#it felt shorter but there was enough staircases it could be true

[intofree]

the true ending is definitely more impactful if you’re familiar with the first game which I appreciate so much

[formetanoia]

snippet #1

from the first chapter of my long-term project. enjoy.

The envelope burned.

A big red wax seal lay stamped at the top of the criss-cross where the bits of paper conjoined. It was too dark to make out any of the words, but it was obvious what it held. He couldn’t help his hands from shaking as he ran his thumb over the puckered logo of the school.

The paper was quickly shoved underneath his bed pillow as dense foot steps made their way up the staircase. Luckily for Sors the stairs made deep creaks no matter how lightly anyone stepped. Unluckily, the rule applied to him as well, which made sneaking outside to view the stars at night never as easy as it could have been.

He knew the steps were his mother coming up to check on the dwellings of each of him and his siblings. The bundle of pillows crumpled underneath a blanket looked vaguely like the shape of his sibling if you didn’t look for longer than three seconds. Their room was in an archaic state of disarray with books thrown over glasses and hidden cigarettes in their bedside tables. How they managed to get the small room so dirty was a mystery to even its inhabitants.

The footsteps pressed on slowly, and Sors heard the doors creak whenever his mother peeked into the rooms. When her steps got closer to the door, Sors rustled around in bed, digging himself deeper into the sheets. They weren’t as soft as anyone would imagine or hope.

The room door creaked open slowly. Usually, mother would hoist a flashlight up into the room to check for any discrepancies, but luckily she decided to sit it out this night. Her presence was felt for just a moment before she slid away down the next hallway.

Once Sors was hundred percent certain she was gone, he pushed himself out of bed and pressed his face against the window. Sure enough, Lorin was still waiting at the bottom with his hands in raking through his hair.

From this angle he looked far shorter than he actually was. Sors would have teased him for it if they were in a different situation.

On the ground, Lorin looked up, waiting for Sors to give him the signal. His brown hair had begun to stick to his neck in the heat of Shangar’s summer. The rope the pair had dangled out the window and tied to the roof of the orphanage earlier that night swung limply in the dry wind.

Sors threw out a quick thumbs up, and Lorin began climbing up quickly; his well-built arms giving him a leg up in speed.

Once he was at the mouth of the window, Lorin swung himself inside, feet landing silently.

“I’m assuming you’re not going to tell me where you went tonight either?”

“Always the smart one, you are.”

Sors threw a stray comic book at his ‘brother.’ He dodged it effortlessly.

Lorin went over to the bed and hastily removed the pillows and flopped into it. A small sigh of contentment slipped out of his mouth.

“Mom didn’t notice?”

Sors shook his head, “No flashlight tonight apparently.”

“I’m surprised she’s not cracking down after Myriam and Leone ran out.” He picked up one of the pillows and chucked it across the room.

“Maybe that’s why she’s not.”

They sat in silence for a beat. The local insects trilled outside loudly. Sors hated the noise. But, it always did lull him to bed in a strange way.

The envelope burned beneath Sors’s head. He reached his hand back and felt along the seal again. A small lion raised up against his fingers and spun into a cluster of stars over its head. All the stories about how regal Reor’s symbol was were clearly true.

Sors fiddled with his hands underneath the sheets. He cycled through every thing Lorin had ever said about the three academies.

He hated Reor the most because it was well-known for doing deep background check on its prospective students. (Sors assumed he had failed it.) As for Kipine, Lorin simply hated how they taught their students. According to him they regulated every piece of information the students received, which created scholars who were horribly versed in their concentrations. And Kosarath was horrible simply because they specialized in only cognnomacy which allegedly wasn’t enough for a school. (“It’s simply the basics of knowledge”, he would prattle on, “you need more than that.”)

If he showed him the acceptance letter what would Lorin think? Would he help him get out?

Lorin’s voice floated through the dark, cushioned like velvet, “You can tell me, you know?”

A groan floated out from the other side of the room. “I thought you were swearing off of cognnomacy.”

“I don’t have to read your thoughts to know you want to tell me something,” Lorin held his hands up and flexed them, “you’re a terrible fiddler.”

Defeated, Sors pulled the envelope into the moonlight seeping out the window. The stars on the seal lit up.

“You applied? Since when did you start keeping secrets?” Lorin took the envelope into his hands softly, “This is really, really good Sors. You think you’ll be able to swing preliminaries?”

Sors had nearly forgotten about the pre entrance exams the academies conducted before their students were actually admitted. The exams were cut throat, with students having to sign waivers to acknowledge they could die during the exams. Those waivers usually only got passed to the physical strategy students, but the rest of the four studies had to sign on certain occasions.

“I’m gonna pledge Logimancy. Reor admits three Toh every year. I can get in without using bivium… I’ll just have to not use it ever.”

Sors heard Lorin snort, and felt embarrassment shoot through his limbs.

“But you’re not Toh, you were gifted just like the rest of us. The fire chose you, in Vaion’s name. You think the council that admitted you doesn’t know that?”

“Since I applied under Logimancy they automatically assume I can’t wield bivium and then wait until preliminaries to take their pick of the litter.” Sors began to pull at the skin of his fingers.

The moonlight continued to spill into their room, and Sors caught how Lorin gazed out the window, his green eyes illuminated by the blaze of the moon. They had shared this room for years, he couldn’t imagine not seeing Lorin every time he woke up. Couldn’t imagine not hearing his scolding voice over the packs of cigarettes Sors would smuggle in every other week. (And then smoke them right after scolding him.)

“You could pull it off. Get through the ‘zero semester’ as they call it, and then its smooth sailing, right? All you have to do is never use bivium around them.”

Sors felt his hand pulse. The letter wasn’t in his palm anymore, but heat still swirled around it. He wrenched his fingers closed. If he wanted to survive, they would have to stay like that.

[masonmtxo]

Ok now that I'm less sleepy proper feedback time 🤭🩷

Mason groaned loudly in your ear as he released into you, instantly dropping his head into the crook of your neck, the weight of his body pressing you even deeper into the mattress as he relaxed into you. You giggled softly, gently raking your fingers through his hair as he came down from his orgasm that had him near enough trembling against you. He had been so pent up, the post orgasm come down had hit him hard so you gave him a moment, knowing full well he wouldn't form a coherent sentence for several minutes after the event.WELL WHAT A WAY TO START A FIC🥵

He nodded, eyes still bleary, lips red and swollen, a pretty grin adorning them at the sight of your equally as flushed face, "yeah, just needed a minute."HE IS A CUTIE PIE

You checked the clock on the nightstand beside you, eyes bulging at the sight, "fuck Mase, it's nearly half 4 already!"He didn't lift his head from where he had burrowing back into you, letting out a short laugh, "Jesus, I got home at 1.""Nearly 3 and a half hours, that ridiculous," you couldn't help but chuckle with him, "think that's a new record." WELL WE CAN DEFINITELY SAY THEY HAD PROPER FUN😂

The sound of your doorbell had you both jumping upright in an instant, Mason exclaiming a loud "shit!" Before springing up out of bed and grabbing the black gym shorts he had thrown to the ground an hour earlier in his haste to get you into bed.SURPRISEEEE

It wasn't until you were midway down the staircase that you noticed it, too late to say anything as Mason had already pulled the door open, his barber, Adam, standing on the other side of the threshold. Your eyes fixed on his muscled back, long red scratches littering the expanse of it. They weren't deep by any means, caused only by your fingernails in desperation to grab hold of him in any way you could.OPSSSSSSS

You winced as he turned to guide Adam into the house, watching as his eyes landed on the recognisable marks on Mason's back, causing his lips to twitch into a slight smirk. In a moment of horror, you felt his eyes flick to yours, noticing the way you stood frozen on the staircase in only a T-shirt, cheeks burning as you had unmistakably been caught red handed.AHAHAHAHAH HE SAW HERRRR

"Baby, what the fuck have you done to my back," he smirked, spinning so you could have a clear view, "I just clocked it in the mirror as I was coming upstairs."AHAHHAHAHA OPSSSSSSS

THE TEASINGGG

Mason pulled up his shorts slowly, hand dipping into the waistband to 'adjust' himself in a way you know was purposefully to wind you up even more, “come down with me?," he asked sweetly, a complete 180 from the teasing tone he had taken on before, "I want to go shorter but need your opinion."AHAHHAHAHA YES HE NEEDS HER OPINION

He smirked, "don't bother, he's already seen you without, and I like the view."MOUNTTT🤭

"Not sure about that Mason, since I don't even remember the last time you took me out for dinner," you knew it was a low blow and not even remotely true, he had wined and dined you not even a week ago, before he had gone away.AHAHAAH I LOVE HER

Watching out of the corner of your eye, you spotted Adam move to his front, focusing on scissoring through Mason's quiff. Taking the opportunity, you quickly cleared your throat to make sure you had his attention before getting onto your knees and stretching across the seat for the remote, arse stuck in the air. Glancing over your shoulder you noticed your boyfriend's expression drop, the teasing look from before now long gone, replaced by what you can only describe as panic. SHE IS THE BIGGEST TEASE EVERER

“Enough.” He spat, making you drop back to the sofa instantly with a gleeful giggle, Adam stopping what he was doing and giving Mason a puzzled look. POOR ADAM IS SHOCKED

You cut him off, leaning on the arm of the sofa, jumper now making you decent, “don’t take any length off, just tidy it up.”“Yeah bro, whatever the missus wants I guess,” he shrugged, knowing you loved him with longer facial hair and wanting Adam out the door as quickly as possible. YES YES YES WE LOVE THE FLUFFY BEARD

"I won't take a picture to post on socials this time... you know..because of…” Adam gestures to his neck, Mason's face dropping into a smirk as he clocked onto what his barber meant.ADAM IS TRAUMATISED SOMEONE SAVE HIMMM

You heard his feet quickly making their way back to you in the lounge, his voice sharp but you knew he wasn't actually annoyed, frustrated and horny, but not annoyed, "you're a little shit, you know that right?"AHAHHAHAHA OPS

"Right here on the sofa it is then,” he smirked. HE HAS ALWAYS THE SOLUTION READYYY

AHHHHHH

I LOVED THISS

IT WAS SO HOTTTT

AHHHHH CANT WAIT FIR MORE AND MORE AND MORE🤭🩷🩷🩷

The fact you go to so much effort to pick out your favourite bits 🥹🩷 I appreciate you so so much

[lumosinlove]

Between Fifth and You

(cw in tags)

~

chapter one

“Olives or twist?”

Sirius had to watch the barkeep’s mouth to make out the words beneath the pounding music, which meant Sirius caught the way his eyes skittered across his face almost fearfully. The sheer amount of obsidian in this place probably did nothing to lighten his features. Not to mention, few people knew how to look him in the eye.

“Twist,” he said.

The man nodded and flipped the bottle of gin until it dipped into a shot glass, the glass into the ice. Sirius watched until he was stirring the bitters in and a hand appeared on his shoulder, lips to his neck.

“Burn this,” Saint said, and plucked at Sirius’ shirt sleeve, rubbing the black material between his fingers. Sirius raised an eyebrow as he turned. Saint’s own shirt was unbuttoned half way down his hard chest, light brown skin warm in the flashing club lights. “You’ve worn it too many times.”

“Hello to you, too,” Sirius said. “I like this shirt.”

“I liked it two months ago,” Saint replied. “It’s September now, your highness.”

Sirius scoffed as the bartender slid him his drink.

“You gonna tell everyone the sun did that?” Sirius took a clean sip of gin with one hand and stroked his other through Saint’s gold curls, only suddenly some of the slightly course strands were almost white.

Saint’s grin turned coy. “Isn’t it nice to have a mystery to think about?”

“Oh, yeah, do blonds have more fun?”

“You wouldn’t know.”

The music kicked up a beat that Sirius felt through his spine.

“Why do we always come here?” he leaned a hip against the bar. “We have an entire city.”

“Yeah, fuck the rest of the world, we have one whole city.”

Sirius rolled his eyes. “You know what I mean.”

Saint shook his head. “Because that’s what we do. You see that guy over there? I’ve taken him out four times. Couldn’t tell you his name. They couldn’t tell you mine.”

“Everyone knows your name, Saint.”

Saint grinned. “Maybe. But why do we go back to each other? Because we’re creatures of fucking habit.” Saint cocked his head, stole Sirius’ drink. “And what is this city but a bad, bad habit?”

Sirius’ blood cooled and he looked away.

What am I, Sirius? said the familiar voice from his memory. Am I easy? Am I safe? Do you want me, or am I just familiar now?

He closed his eyes against the memory of his reply.

Bad habit indeed.

XOXO

Spotted—a familiar face from the past. What has this train brought in? Thanks to a tip from @magicinthemaking, I bring you this picture of none other than Remus Lupin (and a certain Southern bell we know and love) under Grand Central’s stars. We missed you, Re—how was England? Or was it Europe?

The rumors can never seem to decide, but why the sudden change in plans to take his Junior year abroad? Here we were thinking he wanted nothing more than to stay.

I wonder how another certain star will feel about this sudden homecoming. And just in time for senior year’s Fall semester, too.

XOXO.

Remus adjusted his suitcase, glad he’d mailed so many of his things home. He’d been on U.S. soil for all of three hours, and he already missed Rome. He wanted to walk down the tiny staircase from his billet family’s apartment and get a cappuccino. He wanted to stand on the drain of the Pantheon and soak up the sheer history in the air.

He already wanted a break.

But he also wanted to see Julian. Sometimes it felt like the only thing pulling him back home was seeing his baby brother’s grin in real life rather than across a Facetime call.

“All good?”

Remus looked up at Leo. His blond hair was still bleached a bright blond from the Roman sun. Their program had ended in May, but Remus was glad they had stayed together. He hadn’t been looking for Leo—for someone to kiss for the first time in the rose garden at the top of the Aventine Hill while Leo told him about its past as a cemetery.

It’s footpaths are laid out like a Minorah, see? Leo had pointed out. To remember. 300 different types of roses isn’t enough. But I like to come here.

Remus thought it had been Leo’s love for history, and his respect, too, that had drawn him in. They both came from a world where the biggest thing most people cared about was what they’d wear to the next party, and who was bringing their next drink.

Remus hadn’t been able to believe his luck, as fragile as his heart was still.

“Yeah,” Remus nodded. “All good.”

But he wasn’t sure. They hadn’t been friends here, in the city, or at Hogwarts. It had been Rome. Remus didn’t know what their old lives would do to them. But he took Leo’s hand and watched the way Leo fingered the star he wore around his neck, the way he shot Remus his dimpled smile.

“Come on,” Remus said. “I want you to meet Julian.”

XOXO

Good morning Upper East Siders—Gossip Girl here. All trends point to Fall’s Hogwartsers coming back in Black—in more ways than one. Sirius Black’s got a baby brother on campus now, and after another wild summer for the Hogwarts College elite, count me in with the rest of them on wondering what to expect. Rumor is he’s not much like our favorite star.

“You don’t have to talk to me, you know.”

Sirius kept his eyes on his eggs and toast. “Your missing your tie. Mom said—”

“What do you care?” Regulus replied. “I hear when she used to make you wear one it usually ended up around some other guy’s neck by ten in the morning.”

“If you’re going to believe everything you read on Gossip Girl about me, then maybe I won’t talk to you.”

Regulus smirked. “So, you read it, too.” 

“Boys.”

Both brothers went back to their breakfasts.

“Good morning, mom,” Sirius said.

Walburga Black smiled with her painted lips, resting a hand on Sirius’ shoulder and bending to kiss his cheek.

“Don’t you both look handsome for your first day. Although that leather jacket has seen better days, Sirius. Do what you want for dinner, ask Chef, I don’t care. I’ll be at the House.”

The House. The House of Black, his mother’s million dollar fashion industry.

“Fine,” Regulus nodded, and rose. “I’ll take the first car.”

Sirius rolled his eyes again. “Really?”

Regulus just snatched up his backpack.

Saint, James, and Thomas were waiting for him on one of the courtyard tables when Sirius got out of the Escalade. It certainly felt like a first day of a semester. Saint’s neck dripped in gold necklaces—a story behind each one. Thomas, who had replaced his short braids with a closely shaved head, wore a white t-shirt and ripped up jean shorts, gold nose-ring glinting in the sun. James had evidently been helped out by Lily, as usual, a green, tight-fitting Henley shirt bunched up at his elbows. The two flanked Saint, who basked on top of the stone table, head tilted back to bare his throat in a way that made Sirius think of last night, in the back of the bar. He could see a purplish mark he had left there.

“You’re looking surprisingly chipper,” James said when Sirius reached Hogwarts’ courtyard.

Sirius raised an eyebrow, knowing he didn’t. “I’m not failing any classes yet, James.”

His friends went oddly silent. Sirius looked around at them, spreading his hands in confusion. Saint wouldn’t look at him, expression going oddly stoney. Thomas, finally, offered him his phone, biting his lip. Sirius took it.

His heart leapt to his throat. He didn’t even bother reading the Instagram caption. Remus loomed out at him from the phone screen.

“Leo Knut,” Saint said. “Who would have thought.”

Sirius cleared his throat and turned away from the picture—from Remus and Leo’s clasped hands.

“Why wouldn’t I be chipper?” he said again, and ignored their unconvinced expressions. “I’ve got class.”

Under his desk while he waited for the rest of the class to show, Sirius pulled out his phone and opened Instagram.

XOXO

Remus approached campus slowly. He felt like he didn’t know anyone anymore, even if he knew that wasn’t true. He thought he saw James from afar, but Lily and Kasey didn’t have class today.

Really, Remus didn’t know if he had many friends that weren’t…shared. That didn’t feel too close to home. Manhattan wasn’t that big of an island.

He looked down at his schedule he’d written out on his phone.

The 19th Century Novel - Hogsmeade R#302.

He made his way to the Hogsmeade building and climbed the spiral staircase quickly. It all felt too industrial, too metallic. At least he’d woken up with Leo, who still had the ancient air about him. He didn’t want that bubble to pop.

“Mr. Lupin,” Professor McGonagall beamed when he walked in, and Remus smiled, too at her familiar Scottish drawl. “It’s so very nice to have you back.”

“Hi, Professor. It’s good to be—”

But the words died on Remus’ tongue. He looked out at the small class—just twenty at this high level—and his heart, out of habit it seemed, had leapt at the sight of familiar dark hair.

Uh-oh. Looks like Pyramus and Thisbe are actually wishing for a wall between them this time.

Sirius’ hair was shorter than it had been at the end of sophomore year, the last time Remus had seen him. He wore a touch of a beard, too, just scruff, really, but it framed his silver eyes like darkness to the stars—two stars, which were zeroed in on Remus.

“Back,” Remus tried to recover, mouth dry. He sent McGonagall a shaky smile, and turned to find a seat, trying not to find those stars again.

He resisted the urge to close his eyes in defeat when he realized that there was only one left. He walked towards Sirius looking ahead and with his heart pounding. Leo. Leo making pancakes for him and Julian this morning. Leo making his little brother laugh. But he could smell the worn leather of Sirius’ jacket. He remembered the feel of it around his own shoulders. Are you cold, baby?

“All righty, then,” McGonagall stood from her chair and leaned against the front of her desk, looking down her spectacles at the attendance sheet. “Looks like we’re all here.”

XOXO

“Well?” Saint asked as Sirius took the joint from between his fingers.

“Sat down next to me,” Sirius said. “Didn’t say a fucking word.”

“Did you say a fucking word?” Saint raised his eyebrows.

Sirius blew out smoke. “No.”

“Well, all right, you fucking hypocrite.”

Sirius looked over at him from where they lay side by side, stretched out in the fading sunshine of Central Park. “I’m keeping this now.”

“No, you’re not. Did you pay for that? I don’t think so.”

Sirius scoffed. “Yeah, like this made a dent in the Montague treasuries.”

Saint laughed, tucking a palm behind his head. Sirius let his eyes linger on the strip of skin where his shirt rode up. He’d kissed that last night, too. It was nice with Saint. He’d been friends with him for longer than he could remember. Saint never looked for more. If Sirius snapped at him, he snapped back and then they laughed about it. Saint wandered through the world loving people freely. He kissed them, or he made them dinner, or he took them for long walks along the river. He showed them his favorite jazz club, or gave them the orgasm of their life, or read to them from his favorite books. He was New York in human form, accepting and inviting, living and breathing.

Sirius wished he was so trusting, even if trust seemed a funny word to apply to Saint.

No one ever got too close to either of them, except the other.

“What are you wearing to your mom’s fashion show?” Saint asked with his eyes closed. “It’s the event of the season.”

“Are you joking? The fittings started in July.”

“Mm, I love that,” Saint grinned, stretching. “Want to come help me decide what I’m wearing? We’re at the Plaza right now, you know that. You know my mother. If it’s not broken, break it. We’re renovating again. We can order champagne to the room.”

“Is that code for make out?”

“Partly. But I will be showing you my outfit choices.”

“Deal.”

XOXO

Remus made it back home seeing no one, but one of the butlers had an envelope with his name on it waiting for him.

“Thanks, Moody,” Remus murmured, but thought briefly about handing it right back to him.

He knew this invitation. He knew its black boarders and heavy stock. It came ever year.

It used to be something they had looked forward to.

The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black

invites you

TOUJOURS PUR

“Jesus,” Remus breathed, but took it up to his room, checking the time on the way. Julian would still be at school, his parents at work. This apartment was too big for the four of them, not to mention just Remus alone.

His suitcases still lay open and unpacked on his floor, and he kicked at one without looking up.

“So, did you just forget to mention that you were home?”

Remus spun towards his bed, only to find Lily sprawled across it and fiddling with an emerald on a chain.

“I had to find out from Gossip Girl?” Lily shook her head.

Remus slapped the invitation against his thigh. “Wow, wasn’t like that was a surprise present for you or anything.”

Lily smiled, red hair in a thick french braid. “I see green and I know it’s for me. What can I say?”

Remus huffed out a laugh, and she gave a small squeal and pushed off of the bed to wrap him in a hug.

“I’m so happy you’re home, Re.”

He let himself rest his chin in the crook of her neck for a moment. ‘Thanks, Lils.”

She pulled back, hands on his shoulders. “What, no, me too?”

“I am,” he said tentatively. “But I had fun in Rome.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Southern fun?”

“His name is Leo,” Remus said pointedly, then eyed the pile of garment bags piled high on the other side of his bed. “Are those…”

“Pour moi, et pour toi,” Lily patted his cheek. “We have a fashion show to go to, sweetheart.”

XOXO

What do we think, Courtiers? House of Black’s fashion show is the biggest event of the fall. But what on Earth does doe-eyed Remus Lupin have to do within that dark forest now?

Is he a Bambi, or still the wolf we knew?

You know you love me.

XOXO,

Gossip Girl

[gothhisoka]

𝑨 𝑵𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒀𝒐𝒓𝒌𝑵𝒆𝒘

100 follower special!! Thank you everyone <3

Pairing: Chrollo x fem!reader

Tags: College AU, rich Chrollo, Gossip Girl vibes, this is my first draft so sorry about the errors

Word count: 4.8k

Summary: The infamous October party is all the talk at YorkNew University. It takes place at a huge penthouse in the heart of the city, owned by a mysterious man that few know the true identity of.

You attend the party just having entered your freshman year. There, you meet all sorts of people. But one, in particular, intrigues you the most. His name is Chrollo Lucilfer. He is an expensive suit-wearing, whisky-smelling, suspiciously rich graduate student.

And you are going to try to get him to dance.

Warnings: MINORS DNI, 18+, Do not drink underage. You should not use any of the actions displayed in the following story as examples for your own life.

Playlist: click here to listen while reading

Ao3: click here to read on ao3

Chapter 1/?

As you walked through the streets of YorkNew City you felt gusts of wind push past you so strongly that they nearly knocked you over. It was already miserable to be outside, and it was only October. The sky was growing dark, the city growing brighter. Fall decorations adorned the buildings you passed. The Southernpiece Auction House looked the most magnificent of them all– with bright colored lights trailing the pathway and walls.

No time to wonder at your surroundings, you thought. You would have four more years to gawk at the city. You pulled your scarf tighter around you as you walked faster. Although you looked cute in your tights, it was definitely not the appropriate clothing choice for this weather.

Your decision to go to YNU seemed perfect in every way. It was one of the top schools in YorkNew and was in the heart of the city. Unfortunately, you failed to realize that the wind would be whipping for three-quarters of the year.

While it wasn’t the biggest “party school,” there was a single big party in October held by one of the fraternities. That party was the one you happened to be heading to right now. Everyone knew of it and talked about it non-stop. You were reluctant to attend. You hadn’t had many real party experiences at high school. For the most part, they consisted of sitting around drinking cheap beer while your classmates humiliated themselves. Your friends had high hopes for this one, though.

For one, it appeared to be in the penthouse of a high-rise building. You checked your phone to see if the location matched the one on your map. This wasn’t the frat house you had been expecting. Although your and the system’s arrows matched, you really couldn’t trust your directional skills, anyway.

Your hands were near frozen, but you managed to press the call button on your friends’ contact.

“Hey Canary?” you don’t hear her reply as music floods through your phone speaker. Seconds later, it becomes quieter, signaling she moved into another room.

“Hey, it’s absolutely crazy up here, sorry.”

You ask her about the address, and she confirms it. She tells you her location at the party so you can find her later. She hangs up before you can say bye or express more of your listless anxieties. Why were you so worried? You had Canary and Amane and… well, you didn’t know many others. And of course Canary and Amane would be all over each other so really you had no one. That was a valid source of anxiety, was it not?

Either way, you needed to step into the building to escape the cold. Perhaps after you warmed up you could make your escape. I knew this was a bad idea.

The entryway was already magnificent, with tall arches and marble floors. A fire blazed near a seating area on the opposite wall. You rushed over to find it unoccupied, thank goodness. You sat as close as safely possible and felt the warmth creep back into your body.

Your head cleared a bit, thoughts straightening out into coherency. You were at your first party. Your friends were all up there already, so you wouldn’t need to wait for them awkwardly. Everything would go smoothly as long as–

Just then, a group of around six people entered the hall. You couldn’t help but stare. One was over six feet tall, another shorter than five. And some were unbelievably gorgeous. One of them particularly caught your eye. He was wearing all black, styled in an expensive coat and dress shirt. His hair was black as well, hanging loose around his pale face. Dark eyes looked towards a man at his right. He walked with such an intimidating stride that you nearly hid behind the sofa. Luckily, they didn’t appear to be heading in your direction.

They probably were all college students, why else would they be dressed up at a random apartment on this specific day? The thought sent butterflies to your stomach. If the group really was full of college students, maybe you should be going to that party.

Not to gawk at them or anything. Based on their looks, you could tell that they were the rich YorkNew city elite-type students, not the federal loan international-type student as you were. In other words, they had power and you did not. It was best to avoid these types of people. You knew that much just from living in the city for a couple of months.

The group was still waiting outside of the elevators. You made possibly the stupidest decision that you could’ve at that moment. You rose from your seat and flattened your hair. You then proceeded to trot right over to the elevator, behind the group. You had to go upstairs somehow, and reaching the top floor through the stairs didn’t seem like the ideal choice.

Clearly still distracted by the image of that man’s face that was now tattoed onto your brain, you didn’t even notice when the elevator doors opened. A voice sounded from inside that snapped you out of your daydream.

“There’s enough room if you want to come in…” it was the same man that you noticed from before.

An amused expression shone on his face– it was as if he was trying to hide a smirk. He placed his hand on the elevator door so it wouldn’t close. You noticed thick silver rings on a couple of his fingers. It was clear from his appearance that he was wealthy. Not to mention, his mannerisms had an undertone of superiority. Despite yourself, this only enticed you more. Who was this man?

Apparently, you were about to find out.

A blush rose on your face as you quickly gave him your thanks and scrambled inside the elevator. He stood directly next to you, with his friends on the sides. The sudden closeness made your stomach flip.

“What floor?” he asked, hand hovering above the numbers on the elevator wall.

You checked the keypad although you already knew that you would all be headed to the same place.

You tried not to look at him as you responded. “Same as you.”

“Oh,” he replied simply.

The rest of the ride was accompanied by a rising tension. The girls behind you made the only conversation, talking in low voices to one another. You were grateful when the elevator finally stopped on the top floor. You quickly walked out and made your way to anywhere but where that group was. On a second glance, you could see that the rest of them also had that air of wealth and superiority that the man had. That was definitely not the crowd you wanted to get acquainted with tonight.

Besides the music thumping through the walls and people waiting around the entrance, the hall outside of the elevator looked like it could be in any other apartment building. There was a large rack full of coats and hangers to your right. As you walked through the long hall you took off your coat and scarf, happy to get rid of the bulky clothes.

Going into the party was still nerve-wracking, but your outfit gave you a bit of courage. You chose a black silk minidress that accentuated your curves perfectly. You wore fishnet tights and combat boots to complete the look. You did your makeup to near perfection, with a bold red lip and your signature eyeliner. Needless to say, you were feeling good.

You almost forgot that the group that was still in the hall until you felt their eyes bearing into you. In your peripheral vision, you saw them take off their coats just as you finished hanging yours. Without another moment of hesitation, you walked quickly to the door.

The music grew louder and you grew slightly nauseous. This night has already been far too much. Is it really the best idea to continue on? It was too late to turn back, as you would be turning to face those who you wished to avoid.

So, you opened the door. You were immediately flooded with lights and sounds and people. The interior was huge. You guessed that this single apartment took up the majority of the floor, and apparently the one above it too. A staircase on the right side led to a balcony overlooking the main room. Couches and furniture lined the walls, pushed away to form a space in the middle. From what you could see, the entire back wall consisted of floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city below. If you hadn’t felt so dizzy, you would’ve noticed that the room stunning and grand, unlike any you have seen before.

Students were everywhere, crowding on the couches and the dance floor. You couldn’t make out many faces as the neon lights were dim. You guessed that there were at least seventy people in this room alone.

The music thumped in your bones. You tried to focus on the lines of the song playing instead of your rising panic. “Oh god can you make my heart stop… killshot baby.”

After assessing your surroundings, you made a quick beeline to the kitchen, where Canary said she would be when you called her earlier. The walk was only quick in theory. It took you around five minutes to make your way across the room. It wasn’t the most pleasant experience, weaving through drunk bodies dancing with fervor. You smelt the sweet smell of vape smoke mixed in with the sweat. Heads turned to look at you but you did not look back. Nothing interested you more than finding your friends. Meeting other people could come after you were settled.

You bitterly realized that it had been a bad idea not to come with Canary and Amane an hour earlier. You thought as little time as possible spent there would be ideal, as it was your first time at a college party. Little did you know that arriving late would mean a frantic search for your friends amidst the chaos.

At last, you came upon an opening in the wall that seemed to lead to the kitchen. There were neon lights in there as well, lining the counters and cabinets. White marble countertops glinted underneath bottles of alcohol.

There were significantly fewer people crowded into this tiny space. About fifteen people stood around, drinking and talking with one another over the music. Without thinking, you grab a bottle of beer as you pass by the counter on your way to the other side of the room. There was an empty corner that was calling your name. From there you could observe the faces of the people around you. And possibly get a bit drunk while you were at it. You figured it was the only way you could survive the rest of the night.

As you scanned the faces your heart sank. You didn’t see your friends anywhere. Maybe they already moved to the dancefloor. You take another swig of the beer and pull out your phone.

The dial tone for Canary sounded just as you spotted a familiar face. He was leaning against the wall on the other side of the room with his arms crossed, talking to an attractive red-haired man standing next to him. Your mind was slowly growing hazier, but that didn’t mean you forgot about the man from before.

You quickly averted your eyes. Canary didn’t pick up your call so you decided to text her. All the while you felt your heart begin to thrum. Did that man intimidate you? Or was it just because you thought he was incredibly hot?

You couldn’t say for sure, as you have never felt this way about a person before. He looked older than you, a graduate student perhaps. Anyway, he was far out of your reach in terms of people you could talk to. So, you decided right there and then to stop thinking about him.

You wait a few more minutes for Canary’s response. She doesn’t reply to your text. You grit your teeth and pick up another bottle of beer from the counter. Unfortunately, the bottle opener was nowhere to be seen. Just my luck, you thought. Rather than going without the beer, you pulled out your keys and tried to pry the lid off with your sheer force. But your hand kept slipping and you were beginning to feel a bit embarrassed. You cursed yourself under your breath and looked around to see if anyone noticed your clumsiness.

Accidentally peering towards the wall where the man was before, you notice that he was no longer there. You didn’t know why you cared so much about the opinion of a stranger.

You were about to put the bottle down when you sensed someone next to you. A voice that smelt of whisky and cigarettes spoke, “Need some help there?”

You retracted at the sound and sensation until you noticed who spoke. It was him. You froze, unsure of what to do next. Slowly, your eyes trailed up to his face.

You tried not to stare as you took him in full, now that you were finally face to face. The low neon lights highlighted his strong nose and sharp jawline. His black hair was messily swept from his face, displaying a cross tattoo on his forehead that you hadn’t noticed before. He wore small silver hoops in both ears. Shadows formed across his deep-set eyes as he regarded you, emotionless and still.

He asked you again, pointing to the unopened bottle, “The beer?”

You gave him a nervous laugh, “Oh, yes. I don’t know where the bottle opener went…”

He still stood unusually close to you. Obviously, it was only so that you could hear him better over the loud music. Still, it made your heart flutter. You averted your eyes from his only to see the sleeves of his black dress shirt rolled up, displaying strong arms and hands.

You tried to tell yourself that he was just being nice. And you were making a fool of yourself, just as you were before at the elevator. You knew you had no chance with him, even though a party was a more relaxed environment than most. He would want nothing to do with you after he helped you again. These intimidating upperclassmen were the same.

The man said nothing as he placed the edge of the bottle on the counter, with the cap at the edge. Those beautiful, white marble countertops. Surely he isn’t going to…

With a slam of his palm, the cap came clear off.

“Here,” he said simply.

Why, you wondered, was that so attractive. You couldn’t possibly be getting turned on by the opening of a bottle. Maybe it was only due to the way he did it, displaying his strength so boldly.

He noticed your expression and laughed lightly. “It’s fine, I own the place.”

You couldn’t hide your surprise at his statement. If he was a graduate student, how could he possibly be making enough for this entire place? And you were told it was a frat house, not a single apartment?

A little bit of talking wouldn’t hurt, no matter his status. So you decide to allow the questions to flow. Perhaps the beer was finally loosening your lips and easing your anxiety. You really should’ve been searching for your friends, but it seemed that your body thought differently. Something about the man drew you in. Whether it was his flawless appearance or genuine kindness towards you, you weren’t sure.

“You own this place?” you questioned, leaning a hip on the counter with your beer in hand.

He gave you a small smile, clearly trying to appear humble. “Yes.”

All you managed to say was, “How?”

Was it genuine interest in his face that you saw? Or was he simply happy to boast about his tremendous earnings?

“My company. The dealings bring in solid money, so I decided to purchase this place.” He waved a hand, gesturing towards the general direction of his massive living area.

“Your company? Do you go to YNU?”

He couldn’t be that old to have established his own company. And if he was, surely you would’ve heard about it, as he would be famous. Perhaps he was like many of the other kids at this school, enjoying a trust fund to their name and claiming it all to be their sheer success.

He grabbed a beer from the table and opened it the same way as he did before. He seemed to almost be growing bored of the conversation, needing to drink to distract himself. He became more distant as the small talk continued.

“Yes. I’m in the first year of my graduate program. And you?”

God, those eyes. It was hard to maintain eye contact with him for too long. It felt as if he was simultaneously calculating you as if you were a complex math problem while trying to appear as emotionless as possible.

He was the one who needed calculating. His appearance was already bizarre, with the cross tattoo displayed so boldly on his forehead. But the fact that he was only in his first year of graduate school and already running his own company was too much to comprehend. All you wished for was to know more about this strangely alluring man.

You were about to reply when you heard your name being called from the crowd in the large room. Giggles followed the shout.

Canary and Amane were thrust out of the mass of bodies in the living area. Canary wore a minidress and Amane wore a dress shirt and pants, now significantly disheveled. They were smiling like mad.

Your heart jumped at the sight of them. Finally, you were safe. That was your immediate thought until you saw the stumble in their walks. They were drunk.

Canary slurred your name again. “We’ve missed you! Where were you?”

“I was here in the kitchen, where you told me to wait. Remember?”

Canary and Amane simply gave each other a knowing look and giggled. You had almost forgotten the man who still stood behind you.

“We’ll leave you to it then,” Amane said, making it obvious that she was referencing him.

They were about to leave when you called out. “Wait!”

It wasn’t that you weren’t absolutely entranced by the man and wouldn’t give everything to talk to him for even one more minute, it was just that your friends needed you.

You turned to see the man now farther down the counter, talking to the red-haired man again. He noticed your apologetic look and walked towards you.

“Sorry I have to–”

Your sentence trails off as he looks down on you with a slight smile, arms crossed. You almost want to take a step back, his look too penetrating and revealing.

“What is your name?”

You widened your eyes. He wants to know your name. What were you supposed to make of that?

You give him your name.

“I’m Chrollo,” he replies, sticking his hand out for you to shake as if you were making a business deal. You try to hide your laugh.

He simply smirks back at you as you take his hand. The cold metal of his rings contrasted with the warmth the both of you were emitting. The front of his hand was smooth, with light veins running towards his knuckles. A sign of strength. Moreover, his palm rough. His grip was firm and confident as if he had something he wanted to convey with this handshake. What that was, though, you couldn’t be sure.

You felt a tap on your soldier and knew it was time to go with your friends. You just couldn’t manage to turn away. You already began to think, what if I never see him again? What if he doesn’t want to see me again anyway?

“Nice to meet you, Chrollo,” you said before finally turning your back. You felt his eyes bearing into your back as you left. At least, you hoped it was your back. You weren’t used to the tightness of your dresses’ material and the looks that coupled it.

You silently praise yourself for your unusual boldness toward Chrollo. Maybe you were bold enough to make an impression. An impression was really all you could hope for, at this point. That man was impossible to read.

Before you left the kitchen, Amane held out a small cup for you containing a clear liquid. You hardly hear what she says it is before you knock it back. The taste burns your throat. You figured you would need whatever it was before heading out to the dance floor. Amane and Canary do the same as you (as if they needed it, as drunk as they were).

As Canary grabbed your hand, Chrollo’s name echoed in your mind. Where have you heard it before? You probably could remember if you hadn’t drunk that last shot.

“Who the fuck was that?!” Amane nearly screamed into your ear. You were nearing the main dance floor. The sound was deafening and you felt the thump of music in your bones.

“Chrollo. He owns this place, apparently,” your voice gets lost in the noise.

“WHAT?” Canary yells. You were deep into the mass of people so talking was virtually impossible. There was space to move once you reached the center. It was far enough from the speakers that you could hear fragments of speech from the other people beside you. The sound still bounced off of the tall ceilings, echoing through the large room.

A new song started to play and you began to dance. You, Canary, and Amane danced stupidly, movements sluggish yet wild from the alcohol. It was the most fun you had in a long while. Maybe going to the party wasn’t such a bad idea after all. At that point, the anxiety all but left your body.

After a couple more songs, you decided to try to find your way out of the crowd to take a break. Your body ached with all the movement and sensation. Amane and Canary remained on the floor, although they insisted on following you. It was a slower song, anyway. You couldn’t be caught on the floor with no partner.

At last, after much shoving, you found a wall you could rest against. It just happened to be the wall with the floor-to-ceiling windows. It was far less crowded here. The cold glass felt incredible after the mass of sweat that was the dance floor.

The city lights reflected in the glass

You were close enough to the kitchen to peer through the entrance. When you did so, you couldn’t see Chrollo or his friend. Rather, they were talking to one another next to the kitchen, along the plane of windows.

Suddenly, the glass didn’t feel so cold anymore. You began to heat up just at the sight of him. It was too late by the time you looked away, they had noticed your gaze. Chrollo caught your eyes and your heart skipped a beat. But it wasn’t Chrollo who came over to you. It was his friend. You looked towards the red-haired man with apprehension. This wasn’t middle school, was it? Was Chrollo getting his friend to act as their in-between? No , you told yourself. This sly-looking man is clearly here for something else.

“Hello there,” he said in a sultry tone. He leaned against the window just as you did the same.

His red hair hung loosely around his yellow eyes. He wore a loose dark purple dress shirt and black pants.

Your patience was running out. “Who are you?” And why are you not Chrollo?

“Hisoka. And you must be y/n, right?”

Your eyebrows rose as you nodded. Had Chrollo already mentioned you to Hisoka? What made you worth mentioning? Well, apparently you were about to find out.

“I was wondering, dear, would you dance with me?”

That was unexpected. You turned to face him to observe his expression and the one of the man behind him. Chrollo’s face was bank but his eyes looked stormy as if to issue a warning to Hisoka. Something in Chrollo’s look made you want to accept Hisoka’s offer, just to see his reaction. The slight changes in his expression were endlessly entertaining. If doing something as reckless as dancing with a man you had just met would warrant a change, you would happily oblige.

Hisoka’s smirk vanished as you replied, “Sure.”

Now it was your turn to look smug. Chrollo’s eyes widened slightly but he still remained silent, several feet away with his back against the window. If Hisoka was anyone else, say a person who didn’t radiate his dangerously sexual appetite, perhaps Chrollo would’ve been less surprised.

Although you assuredly gave him your answer, you knew you couldn’t trust this man. His sly expression persisted as he snaked a slender hand across your waist. You didn’t turn to see Chrollo’s expression but you could feel a pair of eyes on your back as you walked away. How unfair it was, that Chrollo always got the last look.

Hisoka led you to an opening on the dance floor that was situated near the staircase. He immediately pulled you to his chest. You gasped at the sudden closeness. You felt his torso with your own, his hardened with muscle. He moved his hands tighter against your waist and you nearly melted into the touch.

You were drunk. He wasn’t who you wanted. But you could easily pretend he was.

You tried to peer back to the spot where Chrollo was standing. It was far too dense and dark to make out any faces besides the one of the man before you.

He wasn’t Chrollo, but he was unquestionably attractive. His sharp features were riddled with confidence. He carried himself as a king would, so self-assured that he was borderline unaware.

The slow song had since ended and a faster one began to sound. You began to feel the rhythm and danced along, Hisoka pulling you closer all the while. Although you were significantly intimidated by Hisoka, it was still fun. You couldn’t tell if either of you was dancing well or making a fool of yourselves. All you knew was sound, movement, and the touch of his body to yours.

After another song or two suddenly Hisoka pulled apart. He wore a malicious expression.

“I have to go,” he said, simply.

He didn’t give you a chance to reply. He waltzed up the stairs to the balcony that you were dancing near. You trailed your eyes to where he stood, hands on the railing talking to the person beside him. It was the blond woman you saw earlier, the one who was with Chrollo’s group…

And next to her was Chrollo. He was holding onto the railing for dear life as if he would fall to his death if he let go. A fear of heights? No, you didn’t think so. Based on his facial expression, he looked almost bitter. You didn’t deem that possible based on his mild mannerism so far. And what reason would he have to be angry?

An idea sparked in your mind. A stupid one, undoubtedly. But Chrollo and his group were far too interesting to ignore for the rest of the night.

It was probably too dark for them to see you amongst the crowd, but you crouched as you moved away anyway. You sensed the tension in their conversation all the way from the floor below. You would wait until Chrollo cooled off a bit and then make your move.

You head back to the kitchen to have another drink. You go for something stronger, a shot of a pale liquid that you didn’t know the name of. Or rather, you were too distracted to care.

You made the perilous journey back to the balcony, dodging limbs and drunken stupors. It was nearing midnight at this point and the crowd was sufficiently rowdy. You think you spot Canary dancing near the back wall, but you couldn’t be sure. You will let her have her own fun tonight since you already found yours.

From below, you could see that Chrollo, Hisoka, and the woman were still leaning against the balcony railing. As you dizzily mounted the steps, you realized that Chrollo looked as perfect and intact as when you first saw him, all those hours ago. He must’ve not danced the whole night, even though it was his own party. How strange. Well, you were about to try and change that.

“Hey,” you said as you waltzed up to Chrollo. There was a bit of a stumble in your step so you quickly made use of the railing.

Chrollo no longer had a death-grip on the bar. He looked at you with a blank face.

“Hello,” he replied.

His friends glared at you so hard that you nearly turned back around. You seem to have interrupted an important conversation.

You lazily move closer to Chrollo and speak under your breath, so that his friends don’t hear, “Want to dance?”

[an-obsessed-writer]

Mind Over Matter

Summary: Everyone knew the Baron Helmut Zemo, you’d have to be living under a rock to not recognize the name of the ridiculously wealthy royal attending your university. He was the school’s top bachelor, a sophisticated and confident man who obviously was wealthy. That was enough to make any woman at the university swoon, but he was always known to never keep a girl for long. What happens when (Y/N) finds herself meeting him at one of his parties?

(A/N): i think i’ll turn this into a series, but not sure yet! im a whore for zemo rn as everyone is, let me know if you’re interested in reading more <3

Word Count: 2.2k

“(Y/N)!” Wanda plops onto your bed after she runs into the dorm, and smiles sweetly up at you. “Wanna go to a party tonight? Word has it that Zemo is throwing a major bash for the new school year.”

Everyone knew the Baron Helmut Zemo, you’d have to be living under a rock to not recognize the name of the ridiculously wealthy royal attending your university. He was the school’s top bachelor, a sophisticated and confident man who obviously was wealthy. That was enough to make any woman at the university swoon, but he was always known to never keep a girl for long. Fortunately, you didn’t live under a rock, just too immersed in your studies to care much about him. You’ve seen him walking on campus before, with his fur coat and maroon mock turtleneck, and you could see why he was such a popular man. It’s known that Europeans always have the best sense of style.

“I’ve already got a major essay to finish for my philosophy class next week, maybe next time?” You frown at your roommate, feigning sadness that you wouldn’t be able to make it, but by the look of her face, she wasn’t going to let you get out of this one.

“You promised you’d attend a party this year! We’re juniors and you’ve been to only a handful. Besides, his parties are super classy, everyone gets all dressed up. It’ll be fun, I swear.” Wanda looks up at you with pleading eyes, and you couldn’t help but think about the opportunity presented.

It was true, you hadn’t been to many parties since college started. Your grades were stellar, your reputation even more so. Studying as a pre-med was no joke, resulting in your non-existent social life, but you honestly didn’t mind it much. You kept your head down because college was expensive enough as it is, you couldn’t afford to get distracted. Closing the laptop on your lap, a sigh escapes your mouth, and Wanda took it as a silent submission for what she had planned.

“Perfect! It’s tonight at his mansion. Who knows? Maybe you’ll be able to get him wrapped around your finger by the end of the night,” she winked and immediately began rummaging through her closet for the perfect outfit. “I heard the theme was the 20’s, I’ve always loved the flapper girl outfits.” A laugh escaped from Wanda’s lips, and a mischievous smile was displayed on her face. 

If there was anyone you trusted at this place, it’d be Wanda Maximoff. Her brother Pietro came as a close second, but she’d been your rock throughout your educational journey. Everyone loved her, everyone wanted her at their parties, but she chose to stay in with you to watch movies and talk about guys on more than one occasion. Coming from Sokovia, Wanda and Zemo talked often because of their love for the Sokovian language, but nothing romantic ever stemmed from their interactions with each other.

Truth be told, you were a pretty girl. This never went unnoticed by the guys around you, leading to a few regretful hookups. Your confidence oozed from your cheeky smile and subtly flirtatious comments when appropriate, but you were adamant on not entering a relationship until school was over. However, you were the realist out of this duo, and you knew for a fact you’d never be able to pull a guy like Helmut Zemo. With his looks and amount of money, he could get the most sought after movie star (which everyone was fairly sure he hooked up with Megan Fox at one point, but that was just a rumor).

“Do you still have your flapper girl costume from Halloween a while ago? I’ve got mine, and I don’t think we have enough time to shop before the party,” Wanda inquired.

“Of course I do, it’s my go to Halloween costume now if I ever go out again.” You smiled, reminiscing over the memories from last Halloween, and stumbled off your bed to find the outfit. 

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The music was blasting, and you couldn’t help but look in awe of your surroundings. A double curved staircase with red carpeting was in front of you and Wanda, with grand railings connected to the marble floor below. The home was obnoxiously large, you could talk and an echo would rumble through the room. 

Wanda gives you an encouraging look, and grabs your hand to lead you towards the party room upstairs. The silver tassels from your mini dress rubbed against your dress with every step you took, and you knew there was no turning back now. Besides, there was no way you could leave this beautiful home anytime soon, you simply wanted to drink in it’s beauty forever.

Once upstairs, a man in a suit smiled at the two of you, and asked for your invitations, which Wanda gladly handed over. With a nod, he opened the doors that were taller than any of you, and the sight immediately took your breath away.

White, translucent balloons hung from the ceiling. Art deco inspired tables with feathers and gold tassels lining over them containing copious amounts of alcohol were in the middle of the room. Intricate white and golden wallpaper covered the walls, which helped bring everything together, but the flashing disco lights allowed a modern feel to this 1920’s inspired party.

Not too long after entering the room, Vision strutted over to the two of you after catching sight of his girlfriend. “Hello (Y/N),” he flashed a quick smile to you and placed a kiss on Wanda’s cheek, “Care if I steal my girlfriend away for a dance?”

“No problem at all,” you waved your hand to dismiss the two of them, and Wanda went off to the dance floor with her love. 

This was normal, Wanda would be whisked away by Vision, and you typically found a guy to bring you attention for the night, but something felt different. Right now, all you wanted was a drink, and you found yourself making a beeline towards the tables full of alcohol. 

The bartender was dressed in one of the finest suits, and you couldn’t help but wonder “If his employees are dressed like this, what was the Baron wearing?”

“What would you like?” Your mind blanked trying to think of alcohol that you liked, it’s been too long.

“Surprise me, it’s been a while.” You smiled sheepishly, but your attention was caught by the feeling of another person behind you.

“That won’t do, you look like you need something strong.” A thick, European accent filled your ears, and you couldn’t help the way that your body tensed up. With a turn of your head, your eyesight took hold of the one and only, Helmut Zemo.

He looked even more delicious standing so close to you. As expected, Zemo didn’t mess around with his looks. A burgundy, pinstripe suit hugged his figure, and you couldn’t help but take note of the way his arms looked under the tight sleeves.

“Something strong would be nice,” you say holding your chin up, not wanting to embarrass yourself in front of the most well known man in the school. With a wave of his finger and a command in a language you didn’t know, two shots of clear liquid were slammed on the table, and Zemo picked one up with a cheeky smile.

You narrowed your eyes at him and nervously picked up the shot glass with shaky hands. Lifting it up to your nose, your face contorted into an expression of disgust at the smell of acetone. “What is this?”

With a rumbling chuckle from Zemo, your cheeks blushed slightly, silently scolding yourself for losing your composure. He raised his glass and with a tilt of his head, he responded “Rakija, essentially European moonshine. I’ll take a shot with you, it can be too strong for some Americans.”

Silently, you nodded and raised the shot glass, mimicking his actions. Once he swiftly threw back the liquid into his mouth, you followed, and immediately wanted to gag. It burned as it went down your throat, the taste of pure chemicals became overwhelming, and you managed to keep a straight face through it all. Zemo slammed his glass back onto the table and took a step towards you in order to be able to communicate over the loud music.

“I apologize for being such a rude host, but I don’t recognize you.” The smell of rich cologne flooded your nostrils, and you could’ve melted right there. His eyes peered down onto you, being that you were significantly shorter than the man towering over your body, and you licked your lips.

“I usually stay in my dorm, I’m pre-med.” You held your hand out politely, “(Y/N).”

Zemo’s rough hands took hold of your own, lowering his head to leave a kiss on the indents of your knuckles. Without standing up straight, he raises his eyes to look at you through his eyebrows, “It’s a pleasure to meet you (Y/N), I hope you’re enjoying the party.”

His voice was like smooth caramel and melted chocolate, just the right mix of salty and sweet. His thick accent burned into your head with the way he said your name, and your hand was tingling from where his lips met your knuckles. After hearing the stories of his charming ways, you wanted to call bullshit, but experiencing this first hand was completely different. There was some truth to the rumors of the mysterious Baron, and you couldn’t help but feel drawn to find out more. The man simply oozed sex appeal.

“I actually just got here with Wanda. She’s off somewhere with Vision.” You were proud of how you managed to keep your voice at a steady level, knowing that your mind was going crazy with how close the two of you were.

Zemo’s eyebrow perked up at the mention of Wanda’s name and held out his hand with the corners of his mouth turning up ever so slightly, “Any friend of Wanda’s is a friend of mine, care to dance (Y/N)?”

Every fiber of your being wanted you to run, knowing that if you went to dance with him, there was no turning back. Still, you couldn’t stop your hand from being placed into his, and he swiftly pulled you along towards the dance floor. 

Sweaty bodies surrounded the two of you, but you could only focus on his eyes engulfing the way the dress hugged your body in all the right spots. He placed his hand on the small of your back where the dress was open, the touch sending shivers down your spine. The Baron’s hands were warm, completely contrasting the iciness of your skin. 

With another hand on your waist and a smirk, he began moving his hips, which you soon followed. As the song went on, the distance between you got smaller and smaller, until your chest was practically smushed against his. You lifted your left hand to run through his chestnut brown hair, and it was as soft as you expected it to be.

“Of course it is,” you thought to yourself. “A Baron deserves only the most expensive products.”

“You’d think I would know everyone on campus, but your beauty caught me by surprise.” His breath felt hot against your ear, and you swallowed thickly.

“Not many people know me,” you countered.

“What a shame, isn’t it darling?” The use of pet names was enough to make your knees buckle, especially when paired with the Sokovian drawl, but you shook your head in defiance.

“He probably says that to all the girls.” Even so, you wished your mind would be quiet so you could appreciate this moment for what it is. The chance to dance with the bachelor everyone was pining for, but he was only paying attention to you.

You didn’t respond, only picking up the pace of your swaying hips, grinding against his thigh. Zemo exhaled a quick breath, and wasted no time to smash his lips onto yours. This action sent electricity through your body, the taste of the alcohol on his breath only made him more alluring, and your mouth copied his movements. Teeth clacked against one another, but neither of you cared. The only thing you could think about was the feeling of his fingers trailing down your back, and the way you fit with him like a lost puzzle piece.

Zemo grabbed at the nape of your neck, signaling to deepen the kiss with a tightening grip and a nip at your bottom lip, but you pulled away before you did something you regret.

With a confused look, Zemo licked his lips. “Care to go upstairs to my room?”

“Actually,” you say breathlessly, “I think it’s better if I head out.” Regretfully, you untangle your bodies and take a step back from the powerful man standing in front of you.

Without taking a second to think about what you’ve just done, you turn and make your way to the exit, but not without glancing at the Baron one last time. 

His eyes never left you, and he stood still as you walked through the doors.

[byuntrash101]

PARAPHILIA - Part 7

Pairing: Dom!Baekhyun x You; Boss!Baekhyun x You; CEO!Baekhyun x You

Genre: smutttttt

Tags: cuckolding, cheating, NTR, cum play, dirty talk, name calling (light), edging, oral (f)

Raiting: +18

Word count: 3.9k

Summary: When you are desperate for money you have no choice but to seek the help of Byun Baekhyun: your husband's rich, powerful and wicked boss.

A/N: This is the only part where OC and Baek are not a couple but keep reading it might even be better hehe. Guys this one is one of my faves of this whole series so I hope you like it toooo~ 😇😇 -Cat 😼

Tag list:  @lovebuginlove @calamell @bobohumyonlyboo @smolbeanmika @making-me-blush @wooya1224 @yixing-jaehyun @f4ncyvelvet @lalalala-lav @deligxt @xofanfics @byunsugar @dixnysustae @to-all-the-stories-i-love @artisticcgroove @myexoobsession @geniusloey @blahblahblah-boo @nana-banana @mingiandbaconjam @chanyeolscoon

Tell me if you want to be added/removed

PARAPHILIA masterlist | General masterlist

Gif credit: thristyforbaek

Paraphilia #7: Troilism, Observing one's partner engaged in sexual activities with another person

T H E A L P H A M A L E

"Come on Seokjong, we're going to be late!" you tell your husband as you precede him on the pathway towards the big mansion. Your husband pants behind you.

"I know honey but... slow down a bit, will ya?" He puffs holding his side, difficulty going up the stairs. Your husband was never one to be really fit. He was rather short, not even taller than you and also a little chubby. People often told you that you two were not a good match. Telling you how much more good looking you were compared to him. Often you had to turn down the advances of men that thought themselves to be better than Seokjong but the truth was that you loved him. You loved him exactly the way that he was. Happily married for 4 years now.

Well... That was true up until recently. Even though you try to convince yourself otherwise. Your feelings are... changing.

You ring the doorbell in front of the enormous door of the even more gigantic mansion. While your husband catches up to you.

"Please enter" the distinguished butler says. "Please get seated. Mr Byun will receive you shortly" he points towards comfortable couches placed in the entrance. You look around the now familiar place. The floor is made of black marble tiles, the walls have an elegant white wallpaper with exquisite details. The entrance is very big, so big a renaissance style statue of a woman sits in the middle, while a huge staircase is right in front you.

You know the entrance very well but not the rest of the house because apart from the hall and another room you never visited it. Even though it was your 10th visit. Only two more to go...

After a while the butler came back and signaled you to both go upstairs. You politely nodded and went on your way. You knew exactly where to go...

Last room on your right... Mr Byun's office.

"Enter!" the low voice commanded from behind the door. You pushed in the door, your heart beating loudly.

The first thing you notice is the atmosphere. The big windows that accompanied the tall walls and the high ceilings are covered by curtains. The only light source is the desk lamp placed on the elegant dark wood desk that sits in the middle of the big office. The room is grand, the atmosphere very intimate.

Mr. Byun was standing there, slightly leaning back on his desk, shuffling through some paperwork, absentmindedly playing with the collar of his white shirt.

He wore a really expensive suit, very professional looking. Navy blue with discreet golden yellow accents and of course a thin white shirt that was perfectly hugging his frame. Which made your heart stomp even harder.

Mr. Byun was exactly what every woman would desire. He was handsome, had beautiful shiny chestnut hair. A body shape to die for with broad shoulders, a narrow waist and long legs. Gorgeous smooth skin, the most charming and seductive smile and of course... he was powerful.

Everything about him was, this mansion, the sports cars he drove, the way he dressed, the way he walked and even... The way he looked at you. Like right now.

He lifted his eyes from the paper, when they landed on you he took his time fully appreciating the view. He started with your shoes. You were wearing the sleek black shiny high heeled pumps he had requested for today. Then his eyes went up your legs to the slit of the red bodycon dress you paired with the shoes then to your breasts where his eyes lingered for a bit then to your collarbones then your neck then your plump red lips then finally your eyes.

Definitely you were not growing accustomed to the way he looked at you.

Seokjong also came in panting and profusely sweating. He took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his forehead. You rolled your eyes at him. You felt bad for that but at the same time... How could you not be mad at him? He was the reason why you were here in the first place.

Seokjong had an addiction. An addiction to gambling. For the past couple of years it has gotten worse, to a point where Seokjong lost 1 million dollars to the mob. It was a colossal amount of money that needed to be paid back right away. So of course you took two other jobs and also borrowed money from your parents but you barely could gather 80 000 dollars. It calmed down the mob for a while but after a time they started to threaten your family and loved ones.

So Seokjong turned to his boss: Byun Baekhyun. He had worked for him all his life and even for his father before he took over the company. So you both went to see him on the top floor of the big company building. Your husband got on his knees and begged him to lend him the money. He told him that he would work his whole life for it. He offered to put Mr. Byun on his will, he even offered him his parent’s farm, which was a ridiculous offer, and he knew it but he just had to take the chance in order to save your marriage, your family and even your life.

But Mr. Byun laughed at his face.

"Look at me... Look at this office. Does it look like there is anything in the world that I can't afford but you... somehow can?" his voice sounded so cold at the time.

"N-no..." Seojong said, lowering his eyes.

You remember how Mr. Byun leaned over your husband still flat on the ground and said:

"Offer me something that's unique, that only you have. Something that money can't buy and I might consider it..." with that his eyes turned to you and he looked at you for the first time like he did moments ago.

You remember how the shivers ran down your spine when his lips curled in a carnivorous smirk, how lust gradually clouded his eyes.

That time, for the first time. You let another man touch you, feel you, and look at you in places that were before only for Seokjong. Only for your husband.

That time, for the first time, at the top floor of the big highrise. You let Mr Byun Baekhyun have his way with you.

That's how you both agreed to let Mr Byun fuck you in front of your husband every month for a whole year in exchange of clearing Seokjong's depts with the mafia.

That was what you were now: Mr. Byun Baekhyun's whore.

"The door, Seokjong" Baekhyun commanded which brought you back to the present moment.

Slowly he walked up to you... Gradually you felt heat washing over you. You didn't want to admit it but there was a moment in time where you started to anticipate every time you had to come into this mansion. Of course you never told anybody, not even yourself.

Baekhyun walked behind you and rested his chin on your shoulder. You felt his warm breath brush on your ear and his body press against your back. His fingers brushed up your arm. From your wrist to your shoulder, sending goosebumps all over your body.

Already you felt a tingle build in your core. Because Baekhyun didn't even have to try to get you started. His aura and the simplest, littlest touches were well enough. But the worst part was that he wasn't content with that. Everytime he made sure to drive you crazy with desire, pushing all the right buttons to the point where you were the one begging for him.

Without even a word he slipped one of the spaghetti straps of your dress off your shoulder and started to nibble at your neck and earlobe. You knew your husband was right behind you, watching your every move so you tried your hardest not to make any noise as he planted blue and purple love bites all over you. He smirked when he noticed you were holding yourself back. Because he loved when you resisted him. The more you resisted the more gratifying it was when you finally gave in. And he knew you would... eventually you will give up yourself to him, again.

"Seokjong come here" he commanded while stepping in front of you and standing at a little distance, to be able to fully see you. Your husband shuffled to his side.

"Yes Mr Byun?" he asked looking up at him as he was a lot shorter.

"Strip her for me" he said motioning to you with his chin.

"Yes sir" Seokjong responded. He came to you and slipped off the other strap. Then with caution he slowly pulled on the thin red fabric and rolled the bodycon dress off you. First, your breasts popped out since Mr. Byun specially requested you to not wear a bra. It made him smile and lick his lips when he noticed how hard your nipples already were. Because even though you're trying to resist, your body speaks the truth.

Slowly but surely the dress was completely off you. Leaving you close to naked in your red lace thong and your shiny black pumps.

Baekhyun stayed silent for a minute while he walked around you. Admiring your breasts, your beautiful legs in the shoes he chose and even your perky ass in the minimalistic red thong.

He licked his lips again. Then walked in front of you. He slowly closed in the distance between the both of you until you felt his warm breath tickle your cheeks, his broad torso pressed against your naked chest and his bulge against your stomach. You held in your breath trying to contain the thumping of your heart.

"Seokjong come here" your husband shuffled to him. Baekhyun placed a hand on his shoulder. "There... stand... right there" he said as he placed him exactly facing the both of you only a few centimeters away.

"Pay attention" he told Seokjong, winking at him and playfully padding his shoulder.

"Yes sir" your husband answered.

"Now baby" Baekhyun brought back his attention to you. "Stick your tongue out for me"

Hesitant you slowly opened your mouth to stick out your tongue. Baekhyun glances again at Seokjong, making sure he's watching carefully. Then approaches his face to yours. Slowly he sucked on the tip of your tongue then he pushed his soft lips against yours. Embarking you on a hot kiss. His tongue swirled inside your mouth and as heat started to wash over your body you couldn't help but to look at Seokjong. He didn't lift an eyelash, he was petrified. Baekhyun deepened the kiss. His hand went up your hair, tangling his fingers in it, while the other slipped to your lower back where he pulled lightly on the waistband of the thong to let it slap against your skin. Gradually you felt his bulge harden against your stomach which made the tingly feeling even stronger.

He broke the kiss to let you catch your breath and looked at you with a satisfied smile. Stafisified because you couldn't hide anymore. Your eyes were begging him to continue as your body was too... Baekhyun felt that.

"Seokjong" Baekhyun called your husband, before sitting you on the desk and sliding off the red thong, passing it over your heels. "Look, that is what a simple kiss with me does to your wife" he said holding the little fabric in front of your husband face. You felt embarrassment creep up inside you.

The thong was drenched with juices, and you hated that. You hated how this was the truth. Your body was betraying you, craving more of his touches, longing for the moment he was going to be inside you.

Seokjong looked at the shameful result of your arousal and simply nodded.

"Lick it." Baekhyun commanded, smirking. "Taste your beloved wife's desire for my cock"

You whipped your head in the direction of your husband. He, too, looked at you before slowly bringing the red piece of fabric to his face and licking the wet spot. He closed his eyes, his eyebrows creased.

"How is it?" Baekhyun asked.

"Delicious, sir" Seokjong answered, opening his eyes. Baekhyun smirked before turning his attention to you again.

"I want to try it too" he said before crouching down and bringing his face close to your heat. You felt embarrassed. But at the same time you didn't move a muscle because you couldn't wait anymore for him to finally touch you there.

You immediately let your head fall back when you feel his warm and wet tongue on your slit. Slowly going up to your needy clit. A small whimper escapes your lips which makes Baekhyung smile against your folds. His skilled tongue paired with the teasing from earlier makes the knot in your stomach tighten. Really quickly, you feel the pleasure rising uncontrollably. But as soon as Baekhyung feels you twitch under his tongue he slows down to an unbearable pace.

You can't help but whimper desperately. He smirks again and picks up the pace, circling your swollen bud with his tongue.

This time shameless moans escape your lips, the pleasure is just too much and you can't help it. You're so close, you want to cum. But again, he slows down. You look down at him with pleading eyes but don't dare to actually say the words. He smirks at you; he loves to see you struggle like this. He loves the frustration in your eyes.

He starts up again. He gives you just enough to be close to the edge but not enough to actually go over. He keeps you there, in the middle, playing with you, torturing you. And you just can't take it anymore.

"Please" you whisper. He parts his lips from yours.

"Please what?" he says smirking, looking up at you. He brings his hand to your heat and draws small circles on your very sensitive clit. You gasp, biting your lip.

"Please let me cum" you beg in a breath, your head is dizzy, you have trouble keeping your balance on your high heels and you hold on for dear like to the edge of the desk.

"You want to cum baby?" you nod.

"Seokjong come here" your husband comes to stand directly behind him, facing you. "Watch how your wife cums for me".

With that Baekhyun's fingers slip inside you and curl up immediately spotting your good spot. You can't help but to moan loudly. His lips go back to your clit where his tongue continues to tease you further. Only this time, it's to finish the job.

Mercilessly his fingers and tongue attack you, to transform you into a moaning mess and as you feel the knot threatening to come undone you look up at your husband. You feel immense shame to let him see your delighted, sinful expressions from another man's touch. You're ashamed of letting him hear you moan for Baekhyun like that but at the same time... It turns you on so much. When you're met with the disappointed eyes of your husband you are finally able to cum. Your walls tighten around Baekhyun's fingers as you twitch uncontrollably under his tongue. Your juices rush out of you completely soaking the wooden floor. Completely out of breath you squirt all over, a blissful and lingering moan rolling off your tongue.

Baekhyun pulls out his drenched fingers out of you and stands back up before turning to Seokjong.

"Did she ever squirt like this for you?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"No, sir." Seokjong said, lowering his eyes. Baekhyun smirked, satisfied.

You tried catching your breath as you held yourself up on the desk with difficulty.

"Seokjong sit there" Baekhyun said as he pointed to the floor in front of the desk. Seokjong complied and sat his back straight against the darkwood and waited, his eyes locked on the floor.

Baekhyun started to undress himself. One by one he undid the button of his white shirt and took it off. Revealing his perfectly sculpted body. His chest was glistening from lightly sweating. His cologne gracefully floated to your nose. He smelled exactly like he looked: very expensive and manly.

He then took his pants off and kissed you again. Forcing your mouth open with his tongue as he pushed his hips on your stomach. You couldn't wait for him to be inside you.

"Bend over the desk baby" he said softly in your ear.

You turned around and bent over. You were positioned in a way that your husband's face was directly underneath your crotch. This way he had a front row seat on your adulterous sex with his boss.

Baekhyun came over and rubbed his hot tip against your drenched heat. He brushed it against your swollen clit before slowly slipping inside you. You moaned shamelessly at the delicious full sensation he was making you feel. There was no comparison. He was so much bigger than Seokjong.

"Seokjong, did you see how easily I slipped inside her? It's almost like she was made for me" Baekhyun said in a groan. Fully indulging himself in the tightness and warmness of your naughty little pussy.

Seokjong didn't even reply, instead he started to palm himself through his pants. He hated himself for it but he couldn't stop himself from getting aroused. He saw expressions you never made for him. He heard moans he never heard from you. All of that was, inevitably, turning him on.

Baekhyun started to slowly thrust himself in and out of you. You moan for him like he is the only one in the room. At this stage, you don't care one bit about your husband anymore. The only thing that you want is Baekhyun's fat cock rearranging your guts to fit him.

"Please faster" you plead. Baekhyun smirks but decides to grant your wish and goes faster and even deeper inside you. You throw your head back as he tightens his grip on your waist. Making your breast jump and the desk shake to the sound of your skin clashing.

He feels so good inside you, no one can ever fill you up like he does with his huge cock. You moan for him, forgetting about your husband right underneath you. You want Baekhyun to hear how good he makes you feel.

"Does it feel good baby"? he groans in your ear.

"Yes!" you reply without hesitation, his low voice sending goosebumps on your skin.

"Does my cock feel good?"

"Yes! Aaah.. So good!!" you close your eyes as you feel the knot tightening again.

"Yes you're a dirty little slut of a wife" he whispers in your ear.

Seokjong palms himself harder, rubbing circles on his aching cock. Drunk on the sounds that you make only for Baekhyun. Droplets of your juices crash on his cheeks and bottom lip which he sucks off hurriedly. It's almost like you never tasted so good.

Baekhyun picks up the pace again when he feels your pussy tightly gripping on his cock.

"Moan for me slut" he says through gritted teeth.

"Aaaah Baekhyun I'm cumming" you moan shamelessly. But Baekhyun once again slows down, a whimper escapes your lips as you feel your orgasm getting away.

"I'll let you cum if you tell Seokjong how much of a disgraceful wife you are" he says in a low voice, groaning in your ear as he fucks you at an agonizingly slow pace. You whimper, not wanting to go that far.

Seokjong doesn't move anymore, he holds his breath, somehow... he wants to hear that...

Baekhyun violently thrusts inside you to convince you. You scream out a moan to the immensely pleasurable but ephemeral sensation. With a trembling lip you start.

"Seokjong I'm sorry to be such an undeserving wife" you start, Baekhyung goes ever so slightly faster inside you.

"Aaaah... I let Baekhyun fuck me and... Aaaah.. I love it"

Seokjong rubs himself through his pants once again.

"But his dick is so much better than yours... Aaaaah"

"Good girl continue" Baekhyun encourages you by fucking you harder.

"There's no way... Aaaah... I can go back to your tiny penis anymore... Aaaah. After getting a taste of Baekhyun's huge cock"

Baekhyun goes even deeper and faster. The knot is threatening to come undone at anytime.

"Baekhyun's cock is... aaaah... aah... So good I only want him to make me cum. Only he knows how to manhandle me."

Seokjong furiously palms himself underneath you, his face towards your heat, where he carefully watches his beloved wife's pussy get rammed by his boss.

"Good girl." Baekhyun praises as he doesn't stop fucking you mercilessly. Feeling your pussy twitch around his cock. "Now cum for me baby. Cum on this dick baby" he commands.

You give yourself in to the pleasure Baekhyun makes you feel as your tongue loosely hangs out of your mouth and your eyes roll back. You can't control anything anymore. You're cumming harder than ever.

"Seokjong, listen to me moan while I cum on Baekhyun's fat cock" you scream as you finally cross the edge.

Your pussy pulsing around Baekhyun's huge cock inside you. You scream Baekhyun's name one last time as your juices gush out of you again. So much liquid spurts out of your pussy, to completely soak your husband that is still sitting right underneath you.

Seokjong releases himself in his pants. A stain of cum appears on his crotch through his pants as he opens his mouth wide to catch as much squirt as he can. He drinks your juices as his dick pulses under his hand.

Pleasure completely takes over your body, making your mind blank until the only thing you can ever remember it’s this incredible sensation of Baekhyun’s cock inside you.

You don't even have time to get down from your high that Baekhyun pulls on your hair to make you face him and kneel before him. He violently pumps his fist around his cock.

"I'm gonna cum in your mouth. Baby open wide" Without even a second thought you open your mouth and stick your tongue out more than happy to welcome his warm cum.

Finally Baekhyun shoots to the back of your throat and all over your face. You look delighted as so much thick cum coats your tongue and cheeks, the delicious bitter and manly taste spreads in your mouth and makes your head dizzy.

You fully savour his cum playing with it in your mouth before swallowing it all. Baekhyun looks at you with a satisfied smile. He taught you well. His eyes turn to your husband again.

"Now Kiss her. I want you to taste my cum in your beloved wife's mouth".

To Seokjong it's an unexpected miracle. He quickly scoots over to you and happily links your lips together. The bitter taste spreads to his mouth as he thoroughly licks and sucks your tongue, not forgetting one corner of your mouth.

Seokjong never told you either, but with time he also came to anticipate the visits to Mr Byun's house.

You both liked the thrill of doing something so bad, so wrong. But it felt so right and both of you were hooked.

Baekhyun smirked, a carnivorous smile plastered on his face. In the end, he both transformed you. He was proud of turning a happy couple into to two adulterous sex hungry freaks.

"See you next month"

PARAPHILIA masterlist | General masterlist

[flippin-fins]

Height Difference

LadyNoir July 2021 Day 7: Height Difference

Read on Ao3 When had he gotten so tall? Ladybug wondered, annoyed at having to either step back or tilt back just to look her partner in the eyes.

He smirked at her, clearly having noticed her predicament.

She was ready to snap at him, upset he had tried to sacrifice himself again, but it felt hard to be imposing when she was this much shorter.

Something caught her eye, and she glared at him. Wordlessly, she threw out her yo-yo and swung towards her destination, knowing he’d follow her.

Maybe that saying about curious cats was true.

Ladybug crossed her arms as she waited, knowing Chat Noir and his baton weren’t always as fast as her and her yo-yo.

When he finally showed up, she led him over to the staircase.

He could barely contain his laughter as she wasn’t tall enough after the first step, and instead needed to go up three steps to look him in the eyes. The second step would have been fine, if not a little low, but if she was already embarrassing herself, she might as well take the extra height from the third step.

Ladybug turned around to glare at him, opening her mouth to remind her partner how important he was. Before she could get a word out, Chat Noir burst out laughing.

All Ladybug could do was glare. Each time Chat would look at her, he would dissolve into another fit of laughter, leaving her more frustrated. At some point he grabbed his stomach and bent over, and she thought she would lose her mind.

“Seriously?”

She wanted to give him credit, he was clearly trying to catch his breath. “I’m sorry, really I am,” another laugh, the smirk unable to leave his face. “It’s just- I wasn’t-” he took a breath, finally looking at her. “I didn’t realize how much shorter you are than me. I knew I’d grown, I guess I just hadn’t thought about how that would affect my height as Chat Noir.” He gestured to himself, still smirking.

Trying to restrain from stomping her foot, Ladybug continued to glare. “Can we get back to the topic at hand?”

Chat pretended to zip his lips closed, nodding at his partner.

She sighed, feeling some of the anger fade away. She’d hope it would stay longer, to hide what was underneath. The pain, the sadness, of having to watch him sacrifice himself over and over again. He was always so confident she could save the day, but what happens when she can’t? How many deaths does he get to have? What if he only gets to come back nine times, and they’d already lost count? Didn’t he know she couldn’t do this without him? They were partners, equals, they needed each other.

“Bug?”

His voice broke her thoughts, and she looked at him, wondering why he seemed so blurry. Feeling the tears drip off her chin answered her question.

“Oh Bug, I’m sorry, come here.” Chat held out his arms, pulling her to his chest as he climbed up to her step.

“Chat, Chat, I can’t do this without you. I can’t watch you die again and again and have it be my fault.”

He pulled back from her slightly. “What was that?”

Oh. Right. She was so short she was talking into his chest. She pushed down the urge to shove him down the stairs.

“Chat,” she stepped back, crossing her arms. “You have to stop sacrificing yourself.”

“But if it works and you can bring me back, then I’d call it a successful choice.” He grinned at her.

Ladybug wiped her eyes, wishing the tiredness would wipe away too.

“I can’t keep watching you die. We have other options.”

“Mlady -”

“No Chat, I’m telling you, I can’t keep watching you die. We have other options.” She sighed.

“But it’s my job -”

“No Chat, it’s really not. Please just -” she took a breath, steadying herself. “You’re my partner, I need you by my side. Can you promise me that? Can you at least promise to stand by my side, as my partner, not my martyr?”

He reached out, tucking a stray hair. “Of course, Bugaboo. No need to get up on your high horse.”

“Chat that was your worst one yet!”

“I had to say something! Besides, you love them. I couldn’t leave you high and dry.”

“Chat, please.”

[writerpeach]

Quiet

Pairing - Somi x Male Reader

7584  words

Categories: smut, public sex, face-fucking, Somi as a hot librarian

18+

-----

Read on AO3

Read on Wattpad

Read on AFF

Friday afternoons were the least busiest time of the week at University. Much of your time was unoccupied, and not wanting to deal with your noisy roommate you headed to the school’s public library. Swiping your school id, the loud audible beep welcomed you in while you looked for the perfect place to sit.

It was a cold bitter afternoon, several tables were already filled with bodies and stacks of books everywhere. You looked around for familiar faces, scanning your eyes around ceiling high book shelves and occupied tables until finding two close classmates that gestured to join them.

“Hey,” they both echoed, as you plopped your bag down on the table gently, finding your own pocket of spread out books and pens and notebooks. You had no real necessity to be here outside of finding time to waste since all your classes had finished for the day, but you were still needing to study something - or rather, someone.

“Hey,” you responded. “You seen her yet?”

“Seen who?” said one of your classmates, ignorant to the situation.

“Nah, she hasn’t shown up yet. She usually comes in late on Fridays though.”

“Got it. Nothing to do but wait around until she does, “ you said, lazily slumping back in the wooden chair.

“Who are you talking about?” your oblivious classmate asked, with a confused face as his curiosity peaked.

“Somi.”

“Who’s Somi?”

“New librarian. She only works on weekends,” you said, swiveling your head around for any sight of her.

“You’ve been missing out. Always wearing those tight skirts, hair in a ponytail like she’s trying to be super sexy. She’s got the biggest tits you’ve ever seen.“

“Sounds hot.”

Right on cue a woman matching that very description entered the picture, carrying a large stack of books as she walked out over to the checkout desk and several pairs of eyes followed her every move.

“There she is.”

The woman who was the talk of the afternoon walked behind the counter, placing each book into several neat piles, giving you and your thirsty classmates the full view of her. The curvy librarian was gorgeous - perfect face with a perfect body that she seemed proud of as she dressed in a tight low-cut blouse that showed off head-turning cleavage and her very voluptuous chest. Her light brown locks were pulled back in her usual ponytail, and to top it all off round glasses that matched the frame of her face, fitting into the typical librarian look quite well.

“What do you think?”

“I think I wanna fuck her.”

“Get in line.”

Now, you didn’t spend every Friday afternoon just to ogle her, as much as that was a routine part of your schedule. There were rumors, several rumors about the librarian that your table was drooling over that Somi was a very... promiscuous woman, which was not that out of line given her youth and her well defined assets.

The librarian thing was a bit cliché, and while there were a few other librarians you saw during the week who were quite attractive, none of them matched the beauty and sex appeal of Somi. She was something else.

Somi drove everyone in the building crazy just by breathing. Her presence was deadly, she kept her hair tied up like it contained her every secret. Those deadly tight skirts showed off her dangerous curves and gave a perfect look at every inch of those long luscious legs that seemed to never end, her body absolutely oozed with sex. You wanted to have her - you needed her, and nothing would get in your way.  

“You think she can take all three of us?” your previously clueless classmate asked.

“At the same time?”

“Yeah, at the same time. Fill each one of her holes.”

“Don’t you two losers have studying to do?” you asked, annoyed with the sudden depravity

of the conversation.

“We’ve been studying all day, cut us some slack. Don��t you have studying to do?”

“No, I’m done with classes for the day. The only thing I need to study is that hot piece of ass behind the counter.”

You studied Somi like a hawk, watching her every movement. You studied every subtle motion as she reshelved books, the tight skirt draped around her waist doing justice to her wonderful backside. You felt your cock twitching as she bent down to place books down on the lower shelves, giving the whole library just a hint of what they all wanted.

Without a word you stood up and left the group, leaving your belongings as you approached your unsuspecting prey with hunger in your eyes.

“Excuse me, Miss…Somi” you said, feigning ignorance as you scanned the nametag attached to her shirt, which in reality was just a poor excuse to get a glimpse of her big luscious tits up close.

“What can I help you with?”

“I’m looking for a book for one of my classes. I don’t quite remember the name.”

“I can direct you to our computer systems, we have a list of required reading material from each professor that you can look through and see if anything looks familiar?”

“I’m really not good with computers, Miss Somi. Do you... have a section where all the most popular books are located?”

“Yes we do, right this way.”

You walked behind her, watching every step carefully and her hips swaying as she lead you to the specified section. You had no intention to acquire a book, putting on your best act as you pretended to find what you were looking for.

“Oh here it is, right here,” you said, after scanning several titles, grabbing a book with such randomness that you might as well have chosen it in the dark.

“Thank you, Miss Somi.”

“You’re very welcome, let me know if you know anything else from me.”

“Oh, I will,” you said, smirking as you walked away from the hot librarian and towards the checkout counter, planting the seeds of your master plan.

It was easy to see how rumors started with a woman like Somi. There was more to your conversation than Somi just doing her job. Something a little flirtatious with how she talked, and while you didn’t know her you wanted to. In an intimate way. You felt seduced by her already, as if she had just undressed you with her eyes.

With a plan carefully in place, you returned the next night, much later. Saturday nights at the library were like a graveyard. You counted the amount of people you saw as you walked in on one hand. Perfect.

You hid in between tall shelves, trying to subtly find your target as you skimmed the labels of nearby books. Out of the corner of your eye you saw her, wearing an even tighter top and an even shorter skirt. You tried to control yourself as you watched between the shelves as she placed books up on a tall shelf, stretching up to reach as her breasts bounced with every book placed.

You kept an eye on her, but also kept your distance, listening for the squeaking of her book cart that gave away her location within earshot. As you walked alongside the wide seemingly never ending rows of shelves you marveled at their construction, realizing just how strong and sturdy they looked, and wondering if anyone was lucky enough to bend Somi over one.

Somi had finished shelving the last of her books, and you put your plan in action and made a beeline for her section, rounding the corner as you approached her.

Your sudden appearance startled the young girl who had spent the better part of an hour surrounded by books and silence.

“Hello sir,” she said, greeting you with a bright smile and sparkling eyes that you tried to keep focus on, and kept your pants in check as you tried to not let them wander around to the more generous parts of her body.

“Hello, Somi. It seems I require your assistance again.”

“Of course, what can I help you with?”

“I’m looking for a book,” you said, stating the obvious and trying to conceal your true intentions.

Somi adjusted her glasses, eager and waiting for a response. You tried to keep a neutral face, holding back a smirk as you responded. ”Don’t worry, I know the name this time. It’s called classic sex positions, I think there’s a number after it, twenty-five, fifty? That seems like more than plenty, but if you could help me find it, that would be greatly appreciated.”

You waited for Somi’s reaction, keeping your best poker face on as you watched the paleness on her face become a light red tint in embarrassment.

“Yes, I-I can help with that, it’ll uh, be upstairs. That’s where our adult material is kept. “

“Perfect,” you said, no longer able to keep up the facade on your end as a devilish grin formed on your lips.

“Please follow me.”

You did so with glee, walking up the spiral staircase with your eyes nonchalantly trained on her ass the whole time. When you arrived, you noticed the non discrete area labeled erotic and the dust collected on most of the shelves, giving the assumption that this area was not visited often, if ever.

Somi was nothing but professional as her fingers ran over the spine of each book, each title more and more ridiculous as the next one. “It has to be here somewhere.”

“Got it,” she said, snatching it up and presenting a black book to you with both hands. “Is this it? It was twenty five. ”

You flipped through it rather indiscreetly, making a show of the ridiculous positions and crude pictures. “Yes. This will do just fine.”

“Is there anything else-”

“Which one position is your favorite, Somi?”

“I’m sorry? Which what?”

“Which position do you like the most?” you said, the smirk on your lips no longer hidden.

“I uh, I don’t-”

“You don’t have to answer, I was just-”

“No, I don’t mind. The truth is...I’m a rather vanilla girl. I don’t really care as long as I’m on my back or bent over…”

“Are you saying you don’t prefer-” you flipped through a couple of pages, equipped to find something with the most ridiculous name. “The Rocking Stallion?”

Somi laughed out loud. “No, I can’t say I do. Now what about you?” she said, taking a few steps forward.

“What about me?”

“I told you mine. What’s your favorite position? Be specific. ”

You were surprised by Somi's sudden forwardness, but welcomed it as you hesitated before answering.

“I love to see a woman bent over for me. Seeing how wet she is, seeing her ass, seeing how much she wants me.“

“So you’re an ass man?”

“Not necessarily. Ass...thighs...tits, I love them all.”

Somi grew closer with every breath she drew, until you could almost feel her skin touching your own.

“Do you like it when a woman moans for you?”

“I love it.”

Her body even grew closer until you felt your back pressed against one of the many bookshelves, inadvertently knocking one of the books off the shelves.

“Let me get that for you,” Somi said, bending down deep, her skirt hiked up enough that you saw a glimpse of the black thong underneath, releasing a deep breath you were holding.

Somi stood up and shelved the book back in its place, her supple chest brushing up against your own enough to feel the heat of her body.

“What’s your favorite part of me?”

You took in another breath, feeling your lip beginning to quiver at the act of seduction you were being hit with.

“Come on, don’t be shy. I love learning about the students here. Just don’t say something lame like my eyes.”

“I love your tits, Somi.”

Somi's full juicy lips formed into a pretty smile. “Everybody does. Do you know how many times I catch people staring at my tits?”

“No, I don’t. “

“All the time. Whenever it comes to ask me something about where a book is, or where this section is. They stare at my tits, even if I know they’re trying not to. But I don’t mind, and I certainly can't blame them. Go on, take a peek. I know you were dying to see yesterday.”

Your neck was hurting from trying to not crane your neck downwards, but you stopped as your eyes moved down and focused on the delicious large breasts of Somi, inches away and in your view, they looked magnificent.

“What do you think?”

“They’re amazing.”

“They are, and they’re real.” Somi said, demonstrating by cupping her breasts and letting go, causing them to bounce perfectly.

“No doubt you’ve heard the rumors about me. That’s why you came here right? I don’t think you actually need any of the books you’ve asked me to find, and I know these books aren't the only thing you're checking out.”

“I guess you’ve figured me out, Miss Somi.”

“I am rather flattered that you went through all this trouble just to get in my pants. Does the idea of banging a librarian as hot as me get you off?”

“It does.”

“I bet it does. Now...all these pesky rumors. People come up with crazy ideas. People say that I’m a slut, that I’ll sleep with anybody who so much at looks at me. Pretty ridiculous right?” Somi asked, looking straight into your eyes with such a deep level of seduction that you didn’t know to respond.

“These rumors…”

Somi’s voice grew into a whisper as she angled her head, talking at a volume just soft enough for you to hear, not that anyone else was around.

“...are hardly rumors. Because I am a slut, and I do love to sleep with anyone. I know my body is amazing, and I want everyone to see it. That’s why I dress more daring, because I love to show it off, even if I get the staff telling me to cover up. Nobody else wants to work on weekends, so there’s not much they can do about it.”

You nearly choked. Somi’s voluptuous body made contact with yours, her breasts pressed against your chest, driving you crazy with lust. She looked into your eyes, waiting for any response, but you were more than speechless at the moment.

“So if you want...to bend me over, if you want to see my pretty ass...and if you want to stuff your cock in me and watch me be a pretty little slut for you...well all you have to do is ask.”

You found the will to gather your thoughts, despite everything going more than according to plan, you couldn’t help but hesitate as you picked your next words.

“I’m dying to fuck you Somi. But my dorm is occupied, my roommates are- ”

“Dorm? Who said anything about a dorm?” Somi interrupted. “You can fuck me right here.”

You’d never heard a better set of words. “Here? In the library?”

“Of course here. Nobody comes here on a Saturday night. Besides, the risk of getting caught is part of the fun right?”

“I-you’re right, but, I could get in trouble if someone sees us.”

“We both could. But they won’t find us. I’m the only librarian tonight, and people here this late are rather self-sufficient. I know all the spots hidden out of view, and nobody ever comes up here. Especially not the erotic section, not when porn exists. It’ll be our...little secret.”

“Sounds like you’ve done this before.”

“Oh you have no idea. So, what do you say? Wanna live out a fantasy and fuck a hot slutty librarian?”

“God, yes.”

“Good, because it seems like you’re ready to start already,” she teased, as her eyes were drawn down at the bulge in your pants that you hadn’t even realized had formed. You had been blindsided by Somi’s lewd words and seduction that had peaked your arousal, and there was no holding back now.

“Shit, I’m sor-”

“Sorry? There’s no need to be sorry. This is what I’m here for.”

Somi gave out another cute smile again as her voluptuous body pressed tighter, pressing you against the row of books as her hands wrapped around the nape of your neck. Everything happened so fast that you were in awe as you felt the softness of Somi’s plump lips as they smashed against your own and her sweet taste entered your mouth.

Her tongue followed and brushed up against your own, and if that wasn’t enough the abrupt feel of Somi cupping your cock sent you overboard with sensations as your tongues explored each others mouths. In return you reached forward and cupped Somi’s breasts, giving them a gentle squeeze through her clothes, feeling just how large and desirable they were in your hands.

Just as you were getting used to taste of Somi she pulled away, leaving you with an insatiable desire for more as she bit her lip as she dropped to her knees on the library’s colorful carpet.

“Can I suck your cock?” Somi asked, not that she ever needed to as her sexy lust-filled voice deepened your arousal. You gave a simple nod of your head as she eagerly fiddled with your pants, pulling them down along with your boxers down to your ankles. Somi’s pretty eyes widened as she exposed your stiff cock to to the liberating air, her sparkling eyes lit up and she licked her lips in approval.

Her eyes stayed glued to your cock like a moth to a flame as she wrapped her fingers around it, gently sliding up as she caressed your shaft.

“You’re really hard, like really hard. Do I turn you on that much?” Somi giggled, like it was no fault of her own. As she twisted her delicate hand around your shaft, softly pumping you up and down you leaked on her fingers already.

“Guess that answers that,” she smirked.

You felt her fingers tightening as they traveled the length of your cock, applying the most delicate of friction as she stroked you, smiling as your cock continued to leak over her slender fingers.  

“Do you know how many times I’ve done this? How many times I’ve gotten on my knees in this very library, ready to give some guy I barely know a blowjob?”

“No idea.”

“I don’t either, because I’ve lost count. But I can tell you I’ve done it many times, so I’d like to think I can give a blowjob that will rock your world, but you’ll have to be the judge of that.”

Somi smiled innocently, beaming with confidence as you felt her tongue meeting your shaft, cleaning up each drop of precum that she had caused to escape already. Her hot breath on your cock felt incredible already, you moaned as she swirled around your sensitive head and made full use of her wet warm tongue as she gave several long swipes down the entirety of your length, sending shocks of deep pleasure throughout your body.  

“Now...how do you want me to suck your cock? Nice and slow? Or wet and messy?”

You weighed your options. Usually you liked things slow, a nice build up really set the stage for what was next. But as the sultry voice of Somi wandered into your ears, you had no patience for build up, you wanted things as messy as possible.

“I want the messiest blowjob you can give me.”

Her eyes lit up, as if she wanted the same, and before she could say another word you felt soft lips wrapping around your tip, causing a gasp from your lips as she brought you into the satisfying warmth of her mouth.

Too preoccupied to shush you Somi did not waste time, those delicious lips felt heavenly on your cock as she sucked your tip softly and kept that gaze glued on yours. Her lips pushed forward, slickening up your shaft with every inch and without warning you felt the back of her throat, groaning at the sharp striking pleasure.

“Holy fuck,Somi,” you moaned, and she hummed as she enjoyed every second of your cock in her wet mouth. Her head bobbed at a rapid pace as you felt those sexy soft lips inhaling your cock, slurping away and drenching your cock in her warm saliva, spiking your body with insane pleasure.  

If you were supposed to judge Somi's blowjob skills, she would get a gold fucking medal when it came to sucking your dick. She deepthroated you with relative ease, her pouty lips made you feel extra amazing as they worked your cock, moving from base to tip as she gave loud messy slurps, gagging occasionally and throwing away all pretense of trying to stay quiet.

The pleasure forced your eyes closed. It felt too good that you felt powerless as you savored the sloppy blowjob that Somi was delivering. Her wet lips moved faster and faster as they met the base of your cock, resting against your base before for a mere moment before retreating

Somi looked so damn pretty as she bobbed her head up and down, her innocent looking features contrasting with the fact that was she giving the messiest, loudest blowjob you’ve ever had the pleasure that you felt overwhelmed by it all.

You ran one of your hands through her hair, resting it there to help guide her, not that she really needed it as she sucked you off expertly. You fought the urge in your core that demanded you give in to the satisfaction Somi was bringing, the woman so gifted at sucking your cock that she could have made you cum in ten seconds if she really wanted to. But you weren’t ready, you needed to explore her body and weren’t going to stop until you did so.

Somi released your cock with a loud sensual pop, stroking your messy hard shaft with vigor and strength, and you were thankful for the much needed break even if it meant the loss of her warm mouth.

“You can fuck my face if you want,” Somi said, as innocently as if she were talking about some mundane subject as her lips curled into another smirk. She was full of surprises it seemed, and you would not take the invitation lightly.

“I don’t mind if you’re rough, I can take it," she said, removing her glasses, which took away a bit from the librarian outfit but made her look that much more sexier.

Her smirk turned into a mischievous grin as her mouth opened for you, granting you an opportunity that didn't come too often. You plunged your cock all the way inside her mouth as her lips tightened around it, hitting the back of her throat on the first try. You placed a hand on each side of her head, looking down at those big beautiful eyes with an absolute desire to ruin her.

The first thrust inside Somi’s warm wet mouth felt absolutely wonderful, as did the second and third. Your pace quickened with every rock of your hips, earning your first set of gags as you began to fuck Somi’s needy mouth, groaning every time you felt her wet lips meet the end of your hungry cock.

“This is going to get messy,” you said, as you retreated your cock for just a moment, giving a short breather.

Somi took your thinly veiled excuse to remove her top in stride and happily obliged, removing her tight red top and exposing her fantastic clothed breasts in a black lace bra that could hardly be contained.

“I love messy.”

You stared at her big tits for several seconds, wanting to devour her deep cleavage before slapping your cock on her soft puckered lips and pushing forward to enter her mouth again. You grabbed the back of her head a little more forcibly this time, and in one fluid movement shoved your cock down her throat again.

The look in Somi’s lust filled eyes was nothing but encouraging as you pulled her head down onto every inch of your cock, matching the timing as you resumed fucking her mouth, thrusting harsher and faster as you stared into those beautiful eyes that began welling up with tears.

It didn’t take long for drool to spill out of Somi’s mouth as you rocked your hips, pistoning your cock into her and forcing every bit down her throat. It was rough, and certainly messy, but not once did Somi show any bit of discomfort, instead smiling with her eyes at how forceful you were with her, as if she loved to be used.

The more you filled Somi’s pretty mouth, the more she gagged, her watery eyes showing how much she loved this as she held onto your thighs and braced herself as she became a beautiful ruined mess.

With every harsh thrust Somi felt a pool forming in between her thighs as you used her, she was getting of on this just as much as you were. The gagging sounds coming out of her mouth grew louder, the lipstick around her mouth now became smeared against her lips and the head of your slickened cock that continued driving in and out of her messy mouth without a hint of care, dripping more saliva onto her chin and down into her delicious cleavage.

As much as you loved Somi on her knees, choking on your cock in the middle of the library’s adult section you were both starting to tire out. You held Somi all the way down, looking at her watery eyes, her messy face, and smeared lips as every second felt like forever, looking down and waiting for some signal for you to stop, but Somi took it all like a champ.

When you finally loosened your hold of Somi, you collapsed against the nearest bookshelf, both of you gasping for air.

“You okay? Too rough?”

Somi simply shook her head and smiled. “Not at all, I loved it. Nothing I couldn’t handle.”

You felt soft hands wrapping around your dick again, as you looked down you saw Somi gently jerking you off again. “Let’s see if I can handle this. It’s big. Want to fuck me now?”

“I’d love to...but what I really want is to see those big fucking tits.”

“I’d love for you to see them, but let’s go somewhere more private first. One of those more... hidden spots I told you about.“

Somi stood upright and offered her hand, which you accepted as you stepped out of your pants and underwear, leaving a small pile of your combined clothes behind. She led you further into the depths of the upper floor, taking you into a section that was a little bit darker, a little bit quieter, but also a little cozier. Tall brown shelves formed an L-shape, and you noticed the table centered in the area which Somi pulled a short chain on a lamp to illuminate the area slightly.

Somi ran a finger through one of the shelves, demonstrating the dust that collected on her fingertip before rubbing it off on her dark skirt.

“Since I’ve worked here I haven’t seen a single person in this area. Not even once. This is our reference area, but most of these books are decades old and useless. I’d even bet that these books are older than the two of us, so I don’t think we’ll have anyone bothering us here. ”

You exchanged smiles as Somi pulled out a wooden chair and gently pushed you back onto it, running her small delicate hand over the surface of the table that she seemed more than familiar with.

“And as you can see, this table will be useful later. That is if you want to use it.” Somi grinned and climbed onto your naked lap. “Now,where were we?”

“You were about to show me your tits.”

“Right.” Even clothed in a bra, you could tell just how well endowed Somi was, her bra working hard to support her huge tits and you were grateful she wasn’t going to wait long to reveal them.

As Somi reached behind her back to unclasp her bra, you wondered for a second how many men she has done this for, but those thoughts were quickly erased by the reveal of her chest as she tossed her bra away and exposed her large and round breasts. The beautiful paleness of her naked upper torso highlighted by the dim lamp. Somi’s bare breasts were absolutely perfect and mouthwatering.

You didn’t let Somi get another word in before you dove in, cupping her tits and giving a firm squeeze, floored by just how huge and soft they felt in your hands.

“Fuck, these are the best tits I’ve ever seen.”

You couldn’t take her eyes off her chest for a second as you felt the warmth and softness of them, fondling, squeezing, and doing everything you can to get as much of them into your hands as possible, feeling her stiff pink nipples brushing up against your palms as her arousal level mirrored your own.

Their warmth and weight and softness drove you insane, you still couldn’t believe just how goddamn big they felt as you continued groping Somi’s delicious tits, caressing them with your hands as she leaned back to grant better access to her chest, while you never had your fill of playing with her luscious tits.

As you partook in the scrumptious chest of Somi, you forget that you are even in a library as you feasted on her tits, bringing your mouth to one of her pink nipples and swirling it around before capturing in between your lips, sucking and slurping on it just as loud as she had your cock to earn a soft needy moan from the librarian.

“Careful...they’re sensitive..” Somi cautioned, but you cared little for her words as your lips were too preoccupied on tasting her large mounds, messily slurping and nibbling and downright devouring them, encouraged by the whiny moans of Somi being pleasured.

You could do this until your lips were numb, and even then you were sure you wouldn’t be able to stop. You switched nipples every so often, both of her hard nubs coated in your saliva as you worked them into your mouth, doing every single thing to stimulate her swollen breasts - licking, sucking, pinching and even the occasional biting.

You took one more taste of Somi’s tits, her moans growing louder as you gave each breast one long slurp and prepared yourself for what was next.

“Looks like...you’re ready to fuck me,” Somi said, feeling the stiffness of your cock that never seemed to die down.

“But before you do, I bet you would love to fuck these big tits huh?”

You were too tired to give an answer, but Somi didn’t need it. She knew your response already as she knelt on the carpet again.

“Thought so.”

It took a while to process the sentence that just escaped out of Somi’s mouth. With her knees on the carpet and a smile on that gorgeous messy face, she leaned forward, cupping her own breasts and wrapped them around your cock, smothering your shaft in the warmth and pillowy softness of her bountiful cleavage.

You groaned as you felt her tits around every bit of your cock. Somi let out cute innocent giggles as she pleased your cock with her big tits, causing grunts and groans at the sensation of her tits wrapped around your needy shaft. She supplied adequate saliva, spitting in between her cleavage constantly to provide generous lubrication that ensured your cock moved smoothly and freely in between those delicious large mounds.  

Her ample full breasts felt like heaven as they slid up and down your cock, she pressed her hands around her chest and squeezed tighter, feeling your sensitive shaft throbbing and twitching more as if she were daring you to cum, sensing the climax that had been building up for the last several minutes.

“Do you love this? Do you love fucking my big tits?”

“More than anything in the world, Somi.”

In between deep breaths you moaned Somi’s name as she quickened the pace, trying to lick the tip of your leaking cock every time it reappeared from her deep cleavage, each time she succeeded causing electrifying pleasure.

“Somi...fuck, you’re gonna make me cum if you keep doing that.”

“Then I’ll keep doing this,” she smirked. “Cum if you need to, but you better stay hard. I’m not done with you yet.”

Somi kept your cock tightly contained in her slippery cleavage, staring at the need in your eyes and the uncontrollable yearn for her tits as she sped the tempo up, fueling your demand for release.

With each pump in between her soft breasts, you found it harder to breathe and the aching in the pit of your stomach grew and tensed up your body. Somi took you to your limits, and soon after she brought you past them as you reached an early climax.

Somi grinned wide as you came with a loud greedy groan, your aching cock throbbed as thick spurts exploded out of your tip and filled her cleavage with hot sticky semen, finding her collarbone as a target to paint while the rest of your huge load landed on the top of her delicious breasts

She kept the friction going and didn’t stop grinding her chest until she milked every drop out of you until you had nothing left in the tank to give her. Somi’s lips smiled proudly, admiring the mess you left on her chest and leaned back to give you a view of her cum stained chest as she released you from the confines of her sticky cleavage.

“God, it’s so fucking thick, and sticky. Did you like bursting all over these huge tits?”

“Y-es, I loved it.”

Somi ran a finger in between the load deposited in her cleavage, collecting a bit to sample as she brought it to her lips and sucked it clean with a lewd slurp.

“Yummy,” Somi said, as she used her hands in circular motions to rub your stickiness into her chest, letting a devilish grin form on those plump lips.

“Let me clean you up.”

She sucked and cleaned every inch of your sensitive cock, and the return of her hot breath against your tip brought your erection back to life.

“Good, you’re still hard. Because I have an appetite for a pounding.”

“Whenever you’re ready...I’d be more than happy to demonstrate my favorite position.”

“I’m ready right fucking now,” you said as you stood up from your chair and helped Somi up to her knees.

“Prove it then. Fuck me.”

Somi spun around until she was no longer facing you, placing both of her hands flat on top of the dark wooden desk as she bent her body over it. She grabbed the hem of her tight skirt and hiked it up around her waist, enough to show you her plump ass and the thong that might as well have been see-through with how little it covered up.

As you pushed Somi’s thin thong to the side and revealed her delicious looking pink pussy, you squeezed the warm flesh of her ass and delivered a hard smack to each of her cheeks.

Somi gasped as you delivered a few more slaps to her perfect plump ass, looking between her full thighs at the pink pussy lips that looked divine and drenched with an abundance of slick already.

"Don't keep me waiting. Put that inside me now," she said, her pussy aching with need. You loved to normally tease a woman before you entered her, and you wanted to do the same to Somi but you both had no patience. You needed her now.

Somi looked over her shoulder as you prepared your cock, lining it up with her pretty pussy and placing it between the slippery lips of her entrance, feeling the heat of her core surrounding your cock already.

You entered Somi slowly without any hesitation as you both gave out hungry moans, feeling the tight silky wetness of her pussy that wrapped around your cock as you slid the first few inches inside her. As you settled into the sensations around your shaft as you pushed in deeper, feeling the incredible tightness of her wet pussy as you began stretching her slippery walls out as you filled her with more of your dick.

“Fuck, you're so big. Keep going,” Somi moaned.

The movement of your hips began, the pace slow and steady as you thrusted into Somi’s tight pussy, feeling her getting used to your size as she moaned along with your motions. You grabbed onto Somi’s delicious body by her hips, squeezing them with a firm grip as you found a rhythm, moving in and out at a pace that was not satisfactory for her.

“Harder,” she demanded. “Fuck me like you fucked my face. I know you can do better than this.”

You upped the pace immediately and gave Somi the satisfaction she desperately craved. Your hips smacked against her ass as you pistoned into her tight dripping pussy with ease, her juices slickening up your shaft generously and moaning into the night.

"We're still in a library, Somi," you remarked, and even though the likelihood of being caught was low, you still reached forward and placed a hand over her mouth in attempting to silence her loud moans.

The tight seal on Somi's mouth did not last, as she used the opportunity to suck on your fingers, silencing herself as she lewdly slurped on your fingers. Her wet lips on your fingertips persisted as you pounded into her tight cunt, increasing your pace as you fucked her from behind as deep as you could go, filling her with every last inch of your shaft.

You withdrew your fingers from her lips, feeling the saliva coated on them as you used the same hand and grabbed onto Somi's ponytail and formed a tight fist around it, pulling back and causing her head to jerk back. You felt her walls clenching tighter in response, and with a handful of her hair you absolutely drilled Somi, fucking her with deep long strokes as she let her satisfaction known by releasing loud and drawn-out lustful moans.

"Fuck, you're deep, oh my god fuck me, don't fucking stop!"

You put in more power into your hips as you wrecked Somi from behind, slamming into her tight hole with the harshest thrusts you could summon. The wet sounds of her pussy and slapping sounds as your body smacked against her ass filled your ears and motivated you to keep the harsh pace, increasing Somi's seductive moans as she lost herself in pleasure.

"You really know how to use that fucking cock don't you? God, you're stretching me so wide, I fucking love it," she said, eyes rolling in the back of her head as she was stuffed with cock to the very hilt.

"I can tell by how wet you are. You always like it this rough?"

"Yes. If I can still walk the next day then it wasn't hard enough. Now keep fucking me, use me like the little slut I am."

“With pleasure.”

It wasn’t often that you involved yourself with anyone as unique as Somi. She knew what she wanted, and that was a turn-on in itself. And as you felt the hot pink flesh wrapping around your member, you hoped that this wasn’t a one time thing. There were many things you wanted to do to her, and hell you’d even check out that goofy book to help out.

Somi’s cries of pleasure were intoxicating, and you wanted to hear them as long as you could. You grabbed her breasts from behind and felt her pussy pulsating around you, her tight walls wettening your cock as you pounded into her without a care in the world, knowing that she was close to climax.

You increased your speed even more, playing with her wonderful full breasts and pinching her hard nipples, teasing her into an approaching orgasm that sent her scrambling for anything to grab onto, desperately finding the edge of the table to find an outlet.

“Ah, fuck, I’m cumming!”

Her climax was loud as it was messy, you felt her walls squeezing your cock hard, dripping around your shaft as her body shook violently. It took everything you had to keep yourself deep inside her, fucking her through her wild and intense orgasm which was sending you on the road to your own climax.

“Fuck, Somi, you’re going to make me cum too. Where do you want it?”

“Anywhere you’d like. You can fill me up, or you can paint my face. It’s your choice.“

You smirked at such wonderful invitation “I’d love to cum all over that pretty face. Nothing would make me happier than to see you covered in such a big thick load.”

“Then come make a mess all over me.”

With one more firm squeeze you let go of Somi’s tits, returning your hands to the full wide hips of her body as you gave her everything you had left, fucking her from behind with every last bit of energy and strength, savoring the unforgettable tightness and warmth of her pussy as you grew closer and closer to the edge.

As you pulled out, Somi knew what to do and dropped to her knees one last time, smiling as she awaited what you have in store for her. You took your cock in your hand, slicked with her juices, aiming your cock at the beautiful librarian’s face as your climax neared.

“Shoot that fucking load all over my face.”

She couldn’t wait for you to burst all over her gorgeous face, and neither could you, slowly stroking over her face as she looked up eagerly in anticipation.  

Those few final pumps brought you to release and Somi was more than happy to receive your load as you unloaded all over her stunningly beautiful face. Your breath weakened and you let out loud moans as you shot the first few thick spurts onto her forehead, nose, and cheeks, long lines of cum catching in her hair and earning lustful moans as she smiled deeply as she felt the sticky warmth coating her gorgeous face.

You saved the last bit of built up seed and aimed for those beautiful soft lips, painting them white as the final spurts of your load coated them, thick streams clinging everywhere to Somi’s face into a beautiful sticky mess.

You looked down at the proud mess you left on Somi’s beautiful face and she looked up with satisfaction, unable to stop smiling as she gushed in between her thighs. Your hot load clung to her face, the weight of it arousing her to an all time high, and she cleaned your cock once again with sticky white lips sucking the sensitive tip of your cock. Your freshly deposited load began to slowly drip down her cum-stained face, and as you caught you breath you've never seen such a beautiful sight.  

Somi giggled as she finished polishing your cock, releasing it with a loud pop that signaled an end to the night's festivities, not that you were really in a position to go again.

“Now that’s a load…”

Somi cleaned up what she could with her fingers, feeling it trickle down into her cleavage as the two of you collectively caught your breath.

“How does it feel... to fuck a librarian?” Somi said, in between deep breaths.

“Amazing. You’re incredible, Somi. I’d love to do this again,” you said, hypnotized by her heaving breasts.

“You know where to find me. I don’t work on weekdays, but I live on campus so I don’t mind coming in for a little one on one assistance. Or maybe you’d prefer the bedroom? I don’t have a roommate.”

“Either sounds perfect.”

“Then I’ll see you soon. It’s almost closing time and I need to clean up this mess you left all over me. " She let an adorable giggle once more as she began to dress and sent you on your way. “Good night, I hope to see you again.”

“Good night, Somi. Thank you for your assistance. “

[keelywolfe]

FIC: The Rose and the Thorn: Chapter 11 (Mafia AU)

Summary:   Ah, brotherly love! Or LOVE, depending on how this goes.

Tags: Spicyhoney, Cherryberry, Mafia AU, Flower Shop AU, Violence, First Meetings

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10

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Read on AO3

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Read it here!

~~*~~

“Where have you been?”

As he was shutting the door, Rus caught a glimpse of their current Dog guard. He cringed, his tail drooping to tuck between his legs and Rus had no doubt that if he had a tail of his own, he’d be doing the same thing. Blue wasn’t very tall, but he packed a lot of punch per square inch and from the bright, erratic glow of his eye lights, he was very tempted to send all that punching right in Rus’s direction.

Rus turned to him, clutching his backpack to his chest, pins jangling and digging in. There wasn’t time to come up with a real plan and he didn’t exactly want to go with ‘hung out with strippers then ended with sitting on Edge’s lap’, so deflect, deflect, deflect it was.

“what i was told to do,” Rus tried, “staying out of trouble. i…i was reading a book.” Hey, it was true and only left out a few key details.

Instead of soothing his brother, Blue only seemed angrier, a hectic flush of near sapphire staining his cheekbones as he snapped out, “Reading a book?!” The last word soared up to a level of shrill that threatened to shatter the glasses on the little minibar in the corner. “Are you mad? Look at you!”

Rus glanced down at himself, shit, how could he have forgotten the state of his shirt? He looked like he’d taken on a part-time job as a chimney sweep. In a burst of inspiration, he said, “i…lit the fireplace, the room was cold.” Rus laughed, a touch raggedly. “i guess i need practice, it was harder than i thought.”

“You would have been warm enough back here!” Blue retorted. “It’s been hours! I’ve been sitting here, waiting and wondering, near out of my mind worrying! I asked the Dogs to bring me to you or to bring you back here and none of them would do a thing!”

“maybe they didn’t want to bother me. what were you doing, then?” Rus flung back, his own shamed guilt curdling into anger. He turned away from his brother’s accusing face and went to the closet, stashing his backpack roughly inside and ignoring the clothing hanging within. “red seemed to think you had something awfully important to talk about that both of you assumed i didn’t need to hear!”

Stupid of him, Rus cursed inwardly, as if he wasn’t keeping his own secrets about last night, secrets that he himself revealed existed with his foolish breakfast table apology. Rus hunched into himself as he waited for Blue to throw that one at him, wildly trying to come up with an explanation his brother would believe. Only Blue said nothing and when Rus risked a look at him, his round face was crumpled in upset.

“We do…we did! It’s not like that, Papy.” His brother took a hurt, hitched breath and his sudden misery only made Rus’s sinking guilt worse. He hated fighting with his brother, Blue always worked so hard, did so much for him, and here he was doing…what…with Edge? He wasn’t even sure, but what he did know was his brother who’d cared for him, bandaged his hurts, made sure he was properly clothed and fed since Rus was old enough to remember was near tears because of him. “Little brother, these people are—” Blue broke off, biting back whatever he’d planned to say. He scrubbed a hand over his face and Rus suddenly noticed Blue had changed his clothes into something simpler, his own clothes from the day before. Blue sighed heavily into his hands and when he dropped them from his face, he was calmer, “I was worried, that was all. I’m sorry I snapped.”

Rus swallowed hard, trying and failing to swallow away the swell of his guilt. His brother probably wasn’t wrong to be worried, but all he said was, “it’s okay, bro.”

Seriously, of course Blue was fucking worried, two days ago someone shot up their shop, yesterday he’d been kidnapped, had it only been yesterday? It seemed so much longer, days, weeks, since he’d been tied to that chair, bruised and terrified, wondering if he was going to die. He sank down to one knee and hugged Blue, took comfort from like he couldn’t yesterday.

His brother hugged him back, short, strong arms circling his neck, holding him tightly. Rus only vaguely remembering ever having to look up to him, he’d been taller than his big brother for ages now. Blue’s wordless murmurs of comfort became a barely audible whisper, “We mustn’t assume they can’t hear us.”

Oh.

Rus gave him a tiny nod, felt his brother sigh as he murmured, low, “We need to stay together as much as we can, to stay safe, do you understand?”

“yeah.” That must be why Blue wasn’t questioning him about what Edge let slip this morning, he was afraid of who might overhear. Rus couldn’t help being relieved at the reprieve even as his guilt threatened to strangle him. He wasn’t used to keeping secrets from his brother, not about anything. He’d explain soon, Rus told himself, he would. First, he’d use whatever time he had to figure things out for himself.

Blue finally pulled away, his eye lights suspiciously shimmery. “Now! Change your shirt and come along with me. Dogamy showed me something earlier that you might enjoy.”

“dogamy?” Rus asked, confused. Some of the clothes in the closet were in his size, he realized, and he hastily changed, this time a soft lavender pullover, before following Blue to the door. He tried not to think about what the sheer quantity of clothes might mean.

Blue nodded “He’s the leader of the Dogs around here, or so they tell me.”

“So… you got to meet the top dog, huh,” Rus said teasingly.

Worth it for the way Blue grumbled out with familiar, exasperated fondness, “Don’t start. Come along, now.”

This time Blue led the way down the hallway. Neither of them looked back at the shadow they picked up, the sound of paws on carpet as their latest sentry followed along. Blue gave no sign of his discomfort past a certain stiffness in his shoulders. The trip seemed a lot shorter than any other, to a door with a strange symbol on it. Blue pushed through it and they went up an echoing concrete staircase, easily the least elegant part of the building Rus had seen so far. Probably meant for maintenance people or even in case of fire…and he stopped that thought right there, he didn’t want to be thinking of fire in any capacity for some time.

At the top of the stairs was a heavy door with a push bar and it took both of them to push it open, but once they stepped through, out into sudden fresh air—

Well. No wonder Blue was so eager to show him.

It was a rooftop garden, arbors of cooling greenery overhead and a winding stone path leading through overflowing planters and pillars covered in winding ivory. Rus followed the path to a bench and sat, breathing in the smell of plants and soil that he’d been missing.

“this is nice, isn’t it,” Rus murmured. Hardly up to his brother’s standards when it came to gardens, but without the need for the high fences surrounding it. To his professional eye, it was all a bit of a hodgepodge; whoever set this up didn’t have much of a sense for design, or perhaps they simply didn’t care, and already he was itching to move things around a bit, arrange them into a more aesthetically pleasing form.

It was no surprise that his brother seemed in agreement of that. “Nice,” Blue sniffed, “It’s so overgrown and chaotic it’s a wonder it hasn’t wandered off down the side of the building on its own! The hanging baskets need clipped back and the drainage for the roses is so poor I expect all the bushes have root rot.” His distaste brightened into determination, “but I think we can improve it.”

“spruce it up, you mean.”

“Papy,” Blue groaned, but there was laughter beneath it. Underneath the bench was small tool caddy and Blue dragged it out, snagging a pair of gloves. It seemed he meant they should work on it now and suddenly, no idea appealed more. For all that opening the shop was his brother’s idea, Rus genuinely enjoyed the work and he’d honestly been missing it. There wasn’t much he could do about the way their shop and garden were being neglected, but there was no reason to let these atrocities continue. He grabbed a pair of his own gloves, rolling up his sleeves and got to work.

By the time Rus looked up again, sweating through his shirt and aching a bit from effort, most of the containers close to the door were trimmed and weeded, and several transplants moved to where they could be both aesthetically pleasing and benefit from the sunshine. Honestly, the rainbow was all good and well, but tossing a bunch of different flowers into one pot did not an arrangement make.

Rus peeled off his gloves as he climbed to his feet. He pressed both hands to his spine as he stretched, groaning in relief as the joints popped. A quick glance showed Blue was still hard at work, unclipping the hanging baskets to shape the unwieldy stems. Rus left him to it, wandered to the side of the building where the breeze was stronger. He braced his hands on the waist-high ledge, peering down. Past the neon glow of the sign, the street level was busy, Monsters on the sidewalk going about their business.

The Dust Bowl was too small to allow for any empty spaces and despite the overwhelming presence of the strip club, there were plenty of shops lining the street and their products became less salacious the further away they got. No Humans were in sight, but that was no surprise. Any Humans who drove through here were seeking an extremely specific product that was sold on street corners, often invited into their cars and back to a hotel room, or at least a quick park in a deserted back alley. His brother certainly tried but he couldn’t keep all the gossip from Rus’s hearing, and he knew some Monsters were unable to get paying jobs on the surface, reduced to prostitution themselves to the Humans that so often despised them.

That made Rus think of Mona, her generous kindness and her gentle smile. He really hoped that wasn’t something she had to do, that Edge meant it when he said he took care of his people.

Across the street something caught his eye, disrupting that line of thought. Rus frowned a little as he studied the car that was a tad too luxurious to fit in this neighborhood. It was parked across the street from the club and there was someone sitting in the driver’s seat, though he couldn’t make out anything about them from the distance. Not one of Edge’s people, he was sure, they’d have gone into the parking garage, so who—

*We know it’s there.*

Startled, Rus whirled around with a choked gasp. The Dog that followed them up here was behind him. None of the Dogs had ever spoken to him before but there was no mistaking that woofy accent.

“you know?” Rus asked uncertainly.

The Dog nodded, impatiently brushing back a floppy ear that fell over one eye. *Stay in the club, pup. Safe here.*

“i…yes, i will,” Rus stammered out. He turned away from that ominous car and looked back out at the rooftop, at the plants they were working so hard on. “but. is it really safe up here? couldn’t they hurt—” Us “…the garden? i mean…all right, this sounds ridiculous, but i’m not sure, a bomb? like a molotov cocktail, i’ve seen movies.”

Dogs couldn’t properly laugh, but this one’s tongue lolled out in a doggish grin. *Not Blaze, too blunt, no finesse. Couldn’t anyway.*

He stepped up to the ledge and held out a paw, gestured patiently for Rus to do the same. He did, confused, pressing out as though pushing an invisible wall and when his hand reached the edge of the building, he stopped with a startled cry. There was nothing to see, but he could feel the buzz of protective magic and the fierce intent behind it.

“spells,” Rus murmured. Edge did mention they’d been weaving plenty of protective spells over the club.

*Yes, many,* the Dog agreed. *Keep you safe, pup.*

Pup, honestly, now there was yet another nickname that he did not need.

“i do have a name,” Rus said, exasperated,

*Yes.* Another doggish laugh. *Flower shop.*

“oh, for—” Rus laughed himself, helplessly, “rus, you can call me rus.”

*Rus,* the Dog said agreeably. He didn’t offer a name of his own and Rus didn’t press. Obviously, he hadn’t reached Blue’s level of rank with the dogma around here. Something to strive for.

Rus went back into the garden proper, casting a last uncomfortable look back at that car and the watcher inside. They really were trapped in here, Rus thought unhappily. Little wildflowers plucked from their freedom and tucked into a pretty vase and the very idea of once again being imprisoned after a lifetime underground chafed, this time to a much smaller area even if they could still see the sunshine.

Trapped, and there wasn’t a thing Rus could do about it.

Instead, he snatched up his gloves again and got back to work. Rus didn’t have his brother’s skills with growing, but he liked to think he brought his own talents to the party. Time passed and Rus was finishing up trimming a bed of lovely but overgrown miniature roses when a voice spoke up behind him.

“You two have been busy.”

Rus tried to whirl around and stand in the same motion and instead toppled off his perch on the side of the planter to the ground with a painful thump.

“honestly, what is with you people always creeping up on me!” Rus grumbled, casting a glare in the direction of his frightener. Edge, who was standing by one of the arbors and likely had been for some time, stalker that he was proving himself to be.

“My apologies, I didn’t mean to frighten you,” Edge said, not quite contrite.

“you…you didn’t.” As if his soul wasn’t hammering in his rib cage. Then it throbbed wildly for another reason entirely. Edge must have showered, and he’d changed out of the sooty wreck of his suit into tight slacks and another crimson button up shirt. Only this one was undone halfway down his sternum, showing off a wealth of scarred collarbone and ribs that seemed to point in the direction of his sleek belt buckle and lower. He looked casually posh and temptingly handsome.

And here Rus was, sweaty, unwashed, and probably filthy from face to foot.

Angel have mercy.

Rus scrambled to his feet, rubbing at his poor, abused tailbone in awkward flusterment. Welp, if you couldn’t go for pizzazz, may as well go for bluster. “your garden isn’t in very good shape, you should find a new gardener. maybe try one who’s seen a plant once or twice before you hire them on.”

Edge glanced around them as though the garden just sprung up in that moment and he was only now noticing, “To be honest, I hardly remembered this was up here.”

“don’t let blue hear you say that,” Rus warned, “he nearly wept when he saw the state of your roses.” The poor things were in awful shape and Rus was very sure he’d heard his brother muttering words he hadn’t even thought Blue knew under his breath. Rus looked down at the ones he’d been tending to; the sweet-smelling blossoms with curled velvety petals were hardly larger than a knucklebone, “you seem to like your roses.”

“I do like certain flowers.” The words were much closer than expected and Rus looked up, newly startled to find standing Edge right next to him, the sneak, so close Rus could see the faint sparks crackling in his eye lights as he slowly ducked his head. Rus knew it was coming and somehow still couldn’t brace himself for the feel of Edge’s mouth against his own, coaxingly soft.

Oh. Oh, this was—he couldn’t think, not with Edge so close to him, the smell of him, the heat of his body, his mouth. Rus swallowed down a whimper, tipping his head up and let his teeth part. There was a flicker of a tongue over his own, coyly enticing, and Rus followed the invitation, shyly exploring Edge’s mouth with his own, tasting the heady spice of magic and desire.

That mouth began to draw away far too soon and Rus would have chased it, frantically rising up on his toes as it slipped out of reach, desperate for more. Would have, if strong hands hadn’t caught his shoulders and a low chuckle dragged him back to embarrassing reality.

“Eager, are we?” Edge husked out. It took far too long for his meaning to register, long enough for him to cup Rus’s face in a large hand, his gloved thumb brushing away what was probably a smudge of dirt from his cheekbone.

“you--!” Rus sputtered, but all his indignance faltered, fading, when he caught sight of his brother.

Blue was looking at them, white-faced and grim, and his sockets were empty caves of blackness.

Fuck.

Edge followed his look, catching sight of Blue before he turned away and stormed off the furthest corner of the garden, and frowned. “You haven’t told him anything about us, have you.”

There was an understatement. “i wasn’t sure what there was to tell,” Rus admitted, too soft.

“That’s a discussion all its own. Don’t keep secrets from your brother,” Edge said, “You have nothing to be ashamed about.”

Something about the confidence in that roused Rus’s indignance again. Honestly, Edge hardly knew him and certainly didn’t know a thing about Blue, and here he was, making blanket statements like that. As if he knew a thing about shame. Tartly, Rus asked, “you’re so sure about that?”

“Yes,” Edge said, a low, amused rumble. “There’s no shame in giving in to the inevitable.”

“inevita—" Rus gasped. Of all the arrogant, conceited…! “you don’t even know my name!”

“No? Talk to your brother, tell him the truth.” Edge’s humor went suddenly grim. “Once you get into the habit of keeping secrets, it’s difficult to break it.”

That was enough to cool some of Rus’s roused temper. He suspected Edge was speaking from experience. But then, his brother was Red. Who wouldn’t want to keep secrets from him? Blue was another story; how could he even begin to make his brother understand that in a way this did feel inevitable. He hardly knew Edge, he certainly didn’t approve of his business, and yet, Rus was helplessly drawn to him for reasons he wasn’t sure he could articulate, much less in a way Blue would believe. “that’s easy for you to say.”

“All you have to do is say the words, flower shop,” Edge said. Then, briskly, “Now, I came up here to see if you were hungry. Breakfast was some time ago.”

As if waiting for the perfect moment to embarrass him, his magic chose that moment to give a ravenous sort of growl.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Edge chuckled. “Would you rather eat dinner in your room or with my brother and I?”

Talked about choosing between the devil and the deep blue sea. “with you,” Rus sighed. At least if dinner was with the devil, it gave him a little time to figure out how to flounder in the deep water.

Edge nodded, unsurprised, “Come on, then, we’ll get your brother together.”

A large hand settled at the base of his spine, warmth bleeding through his thin shirt as Edge guided him along. Rus gulped, but didn’t protest.

His brother loved him, Rus told himself, he did, Blue always took care of him. They’d figure this out.

tbc

[lastluvbug]

Dude your little fool me once and twice series just stabbed me I'm the feels like, dude I am legit crying. XD WE NEED SOME FLUFF IN THIS PIECE SO ITS UP TO ME TO REQUEST SOMETHING! (if you are willing to do it you don't have to just saying.) So can you do a request where the MC (Yuu) has had a stressful day after dealing with some bullies that she has been trying not to tell anyone about but Kalim and Jamil end up finding out. What will they do?

Ahh!! Thank you thank you for the ask! Of course I’m willing to do it!

Warnings: Bullying

Desert Flower

“Fgnaaaaaaa!!!”

Yuu was roughly torn from her ever enigmatic dreaming by a scratchy scream and a distinct flush of heat to her side.

Yelping through her disorientation, she pushed herself away from the source of the burning, rubbing her eyes to clear away the sleep induced fuzziness. “G-Grim! Hey, what’s wrong?!” She cried, hands hovering just above the cat-like creature who was writhing on the bed, blue flame encircling him.

“Grim! Wake up! You’re having a nightmare!” She took the monster into her arms, biting back a wince as her hands were scorched by the heat, fading after a second as Grim’s eyes snapped open.

“Yuu...! Yuu, he was going to eat me!” He sobbed, cuddling into her embrace.

“Who? What was happening in your dream?”

“It was Jamil’s shadow! He looked so hungry, like he was going to...”

Yuu wanted to laugh, but she smiled softly instead, smoothing out Grim’s fur and petting lightly over his ears, quelling his hysteria. “It wasn’t real. I thought you were a great hero! A hero’s not afraid of anything, right?” She tempted, playing with his small paws.

“Absolutely! I-I’m not afraid of some silly monster!” Grim agreed, taking Yuu’s bait. She was going to reply, when a loud rumbling promptly shut her down, making her laugh briskly. “...But I am scared of this appetite! I’m starving, let’s eat!” He cheered, throwing a curled paw up.

“Hmph, so brave...” She sighed, setting Grim down, “go on down. I’ll meet you there.”

“Okay~!”

Grim leapt off the bed, mumbling something Yuu couldn’t quite catch as he left, kicking the door shut behind him.

Giggling at her friend’s antics, the smile was quickly forgotten as her hands began to sting, sharp as first but easing as she relaxed the muscles. Peering down at the soft skin, she groaned at the cherry red sight, slightly swollen and puffy from the burns they suffered. “Guess I have to be even more careful than before... just until this heals up, that is.”

Yuu was cautious as she stood from the bed and fixed her uniform, brushing out her hair and changing her sleepwear. She hesitated briefly as she glanced herself over in the mirror above the forever unlit fireplace, cringing at her face.

It was apparent she hadn’t gotten enough sleep, as usual, even without Grim’s little interruption. Further still, perhaps unnoticeable by anyone besides her, a dark, defeated darkness twisted her lips in a frown, her bright eyes dimmed with an unnamed melancholy.

She knew the reason why. She knew the reason why she hesitated in every class, why she started eating less and less, why it was becoming difficult to look anyone in the eye.

Pushing the room door open silently, Yuu headed down the hall, flexing her hands slowly in front of her as she sucked in a sharp breath. “That sure looks painful, did the kitty do that to you?” Yuu screamed at the sudden intrusion, jumping back a few feet as she glared at the ghost.

“Do you absolutely need to do that?” She scolded, growling.

“What do you want me to do? Wear a bell and jingle everywhere I go?” The chubby ghost joked, laughing heartily at Yuu’s unimpressed expression. “My concern is real, y’know. I’m not sure you should leave today, especially if you’re going to be hounded by those bullies again.”

Yuu flinched, clenching her fist despite the screaming pain that followed. That one had been her accident.

Ever since arriving at NRC, Yuu was accutely aware of her misplacement, both because of her gender and because of her lack of magical abilities. As if the self doubt wasn’t enough, it wasn’t long before some of the students made the same realization, and used it against her in the worst ways. Tormenting her, they called her names, ridiculed her, broke her down inch by inch.

It wasn’t until she happened to stumble upon a certain pair of classmates that she found a way to cope. She couldn’t remember exactly how she met Kalim Al-Asim and Jamil Viper, but could vaguely recall bumping into the shorter during lunch, earning a snide remark from the vice and a carefree laugh from the head. From there, she found herself spending more and more time with the duo, eventually earning the trust and friendship from them, though it took a while to break down Jamil’s guard.

That was how she managed to hide her secret for so long. She’d met so many people, made so many friends, but none like Kalim and Jamil. She knew that they had a full plate as it was, but adding her problems to it? No way, she wanted to prove that she could handle herself, that she could stand up and face the problem head on.

So one night after a particularly cruel session of verbal abuse, she tucked Grim into bed, rushed to the rundown lounge, and cried. She was sure to be quiet, covering her mouth with her hands and suppressing her whimpers, but cried nonetheless, completely unaware of the ghosts that watched.

When they emerged from the shadows to comfort her, that was when Yuu spilled her troubles, pleading with them to keep it a secret.

“I’ll be fine! After all, I’ll just do what I always do; works like a charm!” Yuu waved him off, shrugging the memory away.

“...Yuu. It’s not healthy to hide these things. Maybe you should tell someone.” He suggested, brows creased.

“No! I can handle this on my own. Now, thank you for your time, but I should be getting to Grim and class. Bye!”

“Just be safe!” The ghost warned, fading back into the walls as Yuu hopped down the steps.

She didn’t respond as she caught Grim in the kitchen, shoveling tuna into his mouth as she laughed. The almost unbearable heat of hunger flooded her gut, but pressing a hand to her stomach and swallowing thickly, she pushed it away. Not now.

“Come on, Grim! I want to go meet Kalim and Jamil!” Yuu smiled, bending over as she placed her hands delicately on her knees.

“Fgna... go yourself, I’m busy.” Grim refused, licking out the rest of the can.

“U-Uh, alright! See you later!” Yuu stammered, feigning bliss as she headed out, crossing her arms defensively across her torso.

As she trudged down Main Street, she glanced around anxiously, heart skipping a beat as sweat beaded on her temples. It wasn’t often she was this nervous, only the times when she was utterly alone in the open. Her bullies never targetted her when she was with someone else, aware that she had a way of guarding herself with another person.

Yuu was climbing the steps to the school building when she noticed them; the four boys leaning against the doors. “Well, looky looky! Up bright and early for the day, birdie?” One of them crowed, making her cringe at the use of the distasteful nickname.

She could recognize them by the colors of their arm bands. Two were from Savanaclaw, one from Heartslabyul, and one from Pomefiore, each with their own way of ripping her self esteem to shreds. “Please leave me alone.” She clipped, keeping her gaze to the concrete.

“Bowing your head? Please, even Riddle could pull off a better act.” Heartslabyul sneered, kicking off the wall.

“No no, I think it suits her,” one of the Savanaclaw lackeys croned, “prey should know their place.”

“You’ll never be like us. You’re just a little girl, meant to serve and nothing more.” The other added.

“And with that face? She’d be lucky to find a man at all!” Pomefiore finished, drowning the staircase in wicked laughter. “Lose a few pounds and we’ll talk, sweetie!”

Yuu grabbed at the hem of her shirts, absorbing every comment, eyes unfocused and blurry. Bearing through the abuse yet again, she pushed through the boys now crowded around her, entering the building and shutting them out.

“It’s not true, it’s not true, it’s not true,” Yuu whispered to herself, covering her ears with her burnt hands as she followed the scent of breakfast to the cafeteria, pleasantly illuminated with the lantern light.

She hadn’t even taken a step inside when she heard the call, beckoning. “Yuu~! Over here!”

Yuu looked up, dropping her hands as she met the eternally smiling face of Kalim, arm above his head as he waved her over, Jamil pinching the bridge of his nose in embarrassment at the scene. Wiping her upset look off, she redrew a cheeky grin onto her glower, refilling her eyes with joy.

“Hey Kalim, Jamil! What’re you up to this morning?” She prompted, feeling a warmth build in her stomach.

“Eh, the usual. Breakfast.” Kalim responded, gesturing to his plate. “Jamil made it all, so it’s super healthy and delicious!”

“Ha, I’m sure it is!” Yuu nodded, revealing her pearly whites in a grin. It faltered as her gut grumbled, quietly enough to only be felt by her.

“Would you like some, Yuu? There’s plenty to go around.” Jamil offered, setting his silverware aside. “I’ll get a plate if you’d—“

“No thanks! I’m alright!” Yuu all too quickly deflected, digging her nails into her thighs.

“Hm? Are you certain? It wouldn’t be a bother.” Jamil pursued, Yuu feeling yet another hunger-caused groan arising in her torso.

“Yep—you know me! I’ll eat later, I’m not very hungry right now.” She lied.

“...If you insist.” Jamil conceded, resuming his meal.

The only thing ringing within Yuu’s ears was the hurtful smear on her body; she’d always believed she was beautiful, inside and out. It didn’t matter that she had her flaws, everyone did, she loved herself. Until someone took those flaws and paraded around like her feelings didn’t matter.

“So Yuu, what are you doing after school today?” Kalim asked, surfacing Yuu from her abyssal mind.

“Hm? Oh... nothing, I think. Why?” She played with her hands, and the feeling of aching soreness that occurred whenever she wiggled her fingers.

“Kalim and I have a freed schedule. I was curious as to know if you’d like to join us later, maybe for a board game or two?” Jamil smiled mischievously.

“Uh—yes! I’d love an excuse to see you two show off your rivalry!” Yuu joked, repressing her urge to eat.

“It’s settled then. We’ll come get you after class.”

“Yeah, and don’t be late! I’m so ready to kick Jamil’s ass in Mancala!”

“How many times must I defeat you in that game to drill it into your thick skull that I’m better than you?”

Kalim merely broke out into a fit of giggles, the joy rather infectious as Yuu joined in, even earning a small grin from Jamil at the absurd banter.

It was a blink before the bell rung, and as she parted from the oppositional duo, Yuu strongly regretted turning down the meal. Her stomach was knotted, groaning as it ate away at itself, sickeningly warm and unpleasant.

“Yuu! Wait for me! I’m not big enough to walk that fast!” Grim ushered behind her, panting as he ran on his short legs to catch up.

“Ah, Grim! Did you enjoy the rest of your food?”

“Obviously! There’s something just so enticing about fish, don’t you think?”

Yuu gave an awkward smile. “Uh, sure...” She lifted him into her arms, carrying him gingerly as to not disturb her burns, which were still hidden away from her animal-esque companion.

Taking a seat in her normal spot, Yuu felt the unmistakable sense of eyes trained on her, and spun around, looking for the source. When she found it, she recoiled, tilting her head downwards as if to hide her presence behind the curtain of hair that fell around her daintily beautiful face.

Two of her harassers sat a little ways behind her, glaring as they snickered, attentive to Yuu’s semi-vulnerable position. Still, with that fire breathing raccoon, they couldn’t do anything to her directly.

Yuu could barely focus on the class, with the combined forces of physical pain and mental distress working to keep her very preoccupied. Even reminders from Mr. Trein didn’t snap her from her internal stupor, though she knew her bullies were cruelly ridiculing her every time she received a clip from the teacher.

The worst part was, there was no escaping it. In every period, it seemed like the problem was chasing her. She couldn’t avoid those judgemental glowers, or the hushed lampooning that always managed to hit so close to home.

Like most other days, Yuu skipped lunch, her stomach now having gone quiet thanks to the use of her continued starvation. She sat with Grim, joking lightly as she watched him eat, wishing she could do the same without the guilty thought of ruining her body.

And, through hour after hour, the school day ended with a piercing ring, all students being dismissed with an armful of homework and an array of deadlines, Yuu included. “I’m beat! I just want to go home!” Grim cried, stretching. He started to walk away, but stopped when Yuu didn’t follow. “Coming?”

“Uh, n-not today! Kalim and Jamil are going to walk me over to their dorm.” Yuu explained, leaning against the doorframe. “You could come with us, if you wanted.”

“And sit around, watching you do God-knows-what? No thanks. I’m heading back to the safety of my kitchen.” He refused, uninterested.

“Oh wait! Then... could you take these with you?” She held out her homework, significantly less than the average student thanks to her lack of magical prowess, but still enough to take up a good chunk of her free time.

“Eh? Why can’t you do it yourself?”

“Because I want to be here when Kalim and Jamil show up! And besides, the Great Grim can handle such a little job, right?”

“Man, I hate when you use that as you excuse...” Grim sighed, taking the papers, “but of course I can! Now I’ll be off. See ya later, Yuu!” He hopped off, leaving Yuu in the dead silence.

The feeling from earlier that day returned, hands becoming clammy, heart rate accelerating, and limbs becoming stiff as Yuu stood. She despised being alone, especially because she knew the situation she was in, but her stubbornness turned away any thought of asking for help. She couldn’t do that, and let her friends believe she was too weak to face her own problems!

She wasn’t sure how long she’d been standing outside that classroom, but as soon as those brawny figures emerged from thr shadows, she wished for nothing more than to dart into it. Fear kept her paralyzed, even as they trapped her in a circle, back preser to the wall. “All alone? Do you never learn from your mistakes? How dense can you be?”

“Please, stop. Haven’t you done enough?!” Yuu fought, never once making eye contact.

“Done enough? You’re lucky we’ve been this kind to you!” One of them laughed, earning grunts from the rest.

“Kind? You think calling me names and criticizing me is kind?” She didn’t know where this confidence came from, but she felt her adrenaline spike because of it.

She was finally going to stand up for herself.

<————>

“Ahh! I hope Yuu’s okay! I sure got an earful from Mr. Crewel...” Kalim worried, rubbing the back of his head.

“Only because your such a dunce,” Jamil rolled his eyes, “I’m sure she’s fine. She’s been a little... off as of late, but we’ll sort that out when we’re back at the dorms.”

“I know, I know... ugh, I’m going to go on ahead! I need to apologize!” Kalim decided, jogging to meet up with Yuu.

He’d screwed up a potion in class, earning a huge mess to clean and a lecture from Mr. Crewel as a reward, Jamil staying behind to help despite Kalim’s protests against it.

Rounding the corner, Kalim froze midstep, darting behind the wall once again to listen in on the event he stumbled upon.

Yuu stood with her back to the wall, face hidden in her hands as a group of four surrounded her, laughing. “No more spunk? I thought you wanted to fight back, birdie!”

Yuu didn’t respond as she sobbed, a pitiful sound that cracked the dorm leader’s heart into pieces.

Kalim quickly assessed the situation, identifying the four boys. He was more than aware of the fact that if he charged straight in, a fight would occur, and he was outmatched. The best thing he could do was get help.

Spinning on his heel with guilt encumbering his steps, he silently darted away, racing back to Jamil. “J-Jamil! Yuu needs help!” Kalim panted, pointing to down the hall.

The usually stoic vice flinched, eyes widening as he stumbled back a step. “What do you mean?” He asked hurriedly.

“Yuu, she’s—just get down there and keep them busy! I’m going to get Headmaster Crowley!”

“Got it! Be quick!” Jamil nodded, rushing down the corridor, silently forming a plan. He didn’t know who “they” were, or how many he was facing, but he knew he had a not so secret weapon he could use if worse comes to worse.

Darting out from the end of the hall, Jamil was almost half convinced that he was going to see nothing, but was proven sorely wrong when he realized the position Yuu was in.

“Just leave me alone!” She screamed, trying to swat away the enclosing boys around her.

“Oh, the gusto! Think you can hit back now?” A Savanaclaw flunkey grabbed Yuu’s hand roughly, making her cry out.

Like a lightning bolt, Jamil lurched forward, moving with an unmatched agility as he grabbed the unsuspecting student’s shirt, yanking him away as he protectively held Yuu, her face buried in his chest as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“Just what do you think you’re doing?” He growled lowly, eyes clouded with a dark rage.

<————>

Yuu wasn’t sure where it went wrong.

One minute she had the confidence to face her foes, the next, tears were streaming down her rosy cheeks as she hid behind her hands.

Just after the bully roughly seized her hand, her burns sending stabbing agony down her arms, she was suddenly pressed close to someone’s chest, their grip tight enough to show their anger.

“Just what do you think you’re doing?” She recognized that voice, and the animosity it was thick with.

“So the birdie really did get help! Took long enough.”

“You’ll do well to refrain from speaking like that,” Jamil warned, a hand snaking into Yuu’s hair, “lest you wish for your own defeat.”

“Big talk. What’s someone so scrawny like you going to do anyways? Hiss at me, Viper?”

“Yuu, get behind me and cover your eyes,” Jamil whispered, releasing his grip on her. She did as she was told, though trembling slightly.

“You four worms will fall to your knees and bow to me, your master. Snake Whisper.” Yuu listened to the sultry tone of Jamil’s voice, cognizant of the sheer power his unique magic carried.

The sound of grunts and bodies hitting the floor echoed in the tall corridors, and Jamil turned around, practically crushing Yuu in a warm embrace. “Are you alright? Did they hurt you?”

“J-Jamil... I—“ Yuu silenced herself with a hiccup, wrapping her arms around Jamil’s bigger frame, who responded by running a hand through her hair gently, shushing her cries.

“Yuu, Jamil!” She looked over Jamil’s shoulder, seeing Kalim rushing towards her, Crowley following close behind. “Hey, are you okay?!” He demanded, placing a hand on her shoulder as she broke away from Jamil.

“N-Not really...” She was finally truthful, wiping away a new wave of tears.

“Excuse me. What happened here?” Crowley snapped, arms crossed as he glared through his mask.

“I believe I may know. Kalim, please take Yuu back to Scarabia, I’ll meet you there when I’m finished taking care of this.” Yuu cringed at the end, imgination running wild at the implications.

“Roger that. See you.” Kalim too seriously answered. He extended his hand to Yuu, who hesitantly shook her hear. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” Kalim asked, red eyes brimmed with unnatural worry as they walked farther and farther from the four boys.

“My hands...” Yuu trailed off, revealing her burns for the first time that day. Kalim stopped, taking her wrists as opposed to her hands to avoid agitating the sensitive area. His skin felt smooth and cool, somewhat calming her heartbeat.

“Did they do this to you?”

“No, I did. It was an accident this morning.” Yuu explained quietly, keeping her head low.

“Hey,” Kalim said softly. He let go of her wrists, hooking a finger under her chin to tilt her head up. “You’re safe now. Come on, let’s get those burns healed.”

“Alright...”

<————>

Snuggling into the plush pillows at her back, Yuu sipped from her tea in the Scarabia lounge, lit by a few unscented candles, courtesy of Kalim.

It was a sweet, minty flavor that warmed her core, tears dried for the time being as she drank, wincing every so often at the enhanced sting in her palms.

“Can I see your hands, Yuu?” Kalim asked, sitting on his knees before her, a small container of something placed gingerly on the floor.

“Sure,” she nodded, setting her cup down as she exposed them to him. She sucked in a breath, they looked so much worse than that morning. Candy red and splotchy, it was inevitable that they’d crack and blister eventually.

Twisting open the cap, Yuu eyed the cloudy cream within, watching intently as Kalim dipped his fingers in, scooping out a little and smearing it on her palms, to which she smiled as the pain was relieved to some of extent. “Aloe vera. Jamil would always put it on my skin whenever I got burned.” Kalim revealed, grinning as he capped the container.

Yuu hummed, flexing her hands as Kalim watched, silently debating. “Yuu... how long have they been hurting you?” He said at last, fisting the floor.

“T-They... since before I met you.”

Kalim gasped. “What? Why didn’t you talk to me—or Jamil?! We would’ve helped you! We could’ve—“

“I didn’t want to seem weak!” Yuu shouted, silencing Kalim. “I wanted to show you I could handle myself... that I can be strong, like you guys! That I... that I...” She sniffled, using the back of her hands to block the tears that now threatened to fall.

“Oh, Yuu...” Kalim softened, scooting so close that their knees touched. He pried her arms away all too easily, threading his larger hands in the softness of her hair as his palms laid over her cheeks, wet with water. “I promise, I promise, I’d never see you like that. Never. It doesn’t matter if it’s daytime, noon, or night, always rely on me. I’m here, Jamil is here, and we care about you so, so much.”

At that, Yuu openly cried, grabbing onto his sleeves despite the fresh cream painted over her flesh. Kalim pressed his forehead to hers, using his thumbs to wipe away the glistening beads, hushing her sobs tenderly.

Kalim’s ears perked up as he heard approaching footsteps, looking over his shoulders to see Jamil, knuckles reddened as his glare morphed into a look of pity. Extending an arm, Kalim invited him over silently, to which he accepted.

Yuu’s eyes opened as she sensed someone kneel beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders like before. “They told me everything. I gave them what they deserved, and rest assured, each of thise imbeciles will be facing due punishment.” Jamil said, bruised knuckles a testimony.

“What if... What if they were right?” Yuu asked, voice cracking terribly.

“What?” The two asked in unison.

“All those things they called me... what if they were right? I really am just an incompetent waste, I should just go back to where I came from!” She wailed, Kalim and Jamil sharing beyond surprised gapes.

Kalim hesitated, opening and closing his mouth, unable to form coherent words. So Jamil did it for him. “Yuu, Yuu no. No, I can’t explain how wrong you are. Do you know how much you are loved in this school?” He asked, barely whispering.

“I... am?”

“Yes, of course you are! I’d miss you so much, everyone would!” Kalim admitted, looking to Jamil.

“But why? What do you see in... me?” Yuu continued doubtfully.

“Hm, well how about this for starters,” Jamil looked to Kalim, both of them sharing the same idea, “maybe because you’re funny, and can make me smile even when I’m frustrated.”

“Or because you’re kind, and always willing to lend a hand to someone that needs help,” Kalim followed, sliding a hand into Yuu’s.

“You’re gorgeous, like the sun, radiant and breathtaking.” Jamil ran a hand through a stray lock of hair, tucking it behind her ear.

“And you’re happy, just a bundle of laughter and smiles! You go along with all my crazy ideas, and I have so much fun with you!” Kalim finished, booping Yuu’s nose and making her giggle.

“You’re perfect, Yuu. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says.” Jamil smiled so genuinely, eyes squeezing shut.

“You’re a perfect desert flower, impeccable and extraordinary.”

Yuu covered her mouth as a new kind of tear streamed down her face, ones that spoke her gratitude rather than her sorrow. She laughed, twinkly and unfiltered, throwing her arms around Jamil and Kalim, pulling them into a bone crushing hug.

She didn’t say anything, just locked them in her embrace as she laughed and laughed, mixing with the sounds of Kalim and Jamil’s.

Swathed in the mingling warmth of her two best friends, Yuu’s chest was feather light for the first time in a long while, every insult and wound forgotten thanks to the sincerity poured into the boys’ speech.

She believed things could get better. She had faith, and now had her friends to anchor that faith.

Yuu beamed, as beautiful as a desert flower.

Oh boy, I may have gone a little overboard with this.

This was a wonderful prompt, I had so much fun with it! Thanks to @sanata101 for my first request! I hope you enjoyed!!

Stay lovely!

[crystalgirl259]

The Flame and the Dragon Ch11

Chapter 11: The Cerise Room

Kai's defiant gaze and wails of despair echoed in Cole's mind even as he followed Skylor and Chamille out towards the courtyard, to make sure the two guards returned both of Kai's siblings home safely. Both of them begged and pleaded for their brother's return, even offering the same deal, but Cole refused them. The smaller one could barely speak as his coughing fit returned with force.

"Get going both of you!" Cole ordered, as Skylor and Chamille secured Nya and Lloyd and took off to the forest. Knowing his servant's speeds, Cole assumed the two humans would be home in a manner of minutes, and plenty of time to make sure the smallest boy got his medication. Sighing, Cole turned on his heels and returned to the manor. He couldn't help but feel the pain of guilt wash over him as he heard his prisoner's wails, but he brushed it off.

The brunette will just have to get used to it. He concluded that as he stormed back up the spiraling staircase to the tower.

"Um... Master?" A timid voice said, causing him to pause.

"What, Jay?" He snarled, turning to the blue fox.

"Well, uh, we were just wondering which one of the guest rooms we should be preparing for Kai, you know?" He gulped as he tried to steady his voice. Cole had never harmed or hurt any of his servants and didn't ever plan to, but the lord's presence and commanding authority made it difficult to not feel nervous in his presence.

"And why would you all be wondering that?"

"Well, we just figured since Kai is going to be staying with us for some time, that maybe he would be more comfortable staying in a proper room." Nelson timidly explained. Cole snarled, causing Jay to squeak and took a step back.

"Or not."

"Cole!" Someone snapped and Cole turned to meet a scowling young yeti. Even though he was slightly shorter than Cole, Zane still stood tall, but it was the way Zane said Cole's true name, that even he sometimes forgot in the depths of his mind, that herald his attention.

"Zane!" Nelson cried and abandoned his creature form for his human one and hugged the yeti. Zane gave him a small smile before his neutral mask returned when his eyes met his Master's.

"Nelson, I believe me and the master have other matters to discuss at the moment." He said. Unlike the younger servants, Zane was one of the few who had no fear of Cole.

"Really, and what matters?" Cole joked arrogantly despite Zane's scowl deepening.

"I certainly hope you don't plan on leaving that poor boy locked up and freezing to death in that tower all night?" Zane scolded, making no effort to hide the disdain in his voice.

"And why not?" Cole challenged, with a sarcastic tone. "He is certainly strong enough to handle it, and besides, he had no trouble screeching at me when he made the deal." He snarled.

"Master please," Neuro pleaded as he flew in, hoping to calm his Master's temper. "The boy lost his family and his freedom in less than an hour; anyone would be upset in his position."

"Besides, your curse's deadline is in less than five months, Master," Nelson said as he kept his face towards Zane, so Cole couldn't read his emotions. "It would be a waste to have your last hope of breaking the spell freezing in a tower, who knows some, curtsey may inspire him to follow suit; he most certainly wasn't this feisty when I first saw him." He explained and Zane resisted the urge to smirk, knowing exactly what the werebear was trying to do.

"Anyone would be feisty if they found their family locked up, and he is a bit of a mess, a good night's sleep and a hot meal might help him relax," Jay added.

"Hmm, you all seem to have put too much faith in a child who claims to hate me." Cole chuckled, bitterly.

"Cole, are you saying you don't care if the curse is broken or not! You know what happened to you if it isn't!" Zane hissed, growling at his stubborn master, more out of concern than anything else.

"I'm well aware of that, Zane, I simply don't see the point in raising everyone's hopes when they'll only be shot down in the end," Cole replied in a very detached manner. "But if it will put you all at ease; no, I don't plan on keeping him in the tower." He snapped and stormed towards the tower staircase. "Go prepare the Cerise room."

"The Cerise room?" Jay gasped as everyone, even Zane's, eyes widened with surprise.

"It suits him, go get the others and set it up, now." He ordered and watched the servents move. "Nothing too over the top, he won't like that," Cole ordered, turning back towards the tower and ignoring all the baffled glances his servants were sending him. "He's not some helpless docile kid who'll just accept his fate and be happy with a pretty room." He explained without stopping or looking behind him before he vanished up the tower steps.

"That was a very clever but a very risky move, Nelson." Zane half scolded when the Master was out of hearing range.

"I know, but the Master is always so stubborn because he's lonely, who knows, maybe spending time with Kai will be good for him?" The werebear boy smiled, optimistically...

****************

The iron door slammed open with a loud clang when Cole shoved it. His dragon eyes scanned the tower dungeon for his captive. He found him right where he left him, collapsed in front of the windowsill, still crying. Cole felt his heartstrings wrench at the sight of the strong-willed youth looking so broken, but shook it away.

"Kai?" He called. No sooner has the teen heard his name did he lookup. Wild amber eyes blazed with anger and sorrow; visible tears marks on his cheeks. Kai wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and gripped the windowsill before pulling himself into a standing position. Then, without warning, he dashed forward and with one swift motion punched Cole in the face.

The dragon hybrid's head snapped to one side with a force that almost knocked him over.

"YOU BASTARD!" Kai exploded, shaking in anger, but refused to let any more tears fall. "You couldn't give five measly seconds to say goodbye!? I had just signed my life away to you! I gave up everything for my family and I'll never see them again or say that I loved them! Did you not see my little brother's face? I couldn't even have a minute to calm him and down and tell him I'd be alright!" He roared. All he wanted was to tear Cole's tail off and shove it down the lord's throat.

Cole moved his head back and moved one of his clawed hands to rub the abused cheek, eyes glowing dangerously at the teenager as he continued his rant.

Cole remained silent, purely from shock. No one ever spoke to him like that or stuck him, even after he'd been cursed. Anger soon replaced astonishment. Cole's pride kicked in and he snatched his captive's wrist before he could move away. Kai opened his mouth to protest but was silenced when Cole slammed him back against the stone wall, pinning both his wrists above his head. The dragon hybrid's tail around Kai's thigh, holding him in place.

Fearing the worst, Kai began to struggle, but Cole pinned him with his free hand and forced the teen to look at him.

"Strike me again, and there will be dire consequences." Cole hissed in a dangerously low voice. A slight satisfaction filled him when Kai shivered, though the brunette's glare refused to falter.

"Let go of me!" Kai growled and bit his lip until he tasted blood when Cole used one of his legs to pin him against the wall. He refused to cry out. He wouldn't give the Dragon Lord the satisfaction.

"Let's get something straight here, candle; you don't make the rules, I do, you agreed to be here and follow them, so I suggest remember that or your time here will not be pleasant and I won't hesitate to punish you if you disobey me, again." He growled before he released Kai and he dropped to the floor. "Mark my words; I will douse that defiant flame of yours." He smirked and turned and headed back towards the door. "Now, if you're done throwing a tantrum, I'll show you to your room."

"My room?" Kai asked his head shot up, and he got to his feet.

"Of course, you didn't think I was heartless enough to leave you here in the tower all night, did you? Surely even you must have a higher opinion of people, unless, of course, you would rather stay." He mocked. Kai growled at the mocking tone and felt his ego bruise a bit, showing Cole that was what he thought. Swallowing his pride, Kai followed the lord out of the tower. Cole grabbed a nearby lantern and ordered Kai to follow him. As they walked, Kai's amber eyes wandered around the corridor in amazement.

The castle's inside was just as magnificent as the outside.

Once Cole escorted him up the staircase to the second floor, he followed down a hallway, done like an open balcony with marble railings. Kai peeked over the side and found a fantastic view of the main corridor and several other rooms. Chandeliers made of glass and crystal and candles hung from the ceilings on thick chains, and statues of gargoyles and mythical creatures embedded the walls. His gaze fell on the marble floors beneath him to the shadowed ceiling.

The points and curves of the roof were done elaborately,

Windows of stained glass were speckled everywhere, while the pillars seemed to continue forever into the infinite darkness. Unlike the castle of his dreams, everything in this place was a darker color or seemed veiled in shadows. No dust or cobwebs littered the castle walls or floor. Not even the polished stone of the statues, floor, and balconies were all aged by time. Cole's eyes trailed behind him, mentally telling himself he only wanted to make sure the boy was following him, but another part of him couldn't resist the look on his captive's face as he scanned his new home.

The silence between them suddenly became tense and suffocating.

Cole had always welcomed silence, the absence of noise had always offered him a sense of peace, but suddenly, he'd give anything to break the silence. Knowing Kai wouldn't make the first move, he cleared his throat.

"Since the castle is your home, you're free to move about it as you like; if you get lost or wish to find a specific location, ask the servants." The Master explained. A snort was his only answer. It was a miracle Cole didn't scowl. "The only restrictions are that you are not to leave the palace grounds or go anywhere near the woods, but that is for your own safety; the second is you are not allowed near the west wing under any circumstances."

"What's in the west wing?"

"That is not your business!" Cole snapped before they started walking again. "Other than that, you are free to go about as you wish." He added, but this time his answer was full-blown laughter. Cole stopped in his tracks and whirled around. Kai didn't even flinch at his feral gaze.

"If you think giving me a room and suddenly being polite will convince me to forgive and forget, and make nice, you are sorely mistaken!" He spat with heavy sarcasm in his's voice. "I have no intention of becoming another one of your servants, so do us both a favor and don't pretend to be nice to me." He snapped. Cole's first response was anger. The fury rose inside him like a caged beast, then it turned to anguish. This person knew his story, and yet he criticized him?

His expression suddenly changed and he started laughing, but it wasn't a normal laugh.

His laughter wasn't what Kai usually heard when people showed their happiness. This was darker, more amused, and curled with a type of humor that chilled Kai to the bone. Once the king's gaze returned to him, he smirked at Kai's state, a smile that curled at the corners.

"You have quite a defiant spirit and a sharp tongue." He said as he took a step towards the human, who took a step back, but Cole continued forward not letting the short distance between them grow. Kai cursed when his back hit the wall of the balcony and his hands grabbed air. Cole leaned over his captive, meeting the boy's amber eyes, their faces now even closer. "It'd be wise of you to keep that tongue of yours in check, otherwise, it just might get you killed." He warned.

Kai flinched when one of Cole's claws traced his cheek.

He breathed in Kai's ear before pulling back, leaving Kai still shaking against the banister. The teen cursed himself for showing weakness in front of his capture, but his glare returned with full force. His defiance only seemed to amuse Cole even more. He then turned to the room that would now be Kai's new home. The click of keys unlocking the large gold door was the only warning Kai got before he suddenly found himself whisked inside his new room.

Not even bothering to check around, he turned his attention to his capture and glared.

"I can walk just fine on my own." He scowled but Cole snorted as he shook his head, and turned around as if leaving.

"Despite the circumstances, and as difficult as this is for you to accept, I do hope you enjoy your stay here." He said and Kai resisted the urge to blink at the sympathy in the Dragon Lord's voice.

"Now, get dressed and have the servants bring you down for dinner." He commanded.

"No," Kai said, hands balled into fists at his sides. Cole froze in his tracks.

"I beg your pardon?" He growled, his voice was lower and more dangerous than it had been all night.

"I'm not hungry." He said flatly, grateful his empty stomach didn't voice its protests.

"I wasn't asking if you were hungry or not, I'm telling you that you're going to dinner." He ordered as his glare met Kai's, the intensity of his own green depths rivaled by the untamable fire in Kai's amber orbs.

"No, I'm not." He said simply; his tone undaunted. His eyes bore into the Dragon Lord's. They remained transfixed, neither willing to break their control or give the other the satisfaction of knowing he'd won. Finally, the dragon hybrid smiled, a small smirk that made Kai blink, before a boom of laughter erupted from Cole. Blood boiled in Kai's veins. Did Cole really find him so amusing? The thought made his teeth clench in rage.

"Very well, be stubborn; I will not argue." He half-mocked. "If you insist on acting this way then starve for the night! Perhaps going without food for a while will do your attitude some good." He laughed, but just as quickly his glare turned hard and he leaned over to meet Kai's eyes. The boy too stunned to do anything but a standstill. "But I mean what I say when you won't get anything tonight! The servants obey only me and if I order them not to, they'll obey so you won't be able to have them bring you something because you skipped a meal because of your stubbornness, so you either come now or go without, the choice is yours." He snarled.

Despite the flinch in his step and his churning stomach, Kai's glare refused to falter.

"I'll take my chances."

"Fine." Cole huffed before he turned on his heels and stormed out the door. He said nothing else as the door slammed shut, leaving Kai alone in the gilded cage. Kai growled and kick the door in frustration, before grabbing the nearest pillow and released a violent scream he'd been holding back into it. After he was finished he let it drop into his lap and panted in frustration. It didn't make him feel better, but it felt nice to release some of his pent-up stress.

When he opened his eyes, he finally took in the surroundings of his new room.

He wasn't sure what to expect when Cole said he was having a room in the palace. He expected something straight out of a fairytale when the princess got her prince. The exact opposite of what he got. The room was beautiful in a gothic way. Instead of a wooden bed, he got an iron frame bed. A grotesque pattern formed the headboard and end of the bed like a spider web. The iron frame contorted upward like twisted vines in a type of canopy.

Red and gold veiled the roof and draped down, pooling once it hit the carpet like waterfalls of gold and blood.

Bright red blankets of satin draped the full-sized mattress. Pillows that were woven from gold, red, and black satin and Egyptian cotton aligned the headboard in various sizes, forming patterns that served both comfort and decorative. Next to the bed was a black iron table in the same molding as the bed. A lit candle rested peacefully next to a book bound in brown leather and a black pen. Above the table, a large branched candlestick rested against the wall.

Each of its multiple branches held a lit, vanilla-scented candle.

Opposite the bed, a fire roared to life contained by about three feet of obsidian stone and mantle. Iron and glass served to keep the embers safely contained while heat flooded into the room. Candles lined the mantelpiece, all in iron candle holders. A black vase filled with white and yellow roses in the center contrasted with the black stone of the mantle. Two large candles blazed to life in black, iron lanterns on either side of the fireplace. Kai's eyes wandered further around the room.

All the furniture was simple yet elegantly carved from rich wood with gold handles.

The pieces lined against the walls opposite the bed. In the far corner, against the same wall as the fireplace, an enormous wardrobe towered over him, almost touching the ceiling. The carvings resembled the vines of a forest, moving up the wood, while the images of deer decorated the doors. Next to it was a door that Kai could see led to a bathroom. The polished obsidian floor contrasted nicely with the ivory tub and the pale cream marble counters.

In the corner next to the entrance door sat a carved wooden desk and a large bookshelf, stacked with books with brass or silver bindings.

Brass knobs and bindings decorated the desk where stacks of paper, books, and pens had already been organized. The darkness of the furniture and bed contrasted nicely with the gold carpets covering the floors. Despite his desire to hate the room, Kai loved it, but at the same time, it was a gift from his captor. What drew Kai's attention was the wall on the left side of the bed. A strip made almost entirely out of glass, save for the aged, gold bindings of a doorway and the mesh curtains.

If not for the balcony appearing through the invisible wall, Kai could've been convinced nothing was there.

He got up and walked to the glass. A transparent reflection met him as he approached. His hand moved automatically to meet that of his reflection, only to feel the cold glass of the invisible barrier beneath it. He saw the dark forest, covered with snow and ice, beneath a towering mountain. The full moon, shimmering in the black sky, perfected the image. It became too difficult to look beyond his reflection and at the portrait behind it before he found himself meeting his eyes in the clear mirror.

His hand gently retracted from the glass, pulling back as far as it could before tightening into a fist.

Kai growled and punched the glass window, hard. Not even a crack or dent marred the surface. His bangs shadowed his eyes as he lowered his face and pressed his forehead against the glass, shaking in anger, anguish, and fear. All his emotions pooled together at once making it impossible to calm himself down. His nails scraped against the living symbol of the bitterness of his sacrifice. Overcome by his raging emotions, he struggled backward from the window until the back of his hand touched the iron sides of the bed.

He collapsed to the floor, no longer caring about the tears on his cheeks...

****************

After a few hours of leaving Kai to stew, Cole decided he had had enough waiting and he walked back to the Cerise Room to check if Kai had finally cracked and wanted to get some dinner. When he arrived, however, he was a little surprised to see Jay, Tox, Ronin, and Nelson crouched by Kai's bedroom door with their ears pressed up against it. Cole struggled to suppress a laugh at the sight. It was clear they hadn't noticed him as he walked closer.

"Shouldn't you three be in bed by now?" He said and the servants jumped and whirled around to see Cole standing there with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face.

"Witt all due respect, Master, we're over 100 years old, and it's only 1 am." Ronin replied.

"Rules are rules; now get to bed before I call Zane." He playfully warned, watching them scurry away. A small chuckled escaped his mouth before his attention turned to the real reason he'd returned to the east wing. The lock of the door opened with a shallow click and a low creek. Though darkness shrouded the room in shadow, the multiple candle-lit candle holders and the roaring fire lit the room in a bright glow. He saw that his captive was not on the bed where he'd left him, or at the desk, or in the bathroom.

His dragon eyes scanned the corners of the large room until they caught a flash of red on the other side of the iron bed frame.

With an elegant swoop, the Dragon King found himself on the other side of the room, staring down at his shivering captive on the floor. Cole sighed and knelt down, a clawed hand removed the stray strand of hair from the boy's sleeping face. This revealed the tear-streaks on his cheeks. Carefully, Cole whipped the tears away with the back of his hand. A silent shiver ran through his hand when the warm skin touched his cool scales. The boy truly was beautiful.

He didn't know what Kai had to be so stubborn.

He sighed before hooking his arms under Kai's legs and back and gently lifting him into his arms. Kai's coat slid to the floor with the action, but Cole's tail was quick to catch it. Relieving his captive of the uncomfortable position, the dragon lord placed him on the bed, him resting against pillows. His eyes scanned the boy over, taking in his dirty shirt and pants. They had been soiled from the day's events. Cole closed his eyes and with a snap of his fingers, the clothes joined Kai's coat on the floor.

The Master turned to the wardrobe and pulled out something for the brunette to wear tomorrow.

His eyes caught something shinning against the candlelight.

"I thought I'd lost this." He muttered as his clawed hands lingered over one of his old dark red sweaters. He pulled it from its place on the chair and held it open. It looked as lovely as it did when he'd lost it. The fabric as crimson as freshly spilled blood and the stitching of a gold dragon decorated along the arms. His eyes darted from the sweater to his shivering captive, then back to the sweater. He deposited the fresh clothes on the rim of the bed and gently covered his captive's shivering body.

He made a note to have Harumi have it fitted for him once he was settled.

That sweater looked better on Kai than it did on him...

[soberfor2021]

Relapse, Recovery, and Bread Baking

I’ve been baking a lot of bread. I’ve also been doing a lot of thinking, as you do when you bake bread and spend lots of time alone. Here are some thoughts. (tw: food restriction, mentions of self harm and alcohol)

“Relapse is part of recovery.”

I’ve heard this said so many times and seen it posted countless times on various recovery and inspirational blogs and boards and what-have-you. And it’s true, it really is. Because to say it’s not alienates people, because everyone slips up. In anything in life, it doesn’t go perfectly. Humans have an penchant for fucking up.

And to be blunt, I have relapsed.

Thankfully it is not with drinking or more active forms of self harm. For me, those are easier to avoid, as I have to go out of my way to do them. For me, I have to make a conscious decision to do them and it’s harder for them to just slip into my daily life, since it’s not like my water bottle is suddenly going to fill with vodka or my sleeves turn into razor blades. There’s a clear line for me, and my brain loves line and rules and is hardwired to stay away from breaking said rules. (I had to have a long, hard think on if I could eat the bourbon balls my friend so lovingly made and brought to me for Christmas. I eventually concluded that I could, as they were food items, and it would take way more than I was given to even get tipsy, if possible at all.) I’m aware that I’m possibly an exception, and not a rule, when it comes to this behavior, especially with people who are more deep in addictions than I ever was. I know giving in isn’t always a choice for people, and I want to make it clear that I’m talking specifically about me and my experiences and how my brain works in its specific fucked up way. After all, I outlined in one of my first posts just how in control I always was in my self destruction. This is me talking about me. For me, anything outside of my average day is a choice I have to make, so it is easier for me to say away from.

Do you know what is part of my daily routine and can far too easily morph from normalcy to relapse? Eating.

This blog isn’t just for me talking about my thoughts on not drinking alcohol. Cutting out alcohol was always meant to be a symbol of cutting out everything I do that harms me and feeds into my self destructive nature. And that does include my food restriction compulsion from my OCD. And really, this is a recovery blog just in general. I’m just talking about my experiences as someone trying to be better.

And, well, this is my experience with trying to recover from OCD, or at least make it more manageable.

For the past several years, I’ve had a compulsion to restrict my food. It falls into magical thinking, and yes, rationally I know how much I eat has nothing to do with if my family and friends live or die or if bad things will or won’t happen. But that’s the thing about OCD, it doesn’t listen to rationality very easily. And so in times of stress, I tend to slip back into that habit, as I have now.

Thankfully, I have experienced what I like to call “spiraling upward” in my recovery, which does have to do with relapses. When you spiral down, you do things and get into horrible patterns and everything gets worse. When you start to recover, you have to retrace those steps. It’s like walking a spiral staircase. You’ll pass the same points again and be confronted with old habits and unhealthy coping mechanisms. But you are still moving up, your habits aren’t as bad or as damaging anymore. After all, relapse is part of recovery. I no longer panic at the idea of eating more than 500 calories in a day, which is what I did when I was at my absolute worst point with this compulsion. The compulsion still comes back at times, but it is often shorter in duration and how extreme it is. Lately, when this compulsion comes back up, it’s simply just the number of times I eat in a day, which allows for some workarounds. It is still upsetting and unfun and far too easy to slip back into. Sometimes I’m naturally less hungry than other times, sometimes I don’t have time to make food or eat. Normally that wouldn’t be a problem. It only becomes a problem when I’m stressing about something, eat less as a result, and then the thing I’m stressing about gets better (for example, fretting about a coworker’s pay promotion, not eating dinner that night because I took a nap, and then the next morning finding out corporate finally approved it). And that’s where I am now.

But what does this have to do with bread baking?

Well, like I’ve said, I’ve been baking a lot of bread lately. I’ve always enjoyed my analogy of spiraling up, but sometimes I want something more gentle, a bit more relatable. Like baking bread.

When you bake bread, you have to knead the dough. It’s long, exhausting, and can be frustrating at times. This is all in an effort to strengthen the gluten so it holds up during the baking process. Your goal is to make the dough stable enough where it can pass the “windowpane test” where you hold a piece up to the light, stretch it thin, and make sure you can get it thin enough without it tearing, thus signifying the dough is strong enough.

And the process can be incredibly frustrating! You think you’re almost there and ready to be done, because your arms hurt and you’re thirsty and your hands are caked in dough and flour and your fingernails look awful, but then you hold it up and it starts tearing horribly and you notice all the little tears in the dough as you knead it and how it’s not smooth at all.

And when that happens... you don’t give up. You sigh a little, put the dough back together, and you keep going. You keep kneading and working the dough, even though you’re tired, even though it hurts a little, and even though you’d love to just give up and buy store bought bread. But you know that it’ll be worth it. Your homemade bread will taste better and be better for you, and most importantly, it will be yours.

There’s a song by Regina Spektor that means so much to me. It’s called One More Time with Feeling, and it was originally sent to me about 8 years ago from a stranger on a sight where you could vent and strangers would send you songs to help you. There’s a lyric that I’ve always felt so deeply. “You thought by now you’d be so much better than you are. You thought by now they’d see that you had come so far. And the pride inside their eyes will synchronize into a love you’ve never known, so much more than you’ve been shown.” The refrain is about how you just need to keep on trying, keep on fighting.

And I think that’s where I am right now. I thought I’d be at a point where I could brag about how far I’ve come and how much better I am, that everyone around me would be so proud of me and celebrate me. But instead, I can’t even go 30 days without causing myself some kind of harm in some way. And it’s disappointing and frustrating, and I’m realizing that the recovery dough is going to need to be kneaded a lot more before I’m ready. My shoulders hurt, I feel like crying all the time, and I’m so scared and tired.

But I’ll sigh a little, put myself back together, and keep going. It’s just going to take more time, more effort, and possibly some more tears (either definition, really).

And eventually, I’ll be ready. I’ll be stronger and I’ll hold myself together more. I’ll never get to that point if I give up now.

So, I think I’m going to go make some lunch.

[beautifulterriblequeen]

You Are My Shelter

Happy Winter’s Turn, Rori! Here is my finished piece for @tdpholidayexchange. I matched with Rori, who requested some Janai/Amaya goodness. I’ve always wanted to see someone getting to use the Banther Lodge in winter time, so this was a perfect opportunity to let Amaya take Janai to see it.

And I’m so excited to present @random-fandom-ramble​‘s bonus art, custom drawn for this fic, as well! Posted with permission. Thanks, friend!

Happy holidays, Rori! Hope you enjoy!

Title: You Are My Shelter

Series: The Dragon Prince

AO3 Link: Read me!

Pairing: Janaya

  Janai stood on the snowy steps of the Banther Lodge and studied the front doors from beneath the golden ruff of fur on her scarlet cloak’s hood. She’d been excited to share Winter’s Turn with Amaya, but she hadn’t expected their first winter holiday to be spent at such a cozy family location. Or that it would be so sun-blightedly cold in Katolis. The snowstorm had been howling for hours, and she’d forgotten what it was like to be able to feel her toes. She’d have used her heat-being to warm up if it wouldn’t have spooked the horse Amaya lent her.

Amaya threw open the front doors, and then she strode back to the steps and took Janai by the hands. Her smile was wide and mischievous, promising soft adventure within, and Janai let herself be pulled inside.

The lodge wasn’t much warmer on the inside than the snowstorm outside, but it was nice not having the wind cut through her cloak anymore, and she shivered in relief. The lodge held a quiet dignity, smelling of leather, books, and the ghosts of desserts past. She took in the high rafters, the thick carpet runners, and the broad staircase leading up to the second floor. And she smiled at the sight of an enormous fireplace on her left. “Do you mind if I—” she began.

Her sentence ended against Amaya’s lips as the shorter woman pulled her down by the edges of her hood for a sudden kiss. Janai’s eyes widened, and she felt Amaya smiling against her lips. She slid her arms around Amaya’s thick cloak and held her close, enjoying her warmth.

Amaya pulled away with a soft smile. She gently lowered Janai’s hood and signed, Welcome to the coziest cabin in Katolis. I’m so glad you’re here.

Janai bit her lip and smiled. “I can tell. Shall I start a fire?”

Amaya nodded eagerly and showed Janai all the fire-starting supplies stacked next to the edge of the massive stone fireplace. Janai pulled off her thick scarlet mittens and began sorting through the pine cones and selecting the kindling, and Amaya trooped in and out of the lodge with armfuls of firewood. Janai finally had to tell her to stop. “I’m building a fire, Amaya, not a miniature replica of your lodge.”

Amaya grinned sassily. I just want you to be warm enough.

Janai pointed a kindling stick at herself. “Amaya, I have a heat-being.”

Amaya’s dark brows flicked upward. That’s not what I meant. You’ll see. Wait here. She pulled off her dark blue gloves and headed across the main hall.

Janai heard porcelain clanking from the kitchen as she finished building her fire base just the way she wanted it: circles of pine cones supporting slender kindling sticks in a rough outline that resembled her palace in Lux Aurea. She picked up another pine cone, held it against her finger, and invoked her heat-being for just a moment.

The pine cone flared with a ribbon of golden flame, and she tucked it in with the others, catching them on fire one by one. By the time Amaya came back carrying a tray with a stoneware pitcher and two mugs, the hearth was blazing with the warmth and light of a wooden Lux Aurea engulfed in flames, and Janai was standing in front of it, holding her bare hands out to its welcome heat.

Amaya set the tray on the red-upholstered couch and took Janai’s hand, turning her until they faced each other. Flickers of gold played over their faces as she undid the lacing on Janai’s cloak and tossed it onto the back of the couch with a dramatic swirl. She followed it with her own deep teal cloak, and the fabrics draped in soft contrast together.

I want you to try something, Amaya signed. An old family recipe that King Harrow wooed my sister with on cold winter nights. Amaya picked up a sturdy mug of steaming hot cocoa and pressed it into Janai’s hands. Her hands cupped Janai’s, and their eyes met.

Janai’s breath caught at the steady confidence and warm comfort in Amaya’s expression. She’d been so used to leading alone in Lux Aurea, with no real confidants to speak of, that having a true equal who understood her on so many levels still took her breath away. She’d have been proud to simply call Amaya a friend. To have the brave and capable general fall in love with her, too? The bright light of the Summer Solstice was a flickering candle compared to the radiance of Amaya’s smile.

Without even looking into the cup, Janai let Amaya lift her hands until its rim brushed her lips, and she sipped at the hot liquid. Spicy sweetness rolled over Janai’s tongue, and she hummed appreciatively and took a few more gulps.

As they lowered the sweet cup together, Janai closed her eyes in bliss. There was something deliciously familiar about this cocoa. It tasted like her mother’s favorite bedtime-story drink, and Janai’s mind flooded with happy memories. She eagerly added one more: sharing this sweet moment with Amaya, feeling welcomed into her life and embraced by her heart in equal measure.

“I just want you to know,” she said softly, “that you already wooed me before I drank this cocoa. Its spicy sweetness in no way affects my feelings for you. In case you were wondering if human love potions work on Sunfire elves.” Her dark eyes twinkled.

Amaya’s eyes widened. Love potion? she signed dramatically. She grabbed Janai’s hands again and brought the cup to her own lips, draining the rest of the spicy cocoa in a few big gulps. Then she swiped her hand across her mouth and grinned saucily. Well, it’s working on me.

Janai giggled and picked Amaya up off the floor, kissing her enthusiastically. Gradually, she lowered her back down, and their kiss softened, breaking only so they could stand with their foreheads pressed warmly together, holding hands, intertwining their fingers in the embrace of the fire’s warmth.

Amaya tugged on Janai’s hands, and the women sat together on the floor against the couch, ignoring the traditional seating option. Janai cuddled Amaya against her shoulder and draped them both with her scarlet cloak. Its golden fur trim blazed in the firelight, and they shared cup after cup of spicy cocoa. Janai reheated the pitcher on the tray every time it cooled too much, and Amaya played idly with a few of Janai’s braids, booping her on the nose with one of them before smooching the same spot with a soft kiss.

Janai caught one of Amaya’s hands as the merry firelight played across it. She turned up Amaya’s palm and studied it somberly. The burn there had scarred over, and Amaya had healed, but she bore the mark of Janai’s anguish and rage the day her sister Khessa had perished, and she always would.

Amaya sat up and turned Janai’s face toward her with her free hand. It’s not your fault.

“It is. I did this to you.” Janai’s brows bent, and she looked down.

Amaya lifted Janai’s chin with a finger until their eyes met again, and she signed again. No, sweetheart. You felt what you felt. And I did what I had to do to save your life.

“I’m sorry I hurt you, Amaya. You’re so precious to me. I never want to hurt you again.” Janai lifted Amaya’s scarred palm to her lips and pressed a soft, heartfelt kiss there. Finding Amaya—finding her love—had done wonders to heal Janai’s heart. She would take back all Amaya’s pain if she could.

Amaya slid her hand to cup Janai’s cheek. She didn’t need to sign a thing to let Janai know that she was forgiven. Their lips met once again, silhouetted against the fire, and they wrapped each other in warmth, safety, and trust, protected from the storm by the shelter of each other’s love.

[lo-55]

Revel Ch. 6

Factitious First Impressions                     

Tori was as good as her word. That night, when they went for bed, she drew the curtains and he snuffed the lights, leaving the pair of them in pitch and utter darkness. Tori climbed into her part of the bed and Katakuri his. There was space enough for another full grown man in the bed between them, and though she would have welcomed some contact Tori was smart enough to know that Katakuri, in his shyness, might panic.

So she kept her hands to herself and when the morning came she rose without him. She dressed herself in a simple lace robe over her long nightdress and left the room. No one would expect her to be in finery for breakfast.

She shut the door quietly, leaving Katakuri sleeping in their shared room, and made her way down the long hallway. The ancient floor was worn soft and cold under her thin slippers, and sunlight streamed in from skylights above her head. She walked into the Silver Hall with a halo of light floating across her sea-dark hair.

The Silver room was home to three long tables equipped with benches. One was for the staff, who had already had their breakfast, another for the soldier girls, who would eat later, and the third was reserved for the nobility.

For Tori and the other rich, high ranking women she had grown up with.

She was one of the last to arrive. She took her seat amongst the others, already chattering. It was all idle, easy gossip, nothing that would make its way into court or true intrigues. This was a place for eating, not a place for doing business.

Tori piled her plate with fruits, took a bowl for yogurt and a pair of hard boiled eggs. Most of the others were eating pastries. Someone handed her a cappuccino.

Tori joined the idle chatter. She alone did not stop when the door opened once more and Brulee walked in, sticking out like a sore thumb. Her clothes were plain, her face was scarred and her hair was a mess. Tori adored her.

“Everyone,” she spoke, “ I would like to introduce my sister-by-law, the Lady Charlotte Brulee.”

Brulee’s smile was somehow both awkward and unnerving. She took an empty seat, and started piling her plate without saying much to anyone.

“If that’s a Lady, I’m a cat,” Seline muttered, loud enough to be heard by everyone from Selbo to Tori herself. Brulee’s shoulders lifted and drew together and her smile spread wider and tensed.  Tori stood up abruptly. She walked around the table, grabbing a bowl and a pitcher of milk. A strange anger possessed her, pushing her forwards.

She brought it over to set it in front of Seline, pushing her plate away.

“You,” she said as she poured milk into the bowl, “Are Seline Butelli. Your father is a duke, and you are not even a duchess, when you marry your brother with inherit and you will hope for the best . I  , am Victoria di Imperia, crown princess and your future queen. And if I say that my friend is a lady  well .”

She set the pitcher aside and nudged the bowl of milk towards a stunned Seline, “You had best start lapping  kitty .”

Dead silence descended upon the women in the room. Tori had never been so aggressive, so uncivilized.

Yet now she stood, throwing her rank around in defense of a stranger who even Tori barely knew. But she would not tolerate it. She would not.

Satisfied with the mortified and red face Seline, and knowing that some form of retribution would come her way, Tori returned to her seat and continued on like nothing had happened to begin with.

Tori sucked in her stomach while Madelle laced up the back of her dress, pulling it taught. It pushed her tits up and gave her the illusion of not having organs. On top of the underdress and its laces draped a long length of blue as dark as magpie wings across her, falling straight down to the floor. On top of that she dropped a shorter length of imperial purple that fell only to Tori’s upper thighs. The edges were carefully embroidered in patterns, inlaid with fine, miniscule diamonds that shone when she moved like stars in the sky. It clasped at her shoulders with silver fibula adorned with a diamond skull. Rather grim, but befitting her new status.

“Beautiful, as always,” Madelle told her. She pulled her hair and piled it in tight ringlets atop Tori’s head before binding it with a thick ribbon encrusted with constellations.

“Of course,” Tori said absently, looking at herself in the mirror. She was a vision. She was beautiful and beloved by her people. It felt false. More so now than it had in a long, long time.

Tori slipped on her soft silk slippers. The sun was burning in the west, dipping towards the cradle of the sea.

Her mother lullaby came back to her again. She had learned it first in the Green Tongue, the one spoken in the forests.

  Roll forth Ocean mother

  Carry you children far  

  Shine bright moon hung o’er  

  Watch over their tepid flight  

  Bring with you, Great mother  

  The silver crashing mist  

  Protect your sons and daughters  

  Great Oars push to safety  

  The tide shall guard the night

  Lift high sea walls honor  

  Shine under sunstones bright  

  Stand tall, brother-sister  

  Guard each truth and steel  

  Cradle those, earth protector,  

  Crowned in stone from their ordeal

  Senten them moon sister  

  The sorrow of the earth  

Tori hummed softly. She knew there were more verses, but Dolce had never shared the full song with her. She told her that the sorrow of the earth was too sad for a child, but when she grew up she would sing it to her.

She never got the chance.

After Gemma was born, Dolce got sick. A post partum depression, she stopped sleeping, didn’t eat as much as she used to, and she was left open to infection.

It had been common, in the first days of Imperia as its own nation, shortly after the Novara civil war eight hundred years ago. A disease that swept through the vulnerable, cultivated by dying on the battlefield it was given free reign, passed through blood and sweat and tears. Or perhaps the air, no one had known and still no one did. It killed within twenty four hours.

The dark spots appeared, and the children were taken away. Dolce was quanteened, and she died. Followed by five servants, all four her handmaidens, and three doctors that tried to help her. They were blessed than the disease had stopped there, and hadn’t destroyed the entire city. Blessed, people said, but Tori and Lucien had lost their mother and Gemma had never even gotten to see her.

Now, Tori was a grown woman, married already, and Dolce would never see it. Would never know the woman that she had grown to be. Beautiful, and the daughter-by-law of an empress. One day, as the eldest child, she would be queen.

Dolce would not see that either.

Lapa finished with her hair, spreading a silver net encrusted in diamonds across it while Varinia lay her lips on. At last, she was ready.

Tori turned to the door.

“Let’s get this party started,” she joked lightly. Madelle, dressed in fine sapphire, skirts, nodded her assent swiftly. Lapa and Varinia took their places beside her. Aelia and Daria were hidden in the walls, in identical dresses to switch places with her if need be.

The gaggle of girls walked out of the room and into the hall. Katakuri had been shooed away some time ago, to dress himself properly. If he showed up in anything other than leather, Tori would be privately amazed.

They turned down the hallway and descended the stairs, meeting up with Brulee as they reached the bottom. She was flanked by the rest of Tori’s handmaidens, who had dressed her up in fine a lavender gown the color of her hair that draped across her long body well, bordered in pale blue. They had painted her lips and sculpted her face, tamed her hair and braided it into a crown adorned with blue roses.

Tori offered Brulee, who was closer to her size but still taller by a good head, her arm. Brulee took it, looking at her with a new light and together the pair walked into the atrium. Long vines dripped down from the ceiling, covered in wisteria, bougainvillea, and honeysuckle. The impluvium was filled with false lilies that held candles in the center and glowed faintly as they floated.

Tori took Brulee to the edge of the water and sat with her while her handmaidens scattered. they had their own duties to attend to.

Tori could see her sister, dressed in her uniform, standing off near the door with her captains. Her brother was talking to a judge near the spread table of fruits, cheeses, and wine. Nothing that Tori couldn't eat, but with Katakuri expected to be in attendance she couldn't either way.

Unfortunate, but she’d eaten before hand. Tori was no fool.

She chatted idly with Brulee until the attention in the room moved to the staircase once more. She turned with the rest of the room to find Katakuri standing at the top. He was wearing an actual shirt that fit him well, dark and bordered in red to match his scarf. His pants were still leather and his boots were spiked, but he was missing the knee pads.

Tori stood and glided towards the stairs. A silence fell across the room, or perhaps she simply wasn’t paying attention. His eyes were on her, and for the first time in a long time she felt a longing pressing against her ribs.

For someone so large he walked with a shocking amount of grace. He descended the marble staircase and when Tori offered him her hand he took it in his. A smile pulled at her lips, threatening the false one layered over top with silver glitter.

Katakuri kept his eyes on her and she her eyes on him as she guided him to his sister. He sat, crossing his legs, and Tori stood at his side, tucking her arm in his.

The band started playing soft strings, a low hum that build beneath her bones. Tori let herself stand close to Katakuri, for once taller than him, but true to her word, she didn’t try to sneak a peek. His arm was strong and warm beneath her hand and she felt that heat in her ribs once more.

While they sat, she talked, pointing out courtesans, officials, and visitors scattered around the room.

“That one,” she said, gesturing to a man in the corner that dressed in what appeared to be plain street clothes, no more than a tunic and leggings “is Orso Orseolo. He is a long trusted friend of my brother, sister and I but he won’t take any lands we offer and so he’s not a real nobleman at all. He says titles give him hives,” she smiled like she was sharing a conspiracy, “because he’s not got a title or lands but still has our backing and speaks with our voice, the rest of the court is terrified of him.”

She moved on. “The woman in the green dress is Arcielda Severan. She has quite the scandal about her divorcing Pietro, the one with the red boots and the frown lines. Still, she’s a good person, reliable and loyal to a fault. Once stabbed Chealsea Pruili with a fork and proposed Oblivion for her and hers when she tried to imply that disfigured babies shouldn’t be kept. Chealsea is the one in the brown gown with the bear bracelet.“

“How do you keep track of all of these people?” Brulee asked her, peering up at Tori with her same eerie smile.

Tori shrugged. “It’s not very hard. I just do.”

She was surprised when Katakuri’s low voice reached her.

“You said that flowers mean things. Do those?” he looked towards the flowers that dripped down the walls in long lines of white, purple, and pink. Tori felt her heart lighten at the interest Katakuri paid, and perhaps a bit at the attention in general.

“Bougainvillea, the pink ones, are for ‘peace and free trade’. We have ambassadors from the other Novara islands here. The Honeysuckle is for affection, fraternal and devoted. Wisteria, the purple, is for love, sensuality, support, sensitivity, bliss and tenderness. They’re for us.”

She felt his pulse under her fingers. Felt his shoulders draw together.

She drew a slow circle across a silver scar that crossed his arm, soothing.

“What’s oblivion?” Brulee asked next. Tori’s eyes darted again to Arcielda, speaking quietly to Alton Izard.

“Oblivion is the greatest disgrace for an Imperian,” she told them quietly. “It’s to have your entire existence erased. From the hearts of men and the Hall of Records. Your name will never be spoken again and you will be lost to the sands of time. Made into nothing and no body.”

Tori’s voice grew soft as silk and quiet as the grave. She was well aware of the attention that the two foreigners were paying her, rapt in her words.

Arcielda broke away from Alton and came over to them as the music picked up. She took Brulee’s hand and tugged her to her feet, sweeping her away to dance. Tori was left with Katakuri, who didn’t seem the type to waltz.

Brûlée was about as graceful as a colt, new and ungainly on its long, long legs. Bit Arcielda didn’t seem to mind. Her son wasn’t present, still just a child, and in any case he hated crowds.

Without really thinking about it Tori traced the strong lines of Katakuri’s arm. She kept talking him, telling him about the people around them. Where they came from. The positions they held. Their influence. Their temperments, histories, old grudges and new ones.

“Some of them are like me,” she told him. “Charlotte Victoria di Imperia. The ‘di’ is just a place holder. It means ‘of’. If they have that in their name, they are as old as the island. If their family name is all their claim, they’re newer blood. There aren’t many ‘di’s left to us. It’s been too long. Mostly, it’s my family.”

His voice was low and deep beside her when he spoke.

“Your family is very small.”

Tori smiled. Small, showing now teeth. A grin was threatening a rude. “Yours is very large. And new, isn’t it?”

“Mama is the first,” he confirmed, but Tori already knew that. She hummed softly, her voice a quiet melody. The band picked a quicker tune and she watched Arcielda lead Brulee through a clumsy spin across the floor. Arcielda was a sweet woman, and a complete lesbian.

“And you are the second. Third?”

“Second son, third child.”

“That must be a lot of presure,” Tori mused. Katakuri shot her a look.

“You’re a  princess .”

Tori smiled again, almost wide enough to split her false lips. “But I don’t have to work for that. My whole life has been presented on a silver plate. I don’t need to choose anything to get my future.”

Katakuri’s head tilted ever so slightly. Once more Tori found she couldn’t read the look in his eyes. She wanted, suddenly, impulsively, to steal him away. Drag him out into the gardens and sit him in the grass and unravel his scarf so she could  see .

But Tori was more well behaved than that. She let herself lean against his shoulder instead. Arcielda dipped Brulee low, until her hair almost touched the floor before pulling her back to her feet. Katakuri never looked away from them.

“You’re very protective of her,” Tori commented idly. He stiffened minutely under her fingers. Tori repressed a wince of guilt. That was right. Brulee’s scar.

“She’s my sister,” he said simply. Tori didn’t respond. Her own relationship with Gemma was much less… good. Gemma was a fighter, a general, hungry for power and stubborn. She was vicious and able. Tori was none of those things. She wanted no power, she fought for nothing. She was no vicious, so long as she could help it. She had been an honors student, she had competed in S.T.E.M., she had won academic decathlons almost single handed.

She wanted none of those victories again. She had no ambition. She coudln’t. Ambitious people drew too much attention, had too many expectations placed upon her and here-

No one expected her to be anything but pretty here.

“She told me what you did this morning.”

Tori looked at him, brows pinching minutely. She’d almost forgotten what she’d done. “Oh. Seline? She’s never been a kind person…”

“You didn’t have to stick up for her,” Katakuri said. There was a note of suspicion in his voice that pained Tori.

“You forget,” she said quietly. “She is my sister now too.”

She patted his arm and released him, the magic broken, to go find Orso. Her friend caught her hand when she appeared at his side and kissed each cheek. Familiar, kind, with a hint of concern in his soft brown eyes. He talked to her about nothing. Court gossips, hail storms, his sister. The pair of them walked to find others that Tori had grown up with, just as painted and false as she was.

There were three genuine people in the room. She was not one of them.

[the-headbop-wraith]

2_24 Abandon Destination

Soft sheets of fuchsia tinge rolled up and down the walls from the only source of light mingled around Lewis’ dark hand.  The sleeve of his jacket was rolled back to prevent the heat from taking to the leather, and Vivi found she couldn’t take her eyes off the shimmering light.  It made the shadows around them cower, drawing forth the true nature of their surroundings into depressing aspect.

“When’d you learn to do that?” Vivi asks.  Though her voice was below a whisper, in the vacant air it felt like she shouted.  A million questions bubbled inside her, but she wasn’t about to assault Lewis with the twenty-twenty.  Not while he was comfortable enough to reveal a slice of his spooky nature to her.

Lewis pondered the flame at his hand as he walked, flexing his fingers and brightening the flames intensity at his palm in the same motion. “I could always do this,” explained the ghost.  “Control is something I’ve been trying to get a handle on.”

“Nice pun.”  Vivi sniggered into his collar.  She caught the flash of his eyes as he glanced back.

“Oops.  Pretend you didn’t hear that.”  Lewis lowered the blaze of the fire at his hand, revealing bits of shattered glass and leaves scattered out from the room beside them.  His other arm was looped behind his back to provide Vivi with a seat while she piggybacked.  The hall came to an end and he paused studying their surroundings and listened. The wind picked up and whistled through the boards in one of the windows along the decayed corridor, and he couldn’t help but twitter along.  Vivi pointed out their course and Lewis moved on that heading, near silent as a timid draft.

The flame wasn’t for his guidance, it was to give Vivi perception of their space.  In a way the bright glow did haunt him, but how could Lewis fear his own fire?  It had kept him company through a long and lonely time.

“There’s the steps,” Vivi announced.  She leaned up to the best of her ability on Lewis back and directed a finger to the steps nearly missed in the selective highlights of the magenta smolder.  A rusted shopping cart was left tipped along the first step, tattered grocery bags lay strewn over the downward staircase.  Lewis moved carefully, slipping through the solid masses gently to prevent them from catching hold of his boots.  “Now, if only Arthur didn’t roam up to the second floor.”

“That’s almost too much to hope for,” Lewis said.  He stepped down the steps, always cautious of the ruble outdated equipment, and other broken parts that had been scattered around over the years.  Hovering might’ve been easier on him but it could also be disorienting moving downward, and Vivi could easily lose her grip.  Though she might find that exciting at first, he wouldn’t risk it. “Where are we now?” he posed, once they were on the bottom floor.  An ancient pair of corroded gates stood beside the staircase with a large cutout rectangle in the side, with wires sticking out.  One of the earliest versions of an elevator in a hospital.

Without comment Vivi indicated one hall to the left, through a gaping doorway.  Lewis held his flickering arm in that direction and followed the vibrant glow of the light creeping down and up the walls.  It was another series of rooms filled with broken, iron saturated reek, and a long corridor; before Lewis stopped in his tracks.  Vivi was about to ask, when she too gathered the faint echo in the distance.  Voices.

“I’ll take a look,” Lewis said.  He knelt down and let Vivi climb off his back.

“Wait.  Wait.” Vivi snatched Lewis’s sleeve before he could douse the fire in his palm.  As he stood by and waited, Vivi dug through her backpack and pulled out one of the candles.  Lewis pinched the wick as if to extinguish the flame, but instead a soft magenta flame flashed under his fingers as he withdrew his hand.  “Be careful,” she urged.  Lewis gave a short nod, then spun away.  

With a flick of his hand the flame scattered out into the dark surroundings in a sputter of sparks, and Lewis melted into the shadows.  Vivi slung the open backpack with her as she slipped aside, behind a crusty and broken cart left leaning over a desk. Windows lined the lower wall, but many remained boarded up with plywood chunks, and somehow the teasing light that managed through the cracks only seemed to enhance the dark shade that thrived in the neglect.  She could pick out voices.  A dog yapped, that was Mystery, he didn’t sound alarmed.  There came a pause in the faint chatter and a light flashed across the room.

“Vi,” Lewis said, as he returned.  Vivi could see his sunglasses glimmer in the candlelight as he moved near her range of light.  “Art found someone hanging out here.”

“Huh?”  She was caught completely off guard.  It wasn’t unheard of to stumble across people sheltering in old abandoned buildings, but the rule was to avoid them and call a night of exploration to an end.  “Are you sure?  A living person?”

Lewis reached over the cart she crouched behind and helped Vivi up to her feet.  “As far as I can tell?” Lewis says.  He guides Vivi towards the light of Arthur’s torch, but she’s careful to check the revealing dome of the candles haze for wreckage underfoot.  “He might be a runaway,” Lewis continued. “They’ve been talking for a while.”

This side of the hospital seemed the most out of repair, and despite the strong light intermingling she was having trouble finding safe space for her feet.  And there was a runaway?  Here? “How old is he?” Vivi pressed, with a small note of alarm.  

“Dunno,” Lewis admits.  Whatever the previous conversation consisted of, it was on hold as the group gathered.  Arthur had himself seated on the fallen side of some electric box or machine with Mystery draped across his lap.  The Runaway in question had elected to keep himself secluded in an open closet, where he must’ve settled earlier as his shelter.  Beside the closets doorframe stood a wooded chair that worked as a side table, with a flashlight left on the seat of the chair and aimed towards Arthur a few yards away.  “This is Vivi,” Lewis introduced.

“Hey,” the boy said.  He made no other motion to greet, and his voice was toneless.  The light barely cast colors onto his face and he seemed small and pale in his small seclusion.

There came a short hitch, where the collective group was unsure of where to renew or begin a new conversation.  At a loss Lewis glanced Arthur’s way, Arthur only shrugged; Vivi met Lewis gaze and frowned, she turned back to the boy.  “And your name is?” Vivi began.

It was Arthur who answered, “He’s Dimitri.” Arthur tried to suppress a sneeze but failed, and his recoil caused Mystery to gurgle irritably.  “He’s got complications.”

Vivi pulled the candle closer to her front, revealing more of her face to the figure huddled in a nest of dark folds – sheets or blankets, it could be curtains.  The ruin of a hospital was no place for the living, it barely stood against the harsh elements and sheltered the insects within its walls.  “Are you from around here?” she tried.  In the dull light of Dimitri’s amber torch was the scarcely discernable shake of his head.  “Far?”

“Probably,” Dimitri admitted.  He shifts in the old sleeping bag he was curled up on, and prodded the sides for a warm spot.  Dimitri was positive that at the first indication of hostile intent he could get up and running, and get lost in the shadows before they knew it.  What weirded him out the most about the group was the guy wearing sunglasses.  That was just dumb.  “Bet you never heard about me.”

Given that the Mystery Skulls were constantly on the move when they could manage, it was unlikely.  But he was a runaway.  “How about a last name?” Vivi gently prodded.

The boy studied the intruders with listless eyes, and trembled despite the ratty denim coat he wore; it did nothing to hold out the greasy, chilled air.  He hadn‘t gotten much from the blond on why they were here - explorers, investigators - they weren‘t looking for him.  No one was looking for him.  “I’m not giving it,” Dimitri muttered.

Vivi exhaled and looked to Arthur.  No wonder Mystery was napping.  “Okay.  Time out,” she says, gesturing with her hand.  She turns and begins shooing Lewis and Arthur away.  “Time out.  Let’s go. Mystery, keep an eye on him.  Hey, wake up.”

It took some rough shaking from Arthur before the dogs head snapped up.  Mystery gave a long stretch along with a loud yawn across Arthur’s lap, before he sprang down onto the cluttered and dust riddled floor.

Dimitri stared at the dog now seated, watching him.  “You’re kidding, right?” He sniggered.

“Nope,” Vivi called back.  “We’re not going far, just hang tight.”  

The last to catch up was Arthur.  He handed his flashlight over to Mystery, and trailed after the glimmering candlelight Vivi carried.  He was nervous over the distance he had fallen behind and began to trip over some ancient electric cord strewn between dismantled metal frames of beds or equipment. “I had the lighter, right?” Arthur’s voice reached a high pitch at the end of his sentence, when he nearly ran into Vivi.  Lewis managed to catch his vest collar and pull the shorter figure out of his stumble.  “I didn’t even carry candles.  Wait, I don’t think I have a lighter.”  Arthur was digging through his pockets but had found nothing to produce.

“I might’ve hidden them from you,” Vivi muttered, and withdrew from Arthur.  “What’s he told you so far?”

The twisted expression that had been a wounded Arthur reset, and became soft, doubtful.  He glanced back to the visible light clashing with the gloom and whispered, though he was sure they were far enough away that their voices couldn’t carry.  “It’s not typical,” Arthur began.  “The way he explained it, he didn’t run from his home, he ran from his town.”

“His town?” Lewis echoed.  “Was he bullied?”

Arthur managed a thin grin.  He didn’t want to think what Lewis might do NOW with the prospect of bullies lurking.  In life Lewis was all bark and no bite, unless someone just really had to get on his bad side (the rare lunatic); but vengeful spirit of the flames, who knew what he might be capable of now.

“No,” Arthur assured, his voice a bit garbled from the musty air. He cleared his throat and went on. “Unless he’s lying, which I took into account.  It’s more feasible.  But it bothers me a kid like him would come to here to escape… something.”  He folded his arms under the edges of his vest and shuffled a little closer beside Vivi, and the pleasant glow of the candle.

The way it was explained, Dimitri lived in some obscure town with his family and his lifestyle was just so-so regular.  Enough was shared, though Dimitri didn’t want to go into too much detail about his personal life, in case his parents were looking for him.

This was the point in the conversation where Dimitri became nebulous. It might’ve been his fatigue and the cold, but he was rickety over the notion that his parents would be missing him. He didn’t think they wouldn’t care, but they might have… forgotten.  That was a good way to put it, though it made them seem callous.  They weren’t callous, there was just something wrong.  Dimitri didn’t know how to explain it, didn’t even try to figure it out.  He didn’t want to be a hero and crack the code.  You couldn’t be the hero once you ceased to exist.

The teachers were the first to indicate something was amiss. They talk about these important things when they think the students were busy or out of ear shot.  Like the group and their dog, thinking he wasn’t paying attention.  Actually, he didn’t care.  Another meaningless day gone, the end of a week, one more week and another month gone by. He wondered who it was this time.

The dog ‘arfed’ around the flashlight in his mouth, getting his attention, or warning him that he was being watched.

“Yeh, I got you,” Dimitri grumbled.  He pulled the sleeping bag over his side and propped himself up on one elbow, and tried not to nod off again.  No, he didn’t think they were dangerous people.  He couldn’t tell that just by looking at them, even if the light was better, but they could as easily be unhelpful people and drag him off to the police station for identification.  

Alerts were sent out for all the other kids but no one ever looked, not really.  For a while there would be a curfew, another school program about stranger danger, then everything went back to ‘normal.’  Like some kind of quota to fill, to say they tried to buy back their own lives.  Teachers, police, even the parents support groups.  And what happened if you returned?  He didn’t know.

“Don’t freak out,” Arthur hailed.  “We’re comin’ back over.”  Dimitri shook himself and sat up a bit to see the light bob around in the dark.  The candle guiding the group back from their powwow wasn’t hard to miss, with blue girl behind it and Arthur close to the bright bubble.  “Are you asleep?”

“No,” Dimitri answered.  “I’m not about to anyway.  Anyway.” He shoved the sleeping bag away, and winced.  The harsh cold stabbed through the denim coat and onto his skin, causing a violet shiver to wrack his muscles.  He watched the magenta light approach and could make out the two, but where’d the tall dude go?  He must be somewhere around, probably on hand if Dimitri decided to run.

Vivi was inching closer, past Mystery and his flashlight. Dimitri didn’t seem distracted, but she wasn’t getting too close.  “We talked it over,” she says, and catches the boy’s attention instantly.  Vivi stopped a few feet from Dimitri and stood right in the path of his flashlights dingy orange beam.  “We don’t want to leave you here like this, but we’d prefer if you came with us under your own consent.  Do you mind if I sit with you?”

Dimitri hesitates.  He glanced Arthur’s way and judged the lanky figure could catch up to him, if Dimitri decided to bolt, but the blonde had a higher chance of falling first.  “You… can?”  He knew what was coming, but there was still the missing third member.

Vivi found a clear space on the floor beside the chair so she wouldn’t be boxing Dimitri in, and lowered down to her knees.  Candlewax was spilt on the floor to adhere the candle, and Vivi brought her hands to her lap.  Dimitri watched the mild tremble of the flame for a moment.

“It wouldn’t be right to leave you here,” Vivi went on.  “Do you see where that puts us?”

“Who’s ‘us’?” Dimitri ventured.  This brought about a brief explanation of Mystery Skulls, Paranormal Investigators, a group of friends curious of the unexplained.  “Do you sometimes find kids hanging out in the places you explore?”

Vivi shrugged.  “Kids don’t usually hang out in spooky, haunted places.”  The colors of the outdated flashlight and the pristine shimmer of the flame clash over Vivi’s blue sweater, as she leaned towards Dimitri. “Have you ever considered that something unexplained has happened to your hometown?”

Dimitri stares at her, unfocused and uncomprehending.  “What?” he yelped.  “No!  Maybe some kind of government cover-up, and they’re paying off all the adults involved. Y’know, buying human cargo.  Have you ever watched Coma?”

Vivi blinked.  “Uh… yeah.” She leans back from Dimitri and snatched a brief glimpse of Arthur, now knelt beside Mystery.  “The government thing sounds possible…?”  Arthur twirled a finger beside his head.

“You actually believe me?” Dimitri scoffed.  He didn’t know if that was a good thing or not.  Adults didn’t usually believe in kids, that was some violation of a rule or something stupid.  “Are you serious?”

Vivi sighed and classed her hands together in her lap.  “What should I not believe?  Which story are you fabricating?  You’re ‘runaway’ story,” she quotes with her fingers, “or this government thing.  Are kids not going missing in your hometown?  I’m trying to be helpful, being a smartass with me is not helping.”

And adults usually didn’t curse in front of kids.  Dimitri was wide eyed and stunned.  It wasn’t like he never shouted profanity before, but it was unexpected.  “Okay, I’m sorry,” he said.  “I promise I’m not lying.  I don’t have any proof, but this stuff is really happening and I got… I didn’t want to wind up like the others.  I don’t know if that government thing might be real or not – we made up all these stupid stories for fun, me and my friends.  While it was… fun.”  He averted his gaze.  They were so stupid.  Idiots.

Vivi gave Dimitri the time to collect himself.  “Did your friends go missing?”

Dimitri shook his head.  “No.  I’m not sure. I don’t want to talk about it.”  That’s why they weren’t allowed to talk about it.  Something about entering the story, making it real if the danger was attributed.  Stupid stories.  Dimitri raised his eyes as the candlelight moved.  The girl plucked it off the floor and raised it beside her glasses, causing the vibrant colors to glimmer like twin sets of eyes.  She held out a hand.

“I promise we’ll help you,” Vivi spoke, hand extended.  “It doesn’t matter if it supernatural, government conspiracy… some kind of cult thing.  We believe you, and we’ll help you.”

Dimitri looked at her hand, then her eyes.  “Does this mean… I have to go home?”

Vivi nods so faintly, he nearly missed it.  “But you miss your family?” she adds.  “Don’t you?”

A flash of pain crosses Dimitri’s face, but it might’ve been the sudden wobble of the flame when he reached out to take Vivi’s hand.  “I do.  Yes,” he groans, and hung his head forward.

“I’m sure they’ll be overjoyed with your return,” Vivi insists. “And who knows, going back might do something.  Wake them up. You never know.”  Dimitri nods but refuses to look up.  “Can you stand?”  He nods, and Vivi pulls on his hand as she moves to rise, always careful of the candle still held in her hand.  “Gather up whatever you need, we’ll carry it.  Is the sleeping bag yours?”

Dimitri took his flashlight from the chairs seat and turned his back on her.  “No,” he says.  “I got it from a donation bin.”

“There’ll be blankets,” Vivi says, as she steps away.  “Take your time, there’s no rush.”

It took Dimitri only a few minutes to gather up the few possessions he’d picked up while traveling on his own.  Most of his clothing was being worn in preparation for the night, with no heat source, and the nights getting colder and colder.  He managed to get some control over himself before he turned to the group.  They had moved further across the room beside one of the dark windows, but the dog maintained his usual post with the flashlight still held in his mouth.  The dog stood up as he neared and waited, but Dimitri dithered to approach them.  He was only familiar with one and suddenly, he couldn’t recall the name.  The third member had rejoined sometime while Dimitri was busy, and he and the blonde seemed to be arguing?  This shouldn’t come as a surprise.

“This is a bad idea,” Arthur hissed.  He was hunched over the candle Vivi held amongst their circle, with his arms plastered to his ribs.  “Aside from the obvious,” he nudged his head toward Lewis’ way, “if we get found with this kid, there won’t be bail.  We’ll be over.  Done.”

“Chill Art,” Lewis cut in.  “If we get pestered, Dimitri can just explain we’re on escort.  You just got to breath, and don’t panic.  Panic bad.  Especially when it calls for fleeing from lost, confused kid.”

Arthur groaned, exasperated.  “I was startled!  Mystery, tell him!”

Mystery sniffles as he picked his way over to them.  How long was he to hold the flashlight?  He barked announcing Dimitri’s return, the dreary orange beam of the boys flashlight lagged behind the dog.

Another rasped tangent threatened to spill from Arthur, if Vivi hadn’t gripped his lower face between her fingers and squeezed his lips into a tight pucker.  “You wouldn’t abandon Galaham in a creepy old, mold infest hospital, right?” Arthur nods, but begins to shake his head under Vivi’s persuasion.  “We don’t leave kids alone, unsupervised, in spooky, haunted places.”  Arthur shook his head – no, they didn’t.  “You’d want us to adopt little Arthur if he ever got left in the scariest place in the world.”

“Indle Erfur?”

“Am I going to be a problem for you?” Dimitri blurted out. The girl released Arthur’s face and the taller member of the group flinched back.  “I don’t know if I said it yet, but I can live without ever going back. You get what I’m saying?”

“You’re far from being a problem,” Vivi replies.  “You want us to carry something?”

Dimitri clutched the duffel bag to his chest.  “It’s all I have, and I’ll hold it.”

Vivi let the matter go.  She looks to Mystery, still with that flashlight.  “Which way did we come in?”

If someone will take this torch.  Mystery tapped over to Arthur and shoved the light into his thigh, until Arthur relented on his warm, safe bubble and uncoils one arm to take the flashlight. “You did us a great service,” Arthur mock gushed, as Mystery led the way back through the room and the fallen electrical boxes.  “Even if you did nearly short out the thing with your drool.”  

Mystery yapped at him.  You’re over-exaggerating.

“Does this old place not scare you a little bit?” Vivi asked. Dimitri’s flashlight was old and the light barely covered enough of the floor to reveal the broken wood panels, or the crushed and folded pieces of metal.  She kept the candle lowered between her and Dimitri.

Dimitri shakes his head.  “It’s creepy,” he says.  “But there’s nothing that could hurt me.  I haven’t been here that long, anyway.”  He tries not to notice the taller figure to his side, not right beside him and boxing him in, but just there.  He was tall.

Light conversation was exchanged as they passed through the dark cluttered halls, and vacant moon splashed rooms.  Dimitri admitted he never really explored the hospital at night, and his discomfort toward the eerie mutation of scenery was not missed. Vivi talked to him, she avoided questions and just told him stories she’d read about some of the places they’d visited.  At times Dimitri would reciprocate and talk about some of the towns he’d breezed through, though his focus then had been getting enough food.  As a kid it was easy to get some money, but keeping a low profile was harder.  That was before Fall hit.  Arthur sympathized with Dimitri’s disdain for the ‘intrusive’ cold.

When they reached the Patients entrance, Lewis pried the warped piece of plywood back for Mystery and Arthur to exit first

“I would feel so much better if we could contact your parents,” Vivi said, as Dimitri slipped under the small opening and out into the fresh air of the night; the task was made difficult due to Dimitri’s reluctance to release his bag.  “Just to let them know where you are, and that you’re coming home.”  She took Arthur’s hand when he held it out, and he steadied her as she slipped under the thin opening with the candle.

Dimitri visibly stiffened at the harmless comment.  He stood away from the group and watched Vivi join them, and never took his eyes off her.  For a moment Vivi thought he was going to run for it.  “No,” Dimitri murmured.  “I’ll go back, but I don’t want anyone of them to realize I ever left.”

Vivi lowered the candle and let its fuchsia light settle thickly over the gritty brick floor.  A cryptic fear lingered in Dimitri, perhaps a child’s fear but it was no less worthy of empathy.  It made her reevaluate Dimitri’s explanation over the cycle of missing children. Forgotten, but not missed.  Vivi was jarred from her musing when Arthur started choking.  The torch clattered to the floor under him, the light sparked and dimmed but didn’t go out. Arthur clutched at his chest as he wobbled away from Lewis, standing near him.

“Crud, are you okay?” Vivi yelped.  Mystery darted out of the way when Vivi rushed to Arthur, and took him by the shoulder.  She handed Lewis the candle and hit Arthur on the back a few times.  “What’d you— Did you swallow your gum?”

“I think something startled him,” Lewis mumbled.  The torches bulb pulsed faintly as he reached down to pick it up, and directed the light at their feet.

“Yeah,” Arthur gagged, and coughed harder.  Vivi gave him another pat on his back, and his voice cracked as he cleared his throat.  “I’m okay now.  I’m fine. Don’t hit me again.”  He snagged Vivi’s arm, and moved the crook of his other arm over his mouth as he continued to wheeze.  Vivi pulled her hand away, but held onto his shoulder a little longer and waited, until she realized which arm she was holding.  She withdrew her hands completely.

“Be more careful,” she said, with nothing much else to offer. She led Arthur to the mingling light of the torch and candle Lewis held.  He was already at the back of the van with Dimitri, talking about the van and why the side of it was scratched up horrendously.  The lights ducked around the side as Lewis wandered off.

Vivi set her backpack down on the vans back bumper and was going through the interior pockets.  “We kind of needed the light,” she called, as Lewis went on explaining:

“We’re good drivers, but that semi came out of nowhere.” Lewis’ voice perked up as he rounded the bright amber corner.  “Sorry. I panicked.”  He winced when Vivi snatched the candle from his hand.  “I’ll just… keep an eye on him… then.”  Lewis darted away, the yellow haze of the torch flashed out in his soundless withdraw.

Arthur looked aside to Mystery, as the dog strolled out of the gloom cast by the eve of the tall arch.  “I get startled,” Arthur said.  He knelt down and pet Mystery’s head.  “That’ll never change.”  He looked up at Vivi when the audible rummage through her bag ceased.  She held the candle flame up, letting the fuchsia glimmer coat his face and shoulders.  Through this exchange, Arthur could see the doubt in her eyes.  “We’re trying,” he whispers, voice strained.  “Trust me.”

Vivi turned her eyes from Arthur, and reached into her bag to pull out the spare key.  She unlocked the doors, wincing as they groaned across the cool stillness of the night. “Get in.  Take it easy,” she urged, and handed Arthur the key.  “Wait.”  Vivi pulled him back by his vests edge and wrapped her arms around him.  “You’re strong, even when you forget you are. You get stronger when you remember that. Okay, go take it easy now.”

Arthur wobbled out of the embrace, and flopped over into the back of the van as he tried to crawl up inside.  Mystery followed, tiptoeing around Arthur’s ankles.

“Lew,” Vivi called.  She poked around one side of the van, then hurried around the other opposite corner in haste to find the two.  When she reached them, Lewis was describing some house they had explored in one adventure she didn’t recall.  She dismissed the lapse, and waved the candle their way.  “You wanna get Dimitri out of the chill?”

The expression Lewis gave was part sheepish and fear.  “Are you cold?” he asked, as he reached over to try the passenger side door.  “Why didn’t you say something?”  A click came when Arthur unlocked it, and Lewis hauled the door open for Dimitri.

“It always seemed a lot colder in that building,” Dimitri mumbled.

Vivi left them to return to the vans back.  Mystery was revealed in the candlelight, alone, as she climbed in and began going through the cuvees for supplies.  She half listened to Arthur and Lewis as they spoke to Dimitri, preoccupied with the unusualness of a guest.  Mystery watched, chin on his paws, as Vivi elected a few sticks of incense – she counted three - she retrieved a box of juice from the cooler box and one hostess cake, outside she selected a few lost bricks to assemble these items on.  She lit the incense with the candle and set it beside the unwrapped cake and the juice box, with the bendy straw set in it.  It was not the first time that she wondered whose idea was it to buy juice boxes; she suspected Lewis.

The display was not elaborate and not necessary, but it was customary.  She stood up and bowed to the doors.  “Thank you for safe passage through your grounds.  Please accept our tribute, and find fulfillment when you are ready.”

__

They had a motel room and that was where they were headed.  Dimitri struggled to keep his eyes open as the lights flashed hypnotically through the windshield.  It must’ve been very late, there was hardly any traffic out and he saw far more police cruisers than civilian cars.  He hugged his duffle bag tighter to his chest and wedged into the passenger door more.

The one called Vivi hovered over the center seat watching through the windshield, and sometimes made quiet conversation with the blond driving. He wasn’t listening.  At one point she looked Dimitri’s way, and said, “You need to get a good night’s rest, and think about what you feel we should know before you tell us anymore.”  Followed by: “Are you hungry?”

Dimitri ate two large crates of fries.  He still clung to his duffle bag to him as he chewed away diligently. “Can the dog have fries?” he asked. Mystery was lying on the middle seat between him and Arthur, the back paws were sprawled out over Arthur’s lap, while Mystery’s front paws reached over to Dimitri’s thigh.  The dog was weirdly calm and hardly ever looked at him.

“He likes fries,” Arthur answered.  “You done with them?”

“No.”  Dimitri held one of his fries to Mystery’s nose.  “Why does he wear glasses?”  Mystery looked at the offered food item, then at Dimitri and slanted his dog eyebrows.

“His insurance wouldn’t pay for contacts,” Arthur muttered.  He turned the van into the motels parking lot. “Plus, they look cool.”

Mystery took the fry and ate it.

The thick grumble of the motor cut off when Arthur cut the engine. He held onto the keys as he spun around to face Vivi in the back.  “Sorry Mystery.  I didn’t tell you to put them there.”  The dog yapped when Arthur twisted in his seat, upsetting his legs perch.  “Are we just going up to get our stuff?”

“Yep.  The rooms a mess.”  Vivi motioned her arms around as she shuffled to the bench seat.  “It won’t take us long.  But for the night, the room’s yours.  You can make a pillow fort if you want, there’s that complimentary soap; you can have a bath bomb.”  Vivi pointed over the seat to Dimitri’s face.  “But don’t wreck the place.  Can you handle all that?”

Dimitri stares over his duffle bag at Vivi.  “Uh… yeah.”

Arthur was already climbing out the driver side door, and Mystery scooted out after him.  “Awesome,” Vivi praised.  She hopped the seat, and jerked her thumb back over shoulder as she bounced out. “Wait her and keep an eye on Lewis. He’s still grounded.”  She was gone, and Lewis poked his head over the bench seat to give a dubious glance the way Vivi had skipped off, before turning to face Dimitri.

“You guys are so weird,” Dimitri sighed.  He fumbled at the lid of one of the fry cartons he held, the over sat on the dashboard where Arthur had stuffed it.

“Heh, you noticed?” Lewis quipped.  “Do you feel safe with us, though?  Be honest.”

The boy blinked under his untidy hair and thought it over. That question was kind of scary and he wasn’t sure if he could answer it, or if he understood his answer.  He didn’t know these people, he didn’t want to go home, but he didn’t want to keep running.  He never wanted to leave in the first place, but going back now?

“The police would help you,” Lewis elaborates, and flicks his hand up above the backseats headrest as if shooing away the first question.  “But I know for a kid, sometimes the police… aren’t the best option.  What I’m saying, you have choices.  Tell us what you feel better with why don’t you.  You’re smart, but maybe misguided?  We’ll listen.”  It wasn’t noticeable before but Lewis had an accent, and it came through heavy as he spoke.

“Why do you care?” Dimitri asked.  He set aside the empty carton of fries and took the next one from the dashboard. “Kids go missing every day, and no one cares.”

Lewis folded his arms around the headrest and set his chin down on his arms and stared out the windshield.  He thought a moment, the parking-lot lamp above glittered odd colors over the lenses of his sunglasses, mixing the yellows and purples.  “It’ll make a difference to you, won’t it?”

Dimitri stopped chewing on the fries and stared at them.  “I don’t know,” he mumbled.  “I want it to.  It should.  It has to.” He shut his eyes and pressed his face into the duffle bag.  By the way Dimitri’s shoulders shook, Lewis expected him to cry.  But Dimitri didn’t make a sound, and eventually pulled his face up and looked at him.  “You believe me?  Don’t you?” His voice was an edge from pleading, nearly insistent.  It didn’t suit a child so afraid of the home he had fled.

“Kid,” Lewis hummed.  “I don’t know what you’ve seen, but we believe you.  And we’ll do whatever we can to help.  I— ” He winced, and cut off the words to follow.  The vans radio chirped briefly and flashed, its sudden noise startled Dimitri and Lewis gave the dash a sharp glare.  “The van’s kind of old.”

“Oh.”  Dimitri fell silent after that, and contemplated the remainder of his fries. “I’m not hungry anymore,” he mumbled.

Lewis drummed his fingers on the seat back briefly.  If he leaned forward he could see the night sky through the windshield, but in the heart of the city under the glaze of lamps he couldn’t see the stars.  The sky was black, oily, and had all the contours of a moldy mop head prodding into the edges of roof eves and tree tops.  “You think you’ll be okay on your own tonight?”  he asked.  Dimitri raised his shoulders in a meager shrug.

Voices twittered through the open driver side door.  Lewis leaned back as Vivi shoved her overnight bag onto the seat.  Behind her, Arthur was catching up and complaining about something, if Lewis was listening right.

“You okay?” Vivi climbed onto the seat and set a hand on Dimitri’s shoulder.  “Hey.”

“I’m just thinking,” he answered.  “And tired.”  He clasped the fry cartoon between his hands.

“Lew, do you know where the walkie-talkies are?”  Vivi turned back to Dimitri and held out one of the plastic card keys.  “Mystery will stay with you tonight.  He’s a good listener.”

“Oh… er, thanks.”  Dimitri took the card key and stared at it.  “Thanks.”

“Lewis,” Arthur hissed, through the vans side.  It was a comical tone, it was Arthur being playful.  “Open the back doors.  Pleaasssse.”

“What’s the password,” Lewis whispered.  He appeared beside Vivi and handed over the walkie-talkie.  She was trying not to smile.

“Is it alpacas?” Arthur said.  “It had better be alpacas, I warn you.”

“Or what?” Lewis rattled.

Dimitri looked up at Vivi when she handed him the walkie-talkie. “What’s an alpaca?”

Vivi smirked.  “It’s like a llama, but cuter.”  She sniggered.  It was the idea of alpacas and Lewis slipping through her thoughts.  She could hear Arthur mutter something as Lewis wretched the doors open.  “I’m sorry,” Vivi muttered.  “You ready to retire for the night?”

“I guess.”  Dimitri tried the passenger door, and found it would unlock automatically if he pulled the handle.  “Where’s the room?”  On the other side of the door was Mystery meandering around the pavement.  He looked up as Dimitri slipped out.

“One-One-four.  Mystery will show you, if that’s fine by you.”  Vivi perched on the passenger seat as Dimitri stared at Mystery, and Mystery stared back, his tail wagging.  “Unless you—”

“Okay,” Dimitri interrupted, and he began walking off. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”  Dimitri adjusted his arms full of duffle bag, fry carton, card key and walktie-talkie, and followed as the hound led the way. The two walked up on the cement path beside the many dull tan doors of the motel rooms, and Vivi sat where she was until the two rounded the corner and were out of sight.

Lewis slipped up beside Vivi and watched the way she was staring. “I think there’s something on his mind he’s not telling us,” he judged.  “It’s hard not to ask though.”  He removed the sunglasses and held them beside his arm.  In the back, Arthur was being noisy poking around or putting their gear away.  Vivi hadn’t looked.

“I’ll do some research before we bed down,” she said.  She handed Lewis her overnight bag and climbed over the bench seat.  “If I can find something out about mass disappearances in one area, it might give us a clue of what we’re looking into.  I’m almost afraid to research it, though.”

“This doesn’t feel right,” Arthur muttered.  He leaned forward as he paced to the vans front and hopped seats.  The van creaked with his rash movement, and the doors cracked shut as he pulled them closed.  “We deal with mysteries, spookies, cults, maybe a low level creature feature – but this is a bad gig.  You feel me on this, right?  I’m not being irrational.”  He flopped his arms over the seat and stared into the back.  It was Lewis who met his gaze; Vivi had turned away to dig around in her night bag.

“I never call you irrational,” Lewis grumbled.  He crossed his arms, and Arthur could see his brow knit over his bright eyes.

“You think it, don’t you?” Arthur pressed.  “Admit it.”

“Whoa-whoa-whoa,” Vivi snapped.  She put her arms out between Arthur and Lewis and looked between the two. “Never irrational.  Right Lewis?”  She looked to the ghost as he tilts back from her hand, and the scowl she gave him.

“Never.  Art.” He made a point to look past Vivi and Arthur his attention.

Vivi looked to Arthur and dropped her hands.  “Completely rational, and I see what you’re talking about,” she said, and took a large gulp of air.  “Dimitri’s a runaway, people are probably looking for him.  He doubts that, for some reason – they don’t care about kids that go missing.”  She paused and waited, as Arthur opened his mouth as if to say something, but he withdrew and settled to lean more on the bench seats middle headrest.  “But you can’t deny that something has him troubled. Art?”

Arthur nods.  “It freaked me out, when I realized he was just some kid,” he said.  “He’s been here for a few days, keeps moving.  I don’t think he would’ve survived the winter.”

Vivi sat down and pulled the laptop onto her lap.  “That’s not a kid being stubborn.  That’s a kid that’s hit desperation.  He’s willing to go home, we’ll take him as far as we can. That’s the most we can offer.”

Arthur watched Lewis move soundlessly to the back of the van and settle himself on the bumper.  “You want me to change the radio, Lew?”  Lewis’ head jerked up from the jacket collar and Arthur almost expected the skull to take place, but Lewis held it together.

“Yeah, that… it would be good.”  Lewis withdrew again, and distracted himself with the scarce car on the distant thoroughfare.

Vivi had just booted up the computer, the chime rang out and the bright luminous of the screen brushed across her sweater.  She swung her gaze from Lewis hunched shoulders and met Arthur eyes, an expression of loss projected from her to him.  Or distress.  Or something – she didn’t remember, and it was painfully obvious to Arthur. The only consolation Arthur could give was a slight motion of his hand, while tugging his lips back into a kind of grimace.  Vivi raised her eyebrows and opened her hands out from beside her, a questioning.  Arthur motioned his hand, Vivi needed to just let it go for now.

“Damn… cheap internet,” Vivi hissed.  She pecks away at the keys, probably harder than necessary.  After some searching and clicking, she stood up and approached Lewis’ mopey shade.  “Scoot over.” She wriggled down beside him and held the laptop out for him to see.  “Look at this.  I think you need this cute alpaca vid.”  Lewis said nothing, and while Arthur watched the two, there was no visible change in the ghost’s demeanor.  Just the sounds of some kind of bleating, probably alpacas, and people talking, probably about alpacas.  Then, a sharp shriek:

“Oh no,” Lewis squealed.  “They’re too cute!”