#i'm so scared to go back to sleep tonight... it would be just my luck that this happens again but this time i don't wake up

[luvvixu]

actual confession / l. norris x nurse!reader

he did it. he finally asked you out!

vital signs masterlist

the race in monaco just ended a few hours ago.

it is currently night and you're about to finish cleaning up the infirmary, ready to go home. lando just won the monaco grand prix and you saw all of it from your laptop's livestream. but despite being in the literal scene where you could literally hear the sound of liveries dashing and zooming outside, you decided that you're a nurse first, an f1 fan the second.

and you wouldn't lie, you would cheer for lando in your own way—you even screamed when he waltzed towards the checkered flag, claiming the p1 and getting awarded by the monaco royal family themselves!

you felt really happy for him.

the watch on your wrist says it was already 8 pm. you plan to retire for today and just sleep the night away in the hotel that the fia provided for you. still in your white scrub with your name tag, you were about to put your customized stethoscope when the door of the infirmary suddenly opened.

it was lando. standing by the door of the infirmary, out of his racing suit, just casually dressed in one of the quadrant's fashion hoodies.

“hi,” he gave you his infamous eyed smile.

this is the first time you see him up this close ever since the race had started. although he did visit you before the parade had even started, said he would like to have some good luck from you—in which you just rolled your eyes and gave him a stamp of your name and signature on the back of his palm.

it was supposed to be a joke but you saw lando how he couldn't stop staring at his hand. it made you warm in some ways.

you cleared your throat and just focused on cleaning up your things to hide your flustered face. “i saw you win. congratulations, lando.” you said, giving him a small smile.

lando sits on the bed of the infirmary, watching you busy yourself with your things. “thanks. i got a lucky charm.” he raised his hand where your stamp is still there but faded.

“though i would be more happy if i actually see you beneath the stage, but i understand your job.” he said, casually popping a small piece of candy on his mouth that he stole from your jar. his eyes landed on your table and saw a piece of familiar pink tulip on top of your book. his heart swells with happiness. you just dried one of the pink tulips that he gave you last month and made it your bookmark.

while you didn’t answer him, you just stuffed your last tool in your bag.

“so…what's your plan for tonight?”

“nothing, just gonna head straight to my hotel then sleep.”

“boo. that's boring.” he grimaced.

you glared at him as you crossed your arms, walking towards him and standing. “well, i'm sorry if valuing my rest is boring. do you have any recommendations to make my night less boring then?” you said sarcastically.

“i do. go out on a date with me.”

you froze. “...i’m sorry, what?”

you blinked at him, still thinking you’d heard wrong. because there's no way that lando norris—monaco gp winner, national hero for the day, mclaren's golden boy, the one who shamelessly joked and flirted with you for years—had just casually and actually asked you out while popping your candy like it was nothing.

lando tilted his head slightly, his grin widening. “you heard me and i didn't stutter.”

your heart picked up, and you hated how flustered you felt. “are you serious, or are you just high off victory and sugar? or maybe this was just your usual flirting scheme?”

“i’m dead serious,” he said, all traces of teasing suddenly gone from his voice. “look, i just won a race. and it didn’t feel complete. not really.”

you stared at him, still rooted to the floor, your fingers tightening on the pocket of your scrub.

he continued, his tone quieter now. “it's true that i kept flirting with you and this goes for years now. but i never actually had the strength to ask you out since i was scared of rejection. and we both know that, y/n.”

lando cleared his throat. “and you know what i realize earlier? when i got on the stage, received my medal and trophy, had the champagne, shook hands with literal royalties…i thought everything was perfect. not until i looked for you through the crowd and saw that you weren't there, it felt…odd.”

“lando…”

“i know you’re always here,” he said, gesturing around the infirmary. “working. taking care of people like me. and maybe i didn’t ask you out before because i thought it’d mess something up or make things weird between us. i mean, it already is because of my flirting with no actual move. but this win?” he exhaled softly. “it made me realize that i spent too much time wondering when would be the right time for me to formally ask you out. so yeah. go out with me. let me take you somewhere that isn’t a white-lit clinic with antiseptic wipes and blood pressure cuffs.”

you let out a soft, stunned laugh, cheeks burning.

“this is…really unexpected—i mean, not at all. at first, i think your flirtings was just for fun, but as time went by—years rather, i tried not to think that there's a real intention behind it but failed miserably.” you admitted.

“i understand.” he stood now, stepping closer, closing the distance until you could smell the faint citrus of his hoodie and the clean shampoo scent of post-race showers. “but i’ve liked you for so long. you know that, right? i wouldn't keep flirting with you so consistently if i didn't.”

you smiled slowly. “like i said before, i had a tiny suspicion. maybe it was because you literally told carlos that you met your future wife when i first checked you up during your rookie year.”

he grinned sheepishly. “gotta be memorable somehow.”

“and you’ve definitely been… persistent.”

“relentlessly charming,” he corrected.

you gave him a long look—one that traced the tired joy in his face, the soft shadows under his eyes, the hopeful quirk of his lips.

“you know,” you said, voice quieter, “there’s a yacht party happening down at the bay. i heard you were invited to celebrate your grand prix win and the mclaren's.”

“yeah,” he said with a shrug. “but i’m here instead.”

you smiled at the honesty in his voice. at the vulnerability masked behind his usual lando-ness. at how, despite the glory waiting for him outside, he chose you.

“alright,” you whispered.

his brows lifted. “alright?”

you nodded, lips tugging up. “let’s go on that date.”

lando blinked. “wait, really? like—really really?”

you laughed. “yes, really really.”

“tonight?”

you pretended to consider. “depends. will it involve actual food and not just celebrating by stealing more of my candy?”

“i can do better,” he said quickly, already reaching for your bag. “dinner. soft and romantic music. a view of the harbor. monaco at night. maybe even another candy for dessert, if you behave.”

you rolled your eyes but let him take your bag anyway.

“wait here for a bit. i'm just gonna change. my scrub is begging me to let them rest.” you sighed dramatically as lando laughed. you reach out for your bag in his hold and grab your spare clothes.

“you know, i don't mind going out on a date with you wearing that. gotta let them know that i have a gorgeous, hardworking, and personal sweets supplier nurse.” he grinned. you just threw him a look but still smiled at his words before going towards the bathroom to get changed.

as you both stepped out of the infirmary together, lando’s fingers brushed yours once, then twice—until he finally laced them fully, confidently.

“i'm sorry if i took so long to ask you out.” he mumbled, caressing the back of your hand.

you looked up at him, the golden glow of the monaco street lights illuminating the victorious curve of his smile. “i don't mind. i'm just glad that you did.” you said, squeezing his hand.

tonight, he wasn’t just a driver who won a medal and a trophy.

he was a boy, heart full, walking hand-in-hand with the girl who’d unknowingly been his finish line all along.

©luvvixu2025

[worldly-fluster]

Stingray

Rafayel x non-mc Reader

Part 1 of ?

*Non-cannon!*

**Again I have not actually read or watched anything for Rafayel's Myth so I will not be basing this off the Myth and I will get things wrong and miss little details but yeah I felt the need to write for Sea god Rafayel and Lumerian Rafayel...what can I say, I like non-humans lolol😅**

***I'm making everything up as I go...lol also MC has amnesia but still remembers who she is.***

---

I stare out at the open sea, the sand between my toes and the salty breeze in my hair.

...I don't know what just happened.

The last thing I remember...I was home... something happened and I was doing something. I can't remember what but I do remember at some point suddenly smelling the sea breeze.

I hear I few seagulls squawk to my left, turning towards them I see a flock of them surrounding a pile of seaweed.

Out of curiosity, I walk over, scaring them off. I crouch down by the pile of seaweed, taking a nearby stick and poke it a few times, lifting some of it with the stick I noticed something.

This pile of seaweed had a fishie tail!

Removing the rest of the seaweed, I find that it's a dolphin that must have gotten beached at some point.

I sigh a bit in disappointment, thinking that it was dead but then it moves it's tail a bit. I gasp as I move to grab it's tail so I can pull it into the water. The dolphin makes a few clicking noises of distress.

"I'm sorry, this is the only way I can get you into the water faster..."

As if it understood me it stopped trying to struggle and continued to click.

When my feet hit the water, I almost fell but I kept pulling the dolphin. Once we made it to deep enough water I let go of its tail so it could possibly swim away but it just floated there.

I reached out and moved my hands soothingly over it's slightly dry skin, bringing it's blowhole above water.

We stayed like this, holding it up and letting it go under the water every once in a while. When it seemed to regain strength, it moved slightly away and swam in a circle around me slowly, clicking and singing as it went.

After a bit more, the dolphin seemed to be feeling much better. It swam up to me, nudging me with it's long snoot.

I giggled and ran my hand over it's head before turning to wade my way back to dry land. The dolphin turning to swim off before circling towards a few rocks peaking out of the ocean close to the shore.

A man sat hiding behind the rocks. His purple hair dark from the ocean water, his blue eyes seeming to burn into my back.

As it started getting dark I tried pulling some leaves and driftwood together to make a shelter, I even used the seaweed that covered the dolphin before.

Proud with my work, and not noticing my audience, I set to work trying to start a fire so I can stay somewhat warm tonight. It was getting cold.

I struggled. A lot.

I couldn't light a fire to save my life, quite literally in this case.

The silent observer felt...pity. So while I wasn't looking, trying to gather more sticks, he snapped his fingers and a small flame lit the bundle on the ground.

When I saw the now lit fire, I squealed.

"Thank you!"

I shouted out to the universe, not knowing that I actually did have help but just thinking it was a stroke of luck.

The man scoffed quietly from his hiding place, rolling his eyes, but his ears flushed.

He waited until you were asleep in your makeshift 'hut' before approaching.

He looked down at your sleeping face before saying.

"I only did this because you helped. Eye for an eye, so you people say."

He narrowed his eyes as you moved in your sleep.

---

The day after I saved the dolphin, a few stingrays washed ashor. I helped them too, as much as I could with the barb on their tail. I ended up using some seaweed to loop around their fins to drag them into the shallows.

When I got them into the water, I let the seaweed go and it fell from their fins. Every time I freed a stingray back into the water from the sand, they would sit there for a moment as if in disbelief. Then they would swim away quickly.

After I got them all, I went back to my makeshift tent to sit and think.

What am I going to do?

I figured I could start by figuring out where exactly I am...so I set off to explore my surroundings.

After a small adventure, I figured out I was on a relatively small island. It used to be inhabited, what with the old-more like ancient- abandoned stone buildings. One sat not too far from where I was camped, the other was on the other side of the island, near a cliff edge.

The cliff wasn't high enough to kill on impact, but it would definitely hurt and if you weren't careful you could be carried by the waves and smashed into the cliff side. The only thing I won't do, is go into the ocean water unless I have to and luckily I also found a stream of fresh water leading from the building on the cliff down to a small pond that had water so clear it looked like glass.

I looked into the old rock buildings, there wasn't much but the one near my little camp could become my new camp. It still had a roof on it but it was missing it's doors, broken windows and looked ransacked.

I spent the rest of the day fixing up the main room so I could sleep more comfortably and out of the cold sea breeze.

Before the sun completely disappeared I went back to the beach to make sure nothing, no dolphins or stingray, got washed up again but all I found were pretty shells and what looks to be an old dagger.

Now that could be useful.

I once again said thank you out loud. Thanking the universe for my luck.

"Thank you! This'll help a lot..."

When I picked up the dagger, I felt the end of the blade, it was sharp enough to serve as a crafting tool but the rust on the metal would not be good for anything food related but I might be able to use it on the coconuts around the island.

I pocketed the pretty shells and the dagger to take back to my new camp, not noticing once again that I was being watched from those same rocks.

---

The days went on similarly.

I would wake up, walk the beach to make sure nothing washed up. Help the stingrays that somehow always beach themselves and watch the water as dolphins splash by. Then I would go to the pond to get water or go for a quick swim.

The clothes I first found myself in becoming grimey so I looked deeper into the abandoned places and found some old cloth that I could turn into a robe of some sort while I tried cleaning my old clothes.

Every once in a while I would find a cool little trinket, most of them I have no idea what they even do but I take them with me anyway. The last one I found was a glass figurine of a stingray, it was mostly clear with an inside of blue. It was beautiful and simple.

In my new camp at the ancient remains of a building, I sat all the trinkets on a stone bench, the glass Stingray sitting proudly in the center.

---

After about a week of doing the same thing I began to feel...watched?

I hoped I wasn't going stir crazy, being alone on an island with my only company being the fish and seagulls.

I didn't have much time to think on it because I was starting to feel...off.

I was getting lightheaded, nauseous and could barely sleep but I was so tired. I still went out to check the beach even though I just wanted to lay down, but only a few days of this and I found myself collapsing as I was stepping out of the doorway.

As I lay on the dirt, I wheezed, trying to breathe. I tried getting back up but my limbs felt like jello. After a second of trying to get up, I gave up as I let the black spots in my vision completely take over.

I passed out.

---

"..."

You were late.

He sat on the sand, waiting, watching his beautiful tail's scales drying out. He stayed in this form just for your first meeting...and you were late.

You always walked the beach, looking for creatures to help at this time. Only, when he was the one that needed 'help' were you late.

Maybe you were just sleeping in...you did seem tired these past few days. He'll wait a little longer, but if you made him wait too long...

The sun was getting higher, burning down on his scales. He flopped his tail once before it quickly turned into legs and he stood up.

He turned and stormed towards the path he watches you take every day. His purple hair now completely dry from sitting in the sun, his eyes glowing blue in his temper.

He followed the path and could see the old building through the trees, but as he got closer he could see something that strangely... worried him.

He saw you, laying on the ground passed out.

He stood over you for a moment, watching as you struggled to breathe, before he bent down and felt your warm skin.

"..."

He sat still for a moment before sighing, rolling you onto your back and picking you up to bring you back inside your 'home'.

"You are lucky."

He grumbles, deciding to help you. But only because you helped the creatures of his domain...no other reason.

Yet.

---------

Tag list: @lavvytae

[mamirhodessxox]

hello, i hope ur having a good day/evening/night when you get this!❤️

so i was hoping to request something for dashing or undashing Cody where he keeps hanging out with other female wrestlers in hopes of getting fem reader jealous or something, but reader has never had people like Cody be interested in them in any kind of way, so she doesnt realize what hes doing until Cody drags them into a closet or something and is basically like ‘why arent you paying attention to me?🥺’ and reader is basically shocked and surprised that Cody likes her back.

anyway, i hope this wasnt too long🥺 and i loved the cody one you just posted based off of him calling out the rock; absolute perfection 👌

Dummies In Love

Dashing!Cody Rhodes x Innocent Fem!Reader

Desc: Y/N had been close friends with Cody since his very debut in the wwe, She always thought they had a super close bond because of how good of friends they were until she realized she likes him & becomes distant and jealous when she sees him around another woman.

Contents: Cussing, Fluff, Angst, Smut, Innocence kink, very light size kink, P in V (wrap it before you tap it), Cockwarming, Jealousy, Daddy kink, Tummy Buldge.

🏷️ list: @alyyaanna @ginswife @coolpastelartshoe @greatkoalawizard @cokolin044 @kotoriarlert @alicerosejensen @bunnybot55 @agent-dessis-posts @adollonyourshelf @mini-rhodes @southerngirl41 @harmshake @femdisa @kabloswrld

{~I'm very serious with you guys interacting with my writing!!!! it would make me so happy & excited, the more comments & reposts the more inspiration i have to write :) likes and comments are strongly appreciated so please COMMENT COMMENT COMMENT COMMEENNTTT the more comments the more content <3!!!~}

Cody & Y/N always had a close bond especially since the two of them met, they clicked almost instantly, at the time Y/N was working at a little Cafe down the street of Cody’s apartment so he would visit almost everyday and each day they always talked while she worked.

Eventually she started going to his events to be the supportive bestfriend she loved being & then they got even closer, Holding hands, hugging on each other while standing making multiple girls interested in him think she was his girlfriend, he would kiss the top of her head often, even sleepover at Y/N’s apartment or ..

Y/N sleeping over at his, either way the duo was inseparable, and then things got confusing for Y/N…She started feeling a certain way towards Cody especially because how he would give her special treatment that the average bestfriend wouldn’t receive, Just like the character he had played as in the ring he was just as Dashing, his aurora leaked of charisma, She was so scared of these feelings but things got worse, Cody was known for “messing around” with some girls so he definitely hooked up many times to keep himself entertained for awhile and also distract him from his own feelings. Y/N would be fuming every single time another woman was with Cody. But then it turned into a game for Cody, he knew she was jealous and wanted her to be jealous.

Y/N stood aside in backstage with her arms crossed a glare on her face as she watched Cody flirt with yet another girl laughing way to hard at his jokes that were never THAT funny, eventually the girl walked off with a smile on her face while Cody grinned to himself before turning towards Y/N and smiled approaching her for a hug but she held up a hand to stop him & coming up with an excuse “I feel a little under the weather Codes’ good luck on your promo, I don’t wanna get you sick or something.” She smiled meekly while fiddling with the skirt she just put on just for him an hour ago before going over to the stadium they were hosting raw at.

“You sure? I can get you something to ea-“. “Nonono I’m fine just need rest, Good luck tonight Cody, I’ll be watching from home.” She smiled while Cody stared at her in suspicion & decided once he was done with his work of entertaining tens of thousands of fans for the night that he would give Y/N a visit because he does not fall for that shit whatso ever.

Y/N sat in her car as she waited in traffic with her two fingers pressed against the left temple of her head as her mind betrayed her on thoughts she didn’t particularly want to think about. The reminder that her chances of being with Cody are low, extremely low. At least that’s what she made herself think, once she finally fought through the traffic & made her way to her apartment she locked her front door after snagging her extra key from under her “welcome home” rug that laid in-front of the door. She slammed the key on her table & sighed as she put on her most comfy pajamas before lying down on her bed & sulking over s man who feels things for her just as much as she does for him without even realizing it.

After a few hours she was already asleep & Cody just made his way up the stairs in her apartment complex & stood by her doorstep as he tried to grab the spare key from under her rug only to see that it’s vanished. He tried knocking but go no response.

The next day Y/N stood behind the counter training a new barista & felt nervous as Cody walked into the cafe waiting for her to give him his undivided attention, but instead she had the trainee handle his order & she just stood back observing her new fellow employee & helping her work the register while Cody stared at her in confusion as to why she wasn’t paying attention to him. If this meant staying until she closes up the shop then so be it. He had the free time today.

So he sat there, for hours watching and observing her while he waited for her to clock out and go home. She saw him in the corner of her eyes the entire day and felt his stare burn right past her skin. Y/N began closing down the cafe & hang up her apron before going outside which had Cody follow along while she locked the doors & begin speed walking off “I know your not sick Y/N.” He called out to her as he followed from behind but she still gave no response to him. “Doll I really hope you don’t take me for a fucking dumbass because I know what game you’re trying to play & I don’t like it.” He shouted out once more but she shook her head as she walked even faster and so did he. She forgets he has the energy to chase after him no matter where she was going.

They soon ended up at her apartment building and he still followed her up the stairs and eventually pressed her up against the door she was about to unlock “Why aren’t you paying attention to me sweetheart? You know I don’t like it so why are you doing this to me?” She frowned and attempted to respond but she didn’t have the words to reply “I know you’re not sick either, you were perfectly fine last night and today.” She nervously shrugged “I— well you seemed busy with a few girls so I’m assuming I was interrupting something.” He sighed with a smile spreading across his face “I get it now, you’re jealous aren’t you baby?” She widened her eyes and shook her head “What?! Me?! Noo! I- well- you-“ Cody interrupted her defensive blabbering and pressed his lips against hers very gently before entangling his fingers into her hair. Her eyelids fluttered down and began kissing him back after letting the shock take over her body for just a split second.

Cody slipped his tongue right past her swollen lips & eventually pulled away wiping off her mouth while she whined softly “You talk to much baby.” He chuckled out before taking her keys & unlocking her door and immediately shoving his mouth back against hers as they stumbled into Y/N’s humble abode. He pressed her against the couch & bit slightly down against her bottom lip while she whimpered into his mouth as he wrapped her legs around his hips as he started grinding into her, she let out a low moan the moment his clothed hard on pressed against her. “Feel that sweet girl? You make me so fucking hard baby.” He groaned into her ear while she rolled her eyes back once he started grinding into her even more which made her feel a sudden wetness in her panties that left her a little alarmed since she was so unfamiliar with sex due to her having a shitty hookup once a blue moon “C-Cody ‘m all w-wet down there..” she sighed out while he grinned & started pulling down her leggings marveling over her laced panties. He pressed his thumb against her clothed clit and smirked to himself once he saw her squirm and lift her hips up forth even more.

“Oh i know angel, your not used to having someone who actually knows what he’s doing with your pretty pussy huh?” He grinned as she meekly nodded & gasped when she heard a loud tear & looked down seeing him quite literally rip off her panties “C-Cody! I just boug- ffuckk..” she moaned once she felt him slowly push his fingers inside her cunt while he sat up while pumping them in and out of her leaving the room to echo the noises of him finger fucking her. Y/N cried softly while he nipped at the shell of her ear “Feels good? Yeah? Of course you to baby, y’just needed daddy to touch your pretty cunt properly huh baby?” She nodded vigorously while she clenched around his finger the moment his started curling his finger inside of her & teasing her clit with his thumb. “O-Oh my god Cody!!” She squealed kicking her legs a little bit but he didn’t budge on whatever she was trying to do, his fingers fucked into her faster while she clenched around them like a vice & started cumming & making a mess of herself making the brunette male chuckle and kiss her temple before pulling his fingers out tapping then against her already fucked out cunt before licking off her juices from his fingers.

He immediately started taking of his pants & pulling his cock out from his boxers giving himself a few strokes smearing his pre cum around the head of his cock & pulled her onto his lap while grabbing her jaw gently and making her hover over his lap forcing Y/N to look at him in the eye “You’re gonna sit on my fuckin’ dick, take it all like a good girl & not move a fucking muscle until I tell you understand?” She nodded quickly and wrapped her arms around him before kissing him in an impatient manner before moaning against his mouth when he started seething himself inside of her. She felt him leave a slight bulge in her stomach as her cunt tightened around his cock immediately feeling him throbbing inside of her “gonna take my dick like a big girl? Hm?” He almost felt guilty for being slightly rough with a girl who was so innocent & needy but then again he was going to prove her he can fuck her 10x better than her past hookups.

He enjoyed the fact she would let him man handle her & hold her small figure against him while his cock was sunken inside of her, Y/N moaned softly when his dick started twitching, her face was all covered up in the crook of his neck while his large hands ran down her entire body, groping her breasts & rubbing against her tummy before he started slowly thrusting up into her “Fuck..” he groaned into her ear while she leaned her head back and started bouncing on his dick in the same rhythm he was in making her gasp & scratch his chest a little bit “Yeah? You feel good don’t you baby? Taking daddy’s cock like the good girl you are.” He grunted and scratched her hips the more he thrusted himself into her swollen pussy while she nodded continuously before flopping her head onto his shoulder as he started letting out moans himself and wrapping his arm around her even tighter “c’mon s-sweet girl cum for me, cum for daddy.” She cried out in pleasure against his skin before lifting her head and kissing him the moment he made her cum “i-i’m cumming!” She cried out as his thrusts got sloppier while the apartment was surrounded with skin slapping, heavy breathing & the two mumbling to eachother. “Daddy ‘m cumming!!” She moaned into her ears as she came around his dick & eventually him quickly pulling out & cumming against his & Y/N’s stomach.

He held her as close to him as possible breathing heavily while she giggled in his ear followed him his chuckling & grabbing her face to get another kiss out of her before getting off of the couch & carrying her into the bathroom setting up a bubble bath. While they waited her stood in-between her legs & hugged onto her “I think it’s safe to say you’re my girlfriend now right?” Y/N laughed with him and nodded her head tiredly before he finally set her in the tub & washed off her body. “I promise next week I’ll give you a proper date.” He joked but he was also serious. Y/N smiled in exhaustion “I’m sure y’will Codes.” He grinned and kissed her cheek.

he continued catering to her for the night & giving her the aftercare she deserved and spending the night after realizing she’s loved him for as long as he’s loved her.

xtripleiiix’s Masterlist

[taggedmemes]

RANDOM SONG LYRICS 001. as shuffled on my phone. change wording as desired, etc.

my heart knows me better than i know myself.

i felt a little fear up my back.

don't look back, just keep on walking.

hey little lady, will you marry me?

you're not the one for me.

i stopped it dead for a beat or two.

it won't forgive me after all these years.

now i've got a hole for the world to see.

my heart's forsaken me.

sorry for acting this strange.

i can't control myself.

take my clothes off.

it's more fun when you can't read my mind.

sometimes i fuck you in my head.

it's the kind of thing that you would rather leave unsaid.

i got dirty wishes on my mind.

sorry, i think i zoned out.

do you feel it too?

are you as obsessed?

give me just a little sign and i'll confess.

baby let's go and get blind tonight.

every silver lining has a cloud.

if you remember this tomorrow then you're doing it wrong.

we're a lethal combination.

too lost for therapy.

if you wake up feeling happy then you're doing it all wrong.

you're pushing and pulling me down to you.

i had to stop myself.

i'm saying something that i should have never thought.

i don't know what i want.

you got it, some kind of magic.

you're leaving me breathless.

i hate this.

you're not the one i believe in.

i don't know what i want, but i know it's not you.

you used to get it in your fish nets.

now you only get it in your night dress.

you discarded all your naughty nights for niceness.

you landed in a very common crisis.

nothing seems as pretty as the past.

the bloody mary's lacking in tabasco.

remember when you used to be a rascal?

the boy's a slag.

the best you ever had is just a memory.

those dreams weren't as daft as they seem.

i'm guessing that she'd rather just forget it.

she said she wasn't going but she went.

she likes her gentlemen not to be gentle.

you took a left off last laugh lane.

you're not coming back again.

i don't know what you could possibly expect under this condition.

this night's a perfect shade of dark blue.

have you ever been alone in a crowded room?

i'm here with you.

this flood is slowly rising up.

tell me how anybody thinks under this condition.

now all i can see are the planets in a row suggesting it's best that i slow down.

we were boxing the stars.

it was me and you.

breathe in for luck.

this air is blessed, you share with me.

this night is wild.

we're doing fine.

we're doing nothing at all.

my hopes are so high that your kiss might kill me.

won't you kill me, so i die happy?

my heart is yours to fill or burst, to break or bury, or wear as jewelry.

we're safe in here from all the stupid questions.

man, that is so dumb.

stay quiet, stay near, stay close.

hands down, this is the best day i can ever remember.

you kissed me like you meant it.

i knew that you meant it.

i'm begging you.

please don't take my man.

please don't take him just because you can.

your beauty is beyond compare.

your smile is like a breath of spring.

your voice is soft like summer rain.

i cannot compete with you.

he talks about you in his sleep.

you don't know what he means to me.

you could have had your choice in men.

i could never love again.

he's the only one for me.

my happiness depends on you.

you can be whoever you wanna be here.

i don't even know them, but they won't leave here.

frightened by my own reflection.

don't you get too close.

love you now but not tomorrow.

i just wanna feel something.

i can be whoever you want me to be.

love me now but not tomorrow.

i wanna take you home.

lonely little life.

nobody believes you now.

you're bleeding magic out.

don't want to scare you off.

don't want to know your name.

you'll never know a single thing about me.

[kimingyuslover]

Photographs

synopsis : wonwoo's heartbreaks.

word count : 1,123

pairing : wonwoo x fem!reader.

genre : angst.

warnings : TEARS, TEARS & TEARS hehehe, wonwoo's kind of an asshole(???), mingyu makes appearances, Seojun & Junseo are twins (your sons), mom!reader.

★ ik the poll says fluff, but i can't ignore this idea t__t

☆ check out my other works > main masterlist

“If you don't want this, you can just tell me, but i'm not going to give up on them” said you as you hold your tears from falling to your lap, you know there's consequence for your doing and you're okay with that, you're ready to handle the responsibility.

Although you're still at fault for this, so does wonwoo. this wouldn't happen if both of you were in your right state of mind that night.

You're willing to give anything for this, whereas wonwoo not. Having kids, especially before the marriage, was never on his luck calendar, so you announcing this to him was such a surprise.

“I think,” there's a pregnant pause in his words, but you already promised yourself that what happens today will determine your future.

“I think we should break things up” he finally finishes his line.

You felt like there's a sharp knife running through your chest, your breath felt heavy, and your eyes started to get more wet.

“Okay then, i'll be gone in the morning”

You got up from the couch, heading towards your shared bedroom to take your personal belongings. You packed half of your things yesterday, just in case your nightmare comes true, and tonight, it does.

[ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ]

Wonwoo woke up from his deep slumber, unaware of anything. The only difference he felt was he's not sleeping in your bedroom, he's sleeping on the couch, which caused his back to be in pain.

His heart dropped to his stomach when he saw the bedroom empty.

The only thing he saw on your bed was the little note, a note that you wrote days prior.

To my dearest, wonwoo

hi, wonwoo

you'll probably see this when i'm gone. I wrote this long before you knew about them. I don't mind if you don't want them, but I want to keep the babies.

I've already imagined your rejection in my head, and every time it comes, my heart hurts.

I really thought we're endgame, but that's only in my mind, isn't it? When I first saw them, I almost didn't believe it.

Me, too, am scared to be a parent, but we have to pay the price for our happiness, right?

I love you, Jeon wonwoo.

When this note passes to you (i'm hoping it's not) i'll just hope you'll find someone better, who fits into your categories of women, and is not dumb enough to be pregnant with your babies.

sincerely & with love,

your (ex?)girlfriend, y/n

A single tear drops from his right eyes, and the argument from the night before comes to his mind.

His sharp intonation, sarcasm, hurtful words that we swear he would never throw at you, and the b word that he never wants to say to you.

Suddenly, everything became as clear as the sky yesterday.

[ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ]

“Junseo, Seojun! Next time, wait for Mommy if you want to cross, okay? I'm so worried for both of you!” you said to your sons as they looked at the ground beneath their feet.

Guilty start building up their body, and tears start gathering on their eyes.

“Mommy sorry, I'm sorry, let's go walking again, okay?” you said to them as you put your hand on Seojun's left cheek and the other on Junseo's right cheek.

They nod at you before telling you that they're sorry and won't let it happen again, which caused you to hug them tightly.

The three of you want to go to a museum near your hotel.

There's a new museum that will be opened for the first time for the public to see, and it's a photography museum, there'll be the owner of the museum there too, considering that this is their grand opening.

You circled around the photos with a glass of champagne being served by the waiter there with junseo on your left and seojun on your right.

You feel your knees are stuck on the floor below you. There's a photograph of your last vacation photo with wonwoo, before the announcement, before the night gets messy.

You read the description.

Kim

my greatest, painful love, first and last love

06-06-26 There were 11 days left until my birthday, but I made my greatest mistake and regret.

“Mommy? Why are you looking so sad?” One of the five years old asks you. He can see the way your eyes start to widen in disbelief.

Him and his twins are concerned about you, so Junseo decided to ask you.

Realising you're still with your sons, you wipe your tears that threaten to spill anytime soon.

You smile at them and give them a peck on each forehead, then tell them that you're okay.

Your eyes dart to the next photograph, a silhouette of a woman.

Seojun and Junseo make a silent discussion. You're taken aback when Seojun said

“Isn't this you, Mommy?”

You read the description again.

Kim II

I've found the love of my life in you, my greatest desire.

It's the same.

You remember it, this has been wonwoo's homepage wallpaper on his computer since he took it a month before the incident.

Your breaths are now shallow, and when you start to feel dizzy, someone catches you, just on time.

“my love! Are you okay? Do you want to go home?” You heard a familiar voice behind you.

Mingyu's voice sounds so concerned. This does not happen often to you. Mingyu's now asking about a doctor who maybe could help you.

A middle-aged woman came forward and started to help you breathe.

Wonwoo gets confused when he sees a lot of people surrounding a spot in his museum, so he wants to check it.

Wonwoo halts his action when he sees you, well and alive, with a man beside you, and there's two little boys around you.

He feels his eyes getting soaked. You really didn't give up on them 5 years ago. They're here, on his exhibit.

His heart breaks when he sees you and them. The guilt is still there even after all these years.

Wonwoo knows what's behind you. It's a photograph of memory of you before the breakdown.

This whole exhibit was presented to you, his muse.

Wonwoo didn't even get to tell his messages that he kept for you to hear because when you get back up on your feet, you start to walk out.

“Honey, do you want to go to the hospital nearby?” The man beside you asks, a little bit loud because wonwoo still can hear it.

“No need, love, let's just go back to our hotel room, come on babies” you ushered Mingyu, Junseo, and Seojun.

Yes, wonwoo breaks his heart again.

All those heartbreaks were all his fault.

[lenitriedtowritestuff]

Daylight (Song Fic)

Based on “Daylight” by Maroon 5

WandaxReader // Angst

Summary: As morning closes in on Westview, you spend your last moments with her.

Trigger Warnings: Death

*There’s a throwaway line that could potentially be interpreted as the reader being latinx or having latinx roots. 

Word Count: 2,696

A/N: I found this mostly finished draft and finished it. Nothing special but still thought I'd post it.

Main Masterlist | MCU Masterlist | Recced Fics Masterlist

Let me know if anything needs to be fixed!

Here I am waiting, I'll have to leave soon

Why am I holding on?

We knew this day would come, we knew it all along

How did it come so fast?

You stood by the bottom of the staircase, hand trailing down the railing. Your eyes flit over to the top of the stairs, thoughts of your boys who now lay asleep run through your mind. The events of the last week played over and over in your head; even though it had only been a short time, it felt like a lifetime. 

So many questions ran through your head, the inability to focus on a single one and the struggle to even muster up an answer left an uneasy feeling in the pit of your stomach. You do not know where you came from nor what you were, and that scares you. According to everyone, you have been gone for a long time now. 

Your thought process is interrupted as the red hue of the retreating barrier that gave you this reality catches your eyes through the window. It got closer and closer with every passing second; your time was running out faster than you were prepared for. 

This is our last night but it's late

And I'm trying not to sleep

'Cause I know, when I wake

I will have to slip away

Your attention is brought over to Wanda when you hear the click of a lamp being turned off in the living room, another one still lighting up the space. Dread fills your body; You did not want to be in the dark. You want to be able to see her, to hold her close to you and feel her heart beat against yours, to be able to gaze into her eyes and say “I love you” one last time. You want to say goodbye.

With that thought running through your mind, you walk towards the lamp she just turned off and light it back up, just as she turns off the other. She tilts her head to the side in an inquisitive manner, a soft smile shaping her lips. You take a few moments before answering as you try to commit every small detail of her to memory. 

“I, um… My grandma once told me that it’s bad luck to say goodbye in the dark,” you finally answer. The excuse was lame, but you can not bring yourself to care. All you cared about was this moment, here and now. All you cared about was her. 

“No she didn’t,” she says softly with a gentle shake of her head. A quiet, amused sigh escapes your lips. 

“Yeah, no. No, she didn’t,” you walk closer to her, standing a few feet away from her, “I just… I wanted to see you clearly.”

“And?” she closes the gap between you as she reaches out for your hands.

“And…”  you look down as you hold her hands in your own, “Here you are.”

A buzzing sound fills the room and both you and Wanda stare out to the approaching energy field. Your grip tightens up around her hands, fearing that you yourself would suddenly disappear without a warning. The sinking feeling in your chest was back stronger than before, the realization that time was fleeting crashing back again. You tear your gaze away from the window and look at your wife, the woman you loved, and say, “Dance with me.”

Her eyes, which were previously holding worry, soften as she settles her sights on you once more. “Please?” you add softly.

And when the daylight comes I'll have to go

But tonight I'm gonna hold you so close

'Cause in the daylight we'll be on our own

But tonight I need to hold you so close

Ooh whoa, ooh whoa, ooh whoa

Ooh whoa, ooh whoa, ooh whoa

“Please?” you draw out the word, your hand outstretched for her to grab if she accepted. F.R.I.D.A.Y. had been blasting music throughout the compound speakers all day for no known reason and no one had been able to make the AI stop. Additionally, no one knew why the AI was playing music; You choose to believe that one of the ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. agents that was now working for Stark Industries had successfully tampered with the AI’s systems as a prank.

You were helping Wanda in the kitchen with lunch when your favorite song from when you were a child came on. A wide smile spreads across your cheeks when you hear its first notes, a wave of nostalgia and happy memories washing over you. Letting go of the kitchen knife you were holding, you start dancing along to the music, not caring if your moves matched with the rhythm. 

Wanda stops stirring the pot and looks at you with a confused albeit amused expression. You catch her stare and, somehow, your smile widens. You were completely captured by her eyes, the way that she smiles, the shape of her lips. You couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to kiss her. 

“Come on Maximoff, join me,” you say while doing the silliest dance move you could think of. This brings out a laugh from her, and you make it your mission to hear that sound again. “No, no, no, I don’t dance,” she shakes her head in amusement. 

“Come on, dance with me,” you drag just about every word in that sentence while extending out your arm towards her, “just one song, one song and we can get back to cooking.

“Please?”

She rolls her eyes playfully at your antics; even though she has not known you for a very long time, she finds you to be quite endearing, perhaps even charming. She can’t help but think that Pietro would have liked you if he were still here. 

She reaches out for your arm, “Fine, just one dance.” An excited grin breaks out on your face and you pull her close to you just as a bachata song begins to play. A smile breaks out on your face as you look up at the ceiling, a different set of images of family gatherings and parties flashing through your mind.  

Here I am staring at your perfection

In my arms, so beautiful

The sky is getting bright, the stars are burning out

Somebody slow it down

You hold both her hands in yours, “have you ever danced bachata before?” 

“I have never heard this type of music before,” she answers honestly, a soft blush coating her cheeks. You give her a soft smile before saying, “that’s okay, just follow me, you’re in for a treat.

You explain the simple dance moves while showcasing the steps, your hands swinging along to your movements. “And you just repeat those steps. Oh, and you have to move your hips as you step.” 

Wanda watches you intently and tries her best to follow in suit. You watch as she stares down at her feet, trying her best to match your movements and rhythm. Her eyebrows were slightly furrowed in concentration, her mouth curving in a way indicative of her biting the inside of her lip. She looked cute when she was concentrating.

“You know you’re allowed to mess up the rhythm a little bit and enjoy yourself, right?” you ask teasingly.

Her eyes lift up from the ground and focus on you, giving you a playful glare while the corners of her lips tick up in amusement. “Shut up,” she says softly, though her tone indicated no annoyance. Regardless, your comment managed to do the trick, as you notice her body becoming less stiff and fully giving into the music.

This is way too hard

'Cause I know, when the sun comes up

I will leave, this is my last glance

That will soon be memory

Soon enough, the both of you fell into rhythm and Wanda had mastered the basic steps. “I’m gonna give you a little spin now, okay?” you ask with a small giggle. 

Wanda looked up at you, and you could sense a bit of anxiety from her. She took a quick breath, relaxing once more before saying, “okay.”

You can’t hold back the smile that comes to your lips. You could feel a flutter in your chest. “Okay, in three, two, one.”

You let go of her waist and you spin her around and she laughs her wonderful laugh. “See? It’s easy,” you smile at her. “You were right,” she admits, her shining eyes met yours. Your heart could not help but melt. “Let’s do it again,” you say as a similar beat is about to come up again. “Okay,” she breathes out. 

You begin to spin her once more, but this time, she lost her balance and knocked into you.

The slight misstep somehow had you both tumbling to the ground with you falling on top of her. 

A fit of giggles erupt from the both of you as you move off from on top of her. “Are you okay?” you ask, still giggling, as you stand up and stretch your hand out to her. She gives you a soft “yes” and a nod as she graciously accepts it and you help her up off the ground. As you do, you accidentally pulled her right into your arms. The air seems to electrify around the both of you, the light teasing air suddenly dissipating into a more serious atmosphere.

Goosebumps cover your skin as time seemingly stills around you. All you can do is stare into the lovely green hues of her eyes. Thoughts of how much you’d like to kiss her ran through your mind. Neither of you realized how close your faces were to one another until Tony’s voice cut through the tension that penetrated the room, “Want me to set off the sprinklers? Make it a scene from Singing in the Rain?”

You both immediately break away from each other, putting a few feet of distance between the two of you. 

“Wh-what do you want, Tony?” you ask as you feel your face burning with the embarrassment of being caught. “Don’t mind me, Casablanca, I’m looking for my coffee mug,” he says as he crosses his arms over his chest, his signature cocky smile on his face. You quickly grab his Iron-Man-helmet-shaped coffee mug from the counter and hand it to him. “Here you go, see you later,” you avoid his eyes and all but push him out of the kitchen. 

“Let me know for next time, I’d love to watch Grease live,” he says ironically. You let out a fake laugh while holding out your middle finger at him as he leaves the kitchen. You hear him singing both parts of “Summer Nights” as he walks away down the corridor.

Silence then settles over the room and part of you is hesitant to look at her. You played with your thumbs as anxiety twinged in your heart. You couldn’t have been the only one who felt that, right? 

And when the daylight comes I'll have to go

But tonight I'm gonna hold you so close

'Cause in the daylight we'll be on our own

But tonight I need to hold you so close

Ooh whoa, ooh whoa, ooh whoa

Ooh whoa, ooh whoa, ooh whoa

A shaky intake of breath makes you snap your head at her. She was still staring out to where Tony had just disappeared through before her eyes landed on you. An electric surge suddenly filled your body and, before you could think about it, you began to speak, “Wanda, I--”

“Would you like to go out with me?” she suddenly blurted out before you could finish your sentence. A stunned silence overtakes you as Wanda herself seems to begin to understand what exactly she just said out loud. 

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have-- I did not--,” she begins to stumble through an apology, but it was your turn to interrupt. 

“I would love to go out with you,” you say, a smile quickly growing on your lips, “I would absolutely love to go out with you.”

Relief floods her expression as you see the tension roll off her shoulders. As realization sets in, she also breaks out into a radiant smile that makes your heart melt. “I hear there’s a nice coffee shop that opened recently not far from here. Maybe we can go there tonight?” you ask tentatively as you bite the inside of your cheek.

“That sounds nice,” she says as she looks down and begins to play with her fingers. You caught the light blush covering her cheeks and you feel your own begin to warm up. “Perfect,” you clear your voice, “it’s-it’s a date then.”

She looks up into your eyes, the smile never leaving her face, “it’s a date.”

I never wanted to stop

Because I don't wanna start all over, start all over

I was afraid of the dark

But now it's all that I want, all that I want, all that I want

Memories of your first date flood your mind. You remember the coffee shop that you went to, where you did not leave until closing time and then walking to Central Park. It started to rain and there was nowhere to take shelter, so you both played in the rain, despite shivering by the end of it. You remember the museum date you went on and imitating the T-Rex in the dinosaur exhibit. The younger kids that hung around laughed and started to imitate you. You remember dancing on the Compound’s rooftop under the stars while everyone slept. You told her you loved for the first time in the moonlight. 

Memories of a life before magic stones and genocidal maniacs became clear after having been fuzzy in your mind for so long. 

“Yes,” she finally says, “I’ll dance with you.”

You smile a grateful smile. You place one of your hands on the small of her back; she, in turn, wrapped an arm around your shoulder. Your other hands joined together in the air as you looked into each other's eyes for a few brief moments. You both sway gently around the room, falling into a rhythm that is all too familiar to you both. As many times before, no music played to accompany your movements; you did not need any.

You give her a slow spin, and she giggled. “Careful not to trip,” you say gently with a smile. She playfully hits your chest as she gracefully lands in your arms once more. You begin to hum a tune as you continue to dance. She lays her head against you and sighs softly.

You stare down at her lovingly. ‘I wish we could stay like this forever,’ you think to yourself.

And when the daylight comes I'll have to go

But tonight I'm gonna hold you so close

'Cause in the daylight we'll be on our own

But tonight I need to hold you so close

Another buzzing sound interrupts the moment, and you both instinctively look out the window. You look on as the force barrier continues to approach quickly and a feeling of dread bubbles up at the bottom of your stomach. 

“It seems like we’re out of time, darling,” you say quietly, as if speaking too loudly would make the barrier close faster. You realized you were still holding on to each other as you felt her grip tighten around your arms. Neither one of you was ready to let go. 

You tear your gaze away from the widow, your eyes falling on her. You find yourself taking in every detail of her again.

“Wanda, I--” you begin to say, “this may not be the best time for this, but I feel like I need to know. What am I?” 

Her gaze softens as she stares into your eyes. For a moment, you were transported to the day you taught her to dance in the kitchen while you cooked together.

“You, my love, are the combination of everything we’ve been through. Every memory, every fight, every dance… You are the embodiment of our love. But most importantly, you are who you have always been.” 

She gave you the softest of smiles. And you gave her one back. You tighten your hold on her briefly, wanting to tell her how much you loved her in any which way possible.

Another electrical sound reverberated throughout the house. Time was up; the barrier finally hit. 

And when the daylight comes I'll have to go

But tonight I'm gonna hold you so close

'Cause in the daylight we'll be on our own

But tonight I need to hold you so close

Ooh whoa, ooh whoa, ooh whoa

Ooh whoa, ooh whoa, ooh whoa

Ooh whoa (yeah), ooh whoa (yeah), ooh whoa (yeah)

Ooh whoa (yeah), ooh whoa (yeah), ooh whoa

Everything around you began to decompose, the layers of the past peeling off the walls as time flew backwards. You caught a look at your own skin, how it seems to glow a brilliant gold as you slowly start to fade away along with everything that surrounds you. You felt no pain, not even a tingle. Your eyes fall back on hers.Tears stained her cheeks, but her eyes only held love and adoration. 

You place your hand on her cheek and wipe her tears away. You give her a soft, sad smile. You will meet again. Somewhere, somehow, you will be together again, along with your boys and a dog named Lucky.

She smiled back at you, the warm touch of her hand falling on top of yours. It was at that moment that you knew she would be okay, and that is all the reassurance you needed. 

You pressed your forehead against hers and wrapped your arms around her waist, sinking into the fading feeling of her warm touch. “I love you,” you whisper to her while hugging her close to you.

“I love you, too.”

You closed your eyes and squeezed her hand for the last time, and you welcomed the surrounding darkness that enveloped you in a familiar, loving warmth.

[kipscorner]

Monsters! Feel free to change pronouns, relationship mentions and anything else to match your writing preferences! Part of the list has been put under Read More due to it being a long list!

“Uh... my friends call me Phlegm.”

“Mr.(Mrs/Miss/etc) [Name], can you tell me what you did wrong?” “There is nothing more toxic or deadly than a human child. A single touch could kill you!”

“You can't make me!”

“Yes, it's dangerous work and that's why I need you to be at your best.”

“it's going to be a perfect day to maybe, hey, just lie in bed, sleep in or simply... work out that flab that's hanging over the bed!”

“I don't believe I ordered a wake-up call, [Name].”

“Did you see me? I'm a natural!”

“Hey, wasn't I great? Did the whole family see it?”

“You've been jealous of my good looks since the fourth grade, pal.”

“Big deal. Guy takes five steps and he's there.”

“I told you, call me [Name].”

“We just wanted to wish you good luck today.”

“Quiet! You'II make him lose his focus.”

“Oh, Googley-woogley, you remembered!”

“So, uh... are we going anywhere special tonight?”

“But it's impossible to get a reservation there!”

(singing) “You and me! Me and you! Both of us together!”

“You know, pal, she's the one. That's it. She is the one!”

“Oh, and, uh, thanks for hooking me up with those reservations.”

“Oh, no problem. They're under the name Googley Bear.”

“I wasn't scared. I have... allergies.”

“Do you hear that?It's the winds of change.”

( mocking voice ): ''You hear it? You hear the winds of ch...? –Oh, what a creep. One of these days, I am really... going to let you teach that guy a lesson.”

“[Name], you didn't file your paperwork last night.”

“I'm watching you, [Name]. Always watching.”

“You're the boss! You're the boss! You're the big, hairy boss!”

“She wasn't scared of you?”

“I could've been dead! I could've died!”

“I will personally put you through the shredder!”

“I love working with that big guy.”

“[Name] and I are like brothers.(sisters//siblings/etc)”

“We're just going through a rough time, sir.(ma’am/name/etc) Everyone knows you're going to get us through it.”

“Now, that's my boy(girl,etc)!”

“I've never seen anything like you today. You were on a roll, my man.(girl/etc)”

“So get this-- as if dinner wasn't enough I'm taking her(her/them/etc) to a monster truck rally afterwards.”

“You know, I am so romantic sometimes I think I should just marry myself.”

“'Cause I got to tell you, buddy that face of hers, it just makes my heart go...Yikes!”

“Your stunned silence is very reassuring.”

“Kitty!”

“No, no-- stay back!”

“Oh, [Name], I've had a lot of birthday... well, not a lot of birthdays but this is the best birthday ever.”

“I was just thinking about the first time I laid eye(eyes) on you-- how pretty you looked.”

“What a coincidence, running into you here! Uh, I'm just going to order something to go.”

“Get out of here. You're ruining everything.”

“Please remain calm. This is not a drill.”

“Well, I don't think that date could have gone any worse.”

“Well, a kid flew right over me and blasted a car with its laser vision!”

“I tried to run from it, but it picked me up with its mind powers and shook me like a doll!”

“It is my professional opinion that now is the time to... panic!”

“No, don't touch those, you little...! Oh, now those were alphabetized.”

“It's okay, it's all right. As long as it doesn't come near us we're going to be okay.”

“I have no idea but it would be really great if it didn't do it again.”

“How could I do this? How could I be so stupid?”

“That thing is a killing machine!”

“I bet it's just waiting for us to fall asleep and then wham! Oh, we're easy prey, my friend-- easy prey. We're sitting targets.”

“Using mainly spoons, we dig a tunnel under the city and release it into the wild.”

“That's it, I'm out of ideas. We're closed. Hot air balloon? Too expensive. Giant slingshot? Too conspicuous. Enormous wooden horse? Too Greek!”

“Are you sleepy? You want to sleep? ls that what you want? Huh?” 

“No. Hey, hey, that's my bed! You're going to get your germs all over it. ( sighing ) Fine. My chair is more comfortable anyway.”

“Will you go to sleep?”

“Oh, boy, how do I explain this?”

“How about I sit here, until you fall asleep? Go ahead. Go to sleep. Now. Now... go. Uh, you... go... to... sleep. ( imitating snoring )”

“Really? Well, in that case, let's keep it. I always wanted a pet that could kill me!”

“Is that a joke? Tell me you're joking.”

“[Name], I'd like to think that, given the circumstances I have been extremely forgiving up to now but that is a horrible idea!”

“Don't panic-- we can do this.”

“Actually, that's my, uh, cousin's sister's daughter…”

“That is the weirdest thing you have ever said.”

“That's a cute little dance you've got. It almost looks like you've got to…”

“Where did she go? Oh, did she disappear? Did she turn invisible?”

“[Name], my tender, oozing blossom you're looking fabulous today.Is that a new haircut? Come on, tell me. It's a new haircut, isn't it? That's got to be a new haircut. New makeup? You've had a lift. You've had a tuck. You've had something. Something has been inserted in your skin that makes you look like...”

“Ready or not, here I come! I'm getting warmer! Any second now! Fee fi fo…”

“Don't you think I'm aware of the situation? I was up all night!”

“Yeah, well, until we know for sure we're going to act like nothing happened, understand?”

“You're right, you're right. We're just two regular joes on our way to work. We will blend right in!”

“Very good. Now bon voyage!”

“That's what I decided to call her(him/them). Is there a problem?”

“[Name], you're not supposed to name it. Once you name it, you start getting attached to it!”

“ow put that thing back where it came from, or so help me…!”

“But if it was an inside job I'd put my money on [Third party].”

“( whimpers ) last night was one of the worst nights of my entire life, bar none!”

“Sushi? Sushi?!! You think this is about sushi?!”

“So I said, ''If you talk to me like that again, we're through!''

“Oh, well, hello, there. What's your name?”

“I got us a way out of this mess but we got to hurry.”

“Oh, you're all right! I was so worried! Don't you ever run away from me again, young lady(mnan/etc)! Oh, but I'm so glad you're safe.”

“We're going to get our lives back. The nightmare is over.”

“Okay, first of all, it's cree-tin. If you're going to threaten me do it properly.”

“Well somebody's certainly been a busy bee.”

“I'm sorry, [Name], but [Third party] said I'm not allowed to fraternize with victims of his(her/etc) evil plot.”

“We got to get out of here now! We can start a whole new life somewhere far away!”

“I was going for a snake ninja approach with a little hissing.”

“How many times do I have to tell you? It's all about presence!”

“[Name]? [Name], it's me…”

“[Name]? No, no, no, no. It's okay. I was just…No, no, no, no, no, don't be scared. That wasn't real. It's just a...I was just…”

“Does anyone else know about this?”

“All you had to do was listen to me-- just once! But you didn't, did you? You're still not listening!”

“Welcome to the Himalayas!”

“Snow cone? No, no, no. Don't worry-- it's lemon.”

“Did you see the way she(he/etc)... looked at me?”

“Take my buddy, Bigfoot. When he was banished he fashioned an enormous diaper out of poison ivy. Wore it on his head like a tiara. Called himself King Itchy.”

“Look at that big jerk. Ruined my life, and for what?”

“Wasteland? I think you mean wonderland! I mean, how about all this fabulous snow, huh?”

“Okay, rule number one out here. Always…No.Never go out in a blizzard.”

“None of it matter...Wa-wait a second. None of it matters?”

“So, now the truth comes out, doesn't it?”

“What about everything we ever worked for? Does that matter? Huh?”

“What about me? I'm your pal. I'm... I'm your best friend. Don't I matter?”

“I'm sorry, [Name]. I'm sorry we're stuck out here. I didn't mean for this to happen. But [Third Party]’s in trouble.”

“'Whoa, whoa, whoa. ''We''? No. There's no ''we'' this time, pal. I-if-if you want to go out there and freeze to death you be my guest... because you're on your own.”

“I never should have trusted you with this.”

“Let's get you home.”

“You don't know how long I've wanted to do that, [Name].”

“I was just mad, that's all. I needed some time to think.” “I'm being attacked!”

“No, I'm not attacking you. I'm trying to be honest. Just hear me out. You and I are a team. Nothing is more important than our friendship.”

“If you start crying, I'm going to cry and I'II never get through this. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you but I am now.”

“[Name], I am baring my soul here. The least you could do is pay attention!”

“Somebody's got take care of you, you big hairball!”

“[Name], if you don't tell me what's going on right now, we are through! You hear me? Through!”

“You expect me to believe that pack of lies, [Full name]!”

“Go get 'em, Googley Bear!”

“What a plan-- simple, yet insane!”

“How are we supposed to get to it now? Oh, it's a dead end, [Name]!”

“Hurry up, hurry up! Give me your hand.”

“Jump! I'm behind you!”

“Hurry up! Keep moving!”

“You stupid, pathetic waste!”

“You've been number one for too long, [Name]. Now your time is up!”

“Mama, another gator got in the house!”

“Give me that shovel! Come here!”

“All right, I got a move here. It'II bring down the house.”

“I think we stopped him, [Name]. You're safe now.”

“She's(he’s/etc) seen too much. You both have.”

“Well, I don't know about the rest of you guys but I spotted several big mistakes.”

“Two and a half years of undercover work were almost wasted.”

“What, you mean... you mean, I can't see her(him/etc) again?”

“I bet we get the rest of the day off.”

“Come on, pal, cheer up, we did it!”

“Oh, sure, we put the factory in the toilet, and... gee, hundreds of people will be out of work now. Not to mention the angry mob that'II come after us when there's no more power, but, hey... at least we had some laughs, right?”

“Oh, I love kindergarten. Best three years of my life.”

“[Name], you're such a charmer.”

[elisysd]

Gold Rush Masterlist

Sequel to Cruel Summer (Charles Leclerc x OC), can be read independently

Prologue

1.Guess my childhood is over

2.Tonight is gonna be the loneliest

3.We are invincible, we are unstoppable

4.Vultures spinning up above for what's left of me

5.They say it's bad karma being such a heartbreaker

6.If you fail to plan, you plan to fail

7.Maybe together we can get somewhere

8.I've got memories and travel like gypsies in the night

9.Personally, I think you'd be better with somebody like me

10.Way down we go

11.That's why I'm lying to my therapist

12.You could be my luck even if the sky is falling down

13.Lately you've been searching for a darker place to hide

14.I could be so sweet if only I were naive

15.Burn, crash, romance, I’ll take what I can get from you

16.And I wanna kiss you, make you feel alright

17.I’ve been thinking way too loud, I wish that I could block me out

18.And if the storm is hitting I'll try to keep you steady

19.Ask me what I earned from all those tears

20.All I know is this could either break my heat or bring it back to life

21.Sleeping's so tough you're burning up my mind

22.It's a love story baby just say yes

23.Cause space is just a word made up by someone who's araid to get too close

24.But there's a shining in the shadows

25.I'll be there till it all feels so big, till it all feels so small

26.I’ve been feeling everything from hate to love, from love to lust, from lust to truth

27.Take the moment and taste it, you’ve got no reason to be afraid.

28.You've got a friend in me

29.Why don't you let me down, I'll let you do it again

30.Can you make it feel like home if I tell you you’re mine?

31.I know heaven’s a thing, I go there when you touch me

32.Maybe there's nothing after midnight that could make you stay

33.You're scared of love, well, aren't we all?

34.Don't get too close, it's dark inside, it's where my demons hide

35.Fear or love, baby? Don't say the answer

36.And what hurts the most is people can go from people you know to people you don't

37.Should I give up or should I just keep chasing pavements?

38.What am I now? What if I'm someone I don't want around?

39.And I just wanna tell you it takes everything in me not to call you

40.You know I'm afraid of change, guess that's why we stay the same

41.How long can we be a sad son 'til we were too far gone to bring back to life?

42.If to change is what you need you can change right next to me

43.I tell myself I'm good, but I'm falling apart

44.Can you keep me close? Can you love me most?

45.Lean on me when you're not strong and I'll be your friend

46.I'll be late, but I could make it all up to you

47.I wanna be better, I wanna be new but I can’t be those things next to you

48.Knew we would crash at the speed that we were going

49.You said that you needed space, go on then, astronaut

50.I trace the evidence, make it make some sense, why the wound is still bleedin'

51. Heaven knows I should let go, it’s nothing that I don’t already know

52. Where there is a flame, someone's bound to get burned

53. You’re blowing through my mind like the hurricane

54. Did some force take you because I didn't pray?

55. Take a heart and take a hand, like an ocean takes the dirty sand

56. I know you're scared and your pain is imperfect but don't you give up on yourself

57. Lately she's been dressing for revenge

58. Hold on and hope that we'll find our way back in the end

59. I don't ask for much, gimme love

60. But I promise you this I'll always look out for you

Epilogue

BONUS CHAPTERS

Our first christmas

A trip to Bali

My place is yours 

We want you to be their godparents

Double trouble

Marry me?

A bold move

My favorite enemy

It’s not you and I anymore

Not this fucking family

[fefe658]

Snakes and mice don't do well together [1]

Here it is! My first fic!

I'm finally writing my first piece of g/t literature, apart from my usual short posts/prompts. I hope you like it :]

'Cold, cold, cold. I must find shelter before it starts raining.'

Toby ventured trough the undergrowth of the forest, the dry leaves crunching under his feet. The frigid winter weather came sooner than he had expected, leaving him struggling to find shelter before he froze to death.

'Cold, cold, cold. Why couldn't winter wait another week?'

He shivered, the piercing winds being barely held back by his thin, ragged clothing. His tail wrapped around his leg to preserve as much body heat as possible, holding on so tightly that it almost cut off his circulation. He shoved aside the blades of grass that reached up to his chest, being an outside borrower certainly didn't make surviving the winter any easier.

He looked around, searching for anything sturdy enough to shield him from the elements. A tree stump, a hole in the ground, a-

A cave.

He stopped dead in his tracks, looking at the small entrance in the stone cliff in front of him. The cave seemed dark, but it was deep enough to protect him from the rain.

'God I hope there's nothing already in here. dealing with hypothermia is already enough.'

His numb feet slowly strode towards the entrance, a shiver running down his spine. If he was gonna stay here for a while, he had to find fresh water and a source of food. He could hear the faint sound of running water, so there should be a water source nearb-

His entire body goes still. He could've sworn he saw movement in his peripheral vision. He slowly turns his head towards the source, and his breathing goes silent.

A wall of scales, a tail as large as the biggest tree he's ever seen curled around itself.

'Stupid, stupid, stupid! Of course this cave wasn't empty! Why would anything pass up on a free place to sleep?'

The tail twitched, and the all the color drained from his face.

'I gotta get out of here, and quickly. I'm not gonna be snake food tonight. Better to risk dying in the cold than be eaten by some giant animal'

As he hurried himself towards the cave's entrance, he could hear the creature move.

'Shit Shit SHIT'-

The entrance was too far away, he knew he wouldn't make it in time. Instead, he opted for hiding behind a rock until the creature would go back to sleep or go away. Hopefully.

He couldn't see much from his hiding spot, so he tried to focus on the sounds as much as he could.

As expected, the creature didn't just fall back to sleep, instead deciding to around the cave, clearly looking for something. 'Great, just my luck.'

What he did NOT expect, was for a human-like voice to scare the shit out of him.

"Where are you?"

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

And there we go! My first fic, or at least, the first part of it. Will our teeny tiny friend be ok? Only time will tell!

This is the first literary piece I've ever written, so any feedback is more than welcome.

I hope you enjoyed and I also hope to get part 2 out before Christmas!

[megacharicific]

writing is being an agony right now. so i am procrastinating. here is my astarion playlist and the lyrics that made me add some of the songs on here. fair warning my music taste sucks

playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0UHkHVXts2it27lOAyM70j?si=5917665dcebc4438

Leave Out All the Rest (Linkin Park) I dreamed I was missing / You were so scared / But no one would listen / Cause no one else cared / After my dreaming / I woke with this fear / What am I leaving / When I'm done here?

Change My Life (Ashes Remain) If you could make the sun burn through the night / And you could make the dead man come alive / If you could make the oceans all run dry / Then I know you can change my life

Stay Til The Daylight (Skillet) And all that I need to know / Will you stay til the daylight? / I just wanna take you home / Start again with the sunrise

You Want a Battle? (Here's a War) (Bullet For My Valentine) These scars won't heal / Now you're the victim I'm making you feel / Like you are me

mother tongue (Bring Me The Horizon) So don't say you love me / Just let your heart speak up, and I'll know / No amount of words could ever find a way to make sense of this / So I wanna hear your mother tongue

Broken By Design (From Ashes to New) I'm damaged, defective, I'll tear out my eyes / Cause nothing can save me / I'm broken by design

Lion (Hollywood Undead) I can look in your eyes and I swear that I will change / But tomorrow is tomorrow, so forgive me if I stay / You can hide behind the covers while I hide behind this pain

The Old Me (Memphis May Fire) Tell me what I wanna hear / Tell me I'm gonna be fine and there's nothing left to fear / Cause I've been losing sleep / Trying to get back to who I used to be

Nightmare (Avenged Sevenfold) Cause men like you have such an easy soul to steal / So stand in line while they ink numbers in your head / You're now a slave until the end of time here

Something Just Like This (The Chainsmokers, Coldplay) I'm not looking for somebody with some superhuman gifts / Some superhero, some fairy tale bliss / Just something I can turn to, somebody I can miss

nihilist blues (Bring Me The Horizon, Grimes) I'm a spirit in a tomb / Won't somebody raise the roof / I'm going white, I'm going black, I'm going blue / Do you mind if I'm exhumed?

My Home (Thousand Foot Krutch) This place is many things but I'd never call it home / Home is the place you are and I just want to let you know

NO WAY OUT (The Word Alive) I'd given in to all my darkest doubts / Like there was no way out / Tell me was it worth it? / Maybe I deserved this?

Before the Storm (Silent Theory) I said I'd quit tomorrow / But my sun never sets / There's nothing left of me / Except these scars you see

King of Nothing (Saint Asonia) Do you see yourself in the mirror? / You should be something / You're one step closer to the throne / King of nothing

Save Yourself (My Darkest Days) There's no one else I love and I curse myself / Cause the right thing is to give you up

Lies (Cult to Follow) Lies to hide the shame, lies to kill the pain / As it fills your veins, you're the one to blame / Hope your conscience haunts you / The rest of your life

Just My Luck (Silent Theory) If you want to know the truth I've played this part for far too long / Lose a little more, gain a little back til I'm gone

Echoes (From Ashes to New) Cut out my tongue, my voice is gone / Yeah there's nothing left for me to say / Cause they don't hear me anyway

Self-Destruction (I Prevail) Telle me you'll save me / And I'll tell you you're saving nothing

It's Just Me (Escape the Fate) I'm crawling my way around the towns and the cities / You all stop and stare, I don't need your pity / I'm living my life in this hell

Fingernails (Skillet) My fingernails are chipping down / From clawing in the dirt ... How can I be so beautiful / When I am so afraid

Outside (Hollywood Undead) Who left the door open? / Who left me outside? / I'm on my knees and I'm hoping / That someone holds me tonight

Let's Get This Party Started (Tom Morello, Bring Me The Horizon) I'm so happy, I could die right now / Will someone fucking kill me?

PERFECT MACHINE (STARSET) Show me what you desire / I can fake it / Show what you wanted / So I can be it / And if I bend just right / I can make it / I didn't want you / I wanna watch you change

Save Me (Skillet) Peel back the skin, exposed to you / Take pleasure in the pain / Tell me what I'm supposed to do / It ain't easy to open up this way

Afterthought (Silent Theory) Oh you think you know me / But I think you don't / Oh you think you own me / But you can't ignore me

My Own Miracle (Citizen Soldier) Cause all I know is / Nobody showed up, nobody slowed down / They must have been deaf / I was screaming so loud

Tell Me How To Say Goodbye (Red) Tell me how to say goodbye / Kiss away the stain of lies / Tear apart my ribs so I / Can let the sun inside

[xxcatzladyxx]

Demon Slayer Advent Calendar | Day 22 | Sanemi x Reader | Game Night

Written by me!

~~~

It was a peaceful evening. While the snow poured down dancing on the ground and covered everything in white, you sat inside with your fiancé and a few of his friends in the warmth of the Wind Pillar mansion. You had suggested having a game night. You were used to your family inviting friends and family over in the cold days of December and playing a few board games. So Sanemi invited 2 pillars, the trio and, with a heavy heart, his brother too. You had prepared small snacks, which the Flame Pillar almost single-handedly devoured. But you weren't angry about it. You didn't know Kyojuro any differently.

You were all sitting together at a big table. You thought the game 'Ludo' suited your fiancé Sanemi best. You weren't quite sure whether he understood the meaning of the game. There were eight of you and you split into four teams of two, as there were only four colors. Sanemi and you, Tengen and Kyojuro. Tanjiro and Genya. And Zenitsu and Inosuke.

Luck wasn't on your side today. Your players were thrown more than they came out of their shells. They didn't get much further than the first corner either. You put the blame on Sanemi. After all, he chose the cube. You couldn't see it, but a volcano was boiling inside you. You wrote a note to yourself that you would rip Sanemi's head off after the evening.

Sanemi naturally vented his anger. You had played countless rounds and you had always been the absolute losers. In all those rounds, you hadn't managed to get a single player to the finish line. You vowed to burn the game after that day and never touch one again in your life. Sanemi was furious. Your nerves were on edge.

You picked up the board and held it up to the face of the pillar of wind. His curses and insults fell silent. He looked back and forth between you and the board, confused.

"Can you read the name of the game...Sanemi?" you asked him, rather annoyed, and literally spat out his name.

"Don't get angry." was his curt reply.

"Aha, very nice that you can read...Then why are you doing the exact opposite?" You were on the verge of losing your nerve. "Sorry...", Sanemi said meekly.

A laugh rang out. Kyojuro couldn't help it. That drove Sanemi up the wall and your anger at Sanemi evaporated for the moment. "Yes, laugh as long as you can. Next time you'll be sick of it." That only made them laugh louder. You slammed the board down on the table and the pieces rolled off the tabletop and scattered to all corners of the room.

"Grrr." you growled, ruffling your hair. If there was one thing you hated, it was losing. You didn't want to tackle the others like that. But you were a bad loser. You just couldn't handle it. The others realized it was time to go and said goodbye to you until only Sanemi and you were left. You collected the pieces and angrily threw them back into the box where they belonged and banished the game to the back of a cupboard.

"I'm sorry. But it's just a game..." Sanemi began, but was interrupted by a death stare from you. He felt a chill run down his spine. He closed his mouth and thought it best to keep quiet before he regretted it. You were done with today and just wanted to go to bed. Like a dog, your fiancé followed you wherever you went. When he tried to set foot in the bedroom, you slapped his bedsheets at his feet.

"D- darling...?" You were visibly angry with him, but the fact that you wanted to ban him from the bedroom scared him a little.

"You're sleeping on the couch tonight, my friend!" You pushed him out of the room and slammed the door in his face. You open it again for a second. "Oh, there's no sex either."

That hit him hard. Poor guy. He needed the sex to calm down again. With his head bent, he went to the couch and threw himself down on it, staring up at the ceiling. He didn't know this violent reaction from you. He didn't know what to do. Should he leave you alone for the night? Or should he dare to enter the lion's den? Should he or shouldn't he? Yes or no? These questions ran through his head the whole time until he finally fell asleep. So were you, until midnight.

Suddenly you wake up and reach for the sheet next to you. You pat it down. Sanemi wasn't there. Then you remembered the game night. You let your face fall into the pillow and sighed. The anger at the pillar of wind had vanished into thin air and you felt quite lonely in the futon. You wanted to be in Sanemi's arms. To feel his warmth. You struggled out of the sheets and trudged to the living room. You melted when you saw Sanemi. The blanket was more on the floor than on him, but he looked so cute when he slept. You didn't hesitate and sat on his hips. You opened his top completely and traced his scars with your fingers. You found him so sexy with his scarred body.

"What's it going to be when it's finished?" Sanemi's dark, rough voice snapped you out of your reverie.

"Um...make-up sex?" You kept stroking his chest with one finger and looked at him shyly. His look at that moment was golden. He looked at you in bewilderment. He hadn't expected that. It would be stupid of him to refuse. He grabbed your hips and spun you around.

"Do you think you deserve this?" he breathed into your ear. Pleasant goose bumps spread across your skin.

"Y-yes...?"

"Do you want it the soft way or the hard way?" He kissed along your neck and his hot breath made you flinch briefly. The question was pretty superfluous. Both you and he liked it a little rougher during sex. But he could also be gentle and tender. If you wanted to be. But you weren't the type for cuddly sex. You both suited each other very well in that respect.

You two had sex even though you two aren't married yet. That was only because Sanemi doesn't want to marry you until all the demons have been destroyed and you can live in peace. Basically, you're as good as married already. After all, you were living together and sleeping together. Sex was used for Sanemi to relax. Just like that night. So you both got over your bad mood and everything was peace, joy and harmony again.

[greatideas-badwriter]

Worth The Risk: Chapter 11

'Stop. Stop. Stop,' Sasuke told himself while kissing Sakura, but he didn't listen. 'For once in your fucked up life, do the right thing!'

It didn't matter how much the man hated himself for following his emotions rather than logic; there was no way in hell he'd turn away from that woman while she stood there crying because of him.

The moment he opened the door to shoo Karin out of his room and his eyes landed on the pink-haired girl, all alarms went off at full volume. He'd been trying to move on from his unhealthy obsession with her, but when he recognized the look of betrayal on her pale face, he wanted nothing other than to throw his fist through a wall.

Finally pulling away, ending their kiss, he searched her teary-eyed face again. 'She's always so pretty, even when she's crying.'

Rather lamely, he admitted, "You're right. I have no clue what I'm doing." Sakura's brow furrowed, as she likely assumed he was trying to take back what he'd just done, but Sasuke interrupted, "But I won't hurt you on purpose."

He meant it, too. When he became so enamored by her that he was willing to try something he swore off years ago, he didn't know, but that was the case. After Izumi, the man vowed never to look for or stumble upon love. He didn't deserve it.

'Itachi will be happy when he finds out, but he shouldn't be.'

Sasuke said, "Let's get some sleep. It's late."

"Okay, but, um, I-I don't want to do anything…."

He rolled his eyes, giving the woman a light shove toward the bed while he turned to click off the lights, "I'm not an idiot."

Sakura lay on her side with her back against the wall, facing him as he joined her under the covers.

'Why's she so far away?' Just when he was about to ask aloud, he remembered how rare it was for her to allow someone to touch her and decided against it, 'I've pushed my luck enough for one night.'

The pair remained silent as they fell asleep, though Sasuke took much longer.

If the angry, hurt expression on the woman's face earlier as she yelled at him was anything to go by, Sasuke was fortunate she didn't completely ice him out. Sure, she'd gotten angry at him in the past, but it wasn't fiery hot like tonight.

When he thought about why that was, a satisfied feeling washed over him, 'She was jealous. I didn't take her for the type.'

Yes, it was serious, not comical, because he hadn't simply flirted with someone. Sasuke slept with one of her only friends, knowing very well that it would affect her. That said, it stroked his ego a little to know Sakura felt that strongly.

'If I pull some shit like that again, she'll disappear. There's not a doubt in my mind.'

Even if Sasuke did want to find some random whore to sleep with, he couldn't because he'd only be able to picture Sakura's face, to remember her voice and scent. It was odd, realizing a man notorious for having a new partner each week only wanted one specific person. It was definitely a unique experience.

He turned onto his back, sliding his hand under the pillow with a sigh, only to open his eyes when his fingers wrapped around something cold and metal. It was a knife, and he knew it before pulling it out to stare at in the dark room. The weapon reminded him that next to nothing about Sakura's past was known. Obviously, It had darkness, or she wouldn't be spooked enough to sleep with a blade.

'Fuck, that's why she sleeps so little, isn't it? She's scared of something. Someone,' Sasuke turned onto his side again, looking at the woman's sleeping face with new eyes, 'Who is it? It has to be a guy because she doesn't like hanging around men. They make her uncomfortable.'

The weapon was returned to its spot under the pillow, and the Uchiha man reached under the blanket and searched until he found her hand, gently allowing her to unconsciously grasp it like she had last time.

'What did he do to her? Did he hit her? What if he-' Unbridled rage flooded his entire being before he could even finish the thought, so he shook his head and tried to think about something else.

Sasuke was remembering all sorts of things now that he'd come to the conclusion that she had, indeed, been hurt by someone. She squeezes her eyes closed and tries to make herself smaller whenever anyone speaks too loudly, even if they aren't talking to her. If the tiniest mistake is made, she apologizes like she'll be killed on the spot for not being perfect.

'And above all else, she hates being paid attention to.'

Unlike most women, Sakura tried to remain invisible rather than seek out compliments or talk endlessly. It took the Uchiha man only a few days of living together to conclude that he couldn't make assumptions about her just because she was a girl. He'd been waiting for her to say something to try and tempt him to flirt, but it never happened.

The warm, gentle feeling in his chest was becoming more and more normal. It appeared again as he looked at the woman, barely holding back the urge to pull her closer because he knew it'd scare her if she woke up.

Uncharacteristically, he whispered, "I wish you'd tell me what happened."

Though Sakura was fast asleep, and he knew that, a tiny bit of disappointment came over Sasuke when she didn't respond.

For the first time in a long time, Sakura slept well and didn't even dream. There was only the overwhelming relief that she and Sasuke were finally on the same page and the electric anxiety, borderline excitement, that he was sleeping so close when neither of them was drunk.

Emerald green eyes crept open in the morning to see the man's back. They traveled up to admire the adorable way his black hair had become a mess throughout the night, the tiniest hint of a smirk tugging at her lips. More than anything, the pink-haired girl was grateful that he hadn't disregarded her boundaries while she slept.

'He likes physical affection. I don't need to ask or even see it to know. He always barely stops himself from touching me.'

Blushing, Sakura decided to try meeting him halfway. She cautiously scooted closer, slipping an arm over his waist, pressing her forehead to his back, and closing her eyes with a calming breath.

Like a stove that'd just been turned on, the woman gradually became warmer and warmer until it felt like she'd begin to sweat. Just before she could pull away, Sasuke spoke in a raspy voice, deep from sleeping, "You don't have to panic all the time. Do you really think I'll get mad?"

"It's…not that," she replied, pulling her arm from over his side but snuggling into his back instead of scooting away now that she knew he was awake.

"I have a question," the man sounded half-asleep, still, which was a little cute, so Sakura made a sound encouraging him to ask it. He hesitated momentarily before saying, "Skip your classes today."

Sakura scoffed, "That didn't sound like a question."

He made an amused sound, "Do it. Stay in bed."

After pondering for a moment, the woman admitted sheepishly, "I think I have a fever anyway, so I guess it'll be alright. Just for today."

The man slowly rolled over to face her, dark eyes hazy with sleep as he pressed a hand to her forehead with a frown that just got deeper when he realized she was, indeed, quite warm.

He didn't say anything, but she could tell he felt terrible because she'd obviously gotten sick from walking around in the dead of winter at night while taking Karin home yesterday. Part of her wanted to say something to ease his guilt, but she didn't because he deserved to suffer at least a little. Just because they kissed doesn't mean the woman was entirely over being angry with him.

'We need to talk about things, but where do we even start?'

Are they just friends that were open about their physical attraction to one another? Are they more than friends? Sakura couldn't imagine Sasuke agreeing to date, even if they ended up doing everything a couple would.

As the woman stared at his stoic face, she felt her temperature rising again, 'Was he always this handsome?'

Having agreed to play hooky, the duo ended up moving to Sasuke's room after Sakura forced him to change the sheets. Then, they watched movies of all genres. It wasn't like they paid much attention to them anyway. Barely half an hour into the first one, Sakura couldn't help but ask, "How old are you?"

"What?"

"I know you're around my age, but I don't know the year you were born," she said a little softer, feeling embarrassed. They were lying side by side, just far apart enough that their arms were mere inches from touching.

"Guess," the attractive man teased, amusement thick in his tone.

Sakura glanced over to survey his features, looking back at the screen when he noticed, "Uh, twenty-four?"

The Uchiha scoffed, "Holy fuck! Do I really look that old? I'm twenty-two."

"That's only a two-year difference. It's not like I said you look thirty or something."

Sasuke hummed, not bothering to avert his stare, when she caught him looking, "I bet you're twenty-one. I'd guess younger if I didn't meet you in a bar."

"Should I be flattered or offended? Do I look like a teenager?"

"You're just…little," he said with a strange, unfamiliar warmth in his eyes.

She blushed, frowning as she faced the television again, "I can't help that. It's genetics. My mom and grandma had small chests, too."

'Figures he'd make a comment on that. Pervert.'

Since reaching puberty, Sakura'd been teased about being flat-chested. A lot of it came from her very own boyfriend and friends. She was too scared they'd get upset if she told them it made her uncomfortable, so she suffered in silence. That ignorant choice ended with her developing a stigma.

"I meant you're entire body, not your tits. Get your mind out of the gutter," he faced the TV, too, but reached over to wrap his fingers loosely around her wrist.

The pair was silent for about an hour, the movie ending and another one beginning, before Sasuke hesitantly asked, "Earlier, you said "had" when talking about your mom and grandma. Are they…?"

'Why does he suddenly want to know about me? He's never so much as asked my favorite color.'

Either way, the woman responded, "My grandma died when I was in middle school."

"And your mom?"

Sakura's eyes glazed over, so she wasn't actually seeing the screen, though it appeared that she was, 'I can't tell him everything. Not yet.' She decided to open up a bit, but not entirely, "Dead to me."

The question of why that was hung in the air, but the pinkette quickly asked, "What about you? Do you have any family besides Itachi around here?"

"Tobi's a distant cousin by marriage, but other than that, no. All my blood relatives are dead."

'The terrified look on his face when he thought Itachi was dying makes sense now. That's his one weakness: his brother.' Empathetic sadness washed over her, and she turned her arm upright so he could interlace their fingers instead of holding her wrist, "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I have family out there, and I've cut them out of my life when you probably-" "That's stupid as fuck. Don't think things like that."

Things became quiet briefly before he mumbled, "You're lying here with me after all I've done, so you must have a good reason for it."

"Can we change the subject?" Sakura asked bluntly. She didn't want the topic to remain so serious when they were only just now getting along.

"Oh, are we playing twenty questions? I'll go first," Sasuke said in a mock-gossipping tone, as though pretending to be one of her female friends, "Favorite food."

"You'll laugh," she blushed, continuing when he made a sound of denial, "Cheeseburgers."

The man chuckled, "I never would've guessed. Toppings?"

"Loaded!"

They looked at one another when he squeezed her hand, and her heart fluttered when he grinned playfully, "Let's order that tonight. I have to see it."

Sakura rolled her eyes, "You're paying."

"Naturally."

"Okay, my turn, right? Um, how old were you when you had your first kiss?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, his grin turning into a smirk, "Damn. Here I was, going easy on you to be nice, and you're going straight for the fucking dirty details." He made a show of pondering the question before saying, "Thirteen."

'So young! He'll never stop teasing me if he finds out I was sixteen for mine.'

It was comfortable between the pair as they continued asking one another questions. The casual vibe that the Uchiha man emitted worked wonders to relieve her unease, reminding the woman why she was initially drawn to him in the first place. No other man, not even her teachers, could come close or talk with her like this without Sakura being on edge.

'I wonder why that is….'

That evening, Sasuke left before returning with food; burgers as promised. Sakura often found herself too nervous to eat much, her stomach twisting into knots that refused to loosen. She'd just spent hours getting comfortable, so that wasn't the case this time.

'Cute….' Sasuke thought while watching the tiny woman before him in awe. Unlike he'd ever seen her before, Sakura ate casually. 'She wasn't lying. It really is her favorite.'

At this hour yesterday, he'd have never guessed that he'd be sitting there, sharing a meal with the pink-haired woman after spending the entire day together. When Itachi suggested getting to know her better, he was hesitant because he knew he'd feel this way afterward: even more enamored than before.

Sasuke clung to every little fact he was given.

She likes traditional "guy" foods like burgers, steak, and BBQ. Her favorite color is red, but she also really likes green. Winter is her favorite season, while Summer is her least. She gets cold more easily than anyone he's ever met, but the man didn't need her to tell him that. He'd picked it up on his own.

Something told him not to ask the deeper questions yet, so he stuck to superficial things.

'What will she do if she discovers how obsessed I've become? I need to hide it well, for both our sakes.' The concept of someone trying to get close scared each of them, but likely for different reasons.

His reason was that he didn't deserve to be happy, and he knew it. That's why he deluded himself to one-night stands, partying, and carrying on like a world-class douchebag. Sure, those things were cool when he was a teenager, but now he'd matured enough to see how much that lifestyle lacked substance.

'Nothing, and no one stays.' If they tried, Sasuke would make them hate his guts, so they wouldn't dare come crawling back.

He hated himself, and it was easier to remain unhappy and self-punishing when surrounded by boring or annoying things.

'But now Sakura's here, and I can't do that to her; I won't,' the man thought, eyeing her profile as she watched the action movie on TV and continued eating, 'This is the most selfish thing I've done other than getting Izumi killed.'

Sakura had no idea just how fucked up a person Sasuke was, but he held back just enough of that side of him that she didn't notice.

"Are you feeling okay? I didn't get you sick, did I? Why aren't you eating?" The object of his desires was looking at him with bright green eyes and a concerned frown. He shook his head, wordlessly taking a bite so she'd stop staring.

That night, after both had showered, separately, of course, Sasuke lay in bed in a suddenly not-so-happy mood because she'd gone to Zetsu's room to sleep, 'I thought after last night, and today, she'd just sleep here.'

That thought led him to realize he may have made a mistake in assuming she felt even a fraction of what he did. 'She let me kiss her, but that doesn't mean she's up for anything.' Groaning to himself, his eyes shot open, 'What if she just wants to be friends?'

Panic, anger, confusion, and a few unfamiliar low emotions swirled around the pit of Sasuke's stomach.

A soft knock on the door interrupted his stressing, and he rolled over to see Sakura enter, quietly closing the door behind her and crouching beside the bed, "Can I, um…Can I sleep in here, just for tonight?"

The man sat up, eyes narrowing when he recognized the expression on her face as something negative. She was scared for some reason. "What's wrong?" He nodded, though, and turned to face her when she climbed under the covers.

She lowered her eyes to his chest, voice soft and wavering, "It's freezing tonight, and you're warm, so I thought maybe I should take advantage of that."

'Fucking liar. You're not even good at it.'

Sasuke hesitated to say or do anything as he watched her eyes squeeze closed and her head lower to try (and fail) to hide that she was in tears. He was pissed at her for not being honest, but he kept in mind that even someone like her had pride. She didn't want to swallow it and admit to not wanting to be alone.

So, when the man got the urge to pull her closer into his chest, he didn't hold it back this time and prayed it wasn't a huge mistake. He did it. He wrapped an arm around her waist and maneuvered her so he could slip his other one beneath her.

The scent of her shampoo wafted over him as she tensed up, hands fisting his shirt, "...Sasuke?"

The Uchiha man pressed his lips to her forehead, not quite a kiss, and grumbled softly, "You said you were cold, didn't you?"

It was then that Sakura realized he knew she'd lied, and he could tell because she steadily relaxed her muscles until her face was buried in his shirt, and she was freely sniffling. The woman nodded moments later with a barely audible voice saying, "It was like ice in there."

'What she's really trying to say is that it was bad, whatever shook her. Maybe another nightmare? That's the most likely thing.' Always the selfish one, Sasuke tried to memorize the feeling of her petite body pressed against his as he drifted off to sleep.

[dreamingdemon]

Journal entry #2

today was really agitating i think i woke up at 11 didn't eat until 12 and had leftover pizza and iced coffee then played a lot of pjsk still figuring out the energy stuff and more mini barbie stuff arrived but my mother and me couldn't open it due to my father being awake. at 2 i went to my grandparents house with my whole family when we got there my brother got a wallet with his name engraved on it which was homemade pretty cool but I will hate when I get one because transness and i already have an awesome gay wallet but eventually i snuck away to hang out with the fluffy white cat and play on my phone we took art supplies home which is cool also its 9 days away from airis birthday card i've got 20 k so far i think i'll make it or at least i hope after dinner which i didn't eat i waited for my father to got to sleep like he said he would but he didn't until FUCKING 1 AM oh i was able to play some level 27 songs on pjsk today i just finished making pin they don't have the backs yet but still homemade pjsk merch wow this entry is shorter than the last one if i can do this for a week straight i'll make a tag for these entries think i'm gonna try and have 0 caffeine tomorrow i guess ill go to sleep in a couple minutes my plan is to get up at 7 so me and my mother can open the barbie stuff wish me luck wait tf nobody is reading this so idk why im asking the void for luck like literally nobody will read all this shit i played with dolls last night like i used to (granted they were miniature) kinda reminds me of talking to ai but more control and a little too much loneliness 6.5 out of 10 will probably do again i lost one of the lipstick caps for the miniature barbie stuff and i'm sad about it but ill find it tonight i hear a lot of noises outside and they scare me but i don't see anything i should go to sleep so i stop being so paranoid i have trash to pick up GOODNIGHT

[justoutsideofdoncaster]

00:06 17/01/25

Blog #16

First week back done and dusted. Did I skip my optional module class? Yes, but I was ill earlier this week (as is everyone this time of year) and had tried to stay up all night getting some work done, so I'm not mad at myself. In fact I think I've got better work habits and more energy this term. Although at the same time I literally took two naps today, I was up for about 10 hours in total which is pretty pathetic. Uni in winter is always exhausting, plus not eating much the last few days, but overall I know it anxiety. I've felt sick all week. I know exactly what was making me anxious:

Match day Friday (I'm so so shit)

Severe crush on a boy I don't think likes me that much and I'm scared I'm gonna fuck it up.

Worried my flatmates are mad at me because I'm not spending time with them (I've been busy with uni work but also I'm anxious af at the minute so I'm avoiding them)

I went to see A team play tonight. We lost, but they played really hard and it was a pretty even game. I saw a friend I hadn't seen in ages so that was really nice !! I was so physically anxious watching the hockey, my legs were so tense and shaky, but interestingly watching the A team play kinda mid and loose made me feel so much better. And also I sort of know where I'm standing tomorrow as wing lol. Just don't make any stupid mistakes. Also got my flatmates dishware back finally so that's made me feel less stressed about them being mad at me. And I know I'm paranoid bcs of the past, and I also know if they're mad at me that's their issue... anyway, I'm feeling slightly less anxious now. Also didn't eat as much as I thought I might today (sort of a cheat day, but no bingeing!!!) so that's made me feel happier. It did happen again though obv, he acts like we aren't even friends when we hang out together like just sort of teammates, we spoke like three times. IDK if I'm overthinking everything. He was sat in front of me but IDK, if I was a fit boy I'd be a lot more confident if I liked a girl. And then I go home sort of pissed off, and he messages me immediately. And he actually responds quickly and I know it's because he's sleep deprived and hungry and drunk off two ciders and that's the only time I'm interesting. And again (and again and again) I'm being a bitch, because he literally asks me to hang out, and he doesn't call them dates but I'm not an idiot, and I want to. And I need to. But what would we even do? What do people do on dates?? I'm so anxious about going to new places and restaurants I hate everything. So I guess we're both just idiots then. But I need to tie him down before anyone else does. So wish me luck.

Songs I've been listening to recently:

Fake Plastic Trees (Radiohead)

Jackie and Wilson (Hozier)

The Record Player Song (Daisy the Great)

Constant Headache (Joyce Manor)

Grace (Jeff Buckley)

When I'm Small (Phantogram)

Brimful of Asha (Cornershop, Norman Cook)

S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W (My Chemical Romance)

Also while working on my module coursework I managed to finally finish a few series, including Arcane S2 (love u forever, but the ending felt unfinished/rushed), Haunting of Bly Manor, and Midnight Mass! Absolutely love that group of horror series on Netflix, so creative and original (based on books I know)! Hopefully we get a fifth one soon.

(Alisher Kushakov) (Franz Marc) -> I LOVE Ultramarine !!!

Today we had a workshop on staging and while talking to the tutor I ended up pretty effectively unpacking what my work is about, specifically why I paint men. See I paint portraits, acrylic and oil, ,mostly of my family. In particular I'm drawn to the men in my family, and images of them looking more feminine, maternal, or close. I know partially I avoid painting the women of my family because it's more easily to get offended if I paint them wrong, but also... I find it freeing. I find a sense of gained control over the narrative when I paint men. Men have painted men, men have painted women. For a long time this defined the public perspective on gender. Then women started reclaiming this narrative, painting women as something more than objects of lust and desire and victimhood. I think of Artemisia Gentileschi and Jenny Saville. For me, it's sort of the same but also the opposite. I feel in control of the masculine figures in my life when I paint. I'm able to paint them in these raw vulnerable positions of maternal (yes technically paternal, but it doesn't feel that way) love and it's sort of like a fuck you to the patriarchy that's constantly imposing all this pressure and rules and filters onto women. I can't act a single way without being sifted into some negative box. It felt really nice to sort of put that together. I think this could really help guide my work in the future. So I'm excited for that.

Going to bed now (at least trying, although I'm pretty wide awake), gonna try get up at a reasonable time tomorrow and do some wood work in the studio, go to the printshop etc... then I can justify having a Monster before the game!! Wish me luck at the game, fingers crossed I don't do anything majorly stupid and maybe get another assist (I don't even hope to score anymore lol). I hate myself! I am unlovable! I wanna cry! Night!

(started this at 00:06, it's now 01:10 lol)

[pwblogarchive]

February 2008

February 3, 2008

“Try lying for a change, it's the currency of the world.”

its oddly haunting the way that sometimes entries from a year ago can reflect perfectly how i feel today.

its like an echo sent out over the weeks and months and pages of the calendar.

not always but sometimes.

a few weeks ago i considered mentioning the fact that while i once wrote "every new years is worse than the last" i didnt feel that way anymore

oh eight had broken the january curse

now im glad i didnt

cuz i realized it might not have

it may have just pushed it back a month

or extended it, depending on how this all looks on play-back

i find it a bit odd to be waiting for retrospect

Posted by xoat 10:41 PM

February 12, 2008

“honestly, afraid. i cant ever sleep either.”

Put the the planets in swing

Make jupiter sing

The afternoon light

Ignites

The back of my head

Spend years trying to cloud our head and not feel a thing

Just to turn around and erase the clouds so we can remember everything

Throw handcuffs on that boy

When the check comes he never pays

His cheekbones carve my moods

He shakes like a leaf

He's clicking like an old answering machine

He howls at the moon

He's breathes wet thru insect eyes

Canyon lights at night chase away the boring days

And I don't worry about death because I've seen the date I'm gonna die and its so far away.

Posted by xoat 1:55 AM

February 16, 2008

“part two (i forget so much of what i write its beginning to scare me).”

hes a lonely planet

dont stir and wake

everythings ok

give or take

the cats got the canary spinning in its ribcage

did i mention i came dressed for the intervention

(and if you were dying soon would you try to find snow in the deep summer

the june bugs dancing in wonder

and i still wonder now

if my words will stil turn you inside out)

hes a honeyjar

with that pretty face, lets never lose the lid

and keep those rosey lips in

(he breathes wet through insect eyes)

in multiples of four, no less than sixteen

sandmans been showing his beam

when he walks into a room the walls lean in to listen

keep a calendar this way youll know the last time you came through

oh.

"i know what youre going through"

well i dont- its more of a "paper or plastic" grocery store choice to me

but ill sympathize with anything to get through to you

do you know what its like to watch reruns of yourself night after night

to offer nothing and expect everything in return

to cock your head just right to appear arrogantly humble

if we hurry well make the morning edition

cos everybody likes to read the bad news

theyve tapped the phone be very careful what you say

speak in code about singing birds and sleepy eyed women

his heads a junkyard for rusted midnight thoughts

hes criminally carefree

when the pills swallow the worry

hes digging like forty nine

hes making you press rewind

hes a thunderstorm so bright you shut your eyes

he is a hurricane

Posted by xoat 3:15 AM

February 18, 2008

“mc hammer and miss piggy bank”

i get bright ideas in dark rooms

red rooster combs on our head

we are galaxies

a catipillar that got stuck

mr moth come quick with any luck

long walk in a dark house

a roman candle heart

keep us far apart

tour is just thinking you have been in every hotel, club or truck stop before.

it is deja vu personified.

all full of love so much that my teeth are floating.

February 19, 2008

“the oxidation of Joan of Arc.”

the mind drinks less and less.

impatience.

highways full of crowds going somewhere, somewhere, somewhere, nowhere.

The gasoline refugee.

Towns turn into motels,

people in nomadic surges from place to place,

following the moon tides,

living tonight in the room where you slept this noon and I the night before.

Posted by xoat 12:31 AM

[casspurrjoybell-31]

The Consort - Chapter 37 - Part 2

*Warning Adult Content*

Finn

"Brayden, just because she's saying his name in her sleep doesn't mean... there's a chance it isn't true..."

Brayden carefully reaches into the breast pocket of his form-fitting jacket.

His slender fingers pull out a stack of tattered paper, most of them crinkled and frayed at the ends.

He holds them out, nodding for me to read.

I swallow hard and set aside my tea before grabbing them from his flawless hand.

My eyes skim over the letter and I recognize Fiona's handwriting instantly.

It's a feminine type of penmanship, slanted and formal just as the way she wrote her notes in class.

Mark.

Your plan worked. I thought it would take longer for them to save me, but after I sent that email to Bogdan, the pieces just fell into place. They believed I was being held captive, and they took the chance to save me. Just like you said they would. I can't say it's not nice to see Finn, though. He's very misguided, Mark, and it scares me. These vampires have him so brainwashed, it's painful to watch.

I'm going to offer him a chance to leave with me, at least to see how he reacts. Perhaps if he seems interested I can convince him to come back with me? I don't know. We'll see. Also, I can't give you an exact location of our whereabouts. We traveled so fast I couldn't get a good look. But based on the surrounding houses, I'd say we're on the outskirts of the Village. I'm not sure how to get these to you, but I'll find a way. I promise. Missing you,

Fiona.

My cheeks burn with betrayal.

A fresh batch of tears become lodged in my throat, fighting for an escape.

All this time I thought Fiona was on our side, broken and lost from her time in captivity.

Could it be possible that all along... she was playing us?

With quivering hands, I flip through a few letters to read another.

Dearest Mark,

We're in the north now. Finn confirmed it and I can tell from the maps we studied before I left as well. From what they're saying we might be here awhile. I think it's still too soon to attack, though. Brayden's strength is more than I've ever seen in a vampire but the more he falls in love with Finn, the weaker his mind becomes.

Just a little bit longer, darling... I miss you, you know. It's hard not to talk about you, to act as if everything is alright when deep down I want to cry. I'm living with monsters and a friend who is so lost in the clouds all he cares about is being bound to his demon.

Also, they figured out I'm pregnant. No one has said anything but I can tell they know. I hope they don't ask me about it, Mark. It's hard enough to pretend like I'm some weak-minded woman still caught up on her ex-boyfriend. If I have to lie and say our child was conceived out of anything but passion, I think I might lose my mind.

Now that we're stationed here, I'm going to find a way to get these to you. Don't worry, my love. We'll be together soon.

Fiona.

Tears spill down my cheeks.

My chest burns as I try to force a breath of air through my mouth.

When I exhale, it becomes choppy.

This can't be happening.

How is it possible?

The entire thing was a set-up. All of it.

Fiona was never captive.

She simply pretended to be in order for us to save her.

Now she's simply playing along until the opportunity is right to see us captured. Or worse.

The letters feel like they're burning against my fingertips, my friend's betrayal searing me soul deep. I hand the letters back to Brayden.

"Please...I c-can't read anymore."

Brayden stares down at me with a masked expression.

He responds with an even tone, glancing towards the house and studying every window.

"You need to read the last, human."

I don't want to. Really, I don't.

But my fingers seem to listen to him anyway, flipping to the last and bringing it to the top.

This letter is shorter than the others, the handwriting sloppy and frantic.

The tears in my eyes make it hard to read.

Mark,

We ran in to Vultures tonight. I couldn't believe my luck. They actually split took Finn and me in different directions, so by the time I was alone with them, I explained everything.

Unfortunately, a good number were lost thanks to the vampires. But there are still a few waiting in the headquarters who are willing to bring my letters to you. I'll sneak them into town as soon as I get a chance. I'll see you soon, love,

Fiona.

I wheeze out a breath of despair, closing my eyes and shoving the papers back to Brayden.

Tears slip down my cheeks,and I pull my arms around my chest, curling myself into a ball as best I can.

"She must have fallen asleep writing this one," Brayden explains.

"Because when I went in to check on her, they were all spread across the bed."

I wipe my nose with the sleeve of my sweater and a streak of snot spreads across the cotton material.

How is all of this possible?

I thought I knew Fiona better than this.

I thought Kelly knew Fiona better than this.

Then again, his memory of her was wiped clean.

He doesn't remember anything.

"Does Kelly know?" I whisper.

Brayden gives a single, clipped nod.

"How'd he take it?"

His nostrils flare and he stuffs the letters back into his breast pocket.

"Not as well as I would have hoped."

I frown and shake my head, not understanding.

"You asked what the plan was, human," Brayden says after a beat of silence.

"I had hoped to leave Fiona here, allowing her to deal with the Vultures on her own. But Kelly refuses to leave her side until he is assured of her safety."

My jaw slackens and anger swells within me.

"But he can't," I argue, my voice rising to a gentle shout.

"Fiona will turn on him... "

Brayden holds his hand up to silence me.

"He's aware of the risk. And I can't convince him otherwise. He will return Fiona to camp before finding us."

"But what if he needs help? What if someone gets to him first?"

Brayden folds his hands behind his back, straightening his posture and exuding nothing but masked indifference.

"Like I said, human, he knows the risk."

"And what about us?" I venture to ask, my head spinning with uncertainty.

"What will happen to us?"

At this Brayden glances down at me.

His red gaze manages to calm me with a single look, their potency and confidence sweeping me into their web of ease.

"Behind this weeping willow are the essentials I have collected for us to travel," he murmurs, his voice softening with understanding.

"It's too dangerous to go back into the house at this point. We do not have time to say goodbyes, human."

I swallow hard.

An ache of longing blooms inside me, already mourning the absence of Kelly by our sides.

"We will travel, picking up clues along the way to find the only population who might be able to protect you and keep you safe."

My eyes widen.

"The Secondaries...?"

Brayden nods a single time.

"This war isn't over yet, human. And I'm willing to plead to get them on our side before anyone else has the chance."

His thin lips relax into the semblance of a sad smile.

He reaches out his hand to me, his long fingers a silent invitation to continue my path forward with him.

Without hesitation my cold fingers slide into his palm.

It feels like a slim hope, the two of us against the world.

But as Brayden guides us around the tree to begin loading our limited supplies into his arms, I realize that there's nothing that would stop me from taking that chance with him.

We might only be at the beginning of our journey but I'm willing to give everything I have to make it work... for me, for him, for us.

He is, after all, my vampire and I, his consort.

I may have the blood of a Nirv but it was nothing more than an innocent kiss that was enough to bond us forever.

A kiss that sparked into a flame.

A kiss powerful enough to change the world.

THE END