#it just seemed like such a special intimate thing before they blew up out of proportion and they felt like they had to ditch

[steinwayandhissons]

i dunno why im so obsessed now bc it’s the middle of july but they should bring back the fluorescent adolescent/last christmas mashup with matt on lead vocals like they did during the humbug tour

[its-desca]

People post their fics on tumblr sometimes. Right.

Uhhh anyways Engiespy fic below the cut where they are both aspec. 3.5k words.

Link to Ao3 version in reblogs because I don’t trust tumblr not to hide the post if I add a link. I’m gonna write one more short chapter so you can go bookmark it there if u wanna see that 👍

Late nights in Dell’s workshop weren’t supposed to go like this.

He and Spy had been sitting on opposite ends of his old, worn couch. Spy always insisted on taking the more intact side of the cushion, waxing on about Dell’s poor choice of interior decor, but it only ever made the shorter man laugh, as he knew Spy would always show for their Friday movie nights. They’d settle in, sometimes Dell would crack open a couple beers (for himself of course, Spy hated the stuff), and the two would relentlessly criticize each and every aspect of whatever they were watching, laughing all the while. It was the perfect way to end off a usually stressful week, and with Dell’s insistence to take as many late nights as possible working, it was also the only time he’d get anywhere near eight hours of sleep. Mostly.

This was one of those nights. The film had ended a few moments before, the credits beginning to silently slide by.

“Well, that was stupid,” Dell started, stretching his arms back and yawning. “I mean, seriously, when they blew that guy up the trajectory of his limbs was completely wrong. And did you even see that effect for the shotgun blast? Ridiculous! It’s like he got shot with twelve lil’ pistols, that ain’t what shells look like in the slightest, right?”

His short ramble was returned with silence, and after a moment Dell furrowed his brow, turning to look at his friend. Spy loved accosting the poor special effects directors, it wasn’t like him to spare even an inch of criticism at any chance he got. But when Dell looked over, he was surprised to find Spy staring straight back at him, his dull blue eyes locked onto him with a strange look.

“Spy?” Dell asked, concern edging into his tone. “You alright there, partner?”

Spy took a deep breath and reached over, gently taking the engineer’s hand. It was such a soft, intimate motion, that Dell immediately froze up, a faint blush starting to creep over his features. Oh no.

“Dell,” Spy said softly. “You’re… a very wonderful man.”

Dell hadn’t known there was a good kind of blush back when he was young, flitting from girl to girl at his fathers insistence, desperately trying to cling to the vestiges of every relationship he could manage to find. “You’re just flustered,” he’d been told when he brought this up. He’d convinced himself yes, that’s what it was. It was not an easy feat.

“We have been convening for quite some time now and… well… I have recently begun to see something different in you,” Spy continued. He seemed intent on maintaining eye contact through what he was saying, but Dell could tell he was struggling.

“And that is…?” Dell laughed nervously. Please. Please no.

“I… I believe I am in love with you Dell. I would like to know if you feel the same.”

Dell opened his mouth to reply, but couldn’t find the words, panic welling in his chest. It was over. Every good thing he and Spy had, every conversation, every joke, every cheap beer and fancy glass of wine, every long night in his workshop, every early morning chatting on the balcony, had all amounted to nothing. Again. It always ended this way.

Spy let out a breath after a moment, seeming to take his hesitance as an answer. The look in his eyes hurt more than anything he could have said. He leaned back, withdrawing his hand from the Engineer’s grasp, and Dell had to stop himself from reaching out again. The distance apart was unbearable, the air suddenly feeling so much colder against his empty hand.

Dell wouldn’t cry, not now. He shouldn’t have even been able to cry, because something was wrong with him, something was broken. He’d been to doctors. He’d been to therapists. Hell, he’d even tried talking to Medic. But nothing came up on tests, the psychologists would say he just hadn’t met the right person, and Medic had given him such a puzzled look he gave up immediately. Well, by all means, the right person was right in front of him. The right person should have been in front of him. But he felt nothing in the hollow hole of his heart but shame.

“I’m sorry- I just-“ Dell found the words tumbling out of his mouth before he could stop them, the sound of his voice much shakier than he would have liked.

“No, no, it is alright. I understand if men are… ah… not your taste-“ Spy cut in.

“That’s- not- Women ain’t either,” Dell blurted out. He immediately regretted his outburst, embarrassment crawling in his stomach with the strange look Spy gave him.

“Then…” Spy spoke slowly, as if every word might scare his coworker away. “What… if you don’t mind me asking… is your taste?”

Dell’s throat felt tight as he searched for an answer to the question he’d asked himself over and over again. “I… don’t know.”

He leaned over and put his face in his hands, taking a deep, shuddering breath. As the fingers in his still-flesh hand met his cheek, he drew them back to find them wet. He had sworn he wouldn’t cry.

“I’m sorry.” Dell muttered. “You’re a fine man and I don’t… I just… I’m awfully sorry. You… you can go.”

Dell stared at the ground, trying to take deep breaths. He waited for the telltale sign of footsteps, the sound of a cloak, something. What he wasn’t expecting was for a gloved hand to gently meet his back. The engineer looked up.

Spy’s face was unreadable, not an unusual appearance for the man, but this time he looked more lost. The man opened his mouth and closed it, trying to parse some kind of response.

He finally spoke, “Dell, really, it is alright. Please do not worry about me-“

“-I do worry about you though!” Dell interrupted. “I think about you all the damn time! You’re always hiding yourself away in that fancy old room of yours, never showing up to nights out on the town, answering every question with a question. Do you ever hang out with anyone other than me? Ever?”

Spy’s eyes widened at his outburst, but he didn’t say anything.

“That ain’t good for you, Spy. You can’t just close yourself off to the world and be a one man show.”

Spy scoffed at this, turning away, “Says who?”

Dell grabbed Spy’s shoulder and turned him around to look him in the eye. “Says me. Because I care about you. I care about you… a whole damn lot. And I don’t…” he felt his eyes sting with tears again. “Something’s busted up in my head, I’m sure of it. Because you’re great. You’re smart as a whip, and- and funny, and caring, and handsome, and… a whole buncha other stuff I can’t think of right now because I’m upset.”

Spy’s eyes widened and he stuttered, the blush under his mask creeping up to the bridge of his nose. “Q-Quoi?”

Dell took a deep breath, leaning back. “I mean it. I don’t… I’m awfully sorry, Spy, I just…” He trailed off awkwardly, leaving the two of them in silence for a moment.

Spy had diverted his eyes to the floor, his lips pressed together in concentration. Dell could practically hear the gears turning in his head, but couldn’t possibly fathom what there was to be processing.

After a long pause, Spy looked up again. Dell nervously shifted as the man spoke, “Monsieur Conagher… what you are describing… sounds like love to me.”

Dell sighed and shook his head, having gotten all too familiar with this reaction at this point in his life He usually didn’t try to explain himself further, but something was different about Spy. As he stared back at him, he could see something lurking beneath the surface of those murky blue eyes. Something he couldn’t quite place, but compelled him to keep talking.

“It’s like… you know how you love a friend differently than a partner?” Dell tried. Spy stared at him blankly, and the engineer sighed, rubbing his temples. “No, that’s not right, lemme start over.”

“Way I see it, there are three ways to love someone. You can love them as a friend, where you’re fine just sittin around and shooting the breeze, maybe throwing back a couple of beers. You can love them the way you’d love a partner, where you wanna go on dates and the like,” Dell scratched the back of his neck. “That one flies over my head a bit. Like, I’d be fine going on a date with someone. Just not… in a romantic sort of fashion. All friend-like would be fine.”

Spy raised an eyebrow, speaking again, “You said there were three kinds of attraction?”

“Well, yeah… I suppose you can go and figure out what the third one is.”

“I presume it is of a sexual nature?”

Dell’s face reddened, “Well you don’t have to just go and say it!”

“Hm.” Spy pulled out a cigarette and lights it, taking a long drag before looking back over. “Why the refusal to speak about it?”

The shorter man crossed his arms, huffing, “I ain’t refusing nothing! It just ain’t proper, is all.”

Spy chuckled, throwing Dell a look. “Well, in that case, where do you fall on the matter?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“As you appear to not experience this attraction of the ‘romantic’ sort, do you experience any sexual attraction?”

The blush on Dell’s face deepened, and he looked away. “Well, that’s a tricky question. I do experience… well… some kinda… that.” He gestured vaguely. “But it ain’t exactly to other people. Like I wouldn’t say no necessarily if it was offered, but… you know… not something I’m looking for.”

The smirk on Spy’s face melted into a more neutral expression as he hummed thoughtfully, shifting his gaze back to the T.V. The credits to the movie were over at this point, static casting a faint glow over the man’s masked features. Dell couldn’t help but wonder what he looked like behind the disguise. A few defining features crept through the fabric, high cheekbones, an aquiline nose, a strong chin, but not enough so that Dell felt he could identify the man without it.

The two of them sat in silence for a few minutes before Spy broke it again. “This… romantic… type of attraction you speak of. Would you mind describing what it… feels like?”

“Well, I’ve only had it described to me through others, so can’t say for certain I’m the best source. But from what I’ve heard, you start thinking about that person all the time. When you’re around them your knees get kinda weak and your head all fuzzy. You get hit with overwhelming urges to do stuff like kiss em or hold their hand.” Dell shrugged. “Stuff like that I reckon.”

Spy’s lip curled with disgust. “Sounds like a disease. Are you sure?”

The engineer laughed, grinning back. “I know, right! People describe their partners same way I talk about my blueprints!”

“You are the only one who feels this way about math.”

Dell’s smile widened and he clapped his hand on Spy’s shoulder playfully, “And that’s why I’m the best goddamn engineer this side of the Mississippi!”

Spy chuckled in response, taking another drag of his cigarette. Dell looked at him thoughtfully, the gears beginning to turn in his head while he evaluated the man before him.

“Spy?” Dell started, trying to sound casual. “Are you saying that you reckon you might… feel the same?”

Spy huffed, furrowing his brow. “The way you are describing romance is not the way I perceive it.”

“How’s that, then?”

Spy thought for a moment, his eyes searching the floor for something that didn’t seem to be there. “I am… uncertain. But I have treated romance as a natural progression of friendship. A strong sense of camaraderie with another, where you take additional actions such as ‘dates’ or ‘kissing’ to express the nature of this relationship. Although, this does not appear to be… the ‘correct’ way. As you’ve described.”

Dell wondered, for a brief moment, if he’s dreaming. If this was just some horrible trick his brain was playing on him to make him think he’s finally not alone. “So… you said you loved me? You still… think that?”

“Well… there are multiple ways, yes? I am… beginning to believe it was in the way of a friend as opposed to a lover,” Spy responded slowly.

“Well…” Dell thought for a second. “I know a way we could test it.”

“And that is?”

Dell took a deep breath, wondering if what he’s about to say is stupid. “Kiss me.”

Spy’s face immediately reddened. “What?!” he spluttered incredulously. “I thought you said-“

“It wouldn’t be in a ‘lovers’- or, whatever you called it- kind of way. We could do a… a friends… kiss?”

Spy scoffed, “There is no such thing.”

“Why not?” Dell gently reached over, taking Spy’s hand. The man looked back at him like a deer caught in headlights, and Dell almost laughed. So much for that suave Frenchman he so adamantly claimed to be. “If you don’t wanna, that’s fine. But I think-“

Dell was interrupted by Spy’s lips crashing against his, the man pulling at his overalls to bring him forward in an almost desperate motion. He squeaked in surprise, trying to orient himself better on the couch into a more comfortable position before starting to kiss back, although he’d admit that he did so with much less finesse than the Frenchman.

It was strange to kiss Spy in this way, something in the way that they met feeling different than the other times Dell had kissed someone. His face was hot, sure, and he felt a little bit like he might keel over at any moment. But there was so much less intention behind every movement, something more playful and relaxed about the way Spy’s hands curled around his back. It was… nice. That was, until Spy started trying to get tongue involved, and Dell pulled away, laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Spy asked after a moment, looking a little bit dazed.

“You taste like cigarettes!” Dell laughed.

Spy’s offended look made the engineer laugh even harder. “I do not!” the Frenchman snapped in indignation.

“You sure as the devil do! It’s like kissing a hooker!”

Spy scoffed. “Well, you kiss comme un adolescent.”

“I assume that’s not a good thing?” Dell smiled.

Spy returned the look with a smirk of his own. “Non.”

The two looked at each other like that for a moment and then broke out into laughter, unable to keep a straight face. When they stopped, Dell noticed that he and Spy were still very close, and his heart skipped a beat for a moment.

He began to move away, stuttering, “Ah, well, that was… sorry if that was weird I just…”

Spy reached out for him, speaking softly. “No, no, it wasn’t… strange. It was…” he glanced away, “I am not sure I know the correct term. But I would not be opposed to doing it again.”

Something warm rushed through Dell’s chest, and he struggled to identify it. Was this love? No, that wasn’t it. Or maybe it was. Not romantic love, but something softer, yet equally as strong.

“Me neither,” Dell chuckled. He stood up, sidling over to the TV and starting to fiddle with the VCR, rewinding the tape inside before popping it out and tossing it haphazardly to the side. His eyes caught on the box of movies they still had yet to watch, eyeing a tape sitting at the top and grabbing it. He flashed it at Spy, smiling.

“I know we got a ‘one movie a night rule’ but… you up for one more, partner?”

Spy let out a sigh, nodding. “Fine. But choose a short one.”

Dell’s grin grew and he grabbed a random tape from the box, jamming it into the VCR before flopping back down onto his end of the couch. The film began to play, the screen once again casting a faint glow over the two men.

They watched it for a couple minutes, neither of them speaking much. Dell’s mind was still racing, and as he glanced over at his friend, Spy seemed to be the same. The man looked up and they met eyes for a moment. Spy opened his mouth as if he were going to speak and then closed it again, turning back to look at the TV.

Dell tilted his head, his voice breaking the silence, “Somethin’ wrong?”

Spy shook his head no, rubbing the back of his neck and trying to parse a response. “I was… well… I was wondering if we could sit… closer…” he said tentatively.

Dell let out a laugh at that. “Awwww, you wanna cuddle~?”

“Not like that!” Spy huffed, his face reddening. “Just… well…” He trailed off, looking away. “It has been… some time.”

The engineer softened at that, the sadness in Spy’s voice tugging at his heart. He tried to remember the last time he’d held someone himself. He couldn’t recall.

He scooted over, reaching out and gently pulling Spy into his arms. The Frenchman leaned into Dell’s touch in return, snaking his arms around the engineer’s back and letting out a near imperceptible sigh.

Despite his considerable height advantage, Spy felt so small in Dell’s grasp. He had never thought about how boney the man was until holding him, feeling like any wrong move could snap him in half. His muscles were tense, his entire body coiled tight like a spring as he pressed his forehead into the southerner’s chest. Dell smiled a bit at that, resting his chin on Spy’s head. Spy still smelled like cigarettes, but there was something softer underneath it, hints of wine and cologne clinging to his suit. It was nice.

“You ain’t really watchin’ the movie from that angle, ya know,” he joked.

“It is probably stupid anyways,” Spy mumbled, his voice muffled.

Dell looked up at the TV and watched a character's head get blown off by a rocket. “‘Fraid so,” he laughed.

Spy chuckled softly in return, relaxing slightly in Dell’s grasp. Dell sighed, wondering if the man ever really relaxed all the way. He was so uptight all the time, constantly looking as if he was ready to flee from any situation. Dell supposed that was part of the job, not getting caught unaware, but it saddened him to see Spy still so wound up even in the solitude of the engineer’s workshop.

Time passed and the movie went on, but Dell wasn’t paying much attention anymore. His thoughts were occupied by Spy, and the almost desperate way he clung to him. Dell had heard someone use the term “touch starved” once, and he couldn’t help that it sprang to the front of his mind. Was Spy touch starved? He glanced down and realized how tightly he was holding the man in return. Was he touch starved too?

He slowly ran his hand up and down Spy’s back, turning his head so his cheek pressed against the top of his balaclava. Dell couldn’t help but close his eyes at the sensation, the warmth surrounding him nearly intoxicating, the simple feeling of holding someone and being held in return better than anything he’d experienced before. Is this what sex was supposed to be like? He couldn’t blame people for chasing it if that was the case.

Logically, Dell knew that he wasn’t safe. His brain reminded him of the window on the east side of his workshop that he hadn’t fitted with bulletproof glass, the flimsy security checkpoints outside the base, the magnetic locks on the doors never quite closing them tight enough, the alarm on the wall that threatened to ring at any point. His heart, however, had a different idea, slowing to a calm rhythm in his chest as Spy leaned his head against it. He was shot at for a living. He closed his eyes, drinking in the feeling of it all. This was a nice change of pace.

When he tried to open his eyes again, he felt himself struggling to do so. A sudden wave of exhaustion crashed down upon him, and he shifted, intending to get up and plod off to bed. As he did, he was reminded of Spy pressing down on him, acting almost like a blanket. There was no way in hell he was going to ask the Frenchman to move. Accepting his fate, he let his eyes close again, sighing a little. He relaxed, quietly letting sleep overtake him.

[midlike]

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 | Park Jihoon & Male Reader

𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐄 | Love burns slowly | Soft and Fluff

The salty sea breeze blew gently, carrying the sound of waves crashing on the shore. The small beach house was lit by string lights hanging on the porch, creating a cozy and intimate atmosphere. You glanced at the clock: 10:45 PM. Ji-hoon was still inside, probably working on the playlist he insisted on curating for the night.

"Don’t complain about my song choices later," he joked earlier, grinning at your skeptical look.

Now, you sat on the sand, watching the waves, trying to understand why your heart felt so restless that night. Since arriving at the beach, something in the air had felt different. Ji-hoon seemed more thoughtful, less playful than usual. And you... well, there was something about being here, alone with him, that stirred emotions you couldn’t quite explain.

"Hey!" Ji-hoon's voice snapped you back to reality. He was standing behind you, carrying a blanket and two cans of soda. "Are you planning to spend the entire night out here? Aren’t we supposed to enjoy what we planned?"

You chuckled, taking the blanket he offered as he sat beside you. "And what exactly did we plan? Because so far, it feels like we’re just killing time until midnight."

"Ah, you complain about everything," he replied, feigning indignation. "But I brought soda, so that makes me the best company ever."

You both laughed, and for a moment, everything felt normal again. That was what you loved about Ji-hoon: he had an incredible ability to make any moment feel light and special.

"Look at that." he said, pointing at the sky. A shooting star streaked across the horizon, shining brightly before disappearing.

"Make a wish." you murmured without thinking.

Ji-hoon was silent for a few seconds, and you realized he was looking at you, not the sky. "I already did."

Your heart skipped a beat, but you pretended not to notice. "I hope it was something good."

"That depends," he said cryptically before changing the subject.

11:30 PM

Back on the porch, you both decided to liven things up. Ji-hoon suggested an impromptu karaoke battle using his phone and a small portable speaker.

"Ready to lose?" he challenged, holding his phone like a microphone.

"Did you forget I was the one who taught you how to sing during that school trip?" you retorted, pretending to be smug.

The game began with plenty of laughter and disastrous attempts at hitting high notes. Ji-hoon, of course, always seemed to win, no matter the song. But it wasn’t the competition that mattered; it was the sound of his laughter, the way his eyes sparkled when he was happy.

When he chose to sing a romantic song, something shifted. His voice turned softer, almost melancholic, and the meaning behind the lyrics seemed to hit you in a way you’d never experienced before.

"You okay?" he asked, noticing how quiet you had become.

"Yeah..." you lied.

But Ji-hoon had known you for too long to believe that. He didn’t say anything, though, just gave you a gentle smile and played another upbeat song to break the mood.

11:55 PM

The countdown was about to begin. Ji-hoon brought out a bottle of champagne – another one of his last-minute ideas – and you both headed back to the beach. The house lights now felt distant, almost unreal, as the sound of the waves and the starry sky enveloped the moment.

"I need to tell you something," Ji-hoon said suddenly.

Your heart tightened. Something in his voice was serious, different from all the jokes and teasing from earlier.

"I..." He hesitated, staring at the ocean as if searching for courage. "I don’t know if I should say this, but... I think I need to."

"Ji-hoon..." you began, but he raised a hand to stop you.

"There’s something I’ve felt for a long time," he said, his voice almost a whisper. "And honestly, I’ve spent the whole year trying to hide it because I was scared of ruining everything. But now, with the year ending... I don’t want to wait anymore."

He turned to face you, his eyes filled with emotions you couldn’t fully decipher. "I like you. Not as a friend. As... something more."

The world seemed to stop. The sound of the waves, the distant lights, even your own breathing – everything faded into the background.

"I understand if you don’t feel the same," Ji-hoon continued quickly. "But I needed you to know. I couldn’t start the new year without telling you."

Before you could respond, the countdown began in the distance.

"Ten... nine..."

You tried to organize your thoughts, but all you could think about was how brave Ji-hoon had been.

"Five... four..."

You finally found the words. "I feel the same. I always have!"

His eyes widened in surprise, but before he could say anything, you took the initiative. Gently holding his face, you leaned in.

"Three... two... one!"

The fireworks exploded in the sky as your lips met. It was a timid kiss but full of emotion – like a promise for the year ahead.

When the kiss ended, Ji-hoon smiled, the radiant smile that always melted your heart. "You just made my New Year’s perfect."

You laughed, still holding his face. "Mine too."

And there, under the stars and fireworks, you began a new chapter – not as friends, but as something much more special.

[forasgaard]

Salvation

Series Masterlist

Masterlist

Part 10

Neteyam was still holding my hand while we ran through the woods. I remembered yesterday afternoon. That little moment there on the glade, when our hands had touched. It had been like an electric shock running through my fingers. And that was exactly how it felt now. Without exchanging a word, we kept walking. Sometimes the forest was so dense that we had to duck under the plants or climb over huge tree roots.

"Where are we going?" I asked. Neteyam just squeezed my hand. "I want to show you something," he said mysteriously. I followed him through the forest until it got lighter. "Shouldn't we go back?" I asked uncertainly. The strange moment at the lake still weighed on me. Why had I suddenly felt so uncomfortable?

"Oh, the others will find their way on their own." He still didn't let go of my hand.

Eventually the trees receded, revealing a small plain. Beyond was nothing but the sky. We had arrived at the top of a huge cliff. Directly in front of us, was only sky and the flying rocks of the hallelujah mountains a little further away. Thousands of miles below lay the jungle, covered with hazy clouds. I hadn't realized that we had flown so high up on our way here.

Pandora fascinated and surprised me every day. I turned to Neteyam, overwhelmed. "Wow, that's amazing! Where do you always find such beautiful places?" He smiled at my enthusiasm and just shrugged meaningfully. "I've lived here for a while, you know." He laughed and it sounded brighter and happier than I had ever heard before. Everything seemed to reduce to this small moment. His laugh was one of the most beautiful things I had ever heard and I really wanted to hear it again. Why had I never noticed how beautiful it sounded before?

"But that's not what I wanted to show you." Neteyam interrupted my thoughts. I frowned as he pulled me down with him. We sat down cross-legged, a little further away from the edge of the cliff. Gentle wind blew through my hair. Neteyam let go of my hand and grabbed something on his waist. There where his belt hung, with the knife he always carried. But instead of pulling out the knife, he pulled out a chain. A braided band decorated with pearls and small bones. Neteyam handed it to me like it was something extremely valuable. I had an idea of what it was, and Neteyam confirmed my suspicion.

"This is my songchord," he explained patiently. His voice was soft. Songchords. I had heard about that. They were like a keepsake for the Na'vi. Like a diary. Throughout their lives, they tied memories to a bead and wove it into the cord. To do this, they wrote strophes, so that the entire volume resulted in a separate, personal song for each Na'vi. "Waytelem," he whispered. "We use it to collect memories, stories and experiences. Each Omatikaya has its own song."

He pointed to the first bead, it was black crystal. "My earliest memory," he said. "The song my mother used to sing to me when I was a kid." I gently stroked the braided ribbon. I knew what an intimate and special moment this must be for him. Na'vi songchords were something deeply private and sacred to everyone. I was deeply touched that he shared this with me. The ribbon consisted of different colors. It started out brown, turned to green and later to orange. Countless beads were woven into it, testifying to Neteyam's many memories and adventures.

At the very end of the necklace, under a small bone, was a red bead. Neteyam's serpentine fingers thoughtfully stroked the smooth surface. "This pearl represents you." He whispered and I looked up in surprise. "Me?" His eyes shot up, met mine. "Meeting you is one of the best things that has ever happened to me," he admitted, the skin on his cheeks darkening a bit. Did he blush? Could the Na'vi do that?

I looked at him touched and suddenly I knew it without a doubt: I was head over heels in love with him. That's why his nearness suddenly seemed so present to me. Hence this strange moment yesterday on the glade. And that's why I kept thinking about him. I guess, I knew all along what was going on, I just never wanted to admit it. I just wished he would feel the same.

I was still holding onto his songchord and my mind was spinning so fast, I didn't even notice his thumb hesitantly brushing my fingers. Then Neteyam pulled out another item and pulled me out of my thoughts with it. "Here." He held out a freshly braided ribbon. It looked similar to his own song chord but without the pearls and embellishments. Only at the very top hung the same red pearl as on his ribbon.

"I made that for you. Your own songchord.", his voice was quiet and he sounded a bit embarrassed. But it didn't bother me. I was completely touched. In disbelief, I took my songchord from his hand and returned it to his own. "Oh Neteyam," I whispered in delight. I looked up at him gratefully. "That's so incredibly nice. Thank you very much!" I looked at him with joy, putting all my feelings and gratitude into that one look. And I wanted more than ever to kiss him. Maybe I should just tell him how I felt.

Neteyam smiled proudly and clipped his songchord back to his belt. My heart was beating wildly as I watched him do it. I had to tell him. There couldn't be a better time than now. I took a deep breath, gathering up the courage to say it. But Neteyam forestalled me.

"Eva?" His voice sounded so shaky and suddenly he didn't seem as confident and happy, as he had a few seconds ago. I paused, confused, almost forgetting what I wanted to say to him. "What is it?" Suddenly I got scared.

"I have to tell you something."

My heart started racing. Panic crept up my throat. I suddenly had the feeling that this was a farewell. The excursion, the wonderful afternoon, that he showed me his song chord and gave me one of my own. All of this pointed to a farewell. Tears welled up in my eyes.

"I don't want you to go!" Neteyam's voice broke the silence. He looked just as miserable as I was feeling right now. His forehead was wrinkled and his eyes looked uncertainly at me. My hands gripped the ribbon of the songchord tighter, trying not to lose my grip. "What?" I whispered, barely holding back the tears. Neteyam exhaled. All the confidence and selflessness, that always surrounded him, was gone. He seemed like a vulnerable bundle of nerves. I even saw that his hands were shaking. What was going on here?

"I don't want you to go," he repeated desperately. "You're supposed to stay here. With me! You're the best thing that's ever happened to me and I've never been happier. But I know you'll have to go back when we find the cure. And then it will never be the same again. Never like this" His ears drooped disconsolately and he kneaded his fingers nervously. He looked like a little boy, infinitely sad and desperate. "Please stay here. I... If you go, then-"

Neteyam took a deep breath. I suddenly felt so sorry for him. "Hey..." I didn't know what to say and grabbed his hand instead. His eyes twitched to me. He swallowed hard before continuing.

"Because... Ah, Pxasìk! (damn it)" He closed his eyes for a moment. Opened them again and then he erupted. "Nga yawne lu oer! (I love you)"

[psychosistr]

Snake in the Grass- Chapter 1

Summary: When a pair of agents from Domino's past go M.I.A., he and Steelbeak are called on to track down the missing men. Will this assignment be as easy as it seems or will there be more to the situation than meets the eye?

Notes: This was a birthday gift for the amazing @eleanorose123 / @thefriendlyfour (though I ended up posting it late- Labor Day sales are an exhausting nightmare when you work retail xP). Hope you all enjoy this next installment of the "Falling Like SteelDominos series!

Another day, another mission that nearly blew up (literally) in the faces of FOWL’s chief officer and his partner. Thanks to some quick thinking on agent Dominic “Domino”’s part and good calls on Steelbeak’s side of things, the two top-agents had managed to escape the worst of the fallout when a certain annoying masked do-gooder decided to interfere with their operation- they’d even managed to get away with the information they’d been sent to retrieve and uploaded some spyware into the facility’s network before leaving. Whether the program had time to spread to other systems on that same network before things started crashing down around them was something that FOWL would have to test later, but the dangerous duo got what they came for and that was enough to satisfy their superiors for the time being. Now, the tired pair of agents were finally getting to enjoy the closest thing they’d gotten to a break in a while as they were flown back towards St Canard in one of FOWL’s small but speedy aircraft with the promise of some much needed time off awaiting them in compensation for a job well done.

“I dunno about you, Deedee, but I’m pretty sure I’ve got a couch that’ll be callin’ my name soon as I walk in the door- an’ I’ve got a sneakin’ suspicion it ain’t gonna let me go for a few days once it gets me.” The rooster’s sluggish movements definitely lent some validity to his claim. Steelbeak looked downright exhausted after all the running around and fighting he’d done during their mission, practically collapsed in his seat and looking like he might doze off if he stopped talking for too long.

His partner, while looking almost as tired as the larger fowl, had the good fortune of at least being less roughed up than the chief officer. “Your instincts haven’t steered you wrong yet, so you might be right.” Seeing as they were the only ones on the aircraft- aside from the pilot, whose focus was on getting them home in one piece- Dominic felt that there was no harm in showing a little affection to his exhausted boyfriend. With a tired but still flirtatious smile, the loon took the other’s off-white hand in his darker one and brought it to his beak for a kiss. “I don’t think I can save you from your couch’s clutches, but if you’d like some company while you’re trapped, well..” His other hand slid up to his partner’s namesake and dark fingertips traced along the familiar prosthesis. “I wouldn’t mind sticking around for a few days.”

No matter how many times he used that little trick, Steelbeak gladly leaned into the gentle touch everytime. “That’d be..I wouldn’t…hmm, yeeaaah…”

Dominic watched in amusement as the normally chatty chief officer’s words became less coherent until they devolved into that happy, content trilling and that adorably dopey smile spread across his face. Though he’d never said it out loud, this seemed to be one of Steelbeak’s favorite forms of affection- one that his partner was more than happy to provide whenever the two were away from prying eyes. While they’d both become more comfortable with small forms of PDA over the course of their relationship, Dominic preferred to keep this particular one private. It felt…more intimate, he supposed, something private and special that he was trusted with and he didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize that trust.

Just as the sharp shooter was debating whether or not to give his dazed boyfriend a kiss, one of the small screens in the passenger section of the aircraft lit up with an incoming call notification. Less than pleased with the interruption, Dominic pulled his fingers away from his boyfriend’s beak and gave his shoulder a light shake to snap him out of his mild trance. Once the other man had blinked his world back into focus and seemed mostly awake again, the loon pressed a button beneath the screen.

To both agents’ surprise, it wasn’t FOWL High Command calling them this time. Instead, it appeared to be a regular mission coordinator and dispatcher calling in from one of the offices. “Agent Steelbeak, agent Domino.” The duck on the screen greeted politely. “Sorry to bother you two- I know you just wrapped up another mission- but we have a slight situation and could use your help if you’re up for it.”

Steelbeak, for his part, looked like he would’ve blown the screen up with his mind if he had that ability- the idea of more work after such a difficult assignment was clearly not something that appealed to him. Still, that wasn’t the dispatcher’s fault, so Dominic decided to speak for both of them to keep things civil. “That depends on the situation.”

Accepting the unspoken prompt for more information, the duck typed a few keys on their keyboard and brought up a map showing their aircraft’s flight path with a marker placed not too far from their path. “An intruder was discovered at this research outpost. The staff were cleared out and the building was blocked off to keep the intruder contained until capture.” A few more clacks from the keyboard and map switched to a pair of profile images that made the loon’s red eyes widen slightly in surprise. “Two agents were sent in to attempt capture, but have not reported back in almost an hour. You two are the closest-”

“We’ll do it.” Dominic’s quick answer surprised not only his partner, but the dispatcher as well.

“Oh, really? Thank you, sir! I’ll send the coordinates to your pilot A.S.A.P..” There was more typing as the dispatcher busied themself with their task.

Dark gray eyes looked at the loon inquisitively. “Friends of yours?”

“Somewhat.” Dominic corrected, his eyes still locked on the screen. “They were part of my team up north.”

Steelbeak didn’t pry, merely nodded and looked back at the screen. “Hope this’ll go better than your last team reunion.”

“So do I..” He looked at the profile pictures of a cardinal with a dark baseball cap and a green adder snake with a red shirt, a slight frown forming on his beak. Something in his gut told Dominic that this wouldn’t be a happy reunion.

End Notes: Chapters for this one are going to be a bit short to keep the pacing appropriate, but hope you'll still enjoy it ^////^"

Next Chapter->

[mochiable]

— fun lovin’. (s)

REQUESTED — hii!! can you write about jungkook, where it’s the reader’s and his anniversary or valentine’s day and they’re in a hot tub just celebrating and spending alone time?? you can make it suggestive if you want! 💗 I really like your writing 🥺❤️ ps. do you have a masterlist?? ( @cappujinho ) — thank you so much for requesting and for liking what i write, it means a lot to me, really! the masterlist will be uploaded in a few days, i promise you'll have it soon!

summary: you and jungkook celebrate valentine's day in the february frost.

wc: 1.7k

requests are open!

valentine's day was not a celebration that used to appeal to you. It seemed that couples only behaved a certain way on february 14, and the rest of the year everything went back to normal, following the current monotony. waking up, going to work, going back to sleep. now that you stop to think about it, maybe that's exactly why they indulged in an expensive restaurant for dinner or spent the night in the park where they met. yes, it sounded cliché, but come on, valentine's day has the word cliché more than associated with it.

now, however, you felt something had changed. it wasn't just that you now had a partner, but that in one way or another, the misgivings you’d felt for years about that particular day in february had become an illusion that was puzzling you.

since the beginning of the month, you couldn't stop imagining different scenarios in which you and your boyfriend would celebrate valentine's day in different ways. maybe that's why, as the date approached, your nerves were coming to the surface. it might seem stupid, but you were afraid that what would happen on that day wouldn't meet your expectations and would, however, make the worst-case scenarios that had crossed your mind come true.

you’d never been an insecure person. you’d never doubted yourself or your feelings, but you did have doubts about others’. don't get me wrong, it's not that jungkook had acted inappropriately or had given you reasons for these "insecurities" to appear, but you couldn't help but put yourself in the worst possible situation. maybe that was your way of protecting yourself, even though you had already lowered the barrier when you let jungkook into your life. it could be that you panicked about how he could turn it upside down.

anyway, your day started with a message from your boyfriend: "happy valentine’s day, sweetheart. i can't wait until it's time to come home and celebrate. have a great morning, i love you.” that message had definitely just brightened up your morning and had dispelled even a part of the nerves that were showing in the form of annoying flies in your tummy. "i’m looking forward to it too."

but what you were so looking forward to didn't happen when you got home. you came home thinking jungkook would be there, sitting on the couch waiting for you and saying something cheesy, but all you got was a message: “work is piling up and i don't think i’ll be home in time. i’m sorry, love.”

however, the disappointment you felt at that moment ceased when the first thing you noticed when you walked into the living room was a pink piece of paper lying face down on the centre table. it wasn't until you approached the table, leaving your coat and bag on the sofa, that you realised it was an envelope. with a slight frown, you picked it up and turned it over. you couldn't help but smile when you noticed your boyfriend's handwriting on the envelope: “to y/n, from jungkook.” intrigued, you decided to open the envelope and found a letter of the same colour, which had what you thought was a riddle written on a small border.

“where is it cold but warm at the same time?”

you bit your lip as soon as you read the question, and let out a small laugh - why had he written a riddle knowing that you stank in them? you pondered the question for a few more minutes, thinking about every room in the house, but you couldn't think of anything. the kitchen? no, it was just cold in there. perhaps the bathroom? you got up from the couch and headed towards that room, but, as you expected, there was nothing special about it. sighing and tapping your forehead with the letter, you walked over to the window overlooking your terrace. it was the moment you saw the snowflakes on the wooden floor that it hit you - the jacuzzi!

you stumbled out of the bathroom, bumping into the door and getting your jacket sleeve caught in the handle. annoyed, you cursed and began to shake your arm free. once you managed to do so, you started running towards the glass doors leading to your terrace. without a second thought you opened them and stepped out without having wrapped up warmly. the icy snowflakes were hitting your warm skin, giving you goose bumps. you started walking towards the jacuzzi and, once you were a few metres away from it, you couldn't believe your eyes.

jungkook was inside the hot tub, with a brand new bottle of champagne and two crystal glasses beside him. he’d had a huge television set up outside the house, which was opposite the jacuzzi, so you could watch a marathon of the series you'd been so fond of for the past few days. the black-haired boy was laying with his head on the edge of the tub, his eyes closed, and little snowflakes tangled in his dark hair.

“the hot tub,” you suddenly blurted out, still keeping your distance and controlling your heartbeat. jungkook raised his head and locked his eyes with yours, giving you his trademark rabbit smile, revealing his perfect white teeth, “‘where it's cold but warm at the same time?’” you repeated the riddle with a chuckle as you slowly moved closer to him, “you know i’m not good at guessing,” you whispered once you reached his side. he grinned in amusement, turning to his side so he could see your face more easily.

“well, you've done it. i’m no good at setting up surprises either,” he admitted, pulling his arms out of the tub and resting them on the edge, then resting his chin on them and looking at you with amusement as he licked his lower lip before speaking again, “hobi hyung planned the whole thing,” he confessed remorselessly, making you both laugh.

“what a way to screw up the moment,” you joked, cupping his cheeks and pulling his face close to yours. you left a small, tender kiss on his nose, causing his smile to reappear.

“well, you’re gonna get in or do i have to do it for you?” he asked provocatively, arching an eyebrow as he leaned his back against the wall of the tub again.

“are you so eager to see me with my clothes off?” you teased, slowly starting to undo the buttons of your white shirt. you saw how your boyfriend's gaze no longer rested on your face, but on the bare skin of your chest.

“you have no idea,” he murmured, sensually biting his lower lip. once you had finished opening your shirt you made a move to take it off, but jungkook stopped you before you could do it, “no, no. leave it on.”

you raised an eyebrow, unable to stop a wicked smile from forming on your lips. you nodded obediently at his request and lowered your gaze to your lower limbs, “shall i take my trousers off?” you asked, feigning innocence.

“if you don't, i’ll rip them off with my teeth,” he replied impatiently, swallowing hard and making his adam's apple more noticeable.

“i have the kinkiest boyfriend,” you teased, slowly entering the jacuzzi in just your black underwear and a shirt that barely covered your thighs. you watched as jungkook's eyes fell on your firm, slender legs, and you couldn't feel prouder that you had been working out these past few days.

“that’s how you like me,” he replied confidently, spreading his legs a little so you could sit comfortably on his lap. once you were settled, he wrapped his strong arms around your waist and pulled you to him, bringing your faces dangerously close. jungkook averted his gaze to the water and, stroking your hips with his long fingers, brought his gaze back up and connected his now dark orbs with yours. you felt your breath hitch as he brought his face even closer to yours and blew on your mouth, his minty breath crashing against your parted lips, “are you cold?”

“not anymore,” you whispered against his lips, holding back the temptation to jump on his mouth and never let go again. jungkook, seeing how you wouldn't look away from his pink, pompous lips, took the trouble to run his tongue along his lower lip, moistening them and making them even more tantalising than they were before.

“well, i do,” he said, raising his right arm and stroking the back of his hand across your moist, bare breast. he looked up from his hand to your eyes and raised an eyebrow, letting out a mischievous grin. when his index finger began to descend into the channel between your breasts, you let out a gasp and closed your eyes, “no, no, no. i want them open,” he commanded, bringing his hand back to your cheek and pulling your face close to his, “like this,” he murmured, making contact with your sensitive skin again.

with his digits, he began to make imaginary lines, connecting each of the freckles on your chest, smiling like a little boy when he saw how you flinched at his touch. then, he brought his free hand to one of yours and directed it to his left bicep, guiding your hand up and down so you could notice how each of the hairs on his arm stood on end. at that point you gave him a confused look, causing him to let out a sigh and settle you on his lap, bringing your intimate areas into rough contact, both gasping at the strong friction, “you can always warm me up,” he proposed, his lustful eyes falling on yours and giving you a fierce look, the way a lion looks at its prey before devouring it. and you were sure jungkook wasn't gonna wait much longer to do so. and you didn't want another second to pass until you could taste his enticing flavour in your mouth, because you needed him, right here, right now.

“i can't wait to make it,” you mumbled, running your fingers down his abs, gently brushing his cool skin with your warm fingertips, sending electric sparks to every lucid nerve in his body.

jungkook debated no more and pressed his lips against yours, in a kiss that radiated not only desire and passion, but affection and need. because you both had waited so long for a moment like this, and because you weren’t going to waste another second of your valentine's day.

because from that day on, you stopped hating the 14th of february.

[oh-for-merlins-sake]

CRUMBS ‘N’ CRUMPETS | gw

summary: ever since y/n opened a bakery across from weasleys’ wizard wheezes, george hasn’t stopped thinking about her. he hopes that holiday cheer, a blanket of snowfall, and one chocolatey recipe will give him the courage he needs to make his christmas wish come true.

pairing: george weasley x fem!reader

word count: 1.6k

warnings: several mentions of food, gets a lil steamy, alcohol

a/n: ok so i was feeling HELLA COZY and wanted to write a comfy christmas fic hehehehe. enjoy! and happy holidays!!! 💛

taglist: @iliveiloveiwrite @andromedaa-tonks @pansydaisy​ @a-little-too-much @slytherinsunrise @marvelettesassemble @msmarklee1213​ @letsgotothehop @finnishslytherin @starlightweasley @witch-and-a-half​ (message/ask to be added/removed, loves!)

The twinkle of shimmering white lights danced across your vision as George twirled you in a sloppy circle, keeping time with the vibrations of familiar Christmas songs that rattled your feet.

“I’m going to need to sit after this!” You laughed.

“Can’t keep up, darling?” George teased, a mischievous smirk tugging at his lips.

You gripped his arms, slowing him to a halt. “Oh, don’t flatter yourself, Weasley.”

He raked a hand through his disheveled ginger locks. “I don’t have to — you do plenty of it for me.”

George shot you a wink, but the only response you could muster was a dramatic scoff. Just as he opened his mouth to quip further, someone toppled into you, resulting in a heaping dose of eggnog poured directly down your front.

You gasped from the sudden, thick chill and glared at George, who was stifling a raucous laugh.

“‘M sorry, Y/N,” she mumbled.

“It’s all right, Eleanor, you didn’t mean to,” you assured as you propped her back up.

You passed her back to her seemingly sober friend who apologized profusely on her behalf. She tugged Eleanor out of the shop, and you heard a boisterous laugh erupt from behind you. You spun on your heel to find George with his head on the nearest display case, trembling from how hard he was laughing.

You feigned anger, “George!”

“Honestly, Y/N, I think eggnog suits you!”

You swiped your wand across your body to instantly launder your bright red blouse. George protested, “Oh, c’mon, at least save me some!”

You rolled your eyes and playfully shoved his shoulder.

The stuffiness of the shop began to settle on your sweaty skin as clusters of people roved around you. A gust of icy air blew in as another horde of people clamored through the door. The chill was inviting.

Your eyes fluttered shut as you tossed your head back, exposing your sticky neck as you relished in the fleeting cold. George bit his lip, averting his gaze, knowing all too well how he longed to taste your salty skin.

“I could really use some fresh air,” you sighed, opening your eyes. “Care to join me?”

“It’s getting a touch hot for me as well,” George nodded in agreement, absentmindedly loosening his tie.

You gulped at the sight and quickly pivoted to lead him towards the door. He followed achingly close behind, and you resisted the overwhelming urge to spin and close the gap.

You were grateful to reach the wintry air.

“You sure know how to throw a Christmas party, Weasley,” you said as you tamed your tousled hair.

George chuckled and shook his head. “Every year, we think it’s going to be a hell of a lot smaller than it ever is.”

“Well, it gets my official stamp of approval!” You curtsied before mimicking a grandiose stamping motion. “Of course, only if the new girl’s opinion even matters.”

George laughed. “‘Course the new girl’s opinion matters!” He pointed sternly. “Some may say it’s the most important one.”

Only a few months had passed since you opened Crumbs ‘N’ Crumpets, your bakery across the street, but it felt like you’d known George for years. Like clockwork, he’d stop in on Tuesdays and Thursdays, sampling the daily special and shoving a few bills into the tip jar; and every Saturday morning, you’d leave a steaming cup of coffee with a warm chocolate chip muffin on the doorstep to Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes; and after a bustling day of business, when the shops all closed and the keepers turned in, you’d both walk down the alley, admiring the colorful Christmas lights that strung above the streets.

Neither of you dared to discuss it, and neither of you would admit that the routine meant more than you ever led on, but as he watched you giggle and admire the twinkling lights above your head yet again, he knew that he was careening down a treacherous path.

“Fancy a snack, George?” You asked suddenly. “I’m starving!”

The firewhisky you downed earlier created a cavern in your stomach; and the same was true of George. “What can I get you?” He asked, turning back towards the party.

You stopped him and nodded towards the bakery. “I was thinking we could make something of our own,” you challenged.

A faint blush sprawled across his freckled face as you dragged him by the hand. “Are you sure you want my help? I was banned from the kitchen as a child — blew up far too many things with my brother.”

You giggled as you unlocked the door to the bakery, pushing it with your shoulder and causing the silver bell overhead to chime. Guided by the moonlight that crept through the storefront, you led George to the back before flipping a switch to illuminate the messy kitchen.

A doughy mixing bowl sat unwashed in the sink, patches of flour blotted the countertops, and a few holly-patterned pot warmers sat on the cool, linoleum floor.

“Neat as a pin,” George teased, nudging his hip against yours.

“Do you want a snack, or don’t you?”

George chuckled as you pulled a delicate recipe box from a nearby shelf and flipped through the cards within. Eventually, you withdrew an old-time favorite: your mother’s homemade, melt-in-your-mouth, triple chocolate cookies. George was eager to learn how to concoct such an extraordinary confection — or rather, pretend to learn.

Honestly, George couldn’t comprehend much when he was around you. You raptured every ounce of his attention and always managed to short-circuit his brain and send his stomach into an endless bout of somersaults. Focusing on anything but you was a fruitless task.

His heart fluttered as you danced around the kitchen, spinning dough, sprinkling flour, and sampling chocolate. You were completely in your element. It seemed an intimate blessing to be standing there, rolling globs of sticky dough between his palms beside of you.

“I shattered my ulna when I was eight, and these cookies were the only thing to get me through those bloody buckets of Skele-Gro,” you recalled, slapping the last ball of dough onto the aluminum cookie sheet.

George grimaced. He was all too familiar with the sensation that accompanied a hearty helping of Skele-Gro. “These must be pretty wicked cookies then!”

You laughed and slid the tray into the toasty oven. “You’re in for a real treat, Weasley!”

George’s mouth was practically drooling at the delicious chocolate aroma that wafted through the air as he scrubbed colorful measuring cups and wooden spoons in the sink. Each time he passed you a dish to dry, your hand would gently graze his, which sent him into a complete and utter tizzy.

As soon as the timer chimed, George practically raced you to the oven.

You laughed as you stood between him and the oven, turning off the timer and placing your hand against his chest. “You’ve got to let them cool, Georgie!”

He peered down at you, suddenly overwhelmed by how little distance separated the two of you. “Sorry,” he muttered. The faintest trace of a smirk lined his lips. “I can be a bit... impatient.”

You gazed up at him, stammering as you attempted to craft some sort of coherent response. You were well aware of the fact that merely standing on your tiptoes at this point would close the minute gap between your lips and his; how the scent of chocolate evaporated as you inhaled his musky cologne and the notes of cinnamon that escaped his breath; how you’d been standing in silence for probably longer than what was socially acceptable — perhaps you should say something, you thought.

“That makes two of us,” you whispered. You were doused with a sudden wave of courage before swiftly tugging George to your lips by his evergreen tie, worried that if you waited another second, that courage may dissipate into another missed opportunity.

His lips melted into yours as he pressed you against the balmy glass of the stacked ovens behind you. You sighed into the kiss and tugged the ends of his ginger hair as his large hands swept underneath your blouse to rake at the small of your back. You gently tossed your head back, giving George’s mouth free rein to finally dance across your neck. A soft moan escaped your lips as you hooked your fingers through his belt loops to pull him completely against you.

You were perfectly content to continue indulging in your finally realized fantasies until a faint, burning odor infiltrated the kitchen.

You gasped and pushed George off of you, flinging the oven door open to reveal greatly crisped, blackened cookies.

“Blimey, I’m sorry, Y/N!” George exclaimed.

You safely extracted the sheet of cookies and set it on the counter before turning off the oven. You couldn’t help but laugh at how carried away you’d gotten.

“Bet they’re still bloody delicious,” George assured, reaching for a scorched cookie.

You giggled as he audibly crunched on the sweet, doing his best to hide the grimace that threatened to surface. “Well,” he muttered, “Guess that means we’ll have to try again another day!”

The two of you tossed the charred sweets in the bin, both flushed and bashful about the events that had just transpired. Neither of you mentioned it as you locked the bakery once more or as you migrated back to the Christmas party across the street. You wondered when either of you would bring it up, if at all; if either of you would ever muster the courage to do such a thing again.

As you both maneuvered to settle against a wall, George chirped, “Oh, look!” He pointed above your heads. “Mistletoe.”

He smirked as you rolled your eyes.

Well that didn’t take long.

[lavaffair]

Just Admit It

Inukag Fluff Week Prompts: Touch and Pining

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/33211216

Having a crush on someone can be wonderful, but also incredibly unfair. The hours spent daydreaming about the person who gives your stomach butterflies seem to be more fun than having the actual crush. Experiencing this vulnerable feeling because of a person is actually quite terrifying and painful. Most of the time, crushes lead to heartbreak and letting go of the person who never gave you a chance.

Being in love with a person can be extremely intense, almost obsessive, and beautiful if done right. When someone’s feelings reach this level, it begins to cut deeper beyond the surface, into dangerous and uncharted territory. Especially if the person you are in love with has absolutely no idea of your true feelings towards them.

For Kagome Higurashi, her feelings towards her best friend Inuyasha Taisho went way beyond a crush. She was in love with her best friend, so in love that it hurt her, and she was too afraid to ever tell him about them.

The risk of ruining her lifelong friendship of 16 years was too scary to think about. Kagome could never think of her life without Inuyasha, he was always there to annoy her, get her angry, protect her, and support her whenever and wherever. When he yelled at the bigger kids for making fun of her name when they were five, or afterward when she pushed someone away from him when they pulled on his ears, they made a pack to back each other up. The friendship just blossomed after that.

Of course, they made more friends along the way, which included Sango and Miroku; whom they met in middle school, but their friendship never changed. They knew each other better than anyone else, and they have had the uncomfortable and awkward conversations that come up between teenagers, and so they have seen it all.

They have been there for each other when their hearts have been broken, when they had fights with others, and when they have personal issues. The bond between them was so strong that even the idea of it breaking caused Kagome a ton of stress. She could not do it and would not do it. At the end of the day, they will be in each other’s friend zone and they will die in the friend zone.

She was convinced that Inuyasha had zero feelings for her. He has seen her at her worst, and probably only looks at her like a sister. There was no way he could feel anything more for her.

This is why seeing him flustered and awkward about having to share a bed together did not raise any suspicions. It was obvious he was just a bit uncomfortable with the situation since it has been years since they have shared a bed with each other. They are both in their early twenties now, and sharing a bed was very intimate at this age compared to at 13.

“Yash, I could go downstairs right now and ask for another room. You look like you’re going to have a heart attack.” Kagome grinned at him, trying her best to suppress her shyness.

“Tch. We tried that already! That old hag wasn’t budgin’. This is the last time we let Miroku make hotel reservations.” He anxiously paced around the room.

“I can’t believe they don’t have any rooms with two beds. It’s not like it’s a special weekend or anything, it’s not even that busy this time of year.” She could not help but bite her bottom lip while watching him pace the room. His anxiety was getting to her.

“Well. We’re stuck here now, I tried all of my tricks but that lady wouldn't budge. We just gotta figure this out.”

He disappeared into the closet and pulled out an extra blanket provided by the hotel and placed it on the ground beside the huge bed. It was soft and fluffy enough to provide some comfort, but Kagome knew his back was going to hurt tomorrow and beyond that. They are staying at this hotel for the next few days, and until they can find a new room, they will have to make due.

“Inuyasha, we can just share the bed.” She tried speaking logic into him.

Inuyasha hoped she missed the way his body jolted at her offer because it was an intense one. Share a bed? With his best friend, whom he also harbored feelings for? Not a chance. Not when it was hard for him to even look at her without thinking about all the ways he could hold her.

He was down bad, he just refused to make it obvious. Instead, he played off his feelings for her by being extra rude sometimes. It helped mask his feelings and it was believable because he was naturally a huge jerk. Of course, he has gotten softer because of Kagome, but he turns it on when he needs it. Right now, he was too flustered to even pretend to act like a cocky bastard.

He and Kagome have not shared a bed since they were pre-teens, and that was before puberty kicked in. It took him a while to notice it at first, but when Inuyasha realized he had developed feelings for his best friend, he knew he had to shut it down immediately. He saw the changes she went through, and how she went from this annoying, loud, bossy little girl into this independent and beautiful woman. It was too much for him, and it happened overnight. He sucks at handling his feelings, he is not the best with women, and thus concludes him knowing he is not good for her.

Kagome deserved better, she deserved more than him. Some guy who can talk about his feelings and does not want to punch almost every frustrating person in the face. He was in love with her, so in love, he would sacrifice his chance of happiness just to see her happy with someone else. He will support her from the sidelines, like any good best friend, while his heart tears away at the idea of a love that did not get a chance.

Her friendship was enough for him. That is what he told himself every day.

“No.” He replied flatly. “You probably still kick in your sleep.”

“I do not kick!” He heard her shout.

He laughed, “Tell that to my legs. I think they’re still bruised.”

Of course, he did not miss the way she scoffed as she got the bed ready to sleep in. He could hear her breathing from across the room, her sweet, natural scent filling the space every time she moved around and it was intoxicating.

“Don’t be such a big baby!” She padded the pillows for extra fluff. “You’re a demon, my kicks don’t even hurt you.”

He poked his head out from the closet, looking for anything extra to put on his makeshift bed other than bath towels. “Half demon,” he corrected. “And yes they do.”

She blew out some air from her lungs and padded over towards him, her little feet tip-tapping on the carpet floor. “Inuyashaaaa,” she whined. “If I promise to not kick you, will you please sleep on the bed?”

He swallowed hard, his nerves getting the best of him as he cleared his throat. It took him a second to compose himself before exploding, and then he put on his best face. He raised an eyebrow at her, a smirk playing on his lips with a little fang poking out.

“So you admit that you do kick now. huh?”

Kagome rolled her eyes, immediately walking away from him with her arms crossed against her chest. “You’re impossible!”

After a few seconds of comfortable silence, he heard her zip and unzip her luggage and heave a sigh. “I’m going to change really quickly. I’ll be right back.”

He grunted in return and quickly changed into some sweats and a loose-fit tee shirt. His makeshift bed was as good as it was going to get, the fluffy comforter folded on the ground providing some back support. There were no more extra blankets, but Kagome always brought an extra for traveling, so he would just use hers to sleep in.

Little sounds were coming out from the bathroom and he knew she was doing her nightly routine of skincare and hair brushing. Out of all the women he has ever met, Kagome was the one always on top of her routines. He knew she had one in the morning and one at night, and the only reason why she was not taking her nightly shower was because of how tired she was after a long travel day.

The sound of clothes coming off and then rustling back on her skin was extremely distracting, so he decided to focus on the interesting floor lamp in the corner of the room. It had a rustic-colored body, with a cream-colored lampshade over the light bulb, and it was as boring as any other floor lamp in existence.

The door to the bathroom clicked open, and the sweet scent that was Kagome hit his nose instantly. It was never enough for him and he was so selfish he always wished for more. The citrusy scent mixed with vanilla was expected after she stayed in the bathroom for so long, but he did not expect his heart to skip a beat when he laid eyes on her in her pajamas. To anyone else, it would just be plain sleepwear, but seeing her in a pink tee-shirt and shorts set was driving him insane. There were little white stars decorating the entire ensemble, and Inuyasha could not believe Kagome could get any cuter.

“Nice PJs, what are you, five?” He teased, if only she knew he was dying inside.

She glared at him in return, “At least my pajamas are more fun. You’re in the same thing you always wear.”

“Kagome, you never see me when I’m going to bed.” He was trying really hard to stop himself from stuttering.

“You’re right, but I see you in the mornings when you’re a grump. You don’t change out of them unless you have somewhere to go.”

“I didn’t come here to get chastised for my taste in sweatpants, Kags.”

She giggled and it sent a jolt of electricity into his system. “That may be true, but when we get back home I’m buying you new pajamas. I’ll get some cute ones for you.”

The half-demon narrowed his amber eyes at her, “You’re gonna get matching onesies ain't ya?”

Shrugging her shoulders and shooting him a cheeky little smile, she skipped to her giant bed and left his question unanswered. Choosing to turn off the lights instead, and leaving the duo in the dark.

Cheeky wench he thought.

There was nothing else for either of them to do but get comfortable in bed to sleep. Everyone in the group had had a long day, and he was sure Sango and Miroku were already asleep in the room across from theirs. He was thankful the universe spared him from having to listen to anything that was not snoring.

“What time do you think we’ll all be up by tomorrow?” He heard Kagome ask from above him.

As he made himself comfortable on the floor with the fluffy pillow Kagome had given him he answered, “Hopefully not at noon. I’ll push you off the bed and bang on their door until yer all awake.”

She laughed, “You’ll get us kicked out if you do that.”

“Yeah?” Well, maybe we can find a hotel that has rooms with two beds.” He grumbled.

“Sharing a bed is not a big deal!” Kagome lied, because to her it would definitely be a big deal.

To the blushing half-demon sleeping on the ground, it was also a very big deal. “Goodnight Kagome.”

Kagome pouted, thankful that he could not see the disappointment on her face. “Fine, don’t be extra grumpy when your back hurts tomorrow.”

They flipped on their sides facing away from each other and attempted to sleep. Kagome was doing well, the giant bed was super comfortable and it would bring her to sleep in no time. Except, she could listen to Inuyasha shuffling over on the floor knowing he was trying to find a comfortable position.

A frustrated grunt had her fluttering her eyes open and groggy from sleep. She wondered how long she had been out, and she would ask Inuyasha but he was still tossing and turning on the floor. She rubbed her eyes and let out a tiny yawn before scooting over to the side to look at him.

At the moment, he was fighting with Kagome’s blanket and was one minute closer to taking the car keys and sleeping inside the car.

“Inuyasha?” he heard her ask. Her voice was soft and sounded small, she looked tired and in much need of sleep.

“Kags? Hey, sorry for waking you.” He said apologetically.

She shook her head with a little smile to show him she felt no animosity towards him. “Yash, you’re uncomfortable. Please come to bed.”

“You say that like it’s easy..” he muttered over his beating heart. She was so tired, and yet here she was still concerned over him and putting his needs before her own.

“It’s not easy.” She replied sleepily.

“What?” He sat up from his floor bed and looked at her. Her eyes were glossed over, and a little smile was painted on her face. “Kags, what do you mean?”

She shrugged awkwardly in her laying down position and yawned again. “I like you, so, it’s not easy for me to tell you that.. but you can’t sleep on the floor.”

Inuyasha’s face heated up instantly, a blush so red and deep that he could make tomatoes jealous of its color. There was no way she was telling him the truth. There was absolutely no way she was reciprocating his feelings right now, because this all seems too good to be true, and nothing this amazing ever happens to him. He was already lucky enough to call her his best friend, but for her to like him back when he had never told her was more than he could have asked for.

Her words processed rather quickly, and Kagome shot up from the bed. suddenly wide awake. There was absolutely no way she just said that to him. Every second that passed caused her to overthink everything, and she felt like her friendship with him was slipping out of her fingers the more time passed.

“I- I mean! Um.. no? Uh. I didn’t say that! Forget what I said!” She laughed nervously, “Haha funny joke!”

Her stuttering was going through one fluffy ear and out of the other because he was still trying to process what she said. He could see her better than she could see him, and her blushing face did not match the denial she was spewing at him.

“Would you laugh too if I told you I felt the same way?” His voice wavered during his confession while his stomach made flips.

“You…” Kagome paused and took a deep breath in a failed attempt to get herself to relax. “You like me too?”

“Yep.”

“..For how long?”

“Since I turned 13 and saw you in that one blue dress at the school dance.” There was no going back for him now.

She remembered that day pretty easily because it was one of her most cherished memories. It was the middle school dance, and everyone was super excited to find someone to go with. Naturally Kagome went with Inuyasha since they were so inseparable, and she wanted to surprise him and go in her new blue dress. That whole night Inuyasha was acting weirder than usual, but she thought it was because of the school dance, not because of her or her blue dress.

“What about you?” His question dragged her out of her thoughts.

“Around the same time as you, except it was after the dance. Yura cut off some of my hair because she was kinda obsessed with it, and mama had to even it out afterward. It was so short, and I hated it! But you came up to me when I was crying and told me I was pretty with my short hair, and then you yelled at Yura the next day.

“That’s when I sort of figured I liked you more than just as my best friend.” She admitted.

The two best friends stared at each other in bewilderment due to their confessions. The words they shared are still floating above them like small clouds. The fear of their feelings staying one-sided was nothing but a fluke now, because their feelings were reciprocated.

“Do you um..” Kagome coughed, “Wanna get off the floor and talk about it some more?” She padded the mattress for emphasis.

He was sure he looked like an idiot with how fast he got up from the carpet. Maybe she did not see it that way, but he sure did feel that way. He felt like he was floating even with his body now firmly on the large bed. He left a small space between them, on the off chance that he was reading into it too much.

It was quiet between them and sleep was still creeping onto them like a predator watching its prey.

“You know I expected my confession to you to be kinda dramatic.” Kagome laughed, “Like, we have a huge fight and we’re yelling at each other from across the room and then you say something stupid and I just kinda scream it out.”

The half-demon raised a brow at her in amusement. “You watch way too many movies, Kagome.”

She pushed on his shoulder in mock offense, “Don’t pretend like you don’t sit there and watch them with me!”

“That’s because you force me to watch them with you. How many times have we seen the Notebook? I lost count!”

“Okay, okay, first of all, we haven’t seen the Notebook since high school. I’ll admit we saw it too often, but not recently!”

“Yeah?” He grinned at her, his fang poking out only adding to the effect he has on her. “Doesn’t mean we haven’t seen similar movies.”

She huffed, “I’m a sucker for romance. You can’t blame me for that.”

Inuyasha watched as her lips turned out into a little pout and she puffed out her chest. Those same lips he has always caught himself staring too hard at, the ones he thought about kissing everyday but knew he never could. Well, here was his chance; and she was sitting right in front of him.

Before he could back out of it, he leaned in closer to her face and stared directly into her dark brown eyes. Her breath caught in her throat and the little gasp she let out echoed his ears. Her breath fawned over his lips as she realized how close they were to touching. Her eyes flicked from his golden ones to his lips, and then back to his eyes again.

“Can I kiss you?” He asked her breathlessly. He was totally enthralled by her and her full, parted lips.

She nodded in anticipation knowing that her voice would fail her if she tried to speak.

His lips were on hers instantly as he drank her in like water. They were as soft and plush as he expected them to be but they were also even more than that. Their lips molded against each other so easily it was strange to think about why he waited so long to do this in the first place. The kiss they shared was sweet and cautious but still electrifying. He did not want to scare her away in case she backed out of it, but little did he know she was savoring this moment between them.

Slowly, they parted ways as they tried to catch their breath. Inuyasha noted how cute she looked with pink-tinted cheeks, kiss swollen lips, and sparkling eyes as she looked at him. He could not stop the grin from showing up on his face after finally being able to kiss the girl of his dreams, the same girl that was a bit too far from him at the moment.

“Come ‘ere.” He slurred, his voice deep and rich with admiration. He extended his arms to her and beckoned her towards him with a blush still on his cheeks.

Without saying a word she crawled over to him and broke the remaining space they had between them. She fit into his lap so perfectly and she never wanted to live a life where she could not do this again. The butterflies in her stomach were eating her alive but she powered through the feeling and laid her head on his shoulder. His strong arms embraced her small figure and pressed her into him while he fought the nerves in his body to relax. This was still extremely new to the both of them, but suddenly they wanted to be as close to each other as possible.

They sat together like this for a few minutes until Inuyasha noticed that Kagome was starting to drift away into sleep again. Even the excitement of a love confession was not strong enough against the pull of sleep.

“Kags,” he whispered. “Let’s lay down. You need to sleep more comfortably.”

She protested, “But I’m comfy here.”

Before she could say anything more he quickly changed their position and laid down on the bed. With one arm still holding Kagome snuggly on him, he used the other to bring up the giant comforter to cover the both of them. He was glad they both decided to leave the lights off during the entire ordeal they had earlier so he did not have to get up and ruin her comfortable position.

Kagome was thankful for the lights staying off too because she was not going to let Inuyasha go even for a second. Miroku and Sango might be extremely confused tomorrow morning when they notice the change in dynamic but that will be tackled when they get to it. Right now, she is way more content with her head on his chest and his hand on her back.

Before she officially dozed off into slumber, she kissed his chin and snuggled into him. With her head on his chest, she could hear the erratic beating of his heart after her surprise kiss. He said nothing as he listened to her breathing steadily with every minute that passed until her grip on his arm went slack.

Inuyasha had not expected so much to happen between them in a span of a few hours. Their dynamic now changed forever. He was aware that they still had more to talk about, but for now, he was going to cherish this moment with her. He kissed her forehead one more time out of pure need and desire before settling in to catch some sleep.

He would never deny sharing the bed with her ever again.

[sindrafalcone]

Adventures in Babysitting pt. 3

Fandom: BIGBANG/ Choi Seung Hyun x reader

Synopsis: A babysitting job turns into something unexpected…

Warnings: Fluff for now, but it will evolve into something steamier in a later chapter. You’ve been warned!

Author’s Note: It has been entirely too long since I updated this story! My apologies... But I finally think I’m un-stuck on the storyline, so hopefully I can finish it in a reasonable amount of time. Thanks for sticking with me, and I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. This story contains fictional representations of real people. None of the events are true. This is from an American standpoint, so some of the situations may not happen the same way they might in Korea. I make no money from the writing of this fictional work.

Masterlist

Part 1   Part 2

You had only made it about half a block before Seunghyun stopped dead in his tracks. When he quit moving you did as well, peering at him to see if he was okay. Between the dim city lights and his face mask you couldn't make out very much, but he was still holding on to your hand so that had to count for something. Before you could ask him what was wrong, he spoke softly. “This place that you're taking me...” his deep voice trembled a little bit. “Is it going to be very busy?”

You were a little taken aback by the clear apprehension in his voice. But then you remembered how happy he'd been when you had given him his space back at the museum. Maybe he just didn't like crowds.

“Sometimes it can be.” you admitted. “Usually around lunch time, but this late at night I doubt there's very many people in there. It's just a small Mom & Pop shop.” He seemed to take a moment to think about what you said & you patiently waited  for what he was going to say next. Perhaps he was getting cold feet about having dinner with you and just wanted to go back to the hotel instead.

“I still want to go with you.” he said, as if reading your mind. “I just... um, do you know if they have a private room?”

“Yeah...” you answered him hesitantly, not really seeing where he was going with this. “There's a medium sized room in the back of the restaurant that can be reserved for parties or large groups.”

“Do you think maybe you could call ahead and ask if we could eat in there?” Seunghyun shifted his weight back and forth from foot to foot nervously. “I'll be happy to pay extra if they want. Or if that's not available, we'll need a table in the very back, preferably as far away from other people as possible.”

You looked at him closely for a bit before taking out your phone. You decided he was being completely serious and you had the fleeting thought that he might actually have a phobia about this. “Okay... give me a minute.” you relented & you could finally see the tension in his shoulders relax as you did so. He let go of your hand so you could make the call and you found that you missed his warmth more than you wanted to admit.

Luckily for him, you were very good friends with the owners. You had been eating lunch there almost every day since you'd found the place a couple years back. The food was good and relatively cheap, especially once they had started giving you the 'family discount' even though you had tried to object. In a matter of minutes, you had secured the private room for you and Seunghyun to use. You brought up his willingness to pay a fee, but the owner just laughed at you. Telling her that you'd be there soon, you hung up only to find him looking at you anxiously.

“We can use the private room.”

“Oh, good.” he sighed, relief obvious in his voice. “That usually works out much better.”

You really wanted to question him about this whole thing, but decided that it might be better to wait until you were actually in the restaurant or maybe even back at the hotel before deciding to pry into his apparent agoraphobia. This time Seunghyun held his hand out for you to take & you stared at it in shock for a few seconds before gleefully interlacing your fingers again and setting off once more towards your destination for food.

When you rounded the corner and pulled him in the direction of the restaurant, he stopped once again.

“Pho?” he said, a curious tone to his voice. “You're taking me out for Pho?”

You turned to face him, not letting go this time. “Is that a problem?”

“No...” he smiled & you could see it in his eyes, despite the face mask he still wore. “I'm pleasantly surprised. That's all.”

“Well come on then.” you told him, playfully tugging him along towards the door. “I'm starving!”

He chuckled and the two of you tumbled into the warmth of the Pho shop holding hands, laughing and pink cheeked from the cool outside air.

“You didn't tell me it was a date!” the woman who stood at the counter exclaimed loudly. “_______! You should have warned me.”

“It isn't... we're not...” you stammered, looking down at your interlocked hands. You attempted to pull away, but Seunghyun just held tighter and chuckled louder.

“Nonsense! I know a date when I see one.” she dismissed as she motioned for the two of you to follow her to the room in the back. “I wondered why you wanted to use the party room. You should have just said, dear!”

Thankfully you noticed that the restaurant was mostly empty as she walked you through it, so there weren't very many witnesses to your embarrassment and none that you recognized.

She opened the door and gestured the two of you inside. “Here, just sit at the smaller table in the middle of the room. It will be more intimate that way.”

Beside you, Seunghyun made a small choking sound as she continued fussing. “I wish you had told me it was a date when you called. I would have set up some candles or something.”

“It's fine.” you told her, voice cracking a bit. “It'll be fine just like this.” You all but ripped your hand away from Seunghyun's and started to take off your coat, but before you made it very far you felt his hands slide over yours to remove it for you. Then he draped it carefully over a nearby empty chair before he set about sliding out of his own outerwear.

“Such a  gentleman!” the old lady exclaimed, hearts practically dancing in her eyes as she backed out of the room. “I'll be back with your drinks shortly.”

As soon as the door closed behind her, you rounded on Seunghyun and hissed. “What the hell was that?”

He held his hands up innocently, face mask still dangling from one long-fingered hand. “What?” he asked, laughing slightly, his eyes lit with mirth.

You plopped down into a chair inelegantly. “I was trying to let go of your hand and explain to her that this wasn't a date...”

“Is it not?” he interrupted, setting his mask down on top of his coat. “She's right, it does look like a date. And, you have to admit, it's slightly less awkward than the truth... that you're my babysitter.” he put a special emphasis on that last word that made you squirm in your seat a little bit.

“True...” you agreed.  “I suppose when you put it like that...”you started, but Seunghyun held his hand up to you again just as he had earlier in the evening at the hotel. And, just like before, you stopped talking.

“But that isn't what's important right now.” he told you as he pulled out a chair and sat down in the seat across from you.

“It isn't?”

“No.” he said, his face utterly serious, all traces of joking gone. “It's probably best that she thinks it's a date. But I have to tell you something before she gets back.”

You leaned forward, resting your elbows on the table so you could give Seunghyun your full attention. He leaned forward as well, until your faces were mere inches apart.

“___________.” he whispered your name. “I have a confession to make. I'm not...” he took a deep breath and blew it out. “I'm not who you think I am.”

“A rich, foreign guy with impeccable fashion sense who knows his wine and appreciates contemporary art?” you quirked an eyebrow at him, spilling all the details that you'd managed to piece together over the past few hours you'd spent with Seunghyun (or at least all the observations that you were willing to admit to him, anyway).

He flashed you a dangerous smile. “Well, yes... I am those things. But that's not all of who I am and you need to know the vital details before...”

The door the room slid open again, interrupting whatever Seunghyun had been about to say & he cursed quietly under his breath. You watched as he leaned back in his seat and winced, seeming to brace himself for something he knew was inevitably coming. From the pained expression on his face, it didn't look as if he expected it to be pleasant.

“I've got your usual right here. Iced Vietnamese coffee and a glass of water. I brought the same for your gentleman, I hope that's okay.” the older lady said as she bustled over towards you. “Now, do you two love birds need menus or...” her voice trailed off as she finally made it to the table and caught a clear view of Seunghyuns face, without his mask. “Oh my...” her voice faltered, the tray immediately started shaking in her hands.

“Ma'am...” Seunghyun said tightly, pinching the bridge of his nose with his eyes still closed.

“Oh my goodness!” she practically yelled, her voice echoing slightly in the almost empty room. “Y- y- you're... T.O.P!” she whispered those last three letters as if they were some sort of secret.

You just looked between the two of them, completely lost as to what was going on. “Um, Mrs. Tran?” you placed a hand carefully on her arm to get her attention away from Seunghyun.

“Yes, dear?” she asked, still looking at him with sheer disbelief written all over her elderly face.

“You might want to set the tray down before you drop it.” you told her gently.

“Oh, yes... good idea.” she replied, voice weak.

She did finally manage to set the tray down on the table with a little help from you.

Seunghyun sighed, opened his eyes & smiled at the old woman. It was a polite smile, but tight. Something that someone who hadn't spent much time with him probably wouldn't notice as a fake smile, but you could see it nonetheless.

“Mrs. Tran...” he soothed, having picked up her name from when you'd said it. “Tonight, I'm not T.O.P. I'm just Seunghyun, trying to enjoy a normal date with the lovely ________,  here. I'm happy to sign as many autographs as you want and I'll even mention this restaurant on my Instagram if you'd like a boost in business. But I'd appreciate it if you could keep my visit here a secret for now. And please, no pictures.” Seunghyun gestured over to you. “I'd like to keep our date as private as possible.”

You were so confused right now, but Mrs. Tran seemed to understand what was going on. It was as if a light bulb immediately went off over the little woman's head and she smiled knowingly. “Oooohhhhh, I get it. Don't worry, you aren't the first celebrity we've had in here. It's just been a very long time and you caught me off guard, that's all. I know how to be discreet.”

“Thank you.” he said with a little bow towards her that made her giggle like a school girl and blush.

“Now that's settled...” she clapped her hands together excitedly. “Menus?”

“I think I'll trust __________ to order for both of us. She obviously knows this place quite well.” Seunghyun said with a wink in your direction.

“Um...” you faltered, still reeling from their entire conversation, not to mention the fact that he had just referred to you as 'lovely'. 'Celebrity?' you thought quickly to yourself. 'What the hell is going on here & what have I gotten myself into?!?' you cleared your throat awkwardly.

“Is there anything you don't want to eat?” you asked him. “Or are you allergic to anything?”

Seunghyun smiled. “I'm allergic to peaches & I don't eat intestines. Other than that, I'm fair game.” he said, already reaching for a glass of water from the tray.

You nodded at him at turned back to face Mrs Tran. “Just double my usual then.”

“So...” she pulled out an order pad and pen from her apron. “A double #4 and two medium # 45's?”

“Actually, make those #45's a large please. We're both kinda hungry tonight.” you said without thinking of the implications of that sentence.

“Oh, I bet you are.” she sassed under her breath as she walked away, causing Seunghyun to almost snort water out of his nose. Mrs. Tran merely hummed happily to herself as she walked out of the room. As soon as the door shut, you could hear her yelling in Vietnamese, presumably to her husband who was in the kitchen.

You briefly thought about immediately grilling Seunghyun about this whole “celebrity” business, but as you remembered the look on his face as he braced himself earlier, you paused. You never wanted to see that look from him directed at you. So instead, you settled for pouring the coffee that had just finished steeping over the ice & sweetened, condensed milk in the other glass.

“Are we going to talk about this or would you rather pretend that whole scene never happened?” you asked, not trusting yourself to look at him.

A few seconds ticked by before he answered quietly. “You'd be willing to do that? Just ignore everything she said about me?”

You shrugged, stirring your coffee to combine it with the milk. “I mean... I'll admit to being curious. But it obviously bothers you & I was just fine with not knowing before.”

Seunghyun sighed heavily before pouring his own coffee. “Right now, I'm just Seunghyun to you. A rich, foreign guy with impeccable fashion sense who knows his wine and appreciates contemporary art.” he smirked. “If I tell you everything, that changes.” he said, his voice melancholy.

“It doesn't have to.” you told him softly. “Let's try this... You tell me your secret, and I'll tell you mine.” you said, finally looking up and locking eyes with him.

That statement seemed to intrigue him and he arched an eyebrow up at you. “You have a secret double life too?”

“Saying it like that makes it sound like I'm a superhero or something.” you laughed & smacked him playfully on the arm. “But, yeah... there are things that you don't know about me yet. Maybe not as big of a bombshell as yours, but still... something that might change the way you see me too.”

“How about we wait until after dinner?” he asked tentatively.

“Sounds like a plan.”

Interrupting the conversation, Mrs. Tran came back into the private room, bringing two large bowls of pho over and deposited a plate with bean sprouts, sprigs of basil and quarters of limes on the table; along with four egg rolls and two bowls of dipping sauce.

Seunghyun inhaled deeply. The aroma of the broth and the slices of rare beef and shrimp wontons floating atop the long rice noodles making his stomach growl once again. “This smells amazing.”

Mrs. Tran just giggled at him again. “You know, I didn't even realize Bigbang was in town...” she started before he held up a finger to his lips.

“Technically, we're not.” he whispered. “We're just... having a bit of a vacation that's all. Very hush-hush.”

“Ohhhhhh.....” she nodded knowingly. “I guess everyone needs a break sometimes. Well, I will just leave you two alone. I'll be back later to check in on you.” and without another word, she was gone.

Seunghyun started plucking the basil leaves off one of the sprigs, rolling them up and then ripping them into little pieces and dropping them in his soup while you watched him, completely mesmerized by the movements of his fingers.

“I guess you've had Pho before then?” you asked, taking an egg roll from your plate before tearing it in half, dipping it into the sauce & taking a bite.  

Seunghyun nodded, “It's been a while though. So, thanks for bringing me here.” he told you sincerely, picking up an egg roll with his chopsticks and dipping it before taking his own crunchy bite.

“Show off...” you muttered, grumpily picking up your own chopsticks and spoon just to show him that you did, in fact, know how to use them.

Seunghyun merely laughed.

The two of you spent the next hour simply eating and discussing the art and artists from the museum exhibition. Conversation flowed between you effortlessly & before you knew it, Mrs. Tran was bringing in the check and fortune cookies.

Seunghyun pulled out his wallet and when you tried to object, reminded you that you'd paid for the taxi earlier. You caught a glimpse of the black card he held between his long, slender fingers & swallowed hard, nodding your head in acceptance.

You both made the decision to take the fortune cookies back to the hotel and, after Seunghyun spent some time signing the promised autographs for Mrs. Trang, you left the restaurant the same way you'd come in... laughing and holding hands.

Only this time, you were headed back to the hotel and a discussion that could possibly change everything between the two of you.

[kingofhearts709]

Prompt: bill and ted give each other haircuts

hello yes im sorry this is late but this is adorable and im happy to write this excellent prompt ❤️

A/N: SO! this came out SO MUCH LONGER than i expected. like i was just gonna cute-drabble it but then my brain was like "NO PERFECT CONCEPT MUST EAT IT." snd I'm very happy to have written it all. im setting this at like pre-excellent adventure.

anyways i hope you have a lovely day and to please enjoy this little thing 💓"

---

Ted blew his bangs out of his face for the fifth time since he'd sat down on Bill's bed, trying to focus on his comic and finding the ultimate difficulty in reading between the long strands. His hair almost reached past his shoulders, and Missy's abandoned scrunchies were starting to look most intriguing.

Bill was no better. Every time he ran his fingers through his hair, they wound up tangled. There was no way he'd be able to handle brushing it every single morning, but the habit of messing with his hair was too ingrained.

"Dude, we need haircuts," Bill grumbled as his forefinger caught on a twisty piece of fringe. "I'm gonna look like a seventies disco dude." Ted snickered at that, and Bill thwacked his chest lightly. "Shut up, Ted, I'm serious."

"Well, my dad won't even pay for a good haircut," Ted huffed, dropping his comic book and blowing his bangs away once more. "If he did, it'd be a buzz." He paused for a moment before suggesting, "You don't suppose Missy could cut our hair?" Bill let out a laugh.

"I would be most doubtful of her skills."

"Okay, well... How much do haircuts cost?"

"More than we can afford." Ted frowned and looked down. "My dad would probably just tell me to cut my hair myself if I asked." It went silent for a moment before a lightbulb lit up in Ted's brain, and he bounced on the bed with enthusiasm.

"...Well, why don't we?"

"Why don't we what, dude?"

"Cut our own hair!"

The idea thrown out to the wind sounded more than insane. Neither of them knew the first thing about cutting each other's hair, let alone their own.

But the thing about Bill and Ted was that, as long as they did it together, it was more than enough reason to say why not?

"Ted, my friend, your idea is definitely most forward-thinking!" Bill complimented, jumping up. "We both know what each other's hair looks like, so we'll totally be able to replicate it!"

The wide grin on Ted's face was enough to break it, jumping up with Bill and looking around.

"I'll go get hair stuff," Bill said as he rushed towards the door. "You get a chair set up." Ted nodded as Bill bolted from the room, going to the corner to grab an old twisty chair that they never used. It still twisted, and was just about the right height for cutting hair, it seemed.

Ted was testing the chair by spinning in fast circles when Bill came back in with a pair of kitchen scissors and two huge towels. He swayed a little as he regained his normal vision from spinning, seeing that Bill was also carrying a spray bottle filled with water, a brush and comb, and a tube of hair product.

"I grabbed some other stuff from Missy's counter, too," Bill said as he dropped it all down on the bed. He picked up the tube and read it, "Something called...'Gar-near Fruck-tiss.' The instructions say it makes your hair smooth." Ted gave an intrigued head tilt before giving a nod and a smile.

"Well, dude, smooth me!" Ted joked, and Bill gave him a look before they found themselves air-guitaring.

Bill wrapped one of the towels around Ted's neck and shoulders, making sure he pulled his hair out from underneath. Bill leant down to assess it, squinting to see if it would help him decide on a course of correct action.

"How short should I cut it, dude?" Bill finally asked. Ted brought up a hand and hovered it palm down before holding it right where his chin ended as reference, and Bill nodded, picking up the spray bottle and spraying Ted's entire head all over until his hair went damp through.

"Bill, you are most concentrated," Ted hummed as Bill ran the comb through his hair to measure it down. It was already frayed from whenever his last haircut had been, it seemed. "Do you actually know what you're doing?"

"Uh...," Bill hummed, shrugging. "I used to watch my mom get her hair cut before when I was a little kid, I guess. They always wet your hair and then do this trippy snippy thing."

Ted snorted as Bill snipped the scissors a couple of times in the air before diving into Ted's hair, holding the length to cut off between his fingers and slowly scissoring away.

It was quiet while Bill worked on his hair, Ted doing his best to keep still, even if he really wanted to turn his head and see exactly what was happening. The only sounds filling the room were Bill walking around him and the snip of the scissors.

As soon as Bill cut off the last edge of Ted's hair, he stepped back and studied his work, furrowing his brows before grinning.

"Dude, I totally nailed you!" he exclaimed, and the redness to Ted's cheeks caused him to add on, "Uh- Your hair, I mean. It looks most bodacious." Ted looked around the room frantically for any reflection, and jumped when Bill held up a mirror in front of his face.

Bill really had done an excellent job. His hair was back to its regular length, hanging right around his chin. His bangs were still a problem, though, and he looked over at Bill and gestured to them.

"Oh, dude, yeah," Bill huffed as he dropped the mirror back where he'd grabbed it and picked up the scissors again. "Sorry, Ted, I forgot your main problem is your egregiously long bangs."

"They're like curtains for my face, duder," Ted hummed as Bill began to separate the bangs from the rest of his hair. He cursed when he grabbed too much of Ted's already-trimmed sections before Ted spoke up, "Oh, dude, grab one of Missy's scrunchies!" Bill raised a brow before following Ted's gaze to the bedside table, where about four of Missy's scrunchies were sitting. How they got there, Bill personally didn't want to think about it. Regardless, he went over to grab one and handed it over to Ted so he could pull his hair back and let Bill have full reign on his bangs.

"Where do they usually end?" he asked as he eyeballed possible measurements with his fingers. His face wasn't unreasonably close to Ted's, considering the circumstances, but it still made Ted nervous.

"Just, like, enough so I can see okay, I guess," Ted said, and Bill nodded as he took the comb and brushed his bangs even before sticking the handle in between his teeth and bringing the scissors up.

At this angle, Ted could see Bill's entire process as he watched his hair being snipped off. The way his face was scrunched in concentration, his gentle movements to make sure he wasn't tugging Ted's head any direction.

He didn't realise Bill was finished until he saw his reflection in the mirror when it was held up.

He looked good, if not better than before, with Bill's handiwork.

"How'd I do, dude?" Bill asked, and Ted reached up to touch his already drying hair. "Want me to put the Fruck-tiss in it?"

"Uh- Yeah, dude, sure." Ted looked over to see Bill grabbing the tube and opening it up, squirting a generous amount into his palm. "Do I have to wash it out?"

"Uh...," Bill turned the tube in his hand and scrunched his nose, shaking his head. "It says to leave in for fifteen minutes and your hair will be, 'smooth and sleek.'" He looked up. "Ready?"

"Yeah, Bill."

After a moment, Ted felt Bill's hands and fingers running right through his hair, keeping away from his scalp as per the instructions on the tube. It was smooth and gentle and overall intimate the way Bill paid careful attention to Ted's hair, running his fingers through. He might've put too much product in, but they could always wash it out if needed.

"Alright!" Bill said when the product was more or less incorporated. "You have been fully transformed into your most authentic self, my friend!"

"Dude, excellent!" Ted said as Bill took the towel off of him, trying not to get the hair everywhere (it already was, but that was beside the point). "My turn, Bill!" Ted stood up and took an exaggerated bow towards the twisty chair, gesturing for Bill to take a seat. Bill bowed back before dropping down and smiling.

Ted mimicked his actions from earlier, draping the towel around his neck and grabbing the spray bottle. However, Bill's hair was curly and almost like a jewfro, and he briefly wondered how he was going to cut it down.

"Dude, I don't think water is going to help," Ted said as he looked around at Bill's head. "You do have one stellar mullet now, but the rest is growing up." Hesitantly, he ran his fingers gently through Bill's curly hair, feeling just how insanely tangled it was. Bill briefly shivered at the motion, telling himself internally to just relax.

He'd already cut Ted's hair, so he should know what to expect, but still, the shock of actually feeling Ted's hands and fingers gave him the most unusual of feelings in his chest. He wasn't necessarily sure if they were nerves or emotions, but either way, it sent a shiver down his spine every time Ted's skin connected to him.

Bill bit the inside of his cheek as Ted stuck his tongue out and tested a single lock of hair, snipping off the end before grinning, nodding as he started to continue.

"Dude, it's like trimming a bush!" he laughed as he went all around, mimicking Bill once more by holding each lock between his fingers. Bill's blond hair fell and separated with each snip that the scissors gave. Ted's movements were slow and calculated, his genuine care for making sure he cut Bill's hair in the most correct way making Bill feel a little more than special.

It took Ted longer than it took Bill to finish up, giving a lock one last cut before jumping back and grinning as he crossed his arms.

"Dude, how is it?" Bill asked, gesturing. "Gimme that mirror!" Ted straightened up as he remembered, turning in a couple of circles before picking it up off the the bed and holding it up.

Ted hadn't done a terrible job, he had to admit. He turned his head back and forth, his smile growing as he saw Ted show up behind him in the reflection. He took a hand and ran it through his hair front to back.

It took Bill a second before he concluded that Ted forgot to cut off his mullet, and he grinned with a scoff.

"Dude, you totally missed the back," Bill said, his hand flipping the hair in Ted's view. Ted frowned as he stood up straight and tilted his head.

"Did I, dude?" he raised his eyebrows, reaching down to move Bill's away and examine it. "Bill, if I might be totally honest, you have always had this mullet, though I will admit it's much longer than normal..."

"No way, dude," Bill rolled his eyes in response. "Gimme those scissors." He reached back to grab the utensil from Bill's hand, a most dangerous risk. Ted, however, held back the pair with a grin.

"Dude, you'll be a total mullet-head!" Ted laughed as he turned and jumped up on the bed, knocking a couple of the items onto the floor. Bill spun around in his seat and looked at the scissors clasped wrong-way-up in Ted's fist.

Bill eyed him for a long moment before bolting up from the chair in a lunge, a total disregard for all those 'safety with scissors' rules from grade school. Ted leaped off the bed for the corner, Bill chasing him there. They could only run around in the small confines of Bill's room, so there weren't many places for Ted to go, nor space to make between himself and Bill.

It became apparent when Ted got onto the bed again and Bill fully tackled him so he had him trapped underneath.

Ted was still laughing even when Bill had him pinned by the wrists and was currently looking down on him with the most fondest of looks, a huge smile gracing his entire face.

"Dude," Ted said through chuckles as he flipped his newly cut bangs away from his eyes, "you look definitively bodacious with your mullet. I think you should keep it." Bill tilted his head.

"Ted, my friend, there is nothing in your head that could ever convince me." Ted let out a laugh before he looked at it over Bill's shoulder, comtemplating.

"I like it on you, dude."

It didn't take long for Bill's brain to immediately agree with that statement.

"You think so, dude?" Bill found himself asking, and Ted looked back to Bill's face, smiling with a nod.

"Most triumphantly." The words put a smile on his own lips, and the warm, butterfly-feeling in his chest was new but most definitely welcome as he squeezed Ted's wrists.

"Well, then, Ted, my most excellent and esteemed partner, I suppose I must keep it just for you."

[thebrotherssalvatore321]

Keeping Secrets Ch. 45

Keeping Secrets Masterlist

“Last stop of the tour…” Klaus said as he pushed a door open and motioned Katie inside. “Our living quarters.” He shut the door behind her. “I know it’s a bit bare at the moment, but we can redecorate it however you like.”

“In case you couldn’t tell by my somewhat plain house in Mystic Falls, I’m not much on decorating. All I need to make a living space functional is a bed, wireless speakers, a desk, and you.” she ticked the things off on her fingers then grabbed his shirt and pecked him on the lips.

“I don’t want it to just be functional, I want you to feel at home here.” he told her as he grabbed her shoulders and turned her around to look at the three rooms laid out in an L shape, all connected by square framed archways with two windows at the top and painted with white paint that was chipped and cracked. “Take a look around.” The first room contained nothing but a white, wood framed fireplace. The second room contained a simple brown leather couch and a plain oval dark wood coffee table that sat adjacent to another fireplace that matched the one in the first room. The couch and table faced an exterior wall with an arched, windowed door with shutters that led out to a private balcony. A tall window sat on each side of the door.

The third room shared the exterior wall and had three windows. A dark wood bed was in the room with a brand new mattress still wrapped in plastic on it. Its high backed head board sat against the middle of the back wall. On the wall across from the windows was a door that led to a large walk in closet. To the right of the head board was another door that led to a luxurious master bathroom complete with a deep claw foot tub and glassed in shower with three different showerheads.

“These were my quarters.” He told her from where he stood behind her with his arms wrapped around her waist and his chin on her shoulder. “I want to make them ours, but I will not know how to achieve that unless you tell me. Even if it’s a simple suggestion like antique white furnishings and a canopy bed centered on a white plush rug.”

“I really just threw out the first thing that came to my head.” she said with a laugh. “You’re the one that waved your magic wand and turned it into something out of a freaking Victorian fairy tale.” She smiled and tilted her head to the side as he kissed her neck.

“So throw out some more ideas and I’ll wave my wand again.” He told her then stopped kissing her neck and she turned around to look at him.

She blew air through her lips as she looked around the room. “Okay.”

“And before you start putting things for our little princess in this space I already have conjoining rooms elsewhere in the compound set aside to turn into a nursery for her and bedroom for us after she is born.” He informed her, making her give him a smile that said she was surprised, but delighted to hear that.

She laughed and shook her head getting back to the space at hand. “So…will one of these rooms be filled with your art supplies?”

“No, I have another place picked out for my art studio.” He answered. "If you want we can find a place to turn into a studio for you."

"But I don't paint. Not good enough to have my own studio anyway." She said with a confused frown.

"A recording studio." He clarified.

“Oh.” She said with a smile, flattered that he was thinking about her hobbies as well. “I’ll think about it.” she told him then turned her attention back to the space around them.

“Like I said before, I want a desk. I can write anywhere, but I’ve always done it better at a desk for some reason.” She told him then looked out at the balcony. “Out there, maybe some comfy patio chairs or something. I like to read outside when I’m bored even if it’s freezing out. Speaking of reading, can we have my books that are in my room in Mystic Falls sent here?" Thinking about her belongings that got left behind for the first time in months her mind went into overdrive with questions. "And the painting you bought me on our first date? Is it possible to make a white bedroom suite look masculine? Oh my god shut me up before I have all my belongings back in Virginia moved here."

He laughed at her excitement. "You know...This is your new home. You can have whatever you want moved here. As far as white furniture being masculine, yes with the right colors and styles it can be. So if you want your furniture from your bedroom in my mansion moved here we can. But I was hoping to keep that as it is for a vacation home.”

“A vacation home?” she asked with intrigue.

“Yes, I know you said you hate that town, but it is not only where you grew up in this life and where your friends are, but it’s where I was born and raised.” He told her as he placed his hands on her hips. “I know you miss your friends even if you haven’t said so.”

“I do, I just hope that they don’t hate me for falling off the face of the earth.” She told him sadly then brushed all thoughts of her abandoned friends from her mind with a blink and a shake of her head. “We can leave my bedroom there as it is.” she told him, getting back on topic. “And I want to have my things from my house and my landscape painting sent here. The stuff in the basement of my house…all that family history crap, can stay there.”

“Now we’re getting somewhere.” He told her with a smile as he walked into the bedroom and put her duffle on the bed.

“Isn’t Mystic Falls also where you fell in love with Tatia?” she asked as she walked over and leaned on the archway into the bedroom simply because they had never talked about his past loves.

He sighed and gave her a frown. “I’ve been wondering when you were going to bring her up. You know, since you have a special hatred of doppelgangers.” She walked over to him and set her hands on his chest as he grabbed her hips and pulled her close. “Tatia aside my interest in the Petrova doppelgangers has only ever been self serving.”

“So you’re immune to their allure?” Katie asked with disdain in her voice and a roll of her eyes.

“Yes.” He assured her.

“How many doppelgangers have there been anyway?” she couldn’t stop herself from asking.

“As far as I know, three; Tatia, Katherine and Elena.” He answered.

“And you were only ever intimate with Tatia?” Katie asked.

Klaus laughed and opened his mouth to say something, but closed it and looked down at the floor for a second. He still had a smirk on his face when he looked back up at her. “If you are asking if I, like my brother, have had sex with Katherine, the answer is no. I courted her to keep her close until I could find the moonstone, nothing more.”

“And that’s the truth? You’re not just telling me that because you know I hate her?” she asked.

“It’s the truth.” He told her as he looked into her eyes and she could tell he wasn’t lying to her.

“Good.” She told him then moved around him and started taking things out of her duffle bag. “I was starting to think she had slept with the entire male vampire population.”

When he turned around he could tell by the distant look on her face that something else was bothering her. “What is it, sweetheart?” he asked. Instead of answering with words she looked at him and let the blood flow to her eyes then pulled her lips back, showing him her lack of fangs. He cupped her chin in his hand looking at her normal teeth with a frown. “That’s…strange.”

“I don’t need fangs if I no longer need to drink blood.” She told him with a look down at the floor as she pushed the blood back. “It tastes like sour metal now.”

“When did you notice this?” he asked, looking worried as he always did when they noticed another change in her vampire state.

“Yesterday morning.” She answered. “I would have told you, but things were already tense between us and I didn’t want to add to it.”

“At this rate you’ll be human by the end of the month.” He pointed out and she nodded. He closed his eyes with a sigh and pulled her into him, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

A knock on the door made them pull apart and walk over to it. Klaus pulled it open revealing Bradley. “I’m guessing you’re not here to call on me.” Klaus stepped aside and motioned Bradley in and over to Katie who was standing a little ways behind Klaus.

“Hi.” Katie greeted him with an awkward smile.

“I was wondering if you would like to go out for lunch.” Bradley told her with a look between her and Klaus.

“I would like that, but…I don’t know if leaving the compound is a good idea.” She drawled then looked behind her at Klaus.

“I believe you have made your point to the witches very clear.” Klaus said. “Werewolves don’t set foot in the quarter and I don’t believe your father, or any of the other vampires in this city to be a threat to you or our child.”

“Plus I know all of the witches that frequent the French quarter.” Her father chipped in.

“Are you telling me that it’s finally safe for me to see the city?” Katie asked with an excited smile at Klaus.

“Yes.” He told her with a small smile and his hands tucked behind his back. “As long as you are with a trusted vampire and you stay away from the caldron I’m comfortable with it if you are.”

“Who do you consider trusted?” Katie asked skeptically.

“Before I answer that question…” Klaus clapped his hand down on Bradley’s shoulder and looked at him with a condescending smile, “Let’s have a quick chat, shall we?” He steered him through the still open door of their quarters.

“The roles here seem oddly reversed, but okay.” Katie said more to herself than Klaus as she shut the door behind them.

Katie was unpacking her duffle bag and hanging her clothes in the closet when she heard the door open and headed that way to see that Klaus and Bradley were back. “And the verdict is…?” she asked hopefully.

“Let’s call this a trial run.” Klaus told her. “Straight to the restaurant and straight back. If all goes well we’ll discuss further outings. Sound fair?” he asked, not wanting to make her think he was trying to control her.

“Sounds perfect.” She said with a smile as she bounced on her toes then looked at her father. “Meet you in the courtyard in twenty?” she asked and he gave her a nod and a smile then shut the door as he left her with Klaus. She turned and looked at Klaus with suspicious eyes.

“What?” he asked innocently.

“You’re trusting him? You don’t trust people that haven’t earned it, most of the time not even then. What’s with the nice guy act?”

“Act? Little Phoenix, you wound me.” he told her dramatically as he placed his hand over his heart. She smirked and gave him a look that told him to answer the question. “He is your father and yes he is loyal to Marcel, but I do not underestimate the bond of blood. I will always worry about you when you are out of my sight, but I will not let my misgivings keep you from giving your family a chance to heal.” He told her seriously. “Besides, I saw how miserable you were cooped up in that plantation house. It is not my goal or my right to cage a Phoenix.” He told her as he cupped her cheek in his hand. “Though, I urge you to never let your guard down.”

“I won’t.” She told him practically bouncing with happiness as she bit her lips closed, keeping the words I love you from slipping off of her lips. Now wasn’t the time to tell him, nor was randomly blurting it out, the right way to tell him. No, as long as she’d waited, it needed to be done romantically. Problem was…she sucked at romance. Instead of telling him she stood on her toes and caught his lips with hers. The kiss quickly turned heated and with a whoosh he picked her up wrapping one of her legs around him with his hand on her thigh. Even though he wanted to press her against the wall and take her right there, her ever growing belly wouldn’t allow it. So he whooshed her over to the unmade bed instead.

TVDTVDTVD

“Klaus seems a little overprotective and controlling if you ask me.” Bradley said from where he sat across the table from Katie, cutting the chicken fried steak on his plate.

“You see an overprotective boyfriend trying to control his girlfriend, I see an appropriately protective father just trying to keep me and his child safe.” Katie argued. “People have been threatening my life and my baby’s since I sat foot in this city.”

“I can’t help but feel partially responsible. You wouldn’t even be in this city had I not reached out to you.” her father admitted.

“Yes, but had you not reached out to me I’d probably still be in Mystic Falls hating you and claiming that I had no blood family.” She said as she pointed at him with her fork then stabbed a piece of lettuce. “I was starting to despise that town anyway, with it’s stupid town council and the same judgmental faces I’d seen every day for the past nineteen years. If that bitch Carol Lockwood called me trash one more time I would have broken her uppity little neck.”

“Oh, yeah, she was a bitch wasn’t she?” He agreed and things fell quiet between them for a while as they ate and Katie got a little lost in thoughts of the past.

“So I have a question, maybe you can answer it. Carol always called me a piece of trash and Grandpa always called me a slut even though I wasn’t. I never understood it. Can you shed some light on that?” Katie asked, then took a bite of her salad.

“I hate to speak ill of your mother, but her reputation may have tainted yours. Before she and I married she was a bit…wild. A lot of people didn’t even think you were my daughter.” He explained.

“Really?” she asked unbelievingly then motioned between the two of them with her hand. “The resemblance is kind of uncanny. I even picked at my cuticles like you did.”

“You remember that?” Bradley asked through a bite of his food.

“I forgot about it until Elijah poked around in my head and dug up old memories.” She explained with a shrug then took the last bite of her salad.

Things fell quiet between again as she sipped on her tea and Bradley finished his steak and potatoes. He covered the bill then asked, “Ready to head back?”

“Actually I have a small request.” She said as she held her fingers up in a pinching motion. “Do you know a good jewelry store nearby?”

“You didn’t okay this with Klaus did you?” her father deadpanned.

“First, I don’t take orders from him and he knows it. Second, I can’t surprise him if he knows where I’m at 24/7.” She replied ticking the things off on her fingers with a devious tone.

“You want to buy Klaus jewelry?” her father asked, looking at her through narrowed eyes.

“A ring, yes.” She answered.

“You’re not going to propose to him are you?” Bradley asked knowing Kate had always been a bit of a free spirit like her mother.

Katie busted out laughing. “God no.”

“As long as you don’t let him rip my spine out through my throat for doing this then sure. There’s a jeweler around the corner that I’ve used for years now.”

TVDTVDTVD

“Good evening.” The man standing behind the counter at the back of the store with glass cases here and there greeted her then noticed Bradley walk in behind her. “Oh, hey man, how’s it going?” he asked as he walked over to them.

“Good.” Bradley answered as he and the jeweler slapped their hands together in an over the top handshake. “Chad, this is my daughter, Scarlett.”

“Actually I prefer to go by Katie these days.” she spoke up as she held her hand out to Chad. “Hi.” She told him with a smile.

“Hi.” He echoed back, returning her smile. “What can I do for ya?”

“I’m hoping to find a ring for my guy.” Katie answered, taking in the man. He was Caucasian, looked to be in his late thirties and wore a simple outfit of jeans and a black dress shirt. The thing that gave away his profession in Katie’s opinion were the three gaudy rings on his hand and the diamond crusted eagle pendant that hung around his neck on a thick platinum chain.

“Alright. Do you have anything specific in mind? A certain metal type, certain gemstone?” he asked.

“Yeah, uh, I was thinking something simple. No gemstones. Maybe made of black tungsten.” Katie threw out as a kicking off point.

“I think I have a few options for you.” He motioned her over to a case of rings and after looking through them she found one she thought Klaus would love.

“You’re guy?” her father asked as they walked down the sidewalk on their way back to the compound.

“He’s over a thousand years old, calling him my boyfriend feels kind of immature and silly.” She defended herself.

TVDTVDTVD

She managed to hide the ring in its box in their living quarters before Klaus found her. “How’d it go?” Klaus asked as he placed his hands on her hips and pulled her into him.

“Smooth sailing.” Katie answered as she placed her hands on his shoulders then slid them up to hold the sides of his neck.

“Good.” He pecked her on the lips. “Are you feeling up to a dinner tonight here in the courtyard with Marcel and his closest comrades?”

“Sure.” She answered then turned from him and walked over to the couch in the middle room and sat down. “What’s it for?”

“Just a general get to know each other dinner.” He shrugged as he stood in the archway facing her.

“The last time someone said we were having a general get to know each other dinner a dagger ended up in Elijah’s back.” she pointed out. “If anything other than friendly conversation and eating is going to happen tonight please give me a head’s up.”

“I plan on giving a speech to our new friends and to further rally them and convince them we have absolutely no plans on creating a hybrid army, I plan on asking Marcel’s right hand man, Diego, to lead a wolf hunt.” He told her with his hands tucked behind his back.

“I’m sorry, what?” she asked with a narrow eyed shake of her head as she stood up.

“How can I sire hybrids if there are no werewolves left in the bayou to turn?” he asked as if it were obvious.

“I strongly disagree with that.” she stated as she walked over to him.

“Why?” he asked curiously as he set his hands on her waist. “They tried to kill our child.”

“Several reasons.” She started and he guessed by the one finger she held up and the determined look on her face that she was about to go off on a rant. “Tyler tried to kill me. As far as I know he’s not part of their pack. The New Orleans werewolves didn’t touch me and are therefore innocent.” She held up a second finger, “By needlessly killing those wolves you’ll be asking for backlash and a fight we don’t need right now.” then a third finger, “And the main reason, our child will have the werewolf gene.” She told him as she dropped her hand and placed it on her stomach. “If, God forbid, something happens to you and she triggers her gene, I won’t know how to help her. If you kill all the local werewolves who will we have to go to? We need them to be our allies or at the very least on neutral ground with us.”

Klaus sighed and gave her a smirk. “Okay.”

“Okay what?” she asked with a tilt of her head.

“Okay, I will take your advice and not ask Diego to lead a wolf hunt.” He answered.

“Not even so much as a rousting.” She clarified as she grabbed his chin in her hand stubbornly.

“The werewolves are not to be touched or harassed.” He confirmed as he took her hand off his face and kissed her palm. “Perhaps I should buy you a tiara.” He told her as he dropped her hand and pulled her as close as her tummy would allow.

“Why?” she drawled momentarily forgetting that Klaus was the new king of New Orleans.

“Because you are already stepping into the role of queen quite nicely.” He told her as he whooshed them over to sit on the couch with her sitting sideways in his lap.

“Eh give me a week, I’m sure I’ll screw it up somehow.” She told him only half meaning it.

He rolled his eyes at her. “Stop it.”

“So how formal is this dinner going to be?” she asked, changing the subject. “I didn’t exactly bring a lot of clothes.”

“What you’re wearing is fine.” He answered as he took in her grey racer back tank top that was pulled a little tight across her stomach and dark wash distressed jeans. “You might want to wear a jacket though. It'll be a bit chilly in the courtyard at night.”

Katie slipped her hand over his that rested on her thigh and leaned her head on his shoulder. After a while of sitting in silence, both lost in their thoughts Klaus asked, “Sing for me?”

She smiled wondering what it was with the Mikaelson men liking her singing voice. The only difference between the two men was Elijah knew she was a bit shy when it came to her hidden talent and waited patiently for her to decide to sing for him. Klaus, on the other hand, had no problem asking her to and she loved it and his tendency to push her outside her comfort zone. “What would you like to hear?” she asked as she picked her head up and looked at him.

“Write me something.” He replied with a challenging tone.

“You’re kidding.” she looked at him with raised brows.

“Nope.” He told her with a shake of his head.

“You know I can’t just write something on demand right? I have to be inspired.” She pointed out. “You’re an artist, do you not need inspiration to pick up a brush and put paint to canvas?”

“So you need a muse?” he asked with a cocky look and she nodded. “You’re mine most of the time. Can’t I be yours?”

“I don’t know, let’s see.” she replied then caught his lips with hers and he laughed into the kiss. She slipped from his lap, breaking the kiss when she stood up, then went to her still half packed bag and grabbed her journal and pen. He watched as she sat down on the other end of the couch, pulled her knees up, propped the book up on them then put pen to paper. As she got lost in her writing, Klaus grabbed a sketch pad and pencil from his bag he’d dropped at the foot of the bed and started drawing her. He finished before her and she glanced up to see him looking at her, lost in her delicate features that concentrated on the book. After a few minutes she looked up at him through her lashes and smirked. “You’re staring.”

“I’m admiring.” He countered and she just smiled.

“Well, you can stop because I’m finished.” She told him as she put the cap back on her pen and tossed it to the coffee table.

“Then let’s hear it.” he prompted with a come at me motion with his hand.

“You’re lucky I like you so much.” She told him with a playful glare and he gave her a look that told her ‘I know’. Still not secure in her writing skills she turned her eyes to her journal and kept them there not daring to look up as she started singing. “Like every flower’s got a field and the cloud’s have got the rain. Like the night has got the stars and a fires got a flame. Like a moon has got the tide and the rivers got the sea. I’ve got you and you’ve got me.” A small smile pulled at his lips as he listened to her sing the chorus. “Like a singer’s got a song and a song has got a rhyme. Like I know you’ve got a smile when I can’t get to mine. Like every soul has got a heart and a heart has got a beat. I’ve got you and you’ve got me. Oh, some things are guaranteed. Oh, some things will always be. Like I’ve got you and you’ve got me.” she finished and snapped her journal shut.

When she looked up at him she saw him looking at her, admiring what he knew was his and no one could take from him. “I swear you are a siren.”

“Oh yeah?” she asked with a smile as she set her journal on the coffee table and crawled across the couch to him. “Are you under my spell?”

“Very much so.” He told her as he moved her around to straddle his lap. He noticed an odd look on her face and asked, “What’s that face about?”

“I’m trying to think if there is a male, wolf, devilishly handsome variant of a siren.” She answered.

He laughed at her odd thought process. “I don’t sing.”

“No, you growl.” She pointed out as she slid her hands down his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. “And I swear it does things to me.” he gave her a questioning side eye and smirk. “May I?” she asked as she held her hand in the air beside his head. He nodded and let her into his mind when she placed her fingertips to his temple. The two times he growled when fighting Marcel’s men flashed through his head, telling him what she was talking about. When she took her hand off his head he gave her a suggestive smirk. “There’s a reason I call you big bad wolf even though you’re a hybrid. You’re animalistic and I love it.”

Love was clear in his eyes as he cupped her cheek in his hand and caught her lips with his in a tender but passionate kiss.

TVDTVDTVD

The courtyard was lit by chandeliers that Katie had failed to notice before and a dining table had been moved in for the occasion. Klaus sat at one end of the table and Katie at the other. Marcel sat to Klaus’s left and Bradley sat at Katie’s right and the rest of Marcel’s inner circle took up the other seats at the table. When Klaus tapped his champagne glass, everyone looked at him and listened as he gave a toast to immortality. With a motion of his fingers waitresses and waiters came out and slit their wrists then held them over the bows that sat in front of each vampire. When the staff left, Klaus lifted his champagne glass again and looked at Katie. She had asked to hear exactly what he was going to say in his toast, not wanting any surprises whatsoever. This part she suggested exchanging a certain exclusive word for a more inclusive one reminding him that he was the king but he wasn’t the only one living in the kingdom of New Orleans. She was interested to see if he would take her advice. “To our city, to my home again.” He gave her a smirk that she returned seeing that he took her advice. “May the blood never cease to flow…”

“And the party never end.” Marcel finished as he raised his glass.

Katie didn’t miss the shared look between Marcel and his right hand man Diego before the latter lifted his glass and said, “To New Orleans.” Everyone else followed suit echoing Diego’s words. Katie simply lifted her glass of sparkling white grape juice and sat it back down.

“I understand that some of you may have questions regarding the recent change in leadership. I invited you here tonight to assure you that you are not defeated. No, my intentions moving forward are to celebrate what we have. What Marcel, in fact, took…” Klaus said as he placed his hand on Marcel’s shoulder, “and built into this, a true community of vampires.”

“What about her?” Diego asked with a point at the other end of the table to Katie. “Isn’t she human or whatever?”

Klaus looked at Katie with a smirk, knowing she’d have something to say about his tone. “My name is Katie.” She spoke up trying to remain confident under Diego’s scrutinizing gaze. “Any questions you have about me, or for me, you can ask me. And yes, in approximately one months time I will be completely human.”

As Katie spoke Klaus walked around the table and stood behind her. “Yes before Diego interrupted me I was going to say there is one further matter I would like to address. As many of you know, Katie is carrying my child, but she is also my partner.” That part of his speech was ad libbed, but she liked the fact that he called her his partner. It had a nice ring to it and was more mature than calling her his girlfriend, not that she didn’t like him calling her his girlfriend when it was just the two of them.

When he slipped his hand over her shoulder she reached up and grabbed it. “Consequently I trust you will all show her the appropriate respect. However, I understand that some of you are concerned by this vicious rumor that I intend to use the blood of our child to create hybrids.” Katie kept her hand on his and looked at her father then the rest of Marcel’s men. “I assure you I do not.” Klaus walked back around to his spot at the head of the table and lifted his glass. “So eat, drink and let the merriment begin.” Klaus finished then took a drink from his glass and everyone followed suit.

Soon more staff came and replaced the bowls of blood with actual food. Thankfully the conversation picked up around the table and Bradley introduced Katie to the people sitting close to them.

“So I didn’t see a ring on his finger.” Bradley spoke up making Katie’s eyes go big and she looked at Klaus to see him deep in conversation with Marcel.

“Will you shush before you ruin it?” Katie asked quietly, making her father laugh. “I haven’t found the right time to give it to him yet. I don’t have the chance to be the romantic one very often and I don’t want to screw it up.”

“You’re mother wasn’t romantic either.” He told her with a smirk.

“Really?” she asked not remembering much about her mother other than her teaching her how to play piano.

“She always tried way too hard and got all nervous and let her mouth run away with her.” he told her and Katie realized then that she had also gotten a nervous habit from her mother. “My advice, don’t think too hard about it. Go with the flow.”

“Follow my heart and go with the flow. Could my parent’s advice be any more cliché?” Katie asked no one in particular with a shake of her head making her father laugh.

TVDTVDTVD

When the dinner was over Katie and Klaus retired to their quarters. When they walked in Katie noticed that dark blue panel curtains had been hung over the windows and the bed had been made with pale grey sheets, an admiral blue comforter and was turned down, all ready for them to slide between the clean sheets. Her bag that had been left on the bed was gone and she noticed the things that had been in it were placed in appropriate spots in the room. “Are you ready to call it a night?” Klaus asked as he walked up behind her, brushed her loose auburn waves to the side and kissed her neck making her sigh.

“Not quite yet.” She answered as she turned in his arms and he gave her a curious look. “Stay right here.” she told him then walked around him and when she heard him take a few steps, turned and pointed at him. “Na, uh, uh.” He laughed and held his hands up in surrender before he tucked them behind his back.

She got the ring, took it from the box and stuck it in her back pocket then located her speaker dock on the fireplace mantle in the middle room. She pulled up a slow song from the twenties on her cell phone then put it on the dock, pressed play and walked over to the arch way and held her hand out to him. He took it and walked with her into the room, giving her a twirl before he pulled her close and started dancing with her. After a few seconds he recognized the song. “This is the song we danced to at the twenties dance.” He pointed out as he pulled back to look into her eyes.

“Ella Fitzgerald’s The Man I Love.” She confirmed. “It took me a while to remember the lyrics considering I wasn’t swept away by the song, but rather the man I was dancing with.” She told him, making him give her a small smile. “But I eventually did and I looked it up and downloaded it for a special moment like this.”

“And why is this moment so special?” he asked considering they were just dancing.

She moved her hand from his shoulder to cup his cheek in her hand and slip her thumb over his cheekbone. “Because it’s the moment I tell you I’m in love with you.” His blue eyes went wide before a big smile took over his face and she moved her hands to hold the sides of his neck. “I love you, Big Bad Wolf.” A yelp followed by a laugh left her lips when he picked her up by her hips and spun her around, an almost growling victory laugh left his still smiling lips as he did. He kissed her as he sat her back down and cupped her cheek in his hand. When the kiss broke she stuck her hand in her pocket. “And I hope you won’t get mad, but I may have talked Bradley into making an extra stop earlier today. It was literally right around the corner from the restaurant. I promise we were safe and please don’t take it out on Bradley he-” she was cut off when Klaus put his hand over her mouth.

“I’m not mad.” He assured her then took his hand off of her mouth. “I assumed if there was somewhere you really wanted to go you wouldn’t let me stop you and I trusted you would stay away from witches. So where did you go?”

“A jewelry store.” She answered. “I’ve never bought anything for a man before, much less jewelry. So I’ll understand if you don’t like it or don’t want to wear it.” She held up the black tungsten band with a wood inlay around the center of it. “It’s tungsten, so it can handle wear and tear and the wood is Hawaiian Koa, a symbol of strength.”

When he looked up from the ring she was still holding between her thumb and index finger she saw that his eyes had watered and when he blinked a tear slipped down his cheek. Hoping it was a tear of happiness, she wiped it away. He took the ring from her and kissed her. Through the kiss he told her that he loved it and he loved her. When the slow kiss broke he asked, “Is there a certain finger you would like me to wear it on?”

“Whatever finger it fits and you’re comfortable with.” She told him with a shake of her head. He lifted his left hand and slid it onto his ring finger, it fit perfectly and she smiled. “I was going to snoop around our bedroom at the plantation in the hopes of finding your daylight ring to make sure I got the right size, but we had to leave before I got the chance.”

He grabbed her right hand in his left and pulled her close, dancing to the song again since it was on repeat. He gave her a twirl making her smile. “How long have you been planning this?”

“Since my chat with Cami.” She answered.

“I have Camille to thank for this?” he asked with raised brows.

“The ring, no, the confession, yes. You seem surprised.” She observed.

“Given your past jealousy I was afraid any interactions you might have with her would have the opposite effect of this.” He told her honestly.

“Apart from my initial jealousy and the fact that she is not only beautiful, but drop dead gorgeous, I have no reason to be threatened by her.” She replied and Klaus smiled a little. “In every other relationship I’ve been in it has felt like there was another woman ready to take what was mine the first chance they had. Be it Elena or Katherine…I even feared Ronan would turn to my sister when she lived with us. But for once it feels like my feet are firmly planted in the ground beside the man I love. I no longer have any insecurities when it comes to us.” She moved her hand that had been resting on his chest to hold the side of his neck. “I just hope you feel the same way.” She slipped her thumb over the soft skin of his neck and looked at him with questioning eyes.

“I will admit, your hesitance had me worried.” He answered and she gave him a look that asked why, although she had her own theories. “You insisted that you only wanted me yet you couldn’t tell me you love me. Therefore someone had to be standing in the way. Who could it have been if not my saintly brother?”

“Me.” she answered. “and my fears because with love comes hurt.”

“And you know I will never intentionally hurt you.” he assured her and she let a small smile pull at the corner of her lips.

“I wasn’t worried about myself.” He blinked at her slowly. “You’re invincible and I’m…not. I was afraid that if I told you I loved you only to be ripped away from you…that I would hurt you and that is something I never want to do.” Her eyes watered and he breathed out a shaky breath. “Then Cami basically pointed out that by trying to protect you I’d only hurt you more and she was right.”

He rested his forehead on hers. “Remind me later to send Camille a very expensive bottle of wine or a gift basket.”

“From both of us.” Katie agreed.

Klaus kissed her forehead then wrapped his arms around her shoulders as she wrapped hers around his waist and pressed her cheek to his chest. “I love you, Little Phoenix.”

“I love you too, Big Bad Wolf.” She answered. After a while Klaus let go of her and walked over to her cell phone, stopped the song, took it off the speaker dock and tucked it into her back pocket. “I take it you are ready to call it a night.”

“I am ready to lay in bed, in my home, with the woman that I love.” He told her, “I can see the sleep in your eyes.” After they got settled for the night they laid in bed, lost in thought as they cuddled, Klaus absentmindedly playing with her hair. “For future reference, what is your favorite gemstone?”

“It’s a two way tie between blue sapphire and mystic fire topaz.” She answered. “And diamonds are always good too of course.” She added. “But not chocolate diamonds, ironically I hate them as much as actual chocolate. They just look like dirty diamonds to me.” She looked up at him with sleepy eyes. “What about you?”

“I prefer my jewelry free of gemstones.” He answered and she picked up his hand, looking at the ring he chose to wear on an important finger.

“So you like it?” she asked looking at their hands as she pressed her palm to his, always liking the sight of her very feminine and much smaller hand compared to his larger, masculine, nimble fingered one.

He threaded their fingers together. “I love it.” he told her then pressed his lips to hers.

“Thank you for choosing to wear it on that particular finger.”

“It’s an important ring from a very important person. It deserved an important place to shine.” He told her with a smile. “And I recall a moment when you mentioned that you didn’t like that I go out and about without any indication that I’m taken.” She forgot she had mentioned that in their discussion about Cami. “And for that reason, as well as many others, it will never leave this finger.” He assured her as he slipped his fingers over the chain of her necklace that hadn’t left her neck since he put it back on. “Unless, of course…” he started with a tone to his voice that was meant to tempt, “it should ever be replaced by a wedding band.”

“Whoa. Hey.” She shot up in the bed and turned to look at him with wide eyes. “Slow down there Sparky.”

Klaus busted out laughing. “I was just messing with you.”

She punched him in the shoulder, which only made him laugh harder. “Give a girl a heart attack why don’t you.” she placed her hand on her heaving chest. “I seriously thought you were about to propose and I am nowhere near ready for that.”

“I’m sorry.” He told her, realizing now that her heart was beating way too fast. “Come here.” he held his arm out for her and she lay down and let him pull her into his chest and resumed playing with her hair, attempting to calm her. “I really am sorry. I knew you’d have something to say about it, but I didn’t know it would push you to the brink of a panic attack.”

“It’s fine. I didn’t know it would either in all honesty, especially considering Bradley thought I was going to ask you to marry me when I told him I wanted to buy you a ring. I actually found it kind of funny.” She told him quietly.

When her heart rate lowered to a normal pace he tried once again to approach the subject, gently this time, curious to know why she found the thought so frightening. “Can I ask you a question regarding certain previous subject matter?”

She smiled at his blatant attempt at avoiding the word marriage as she pulled back to look at him. “Yes. I won’t freak out on you again.”

“Is the thought of us getting married really so frightening or funny?” he now looked a little hurt or worried by her reaction.

“Funny no, frightening yes. It’s just…” she didn’t know how to explain why she had never thought about marrying him even though she loved him and most women naturally thought about their future with the man they loved…marriage, kids, navigating their forever together. She’d thought about what her dream wedding would look like before she got her memories back, but now she knew the ugly truth of what marriage could look like. “I hear the word marriage and I automatically feel…strangled.”

“Because you were forced into your first marriage and felt you couldn’t escape it.” he said in realization.

Katie nodded. “But that doesn’t mean I would feel the same way if I were to ever marry you. It just means…that it’s a crack in my side of the mirror that needs to be mended.” She said with a shrug. “I just thought it was funny that Bradley thought that I would propose to you.” she explained not wanting him to think she thought a forever with him was laughable. “I’m old school. It’s your job to pop the question, not mine.”

“After tonight’s reaction I’m not sure how I would even navigate that.” he admitted.

“Give me some time and help me warm up to the idea and you can do it however you want to.” She told him and he gave her a smile and kissed her forehead before she tucked herself back into his chest. “And, just so you know, I used to watch say yes to the dress with Caroline all the time. So I already have a dream dress in mind.” He gave her an interested look. “What type of dress do you think I would like?”

“Simple, sheath or trumpet silhouette, maybe satin and lace.” He guessed thinking he was spot on until she laughed and shook her head.

“Not even close.” She told him with a shake of her head. “My dream dress is nowhere near simple.”

“Then show me.” he told her now very interested because the most extravagant dress he had ever seen her wear was the dress that Elijah bought her for the Mikaelson ball and it was on the classic and reserved side of fashion.

“Not gonna happen.” She answered.

“Why not?” he asked with a frown.

“Because it’s bad luck for the groom to see the dress before the wedding.” She answered as if it was the obvious one and he rolled his eyes. “I will tell you that the designer is Pnina Tornai and it was a custom made dress. So good luck finding it on the internet.” She told him with a devious look. “And if we ever do decide to tie the knot it will be in this certain dress. If I can’t hunt down the original I want to get Pnina Tornai to make another one.” His jaw dropped in a smile and he laughed as he closed it and shook his head at her making demands for something extravagant. “I’ve surprised you again haven’t I?”

“Yes.” He said with a smile and a nod. “All the other dresses I’ve seen you wear were safe and classic.

“Most of the dresses I’ve worn were bought by other people and I will not play it safe with some cookie cutter wedding dress. Trust me, you’ll like it. Pnina’s dresses are sexy and usually do a good job of showcasing your most favorite part of me.”

His eyes dropped to her chest and a dirty smirk pulled at his lips. “Yeah?” he asked and she nodded. A growling laugh left his lips as he rolled over, hovering over her as he caught her lips with his.

A/N: Reviews and thoughts on my stories are always welcomed and highly appriciated as well as reblogs and likes, but the reviews are what really keep me writing. Just saying.

[royallyprincesslilly]

Title: Shadow & Smoke***

Pablo Schreiber x Reader x Lewis Tan

Warning: Cursing, NSFW, SMUTTTT, DO NOT READ AT WORK

Words: 5k

Summary: Eh.  🤷🏽‍♀️

Note: So this is a mixture of two firsts for me. This was inspired by the song Mr. Man by Alicia Keys. How did I do? 

I hope you guys enjoy this. Thank you so much for reading!   ❤️ 

 If you enjoyed this, please LIKE, COMMENT and REBLOG. ❤️❤️

**Loosely Edited/Proofread**

 The nights were starting to blend together. It wasn’t that you were bored, but there was a routine in place that you’d become—too accustomed to. You were the type of woman who liked routine and normalcy, but you also liked the unpredictability that life sometimes offered. Being the girlfriend of one of the most, if not the most powerful and dangerous man in the city meant that you were always on his arm.

 Pablo liked to bring you along to business deals he needed to close. You thought it was to show you off, but it was really a more tactful reason than that. He did it to sift out who had the potential to be disloyal. His logic was if any of them dared to ogle you while he was there, then they’d have the balls to fuck him over in business.

“There’s a thin line between loyalty and disloyalty, and usually the deciding factor in it all came down to a pretty face.”

 If he wasn’t bringing you to handle business, you were being whisked to surprise shopping trips, extravagant trips, delectable eateries that charged a ridiculous amount of money for their dishes. Usually, every night, you were on his arm at one of his clubs as he showed his face and ate up all the adoration and respect one in his high position brought.

 You’d met him as a liquor sales rep almost four years ago. You walked into one of his clubs with the intent to convince him to purchase some of the alcohol you were peddling. From almost the minute he sat down, you were attracted to him. Who wouldn’t be? The man was almost seven feet tall, built like no one’s business, had haunting hazel eyes, and such a hypnotizing aura around him. He spoke, you listened, he smiled you gawked, he licked his lips, you shifted in your seat.

 By the time you got up to leave the club, he’d bought you out of everything, easily meeting and exceeding your quota for the month. His reason was he had to have you free for him because he hated competition of any sort. That was when you got the first glimpse of the man he was—a force to be reckoned with. An hour after you left, he’d already called you and scheduled himself for dinner that night. One dinner led to lunch the next day, then dinner that night, and a whirlwind weekend trip to France where you found out just how much of a force to be reckoned with he was.

 Flash forward four years later, and your role in his life had only increased, and your understanding of his role in the city among the mayor, governor, senator, and other heavy hitters had fully sunk in. Pablo “Shadow” Schreiber was at the top of the food chain. Everyone was either terrified of him or wanted to be with him.

 “You look incredible tonight, sweetheart.”

 Glancing to your left, you found Pablo’s eyes. Within them, there was a hint of mischief as well as a whole lot of desire. You leaned close to his face leaving barely an inch.

 “You’re welcome to look, daddy,” you replied a little above a whisper.

 At the mention of that word, Pablo’s teeth sunk into his bottom lip as his eyes dropped to yours. Deciding to tease him, you trailed your tongue over your bottom lip, knowing that the long-wear lipstick you wore would stay in place. Pablo’s groan sounded closer to a growl, and with the sound, the heat in his eyes intensified.

 “Be careful, sweetheart.”

 “Boss.”

 Like clockwork, one of his henchmen interrupted. It was always a thing. The two of you would create this bubble of teasing and desire only to have it be popped by someone who needed something from him. You were attention-starved.

 Pablo looked from you and to Leo, his third. When Leo got his attention, he leaned down to whisper business. Rolling your eyes, you looked away and around the club. That was when you saw him. he was across the club leaning against the bar. In one hand, he held a drink and clasped between his pointer and middle finger was something rolled and lit. You couldn’t tell if it was a cigarette, a blunt, or something else.  Something said it was your second guess.

 You watched him raise the crystal glass to his lips. The smoke danced around his face creating an element of mystery that completely intrigued you.  From what you could see, he was checking out the club and the women inside. His eyes danced from one to the other, never resting long. Either none of them was what he liked, or he was searching for something—someone specific.

 When he brought the rolled substance to his lips, you watched as he took a long puff. Before he released it, his eyes moved to your area of the club. Clutching your drink glass, you watched him, unsure if he were looking at you. The stranger turned his body in your direction and slowly blew out the smoke. If he was mysterious before, he was now ten times so. Slowly the smoke cleared, and it was then you got a good look at his face. He was gorgeous.

 It had been a while since a face was able to stop you in your tracks. None had since Pablo’s. You lifted your glass to your lips and slowly drank down the Whiskey. The ice cubes in your glass gently bounced against your lip, giving you a slight chill as the heat of the alcohol deliciously burned you. As the liquid slinked down your throat, your eyes remained locked with the stranger at the bar.

 Time seemed to stop. The air became thick, so thick it was almost difficult for you to get a full breath. When you saw his tongue snake out to wet his lips, your eyes dropped to his mouth. A small smirk spread across his lips, and you could feel the smug coming off of him.

 Almost unconsciously, your tongue peaked out of your mouth and slowly traced the path around the rim of your glass. His teeth sunk into his bottom lip. Dipping your tongue into the glass, you used it to scoop up an ice cube to suck on. Gone was that small smirk. It was now a full-on grin. He was sexy, and though you knew you shouldn't be doing this, especially with Pablo right beside you, you couldn’t help it. He’d left you wanting for too long.

 Once the ice cube had melted, you looked away. His eyes were too hypnotizing, and the longer you looked into them, the more you wanted to risk Pablo’s wrath. Pablo gently rubbed your exposed thigh before he got up and walked off with Leo and Laith. You’d learned early that he was always busy, and his free time was not as plentiful as one would think a boss’s would be. You’d also learned that everything in his life took balance. You must have gotten spoiled when you were his top priority for the first two years.

 He went above and beyond, ensuring that you knew your value to him. He went to great lengths to make sure you felt special, loved, and prized above all else. He did this with small, romantic gestures as well as grand displays and deeply satisfying intimate moments. By year three, he’d incorporated more and more work, more and more business trips. Every month he was on a plane. Depending on the reason for the trip, you’d be right beside him on the private jet, but four out of ten times, you were left under the watchful eye of Levi, his brother.

 Pablo looked back at you as he walked off. The look spoke volumes, and it was loud. Rolling your eyes, you grabbed the glass he left behind and finished it. The music in the club and the patrons were your only entertainment for a while. When you looked back to the bar, the stranger was gone. You were left with an annoyed feeling that mixed with your slight arousal. You made a note to give Pablo an earful once you got home. If he was hell-bent on keeping you around, he’d better start acting like it.

 After twenty or so minutes, you’d had six fingers of Whiskey, and you were feeling better than a little nice. You were still alone at your table under the watchful eye of two of Pablo’s henchmen. Every so often, when a song came on that you liked, you got up and made your way to the VIP dancefloor. This was where the girls of the men Pablo employed hung out. You never mixed with them. You always got the feeling they either didn’t like you, or they wanted to be you--literally. Whatever it was, it always made you uncomfortable.

 “It’s both.”

 You looked back and found Danika, Levi’s long time girlfriend. The figure-hugging white dress she wore clung to her like a second skin. It matched perfectly with her ankle strap silver heels. She winded her hips to the music and smiled widely.

 “When did you get here?”

 “Maybe five minutes ago. Levi couldn’t allow me one night of quiet,” she informed.

 You closed the space to her. The two of you kissed cheeks like bougie wives did, only it wasn’t fake with the two of you. she and Levi had gotten together about the same time you and Pablo got together, and both of you found solace in each other because you both could relate to what the other was going through. When you were left alone because of Pablo’s trips, more times than not, she would be too because Levi would go as well.

 “They don’t like you, and they want to be you. it’s the same with me.”

 The two of you glanced at the group of girls huddled to your right and simultaneously rolled your eyes.

 “They think if we weren’t in the picture that Levi and Pablo would fuck them,” Danika voiced louder then necessary. She was putting them on notice.

 “Not knowing that even if we weren’t in the picture, they’d never look twice at them. There’s filet mignon, and there’s Kobe beef. Why chew on filet mignon when Kobe melts in your mouth?”

 The girls were trying not to look at you, but you knew they heard her. Danika had no chill and always spoke her mind. Pablo always thought that when you were together that you wouldn’t get into too much trouble. Little did he know Danika was not the angel she pretended to be. She’d gotten you into your fair share of trouble—trouble he knew about and trouble he didn’t.

 The two of you danced together when the song changed and played off each other. In no time, it was as if no one else in the club mattered. While you were wrapped up in the song and the buzz you were feeling from the Whiskey, you saw him again from the corner of your eye. This time he was in a shaded part of the club that was cloaked in dark color. The hues of red and purple decorated his skin but illuminated it enough for you to make out some of the detail. He was incredibly handsome.

 Before you knew it, you were dancing with Danika while eye fucking the man. You didn’t know what the hell had come over you. Never in the four years had you behaved like this with anyone else but Pablo. He was the only one who could bring out this wanton side of you—or so you thought. When Danika shrieked out with the change of the song, you looked away from him. You began to wonder if you should make a move.

 Glancing around the club, you clocked each of Pablo’s henchmen. His brother, Levi, his number two, was sitting watching Danika, who was now undressing him with her eyes. You knew any minute she’d go over, and they’d be practically fucking in the club. Danika pulled you close to her and whispered.

 “You have an audience.”

 Glancing at her, she coyly nodded her head over to the stranger. You tried not to smile, but it was useless.

 “Ah, you’ve noticed. He’s cute.”

 “D, stop.”

 “Why? It’s true.”

 You giggled and rolled your eyes but took a quick peek in his direction again. His eyes hadn’t left you.

 “I can distract Levi if you want to--.” She winked.

 “D! Stop it! That’s insane.”

 “Why? You’re not dead. Plus, what Shadow doesn’t know--,” she trailed.

 This was the kind of trouble Danika was good for. She was like the devil on your shoulder. You knew she’d fooled around on Levi and had heard stories of the fooling around Levi occasionally did when he felt that itch. Neither were stupid, but both were crazy, so they kept their misdealings on the low. You, on the other hand, had never fooled around behind Pablo’s back. You never had a reason to.

 As your eyes met the gorgeous stranger’s again, you bit your bottom lip. Until now, you thought. You caught the eye of Pablo walking back to the table. Leo was still beside him, yapping away, but he also had two other men surrounding him. he was still talking shop. Annoyance flared through you with a vengeance. Danika walked to Levi and sat on his lap before her lips met his. You walked back to the table and sat. You felt his eyes on you with every step you took.

You sat beside Pablo and tried to get past the unexpected thoughts you were having. Five minutes passed, but still, the thoughts persisted. When you looked up, the stranger was again in the shadows. Fuck it, you thought before you stood and took a step.

 “Where you going, sweetheart?”

 Painting a sugary smile on you responded. “Bathroom, baby.”

 Pablo nodded, but you felt him watching you. He was a secure man, but he was a possessive one. You walked through the crowd; all the while sneaking peeks at the stranger. You turned the corner and walked down the dark corridor that led to the bathroom. You knew this club like the back of your hand.

 Once inside the bathroom, you stood in front of the mirror and focused on toying with your hair. By the time you got to twelve, the door had opened, and in walked the stranger. You locked eyes from the mirror, and you damn near buckled. He was even more beautiful than you thought. His eyes were so brown and so damn penetrative that you decided to have his face between your thighs then and there.

 As if reading your thoughts, he locked the door and, in the same breath, pushed up behind you. You could feel his hardness pressing into your ass. His hands gripped your body, one at your breast, the other at your hip. The way he held you felt possessive like he owned you. The only one to have ever held you like that was Pablo. This was a man who knew what he wanted and took it. Pablo was that caliber of a man as well. It was intoxicating.

 His lips fastened onto your neck and immediately found your spot. When you felt his teeth graze your skin, you pulled away and glared at him through the mirror. Another smirk spread across his face. In seconds he’d had you turned around so you faced him. When his lips crashed to yours, he wasted no time delving his tongue into your mouth. Almost instantly, he took control of the kiss, and almost instantly, your lacy thong was drenched.  

 As if sensing this, you felt his fingers graze your inner thigh until it connected with your sex. You gasped on his mouth, which permitted him even more access to your mouth. Fuck, you thought. You were losing control of this situation. Pulling your lips from his, you looked at him. The fire in his eyes had heat rushing through you. You watched as he slipped his fingers into his mouth and sucked your juices off. Once his fingers were clean, he moaned.

 “You’re as sweet as you look.”

 Grabbing his shirt, you pulled him to you, but instead of claiming his lips, you began pushing his head lower. He knew what you wanted. In seconds he hoisted you into his arms and began lifting you higher into the air as if you weighed an ounce. One he’d placed you on his shoulders, he used his teeth to pull your thong to the side before he began his feast.

 “Fuck!”

 Slapping your hand across your mouth, you groaned and mumbled another curse into your palm. It was clear from the start he had no intention of going slow. The fast flicks of his tongue had your back arching, and the soft nibbles he dropped in had your free hand tangling in his hair. When you felt your back press onto the cold surface of the bathroom, you moaned again. You didn’t dare remove your hand from your mouth. You didn’t trust yourself. The stranger between your legs used both his hands and pried your thighs apart, so he was holding you against the wall spread like French doors.

 The thick pad of his tongue slowly licked you from opening to clit. When he got to your clit he sucked it into his mouth. He wasn’t gentle, and the increase in suction had you feeling the first stirs of your orgasm.

 “Yes, yes, right there. Fuck! Oh my god!”

 Feeling a scream coming, you plastered both your hands across your mouth to lessen the volume. He dipped his tongue into your core, and you lost your shit right then and there. When you began shaking, he didn’t slow down. He picked up the pace. You couldn’t believe someone could fuck a pussy with their tongue so quickly. After every three or four dips, he sucked your clit into his mouth as if he was a hoover vacuum.

 Your eyes rolled to the back of your head, and you knew you were seconds from coming. Without warning, you gripped his head and hugged it to your sex as you came. He moaned and slurped your flesh, accepting every drop you gave.

 “Shit, shit, Shiiiit!”

 If anyone busted the door down, you would have the hardest time explaining this away. There would be no way. Slowly his lips and tongue slowed their devil work, allowing you to come down. As if to keep you on your toes, he nibbled your clit every so often. The action always had you gasping, gripping his hair tighter and arching back every so slightly to finish with a satisfied moan.

 When he pulled his face back, his jaw was drenched, and there was a glistening layer of your juices outlining his mouth.

 “A man could get drunk off this sweet pussy, sugar lips.”

 Jesus Christ, you thought as new wetness with fresh arousal washed through you. His eyes dipped between your legs, and a grin spread across his face.

 “Wet for me again already?”

 Your gear watched vibrated, indicating you’d gotten a message. Glancing at it, you saw Danika’s message.

 MSG D: You have twenty seconds to get back, or your cover is kaput.

 “Fuck,” you groaned under your breath as you began wriggling in his arms.

 He lowered you to the floor then stepped back, giving you a little space. You fixed yourself as best you could and tried to ignore the wetness between your legs.

 “I take it reciprocity is dead.”

 You looked at him and dropped your eyes to see him holding his crotch. He was mouthwateringly hard. Part of you wanted to see what he was concealing behind those pants, but if you were caught, you knew Pablo would beat him to a pulp or worse.

 “Unfortunately, there’s no time. Thank you though, I really needed that.”

 You walked to the door, and as you passed him, you gently tapped his cheek.

 “Glad I could be of service.”

 You quickly rushed out the bathroom, and down the corridor, you’d walked down back to the main hall of the club. As you rounded the corner, you met three of Pablo’s men.

 “Everything okay?”

 “Perfect,” you answered with a smile before you pushed past them to make your way back over to Pablo, relishing in the decrease of tension in your body. It had been too long, indeed.

 The rest of the night progressed as it usually did. Pablo finished up the business thirty or so minutes before you left. The beautiful stranger with the skillful mouth was nowhere to be found. The two of you then made your way home. While in the car, Pablo’s hand found the space between your thighs.

 “I’m sorry about tonight.”

 “You know if work is the only important thing to you, then maybe we need to have a conversation about where that leaves us.”

 His grip tightened, making you flinch.

 “Y/N, come on,” Pablo began.

 “You haven't touched me in almost two months. If you’re not fucking me, who are you fucking?”

 Your words were laced with hidden poison. He knew it. Instead of speaking again, you both remained silent.

 When the car pulled up to your half a block townhouse, you walked ahead of him as he got updates from his men posted around the property. You were still pretty relaxed from your bathroom tryst, but you were angry with him as well. Once you made it to your shared bedroom, you stripped and got into the shower.

 A little less than halfway through, you felt Pablo’s hands around your midsection. Ignoring him, you continued soaping your body and paid no mind to his growing appendage that was pressing into your back. When you were out of heels, he towered over you like a giant. He kissed your neck and down to your shoulder then brought his lips back to your neck. He knew what he was doing, and he knew you knew as well.

 Pablo’s hand crept down your stomach to where your thighs met.

 “Pablo--,” you warned.

 “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I know I’ve been neglecting you. I’m sorry.”

Slowly his finger circled your clit, and it didn’t take long for your desire for him to unfurl.

 “Let me make it up to you,” Pablo whispered before he turned you to him. he kissed you with heat, passion, and intensity, all of which you felt tonight in that bathroom. In seconds Pablo had lifted you into his arms to his height and lowered you onto his throbbing cock.

 Both of you sighed, but the moment of savoring was short. Pablo took control of your body, moving you along his length with expert strength. People didn’t fear him for no reason. He was a beast of a man in stature and disposition. What started as slow deep strokes turned to frenzied shallow thrusts. You knew then this was not going to be a tender reacquaintance of your bodies. It was going to be the opposite.

 Pablo pressed you against the tile of the shower and dipped his tongue into your mouth to entangle with yours. His kiss commanded your surrender. You knew when you gave in, you wouldn’t be disappointed, so you did. Pablo groaned once he felt your surrender. It was then he sunk into your heat to the hilt. The scream you let out was loud, and it only fueled him further.

 Pablo pounded into you. Each time your bodies connected, the force of his stroke had your body bouncing up only to drop back onto his searing cock.

 “Fuuuuuck, daddy!”

 A growl escaped him before he turned and walked out of the shower to bring you back to your bed. When he dropped you onto the sheets, he flipped you onto your stomach and slammed back into you.

 “Aaaah!”

 “Mmm. Daddy missed you, sweetheart!”

 His voice was tender, but the way he pummeled your pussy spoke of something else. He was on a mission.

 “Don’t ever say that shit to me again. do you understand?”

 No words. Not liking it, he grabbed the back of your neck and pulled you back so your back had the perfect inward arch.

 “I can’t hear you, sweetheart. Do you—understand?”

 You vigorously nodded. He was so deep you couldn’t muster any words.

 “Words, Y/N.”

 “Yes, daddy. Yes!”

 “Good girl.”

 As if this was a reward for your compliance, he rotated his hips, so you felt every inch of his desire as it marked every crevice inside of you. You doubted anyone had ever made you feel this good.

 Your moans, pants, and groans melded together. The sounds filled your room, and you knew anyone outside could hear you. It turned Pablo on even more to know that everyone could hear how good he was fucking you. You didn’t care who knew how good he made you feel. When he began jackhammering into you, you saw stars and clenched around him as your orgasm violently ripped through you.

 “Fuck me!”

 On command, he did just that to the point where you became hoarse, and you didn’t know what day it was. When you couldn’t take another orgasm, you dropped to the bed, but Pablo kept plowing into you. His stoked became sloppy, and you knew he was close. When he came, he grunted loudly, nearly terrifying you with the loudness of it. He thrust forward as if he were trying to rip you apart. The feel of his love inside of your canal nudged you over the edge to your final release. Pablo dropped kisses along your back before he rolled off of you to lie on his back. That was how the two of you fell asleep. Both too exhausted to even cover yourselves.

 The next day when you woke up, your body hummed with satisfaction. After checking your messages and emails, you took a quick shower and wrapped in one of your robes, then made your way down to breakfast. You were starving. It was a regular sight to see several of Pablo’s men through the house; you never batted an eye to it. Often times, they spoke and nodded their heads in respect as you passed, and you always reciprocated that politeness. There was no need to be a bitch.

 When you made it to the dining room, you saw Pablo already sitting there.  When he saw you, he smiled softly. You walked over to him and bent, placing a sweet kiss on his lips. When you began to back away, he dropped his hand to your ass and held you there to deepen the kiss. You both moaned quickly, getting lost in each other. All was forgiven.

 “Good morning, sweetheart.”

 “Good morning, baby.” Pablo kissed you once more, and as you were moving to the seat beside him, he pulled you to the space in front of him on the table. Your ass had the china clattering loudly.

 “What’re you doing?”

 “I’m hungry.”

 That was all he said before he pushed you back onto the table and spread your thighs.

 “Pablo--,” you began before the rest of your sentence fluttered away once his lips connected with your sex.

 A soft moan escaped you, and any protest faded. You rested on your elbows and enjoyed the feel of him between your thighs.

 “Mmmm, yes, baby. Fuck, that feels so good.”

 Pablo knew just what to do to set you on fire and what to do to tease you. he was in the mood to tease you. After a few minutes of teasing, you wanted more and had no problem letting him know. You gripped his head, held his hair, and began rocking your sex across his mouth. Pablo moaned and allowed you to use his face to your delight. Every few swipes, he slurped your flesh, sending shivers through your body and bringing you closer and closer to your orgasm.

 “Mmm, yes, daddy, right there.” You looked at him, and your eyes met. The man was temptation. His hand crept up to grip your breast as he forcefully sucked your clit into his mouth.

 The action had you remembering the bathroom at the club.

 “Mmm, shit, baby. You’re gonna make me come.”

 You bucked across his mouth and closed your eyes to fully enjoy the pleasure he was giving you. In a matter of seconds, Pablo’s intent shifted from teasing, and seconds later, you were coming. He moaned and lapped up every drop.

 “Fuck, fuck, fuck!”

 “Wow, when you said to come over for breakfast, I thought you meant pancakes and eggs, not sugar and spice.”

 Your eyes flew open at the new voice. From upside down, you couldn’t believe your eyes. You closed them and opened again, but the sight was the same.

 “Around here, sugar and spice is the only thing ever on the menu,” Pablo replied.

 He kissed your inner thigh then tapped it. Snapping out of your frozen state, you sat up, fixed yourself, and chanced a look back. As sure as the sun was shining, the stranger from last night was standing at the other end of the table with a satisfied grin on his face.

 “You took your time getting over here,” Pablo said as he walked over to him.

 You watched the two men embrace as manly men did. The whole time you stood there, stunned and speechless. Your boyfriend was chatting up and laughing with the man you’d allowed to bury his face between your thighs.

 “Come here, sweetheart.”

 On shaky legs, you walked to the two men, all the while gripping the collar of your robe.

 “Y/N, meet my best friend, the one man I trust with everything next to Levi,” Pablo informed. With every word, your eyes widened.

 The stranger held his hand out to you with a smile. “Lewis,” he said.

 Fighting the shock, you took his hand and shook it. “Although the pleasure is all yours, I’m glad to finally meet you,” Lewis teased. You knew his words had a double meaning. Instead of speaking of it being nice to meet him too, the only thing in your head was the repetitive thought. 

You’re fucked.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lee’s Note: Hopefully this was good, I’m still trying to find my groove again. How was this intro to Lewis and Pablo?  😬

[babuis]

Who Needs Memories? [Chilumi] - 1

Genre: Long Fic

Word Count: 2.2k

Synopsis: Lumine is not naive. Through her thousands of years living, she should know better. Should have learned better. She knew better then to trust someone who threw her insecurities into her face. So why was she here, standing in the room of the person who betrayed her while wanting to give him another chance?

Or

Events from before the Golden House between Childe and Lumine to the unreleased future.

A/n: I’m deciding on whether I want to pursue this as a long fic in my google docs. Tbh I can really only write for Genshin when I’m in this strange, dreamy, longing mood where I wish to leave everything behind and enter the world of Genshin- it just feels so inviting and like home for some reason.

Pulled this out of my ass Bcs I’m in that mood rn. Sadness makes me poetic (but I’m not sad? Genshin gets me in a very dreamy mood)

So imma test it out by seeing how it’s received. Should I make this into a longer series?

Story starts before golden house.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lumine couldn't go back to sleep. 

This wasn't a new development. Since arriving in Teyvat, she had fallen victim to many sleepless nights or sleeps that were interrupted by night terrors she couldn't quite remember until much later when it was no longer important. Sometimes when she did sleep, her dreams would be filled with fragments of memories from the thousands of years she lived with her brother from world to world before all of this that refused to leave her mind.

Tonight she had dreamed about the time when they weren't in a particular world, but rather the period in between where they simply existed in the clouds.

Lumine and Aether sat on a large cloud, staring into the expanse before them. They sat with their knees hugged to their chest, feeling the last rays of the sun brush over them before nightfall. 

"Hey Aether?'

"Hm?"

Lumine sighed as she lay lazily on her back. Her body sunk into the soft pillows of cloud ever so slightly and she stared up into the infinite abyss of the sky above their heads.

"Do you ever wonder what else is out there?' she questioned him, reaching her hand up, "We've been to so many worlds already. Will there be a point where we no longer learn new things?"

Aether scoffed lightly, turning his head to look at his twin, "We've been alive for thousands of years, have you yet to come to a world and not learn anything?"

"No," Lumine admitted, "But you said it yourself, we're so old already. What if one day..."

Aether sighed again, shifting to face his sister fully, "Don't worry about it. Worlds may be similar to each other. We may just arrive in them to fight a little, but there' always been subtle differences that make each special."

"Hmm," Lumine hummed, closing her eyes as a chill brushed over her body, "Do you think mom ever got bored?"

"Bored? She had twins."

Lumine chuckled lightly, "Yea, she did, didn't she?"

They didn't speak after that. Soon the vibrant colors of the sunset turned into the cool night sky and millions of stars twinkled around them, each representing a new world. Lumine shuddered slightly, wondering if her fears were silly. With so many worlds, surely there would be new things to see. A new purpose to have.

"We should go to that one next," Aether said, pointing to the brightest star to their left, "Burning up real bright."

Lumine nodded, shielding her eyes a bit from the light, "Sure is."

Aether lay down, settling beside her, "Go to sleep, Lumi," he said softly, "we got a new world ahead of that."

"Hmm," she hummed again, closing her eyes.

Soon, her brother's breathes turned steady as he fell asleep. She gave him one last peek before she too, succumbed to slumber. 

Even if they explored all the worlds there were and learned everything there was to know, she would be okay just as long as she had Aether by her side to navigate her life with her.

And then he was gone.

Lumine shuddered as the wind blew towards her from the water. It seemed to be particularly cold in Liyue that night on the harbor. She sat on the wooden dock, letting her slender legs hang over the edge. The stars shined above her, much like they had in her dream.

Except this time she was sitting on the hard dock instead of the fluffy clouds and she was alone.

Her hair tickled her cheek as she dejectedly thought about Aether. They had come to this world, the brightest one to their left, together, only to be separated. They had never separated before and the anxious heaviness that took permanent hold of her chest became heavier as she remembered her dream.

I miss you Aether.

This world had been shockingly new from the rest of the ones she had visited. With it's divisions between the archons and people, it seemed like this world was made up of multiple ones with a complexity that she kept getting dragged into.

It was something her past self would have marveled excitedly at- there was just so much to learn. But without Aether, without her rock through it all, it almost seemed meaningless. Her only purpose now, was to find him.

Perhaps this is what she got for wishing for a new purpose in life. If she could go back and take it all back, she would.

"Hey girlie, it's dangerous for you to be so lost in thought this late at night. A bad man could come and sweep you away."

Ah, Childe.

Lumine turned her head to see the blue eyes ginger standing behind her, a mischievous glint in his eye as he looked down at her. She licked her lips, turning away from him.

"What do you want, Fatui?" she asked harshly, "If you push me in the water, I'll blast you all the way to the stone forest."

Childe raised his hands up in surrender, a throaty chuckle making its way out of his mouth, "No need to be so hostile, I thought we shared a more intimate relationship than that."

"I'm warning you," Lumine said again, pulling her knees up to her chest.

Childe took a seat beside her, looking into the distance where she was, "I would never, girlie. I'm a bad man but I wouldn't push an unsuspecting lady into the water."

"Sure you wouldn't, Fatui," Lumine said with disdain.

"I wouldn't," he repeated, "What are you looking at? Actually, what are you doing up so late? It's well past your bed time."

Lumine snorted, "You're not older than me."

"I'll have you know I'm a young adult," Childe protested.

Lumine gave him a wry smile, "As am I."

"You don't look a day older 18," Childe hmphed, "Pray tell, Ojou-chan, how old are you really?"

Lumine finally glanced at the ginger who was staring at her with curious eyes, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"I would, actually," he said, not looking away.

'You wouldn't even be able to fathom it if you tried,' Lumine thought to herself, 'nor is it safe for me to tell you.'

Childe stared at Lumine some more, refusing to be the first to look away. Her golden eyes burned with something he couldn't quite place, but were at the same time quite hardened. Her lips were pressed into a thin line and her eyebrows were softly furrowed into a stern looking pout. 

'How cute,' he mused to himself, 'too bad you're just a pawn in Tsaritsa's game.'

"You don't trust me," he settled on saying, his mouth quirking to the side.

Lumine finally looked away, making Childe celebrate internally, 'ha! I win!'

"Why should I?" she muttered.

"I get it, La Signora gave you a bad impression," Childe said, "But like I said, I don't particularly like her either. I'm the black sheep of the Harbingers you know, we're not all like her."

Lumine didn't say anything. If she learned anything from her extensive existence, it was to not trust a man like Childe.

"Fine, then answer this for me since you're unwilling to share," Childe caved, "What are you doing up so late?"

Lumine shrugged, "It's not late. If I'm correct, it's a new day."

"Fine smart ass," Childe sassed her, "What are you doing up so early?"

"I guess I'm an early bird then," Lumine said vaguely, not wanting to mention her lack of sleep.

"Great answer."

The two sat in silence again, the breeze blowing even harder. Lumine shivered again at the wind's caress which prompted Childe to shrug off his jacket to give to the blonde. Lumine noticed and put her hand up to stop him hurriedly, not wanting to create even more debt to the Harbinger.

"You're cold," Childe insisted, "Take it."

Lumine frowned, "No, you're cold. You take it."

"Ojou-chan," he said, exasperated, "I'm from Snezhnaya, a bit of wind isn't going to kill me."

Lumine raised an eyebrow, "I use Anemo powers, a little bit of wind isn't going to kill me either."

"But it'll make you sick."

"No it won't."

"Yes it will."

"No it won't."

"Yes it will."

"No it won't."

She knew it wouldn't. It had been a very long time since Lumine had gotten sick, the last time being in a world with giant man eating beings. The only reason for her sickness, of course, wasn't her health, but the disgusting stench of dead bodies.

Lumine stubbornly stood up and started walking down the dock back towards the center of the town where she was staying. She was done with this conversation- done with him. However, Childe seemed to have other plans as he followed the petite girl down the paved road.

"Stop following me," came Lumine's cutting words, not even bothering to look back.

'Charming,' Childe thought as he ignored her words, "It's dangerous for a pretty girl to roam around the town in the dark."

Lumine simply rolled her eyes, coming to a halt in front of a random building, "I'm not in danger of the Milleleth anymore, and I'm sure I could handle some petty thieves if I did a dragon."

"Ah, that's right. I'm talking to the Hero of Mondstadt here," Child said teasingly, 'and the biggest pain in the ass to Tsaritsa.'

Lumine gave him an unimpressed look, "I suppose that's right, so as you can see, I can handle myself."

'If anything, you're the biggest threat in this town,' she thought distastfully.

"Alright then, Ojou-chan, I'm off-"

Before he could finish his goodbye, he was cut off by a large growl emitting from Lumine's stomach. For the first time that night, Lumine lost her composure and blushed a bright red and her body burned hotter than the sun despite the chilly morning air. Childe paused, blinking twice, before busting out into laughter that caused the girl to further lose composure.

'Damn this near mortal body!' Lumine cursed, 'I never had to eat this often before!'

"Hahaha!" he laughed heartily, clutching his sides, "Did you perhaps eat the dragon to defeat it?" he teased her.

Lumine growled, "Shut up," she said hotly.

"Say, why don't I take you and Paimon to get some food then?" Childe suggested, "I'm sure you're hungry and you wouldn't turn down free food when you lack Mora."

Lumine grumbled quietly to herself, knowing he was right. She had very little Mora left thanks to Paimon spending so much on food and she was admittedly hungry. Hunger was a foreign concept to her body up until recently, and she detested the very idea of it.

"Don't be stubborn Ojou-chan," Childe persisted, "I did afterall, save you from the Millelith didn't I?"

Lumine begrudgingly nodded her head, "Fine," she said quietly, "Let me get Paimon first."

And so they walked side by side to her inn- that he helped he book- to fetch Paimon and go eat. They walked leisurely, as if they weren't two people that were on drastically different sides. They walked as if they were acquaintances- as if they were friends to the unknowing eye.

Lumine knew she shouldn't. She should have stopped all interaction after that one time he helped her out by clearing her name. Shouldn't have accepted the help nor the Mora from him- no matter how broke she was. She could have found a way or slept on the outskirts of the town. She shouldn't be accepting his invitation to eat.

What was wrong with her?

Teyvat had proved to be full of surprises, her behavior being one of them. It had been months since she woke up from her slumber. When was the last time she had stayed in one place for so long? Fought off monsters for other people rather than the thrill of the fight?

It didn't matter, Lumine supposed. What mattered was finding her brother and what happened after that would be a future Lumine problem. What else was there to do after finding her brother? What was the purpose of her world hopping?

Lumine no longer remembered.

As they neared the inn where she left Paimon, she could hear the floating girl's shrill and angry voice scolding her for leaving. Paimon's voice only turned more sour when she saw the Fatui next to her.

"Lumine!" the pixie exclaimed, "You can't leave to go rendezvous with the enemy!"

Lumine  gave the little girl an unimpressed look, "I did no such thing, he's cashing in a favor."

"A favor?" Childe interrupted, "Considering I'm paying for your food, I'd say I'm doing a service and you know owe me a favor."

Paimon looked angry for a second, "Lumine! You can't just- wait, did Paimon just hear you say food?"

"Sure did little one," Childe grinned, "Come on, it's my treat."

And just like that, Paimon's anger disappeared at the promise of something warm to fill her stomach. Constellations materialized around her floating body as she followed the ginger to a restaurant he claimed that he knew 'they would just love.'

Lumine lingered at the steps of the inn, staring up into the sky that was now painted with the vibrant colors of the sunrise. 

What was the purpose of her life?

Lumine basked in the warmth of the sun and found comfort in the lack of visible stars in the sky.

Lumine didn't remember.

Perhaps she never knew.

[thestrangeprophet-blog]

The Muse and the Soldier

The Muse and the Soldier

·       f/reader x Levi Ackerman  

·       No NSFW

·       HC storyline

·       I do not own the rights to any of the characters

·       PLS support the actual Attack on Titan anime

 You open your eyes and take pleasure in the feel of the morning breeze coming from the window. Breathing in the air which carried the aroma of those special blue flowers potted downstairs in front of your tea shop. Seems you have left all your pencils across the desk and the drawings plastered to the walls from the night before had fallen again. You pick up the drawings and admire the one yet to be finished. It is of a regular customer you normally see when they come back from a scouting mission. Piercing grey eyes in contrast to his fancy dark undercut. Levi Ackerman. You always wonder how he has the time and will to keep up with his hair. After laying his portrait neatly on your desk, you ready yourself for another day brewing the finest tea you can in hopes of seeing Levi for another bout of his favorite tea.

The Captain and Commander Erwin were frequent visitors to your tea shop because Levi had always recommended it. For one reason or another, the tea you brewed satisfied him beyond what he would brew himself with what he had. Erwin had thought the same as well and it brought you enjoy your tea could be held to such standards. As a fellow tea lover, the subject of tea was never a boring conversation with Levi, no matter how short or blunt it was with him. Sure, most people see it as something more along the lines of hot leaf juice. It’s more than that and Levi understood it though it went unspoken.

Captain Levi came alone today and took his usual seat. It was rather unusual but you carry on and bring his favorite. The teapot whistles and steams like Titan smoke with the lingering scent of black tea that trails through the wind. As you set his cup in front of him and pour his tea, you notice he seems lost further in thought than normal. You finish pouring his tea and hesitantly ask if there is anything else you can do for him. He takes a second to come back to this moment and raises his head ever so slightly. His hair still covering those captivating grey eyes. Releasing an exhausted breath, he asks of one thing of you.

Levi: I- If it’s no trouble to you… will you sit with me Y/N? Even just for a moment?

Y/N: That’s a bit of an odd request, Captain. I’m surprised you even remembered my name. But sure! Anything for my best customer.

Levi: You don’t have to address me as Captain. J-just Levi will do… and thank you.

You sit in the chair across from Levi where Erwin is normally seated discussing the next expedition and plans you have for Eren and the cadets of the 104th Cadet Corps. As of in this moment, this is simply two human beings sitting together enjoying tea. Just sounds of the breeze against your ears and the softened sips coming from across the table at the lips of the man before you. Levi’s cheeks are flushed with a gorgeous rosy blush. It seems he wants to start a conversation but has no idea where to start. Its adorable how a man with a reputation for being such stone cold badass could be flustered over tea. You strike a smile in his direction and find your own way to start a conversation he could initiate. Call it encouragement if you will. The sketchpad and pencil you keep handy finally get put to use. The pencil scratching against the paper caught Levi’s attention though he kept to his tea. He watched as he appeared on the paper before him in awe.

           Levi: Hey Y/N, is that supposed to be me?

Y/N: Oh, uh yeah haha! I figured you weren’t much in the mood to talk so I didn’t want to bother you while you were enjoying your tea.

Levi: You are a woman of many talents I see.

Y/N: I wouldn’t say that much.

Levi: N-nonsense. I come here to enjoy the tea you brew perfectly and the singing you think I can’t hear. Didn’t know you were so skilled with a pencil as well.

Y/N: I usually never have the time to draw during the day Levi.

Levi: Can I request something? I’ll pay for it.

Y/N: No need to pay me. What can I do for you?

Levi: I need you to draw someone for me. I don’t really know them too well, but they have a face I could never forget.

Y/N: Oh I wonder who this special person is! Could you describe them for me?

Levi: Well, they’re around the same height as me maybe a bit taller. They have long black curly hair that glistened as though it was a fire at sunset. Brown eyes like fresh honey in the morning and glistened with a hopeful shine I envy. They wear some rather dark clothing year round even when its hot outside. Their nose is slightly hooked and cheeks soft and red. Their lips glistened and they look soft to the touch. And even though they don’t think it looks very nice, they have a scar across their left eyebrow. I’m not exactly sure how they got, but they always try to cover it behind their hair yet it still finds a way to see the light. Their jawline is soft and looks like it could rest perfectly in the cups of your hands.

Y/N: Wow Levi, I didn’t realize you had a way with words.

As the form you forge is refined from guidelines to distinctive features, the person he is describing truly is a sight to behold. You may not have the colors to use but you understand the value of what those colors are which are just as powerful. Levi sits across from you amazed at your skill for a second time until you’ve finished your work. You hand him the final sketch and you already know he just asked you to draw yourself but play it off. He takes the drawing into his hand and holds it up so you and the drawing are in view with each other.

Levi: As beautiful on paper as you are in person. Tsk, your hands are even a work of art on their own.

Y/N: If I may say I’m rather flattered you’d ask me to draw myself just for you but you aren’t very good at making your flirtations subtle. Unless you weren’t trying to be subtle in the first place.

Levi: Oi its not my fault you decided to pull a journal out of nowhere while we’re drinking tea together!

Y/N: You are one hundred percent correct Levi. Really for a man who exudes such confidence, I’ve never seen you even stutter let alone get flustered over tea. Its cute.

Levi blushes even more and looks away trying to play it off. He already knows you’ve got at least one finger wrapped around him. No one really talks to him like that besides this Hange person he mentions. They sound like an interesting character from the way he describes them. You would love to meet them one day when they aren’t experimenting on Titans. For now, your gaze remains fixed on Levi’s profile as he tries to regain his composure. You would not have assumed he was even interested in such trivial things other than being a clean freak.

You are aware of Levi’s reputation but just getting to sit with him in such an intimate setting gives you a next level view of him. The clean undercut and soft flowing hair was just asking to have someone’s fingers run through it and embrace the feeling of each strand even if it meant making his hair just a little messy. Each group of strands followed the path of the wind as leaves blew from the vines. His jawline was as sharp as the blades he carried to cut down titans like butter. His hands, though they bore the weight his fallen comrades and the destined purpose to eliminate and survive, seemed delicate under the rough calluses of combat. But his eyes. Those damn grey eyes. They pierced right through me whenever you got the chance to see them yourself. All of the things they saw, and the feelings kept behind them like a locked door. There is so much pain rage behind those you wonder when the last time Levi got to see something outside the realm of horror outside and within the walls.

           Y/N: Levi?

           Levi: Yeah Y/N?

Y/N: When was the last time you’ve ever had a chance to relax and just lay low for awhile?

Levi: Can’t say. I don’t think I’ve given myself a damn break but I can’t afford to. I don’t exactly have anything else to do.

Y/N: Hmmm. Let’s change that. Make sure you make yourself available tomorrow at sundown. Come back to the shop and dress casual. I know somewhere we can go. I’ll even grab an extra book so you can out those hands to work other than killing Titans and jotting down whatever it is you do write for your paperwork.

Levi: B-but I c-can’t just abandon my po-

Y/N: Shush. In case you haven’t noticed you don’t have any missions scheduled for at least another week. Plus business around here is slow. We could both use a little time for ourselves. Even if its just a moment.

Levi: *blushing even more* uh- ok. I guess it wouldn’t hurt. You didn’t have to act like such a brat about it.

Y/N: If you weren’t Levi I would throw this lukewarm teapot of tea all over you

Levi: *Smiling ever so slightly* hmp I uh… I guess I could see you doing something like that. Okay, I’ll be back tomorrow to pick you up. I’m curious as to where this place is anyway.

Y/N: Alrighty then it’s a date! No ifs ands or buts. You got that Levi?

Levi: Loud and clear.

You’re leaning over the table to make sure Levi knows where he needs to be. You’re close enough to him you can smell the scent of the tea you made him mixed with just the scent of him. You’d kiss him right then and there if you really wanted to. Looks like he had the same idea but you pull away because you weren’t in that much of a rush. His lips were parted as they awaited your lips to meet his. It was thrilling seeing him even a little desperate for you but making him wait was even better. As much as Levi felt he couldn’t abandon his post, he couldn’t say no to you. He’d been working up the courage to talk to you for as long as he has been coming to your shop. Though he wasn’t the one to ask, Levi appreciated that you were the one to take the lead in making plans to accompany each other on a date. You’d been waiting for the opportunity to even be in this position. Now that it’s here, you make plans to make the date an enjoyable one that Levi would also like. Good first impressions are still pretty important. Especially if you want to make a good impression for Levi.

           Levi: Tsk, its almost sundown. Id better get back to the brats at HQ.

You grab his hands and ask him to wait just a little while longer.

Y/N:  Well if you’re going to be leaving, at least let me give you some extra tea and a meal to take back with you. It’s the least I can do for agreeing to going on a date with me on such short notice.

Levi: Tsk make it quick please.

Y/N: Don’t rush me. I’m being nice to you. I usually don’t just give out free tea and meals to anyone you know.

Levi: I’m sorry. Thank you. I- I uh really appreciate your generosity.

You hand Levi the tea and meal you made just for him. You touch hands for a moment and get goosebumps for the first time in a long time. You blush just enough that Levi notices as well and gives a small smirk. You exchange that smirk with one of your own.

           Levi: Thank you again Y/N. I guess I’ll see you soon.

           Y/N: You guess?

           Levi: I will see you soon.

Y/N: Much better. And by the way, you have a very charming smile. I wish I could see it more often. It suits you almost as much as that cold gaze you’ve always got equipped.

Levi: I never really gave it much thought what that looked like. I’ll pick you tomorrow. I promise.

Y/N: You’d better if you know what’s good for ya hahaha! I’ll see you tomorrow, Captain.

END

Comment if you’d like a Pt. 2!

[phantom-curve]

Congrats on reaching your follower milestone soon, dear! It was tough choosing a prompt because there are some really nice ones on the list—but I'll go with #2 aspectabund for Julie and Luke. I'd love to be less predictable and choose another 'verse than "gimme a chance" but I am weak. (Unless you’re really not feeling it, then I'd love to see a oneshot of your liking. No pressure. ♥️)

thank you!! and thank you for this prompt and pairing because I had actually imagined this exact scene weeks ago but I knew I wasn't going to be able to make it work in the full fic, so now I get to just write it as a deleted scene for you! in the timeline of the gimme a chance AU, this is set after the last deleted scene but before the scene with Alex and Reggie in chapter 6. just a little moment of Luke and Julie still not really knowing what they are but recklessly forging ahead anyway❤️ (with some Flynn backstory thrown in for good measure!)

aspectabund - letting emotions show easily through the face or eyes (Rated M for consistency, language, and a fairly suggestive setting)

Luke could study Julie in any light and find her beautiful, but there was something about seeing her under the dimmed interior lighting of the bar bathroom that felt particularly special. Maybe it was the way she seemed to glow underneath the muted lights that surrounded the bathroom mirror. Maybe it was because it was the first place he had ever experienced a softer, more vulnerable moment with her. Maybe it was because her presence alone somehow managed to turn even the grungiest of atmospheres into something beautiful and magical.

Whatever the reason, Luke had come to love the times he managed to steal away with her into the bathroom, losing himself in the feel of her lips pressed against his and her warm skin beneath his seeking fingers, every inch of him filled to the brim with thoughts of her and her alone. His port in the storm, the guiding light he couldn’t help but follow. Julie Molina, his brightest burning star.

Tonight was almost identical to every other night that Julie came by the bar. Another open mic, another flirty encounter exchanged via lyrics over shots of tequila, the background noise of whoever happened to be up on stage never quite loud enough to pull them out of their own little personal bubble. Dante was working, which meant Luke didn’t feel quite so bad about sneaking into the bathroom during his 10 to find Julie waiting, lips soft and inviting against his own, curves just as sweet as he remembered though always better than he imagined in his dreams at night. She had been driving him crazy all night in her cropped band tee and the jeans that he had a love/hate relationship with. Denim shouldn’t be allowed to look that good and then be that damned difficult to take off.

They had come together quickly, never willing to waste their stolen time together when there was a clock ticking and a bar still full of patrons just a door away. As much as it might feel like their own private world locked away in the bathroom, the real world still continued on outside without much cause for stopping. Tonight though, Luke couldn’t help but linger just a moment after he finally came down from the way Julie had left him gasping her name. Her head was still tucked into the crook of his neck, her hair even wilder than it had been when she first showed up. She was an absolute vision. A true goddess. It blew his mind she was even willing to give him the time of day, and he was constantly reminded of how lucky he was to have these small, stolen moments with her.

Julie seemed to notice his extra attention, pulling her flushed face clear of its hiding place and regarding him with a look that he couldn’t quite decipher. Soft, but still guarded. Their eyes met and he was so sure she would see it then. The love he was never able to fully hold back anymore. He studied her from head to toe, let his gaze caress every inch of her body with the kind of soft adoration that tended to make itself known the second she was within his vicinity these days.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?”

Her question wasn’t an accusation, but Luke felt the need to hide from her probing all the same. It wasn’t her fault he had fallen in love with her. He didn’t get to force that on her when she hadn’t ever asked for it or encouraged it in the first place. His mind blanked for a moment, scrambling to come up with a plausible answer to her question. He blurted the first thing he could think of, not sure where the thought had come from but willing to follow it to the end if it meant insight into Julie and steering clear of his own emotional turmoil.

“Where does Flynn think you are when you come here?”

Julie pulled back further, her legs closing slightly as if it would force him out of his position there. Luke didn’t retreat. Kept his hands alongside the dip of her waist, fingers softly stroking the bare skin underneath the shirt she still wore. He made sure his gaze was soft and steady. He wasn’t trying to chastise her, just maybe understand her a bit better. She had said Flynn didn’t know about the nights she came to the bar, but there was no way her best friend was missing the fact that three nights out of the week, Julie wasn’t home until well past midnight.

“The library.”

The answer seemed so ridiculous that Luke couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled up in his chest. Julie’s arms folded across her chest, nose scrunching into an adorable pout that he wanted to kiss away. She tilted her head to the side, hair falling over her shoulder, and he could practically read her mind through the look on her face. She was not amused. Luke backpedaled a bit, trying to explain exactly why her cover up seemed so flimsy to him.

“You tell Flynn you’re going to the library and then you come home looking like that and she just...believes you’ve been at the library?”

Luke pointed towards the mirror behind them, and Julie turned to follow his finger. She seemed startled to see her own appearance: hair wild and mussed, cheeks still flushed with leftover satisfaction, lips swollen from his kisses, eyes shining in a way he had only seen right after he played for her and right after he made her fall apart with his touch. She tucked a stray curl behind her ear, smoothing the smaller hairs along her temple as if that would control them. It didn’t do much, just like Luke knew it wouldn’t. Julie’s mouth twisted to the side in an annoyed grimace, and she turned away from the mirror to look up at him once more.

“Well, no. I tell her I’m going to the library when I leave the apartment, and then I usually do go there for a few hours before coming here. She’s always asleep by the time I get home. Flynn is a strict lights-out-at-10 type of girl, unless Carrie is the one keeping her up.”

A light shudder worked its way down Julie’s spine and Luke didn’t even try to think about the ways Carrie might be keeping Flynn awake past 10. Instead, he chose to focus on the minor revelations about the inner workings of exactly how Julie ended up at the bar every Tuesday and Thursday as well as most Saturdays.

“Huh. That weirdly makes sense for her. Yet another reason for her to hate me, I guess. Sleeping that early is for grannies and kids.”

He delivered the last line with a teasing smirk. He mostly meant it as a joke. It was easier to poke fun at Flynn if he was doing it in a way that also kind of poked fun at himself. Then it wasn’t so much him shit talking her as it was him admitting he wasn’t always his favorite person either. Julie must have seen something behind his eyes or on his face though because all of the sudden she softened, her hands raising from where they had been holding her up on the counter to cradle his face instead. The move was so intimate it made him want to purr. He settled for leaning into her hold, head turned to sneak a quick kiss against her palm. When he met her eyes, the guarded walls in her gaze had melted, leaving only a gentle kind of fondness in their wake.

“Flynn doesn’t hate you.”

Luke snorted. Julie’s tone was soft and sweet, but he knew a lie when he heard one, no matter how nicely it was said.

“Yes, she does.”

He could tell she was about to argue, so he lifted one finger to rest against her lips, effectively cutting off whatever she had been about to say as he continued talking.

“Flynn hasn’t liked me since we first met, and I asked her who the cute blonde musician was without knowing it was Carrie. Then I made the mistake of going off about how I knew Carrie was a musician because, well, I just knew, and she liked that even less. But I was upgraded to hate the night you came to our show with her, and I made a complete ass of myself. It’s fine, Julie. I know the score. You don’t have to pretend she likes me just cause we’re...ya know...”

He trailed off awkwardly, not quite willing to label them as casual when that had become his absolute least favorite word in the English language lately. The finger that had been held to her lips curled back into the palm of his hand so he could raise it to scratch at the back of his neck. The sight seemed to soften Julie even more, one of her hands falling from its spot against his cheek to rest against his bare chest, directly above his heart. There was a tenderness behind the action that was new for them, Julie’s eyes warm and gentle as she regarded him. He wasn’t sure he liked the way it made his heart stutter and constrict, wished he had the extra layer of his shirt between them for the first time ever, but she was still perched on top of it where he had laid it down as a barrier between her and the countertop.

“Luke.”

The sound of his name sent another wave of longing through him. His eyes had to be practically overflowing with the depths of his feelings for her by now. She had to be able to see it.

“Flynn does not hate you. She just...doesn’t understand you.”

He couldn’t quite believe that they were in a bathroom at Ebbie’s, half-dressed and still just barely back on the Earthly plane, and somehow, they were discussing Flynn of all people. Luke generally did his best not to think about Flynn, especially lately when he was certain if she ever found out what he was up to there wouldn’t be a place in this world he would be able to hide from her. He tried to play it off again, make a joke that would lighten the atmosphere and get them off of the topic that he was constantly pretending didn’t hurt as much as it did.

“Julie, Flynn isn’t the one I’m worried about hating me. That ship has sailed, and she’s the captain of it. It’s okay. As long as I have you, I’m not gonna worry about something I can’t change.”

Okay, so that was maybe a bit sappier than he should have worded it, but the sentiment was true, all the same. It was getting harder and harder for him to hold back those pieces of himself lately. The parts that wanted desperately to belong to Julie and no one else.

The delicate hand that had been resting against his cheek trailed a gentle path up to tuck itself behind his head, dislodging his own hand from where it had still been nervously scratching. There was a new look in her eyes, one he hadn’t seen before, not even when he had tried to take her home and had been offered a small acquiescence in the form of dropping her off at her own home instead. This look was much softer, almost endless in its depth and Luke felt his breath catch as if she had stolen it away herself. This was a look that felt precious and vulnerable and like maybe she was finally going to strike the word casual from the definition of their relationship. He dipped his head, forehead falling to rest against her own so he could bathe in that look for as long as possible. Julie didn’t pull away. Instead, her grip tightened over his heart and around the back of his neck. An invitation for him to close that small gap between them once more and bring his lips to hers.

This kiss was different too. No edge to it at all, just a soft sigh of movement against one another. Neither one taking from the other, each simply offering a piece of themselves. A gentle understanding, a moment of true harmony together where they were on the same page. Luke had no fucking clue what, exactly, that page was, but he would stay there and reread it over and over again until he died if it meant holding Julie against him like this.

The timer on his phone chirped, the sound just barely audible through the material of his pants. It was a warning, their warning, that this stolen moment was fast coming to an end and if Luke didn’t get back out to the bar someone would come looking. Luke had never hated an interruption more in his entire life. For as long as he lived, he didn’t think he’d be able to reach his limit of basking in the presence of Julie Molina, but especially like this when it felt all the more precious and fleeting.

Slowly, she pulled herself back, their lips parting in a way that told him she would have continued to linger without the interruption. He almost gave into the temptation of ignoring the alarm so that he could dive back in, but then she pressed her fingers against her lips. The action, so simple and unassuming, nearly had his heart bursting. Because she wasn’t looking at him. Her eyes were still closed, her breathing fast and erratic. When she finally met his gaze a good ten seconds later, he was shocked to see a type of longing he had only recognized in himself reflected in the melted chocolate of her irises.

“You have to get back out there before Dante comes looking for you.”

Her voice was breathless and just this side of needy, like the thought of him leaving made her all the more desperate to keep him there. It was the strongest show of willpower that he didn’t haul her back into his arms for a repeat performance of when he first arrived in the bathroom. He nodded slowly, the sound of his metal chains and belt buckle clinking as he readjusted his jeans the only noise in the room. She slipped off the counter, offering his shirt back to him with a shy smile as she pulled her own jeans back into place. The cotton slipped over his head, and Luke silently cursed the way it obstructed his view of Julie, even if it was barely more than a couple seconds.

“See you back out there?”

He wasn’t sure why he asked. Julie always left before him, giving him a few extra moments to wash his hands and get his head back into work mode before he had to slip behind the bar once more. This time though, she wasn’t rushing to leave. Instead, she bit her lip, forehead wrinkling slightly before she gave a soft shake of her head. The walls that had disappeared in the last few minutes were firmly back in place when she met his gaze.

“I have to get some work done on a project for school. I cut my library time short tonight to get here earlier.”

It wasn’t really a rejection, but it sure as hell felt like one. Luke tried not to let it show on his face, but he wasn’t sure he managed to pull it off. He felt his own fingers at the back of his neck again and wondered when they had gotten there.

“Yeah, yeah, it’s cool. I get it.”

He shrugged a bit, tried to get some bounce back in his step as he moved towards the door.

“Luke...?”

He turned at the sound of Julie’s voice, just barely managing not to lose it when her eyes flashed momentarily with that same fleeting look of vulnerable longing.

“Next open mic is Thursday, right?”

She was trying to get them back on script. Trying to get back to that place that felt more familiar, less intense. Luke couldn’t fault her for her. He was the one that kept trying to push them outside of the confines she had created. He sighed softly, stepping close so he could press a quick kiss against her forehead.

“Next open mic is Thursday. I’ll be here.”

Her lips curved just a bit, her smile small but no less brilliant.

“See you then, Rockstar.”

He left then. Had to force his feet to move before he fell to his knees and begged her for more. More time, more stolen moments, more commitment, more of everything that he so desperately wanted from her and no one else. Luke threw himself into filling orders behind the bar, so busy he didn’t see Julie make her way out. If Dante noticed the storm cloud that hovered above his head for the rest of the night, he didn’t mention it.

He promised himself that when he saw her again on Thursday, he would let it go. Loving her didn’t give him the right to demand more. In fact, if he really loved her, he would find a way to be content with what she offered. Because if there was one thing he knew for sure, it was that he wasn’t ready to give her up just yet. And he didn’t think she was ready to give him up yet, either. So, he would stay, and he would accept what he was given, because every new moment meant another memory for him to carry with him when this whole thing ended. And somehow, that would have to be enough.

[inkweaver22-blr]

Here’s another filler chapter! I like how it turned out so I hope ya’ll do too! Enjoy.

AO3 Link

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Scattered Cicadas - Chapter Twelve: Memory Proof

Tang learns a bit about the twins. Being in the same body as them might have something to do with that.

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Tang hid behind some debris in the ruined theater as he watched Macaque approach the shattered Shadow Lantern. He had been hoping to collect the pieces for himself to try and study the artifact’s ability to trap souls. The data he could potentially obtain from it would be priceless in trying to come up with a counter to his curse once he found it’s cause.

But just because they were intelligent, didn’t mean they had common sense. The amount of harebrained plots and ideas they had that blew up in their faces due to not thinking everything through was almost comical.

Abandoning his plan for now, Tang waited patiently for Macaque to leave so he could make his exit as well.

Suddenly the Mayor was there.

Tang tensed in his hiding spot as he watched the man taunt Macaque before surprising the monkey and grabbing him by the throat.

Tang’s pulse raced as he watched Macaque get captured with little effort.

Was this why they never saw Macaque again after these events? Did this happen in every cycle? Just how strong was the Mayor to be able to subdue the shadow demon so quickly?

He needed to get out of here.

Tang froze when he realized the Mayor had vanished without him noticing.

“Now what do we have here?”

Blinding white and blue pain flashed behind Tang’s eyes as he stumbled back. Gasping in panic he looked up to find the Mayor right in front of him, giving the scholar his trademark nonchalant smile.

“Can’t have you running off to spoil the end of the show for the others, now can we” the Mayor said as he held up the Shadow Lantern. “I do love a captive audience!”

Before Tang could react, the lantern was activated, and he knew no more.

----------

He was in the cave, thankfully. The voices called out in concern. The golden-yellow light wrapped around him.

----------

Tang awoke with a start, gasping in panic.

Damn that man!

He hadn’t been killed this time, but being a puppet for the Mayor until the cycle ended was just as unpleasant.

The more he learned about him, the more terrifying to Tang he became.

He would have to do his best to avoid him as much as possible from now on.

Once he got his breathing under control, Tang made his preparations for the day and began his remembering ritual.

It seemed this cycle was one where there were only a few changes. Everything seemed mostly the same except for two details.

The first was that Jin and Yin had been good friends with Mei for years, acting almost like older brothers for her.

The second was that this cycle had Fusion.

Tang groaned at this revelation.

There were many strange and weird magics and powers he had come across in the timelines, but Fusion was the most conflicting for Tang.

Fusion was a special ability where two or more beings would physically combine together into a new, more powerful being. The result was usually a much larger combination of the participants that mixed together their physical characteristics and often sported extra limbs and eyes. Whether the minds of the original beings remained separate or fused into a new personality as well as the permanence of the Fusion tended to be randomly determined like most things in these cycles.

The only constant was the need for absolute trust between all parties that fuse.

Fusion was an intimate process as you shared not just a body with someone else, but your mind as well. Thoughts and memories could not be hidden from a Fusion partner. It was an implicit sign of trust, and oftentimes love, to want to fuse with someone.

Forcing two unwilling beings to fuse was possible, but never went over well in Tang’s experience.

Tang didn’t dislike Fusion. It was an incredible experience the few times he had done so with either Pigsy or Wukong. He had never felt so close with anyone as he did when fused with them.

The problem was the curse.

Fusion required trust and the participants working in synchrony to function. His curse made it impossible for anyone except himself to know about it. When fused, his partners would become confused at the strange gaps in Tang’s mind they couldn’t perceive. The disorientation would destabilize the trust between them, causing them to fall out of sync, and result in the Fusion ending prematurely.

The questions he would receive were ones Tang couldn’t answer, and he was usually treated with suspicion and distrust for the remainder of those cycles. The same problem would occur if he refused to fuse at all, as that implied he didn’t trust anyone.

Luckily for Tang, he wasn’t in a romantic relationship with anyone this cycle and hadn’t fused with anyone yet. There was also a precedent this time for some people finding Fusion nauseating, so he could always fall back on that if pushed.

Hoping it wouldn’t even come to that, Tang left his apartment and made his way to work. He began to think of the second change as he walked.

Jin and Yin. The Gold and Silver Demon Brothers.

The two trouble makers loved to spread chaos wherever they went. Even during the rare occasions like now where they were allies. Schemes, pranks, and hijinks were to be expected whenever they were around.

The twins were smart. That was pretty much a given being the former lab assistants of Lao Tzu. Their talent in crafting magical items was impressive by mortal standards.

But just because they were intelligent, didn’t mean they had common sense. The amount of harebrained plots and ideas they had that blew up in their faces due to not thinking everything through was almost comical.

Tang had to admire their tenacity though. Their determination never faltered no matter how many failures they had. This was particularly handy when they were allies.

The twins’ self destructive tendencies usually got smoothed out whenever they befriended the group as well. Tang was genuinely surprised a few times by what they had managed to come up with when given a proper sounding board to help point out problems.

He may not consider Jin and Yin to be a part of his extended family, but Tang couldn’t help but have a soft spot for them. Perhaps, in time, he could include them. Maybe when their redemption became more common in the cycles.

But for now he was perfectly fine with just being their friend.

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The attack came without warning.

They had all been hanging out at Pigsy’s Noodles when multiple explosions went off across the city. Tang wasn’t sure what happened in all the confusion, but he was currently with Jin and Yin, the three of them separated from the others.

They had been trying to find everyone when the twins had suddenly pushed Tang away from them. There was a loud crashing sound and the air was filled with dust.

Coughing and waving away the dust, Tang stood and looked around. As the smoke began to clear, his heart dropped at what he saw.

“Jin! Yin!”

The twins were trapped under the rubble of a partially collapsed building. Jin’s entire left side was stuck under the debris while Yin was pinned from the waist down.

Neither demon had super strength and were completely helpless. They couldn’t even fuse to escape as they were just out of reach of each other and Fusion required contact.

Tang scrambled over the torn apart street and knelt next to the groaning brothers.

“G-go get help Tang,” Jin said, teeth clenched in pain. “We’ll be fine for now.”

“I am not leaving you two here,” Tang said, looking around for anyone to help, but the street was deserted.

“Come on, we’ll be right here when you come back,” Yin said with a strained smile. “I promise we won’t get up and leave.”

Before Tang could scold him for joking, there was another distant explosion followed by a rumbling sound. The three looked up in horror as the remainder of the building began to sway.

“Shit! Tang you need to leave now!” Jin pushed against the concrete trapping him, but made no progress.

Tang’s mind raced.

None of them were strong enough to push the rubble away. He had no time to go get help before the rest of the building fell. Jin and Yin couldn’t grab each other to fuse.

But he could.

Tang reached out and snatched up the hand of each twin.

“Fuse with me!”

“What?!”

“There’s no time! Fuse with me!”

Spurred on by the urgency of his voice, the twins closed their eyes and focused. Tang did the same and the world melted into gold, silver, and yellow light.

Fusing was always an indescribable experience. Tang felt warm as he felt his body stretch out and merge seamlessly with the twins’. He had no idea which physical traits would be picked from each of them, but their appearance was the least of his worries.

When they opened their eyes, they were standing several feet away from the pile of debris, just as the building began to topple.

“Shit! Go go go,” Jin said from their shared mouth.

They quickly dashed away from the area, their much taller stature allowing them to easily outpace the collapsing structure. Their new body didn’t feel strange in any way, and their combined movements came naturally.

‘Damn, I think my legs are broken,’ Yin said in their shared mind once they paused to take a breath. ‘We’ll have to keep this up until we get to a hospital and unfuse inside.’

‘Pretty sure some rebar had stabbed into my side so ditto on that,’ Jin added.

‘That might be a problem...’ Tang’s nervousness caused their stomach to twist.

‘What does that- Oh. Huh. That’s interesting.’ Jin explored the gaps he found in Tang’ mind with curiosity. ‘Hey Yin, take a look at this.’

‘Whoa. Trippy. Haven’t seen a memory-proof seal like this in a while.’ Yin poked at the spaces gingerly, not wishing to be caught completely in its effects.

‘Look at how big it is though,’ Jin said. ‘You are much older than I thought you were Tang.’

‘No, no, no. His body is definitely only 41 years old. So that means his mind is much older.’

‘Time travel?’

‘That usually has the person physically moving through time, so I doubt it.’

‘How are you two not disoriented by this,’ Tang said as they began to move towards the sounds of the explosions.

‘Should we be?’

‘Oh, yeah, I see what you mean,’ Jin said as he found the context for Tang’s confusion.

The demon didn’t vocalize it, but he projected how he found it interesting that he could get the knowledge on Tang’s past experiences with fusions without the full picture.

‘Oof. Forcefully unfusing and being treated as untrustworthy must suck,’ Yin said.

Tang was about to ask how they were being so unconcerned about this when the context came unbidden from their minds.

Lao Tzu had placed his own memory-proof seals on the twins to prevent them from revealing his secrets. They had to deal with it every time they fused.

Along with that knowledge came the feelings of the desperate need for approval and attention from their master, but never receiving it.

Always having their ideas dismissed. Being told their work was never good enough. Belittling their reliance on one another. Outright destroying their inventions at one point.

‘What an ass,’ Tang said vehemently.

He had worked too hard across the cycles to keep MK from drowning in his insecurities. It was insulting to him that someone he had once respected for their vast knowledge would ever treat anyone like that to make them feel this way.

‘I know, right?’

‘Why do you think we left,’ Jin said.

Tang sent over the context that, while he couldn’t tell them how, he had become an accomplished magician and artificer in his own right.

‘We’re going to make him regret ever dismissing you two,’ Tang vowed.

‘You… You want to take us on as students?’

Tang’s righteous protectiveness over how small Yin had sounded shocked the twins as they felt his warmth of comfort envelope them.

‘I would be honored to have you two as students. There is no way I’d ever let my family feel like they are unwanted.’

‘Family?’

Tang let the context for that free as well as the love he felt for his family, which now included his two new students.

They had to stop walking for a moment as Jin’s and Yin’s emotions caused them to start crying. Tang made sure to keep watch from his set of eyes while they were indisposed.

The joy and appreciation they sent his way in silent thanks was returned with his own.

‘Let’s get you two to a hospital.’ They continued to move once they had composed themselves. ‘I would never forgive myself if I let my favorite students perish from a simple collapsing building.’

‘Aren’t we your only students?’

‘Oi! And what do you mean by a “simple collapsing building''? Are you saying there are other ways you’d let us perish?!’

The master and his students bickered playfully back and forth as they looked around for a hospital that had been undamaged in the attack.

Tang may not have been expecting to add the twins to his family this soon, but he knew he wouldn’t regret it. How he felt for them would live on even past the memory erasing effects of the curse.

Jin and Yin returned the sentiment a hundredfold.

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And thus Tang’s family grows in numbers once more! He’s almost completed the whole set by now.

Fusions are an interesting concept and there are plenty of great designs for different combinations out there. While none of them show up in this chapter, I’d like to give a shout out to @winterpower98, @smallpwbbles, @sketchquill, and @ninja-knox-ur-sox-off for their amazing fusion designs! Go check them out!

Don't worry about that bit with the mayor. It's fine.

Next chapter will be another filler! Until then!