#i'm actually leaning towards operators

[etheries1015]

after learning Silver uses a BAR OF SOAP to wash his hair...AND wanting to wish him a happy birthday, I decided he must be pampered with a...little spa day, and something a little special near the end <3 Happy birthday, Silver!!

General warnings: gender neutral reader

Upon visiting Silver in his dorm for a small birthday celebration and finding out the unfortunate truth behind his hair-washing habits, you were quick to insist you take him out shopping or teach him the ways of proper hair care.

"I had no clue it wasn't normal to just use a bar of soap," Silver shrugged, "As long as it makes me clean, right?"

"Just hearing you say that hurts," you joked exasperatedly, "I feel it's my duty now to train you in the ways of making your hair clean and feel like you're touching a cloud."

"Well," Silver pondered, "I guess it wont hurt to learn."

"Perfect!" You jumped up from your seat, the Diasomnia lounge, "you guys are done here, right?" Lilia looked as startled as Silver at your sudden outburst, before taking a glance at the already eaten birthday cake and open presents that lay out on the table.

"I suppose it is time to retire, I have a gaming session happening soon anyways," Lilia pointed out, before a sly smile crawled upon his lips and looking at you with a glint of mischief in his eyes, "Feel free to take him!"

"Take me?" Silver perked up, sitting up straight. Giving an...unsettling cackle and grabbing Silvers hands, you began to pull him up and urge him to follow you.

"Perfect. Yes, i'm kidnapping you. Remember, I told you that I left my present for you at Ramshackle anyways. AND this is a perfect opportunity for me to initiate my next mission..."

"Mission...?" you heard Lilia sing his goodbyes and waved a quick farewell to the other members of Diasomnia, before dragging Silver out the door and towards the direction of the hall of mirrors.

"Operation: spoil the birthday boy with a spa day!"

Wearing the world's softest robe you had let him use, Silver dosed off a few times after being completely pampered like a princess, and not as a result of his typical condition. You messaging his scalp was probably the most heavenly thing he had felt in a long time, the way your fingers worked on his head left his eyes fluttering shut. He was honestly sad when he realized he had fallen asleep and missed half of the process, but he could still feel your touch linger on his head and immensely enjoy the newfound softness of his silver locks.

You woke him up when you had placed a cool face mask on him, and fell asleep once more when you had started to massage his tense shoulders and cut his nails... He felt like floating on clouds, and those clouds also smelled like you.

"It's nice..." Silver hummed, eyes fluttering open watching you finish filing one of his nails, "You have a very nice scent. I would like to know where you get your hair products," He smiled at you.

"We can find you a scent that suites you more," you offered, "every person has their own unique scent! I'm sure with some time, we can find the perfect one for you." However, Silver shook his head in earnest. It was much more romantic than he probably intended, yet he leaned forward and took a light smell of your also freshly washed hair.

"I like your scent," he smiled, "besides, it would be nice to share something similar, right? So when we aren't together, there's always a piece of you there. You also convinced me that hair care is more important than I gave it credit for..."

Your face took a rosy hue, you groaned in embarrassment, covering your face with your hands.

"You're so...cheesy! You don't need my shampoo and conditioner to be reminded of me, I actually...got you...something. For your birthday." Silver raised a curious eyebrow and tilted his head with widened eyes.

"I thought you spoiling me with a little 'spa' was my birthday gift? you've already spoiled me plenty, I don't need-"

"Of course that's not all I have planned!" You exasperated, pushing Silver down onto the couch in Ramshackle lounge, "Wait here." Sprinting away, you were back almost as fast as you had left, in your hands you held a small box obviously held for some type of accessory. Taking it gracefully, Silver opened the box to reveal a silver bracelet adorned with...

"Acorns?" Silver asked startled, holding up the bracelet and examining it with curious and starry eyes.

"I saw the one you made for Lilia," You pointed out shyly, "Out of real acorns. I thought of making one myself for you, too...but, I wanted something a little more durable, something you can wear more often. If...you don't mind accessories." You hid your hands behind your back fidgeting with your fingers nervously, before a smile spread ear to ear and cheeks rose with a blush from the male. He gripped the bracelet with eagerness, and you swore the bright look on his face would surely give the sun some competition.

"I love it," Silver replied with a voice dripping in enthusiasm, "I won't be able to wear it while I'm training, but I'll be sure to have it on at all times. I'll take great care of it, thank you." You were visibly relieved, chuckling and bringing your hands to your front as you revealed an exact match of the same bracelet you had just given him.

"i'm glad, otherwise it would have been pretty embarrassing to wear a matching bracelet with nobody actually matching with me..." Silver stared with wide auroral orbs, mouth ajar upon seeing it. "So...we have something to share! Just like you were talking about before, right?"

Engulfing you in a hug after putting on the accessory in one fell swoop, Silver couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of affection for the prefect of ramshackle dorm. He squeezed you tightly, yet not enough to harm you. You smiled and returned the hug in full, chuckling at his sudden display of fondness.

"This has been a wonderful birthday," Silver said, "Thank you, truly. I will remember this day for a very, very long time." leaning into his touch, you pushed aside the urge to tell him he was overreacting, and took the honest boys words at face value.

"Of course...Happy birthday, Silver!"

[syefiles]

𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬: office activities with alhaitham, zhongli, and diluc. 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: a little ooc with zhongli's part, reader is afab, semi public sex, adultery in zhongli's part, nothing too explicit, semi food play with diluc, no actual sex, let me know if there's more to add ! 𝐚/𝐧: hiyaa ! my requests are open for thirsts, fic ideas etc. ‹𝟹 also play miniskirt by aoa [] this was so bad im sorry

⋆ 𝓐lhaitham — 512 words.

you walked to alhaitham's office, holding a stack of blank contracts regarding his work. as you approached his door, you were delighted by some of your coworkers, waving and greeting you with good mornings. your black heels stopped at the front of his wooden door, as you took a moment to pull up your miniskirt, showing a little peek of your thighs with the black tights you were wearing.

you knocked on his door, a slight twinge of nervousness making your palms sweat. boss haitham wasn't up for small talk and wasn't a fan of long conversations either. as usual, he spends his days in his office and comes out occasionally for a cup of coffee.

''come in.'' he said, your hands twisted the doorknob to finally reveal the state he was in. his hair was messy, empty cups here and there, but all organized in one spot. he glanced up at you while you turned around to close the door, noticing how you swayed your hips.

''did you miss me?'' you asked him, walking up to his sad desk, and placing another pile of papers. you walk to the side of his table, taking all of the empty paper cups and stacking them on each other. ''do you ever come out of your office?'' ''when did you learn how to behave like that?'' he rebutted, staring at the loose button on your dress shirt, revealing a small sight of your cleavage.

''what do you mean?'' you ask, leaning on the desk, giving him a better view. he sighed and looked away, sorting the freshly printed stack of contracts you placed on his table. ''you know what i mean,'' he said, taking the cap off of his pen to start signing away again.

he was gone for 5 days, away on a trip to somewhere he didn't mention to anyone for a meeting with an important client. even though he treats everyone in his building like total crap.

it would be an understatement if you said you missed him. after all, you were his favorite. ''i just wanted to check up on you as your loyal operative,'' you said, going behind his chair and turning it around to face you. ''i'm busy.'' he warned, as your finger hooked his tie, pulling him towards you, straddling him.

''aw, i thought we could have some fun.'' you said, playing with his navy tie and silver buttons. his hands moved on instinct, placing both hands on your waist. he lifted you up and placed you on his desk, your miniskirt lifting up to give a view of your inner thigh.

''how does it feel?'' he mutters, unbuttoning the buttons left on your dress shirt. three of your colleagues walked past his office, thankfully his blinds were closed. you heard them laughing, probably talking about some random stuff that occurred to them in their day. ''acting like a slut to your coworkers frequent?''

he slips a hand under your shirt and fondled your boob. ''then, i'll make sure they know how needy you are for me.''

⋆ 𝓩hongli — 440 words.

zhongli was also a prolific worker, never seen tired or with eyebags coming out of his office. some would say he wasn't the one doing all of his work and had someone that does it for him.

it wouldn't be that surprising, considering his building looks like it came out of marvel. he would visit your little corner sometimes and would claim it was just for ''inspection''.

''how's that paper going?'' he asked, watching you from behind eagerly. you jump at his sudden approach, but you continue working. ''it's going great.'' you reply, your hand evidently shaking on your mouse. zhongli sighs, setting his cup of tea on your desk and leans in from behind.

your boss only had eyes on you. whenever you came to deliver papers to him in his office, purposely making you come back and forth to his space every so often.

some of your coworkers joke that you were hired as his maid, not his employee. but, that didn't sound half bad. you didn't mind being at his beck and call whenever he wanted, as long as he promised to hide it from everyone else.

thankfully, zhongli was good at it. small pecks here and there, light squeezes on your ass, his eyes were anchored to you and you only. you didn't know what you two were. you heard of these before, friends with benefits? no, you two have never even fucked yet.

you could feel him breathing as his hand landed on top of yours on the mouse. ''it's ctrl+d, darling.'' he spoke, doing the command flawlessly on your keyboard. his neck was close enough to your face, his strong versace eros making you clench your thighs. ''ah.. i forgot...'' you mutter, instantly distracted by scent.

his authority over you only made you wetter and crumble under him. this is wrong, you thought. a lot more because his wife talked to his employees in the other room, sharing laughter and smiles. a part of you was filled with regret, all of these moments you two share were forbidden;

but it only made your head spin more.

he hummed, his hand tightening around yours. ''be quiet for me.'' for a split second you were wondering what he was talking about. suddenly, you felt his warm breath on your neck. ''w-what?'' you ask, your breathing becoming rigid. ''try not to make noises, alright?'' he nips at your skin, occasionally licking and kissing here and there.

your hand landed on his head, gripping his hair, your mouth letting out a small moan that only he could hear. he whispered on your skin, ''good fucking girl.''

⋆ 𝓓iluc— 699 words.

ragnvindr was intimidating. he never spoke to anyone, and never needed anyone's help, he was a lone wolf when he worked. he's always the first one to arrive, the last to leave.

he was never interested in any celebration his employees would have, even if it would be his birthday. he prioritizes his work, but you knew a side of him no one else does. behind closed doors, his headstrong and fierce attitude was contrasted with his caring and subtle side.

he called your number and asked you to bring his delivered food from the lobby to his office. it wasn't out of the ordinary that your boss only eats once a day, many of his employees would bring him food but offer it to someone else instead.

''understood,'' you reply, leaving your chair and taking the elevator. his building was big and modern, a big sign with his brand tattooed on the front of it. you head down to the lobby and see the delivery guy.

''for y/n?'' your eyebrows knit together in confusion, but you take the food anyway. you could smell the scent of it from miles away. you walk up to the elevator and press floor 5, pondering why your boss would name it to you.

nonetheless, you make your way to his office, but a few of your coworkers are interested. ''hey n/n! is that for us?'' your friend jokes, as he waves to you. ''nope, you've already eaten all of the snacks sir ragnvindr provided.'' your friend scoffs at your joke, then giving you a smile as you smile back.

you finally reach his doorstep, knocking subtly. ''it's open.'' the man says from his desk, giving you permission lazily. you open the door. ''good afternoon, i have brought your food.'' you voice, walking up to his table to set the paper bag down.

''have you eaten yet?'' he asked, but you smiled. ''i'm full at the moment, but i appreciate your concern-'' ''sit,'' he demanded, you pulled the chair out of the table and sat across him. you were confused, first, he named the food after you, which isn't normal. usually, the name would be the company's name or his, but this time it was yours.

you were eager to know, but you kept silent in the meantime. he took out the sticky honey roast from the paper bag and took the plastic knife, slicing it in halves. your mouth waters at the sight, of your favorite food ever.

''eat with me.'' he asked, he grabbed the two places he must've requested from the restaurant and placed one in front of you. ''sir, i have work to do. i cannot take breaks in your office while my coworkers are out there working-'' diluc sighed, putting two slices of the roast on your plate.

''i heard this was your favorite,'' he said, completely disregarding what you said, as you smiled in defeat. diluc didn't waste time to take a bite out of it before you, a sparkle in his eye appearing from the taste. you cut out a piece and ate it, not noticing the honey spread on the corner of your lips.

diluc had noticed, ''come here.'' he asked. you tilt your head in confusion, ''why?'' ''just come here.'' you leaned on the table and faced him, your faces inching close to each other. his hand trailed on your cheek, rubbing his thumb on it, as it wandered down to your lip.

he scooped up the honey off the corner and licked it off clean. ''tastes sweet,'' he remarked, while his hand placed itself behind your neck, pulling your face in for a kiss. it was nice, slow, and passionate. you tasted the honey in his mouth, and you were sure he tasted it in yours too.

your hands landed on his shoulders, latching onto him as the kiss deepened further. you can see from the window the view of the paparazzi outside of the building and many people scattered around to take pictures beside it.

he then pulled away, licking his lips once more to savor your taste. ''but, you are sweeter. come here and let me feast on you.''

©adourly 5/11/2024 - do not copy, translate, modify my works.

[bonefall]

Did Curlpaw's mentor encourage her associations with strength? Was it a good mentor-apprentice bond?

I want to connect much of Curlfeather's dark sense of honor to the absolute carnage she's witnessed over the course of her life, beginning with the Battle of the True Eclipse. Since I'm making her slightly older to be an apprentice who took part in the battles firsthand, it follows that her first major loss should be during that fight.

The RiverClan Family Tree I made was actually the first big one I did, and one thing I kinda regret is that I removed Dapplenose. I'm gonna bring her back in my next draft, and have her be Curlfeather's first mentor.

Dapplenose was kind and sweet. Friendly towards outsiders and a natural storyteller, she would have started Curlpaw's apprenticeship gently. It was important to her that she not only taught her how to fight, but also to appreciate the history of RiverClan and its culture.

Curlpaw felt unprepared for the maelstrom of fury that the Dark Forest warriors brought to the Lake in the devastating second wave. It was CHAOS. Being able to make pottery didn't help her survive, only the battle training did. When the screeching stopped and the demons retreated to regroup, Dapplenose was just one of the corpses.

It's the practical knowledge that Dapplenose taught which Curlfeather retained; How to structure a speech, insight to the overall functions of Clan operations, and that gentleness will get you killed.

She wasn't nearly old enough to become a warrior by that point, so Mistystar had to assign her a second mentor. Curlpaw seems like the sort of person who would have told her grandmother directly that she wanted someone more strict. Mistystar would have obliged.

There's a couple of good candidates, but I'm leaning towards Duckfur. Xey're one of the most practical, intelligent warriors in the Clan, and someone who quickly swung over to Mistystar's side when Leopardstar ""was killed by rogues."" Duckfur's Machiavellian "might makes right" philosophy, combined with xeir regret about TigerClan feels like something that would have contributed to Curlfeather's ruthless honor.

Plus, I've been meaning to give xem some more relevancy, I just think xey're neat.

To answer you directly; Curlfeather considers her bond with both mentors to have been good ones. She would have stayed close to Duckfur until the day xey died. I might even bring Duckpaw BOTC back and have them be Curlfeather's first apprentice.

[xjaylyn]

PART 2 - Bad Boys: Second Chances

Pairing: Armando x Black! OC (Rya)

Warnings: blood, graphic, guns, death, mature, language (use of the n word), and some other stuff I probably forgot about sorry

Summary: Its been two years since Captain Conrad was framed. Another mission brings the team back together and new relationships are formed. It's said everyone deserves second chances and room to grow. So maybe this is that second chance.

a/n: Its a long chapter this one

Walking into the precinct, the two partners were immediately met by their captain waiting for them at their desks. Rita nodded her head towards the conference room, causing them to look into the room. There stood four different department leads, all looking over and discussing whatever was in their files.

"What's going on? Why we got the whole government and they momma here?" Waving his hand toward the room, Marcus looked back at Rita, visible stress apparent on her face.

"That's what I'm figuring out now. All I know is that there are a few murders that we have to look into," Rita said, shaking her head and walking towards the conference room. The two detectives followed close behind.

"Well, ain't that what homicide is for? We investigate and handle narcotics."

Opening the door, the three officers stepped into the room, causing the group of leads to look at them. A tall middle-aged man stepped up and handed them all a file.

"Thank you for joining us. I'm Chief Paul Nicola of Homicide. Take a seat, please."

The three officers looked at each other for a moment before taking their seats at the table. "This is going to be a brief description of a case we have been investigating for the past 60 years," Paul said while walking to the end of the table.

A low whistle came from Mike, a confused look on his face. "60 years? And y'all ain't tell nobody? Why are we just getting involved?"

"We have only been studying, no action or busts have been involved. It's the most complex and biggest case we have ever worked on. Even the military is involved. Actually, every department of the law has been involved."

"What exactly is going on? No one has actually answered this simple question… why you bring us in?" Marcus backed his partner, dropping the file on the table.

Clearing his throat, Paul opened the file and took out an envelope of pictures, lining them up on the table. "For the past 60 years, there has been an increase in under-the-table deals. Criminals and serial killers have been on the rise, and taking of children and trafficking has become common. Technology and information have become more advanced and accessible."

Looking at the pictures, there were numerous photos of different faces, some they recognized from past cases they had worked on, others unknown. Some photos were of missing children, crime scenes, evidence, and locations. It was a mess of all the cases the government had worked on, all together in one file.

"Almost every case we have worked on for the past 60 years is somewhat connected. Mike and Marcus, the drug busts you both have operated for the past 20-plus years have all been connected to an even bigger case. Some wars our military has been in are all connected. The murders, the victims, the invasions, everything has been fucking connected this whole time. You understand what I'm saying?" Paul leaned on the table, looking at all the officers.

Stepping back to catch his breath, Paul scanned the room one final time, tilted his head down, pinched the bridge of his nose, and slightly chuckled. "We finally have someone from the inside working with us. She is willing to give us information as long as we help her with one thing."

"Now hold on," Marcus scoffed. "You telling me everything we all have ever worked on for the past 60 years is all tied together in one big-ass mess?" Marcus leaned back, waving his arms around, then leaned forward on the table. "And you have some random female saying she can help because she has 'information' with a case y'all have been studying for 60 years in exchange for something strange."

"She was captured by the military in the middle of a mission regarding this case. We know that she is involved with whatever is going on. This is the most we have come up with in 60 years, so yes, we are taking this chance, and you two will work with her."

"Oh wow, that's great. Work with an informant. We love that, don't we, Marcus?" Mike looked at his partner with a smirk on his face. Marcus just shook his head and leaned back in his chair.

"We will keep you all updated while we work this case. You can pick her up tomorrow." Paul and the others all nodded their heads and left the room. Closing the door, Rita looked at the two detectives.

"Well, we're going to need all the help we can get. I'll call in AMMO, and uh, Mike, you have business in Virginia to take care of. I'll give you the address," Rita said while pulling out her phone.

"Me? I don't got no business in Virginia," Mike denied, pointing at himself.

Looking up briefly, Rita nodded her head. "Yes, you do. Look, I'm not supposed to tell you, but AMMO and I have been tracking Armando. He's currently in Virginia, keeping a low profile. We need you to pick him up. He might know something, and he was a good help on the last mission. I sent you the address." Putting her phone back in her pocket, she grabbed a file off the table and walked out of the room.

"So a road trip to Virginia, huh?" Marcus looked at his partner, staring at nothing.

So he's alive and well…in Virginia…this whole time. Shaking his head, Mike could only think about how Armando might be doing. Is he back in the streets? Does he have somewhere to stay? Why do I only see him when we need help on a mission? It was like falling into a rabbit hole when it came to his son.

"Aye Mike, come on. You can ask all the questions when we get there."

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

…VIRGINIA…13 HOURS LATER…

"You coming in?"

"Nah, but get me a large chocolate shake with whipped cream and sprinkles and a uhhh patty melt with a large fry."

"Marcus, you not eating in my car. I'm going to the bathroom, and we out," Mike said, getting out of the car.

The two had stopped 30 minutes from their destination at a burger place on the side of the road. Walking in, Mike noticed only two people sitting down in the small place. Heading to the bathroom, he passed by a couple of booths.

After doing his business, he walked out and noticed a man sitting in the booth facing his way. Furrowing his brows, he kept walking, staring at the man, then he saw those eyes look up at him.

They stared at each other for a second before his son rolled his eyes, dropped his food, and leaned back into the booth. "How'd you find me?"

Sliding into the booth, Mike ignored the question. "How are you?" Feeling his chest tighten, he couldn't help but feel every emotion he had held in these past couple of years. He had sent his son on a raggedy boat, bleeding out with nothing.

"I'm alive…keeping low," Armando answered briefly. "How'd you find me?" he questioned one more time, squinting his eyes at the man in front of him.

"That doesn't matter. Have you been working? Got a place to stay? What do you mean by keeping low?" Mike pressed further.

Armando just stared at his father. He noticed a pattern early on. Mike only comes to him when he needs help on a job. Granted, that was a way to lessen his sentence, but he's on the run now. Why try to bring him back in if it will only land him back in jail?

"Why are you here?" Armando questioned, leaning forward.

Silence fell upon the two as Mike looked out the window. "We need your help on a mission."

There it is. Armando chuckled, nodding his head. "Yeah, I figured. The answer's no. I barely have anything here, but I'd rather this than go back in a fucking cell, and what, nine months off a life sentence?" he gritted, causing Mike to look at him.

"Listen, I know how it sounds, but son—"

"Armando," interrupting his father. Armando looked him in the eye with a straight face, irritation starting to form within him.

Mike sighed and dropped his hands on the table. Calmly picking up where he left off, "-Armando…we do this one last mission. If it's successful, you're a free man. I promise you, just trust me, this mission will drop it all and you can go wherever you want…you can live your life however you want."

"And if it fails?"

Mike stared back into his son's eyes. "I'll get you out. Before anyone can get you, you'll be long gone, and I won't bother you again, but you'll still be on the run…limited."

Falling back, Armando knew he could trust his father. The man has been trying to help him in every way he can. And if this mission succeeds, then he can start over. Fuck it. Picking up a fry, "Fine…but we need to stop at my place first."

"Ok, thank you. Pack up your food; you can eat in the car."

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

"Damn, is the man taking a shit? I knew we shouldn't have eaten those burritos. I told him his ass would be on fire," Marcus mumbled, shaking his head. Looking out the car window, he saw his partner with someone walking beside him toward the car. Squinting a little, he noticed the man as his nephew.

"Well, I'll be damned…the kid's alive."

The doors to the car opened, and Mike and Armando got into the car. Armando, noticing his dad's partner in the front seat, rolled his eyes, already knowing the man's antics.

"Well, I'm glad to see you too, nephew," Marcus smiled, then looked up at Mike. "See, I told you he'd be fine. He's just like his damn father, can't fucking die."

Armando listened to the two banter and opened his bag of food, taking out a fry and biting into his burger. All of a sudden, he heard Marcus dramatically gasp.

"Oh-ohhh, MIKE, HE EATING IN YO CAR!" Marcus yelled, pointing back at Armando, looking at Mike driving. Mike glanced at Marcus, "Yeah? So let him eat."

Marcus's mouth dropped, and he dramatically leaned back with his hand on his chest. "MICHAEL, SO HE CAN EAT IN YO CAR, BUT WHEN I TRY, IT'S A PROBLEM."

In the back seat, Armando smirked, watching his father and uncle go back and forth. Taking another bite of his burger, a piece of lettuce and sauce dropped on the seat.

"MIKE, LOOK, HE MAKING A MESS."

"Marcus, shut the hell up. Give him a napkin. He can wipe it when he's done."

"Oh-oh, see, that's cold, Michael. That's some cold shit, Mike…we been boys since wayyy back, and I can't eat in your car?! I feel like we ain't boys no more," Marcus shook his head with a disgusted look on his face. "Some bullshit, I tell you…when you think you know someone," Marcus said, turning to look at the window.

Mike looked in the rear view to glance at Armando.

He's okay.

Tag list (lmk if you want to be added):

@blackgirlmagicforever @believeinthefireflies95 @wizewhispers

[bruhnze]

Remember when i dressed up as a cop - Lucy Bronze x Ona Batlle

Summary: kinda just plotless smut.. well a bit of plot, Ona thinks Lucy's new title is hot af.

Warnings: smut, roleplay, explicit language, minors DNI

Wordcount: 3k

Disclaimer: i don't know anything about doctors, so if this is very inaccurate i'm sorry xx.

Disclaimer 2: this is kinda cringe, atleast it was to write it so it better be enjoyed by atleast one of you!!!

Based on this request , hope it was a bit like you expected.

Remember when i dressed up as a cop.

It was just after the summer, after the busy start of the club seasons, Lucy and Ona had finally found a few days in which they could be together.

Ona had traveled to London and toured Lucy's house the night before but they had been too tired for anything else.

They had fallen asleep completely entangled, but when Ona woke up the bed was empty and she heard Lucy messing around in the kitchen.

Ona wanted to grab a large shirt to wear from Lucy's closet, when she was rummaging around looking for one that she always liked, she saw a framed object in the walk-in closet.

[Oh my god] Ona thought to herself when she saw what it was, the honorable doctorate that Lucy had received [fuck, she hadn't thought about it anymore after the day it had happened, she hadn't been able to go with Lucy that day, so appart from a Insta comment and some private texts there hadn't been much about it]

She chose a different shirt, a big plain white t-shirt and walked to the kitchen.

''Luccee?'' Ona asked in a sweet voice.

"Good morning baby, did you sleep well?" Lucy said as she stood in her boxers and sports bra making breakfast and putting it down on a tray.

''mhmm'' Ona said, looking at Lucy with a mischievous face.

''what? sorry I wasn't in bed, but I actually wanted to surprise you with breakfast in bed.'' Lucy turned around and looked apologetically at her girlfriend.

"Maybe I have a nice way for you to make it up," she said with a cheeky smile.

Only now did the Englishwoman realize what kind of mood Ona had woken up in, she herself had actually been ready to go last night, but she understanded that Ona had been tired from travelling so they had kept it at cuddling.

Lucy grinned and walked towards her, she put her hands under Ona's shirt and pulled her in for a kiss.

After a few seconds of kissing Ona pulled away "no wait''.

Lucy looked surprised ''oh, i thought you wanted''

''Oh yes, i do but I have an idea" Ona iinterupted her with blush creeping up her face ''if your up for it''.

''Im listening'' Lucy grinned.

''well'' ''uhm''

''you can say it babe, i wont laugh'' Lucy said as she looked at Ona encouragingly.

''remember when i dressed up as a cop?'' Ona started.

Lucy's smile and big eyes made Ona laugh ''well we're not going to do exactly that''

The taller woman pouted ''tease'' her eyes grew big again ''wait, you want me to be the cop?''.

Ona chuckled ''well no, the thing is.... you gained a new title recently that inspired me''.

Lucy couldn't immediately understand what One was after.

''I haven't been feeling so good lately'' Ona tried.

Lucy was still looking at her questioning, she felt stupid that she didn't get what Ona meant.

''might need some physical examination doc'' the Catalan wiggled her eyebrows.

''the doctorate?'' Lucy chuckled ''you know it's not like real doctor right?''.

''sshhh'' the shorter woman put her finger on Lucy's lips ''are you up for it or no?''.

''well most certainly, i have to make sure you are allright, that is my professional duty'' the Englishwoman said, immediately stepping into the role, afraid Ona would change her mind.

"Okay, I had an operation yesterday, as a doctor you are going to see how I am doing now, i will see you in a sec." Ona leaned to Lucy's ear ''and docs have clothes on by the way''.

Lucy grinned ''wow, you really thought about it'' ''wait what was the operation''.

Ona thought about it ''uhm i dont know, something minor''.

Lucy laughed ''didn't think it through that thoroughly after all''.

The smaller woman gave Lucy a stern look before heading towards the bedroom.

..

At the bed, Ona took off her panties and laid down in bed wearing only the large T-shirt.

It took a while for Lucy to come to the bed, when she did Ona looked at what she had put on.

She stood next to her in nice trousers and a white shirt with a large white blouse over it, she had a lanyard around her neck with a card with 'Lucy Bronze' on it, she also had a laptop and a measuring tape.

But the thing Ona liked most were the glasses sitting on Lucy´s face.

Lucy cleared her throat ''hello, miss. Batlle, im doctor Bronze, I did the operation and I am happy to say that it all went very well."

"oh that's good news doctor, you can call me Ona by the way"

''okay Ona, how did you sleep?''

''pretty good actually, the other patiënt in the room wasn't to much of a bother''.

''im glad'' Lucy said as she pretended to type something in her laptop ''mkay, we need to do some postoperative tests, do you think you're ready for that?''

''i'm so ready'' Ona teased with a smirk.

''Good, first some questions, on a scale of 1-10, how much pain are you experiencing right now?''

''uhm 0''

''did the nurse take you of the IV this morning or at night?''

''this morning, a second ago actually''

''understandable, don't forget to keep up with your painkillers now, you take them preventivally for the coming week, if your in pain you took it to late, don't lag behind the facts''

''yes doctor i will''

''good, have you peed yet?''

Ona chuckled ''yeah why?''

"Well, it's a mandatory question after the operation you have had, we need to know whether you experience any problems urinating after the operation."

''okay, uhm no, everything feels pretty okay down under''.

''good, we'll get to that later too''. ''okay, that were my questions, now some inspection, auscultation, percussion and palpation'' Lucy showed off her medical knowledge gained from her own injuries.

''Okay doc, i dont know what that is but i trust you'' Ona was secretly impressed but Lucy took the role a bit too serious for her liking, it was supposed to be a sexy roleplay, not an acting job. She took the covers off of her ''what do you need me to do?''.

''uhm, i need your to turn your back to me please miss. Batlle, uh Ona i mean''.

Ona shuffled in the bed and sat with her back to Lucy.

''oh'' doctor Bronze said ''i don't know what kind of gown they gave you, but this one doesn't have an open back, i need some space for my stethoscope''.

''uhm, i dont know, i woke up in this, i can take it of if that helps''

''that would help Ona, if you don't mind''.

Ona quickly took of the shirt, and sat up on her knees with her feet tucked under her butt, trying to make her behind look good for Lucy.

She felt a hand on her back ''very good Ona, it looks very good''. Lucy pretended to listen to Ona's heart ''heart sounds good and clear, you have a strong heart, your vitals were very good during the operation too, do you work out?''

''yes, i am a football player actually''.

''aha i see, very good, you won't be out of it very long, you can play again in a few weeks''

Ona turned around smiling ''thank you doctor''.

Lucy swallowed hard seeing her girlfriends chest, it felt different in this role, she almost felt like she was the doctor forreal and not her girlfriend. She blushed and looked away ''uhm, if you can step out of the bed we'll do some streching to test your mobility''.

''okay, can i put that gown back on?''

Lucy looked surprised and a bit dissapointed ''uh, yes ofcourse Ona''.

Ona stood up and put the shirt back on.

The English woman pretended to type some more on the laptop for the time it took Ona. ''good, first you have to try to make yourself as tall as possible, arms all the way up, if you feel any pain please tell me''.

Ona stretched, her T-shirt barely covering anything as her arms rose.

''good, if you don't mind i'm going to feel your hips, to check whether the joints are commensurate to each other''.

''okay''

Lucy put her hands on Ona's hips below her shirt, just like she had done earlier in the kitchen, only this time she was not kissing Ona, she wished she was kissing her right now, put she had to stay in her role for a bit longer. ''good that's all good, now please try and touch your toes if you can''.

''mhm, i can''.

''Okay Ona, i'll step behind you, take a look at your hamstrings allright?''

''yup'' Ona muttered while bending down, she cheekily pulled her shirt along so that her ass was completely exposed.

Lucy couldn't keep the low moan from coming out of her throat [damn] she thought [fuck i've missed this ass].

Lucy gently let her hands travel over her girlfriends ass.

The Spaniard smirked to herself, feeling the older woman appreciate her body, she wiggled her butt a little, trying to get more of a reaction.

Lucy spoke in a low voice ''fuck Ona'' her thumbs now grazing the line where Ona's butt conected to her thighs.

The taller woman kneeled down and kissed Ona´s hamstrings softly, she littered kisses all the way up to her butt.

Ona had trouble standing so long in the position she was in so she set a step forward and leaned on the bed.

Lucy stood back up and let her hands travel under the shirt that was already hitched up anyways, and felt Ona´s back muscles. ''your muscles are in great condition''.

Now the English woman was at Ona's shoulders making her front press against the Spaniards behind.

Ona stiffend [fuck did she really feel that] she wiggled a bit more to confirm her thoughts.

Lucy chuckled at Ona discovering the strap she had put on earlier.

Ona couldn't believe how long this was taking and almost regretted suggesting this, she missed having sex with Lucy and it had been way too long for her liking. And feeling the thing Lucy was wearing didn't help with that.

After a bit more feeling Ona up Lucy spoke again ''please lay on your back for me'' she said in a serious tone.

The Catalan listened hastily and quickly turned over, and now laid on her back, legs still over the bed.

''How do your groins feel?''

Ona blushed, she was a bit embarrassed to open up her legs knowing she was dripping wet.

''Ona?''

''uhm yeah, they feel fine''

Lucy chuckled ''can i take a look to confirm?''

''yeah'' Ona parted her legs slightly, only to be 'helped' by doctor Bronze, pulling them further apart.

The taller woman groaned as she let her thumbs glissade along Ona's inner thighs all the way up to her groins.

''okay looks good but i think were dealing with an unusual case here''

''unusual?''

''yeah, your lower region looks to be very .. uhm .. wet''.

Ona blushed ''Luce'' she said in a whiny voice as she pushed the woman away.

Lucy smirked ''doctor Bronze please, and if your up for it i would like to study this closer, i really haven't seen anything like it before, does this happen more often?''.

The Catalan rolled her eyes but thought about an answer ''uhm, well, i have never had a hot doctor''.

''oh''

''yeah''

''would you prefer another doctor?''

''uhm, no.. i think you can help me best''.

''okay, well, i'll need to study it a bit closer''

Ona nodded eagerly, her core was begging to be touched.

Lucy didn't waste time, she went straight for Ona's centre, lapping at the wetness that wass collected there ''fuck Ona i missed your taste so much''.

The shorter woman moaned, she couldn't even make a joke about how Lucy was supposed to be a doctor, instead she went for ''fuck doc, i missed you too''.

The English woman's head was bobbing frantically between Ona's legs, she took off her glasses for better access and laid them on the bedside table all while continuing to eat her girlfriend out, she had thought about this about a million times when they'd been apart so she wasn't about to waste a second of it.

''fuck'' Ona muttered as she gripped at Lucy's hair ''im so-

Lucy hummed and continued at the same pace, wanting her to come.

With a few more seconds Ona reached her climax, she dropped her head back on the mattress ''fuck i've missed you''.

After Lucy had cleaned her up she craweled over Ona, coming up to kiss her ''i've missed you too''

They shared a kiss, Ona loved tasting herself on Lucy's tongue, she had really missed this.

''em fas correr millor'' (you make me cum best).

Lucy laughed ''this was just a warm up baby''

''i know, but even that is wayy better than when i do it myself''

''do you now''

''what''

''know that this was just a preview''

Ona smirked ''yeah, i know what your capable of and i know what you're wearing''.

''i was just wearing that as an accessoire''.

''so you don't want to use it on me?''

''fuck'' Lucy gulped ''yeah i do''

''get undressed then''

Lucy laughed ''patient is not so patient it seems, might have to write that down''.

''Shut up, get naked and put those glasses back on''.

Lucy shot one eyebrow up, questioning Ona ''someone's got a thing for my glasses?''

Ona blushed ''yeah i just rediscovered it, totally forgot about those''.

The taller woman smirked as she stood up ''Well then I'll put them on for you, and you take of that shirt please, where did you even get that?''.

''in your closet, well i first wanted to take another shirt but then i saw that doctorate and then i thought about you as a doctor'' Ona stopped talking, looking at her girlfriend undress.

''And now we're here'' Lucy finished for her laughingly.

''you're not complaining are you?''

''no, not at all, anything but''

''good''

''still need you to take it of tho''

Ona stood up from the bed, facing the now naked Lucy, who was only wearing her strap and glasses now. ''you take it off''.

''because you ask so nicely'' Lucy joked as she slowly took Ona shirt off ''you just want me touching you'' she concluded as she felt Ona shiver below her touch.

Ona chuckled ''well you certainly have the brains to be a doctor''.

''how bold we are today, might wanna shut up before I bend you over that bed again''.

The Catalan blushed "Well, if it's doctor's orders."

Lucy gulped ''yeah it is''. Ona didn't even wait for Lucy to say that but turned around for the bed, she didn't lean on the bed like earlier, instead she kneeled on the bed and arched her back.

´´fuck, you know you look good huh´´

Ona didn´t reply, she only pushed herself more towards Lucy.

Lucy slowly rubbed the strap along Ona´s wet slit. ´´teasing me with all those pictures´´ when she had gathered enough wetness on the fake cock she lined up with Ona´s enterance ´´posting all those thirsttraps on Insta´´ she kneeded the flesh of Ona´s butt ´´you know you make me crazy´´.

´´fuck Lucy please´´ Ona pleaded as she tried to wiggle backwards, only to be restricted by Lucy´s hands.

Lucy chuckled ´´yeah what do you want´´.

´´fuck me luce´´

´´who´´

Ona gulped ´´fuck me doctor´´. ´´please´´.

´´that´s right´´ Lucy groaned as she slowly pushed inside.

The Catalan dropped her head on her forearms, finally feeling Lucy inside her, something she had been thinking, and even dreaming, about for weeks.

Lucy slapped Ona´s ass, the loud sound filled the room. Ona arched even more, Lucy knew her girlfriend liked it a little rough.

As she came to a steady pace, positioning herself so that she hit all Ona´s spots just like she knew made her feel good, she reached out for Ona´s neck.

Lucy gripped her neck thightly with her hand, the other one still on the shorter womans hip.

Ona moaned as she began to shake on her knees ´´i cant, i´m-

''You can cum baby, come for me'' Lucy cooed as while she picked up Ona so that she didn't fall.

Sounds muffled by the mattress left Ona's throat as she came undone.

Lucy slowly dropped her on the bed and gently pulled out, leaving a couple of kisses on Ona's back.

When Ona kept laying like that, in a position that couldn't possiblely look comfortable, as Lucy thought, she carefully put Ona on her back and scooted her over to the middle of the bed.

''you good?'' Lucy chuckled.

''fuck Lucy, so good''.

''i love you''

''i love you too''.

''we can we can live out all your fantasies today'' Lucy said as she leaned in to kiss her girlfriend.

Ona smiled ''do you know why i didn't like you saying miss. Batlle''

Lucy frowned ''what''

''when you were the doctor, i said you had to call me Ona''

''yeah''

''because i'd prefer another last name''.

---

THE END :)

[emelinstriker]

{Eternal Servants AU} Wukong & Macaque ♡ Obedience

Art drawn by me + the OC is mine... Also the mentioned OCs and the AU itself.

My LMK AU's first ever fic, lezgooo- :D

This one's mainly just showing off the relationship between the monkeys as well as the Reader. The AU actually does feature some input from that one OC group of mine, even if they mostly operate in the background. Some of them do occasionally show up. It wouldn't be one of my universes if they had no input since they're all connected by this group of individuals... A good example would be CM from Castle's Pet, if any of my ancient old Quotev/Wattpad Undertale X Reader fans are reading this.

[TL;DR] Just your monkeys being wholesome while murdering another demon.

♡ ~ Fluff ~ ♡

Seated on your throne, you sighed as you waited for your purple champion's return. You sent out Macaque to retrieve an ancient artifact a demon stole from your palace's storage. Usually it wouldn't take him long to hunt someone down. After all, he was used to tracking down any that would oppose you and would bring them to justice. However, something must've happened since he obviously wasn't back yet. This was highly unusual for either one of your champions.

'Did he get into an accident?', you thought to yourself, now getting worried.

Your blue champion seemed to notice your sudden change in mood. He didn't even need to feel it through your eternal bond, he could just tell by looking at your concerned expression. He leaned down a bit as he obediently stood next to your throne, looking at you with his void black eyes. "Master, is something bothering you?"

You turned your head a bit to look at him. "It's just... Where's Macaque?"

"Unfortunately, I'm not sure whether or not he's still occupied with the thief." He responded flatly with little to no emotion. You hummed in thought for a moment before you turned to face him again.

"Wukong, I want you to check up on your brother... Help him if he needs help, but at least just make sure he's not hurt or anything." You said firmly. The monkey in blue moved in front of you and bowed.

"As you wish, Master."

And with that, he summoned his somersault cloud and hopped onto it before swiftly flying off into the direction of where his sworn brother left to hunt down the thief.

Across the land, a giant smoke monster could be seen fighting a giant demon in green and black. It seemed like a tough battle as the demon the monster was fighting was very aggressive and wild in its attacks. When suddenly, a blunt hit to the back of the green and black demon slammed the demon in green and black face-first into the ground of the clearing they were fighting in. Its body created a giant crater. It was still alive, but just barely as it laid there motionless. It seemed like the battle already weakened it and the blow to the back was too much for it to handle.

The simian piloting the giant smoke monster panted a bit from exhaustion as he smiled darkly at the fallen demon. But then he turned towards the direction of his ginger-furred brother, who was standing on his cloud with crossed arms, and huffed. "Thanks, but I could've taken him down on my own. It just would've taken a bit."

"Master told me to make sure you weren't hurt." Wukong stated as-a-matter-of-factly.

Macaque's smile turned from maniac to apologetic as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, with his giant smoke avatar mirroring his motion. "Oh man, did I take too long again? I didn't mean to make them worry... I just kinda got caught up with stopping the thief. He used the artifact he stole and it turned him into a feral titan." He added as the giant smoke monster gestured towards the other demon on the ground. That's when the monkey on the cloud quickly zoomed down towards the unconscious demon's body. It took him a few seconds, but he quickly spotted the artifact hanging from the titan's satchel. After he took it away from the giant demon, the demon's body seemingly shrunk back to its original size, still unconscious in the ginormous crater. The simian carefully held onto the artifact, as to not accidentally trigger its power, before his cloud flew back to his sworn brother. After Macaque saw the other demon's now normal-sized body, his smoke monster avatar disappeared around him as he stretched with his feet now touching the ground again.

He grinned at the ginger-furred monkey, seeing him hold the artifact the thief stole. "Guess now we also know what thing does... Did Master say anything about wanting us to kill the guy, or to place him in the punishment wing?"

Wukong shook his head in response, his face still not holding any emotion. Macaque sighed. "Well, damn... But I guess we might as well end him now than risk having him try to steal again, right?" He chuckled as he slowly walked towards the unconscious demon's body. The dark-furred monkey gave the demon a wicked grin, not expecting a response as he summoned his shadow staff. "Nothing personal, dude. Just making sure our beloved Master is forever safe and comfortable! Any who are at risk of opposing them in any way must be eliminated..."

And with that, he smashed his staff's thorny end down onto the demon's head, ending his life with one last strike. Wukong just gave the corpse a bored look before he uncrossed his arms. "Do you need a ride back?" The Monkey King asked, referring to Macaque's exhaustion after battle. He could just help the other monkey relax and calm down with his somersault cloud, after all.

However, Macaque just waved his hand dismissively as he took a deep breath. "Nah, but thanks. I'm a bit tired, but not enough to stop me from using my powers. Do you want a ride back though?" He grinned before he summoned a shadow portal on the ground next to himself. Wukong's mouth just faintly twitches upwards for a split second, but it was enough to make his the dark-furred simian chuckle in repsonse. "C'mooon, bud~ We both know my method's faster! Just hop in already!" If Wukong's eyes weren't like a fully black void, his playful eyeroll would've been very much noticeable. He hopped off his cloud, letting it disappear as he approached the portal, straight up jumping into it. Macaque soon followed after, closing the portal once he went through.

On the other side, you anxiously waited on your throne. While you didn't think any of your regular servants would harm you, you still felt a bit uncomfortable without at least one of your champions around. After all, a human ruling over an army of demons wasn't exactly a common thing demons respected. Only those who were already your servants in other lives would respect you fully... probably. And you had no recollection of any of your previous lives.

Your anxiety faded however once your two blue and purple champions emerged from a shadow portal in front of your throne. The sworn brothers didn't hesitate and kneeled upon seeing you.

"Apologies for the wait and for worrying you, Master. The thief ended up using the artifact and I ended up having to fight him to stop him." Macaque says, somewhat sounding ashamed of himself. He didn't like it whenever he didn't meet his Master's expectations. Even if something was out of his control.

You smiled softly as you leaned back. "It's fine, Mac-Mac. It was inevitable if that guy refused to face justice... I'm just glad you're alright and came back to me alive and well." The simian's frown turned into a bright smile as his tail swayed happily behind him. If you used that nickname for him, then he must've done everything right!

Afterwards, you smiled at your blue champion. "Thanks for finding him and taking him home again, Wu-Wu. Great job." You praised him. Now his tail was also swaying more happily. He nodded his head and grunted quietly in acknowledgement. Despite him not talking quite as much as his brother, and usually not showing emotions, you knew he was just as happy and content as your purple champion. His gentle tail sways were enough to understand.

The ginger-furred monkey then pulled out the artifact from underneath his cloaked side, still kneeling as he stared at you expectantly. "Shall I return this to the storage? The Archivist wanted to check on the items later today."

You scratched your head in thought for a moment as you hummed. "Guess that would be the best idea... If the Archivist shows up, then it's best if we have all the items that we borrowed... I don't wanna deal with his colleagues again, to be honest." You admitted, physically cringing a bit at the memory of your last encounter with the group the Archivist was involved in. They weren't happy when an eternal branding iron you used on your servants was stolen. Especially the Judge...

Wukong, knowing what you meant, nodded again as he stood up and bowed his head. "Of course, Master." Then he turned and walked away towards the palace's storage. Meanwhile, Macaque continued to smile brightly at you.

"Do you have another task for me to complete as well, Master?" He asked, eager to follow your every command like an obedient puppy. You hummed in thought again, but before you could respond, you heard the familiar voice of a certain mysterious figure in a black cloak and a fox-like mask...

"They do not. I have a task for you instead, Six-Eared Macaque."

The cloaked entity with the fox mask revealed himself as he walked out from behind your throne... When did he get here? Then again, he was one of the Archivist's colleagues, so you didn't question much anymore due to all they were able to do... You raised a suspicious eyebrow at the masked entity as you spoke. "...What task?" Those cloaked beings weren't to be trusted with how they operated. And while the Oracle usually spoke of the truth and was one of the more gentle-sounding members, you could never be sure whether or not there was malice behind anything their group did.

He responded in a blank tone, as if it were obvious. "The task involves going to the Underworld and retrieving the Scroll of Memory." Macaque visibly flinched slightly as one of his ears twitched at the mention of the Underworld, yet he avoided eye contact and remained quiet. The masked entity continued. "It's not the scroll itself that you might be interested in, but rather the curse that is bound to the scroll. That curse would be an extremely great addition to your palace's security." The entity added.

You grimaced a bit in thought, looking at him with uncertainty as you propped up your head on your hand. "Mhm... Are you sure this is worth it? Macaque isn't exactly fond of the Underworld, and I don't wanna make any of my servants, especially my champions, uncomfortable... Maybe Wukong could-" "NO!" Your purple champion suddenly cut you off as he looked at you, his void black eyes were wide open in panic, practically begging you to hear him out. He coughed awkwardly before bowing his head in a bit of shame and embarrassment for cutting you off.

"M-My apologies for interrupting you, Master... But I'd like to take on this mission myself, if I may." He said firmly, determination clear on his face as he tried to avoid this uncomfortable feeling of having to return to the Underworld. But he really wanted to prove himself worthy as one of your champions. He outwardly expressed his love and devotion towards you so much more than his sworn brother, and yet Wukong usually ended up getting more missions than him despite that.

You gave him a concerned look. "Are you sure? I know you don't like the Underworld after... Well, you know..."

He nodded his head without hesitation. "Yes, Master. Please let me retrieve that scroll for you."

After another short moment of uncertainty, you sighed in defeat. You stood up and moved towards your purple champion, petting his fluffy head. "Alright, fine... But if anything makes you feel unsafe or uncomfortable, I want you to just come back... Okay? I don't want you to get hurt, Mac-Mac. I'd rather have you here with me without that scroll than have the scroll without you." You said softly as you kissed his forehead. The dark-furred monkey blushed as his breath hitched at your touch and words.

That was all the motivation he needed.

His bright smile returned as he joyfully saluted. "Yes, Master! I'll make you proud!" You chuckled at his sudden eagerness. Almost immediately, a shadow portal opened up beneath the simian as he dropped into it, vanishing. Upon the closing of the portal, you raised an eyebrow at the Oracle.

"...Is this scroll really necessary?" You asked quietly, to which the entity silently nodded. You sighed as you pinched the bridge of your nose.

"It's not just for your safety, Your Majesty. It's also required to garner enough attention for the future paths to be connected to the present path." He responded flatly, which confused you. But again, you didn't question his words due to his occupation. And soon enough, Wukong returned from the storage. The monkey in blue walked up to you and bowed, as if to say he had finished his task.

You petted him as well, also kissing his forehead with a little smile. "Good job, Wu-Wu." And just like his sworn brother, his tail started to sway in a happy daze as he blushed despite his still expressionless face. He clearly also loved it when you called him by that nickname. The Oracle, upon seeing the Monkey King return and being showered in affection, quickly bid you farewell for now as he still seemed to be busy with other matters. Meanwhile, you continued to pet the ginger-furred monkey, waiting for his brother again. You even decided to continue petting him while your were seated on your throne.

However, at some point while petting your blue champion, a thought crossed your mind...

"Wu-Wu... If your brother isn't back within the next three hours, I want you to go look for him in the Underworld... And help him out if need be." Wukong's eyes were closed as he leaned into your gentle, addictive touch, while his tail swayed slowly behind him. He simply nodded without opening his eyes.

"Understood, Master."

[ Masterlist ]

[laduenadelswing]

The man behind the mask

I don’t know why but I couldn’t get this out of my head

The base hummed with a quiet energy, a stark contrast to the usual chaos of missions. Ghost, Soap, and a handful of other operators were gathered in the common room, the air thick with the tension of downtime. Soap, ever the curious instigator, leaned against the counter, a smirk playing on his lips.

"So, Ghost," he began, his voice low and drawling, "are you ugly underneath that mask?"

Ghost paused, a brief flicker of surprise in his eyes before he responded with a nonchalant shrug. "Quite the opposite," he replied, his voice muffled by the mask.

Soap chuckled, his gaze drifting towards you. "I'm sure she knows. I guess you take that thing off when you fuck her, right?"

The room fell silent. Ghost's heart pounded in his chest, a mixture of anger and embarrassment. You were close, undeniably so. You shared a bond forged in the heat of battle, a connection that ran deeper than mere camaraderie. But a romantic relationship? It was a thought he'd never dared to entertain. Not that he wouldn’t enjoy the way your his might feel, the way you would smile at him, the way you always smelled like roses even on the missions.

You turned to face Soap, your expression unreadable. "Actually, no, Soap," you said with a steady voice. "I'm into masked man. The mask stays on. It's... it's so hot, when he only wears his mask.”

A wave of shock washed over Soap's face. He hadn't expected that. Ghost, meanwhile, was a whirlwind of emotion. He'd always been guarded, a fortress of silent strength. But in that moment, his carefully constructed facade began to crumble.

The silence stretched on, heavy and awkward. Finally, Ghost cleared his throat, his voice barely a whisper. "Let's... let's get back to work," he mumbled, turning away.

As he walked away, he couldn't shake the image of your words. They had ignited a fire within him, a longing he'd never known. He'd always admired your strength and loyalty. But now, he saw you in a new light, a woman who apparently desired him, the masked man.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Ghost found it difficult to focus on his tasks, his mind constantly drifting back to your words. He'd never felt so conflicted, so hopeful, so terrified. His head creating images he should never think about. Too explicit, too sensual, too demanding. Naked skin, burning passion, sweat and moans.

The day bled into night, casting long, inky shadows across the base. Ghost, usually a man of few words, had become even more reticent since Soap's ill-timed jest. He avoided you, his silence a tangible barrier between you.

You were on way to your room, preoccupied with the day's events. As you reached her door, you paused, a sense of unease washing over you . The door creaked open, and before you could react, Ghost was there, his silhouette looming large in the dim light.

He pushed you gently against the wall, his fingers grazing your skin. His eyes, usually hidden behind the mask, burned with an intensity that took your breath away. There was no preamble, no explanation. Just a silent demand, a question posed in the language of touch.

At first you held his gaze, your heart pounding in your chest. It was evident what he wanted, what he was asking for. One wrong move, could shatter the fragile bond you had built.

As the silence stretched on, the tension in the air grew palpable. In the darkness, your eyes locked, a silent conversation taking place. The world outside seemed to fade away, suspended in this intimate moment.

"Talk to me," you whispered, your voice barely audible.

Ghost remained silent, his gaze unwavering. He yearned to speak, to pour out his heart, but the words seemed to be trapped in his throat. He knew that one wrong move could ruin everything.

You reached out and gently touched his hand, offering comfort and understanding. You knew that he was struggling, and were willing to wait, to give him the time and space he needed.

As your fingers intertwined, a spark ignited between you.

Instinctively you looked away, your cheeks flushed. Ghost, sensing the hesitation, reached out and gently tilted your chin, forcing your gaze back to his. His eyes, intense and searching, held a raw vulnerability that pierced your heart.

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier," you began.

"I was trying to lighten the mood. Besides, I don't mind if you wear the mask. It's... it's part of you." You trailed off, unable to find the words to express what you truly felt.

Before you could finish your sentence, Ghost pulled up his mask, revealing his lips. He leaned in, his kiss gentle yet passionate. The intimacy was overwhelming, a stark contrast to the tough, stoic soldier you knew. You could feel the weight of his trauma, the years of pain and suffering echoing into the kiss.

As you kissed, you realized that the mask was more than just a piece of tactical gear. It was a shield, a barrier between him and the rest of the world. And yet, in that moment, he was letting you in, allowing you to see the man beneath the mask.

[ranticore]

selected pages from Shapeshifter Problems, a small exploration of old old concept art & thoughts on shapeshifter tropes (specifically the question of the 'true form') i posted to patreon earlier this year. there's a bunch more haha. here's some OLD art and bg process for writing said the black horse. I don't like my old art but looking back at it I'm really happy how I've developed since, I used to make everything too sharp, straight-sided, or skinny. I had to make a conscious effort to change that and now it's so much better.

image transcriptions under the cut (just the text sorry)

Image 1: "These are more of those older designs - the horns were a deliberate play into devil imagery on Puck's part while giving Félix this form (all to cause more torment of course) but again I couldn't vibe with it. Such clear statements of intent didn't work for me.

The scars remain canon but not quite so stark, more a difference in texture (again, moving away from visual details). His forehead scar is ALWAYS there."

Image 2: "Félix. These are really old - from 2019-2020. They're the first attempts at Félix's horse form. At the time I was leaning into some goat-like attributes. I liked the idea of something that looked like an emaciated amalgam of many familiar creatures but if you look closer, it actually doesn't look like any animal at all. The original body shape and proportions were inspired by moose. I didn't know how to draw convincing horse shapes which is why he had these hands and claws for so long. I still draw the little flower wheel pattern on his sides sometimes... a secret just for me. His belly fur, squared off ear shape, and beard are still defining characteristics"

Image 3: "More old art from 2020. Bottom left is my first ever painting on my iPad using Procreate. I still prefer SAI for creature drawings, or at least the original sketches underpinning a lot of my art. Below on the bottom was my attempt at a scarier form for the character but I ultimately decided that it ran contrary to the atmosphere I was trying to create. Top left is my first 'real' horse painting and it includes the tail shape which has not ever changed, and feathers, which I nixed because I wanted to learn how to draw the feet and legs properly and not rely on covering them up with flowing hair (my favourite thing to draw)"

Image 4: "Like the black horse designs, these humanoid designs for Félix (circa 2019 - OLD art!) started very complex and simplified over time. I decided to avoid visual complexity, but made the mistake of solidifying specific 'rules' for how the Púca servants' bodies work, and I deeply regret this. Because I wrote Said the Black Horse in 2021, I was still operating under the old mindset and that caused it to become somewhat established canon.

In his original iteration his tattoos represented magical contracts between him and various faeries, so they were supposed to be always visible as a reminder of that contract.

<- a really early furry version, I was playing with the eye on the neck as a design feature. Ultimately I feel that although it looks cool, the medium he exists in is proser. So I needed to move away from visually complex designs and towards designs which were interesting to different senses instead."

Image 5: "As time went on the design simplified. I enjoyed making fun textures using procreate brushes. These designs lack his forehead scar but do include his impalement scar. If you've seen my Hanged Man card you'll know how he got that one. But when I made the charts like this about how his body 'worked' in 2020, again I ran into the same issue I always do when writing about faeries... the more I explain it, the most 'logic' and 'science' goes into it, the less it feels like a faery story to me. Overexplaining is anathema to the faeries of Inver. so even though I like these design notes they just don't fit in this setting."

[jasminerva]

You v. Nagumo and Toddler

This is Part 2 of the Papa!Gumo series!

gn!reader co-parent

Check out Part 1 here: What kind of father would Nagumo be?

Want more? Check out my SakaDays Masterlist!

Comments, reblogs, tags appeachiated~! 🍑

Banner img from Gakuen Babysitters by Tokeino Hari.

Was having a convo with @akifordessert about Papagumo and the nicknames he'd give his kiddo(s). And thank you, Memi (@dearsecretlover) for inspo and motivation (and for sharing this Papa!gumo art by mxeong__) as always~!

But I digress! Here's the little scolding imagine I promised!

nagumo x gn!reader = gn!toddler in their terrible twos [c/n] = your toddler's name [f/n] = your first name

You: Nagumo! [c/n]! What the heck happened in the living room?! Nagumo looked around his surroundings. It was as if the usually orderly living room had two tornadoes sweep through it, an explosion of scattered toys everywhere, overturned furniture, ripped paper decorations, and colourful fingerprints adorning the walls. Nagumo & Your Toddler: (both in a kneeling position, getting scolded by you) Nagumo: (trying not to grin) [f/n], it's no biggie. Just some father-child bonding gone awry. [c/n], your rambunctious toddler, mirrored his pose perfectly beside him, eyes wide with feigned innocence that couldn't hide the sparkle of mischief dancing in their depths. Nagumo couldn't help but feel a swell of pride at his miniature accomplice's acting skills. You: Oh, really? Father-child? But I only see two children in front of me. Nagumo: Now, now! (holds hands up) See? No paint on my hands. (wiggles digits) Clearly, I'm just an innocent bystander here. You: Yeah, that doesn't help your case. You're the adult in this disorderly duo, or did you forget? Nagumo: I suppose cleaning duty falls upon us two, hmm? Let's clean up this mess before it becomes an international incident. He cast a conspiratorial wink at your toddler, who giggled delightedly at being included in their imaginary fellowship against their ever-so-serious parent. You: (sighs) Nagumo... I'm sick of having to be the mean parent--let alone adult--in this relationship. They have to learn how to clean up their own messes eventually, you know. Nagumo: You're right. We can't let them run wild like this. But it's just so hard to discipline this angelic face (tickles [c/n]'s chubby cheek, causing them to erupt into a fit of laughter, squirming happily). You: (unimpressed face) Nagumo: All right. (playful but stern enough tone) Focus, Agent [c/n], your mission, should you choose to accept it... Together, Nagumo and [c/n] tackled the mess, turning cleaning into a fun game of hide-and-seek with the scattered toys and art supplies.

Nagumo: (grabs a juice from the fridge) You: Nagumo! [c/n] doesn't need more sugar! Nagumo's grin widened into a smirk as your toddler took advantage of the situation and quickly gulped down the forbidden juice. Nagumo: Aw, shucks. Looks like we're too late. You: (narrowing eyes) If [c/n] doesn't end up learning anything, I'm going to discipline you both. In the 'mean parent' way. Nagumo: (clapping) All right, Agent [c/n]! Operation Clean Slate isn't complete until Big Boss says so. Your Toddler: (salutes and gets back to cleaning, hands and mouth sticky with juice) Nagumo: (grins and walks towards you) You know, [f/n], you were pretty convincing right then. I almost believed you'd actually punish me. You: (crosses arms) The day's still young. Nagumo: (leans down to whisper in your ear) Is that a promise?

[a-couple-of-notes]

Many people have already talked about the things that feel off-kilter in this episode--the lack of moons on the door, the aspect ratio not changing, the real quick turnaround from Jen--and I tend to agree. I think there's a good chance this ends up not being what it seems (and Alice hopefully comes back, I love her).

BUT I'm going to operate under the assumption that this was real until proven otherwise. In which case, this was by far the weakest-paced episode, on a macro- and micro-level, but I can sorta see where they're going with it.

Alice tied up her main story last week. I still think they could have found a good narrative past that--what's her identity beyond her mother? She could have leaned into the parallels with Teen, coming into her witchhood. However, in a 9-episode series, I can understand wanting to clear space coming over the halfway mark. So they kill her. Okay, that's a way to do it.

We saw in episode 4 that the coven is capable of true camaraderie and grace toward each other; I can understand the structural instinct to immediately juxtapose that against the selfishness and tension they also carry. Jen's turn was a bit fast, but not totally out of the realm for her character. I don't think she was ever advocating for the coven to kill Agatha (that was Rio), but she has always pointed them toward the most logical, most expeditious solution, with a healthy dose of self-preservation to boot. She shoves everyone out of the way to go down the oven escape route in Ep. 3, she sticks inside the protection circle in Ep. 4, she's always pointing out Agatha and Rio's weird shit. I buy at least the concept that her logical nature, survival instincts, and long-established disdain for Agatha would combine into some version of the attitude we see in Ep. 5.

Billy/Teen could go either way. They've certainly laid the groundwork for the reveal of his identity. His actions are...questionable, but again not out of the realm of possibility for his characterization. Despite what Agatha (seems to?) imply about his manipulations, the episode shows he lashes out after Agatha kills Alice. Not only that, but all the other witches (not just Agatha) move on like nothing happened. Of course he would be angry with all of them! The outburst is emotional, not calculated. I think this was one of the smarter choices in the episode; we've seen that relationship grow in small but consistent ways since Ep. 3. And it lends Alice's death a lot more narrative weight to have a character--y'know, actually care about and change because of it. Sorry, Sharon. (Sidenote: Personally, I'm questioning the song choice at the end credits--like, I get it, big reveal, Wanda Maximoff crown, but the tone and lyrics undermine how much Teen's actions are driven by his friendship with Alice/grief over her death. I don't think sowing doubt over whether he was the villain all along is worth compromising that.)

This is a wild swing of an episode that I don't quite know lands for me, but it's also the halfway point of the show. Maybe none of this is real and all the off-kilter stuff is setting up for something smarter. But if it is real--If they wanted to raise the stakes and shift the tone--this would be the time to do it. (Although I mourn the version of this story where they continued with fun Halloween hijinks, reluctant found family, and toxic gay cosmic entity situationships.) There is a very good chance that the back half of the show justifies and contextualizes the choices in Ep. 5. But without having seen that yet, it's just whiplash.

[mikuni14]

I wonder if each episode will start with a confusing scene from the future that will haunt us and drive us crazy 🤡 (I also wonder if 4 Minutes will end with explaining all the plots and threads, because as we know, not everything was in DFF)

I read some theories and I see that the one that is often repeated is that Tyme specifically approached Great to seduce him because he is conducting some secret operation against his family. A few questions:

if he knows this family, it means he knows who Great is (and let's say he recognized his name on the note)

why didn't he approach Great earlier, why didn't he arrange a "random" meeting earlier

why would he approach him and seduce him at all? What good would that do him?

I know that we all live in a BL bubble, but the probability of Tyme seducing Great outside of our bubble is actually pretty small, especially in those circumstances

Tyme would have to base the success of his mission on Great accepting his advances instead of reporting him to the hospital management for inappropriate behavior and maybe even stalking

well, I'm sorry, but even the most handsome doctor standing suggestively between a patient's legs and admitting that he knows their name from a private note wouldn't be able to gain someone's trust, quite the opposite. In reality, Tyme only manages to do this because Great already has visions of him and is intrigued. But please pay attention to Great's body language - if it weren't for these visions, he wouldn't be so "compliant" with the doc

why would Tyme even admit that he knows as much about him as his name and tell him how he found out about it, which was pretty weird. This sounds disturbing and off-putting to any person

if Tyme wanted to get closer to Great, it would be better for him to befriend him, gain his trust as a confidant of his problems, someone who supports him, shows a positive kind of friendship (which is exceptionally easy compared to Great's friends 😬), not to stick out with excessive knowledge about him (and his groin) I absolutely don't deny that Tyme may be conducting his operation against Great's family, it's also possible that seeing Great's name, he decided to get to know him for some of his own reasons. But this meeting is accidental, Tyme may already have some plan going on and by contacting Great right now, he may try to gain something, but he may also jeopardize this plan. Basing all this on Great's unknown sexuality is a game that could end badly for Tyme as a doctor and as a "spy". It's just.... idk. Somehow there is too much coincidence here. At the moment I am leaning towards Tyme being sincerely interested in Great 😉

Tyme is an interesting character in general, and I personally agree with his description here by @biochemjess. Already in ep 1 I was intrigued by the fact that he wants to be a surgeon, which means limiting interpersonal contact. His scenes with patients indicate that he doesn't feel a deeper connection with them and their problems, their pain. I would not be surprised if he chose this profession for a purely economic reason, to become a good surgeon and earn good money and have contact with patients only on the operating table 🤔 I was also intrigued by his reaction to what the nurses say about him.

Of course, this is only episode 2, in DFF all the surprising plot twists appeared later, so now I am writing everything in my clown makeup 🤡

I really like how the characters played by JJay and Fuaiz meet the same way in each universe. Fuaiz stands in the doorway and JJay has an ✨epiphany✨

(The mustache has to go. EDIT: @italianpersonwithashippersheart made me look at the mustache from a different angle, and after much thought I decided that it could stay 😌)

[handweavers]

at what point does something stop being made by a person and start being made by a machine? is someone creating a photoshop action so the computer will run code to edit a photo they found online all that different from someone inputting words into a human made algorithm trained on human made images to generate a photo? if i use a knitting machine to make something does it count as human made or machine made or both? if i design a program that knits the object without me having to manually operate the machine does it still hold emotional value? what if i allow others to use that program to do the same thing and they input a sentence into the program articulating what they want made and the machine creates it? is 3d printing art? is technology itself capable of being art? if we define 'what gets to be art' by the % of machine involvement at what % does it stop being art? does this entire argument not feel a bit futile and arbitrary to you?

everyone will have a different answer just like how everyone has a different answer on 'what is art' and that's an argument we've been having for ages and will continue to have for the foreseeable future. i'm a weaver and an artist and my tendency is to lean toward the romantic, but in my efforts to be a materialist i ultimately find these questions largely unhelpful on the topic of 'should generative ai art be forbidden' because if we're only talking about how things make us feel and how we want the world to be and not the actual material impacts of things from a practical perspective we'll never get anything done. it's why i said that arguments against generative ai that take this stance are unconvincing and if you try to critique ai from an angle that isn't materialist you will run yourself in circles.

[amiya-shirou]

I'm also reading Gnosis' operator record and it's making me think again about how good Kjerag's take on the concept of home is

So much of Kjerag's storyline revolves around the idea of home, with Degenbrecher, Harold and others all managing to find comfort and peace among its people, and this was possible not because the nation was always some kind of perfect heaven separated by the corruption of the rest of the world but because it was able to change. It was Kjerag that had to adapt and grow in order to become a worthy nation for the people, not the people who had to sacrifice themselves to the idea of Kjerag (in strong opposition to the way Victoria works).

The old Kjerag is not a place Gnosis wanted to live in. It's not a place that would have been able to stand shoulder to shoulder with Victorian officers. It would not have been so accepting to foreigners, as seen in Arctosz and Leto's backstory, while in the Kjerag of today Degenbrecher is a perfectly integrated member of the community and even the most beloved despite being originally from Leithanien.

Enya spells it out pretty well in Break the Ice:

Kjerag's old traditions may have kept them safe in the past but clinging to the Vine-Bear Court's idea of what faith is even as times changed and their traditions were actively hurting their people would have doomed the whole nation. It's always been interesting how Arknights made a story about Silverash opening the borders of a closed off and religious nation to bring innovation and technology while explicitly showing that their Goddess is actually very much real and active, and that's because it never meant to criticize faith in itself in favor of Karlan Trade's modernity but rather its stagnation and how the traditions persevered for the sake of themselves rather than for the people. By the end of the event, Kjeragandr was clearly supportive of both Enya and Enciodes, who despite their contrasts and different approaches share the same fundamental idea of growing towards a better future while rejecting the Vine-Bear Court, and that's why a story about man-made innovation still worked very well despite ending with a Goddess performing a little miracle to support her Saintess.

The Kjerag we see as of Rides to Lake Silberneherze is a community that works so well and can be a nice home for so many people because it was capable of changing itself for them. It doesn't matter all that much if it's faith or science (though the story leans towards humans having to learn how to live by themselves without relying on Kjeragandr), what matters is that they're being used to help people and give them a place to stay and live well in. If you want your home to be a place where others can find comfort and peace, you yourself need to become capable of accepting them first.

[drama-glob]

Since it's been a few days since "Mission: Antarctica" came out, someone may have already posted this thought, but here I go anyway. While Moxxie's tongue action was likely very pleasing to the Asmodean crystal, maybe the real reason/final bit to it actually working was that we've got Blitz blushing here, so he's clearly feeling some lustful/pleasurable stuff at the moment, which may have been enough to "charge" or activate it.

Blitz was able to get it to work in "Apology Tour" by simply rubbing it then, but he still was holding out hope of winning Stolas back (which included bedroom fun time ;) ) in that episode as well as wasn't in as emotionally devastated of a state with no self-confidence and feeling guilt-ridden. ;_;

While in "Mission: Antarctica," he's definitely seems to be dealing with the aftermath of "Apology Tour," having all those negative emotions along with it being an anxiety-fueled environment that only gets worse the longer he can't get the crystal to work, which included rubbing it like he did before. :/

So, I'm willing to bet the crystals are a two-prong thing of providing gentle/pleasurable action to it (which may vary based on the crystal) and having some sort of happy/lustful drive in order to fully activate it. :)

Of course, there's still the matter of if the crystals can be worked by anyone under the right circumstances or if they only work for the demon it's registered under. I fear it's the former as there is the case with Barbie Wire:

For one thing, I think this proves that the crystals are temperamental/activate differently depending on the crystal since she just had to tap it in order to create a portal, so unless just any touch works on them, each crystal may have it's own preference; secondly, her having one for this drug operations feels pretty illegal and that this was just given to her by the person running the pharmacy. My reasoning is sure, I can see Fizz trying to help Barbie Wire once she's out of rehab by getting her a job, but she'd still have to get it from Ozzie (who he would definitely know about thanks to Fizz and tell him about seeing her if this wasn't a favor) and given that she literally was in rehab for drugs, I don't think Fizz would want her to be around that environment (just like Blitz ;) ), even if heroin is supposed to be a weak drug to demons. :/ So, at the moment I'm leaning towards the crystals can work for anyone under the right conditions, but there's always the case that it's just an inconsistency between episodes/shorts. :/

We'll just have to wait and see now if we get more crystal lore in the future to learn if all this is true or not. ;)

[hirayaea]

What I see most is people criticizing both Xavier and Queen MC, even though, as you yourself said, their relationship is more complex than it seems! Queen MC's duty as a defense mechanism and Xavier's focus on discreetly wanting to save her.

But now I'm curious, do you think Xavier would have run away with Queen MC if she insisted?👀

hello anon (о´∀`о)

that is a shame, because the lightseeker era actually gives a lot of insight to xavier’s personality, and it explains why his persona is so complex!

lightseeker xavier is a prince tasked with carrying the legacy of philos, but he when he finds this legacy is actually bathed in the blood of the woman he loves, instead of choosing one or the other, he decides to explore a third option (which is operation backtrack).

while all the details haven’t been revealed, we do know that xavier has been, for hundreds of years, trying to find a way to save mc from death. but, we also know that he wants philos to prosper (i forget what he says in English, but in Japanese he definitely says “may the planet of Philos last everlasting”). when he leaves mc in the lightseeker era, these are definitely his goals.

however, I also believe that if xavier were cornered into a choice, he would probably choose mc. and, the only person that can convince him to choose otherwise (like choose philos instead) would be mc herself.

hence i think, if queen mc had told xavier very clearly, that she wanted to run, he would have dropped everything and brought her to uluru and they could live until philos’ core expired or until one of them perished. but i also think that both of them know, deep down, that neither of them are that selfish. both of them have a strong sense of duty to each other and to their people, and running would mean abandoning all of that. one of them (likely mc) would probably hesitate and say, “we have to go back”.

their hesitation to abandon their duty is actually what makes them such great characters, because they are so upright and strong but they acknowledge they sometimes waver in their own beliefs.

however, from present time onwards, i feel that there will be a disconnect in how strongly they feel about their responsibilities simply because of how xavier is the same person all throughout time while mc resets as she reincarnates.

i imagine that as time went by xavier’s priorities might have changed and he may be leaning towards choosing mc without thinking of saving philos anymore. some of the anecdotes actually hint at this (that maybe he should just abandon traceback II and settle down). however, he’s obviously still not decided (he told jeremiah that one day, he’ll get them all home).

i’m really excited to see how this will all unfold because so far this story is so wonderfully written, and the complexities only make me hungry for more

again I’d be happy to discuss more cause I do have a lot of thoughts (sooo sorry for rambling)

thank you!

[wooahaeruby]

To You Extras

Author's Notes

Hi! You know what day it's gonna be? Jihoon's birthday! So here is a little something that I wrote while on the treadmill at the gym!

To You Masterlist | Main Masterlist

November 2024: After The Wedding, Tour

You had a plan, a good one to say the least, with the help of Soonyoung and Seungcheol. 

Operation: Jihoon's Birthday. 

You had been trying to plan something small for his birthday. Then you all had to pack up and head to Japan for promotions so that was in the gutter. 

But nevertheless, you were going to get him to the restaurant that Mingyu helped book. The guys were already making their way there quietly. You planned to give Jihoon his gift when you returned, a joke one and an actual one planned.

You had to get him out of the hotel room first.

First step: Getting him dressed.

You pushed the hotel door open, kicking your shoes off and calling out. "What are you doing?" 

No response. 

Your soulbond buzzed that he was close so why wasn't he- 

You looked to where he was, curled up on the bed, headphones on, with his iPad.

He couldn't hear you. 

Scurrying over, you jumped onto the bed to grab his attention, the action causing him to bounce. Surprise shot through the bond, his head whipping around, only calmed when he noticed it was you. 

"Ru, what the fuck?" 

"Get up and get dressed." 

Hopping off the bed, you went to grab your (his) jacket from your suitcase. 

"Hello? It's-" Glancing over at his iPad, he frowned. "It's eleven forty-five, Ruby-ah. Why do I need to get dressed?" 

"Because we are going out?" 

The confusion flowed in from his side of the bond. He sat and stared at you like you grew a second head. 

"Why?" 

"Because we are?" 

"What are you hiding?" 

You scoffed, crossing your arms. "Do I need a reason to go out with my soulmate between his busy schedules and this is the only time he has free time?" 

Apprehension, you could feel it bright as day. You shot back with annoyance.

"No, but..." Jihoon stood, making his way over to you and placing his hands gently on your hips. 

"But...?" 

He stared at you, eyes flicking over your face. His arms wrapped around your waist, pulling you into his chest. 

"I've been neglecting you again, haven't I?"

There was a smidge of guilt in the bond and you shook your head, taking his face into your hands gently. He pouted, looking sorry, and you kissed that look away. 

"Love, I'm fine. Let's just...let's go out. Please?" 

He kissed you once more, chaste and sweet, only to nod. "Fine, okay. But can we get food first?" 

Your eyes lit up and you nodded. "Yeah! Get dressed, I know a place I looked into earlier when you were at the gym-" 

All he did was chuckle happily as you pushed him away to grab something other than his shorts and muscle t-shirt to wear. He accepted the sweatshirt and joggers, letting you push him towards the bathroom to brush his hair as it stuck in three different directions. You got yourself ready, tossing on a sweater too, knowing you didn't need anything outrageous with the small, late night group dinner you planned. 

"Do I need my wallet-" 

"Nope! I got it covered." 

"Hm.." He stood at the door, shoes on, letting you lean on him as you got yours on as well. "And the place you know is open?"

With a nod, you took his hand, leading him out of the room and straight to the elevator. "Yep." You said, popping the end of the word. 

It was freezing outside, the cold late fall temperatures of fall seeping through your thick sweater and jacket. Jihoon gripped your hand tightly, staying close to hopefully beat the chill. The bond hummed quietly between you, inviting and cozy, helping fight the weather.

"Do we need a taxi?" He shivered, his teeth chattering. 

"It's only a block away." You put his arm over your shoulder, holding his waist. "We can make it!" 

“Tough it out?” 

You snickered, resting your head against his chest. “Tough it out, hot stuff.” 

“Ew.” He cringed at the impromptu nickname, shaking his head. “Never call me that again.” 

“Sweet thing? Pretty boy?” You grinned mischievously, looking to see the continued grimace on his face. “Oh! I can call you Cupcake like Vi from Arcane!” 

“Do not-” 

“Why not, Cupcake?” 

You bolted out from under his arm before he could catch you, laughing joyfully as he was hot on your tail. Jihoon chased you down the street, almost getting you, only for you to dodge and escape once more. He called out your name breathlessly, but the bond told you all you needed to know; he was ecstatic. 

“Get back here-” He grabbed the back of your jacket and pulled you to his chest, strong arms wrapping around you with no chance to break free. “You are such a punk, why did I marry you?” 

“But you love me!” You cheered, leaning forward in his arms as you laughed carefree. You stood and took his left hand in your own, the two rings staring back at you in the street lights. “And you wouldn't have it any other way.” 

Gently he spun you in his hold, another shiver wracking through his body and he pressed his forehead to yours, nose to nose. “Yeah, I wouldn't.” 

Your hands found his and you laced your fingers together, basking in the closeness of your soulmate. “Let’s get going.” 

When you moved to pull back, Jihoon only kept you close, shaking his head some. “One more minute. You are always around, but I miss you.” 

“Yeah well, we went from getting married to another tour so blame your management.” You joked, pecking his lips. “But, maybe after the new year we can finally book our honeymoon before you go into the military.” 

“Don’t remind me.” He groaned, huffing out a cloudy breath from the cold air. “But at least I can still have you close to me.” 

“Come on, loser, I know you are hungry.” You let one of his hands go, spotting the lit sign of the restaurant not far down.

Jihoon was the first to swing your hands between the both of you, following your strides towards the restaurant. He stopped outside, seeing the lights inside were off and the shades were drawn, almost like it was closed. 

“Are you sure it is open?” 

“Mhmm~” You tugged him towards the door, humming gleefully to yourself. 

Pulling the door open, you were still met with the dark interior. Jihoon went to question your abrupt entrance into the restaurant, only for the lights to flicker on and a loud, out of tune cheer from his group members wishing him a happy birthday. 

Jihoon jumped at your side, bewilderment rushing through the bond, but you only laughed, jumping happily at his side. 

“Happy birthday!” You joined the cheer, grabbing his face and kissing his cheek a few times. 

There was a pink flush to his cheeks, clearing his throat as he muttered out a thank you loud enough for the rest to hear. 

“Let’s eat!” Seokmin exclaimed, raising his hands, a chopstick in each. “For the birthday boy!” 

The night was…rowdy, fun, but most importantly, a great celebration. 

Between the wedding, tour, and so much more, things were busy, tiring, and they didn't have enough time to rest. You were glad that everyone had a good time and you could feel how happy Jihoon was the entire time you were at the restaurant. When everyone was finished and ready to turn in for the night, you were glad to walk in your group towards the hotel, still cracking jokes and enjoying the time spent together. 

Good nights were shared through the hall, probably accidentally waking any staff that had long gone to bed. It was late, later than you all should have been awake, but nothing you could do about it now. 

“Did you have a good night?” 

Jihoon looked up from his phone, having received a text from his parents at some point around midnight. He hummed quietly, nodding, opening his arms for you to join him in bed. When you didn’t jump over right away, he raised a brow but you brought over two boxes, one small, and another a medium sized. 

“I need to give you your birthday presents first before we go to sleep. Start with this one.” Handing the smaller one over first, you let him sit up and take it, watching him undo the bow you tied. 

Jihoon scoffed upon opening it, but it quickly turned into a quiet chuckle, pulling the sleek black wallet out. “Really?” 

Your shoulders shook in a silent laugh, nodding. “So you aren’t raw dogging your cards in your pocket anymore. I swear you are going to lose it one day.” 

“I will not.” He protested, placing it aside and you handed over the second box. 

Placing it in his awaiting hands, you grinned wide as he opened it, letting him find one of the beat maker pads he had been eyeing online for about a month. He was going to wait until you both got home to get it but…you might have had other plans when you saw it on his phone when totally not going through his online search history. 

“You gotta stop doing this, these are expensive.” He scolded, but his eyes were bright, looking over the box. “But thank you for both of these, I will use both, promise.” 

“Hm…I like to spoil my soulmate, what can I say?”

“Mhmm, sure, love.” He let you place both boxes aside and pulled you down into bed, getting comfortable to sleep through whatever was left of the night. 

He lazily places small kisses to your face, drawing small giggles and squeaks out of you, murmuring sweet nothings of appreciation as your efforts. 

“I’ll make sure we get time for our honeymoon.” 

You pulled him in for a sweet kiss, letting your foreheads rest together. “As long as I’m with you, I am happy wherever we are. Happy birthday, Jihoon.”