#it has nothing to do with the fact that i miss them and haven't changed anything in their room

[mvndrvke]

@winterreigned decided to hurt my feelings with : angst filled prompt modern au: ned & cat die , sansa has to move back home during college to take care of rickon, bran , and arya. xoxoxoxo

The funeral had brought with it a sense of finality. Rickon is old enough to know that, even if he's still a child. His parents were gone. He would never see them again. He would never hear his mother's laugh again, would never get a smile of approval from his father again. His memories of them were all that were left of them now.

Except for Sansa. She was Cat and Ned Stark's child in their truest form. Beautiful as a snow-covered dawn and fierce as the winter winds. Robb had left after the funeral, needing to keep the family on track financially, and Rickon doesn't begrudge him that. It just makes him love Sansa more for being here when he needs her the most.

He's curled up in her bed when she comes in, hugging her pillow tight to his chest. He peers up at her, embarrassment clear in his face.

"I can leave," he whispers. "I just...." He shuffles anxiously. "I sleep better here." He's sure in that moment that it hasn't gone unnoticed by his sister that Rickon has spent his time in her absence hanging out in her room, sleeping in her bed to try and make the ache of missing his eldest sister at bay. He clutches his plushie wolf closer to his chest and looks at her. "I can go back to my room."

[flowersforthemachines]

Some facts about Lucanis (and also Spite and the Crows) gathered from the banters

I went through all companion banters on DanaDuchy's channel after playing the game to write down all facts about companions/the world that I haven't seen brought up anywhere in the game as a writing reference (and for funsies).

Note: This list may not be exhaustive. I might have missed some something or didn't write it down because I considered it common knowledge. If you have anything to add, please DM me or send an ask! (do specify what banter the information is coming from, though)

Note 2: Posts from this series (mostly) don't include information from banters specific to quests or between companions and faction members. I plan to do another playthrough to capture more of those and will add any relevant info to the character posts.

Other characters' posts: Bellara, Davrin, Harding, Emmrich, Neve, Taash. I'm also planning a post about just the Lighthouse some time later

About Lucanis: 

Family and the past:

Lucanis learnt to cook while helping the kitchen staff at the villa when he was a little boy. One of his motivations was learning how to make churros

Side note: Lucanis mentions that cioccolata calda was his favourite drink when he was a baby, and he serves churros to a romanced Rook who picks cioccolata calda as their favourite drink. It’s all coming together! 

Lucanis wanted to be a Crow when he was a child (at least most of the time)  

All of Lucanis's relatives were Crows as well, and all of them were killed by a rival Crow house

Lucanis says Caterina would be proud of Illario hiding his plans well, as well as killing her 

Lucanis says that the hard part about setting Illario free would be convincing Caterina 

Lucanis says that nightlife was more of Illario's thing, and he never got out as much

On Crows and Antiva:

Viago still stares daggers at Lucanis for throwing his (Viago's) pet snake out of the window in a dream

Lucanis doesn't like it when people confuse murder and assassination ("Murderers are hobbyists, we are professionals")

Lucanis has taken contracts in Orlais

Lucanis doesn’t know Treviso as well as he once used to 

Heir didn’t train Lucanis

Lucanis says he has never killed an innocent “by his count” (other people may disagree) 

Lucanis doesn’t think of the Crows as a “big organisation” (unlike the Inquisition) because they stab each other too much

Lucanis became a mage-killer at Caterina’s behest (she wanted to tap into new markets)

The nickname “The Demon of Vyrantium” came from Tevinter news-sheets, though Lucanis thinks Viago started it

Lucanis says that there aren't any special tricks to killing mages. Though, if nothing else works, you can try pissing them off, as that could attract a demon that would eat the mage

Lucanis once killed half a dozen venatori while stuck inside an elevator 

Lucanis doesn’t consider himself a gentleman assassin, manners are less important than getting the job done

Lucanis sometimes spares his targets. He mentioned letting go of a servant who killed her master, as well as a 14-year-old boy. He thinks it’s wrong to kill people so young because they still have time to change

Lucanis doesn’t accept contracts without merit, and the merit is decided by the talon of the house

General:

Lucanis can make bread

Lucanis has never been to Ferelden

Lucanis isn’t interested in killing wyverns, just looking at them :)  

Lucanis has a pet snake 

Lucanis stays awake at night by cleaning his gear, exercising, studying Orlesian and knitting ("it’s just another kind of blade work") 

Lucanis doesn’t understand a lot of things people find attractive

(In a conversation with Harding) Thinking about cooking was one of the things that helped Lucanis stay sane in the Ossuary (the other was thinking about killing his enemies) 

(In a conversation with Davrin) Lucanis survived the Ossuary by shutting down and not thinking about anything except escaping

These two points sort of contradict each other. Either an inconsistency or Lucanis describing his experience differently to different people. 

The Wetlands ruined at least one pair of Lucanis’s boots

(If Rook chooses to save Treviso) Lucanis offers to pay for any supplies the Shadow Dragons may need 

Lucanis doesn't get a better bed because he's afraid of accidentally falling asleep 

Lucanis can identify the killer’s weapon and the height difference between them and the target just through the blood splatter left at the scene

Lucanis considers Grey Wardens dangerous 

Lucanis doesn’t like necromancy, because bringing people back to life is a waste of hard work

Lucanis finds the ice coffee from Minrathous offensive (Harding describes it as “snow, but made of coffee, sweet, and with cream and toffee sauce on top”)

Lucanis had never been in a romantic relationship before Rook/Neve

Relationships with other companions: 

Lucanis gets into reading Bellara’s serials (very passionately - they chat about it a bunch)

Lucanis is outraged that the Veil Jumpers don’t get paid for their work and offers Bellara his contract negotiator

Lucanis made biscuits for Assan

Lucanis is sceptical that the griffons will be safe with the Wardens

Lucanis think that Assan shouldn’t go soft (referring to the time he took care of a halla) because he is a predator at heart

(If Emmrich becomes a lich) Lucanis offers to hold a funeral for Manfred

Lucanis and Harding talk a lot about dreams (mostly silly things like showing up naked for the job, getting chased by someone/something etc.)

Lucanis thinks Harding is deadly with her bow

Lucanis offers to pay Harding for being his lookout/aide at the rate of 6000 gold per contract

Lucanis offers the help of his contract negotiator to Neve after he finds out she doesn't have one

Lucanis made deep-fried peppers for Taash

About Spite: 

Emmrich can hear Spite even when he doesn’t take over Lucanis’s body (at least from a close distance)

Spite is impartial to Emmrich, believing him more than Lucanis

Emmrich says it’s impossible to separate Spite and Lucanis without killing them

Emmrich encourages Lucanis to read to Spite to bring them closer. Lucanis agrees to let Spite pick a book

(If Emmrich becomes a lich) Spite asks if he and Lucanis can get rid of their skin too 

(If Manfred is revived at the Necropolis) Spite asks Emmrich to teach him how to use fire magic. Lucanis isn’t thrilled by the idea

Emmrich sets up wards to prevent Spite from leaving the room when Lucanis is asleep

Spite no longer sleepwalks after “Inner Demons” because he apparently understood the concept of space

By the end of the game, Spite has agreed to stop sleepwalking completely

Spite controls the wings (confirmed in banter with Harding) 

Spite wants to try swinging off the astrolabe at the Lighthouse

Spite is very excited about Manfred having hands and feet (Curiosity. Has. Feet!)

Spite finds the wisps in Neve’s room unnerving (as do Lucanis and Neve)

Spite likes to play with whetstones Bellara got for Lucanis (Bellara got them from the Irelin who supposedly got them from somewhere in Arlathan) 

Spite wants to try eating self-lightning candles at Blackthorne Manor

About the Crows: 

Crows frequently visit Nevarra and have received 20 contacts to assassinate the king. The King has been poisoned 7 times

Crows get a lot of contracts for Divine Victoria

Some seers in Rivain are powerful enough that there are contracts on them as well

Caterina once killed a man with a thimble

When Crows kill someone, most of the time they want others to know it was them (rather than presenting the death as an accident) 

The crows buried six different Eight Talons and rarely take contracts in Ferelden after the Zevran fiasco

[moon-fics]

Lewis Pullman character request idea 💡: Dr. Calvin Evans doesn't know how to act when his lab tech/research partner is going on a date with a colleague from his past (perhaps yearning, jealousy, and a declaration of love ensues 👼) I highly recommend everyone to watch Lessons In Chemistry if you haven't

Lessons in Chemistry has destroyed my life and soul. It's amazing and deserves a bigger fan base. I grant you your request. (Please note I chose a major FAR away from the sciences. I know NOTHING about chemistry.

It has been months since you started working as Calvin's lab tech. For the most part, you help organize his lab and brainstorm. You also spend most of your time reading research papers and textbooks to find solutions or get a different perspective. So far, things have been going well.

Except for the fact that he's hardly been talking to you recently. You can't remember the exact day things changed, but it can't have been more than two days. Every time you try to bring up an idea, he nods his head and gives you a one-word answer. It's gotten to a point where the other chemists talk to you more than him.

You expect the same treatment as you enter his lab. You've learned to ignore the signs on his door that grow in numbers every once in a while. The newest one is 'stop asking for my supplies'.

"Morning, Calvin," You greet him. He's hunched over one of the black laminate lab tables. He's staring intently at two beakers with different liquids in them. You know better to ask at this point.

"Morning," He replies in a low tone. He's dead focused and lost in thought. You pay him no mind and grab a textbook from his shelf. You've decided to go back to the basics to find anything you can use as a breakthrough. You can feel his eyes watching you as you sit at his desk.

You ignore him the same way he's been ignoring you. You won't give him the satisfaction of having all your attention unless he's earned it. Except, every few minutes, you can sense him watching you. It drives you mad that he won't even say a word. You want to throw the textbook at him to see if he'll finally speak, but you need it.

"Could you pass me my notebook and pen?" He asks after an hour of silence. Your eyes flicker from the page to him with an unamused expression. Without looking away, you reach for the notebook and pen. You hold it out in front of you and dare him to ask you to get up. "Thanks," He mutters.

He approaches you and takes the requested items. He doesn't move away from you. At least, not right away. You follow his line of sight, and he's zoned in on your hand. You clear your throat, and it snaps him out of his trance. He slaps the notebook against his hand and walks back to his experiment.

Another long space of silence passes, and you've finally gotten into the reading. You've relaxed in his chair, and your mind is filled with equations that you're trying to alter.

"Do you mind-" He tries to start, but you twist around in his chair to glare at him. Your fingers press against the chapter page as you silently loathe him.

"Listen, if you're going to keep me around to fetch you items, then I'd be more useful helping the other chemists." You snap. You're tired of only speaking to him when he needs something. You miss the banter and jokes you'd share with him. It used to brighten your day, and if he weren't so handsome, you'd have left by now.

His soft blue eyes search your face for a joke or for any sign that you're bluffing. You wish you were. His jaw clenches and unclenches as if he has something important to say.

"I heard you got asked out," He declares. He rests his fist against his mouth as if he regrets speaking. "I can't have you getting distracted," He mumbles.

"That's what this is about?" You scoff. He's been acting off because you got asked out. He's more interested in you remaining devoted to chemistry than your personal life. "One of the lab techs asked me out and I agreed. Is that enough information for you?" You speak harshly.

His eyes squint and reset at your reaction. You can see the gears working in his mind to figure out what to say.

"You agreed?" He asks. There is internal screaming inside your head that fuels your annoyance. "Does this mean you'll be here less?"

"I'm not sure! If things go well, then maybe. That isn't important, though." You throw your hands up. "I'm dedicated to helping you, so I'll be here enough."

"We need a submission for the grant, and if you're busy running off on dates, how am I supposed to rely on you?" That was more than enough for you. You close the textbook and set it on his desk. Your body is way too hot, and you cannot stand to be in the same room as him right now.

Without a word, you storm out of his lab and slam the door shut behind you. You can hear one of his signs hit the floor from the force. The farther you get, the worse your heart feels. As if it's being pulled in two different directions.

---

The day went by quickly after you left his lab. You distracted yourself with mindless tasks, but you still couldn't stop thinking about the argument. It doesn't make sense in your mind as to why he'd react that way.

You step outside the building to see heavy rain pouring down. Thankfully, you're covered where you're standing. Unfortunately, you didn't bring an umbrella to work. With a grunt, you step out from your protection and allow yourself to be exposed to the rain. The soft drops cool your skin down, and it soothes something inside you.

By the time you reach your car, you're soaked. You press the key into the slot of the door and right as you're about to turn it you hear your name.

Your head snaps up to look around the lot. You notice a figure running towards you and recognize them to be Calvin. You don't know why he's running in the rain to you, but you don't jump in your car.

He stops a few inches from you, and he's not even out of breath. His eyes instantly stare into yours as he tries to collect his thoughts. Rain drips from his hair down his nose. It's maddening how dignified he looks while getting drenched.

"Don't go out with him," He isn't ordering you, but he isn't suggesting either. "Please."

"This again? I'm not going to be distracted!" You groan. You press your hands against our face to contain yourself. You cannot believe you're about to have the same argument from earlier.

"I'm not saying this because I'm worried about your commitment. I know you're just as devoted to getting this grant as I am," He huffs. "I'm saying it because the idea of seeing you and your smile less drives me crazy. You brighten my lab just being there, and you make me feel unstuck." He confesses hastily.

You can't find the words to say as he admits his feelings. You had no clue he felt this way. You should scream at him for treating you poorly, simply because he was jealous. Yet, you're almost glad he is.

"Working with you has been the greatest pleasure of my life. I'd give up ever winning an award if it meant I could stay by your side." He places his hands on his hips. "I'm sorry I've been distant and I've been wasting your time. I just wanted more of it." It's clear he has more to say, but he's waiting for your reaction.

"I'll accept your apology, but if you ever treat me like that again, I'm breaking all your beakers." You warn. You want to look serious, but a smile creeps up on your lips as you speak. "However, you're going to have to do more to convince me not to go on that date," You taunt.

"Say less," He nods. His hands gently cradle your head, and he tilts it so his lips can press against yours perfectly. Rain enters your mouth during the kiss, but it doesn't bother you. Not when his warmth is consuming you. The kiss is desperate but slow. He's trying to get his point across, and it's working.

When he finally pulls away, you continue to stare at his lips. Your hands go to his wrists to keep his hands in place.

"I think I can cancel that date," You hum.

"Oh, you think you can?" He chuckles. His thumb rubs circles over your cheeks.

[catlantern]

Under the Mistletoe

DAMIAN WAYNE/FEM!READER

SUMMARY: He followed your gaze, and, sure enough, there was a mistletoe just above your heads. His eyes fell on you, only to find you already staring right back at him. There was a twinkle in your eye that hadn't been there before and a hint of shyness in your smile.

Damian didn't mind Christmas.

In fact, he's rather fond of the festive holiday even if he would never admit it out loud. He was especially looking forward to presents and spending time with his family. It was truly a significant change for him ever since he had been left in his father's care six years ago.

What he did mind, though, was the freezing-ass weather around this time of year.

Patrols in December are especially challenging, and though Damian has suffered worse, he would still rather be drinking hot chocolate and opening presents on Christmas Eve. Alas, his sense of duty will always outweigh his desire for comfort. And, unfortunately for the criminals of Gotham who have decided to commit heinous acts during the holiday, Robin and the rest of the Bat-clan would never allow such evil to run rampant through the streets on Christmas.

He had just zip-tied a group of would-be burglars (Damian still couldn't believe they were about to steal from a toy store) when Jason, dressed in his Red Hood gear, dropped into the alley to join the teenager.

"Aww, I missed all the fun," the twice-undead vigilante snickers. "What did these mooks do?"

He gestured over to the men, most of whom were unconscious on the ground. Frankly, Damian would have gone easy on them had he not overheard their conversation. After learning that one of them had beaten a stray dog to death, well, the current Robin didn't think the "mooks" deserved the courtesy of him holding back his punches.

"TT."

Despite the bright red helmet obscuring Jason's face, he was certain his brother was staring at him in shock. When he spoke again, Jason had taken off his helmet, and Damian was forced to look him in the eye through their domino masks. He was sure he was about to receive the teasing of a lifetime when–

"You alright?" Jason's voice softened. "I haven't seen you this pissed in quite a while."

"One of these bastards killed a dog!" Damian said with righteous anger. "I heard them laughing about it as if it were some simple, silly anecdote!"

Jason hissed in sympathy before throwing a dirty glare at the scumbags lying on the ground.

"Calm down," he sighed, muttering under his breath, "Where the hell is Dickhead when I need him?"

Hearing Jason's nickname for their oldest brother, Damian knew that was his cue to leave. He ignored Jason's calls and swiftly grappled his way out of the alley. Damian didn't want his consoling words and hoped Jason would leave him alone for the rest of the night.

After catching a few more wrongdoers breaking the law red-handed, the teenage vigilante soon found himself brooding on a winged gargoyle atop an old building. He had chosen to avoid his usual patrol route, hiding from his family. Damian resolved to thank Oracle later, more than aware that she could have already sent Nightwing or, even worse, his father, his way but obviously chose not to.

He hadn't meant to act like the self-entitled, violent child he used to be, but his heart, as usual, took over. He was so incensed by those men's actions that he had moved without thinking. They hadn't even had the chance to break into the store before Robin was on them like a dark angel of vengeance. He would certainly get in trouble for that later, but, at the moment, he no longer cared. Nothing can ever justify the killing of a defenceless animal.

Damian was pulled out of his ruminations by a sudden scream for help. As his training had drilled into him, he jumped into action and headed in the direction of the voice. Luckily, he was not too far from the alley it had originated from and found you cornered against a metal fence by several men.

Curiously, in your arms was a shivering dog that looked like it hadn't bathed in months. The canine also appeared thin, but you had wrapped it in a blanket, so Damian couldn't be too sure. What was less surprising, though, was how the dog started snarling at the men who were obviously approaching you with ill intent.

Well, that won't do.

He expertly maneuvered down a fire escape, landing on a thug before any of them could notice him coming from above. As soon as their comrade fell to the ground, unconscious, the hoodlums finally moved to attack the teenage vigilante. Unfortunately for them, they were facing off against a boy who had been trained to fight since he could walk.

With none of them possessing a gun, just flimsy knives, Damian made quick work of them. All the while, he kept you in his line of sight. Whenever he dealt with scum while there was an unprotected civilian nearby, he always made sure to keep his eye on them even if it meant lowering his guard.

Predictably, he almost took a knife to the stomach.

Before he could retaliate, however, the man, whom Damian thought resembled a gorilla, joined the rest of his friends on the disgusting alley ground, unconscious.

The thug's falling form revealed you, standing there in shock as though you couldn't believe you had just knocked a man out with a metal pipe.

"Oh god," he heard you gasp. "I'm going to jail."

"You're not going to jail," he said. "That was self-defence."

"I still hit him…" you said faintly. "And there's blood."

There wasn't.

"Do you want to go to jail?" he challenged.

"You're Robin…" you trail off, not hearing a word he said. "And you're…"

Damian saw your eyes widen, your gaze focused on him. "Oh no! You're bleeding!"

"Huh?"

It was then that he finally noticed the slight sting on his left ear.

"TT."

Apparently, one of the incompetent fools had managed to nick him in the ear.

"A lucky hit," he growled to himself, vowing not to make the same mistake again.

He saw you regard him with a contemplative eye before sighing and walking away. Curious, he watched you crouch down by a stack of crates nearby and pull out a ball of fur. By the way the fur shook, he deduced it was the dog you had been cradling earlier when he first saw you.

"It's okay, buddy," he heard you murmur to the dog comfortingly. "You're safe now, see? Robin is here!"

Damian, for some unfathomable reason, flushed at your words.

"So are you," he said without thinking, startling himself. "Safe, I mean."

Hoping to avoid your curious look, he immediately busied himself with securing the men on the ground.

What on earth possessed him to suddenly say that? It felt like someone had taken control of his body and said those embarrassing things. They were words only someone like his brother, Dick, would say; corny and cringeworthy.

He felt foolish all of a sudden. To avoid your gaze, he occupied himself with triple-checking the zip ties he had used to tie the men. Ignoring the way his heart pounded in his ribcage, he decided to face you properly.

"Allow me to walk you home," he said before addressing Barbara, who he knew was monitoring him, through his communicator. "Oracle…"

"Already ahead of you, the GCPD are on their way," she responded. "You should be able to hear their sirens now."

True to her words, Damian heard the sound of police patrol cars already rounding the corner. "If she's going to press charges, she'll have to stick around."

"Are you pressing charges?" he asked, not wasting any time.

Though the question caught you off guard, you managed to answer and even let out an unladylike snort. "Gotham, no. I can't afford a lawyer."

"There are lawyers who offer pro bono services."

"I said no," your sharp tone took Damian by surprise. "If it's the same to you, I'd very much like to put this evening behind me."

He eyed you shrewdly before accepting your request. "Oracle," he addressed Barbara again. "Inform the police that I'm escorting the civilian home and… thank you."

"Anytime, Robin."

His subsequent interaction with you was nothing short of an argument. When he tried to convince you that traveling via the rooftops would be more efficient, you refused. When he offered to call his bike, you turned and walked away.

You nearly gave him a conniption after you threw his words back at him, reminding him that he had, more or less, told you he would walk you home without even asking.

So, there he was, grumbling under his breath, as he literally walked you to wherever you lived. While there weren't many people walking around, especially at that time of night, civilians who still caught the boy wonder walking on the sidewalk had to double-take to make sure they were not hallucinating.

Some time after you claimed you were nearly at your destination, you spoke to him again. "You must be wondering why those assholes cornered me?"

"Yes," he frowned before looking at the dog in your arms. "I was also wondering how it fits into the story."

"I know it was stupid, but they were kicking him!" You burst out, red in the face as you stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. "I wasn't just going to stand by and do nothing!"

"You rescued…"

You stormed off, and he quickly caught up to you. "I'm done watching poor animals die because of human arrogance. I don't care if I sound crazy, I…"

Damian grasped your elbow gently to stop you. "I understand."

You stood there, completely dumbstruck. Then, a gentle smile graced your features, warming up Damian's insides. He couldn't explain why, but the vigilante, who was still just a boy, suddenly felt the urge to kiss you.

"Come on," you break the silence. "We're here."

He turned around to follow your line of sight before turning back to you in disbelief. "You live in an animal shelter?"

"No, silly," you rolled your eyes fondly. "I volunteer here, and this place is closer than my own house."

You took his hand, holding your stray with one arm, and pulled him inside. "Let's go; we need to treat the wound on your ear too."

Damian, despite the glove on his hand, could still feel the dizzying warmth of yours. The thought made his heart tapdance in his chest, and he hoped Barbara, if she was still even watching him, wouldn't mention this to anyone. But just in case, he'd have to dig out his old blackmail materials he has on his family.

You led him inside a two-story building with linoleum floors and flickering fluorescent lights. You greeted the middle-aged man at the desk; the man waved in return without looking up from his phone. He hadn't noticed Damian, who was still dressed in his Robin suit.

"You have poor security," he points out futilely as soon as the both of you were out of the man's earshot. "You should consider looking for a safer shelter to volunteer in."

"Or… the Waynes could, I don't know, maybe allocate more money to places like these," you sang, unaware of who exactly was in your company. "Not a lot of people here care about animals, and those of us who do are trying our best."

Damian, meanwhile, cursed himself internally for nearly forgetting who he was and what it meant. He listened to what you had to say, your ideas on how you would improve Park Row if you had any money. In his head, he was already planning a proposal on the changes for Park Row to present to his father.

You took him into a back room, still talking about the dogs and cats that the shelter has rescued and found homes for. Damian nearly trips over his feet (if his brothers could see him now) when you suddenly place your rescue in his arms. You moved quickly and, before he could say anything, took out a first aid kit from behind an office desk.

"I'll be fine," he finally regains his ability to speak, cursing himself for being so tongue-tied around you. "I don't need treatment."

"Yeah?" You looked at him, unimpressed. "Ever heard of the term infection?"

"Yes." He grumbles in reply, and you smile triumphantly.

"Take a seat then, Boy Wond-ear," you simpered, and Damian couldn't help but think how you and Dick might just get along splendidly if you ever met. "Don't worry, I've had formal first-aid training."

It didn't take you long at all to clean the wound on his ear, and before he knew it, you were already urging him to leave.

"What if someone else needs saving?" you told him. "I'm not going to be responsible for others getting hurt because I took up too much of your time."

"There are others…" he tried to come up with a reason to stay with you longer, but came up empty.

You were already pushing him out of the room. "And don't worry about Buddy," you've already named the dog. "I'll call the local veterinarian and make sure he's looked after."

You both end up by the open office door, and just as Damian was accepting the fact that he might not see you again for a while (because, let's face it, he'll come back to check on you), he found you looking like a deer caught in headlights.

"Are you…" he began to ask, but stopped when you breathed out a word.

"Mistletoe."

He followed your gaze, and, sure enough, there was a mistletoe just above your heads. His eyes fell on you, only to find you already staring right back at him. There was a twinkle in your eye that hadn't been there before and a hint of shyness in your smile.

"May I?" he asked for your permission, his heart longing to be set free from its cage.

"Yes," you had breathed out the words as though letting them escape your lips provided immense relief.

At last, he felt the softness of your lips and wondered how he could have gone on living his life without ever feeling the ardent emotions he felt from kissing you. It didn't matter that the two of you were standing in a dingy office or that a dog was watching you exchange kisses curiously. What mattered is that, now that he had a taste of your lips, he wished he could share another moment like this with you under a hundred more mistletoes.

[cosmica-galaxy]

I've been thinking about the pre-corrupted beast au, and how do you think the interaction between shadow milk and baby witch would go if they were to meet up again. However, the baby still recognizes shadow milk as their original caretaker and, of course, recognizes his soul jam.

Bonus: Baby is confused because of the two soul jams that are similar, though only one is far more familiar. Baby Witch wants shadow milk, but they also want pure vanilla, but they want shadow milk more, but they also like pure vanilla, but shadow milk is original papa and fun.

Oh, he definitely scoops them up the moment he sees them reenter his spire of deceit. He would say "Heellooooo my little one~! Did ya miss me? Of coouuurse you did! What would you dooo without little ole meeee, papa shadow milk!" and the child recognizes his voice instantly and just cuddles right into him like he never left. Despite the Gingerbrave group's and pure Vanilla's worry about him holding the child, the child is perfectly fine and leans into Shadow Milk cookie like they know him personally...in which, they do. He would also probably make a comment about "where their cute little jester outfit went" when he sees them in the Pure Vanilla style attire. "No matter! It's an easy fix! With a waaaave of my waand~"--And the child would be covered in darkness for a moment before reappearing in their original jester-like outfit that they emerged from their sealing item with--"Tadaaah! The outfit has returned! A total glow-up if I do say so myself...just look at your little bells and hat, my adorable child of deceit~!" he says as he tickles them and makes them let out happy giggles. Then, he changes his focus back to his original targets and the spire quest line would proceed as normal with the child accompany him with his "games", though not taking in the danger that everyone is in because of their innocent nature. He also plays with them while he toys with his victims, by gently tossing them in the air, hugging them close, and entertaining them while he multitasks. It's natural for him at this point to do such things. Pure Vanilla and Shadow Milk will also have some heated discussions about the little one and how they should be raised. In one part, Shadow Milk gets very heated about it and reveals his very possessive nature to the cookies while his little one is being watched by Black Sapphire Cookie. "You listen to me, you imposter. I was their original caretaker and I placed them in that item for safe keeping when I got OUT of that damned silver tree. They were waiting for ME and not for YOU. It was an accident that they wound up in your care." "You haven't watched them, cared for them, and raised them for as long as I have. That worthless witch that served as their mother...was nothing short of a deadbeat! I spent WEEKS with their child at a time...in fact, I might as well have raised them on my own! The other beasts had their moments, but NONE were as close to them as I! Not even their own wretched mother...who I dealt with permanently." "You...you killed their true mother...?" "Reduced her to PIECES. She tried to take back what she didn't deserve. She barely put in the effort that I did! I was that child's WHOLE WORLD. Why should I give up what rightfully belongs to me?" Shadow Milk is a little more unhinged in his AU because of his possessive nature over the child that pretty much was his only source of company for weeks at a time. He developed an unhealthy attachment to them and ripped their true mother apart because he believes that he deserves to be their true guardian.

Pure Vanilla has to work around his possessive nature to get his soul jam, his friends, AND the baby out of such wicked clutches. So Pure Vanilla suffers a little more in this AU.

[writingwisterias]

How do you think all eras of Leon would be like before (if he does bottle up his feelings or keeps shut, till the last moment, how would it be, what would push him over the top) or after arguments (would he come back with a tail between his legs? Probs yeah, huh?)? Choose what you like more

Hi Anon!

I liked both ideas lol! So I've done both for each era! Thank you for the request ❤️

Warnings: Fluff, Slight Angst, Drinking, Arguments, Comfort,

GN! Reader

Eras Leon masterlist

RE2:

The Argument:

So I think he wouldn't actually notice that he's doing something wrong until it's too late.

Like you silently have given him enough warning that's he's doing something you don't like and he doesn't pick up on them

Therefore when the argument does happen he is quick to be defensive only because at first he thinks it's unjustified.

After the argument:

He's a sweet soul so I think he would be the type of person to actually remove himself from the environment until he calms down

He will come back feeling guilty for both the argument and the fact he walked away

Probably will also have flowers or chocolate with him as an apology.

In his time away he's more likely to actually think over what he said and admit he was wrong, also coming up with a plan to help correct his mistakes to better support you.

RE4R:

The Argument:

He's definitely one to keep quiet about things.

He will keep it to himself for a really long time

Probably snaps when something else bothers him

I'm thinking like he'll rant about one thing and get so worked up he'll hit you with a "and you know what else is bothering me"

After the argument:

I don't think he would leave the house, but would leave to go in another room

He doesn't want you to be far away from him but he needs a second

Would then start doing things around the house for you, like cook you dinner or do the laundry

I don't think he would apologize until it's night time and he doesn't want to go to bed with you still angry at him

You are half asleep when he does it, and if your back is turned to him he'll just pull you closer.

Infinite Darkness:

The Argument:

This one I think would be him feeling guilty that he's not with you a lot

Like you know it's not his fault and hold nothing against it

But when he misses a birthday or comes home without an anniversary gift he'll get angry at himself

And takes it out on you

You know he doesn't mean and stays silent during it but it pisses him off that you are so accepting

After the argument:

I think he is very quick to correct his behavior

Like he will shout and then catches on what he's doing and will just flick the switch to apologize

He's bringing you into the biggest hug he can muster up

Apologies streaming from his mouth.

His kissing the crown of your head, lifting your chin to look at you.

Will also continue to apologize throughout the night like he will not stop

Damnation:

The argument:

He's just got back from the events of the film and accidentally lets it slip that he saw ada

He sees the change in your attitude and because of the alcohol it pisses him off

Like why don't you trust him? Why can't you give him a break? That's all he wants

He sinks further into this feeling because he's just tired...it's not an excuse but he is just tired of everything at this point

After the argument:

I think he wouldnt mention it, like just go about his normal day

He wouldn't forget about the argument, he can see how you have shrunk back away from him

Probably feels like a monster of some kind to you because he can see you being sad

I think his apology would be half assed, like he's only really doing it because you are sad

When he sees you haven't changed your attitude and it didn't really work he would then do a better one

RE6:

The argument:

I like to think that RE6 Leon clocks onto the fact he has a drinking problem and tries to stop

The key word being tries

But it annoys him because you don't get mad

Like you are supportive of him in whatever way he wants to cope, you would prefer it if he didn't do that but then you can't control him

It's not like he wants you too either he's just disappointed in himself that he still wants the drink

After the argument:

He's onto it quickly, he will treat you very quickly to anything

I think most of Leon's anger is at himself so he will try and explain it to you

He's the type of person to try and be romantic, like that young person is still inside of him

I imagine he's got like a whole movie room set up in the living room for you with your favorites lined up

Lots of snacks and he's just holding you close

Half way through he'll say sorry and just pull you a little bit closer.

Vendetta:

The argument:

We all know he's at his lowest.

It's just all too much so I think he would be really difficult to deal with

But not intentionally

You are the one to snap but only because you care.

You don't want to make him feel worse but he is being difficult on purpose

Let's say it's the reason he leaves and goes to Colorado in the first place

After the argument:

He comes back with his tail tucked between his legs

He's had a big slap around his head after the last mission like a huge realization

So he's very sorry

If you aren't home he'll sigh and just clean up, like get rid of everything to with drink.

You notice the recycling first, empty bottles you are sure we're full before. The smell still lingers but there's candles getting rid of it

He's speeding round the corner and scooping you up, apologizing

You don't need the apology because his actions, he looks slightly happier is enough for you

Death Island:

The argument:

Probably over something stupid at this time

I don't think they are like actual arguments over something he does or something you do

It's like the ones where you have to Google the correct answer

He's swiping your phone and googling it himself though like how does he know if you aren't lying if he doesn't do it himself

He's also mad if you haven't seen something like what you mean you haven't seen star wars?? It's like the greatest thing!

After the argument:

If you are correct he's apologizing and laughing at your little cross face

Kisses on your cheeks until you get better

If he's correct, he's gloating about it

Will not let it down and teases you about it for the rest of the day

He's laughing at your cross face either way but he finds it cute

Later on he is actually apologizing and kissing you late into the night

Will still bring it up though the next day if he won

[iluvmattsbeard]

lost time (m.s)

master list

matt sturniolo x reader

warnings: nothing!

preview: your parents and the triplets parents have been best friends ever since before you guys were even born. you were sort of forced to grow up with the triplets. you and Matt were the closest. you two were hard to separate. but as you got to high school, you sort of fell off wanting to go do your own things. now as adults, you guys reunite and decide to make up for lost time.

a/n: i’ve been having so much inspo to write. you guys are keeping me motivated! i really appreciate it. listen to the song while reading, it really sets the scene. i encourage this with every imagine i write! LIKES AND REBLOGS ARE VERY APPRECIATED!

"Y/n!" you hear your mother shout out from excitement as she runs over to you. you put down your luggage before embracing her in a hug, "hi mom! I missed you so much." you say rubbing her back. "I missed you more Y/n!" she says pulling away, giving your dad a chance to greet you. you haven't seen them in months. you were currently living in New York after you finished high school. you always wanted to live in the big city. you were grateful for the opportunity you received. you were majoring in the Arts. it was something you always wanted to do, but being apart from your family in Boston was the hardest thing you've had to go through.

"let's get inside. we have something to tell you." your mom says with a smile. you nod as you grab your luggage but, your dad ends up taking it from your hands. "dad I got it." you say letting out a soft laugh. "no you're our guest." he says letting out a chuckle. you three walk inside the house and you take off your coat. it was currently winter time. that was the reason why you were back home. it was December 20th, five days before Christmas. you were home for the holidays. you hang your coat on the rack and take off your shoes. you walk around analyzing everything. it was still the same, except for the fact that it was decorated for Christmas. you head towards the Christmas tree as you reach out for an ornament that had your elementary school picture in it. "did you really have to add this?" you ask with a soft laugh. "it was too cute not to add sweetie!" your mom says handing you a mug of her homemade hot chocolate.

"thank you mom." you say taking it. "so, what was it you needed to tell me?" you ask taking a sip. "Marylou, Jimmy, and their boys are coming to spend the holidays with us!" you almost choke at your mother's words. "they're back in Boston?" you ask with an awkward smile. last time you seen the triplets, it wasn't quite the ideal farewell. at least with Matt it wasn't. you still talk to Nick from time to time, Chris would like your social media posts, and Matt? well, nothing was happening between the two of you. not ever since high school at least. "yeah! the boys still live with them. I think they're like entrepreneurs or something. Marylou tried explaining it to me but I didn't quite understand." your mom says. "they'll be staying here with us until after Christmas." she adds on. your eyes widen a bit, "oh? you failed to mention this before I got here?" you say with a nervous laughter. "well, I know it isn't ideal for you. I know you and Matt didn't quite leave off on a good note." she says.

-FLASHBACK-

"so what? you meet a whole new group of people that you decide not to spend any more time with me?" you say standing there with your arms crossed. "y/n, we were always together. we're older now. we don't have to be with each other every single time." Matt says frustrated. you scoff before responding, "so you're telling me you want to stop being friends?" he shakes his head, "that's not what I said. all I said was, maybe now we can just do our own things." he says. "well that's not what you've been doing. you've shut me out completely." you say with a hurt expression. "maybe because everything has changed Y/n. you know I don't hang around your crowd." he says catching you off guard. "so just because you gained popularity, apparently my 'crowd' isn't your ideal group of people?" you scoff before continuing on, "yeah maybe everything has changed. you changed." you walk away from him leaving him in silence.

-END OF FLASHBACK-

"they'll be here any minute." your mom says adjusting the centerpiece on the coffee table. you felt like your heart was going to jump out of your chest. you took constant sips from the warm mug as you sit down on the couch and wait. "you guys are adults now. you will figure it out." your mom says rubbing your arm. you didn't hold a grudge against Matt but, you still felt a sort of somber from the thought of what last happened. you suddenly hear a car pull up in front of your house. "they're here!" your mother says quickly getting up to rush over to the door. you stand up placing your mug on a coaster on the table before dusting off your corduroy pants due to your nervousness. "April!" you hear the familiar voice exclaim your mother's name. "Marylou!" she responds, happily embracing her in a hug. "is she here?" Marylou whispers to her. "yes she is! she's inside." your mother says before looking at the triplets boys. "Nick, Matt, and Chris!" she exclaims. "you boys are so grown up!" the boys smile with them shortly after embracing your mother individually in a hug. "hello Tyler!" Jimmy says greeting your dad, they end up doing a handshake.

after they all greeted each other, they finally headed inside carrying all their bags. you turn around swiftly as you see Marylou gasp from excitement, "my baby girl!" she says running up to you, hugging you. "hi Marylou, how have you been?" you say hugging back with a smile. "amazing now!" she pulls away looking at your mother, "April she looks just like you when you were in college." she adds on. you let out a soft laugh before turning towards the boys. Nick and Chris greet you with a hug before having a little small talk. Matt greeted you with a small 'hello' and awkward smile, which you did as well.

"i'm so excited for Christmas! it'll just be like the old days!" Marylou exclaims. "I brought the album book with photos of every Christmas we've celebrated!" "pull them out!" your mother says putting her hands together happily. now, you were all gathered around the couch as Marylou flips through the album book. "look how chubby your cheeks were Y/n." your dad points out with a chuckle. you felt your cheeks turn red from the comment as everyone laughs. "if only time would slow down." you hear your mother say. "I know. we're getting old!" Jimmy adds on. Marylou continues to flip through the book before landing on a photo of you and Matt smiling as little kids with missing teeth. you were both in matching Christmas sweaters as your head rested on his shoulder. "this is my favorite." Marylou says with a smile. you felt your heart ache from the sight of the photo. "you guys were so small!" your mom exclaims smiling. "yeah. now everything has changed." you blurt out with a fake smile. Matt turns his head towards you, shifting uncomfortably in his stance from the familiar words that came out your mouth.

·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:·

you guys just had finished eating dinner. “that was amazing April.” Jimmy says wiping his mouth. “very delicious honey.” your dad says rubbing his stomach. everyone thanks your mother as she smiles, “my pleasure everyone!” she says cheerfully. you decided to help your mother clean up the table. the triplets were lead to the rooms they’ll be staying in for the next days by your father. Marylou and Jimmy were settling into their room.

“Y/n, get out of this kitchen.” your mother says pushing you away playfully. “mom let me help you.” you say trying to stop her. “no Y/n! this is your break. go relax or something.” she says still pushing you away. “you’re really not going to let me help?” you ask letting out a small laugh. “no! now go!” she says smiling. you shake your head with a smile before walking away. you head up the stairs, walking into your childhood bedroom. you look around at the pastel pink wallpaper as you let a small smile appear on your face. you were reminiscing over all the memories that you had in here. you were glad to be home. you then hear a slight knock at your door as you turn around to see Matt. “hi” he says. “hey”. you reply.

·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:·

it was the next day, the mothers had plans to do some holiday baking while the dads just sat around and watched TV. Nick and Chris were out catching up with old friends as Matt stayed at the house. “Matt! Y/n! join us!” you hear your mom say happily. you walk to the kitchen as you see materials and ingredients laid out on the island table. Matt was on the opposite side of the island from you. “we’re going to bake gingerbread cookies!” Marylou says handing you and Matt aprons. you tie your hair back in a ponytail as you respond, “yummy”.

as you guys started it off, Marylou and your mother left it up to you and Matt to handle the cookies while they started to prepare this upcoming dinner. you were mixing the batter as you ask Matt to pour some flour on to the table. as he does so, you both took dough into your hands as you both talked. “i hope these turn out right.” you say. “me too.” Matt says with a smile. you guys just caught up talking about college as he talked about his career he started with his brothers. it felt nice to talk to him again. the conversation stops as he looks at your face, “wait hold on. you have a little something right here.” he says putting flour on your nose.

your mouth went slightly open from his actions as you let out a small scoff which turned into a smile. “oh really? because i think you have something on your whole face.” you say placing your floured hands on his face, rubbing it in. you pull away and start laughing, “oh you’re going to regret that.” Matt says with a grin, picking up more flour as he chases you around the kitchen. you shriek as you try to get away from him but he soon grabs you from behind, wrapping his arms around you as he rubs the flour all over your face.

“Matthew!” you exclaim. Marylou taps your mother trying to make her look at the scene that took place. “look April.” she whispers. your mother looks up and smiles. “guys! you’re making a mess!” your mother says laughing. your smile soon drifts away as you realize what was happening. you step away from Matt as you take off your apron heading straight upstairs. Matt just stood there feeling awkward.

later in the day, Matt knocks on your door anxiously. "come in." you shout out from behind the door. he opens the door stepping inside. you look at him before speaking, "what's up?" you ask sitting on your bed. you could tell he was hesitating to speak, "I think we should discuss about where we left off from the last time we've seen each other." he says sitting down next to you. "what's there to talk about? you made it very clear that you didn't want to be surrounded by me anymore." you say. "that's not true Y/n. at the time, I just felt like we were always together. I felt terrible for what I said. our friendship was great and I let it go stupidly." he says letting out a small breath.

all you do is avoid eye contact before he speaks up again, "can I make it up to you?" you look at him as you respond, "how?" “well i want to know you better now. you know, figure out what you’ve been doing ever since we fell off.” he says. you just look at him with a blank stare, “i don’t know about that.” you say.

“okay then let’s see…” he says looking at the time on his phone and smiles, "come on." he says standing up. "what? where are we going?" you ask confused. "just come on. put on a sweater." he says walking out your room. after a bit, you meet him outside as he stands there with his hands in his pockets. "Matt where are we going?" you ask putting your hands in your pockets. the snow fall was light, but the ground was coated white from earlier. he starts to walk as you follow quickly behind. "you'll see!" he exclaims. after a while, you guys were now standing at the park you use to go to as kids. "why are we here?" you ask smiling softly. "well, remember our snow days?" he asks. "of course I do. while Nick and Chris attacked each other with snowballs, you helped me build snowmen." you reply. "yeah. i'm glad you remember." he says crouching down bunching up the snow. "we're going to build a snowman." he adds on with a smile.

"this is how you're going to make it up to me?" you say crouching with him. he looks at you as he speaks, "to make up for the times we missed building a snowman." you look into his eyes for a bit before letting out a small laugh. you guys then continued to build a snowman. “it’s head is as big as yours.” you say laughing. Matt’s mouth opens slightly as he responds, “that’s so mean.” you both laugh and eventually after laid in the snow looking up at the starry sky.

“what are we going to name him?” you ask. Matt hums while he thinks before he thinks of the perfect name, “Louis.” you turn to face him as you hear the familiar name. Louis was the name of your childhood stuffed animal that you had matching with the triplets. “you remember Louis?” you ask. “of course i do. i still have his sibling.” he says which causes you to let out a small chuckle.

"I missed this." you hear him whisper. you stay silent as you thought to yourself. where was this effort back then? as much as you missed it too, you still couldn't forget. you sit up, "we should go before it gets any later." you say before getting up and walking away.

·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:·

you were out sitting on the porch drinking hot chocolate as you had thoughts. should Matt be given another chance? he had you where he wanted you before until he made it disappear. why now does he want to fix things? your thoughts were interrupted when you feel a figure sit next to you. you turn to see who it is to find out it's Matt. "can I still prove to you I want to make up for lost time?" he says quietly. you could tell he was genuine. "okay how now?" you ask. he gets up with a smile as he asks you to follow him. he gets in the car as you join him in the passenger seat. "where are we going?" you ask putting on your seat belt. "some place special." he says as he drives off to the location. you look out the window as you see familiar scenery. you fix your posture as you try to hide a smile, "don't tell me we're doing what I think we're doing." he parks the car and smiles, "come on let's go." he says getting out the car.

he opens the trunk to reveal the famous sled you guys built together with your parents in middle school. you gasp while covering your mouth. "you kept it?!" you exclaim. "of course I did." he says pulling it out from the trunk. "we're going to do our tradition." the tradition was a silly thing you both liked to do during snow days. you would try to get to the highest hill and slide down without trying to fall off. you guys always failed. you and Matt climbed up a steep hill as you look at him. he places the sled onto the fluffy snow as he sits down leaving space for you in between his legs. you smile as you sit in front of him.

"are you ready?" Matt asks, "yes I am but, how did we do this back then? I forgot how steep this hill was!" you exclaim. you both let out a laugh as Matt speaks, "well you know the drill." "try not to fall off!" you say as he slides down the both of you. you shriek from the thrill as Matt laughs. when you guys reach the bottom, the sled comes to a sudden stop causing the both of you to tumble over into the snow. you both laid there cracking up. "I knew that would happen." you say clutching onto your stomach from how hard you were laughing.

"I don't think we'll ever not fall." Matt says shaking his head. "maybe next time." he adds on. "yeah maybe." you reply as your guys' laughter calms down. it eventually got silent as you continued to lay there with your arms by your side. you did miss this. "do you ever wonder what could've happened if we stayed close?" you ask still staring at the sky. "I'm not quite sure." he says doing the same. little did you know, he was inching his hand towards yours slowly. you guys laid there as his fingers were nearly touching yours.

·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:·

it was finally Christmas morning, you were woken up by your mother shaking you excitedly. "Y/n! it's Christmas! time to get up." she says cheerfully. you rub your eyes as you look at her tiredly. "the triplets are already downstairs! come on!" she adds on before leaving your room. you get up and stretch before heading to the bathroom to do your morning routine. you put your hair up as you went downstairs. "good morning sunshine." Marylou says with a smile. "good morning" you reply smiling as well. "are you ready to open gifts?" you hear Chris say. "because we've been waiting." he adds on and you see Nick shove him.

"don't act like a child." Nick says to him as Chris rubs his arm. you let out a small laugh as you nod. you sit next to Matt and he greets you ‘Good morning’.

by the time all the gifts are open, everyone could be seen talking and laughing as you and Matt sit there taking everything in. "we need to make this a tradition again." your mom says. "absolutely!" Marylou says. "Y/n?" you hear Matt whisper to you. you turn your head to face him, "yeah?" you whisper back. "I got you a gift." he says. "you did?" you ask raising an eyebrow. he smiles and nods. "oh Matt... I don't have anything for you. I didn't know you were going to be here in the first place." you say with an awkward tone. "don't worry. I got this gift last minute. come with me." he says getting up. you look around as you notice nobody is paying attention. you get up as you follow him out the front door. "what plans do you have now?" you ask letting out a small laugh.

"well, I wanted to have this moment for just the two of us." he reaches into the car as he pulls out the same matching Christmas sweaters from when you were kids but in a bigger size. "Matt..." you say grabbing it slowly. "I think we should keep up with the traditions." he says putting on the sweater. you smile big as you do the same. "where did you even find these?" you asked looking down at the design. "I have my ways." he replies looking at you. you look up at him and smile, "thank you Matt." he smiles as he stands there rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "I have one more thing." he says. "what? how much stuff do you have?" you say letting out a small chuckle. "you need to close your eyes for this one." you look at him confused before responding, "okay? you're not going to throw a snowball at me right?" he lets out a laugh as he shakes his head, "just close your eyes!" he exclaims. "fine sorry." you say shutting your eyes.

you heard his feet shuffle in the snow before you hear the movement stop. "alright you can open your eyes." you hear him say. you open your eyes slowly as you see Matt holding up a little plant. "Matt, is that what I think it is?" you say as your eyes turn soft and you gulp. it was a mistletoe. he lets out a shy laugh as he speaks, "you don't have to if you want but, I wanted to see if we could start a new tradition since we're older." you look at the plant as you smile wide, "of course I do." you say looking into his eyes before pulling him slowly into a soft kiss. Matt drops the mistletoe on the snow as he attaches his hands onto your waist.

you slowly pull away as you both hear a click. you and Matt turn towards the front of the house to see Marylou and your mother holding out a camera smiling. “everything has definitely changed.” your mom says. you and Matt look at each other and laugh.

a/n: this is a little longer than my usual stuff! i hope you enjoyed this as much as i did writing it! LIKES AND REBLOGS ARE APPRECIATED! comment what you think about this and if i should do more taylor swift songs for my swifties.

[scribblesofagoonerr]

— Sometimes two homes are better than one

pairings: katie mccabe x child reader

summary: readers' stubbornness makes an appearance.

"I don't want to go!" You shout loudly and make your opinion very well known about the situation. "I'm not goin' and you can't make me!"

"Rascal, you have to go," Katie insists, once again on the tail-end of the usual argument with you.

"NO!" You shout back, stubbornly. "I'm not goin' there, mam!" You repeat, even going as far to stomp your foot and show her that your really being serious this time.

Katies' close to pulling her hair out with your stubborness, although shes' not exactly sure who you inherited it from out of herself and Ruesha, "Y/N, come on. We've already been over this before," She catches up to you in the kitchen where you'd stormed off once you'd gotten back from school. "Will you stop walking away from when I'm tryin' to have a conversation with you!"

Its' Friday afternoon, you've finished school and that means that Ruesha would soon be coming to pick you up from Katie's house to spend the weekend with her.

You weren't too big of a fan going between 2 households though and even though Katie and Ruesha split up when you were very little, you're still not all that used to things being different.

"I bet your mamas' really looking forward to seeing you!" Katie tries her luck to change your mind, more than familiar against your protests of not wanting to go. "Why don't you really want to go, rascal?" She wonders, trying to figure out the real reason.

"It's not fair. Why do I have to go between two households? I don't see why I can't just stay here!" You huff in protest, making your way around the kitchen, going about slamming the cupboards that you opened.

"I know its' difficult to understand rascal, but we've spoke about this before, haven't we?" Katie tells you, she hates the fact that you had inherited this stubborn streak. "I thought you were excited about going to watch your mamas' game?" She questions, knowing you were looking forward to it when it was mentioned earlier.

You shake your head in defiance, "Nope."

"Why not?" Katie honestly feels like shes' at her wits end with you and your abrupt decision to not go. "Listen, I know you don't want to go, rascal, but its' important that you still spend time with your mama!" She still tries to remain enthusiastic, depsite how difficult that is most of the time.

"Why can't mama come here instead?" You frown, not really understanding what exactly what went down between Katie and Ruesha all of them years ago.

Katie exhales a sigh and purses her lips, "Because its' not as simple as that. Your mama and I seperated and we live different lives now," She explains to you. "You usually like spending time with your mama, what's changed now, huh?" She wonders.

"I... I guess its' not the same when you two are not both together, I miss it. Like when we're at Ireland camp and stuff," You admit, although its' been a while since that has happened, you've had happy memories of them times and you wish it could be the same still.

"Oh rascal," Katie furrows her eyebrows, "Listen, I know you miss them times, but sometimes two homes are better than one, and in this case your mama and I, we're not good when we're together." She explains, trying to get it across in a way that your 11-year-old self can understand.

"I still don't like it though," You murmer in protest.

"I know you don't, but I want you to remember that no matter what happens between your mama and I, we both love you the very same, okay?" Katie reassures you, gently as she wraps her free arm around your shoulder. "Nothing about that will ever change at all."

© scribblesofagoonerr

[sweetbans29]

Back to You (6) - CC

Pairing: Caitlin Clark x Reader

Summary: It's time for the truth.

Warnings: hurt

Word Count: 2.7k

Previous

Sweetbans Masterlist

You do everything in your power to work from home and avoid leaving the confines of your house. Pretty much everything you are responsible for can be done anywhere and Ben has done a stellar job of getting everything you need so you don't need to come in.

After the game, Ben took a few days to send over everything you asked for. You didn't even notice because you didn't leave your bed for several days and allowed yourself to wilt away, almost into nothing. When you finally muster up the strength to get out of bed and shower, all you need is in your inbox.

You jump into work catching up on all the missed emails and projects needing your attention. When you pick up your phone for the first time it has been about a week since the incident and you see dozens of missed calls and texts. Most of them are from Caitlin, but there are some random ones from your staff and a couple from Kate.

You know you'll be talking to your staff later so you ignore those, then look at Kate's.

[K-Money: Hey babes, just checking in - I saw the clip of the game and wanted to make sure you are still in one piece. Love you 💙]

[K-Money: Caitlin called me, please call me back. I am worried about you]

[K-Money: Call me or I am showing up at your door.]

You go to Kate's contact and hit 'call', then close your eyes.

It rings twice before she picks up.

"I thought you were dead," she says and you don't even have the strength to laugh.

“I wish I was,” you whisper as you feel tears brimming your eyes before you can stop them.

You break down and Kate lets you. You tell her everything, even the things that you haven't said out loud before. Things like, how much you still love Caitlin and how it kills you each time you see her knowing she will never be yours again. Also how you hate the fact that you want her to be yours after everything she has put you through and how time hasn’t even begun to heal you.  How it kills you that you have no idea if she was ever really yours to begin with or if any of it was real. Because how could someone just up and end a relationship after 3 years and be okay enough to walk right into someone else’s arms without flinching. 

Kate listens to every word you say, just like she did with Caitlin a few days ago.

Once you are finished, Kate speaks.

"Please listen to me when I say this and I am saying this because I love and care for you," Kate says. "You need to actually talk to Caitlin."

"No-," you begin. But Kate cuts you off.

"Please, you deserve to know the whole truth, let her tell you it," Kate says and you can hear the desperation in her voice.”I know you want to be strong and move on, but I don’t think you can do that until you find some closure. Let her give you that and then you can decide.” 

You want to ask ‘decide what?’. How could you even think of possibly letting her back in? Was there even anything to let her into when she has already taken everything from you?

You change the subject to her upcoming game and eventually end the call.

You lay there for what feels like days before you look at your phone again and at all the messages Caitlin sent. You read 3 then scroll down to the bottom, starting a new message to her.

You retype your message 4 times before you settle on 'We need to talk’. It is simple and to the point and you don't think you can keep overthinking the message.

After sending the message, you try to do some work. There really is no use because Caitlin responds within minutes of your text. 

.[Clark: Just tell me where and when and I will be there]

You decide on Gainbridge, it really wasn’t your first choice but you needed a mutual ground where you could run if needed. The time you offered was also after hours, minimizing the possibility of anyone interrupting the two of you. When you showed up later that night you slightly regret choosing this as the meeting place - I mean the last time you were here you had kissed the girl you are meeting. 

Walking in, you head to the floor and go to stand in the middle of it. You love this place. You haven’t been there long, but there is something about Indy and their sports that has you all in for what happens in this building. You couldn’t imagine ever finding another place like this. 

Per usual, you don’t see or hear Caitlin enter. Ever since day 1 she has had the bad habit of sneaking up on you. Like she usually does, she takes a moment to watch you. She has fallen in love with the way you can just be in a space and not need anything from anyone. 

Cailtin walks up slowly, making sure to make some sound so as to not scare you again. She didn’t think that would be the best way to open this conversation. 

Once you hear her, you jump anyway. 

“Shit,” you say as you whip around to see her. “We need to get you a bell or something.” 

The comment comes out before you can stop it and Caitlin cracks a smile. 

“I’m sorry,” she says. “I was trying to avoid scaring you.” 

“Never were good at that,” you say with a little chuckle, trying to keep yourself from breaking down at the sight of her.

She gives a shrug and both of you can tell there is a nervousness that has settled between the two of you. Neither of you bring up your last encounter - that would not be a good place to start. 

“You wanted to talk?” Caitlin asks. You don’t say anything immediately and look at her. She is wearing a pair of Nike sweatpants and an old Indiana shirt. 

Caitlin wants to squirm under your stare. She always feels exposed when you look at her, like you can see every part of her. And you do, you were always able to read her like a book. 

“Why?” You ask, no context needed. 

Caitlin knew this was coming. She looks down at her hands, wishing your eyes weren't on her. 

She knew this was a long time coming. It would be one thing if you didn’t mean anything to her and the decision her manager made was one that didn’t affect Cait to the core. But you do - you always have meant the world to her and now she has the opportunity to tell you the truth. She prayed for times like this but now standing in front of you, she’s scared. She’s scared because once you know, there is nothing she can do to change your mind. Once you know the truth, the ball is out of her hands. 

“Because I was a coward,” she starts off. It’s the truth but not all encompassing. 

She was a coward. She feared so many things that she couldn’t begin to think of a positive outcome. Caitlin looks back at her decision and in short, that sums it up. But she knows it’s not the answer you are looking for. It is not the answer you deserve.

“It was what my manager at the time thought was best and I didn’t fight her,” Cait says. “She thought that I needed to show stability as I entered the draft and that was in the form of Conor.” 

“Please don’t say his name,” you say as your eyes close. If there was anyone you hated more than Cait from that night it was him. 

Your chest tightens, the only thing you are hearing is that you weren’t worth it. 

Caitlin looks down and she knows what she was about to say would hurt you, but she knows you deserve the whole truth. 

“It was easy with him, he didn’t crowd and I didn’t have to explain anything to anyone about who I was and I thought it was what was best for me. Until I had to end things with you,” her breath was shaky now and you could tell she was on the verge of tears. To say you cared could have been hit or miss. 

“That night proved my security wrong. I knew it would hurt but I knew I would heal, or at least I thought I would heal. But the healing never came. For months, whenever I closed my eyes, all I could see was your rage, your brokenness. It got so bad to the point where I wouldn’t sleep. That night was and is my biggest regret.” Cailtin says and she is finally looking at you. You, on the other hand, can’t bring yourself to look at her. 

“We never really had a chance,” you whisper. Cailtin had never given the two of you a fighting chance but you also didn’t fight for her to give you one in the first place. It wasn’t until this moment that you realized, you are not completely innocent - even if she is the one to have made the final decision. 

“Don’t say that,” she says, believing you guys did. 

“We didn’t though,” you bite back. “Nobody knew Caitlin, our whole relationship was built in secret, behind closed doors. No one knew anything and when no one knows such a vital part of who someone is, is that part even real?” 

“All of it was real!” She says, exploding for the first time. “Every single part of it was real. You were the most real thing in my life and I had to let that go - I had to let you go. I didn’t have a choice! Between the pressure from the media, my manager, my family - I didn’t have a place for me to be Caitlin except when I was with you, And then they wanted that and took that from me, leaving me even more confused about who I was. And the thing is, I was going to tell my parents, I was going to tell them everything going into the draft because I loved you so Goddamn much that there was no way those that claimed they loved me could not love you. And then I was forced into a relationship to please the world, without even being asked how it would affect me. And then I actually had to do it - cut you from my life without any explanation, any support. What made it worse is the timing.” 

Caitlin is crying at this point and so are you. 

“I know I can’t go back to that night, but if I could I would take it all back. I would tell you that I was ready to tell my parents and we would drive there right then and there. I would show you off to the world because you are the sole reason I am who I am.” Cailtin says. 

This whole situation is fucked. 

“I still love you,’ she says in defeat. “I am still in love with you, have never stopped. And I know I made a mess of things - I probably set us up to fail in the first place, but I am not the same person I was before. I am not the coward who thought I could survive without you because I can’t. I cannot survive without you.”

She takes a deep inhale as if this is the first time she has been able to breathe since that night. 

“But I know you have had to learn to survive without me, I didn't give you a choice. You have healed and have moved on,” Caitlin can’t stop the tears from falling. “And I want to be happy for you, I really do - Kayla seems great.” Her words are forced. “I will be happy for you. You deserve to be happy.” 

You don’t know what it is, it could be the fact that there is a crying Caitlin in front of you or the fact that she just said she still loves you but you reach out to touch her. Your hands come to her shoulders and the second you do, she crumbles. You hold her as she shakes and lets everything she has been holding out. 

She still loves you.

You still love her. 

Is it really that simple? Can it truly be that simple? 

It can’t be, right? Because all you have thought about is the hurt - you haven’t taken any time to think back and remember what it was like to actually be with her. The moments when she was at the center of your world. 

Once Caitlin calms down, you compose your thoughts. 

“You’re right,” you say “I do deserve to be happy.” 

“But you are also wrong. I had to pick myself back up and keep going but I never healed. I thought I did, I truly believed that I had moved on from you and then I got a job here. I had to pick up my life and move it to the one place I did not want to be. And it wasn’t until coming here and seeing you that I realized, I am not healed. I have not healed. Because the second I saw you, I wanted to run back into your arms but I couldn’t and I hated myself for wanting to.” 

It is your turn to exhale. Your eyes close. 

“I love you Caitlin Clark,” you say. “I hate it, but I do. And I don’t know how to live without you and that infuriates me.” 

“Give me a chance,” she says, the table has flipped and now she is the one that has her hands on your shoulders. “Give me a chance to prove that things have changed. That I have changed.” 

You so desperately want to. It is one of the only things you have wanted but you don’t think you could survive if she walked out again. It would end you. 

But then why? Why did you choose to come here? Yes, it was for a job - your dream job but it wasn’t the only place offering. Maybe it was because deep down you knew you had to see her again. Even with the past you had, she was meant to be in your future. 

“If I lose you again, I don’t think I would survive,” you say just above a whisper. 

“You won’t,” she says as her hands now come up to cup your face. 

“You don’t know that,” you say, eyes still closed. You can’t look at her, looking at her makes this all real. 

“I do know that,” she says with such an assurance. “I know it because I will walk away from everything, all of it right now if it means I can begin to fix what I broke in you.” 

Are you an idiot for this? Are you an idiot for wanting to let her back in? Are you an idiot because you are actually about to let her?

Your eyes open and you look at her. Both of your eyes are red and puffy.

“You are not going to walk away from everything,” you say and Caitlin protests. 

“I will-,” she begins but you cut her off. 

“I won’t let you walk away from everything,” you say. “You would drive both of us crazy if you didn’t play.” 

You say it and you mean it. You have no idea how this is going to go but like she said, you deserve to be happy. And if there is anything you have learned without her, it is that you only ever truly learned what happiness looks like for you because of her. 

“Us?” She says, but it’s choked out. 

“Ya, us,” you say. “But I swear, if you even think of walking out again-” 

Caitlin slams you into her body as she wraps her arms around you. 

“Never,” she says and you believe her. 

AN: This series isn't my favorite but we are going to close it out strong, hopefully. Let em know what you think! And as always, thank you for your love and support 🤍

[andy-wm]

This is it

That one true thing.

That single action that makes the closeness of their relationship irrefutable for me...

They've captured it here.

I doubt they intended to. It's such a tiny detail it could easily be missed, hardly be noticed.

But it's more validating of their intimacy than anything I've seen before.

And no it's not the spooning, or that Jimin is, despite assumptions, always the big spoon.

Look at their feet.

NOT LIKE THAT 🤦��♂️

I'm serious.

Watch....

Do you see it?

Here, this might be easier:

Do you see it now?

Yes yes, i know, but let's move past the TMI. We all know how much they like to play footsie.

But theres more to it...

As jimin rolls over and swings his left leg over JK's hip, his right leg straightens so that his foot can nestle into the soles of JK's feet. So he can connect them from end to end. It's a single fluid movement, it's automatic. He doesn't even think about it.

Because it's what they do.

And the point of this is not just that it happened so automatically ...

...it's the way he knows - his body knows - exactly where JK's foot will be.

There's no hesitation. No need for him to look down, or to feel around to find JK's foot. Jimin's body knows exactly where his foot must go so it will slip into place. His unconscious mind has mapped JK's body, and it knows the length of JK's limbs in relation to Jimin's own.

It's not just Jimin doing this, its JK too.

Do you notice how still JK lies? The exact angle and direction of his legs, the degree of rotation of his hip? They dont change. He knows how he fits against Jimin's body. He has placed himself in position and presumably called jimin over to take the photo.

Just like Jimin's, JK's body remembers how they connect together. He has no need to shift - to accommodate or adjust - when Jimin slides in behind him. He knows how he fits with Jimin so they can be close and comfortable.

In fact, even though jimin misjudged his landing and knocked his head on JK's (maybe because they're on a moving boat) JK holds his position. His angles don't change at all.

Look at JK's feet.

See how he holds them up and slightly apart? That's him waiting for Jimin's foot to slot into place. Even when Jimin whacks into him, JK doesn't drop his feet onto the deck where they would rest comfortably. He holds that awkward posture, knowing that in a moment Jimin will be in place and when he is, JK can relax his feet and they will both lie comfortably.

Its such a tiny thing. A seemingly arbitrary detail. But it tells me so much.

It tells me this is real.

And it's long term.

More than flights from Paris to Seoul, or naked flirting on Weverse live, or even JK watching Jimin edits on Youtube with ARMY.

More than hickeys, or ear sucking, or JK staring at Jimin's ass like he's a starving man and that ass is a banquet just for him...

More than any of those LOUD things they do that are just moments in time.

This tells me they are together.

Why?

Because this is muscle memory.

The unconscious awareness of your partner's body in relation to yours, awareness of the exact position that will be most comfortable and satisfying for both of you... that doesn't happen overnight.

That happens over time.

Seeing them like this tells me they don't just share a bed, they share themselves like they belong to each other.

It tells me they fall asleep wrapped in each other’s arms, and have done so for years.

You may dismiss it. You might scoff or shrug or frown and say, "What, THAT?!? Really?"

YES. REALLY.

Trust me, even if you haven't had this yourself.

This is comfort.

This is home.

This is how they mould themselves into one.

This is true intimacy.

This is real

And I understand, it might seem like nothing.

If you haven't slept in your lovers embrace, pressed tight to them so you fit like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, because even a whisper of air between you is too much... it might seem like nothing.

If you haven't intertwined yourselves every night from your toes to your lips, determined to stay tangled together even when your muscles protest, it might seem like nothing.

But i hope one day when you experience it - when you know for yourself the bliss and belonging that happens when home becomes a person - I hope you remember this post.

Whatever they are to each other

Whatever love means to them

It is so very real

💛❤️‍🔥💜

[billieeilishmommy]

just so you know,, i know

in which you have been more sad recently, causing you to not want to do anything, not even hang out with your girlfriend. and she knows somethings wrong

a/n please yall this is my first angst fanfic with billie,, and i kinda used my own personal life for this guys sorry if it's specific,, use of y/n

tw depression, mentions of not eating, crying, cussing, mentions of sh, loss of family

(if you are not comfortable reading things with those topics do not be afraid to stop reading! and know im here for you. your not alone, i love you all and your here for a reason babies)

ever since you lost your dad, you haven't been acting the same. yeah, your dad wasn't around, but that doesn't change the fact that its your dad. apart of you is missing now and you wont be able to get it back.

obviously billie has been with you the whole time, but eventually she had to go because of her music and you understood that, honestly you would rather be alone, of course you loves billie being there though.

you were currently laying in your bed, surrounded by plates and cups, most of them having food in them since you couldn't bring yourself to finish them, but it made you feel overwhelmed, but you just couldn't get yourself up to clean it.

all you wanted to do is lay there and think about this, everything bad was happening to you and you don't know why.

the last time billie was at your house was around 2 days ago, and you haven't talked to her since then. you wanted to, but you didn't want to look on your phone because you knew that you would feel guilty for not responding so you didn't. you laid on your bed watching your comfort shows and youtubers over and over again until you found some sort of relaxation.

all you were thinking about is how this grief will never go away. its stuck with you forever no matter what.

eventually you'll start to live with it and continue on with how you used to be, but not right now. all you wanted was comfort but you also just didn't want to be around anyone.

a few days later, the last time you've ate was around 3 days ago and the last time you've talked to billie was 7 days ago. you missed her, and who knows what she thinks about you. hell, she probably thought you blocked her. that was why she came into your room with no notice, just showed up.

"y/n? are you okay? you haven't talked to me?-" she says, cutting herself off as she steps in your room

"hi billie" you say quietly, your voice hoarse since the last time you've talked was ages ago.

"are you okay baby?" she says to you, not worried about all the trash and plates on the floor, she immediately sits beside you, "sit up for me princess. tell me whats wrong"

your eyes immediately start to fill with tears, and before you can get a word out the tears start falling and you can't get them to stop

"its okay hun" billie says to you softly and wraps her arms around you and gently kisses your forehead.

"billie i can't-" you cut yourself off with heavy breathing.

"yes you can my love, you can breathe okay, you can talk okay, your okay." she reassures you and it helps you calm down a lot.

"are you okay now baby?" she says quietly to you.

"i think so.." you sniffle, wiping the tears from your face.

"whens the last time you've gotten up love?" she asks you, worried. all you do is just shrug in embarrassment.

"its okay baby, have you ate any today or do you want me to make you something?" she asks you in a comforting tone, she knows just how to talk to you.

"im not hungry." you protest and put your head on your knees.

she gives you a look, knowing that your lying. "what do you want me to make you baby?" she asks, cuping your cheek.

"nothing, im not hungry" you say, in a colder tone this time and she nods, not wanting to make you uncomfortable in any way.

"are you okay my love?" she asks softly

"no bils.. i can't do this anymore." you sniffle into her shoulder, genuinely so tired.

"baby don't say that. how about you come over to my house for a few days? you can shower at my house and ill make you food and ill get you a drink at canes, i know you like their lemonade." she says and rubs your thigh.

you nod in response, you stand up for the first time in a while with the intentions to actually go out. "are you hot?" she asks you, you have on a sweatshirt and pajama pants, obviously you were sweating like a mother fucker, but you had to hide your scars.

billie knew that you struggled with this before, but she didn't know that you started again, so you had to lie and say "no im not, im cold actually"

"okay baby, do you want me to turn the heat on in the car?" she asks you

great you think, eventually your gonna have to tell her.

"noo its fine baby" you say to her quietly and she nods at you, taking you to her car.

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

did this eat yall

[evilminji]

I just realized? But a Reincarnated Force Sensitive Soul?

In Star Wars?

Would have a HELL of a time. Like... for real... you would be? Higher then most satellites. Assuming of course, you had ACCEPTED you're death. Made peace with it. Which? The Force would probably knock out for you?? In like... 3-4 business days. Tops.

What with being Connected To The Heart Of EVERYTHING.

Taste-Smell-Soul-Feel the RAINBOW and be at PEACE, bitch! Your Vibes are transcendent and your crops sublime.

It's? Probably like if LSD had not down sides or bad trips. You are ALREADY Luminous. Barely connected to this fragile matter. What do YOU care? Why be upset... about ANYTHING? Isn't the fragile light of this nearby fern ENCHANTING? Watch as it grows. Let's sit here for hours. Miss meal time. Pass out from hunger and dehydration, cause we forgot the flesh of our form need support, and we are a toddler.

We were watching grass grow.

At one with the universe.

No, we aren't paying attention. We haven't been and probably won't be. We concern people greatly. It's a legitimate medical concern.

Cause like?? Born knowing you are to die again. That this is all a beautiful dream. Why pay attention? Get attached? Why not relax instead? Watch the starlight. Ponder the flow of the Force through the trees? Lay by the fountains and just... listen to the water. Know Peace. Give Peace. Accept that it will end.

Be somehow the MOST Jedi a Jedi has ever been AND a living testament to how it is unsustainable to be so. You connect to no one. Cling to nothing. You do not thrive, you HAUNT. Your serenity is peaceful, yes. But it is the peace of the dead.

Is this what they have become?

It'd be? Very interesting? To see Cannon change? BECAUSE a character accepts it. Decides to do... nothing. In fact, so PROFOUNDLY does Nothing. So COMPLETELY is at Peace with their Inevitable Death... it horrifies everyone around them into action.

Is the small child, at utter Peace, radiating Acceptance and Tranquility, on the Temple steps. Well beyond the Gaurds. Knowing EXACTLY why Skywalker is walking towards them. Not looking up. Not stopping their meditation. Just... small. Peaceful. Someone who has never hurt him and isn't armed.

All it would take... is one movement.

A single slash.

So.....so why isn't he? W-why? (Because they're small. Because Padme wouldn't want this. Because they don't feel scared or angry or...or... Force, when has he last felt such... such peace? He's so tired.)

I can imagine, they'd still TRY to protect the innocent. It's different acceptance of your own End and acceptance of another's. But? It'd be so sadly beautiful? Hushed. And they'd make such huge differences while changing nothing at all.

That's just what haunting my brain, at least.

@legitimatesatanspawn @spidori @mayfay @babbling-babull @hypewinter

[jarinnards]

About Messmer and Rellana

Spoilers will be under the cut, so if you haven't seen anything regarding these characters and you don't want to get spoiled, please scroll/click away‼️‼️

So regarding this post from (basically) yesterday, I want to expand on this topic a little and compile some bits I've seen people use as proof that Rellana and Messmer were in love and why I think it was most likely unrequited love on Rellanas part. I want to actually visit each of these points separately.

I will provide a link to each item description as it relates to each point where available. If there is no link, then it is because the point is self evident, (her sword having his flame) or there was no link I could find (the room where her shield is found) (since edited). If you know any lore or extra bits that I've missed, please do let me know and provide a source.

So on to the points I have personally seen:

She abandoned everything to "chase after Messmer"

She was given a sword imbued with his flames

There is a room in the Shadow Keep that has blue fire (like seen in Caria Manor and other locations associated with the moon) where you find Rellanas shield EDIT: added images to the appropriate section

She came to be known as "Messmers Sword" and was extremely devoted to him, even though she knew "the moon brilliance of the moon could not grant him succor"

Okay, so, starting with the first point:

She abandoned everything to chase after Messmer

I genuinely believe that could range from anything between platonic and romantic. With Messmer specifically, we see many people who showed similar devotion to him by abandoning their homes and swearing their undying fealty to him. Without further context, there's really nothing I can see that can be used in either direction to make this any more concrete, so I'll just move on.

She was given a sword imbued with his flame

I think point 2 is undoubtedly the weakest, as the Fire Knights were given swords blessed with his flames as well. In fact, all of Messmers soldiers had weapons blessed with his flame, or used his incantations. We see this with even the most basic Messmer soldier in game, so this point in specific I find rather baseless.

A room modeled after Raya Lucaria

I assume the reasoning behind using this as proof that they are in love is that it would be assumed Messmer himself modeled this room after Rellanas home out of his affection for her or something similar, and while that could be true given Fromsofts love of environmental storytelling, I do think this is too shaky to use as actual concrete evidence. Keep in mind, it is in a storeroom in the keep, and if you look, on the many levels of each of the rooms, we see numerous books, tablets, and other items used for study or knowledge, and many of them are based in different cultures and factions in the setting of the world, so having an area that would contain information regarding Raya Lucaria and associated magic or glinstone sorcery as a whole doesn't feel far fetched to me. Conversely, Messmer is shown to be very benevolent and caring towards those in his charge, so it would also be reasonable to assume that he would allow for her to have that part of the storehouse be modeled in a way that invokes feelings of home for her. But I don't necessarily believe that has to be romantic. I have no specific points to make on the contents of the shield itself, but I will link her shields description for any who want to read it.

EDIT: it seems to be an armory specifically. There are no books, and there are only shields and lances. Sorry I couldn't get a photo with all of the furniture intact, the Fire Knight destroyed it all... That said, I'm not sure if this being an armory would change any context, really.

She came to be known "as Messmers Sword"

This, again, doesn't feel concrete to me, as far as proving anything happening between them. After all, not only were many of his soldiers incredibly devoted to him, but the Fire Knights in specific were the ones who knew him best, and each of them were the ones who answered directly to Messmer, as well as wielding weapons with his flame and his incantations in tandem. They were closest to him. And then there's Gaius, who was outright stated to be Messmers friend and the leader of his men. Lastly, I think being devoted to someone does not always imply romantic love, nor does the title of being their instrument of battle. Blade of Miquella is Malenias title, and I do not believe those two are romantically involved.

Some additional thoughts

I would honestly say that the most convincing piece of evidence to suggest that there were romantic feelings on Rellanas part comes from her sword, which reads: "here, and here alone, were moon and fire ever together." This, to me, is far better evidence that there were deeper feelings on her part than just devotion. However, it also clearly states how they were never together, which I feel is very much the most important part of all of this.

However, in general, while I do believe that all of the in-game lore suggests she may have had romantic feelings for him, I also think it could be as deep as pure devotion. We see it everywhere in this world, both in base game and the DLC. Malenia, Blaidd, Leda, Ansbach... Radahn and Leonard. (sorry) Devotion is seen in all corners of this setting. Messmer in particular seemed to inspire a great deal from many different places and in many people, so it's not entirely impossible that it would be the same for Rellana, though I do believe she has unrequited love for him.

Another thing to keep in mind is Messmers situation. He is cursed and was waging a cleansing war on untold numbers. He is slowly being eaten away at by a serpent that resides in his body, and that says nothing of the flame in him that he utterly despises. He also clearly has many issues where Marika is involved. All of this, coupled with the information that the Fire Knights were the only ones who truly knew and understood Messmer, it feels to me like romance would not only be something he was not concerned with, but also something he might not allow himself. I feel like he's far more worried about more important things.

In closing

At the end of the day, the nature of these games is that of vague droplets of information, even with the most important story beats. So unless there is something I've missed, I genuinely believe there is nothing in the game suggesting that they were in love with each other or that Messmer in any way returned her feelings, and in fact I think the game suggest the exact opposite: that Rellanas feelings were one sided. However, the only person who could say for certain is Miyazaki, and something tells me he wouldn't care to elaborate on this.

So until supplementary material is released that reveals new information or there is lore within the game that I have not seen or has not yet been found, I'd have to say I think it's relatively certain that they were not romantically involved, and that the feelings were very one sided, if any romantic feelings existed at all.

[goddessofroyalty]

Something i really enjoy in your Zaun Family Au is the concept of physical touch. Let me explain.

I dont know if you did it on propous or not but it sounds like in Zaun touching, hugging, holding or just any other of physical touch is far more common and acceptable. Meanwhile in Piltover you have to be more protocolar. It reminds me of the historical romance novels i have read where you cannot just hug or touch your friend because its "impolite"

The idea:

Since Jayce is from a lower house he is more used to hug and touch people to show them his care. But since he started his studies he just cannot do it anymore. He feels like shit but is ashamed of saying it outloud.

Enter Viktor.

They touch, they hug, they are physical affectionate in a platonic way.

As he goes more and more to Zaun and befriends his family he feels better. He missed this.

A punch in the arm from Vi, Jinx climbing over him to show him something or maybe sitying in his lap while they check some equations, Vander patting his back. He loves this small moments.

The only time Silco patted his arm to congratulate him he almost cry.

This feels like family.

Bonus: Caitlyn is taken aback because she never experimented this level of physical contact before. Yes, she has Jayce but he is like a sibling. She just sagging in Vi's embrace, trembling and feeling so warm.

Zaun having a more touch-friendly culture is an accepted headcanon for me so while I'm not consciously thinking about including details reflecting it when writing the fact it it is just a part of worldbuilding means that it will be reflected in how I write characters.

But yeah I very much believe Zaun has a culture where casual touch is much more accepted than Piltover which has a lot more strict social rules generally.

The fun thing with Jayce and Viktor is that Viktor lived in Piltover for long enough that he's learned their social rules and so is pretty touch-adverse at least when he is in Piltover. Especially because he's Heimerdinger's assistant so is interacting a lot with the very Upper Class of Piltover. And yeah Jayce also learned the rules after starting at the Academy (and gaining the Kirramans as his sponsor) but he clearly struggles more with it (possiblly because he didn't expect to have to change his behaviour compared to Viktor who knew that he would have to adapt to fit in with Piltover).

Basically though Jayce starts the physical affection with Viktor. Cautiously and probably more in the socially-justifiable 'patting a bro on the arm' kind of way that he can easily pass off as a nothing-thing if Viktor reacts like he's uncomfortable like so many other people Jayce has interacted with since joining the Academy did. Except Viktor doesn't react negatively and starts touching Jayce in return, also similarly in the small gestures that can be easily excused if it gets a bad reaction. And then slowly slowly they get more and more bold in their touch, testing out to see if there's a line where the other will push away that never comes. Until they are just very physically affectiate with each other casually.

Viktor's siblings haven't had that much exposure to Piltover when Jayce is introduced to them (only starting to be brought up there by their parents after the explosion and start of the Hextech partnership) so there isn't even that testing period with them. There's also a lot less 'secret rules' when it comes to ineracting with them (or at least different ones to in Piltover) - they are very straight about what they think of Jayce both the good and the bad as well as being very comfortable with physical touch. And it's a breathe of fresh air to Jayce who is more and more dealing with people in Piltover who stand a meter away from him and pretend they like him even when they don't. Honestly how happily he responds to them even when they are being kind of mean to him is part of what endears him to Viktor's younger siblings so quickly. He's not stiff and stuckup like the other Piltites, will let Powder literally hang herself off him, and is a good sport about their teasing. There's still definitively moments where Vander nearly knocks him over because he did not expect how hard that man can hit even when he's just patting Jayce on the back but that's fine, he'd much rather that then them treating him like they'll catch something if they touch him. There's a reason he kind of seeks them out when there's big social events where the Zaun Representative brings his family with him - it's a momentary break from the Piltover Social Rules.

Caitlyn does not know what to do with Vi's family far more so than Jayce. She grew up entirely in the culture where touch is reserved for very limited situations. Even though she's so very touch-starved she doesn't know what to do when they do just sling an arm around her or bump into her in a silent request for her to move over so probably just goes very still at it. With Vi's it's a bit different because she and Vi are dating (or at least romantically interested in each other) and so yeah physical affection with her is easier even if she is amazed at how warm Vi's hugs are. It takes a bit for her to get used to the others though.

[houseofanticipation]

Read from the beginning

Elaine is a slight woman, and barely more than five feet tall with heels on. A glossy curtain of red hair hangs around her shoulders, and flecks of gray give her a certain stately elegance. The corners of her eyes crinkle when she smiles, which she does regularly; it's a wry, crooked smile that doesn't part her lips. When she moves, the silk robe she wears clings flatteringly to her form.

She terrifies you for two reasons.

The first reason is that she was there on the night you were taken. She wasn't the one pulling you into the alley, of course, or holding the cloth over your face. She didn't carry you up the back stairs of Master's apartment building, or lay you on his bed, but she was there for all of it. Telling her men what to do, where to take you, how to tie you properly. She tied and retied the bow, making sure it sat just so over your terrified cunt, and when she stepped back to admire her work she had that same smile on her face.

The second reason is the way Master looks at her. The tenderness, the admiration you see in his face when she talks, is like nothing you've ever seen from him. You know your station; you're little more than a well trained set of holes for him to cum into as it pleases him. But you do please him. And you take satisfaction in that fact. But seeing the way he is with Elaine, you realize just how little you matter. You might once have been able to think of yourself as his favorite whore. Now you understand you're little more than a toy. A favorite toy, maybe, but a toy nonetheless.

"She's been treating you well, then?" says Elaine. You and Master are visiting her home, a palatial house in the mountains outside of the city. It's your first time really being out of the apartment since you were taken, and the change of scenery is thrilling, if a little nerve-racking. Master and Elaine are sitting on a plush loveseat, drinking red wine and making conversation, while you stand dutifully in the corner. Her legs are stretched out, her feet in his lap, and to your continuing horror he is massaging them.

"It's taken her some time to accept her new situation," says Master, "but you know me, breaking her is half the fun. She still has some tricks to learn, but she's got a good baseline. Doesn't try to escape anymore, doesn't talk back to me. She's even stopped crying when I use her. I think she enjoys it!"

When Elaine laughs it's like a fork clinking a champagne glass: high and musical and attention-grabbing. "Is that true, my darling, does servicing your master please you?"

It's a second before you realize the question was directed at you. "Yes, miss."

Elaine waves you over. "Come here...what's her name?"

Master shrugs. "I haven't given her a name."

"No name?" Elaine sounds aghast. "What do you call her?"

"There's not much need to call her anything," says Master. "It's just me and her in the apartment. She knows when she's being addressed."

"Well then," says Elaine. "Come here, sweet thing, and let me make sure I got my money's worth in you." You resent being given commands by someone other than Master, but he makes no move to contradict her order, so you approach the couch. Elaine runs a hand over your body, feeling your curves through the sheer dress Master bought you for this occasion. "Good tits," says Elaine, approvingly. "Just how you like them, aren't they? That was what caught my eye initially, you know, when my man was scouting candidates. I saw her picture and I said, 'she's the one.' How's her mouth game?"

"She's a fast learner," says Master. "Even seems to like it. You know she actually asked me to finish in her mouth once?"

Elaine lets out another musical laugh. "No! You didn't oblige her, did you?"

Master grins sheepishly. "She was new, I thought I'd show her I could be magnanimous."

She gives his knee a playful slap with the back of her hand. "And I thought you were the doll breaker! You should have beaten her just for believing she could make requests!"

"She knows better now," says Master. "Still, I let her taste my cum now and again, when she's been a good girl."

Elaine lifts the hem of your dress and runs a cold finger across your pussy lips. The sudden touch is a shock, but you don't react. You suddenly feel the need to prove the efficacy of Master's training. Elaine rubs her fingers together, feeling the slickness between them. "Nice and wet, even now. I'm impressed."

Master laughs. "She can't help it. All this touch, it's a trigger for her. That's one of the easiest things to train, actually; it's just repetition."

"That's incredible," says Elaine. She gives your ass a conclusive smack. "Here, make your master nice and hard for me. I have something I want to to show him."

Elaine stands and you take her place on the loveseat, stretching out with your head in Master's lap. This you can do, this is the whole point of you. You nuzzle Master's half-hard cock through his silk boxers, feeling it respond to your touch. You let it stiffen a bit, then pull it through the flap and take him into your mouth. You caress his tip with your tongue, cradle his balls your hand. In reward he begins to scratch your scalp in that way that makes your skin shiver and your nipples stand erect.

Elaine rings a small hand bell, and a young woman in a black uniform appears in the door. "Abby, could you bring me Brutus, please?"

"Yes, miss, of course," says the woman. "Only...well, I'm sorry, it's just..."

"You can have Jack do it if you can find him quickly," says Elaine impatiently. "Just get him here."

"This sounds like it'll be good," says Master.

"You know I usually buy my toys pre-broken," says Elaine. "But, well, the way you talk about training, the chance to shape the doll to your exact needs, it inspired me to give it a try myself."

Master sounds touched. "Seriously?"

"Now this is my first attempt, so be kind. I don't have your subtle touch, but I'm proud of my work. Ah, here he is!"

You turn your head to look, Master's cock still in your cheek. Another staff member has entered the room, this one an older man with thick arms. With both hands he holds a long pole away from him, putting a good three or four feet between him and the thing on the end of the pole.

Brutus is a tall man, six foot four at least, with broad shoulders and a well muscled body. He is completely naked, save for four things: a black ring tightened around the base of his long, rigid cock, making his testicles bulge out; a pair of thick canvas mittens, held tight to his wrists by buckled straps; and a black hood that covers the entirety of his head. The hood is secured by a collar around his neck, to which the pole is attached by a hook, and from which a length of chain hangs down. He strains against his chaperone, trying to pull away, but the thick-armed man holds him steady. He claws ineffectually at the collar with mittened hands, and lets out a muffled groan.

"Thank you, Jack, I'll take him from here," says Elaine, taking the chain leash. Brutus is easily a foot taller than her, and looks like he could snap her in half, but she seems unafraid as Jack unhooks the pole and leaves him in her care. Brutus seems aware that the situation has changed, and cocks his head to the side. "He can't see anything," Elaine explains in hushed tones, "and his ears are padded, so he can't hear much either. He's a creature of touch."

At this she places a hand on his chest, and he springs into action: in seconds he's on his knees, arms wrapped around Elaine's waist, furiously humping her bare leg. Master likes that. His cock throbs against your tongue, reminding you to get back to work. "He's like a feral animal," Master says in wonder.

"He knows he'll be beaten if he touches himself," says Elaine, "so he tries to make the most of his skin-to-skin time. That's enough." She yanks back on the chain, pulling him off her and sending him to the floor. She kicks off her heels and puts a foot on his chest. "I've spent all week bringing him to the edge and then denying him." She gives his swollen cock a light kick with her toe, and laughs when he thrusts at the air. "He can get aggressive when he's like this, but all it takes is a firm hand."

"I've never seen anything like him," says Master. "Does he satisfy?"

"Oh, he's a blunt instrument," says Elaine, "but that's the fun of him. Mind you, you have to be careful around him. He managed to get ahold of a serving girl last month, and before you knew it he had her pinned to the ground, eight inches deep." She smirks. "Had to pay the poor girl a hefty bonus to keep it quiet, but you should have seen how pleased he was with himself. He was practically skipping the rest of the day."

"I'd love to see him in action," says Master.

"What do you think?" says Elaine. "Can your girl take him?"

Master lifts your head out of his lap, a long strand of saliva momentarily connecting your tongue to the head of his cock. "I certainly think it'll be entertaining to watch her try."

A tingle of fear runs down your spine. "You want me to...what do you want me to do?"

Master nudges you off the couch with his knee, letting you tumble onto the rug. "Give us a good show."

Your legs wobble as you get to your feet. Brutus is built like a brick wall, if a brick wall was eagerly waiting to fall on top of you and rape you into the hand-made luxury rug. You know that technically speaking it isn't really possible to rape you, just like it isn't possible to rape a vibrator, or a cantaloupe with a hole in it, but from your perspective the results will be the same. You need to play this smart.

You crouch slightly, shuffling toward the hooded thing like a boxer approaching her opponent. It's obvious at a glance that Brutus could break you as easily as snapping a twig. You have to shake away a mental image of his arms wrapped around you from behind, crushing you ribcage into a fine powder through raw strength alone. No, if he gets hold of you he won't let go. But he's blind, and mostly deaf, and that massive body won't be able to move as quickly as yours. You can use those things to your advantage.

Master and Elaine are all over each other. Their lips are interlocked, her knee draped over his, his hand on her breast. It's never even occurred to you that Master might use his lips for kissing, but of course, that's only because you are not for kissing. You're for using, for relieving stress, for satisfying urges. When Master is with Elaine he wants intimacy, romance.

Focus. This is going to be difficult enough without distractions. You wrench your attention away from Master's hand inching up Elaine's thigh, and back to the lumbering hulk called Brutus. The chain must be the key; that's how Elaine held him, and he didn't try to ravage her. It won't be as simple as walking up and taking it, though. As time passes, Brutus appears to be growing increasingly restless. He's assumed a boxing stance of his own, and turns in slow circles, swiping out at the air with his mittened hands. The chain dangles across his chest, right between those swinging arms. You'll have to time it right.

You position yourself in front of him, wait for an opening, and dart forward. His arm nearly clips you, but you sidestep it and put yourself inside his guard. You grab the chain and pull it taught; not trying to control him, but letting him know you're there. He goes stiff. He cocks his head to the side, as if listening for something. You take this as a good sign. Adrenaline coursing through your body, you still your trembling hand and place it on his chest, just as you saw Elaine do it.

For a moment the room is quiet. Brutus's body heaves with each breath, but he makes no move to hump your leg as he did with Elaine. He stands stock still, his head tilted, his skin almost rippling under your palm. From the corner of your eye you see Master and Elaine have stopped their petting to pay attention, but you don't dare sneak a glance. You won't take your eyes off Brutus for a second.

Slowly, cautiously, Brutus lifts his arm toward yours and curls a tentative mitten around your wrist. Then gently, without forcing you, he places your hand on his long, swollen cock. You close your fingers around it.

Like a steel trap closing around you, Brutus springs into motion. He spins you around, pushes you to the floor, and crawls on top of you before you can scramble away. Lacking the coordination to find and pin your arms, he opts to place his hand on your back and let his weight do the work of pressing you into the ground. You wheeze under him, your mouth open and drooling on the fancy rug, your arms groping the air behind you in some useless hope to free yourself. Another of Elaine's musical laughs tinkles through the room, and to your dismay it's joined by Master's low chuckle.

"I thought she might have had him there," you hear him say.

"It was a cute trick," says Elaine. "But the stupid girl—ah!—never stood a chance." As Brutus presses your legs open with his knees, you turn your head to rest on the other cheek. Elaine is on Master's lap, and she's riding him.

Your head spins. Master would never allow you to be on top. It would be unthinkable! Master doesn't make tender, passionate love, he fucks you into submission. So why does he keep kissing the side of her neck? Why does he tease her clit with his fingers, as if her pleasure matters?

Because it does matter to him.

"He could probably tell the hand was different right away," she's saying to him as she sways on his cock. "He was just being cautious. Didn't want to guess wrong and risk a beating. But he knew I'd never allow him to guide my hand. That was—uh!—all the confirmation he needed."

You're not paying attention to hear Master's response, if indeed he gives any, because at that moment Brutus finds your asshole.

Master doesn't use your ass very often. He prefers your pussy, or your mouth when he wants you to do the work. "Ass is overrated if you ask me," he told your once, right before shoving his cock in yours. "But I may have guests who prefer it, so you should be prepared for any eventuality." Well, maybe you didn't prepare yourself enough, or maybe the simple fact is that nothing could have prepared you for Brutus, but it hurts. You cry out as a sensation like fire radiates from your ass. For the first time since you were given to Master, you find yourself unable to control the pain. You scream, kick your legs, beat the floor with your fists. You claw at the carpet, try to squirm away, but the force on your back is absolute and unrelenting. Brutus gives a guttural moan and reinvigorates his assault. Tears run down your cheeks in streams, and bubbles of snot burst around your nose. You must look awful. You wish Master couldn't see you like this.

Only Master isn't watching.

Over on the couch, the happy couple seem to have completely forgotten their toys. Master is laying on his back while Elaine straddles him, her hands on his bare chest, his on her waist. Their eyes are locked together, their faces masks of shared longing and pleasure, and in that moment a switch flips in your mind.

You've been thinking of Master's world, your world, as a world of men and women, or perhaps more accurately, cunts and cocks. That's why it troubled you so much to see Master take a less dominant role with Elaine. But you and Elaine are not the same because you have the same hole between your legs. Elaine is a person, and you are toy. What you're watching is sex between two people. What Master does to you is what happens between a person and a toy.

So of course you failed to control Brutus. You were trying to treat him like a person treats a toy. Now he's showing you, with all the subtlety of a battering ram, how a toy treats a toy. But there's a nugget of wisdom to be gleaned from this brutal lesson. Because what you now understand is that the distinction between toy with a cock and toy with a cunt is irrelevant.

You can tell he's getting close. His thrusts have become quick and urgent, his moans whiney and desperate. You need to act soon. Brutus has the advantage of weight and strength. But you still have your fangs, and your claws.

In a decisive movement you reach behind you and dig your fingernails deep into Brutus's forearms. He shrieks and wrenches his arms away, toppling over in the process. Your ass, though still burning and sore, sighs with relief now that he's finally out of you. Wasting no time, you lunge at Brutus's supine form in a flurry of angry scratches. He tries to bat you away with his heavy arms, but you won't be put off. You're straddling him now, digging your nails into the dense flesh of his chest, and with a single slash of your hand you rip three bloody streaks across his pectorals. He howls in pain and raises his arms, but to your surprise he doesn't fight back. He just covers his hooded face and trembles.

There's nothing like a cowering opponent to take the wind out of your sails. Looking down at him like this, it's hard to see much more than a broken man, twisted into something angry and violent. You wonder if he had a life before this. You wonder if it was anything like yours. Slowly, carefully, you lean down and plant a light kiss over the angry red scratch. There now. All better, see? Don't cry. You run your palm soothingly over his chest, and rub your wet cunt against his abs. Now then. Let's try this again.

You turn 180 degrees. There, huge and throbbing as ever, is his cock. You give it an experimental poke, and it jerks with excitement. You wrap your fingers around it, and he thrusts his hips, as if trying to fuck your closed hand. Oh honey. We can do better than that.

When you close your lips around the head of his cock, he emits a sound of such raw and vulnerable pleasure that you're amazed he's the same creature of five minutes ago. He begins to thrust against your face, but all you have to do is press your nails into the base of his cock and he quickly relents. You suck him just the way Master taught you, with your lips and cheeks and throat and spit and tongue. He moans and arches his back when you lick around the head, lifting your entire weight with no apparent difficulty.

As he approaches climax Brutus becomes increasingly assertive, and you allow him some lenience, though you keep your nails against his thigh as a reminder. He holds his hands behind your head; not pushing you down so much as holding you still to push against. Showing incredible restraint, he raises his hips and inch at a time, easing his cock down your throat. You pat his thigh to let him know he can go faster, and he takes the signal, picking up the pace until you tell him with your nails that it's time to slow down again. You feel the first few words of a vocabulary forming, a private language of touch, of pain and soothing and movement and kisses and tongues. He needs to be told multiple times, but it's not that he isn't listening. You just need to teach him the language.

You choke a bit when he cums. He's deep in you, down to the base, and the pulsing of his cock triggers your mostly latent gag reflex. He stays in your throat for a long time, almost longer than you can hold your breath, but you don't mind. The relief in his body, the way you can feel every part of him relaxing underneath you, is worth a few extra seconds of oxygen. When he finally withdraws, your face is a mess of cum and saliva. You don't bother to clean it up.

You turn back around. Brutus is still a giant, but he doesn't look as large as he did. He doesn't seem so much like a monster, now; more like a big, soft, frightened animal. Dangerous, but not malicious. And now that's he's cum, he doesn't even seem that dangerous anymore.

"Look," says Elaine as you slide him into your dripping cunt. "They're getting along."

Brutus lays appreciative hands on your bare legs, but he makes no move to take control. He's had his time. Now it's your turn. You ride him selfishly, hungrily, filling yourself up with him. You bounce and grind, leaning on his chest for support, relishing in the sensation of him inside you. As you begin to get close, but you can tell Brutus needs more time, so you slow your pace and focus on catching him up.

You love being something useful. If you weren't Master's toy, you'd be nothing to no one, and you feel so lucky to serve him. But you'd forgotten what it feels like to fuck for your own pleasure. There's something shameful about feeling this good, but you don't let that distract you. You can tell Brutus is about to cum by the way he grips your thighs, and in the spur of the moment you lay down on top of him, chest to bloody chest, and bury your teeth in his shoulder. He pauses for a moment, but when you neither bite him nor release him he decides to finish the job.

Brutus wraps his arms around you and begins to pound his pelvis into yours with all the force of a rampaging rhinoceros. Each thrust is a painful punch in the cervix, but you don't bite down, don't want him to stop. You want him to go faster, harder. You make a seal with your lips against his skin so he can feel the vibration of your moans, even if he can't hear them. The orgasm builds like a pot of water boiling in your abdomen, steaming and raging until, with a final triumphant thrust, it bubbles over and spills through the rest of your body. Your toes curl, the arches of your feet tingle, your knees press into his body as they try to close on their own. Your eyelids flutter, your fingers flex, and your back strains against his iron hold. You bite down hard, but he seems to know it's meant as a compliment, perhaps from the buzz of the pleasure you're screaming into his shoulder. You relax, rest your cheek on his skin, and sigh into him. He shows no sign of letting go, and his cock remains inside you even as cum trickles out around it.

Somewhere far away, Elaine's voice says, "I think this is the most well-behaved I've ever seen him with someone else!"

"She'll surprise you," says Master. "Look how happy they are! We'll have to do this again."

"I'll bring him to yours next time," says Elaine. "I think a friend would do him good."

[makehydrafictionagain]

Since I haven't updated Public Relations in weeks, here is the newest chapter.

Lots of fluff. Mentions of sex. Steve x Reader.

Saturday, August 22, 2015

Sweat trickling down your back is the first thing that stirred you. The second thing was wondering if it was yours or his, not that it really mattered. You’ve already shared just about everything you have with one another, sharing sweat isn’t reason enough to pry him off of you so early.

Once you wake, though, you never drift back easily.

Mornings like this had become normal, expected, over the last month; waking up in his room and stepping over the pile of your clothes on the floor to put on something of his for at least long enough to run your room and change into something more presentable.

Like a ‘walk of shame,’ but the only shame is sleeping past 8:00 a.m. when there’s work to do.

You know you can’t go back to sleep now that your inner monologue has begun, so you lay there. The anchored grip of his arm around your waist and feather-light splay of his fingers on your belly ground you in the moment, allowing you to think about nothing else.

Maybe you think a little about last night, but you get a pass for that.

The rhythmic inhalation of your hair and exhalation of his breath lull you into a state of comfort you didn’t know existed until your first ‘sleepover.’ It’s almost difficult to imagine surviving without mornings like this. The idea of waking up and immediately checking for emails or comments on Avengers’ official social media accounts or missed calls from… Stark, mostly… It just seems like a lifetime away from this, right here. This moment for just the two of you.

Every moment with just the two of you feels like a reward for something you didn’t really do. You feel almost guilty for accepting a reward so grand; the adoration and desire and yearning he gives you is unlike anything you could ever imagine you’d deserve- and, yet, he grants it to you in a way that makes him look like the lucky one.

If the public were allowed to know what goes on behind closed doors, you’d be the celebrity couple no one shuts up about. You’d also probably be sniped by a Captain America stan, but who can blame them.

Shit, not me.

It’s simpler this way, though. And safer. You’d had the conversation multiple times about how to play your relationship in public; him laying his head on your lap while you stroke his hair, talking about what-if scenarios that would allow you to have a proper off-Compound date. Wigs and sunglasses and trench-coats kind of sneaking around- though, you both knew it wasn’t worth the risk.

You’ve expressed your concern for your public image, your career, if you got caught. Steve holds firm his belief that it shouldn’t matter- you’re allowed love, too, and who you’re employed by shouldn’t matter. “It’s not like you're my boss and I’m gonna get special treatment over the others,” he teased.

“You do get special treatment,” you teased back, though, it was certainly true.

Despite the ethical dilemma, you found yourself absolutely, without a doubt, overwhelmingly in love. That word hasn’t been used directly, yet, not by either of you. Not for any reason in particular, neither of you are holding out or waiting for the right time.

Maybe it’s because you both feel the love so thoroughly that saying the words isn’t necessary. Maybe you both already know how the other feels, so saying it out loud would be redundant. Maybe you want to show the love, rather than say it. It doesn’t matter.

What matters is the droplet of his sweat on your back, rolling down to the battered sheet you both lay on. What matters is right now, right here. You. Steve.

-

By the time your eyes blink open again, the filter of the room had shifted from dark blue and black to warm beige and white, proving to yourself that you can, in fact, shut your mind off when you need to.

You stretch your legs, bringing your knees up gently and twisting your back, settling back on the mattress facing the ceiling. Steve hadn’t moved an inch, his arm moving seamlessly with your body as you got comfortable. His breath is slow and deep, fanning the heat off your neck from prolonged skin-on-skin contact, cooling it briefly.

Your muscles, not quite used to the permission to lay dormant for so long, are becoming restless, despite your desire to stay right where you are. You twist again, facing Steve now, your arms tucked tightly between you and him. His breathing fans your face now, and it feels like heaven.

With a defeated sigh, you untuck your arms from your chest and bring your hand to his arm, caressing it gently as you slide it up and between you to roll out of bed without disturbing him. His arm moves 2 inches before pulling you in even tighter, a hum rumbling in his chest pressed firmly against your cheek.

“Where you goin’?” Sigh. His voice is so deep in the morning.

“I have to get up,” you whisper, smiling deeper into his chest.

“It’s Saturday.” He whispers back, unrelenting on his hold around you.

“At least let me put some clothes on.” You whisper back, pulling yourself up on your elbow so you can meet him face-to-face.

He lets out a whiny groan and opens his eyes just enough to meet yours through his lashes, “I don’t think that’s necessary.”

Fuck, he’s so hot.

You lean in slowly, pressing a soft kiss onto his lips, and pull back only to lock eyes on his again. “I don’t even know what time it is.” You whisper against his lips.

“I don’t think that’s necessary, either.” He whispers back, closing his eyes gently.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

You don’t even try to stop the urge to connect yourselves together again, just as slow, but firmer now. He reciprocates in kind, meeting you more than halfway to lean into you.

You let out a squeak, then a giggle when his arm, still tightly wrapped around your waist, yanks you down flat on the bed, leveraging his kiss from above now. You don’t reason against the pressure of the kiss becoming more urgent, his lips moving more desperately with yours. You don’t think too hard about the ease with which he maneuvers you perfectly so that you don’t have to do any work to receive the love he so diligently delivers. You don’t consider the time of day when your bodies give each other the profound relief that neither of you knew you needed so much, until your first ‘sleepover.’

-

He jumps out of bed before you, finally ready to accept that the day has begun, and pulls his boxers on on the way to his dresser. You watch him with a content smile as he pulls open a drawer and finds a shirt of his that has the same polyester/cotton combination in the fabric he knows you prefer, and then a pair of boxers of his that will fit you. When he has what he thinks you will enjoy wearing on the way to your room, he walks back over to the bed and kneels next to it, meeting your gaze.

“It’s 11:00.” He whispers with a genuine smile, no regrets in sight.

Your eyes shoot open and you lift yourself onto the bed in a criss-cross position, pulling his shirt over you instantly. “11:00?!” You ask with an incredulous laugh. You lean forward and press a firm, clumsy kiss onto his lips and back out of his bed from the other side, pulling on his boxers as you walk around the bed and over to stand over him, picking up your discarded clothes. “You were gonna keep me in bed all day, weren’t you?” There is no accusation in your tone, and he knows that.

He stands up, cupping your cheeks in his hands and leaning down for another slow kiss. Your clothes hang limply in your hand as you fall into his kiss, not even disconnecting for either of you to breathe.

When your lips finally separate, neither of you care about anything else. Neither of you open your eyes and neither of you move. It’s heaven.

“I should take a shower.” You whisper.

“Fine.” He says after a resigned sigh, pulling himself into another kiss.

“What will you do?” You ask when the kiss ends naturally, looking up into his half-lidded eyes.

He sighs again, pulling you against him for a hug now. “I guess I should go for a run.” His voice is more awake now that he’s used it some, but it’s still quiet and low. “Then I’ll shower and come find you, if you’re not too busy?” He pulls away to see your reaction to his statement-turned-question.

You smile and nod, getting up to your tippies to press another firm kiss onto his lips and pushing off of him gently to grab your phone from the trail of your belongings leading to the door. Once you get to the door you look over to him with a warm smile, watching him stand in place. “I’ll see you in a couple hours?”

He nods slowly, matching the warmth in your smile. “I’ll see you.”

Your smile turns into a grin and you take your cue to step out and into the hall, looking both ways to make sure you’re not walking head-first into humiliation.

I should probably bring clothes to his room from now on.

You take long, quiet strides down the hall and around one corner to find your door, tapping your phone against the screen to unlock it (an idea that Sam exasperatedly threw out in a meeting, one of the few ideas of his that Rhodey actually implemented).

When you finally enter your room, your bed untouched and the windows still open from several mornings ago, you let yourself be the giddy, love drunk girl you feel, vibrating with excitement and almost sick with all of the corny, cheesy feelings he pours into you. You float over to your dresser, pulling out one of your weekend fits, comfortable and semi-casual, and then to the shower where you reluctantly wash him off of you.

The water is warm, almost as warm as he is. You accept its warmth with that thought alone while it removes any trace of the night… and the morning, washing yourself ready for the day.

The rest of your routine is done with the same smile; brush your teeth, pull your hair back, socks and slippers. You look presentable, prepared, totally competent, and you even stand like your thighs and calves don’t burn and tingle.

Enough of that.

Your stomach is growling and you desperately need a cup of coffee.

The hallway is as quiet as it was when you got to your room, but as you near the common room the Team's usual cadence becomes clearer. You smile, a fuzzy mixture of relief and excitement brewing in your chest as you turn the corner and enter the doorway into the kitchen.

Almost immediately a hush falls over the group, causing you to blink in confusion and force your expression to even out as you step past Sam and Wanda who sit side-by-side at the island counter. Your eyes flicker to Wanda who smiles and raises her mug in greeting, which you reciprocate with the return of your smile and a soft “good morning.”

“Morning? That what we’re callin’ it now?” Sam laughed, leaning back in the stool with his arms crossed, glancing over his shoulder at you while Wanda hides behind her mug.

Your lips part in confusion and you send him a narrowed glare before your gaze pinballs from him, to Wanda, to Nat, to Rhodey.

Jesus, guys.

“It’s… literally still morning.” You turn toward the coffee pot, not surprised it needs a refill.

“I set some fruit in the fridge for you.” Wanda smiles, setting down her mug.

You don’t look over at her when you give a curt, but kind “thank you,” because you know you’ll see 4 pairs of eyes fixed on you, and you don’t know how to handle that. So, you rinse out the coffee pot, then put it back on the burner, add water, add coffee, press start.

“Coffee, huh?” Natasha grins, walking over to lean on the countertop facing Sam and Wanda, staring at the back of your head. You can’t help but turn around to read her expression, and when you see a poorly-suppressed smile and raised eyebrow, you turn back around and hum in agreement. “Long night?”

Rhodey lets out a long sigh and you turn around again, brows furrowed, looking at each member of your beloved team, each experiencing a range of emotions that only serve to heat your cheeks in embarrassment. You don’t respond verbally, instead you turn around and face the coffee pot as it heats up, providing the only sound in the room.

“Cap seemed real well-rested when he left,” Sam’s smirk can be heard in his voice, “you know, real… limber.” You don’t turn around when you hear Wanda giggle, instead you open the cupboard and reach for a mug. Any mug.

“Steve on a run?” Your voice is too high-pitched as you nonchalantly fiddle with the mug in your hand, watching the coffee machine work. It’s Nat’s turn to giggle. You don’t turn around to that one, either.

“Steve left 32 minutes ago,” Vision chimes in, “looking flushed, but content.” You hum again, this time it sounds more like contemplation.

“Content, yeah.” Sam chuckles, turning the stool around to face you and the coffee pot, “real smug, too. Wonder what that was all about.” You set the mug down too hard on the counter, making yourself flinch and clear your throat anxiously. Sam chuckles again, turning back around to pick at his brunch.

You clear your throat again, finally getting the cue to pour your coffee, then reach into the fridge to pull out the fruit Wanda so graciously saved for you, trying desperately to keep your eyes on the task at hand.

Rhodey clears his throat now, “he did look pretty happy, though.”

Natasha doesn’t try to hide her smirk when she immediately retorts with, “like he won the lottery.”

You look up at her with a straight face as you round the island counter behind Sam and Wanda, and then back down as you lightly set the plate on the counter next to her, “maybe he did.”

“Ohohoho, I see how it is!” Sam breaks out into a toothy grin, pointing at you enthusiastically from across the counter, forcing a shy smirk out of you and an eruption of giggles from Nat and Wanda.

“Gross,” Rhodey mutters with an almost-proud expression, bringing his focus back down to the newspaper in his hands.

You sink into your stool and satiate your hunger, equally almost-proud.

You don’t look up from your plate to see the stolen glances of affection from each member of your team.

-

You return to your office with your second cup of coffee in hand, fingers curled comfortably around the warm ceramic as you push the door open with your hip. The teasing from the kitchen still lingers behind your smile: Sam’s jokes, Nat's smirk, Rhodey’s guilty avoidance of eye contact.

You hadn’t denied anything. There was nothing to deny.

No direct accusation had been made, only the loving tease from your friends and teammates. They are happy. So are you.

The door clicks shut behind you, and instantly, the world stills.

The quiet in here is different. Stark Tower was fancy, functional, polished. The Compound is similar- still high-tech and practical, but you and Wanda had been able to home-ify it in the months since moving onsite.

Your office, though, is yours. The conference room works when you're open to the hustle and bustle of each member of the team, but on days like today… You needed your office.

You gently fall into your chair and tuck one foot underneath you before waking your screen. Your inbox is already waiting for you.

Remember it's Saturday. No stress.

You start with the low-hanging fruit: a request from a non-Avengers media coordinator trying to finalize attendees for an upcoming interview. You glance at it, check the attached list, and forward it to Stark’s newest media liaison with a note:

“Can you take this? They’re requesting someone who ‘represents the science-forward branch of the Avengers,’ which I assume means… not me.”

You hope they can take it. They’re unlikely to be there long, anyway, though. Stark complains every conference call that you won’t let him use you as a science hamster; “having 3 yous would be life-changing.”

Next you scan through the Stark Foundation bullet points, skim a congratulatory message from a middle school principal, and file it all away under “Things I’ll reference next time Tony pretends this stuff doesn’t matter.”

He knows they matter. The ‘I'm only a philanthropist to ease my guilt ridden soul' act is just one of his many ways to stop from confronting his feelings. He cares.

Then, a message flagged as “high importance” from an unknown corporate email. Your eyes narrow. You click it open.

A private defense company claiming to offer the newest form of protection systems “custom-tailored for high-risk meta-human environments.” You snort. It reads like it was written by someone who’s never spoken to a single Avenger. The subject line alone makes your eyes roll.

"Keep your heroes safe with eyes in the sky."

You hit delete without finishing the third paragraph. Hard.

There’s no fire to put out. No timeline looming. The stack of easy tasks moves smoothly under your hands. The light tap of your keyboard. The rhythm of completion. A few drafts saved, a few folders updated. You don’t feel overwhelmed. You don’t feel scattered.

You feel capable.

You move on to the weekend intelligence digest more out of habit than necessity. It’s Saturday, and technically no one expects you to review regional surveillance or security briefs today, but you do it anyway. You always do.

You scroll and skim. Nothing urgent. Nothing new.

Then something shifts. Your eyes catch a line that reads like background noise until you really look at it. Like it's not meant to be read by someone who isn't looking for it.

“Increased informal travel and trade patterning near decommissioned supply corridors along the West African coast. Monitored as non-aligned traffic. No official recommendation at this time.”

The language is soft. Intentionally so. Informal, non-aligned, no recommendation. It's a placating mention, like they know it has to be in writing somewhere, but for plausible deniability they pretend not to know enough to worry.

But you know better. You’ve seen this kind of phrasing before. It’s what they write when they’re still hoping it won’t become anything. When they want to keep it off the radar just a little longer.

It's not nothing. I can feel it.

You scroll back up, read it again. Then again. You tilt your head slightly as if angling your body might shift something into focus. It doesn’t. But you tag it anyway.

You highlight the passage, add it to your internal watchlist, and type out a quiet note to yourself.

“Not urgent. But don’t ignore it.”

Your cursor hovers for a second before you hit save.

And then, almost without warning, your thoughts pull backward. To the conference you learned about Avengers-adjacent international happenings at the same time as… Non-Avengers. The conversation you couldn’t bite back at least until you were out of the Geneva Convention Hall corridor. Rhodey’s firm explanation, too logical to be upset about.

You really weren't angry. You didn't cry or get an attitude or demand an apology. You said you understood. You did.

You still do.

But that doesn’t mean it didn’t sit with you. Doesn’t mean it didn’t leave a mark in your self-esteem, your existential understanding. Where you are, what you're doing. Why.

It wasn’t about trust. It wasn’t about strategy or protocol or even convenience.

It was something much stronger than that, something warm and beautiful and terrifying.

It was about care. About the people closest to you trying to protect you from something you hadn’t asked, or been asked, to carry. A conscious decision by the leaders of the team to exclude you from this topic because they wanted to shield you from stepping into business beyond your necessary level of understanding. Because to understand it is dangerous.

You weren’t benched because they doubted you. It was because they cared.

You’re not on the bench anymore.

You’re not boots on the ground. You’re not on the jet or holding a comm or mapping out entry points, not in any actively significant ways…

But your fingerprints are on this pattern now. You see it. You track it. You notice what others don’t. It feels dangerous.

Still. Maybe a better timed announcement could have taken place.

Eventually, your thoughts drift. Not toward work. Not toward duty or patterns or flagged reports. Something quieter. Softer. Steve’s birthday.

It’s still a few weeks out, but it’s been in the back of your mind since the calendar flipped over to August. You’ve already circled the date in your planner twice.

You open a new browser tab and stare at it for a moment, fingers hovering over the keys like they might type something better without your help. Then, finally, with a resigned breath, you type out the query you’ve already tried once this week and hated yourself for:

“Thoughtful birthday gifts for boyfriend who doesn’t want anything.”

The results are just as bad as you remember.

Matching coffee mugs with dumb sayings. Keychains shaped like puzzle pieces. A “customized love coupon book” that actually makes you groan out loud, alone in your office. You scroll further, hoping for something that feels even remotely like him. Something simple. Something grounded. Something true.

But everything is either too cutesy or too performative. Too impersonal. Like you’re shopping for someone else’s idea of a boyfriend.

You click away from the page with a sharp sigh through your nose.

You lean back in your chair, pulling your blanket tighter around your legs as your hand drifts toward your coffee. It’s lukewarm now, but you drink it anyway, letting the bitterness ground you. The silence around you stretches, gentle and wide. The hum of the Compound feels distant, like it’s happening in another building. Another life.

You’re not sure how much time passes… Five minutes? Ten?

You haven’t touched your keyboard since. You haven’t opened another email. The cursor still blinks on the screen. And somehow, the stillness feels earned.

The door opens.

Quiet. No knock. Just the subtle sound of the latch releasing and the shift of air as it swings in.

His hair is still damp, pushed back casually with no real intention. A soft gray hoodie clings to his shoulders, still holding the warmth of the shower he just stepped out of. He has a water bottle in one hand, his posture loose, unguarded.

His eyes meet yours. He doesn’t speak. Doesn’t explain himself. Doesn’t need to.

He just nods, barely, more a question than a greeting and glances toward the couch. You lift your hand without thinking, palm open in a quiet, wordless yes.

He crosses the room like he’s done it a hundred times before, like this is where he ends up when the day settles and there’s nowhere else he’d rather be. He drops onto the couch with a soft sigh, unscrews the cap of his bottle, takes a long drink. Then leans back, head resting against the cushion, exhale slow.

And just like that- he’s here.

Like he belongs there. Like he always has.

Here is the rest. ♡ - Public Relations: Foundations

Here is the prequel. ♡ - Public Relations: Age of Ultron