixes the Internet connection.” 

On cue, the wi-fi icon turned completely white. Sara shouted in triumph and immediately began Googling steps for contacting Rollr support. 

They could hear Brigitte cheer from the living room as a drumroll sounded just before the judges announced the winner. 

“We preempt the most anticipated season finale in years to bring you reports of cosplayers in trash cans and ape costumes marching in protest of the popular social media site, Rollr!”

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” 

[thethespacecoyote]

“Passion, Postponed”

Rhys looked up, blindly fidgeting with his phone as he scanned the menu pasted to the side of the truck’s concession window. It sold mostly burgers and fries and usually Rhys opted for the dressed salad and patty nudged in the customary paper basket, but today….

Today that double cheeseburger with grilled onions and bacon lardons looked pretty damn good. And fries, while he was at it! Covered in cheese and more bacon.

His phone buzzed, snapping his attention from the menu and his food lust and back down to his phone. He narrowed his eyes at Jack’s message, sticking his lip out.

p good probs still gonna b late tonight tho.

Rhys heart fell, though he wasn’t sure what he expected. As the day went on and on, it grew less likely that Jack was going to surprise and spoil him with some lavish Valentine’s Day plans.

Just some Vday fluff! Modern AU where Rhys thinks Jack forgot what day it is, but he might not be totally correct... ;)

Jack was usually the one who made plans.

Dinners, hotels, flights—anything that needed a preemptive credit card payment. He knew enough about Rhys to make sure the kid’s tastes were always taken into question when he made arrangements, but he was still usually the one who had final say and, most importantly, put down the money.

So Rhys didn’t even bother making Valentine’s Day plans himself, figuring that Jack would take care of everything as he usually did. When he woke up on the morning itself, he found the bed empty and, with an eager little smile on his face, trundled down the stairs, expecting to find their entire kitchen flooded in decorations with the smell of french toast cooking on the stove—but instead he found nothing but the normal kitchen and the normal table and the normal breakfast of cereal and the normal Jack with his hair just barely mussed into place and his tie hanging still loose around his unbuttoned collar.

“G’morning, babe,” Jack waved to him idly as he leaned his hip against the counter, listening to the bubble of the coffee maker. Rhys shot him a slight smile, expecting Jack to say a little more, but he didn’t, instead turning away when the bubbling pot dinged. He grabbed his bright yellow mug from the cabinet and poured the coffee, blowing it a few times before drinking it black.

Rhys skirted around the kitchen, words dancing on the tip of his tongue as he watched Jack’s back. A quick scan of the counters and table found no sign of presents or cards or anything one might expect from their loved one on Valentine’s day. Rhys creased his brows in suspicion, wondering if he should be the first to break the silence on the holiday, but what if his presents were out in the living room? Jack was a reluctant morning person, always needing his coffee before he could pull together his humanity and drive to tackle the day—maybe Rhys’ gifts were out in the living room, and as soon as Jack was done having his coffee, he’d take him there.  

So he kept mostly quiet, pouring his cereal and eating it as he leaned up against the counter, watching Jack as he sipped down the rest of his coffee before upending the mug in the sink. Rhys smiled as Jack turned towards him, quickly swallowing the cereal in his mouth and setting the bowl on the counter—this was it.

Jack took his hands, grinned, and said—

“Do you know where my keys are, Rhysie?”

Rhys blinked, lips parting in confusion.

“I—ah, they’re by the plants” Rhys gestured dumbly behind him. Jack winked, sliding over to grab the keys from beside the little glass terrariums clustered by the sink (to best ensure watering.) Disappointment flooded through Rhys as Jack pocketed the keys, though he managed to recover his smile as Jack leaned back over and rubbed their noses together.    

“Love you, babe. I’ll see you after work, ‘kay?”

“Yeah?” Rhys brightened as Jack shrugged on his blazer, buttoning it over his stomach.

“Yeah. Might be a little late cause I got a meeting at like four, though. And you know how traffic is.”

“Oh.”  Rhys’ smile faltered. “Okay.”

Jack even kissed him goodbye like it was a normal day. No extra tongue or butt-grabbing or anything to show off Jack knew it was a special occasion, just a regular old peck on the lips. Rhys tried to keep his disappointment at bay as he waved Jack off, watching through the front windows as Jack’s car pulled down and out of the driveway, glossy finish reflecting the overcast sky as he drove off down the street and out of sight.

Rhys counted to five—watching and waiting to see if maybe Jack would figure it out, break to a halt and come barreling back with apologies and flowers and a pint of Rhys’ favorite ice cream. Or maybe the doorbell would ring and he’d be showered in flowers and a crisp invitation beckoning him to reservations at his favorite restaurant.

He waited a minute, two minutes. Three. Five. His only reward was more silence and the distant honking of a car alarm.

Rhys sighed, sticking out his lower lip as he it grew less and less likely that Jack was going to give him a morning surprise. He kept his attention on his phone, waiting on an apologetic text as he tossed out the now soggy cereal and went to grab some coffee, happy to find his boyfriend had at least had the foresight to brew a full pot of coffee and not drink at all.

Jeez. He was so lucky.

Rhys’ lunch hour offered another cup of coffee and a trip down to the food trucks that clustered in the plaza behind the Atlas building. He slipped his phone out of his pocket as he walked out into the sun, the smell of cooking meat and sizzling cheese filling his nose as he open up his text message. His stomach plummeted as he saw nothing from Jack—no “oh crap, I’m sorry I forgot Valentine’s Day Rhys, please forgive me!” or even any kind of cryptic message that might lead Rhys down the rabbit hole of hope to at least stave off the crawling disappointment for the rest of the day and actually allow him to get some work on instead of dwelling on the fact that his boyfriend was a huge jerk and seriously how could Jack forget Valentine’s Day?

Rhys huffed, his laptop bag bouncing uncomfortably against his hip as he got into line for his favorite truck, hoping he could distract himself with food. His fingers danced over his phone screen as he shuffled behind a businessman talking loudly on his bluetooth, skating out a couple of messages only to delete them seconds later.

He finally bit the bullet and tapped something out, hitting send as his heart leapt.

Hows work going?

He looked up, blindly fidgeting with his phone as he scanned the menu pasted to the side of the truck’s concession window. It sold mostly burgers and fries and usually Rhys opted for the dressed salad and patty nudged in the customary paper basket, but today….

Today that double cheeseburger with grilled onions and bacon lardons looked pretty damn good. And fries, while he was at it! Covered in cheese and more bacon.

His phone buzzed, snapping his attention from the menu and his food lust and back down to his phone. He narrowed his eyes at Jack’s message, sticking his lip out.

p good probs still gonna b late tonight tho.

Rhys heart fell, though he wasn’t sure what he expected. As the day went on and on, it grew less likely that Jack was going to surprise and spoil him with some lavish Valentine’s Day plans.

Oh ok. See you later.

Rhys sighed and put his phone back into his pocket, crossing his arms tightly over his chest.

He could really use that burger.

Rhys pushed himself into work as soon as he finished his lunch break, trying to bury himself in numbers and code to forget about how pissed he was at his boyfriend. Unfortunately, the burger wasn’t sitting particularly well with him, his stomach gurgling and twisting and forcing him to go to the bathroom an embarrassing amount of times.

Rhys couldn’t very well blame his indigestion on Jack, but he was going to do it anyway.

He actually ended up getting off early—whether it was because he’d actually finished enough work, or if his boss had noticed his sullen mood and traitorous stomach—which would’ve been great on a normal day, or if he had plans to night, but considering he had nothing going on but bad feelings he really didn’t want to go home just to sit and wait around and watch television as he waited for Jack to finally get back from his job.

He glumly dragged himself to his car, stomach still turning from the remains of the burger as he slid into the driver’s seat. He checked his phone anyway, even though he hadn’t felt it buzz since Jack had messaged him back during lunch.

Of course, there was nothing. Rhys hissed, tossing his phone into the passenger’s seat as he started up the car.

The endless stop-start of fledgling rush hour traffic hammered further into his annoyance. Any patience he had left was stretched to its breaking point, and when the car in front of him stopped abruptly short and nearly sent his car sailing into its bumper he finally snapped, slapping the steering wheel in frustration and shouting so loud the reverb from his car doors left his ears ringing.

Finally, finally he peeled off the freeway and sailed into his neighborhood, any of his typical cursory respect for the suburban speed limit replaced by his need to be home and properly stewing in a nest of blankets and ice cream. Maybe he’d even break into Jack’s liquor cabinet and crack into that bottle of Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon he kept saying he was saving for a special occasion. It would really show him, and Rhys could get properly sloshed and forget about how every other couple in the neighborhood was probably already well on their way to their Valentine’s plans.

He dragged his feet up to the door, the clenching indigestion in his stomach replaced by a bitterness that soured all the way up to his chest. The porch light flicked on, even as the sun just barely started to set besides him. He wrinkled his nose, wondering just how late Jack would end up being. It wasn’t exactly uncommon for him to stay up working way past the time Rhys needed to go to bed if Hyperion so demanded his expertise.

Rhys sighed, adjusting the weight of his laptop bag against his shoulder as he opened the front door.

And then the air exploded.

Rhys squeaked as a pop resounded through his ears and he threw his hands up—terrified he’d accidentally run into a home intruder who was about to plug a bullet in his skull—only for a shower of glittery pink and red and white confetti rained down on him above. It drenched him like snow, catching in the folds of his clothes and peppering his hair as he gaped at the state of his house.

The entire foyer was draped in streamers, crisscrossing the ceiling of the entryway. The path  leading off towards the rest of his home was lined with twinkling baby pink fairy lights that guided Rhys eye, inviting him to explore the sudden festive dream that he’d suddenly been tossed into.

Glittery confetti shook from his clothes, leaving a garish trail behind him as he carefully stepped through the foyer. He took a deep breath, inhaling the smell of vanilla and strawberry the walls had been painted with. Beneath that, he could just barely detect the scent of broiling meat and steaming veggies, an odd savory smell undercutting the saccharine aroma that was choking the air inside the home.

Just when he was thinking that some crazy interior designer had broken into his house and drenched the entire thing in cloying decorations, he rounded the corner into the living room to find it in a similar state—draped in streamers, lights, heart-shaped balloons and confetti—but with Jack standing right in the center by the coffee table in a pristine white suite and pink shirt and a blood red tie that somehow still made him stand out even with the glut of similar colors stuffed all around him.

So, not a crazy person. Just Jack.

“Oh my god,” Rhys put his hands up to his face, cheeks blushing to match the decorations as he walked towards his boyfriend on numb legs, completely bowled over in surprise. Jack’s grin grew, knowing and devilish as he opened his arms wide, inviting Rhys in.

The tension in his chest now completely undone, Rhys quickly fell into his boyfriend’s embrace, burying his face against Jack’s shoulder. He inhaled deeply, rubbing his nose against the white fabric—Jack was wearing that cologne that Rhys endlessly expressed that he loved, the one that’d been discontinued, Jack explained, and thus needed to be rationed out for special occasions only.

“Easy, kid, don’t get your snot on the tux, it’s new,” Jack chuckled as he patted Rhys’ back. The young man snorted, lifting his head from Jack’s shoulders as he rubbed a hand over his nose, sniffling as he glanced at his boyfriend.  

“Sorry, I just….well, this morning, you didn’t so…I mean, I thought…”

“What? You didn’t think I really forgot, did ya?” Jack’s grin spread, eyes twinkling with mirth. “That’s so not like me.”

“I mean….I didn’t….I just….” Rhys stammered, still a little overwhelmed by the pink and red whirlwind that had stormed through their house, coupled with the fact that Jack had remembered what day it was, after all.

He shook his head, a relieved smile finally curling on his lips.

“Should have trusted you’d pull something out of your ass.”

“Out of my ass?” Jack balked, scandalized. “Rhysie, pumpkin, do you think you can just go to the store and get five pounds of confetti on Valentine’s Day? Not to mention everything else? This—“ he gestured about, “—was all planned weeks in advance.”

Rhys chuckled, turning his chin down to pick a bit of confetti off of his shirt.

“I guess you’re right…I’m a little surprised you didn’t get confetti in the shape of your face…” He squinted at the glittery little piece between his fingers. “It’s not, isn’t it?”

Jack hissed under his breath.

“Aw, damn, that would have been a great idea!” He snapped his fingers in mock frustration. “Gonna have to get those for my birthday.”

“Guess I’ll have to remember to order it custom when that time comes.” Rhys bumped his hips closer to Jack’s, lifting his arms to wrap them properly around his boyfriend’s shoulders. He swayed him softly, to the tune of the romantic music drifting from the unusually subdued stereo, as Jack’s hands rubbed along Rhys’ hips and tugged at the hem of his shirt.

“There’s a change of clothes hanging for ya in the hall closet, baby,” Jack breathed over his ear, “why don’t you go slip into that before we have dinner?”

“Jack, no—“

“Don’t worry, it’s something tasteful,” Jack snickered as he pulled away, hand lifting from Rhys’ hip to take his chin in hand, thumb tip rubbing tenderly against his lower lip, “which isn’t to say I don’t have some other surprises set up for when we make it up to the bedroom.”

Rhys shivered as Jack’s thumb darted ever so briefly between the warm break between his lips. Maybe it was the smell of braising steak that’d whet his palate, but he almost stuck his tongue out to get a taste of Jack’s finger.

Easy.

“Food first,” Rhys stated as Jack released his chin, though he still trailed his finger down the bob of Rhys’ throat, “I definitely want you to pamper me with your cooking before i have to do all the work in bed.”

Jack rolled his eyes.

“I’m gonna make you eat those words, cupcake. But only after you eat everything I’ve been slaving over all afternoon.”

He patted Rhys’ back, turning and nudging him in the direction of the hall closet, where Rhys indeed found a perfectly tailored suit instead of some kind of gaudy novelty lingerie. It matched Jack’s with the exception of the bright blue shirt that made him truly stand out against the clusterfuck of Valentine’s colors that had consumed his house.

Rhys questioned the practicality of white suits considering they were about to sit down to a meal of steak no doubt slathered in one of Jack’s signature sauces, but as Rhys strode out and smiled at his boyfriend and took his hand and let him kiss him and dote on him and lead him to the perfectly set dining room table where Jack had already cracked open the Screaming Eagle and poured it out into their glasses, and as they both sit down to a meal softly lit by candlelight, Rhys finally says it.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Jack.”

Jack chuckled as he pulled out Rhys’ chair, kissing him on the temple as he sat down.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Rhysie.”