#in the end both those fears become reality | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

kingkaisen · 2 months ago

Note

hello. just recently started reading your dad!gojo fics and i am obsessed with them. i saw you mention taking requests for it, so i thought i would send something in. feel free to change any details.

i would like to request a scenario about megumi finally feeling maternal love. i noticed he's always afraid y/n and gojo will change their minds about adopting him and he always compares himself to yuji.

could i request some bonding time between megumi and the reader? maybe he opens up about his worries and feelings. i was thinking the reader could defend him when someone being rude to him as well, but any direction you go in, i will love. i just really am asking for bonding time between mother and son.

MY SON || SATORU G.

♡ — SUMMARY: After you & Satoru adopt Yuji and Megumi, Megumi can’t help but fear that you both will abandon him.

♡ — CONTENT: general angst with comfort, satoru being a great family man, mentions of depression, not eating, very brief mention of wanting to die, & happy ending. you & satoru have a biological child as well.

♡ — WORD COUNT: 4K

♡ — AUTHOR’S NOTE: This fic is part of my Dad!Gojo series, but reading the other parts isn’t necessary.

Megumi’s eyes snapped open. Beads of sweat coated his forehead and neck as he was greeted by the darkness of his bedroom.

Another nightmare.

His fourth one this week.

They weren’t about curses or haunting memories of his past battles, not at all. But, what he did dream about was equally as terrifying; his belongings tossed out on the streets in garbage bags.

“We don’t need two adopted teenagers,” you’d say, glaring at him with utter resentment.

“We have Yuji. He’s the perfect son,” Satoru would add on.

Just like that, he’d return to his old, familiar title of an orphan. Just like that, he’d have to wonder what it felt like to be loved by a mother and father instead of experiencing it himself. Just like that.

He tried to shove the memory of those dreams away because that was all they happened to be. Dreams. A manifestation of his horrid fears. They weren’t real, right? Not some twisted form of foresight?

Megumi rolled over onto his side. The digital clock on his nightstand flickered to 3:47 A.M.

His left pajama pant leg was rolled up to his knee, and the neck of his blue t-shirt was damp with sweat — all signs of a rough slumber, though he had hardly slept at all.

He pulled the messy sheets and comforter over his body, but there was no chance of him falling back asleep. He never did after his nightmares, and it was evident based on the dark circles forming underneath his blue eyes. He’d just lie awake, and let his mind wander . . .

It wasn’t a dream.

It would soon become his reality.

He knew it.

He wasn’t your biological kid like his little sister, Maya. He wasn’t even half as energetic or enthusiastic as Yuji. That boy constantly showered you both with appreciation. Beyond that, Yuji's sudden appearance in your life was the main reason you and Gojo considered adopting Megumi in the first place, despite you both having known Megumi for years prior.

Why did you never consider adopting him before you met Yuji? Why?

It could only mean that his suspicions were correct. You and Gojo didn’t want him. You wanted Yuji and didn’t want to hurt Megumi’s feelings. So, you ended up adopting two teenagers instead of one.

And it was only a matter of time before you and Gojo would get fed up with him.

He should leave first instead of waiting for the day in which you both decide you’re better off without some moody sorcerer bringing the rest of the family down during board game nights and movie marathons.

He’d do it.

He’d pack his bags and leave.

No one would notice.

No one would care.

He was unwanted.

He wasn’t your son.

He was stowaway.

—

It was edging closer to 9:00 A.M., and there was an empty spot at the breakfast nook in the gourmet kitchen.

The table was packed to the brim with servings of toast, meat, eggs, and rice. Satoru took a bite of his egg, watching Maya spread jam on her piece of toasted bread as best as she could, all while Yuji gobbled down his food as if someone was going to snatch it from him.

“Slow down,” you approached, coffee in hand, ruffling your boy’s messy hair.

“Huh?” Yuji paused with a mouth full of food. He swallowed, then said, “Oh, sorry. Everything’s just really great!”

You took a sip of your coffee, frowning upon seeing that Megumi wasn’t at the breakfast nook.

“Did Megumi oversleep?” You locked eyes with Satoru.

“I’m pretty sure he’s awake,” Satoru said, grabbing a napkin before gently wiping strawberry jam off of his adorable daughter’s face. Speaking to the young girl, he mumbled, “careful now, Muffin.”

You took a tentative sip of your warm beverage. “I’m gonna go check on him.”

—

Three gentle knocks sounded from Megumi’s bedroom door.

“Megumi?” You called from the other side. “Breakfast is ready.”

There was a beat of silence, then, he weakly replied, “Not hungry.”

“Can I come in?”

Megumi sighed, but even so, he said yes, and you entered your son’s room to see him still in bed, curled up underneath his covers, the majority of his body hidden underneath the thick fabric.

“You barely touched your dinner last night,” you said, leaning against the frame of his door. “You’ve barely come out of your room at all. Are you feeling sick?”

“I’m fine.”

It was a lie.

You read enough books about raising teenagers to spot false tales. Even so, you didn’t press him, even when an enormous lump of worry started to form in your throat.

“Alright. Food’s here when you want it.” You grabbed his door handle, closing it slowly, awaiting his response, but one never came.

—

Two hours had passed. This time, when someone knocked on Megumi’s door, it was in the form of a rather silly tune, and that person did not wait for permission to enter. Megumi knew exactly who it was without emerging from underneath his comforter.

“Fushigubro!” Yuji peeled the layers of covers back and shook the boy’s shoulder. “Wanna see if Nobara’s free later? Maybe we can all catch a movie or something.”

Megumi didn’t answer. Instead, he grabbed the covers Yuji removed, and rehid himself as if the covers served as some sort of protective shield.

“You seem kinda tired,” Yuji tilted his head a bit. “Did you stay up late?”

“Go away, Yuji.”

“Why? You’ve been ducking me all week!” Much like the conversation between you and Megumi earlier, Yuji, too, waited for a response that never came.

With a heavy sigh, he started to leave his brother’s room. “Alright, your loss. Some pretty great stuff is coming out this weekend.” It was one, last, desperate attempt. An attempt that failed. With another sigh, Yuji mumbled, “See you later.”

—

The pitter-patter of small feet could be heard approaching Megumi’s door around noon. For Maya, Megumi at least built up both the patience and energy to turn over onto his side, facing the door as the little girl opened it and ran into his bedroom.

“Meg-mi! Come on, let’s play! Let’s play!”

He gathered all the energy he could muster to say, as kindly as he could, “Not right now.”

“But we always play,” Maya frowned.

“Maybe later.”

“Pleaseee?” She tapped her feet.

“Go away.”

Those words hurt her. Maya was almost five years old, and though she was one of the kindest kids one would ever meet, she was still incredibly sensitive. It was no surprise to see the young girl’s eyes widen with sadness and her bottom lip start to quiver. Megumi, who was the coolest person in the world to her, had never spoken to her in such a way. It hurt.

Her little sniffles grew louder as she left his bedroom.

—

By the time Maya made her way from Megumi’s room to the living room, she was practically drowning in her own tears. Through blurred vision, she sought out the hazy figure sitting on the couch, her arms outstretched.

“What’s wrong, Muffin? C’mere.” Satoru scooped her up, sitting her on his lap. “What happened?”

Hearing the commotion, you stepped into the living room, your eyebrows knitted together in great concern.

“Meg-mi didn’t wanna play,” she sniffled. “He-he said to go away!”

“I’ll play with you, sweetheart. We can play whatever you want until lunch is ready, hm?” Satoru wiped her tears away with the end of his sleeve. “Don’t cry. You’re breaking my heart.”

“Okay,” she spoke with a little mumble. “Does Meg-mi hate me? ‘Cause he’s my brother . . . and brothers aren’t s‘posed to hate you.”

“No, no, he doesn’t hate you. I think he might just be a little sick right now,” Satoru paused. “Sometimes people want a little peace and quiet when they’re not feeling well.”

“And soup.”

“That’s right, and soup,” Satoru gave her a soft smile.

“How about I make you something special for lunch, Maya?” You suddenly caught the young girl’s attention, faking a bright smile with the hopes of cheering her up. “What do you want to eat?”

“I . . . umm . . . uh . . . sandwiches!”

“Sandwiches it is. Mommy’s gonna make you the biggest sandwich ever,” you promised.

“Let’s go play,” Satoru said to Maya.

She hopped off of his lap, running as fast as her tiny feet would carry her to the backdoor, where she and her dad would spend the next hour playing together in the enchanting backyard.

—

Beautiful sandwiches were stuffed to the brim with meat, veggies, and sauces — every sandwich customized to each specific family member’s liking. They were cut in half, resting on plates with apple slices served on the side.

Satoru and Maya would be inside soon to gobble their sandwiches down. Yuji wasn’t home, and would perhaps grab lunch with his friend, so you stored his sandwich away in a Tupperware container, popping it in the fridge for later.

You held on to Megumi’s plate. He had skipped breakfast. He hadn’t left his room all day.

Approaching his bedroom, his lunch in hand, you noted that his door was open. This little fact would have made you smile under ordinary circumstances, but today, it snapped your heart into pieces.

You knew well that Maya never remembered to shut doors. Therefore, it was easy to gather that she left it open earlier when she asked Megumi to play, and if it was still open, then that meant your son couldn’t even find the strength or desire to close it himself.

You stepped into his room as quietly as you could. You eyed the lump underneath the covers, hoping Megumi would emerge, but at best, you were only able to see the very top of his head. Even his black hair wasn’t as spiky today.

The plate clanked against Megumi’s nightstand as you sat it down. He didn’t move. He didn’t say a word. If it wasn’t for the rise and fall of the covers, in sync with his slow breathing, you would have assumed he was dead.

It was motherly instinct that made your hand reach out, wanting to touch his shoulder or pull him in for a hug or even just pat his arm — anything. But you didn’t. You didn’t touch him at all. You only turned around and left, hoping that when you returned, it would be to collect an empty plate that needed to be washed.

—

The afternoon sun had warmed the big family home, casting gentle orange sun rays through the windows with drawn curtains, natural light filtering in.

A half-cold mug of tea sat on the coffee table in your den, right beside a closed novel you grabbed off of the bookshelf to read, but you had no desire to do so right now. Not when you could only think about your son.

It was time to check on him again.

His room, unlike the rest of the house, was dark. Chilly. His blackout curtains left the sunlight no chance of entering his space.

Megumi himself was in a slightly different position than he was when you stepped into his room earlier to give him his sandwich. He was still under the covers, still hidden, breathing slowly, but the shape of him indicated he was curled up into a ball.

The sandwich.

The plate was sitting on his nightstand. Not a piece of the sandwich had been nibbled on, not even a crumb. The untouched apple slices were starting to turn brown around the edges.

“Megumi . . .”

He shifted a bit but didn’t respond. Earlier in the day, he would have at least mumbled something, but now, he no longer bothered with doing that either. It was as if he was worsening by the hour.

You were on the verge of tears. What was wrong with him? What was going on with your boy?

—

Satoru joined you in the living room fifteen minutes later. During that time, you weren’t aware of your own endless pacing until your husband wrapped his arms around your waist from behind, halting your footsteps.

“Talk to me,” he whispered.

“I’m really worried about Megumi,” you wasted no time pouring out your grievances, resting the back of your head against your husband’s chest. “He won’t eat. I thought it was my cooking at first, but he won’t take a bite, Satoru. He won’t leave his bed, he’s barely sleeping . . . if he was sick, I think he’d tell us. And it’s not like him to hurt Maya’s feelings.”

“I think he’s depressed. It’s rare when a sorcerer isn’t depressed.”

“None of his latest missions have been too . . . traumatizing,” You turned around in Gojo’s arms, looking up into his eyes. “Why would he suddenly start to act this way now?”

“Sometimes that’s just how it works. All we can do is continue to give these kids the world, and hope that it balances out the shitty job that comes with being a sorcerer,” Satoru planted a kiss on your forehead. “Want me to talk to him?”

You shook your head as a way of saying no. “I want to do it. But I have a gut feeling he’s depressed about something else. I just know it.”

The white-haired man cradled your head, guiding it towards his chest. His other arm was still wrapped around your waist, and for a moment, he simply held you.

—

“Megumi?”

You stood at Megumi’s bedside. He didn’t answer at first, but you called his name again; this time, in a more pressing manner.

“Megumi.”

“Hm?” He mumbled. It was so low, that your ears almost didn’t catch it.

“Is it too lame for a teenager to spend a Saturday evening with their mother?” You questioned.

With a slow, exhausted tone, Megumi said, “It’s not personal, Yuji just likes hanging out with Nobara-”

“No, I mean- sorry. You misunderstood me. I’m not asking you about Yuji. I’m asking you if you’d like to spend time with me. Just you and me.”

For a brief moment in time, Megumi didn’t respond, nor did the covers rise and fall with the movements of his body. The teenager was holding his breath.

Suddenly, he pulled the covers down. For the first time in what felt like ages, you could see his face. It both sparked internal fireworks of joy and snapped your heart into pieces. You were happy to finally see him, but the sight of his pale skin, eye bags, and absolute misery glistening within his eyes broke you.

For Megumi, hearing your offer to spend time alone with him was confusing.

“Why?” He asked.

“Because I want to have some quality time with you, silly. There’s a new cafe, just opened up down the street. I checked out their menu online and I really think you’d enjoy it,” you smiled at him. “Best black coffee in town, so I’ve heard.”

“Satoru must be busy,” Megumi mumbled, “If you’re asking me to go with you.”

“Satoru is napping with Maya and doing absolutely nothing with his life right now. I could go with him, but I want to go with you.”

It was no understatement to say that Megumi’s mind was often unkind to him. Right now, a thousand different thoughts were flooding in: Was this some sort of tactic to get him out of the house, leave him stranded somewhere, and tell him to never return? Or was it more so a Last Good Day sort of method, where you’d give him special treatment to lessen the incoming blow: hey kid, we don’t want you around anymore.

What if this was something else entirely?

What if this determined whether you’d love him as a son?

If he said no, if he continued to sulk in bed, would that make you despise him? Send him back to the unwelcoming school grounds run by, as Satoru called them, “conservative fools?” Reduce him to nothing more than an orphan once again?

But, maybe, just maybe, if he said yes . . . if he said yes, he could prevent that from happening. Maybe.

—

“Isn’t this nice?”

The quaint cafe was so new, Megumi could still smell the fresh paint, though it was faint. Beige and brown tones were broken up with green plants placed nearest the entrance, and the late afternoon sun only made the atmosphere that much more cozy.

Megumi stared down at the hot black coffee in his mug. “Did you really want to spend time with me, or did you just make that up?”

Your eyes snapped away from the menu in your hand. “Of course I want to spend time with you. Why are you having such a hard time believing that?” You wanted to reach out and touch his hand, but noting how he wasn’t the biggest fan of physical affection, you sought against it. “Megumi, what’s going on? Please talk to me. I’m trying to hide how worried I am, but I-”

“Well, well, well, you look like shit,” an unfamiliar voice started to speak — or, rather, unfamiliar to you, as Megumi’s face twisted into one of discomfort as a teenage boy approached your table. “Surprised to see you out of the infirmary for once, Megumi. You sure that coffee isn’t too hot for you? I bet you-”

“I’m going to stop you right there.” You put your menu down on the table, folding your hands. You gave the sorcerer student a threatening smile. “Please don’t speak that way to my son.”

“Son?” The black-haired bully started to chuckle. “Are you-”

“Yes. Son. Now walk away.”

“Who do you-”

“Walk away.”

There was no cursed energy involved, no cursed speech, yelling, or anything of the sort, and therefore, the stranger couldn’t determine what about your presence made him turn on his heel and head in the other direction. Perhaps, it was just plain old fear.

“I oughta put him in the infirmary,” you frowned, turning your eyes away from the retreating bully and back towards Megumi. “Who was that?”

“Just some jerk. Don’t worry about it,” he said.

Though he was an expert when it came to neutral and emotionless facial expressions, you tried to read him, and noted that, shockingly, a small, amused smile tried to tug on Megumi’s lips.

“What?” A confused grin appeared on your face.

“Nothing,” he took a sip of his coffee. “Um, thank you, by the way.”

“Of course.” Your smile fell into a more serious expression. “But back to what we were talking about. Why do you think I wouldn’t want to spend time with you?”

“I dunno,” he shrugged. “I’m just not as fun to be around as everyone else. Yuji, for example.”

The look on your face changed into one that was all too familiar. It was the look you gave him whenever he came back from a mission covered in bruises — the look of love and worry.

“Megumi, I need you to understand that Satoru and I adore everything about you. You are a joy to be around. You have this . . . this comforting and kind presence. We love your quietness just as much as we love Yuji’s hyperness. It just worries us when you shut us out completely. You won’t leave your bed, you won’t touch your food-”

“I know, I know,” Megumi took another sip of his coffee, avoiding your gaze.

“Please tell me why. I want to help.”

Megumi’s leg started to shake. He scratched at the skin surrounding his thumbnail.

“I just think you and Satoru will wake up someday. . .” he paused, taking a small breath. Right now, he wished he could die. “Wake up and realize you don’t want me around.”

Half of you expected some sort of punchline or fit of laughter to indicate that this was some kind of joke, but it never came. Your son only stared holes into the table.

“What? Why would you think something as ridiculous as that?” Your frown deepened. “Do you feel as if we don’t treat you well, or?”

“It’s nothing like that. I think you treat me better than I deserve,” Megumi scratched the back of his neck, though it wasn’t itchy. “But, I met Satoru when I was six. I met you the second you two started dating just one year later. I’ve been in your lives for years now, but you didn’t bother adopting me until you met Yuji last year. Don’t get me wrong, you and Satoru were teenagers when we met and he was nothing more than my teacher until recently, but I can’t help but think that I’m only here now because you would’ve felt too guilty had you adopted Yuji, and not me.”

The instrumental tunes playing softly within the cafe filled the silence as you took a moment to process Megumi’s words.

It was only for a couple of seconds, but to Megumi, it was enough time for him to start mentally preparing for the realization that, perhaps, he would be sleeping elsewhere tonight.

“Megumi, even when Satoru and I were just a few years older than you are now, we still tried our best to care for you as often as we could. I know it was nothing more than a warm meal every now and then or a new shirt for your birthday, but we still loved you.” Megumi looked up at you at long last, and you continued, “We should’ve adopted you sooner. You were always so independent and mature, so I guess we didn’t realize how much it would’ve meant to you. I’m sorry. But please don’t ever think we only adopted you because we wanted to adopt Yuji. Once we opened our minds to the idea of adoption in general, we adopted you because making you our son officially was a no-brainer. In our eyes, you were already our kid. Our very first kid. We love you.”

In our eyes, you were already our kid. Our very first kid. We love you.

Our very first kid.

We love you.

Those words were on a constant loop within Megumi’s mind like a broken record. The corners of his lips twitched, along with his eyebrows, and though his eyes were watery, it wasn’t from misery.

“I’m not used to anything like this . . . to people sticking around,” he couldn’t help but let one single tear fall.

“I know, hun. But you better get used it, because we’re not going anywhere. You’re not going anywhere.” Reaching out, you touched Megumi’s hand, stroking your thumb across his knuckles. He tensed, but he didn’t pull away. “C’mon, let’s order. And don’t you dare try to order the cheapest thing. Order something you actually want.”

The teenager nodded, discreetly wiping away another tear, and together, you both got up and headed for the counter.

—

Dining on cafe food was an enjoyable experience. Megumi didn’t finish his plate, but he ate around half of it — it was better than nothing.

After returning home, you rested your head in Satoru’s lap as you recounted the details of the late afternoon. You both stayed that way, doing nothing but softly and lovingly chatting with one another — and exchanging a few kisses — until evening fell. Yuji came home with 3D glasses on his head, a cup of soda in hand, and the scent of buttery popcorn all over his clothes. By then, Satoru was tucking his little girl into bed while Yuji rambled on to you about the movie he saw, all before taking a shower and preparing for bed himself.

A few hours later, every member of the Gojo household was fast asleep — except for you. Your back was pressed against the headboard of your enormous king-sized bed — bigger than a traditional king-sized, truth be told — and Satoru’s arm was draped across your lap as he slept on his stomach. You flipped another page of your novel.

Suddenly, a figure appeared in your doorway, visible thanks to the warm light of your touch-controlled lamp.

“Can’t sleep?” You asked.

Megumi shook his head, “another nightmare.”

Of course, your comforting words weren’t enough to undo the depression itself. However, the fact that Megumi was coming to you instead of lying awake, alone with his horrid thoughts, was progress. Great progress.

“Why don’t you try sleeping in here?” You offered a smile. “Would you be comfortable with that?”

Megumi nodded. He left briefly to grab his pillow and a blanket from his room, but when he returned and tossed it down on the floor, you frowned.

“No, no, no,” you objected. “I’d kick Satoru out of this bed before I let you sleep on the floor. There's plenty of room at the foot of the bed.”

Though he was hesitant at first, Megumi eventually crawled over your silk comforter with his blanket and pillow. It was true. The bed was big enough for him to lay across the bottom of it horizontally and not touch Satoru, who was well over six feet tall.

Soon enough, Megumi started to sleep.

But said sleep wasn’t peaceful.

Looking up from the pages of your book, you noticed Megumi was tossing and turning. His blanket was no longer draped over his body but knocked onto the floor.

That was enough for you to shove your bookmark into your novel. It thumped lightly when you closed it before placing it on your nightstand. You moved Satoru’s heavy arm off of your lap — he groaned, but he didn’t fully awaken.

Quietly, slowly, you approached your restless son. God, how the sight of him suffering made your heart ache. Grabbing the fuzzy blanket off of the floor, you tossed it back over him. Then, as gently as you could, you raised the boy’s head, sat down, and guided his head to your lap.

Your soft fingers alternated between stroking his forehead and his hair. Your motherly touch was soothing. Unfamiliar. Healing.

“Everything’s alright, Megumi,” you whispered. “We love you.”

Megumi’s thrashing started to calm down. In his sleep, he released a deep breath, and the muscles of his face started to relax with every gentle brush of your fingers.

For the first time in quite a while, your son slept peacefully for the rest of the night.

— Next Part.

🏷️: @marvel-girl3 @goldenglow149 @luaqsv @sstoru @pinkfemdolly @satorusgummies @therealmrsgojo @leehriie @iminlovewqr0w @odessa-is-my-queen @melodycelos

#jjk x reader #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jujutsu kaisen #jjk fluff #jjk angst #satoru x reader #gojo x reader #satoru gojo x reader #satoru gojo fluff #gojo x reader fluff #jjk x reader fluff #jujutsu kaisen fluff #gojo x reader angst #satoru gojo angst #tw eating issues #tw depression #x reader #jjk x reader angst

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pa1nrema1ns · 6 months ago

Text

Master and Apprentice || Sung Jin-woo (Part 1 of 3)

Siren!Jin-woo x Deaf!Omega!reader

A/N - Hello everyone! This fic was inspired by the lovely @forbidden-sunlight's siren!au. We both collaborated on this piece and it serves as a direct sequel to her imagine, so do be sure to check it out first! This story picks up right where her imagine left off.

╰┈➤ Chapter Index

🪸 Prequel by @forbidden-sunlight 🌊 Part 2: Two Intertwining Melodies 🦈Part 3: In a Sea of Fire

Content warnings: 18+ MDNI, mythical creatures au, canon divergent, a/b/o dynamics, afab!reader, suggestive themes, obsessive thoughts, slightly ooc Jin-woo (he's very reverent towards Ashborn), mentions of violence, death, and despair, forbidden romance (humans and sirens are natural enemies), eventual yandere!Jin-woo.

Word Count - 3.6k

Summary - Sung Jin-woo seeks answers about his potential mate from Ashborn in the deepest depths of the abyss.

Dividers by @anitalenia and @firefly-graphics

After what feels like an eternity, Jin-woo comes to an abrupt stop. He wasn’t tired in the slightest, but he couldn’t finish this journey unless he was in the right frame of mind. If he was going to face the sea monarch, Ashborn, then he needed to compose himself. He was his mentor’s prized disciple, after all.

Resolute in his decision, Jin-woo pinches his brow, shuts his eyes, and releases a deep, suffering sigh. He had to stop ruminating over the useless ‘what ifs’ of his current situation and focus on the matter at hand. You emitting pheromones in his presence was proof enough that you were a compatible mate, but this would be meaningless if you were unreceptive to him. It also begs the question, was humanity even capable of consorting with sirens? In search of an answer, he reminisces about the tales of old passed down by generations of his kin, as well as the many speculations made by humans.

No one knew the exact origins of his species. Most humans assumed the progenitors were Persephone’s handmaidens, punished by Demeter after Hades had taken her daughter to the underworld and forced her into becoming his queen. Some stories also claimed that seafoam birthed them, but Jin-woo scoffed at this particularly ridiculous rumor. A scholar had recently published an article on how sirens may actually be the offspring of the river deity Achelous and a divine songstress, citing notations from various mythos on this theory. In truth, reality was far simpler than any of these far-fetched narratives.

There was just no definitive explanation for the existence of sirens. They were not interchangeable with the peaceful denizens of the ocean, known as mermaids and mermen. While all fell under the umbrella of the term ‘merfolk,’ the sirens had a far more hostile and bloodstained relationship with humans.

Since time immemorial, his brethren were viewed as nothing but a scourge upon this world of humanity. Beautiful as a raging typhoon and every bit as devastating, the sirens served as harbingers of doom and destruction for those foolish enough to risk the perilous waters. Their heavenly voices were tantamount to the funeral dirges used to usher the dead into the afterlife. It would be understandable to believe that the sirens were the monsters in this baleful story. However, human nature at its core is fraught with wickedness, and men soon grew wise to the machinations of merfolk.

Odysseus was the first to survive an encounter with sirens. During his voyage to Ithaca, the cunning man had instructed his crew to plug their ears with beeswax, effectively blocking the intoxicating songs that had ended the lives of so many before them. Emboldened by the success of Odysseus’s scheme, other sailors began using this method to conquer the sea and establish trade routes. Within a matter of a couple hundred years, humans not only overcame their fear of sirens, but they also poached them. Huntsmen would capture, torture, and kill Jin-woo’s ancestors simply for crossing paths with them. Worse yet, these scoundrels would often murder merfolk solely to harvest their organs, bones, and scales. They would then use the defiled corpses as ingredients for commodities, medication, and even aphrodisiacs. It was truly grotesque, if not outright barbaric, and more than justified the ire his kind felt towards humanity. While they hunted for the noble sake of survival, men did it for bloodsport and money.

The horrific fates suffered by many of their beloved brothers and sisters particularly infuriated the alphas, with their robust constitutions and natural sense of leadership. With a thirst for vengeance, they began targeting and attacking ships, ports, and even beaches. The alphas considered any place or vehicle that harbored humans as eligible targets. The less temperamental betas remained neutral and avoided the bloodshed, opting to prey upon shoals of fish and other maritime animals instead. Omegas could not join in the hunt, as they were far too precious to lose. They were the most cherished and talented singers amongst the sirens and required around-the-clock protection because of their significant rarity. These were the origins of the current hierarchical structure Jin-woo adhered to.

After recalling the tumultuous history of his people in its entirety, Jin-woo clenches his fists until his knuckles turn white. This was so damn frustrating! Rather than granting him an understanding of his attraction, it just proved all the more why it was so illogical.

Defeated, Jin-woo raises his head, opens his eyes, and continues to swim.

Another hour passes before he finds himself at the ingress of Ashborn’s lair. His enigmatic teacher lived in almost complete obscurity. Devoid of any light, and enveloped by a suffocating aura, this nautical cavern intimidated all who dared to approach it. Well, almost all that is apart from Jin-woo. He effortlessly permeates the invisible barrier designed to keep intruders at bay and ventures into his master’s spiritual domain.

Despite being an ancient and powerful king of the sea, Ashborn made the strange decision to emulate a land-like environment in his personal chambers.

As Jin-woo manifests into the realm, his appearance gives way to a form more befitting of a land dweller. His tail separates into two legs, his scales smoothen into skin, and he loses the winged fins on his ears and back. Once finished with this metamorphosis, Jin-woo takes a deep breath. Fresh pine, grass, and flowers perfume the air as he’s greeted by a lush valley. It had been a while since he had visited, and the setting had required him to transform into a human. Interestingly, transfiguration was one of the first skills Ashborn taught him. Speaking of his mentor –

“My disciple, it is good to see you again, though you appear…troubled. Tell me, what ails you so?” A rumbling voice rings across the horizon, signaling Ashborn’s approach; the tenebrous essence of the powerful deity contrasting with the greenery of the land. He appears in front of Jin-woo as a great dark knight. Much like his surroundings, Ashborn’s current visage was nothing but an illusion. Even the bravest of warriors said that his lifelike image invoked sheer terror in their hearts.

Many speculate he possesses a massive stature, at least several leagues in height and breadth alone, with piercing eyes and endless tendrils of dark hair. Others claim he is the son of Poseidon, one of the twelve Olympians, and a God of destruction who presided over the sea. However, Jin-woo never once witnessed this side of his teacher in all the years he’s been under his mentorship. Ashborn certainly exuded dignity, but he still displayed a humble attitude. And without fail, he would always appear in that strange, armored suit whenever he was in Jin-woo’s presence.

“My teacher, I must ask for your help on an urgent matter,” Jin-woo starts, anxiously running his tongue across his bottom lip. “This morning, while I was scavenging, I stumbled across the unmistakable aroma of an unmarked omega. It…it was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. As if I was being beckoned by someone or something. I wanted, no, I needed to heed its call.”

Ashborn listens in silence, his expression indiscernible. Jin-woo continued.

“When I arrived, I was in front of a monstrosity of a ship – a yacht right by the sandbanks. At first, I assumed that someone had taken an unfortunate siren captive. But when I finally saw her–”

“You recognized she was human. Not only that, but she belongs to the lowest level of the hierarchy, an omega. Speak if I am wrong, my dear pupil.” Jin-woo lowers his head in shame, fringe obscuring his eyes. This action all but confirms it.

“I don’t know what to do or how to proceed, teacher. Everything I’ve learned about these creatures has made me detest them. But I can’t bring myself to hate her. How could this even be possible? We are not even of the same species. She’s my enemy, my prey…. At least, she’s supposed to be.” His voice lowers into a near whisper as he ends his confused rambling.

“And yet you don’t view her that way, do you child?” Ashborn poses a question he already knows the answer to but needs to hear in his pupil’s own words.

“No, I don’t,” Jin-woo replies grimly. “I yearn to know more about her. And not just that. I want to meet her, court her, and make her mine. If she’ll even have me, that is… So please, teacher, tell me if there is any meaning behind what I feel. Am I destined for something that bears no place in reality?”

Ashborn remains uncharacteristically quiet while faced with such a loaded question. All is eerily silent for a few moments, save for the cheerful chirping of the illusionary songbirds. At last, the monarch gazes at Jin-woo and gives him the answer he so desperately desires.

“It is entirely possible Sung Jin-woo, alpha of Jindo island, for I am proof of such a fantastical circumstance. My first and only love was also a human omega. A woman I devoted my entire being to over a millennium ago.”

Jin-woo’s eyes widened in shock at this revelation. His mentor had fallen in love at some point, and it was with a member of the human race? This was unheard of.

“I never knew you had a lover,” Jin-woo murmurs softly. “What was she like? Do you still remember everything about her after so many years?”

“Let me show you, my disciple. It is a tragic tale that words alone cannot properly convey.” With a wave of Ashborn’s hand, their surroundings began to morph and alter. The valley transforms into a spacious, yet quaint medieval village composed of several wooden houses with a bustling marketplace at its center.

When Jin-woo regains his bearings, he notices his mentor has also metamorphosized. A man with a sun kissed complexion, long dark hair, and a beard stands where he once stood. Though visibly unrecognizable, he was unmistakably Ashborn. A crimson cape was clasped to the pristine silver armor he wore. A paladin. Jin-woo recalls. He had some knowledge of the past lives of men through his rare excursions onto the Mainland. While disguised as a human, Jin-woo once traded in his goods for a textbook on history. He was loath to admit just how intriguing he had found it.

Ashborn speaks, his voice no longer resonating within the confines of shadowy steel.

“It was here in this village that I came across her. She was the only daughter of a peasant farmer. A strong-willed, rapscallion of a woman with a wit sharper than any blade. I can remember her beauty, her warmth, and her tenacity as clear and concise as the day we met.” He says with a wistful gaze. The scene then shifts to a woman in a pure white gown. Her eyes remained hidden, but it did nothing to impede upon her loveliness. The woman runs animatedly towards a man who looks identical to Ashborn’s borrowed likeness and leaps into his arms. The man then effortlessly spins her around before bringing her into a kiss. Jin-woo watches on, mesmerized by what was unfolding in front of him.

“I feared her rejection once she knew the truth of my identity,” Ashborn admits. “On the night we first made love, I finally revealed to her my status as ruler of the sea. However, it did not matter. She loved me wholly and unconditionally, regardless of who or what I was. Such was the strength of her resolve.” In the next instance, they return to the same valley from earlier. What differs this time is that the man and woman are there, unacknowledging of Jin-woo and Ashborn’s presence. Lost in their own special world. The woman has a flower crown on her head, and she sits on the grass, holding the man’s head in her lap. Both appear happy and at ease.

“For the first time in my existence, I experienced true contentment. I long to return to those days, but alas, our bliss did not last.”

Ashborn solemnly shuts his eyes as darkness overtakes the sky and rain falls. The man is now shown standing at a grave with an expression of anguish marring his face. The woman is nowhere to be seen, although Jin-woo knows exactly where she’s at.

“A plague was scourging the land and indiscriminately ending the lives of thousands. I tried to protect her with my magic, but it was to no avail. She fell gravely ill despite my best efforts. I discovered shortly thereafter that omegas were more susceptible to sickness than their contemporaries. If I had known beforehand, I would’ve brought her to the sea with me, away from that damned disease. But I was a fool who was willing to love and live with her as a man, not as a king. And as punishment for my hubris, an ailment snuffed out her life.”

At the end of his recollection, Ashborn’s lair returns to its original state. His mentor had also regained his shadowy exterior. The valley appears completely untouched by time, as if it were still one thousand years in the past. That’s why his lair looks like this. Jin-woo thinks as he finally recognizes its significance, It was their personal sanctuary. After a few moments of silence, Ashborn speaks.

“Although our circumstances are similar, you still have the privilege of choice. I cannot turn back time, nor can I change the past, but I am grateful. I experienced unspeakable grief, yes, but I also would have never encountered such love, tenderness, and passion had I not taken a chance on my omega. You, my disciple, still have free rein over your decision. Should you choose to pursue this woman, you have my blessing and irrefutable proof that she is a viable mate for you. If not, you will still receive my unwavering support in your future endeavors. The choice is yours to make.”

Jin-woo’s throat bobs. He feels an incredible sense of guilt at unearthing his master’s secret.

“My teacher, I apologize for prying into your past. I – I did not mean to bring up painful memories for you. I cannot imagine what you have endured. As of right now, I am not sure what it is I want, but I know for a fact I cannot give up on this human. I will need some time to contemplate and sort out my feelings. If you will excuse me.”

Jin-woo bows his head before turning to take his leave. As he approaches the exit, a sudden thought emerges at the forefront of his mind.

“Teacher, there is one more question I must ask. This human, she does not speak with words. She communicates with her hands and gestures. Is this some type of sorcery or spell that she’s casting?”

“It is most likely sign language, a manner of non-verbal communication used by humans who are unable to vocalize or hear. Perhaps she cannot speak, or has a hearing impairment, so she must express herself through other means.” Ashborn answers, curiosity lacing his voice.

Jin-woo feels his heart sinking. A siren’s serenade played a pivotal role in the mating ritual and was performed just prior to consummating an eternal bond. If what Ashborn said is true, then there is a possibility you could be immune to his song. This meant he wouldn't be able to use it on you when the time came…

He grits his teeth as he remembers your smiling face. Try as he might, Jin-woo just could not get you out of his head, nor was he willing to let you escape his grasp. You may not have realized it yet, but you had unknowingly sunk your fangs into him and the seeds of obsession were already beginning to take root. Rather than being discouraged by Ashborn’s observation, he instead finds himself reinvigorated.

“Teacher, disregard everything I said earlier. I now know what it is I must do.”

Ashborn peers into the eyes of his disciple, relieved by the determination that lights them. This was much more like the obstinate young man he knew.

“I choose to seek this omega and stake my claim, no matter what challenges may await the two of us,” Jin-woo proclaims proudly. “I will make her mine, but only if she consents to my proposal. And if not through song, then through other courtship methods. I am strong, stronger than any other alpha in my territory, and I know I can protect her from all who would wish her harm. I won’t let my mate slip through my fingers.”

“But what of maladies and the passage of time? You can fight against gods and monsters until the end of your days, but sickness or her ephemeral lifespan will not spare this young woman. In the end, your time with her shall be fleeting.” Ashborn ruthlessly counters Jin-woo’s declaration of protection.

Jin-woo bites his lip, not expecting this development. However, before he can muster a response, his mentor graces him with an answer.

“I know of one way you can overcome this. There is a recipe for an elixir known as the Holy Water of Life. It is a miraculous potion that can imbue invulnerability to communicable diseases, extend lifespan, and transform the consumer into a siren. I unfortunately did not have knowledge of such a panacea while I was with my love. Of course, I live with the regret of not discovering it sooner, as now I have no such use for it, but this does not mean I will idly stand by and let history repeat itself with my protégé.”

With a flash of light, an ancient scroll appears in front of Jin-woo. It unravels by itself to reveal its contents to him. Jin-woo’s eyes widen as he reads. Is this…?

“Behold. The ingredients for crafting the Holy Water of Life. I bequeath this boon unto you, my disciple. However, heed my warning as the acquisition of these components requires you to conquer all 100 floors of the Demon’s Castle and to defeat its king, Baran. This is a treacherous dungeon that may claim your life if you are unprepared for it, but it can also impart you with unspeakable power should you prevail.”

Jin-woo perks up at this information, his interest now fully piqued. “Tell me, master, where can I find the Demon’s Castle?”

“It hides far away, in the city of Seoul, within an incorporeal dominion. It is a flame-ridden landscape that will require you to assume the form of a human to enter the castle. Knowing all the risks it entails; do you still accept my offer?”

“I do,” Jinwoo confidently states.

“Very well,” Ashborn nods his assent, and a key materializes into Jin-woo’s palm.

“Use this key to open the gate to the Demon’s Castle. I have also implanted it with the coordinates to the dungeon’s location. You need only close your eyes and grasp onto the key to visualize it.”

Following the instructions, Jin-woo sees a map that details the exact distance from his current whereabouts to the metropolitan area of Seoul. It will be a lengthy trip, even with his impressive swimming prowess. He estimates it will take roughly half a day to arrive at his destination. Undeterred, Jin-woo presses onward.

“Teacher, I cannot thank you enough for all your help and guidance over these last few years. I give you my word; I will return alive and well, both with the elixir and Baran’s head. And then I will meet with the omega and court her in earnest.”

He departs without another word, although his promise relays an unspoken farewell between them. After some time passes, Ashborn stares at the vast skies of his domain and muses to himself.

“You have grown so much from when I rescued you from the Cartenon Temple all those years ago, Sung Jin-woo. I could not be prouder of you, my disciple. Till our next encounter.”

12 hours later...

Jin-woo finally emerges from the dark, briny waters that frame Seoul’s coastline.

After leaving Ashborn’s lair, he briefly returned home to pack and prepare for the journey ahead. Both Jin-ah and his mother were worried about his sudden departure, so he did the best he could to assuage their fears by giving them a sanitized version of the truth.

Jin-woo claimed Ashborn had provided him with a list of rare ingredients that were only available for purchase in the human markets at Seoul. He even promised to bring back a box of chocolates as a souvenir, something his mother and little sister had enjoyed during one of his return trips to the surface. He then traveled the full 413-kilometer distance from Jindo-gun to Seoul, stopping only for a few hours to rest and recuperate.

As he approaches land, he assumes the form of a naked human man and walks inland from the sea. However, Jin-woo comes to a halt when he becomes more aware of his current state of nudity. While it didn’t bother him, it would cause a lot of unnecessary trouble if any nosy beachgoers happened upon him and asked questions. It is also…pretty embarrassing to admit that he is…wobbly on these legs. Very much so.

He quickly summons his magical inventory and grabs a simple black t-shirt, boxers, fitted jeans, and athletic sneakers (‘Adidas’, the portly sales attendant had called them). As worthless as he found human decorum to be, Jin-woo needed to remain as inconspicuous as possible while he was in disguise. Once dressed, he strolled into the city. After 45 minutes, he found himself at the designated street junction on the map. Taking a deep breath, he brings forth the key, turns it, and unlocks the gate.

⚓︎ To be continued...

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deikshen · 1 month ago

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The idea of Shang Qinghua as a fallen God was hitting me HARD-

I mean, he was some kind of civil God in the heavens, even then recognized for his prose, for the epic tales that would later become a reality, giving him the title of prophet, "The God who sees Beyond Time", "The God Who Inks the Pages of Destiny."

He rose from the lowest ranks as an adjunct god to an important position, becoming one of the most recognized and venerated civil gods of the heavens -he always responded to all the offerings, the one who appeared most in dreams, the one who solved the most situations with his own hands. The civil god with the most temples, the one to whom incense and prayers were given before the imperial exams, the one to whom even those learning to write gave small offerings in search of his erudition to learn faster.

So, something happened. Did he betray the heavens? It was discovered that he had risen to his position through corrupt means? Did he get into a debate with some vengeful martial god? The stories could be many, but the result is always the same: the civil god fell. Where he once had hundreds of temples, now they didn't even offer him incense. And Shang Qinghua, there, bored, was simply... tired. People remembered him for his stories, so he could never know the sweet embrace of death. Turned into a folk tale, his own stories, written in his own hand, being repeated and reproduced in theaters for centuries. When would this martyrdom end?

Never, apparently. And Shang Qinghua writes. He writes stories that are replicated across civilizations. He sees entire demonic races born and die. He writes about an emperor of the three realms, a heavenly demon, with a harem of beauties, a destiny, a prophecy surrounding a sword, and that only pure love could save martyred hearts blackened by fear and misunderstanding.

And after a few centuries, finally finds an artifact that will make him forgotten. He's tired. Fed up. It's been a long millennium of loneliness. Shang Qinghua collects every story he ever wrote, hides them in a deep cave, keeps them away from mortals. He burns his abandoned temples. He burns his stories, making everyone forget that there ever was a God who inks the pages of destiny.

And he dies. Finally.

Half a millennium later, Shen Qingqiu and Luo Binghe are on a hike. Some silly honeymoon thing, traveling the world and finding rare beasts and beautiful non-lethal plants. It's an area that was never originally described in PIDW, but Shen Qingqiu is curious; the world is vast, exquisite, stretching out with magnificent magic. And he wants to know everything.

Then he accidentally gets trapped in a silly array and opens a cave. Luo Binghe follows him, desperate, but both of them... well, even if they wanted to leave without investigating, they never could!! It seems to have been closed for a long, long time.

That's how they find a scholar's hiding place. Or so they think. Stacks and stacks of scrolls. Paintings, theater robes, masks. In the middle of the investigation, Shen Qingqiu's breath catches in his throat when, in the characters from a scroll, he reads Xin Mo.

It is difficult to understand the characters ruined by time, but the story is clear. There are prophetic legends about Xin Mo, about Luo Binghe himself (without mentioning his name other than "a baby who emerged from the Luo River with a frozen heart"), and so many, so many things... Shen Qingqiu is perplexed. What the hell is up with all this? Why was it hidden? Who wrote it? Damn, Airplane owes him some VERY good answers.

In his study in the northern palace, Shang Qinghua begins to have a very strong headache. He should go to sleep, he probably strained his eyes too much with all the paperwork, but, uh, for some reason, he really, really want to write something. An idea is starting to form in his head, like when he wrote PIDW in his other life! Maybe it'll be his next bestseller!! He has to seize the opportunity and inspiration when it hits him!!

#svsss #svsss ideas #svsss au #mxtx svsss #shang qinghua #fallen god shang qinghua #a bit like in tgcf #luo binghe #shen qingqiu #bingqiu #moshang #if you squint #it is implicit #once the god shang qinghua begins to be remembered...#well. the gods cannot die forever #shang qinghua can face the fact that he is a thousand-year-old god with an existential crisis #or eating noodles while his king comb his hair #both options may not be a separate entity

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mossangelll · 2 months ago

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is that hyperpigmentation?

arcane characters x reader

basically what the title says, you draw the arcane characters à la hyperpigmentation 😍 i needed smth silly to work on to get me out of my writing rut, hope you enjoy :p

content: gn!reader, reader is their partner (could be seen as platonic/child reader but i think most of, if not all, the hcs allude or explicitly call reader their partner - sorry!)

Jinx

she LOVES it

as an artist, engineer, overall creator she can really appreciate the more wacky expressions of art

she does a whole art critique (barely a critique tbh) and pretends to be some stuffy piltie talking about the genius and emotion behind the artwork

“ya know, toots, i’m reaaallyyyy enjoying what ya did with that…um, splodge? on my face there. yeah!”

she draws her own version but this time it’s a portrait of you

you swap them and have a cute little date where you colour the pictures in together and add details in the background

by the end, jinx’s workshop is covered in glue and glitter and paint and powder and also for some reason silly string

jinx even makes frames from scratch so they can be hung up - they’re probably the most nicely presentee decoration she has in her place

Ekko

you slide the portrait of him over to his side of the table in silence

he looks down absently and has to do a double take

“this is…me?” he asks hesitantly with his eyes widened like a deer in headlights; a look you rarely ever see from him - you nod and confirm his fears

“we have one tree down here. paper’s expensive. remember that.”

walks away and goes about his duties helping the firelights and though you suspect he might be upset, he did take the picture with him

feels so guilty about his reaction he almost sacks himself into a wall as he rides his hover board

later that night he apologises and makes a show of sticking the picture on his bedroom wall (in the corner he can barely see of course)

she’s been in prison and seen some interesting tattoos but this takes the cake

spends a good ten minutes staring at it whilst rubbing her chin as if that’s gonna make it look better

asks you if this was the rough draft

she’s smooth though so she basically tells you she hates it but in a way that you don’t even realise - you’re too busy being seduced to notice

“i love how wild your imagination is babe 😍”

vi keeps the picture and shows jinx; needless to say, this portrait becomes famous

kids all through the lanes have a challenge where they find all the weird faces jinx spray painted everywhere

vi pretends to act dumb as if she doesn’t know how jinx got ahold of them but you both know what happened LMAO

Caitlyn

she laughs in your face

she probably just had an argument with her mum over being an enforcer so she really needed this to lighten her spirits

teases you over it but accepts it gracefully because she’s a kiramman and those manners have been engrained into her

keeps it in her room as a joke and everything’s seemingly ok

except she can’t stop looking at it

and then looking at her reflection in the mirror

starts to question reality because she knows there’s no way she looks like that but if so, why would you draw it in the first place 😭

then she enters the mad stage and she confronts you about this thing called negging she discovered

it’s a loooooong night but don’t worry it ends in lots of laughter and giggles

she understands it wasn’t serious and was just projecting her stress onto the picture

but then this starts a new tradition where you two draw daily doodles of each other; sometimes with stupid faces, other times as animals, whatever you two are feeling really

Mel

the woman was too stunned to speak

no, she’s literally speechless for a good minute or two as you hold it out for her

she eventually takes the portrait from your hands but does it in a way where you’d think it was going to explode the second she touches it

she tries her best to smile and be graceful about it, years of etiquette training being tested but even this is a bit excessive

she finds a way to dodge actually having to tell you it looks bad but also dodges telling you that it looks good too - she’s a lot of things but she’s not a liar 😭

she’s incredibly diplomatic

the very next day she’s introducing you to an absolutely fabulous painter who just happened to make an impromptu visit but has just enough time to run a session (or multiple) with you!

how serendipitous is this!

never again will she receive a portrait from you like hyperpigmentation

Jayce

“oh wow this is for me?”

you handed this to him in the busy academy building in front of SOOO many people and now his face is red

his teeth are gritted, hand rubbing the back of his neck and if you look closely there’s even beads of sweat dripping down his forehead

you’ve got this man stressed out

takes like 20 minutes trying to tell you that he’s not too sure if this is exactly his style

internally he’s crying for help because he just wants to get out of this situation

he loves you don’t get it wrong but this has never happened to him before and it’s not like they’ve got a guidebook on this stuff

eventually admits defeat and accepts the portrait

it’s probably in the break room and although he isn’t particularly fond of it, he won’t stand for anyone saying mean things about what you made

that is until you tell him it was all a joke in the first place and you never thought he would actually accept it considering how shitty it was

yeah, he allowed everyone a ten minute free for all where they could slander the picture after that

he is gonna give you silent treatment for all of an hour before he can’t stand it anymore and he asks you not to pull pranks like that on him again with tears in his eyes 😭

Viktor

viktor is chronically ill AND chronically overworked

gonna be real, he sees the portrait and doesn’t even think anything of it

like, he’s so sleep deprived that he’s constantly squinting and so to him, it low-key looks like him

you even got his beauty mark right too! most people forget that detail!

it’s only after a good few weeks of having the picture on his bedside table and actually, finally, getting eight hours of sleep that he properly looks at the picture and

who the fuck is that

but at this point it’s too late, it’s already in a frame next to the bed you two share and there’s no way he can discretely get rid of it without you noticing

stages an accident where his cane “accidentally” happens to slip and somehow punt the picture frame right out the window with surprising accuracy

he gives you those puppy dog eyes and tells you how sad he is but that he’ll survive so don’t worry!

can’t even feel guilty about the situation because the moment the portrait is gone he stops having nightmares

Silco

another one who is speechless

if you were anyone else, he would’ve berated you so badly you would want to quit by the end of it

unfortunately you’re someone he loves so he’s stuck between a rock and a hard place

the thing is, he really does appreciate that you went through the effort of drawing a picture of him since it reminds him that perhaps his love isn’t as one-sided as he fears

so he really does want to have it framed and put up on his desk so he can stare at it whenever he misses you

the problem is that even though one of his eyes is fucked up he can still see how butt ugly the drawing is

plus the fact that if he has meetings his business associates are gonna see it and that’s gonna be a tough one to explain

rather not lose out of business because his partner decided to be picasso for a day

silco ends up compromising by having you draw a teeny tiny version he keeps in his wallet instead :3

the bigger version stays in a locked compartment of his desk drawer, he doesn’t want to risk sevika seeing it

Vander

vander does NOT care what it looks like, he loves it

you could literally scribble on a page, say “that’s you” and he’s tearing up at your thoughtfulness

it’s going on the fridge asap and it’s staying there too

he’s gonna show it to everyone with such pride in his voice

sure, he doesn’t know exactly what he’s looking at and maybe you drew his body hair a bit liberally but you made it so that’s good enough for him!

when he shows it off, most people say aww what a cute werewolf and ask how old his kid is

the light leaves their eyes when he tells them, chest puffed out, that his fully grown adult partner did it and that it’s actually a portrait of him

whether you made it as a joke or not, expect all of your friends, your friend’s friends, those friend’s friend’s friends…everyone to have seen it

Sevika

sevika tells you it’s ugly straight away <\3

rolls her eyes as she listens to you explain all the reasons why she should like the drawing

she does nawt care

wants to act unbothered but deep down she’s a bit insulted

however she doesn’t like sein you upset so she kisses you to distract you from the fact she hates the drawing

sevika is an incredibly considerate partner so now she knows you like art, she takes it upon herself to buy colouring books and art journals that you two can fill out together

this is how you find out she’s a god at drawing and you find it sweet how she takes you under her wing

if something’s bad she’ll tell you but it will always be constructive criticism and before you know it your portraits actually look decent

she’s smug knowing she helped you get to that point

little do you know she kept your abhorrent portrait of her and she looks at it every so often to see how far you’ve come

she’s a softie deep down

AU!mylo

he says he likes it but that’s just because he wants to hit

also is a bit pretentious so you could hand him a really bad painting and he’ll try and act like he “gets it” even if there’s nothing to get 😭

this WILL make him doubt his looks constantly

he’s confident for sure, more than he should be at times, but now he’s got that image in the back of his head

aura down and now he’s even WORSE at flirting god save this man

will go around asking random people if he looks like the guy in the portrait because he’s not going down without a fight

he needs to beat the allegations one way or another‼️

AU!claggor

genuinely too nice to decline it or say it looks bad

doesn’t know what exactly it’s meant to be even though you already said it’s a portrait of him

too focused on his plants to worry about it too much, it’s just something that makes him chuckle every now and then

he will conduct a mini interview on why you made it look the way it did

he looks all serious as he nods at your answers

deep down he just wants to understand how your brain works

masterlist

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lotuswish · 3 months ago

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˗ˏˋ what loving you feels like to them (pt. 4 - ignihyde) ☠︎︎ .ᐟ

summary: have you ever wondered what falling in love feels like for each twisted wonderland boy? this series explores love from their perspective-how their personalities, experiences, and desires shape what loving you means to them.

featured character(s): idia shroud (no ortho).

content warning(s): none.

a/n: no ortho here—he’s baby, and that’s final. what loving you feels like to them might occasionally use the same words, but those words mean something a little different for each of them. it might sound familiar, but it's still their own!

link(s): (masterlist) (pt. 1 - scarabia) (pt. 2 - savanaclaw) (pt. 3 - heartslabyul) (pt. 4 - you are here) (pt. 5 - pomefiore) (pt. 6 - octavinelle) (pt. 7 - diasomnia)

idia shroud

loving you feels like stumbling into a storyline idia shroud never thought he’d get to be part of. love was something he dismissed as a fantasy, the kind of thing that belonged in fairy tales or cheesy RPGs—dramatic, improbable, and definitely not meant for someone like him. but then you appeared, and it was like an unexpected cutscene he didn’t see coming, pulling him out of his predictable, carefully controlled world and into something that felt both heart-pounding and deeply, unmistakably real.

idia has always lived in the safety of the familiar. his world is a perfectly crafted routine, a place where he knows the rules and controls the outcomes. but loving you throws all of that into disarray. you’re the unscripted event, the glitch in his carefully coded reality, the variable that changes everything. it’s overwhelming, like trying to navigate an intricate maze with no clear path, but he finds himself drawn deeper, unable to pull away, even when it feels like he’s completely lost.

loving you is a paradox he can’t quite figure out. it’s frightening—letting you see the parts of himself he’s spent years hiding, the awkwardness, the insecurities, the crippling fear of rejection. but at the same time, it’s the safest he’s ever felt. with you, he finds a kind of security he’s only ever known with ortho, a sense of belonging in a world that’s always felt too loud, too chaotic, too much. you don’t try to change him or push him out of his comfort zone before he’s ready. instead, you meet him exactly where he is, offering patience and understanding he never thought he deserved.

being with you feels like logging into the ultimate co-op campaign. every challenge becomes less daunting when you’re by his side, every obstacle a little less intimidating. you make things fun in a way he didn’t think was possible—turning the toughest battles into adventures and making him actually want to keep playing, no matter how hard the level gets. it’s the kind of bond he’s spent his whole life wishing for but never thought he could actually have.

what catches him off guard is how much you make him want to change—not because he feels he has to, but because he genuinely wants to. for the first time, he feels like stepping out of his comfort zone might be worth it, even if it means facing things that scare him. being with you gives him a sense of hope, a belief that he can be someone stronger, braver, and better than the person he’s always seen himself as.

for idia, loving you feels like uncovering a hidden level he never expected—something challenging and unpredictable but offering a reward far beyond anything he ever imagined. the world is still overwhelming, but now there’s something in it that makes the struggle worthwhile. with you, he starts to see possibilities he never thought were meant for him, and that alone changes everything.

congrats on making it to the end! if you enjoyed this, likes, comments, follows, and reblogs are always appreciated—they help motivate me to keep creating and sharing!

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lustlovehart · 2 months ago

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Despairing Survival

I recently watched all of us are dead, and your girl is not immune to apocalypse au’s (•̀ᴗ•́)و (And angst. The ending of book 7 has me realizing we're close to the end and it's becoming real sad 😔)

Synopsis: After your sacrifice in the outbreak, he thinks back to the moments in the wretchedness with you, that made hell much more manageable.

Features: Riddle, Leona, Azul, Jamil, Vil, Idia, & Malleus

Warnings: Overblots are zombies, Meant to be viewed as a magicless au but doesn’t matter too much because non-humans are still not human, Angst, Childhood friends, You die, as usual for my fluff— a little corny, in Malleus's portion you're as old as him, because idk how childhood friends would work if you weren't.

One day you’re living an entirely normal life with him, and the next you know, inky beasts crawl on the floor, desperate to take a bite out of you. It´s whiplash, one moment you´re laughing with the man in front of you, and now you sit trapped in a closet, his hand covering your mouth as monsters drag themselves across the floor.

When he looks down at you, he can't help but feel a sting in his heart. The fear in your eyes reminds him of who you are in front of him, his friend who's been the center of his mind ever since knowing you.

But now, how will he ever come to terms with his inner conflict knowing one of you might not be here tomorrow. Though, what might be worse, is acknowledging the fact you don't return those feelings of his.

He will only ever be your friend.

Both of you have to fight for your lives in NRC as overblots chase you left and right, meeting with other students to get out of the wretched hellscape. Seeing friends you've known for so long become infected from their fight... Having to let them go with tears in your eyes, realizing you will never see them again.

He watches you with every breath, your second shadow, becoming your crutch as the losses become too much. While everyone else sleeps, he looks as you stare down at everyone, opening your mouth to say something to him. As your lip twitches, he'll hold your hand.

"Don't say anything. We have tomorrow, and the day after, or maybe next week." You finally lift your head, looking into his eyes, "We'll talk then."

...

And then, the termination of all infected is brought about. And he's left gasping for air in panic as you step away from him.

A newly enacted bite on your hand.

Even when you put your arm up to stop him from getting closer, he keeps walking toward you.

"You... You won't turn. You can't." you don't smile when you look at him, and neither do you say words. All you can hope is that he understands no matter what he believes, he can't deny reality.

The others stare in disbelief, watching the two of you with trembling breath. He's ready to yell another delusion before you pull him in, your lips on his. It's enough of a distraction for him, your soul welding into his. It feels like an eternity to him, but only because he wishes it to be. When you finally separate, he's ready to take hold of you and never let go. But he doesn't have a chance with you pushing him back into the others.

"Don't die."

Arms desperately hold him back from chasing you. The only fragment of you left is the voice that echoes as you lure overblots to your person, giving them a chance of escape.

He doesn't have the chance to see if you make it, the explosion blowing where you last were to pieces.

Riddle

He looks back at the time you all were caged in the library, only you and him solely being awake. Despite the gravity of the situation, you watch intently as Riddle buries himself in the few books left on the shelves.

A vast majority of them are medical books, but there are some law articles, buried at the bottom of the stack. He can feel your eyes on him as he scans each page, but he doesn't speak, only allowing you to continue staring in the silence.

It reminds him of the way you always peeked over his shoulder when he snuck out, curious to whatever he was doing. The proximity always made him nervous then, and it still does.

"You know, I don't think you have to keep studying anymore, Riddle." you finally break the quiet, Riddle glancing up from the words on the paper. "Who knows when this will be all over... Medical pursuits might as well end here."

"Don't say that, you might as well be saying to let the world die. When this passes over, I still need to pass..." Riddle's sentence falls away when you come closer, turning his head to find you a few inches away.

"I'm not trying to be negative I was just..." There's a certain hurt in your eyes that tells him something, but he isn't so sure until you tell him, "If the world does go back, do you really want to keep studying something you're not passionate about? I mean..." Riddle's eyes are trained on you as you rest your head on his shoulder. "Your mom's not here to do anything right?"

There's a comforting smile on your lips when you look at him. But it falters when he only stares at you in silence. You return your head to his body, following along the page. He's about to blurt his feelings to you before he feels your hand on his, replacing the anatomy book with the texts from the bottom.

"Well then, tell me everything, for as long as you can."

...

Riddle places the book at the root of a tree with your name carved on it. He wishes he had more time to tell you the rest of what he knows.

Leona

He thinks of when you all were trapped on the roof, his body lying on the edge as he looks into the sky, indifference masking his face. Part of his body hangs off the roof, overblots several stories below attempting to reach for him.

"I hope you're not trying to leave me alone in this apocalypse, Kingscholar." your shadow overcasts him, blocking his view of the stars. He tuts, but he won't tell you he prefers the sight of you over those burning balls of fire in the sky. He sits up, taking your hand and pulling you next to him.

It's similar to the way he would drag you closer to him when you both were younger, shielding you from heat and any danger.

"Don't think I can. You'd follow me into the afterlife and make me die a second time." You don't deny the claim, but he smiles with the way you roll your eyes at him. He watches you ready a retort but sees in real-time when you change your mind on what to say to him.

"... Yeah, I don't know what i'd do if you died." Those words have him look over at you, eyes wide for a moment. He recomposes himself before you have the chance to see it though. "I wouldn't have anyone to annoy while I give into insanity, would I?" despite the dark undertone in your words, you flash him a bright smile.

"... Don't say depressing shit like that."

"Then don't casually hang yourself at a height that could kill you Leona." he never would've let that happen anyway, he can't leave you here.

"Right right, I won't-" he's cut off when he feels your arms wrap around him, a warm embrace that has you bury your face into his neck, muffling your voice.

"Lets survive together."

...

He doesn't know if he should feel sad or angry when he looks at the ruined building. It seems that was the first agreement the two of you have ever broken.

Azul

He remembers holing up in the pool, everyone else talking on pool floats, far from where the two of you were. Azul sat next to you, dry and out of the pool, meanwhile, you sat right on the edge, your legs submerged in the light of the water.

Silence permeates the air, he can tell you're upset at him.

You always did the same when he was younger, turning away from him whenever he said something self-deprecating. You wouldn't speak to him until he said something positive about himself, to which you would turn around and smile. It always did make him feel better.

"If we end up having to run, I do hope you don't slip from the water on your feet."

"Well, maybe you could carry- Oh right you're not too strong in that area are you?" passive aggression is evident, so he understands you don't truly mean what you say to him. Silently, he scoots closer, testing the waters as to what you can tolerate from him. When he's shoulder to shoulder, he finally asks.

"... So what did I do exactly."

"Be stupid." a very vague reply. Typical from how long he's known you. He's sure he can suave his way out of your annoyance. He's ready to put on his charm and apologize all princely to you. He halts when he feels your hand grip tightly onto his. "... Don't disappear by yourself again..." You don't look at him when you say it, it sends a pang in his heart at the sight.

"... I was making sure you'd have-"

"Please, just... Don't leave me again. I... I'd miss you so much."

...

When he looks out at the sea, he no longer thinks home. He thinks about how you're such a hypocrite.

Jamil

He recalls when it was only the two of you trapped in the kitchen together. He insisted on gathering up leftovers for you so that you'd have enough energy for however long you'd be stuck in the school.

But, with how low supplies were, and the thought that there could be other survivors, had you deny him vehemently. The amount of ingredients could only really feed one person, and even then it wouldn't be enough sustenance.

You were always like this... helping when you didn't need to when you needed to care for yourself... It's frustrating, but, he can't deny the feeling of his heart softening when you care for him. It... was nice not having to work.

"You won't be able to find others if you can't even survive yourself." Jamil massages his nose bridge as you block the pantry, guarding the last few cans of food. "So please, let me make something for you."

"I'm sorry, but if there are other people who need it..." you zone out for a moment, allowing space in time for Jamil to take hold of you and hoist you over his shoulder. "Wha—Jamil...!" despite your struggles, his strength has him successfully sit you on one of the counters.

"You can't care for any other survivors if you can't care for yourself." you hiss when Jamil pinches your nose in reprimand. "So-"

"Then why aren't you eating for yourself?" your question has him quiet. "... I'd be fine with you eating the food if it's for you." ... Your naivety for survival has him frustrated, but the way you look at him has him soften. He's thinking of a reply but stops when he feels your fingers brush his hair behind his ear, a cold can on his lips.

"I'd be fine with anything as long as you don't die."

...

He shouldn't have listened to that sweet voice of yours. If he hadn't, maybe you could've dodged that bite in time.

Vil

He muses on being stuck in the theater room with you. It wasn’t the best place to be in during an outbreak, but it was the only place you could go to really. Vil places a blanket that had been left behind on your body, your head resting on destroyed couch cushions. It’s not the best, but all he could really provide you with.

He pauses for a moment looking down at your slumbering body, your inhales audible through the room. Typically, he would tell you about such a bad habit, but in the moment, he thinks he wants you to stay like that. It helps him remember that you’re there next to him in the hell that is reality.

The soft smile on his lips falls when he realizes what he’s about to do for you. But, it doesn’t fall because of his sacrifice, no… That’s really the only thing that has him ready to go through with it. The part that has him frowning is the cruel joke that you will no longer be there in his life, nor will he be there for yours.

He takes a few more seconds to absorb you, before standing up and turning heel to the door. Of course, he’s stopped by your hand pulling on his clothes. He should reprimand you for that, but the way you look at him holds him back.

“Where are you going Vil?” Your voice is still hoarse from the night you spent crying away. But it has him stiffen. “… You’re not leaving right?”

He should tell you the painful truth. Yes, he is. All because he needs you to live on, no matter the cost. He’s not going to let himself die, but if he must for your sake…

“… Don’t.”

“… It’s really not that simple—” you tug his shirt, his lithe figure falling on top of you. He thinks his acting skills always coincidentally fail whenever you’re involved because he’s sure you can see the way his perfect eyebrows furrow at the sight of you below him. He knows that the longer he looks at you the harder it’ll be to do what he has to… “It’s for you—”

“Nothing should be for only me… Vil…” say that one word, and it’s over for him. “Stay.”

…

A part of him wonders why you couldn’t listen to your own demands whenever he looks around his own dressing room.

Idia

He thinks you might’ve been his biggest nemesis, especially with that hero moment you pulled on him. He hates it so much, that he should be envious... You're basically a main character now...! Which...

Which means... you should come back right? To him?

Idia mentally replays when you both were stuck in the computer lab. The stuff in there wasn't nearly as high-tech as his own, but to him, it was better than being stuck in the gymnasium. A majority of the computers inside were wrecked, and unusable. A single screen worked though, Idia's fingers clicking the keyboard as you lean over him.

With the way he slams the table tells you something went wrong.

"There's no wifi...!" he leans back in the chair, burying his face in his hands. You can tell he's in distress, anyone would be. "How are we gonna get out—?!" Idia feels your hands pull him from his conflict, your eyes staring deep into his.

... You can't expect him to function properly when the friend he's been in love with for years is in kissing distance. His hair grows bright, the feeling of your hands on his face only making it flare even more.

"We'll get out." His lips part... Usually, this is where two love interest kiss right— He's cruelly reminded, however, that he's only a friend to you. Nothing more than the boy you played video games with. "Idia."

"Y-Yeah...?"

"Let's leave together, and play every game there is to play."

...

You never did get to play those games. And for once, Idia doesn't think he wants to play them anymore.

Malleus

He dreams of you. Specifically, he always finds himself in the gardens. It's a grotesque sight, overblots banging on the exterior, trying all manner of force to get in where the both of you stand. He's looking around, thinking of any way to get out without putting you in harm's way.

His face is stoic as he does it, an attempt to keep you calm while he thinks. Yet, you know him, if anything, despite his face, he's the one that needs to calm down. Coincidentally, you're one of the few who can do that.

"Stay here, I will go out and—" Malleus is interrupted by the feeling of your arm hooking onto his and dragging him far away from the view of the dead. "Wait, what are—" Despite questioning your actions, he doesn't attempt to stop them, he never has.

The feeling of you dragging him away is the equivalent of sneaking into the castle and bringing him out of his lonely solace, unknown to the senate. It's the only time back then, he would converse with anyone other than Lilia and the elders.

He will never stop you from dragging him away, not in reality, and not in his dreams.

"We're staying here until you make a plan that has us both put in danger." you shut the door of the garden shed, hiding you both from the hungry beasts that bang on the botanical garden's glass. Your arms are crossed as you look at him, and even with these circumstances, he can't help but think you make everything much livelier.

He knows the unfortunate answer to his feelings about you, but he will always imagine himself indulging in his deep rooted love.

But he still can't ever let harm come to you.

"Forgive me, but I can't." He takes a step closer to you, "I'm not letting that happen." He lets his words ruminate, your silence suffocating when he turns to leave. He's stopped when you pull him back, your arms hugging him from behind.

"It would be too lonely without you, Malleus."

...

Once again, he's the one who's left to be alone. And... He really thought you were the one to change that.

mmm... Reader and them having a Su-Hyeok (Former bully) and Nam-ra (Class President) dynamic instead... Being a halfbie desperate for human while (Insert Twst Character) desperately keeps you tethered to him because he's so in love... Sorry, my sadness from that series combined with book 7 hit hard 😔

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readerforexiao · 6 months ago

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𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐖𝐎 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃𝐒 | 𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ

⌗ Sylus x Fem!Reader | married + parent au, romance, fluff, light angst | tw: pregnancy, childbirth trauma, post partum, first time parents, mental health struggles, insecurites, anxiety, underlined depression, panic attack, reference to trauma and loss, implied violence + death, somewhat lore compliant | wc: 4k

⌗ A/n: this is only the beginning. The groundwork has been laid and now i can focus on the family dynamic </3. To my dearest friend who helped me whenever I got stuck, I'm immensely grateful🌹

⌗ “I would do it all again. Choose the wait of a century…” he said between kisses, each peck a declaration that you understood the meaning behind every tender touch and every whispered promise sealed in the air. “Take my last breath as if it were my greatest honour. Because I am yours. All of me…"

On the day you appeared as real as the nightmares that haunted him, your fingers felt smaller than his and rougher than he remembered. Your gaze had lost its affection and stretched before him like a frayed horizon— becoming an unravelled boundary between the warmth he knew and the unknown beyond.

Where there had been a luminous depth like the pale glow of moonlight brushing over still midnight waters— lay a turbulent sea withdrawn and untouchable that even the sense of belonging he once felt had slipped away in the last light of dusk fading into the distance.

It shook him from his thoughts and back into a reality he could not escape.

A reunion, he’d called it when the bullet pierced his chest the blood stained his shirt. A test, a reawakening, he led himself to believe when the tendrils of his evol began their slow work of regeneration. Sylus knew desperation had driven him and not mere calculation.

In all selfishness, he wanted to lay his darkness bare before you because he could not stand the idea of your ignorance while he remembered it all, those empty memories in place of where he once resided.

Sylus was but a child broken by betrayals, a man defined by those scars, and shaped by the ominous hands of fate. His aggression and impatience were the results of more than mere habits; they became ingrained parts of his nature.

Cold and unyielding became of his features; red eyes marked by the devil’s touch, a name both feared and revered. But then you crossed the chasm of his fractured soul, pressing your hands into open wounds and putting your nose where it did not belong with a promise of forever. And he could still hear the manic laughter that echoed at your naivety.

Was it a challenge or a taunt in the way you pushed his buttons? Or had he simply lost his mind, finding himself helplessly drawn under your influence?

It was maddening how in every life you drove him from a man who’d never known love to a fool at your feet. And so, seeing you wander into the N109 zone like a lost kitten searching for its owner, the familiarity broke him.

In a moment of reckless clarity, his heart made the decision that handed you a weapon and certainly his demand was a cruel form of intimacy, it wasn’t the love he wanted to show, but it was the only way he thought would reach across the gulf between you.

The echo of the shot dissolved into silence, and he searched your face, his sanity splintered, the tether fraying and refusing to connect. It hadn’t worked. Of course not. How foolish, how desperately pathetic to hope otherwise.

Yet he tried again… for his heart ached for you. But each time he reached for the past he was met with resistance, caught in a relentless cycle.

He chased the memory of you to his end, time and time again, watching as you flashed those bright eyes at another, laughter and tender touches shared with someone warmer. You were cared for and shown how to live in this life by someone who knew how to protect you beneath the stars. Much like another had monitored your heart and anticipated your needs, just as he had done.

It made his attempts feel insignificant.

But Sylus did not relinquish you even then, nor did he dare to ruin your happiest moments for he knew he would always be yours, and with patience, you would be his.

You saved him, after all.

It was that single resolve to keep wanting you that brought him to this moment, cradling his new-born daughter close to his chest, marvelling at how impossibly light she was in his hands, how easily they could break her.

He couldn’t believe it— after all the mistakes he made and the things he ruined, this was his life now, even though he hardly felt worthy of it.

She was a miracle, blessed with eyes parallel to his own, deeply doused in red— a colour he once loathed for its synergy with blood, but here it was soft and untainted in her eyes as they fluttered open and peered up at him.

His feet were spellbound and lodged between the crevices of the earth by her existence, that alone granted him all he thought beyond his reach.

Merely days that she’d been in this world and already had she turned his life upside down.

“Awake already, little one?” He whispered, it had barely fifteen minutes since she drifted off.

A smile crept onto his face as he fell back into the rhythm of soothing her fussing. Sylus glanced at the untouched cot in front him, cold and empty, as he held the infant it was intended for. He mused, knowing that it would remain that way for many more nights.

He pivoted on his heels and walked around the room with her. She was entirely dependant on him, he realized, as he adjusted her over his shoulder, being careful with her neck and the amount of movement he made. Though it wasn’t in the way others before her had been; not in the way you were.

As he strolled around the room, his consciousness meandered through the landscape of this existence, a world steeped in complex relationships where dependence often came with strings attached.

He considered the people who worked under him at Onychinus, each cloaked in their own shadows, driven by desperation of sorts.

Most had sold their souls and traded their humanity for survival or power, engaging in incomprehensible acts to prove their worth.

To each their own, their choice to wallow in the filth beneath him. But even as they cowered in fear at his feet, there still lingered a pride and expectation— a desire for something in return.

Their loyalty was a currency exchanged for blood-stained bills and the hollow promise of protection. And even someone as powerful as him needed their willing hands, for he could not accomplish everything by himself.

He recalled a meeting with an operative, a sharp-witted woman who approached him with a proposal, eyes gleaming with ambition. “I need your backing on this, Sylus. In return, I can secure a major supply route,” she had said, her tone confident.

Despite his annoyance, he complied, aware her loyalty hinged on the favours he could grant her, a waltz of give and take that left no room for trust. For now, he needed her; she had yet to prove her worth in his plans.

Then there was Orion, a man large and sturdy in appearance, though his bulging stomach gave him a rounded look. Greedy at heart, he was nonetheless useful for his keen eye for anything of value, which meant Sylus would keep him around until he no longer served that purpose.

Perhaps these relationships weren’t the best examples to use as they only highlighted his dependence on them rather than theirs on him. But that was far from the truth.

He knew these people leached off him; they would be nowhere without his support. They depended on his money, power, and influence. If he chose to assert himself then they would be quickly reminded of who held their leashes.

It was different when it came to you. Your need of him was honest, not just a need for survival or security but something deeper. His presence grounded you and his strength fortified you.

In a time of unrelenting chaos, his support was a solace. It was a reliance that transcended mere necessity; it was built on trust and intimacy, a bond that flourished in the shadows of his empire.

What he gave, he received in kind. The love he showered, returned tenfold.

Still, you were able to stand on your own two feet without him. It wasn’t the same for his daughter who stared up at him seemingly captivated by his presence just as he was by hers.

With her, it was nothing of the kind. There were no ulterior motives, no agendas, no expectations— she just needed him. Not as Sylus, the leader of Onychinus— a cold-blooded monster— or as a sacrifice, but simply as her father. It was a stark contrast to the world outside, a world where trust was a rare commodity and relationships were transactional.

He welcomed the feeling of being needed by someone like her.

“What?” He grinned with a brow raised in playful questioning as he laid her in the center of his bed, watching her tiny form melt into the blankets.

Her features wrinkled in response to the shift in surroundings and it was a strange sensation to see her there in the middle, occupying the space where he would lay with you entangled.

She drew him in the same way you did. Suddenly, his heart pounded against the confines of its cage, swelling with a mix of pride and protectiveness, but it also raced with an emotion he found hard to perceive.

“You are everything I am not” The words coursed between them in secrecy, barely more than a whisper in a tone absent of the conviction and poise it usually had, softened alone by the rise and fall of her chest.

She was beautiful, held in the arms of a father who loved her.

He let his fingers trace her small hand, so delicate compared to his own scarred knuckles— hands hardened by the demands of survival, by years of a life he hadn’t chosen but had been thrust into, one of cold stares and distant voices, where warmth was something fought for, not given freely.

“But that doesn’t matter, because I will show you a world that won’t bruise you for breathing” he said, bringing his lips upon the dainty swell of her cheeks.

She would know laughter that wasn’t tainted with bitterness and shelter that didn’t feel like a cage. In his arms, she would know what it was like to be wanted, protected, and cherished in a way he had once only dreamed of.

“And you will be loved for simply existing.” He promised, prodding at the balance of existence.

For tonight and forever on, he made that vow to be her protector and her greatest source of strength. A promise made in sincerity on his life; on the heart given to you— the one he would use to love this child.

She would never find herself in the same situation as her mother, clinging to him amid the storm on the eve of a failed battle. Your head buried against his neck, your hands drenched in his blood and hooked onto his shirt, your beautiful face twisted in pain. The red receding from his one remaining eye, taking with it a promise unkept.

No, that was his tragedy, and never will it be hers. He would shield her from it all, lay the world in her hands if she so desired, and tear it apart all the same if it ever dared to harm her.

She stirred at his words as if she was answering him and Sylus didn’t know it was possible to fall in love all over again with someone other than you.

He let his gaze linger on her a moment longer, then looked up toward the door waiting for you to return.

It had taken some convincing, but he’d finally insisted you step out just for a brief reprieve after the whirlwind of the past few days. You agreed but reluctantly so, though he knew you hadn’t wandered far and you most likely were in a hurry to return.

Already, motherhood had taken root within you.

By the time you returned, showered and fed, you found yourself missing your husband and daughter even more.

You crossed the threshold, the soft orange glow of the lamps welcomed you and immediately you found Sylus standing over the bed with his back to you, the baby fussing in his arms.

Your whole world in one scene.

“I can feel your eyes on us, sweetie,” He announced, not even needing to turn around to sense your presence.

You wrapped your arms around his midsection and rested your head against his back, letting the rhythm of his breathing soothe you.

Out of nowhere, a knot tightened in your throat and Sylus as if sensing it, turned to envelop you tighter.

A whiff of black musk breached your nose, his signature scent evoked memories of late nights spent in each other’s company, of whispered confessions and last goodbyes.

Your body did not move in his hold, but your hands gripped his shirt for dear life.

You felt yourself begin to float, the ground beneath your feet dissolving. Then the memories of labour crept in from the edges, stirring the same deep unshakable pain. It clawed its way to the surface, latching onto your mind, the sensations as vivid and overwhelming as if it were happening all over again.

You shuddered at the recollection of your screams when you were urged to push, the buzzing they left behind still droning in your ears.

Beads of sweat formed on your skin and smeared, leaving behind faint marks on Sylus’ chest.

“Look at me,” he urged, guiding you to sit on the bed.

He sank onto his knees. A man who never lowered himself to anyone now knelt before you, his worry palpable in the way his thumb hurried in pursuit of your endless stream of tears.

You were in so much pain he could see it reflected in the quaking of your pupils and the tremor of your fingertips, he was reduced to nothing but an onlooker and his touch hesitant.

“That’s right, keep your eyes on me”

You followed his voice as he counted down your breaths.

“Sylus…” you whispered.

“I’m here,” he kissed your knuckles, the touch of his lips like a hot ember on your skin.

“I hoped that once she was here, everything would… piece together. But it’s not like that at all” You sucked in a breath, “Instead, I feel overwhelmed. Every time I see her little face, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m not enough— that somehow, I’ve already failed, just like I have with everything else”

“I understand, but—”

“Her life depends on me,” you shook your head as you continued, urgency creeping into your tone. “She’s the one person I don’t want to let down”

“You’re not failing her. You’re here, and you’re trying. It’s—”

“It’s hard to see that when I feel like I’m drowning,” you interrupted, your frustration bubbling to the surface. “What if I can’t give her the life she deserves? What if I mess this up? What if my lack of understanding hurts her in the future, and she grows up feeling unloved or unsupported?”

Sylus stopped you, firm yet gentle in his approach. “Why do you punish yourself with such careless thoughts?”

He held your gaze, filled with admiration for your strength— so different from his own, as he often ran and hid from his battles.

“Let me remind you we’ve faced challenges before, you and I alone, long before we found each other, isn’t that right, Sweetie?” You nodded reluctantly, and he went on, “In all you’ve done so far, it hasn’t come naturally; it’s taken your time, blood, sweat, and tears, but didn’t the results yield something good? All things worth doing are hard, and you’ve done something incredible by bringing life into this world. It’s something that inevitably reshapes all you know into something unknown, so isn’t it okay to feel a little overwhelmed? We’re here, we’re present, and we’re willing to learn and that’s what matters most”

His sincerity cut through the rapid thudding in your head, quieting your tears to faint breaths.

There was validation in his words, even though you struggled to pinpoint your emotions or the kind of solace you sought because sometimes words just felt insufficient, especially when you knew they couldn’t bring about instant relief.

But even in the moments where nothing was said, Sylus was there—always there through it all, and perhaps that was why you believed everything he said despite the perturbation prancing inside you.

You inhaled shakily, closing your eyes to find a semblance of calm but the tears kept flowing and Sylus wiped them away each time. His hand came to rest on your stomach, the warmth from his palm seeping into your skin.

“You have me right here” The weight in his voice thicker than you’d ever heard before. A tremor slipped through, like he was holding back a flood with every syllable.

This was Sylus— your Sylus— who never allowed a tear to fall… until now.

A lone tear traced his cheek in defiance, his eyes tinged with red veins surrounding the crimson of his irises, as if daring him to show his vulnerability, and his head fell gently into your lap.

He pressed a kiss to your clothed thigh, lips lingering as if that one touch could steady him

He couldn’t let you see how affected he really was; couldn’t reveal that the weight of worry had been pressing on him just as heavily. For all his certainty, his strength, his fear wasn’t for himself.

"However you need me… because my love for you is all I have left to offer, as a man with nothing else to give" Sylus’s gaze flickered to yours, and you felt his breath catch as your fingers ran over the damp line on his cheek.

He raised himself, his nose brushing against yours as he tilted his head to connect his lips with yours. The subtle flavour of salt mingled on your tongues. Sylus felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for being alive. After everything that had happened, the stillness around you revealed that all you desired was his closeness more than ever.

Sylus pushed up onto his knees to deepen the kiss, tender and sweet with an undercurrent of urgency in his movement.

“I would do it all again. Choose the wait of a century… ” he said between kisses, each peck a declaration that you understood the meaning behind every tender touch and very whispered promise sealed in the air. “Take my last breath as if it were my greatest honour. Because I am yours. All of me…"

The rush of tears had now passed and you let the cradle song of contentment bathe you. Though fatigue tugged at your bones, hope flickered like a candle in the darkness. Your hearts pulsed in harmony, the burdens of worry lingering in the air, but never alone, he reminded you.

If Sylus was yours to love and hold, then you were his in sickness and in health. You belonged to each other, and if your souls were forever intertwined, then your daughter would be the embodiment of that shared love.

“She will be ours” you said breathlessly against his mouth and Sylus’ eyes, once the vivid red of fresh blood deepened to a dark almost infinite crimson, his eyelids heavy, pupils dilating.

“Ours…” He repeated, tasting the word as though it were new, something he wanted to savour.

He said it again, quieter this time, and the walls he so carefully constructed around himself, crumbled under the pressure of his emotions.

The sentiment set the mood thick, the way the flecks of gold marble enriched the lustreless grey walls; four corners that became the keeper of all your intimacy and your secrets, a witness to every unspoken thought and keen desire.

Now, they would also stand witness to the joy of your child as she grew, recording the moments of wonder, each giggle, every first step, and the murmur of her first words.

It would become her safety, her home, in the arms of those who loved her most.

You and Sylus found yourselves immersed in the soothing of your conscious when the sudden wail broke the tranquillity, causing him to pull back, his eyes wide with surprise.

The unexpected interruption jerked a laugh from your throat and in an instant, Sylus left your side and had the infant in his arms, a grin spread across his face while he ran a hand through his tousled hair.

He grabbed the nursing pillow from the cot on his way to you just as you settled against the pillows and pulled down your shirt to feed her.

“You know, I think she gets her appetite from you.” you giggled when she hungrily latched onto your nipple.

Sylus chuckled, watching his girls. “I’d like to think I’m a bit more civilized about it.”

You gaped at him before punching his leg, which caused a stir from the child who clearly disapproved.

“Sorry, sorry,” you quickly apologized, repositioning her to latch back on.

“A bit demanding too, aren’t you little one” he remarked, poking her cheek.

You glared at him. “You have something to say to me, honey?”

“Put the claws away, kitten. I only meant it as an observation” he said, his voice still low, though there was amusement in his tone.

“Careful, Sylus, or I might just take preference of your daughter over you" You quipped.

He scoffed as he climbed into bed beside you, “That’s a rather cruel thing to say. Shouldn’t you be happy she has one of your... traits?”

“Oh god…” You opened your mouth to retort, words catching on your lips, and whatever you meant to say dissolved in an instant as a thought took hold: what if she did inherit everything from her father and not just his beautiful eyes?

Your expression shifted, giving way to a contemplative silence.

“What is it?” He asked.

“She can have your looks, that’s fine, but as for your personality…”

He looked up from his daughter, breaking away from the sight of their adorably clashing eyes to fix you with an incredulous look. “What’s wrong with my personality?”

Did he really need to ask that?

“You’re difficult..”

Sylus clicked his tongue, “I’d prefer the term ‘tenacious and efficient,”

“Well I’d prefer the term ‘handful’”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

It wasn’t. Not particularly… you think?

With an all-too-familiar quirk of his lips hinting at amusement, you began to feel slightly annoyed— especially when your daughter’s insistent latch brought a sudden twinge of discomfort.

“It’s all fun and games until she turns out exactly like you” you muttered, half-jokingly.

He raised an eyebrow, feigning innocence. “What did you expect, sweetie?”

“Right, because I was fully aware of the implications of breeding with a handful,” you teased.

“You know what I hear? Jealousy” He drawled.

“Jealousy? Really?” You narrowed your eyes.

His grin widened, “If she does turn out to be a little me, I wouldn’t mind adding another to balance things out… maybe one who takes after you.”

“Jeez, Sylus! It’s way too early for that.” You pushed his face away, laughter escaping your lips as your daughter, now full, drifted off with her tiny tongue still out, sleepily suckling at the air.

Both of you awe-struck at the sight before Sylus gathered her up and settled her across his chest while you nestled beside him, resting your head on his shoulder as your hand slipped over his, covering the one he kept protectively on her back.

After a moment, he spoke, “You know, no matter what she inherits from me, I’m grateful it’s you who brought her into this world. You’re the heart of our little family, and no matter what our future holds, I’ll always be here to support you”

By this point you were barely able to keep your eyes open, exhaustion pulling you toward sleep, but you heard him loud and clear.

“I’m lucky to have you,” you whispered back.

The last thing you remembered as Sylus’ kissing your forehead and pulling the blankets up to your chin.

“Sleep well, beloved"

Do not copy, steal, or repost to any other platform 🥀

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coweye · 1 month ago

Text

The Life of Victor Haymitch Abernathy x Reader

❝The games don't end when you get back home, from now on your job is to be a distraction, so people forget what the real problems are. ❝

Following the life of a district 12 victor on the slow road to the revolution.

Warning: Canon Typical Violence, mentions of non-con (no description.) Snow's Panem is hell. Eventual Smut 18+. Please don't read if any of this too much for you my sweet angels.

Act I : The before Part One

68th Hunger Games

You were 18 years old on the fateful day your name was plucked from the dreaded glass bowl.

It was no small feat, to have made it through six reapings unscathed, watching on year after year as acquaintances and strangers alike were marched to the Capitol to meet their grisly ends.

It had been your final year and your mother had always been steadfast in her refusal for you to take tessera, meaning your name was only in the bowl six times. The odds were entirely in your favor, until suddenly they weren’t.

“Y/N L/N.” Effie Trinket, district 12’s escort for the 68th Hunger Games calls out in her tinkling Capitol lilt.

No one leaps to valiantly volunteer in your place - after all why should they?

You hadn’t volunteered when 13-year old Violet Swane had been chosen last year. No, you had watched on in stony silence as she whimpered her way up onto the stage, then again not six days later as she was disemboweled at the cornucopia.

Squaring your shoulders and swallowing your terror, you make your way to the stage, doing your very best to not look back at your wailing mother for fear of allowing the horror to consume you.

You stare blankly as your mother sobs whilst she holds you, you can only watch feeling utterly empty as she’s dragged away after a teary goodbye and then as Effie tells you how much of a lucky young lady you are.

It's many hours later whilst sitting at the dinner table that you finally face what has now become your reality.

“You’ve got a good chance, kid.” Your mentor Haymitch Abernathy praises cheerily though his voice has a hollow edge to it, his horrific words wake you from your catatonia.

The victor from 18 years ago sits opposite you and your district partner, he’s utterly belligerent in his intoxication. “You’re old enough to make a real difference. If we get a little meat on those bones of yours you’ve got some real potential - they’re all pretty young!”

Haymitch is animated for the first time in hours as the three of you watch the reapings from the other districts, the glass of amber liquid sloshing dangerously in Haymitch’s palm is clearly the cause of this.

Out of the corner of your eye you notice Hazel flinching. Your mentor's artificially buoyant words not quite landing the same for the thirteen year-old boy at your side.

Hazel sniffs, his despondent mask of bravery slipping. He stares at Haymitch forlorn, as if the man who had broken him down in the first place would ever offer him any comfort.

As expected the drunk makes no effort to fix his faux pas, only taking a deep sip from his glass shrugging at your harsh gaze as if to say ‘not my problem’.

It was only natural that Hazel’s round grey eyes turned to you. The fat tears streaking his cheeks made your stomach drop and it was a struggle to reclaim your voice.

“Don’t cry.” Your voice is hoarse as you speak your first words since leaving your home for the reaping this morning. You see Haymitch rise in his seat in your peripheral vision but you pay him little mind.

“Sorry.” Hazel sniffs fighting to regain control. You want nothing more than to indulge and join him in a sob, but you have the feeling if you started crying you’d never stop.

“I am not killing children.” Your voice is harsh, even to your own ears.

“You wait until those children start swinging their axes at you. Something tells me you’ll change your mind real quick. .”

As it turns out, Haymitch was right; on both accounts.

You are the only tribute over the age of fifteen in the arena, which is a definite advantage.

Your body is bigger, your mind is clearer. You don’t quite have the muscle density of the careers, your week of weight gain wasn’t quite enough to equal the playing field entirely but they aren’t your primary focus.

You are practically dragging Hazel behind you as you trudge through the frozen tundra that is the 68th arena, hoping against hope to put some distance between yourself and the other tributes.

Scarlet is blossoming through the thick white fabric of the boy's winter coat from where Lux, the girl from 1’s, arrow pierced his shoulder. Your gloved fingers have gone numb from the grip they have on the fabric of his coat, but you can’t relent.

You have done your best to treat and bind the wound, but without the sponsor gift that refuses to arrive you know Hazel’s days were numbered.

“Y/n…. Y/N. Please… I can’t.” He begs as he stumbles in the knee deep snowfall.

“Hazel! She’s hunting us!” You gasp breathlessly at the thirteen year old. You stop for a moment to take stock. The thirteen year old is gray from the bloodloss, his eyes have gone glassy and unfocused.

The end isn’t far off for your little ally, but you’ve never been good at facing the facts and this truth is far too awful to accept.

“Leave me… please Y/N. I'm so tired, I want to go to sleep…” Your eyes water, though you replace your agony with rage, an easier emotion to digest in this arena. Nowhere is safe anymore, the only thing you know for certain is that death is chomping at your heels.

“Don’t be so damn stupid!” You hiss and grab at his coat to pull him along. Though the second your hand makes contact with the white fabric, red splatters in your face.

You taste the iron on your lips as your brain struggles to consolidate the warm liquid on your face with the horror of Hazel’s throat being pierced with a black tipped arrow.

Blood spurts out, soaking your own coat ruby. The boy panics and grabs at you and in your shock you haven't the wherewithal to push him away.

Lux aims another arrow, you aren’t sure if she’s playing with you or if she’s just a bad shot as her second arrow lodges itself in Hazel’s chest. You think you have your answer when in quick succession a third pierces his spine.

Your breath shudders out of you as she uses your little friend as a pin cushion.

The light has drained from his eyes. Hazel falls to the floor in a pool of his own blood without your hands on him keeping him steady.

You’re on her before she can notch another godforsaken arrow.

You aren’t a born and bred fighter like her.

Hell, before this arena, the most confrontation you’d had was sharply telling the Mellark boys to stop hitting your mothers storefront with their ball.

You are fueled by injustice, grief and above all a burning rage.

Lux, however, is a born weapon.

With ease, she blocks your swing, utilizing her bow to keep you at bay. The two of you are locked in a stalemate, pushing against one another. Desperately grappling, you know your longer arms are the only thing keeping the fourteen year old at bay as she smirks at your blood covered face.

Instantaneously it becomes clear to you with that smirk; Lux had filled Hazel with all those arrows on purpose.

Something happens within you at this sadistic realization.

Animal instinct takes over as you pull back and slam your forehead against hers. In an instant you quite simply don’t care if you die, so long as you take this evil little bitch with you.

She's discombobulated, but so are you.

The girl grabs at your coat to steady herself, though her hands can't find purchase on the slick fabric. In her frustration Lux shoves you hard enough to make you lose your footing, though you manage to grab her fur lined hood.

The two of you tumble down the incline you had just spent the better part of an hour hiking.

Everything aches as your body finally comes to a stop at the bottom.

You are back at the stream at the base, the one you had used to clean Hazel's wound. He had called it beautiful, as he had been utterly enraptured by the flowing water.

Your grief is agony as you force yourself to your feet, though you needn’t have bothered, as Lux swings her fist at your face.

The punch is devastatingly accurate. Her years of training drop you on your ass as you stagger backwards, unable to find your footing, having taken far too many blows to the skull for a 24-hour period.

Stumbling, you fall backwards, right into the stream.

Fuck.

The water is freezing, though freezing isn’t strong enough of a word for the numbness that takes over your limbs the second it touches your flesh. Your arms are instantly heavy and sluggish.

All of a sudden Lux is on you, sitting on your chest and using her entire body weight to force your shoulders down below the flowing river stealing all of the oxygen from your lungs.

You can barely stand to open your eyes as the flow of the water burns at your corneas, your legs are splashing frantically in the weak current desperate to find purchase and unseat her.

It’s of no use. Your boots slide against the silt of the river bed as if it’s made of ice. Despite your larger frame you can’t get a foothold significant enough to buck her.

In an act of sheer desperation you heave your chest forward allowing your head to surface for less than a millisecond before she regains control and forces your shoulders back under with strength you could never hope to muster after a life-time of scraping by in twelve.

Your mad gasp for breath does more harm than good as what little oxygen you manage to inhale is of little consequence when compared to the sting of the water that follows it.

You are going to die.

It is primal.

That singular thought shuts down your already panicking brain. With your heart pounding in your ears there is no time to be smart, no time for careful calculations.

You are going to die.

Your animal instinct kicks in. Your palm, the one that her foot isn’t painfully grinding into the sediment, wraps around a smooth rock about the size of a fist on the bed of the river.

You are going to die.

With the stone in your grasp you flail your non-dominant hand wildly in her general direction. Against all odds it connects with something solid and her weight shifts allowing your head to finally surface.

Breathless but alive - you’re not sure if it's your wingspan advantage or sheer dumb luck but you don’t linger on it long enough to thank the sadistic God that had put you in this arena in the first place.

Black patches infiltrate your vision as you desperately try to refill your lungs. You’re delirious with a cocktail of fear and oxygen deprivation - scarcely a moment away from passing out.

Somewhere in your deprived brain you notice that Lux has a head wound she’s cradling as she crawls up the river bank disorientated, trying and failing to put space between the two of you.

You had clocked her hard, blood was gushing from her wound.

You are going to die.

She begs you for her life as you advance clumsily stumbling on the loose mud of the riverbank.

Lux pleads with you but it’s not a rational decision you make, it's no choice at all, it’s that fear again, consuming you entirely until there’s nothing left of the person you were. Reduced to nothing more than the animal the Captiol believed you to be.

Shamefully, you don’t think of Hazel as you bring down the rock on her skull.

Your animal brain has taken over, the need to kill to make yourself safe has taken over.

You hit her over and over and over again until she doesn’t look like Lux anymore.

A scream you're not sure is even your own echoes through the arena. Your lungs burn with every breath and your hands are now once again covered in the crimson of blood, only this time there’s some brain matter stuck to your flesh.

Those black patches return though this time they’re a welcome reprieve, as the world fades away to the sound of the canons.

The surgical smell is the first thing that hits you.

That disinfectant aroma that burns your nostrils as you awake with a start. Somehow you’re right back in that hospital bed, your arms and legs restrained.

You scream for help, for your mother, for anyone that can ease the burn in your veins.

Only when you feel warm flesh against yours do you realize there are no doctors pumping their poisons into your veins, no game makers currently plotting your diabolical torture, only haymitch holding you against his warm chest.

The scent of him, grain alcohol mixed with something that smells like bergamot and home encompasses you, slowly acting as an improvised calming agent to your nervous system.

“I’ve got you.” He grunts, holding you close as frantic tears pour down your face and you struggle to orientate yourself. “Say it… say it, sweetheart.”

You attempt to gather yourself, and it takes every ounce of strength left in you to repeat back your mantra to him. “I’m �� Y/N … L/N, I … I’m … back home.. in twelve … I am… safe.”

It takes four times all the way through to ground you, for the lingering pit in your stomach to recede back into the barely-manageable anxiety that has accompanied you through your day to day life ever since leaving the arena.

The two of you sit like this; with your forehead buried deep in his neck for an amount of time you have no way of quantifying.

Eventually though, his large hand begins stroking your hair offering you what little comfort he can.

Little does he know, his mere presence calms your soul as before long your breath has evened out.

It's a little while after that before your brain begins firing again, albeit sluggishly, partly from the night terrors but also due to the sleep syrup open capped on your bedside table.

Haymitch doesn’t say a single word in this time, he simply holds you against him.

First your mentor, now your friend.

In his palm he holds out a tiny white tablet from the Captiol.

“Take it.” He grunts when you hesitate.

You recognise this tiny pill, it's a sedative. You’re well versed in their effects in the years since your games, the tortuous three years as a mentor hadn’t helped your mental state.

You and sleep were no longer on speaking terms.

The nightmares had driven you to seek your neighbor out, normally a reclusive man.

Haymitch had become your only family in the years that followed the games. Your mother had passed before you even made it home, there were ridiculous rumors she had died of a broken heart, but you knew the seamstress had most likely failed due to the stress of watching you fight for your life in the arena.

She had died thinking you were doomed. Part of you is glad she never saw the monster you became.

Despite your initial and overwhelming dislike of Haymitch, the shared trauma of the arena had bonded your souls in a way that went far beyond the realms of logical reasoning.

In spite of his best efforts to dissuade you, every year for three weeks before the annual reapings you had begun taking up residence in one of his spare rooms when the empty halls of your home in Victor's Village made your nerves unbearable.

There was nothing in this world you hated more than being alone.

Your fingers brush against his palm as they pinch the tiny pill that you know will bring you the temporary abyss you yearn for.

In a decision fueled by the grief of the coming days, you reach Haymitch's hip. Your fingers wrap around the flask attached to the buckle of his trousers.

“Sweetheart-” He protests for all of a second, before your eyes meet his. He must see the desperation that lurks beneath them. He acquiesces the flask, filled with what smells like paint stripper. Yet you take a gulp or three and then swallow down the pill with the fourth.

Pulling back you’re now vaguely embarrassed of your behavior and you’re acutely aware of his tired eyes watching you. Your legs have gone to sleep and you can only assume Haymitch is far worse off as he has nearly twenty-years on you and has been bearing your weight, yet he hasn’t voiced a complaint once.

It's with that thought that you realize you must present a truly sorry state indeed, for the snarky bastard that is your closest friend to not have tossed a single jape your way, you decide to push your luck.

“Don’t-” your voice is hoarse when you finally gather the courage to speak, you’re terrified that uttering the words will break the spell and his warm encompassing embrace will abandon you, leaving you to the cold sheets and fear of the weeks to come. “Will you stay with me, just til’ I’m asleep?”

Haymitch stares you down seemingly weighing up your request, his eyes aren’t angry or annoyed at your request. They give away nothing of the inner workings of his complex brain, his baby blues are quite simply exhausted in a way that goes far beyond a lack of sleep.

Haymitch says nothing, only nods his head towards your haphazardly strewn pillows, which are a mess from your tossing and turning. You’re quick to leap across the bed to fluff them up as if this will entice him to stay, though you needn't have bothered as he throws himself down into the pile with very little care.

He huffs out a long suffering breath as he gets comfortable and pulls the duvet up to his chest before finally settling.

“You better not get handsy in the night, Sweetheart.”

You chuckle though you’re already face down in your pillow, the tablet and booze making an excellent pairing in your descent into oblivion.

“I’ll try to keep my hands to myself, old man.”

He chuckles at your muffled words as he crosses his arms over his chest and closes his eyes.

This isn’t the first time you’ve awoken to him holding you after a nightmare, it had become something of a tradition in the weeks before the last two reapings when your shrill screams disturbed whatever it was Haymitch did all night. It is, however, the first time that he’s agreed to stay.

To some degree you understood this distance he was desperate to maintain. It was a relatively easy logical leap to understand his reluctance to give Snow any leverage to use against him.

As a Victor, caring was a weakness, you knew this better than most and yet, you couldn’t help but watch him as your eyes grew heavy.

⇢ Next Part✨ coming soon

#haymitch abernathy x reader #haymitch abernathy #haymitch x reader #hunger games fanfiction #haymitch x you

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caramel-maive-chiato · 2 months ago

Note

Accidental pregnancy and rivals to lovers with Viktor, with some “They hate each other, but now they have to co-parent a kid” vibes too?

Stuck with you - Viktor ⋆⭒˚｡⋆

Summary: You and Viktor had been rivals for a long time, until one day after an argument, you both get tangled in the sheets, and one time is enough to cause a nightmare for both of you.

masterlist | Part 2.

✦ genre: drama/hurt-comfort

✦ pairing: fem!reader (afab)

✦ tw!: mild cursing, mentions of s3xual relations (no actual explicit content), Viktor being kind of an asshole to you.

✦ author`s note: hit me up in the comments or my dms if you want a part 2, I really want to do it cause I couldn't reach the 'to lovers' part of the trope without this being extremely long. Hope you like it!

It was stupid.

It was so stupid that now you had a 2-month bump under your belly, that your pants didn’t fit, that you were craving strawberries because of him.

If you had ever asked yourself a year ago if you would become pregnant with your rival's baby, you would have just scratched it as nonsense.

So why were you now? You always wanted kids, but you never thought you were getting a kid as white as paper, peppered with moles in its face, curly brown hair? golden eyes? His golden eyes.

Viktor, how do you start to describe Viktor? He was the most snappy bitch you ever met and he wasn’t even a woman, he was determined to be better than you, to be smarter than you, to handle Heimmerdinger his reports at 7 am to make you look like a mess when you showed up at 10 with yours, he was making sure his whole hextech deal was a ‘Jayce and Viktor dream’ when you were there too.

You were always Heimmerdinger's most well-protected students, scholarships covered, gifted new uniforms and library passes to enter the whole day and even night. You two were always head to head, actually really good acquaintances and late-night study partners.

Until he stomped on you to be Heimmer's assistant, he purposely made you fall on his bait and then bit like the most experienced shark any small fish had ever feared.

Since then, you two will always share side-eyed glances and bumped shoulders in the hallways like immature kids.

Until Jayce and the professor asked you to join the hextech production, you were great at energy stabilizers, one of the things they were lacking. Then years passed, and you always had a new chore to help with; you found yourself immersed in Hextech more than you realized, and he didn’t like that.

More than once, you two got caught in long ethical debates about progress, meritocracy, and calculations. And the answer in your brain was always the same.

'He is so hot I want to punch that stupid smirk out of him or kiss it deeper into his asshole face'

You never thought those thoughts would end up somewhere in reality until that night. And you didn’t though he felt the same way about you.

“You can't just go around pointing your hexclaw thing everywhere in the lab, Viktor!” you sighed, and your tone was the closest it had ever gotten to scolding a child, hands gripping your notebook, imagining it was that thick, attractive and smart, square head of his.

“Sorry" he said not even looking at you while taking the gemstone out of the leather glove

You slammed your notebook onto the table, the sharp crack of paper against wood cutting through the silence. “You never listen, do you? You just charge ahead like you’re the only genius in the room.”

Viktor scoffed, crossing his arms. “And you never stopped questioning everything I did. If you were so certain of your ideas, perhaps you should have been Heimerdinger’s assistant instead of me. Oh, wait—you weren’t.”

Your jaw tightened. "Right. Because you made sure of that. You took half of my research, paraded it around like it was yours to fix, and left me sunk in the dust."

Viktor stepped closer, his voice cold. “I did what I had to do. If you weren’t prepared for competition, then maybe you shouldn’t be here now.”

You laughed bitterly. “Competition? Is that what you call backstabbing? You used me, Viktor. You saw an easy way to climb higher, and you took it.”

His jaw clenched, his eyes dark with something unreadable. “I improved on what you had. Something you clearly weren’t capable of doing yourself.” you were now trapped between him and the desk.

Fury surged in your chest as you stepped into his space, close enough to see the flicker of challenge in his gaze. "You arrogant, self-righteous—!"

You felt his breath on your face, and when you focused, you actually focused, your faces were inches away

“-asshole” you whispered, his eyes shifting between your own and your lips

And then you kissed, and then you ended up on the couch, kissing aggressively, clothes pulled aside, moans stifled for your own pride. And then your period was late. And then you wanted to throw up at the smell of expresso coffee.

He didn’t even look up when you walked in the lab. “If this is about the new project, I already—”

“I’m pregnant.”

The words left your mouth before you lost your nerve. No buildup. No soft approach. Just the truth, slicing through the lab’s quiet like a knife.

Viktor froze. The pen in his hand hovered over his notes, ink pooling in place. For a long moment, he just stared at the page as if he could pretend he misheard you.

Then, finally, he set the pen down. Slowly. Carefully. “…What?”

Your arms crossed, tension coiling in your stomach. “You heard me.”

His eyes snapped up to yours, searching for any trace of a joke. When he found none, his expression cracked into something sharp and disbelieving.

“This—” He exhaled harshly, dragging a hand through his hair. “This cannot be happening.”

“Oh, trust me, I wish it wasn’t” you shot back.

Viktor pushed back from his desk, standing too fast, gripping the edge like he needed it to keep upright. His mind was already spinning—calculating, fixing, solving—because that’s what he did. Except this wasn’t an equation. This wasn’t something he could just engineer his way out of.

His mouth opened, then shut. Then, in a voice that was entirely too high-strung for him, he let out a humorless chuckle.

“Oh, this is rich.” He rubbed his temple. “Out of all possible disasters… Of course, it had to be this one. With you.”

You scoffed. “Yeah, well, if it helps, you weren’t exactly my first pick for co-parent of the year either.”

He shot you a glare. “Forgive me if I do not find this particularly funny.”

“Yeah? Well, neither did I, but that didn’t stop me from laughing for ten minutes straight in absolute horror when I saw the test.” You leaned against the desk, giving him a dry smile. “I think I actually went a little insane.”

Viktor didn’t return the smile. He pressed his fingers to his temples, muttering something in Czech under his breath. Then, after a long pause, his fingers twitched in a vague, frustrated gesture. “But we—we only did it once.”

You deadpanned. “Wow, really? I totally forgot about that.”

“I am serious.”

“So am I.” You shrugged. “Turns out once was more than enough. Congrats, genius, you somehow managed to succeed at the one thing you probably weren’t even trying to do.”

Viktor let out an exasperated breath, dragging a hand down his face. “Oh, do not act as if I am the sole contributor to this catastrophe.”

“Oh, I’m well aware of my involvement, thank you.” You crossed your arms. “And let’s be real, it wasn’t exactly a stellar performance from either of us. I should’ve known nothing good would come from two people who hate each other trying to one-up each other in bed.”

Viktor let out a short, bitter laugh. “Yes, well, congratulations. You have won.”

“Great. My prize is morning sickness and your company. What a dream.”

Viktor groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose like this was physically causing him pain. “This is a nightmare.”

“Tell me about it.”

Silence stretched between you, thick and suffocating.

Finally, Viktor let out a slow breath, the initial shock dulling into something heavier. He looked at you properly this time—his sharp gaze, for once, uncertain.

“What… are you going to do?” His voice was quieter now, more careful.

You swallowed hard. “We, Viktor. What are we going to do?”

His fingers curled into a fist at his side, his jaw tight. “You assume I have an answer.”

“You always have an answer.”

“Not this time.”

For the first time since you’d met him, Viktor—the man who always had something to say—was speechless. And for the first time, you weren’t sure what to do with that.

The next morning, you walked into the lab expecting awkward silence, a few glares, and maybe even a full-blown argument if Viktor was feeling particularly irritable. What you didn’t expect was to find a cup of tea sitting next to your workstation.

You frowned. “What’s this?”

Viktor, hunched over his notes, didn’t even look up. “Tea.”

You picked it up, suspicious. It was still warm, a gentle herby scent rising from it. Definitely not the usual acidic bitterness of black coffee that always clung to the lab.

You glanced at him, narrowing your eyes. “You poisoned this, didn’t you?”

He sighed, rubbing his temple. “Yes, clearly I am the type to commit murder via tea. So sorry, should have gone with something more dramatic.”

You smirked, but then realization hit—oh.

He’d noticed. He must’ve realized before that the smell of black coffee sent you gagging and rushing to the nearest bathroom, though he hadn’t put the pieces together at the time.

“You noticed?” you asked, watching him carefully.

“I am observant,” he said, still scribbling. “I simply assumed you had bad taste. But no, turns out you were just harboring my child.”

You snorted. “That’s one way to put it.”

Viktor finally glanced up, and there was something unreadable in his gaze. Something careful, like he was still feeling his way through this whole thing. Then he exhaled through his nose, tapping his pen against the desk.

“I thought about it.”

You raised an eyebrow. “About what?”

He gave you a flat look. “Do not make me say it.”

You just sipped your tea, waiting.

Viktor rolled his eyes. “Fine.” He leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers against the armrest. “I will parent the child with you.”

You blinked. "oh.”

“That is all you have to say?”

You shrugged. “I mean, I figured you weren’t going to run off to some secret second lab and pretend this never happened.”

“Tch. You overestimate my options.” He tilted his head, a sharp smirk tugging at his lips. “Besides, I would hate to give you the satisfaction of complaining about how I ruined your life and abandoned you.”

You snorted. “Oh, please. I was already planning my ‘tragic single mother’ era. Could’ve milked so much sympathy from it.”

“Cynical and manipulative. Remind me, how did I ever end up in bed with you?”

You smirked over your tea. “Burnout and an argument.”

He made a thoughtful noise, then muttered, “Should have stuck to arguing.”

You kicked his chair. “Too late.”

Viktor shook his head, sighing dramatically. Then, quieter, he added, “You are fucking insufferable.”

There was no venom in it, though. If anything, it almost sounded… affectionate.

You hummed, cradling the tea between your hands. “Yeah, well, at least I have an excuse now.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

You let out a short, dry chuckle, shaking your head. “Yeah. Can’t be that insufferable if someone’s gonna call me mom.”

The words hung in the air, heavier than they had any right to be.

Your smirk faltered.

Your throat tightened.

Someone’s going to call you mom.

It wasn’t just a snide remark anymore. It was real. A real person. A real child, who was going to depend on you for everything.

The realization hit like a gut punch, and before you could stop yourself, your breath hitched. Your eyes burned.

Shit.

You curled in on yourself, gripping the edge of the desk, blinking rapidly. No, no, not here, not in front of him—

But Viktor noticed.

His smirk faded. His hands stilled on the desk. For a second, he just watched you, his brows furrowing the way they did when he encountered a problem he couldn’t immediately solve.

Then, awkwardly, hesitantly, he shifted closer.

Not much—just a slight lean forward, his hand twitching as if he wanted to reach out but thought better of it. Instead, his knee bumped against yours under the desk.

You stiffened at the contact, but Viktor didn’t move away.

“…It is terrifying,” he admitted, voice quieter now. “Is it not?”

You swallowed hard. “You think?”

“I know.” His lips twitched something dry and self-deprecating passing through his expression. “It is you I am trapped with, after all.”

You let out a breathy, wet laugh. “Wow. Romance is dead.”

“Mm. And yet, somehow, it seems like you are the one who killed it.”

You rolled your eyes, biting back a shaky smile. God, you hated him. You hated how he knew exactly what to say to stop you from spiraling.

Your fingers curled around the edge of the desk, steadying yourself. “We’re really doing this, huh?”

Viktor exhaled slowly, then gave you the smallest, barest nod.

“It seems so.”

You closed your eyes for a moment, letting it sink in. Then, with a deep breath, you opened them and met his gaze.

“Okay,” you murmured.

Viktor nodded again. And though he still looked thoroughly exasperated, there was something else there now—something steadier.

“…Okay.”

Part 2? @forlornghosts

#fanfic #viktor x reader #reading #viktor arcane #viktor league of legends #viktor lol #viktor talis #arcane x you #arcane #arcane x reader #viktor x you #viktor x y/n

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clairewritesfanfics · 9 days ago

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No Goggles!Mark Grayson Origin Part 3

Pairing: No Goggles!Invincible x Older!Reader

Part 2

Author's Note: this is taking longer than i expected lol but if it wasn't obvious enough, no goggles/lensless is my favorite. he gives me strong "feral dog who becomes a puppy for the woman he loves" vibe.

Debbie Grayson was a stranger that haunted his father’s house, a fragment of the past. His dad burned all of her photos so all Mark had were his memories of her, but even those were unreliable. Sometimes she had hair as black as his, sometimes it was a touch lighter and almost brown. Sometimes her voice was high-pitched and bird-like, other times it was deeper.

Every now and then, he could vaguely remember the Grayson house being warm and welcoming, but those felt like the daydreams of a child, so distant from the reality he grew up with under his father’s reign.

Even before his powers appeared, he lived the life of a soldier. Wake up before dawn, training, and if he was good, he could eat more than the basic requirement. He still had to go to school. He didn’t like anyone and nobody liked him.

When he almost killed two other children when his powers first manifested, his dad pretended to be furious in front of the principal and other parents, then he rewarded him with a toy Mark had been begging for since he was eight years old. Mark’s powers came when he was eleven. Still, lame as it was, he cherished that toy, because it was one of the few reminders that his dad did care.

Mark worked hard to fit in as his dad ordered.

He observed everyone at school, learned what made each student and staff member tick. He learned to smile even when he felt nothing and he pretended to care when his “friends” were troubled. As Mark and as Invincible, he was the golden boy that people looked up to. He was the one where others approached when they needed help.

Everybody loved him, but nobody saw him.

Everybody got a piece of him, but nobody was ever his.

Life was a series of closed doors. The praises from his dad and adulation from the masses that he desperately chased stopped making him feel like he used to.

He was no different than a chunk of rock floating through the vacuum of space without a destination.

He didn’t think he would ever feel that again ever since he met you.

From the first time you patted his head, life was never the same again.

You were his sun, the center of gravity that he didn’t even know he was searching for.

When you asked for a three-month break, it nearly tore him apart to agree and get away from you. Everyday was hell. He felt like he could fall apart at any moment.

He stayed away from everyone else as much as he could, fearing that he’d end up doing something you’d disapprove of.

But today was the last day of his torture.

He woke up extra early, took a cold shower, dressed in your favorite outfit of his and styled his hair just the way you liked.

He had just exited the florist when his phone rang. Of course, you had a special ringtone and of course, he answered on the first ring.

“Good morning!” He could practically feel his imaginary tail wag behind him. “I’m so glad you called, I’m already on my way to your place. Do you want me to pick up breakfast? Do you want something salty or sweet? Wait, don’t answer, I’ll get you everything available to celebrate.”

His heart almost stopped when you laughed. God, he missed that laugh. He resorted to his secret stash of call recordings with you just for a restful night’s sleep, but nothing can compare to having an actual conversation.

“Actually,” you said quickly, “I cooked breakfast for the both of us.”

“My favorite?”

“What else? Take care. I’ll see you soon.”

He took care not to get caught when he sprinted and nearly shot up in the sky to get to you.

Arriving at your front door in record time, Mark took a moment to pull on his collar and tousle his hair.

He then pressed the doorbell, unable to control his smile when he heard your footsteps.

You opened the door. You wore an apron over your pajamas and held a flipper in one hand. You met his gaze with a small smile. He wanted to kiss the deep circles around your eyes. He wanted to wrap his arms around you and never let go.

“Hey, Mark.”

He swore he almost teared up hearing your voice, your real voice and not a digital recreation, but he shook his head and offered the bouquet. “Hi.”

You glanced at the flowers, frowning for the shortest moment before fixing your expression and pulling him inside. “They’re beautiful. You always get me the most perfect bouquets.”

Naturally. Mark took extensive notes when it came to your preferences and inclinations. Case in point–

You stopped walking and reached over to fix his collar. He lowered his head, expectant. Chuckling, you brushed back his bangs, combing his hair with your fingers. “Did you fall asleep without drying your hair again?” You teased. “What would you do without me?”

He had a taste of what that life was like. He wasn’t going back.

His hand found yours, softly pulling it from his head to his cheek. “Then from now on, just dry my hair every night.”

Your fingers twitched. Mark looked at you.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m hungry.”

Lie.

But still, he grinned and reluctantly let go, following you into the kitchen. The smell of fresh pancakes and burnt bacon filled the air.

You motioned for him to sit down and served him a plate.

“Blueberry and banana pancakes, well-done bacon and sunny side up eggs with runny yolk. Just as you like ‘em.”

“Thank you.”

If a third party were here, they would look at the starry-eyed Mark and think that he was more interested in eating you than the food. It wouldn’t be an unfair judgment. After all, Mark hated sweet things, he preferred his bacon closer to raw, and he found runny egg yolk kind of gross. But you enjoyed them, so he enjoyed them too.

He wanted to be your soulmate.

He observed you as he had observed everyone in his life, he tailored every detail of his world to match yours. He would break himself over and over so he could mold himself to your preferences.

There were times where he would “disagree” with you, though those were for lesser things like pineapple on pizza, so you wouldn’t get bored.

You responded better when he was this sweet, harmless puppy that begged for attention instead of an arrogant alpha prick who played it hot and cold. Maybe it was because you spent so much time with hyper-aggressive, uber-competitive sharks at work. Maybe you were just a sweet person who could never ignore strays. Maybe it was both.

Regardless of the reason, you liked pathetic men, so Mark did his best.

He discarded Mark Grayson, the golden boy, the star athlete and teacher’s pet, and became Mark Grayson, the cute, geeky and awkward guy next door.

If all went according to plan he would be Mark Grayson, your husband and the happiest man in the Milky Way.

“Here you go.” You placed his favorite mug next to his plate. This really was his favorite. Two years ago, you got home really late after canceling a date and gave him a ribbon-tied box. Inside was a ceramic mug covered in clumsy hand-painted sunflowers and Seance Dog as a puppy. He was neutral to the comic book and the character, only claiming to be a fanboy because it suited his persona. But seeing the sloppily drawn ears and your bright, proud smile? He actually fell in love for real.

You took your seat across from him. “Dig in.”

Mark had to pause from eating so he could watch you.

You were nervous. You had been even before today. Mark knew something was wrong for a while now, though he didn’t expect you to ask him for a three-month break.

Without looking at him, you asked, “How’s school so far?”

Boringly easy. “It’s okay. I’ve been struggling but my friends have been helping me study.”

“And the Team?”

Ugh. “They’re good.”

“Just good?”

Incompetent. Stupid. Kinda useless half the time. “They’ve been improving in hand to hand combat, but no one’s beaten me.” Praise me.

“It’s good to know you’re doing well with training, we’ll never know when someone strong will arrive wanting to take over Earth.”

He laughed with you, but the uncomfortable silence reared its ugly head.

He was already racking his brain on what to say before you cleared your throat.

“So… how’s Eve?”

Huh? “Huh?”

You softly stabbed the egg yolk with your knife.

Did he hear you right? Why would you ask about that woman? When they first met, Mark was neutral towards her, but he played nice with Samantha the way he did with everybody else. He knew she had a crush on him but she never approached him and he just didn’t like her. Then he met you and she, like everyone else, just faded into the background. He introduced you to her as civilians, though it didn’t take a genius to figure out her identity as Atom Eve. You two were friendly, but as far as Mark was concerned, you weren’t exactly girlfriends.

“Eve is okay, I guess.” He cut his pancakes into equal halves.

“She’s an architecture major, isn’t she?”

“I think so. She’s been having trouble with some courses but from what she’s told me, she likes it.” Eve liked to talk. Mark just soaked in the information and responded as expected from him, but he didn’t actually care.

“She called me a week ago, you know.”

He held his knife in the air. His lips twitched.

You continued, “She–the whole team was worried about you. The phrase she used was ‘acting out.’”

“I have no idea what she means by that.”

“You fractured Rex’s collarbone and broke Amanda’s femur.”

“...it was training.”

“You broke her Monster form’s femur.”

He said nothing.

“Eve said you ignored their messages unless it was a major mission.”

Tattling piece of– “I just needed time alone. College has been really difficult right now, especially for a senior, and I guess I overdid it during training. I already apologized to Rex and Monster Girl.”

“...Eve seems like a good friend.”

He did not agree, but he smiled nonetheless. “That’s Eve for you.”

You set down your fork and knife.

He did the same. “Is something wrong?”

You stayed quiet for a while, refusing to meet his eyes. He could tell a thousand thoughts were running through that pretty head of yours. He always adored the expression on your face when you used your brain, like when you were tackling a difficult case. But right now, there was obvious melancholy in your gaze.

“Honey?” He reached over the table, putting his fingers over yours.

You closed your eyes for a moment, and then turned to him. “Let’s break up.”

He could feel the air leave his system. You pulled away and he shot to his feet.

“Mark–”

“What happened? What did Eve tell you?”

“Nothing–”

“Did Cecil say something to you? I swear to God, I’m going to…” He brushed his hair back.

“I just... I… I’ve been thinking about us for a while now.”

“Yeah? Well, so have I.” He reached into his back pocket and revealed a small velvet box.

You didn’t look surprised, but heartbreak was evident on your face.

He fell to his knees, hands on your lap. “I love you. I’ve always loved you, did I not make that clear enough? Did you think I stayed with you for three years just because? You’re not just some… experiment or casual thing to me. Three years, I’ve done nothing but love you, how could you not expect this? I love you, [Name]. I love you . I’m not breaking up with you. I won’t. I’m going to marry you, maybe not this year or even next year, but you’re the only one for me.”

You grabbed his hands and stared at them. His knuckles were calloused but otherwise pristine as you thumbed them like they were made of crystal. His hands have prevented catastrophe after catastrophe, saved more people than you ever could. You met his eyes and cupped one cheek.

“It’s funny,” you chuckled humorlessly. “Who knew this was what it would take to get you angry with me. Maybe I should’ve broken up with you sooner.”

“That’s not funny,” he said, leaning into your touch.

He was still a college senior.

You didn’t doubt him for a moment, but he was young. Sure, he was mature in many ways, but he was young. A normal college student shouldn’t be thinking about marriage this early in his life. More importantly, a normal, healthy human shouldn’t be as obsessed with you as Mark was.

It took a while but you noticed that Mark’s smile when he was with other people didn’t look as sincere as the smile he showed you. It was cute. At first, you were flattered, to be honest. What woman wouldn’t enjoy the attention of a tall and handsome young man?

But as the months passed, he barely tried to hide his dislike for anyone who wasn’t you. He probably thought his acting would be enough but he practically lived with you for three years.

You knew he recorded your voice calls. You knew he stole your laundry every now and then. You knew how aversed he was to upsetting you.

You loved him. But you were also afraid… The sheer amount of his affection and the darkness that came with it terrified you just as much as it enticed you. You didn’t deserve his devotion, not because you hated his unhealthy fascination, but because you didn’t know how to return it. Also…

You put a hand over your belly.

It was better this way, you told yourself, you break both your hearts now and hurt for a while. This was preferable than having him devote everything to you so early in his life and then regret it later.

“I love you, too, Mark.” You pulled back your arm. “But this is over.”

“No, please don’t do this…” He quickly recaptured your wrist.

“We’re at different points of our lives, Mark.”

His grip was firm. “I don’t care about that.”

“Well, I do.”

“No!”

You screamed, loud enough to cover the crunch of your bones.

Mark jerked back, falling backward on the floor and knocking the table down. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to–”

“Just…” you breathed through the pain, assessing your injuries “...help me stabilize my wrist.”

He dashed through the flat for your med kit. He could only obediently do everything you asked.

“I’ll fly you to the ER,” he said, putting away the bandages.

“It’s okay, it’s not that serious,” you lied.

“Then I’ll clean up here.”

“That won’t be necessary.”

You both fell quiet.

Mark bowed his head and gently tugged on your shirt. “I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“I know.”

“I love you.”

You didn’t say it back.

He let go. “Keep the place, okay? It’s always been meant to be yours, nobody else’s.” And with that, he left your life just as quietly as he first appeared.

With the soft click of the door, you let yourself fall apart.

the next chapter would either be the penultimate or the final one for no goggles. thanks for reading, comments are always appreciated <3

Part 4

Masterlist Other Invincible Variant Origin (x Reader): Sinister Mohawk

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evilminji · 3 months ago

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Weird/Unusual Crossover time?

Weird/unusual crossover time! ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧ (oh shit~! She's back on her billshit!) (That's RIGHT! Nothing is sacred and NO ONE IS SAFE!)

ANYWAYS~

Danny Phantom. Cultivation Novels (my current obsession). A match made in hell? Or an exciting new adventure‽ Cause like... the Zone DOES go EVERYWHERE, right? Infinite means Infinite means "Literally Without End" Infinite.

As in, Forever.

You COULD, in fact, pick a direction and just... keep going. Forever. For always. Without end or limits. The Zone is not just "really, REALLY big and we need a word your mind could comprehend." Not "as big as a galaxy or the known universe". It is? On a scale that even GODS can not comprehend.

The place GODS go to die. A place they are BORN from. The great primordial soup where universe end and begin anew. Where the cracks are glued backed together, and the souls of the living flow in and out. Endless scraps of fabric, realities, atop a churning sea of green. Keeping everything even.

After all... you can't CREATE a soul. They got to come from SOMEWHERE. Where do you THINK they arrive from? When populations grow? Thin air‽

But... ah~, there in lays the rub, doesn't it? Would knowing the Zone? Knowing SOME of it's mysteries and machinations (for NO ONE, not even all the Ancients COMBINED, can ever claim to understand even a fraction of them all.) mean that Danny??? Was powerful in a Cultivation reality?

He's certainly a powerful GHOST.

But?? They FIGHT ghosts all the time. Wouldn't he be WEAKER and more in danger? As they try to hell the restless spirit move on? Not knowing he is balanced between life and death? They could very well kill him.

Which, given the moral standards of the Realm? Would NOT be viewed as a bad thing.

But! On the OTHER hand?

He is a ZONE ghost. Not a simple spirit. Far beyond what they are used to dealing with. Arguably? ASCENDANT. From a higher plane of existence. A lower one. Several steps to the side. He is, for all intents and purposes, shrimp colors to the human eye. The color blue to a blind man. An orb to the two dimensional.

CAN he even interact with the world's cultivation systems? Does it recognize him as a god? A dead man? Some sort of ascendant dead god?

Something... Not Right™

Yet still utterly natural? Clearly not meant to be here. Yet... not wicked. Granted, not, perhaps, benevolent. But...

Because what IS he? Is he a boy? A man? A corpse? Immortal, perhaps? Is this creature a demon? The resentful dead? They DONT KNOW! It... probably scares a lot of them. Makes some of them think he is a test. Probably makes OTHERS wanna fight (friend? Hey! New friend!).

And like? Why would Danny even BE there? He's already immortal. The swords are pretty cool... but he has Fenton tech.

So, WHY?

I propose?

His well know Anger Issues. His fear of becoming Dan. He's heard meditation is good for shit like that, right? Mindfulness and stuff. Sam recommended it. And? They were watching Fantasy Kung-fu 17, "bamboo monks of vengeance" (now with more slow motion aerial battles). So he was like? Hmmmm... those misty valleys and mountains shots DO looks relaxing... I could go camping...

Maybe find a mysterious old kung-fu monk? Is that what they are? Tucker. Tucker! What's the name of this genre again? Xanxia. Yeah. That! I'll do the whole "live, laugh, love. Hot girl, cultivation summer" thing! That'll fix my shit! This is a GREAT idea!

Thus? Danny. Terrorizing some poor Xanxia Cultivation world with his Zone Ghostiness. Pretending to be a human... very, VERY badly. Yes, hello Fellow Locals! It is him! Average Human Man! Take me to your *checks notes* Cultivation Sect! *smiles with far too many teeth*

#nailedit he's gonna get SUCH a good job at blending in! A thing that is both real and possible to achieve!

@babbling-babull @legitimatesatanspawn @mayfay @hdgnj @spidori @the-witchhunter @leftnotright @lolottes

#minji's writing #dpxcultivation #dpxXianxia #danny fenton #danny phantom #dp #dpxsvsss #danny is a little shit #danny is ALSO an invasive species #stop terrorizing the locals danny #cant you be chill for like FIVE SECONDS #no no of course not #hes a Fenton

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treacheryinblue · 4 months ago

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「 ON DISPLAY 」 noah sebastian ⨯ f!reader

▷ chapter three

noah is your neighbor and your new favorite view thanks to his lack of curtains. you're pretty sure he prefers it this way. but the man you've created in your imagination is nothing like reality and you soon find yourself falling prey to a past lifestyle you had been desperately on the run from. trigger warnings : language, eventual smut, violence, mention/flashbacks of abuse, alcohol and drug use, sexual harassment/assault (nongraphic). word count : 7.3k

masterlist

“Where do you think you're going, little deer?”

You didn’t respond as strong hands circled around your waist from behind, his grip firm so he could force you back closer against him. There was zero fight in you because you had been imagining this moment from the very first time you laid eyes on him. You craved his skin on yours, his lips trailing your flushed body, fingers drifting lower and lower until he was able to trace along your inner thigh.

“You shouldn't run from me. It isn't very nice.”

A warmth spread through your body and collected right between your thighs where his fingers were dancing dangerously close to. His hips pushed into your backside, allowing you to feel that he was already achingly hard for you. You wanted to turn around and release him from his pants because it would be so easy for him to sink into you then. All you would have to do is spread your legs.

Noah's free hand twisted in your hair and he roughly tugged your head back, baring your throat. A low growl emitted from deep within his chest as he kissed and bit up your sensitive skin, his tongue occasionally dragging across one of the superficial wounds to sooth the pain. Fuck, you were going to lose yourself before he even touched you where you needed him the most. Everything about him was just so intoxicating and you were hooked. This had to be what expensive designer drugs felt like. A high you would forever chase.

“Do you know what happens to naive little deer who wander too close to the highway?” The grip he had on your hair tightened, your scalp screaming in pain. This was going beyond rough foreplay. Noah was actually trying to cause you harm. But why did it still feel so damn good? Your heart hammered within your chest loud enough that it was all you could hear over his sadistic chuckle. He released your hair so his hand could circle around to the front of your throat, encasing your delicate neck in his powerful hold. Your breath refused to enter your lungs, the fear of what he was capable of finally sinking in.

“They become nothing more than a carcass on the side of the road. Decaying and forgotten.”

X X X

The dream stuck with you throughout the day. It wasn't the first time you had experienced an X-rated fantasy about your favorite neighbor, but it was definitely the first time it had concluded like that. You usually woke up before it ended all together, your release never coming even in dreamland, though it seemed as if your subconscious was playing a deadly game with you now. Was it a warning to beware of Noah? Or simply your past intertwining with the present to forever haunt you?

You stood in your living room, bowl of cereal in your hand, slowly chewing as you stared at your closed curtains. It was the first instance you had closed them for your own benefit since encountering Noah and something felt wrong about it but you needed your space. You needed a moment when you weren't searching for his face through panes of glass to get your thoughts straight. The dream had really fucked with you.

Was he capable of those actions? You still knew next to nothing about him. Your late night texting sessions were spent mostly talking about nothing of importance, only surface level facts about each other. When would you be able to dive deeper into him? You couldn't even be mad at him for keeping you at an arm's length, though, because you were doing the same thing to him. That's what was safest for both of you.

The sound of your phone vibrating from the kitchen counter broke your concentration. You circled around to where it rested, a mouthful of Lucky Charms hindering your ability to talk. The call ended before you could answer it, but immediately started vibrating again for a second incoming call.

Speak of the devil.

“Hello?” You answered after struggling to swallow your sugary cereal in time.

“Are you okay?” Noah immediately questioned, his voice full of worry.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Was I supposed to be at work already? I thought I wasn't in until 9 –”

“Your curtains are closed.”

You paused, your eyes glancing to the curtains that most certainly were pulled taut. You knew he would notice but you didn't think he would actually care.

“The sun was glaring in all weird earlier. I nearly went blind.” You tried to lighten the mood with a soft laugh despite your easily spoken lie.

“Open them.” He demanded, disregarding your explanation. Your mouth opened and closed with a lack of words because you had no idea how to respond to him. Noah was bossy towards you when at work, as you expected, but this side of him was rarely ever seen beyond the doors of Nocturnal.

“Please,” he continued, his tone apologetic. “I just need to be able to see you.”

You said nothing as you crossed over your living room and to the far wall where the window was typically seen. Heavily sighing, you forced the material apart, opening back up his view to the privacy of your life. He stood in his own apartment, a wave of relief visibly washing over him when his eyes locked with yours.

“There. Happy?” Before he was able to respond, you ended the call and turned on your heel to saunter away from the window. He said he wanted the curtains open, not that you had to remain in view.

X X X

HOT NEIGHBOR: Let me drive you to work.

YOU: It’s okay. I don't mind the walk.

HOT NEIGHBOR: It's freezing outside. We're headed to the same place. I'd be an asshole if I let you walk in the cold by yourself.

You were still mad at him for his little show of dominance earlier but you couldn't pass on the offer. Noah was right, it was freezing outside and your Nocturnal uniform was not meant to keep you warm in the least bit. The club did offer a dressing room for the employees so you could always dress more practical during your commute but the less time you spent in an area without cameras, the better. There was no telling what sort of havoc Charlotte was in the mood to wreak on any given day.

That logic is what brought you to sitting in the passenger seat of Noah’s black Porsche Cayenne. His business car, so he exclaimed upon noticing the look you gave the luxury SUV.

“I'm sorry,” Noah finally said after five whole minutes of awkward silence settled in. “For how I acted…about the curtains.”

You pried your eyes from the blur of the city so you could look at him. He appeared genuine in his apology, at least from what you could tell. So, you were going to give him the benefit of the doubt this time. You couldn't think of a single reason as to why you shouldn't and hopefully this didn't turn around to bite you in the ass. “It's fine,” you replied, offering a soft smile. “I appreciate the apology, though.”

Noah's posture remained tense, your acceptance of his apology not easing the obvious discomfort he felt. You studied him for a moment, your eyes tracing along his clenched jaw, down the length of his arms, pausing at the way he was white knuckle gripping the steering wheel. Normally you would be scared if it was Vane sitting there, giving off the same energy, but when it was Noah…all you wanted to do was comfort him.

“I promise I wasn't trying to be some weird pervert,” he further explained after taking a glance at you and clocking your concerned expression. “I just needed to make sure that you were okay.”

Shit. Did Noah know more about your past than what he was letting on? No, there was no way. Not unless he and Jolly did a deep dive after realizing the name and social security number you gave weren't in existence a year ago. Shit.

“Why wouldn't I have been okay?” You finally plucked up the courage to ask.

“A lot of crazy people in the city,” he murmured. No further explanation given.

X X X

A lot of crazy people in the city, he had said with that arrogantly enticing voice of his. What the fuck did that mean? It wasn't like you didn't already know this, but why was he saying it to you as if you weren't already aware? You couldn't shake the feeling that maybe it was a warning. Definitely not a threat…right? That couldn't be it. Noah wouldn't have been concerned about your safety if he was threatening you. Fuck. You hated this game.

Dragging your fingers through your hair, you took in a deep breath and then slowly exhaled, eyes focused down on the tips you had finished counting. It was just enough to cover the remainder of your bills that were coming up, which you were praying your thanks for to whatever God was out there and listening. This meant you wouldn't have to beg Jolly to put you on for an extra shift. Amazing. Your pride could hang on for at least another month.

Money hadn't always been an issue. Your father was a wealthy man, which subsequently meant you were too when growing up, but you eventually stopped relying on him. After finding out where all of this money of his came from, you began working little jobs to support yourself. He never let you move out, not until Vane, so you had no choice in terms of lodging. But everything else? You paid for yourself. You didn't want his blood money. It wasn't yours to take.

“Not as much as you were hoping for, new girl?”

Charlotte laughed to herself as she came walking into the dressing room, her hips dramatically swaying with every step she took. She was eying you with one of her little shit eating grins that usually meant she was seconds away from making your night hell, and you were so far from in the mood for it. Why couldn't you just have one peaceful shift? That's all you were asking for.

Quickly you began to gather your tips, neatly stacking all of the bills together into a pile that you could easily grab while standing from the vanity. You barely even looked Charlotte’s way, but you could feel the animosity radiating off of her. She truly had it out for you, although you weren't sure if it was completely because of Noah. You barely even crossed paths with him when at work.

“Saw you getting out of King’s car earlier.”

Well…fuck. Maybe it was all because of Noah after all.

You heavily sighed after tucking your tips away as you shimmied your work skirt off of your hips and down your legs, only to replace it with a pair of comfy sweatpants. Silence continued to be your only means of defense. Your goal was to have Charlotte grow bored of tormenting you so she could move on to someone else. You didn't think that was too horrible of a plan…if it worked out in your favor.

“Not even going to try to deny it? Wow, you're already getting around fast. Wonder how long it'll be before the boss wants his go at you too. They're known to share.”

Venom laced her words, each one meant to hurt you, but it would take a lot more than some immature comments to get under your skin. Was it annoying? Yes. Was it going to make you lose your cool? No.

“I'm sure they are,” you muttered without a hint of emotion. While you didn't really believe Charlotte, you also couldn't say for sure. These men were still mostly strangers to you, especially Jolly. There was no way of knowing what sort of vile or perverse things they got into behind closed doors.

As you snatched your bag out of your locker, you made a beeline for the door that would lead you away from Charlotte and closer to the safety of your own home. Multiple pairs of eyes watched you from the circle of mirrors, all of them curious as to what would happen next. You wanted to yell that there would be no show for them but you were immediately proven wrong. The rough collision of a bony shoulder into your own made you stagger back a step. Did she really just fucking shoulder check you? Your eyes remained set forward, jaw clenched, heart rate increasing by the second.

Now that would cause you to lose your cool.

The bag you held was then released from your grip and you rushed over to the mostly plastic blonde. She gasped at the sudden motions you made, the sound of it being silenced from the way you forced her roughly into the wall. Your body leaned into hers to prevent her from slipping away, the length of your forearm securing at the base of her neck. It wasn't just men you were tired of pushing you around – it was everyone.

“Keep fucking with me and you will regret it.”

“Get off of me, you crazy bitch!”

Charlotte was looking at you with panic in her eyes. Her acrylic nails dug into your forearm as she tried to rip you off of her, but there was a strength behind your stance that most never noticed until you were having to prove to them just how not passive and weak you were. In your mind, it was their fault that things escalated to this because they were the ones underestimating you. It wasn't the first time and it surely wouldn't be the last.

With your eyes glaring into Charlotte’s, you waited a couple of more seconds before finally releasing her. She shoved you away, her own body quickly putting space between you in a simultaneous motion. That's when your expression softened and you glanced around, noticing that all eyes were indeed on you again. Only Charlotte looked frightened, while the others were merely a mixture of slight shock and maybe a hint of impressed. It wasn't often that people stood up to Charlotte.

“You're fucking insane,” Charlotte hissed. You ignored her, silence overtaking you again as you gathered your things and headed out of the dressing room without so much as a glance back. Maybe you were insane, and for good reason, but your little show of dominance had not been done in the name of insanity. Charlotte would eventually come to realize this.

You hadn't yet made it out of Nocturnal when a dark figure fell into step at your side. You didn't need to look his way to know who it was because you could feel him. You somehow always knew when he was near. It was a lame superpower but maybe it would one day come in handy.

“Where are you headed in such a hurry?” Images from your dream flashed before your eyes. Your jaw clenched, though you tried your best to remain unresponsive to it.

“Home.”

“If you linger for a bit longer I can give you a ride.”

Maybe Noah wasn't picking up on your sour mood or maybe he was choosing to ignore it. Either way, you weren't interested in finding out whatever underlying motives he had for being so nice to you, so you shook your head in a silent response. He wasn't good for you. This place sure as hell wasn't either, but it would have to do until you could find something better. Preferably somewhere less chaotic.

“What happened?” Cool fingers lightly wrapped around your wrist so he could bring your arm up a bit more in the dim lighting for a better view. Noah’s brows pulled together in worry, his focus shifting from the red claw marks going across your forearm to your eyes despite how you refused to meet his gaze. You heavily sighed, your annoyance towards him keeping you from exiting the building rather obvious.

“Nothing. I'm fine.”

“Who did this to you?” He continued to press.

You finally looked at the scratches on your arm that were the only evidence of the altercation you had with Charlotte. Some spots were deeper than others, blood lightly pooling at the surface but not enough to spill over. The wounds would heal in a matter of days so you weren't sure why Noah was concerned about it, especially when you weren't.

“I probably just grazed the counter or something,” you explained the injury away while tugging your arm out of his grip.

Noah’s gaze never faltered from your own. If anything, it only grew in intensity. You could practically see all the things he wanted to say swirling around in his head, though you both remained silent for a long moment. This seemed to be the usual for you – both of you waiting for the other to break first.

Slowly he descended upon you, his steps heavy and deliberate. You felt like you had no choice but to take careful paces backwards until your back hit a wall and you were cornered. You could've slipped away by side stepping him but something about the way he was looking at you had you in a daze. You didn't want to be anywhere but beneath his sights.

His tattooed fingers ghosted along your injured forearm and over your shoulder, only to pause at the angle of your jaw. Your breath hitched in your throat, chills forming along your skin in the wake of his touch. Fuck. Was this another dream? It felt very real but you weren't going to put it past your subconscious to conjure up such a scenario.

“You need to tell me if someone here is hurting you.” His voice was low and soothing, the epitome of danger. The backs of his fingers then caressed your jaw, down to the side of your neck. You tried to remain as guarded as possible but your body soon betrayed you by releasing the smallest of whimpers. You were praying he hadn't heard it, although the slight uptick of the corner of his lips told you otherwise.

Swallowing, you again shook your head. “No one is hurting me.”

You couldn't reveal the culprit of the scratches without also throwing yourself under the bus. Charlotte may have been the instigator, as usual, but you overreacted in a way that wasn't characteristically you. You were at just as much fault as she was and you couldn't stand having another little talk with Charlotte, Noah, and Jolly about it.

What if Noah's view on you changed if he were to find out about the secrets and darkness lurking within you?

He breathed out through his nose as his hand fell away from your body. You could tell that he was disappointed in your response, easily seeing through the lie. But what could he do? Clearing his throat, he took a step back while slipping his hand into his pocket, mimicking your nod.

“Let me know when you're home safe.” Noah requested, or more so demanded, before leaving you in the corner and heading back the way he had come.

NOAH

That goddamn whimper was going to be the death of him. It replayed on a loop in his head again and again, the smallest of sounds becoming his new favorite song. He wanted to know what other sort of noises he could pull from you. Were you all heavy breaths and whimpers when it came down to it? Or were you loud and unapologetic for the sounds of pleasure erupting from you? His dick twitched at the mere thought, causing him to mentally scold himself for stooping to such levels.

Shaking off all thoughts of you, he typed the code into the keypad that separated him from Jolly’s office. The lock released, allowing him entry. Jolly sat behind his desk wearing the same perplexed expression as usual, his eyes focused on his computer screen. Neither said anything, the only sound coming from Noah dropping down into the chair across from the desk. He could be more relaxed when it was just the two of them – his mask temporarily removed.

“I still haven't gotten a hit.”

Jolly had been trying his best to find any sort of information about you, but ultimately came up empty handed. Your name led nowhere. Social security number, nowhere. Even the fucking phone number had zero information tied to it. You were obviously trying to hide yourself and it was clear you had paid someone a pretty penny to do so.

“I don't think she's dangerous. She doesn't seem like she knows anything about her other…employer.” Noah shrugged, his hands folded and resting on his lower stomach. He wanted to believe that this was true. He wanted so badly to believe that you weren't placed in his path on purpose by an opposing force. Maybe fate was blessing him for once and you were something good.

“Jesus fucking Christ, man. You're already caught up on her?” Jolly shook his head, a chuckle of disbelief sounding from him.

“I'm not caught up,” he defended. “I just don't see the reason for wasting our resources on one girl. I mean, think about it.” Noah shifted his position so he was leaning forward, elbows propped up on his knees. “We make a living off girls who don't want to be found. Never once have you doubted them.”

“Their situations aren't the same and you know that.”

“How do we know her situation isn't the same?”

It wasn’t often that Noah disagreed with his best friend because their opinions and morals typically aligned. So why was Jolly so stuck on this?

“Fucking pussy whipped.” Jolly muttered with a shake of his head.

That made Noah’s hands twitch, his lips pressing into a straight line that told Jolly he was walking on thin ice. They may be best friends and business partners, but not even that would stop Noah from putting him in his place if he had to.

The ringing of Jolly’s phone cut through the thickening tension, allowing them both a moment to decompress.

“Now?” He questioned the person on the other line, his eyes rolling. “Why the fuck is someone here now?”

Noah raised his brows. Visitors?

“Were they searched? Thoroughly?” Jolly paused, the other person speaking. “Fine. Bring them up.”

“Who is it?” Noah rolled his shoulders back while standing from the chair so he could take his spot at Jolly’s side. He thought this was going to be a relaxing night but from the clench in his friend's jaw, it didn't seem as if it was headed that way.

“Never heard of them. They're from out of state.”

The words were murmured just as a knock came from the door, which Jolly promptly pressed the button beneath his desk to unlock. Three men came waltzing in, all of them with a chip on their shoulders. One guy was bigger than him and Jolly put together, the other two more their size. Noah studied them all, remembering as many defining characteristics as he could just in case shit went south. One could never be too careful.

“You're Jolly?” The man in the center spoke, his eyes looking the boss up and down as if he wasn't impressed.

“In the flesh.”

All three men chuckled to themselves but their focus remained forward. Or so Noah assumed, considering the man on the right was wearing a pair of dark tinted sunglasses. It was night time and they were indoors but who was he to judge someone’s unfortunate fashion choices?

“You can call me Dante,” Center Man lamely introduced himself.

Jolly gave a slight nod, his body language reading as neutral but Noah knew otherwise. “What can I help you gentlemen with?”

The man in the center, Dante, rummaged through the pocket of his coat, immediately sending Noah’s senses into high alert. His fingertips grazed the handle of the knife he had slid up his sleeve as he crossed his arms in a nonchalant manner. No way were these imbeciles getting the jump on them.

“We’re looking for someone. A girl.”

Laughter erupted from Jolly, his gaze shifting back to Noah who joined in on the laughter, but only faintly.

“Aren't we all? I, myself, would love to find a natural red head with a bright smile, about…this tall.” He held his hand up to about the height of his shoulder, a dreamy exhale to follow. “No luck so far, I'm afraid.”

Dante tossed a picture down onto the desk, his demeanor proving how uninterested he was in Jolly’s jokes. “We're looking for this girl. A friend said she's been hanging around your establishment.”

Noah stepped forward so he could peer down at the image while Jolly did the same. His insides churned, all thoughts briefly leaving his mind. On the inside he was spinning, but on the outside he appeared as collected as ever. He always did have a poker face that couldn't be rivaled. It had never failed him before but seeing your face between Jolly’s fingers was surely putting it to the test.

Heavily exhaling, Jolly held the picture up higher as if he was thoroughly examining it. There was no doubting who it was staring back at them, though. Your face was one he had memorized perfectly by now.

“Can't say she looks familiar,” the boss placed the picture back down, pushing it towards the men. “I think I'd remember a pretty little thing like that. I guess your friend was misinformed.”

Noah knew Jolly was acting his part but that didn't stop his molars from grinding at the way he spoke of you. He glanced between all three men, his eyes lingering just a bit longer on Sunglasses Man due to the way his fist clenched in response to Jolly’s statement.

Interesting.

“And what about you? Seen her around?”

The question was now directed at Noah, which he promptly responded to with a shake of his head. “Being head of security, I have a decent memory of those who come and go from here, especially if it's on the regular. But I've never seen this girl before.”

“You don't think she could've slipped through unnoticed?” Dante followed up with another question, his stare menacing.

Noah merely raised a brow, a silent warning for the unknown man to realize who the fuck he was talking to.

To break through the silence, Jolly cleared his throat, a hand motioning down to the picture of you again. “Is she dangerous? Someone we should be on the lookout for?”

The picture was snatched from the table and securely tucked away in Dante’s pocket again. He glanced to Sunglasses before giving a mediocre shrug and wickedly grinning. “You could say that.”

Slowly nodding, Jolly took a few steps around his desk so he could be more head on with the men. He continued to keep his composure friendly and calm, a hand extending out towards the only door in the office. “If there's nothing else we can do for you, let me walk you back down. Maybe we can have a drink on the house.”

The unknown men murmured amongst each other but ultimately followed the boss’ guidance out of the office, Sunglasses taking a final look back to Noah. He didn't need to see his eyes to know that he was looking him up and down, probably trying to memorize everything he could just as Noah had.

There were a few short seconds where it was Jolly and Noah left, just enough time for Jolly to convey a look that told him to get to the bottom of this.

He didn't need to be told twice. Not when his mind was already racing with different scenarios. Maybe Jolly was right and you were working for the enemy, thus making you a risk. That just wasn't the sort of feeling Noah got when he was with you, though, but there was always a chance. He didn't know you. What if everything you had ever said about yourself was a complete lie? A fabricated version meant to get close to him in order to tear apart his business from the inside out?

Noah ran a hand over his face, his thumb and forefinger pressing into his eyes while he released a sigh of pure frustration. There was a headache brewing beneath the surface, the pressure beginning to build. Before he could get too caught up in his thoughts, the feeling of his phone vibrating within his pocket brought him back down from the edge.

YOU: Made it home.

Attached was a picture of your window with the curtains pulled open still. He could barely make out the image of your reflection silhouetted on the glass.

Good, because this meant he knew exactly where to find you.

READER

You could've sworn you had turned all the lights off. Actually, you were pretty certain of it. You vividly remember flipping the light switch down in your kitchen and living room before going to shower because your sleeve had gotten hung…so why was there now a dim glow illuminating the hallway in front of your room? Although you were tired, you knew you weren't that tired to have imagined it.

One hand rubbed your sleep heavy eyes as the other trailed the wall to help you maintain your balance. You were half conscious; your hair was still damp, so you knew you hadn't been asleep for too long, but it was seemingly just the right amount to leave you slightly disoriented. As you came to a stop in the living room, your gaze narrowed at the back of the figure standing in front of your window. That's when your heart immediately began to race, your eyes widening, the adrenaline seeping into your veins. Your first instinct was to run but your body hesitated to the command.

No. It couldn't be. He wasn't…you had…it was impossible for Vane to be there.

“You're a heavy sleeper.”

Blinking, you took a step back. That voice didn't belong to Vane. It was far too calming. Not quite manic enough.

“I wasn't exactly quiet when I helped myself to a glass of water after washing your dishes.”

“Noah?”

The man turned, his brows raised while taking in the image of your stumped and alarmed face. You were sure you were quite the sight right then. His features began to sharpen the longer you stared at him, your bearings slowly returning to you. Damn. You really must've been in a deep sleep for it to be taking this long to wear off.

“What are you doing here? How…” you glanced to your front door that was still securely locked. “How did you get in?”

Was it odd that you still weren't scared of him? How fucked up did that make you? There you were, standing pantsless and unarmed, with a mostly unknown man staring at you as if you were his prey. Someone sane would've ran for a weapon - the side lamp was closest to you - but the thought didn't even cross your mind. Fuck, he really did have you under some sort of spell.

“I have a question for you, but I'm only going to ask it once.” Noah slowly began to close the space between you until he was within arms reach. You followed every motion, your hands fisted at your side – not in preparation to defend yourself, but so you weren't tempted to touch him.

“And you only have one chance to answer it honestly. Tell me that you understand.”

You gave a small nod, the response barely noticeable. You knew you needed to run. You needed to put as much space between you two as you possibly could. Did you do either of those things? Of course not.

Noah’s eyes trailed your face. You could see him shifting from your own eyes, to your nose, and then down to your lips. He briefly paused, straightened his posture and hardened his expression, then bore into your eyes again. You noticed the mask from Nocturnal being pulled down. This wasn't going to be the hot neighbor version of Noah you had grown fond of.

“Who are you?”

Fuck.

Your head shook in feigned confusion, brows furrowing. “What do you mea–”

Suddenly his hand was around your throat, all words halting on your tongue. Your head was forced back due to his firm grip, giving you no choice but to look up at him. The hold he had on you wasn't painful despite his strength which told you that he wasn't out for blood…yet. His lips pressed into a thin line to showcase his impatience, a deep exhale exiting from his nose. This may be the first time you actually felt threatened by Noah. And for good reason considering your life was literally in his hands.

“I'm not going to repeat myself.”

You grabbed his wrist as his hand tightened around your throat. It wasn't enough to cut off your breathing, but it did convey the warning you knew he was trying to extend. Your gaze remained locked on his, silently begging with your eyes for him to let you go. Noah appeared none the wiser to it and instead dragged you closer against him until your bodies were flush. Any other time you would have been ecstatic for the closeness.

Tears began welling in your eyes and you shook your head the best you could. “I can't,” you gasped.

“Then tell me who sent you.” Noah demanded before roughly guiding you back into the closest wall. His body still never strayed from yours.

“What?” You were definitely confused now. “No one sent me!” Releasing his wrist, you began to push at his chest in a vain attempt to get him off of you. As much as you enjoyed the warmth and hardness of his body along yours, you weren't prepared to die for it.

“I don't believe in coincidences. You just so happened to move into an apartment with a perfect view of mine and then get a job at the club I own? Someone planted you and I need you to tell me who.”

Noah was fighting off every push and smack you made to his chest with only one hand as if he had played this game hundreds of times. You groaned in frustration, a string of jumbled profanities escaping past your lips.

“I moved here because it's where my best friend lives! She also knows Shauna, who's the person that suggested I apply at Nocturnal! Now get off of me!”

Finally your hand collided with his cheek in a loud slap that sent his head twisting to the side. Your motions stalled, eyes widening, both of you falling silent. Noah’s jaw clenched hard enough that you could see the tick of the muscle straining. There was a part of you that wanted to know what it would feel like beneath your tongue despite the current position he had you in. That part of yourself scared you a little bit. You were supposed to be fearful of this man, right? He had broken into your home and was now interrogating you, all actions that would panic a normal person.

Little did Noah know, you had endured much worse and come out the victor. That's how you were still here today.

Before you could further react, Noah had you turned around and shoved into the wall again with a force that temporarily had you seeing stars. The front of his body pressed into your back, his mouth situated close enough to your ear that you could feel the shift of his lips with every word he spoke.

“Why are you lying to me?” A shiver raced down your spine, his voice low and threatening. Gone was the calming tone. Something about it was getting the opposite intended reaction from you, though. You had to press your thighs together to get your thoughts straight enough to respond.

“I'm not…I swear. That's the truth.”

Your breathing was slightly labored, strands of hair that had fallen into your face now waving with every exhale. Noah didn't lessen his hold on you but you could feel his body relax somewhat, his left hand lifting to brush your hair gently from your face. He then gripped your chin and turned your head until you were peering at him from over your shoulder. The tension around his eyes had softened, so you allowed your own expression to do the same. You could've fought him off if you really wanted to. Deep down you knew this. So…why weren't you?

Silence overcame you both. Each challenging the other.

“Do people want you dead?” You finally asked when he made no move to speak again. He seemed too distracted by the shape of your lips – that being where his eyes had lingered.

“Yes, a few.”

“They're dangerous?”

Noah nodded, his fingers flexing along your jaw. “Yes.”

“Are you…dangerous?”

After a brief moment of contemplation, he again nodded. “When I have to be.”

“Who are you?” This time you asked the million dollar question of him, your voice a near whisper but still unwavering.

A faint smirk pulled at Noah’s lips and then he was leaning in closer, your faces on the verge of touching. You could feel his breath on your cheek, the minty scent clouding your senses and causing you to involuntarily push back against him. He must have liked that by the way he sharply inhaled, his free hand dropping to palm your hip with a near bruising grip. Only an inch or so further and his fingertips would be grazing your bare thigh – something you were idiotically hoping for.

As if he could read your mind, his hand began a slow descent past the hem of the oversized tee you were wearing. Noah took his time tracing your skin, drifting closer and closer to the thin material of your panties, only to pause the moment he made contact. Images from your dream swirled within your mind again. Were you some kind of psychic or something? This was all feeling way too familiar.

“I think I asked you first.”

You breathed out shakily. Every nerve in your body was on fire. You had never craved another person like you did him, even when he was threatening you.

Did you cave in to his demands and tell him who you were? Was that a risk you were willing to take? You weren't so sure. If you confessed to everything and ended up dead because of it, then you would have no one to blame but yourself. And what if he also ended up six feet under? You would never be able to forgive yourself.

“Noah…please…” your voice shook and your bottom lip quivered, tears still threatening to fall past your lashes. You needed him to believe you and to stop digging; not just for your safety, but also his. “I promise I'm not after you or the club.”

He scoffed from the back of his throat in response, his gaze intensifying ever so slightly again. “You expect me to believe that? After seeing the type of people that are asking about you? Who you work for? It's going to take more than some pretty begging to convince me otherwise.”

Wait…what?

Your body jerked slightly – an attempt to move away from him but the annoying fucking wall was in the way. Quickly you made a rash decision and pushed his hand from between your thighs (something you were sure you would come to regret) and then sent your elbow driving back into his chest. Noah grunted on impact, though his body only stumbled back a couple of steps before he was righting himself. That was fine. It was more than enough room for you to turn to face him.

In a swift motion, you had his knife in your grasp after slyly snatching it from his pocket, the blade extended and pointed at his neck. He shouldn't have been so obvious about where he kept it when you were around. His fault for underestimating you. All this time he never thought of you as a threat and look at where that landed him.

“What did you just say?”

“Give me the knife.” Noah held one hand out towards you as the other rubbed the spot on his chest you had made contact with. You liked that you had been able to take him by surprise.

“Who? Who was asking about me?!”

This was all you were concerned about. You no longer gave a fuck about who Noah thought you were or what he thought you were after because none of it mattered when you were still actively being hunted.

Noah's lips curved into a sideways smirk yet again, his eyes then looking you up and down as if this was the first time he had ever seen you. And maybe it was. You clearly were no longer his curious and innocent neighbor with a staring problem. No, you were his stubborn as fuck neighbor that knew her way around a weapon and would use one unapologetically if pushed to it.

“You know what…” Noah stood to his full height and adjusted the jacket he wore by tugging on the front. He took on an impressed face, his hands raising to silently show his surrender. “You can keep it.”

Silence continued to overtake you as you studied his every move. You weren't going to let your guard down. Not now that you knew what he was capable of, at least to an extent. One wrong move and you could end the night with this blade in your chest.

“Tell me who would be looking for you and I'll see what I can do to help.”

“Why the hell would you do that when I'm still pointing a knife at you?”

“Because you're obviously scared.”

Noah was right. As much as you hated to admit it, you were scared. It wasn't a secret, but you did greatly dislike showing any sort of weakness in that realm. Never had it gotten you anywhere before but bruised and sometimes bloodied.

You didn't even notice as Noah approached. You were too lost in your mind. He carefully took the knife from your trembling hand, his touch hesitant but soft. The tough exterior you had tried to wear so well finally cracked, your true fear showing through. Tears that had been held at bay all this time broke free and a couple of droplets slowly slid down your flushed cheeks.

“Anyone looking for me wants me dead,” you revealed in a barely-there murmur.

Almost immediately his arms were wrapped around you. Noah pulled you in close, allowing you to tuck your head into his chest where your tears could freely fall. You clung to him, your fingers grasping at the back of his jacket and fisting the material into your palms. There was barely a time you had felt safe in years, not until that very moment.

“I'll tell you, okay? I'll tell you whatever you need to know.” Your words found space between your hiccups and sniffles. You were trying to put the dam back into place so your tears would cease, but that would always be much easier said than done.

Noah shifted until he could grasp your shoulders. He pulled you away from his chest solely so your eyes could meet. You knew yours were red and puffy now, all while he kept ahold of that intense gaze of his that he did so well. It was so easy to get lost in the deep brown color.

“I'm not going to let anyone hurt you,” he exclaimed. “Just trust me.”

You nodded while silently praying that you weren't about to make a decision you would ultimately come to regret.

CHAPTER FOUR

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drabblesbyjubs · 2 years ago

Text

Just Need Time

Astarion x gn! Tav Reader, Astarion is pent up but also wants to please the reader, he makes himself want to have sex with reader but reader stops him and helps him figure out what he really wants. Fluff, smut, a little bit of angst. Minors DNI

Tws// mentions of sexual trauma, Astarion’s backstory stuff, mild disassociation for a few minutes, trauma, mild spoilers for non ascended Astarion’s ending, sexual content and smut

I want everyone to know that I got stuck working an 8 hour shift as a cashier on my last day of work so I wrote this between customers, enjoy and here’s to my new job

Time with Astarion is sacred.

After nearly losing him multiple times throughout your journey to rid yourselves of the mind flayer parasite, you’d come to appreciate every second you spent with him. Every moment during the day, snuggling and spending time with one another, and spending the nights running through Faerûn and enjoying the adrenaline of exploration, it was all beyond precious to you both.

But especially to Astarion. For the first time in two centuries, he belonged to himself; he could go where he wanted, do what he wanted, be what he wanted. He was free.

That didn’t mean he was alright, though.

Being with you had helped. You’d shown him freedom, devotion, and everything he’d ever wished he could have had in a partner. But part of his mind was still stuck in that dark, dank crypt, the smell of mildew festering in his lungs, the fear at the sound of every footstep lurking in his heart. The nights he was let out, but not to be free, only to use his body to gain some innocent soul’s trust and bring them back for him to take out his most wretched fantasies on.

Astarion was usually the victim of these fantasies, but if Cazador truly did what he wished with Astarion, well, there would be no more Astarion to take out those fantasies on.

Those memories plagued his mind nearly every night. He often woke from the nightmares feeling utterly emotionless, numb to the world. Fear aches low in his heart, and he would roll over and scoot up to you. You took him in to your arms with no question; you already knew.

Sometimes he would jolt out of bed, too enveloped by the memories to realize it was you next to him. He would become defensive, either scared of you or insisting you leave before he came back. When he snapped back to reality, he was utterly humiliated, but you never shamed him, always made him feel like everything would be okay, and he would forget about the terrors of the night before by the time you two set out for adventure after sunset.

He wanted more than anything to be like a normal person; completely comfortable in his relationship, never a fear that things would go awry, blindly trusting and accepting of everything you did. You understood why he couldn’t be like that, and did your best to make him feel as close to normal as he ever could. And gods, did he love you for that. You were utterly hypnotizing, he would tear out his heart with a stake if you asked him; hell, he would carve the stake himself. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for you.

And even if you assured him he owed you nothing at all, not even a passing glance, he wanted to give you something to make you happy.

He often gave you wildflowers, knowing you always liked the bright colors and soft petals, or smooth, shiny rocks he found down by the creek, or little rings and necklaces he bought with his dwindling gold supply when the two of you went in to town. But he still often felt like the only thing he could do right enough to truly make others happy was sex.

It was practiced, it was routine. Use his body to make someone feel good, make a few pretty faces, and it was done. There was something safe in the familiarity of it, though the sheer gut wrenching disgust that followed after never sit right with him.

You hadn’t hesitated to agree when Astarion had asked if you two could stop having sex for a while. Your sexual activity had dwindled anyways; you’d often told him you were just tired, or wanted to make sure you had plenty of energy for the coming day. Part of him knew you could tell he didn’t really want it, but he chose to believe you just wanted a break, and it was relieving to not have to perform. It was a weight off of his shoulders.

But more recently, he’d been pent up. He found himself craving release; of course he thought of coming to you for help, but the thought of having to perform, to make you feel good and owe you that pleasure after he takes his own, it sent a writhing sensation under his skin. As much as he liked the thought of seeing your eyes filled with arousal, he didn’t want that feeling of perform. Continue. No choice. Earn your life, bring him someone.

But he wanted to make you happy. He had done this so many times before; why not once more, just to see you satisfied? You must be pent up as well after so long of dealing with his unwillingness to give you something so simple. It was the least he could do. He would achieve the release he’d began to crave, you would be happy, and he would know you would stay with him and know he cared for you.

Astarion rolled above you, that mischievous smirk on his face as he looked down at you. You laughed softly, rolling your eyes. “Someone’s in a playful mood tonight,” you teased, to which Astarion hummed.

“Whoever could that be?” He muttered, leaning down and capturing you in a kiss. You felt his tongue swipe across your lower lip, but before you could grant him entrance, he pulled away, before moving to mouth softly at your neck. You hummed, your chest fluttering as you inhaled. You could feel his lips move against you, his tongue swiping over the scars of old bites, his canines brush dangerously over the delicate skin of your neck.

You put your hands on his chest and muttered, “Mmh, Astarion, what’s going on?”

“Hmm?” He hummed in a questioning tone.

“You don’t normally act like this,” you breathed. “Is everything okay?”

“So sweet for asking,” he murmured. “Just pent up. I want you, if you’ll have me.”

You scanned over his face; nothing seemed off. He seemed genuine. You weren’t sure why he was offering though; this wasn’t like him. Maybe he was actually just pent up?

“You promise you’ll tell me to stop if it’s too much?”

“Of course, love,” he breathed against your neck, softly nipping at the skin there, threatening to break skin.

You nod, hands running up his sides. “Okay. As long as you promise.”

Astarion gave a pleased sound, his hands snaking under your shirt. Calloused fingertips brushed against your skin, before pulling your shirt up above your head and leaning down to kiss at your shoulders, mouth at your collarbones, and nip at your chest.

You gave a shaky sigh, your hand running over his back, savoring the way he arched against the touch. He was good at this, no doubt, but it always hurt you to think of *why.*

Astarion leaned back, staring down at you almost hungrily. He pulled his own shirt over his head, and you leaned up to run your hands over his chest and his stomach, before leaning in to kiss at the little dimple between his collarbones. He was always finicky about kissing his neck, especially on the side Cazador bit him on, and you didn’t want him to feel uncomfortable, so you stuck to his shoulders and chest for now.

His hands found your waist, and as you pulled away from him, you saw the slightest flicker of hesitation in his eyes before he pushed you down to the bedroll and pulled your hips up against his, softly grinding against the curve of your ass.

You weren’t worried about that, though; you saw the way his eyes had slowly grown foggy and distant, the loss of expression, and the way his touches became almost rhythmic, nearly robotic; practiced and routine.

“Stop,” you said.

Astarion snapped out of it in an instant, present here and now once more. “Are you alright? Did I do something wrong?”

“Hun,” you leaned up, scooting your hips apart from his and gently cupping his cheek. “You don’t want this. I can see it in your eyes.”

“I do!” Astarion insisted, “Gods, I want this, please, I’m sorry, just let me-“ he hurriedly began grabbing at your hips, trying to pull you closer,

“Darling, stop.” You said, more assertively this time. His shoulders slumped and the look in his eyes broke your heart; he looked desperate, but not for sex. He looked so disappointed in himself.

“Come here,” you whispered, pulling him in for a hug. “Do you remember when I told you you don’t owe me anything?” He didn’t hug you back, but his forehead rested against your shoulder, and he gave a brisk little nod.

“But I do want it,” he said. “I just… I don’t want to have to give back, or be touched, or just… I don’t know, but I want something, and I-“

You hushed him, sensing his growing stress, running your fingers through his hair. You turned to kiss his temple, and he gave a happy little sound.

“I think I get it. You want to keep your control of your body, but don’t want to have to feel like you owe me pleasure either?” You questioned. He gave a brisk little nod.

“That’s alright. Astarion, we don’t have to do anything like this, I never want your to feel pressured, and-“

“But I do want… something like this.” He rebutted. “I just… want a little. I don’t know. I really am pent up. I’ve tried handling it myself, time and time again… I’ll sneak off into the woods and… and try and rid myself of these desires. But it… just… never works. I cant… I just cant. Not alone.”

You furrowed your brow, feeling just how embarrassed he was with the way he shuffled and squirmed against you, clutching at your sides.

“You mean… you can’t touch yourself, or..?”

“I can’t finish,” he corrected, his words rushed and jumbled.

“Oh,” you said. You kept running your fingers through his hair, taking a moment to think. You could tell how much this embarrassed him, just by how he was acting. “That’s alright, Astarion. What do you want me to do to help?”

“I… don’t know,” he breathed. “I just… I’m frustrated, i need something..”

“Would it be too much for me to touch you like that right now?” You asked him.

He nodded his head, and you pulled back, looking at him as you gently cupped his cheek in your hand. “Use your words, baby boy.”

Red eyes looked up to meet your own, and you couldn’t help but smile at him, if only to comfort him. “Yes, i think that would be too much right now. Maybe… maybe I could… i could touch myself and you can just… be here?”

You flushed a little with his words, but you nodded and kissed the tip of his nose, savoring the way he smiled.

“That sounds wonderful,” you said. “Here,” you began shifting him and yourself.

You moved so he was laying on his side, you laying behind him. Your chest was pressed to his, and you felt the full body shudder that went through him. “This okay?” You asked, and he nodded. You cuddled up to his back, and hummed to him, “Then go ahead, my love. Do what you want.”

Astarion shuddered and you could feel him moving to slip a hand under the hem of his pants. You gently rested a hand on his hip, not sensing anything saying he disliked the touch. His breathing slowly started to pick up, and you could feel him palming himself softly before slipping his cock from his trousers. You hummed your approval, whispering to him, “That’s a good boy.” He whined low in his throat, and you felt his arm start to move as he began stroking himself. You couldn’t see at this angle, but you felt the way his body would slowly start tensing, his chest rising, could see the way he tried to bury his face in the pillow, knowing you were right behind him as he touched himself.

You muttered soft coos of approval to him as he chased his pleasure, each of your words making his breath hitch just a little more.

You hummed, “So good for me, my love, making yourself feel good. Love watching you like this.”

You could so easily ignore your own arousal if it meant you got to witness his. He was beautiful.

Astarion gasped, “D-darling, gods… the way you talk to me, hah, makes me… fuck, I need it…” he trembled and began stroking himself faster, throwing his head back against your shoulder. You smiled against his neck and kissed the pale skin softly, feeling the way it made his entire body shudder. His breathing slowly turned in to whines, desperate and strained.

Your hand ran up to his chest, brushing over the soft skin, savoring the little twitch he gave when your hand ran over his nipples, moving to feel over his rib cage as you whispered how beautiful he was, making himself feel good like this.

You kissed his temple, the saltiness of his sweat clinging to your lips. You caught a glimpse of that beautiful face when he tilted it back to arch himself; brow furrowed, eyes closed, lips slightly parted. “Gods,” you breathed, his red eyes fluttering open. You leaned up to kiss him, not even attempting to look down and see him desperately chasing his release, knowing that catching a glimpse may be too much for him.

You buried your face back in his neck, and he gave a high pitched whine, gasping, “C-can’t… fuck, love, ah, please, I can’t do it, please, help me,” the last words came out as a mere whisper, and you could feel how frantically he was moving in attempting to chase his release. Worried he would hurt himself, you whispered to him, your hand slowly trailing down his hips to rest on his upper thigh.

“May I touch you?” You asked.

“Please,” he nearly sobbed, letting himself go and grabbing your wrist to guide you to his cock. You wrapped your hand around him, heavy and hot in your palm. He was so hard, gods it must have hurt.

You stroked him softly, your thumb swiping over his tip and smearing his precum over himself. He whimpered, still holding your wrist, and you could feel the way his entire body trembled. “Please,” he whispered.

You kissed the back of his neck, mouthing at the flesh there softly as you set your pace, stroking him and smearing his pre over the head, making your hand much slicker to give him a feeling that, if his whimpers and trembles said anything, must be quite lovely.

He jolted and whined, his cock twitching in your hand. You could tell he was close, losing himself to the pleasure, one hand having a death grip on your wrist and the other tangled in the furs of the bedroll. You’d never seen him so lost to himself.

He gasped, “I’m gonna-!” Not even able to get out his warning before your felt his release coating your hand. You stroked him through his orgasm, savoring his gasps, catching the slightest glimpse of a furrowed brow and open mouth, eyes squeezed shut, tears threatening to spill from the corners.

“That’s it, hun,” you breathed to him. “That’s a good boy. Let go for me.”

You kept stroking him until he gave a particularly harsh jolt, with which you withdrew your hand and wiped it on some miscellaneous clothing tossed near your bedroll. You kissed the back of his neck, savoring the silence for a moment.

Astarion was the first to speak. “Thank you,” he said.

“I hope it was to your liking. It wasn’t too much?”

“No, it was wonderful. I… needed that. Do… you want me to take care of you?” He rolled over to face you, glancing down to your trousers. You could see the unease stirring in his eyes at the thought alone

You shook your head. “Tonight was about you. I’m just happy I got to see that pretty face when you came,” you teased, fighting a laugh at Astarion’s shocked and embarrassed expression.

“Gods, you’re truly insufferable sometimes.”

“Same to you, my love,” you teased, kissing the tip of his nose and pulling him in close. You pulled a blanket up over his waist to give him some cover, to which he hummed his appreciation and nuzzled in to your chest, sleep catching the both of you and luring you into its embrace.

#astarion #bg3 astarion #astarion headcanons #bg3 fanfiction #bg3 #bg3 headcanons #astarion smut #astarion fluff #x reader

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