#it no longer my birthday the time I finish this but I drew it for my birthday :]

[alienssstufff]

discuss

[seonghwaddict]

attention — jeong yunho

in which your boyfriend forgot to give you your daily dose of his attention.

bf!jeong yunho x fem!reader. genre. established relationship. fluff. warnings. nothing bad tbh, kissing. wc. 729. rating. pg-13.

lilo’s notes. a little yuyu drabble for his (belated) birthday!! i love him so so much~ i’m currently on holidays and spending time with my family, so please do not expect many updates. however, i have many many things lined up to be finished a posted for when a get back :3

listening to. light, wave to earth

masterlist.

yunho missed the way you huffed as you sat on the bed behind him, your arms crossed as his focus remained on whatever game he played. you weren’t genuinely mad at him, of course, but you couldn’t deny you were disappointed your boyfriend wasn’t giving you the attention you wanted.

though, the longer you watched him laughing with his friends through a call and his fingers dancing cover the keyboard skilfully, the quicker you forgot what you were mad at in the first place. at least until he finally finished a round of his game and swivelled his chair around to look at you. you realised belatedly he was aware of your presence the whole time.

“what’s wrong, baby?” he grinned at you, reclined comfortable with his knees spread lazily.

you shook your head, moving to get up and do something else. “nothing.”

“i know that’s not true,” he chuckled, reaching one long arm out and resting his fingers on your knee to stop you from moving. his brows drew together, becoming concerned at the fact you didn’t immediately tell him what was wrong like you usually do. “it’s okay, it’s just you and me here, the call is off.”

grumbling, you looked down at your feet, kicking them lightly as they hung over the edge of the bed. you muttered something but he couldn’t hear it, promoting you to repeat it hut louder. with a sigh, you looked up at him with a pout.

“you haven’t given me attention all day…”

yunho blinked at that before a smile reappeared on his face. he pulled his hand back from your knee to pat his thigh invitingly, cooing at you. “come here, baby.”

you nodded and a moment later were sat on his lap, straddling him comfortably despite his char not being built to hold two people like this. he was pretty, but every time you got the chance to see him up close you couldn’t help but get flustered by just how pretty he was, your fingers finding the strings of his hoodie to play with them. his rested on your hips and rubbed gentle circles as if it were the most natural thing in the world. being held by him like this made your cheeks warm for many reasons that would take you hours to list.

he barely leaned forward, brushing his lips against your forehead before leaning back to look down at you with his usual soft smile. “it’s cute when you’re clingy, you know. i think i should just hold you like all the time. would you like that?”

you nodded quickly, glancing up from the strings to his round eyes as he made a comment about how much you enjoyed it when he talked to you like that, teasingly. in response, you hit his chest playfully. “don’t act like you don’t enjoy it either.”

“well, i definitely enjoy seeing you sat all pretty in my lap.” he winked, one if his hands leaving your hip to trap your hand against his chest, his other hand giving your hip a gentle squeeze.

butterflies swarmed in your stomach at his words, muttering a “shut up” through a smile as you leaned forward to press your lips against his tenderly. he laughed against your lips, using his hold on you to pull you closer, your thighs flush against his waist. your hand remained beneath his, pressed against his chest as your fingers curled into the fabric if his hoodie. his digits squeezed your hips occasionally, thumb brushing below the hem of your tanktop to caress your bare skin beneath and making your breath hitch.

it wasn’t until a few moments later that you had to separate for air. the tips of his ears were dusted pink as he pulled away, making you giggle as your grip on his shirt loosened.

“was that enough attention for you, honey?” he bit back a teasing smile as he spoke, pressing his lips against your cheek and jawline repeatedly as he let you catch your breath.

“hmmm…” you pretended to think, tapping your index finger against your chin. “no, it wasn’t.”

“well, in that case, i should continue, shouldn’t i?”

“yeah, i think so too.”

networks. @cromernet @wonderlandnet @cultofdionysusnet

taglist. @ad0rechuu @sankatchu @mlink64 @yeosangsbb @seonghwasbbgirl @likexaxdaydream @dreamingofyeo

[mydear-corinthian]

Birthday || Cillian Murphy x reader

Synopsis: Cillian arriving on his birthday back to your shared home after an exhausting Oppenheimer work. Pairing: Cillian Murphy x reader Warnings: SMUT +18, squirting, praising kink, rough sex, p in v, creampie Notes: ENTIRELY FICTIONAL. No hate to Cillian's wife! (we love her) Happy (advance) Birthday my man, Cillian Murphy <3 Click here to see the MAIN MASTERLISTClick here to see the CILLIAN MURPHY masterlist

Cillian is finally free to rest. For the past few months, he has been traveling all around the world with Oppenheimer's premiers, interviews, new promotions with different brands, and of course, the awarding ceremonies.

Due to the busy schedule your husband had, you weren't able to talk to him physically, kiss him, touch him, go out with him, or complete your day with him for months. During the busy period, both of you will hop on Skype or Zoom every week to talk about what's happening.

Now that the promotions and other interviews are finished, Cillian can finally come back home to his hometown in Cork, Ireland with you and his family. He'll arrive no later than May 23, just a day before his 48th birthday.

Currently, you're in your shared home, alone. Laying down on the massive queen-sized bed. With your phone in your hand, you texted him.

"Hello, love. Where are you already?" you typed.

After a few minutes, your phone buzzed, and a text notification popped up, showing Cillian's name.

"I'm in Ireland already. I'll let you know if I'm in Cork. I love you." Cillian replied.

"Alright. Have a safe trip, Cill. I love and miss you." you texted the last time, smiling like an idiot before turning off your phone, and placing it on top of the nightstand beside you. Getting comfortable, you pulled up the comforter up to your chest before turning off the lamp and sleep.

<>

You woke up to the sound of the front door being opened.

Yawning, you stood up, rubbing your eyes as you grabbed your white robe that was hanging on the back of your shared room.

As you walked down the stairs, you saw Cillian. His hair was longer than the last Skype call you had and you find it hot. His luggage and his carry-on bag were dropped on his side when he saw you.

You sprinted over to embrace him tightly and warmly, taking in his scent before planting a quick kiss on his lips. You felt planted in the moment, protected and cherished in his familiar hug. Everything else seemed to fade away as your heart was filled with the delight of being reunited. You drew back just enough so that you could meet his eyes and saw the same joy in.

"I've missed you, Cill," you said, smiling.

"I missed you so much, (y/n),"

Your lips and his made contact again. The both of you exchange a sweet and short passionate kiss.

You broke the kiss, letting out an exhale, your face still smiling.

"You must be tired, darling. Just leave the bags there, the kids will handle that tomorrow," you said, guiding the way to your shared bedroom upstairs.

You were shocked to feel Cillian's hands grab your face and give you a hard kiss as soon as you two got to the door. Your eyes widened at the quick action, but you were also craving for this. You haven't felt or seen each other in months. You gave him an aggressive kiss back, and as the kiss increased, you reached out to hold his neck and tasted one other's melting tongues once again.

"Cill - Aren't you tired? We can do this tomorrow," you interrupted.

"Oh fuck no. I want you now, love. I've missed you so much," Cillian replied.

"The kids aren't home, by the way. They're both in a sleepover with their friends."

"That's good. No one can hear you scream then,"

Cillian lowered you onto the mattress carefully and kept his kiss intact. You took off your sleepwear shirt and robe, exposing your hard nipples and breasts, as he carefully undid his shirt. Cillian bit and sucked you as he marked you as his, his lips moving from your jaw to your neck. You gripped a fistful of his hair and groaned with ecstasy.

"Fuck - you're so pretty .. and hot .." he muttered in between kisses, adorning your whole face and neck.

Cillian slowly kissed you lower and lower until he reached your covered cunt. Your black panties soaking from the recent touch. He chuckled, putting his face in front of your wet and needy cunt.

"So fucking wet for me, huh?" he teased, biting his lower lip at the sight.

"Oh yes, Cillian .. please,"

"Please what?"

"Fuck me, Cillian. Fuck me, please .." you begged, clenching your cunt feeling wetter and wetter every time he speaks.

Cillian let out a soft chuckle before removing your black lace panties. Tossing it on the floor. You can feel his breath in your cunt.

Finally, he devoured you. His tongue circled around your clit and sucked it harshly making you whimper loudly. The sound of his tongue doing magic to your cunt echoed throughout the room, eating you like a thirsty man.

"I missed you. I missed your touch. I missed your taste .. God, fuck, you taste so good," he praised, continuing to eat you out.

Your back arched at the pleasure, taking a fist full of his hair, pinning him down your cunt deeper, your thighs locking his face.

No words can come out of your throat to feel the kind of pleasure. You let out a series of moans and gasps, not even worrying if the neighbors can hear you.

Feeling a knot in your stomach performing, your legs trembled, digging his face deeper and deeper as you let out a very loud moan, your cunt clenching.

"Mhm cum for me, baby .. yeah that's right .. fuck," Cillian muttered as his tongue flicked your clit even faster, helping you to reach your peak.

"Fuck!" you let out a loud moan as you started to squirt. Your juices squirting all over his mouth and on the bedsheets. A white substance leaking out of your cunt.

"Shit, that was hot," he commented.

"No, Cill .. please, I need more .. I need you,"

"You've missed me that much, huh? Well, since you asked properly,"

Cillian removed his pants alongside his black boxers, tossing them on the floor. His cock sprung open, pre-cum leaking.

His hand strokes it for a while before entering you slowly, feeling how your tight cunt takes him. Cillian let out a low groan as he entered you fully. His pace started out slow, allowing you to adjust to his huge size. Your breasts bounce at each thrust as you felt his cock inside you. Slowly, he started penetrating faster and deeper, allowing him to pleasure all of your sensitive spots. You moaned out loud as you felt your g-spot touch his cock, your hands crumpling the bedsheet. His pelvis hit your hips as he thrusted harshly making a series of loud skin-clapping sounds.

"God, you feel so good, (y/n)," he groaned, his eyes fully shutting, feeling every spot of your cunt inside you.

"Yes yes yes yes! Oh, Cillian .."

You felt a huge difference with his cock and the toy that you have in your closet. When he was away, you would fuck yourself with a toy, imagining lustful scenarios of him fucking you harshly. His cock felt better.

"C'mon, baby .. let the neighbors know how much I fucking please you,"

You let out a much louder moan as you felt your orgasm coming again. Cillian's fingers toying with your hardened nipples as he harshly pounded you.

"I'm gonna - I'm.. fuck! I'm cumming .. I'm cumming, oh!" you shouted, feeling like bursting at any second.

"Me too, baby .. Oh yes,"

After a few harsh pounds, you finally came and so did Cillian. Letting his seed pour inside your walls, filling you up. Your legs trembled as you clenched your cunt on his cock.

Cillian finally pulled out, a huge load of your cum and his leaking out of your penetrated hole, staining the bedsheets again.

"Look at you dripping at my cum. You're such a good girl," he praised before kissing you but this time, more softer and passionate.

"I love you, Cill."

"I love you more, (y/n),"

You looked at the wall clock, checking on time. When your eyes saw the time, you smiled. It's 12 midnight.

"Happy Birthday, love." you greeted.

"Oh, it's my birthday now? I guess I deserve another round of gift, hm?"

Chuckling at his response, you playfully hit him on the shoulder before grabbing his face and kissing him again.

The two of you ended up sleeping at 4 in the morning that day. 

[maple-seed]

Thrown - Chapter 48: Myth and Mortal

Summary: Loki attempts to come to terms with your nature.

Word Count: 1,667

Author's Notes: We're all in this together, okay? I'm not immune to the feelings.

Thrown Masterlist Loki Masterlist

You hadn't invited Loki. You hadn't mentioned it, even. Loki wouldn't have known at all if it weren't for Thor.

"I apologize for not attending lunch yesterday. I had to be here to receive an important shipment." Thor gestured at the hall, which was bustling with the finishing stages of construction. He put on a sly smirk. "I would be available tomorrow, if you felt I needed to make it up to you." You laughed. "Maybe dinner instead? Tomorrow is Gerdy's birthday. I usually bring her flowers." Thor nodded. "Dinner it is. Please give Gerdy my regards."

That had been all that was said on the matter, but it didn't sit well with Loki, the idea of you going alone. And so the following day the waning morning found him at your doorstep. Knocking on the door was no longer something that occurred to him, and he simply stepped inside. You were in the kitchen, placing ingredients into a slow cooker. No doubt the dinner Thor had negotiated.

You offered him a bright smile as he approached. "Hey, what are you doing here?" He placed a kiss on your cheek. "I would like to join you this afternoon, if that's alright." "Yes." Your smile warmed. "I would like that, thank you."

He helped you with the rest of the preparations for dinner, the two of you had a quick bite for lunch, and then set off together down the road towards town.

The walk was typical, with light conversation and laughter. You stopped at a flower shop in town and selected a small bouquet that primarily featured forget-me-nots. The walk grew quieter as the cemetery grew near, and Loki took your hand as he followed you through the silent plots. The quiet grew heavy. It was a lovely day, the sun was bright and the grass was full and green. The area would be quite pleasant if it weren't for its purpose. Eventually you came to a stop and the both of you looked down at the headstone. Loki glanced over to you, you were wearing an expression of resigned sadness. He squeezed your hand gently, and you met his eyes with a slight smile. You sighed, then bent to place the flowers in the vase attached to the grave marker.

"Happy birthday, Gerdy." You stood and straightened. "I brought Loki with me today."

You then proceeded to speak to her about things in your life, the goings-on of old friends, pottery techniques you were working on. You spoke about Loki, and it was clear this wasn't the first time he had been brought up, which warmed his heart in a way he couldn't quite explain. You spoke to her as if he had known her. In that moment, more than ever, he wished he had. He wanted to know this woman who had been such a powerful impact in your life. Who had sheltered you in a time when you needed it most. In a time before he could. He wondered which parts of you had come from her. He would have liked to see you side-by-side, to recognize the influence himself.

Your one-sided conversation drew to an end. You stood for another moment or two in silent contemplation, then wished Gerdy a farewell. Loki offered her a hushed thanks before turning to follow you again.

The walk back was far more quiet. You hung off his arm as you walked, with your eyes distant. A thought that had been prowling the edges of his mind, held at bay by his duty to you, took this opportunity to strike. He had been fighting it off, but it grew like ice in his stomach now; some day he would be making this walk alone. Some day all too soon, at that.

Mortal. It was a word he had taken for granted, even knowing what it meant. Mortal. Mort. You were named for your death. Suddenly he reviled the word. He may never use it again. It suddenly became clear that he had been harboring a certain amount of denial. Your life was limited, he knew that as a fact, but still some part of him didn't believe it would come to bear. As if somehow, somewhere along the way, he would find some way to save you from your fate and keep you forever. This walk had cast a harsh light on the reality of the situation. He tried to push it out of his mind once more.

Apparently, in the silence, you had been following a similar train of thought.

"I'm going to get old, you know." "Yes, that is the natural order of things." He said matter-of-factly. You rolled your eyes. "What I mean is I'm going to get old and you won't. Every year I'll get more wrinkles and a little flabbier and you'll stay just as young and handsome as ever." "I'll grow even more handsome, I suspect." You chuckled. "I'm sure. What will people think, watching us walk down the street?" "I imagine they will finally question why I am with you, rather than the other way around." He glanced down at you. "It will be a refreshing change of pace." "Please. People don't question that." "Oh, I'm quite certain they do. You simply don't hear the whispers. Perhaps you are already going deaf?" You huffed an exasperated sigh. "You are impossible." He smirked, victorious.

You left it at that, for a few minutes at least, but clearly this was weighing on you. "Really, you don't think it will bother you? Years down the road?" He gave you a reassuring smile as he walked. "I will cherish every line on your face, as they will be tokens of the time I had with you." You bit back a smile. "And the flabby bits?" He clasped your hand in both of his. "A greater surface area on which to bestow my affection." You laughed. "I'm not sure I believe you." "No need. It will all be proven true in time."

The two of you passed out of town and onto the road to your home. Several more minutes passed without a word. Loki could feel something brewing in your thoughts. Your grip on his arm tensed ever so slightly. Still, you didn't say anything, and he was beginning to think it would pass. The two of you were almost to your cottage, walking alongside the low stone wall that enclosed your field, when it came to a head.

"You're going to outlive me." He deftly smothered the panic inside him. "Yes, but I believe finding a replacement shouldn't be terribly difficult. There are literally billions of humans, after all, so my-" "Loki." You came to a halt, he had no choice but to do the same. Your face was drawn into a solemn expression. "When I'm gone-" "Darling-" "Please. It's important." He clenched his jaw and looked down at your hands in his. In this moment they seemed much more fragile. You took a breath. "Promise me that when I'm gone you won't bury yourself too. None of those ideas like your century-of-isolation plan. Don't wall yourself in." He managed a half-smile as he brought a finger to trace your jaw. "Worried that all your good work will be undone?" "You did the work." You mumbled. His smile grew as his hand cupped the back of your neck. "Our joint efforts, then." "Don't do that to yourself." You whispered, clutching his shirt. "Please promise me."

His feet shuffled and he had difficulty meeting your gaze. When he finally looked down at you again he could feel tears threatening the back of his eyes. "I won't be ready." It came out weaker than he anticipated. He looked away and took a breath to steady himself. "It doesn't matter how long-" His voice cracked unexpectedly and he swallowed the rest of that thought. "I won't be ready." You shook your head slightly as you reached up to cradle his face, wearing a sad, sympathetic smile. "We never are."

He pulled you in close, and you let him. Your arms wrapped around his waist while he buried his face in the crook of your neck. You were solid and present beneath his touch, but he knew this was all too ephemeral. He didn't want to move, he didn't want to leave this moment. He wished for some power that would allow him to stretch it out across a thousand years.

He stood with you like that for quite some time. You held him patiently, made no effort to step away. Eventually, Goat had taken notice of the two of you and began making his way across the field, bleating obnoxiously. That finally broke the spell and Loki sighed, taking a step back, but clung to your hand.

"I imagine you have things to do." He murmured as he lifted your hand to place a kiss against the back of it. You nodded. "A couple things to sort out before Thor and Valkyrie show up." "Let's go, then."

Rather than walk to the gate, Loki crossed over the stone wall, then helped you do the same. He laced his fingers with yours and started toward the cottage. He let the silence rest for a moment.

"I suppose our story needed some element of tragedy." He mused quietly. "If we're to earn our constellation, that is." "Oh?" You smiled. "You think they'll put us in the sky?" "Oh, certainly." He squeezed your hand. "The stuff of legends, you and I." You laughed. "And to think I was going to settle for just a star." "The best star, mind you."

You opened the door to your kitchen. Preparations were made. Friends arrived. Dinner was shared. It was as so many nights had been before, and as many nights certainly would be again.

But perhaps on this night, when you were alone once more and sleeping in his arms, Loki held you a just little tighter.

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[thescarletnargacuga]

God, Scarlet, you have no idea how much I love your raceway au. True, I've never been a fan of racing and competitions, but I loved your fic from the first words.On the contrary, I was glad to see not only the official chapters, but also oneshote. This is encouraging, and I would like to ask for more raceway short fics if I were braver. I just always wanted to ask for something else at the raceway, but I couldn't get over the my fear. No, I'm serious. the showtime and and the different interactions of the characters with each other excite me. :D

And well, I would like to make a request..? I'm embarrassed to do this, but today is my birthday and I want this day to stop being bad so... I apologize in advance. Can I get some showtime raceway? I fucking love them. (Sorry for my bad English)

A/N: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!🥳 Thank you for being brave and submitting an ask! If it helps in the future, you can submit anonymously! This will work as a direct continuation of Burger!

BURGERS AND TIES

A RACEWAY AU SHOWTIME ONESHOT

Raceway AU by me

WARNING: NONE!

~~~

Caine and Pomni were neck and neck around the final turn of the track, racing full speed towards the finish line for the third time. Both had steely determination to win, but with no items on the default track to use, it came down to kart maneuvers.

Their racing drew the attention of those inside, gathering on the lawn to watch the Caine and Pomni. They'd never seen someone race Caine before, none had dared try. He was the game's host, there was no way he could lose. It was surprising enough that Pomni was giving him a run for his money.

"WOO! GO POMNI!!" Ragatha cheered from the sidelines.

"YOU'VE GOT THIS, POMNI!!" Gummigoo shouted too.

Pomni couldn't hear her friends over the engine and wind but she could see them jumping up and down with excitement. Her heart leapt with joy from their support.

Pomni bumped Caine's kart in an attempt to throw him off on the final stretch. He steered into her in response. Their karts slammed together, sparks flying as they rapidly approached the finish line. The eye contact between them was intense, no longer looking forward on the straightaway.

Caine's code thrummed as the literal sparks between them flew. He was mesmerized by the way her hair flew in the wind, occasionally flitting over her eyes wildly. The sheer strength of her will to win would have struck fear into lesser men. To him, it was beauty incarnate.

Pomni felt a rush like no other. A digital adrenaline response that made her fearless under the gaze of a being as powerful as Caine. If anything, she found him endearing. Cute, even. He wasn't some overlord, but an eccentric showman eager for a good time. While his win-hungry gaze was piercing, there was a certain tenderness in it that made her heart flutter.

They blazed over the finish line together, slamming their brakes simultaneously to stop and check the leader board for which one of them won. The board pronounced the race a tie. Again.

Pomni and Caine groan and temporarily collapse in their karts, catching their breaths.

"How....how?" Caine repeated breathlessly.

"I don't know." Pomni responded, just as winded.

The others rushed Pomni, all talking and congratulating at once. Pomni shakily climbed out of her kart, nearly falling over from race rush withdrawal and being supported by Ragatha. "You did it! Holy smokes, you almost beat him!"

"Woo..." Pomni weakly cheered.

"Why don't you race like that all the time?" Jax inquired, brow raised. "If you did, you'd smoke everyone here but me." He chuckled.

"Oh, shut up. It obviously takes a lot out of her." Ragatha defended, holding onto Pomni.

Caine got his head straight, literally adjusting it, and floated out of his kart. "Well done, Pomni! That's the second time you've nearly beaten me at my own game. I must say, I'm impressed."

Gangle giggled, watching Pomni's reaction.

Pomni bashfully avoided everyone's stares. "Uh...heh, it's really not that big a deal-"

"Yes, it is!" Ragatha lightly shook Pomni, making her hat bells jingle. "You're incredible!"

"Thanks..." Pomni said with a shy smile.

"I don't mean to break up this lovely congratulation, but I do believe I have properly earned your attention." Caine crosses this arms lightly.

"Huh..? Oh, yeah." Pomni blanked at first but then remembered what she said. He had wanted to ask her something, but in her hangry frustration, challenged him to a race before he could explain himself. She broke away from Ragatha and stepped closer to Caine.

Caine looked at all the eyes on him and Pomni. He cleared his voice. "Please, excuse us." He put his hand on Pomni's shoulder and teleported away with her.

"They're totally gonna [%$!#]."

"JAX!!" Ragatha scolded with an angry fluster.

"For once, I agree with Jax." Zooble commented dryly.

"Z-!?" Ragatha choked.

"DID ANY OF YOU SEE THE WAY HE WAS LOOKING AT HER!? AAH-! MY HEART CAN'T EVEN!" Gangle shouted with utmost glee.

"Nah, mate. You're not the only one." Gummigoo chuckled. "That's one smitten bloke. It's hilarious."

"Ooh! Ants!" Kinger stared at the grass.

~

Caine and Pomni reappeared out of bounds, in the privacy of Caine's asset workshop. He reluctantly removed his hand from her.

"So, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" Pomni asked.

"I was originally going to ask you your opinion on a new track idea I had but... Now I would like to ask you something else." He put his hands behind his back. One hand poised to snap.

"Oh?"

"Would you join me for lunch? I saw what you did to your burger and figured maybe....you're still interested in eating?"

A broad smile spread across Pomni's face. "Yeah, I am!"

"Excellent!" He snapped. A table with a red and white checkered cloth appeared behind him; along with plates of burgers and fries, and milkshakes. He backflipped over to the chair and pulled it out for her with his cane.

Pomni took the seat eagerly and dove into the food in front of her, taking huge bites of the perfect burger.

Caine didn't have a chair on his side. He sat in the air, legs crossed and stirred his milkshake idly. He wanted to give her a moment to her food before he struck up conversation.

Pomni looked at the burger in front of Caine and stared at him. She swallowed her mouthful. "You're not eating?"

Caine shrugged. "I've rarely done so, in an attempt to fit in, but it's a rather... awkward process." He pointed to the eyes inside his mouth. "These peepers tend to get in the way."

Pomni furrowed her brow in a curious expression. "Now I need to see that." She slurped on her milkshake.

Caine blinked in surprise. "Oh.. alright." He picked up the burger and his eyes flew out of his mouth and hovered over the top of his head as he bit down.

Pomni snorted and milkshake came out her nose. "You- you look like a Muppet!" She coughed and laughed at the same time at such a goofy sight.

Caine's shoulders shook with silent giggles as he quickly chomped down the burger. It disappeared from his mouth after only a few chews. His eyes went back to their original spots. "What I tell you? It looks weird." He couldn't help but smile at Pomni finding him so amusing.

Pomni wiped her face with her sleeve. The mess vanished, which she assumes was Caine's doing. "Thanks for this. I've really been craving a burger lately and wasn't really succeeding at eating one today for some reason." She dipped a fry in what was left of her milkshake.

Caine's smile warmed. "My pleasure, Pomni. You certainly earned it from me, that's for sure." He rested his chin on his hands. "Tell me, how have you kept up so well? I was really trying to beat you this time."

Pomni shrugged. "I don't know, really. I'm sure your kart is a lot faster than mine, but the karts are also kind of... weird. Maybe this isn't a secret and I'm just now noticing, but the karts seem to respond to the drivers in more ways than just pressing pedals and buttons."

"They respond to intent. It's part of the programming. The longer you race, the more your kart will be capable of because you'll sort of...bond, if you will. Once the kart has a feel for your racing style, it'll start responding before you do."

"So, the karts are sentient AI as well?"

"AI, yes. Sentient, no. Believe me, I've checked. The last thing I need are sentient karts running off with my racers."

"Why wasn't this mentioned earlier? Seems like an important thing to know about the karts."

"Gotta keep some things to the imagination, but I admire your curiosity, so I'm willing to answer your questions and explain things I would normally brush a side if brought up."

"You seem to make an awful lot of exceptions for me." Pomni squinted, a playful accusatory look in her eye.

Caine smirked, a light blush coloring the air around the sides of his face. "Gives me excuses to be around you. I enjoy your company."

"I enjoy your company, too." Heat rose to Pomni's cheeks. "So...to answer your question. I've been keeping up with you because I really, really want to- er, to win." The heat in her cheeks intensified.

"And you almost did. Dare I say... If you had ignored me, you probably would have. But you held my gaze." He rose and moved to her side of the table.

Pomni stood to meet him. He hovered close at her level. Pomni felt her heart race faster the closer he got. He took her hand and held it with both of his. She swallowed a dry lump in her throat, nerves threatening to choke her.

"Pomni...I would like to confess something, if you'll hear me out." Caine's code fluttered around like he swallowed an entire kaleidoscope of butterflies.

Pomni only nodded in response.

"I...don't know what I'm doing when it comes to human emotion, but I do know something with absolute certainty. I like you. A lot. Your smile, your laugh, your personality, your beauty... everything about you draws me in like a moth to a flame. I want to be around you all the time. I want to hear your stories, your joys, your fears, your fury. From what I have observed from the humans, these feelings are associated with romantic intent. So... I was wondering if..." Caine struggled to finish his sentence. The maddening butterflies in his code were going insane.

"Yes." Pomni said with a smile.

Everything stopped. It was like time in the game itself froze for half a second. Caine's hands trembled, squeezing hers lightly in an attempt to curb the shakes. "You're interested? In we- in us- uh-" He felt a blue screen coming on.

"Caine, you're sweet. You try so hard to get my attention, when you already have it." She gently held her free hand to the side of his lower jaw. "I was hesitant to say anything because...I was unsure too. You're brave to speak up first."

Caine nearly literally melted at her calling him brave. "Are you...sure? I don't want you to feel pressured into this. I really don't know what I'm doing, and I'm terrified..."

"Of messing up?" She gave a sympathetic look.

He nodded.

Pomni leaned in and kissed the side of his lower jaw opposite her hand. "That's a pretty human thing too. We'll figure it out."

Caine touched where she had kissed him. His blush brightly floating in front of his face. He gazes lovingly at her. "Yeah...we will."

~~~

A/N: as another treat for your birthday, I will let you know that the next fic to be released will be Chapter 10 of Raceway!

[andromeda-nova-writing]

Impressions

Wriothesley x Fem! Reader

Summary: With Wriothesley not wanting his photo one may wonder about the kind of Impression that he wants to leave upon people. Or maybe just question if he may be a bit Kamera shy and finding any valid excuse to avoid his photo being taken. What’s seen in a photo can lead to many thoughts about the person within. Why not try to make it something good?

Words: 2,404

AN: A kind of sequel to the sticker fic. It stands on its own pretty well though. It's a miracle I had so much of the fic done in time for his birthday.

Y/N made her way towards Wriothesley and Sigewinne after watching Charlotte, Lumine, and Paimon leaving Fortress of Meropide. “Sigewinne, the rest of the medications you asked for have been finished up.” She reported. Even though the flood didn’t destroy Fontaine, some things had gotten lost in the waters and there were people in the Fortress who did require certain medications daily. It was best to get things back to normal as soon as possible after the disaster had been mostly averted.

Wriothesley looked over to her with a sense of relief washing over him. “See there’s work to be done, no need to continue this conversation.”

Y/N looked down at Sigewinne. “Do tell what I’ve interrupted.”

“His Grace still refuses an interview with Charlotte. Specifically having his photo taken.” She explained.

“There’s no need for attention to be placed upon me. I just want credit to be given to those who deserve it more than me.” He continued the same argument and reason he gave to everyone.

She rolled her eyes. “Sigewinne, I think I’m beginning to agree with my mother that our dear Duke, His Grace, Warden of the Fortress of Meropide, Wriothesley is afraid of the kamera.”

The two girls laughed over her teasing. Wriothesley had rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over her joke. He considered walking away to just end it before any more teasing could go forward. But then again her words were actually quite telling.

“You talk about me to your mother? Didn’t think I made such a big impression on you that warranted that.”

“It is precisely because there are no photos of you that she asks questions. And don’t be so full of yourself Ri. I talk about everyone in my life to my mother. You can feel important if you ever meet her.”

“Y/N’s mother is quite lovely. She’s always so curious about everyone and everything.” Sigewinne explained the lunch the three of them had a few weeks ago. “She creates the most adorable stickers. I still have to frame the portrait she drew of me.”

“It’s just a napkin drawing. Don’t think too much of it. She just can’t keep her hands still and you happened to capture her eye.”

Wriothesley could not believe what he was hearing as the two kept their conversation going without him. Was her mother in on the great stickering week he had gone through? How many of the stickers had he peeled off were created by that lady?

“I’ll see what I can do about you seeing her again then for a proper portrait. And if no times line up, maybe I can borrow her kamera to get a good reference photo for her.” Y/N leaned down just a bit and covered the side of her mouth with her hand. She did even not attempt to lower her voice. “Then we can try and sneak a photo of our kamera shy Duke.”

The two of them were laughing once again. Why were the only times Y/N used any of his titles it was a sorry attempt at professionalism or just to tease him? He grabbed Y/N’s arm pulling her up so she was no longer leaning down. 

“See Sigewinne, he continues to manhandle me. You’ve known him the longest. Tell him how to treat a lady.” Y/N complained. 

Sigewinne continued her laughter. Wriothesley was way too in love to do anything that would hurt Y/N. The two of them made a very cute couple, well if they ever got together.

“If you have time to tease me and joke around, then you can come help organize some files in my office since Sigewinne has no work for you.”

“I have plenty of work to do for her.” She argued attempting to pull her arm away. He didn’t budge. His grip was firm yet gentle enough to not cause her any pain.

“Actually that’s all I needed for you at the moment. Ottnit and I can cover the rest.” With how busy it had been there had been no way Wriothesley had been taking enough time to rest. And Sigewinne trusted that he wouldn’t actually put Y/N to work inside his office or work himself.

“Oh, the betrayal. Ottnit is officially my favorite between the three of you down here.” That was a lie. She’d never pick a favorite.

“Just don’t forget to take a break you two. I don’t want to interrupt your time to remind either of you.” Sigewinne began her walk back to the infirmary before Y/N had a chance to comment on what she had said.

“Wriothesley.” She whined as she was gently being pulled away towards his office. “People will talk. I thought you didn’t care for that.”

“You must be people then if you are already discussing about me with your mother.” He laughed as they made their way into his office.

“Only because of your actions. I don’t know how it got to her but she thinks you can’t keep your hands off of me.” She only spoke the next part once the door was closed behind them. “She thinks you’re courting me. And since you rarely make appearances outside the Fortress of Meropide, my mother wants a photo of you before she truly believes that rumor or listens to me.” It didn’t help that part of Y/N wanted that rumor to be true as well. Even then it wasn’t like she could find the time to admit it aloud just what she wanted.

They made their way up the stairs. “I don’t know why you need a photo of me if we aren’t actually a couple.” He let go of her arm once they reached the top.

Y/N frowned, looking around and seeing his office was spotless. Liar. Not a single thing was out of place. There wasn’t even a stack of papers on his desk. “Is it wrong of me to still want to show her a photo of my friend? The only photos I’ve managed to find of you are mid-fight in the Pankration Ring. I can’t show those to her.”

Wriothesley walked over to a bookshelf with his tea collection looking through it to find what suited Y/N’s tastes the most. “It’s a photo that has my face in it. Sounds like it counts.” 

"I am not showing my mom a photo of you shirtless, sweaty, and punching someone during a boxing match. She may be quite the easygoing person but I think she'd have my head on a platter if that was her first impression of you." 

"Vanilla Chai or Orange Cinnamon?" They were her favorites but he wasn’t sure which one she'd be more in the mood for. "You want a good first impression of me for her? I'm a Duke. Shouldn't that be good enough?" It was usually good enough for people who had no need to have any idea how he was as a Warden.

Y/N moved over to his desk and began messing with the gramophone playing the record he had on there last. If she was to have tea then she'd have music as well. "Earl Grey if you don't mind. I actually enjoyed it a lot last time you offered it." The sound of his music was lovely to her ears. "And no your title is not a good enough impression for her. Where do you think I got my dislike of titles from?"

"Well bring her down to the Fortress one day. We can all have lunch together." He offered up the idea as he began to steep the tea for them. "If it's that important to you that I make a good impression on her, I'm sure a lunch here would help."

Y/N sighed and shook her head. "I want her to meet you Ri not the Warden of this Fortress. She can meet that side of you at a later date.” Realistic it was a side that she hoped her Mother would never truly have to meet. “She should meet my friend. The one who could put away two pots of tea and is covered in stickers and loves songs you could easily find yourself slow dancing to." 

“Is that how you view me?”

“You’re also a bit cocky, love to gossip more than you would ever admit and you find too much fun in watching people guess if you are joking around or being serious.” She sat down on the couch in his office. 

“Well, now I’m not giving you your favorite mug.”

Y/N’s laughter filled the room. “You’re so mean. You should be happy I’ve only brought up the good things about you to my mother. I want her to like you.”

“You shouldn’t worry about it too much. Watch Sigewinne find out and she’ll be worried about you for the entire week.”

“I have to worry about it. You’re such a mystery to so much of Fontaine and have way too many rumors floating around you. I don’t want my mother to believe rumors about you.”

Wriothesley began pouring the tea out in the two mugs for them. “If I agree to let you take a picture of me, can we drop this?”

“Under what conditions? I know there’s more than just me dropping this.” She sat straight up excitedly waiting for her mug to be handed to her. He still had her favorite mug out for her. 

“Just be in the photo with me.” 

“Admit you are kamera shy.”

Wriothesley rolled his eyes before handing Y/N her favorite mug and taking a seat on the couch next to her. His mug was placed on the coffee table in front of them. “All because I don’t care to have my photo taken doesn’t mean I’m afraid of the kamera. I just don’t think there’s ever been a good reason that requires a photo of me.”

“So you must find this a good enough reason then.”

“You were going to try and get a photo of me regardless.” With how sneaky she was about handing off more stickers to Sigewinne, Y/N would have an easy chance of taking the photo. Knowing his luck with the woman, he would notice while she laughing over a photo where a stray sticker had wandered towards his face.

She frowned. “What do you take me for? I was only joking earlier. You should know I respect your privacy.”

He shook his head. “I just meant you would keep begging me every time you showed up here. As funny as that would be, I don’t want you to waste your time.”

Y/N laughed. “Do you really think I would be caught begging you for a picture? I could easily convince you into it if I wanted.”

“And how would you do that?”

“Have I not just convinced you?” She drank her tea hiding the smile that crept onto her face.

He sighed realizing he had no way out of her question. “Remind me why I enjoy your company.”

She shrugged. “How am I supposed to know if you never told me? You know Ri, this would be the perfect time to tell me. I’m all ears.” Y/N placed her mug on the coffee table. She scooted closer towards him and looked him in the eyes. There was an attempt at looking like the most innocent person who definitely would never tease him. 

Wriothesley rolled his eyes. “Suddenly I forgot. Whoops,” he spoke with a shrug before reaching down so he could finally enjoy his drink that should have cooled off enough.

She crossed her arms before falling back onto the couch. “You’re an ass.” She told him almost singing it along with the music that played.

“I thought that was just my charming personality. The part you wanted to introduce to your mother.” He began teasing her.

“Don't make me regret telling you that,” she sighed. 

“Which part?”

“The second part. I've never called your personality charming.”

“You sounded charmed when you were describing me moments ago. And considering what you said, I should feel important that you want me to meet her.” He threw her words right back at her. “If you would have regretted it, I don’t think you would have brought it up.”

“If I can reveal all of that to you however indirectly-”

“Seemed pretty direct to me.” He interrupted. His smile was met with a glare. He shrugged a small apology for interrupting her.

“If I can reveal all of that to you indirectly,” she started once again. “I would hope you would understand I’d only regret it if things didn’t go the way I hope they would.” And the most she would hope for now is just a cherished friendship. Even then a cherished friendship was something she could happily live with.

Wriothesley placed his mug back down on the coffee table. “You really do worry too much.” He finally gave in to the thoughts that plagued the back of his mind for many months. He placed the gentlest kiss upon her cheek. “I really don't think you were worried about what your mother would think about me as much as you say it aloud.” He knew her long enough to know when she actually was worried and he couldn’t find any of it within her voice.

Y/N felt frozen. Yes, they flirted back and forth, she was used to that. But she didn't think they would ever act upon anything. She wasn’t even sure if their flirting was serious or just a thing they did jokingly.  “Wriothesley?” She spoke quietly in her shock. Never did she think such an action would steal her thoughts away. It was the last thing she expected but his action was something she welcomed to happen again. 

“Yes?” He leaned back away from her giving her space to process what had happened between them.

“Are you serious?” She began to wonder when their flirting changed from jokes into something different. Had it become serious without her even noticing?

“Only if you had been.” He had been. Playing with someone else’s heart would have been cruel. To love someone platonically, familially, and romantically was something he took seriously. He’d been through enough to know you don’t play with anyone’s heart. A heart is something that should be treated with the utmost care.

“I should be more worried about what she thinks. I'm gonna need her to like you now.”

[mysticalsoot]

a very godbur christmas

a godbur smut fic with so much fluff

➸ note; happy birthday to me and happy Christmas event kick off to you all, have your first smut fic from me, don't expect another for a good while! it literally took me like five months to write the actual sex part but merely less than a day to write the aftercare- also thank you to my darling sister for reading it every time i forced asked her to bc i needed an outside opinion

➸ pairing; godbur x afab!reader (no pronouns or gendered terms aside from anatomy is used!)

➸ summary; you make a request during one of your long stint stays, only to be met with two more gifts you didn't see coming. sweet sex with darling godbur !

➸ warning; afab anatomy is mentioned, like pretty blunty at that- size kink, daddy kink, soft top wil, a bit of degradation but honestly wil can't do that for long, p in v, penetration, kissing, really soft aftercare, praise, subspace if you squint, non sexual use of daddy after the fact. excessive pet names (puppy, bunny, honey, hun, pup, baby, sweetheart, sweetie, darling, love, love bug), use of slut and whore (the brief degradation). observations of will being a lanky, giant of a man (nonsexual context then)

➸ age-rating; 18+

➸ wordcount; 4.5k

main masterlist // godbur masterlist

MINORS DNI!! please do not read if you're under 18 and if you do, that's your fault, not mine.

you'd be spending a lot of time with wilbur lately, staying longer and longer each stay. being held by him, having quiet domestic moments with him. not to mention getting ready for christmas, decorating and baking and filling him in on each and every tradition. you knew you'd have to go soon, be sent back to mortality. this never lasted long. you both knew it, despite your deep growing hatred for the fact.

after you told him of the gift giving tradition, he'd been asking what you wanted for christmas, what he could give you. despite the fact he would without a doubt give you way more than you asked for.

you turn over to face him, a hand on his chest as you look down at him, "I know what I want," your statement was straight forward but the god before you still gave you a look of question.

"what? eternal life here? I told you, love, you can't-" you cut him off with a quick and open mouthed kiss to his lips and he gasped softly before settling into it. his hands which you noted were soft and rough at the same time, perfectly shaped-

"no, I know I can't break you on that," you pause, sitting back on your knees beside him on the bed. you had your eyes angled down on his, both of your gazes were filled with lust. you didn't need to say it, you were both thinking it, "I want my visits worth while," you didn't elaborate, you simply left it there and everything was understood.

your lovely god smirked, he smirked with such conviction and teasing that you couldn't tell if it annoyed you or made you feel giddy inside. you were so unsure. he grabbed your hips with his hands, and pushed you to lay on your back as he rolled his body on top of yours.

"oh darling, I'll make it all worth while," he spoke lowly, a sort of desire and desperation braided into his voice. his words came out as almost a growl or sorts, but fuck, it only made the fire spread and build inside you. you wanted him. badly.

"don't hesitate then," you smirked and just as your words finished leaving your lips, he dove down to take them into a bruising kiss. lips melded together in a deep exchange, teeth pulling them and nipping and you swore he nearly drew blood. he kissed you with such haste and need, you weren't sure if this man was a graceful god or an animalistic human starved of this intimacy.

wilbur began to run his hands down your sides, the kiss still intense and connected. at first, his palms and fingers grazed and held your body with a soft care, and then you whimpered and a switch flipped inside his brain. he let out a soft groan, his kisses leaving your mouth to messily line your jaw, down onto your neck. he nipped and nibbled, a suck or two here and it felt like the gods were gracing you with a personal fireworks show. and in all honesty, one of them was.

his hands got harsher in their grasps and squeezes after that switch of intensity was flipped. he was groaning roughly into your neck and his hips leaned down, meeting yours gently and you gasped, your hands finding purchase in the curls on his head, tugging softly. you felt a hardness graze your thigh through your pants and his.

his body was warm as he presses himself against you, he's warm and comforting, like a golden wave of energy surrounding you-- you pushed him up and you began to undo the buttons on his shirt and he lowered his kisses for a moment before he swatted at your hands gently.

"no, no, baby- I do the undressing, got it?" He growled softly into your ear before nipping at the earlobe and he pulled back. he hastily undid the buttons on his shirt, pulling it off slowly, making a show of it. you squirmed under him and he shot you a warning glare. you wanted to know what the warning was about, you wanted so desperately to find out. "don't be such a whore, sweet one--"

His words drew a whine from your throat and he only chuckled, "I die so I can see you and be fucked-- that's more whorey than trying to take off that damn shirt-"

His lips quirk into a sharp smirk, looking down and shaking his head, "oh you're right, aren't you, baby? you're such a whore you find anyway you can to be under me, hm?" He holds the smug smirk as he dives down to attack your neck in kisses, not bothering with your shirt. he's just as desperate as you, with the way he's hastily undoing his pants, unbuckling and unbuttoning before throwing them on the ground beside the bed.

He looks to you, slender fingers ghosting over your own jeans and you nod. He hesitates, "words, baby."

And you nod again, rolling your eyes in a playful and loving way, "yes, you may,"

"Good baby," he growls softly, doing the same as he did with his own pants, pulling them off and throwing them aside without a single care. he dives down again, kissing you deeply and taking your bottom lip between his teeth. he nips and sucks at it, your whining echoing against his skull and he can't help but whimper against your mouth. you want to throw a snarky comment at him, break his ego just a little bit, but you stop. your mind is fuzzy, for one, too over took with anticipation to come up with any decent comeback. but, for two, you can't help but feel an incessant love in his actions.

he hooks his fingers around the waistband of your underwear, "Color, darling?" he speaks so softly, a whisper, a promise. he's so soft all of a sudden and you haven't a clue why.

"Green, daddy," You say it without thinking, without second-guessing the syllables that spill from your mouth. when he freezes and looks at you, your face burns red. you hadn't ever used the name in a non joking context (what he thought was joking), let alone in a sexual manner, so to say the least; it caught you both for a whirlspin.

"sorry- sorry, wilbur- it was an acc-" you're immediately cut off by a searing kiss, one that makes you take a few steps back and squeak before you're able to settle into it, to realize it's even happening. when you do, you sigh, grabbing onto the curls on his head and tugging slightly, whimpering into his mouth and whining against him. he slides your underwear down, letting it bunch at your knees, he's slow with how he sinks his hand down. two fingers between your folds and circling your clit in a smooth and soft motion. you whimper, a soft moan following as he pulls back, still circling it and adding slight pressure as he holds your face in the other hand. his knees are what's keeping him above you as he kisses your jaw so sweet and soft.

"how are you feeling, baby?" wilbur whispers, and you let out another sweet moan as he adds a bit more pressure. tt's gentle, it's loving and it feels so fucking good.

"Good.. sooo good.." your words slur a bit, and he chuckles at how far gone you already are. how long has your desperation been this bad?

"mm, you miss my hands, honey? They way they press-" he emphasizes with his fingers pressing against your entrance, but not sliding in. You're not as ready as he wished you'd be. granted you were soaking the moment your sweet moment with him turned less than sweet, he's specific with how much teasing and taunting he does before he… commits, shall I say. "you miss the way daddy makes you feel, huh? The way I fill you up? when you're so full of me you can't do anything but whimper.. such a beautiful little slut, huh? all for me.. for your god."

you nod softly, wrapping your fingers into your curls as you whine; eyes wide and soft, full of love for the god above you. words slipping away, unable for you to even use them, to speak back to him.

"love," he grabs your chin, pinching it between his fingers and you whine at the way his hand no longer rests between your legs, "use your words, baby," he coaxes, your legs wrapping around his waist.

"mm, yes," you mumble, squirming under him, whining and desperate for more of his touch, "please?" you beg, not elaborating yet it's both clear what you're wanting. you want more than just his fingers, need more-- but he has his methods and you're much too busy feeling to even bother with arguing.

"just a few more minutes, okay? only a few, bunny," he leans his face down into the crook of your neck, placing soft gentle kisses on the skin as he slips his pointer finger inside you; grazing your walls as his thumb gently circles around your clit. he watches as you open your eyes to glare at him, visually telling him off for the teasing he's doing. he chuckles softly, "okay, okay, baby," another finger joins, and he curls them back as he begins to move them in and out. his mouth leaves behind marks in the wake of his kisses and you can't help but whine at every sensation and touch he provides.

as he moves to pull his fingers out, he goes back in; deeper. curling his fingers when he pulls back again, then spreading them gently, watching you closely for any sign of pain or discomfort you may be feeling. all he notices is the soft moans that slip from your lips every few seconds, a response to each touch he makes.

he uses his free hand to rub your cheek, keeping your eyes and attention on him as his fingers do the work, "bunny, how are you feeling?"

"mm more?"

"use more words, hun," you whimper, whining softly up at him and using your eyes as a method to convince him. it takes a few more moments of this before he nods, "color?"

"green," you smile softly, gasping when he pulls his fingers away, slipping them in your mouth to suck off your essence and taste yourself.

"good baby," his lips curve as he pulls his fingers from your mouth, wiping your lips with his thumb before he leans down to capture your lips in a searing kiss. he readjusts his position, pulling your bottom lip into his mouth as his hands lift your hips up to meet his, "color?" he mumbles against your lips; sounds of breathing melding together as he situates himself and lines up at your entrance.

"green, promise," you bite your lip, eyes cast up on him, your hands tangled in his curls as his hands slink up onto your back.

"good baby.. that's it," he hums, lips finding purchase on your neck; nipping and sucking with glee as he slowly sheathes his cock inside of you. you feel the familiar stretch of his size, eyes daring to look down at how much of it you can see through the bulge that always forms. his fingers ghost over the rounded area of your stomach and he groans, "already so full of me, aren't you?" he smirks, eyes met with yours as he rubs the skin of your stomach, settling inside you and letting you adjust to how big he is.

"mm yeah.. feels so good," you drawl out, eyes fluttering shut as you feel him bury himself just a bit deeper; hips flush with one another.

"oh, baby, I haven't even moved?"

"so?" you slur, biting your lip as he holds your waist, thumbs rubbing your skin.

"color?" he murmurs, moving to kiss gently against your neck and collarbone. you want to feel this heaven for a bit longer. you don't want him to move yet, you need to revel in the feeling of being so absolutely and desperately full of your god.

"yellow.. need a minute," you look up at him, fingers running over his lips and tracing the shape, and you lean up to bring him into a sweet kiss, pulling back and mumbling, "green,"

he smiles, kissing all over your face as he starts to move, thrusting with care as he builds up a quicker pace but being as gentle as possible. his hands roam your sides, fingers gripping as he shuts his eyes. groans slip from his mouth, lips agape and letting every moan and grunt slip past and travel to your ears.

"fuck, you feel so good, baby.." he groans, opening his eyes to glance down at you and watch your expression. your mouth is open slightly, whimpers and moans meeting his. he leans down to bring his lips to your neck again, leaving behind sweet love bites.

your sweet sounds of pleasure speak for itself, soft moans and whimpers are music to wil's ears. his thrusts become rougher, each one going deeper than the last; your mind reeling as your fingers grip the sheets.

"fuck, fuck," he grunts, face hidden in your neck as your back arches up into him, "feel so fucking good, baby.. such a good slut, mm? fuck you're so tight," he murmurs, using every word he can to his advantage.

his hands move from your waist to your hips, gripping tightly as his thumbs draw messy circles with every thrust of his hips. the sound of heavy breaths, moans and skin against skin fills the air; the scent of sweat and sex swirling with it.

you gasp at a particularly deep thrust, eyes rolling back as his head tucks into your neck. he slows down a moment, "you okay honey?"

you nod rapidly eyes shutting tightly now, and he slows a bit more, lifting his head and grabbing your chin with his hand; forcing you to meet his gaze.

"words, baby," he croons, kissing the tip of your nose before a moan slips past his lips.

"faster, please?"

he nods, smirking as he quickens the pace, leaning down to capture your lips in a sweet, slow kiss that says everything words do not convey. his hands fall back to your hips, lifting them slightly to give a better angle; and you whimper at the change. the way he goes deeper inside of you, the head of his cock grazing the deepest wall inside of you. his shaft running over that sweet spot with every thrust he makes, every movement of his cock.

your mind felt fuzzier and fuzzier by the second; melting into useless mush. there wasn't a way in hell you could speak if you had to now, all you could focus on was the tightening of your stomach and the absolutely heavenly feelings your darling god was providing to you.

wilbur begins to leave soft, messy kisses across your face as his thrusts begin to falter, getting messier and less precise with each movement.

"are you close, bunny?" he mumbles, kissing the shell of your ear as your moan a bit louder than you have, the knot in your stomach tightening tighter than it has before. you reach onto his back, digging your nails into the skin and creating half moons. you muster up the energy to nod your head, rapidly moving it as a yes; whimpers and whines following suit.

he grunts, hips sputtering as he draws closer to finishing, you swear you're gonna finish first, but lord knows he'll do everything he can to finish with you. he mumbles a quick question to you, if you want him to pull out or fill you up. and despite your melted mush for a brain, you mutter a response to the latter. you want him to stay inside you, to fill you up so full that all you can feel is him.

he glances down again, biting his lip and nearly coming right then when he yet again, sees the bulge he creates. he moves a bit faster, trying to bring you both over the edge. he reaches to grab your hands, intertwining your fingers together as he pulls you in for a final kiss.

"come with me, okay?" he mumbles against your lips before muffling any cry or moan you make as you come undone beneath him, he follows suit, filling you completely with his warmth. he gasps softly, pulling away from the kiss as he moves to rub your waist with his thumbs, kissing your face sweetly as you both catch your breath.

"baby, you did so good.. so so good. you took me so well, hun.." wilbur murmurs, fingers rubbing soft circles as he stays buried inside you for a few more moments.

"such a good puppy, yeah? sweet baby.." he sighs, pulling out not too long after he speaks, laying beside you and pulling you on top of him.

"so tired, daddy.." you whisper against his chest, nuzzling closer to his warm body as you can. his fingers sift through your hair, ghosting kisses on the top of your head.

"I know baby, but you were so good, did so good.. rest here, okay? get a little nap and then we'll have a bath, mm? how's that sound?" he coos, kissing your cheek as you sleepily smile, hands wrapping around his neck as he pulls you up closer by your lower back. he pulls the covers up over both of you, rubbing your back as he lets you nap for a bit.

before you fall asleep, you quickly mumble to him, "you were good too, daddy.. thank you," he smiles softly at your tired and slurred words, kissing your temple as he watches your breath even out.

he rubs your back as you nap happily on top of him as he watches you, thinking over the rest of his gift to you. this wasn't even part of it, yet you asked for it and he happily provided. he had other intentions, the big one being letting you stay in his world for eternity; or however long you wished. along with any other gift he had collected and created, wrapping it up and hiding it away in a room you never went into.

not too long after you fell asleep, he kissed your forehead and laid you down gently, tucking you in as he pulled on his underwear. he went into the bathroom, starting a warm bath with bubble bath and scented candles lit around the room. the lights off and the only light being the softer yellow light of the candles.

he sat on the edge of the bathtub, running his hand under the faucet, making sure it's not too hot or cold. he then put some rose petals on the floor and in the tub. he set up some towels on the stool beside the bathtub, with water and snacks for you both (but mostly for you).

he sat there waiting for the tub to fill before he heard you pattering close to the bathroom.

"daddy?" you called, sniffling softly.

"in here, pup," he smiles, standing up and walking up to where you stood by the doorway. you changed into a pair of his boxers and one of his shirts, a blanket wrapped around your shoulders. he kneeled a bit, rubbing your cheeks with his thumbs, "you okay, love bug?"

you nod, wiping your eyes a bit, a few more sniffles before you hum, "a bit, thought I lost you,"

he frowns, shaking his head before he pulls you into his chest, rubbing your back and kissing your head.

"I'm here, baby, it's okay," he coos, leading you over to the edge of the bathtub to where he picks you up and pulls you onto his lap, "how about you go pee while I go to the kitchen, yeah?"

you nod softly, hugging him close for a second before hopping off his lap and handing him the blanket before he scurried out to give you privacy; turning off the tub in the process. he hurried down the hall, slipping into the kitchen where he starts a cup of tea for you. you don't particularly like it, but he knows you'll drink it if he makes it for you. it helps your throat, you know this but it's just so gross to you. when the tea is finished, he carries it back to the bathroom, setting it on the little empty table next to the stool. he smiles as he sees you sitting on your knees, leaning over the edge and playing with the water.

"you ok, bunny?" he whispers, hand rubbing your back. you look up at him, eyes filled with love and adoration. you nod softly, standing up and reaching for him. he picks you up and holds you close, kissing your cheek over and over again.

"bath?" you mumble, body held tight against his. he chuckles softly and nods, pulling back and helping you undress and slip into the bath. he pulls off his own boxers before he slides in behind you, pulling you against his chest, fingers running over your belly.

he kisses your shoulder, his fingers sifting through your hair lovingly.

"how are you feeling, little bear?" you sigh, leaning your head back as he draws little shapes on your belly with his finger tips.

"tired, but good.. thank you, for earlier."

he smiles, nodding with a kiss to your bare shoulder, "you're welcome, sweetie," he pauses, nuzzling his nose against your neck and under your ear for a moment, "you want me to wash your hair, baby?"

you nod softly, humming, "mhmmm," then rest your hands on his knees, rubbing your thumbs over the skin through the water. you admire the difference of size between his legs and yours, giggling softly.

"what, bun?" he croons, rubbing shampoo into your scalp, running it through your hair as he waits for your response.

"I'm smaller than you, by a lot," you mumble, chewing your lips as you scoot closer against him.

"yeah, you are, huh? do you like that?" he asks, smiling softly to himself as he tilts your head back; rinsing out your hair.

"yeah, easier to be held by you," you sigh, shutting your eyes and leaning your head back further onto his shoulder. he smiles sweetly, a kiss to your nose as he finishes washing it.

he lets silence drape over you both, fingers rubbing circles on your belly again before he speaks up, "I have a proposal for you, for your Christmas gift."

"mm? yeah daddy?" you look up at him, eyes fluttering open as you gaze up at him, your hands reaching to play with his fingers.

"how do you feel about getting to stay here indefinitely, mm? be my immortal love?" he watches as your eyes widen with excitement, pure joy filling you as you sit up and grab his hands tightly, splashing some water in the process.

"really?"

"really, baby,"

you smile widely, muttering thank you's to him as you hold onto him, hugging his neck. he holds your back, pressing your smaller frame against his chest as he chuckles at your joy.

"are you that happy?"

"yes! yes, I am, I get to stay with you and be with you and I get to have you to myself. i get to have my daddy and- i- thank you," you whisper the last part, calming down from your rant as you take a few soft breaths. he reaches forward to caress your cheeks with his thumbs, rubbing back and forth as he smiles admiringly at you.

"I'm glad, and you're welcome, love bug," he pauses, gazing down at you as you move to sit in his lap, legs wrapped around his waist as he drops his hands to your back again, "no more sex for a while?"

"nuh-uh, I am sore, maybe in like... a week?" you suggest, shrugging nonchalant as he rubs your upper arms.

he chuckles softly, leaning forward to kiss your cheek, "youuuuu mean in a month?" he smirks softly, drawing his hands down from your arms onto your sides, pulling you towards him.

"well, maybe on Christmas Eve but-"

he smirks, kissing the corner of your mouth before he whispers, "in front of the fire?"

"with a candle?"

"look forward to it then, my love," he smiles, kissing your cheek before letting you rest on his chest, his hands running up and down your back as you sigh. you nuzzle your nose against his skin, finding peace in his warmth and touch.

not too long passes before he's sitting up with you, holding you by your lower back and pressing kisses to your jaw, "ready, baby?"

you nod softly, yawning tiredly as he steps out of the bath first, picking you up and standing you up against him. he holds you to his chest as he drains the tub, reaching over to the towels to wrap you up and help you dry off. he then dries himself off, which you just watch him with tired eyes, wanting to help but not having the energy to. you also knew he'd swat at your hand and get onto you. then he'd say; 'i'm meant to take care of you right now, not the other way around'.

you felt it was unfair, but arguing with him was fruitless. you whined softly, watching as he quickly put on his underwear. he smiles, shaking his head softly, "hold on, hun,"

he stood up, boxers on as he starts to pat you dry, "I wanted to help you, though," you whisper softly, looking up at him; damp curls hanging over his forehead as his light stubble gets highlighted in the dim light.

"mm.. maybe next time, okay? I'm here to care for you and you need to be cared for. deal?" you hesitate before you nod, letting him gently pat you dry, wrapping you up in the towel before he picks you up to carry you into the bedroom.

he sets you down on the edge of the bed as he hurries over to the dresser, grabbing a set of his boxers for you and one of his sweaters. you'd choose his clothes over yours any day and he knew that better than anyone. he helps you put them on before he brings you into his arms again, a few giggles from you before you both lay on the bed. you're tucked against his chest, head under his chin as he rubs your back again, playing with your hair.

"you okay, my love?" he whispers against your hair, kisses placed at the crown of your head as you nod.

"better than okay, daddy," you nuzzle against his chest, hands on his bare waist as you rub your fingertips and make shapes on his skin.

silence befalls on both of you, and he swears you're asleep, until you tiredly mumble, "I love you, daddy," which earns a smile and a sigh from him.

"I love you too, baby. you rest now, okay?" he mumbles, a few quick kisses before you fall asleep. he watches for a few minutes before falling asleep himself; feeling fully at peace with his love in his arms, being held and safe.

you'd both say this night was full of beautiful Christmas gifts, dare I say the best you could receive.

nsfw taglist; @lillylvjy @enanon (ask to be added!! 18+ only ty!)

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

Give Me Everything You Have

Translations may not always capture the exact nuances or tone of the original text. Please support Cybird by buying their stories. Expect grammatical errors.

My beloved fiancé’s birthday was almost here.

Emma: “.........”

Silvio: “What happened to you earlier?”

Emma: “What are you talking about?”

Silvio: “You have this intense gaze, like you’re about to pounce on me.”

Emma: “Don’t worry about it.”

Silvio: “Don’t be ridiculous.”

(Probably just a few more minutes left.)

As his birthday drew closer, the tension built up because as the clock struck midnight, a competition was about to begin.

(I won’t lose, no matter what.)

------------Flashback------------

Rio: “You better be careful on his birthday.”

A few days ago, Rio told me this while I was gathering information for Silvio’s upcoming birthday.

Rio: “He’s the wealthiest businessman on the continent, so his birthday is no joke.”

Rio: “On that day, merchants and prominent figures from various countries gather to celebrate him.”

Emma: “Is it that grand?”

Rio: “Oh, it’s beyond grand. His birthday has such a huge economic impact that it’s no laughing matter.”

Rio: “All the accommodations near the castle are fully booked, and the guest rooms in the castle are occupied by VIPs.”

Rio: “The gifts alone surpass the average person’s lifetime income.”

Rio: “Everyone wants to celebrate him, so the entire city turns into a festive frenzy.”

Emma: “That’s incredible, as expected of him.”

Emma: “But that means it's going to be difficult to celebrate with him on his birthday.”

Emma: “Maybe it’d be better if I celebrated it with him the day before his birthday.”

Rio: “No way. Why should you, his fiancée, have to compromise?”

Rio: “If that flashy guy puts other people before you, I’m going to riot.”

Emma: “Hehe, knowing you, you might actually do it.”

Emma: “But wouldn’t it annoy him if I asked for his time on his birthday?”

Rio: “Not at all! I assure you.”

Rio: “He’s freaking crazy about you, so there’s no way he wouldn’t be happy.”

Rio: “You shouldn’t yield to that flashy guy or other people.”

Rio: “You can say this to him if you want: As my fiancée, you need to obey me and give me your time!”

Emma: “Okay. Thank you, Rio. I’ll do my best!”

---------Flashback Ends---------

(Even if he’s busy on his birthday, it should be fine the moment the date changes.)

By the way, Silvio didn’t know I knew about his birthday.

I wanted it to be a surprise, so I prepared the cake and presents meticulously and made sure he wouldn’t notice.

As I gathered my determination, he playfully stroked my head, unaware of everything.

Silvio: “By the way, it’s not good for you to stay up so late. It’ll affect your health.”

Emma: “I’m an adult. I’ll be fine.”

Silvio: “That’s not an excuse. Should I put you to bed like an adult, then?”

Emma: “No, thank you!”

(Just a little more.)

Amidst the sound of waves outside the window, the ringing of a bell echoed, indicating that the time had changed, and it was now his birthday.

(Alright!)

Emma: "Prince Silvio, happy birthda一"

Before I could finish my sentence, a knocking sound reverberated through the room, interrupting me.

(Who could it be this late at night?)

Without much surprise, he stood up and lazily opened the door.

Gathered people: "Happy birthday, Prince Silvio!"

(!?)

I rushed to his side and peeked into the hallway, only to see a long line of people.

The line stretched so far that the end was no longer visible.

Emma: "This is..."

Silvio: "It's always like this on my birthday."

Silvio: "Everyone tries to get my attention, resulting in fierce competition."

(.........)

(I was naive!)

The line that formed at midnight to congratulate Silvio on his birthday never stopped.

Since many of them were noble guests and influential merchants from other countries, he couldn’t simply ignore them.

It didn’t take long for the lively, bustling night to turn into the morning.

(Nn...)

Lured by the soothing sound of waves, I opened my eyes and abruptly sat up on the sheets, soaked in a gorgeous scent.

(Crap, I fell asleep.)

I recalled him telling me to go to sleep and pushing me to bed in between chats last night.

(Where's Silvio...?)

I could hear his voice outside in the hallway.

It seemed like the line was still ongoing.

(No way, right? So that means he didn't sleep at all?)

I hurriedly got up and changed into the dress I had left in his room.

I tidied myself up a bit and gently opened the door.

Silvio: "You woke up at just the right time."

He had already changed without me noticing and turned towards me.

(Oh wow, there are still so many people in line.)

Silvio: "Let's go have breakfast."

Emma: "Are you okay?"

Silvio: "*Sigh* You're worrying about me way too soon."

Emma: "But you didn't get any sleep, did you?"

Silvio: "It's always like this on my birthday."

(It's always like this!?)

(He seems fine at first glance, but can't he at least rest during breakfast?)

(That's what I thought, but again, I was naive.)

While we usually have breakfast in his room or the dining room, today, however, it was in the courtyard.

The guests didn't forget to approach Silvio and speak to him as they enjoyed the seafood dishes.

(He doesn't even have time to rest.)

(It seems like he hasn't had much to eat either.)

While keeping a respectful distance, I stood nearby and waited for a brief pause in their chat before quickly speaking up.

Emma: "Would you like me to get you something?"

Silvio: "I don't need it. Just make sure you eat your fill."

Emma: "Don't you have an appetite?"

Silvio: "It's not like that. I just want to hold back a bit to prepare for today's main event."

(Main event?)

Before delving further into the conversation, a guest took Silvio away.

(What should I do? Is it going to be like this all day?)

(But if this continues, he won't get any rest.)

(I want to celebrate with him, but I also need to look after his health!)

After the buffet party, we next went to the city.

As soon as we passed through the city gate, people who had been waiting surged forward all at once.

The escort knights managed to hold them back to some extent, but it looked like the line at the court was just the beginning.

(I'm going to get squished and separated!)

I desperately clung to him, and he overreacted.

Silvio: "You...!"

Emma: "If I don't do this, we'll get separated!"

Silvio: "Don't do such things in public."

Emma: "I was just holding onto your arm!"

Silvio: "That's exactly the problem. *mumbles*"

(Did he say something just now?)

Emma: "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you!"

Silvio: "Ah, is that so? Then I won't say it again!"

(What!?)

He turned away and started chatting with everyone again.

(I feel like I missed out on something important.)

Despite feeling disappointed, I desperately clung to his cape, not wanting to be separated from him.

After what seemed like an eternity, I finally got my chance.

Perhaps tired from it all, he conspired with a knight and took a break in a secluded alley we escaped into.

Silvio: "Those guys should tone it down a bit."

(We finally have a moment alone.)

(At first, I thought I just wanted to have time to celebrate, but seeing how difficult it is, I can't afford to be selfish.)

(If only I could say happy birthday already.)

Emma: “Prince Silvio...”

Before I could even say it, he forcefully grabbed my chin and silenced me with a kiss.

(!?)

Emma: “What are you...”

A voiceless scream escaped me as his lips curled into a mischievous smile.

Silvio: “You just made a face like you’ve had enough.”

Emma: “Huh?”

Silvio: “You should come at me more seriously.”

Emma: “What do you mean...?”

Silvio: “*Sigh* You wanted to greet me, right?”

(He noticed.)

Silvio: “Then don’t give up until you give me everything you got.”

(He seems to see through my attempts to greet him.)

He messed up my hair and stepped out into the bustling city.

It didn’t take long before the people surrounded him again and disappeared.

I was stunned by the sudden kiss, but I quickly regained my composure.

(He’s gone. He must have known I wanted to celebrate.)

(Wait, could it be...?)

(Is he running away from me!?)

Part 2 ╎ His POV

[lover-222]

Puppy Dog Eyes (TAA)

...

"babe you have to get up to get up, you got training don't you?" y/n said as she turned to face him.

"i don't feel good, i'll just call them and tell them i'm feeling sick i-" he cut himself off and sneezed two times.

trent stayed home from training today, this being due to being sick. the weather wasn't helping, it was gloomy and raining. he had came down with a cold and was not feeling his best.

she nodded and looked at the time it was 9am. y/n got use to waking up early because of trent since he would be up and getting his things ready for practice. he cuddled into her and laid his head on her chest. he was more clingy when he was was sick or feeling under the weather. she didn't mind it at all.

"i'll be back i'll make you some soup and we can cuddle all you want my love" she told him as she caressed his face.

he held on to her tighter and refused to let her go, "noo just a little bit longer please?"

how could she say no to him? she could never say no to trent. she looked at his strong arms that had held hostage, "okay just 5 more minutes" she said.

once the 5 minutes were up she gently unclasped his arms from her, trying her best to not wake him up. she succeeded, y/n went into their kitchen area and started to make him some chicken noodle soup. she cut up some vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and spinach.

she then proceeded to finish off the meal. once the soup was cooking, y/n took advantage and started to clean the kitchen, although that was until she saw trent peeking out in the corner.

"you left me alone, i was cuddling with a pillow" he said sadly.

he was wrapped around in fluffy blanket that he actually gave you for your birthday last year. he actually looked adorable.

"aw i'm so sorry baby, but look i made you food. it's almost ready. if you want you can lay down on the couch and i'll bring it to you when it's ready yeah?" she said as she hugged him.

he just nodded and plopped down on the big couch. he skipped through channels and ended up going on netflix and put on a movie.

y/n placed the food on the small table that was in front of him. she sat down next to him and gave him the bowl.

"cmon it's good for youuu" she told him.

"mmm to-tired- can't hold spoon" trent said.

she playfully rolled her eyes because she knew he could but he wanted to be babied. y/n chuckled and held up the spoon with some of the soup on it and fed him. he was too adorable it was not even funny.

"have i ever told you how cute you are" she expressed while feeding him.

"not enough as you should" he playfully said.

"you have the prettiest eyes, i love them" y/n smiled.

he blushed, "stoppp i'm vulnerable right now my body hurts".

"ooooo did i just make THE trent alexander arnold blush???" y/n said playfully with a shocked expression.

trent took the spoon from her and ate the rest of his food since he wanted her to also eat. the couple finished their food and cuddled up while watching a movie.

"i think my favorite spider-man is andrew garfield" y/n spoke as she drew shapes on his back with her pointer finger.

"what?? nah it's all about toby maguire he's the original spider-man" he said.

"yeah but the second spider-man is a skater and he's really good looking" she chuckled.

trent looked up at her while raising an eyebrow, "liarrrr you know i'm wayyyy better looking" he said confidently.

y/n laughed and made him lay down on her again, "you know you're right just keep watching the movie".

"i'm always right my love i'm always right" he repeated.

funny thing is that he was right, she would never love another man how she loved trent. everything about him was so deeply admired by her. his arms and how they would wrap around her so effortlessly. his soft skin that she would touch all over. most importantly his beautiful brown eyes, that was actually the first thing that captivated her when she met him.

to her that was her weakness, she would melt every time he would look at her. when they first started dating she would blush a lot just by him looking at her and keeping eye contact was a bit difficult. she loved the way they shined and they looked even more beautiful when the sun would beam on his complexion.

she would always tell him how he had puppy dog eyes. ever since she told him that, whenever he wanted something or was trying to convince her he pulled out that trick. he looked at her and made the most adorable puppy dog eyes ever. she couldn't resist.

"stop doing that!!" she sighed then smiled.

"why?? please please please please" trent said then did his puppy dog eyes.

she cupped his face with her soft hands, " you know i can't say no to you when you do that, it's not fair!!"

he laughed and hugged her, "but you love it!!!"

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ─── a/n: i hope y'all enjoyed this :) d

[sgdlr-asdfghjkl]

Link Click Musical content 120

(it's been a busy time, so let's do a summary)

Because of Chinese New Year holidays, the musical is currently on a break 🐲🌟 There were just a few last performances and now they're resting 🙏 However, some extra content came out, so let's go through it (all video links in replies as always :*)!

LC Musical got media coverage on CCTV (Chinese Central Television - main national tv station in China). It was a short material promoting the play and the theatre, you can actually watch it on Encore Musicals' weibo and bilibili. The stageplay has gained popularity since the premiere and more people are visiting Shanghai to see it. So this news piece is basically a big shout out and a recommendation 🌟

Another video on Encore Musicals bilibili (and 1st pic at the top of my post) is from when the whole musical crew was drawing red envelopes 🧧 (I didn't know this tradition, so I added the wiki for you too^). Basically Zhang Jiahao and Wang Minhui drew the best gifts and were happy about it ^^

I already posted abt Wang Minhui's vlog with rehearsal scenes, but thanks to @chocolatexiaoshi 💝 explanations and translations from @/Elaraqwq and @/bhd322418 on twt 💙, I can tell you about some fun details about it ^^

⬆ So yea, here Cai Qi really says: "Coincidentally, I'm single too. If you want, I'll be your first boyfriend."

⬆ here Cai Qi starts singing CXS's main plot song "Words can't convey the love", then it cuts to Wang Minhui singing the rest (best thing is, we'll get to see that song performed by Shu Rongbo and Wu Yihan on Feb 10th livestream).

⬆ then he talks about the books they have in sunroom shelves. He points out how the books are all about how to become wealthy and sucessful, with titles like: 'It's performance that counts', 'Project Management Practices', 'Conscientiousness trumps competence', 'Corporate Strategy and Risk Management'. Like, the book he's holding in 2nd pic is written by Jack Ma Jun, 4th wealthiest person in China, you get the vibe... It's such a funny touch and shows attention to details by the crew designing the set ❤ I love the idea of our broke indebted boys having a library of economy coaching books ><'

⬆ (okay... okay, you got this Niebo) Then this part. Wang Minhui is singing a song from another musical (白夜追凶 roughly translated as 'Chasing the murderers day and night') in which they played as twins. Minhui played the older brother who was an experienced policeman.

In order to solve the case, Minhui's character tried to rewrite the psychology of the perpetrator, that's what this song is about. Like he was just imagining the interrogation. So Cai Qi is reenacting what Minhui is singing. It is not the actual choreography to that song 💀

Okay, that's all I had to share about the vlog, thank you Mr Wang Minhui 🧎‍♂️

From minor news, Encore Musicals announced they'll be auditioning for LC Musical cast. It's probably connected to how it's a long-term stage and they'll need more actors. According to choco-xiaoshi, musicals like this can go on for a year or longer, depending on how well the tickets sell. And for now LC stage is selling well 🌟

They also posted the performace schedule for March, with special events marked. And yes, Shu Rongbo and Wu Yihan have birthdays on the same day, March 10th and will be performing then 😌

Also Liao Jingyuan and Cai Lu posted these pictures:

To finish this post off, have this Rock, Paper, Scissors sequence between Bai Zhuoming and Wu Yihan. It's not recent, but I like it and wanted to post all the pics together but always reached photo limit before I could ><

it's missing Wu Yihan hours fr

Okie, hope you had fun ^^ remember to make use of a masterlist~

[frvnkcastles]

TENDEREST OF CARE ➵ F. CASTLE

Summary: You hate your birthday, but Frank is determined to give you the day you deserve.

Warnings: Past neglect, implied trauma, mostly just fluff :)

Word count: 2.1k

Author’s note: Tomorrow is my birthday, and unsurprisingly I am not a fan of the day so I wrote this lil thing about it :) Maybe someone can relate and needs some Frankie for their special day too <3 Also, I’m not a smut writer so there’s none here but… let’s just say he’d definitely treat you.

A gentle caress on your cheek stirred you awake with a flinch, your senses overwhelmed as you snapped out of your sleepy haze, but a quiet shush grounded you before you could panic at the sudden intrusion.

”Shh, ’s just me, sweetheart. You’re okay”, Frank’s raspy voice melted across your ears. With your eyes growing adjusted to the rays of sunlight, you blinked at him and slowly made out the small smile stretched across his face as he narrowed his gaze at you.

”Happy birthday, pretty girl”, he whispered, just loud enough for you to hear, and within seconds, you broke into a smile of your own. Sheepishly, you lifted your hands to your face and Frank reacted with disapproving tuts. ”Gettin’ shy on me now, huh?” he taunted while unfolding your hands so he could leave a kiss on your forehead, followed by one on your nose and eventually, a longer, languid one on your lips.

You weren’t a fan of your so-called special day. You were all for celebrating other people’s birthdays — in fact, last November, you had baked a cake for Frank and made sure the day had been all about him — but when it came to your own one, you dreaded the day. You had been let down one time too many, had your excitement and expectations nipped in the bud and you couldn’t remember a birthday when you hadn’t cried yourself to sleep.

Frank knew as much. And so, now that it was the first birthday of yours that he was lucky enough to witness, he was going to make goddamn sure you had a better day than in the past.

”I, uh, I can’t bake for shit but I ran over to the bakery you love so much and got you a cake. I’m tellin’ ya, there’s so much chocolate in this thing, you can’t even imagine”, Frank began explaining while reaching for the nightstand where he had set down the tray he had prepared for you, complete with your favorite drink to start the day with.

Eyes full of admiration, you watched Frank move to set the tray across your lap once you had sat up against the headboard, and how he then proceeded to scratch the back of his neck. ”Hope you like it, sweetheart”, he added for good measure, and unable to hide your smile, you nodded.

Fuck, he was nervous. He just adored you so much and wanted to give the world to you — or at least some cake and kisses. If anyone deserved to smile every day, it was you, and he had made it his mission to give you a reason to.

You dug into the cake, but when Frank continued to simply stand at your side, observing your every reaction, you couldn’t help but chuckle. ”Hey, come lay down with me”, you requested with a gesture at the empty side, and realizing his own ridiculousness, Frank snorted.

”Yes ma’am”, he complied, circling the bed so he could sit down next to you and wrap an arm around your shoulders. You leaned into his firm chest and enjoyed your cake while he played with your hair and left tender kisses on your head, and truthfully, it was already starting to look like the best birthday to date.

”Thank you, Frankie. This is really nice”, you murmured with a soft smile, and grunting in response, he tilted his head down to whisper in your ear.

”Just gettin’ started, sweetheart.”

He wasn’t kidding. While you finished your cake, he drew you a bath, just the right temperature, and when you soaked in the sudsy water, he got started on lunch. You felt almost bad for making him do everything, but as soon as you aired that idea, he was quick to shoot it down.

”Sweet girl, you ain’t makin’ me do nothin’ I don’t already wanna do. You always take care o’me. The least I can do is give you one day, yeah?” he insisted, all between gentle kisses peppered across your fresh face. As hard as it was for you to accept, he meant every word, and so, you were made to sit by the kitchen counter with your drink while he continued cooking for you.

You had to admit, seeing the man expertly work the kitchen with a towel swung over his shoulder, you suddenly appreciated being able to just sit and enjoy the view.

Once lunch was over and done with, Frank was reaching for your hand across the table and brought his lips to the soft skin. ”Havin’ a good day so far?” he queried, something vulnerable in his dark eyes as he waited for your review of what he had arranged for you.

As if it wasn’t the most delightful time. ”The best day, baby”, you affirmed with a smile on your face, the kind that was far too contagious for Frank to resist.

”Glad to hear it, sweetheart. I, uh, got somethin’ planned for later but if there’s anythin’ you wanna do now, ’m all ears”, he offered, before continuing, ”I ain’t goin’ anywhere today. Nowhere I’d rather be than my best girl’s side.”

True to his word, his attention didn’t waver for a single moment. What was more important to you, though, was that he didn’t seem to mind, either.

Two hours into a heated game of Monopoly, you looked over to his focused face as he counted his money and broke into an incredulous smile. ”You’re enjoying yourself, too, right?” you asked, and surprised by your question, Frank looked up at you from across the board and frowned.

”Whaddya mean? ’Course, I am”, he huffed, and with a similar sound, you struggled to put your thoughts into words.

”I just mean… no one’s ever gone to all this trouble for my birthday. I guess it just feels a little hard to believe that someone would, you know? That it’s not forced or anything”, you elaborated as best you could, and it seemed to only deepen the creases on his forehead.

”Baby”, he exhaled, putting down his pretend-money so he could focus on you fully. ”I’m dead-serious. I’m doin’ this, ’cause I love you. I fuckin’ adore you, y’know that? You’re the most important thing I got and right now, ain’t nothin’ more precious to me than makin’ sure you have the day you deserve”, he swore, and with so much weight behind his words, it was hard not to believe him.

An involuntary tear slipped from your eye, and Frank was quick to react. ”Hey, ’s okay”, he muttered, extending a hand to tenderly wipe the year from you cheek. ”Anyone who made you feel like you didn’t deserve all this and more… Yeah, yeah, they better hope they never cross paths with me”, he continued quietly but with absolute earnestness, only for your heart to swell at his solemn promise.

”Now, c’mere. I’mma hold you and kick your ass at this goddamn game.”

Once it was getting late and Frank saw you stifle a yawn, he was putting the final step of his plan into motion. With a kiss left on your forehead, he got up from the couch where you had been watching a movie, entangled in each other, promising to be back soon if you just waited for him.

For his surprise’s sake, you didn’t watch his movements too closely, but it was hard not to get thrilled at the mere idea of something arranged for you. Truthfully, after the day of pure attention and love that you had had, just the smallest little thing would make your heart burst. Maybe, that was exactly what he was counting on.

Sooner rather than later, Frank popped his head from outside the living room window, waiting for you on the fire escape. ”Comin’?” he lifted an eyebrow at you, and with your stomach churning with excitement, you hopped up off of the couch and followed him to the window.

With your hand in his, he guided you up the fire escape, looking after you carefully to make sure you were okay. He kept going all the way up to the rooftop, and as you entered the brisk air, you were glad you had chosen to huddle up in one of his hoodies for the evening.

He led you to his little spot where he had set up blankets and candles that, thanks to the lack of wind, lit up the dim night beautifully. In the middle of the fuzzy blankets rested a neatly wrapped present waiting for you, with a red bow on top. At the sight of the setting, your heart melted and your lips wobbled threateningly, and Frank didn’t hesitate to curl an arm over your shoulders and pull you in close.

”This okay?” he murmured, still a bit nervous if he had given you enough — if only he could have gotten you the stars from the sky, he would have.

”Frank, it’s perfect”, you sighed, lifting your hand to the one resting on your shoulder and squeezing.

He led you to the warm spot, and you cautiously took a seat, avoiding kicking down all the candles he had lit up. Some of them were your favorite kind, imbued with a scent that brought you comfort and joy — much like he did. Frank took a seat by your side, his larger frame offering you from protection from the night as he towered over you.

”Go on, sweetheart”, he requested, nodding towards the package on the ground, and with a thick swallow, you reached for the present. You were delicate to avoid ripping the paper he had clearly put his heart and soul into, and you couldn’t help but crack a smile.

”How many takes did it take to get this so pretty?” you teased, and with a laugh, Frank hung his head low.

”C’mon, baby, gimme a break”, he huffed with a grin on his face, and mirroring the expression, you looked down at the square gift.

You wanted to hold onto this moment forever, but at the same time, you were far too curious to linger in it any longer. Frank, for one, was about to burst at the seams as he waited for your reaction. So, to put him out of his misery, you pulled at the loose ends of paper and tore the wrapping paper to reveal a black, large book. An album, maybe?

You glanced at Frank, and he simply gave you an encouraging nod, so you looked back at the present and opened the first page. Your names were scribbled in Frank’s handwriting, along with an I love you to be an eternal reminder whenever he couldn’t be there to say it.

Your fingers trembled as you flipped the pages, taking your time with each one, revealing all the memories he had collected just for you. From photos you had snapped with him — and a few he had learned all about selfies with — to movie and concert tickets, pressed flowers, old letters, notes, news articles, it was all there. Written next to the mementos were reasons why he was so utterly in love with you, comforting reminders for a bad day, memories he cherished, even a poem.

It was no surprise to you that you had teared up, but you were only snapped out of your daze when Frank reached to wipe them off of your cheeks. ”You okay, darlin’?” he asked, always the gentleman, and with your heart so full of love for him and him alone, you turned to him and pulled him into a tight embrace. You buried your face in his chest, and he didn’t think twice to wrap his arms around you and rock back and forth to soothe you.

”You’re a massive sap, Castle”, you sniffled into his shirt, and with a chuckle, Frank nodded.

”Yeah… yeah, maybe I am. Just for you, sweetheart. You, uh… you make me wanna do all this sappy shit. It all makes sense when I’m with you, y’know?” he explained into your hair, holding you close with his hand on the back of your head. ”You got no idea how much you mean to me, baby.”

Squeezing him as tight as you could, you returned the favor. ”I love you so much. This is the most amazing gift I’ve ever received and the most amazing birthday I’ve ever had”, you swore. Frank’s heart skipped a beat at the seriousness behind your words, an uncharted level of happiness soaring in his chest as he realized he had been successful in giving you the way you deserved.

He pulled away ever so slightly, just so he could look into your eyes and caress your cheek. ”The world’s a better goddamn place with you in it. I know mine wouldn’t be half as bright without you. Happy birthday, sweet girl.”

[zablife]

Birthday Drabble "Provoke"

This is for my amazing moot, Em @the-makingsofgreatness who requested a drama filled Luca drabble with the prompt word "provoke." It's a bit longer than a drabble so I hope you enjoy the added word count. I drew inspiration from "Happier Than Ever" by Billie Eilish. Happy birthday, darl! I hope all your wishes come true!

“I want you to be happy here, amore,” Luca said, taking your hands in his larger ones. Ducking his head to catch your gaze, Luca added, “I can tell there are things about me you want to say, but for some reason, you’re afraid if you provoke me something might happen to you.” His voice was calm and softer than usual, a gentle plea for you to confide in him with the trust lovers showed one another, but you wondered if it wasn’t just a carefully crafted performance.

Life with Luca was full of dizzying contradictions. Although he once promised you the world, he had since ruined everything good in your life. He claimed to adore you, but ignored your misery in a strange city where you felt lonely and forgotten. He forced you to live in a violent world, insisting you were safer by his side—Ironic considering his own mercurial temper. And you were certain that if you voiced your concerns and sought solace in him now, he would only make you more afraid.

Your silence bothered Luca and he dropped your hands suddenly to reach for a toothpick, his impatience clear as he twirled it between his thumb and forefinger and began pacing the floor. You rubbed your temples, unable to think with him stalking past you. “I don’t know what to say, Luca. Maybe I should write it all down to clear my head first. I’m so confused,” you admitted, wringing your hands.

Luca halted his movements and narrowed his eyes at you, asking incredulously, “You have to write yourself a letter to tell you what to do? Baby, I can tell you what to do. Just talk to me.” He gestured with his hands emphatically, growing agitated.

“Alright,” you conceded, aware that he would not stop until you had given him an answer. “I admit this life...the things you do scare me. And recently I’ve been thinking-“ you stopped suddenly to gauge his reaction, swallowing harshly unable to say the words.

“I wish I could explain it better because you’ve been everything to me for so long…” You babbled attempting to soften the blow before coming to your point. “I think I'd be happier if I were away from you.” You rushed the words out, backing away from him as your heart beat wildly in your chest. “I wish it wasn’t true,” you added in a small voice. Looking down at your feet, you braced yourself for flying objects or an explosion of curses to be hurled at you, but nothing came. Luca stood motionless, hands shoved in his pockets, seeming to accept your words.

“If you were unhappy, you should have said so sooner,” Luca replied with a sorrowful expression. Then you watched him shake his head gently as he crossed the room to his desk. Picking up the phone, he mumbled something down the line in Italian before replacing the receiver carefully. 

“What are you going to do to me?” you asked with wild eyes. His practiced ease was throwing you off balance, worried he still might snap.

“Nothing, tesoro. I would never hurt you,” he proclaimed earnestly, sounding as though you’d wounded him gravely. He sat back in his chair, lighting a cigarette as he seemed to get lost in his thoughts. He took a long drag, dropping his head against the back of the chair and you waited for him to say something, anything about your accusation. However, he remained eerily silent. You watched him close his eyes as he exhaled a thick stream of smoke from his nostrils. It was the same way he sat in contemplation over his enemies and a cold shiver clawed at your spine.

“Luca, I never told anyone anything bad about you, I swear. This was between us. Our relationship didn’t work because we’re very different people,” you explained, chewing at your lip as you finished.

“Let’s not waste our time together. We don’t have to make each other feel badly now that it’s ending,” he assured you. His words might have been comforting coming from anyone else, but a deep uneasiness came over you as the door to his office pushed open and two of his men arrived to stand on either side of you.

As they caged you in, clamping down on your arms with brute force, you struggled against them, crying out to Luca for help. He looked past you as he stamped out his cigarette with finality. The tattoo on his right wrist became visible as he moved, a black hand appearing in your vision as silent reminder of his vengeful nature. Then giving a nod of his head, you were carried away as Luca turned from you for the last time.

**Request a birthday drabble here.

[gettingfrilly]

Make up your Ed

I truly cannot look at this anymore but I don't want it languishing away in my google docs forever with no feedback. It can stand as a complete fic as is, but I do have plans to make it longer. Once I actually finish it, and edit it properly, I'll upload it to ao3 with an explicit rating. But for now, it's rated T, and only here on tumblr. All characters are 18 years old.

The plastic folding step stool creaks under his feet, a sure sign that it's either getting too old, or Eddy's getting too fat. He quickly decides the problem is the former theory as he grabs the see-through makeup case off the top shelf lining the walls of his closet, hidden behind a box of comic books. Careful with his cargo, he takes a slow step off of his stool, then saunters back into his bedroom and places the case on his nightstand. The plastic is smooth and cool under his hands as he thumbs open the latches, lifting the lid and running his fingers along the chunky, rougher, opaque plastic bordering the edges of the box. He painted the edges black himself when he first bought it using the money he got for his 15th birthday. The lines are painstakingly clean despite how much his hands had been trembling at the time.

There's more plastic inside, clear dividers creating organized compartments for his assortment of cosmetics, the collection a result of years of careful selection. Brushes and blenders, pallets and powders, dispensers, sprays, tubes, and polish create an array of colors, glass and plastic containers glinting amber under the glow of his lava lamp. Sucking on his tongue in consideration, he starts to pluck items from each section, putting together a color palette that suits the task at hand.

"Thank you for doing this."

Eddy turns to face the source of the soft voice, Double D sitting in the center of his circular bed, knees drawn to his chest as he pulls and snaps the elastic in the hem of his knee high sock, repeating the motion in intervals as he gazes down at Eddy's bed sheets. It's the first time he's spoken since entering his bedroom.

It was with that same soft voice he had asked Eddy on their walk home from school if he'd be willing to do Double D's makeup. The crunch of freshly fallen snow underneath their boots made Eddy unsure if he had heard him right over the noise.

"You want me to do your makeup?"

"Yes, if it's no bother. If it is a bother, then that's fine, it was just a thought."

"You, as in you, Double D, want me, as in me, Eddy, to do your makeup, as in putting sticky and powdery and wet stuff on your face using the same brushes and sponges I use on my own face?" Eddy repeated himself, pointing at Double D and himself in turn before gesturing at their faces.

Double D had huffed through his nose at him, already red-from-the-cold cheeks growing redder as he glared at the path ahead. "Like I said, if it's a bother-"

He cut himself off with a squeak as Eddy grabbed his hand and started jogging home, a wide grin splitting his chapped lips. Ed wished them luck before he was out of earshot, waving them off with his usual goofy smile.

He had ranted at Double D the whole way home, recounting tales of his exploits during the handful of times he drove up to Buffalo for a Saturday night of clubbing and drag, enjoying what the queer scene there had to offer. Stories were interspersed with boasts about his styling skills and the amount of eyes he caught and attention he drew, promising Double D that he’d turn him into a standout masterpiece that any queen would envy. The more he went on, however, the quieter Double D had become, until he had stopped talking completely and kept his eyes glued to the ground.The shift in mood didn’t go unnoticed by Eddy, who slowed his pace and started cracking jokes in an attempt to lighten the mood. Double D paid only minimal attention to him, and by the time they got to Eddy’s room, Eddy found himself sour and uneasy, wondering what the hell could be going on with him.

"No prob, Bob." He grabs Double D’s wrist and pulls his arm closer, flipping it over to reveal the paler side underneath. "Just make sure to use your math skills after to figure out how much money you owe me based on how much makeup I use."

That earns him a dry, withering look.

"Jeez, relax. Can't you take a joke?" He asks as he starts applying swatches of different foundations, watching the tendons in Double D's arm flex under the wet makeup sponge.

"As if I had no reason to believe you might have been serious."

"Oh lighten up." Eddy retorts, starting to bristle under Double D's prickly responses. "You're the one who asked me to do this, ya know—and here you are acting like you're about to go under the knife."

Double D has enough humility to look away sheepishly, averting his gaze and worrying at his lip. "...I know. I'm sorry, Eddy. I should be more grateful."

"Or just a little less bitchy." Double D looks back at Eddy to glare at him, but his expression softens when he sees the small smile on Eddy's face, only teasing him.

"I'll do my utmost."

"Good." Eddy says in response both to Double D and to finding a foundation that matches, putting the rest away as he grabs the makeup he selected and dumps it on the bed. The makeup rolls over the comforter as Eddy's weight creates dips in the mattress, crawling the oversized expanse of it until he's on his knees in front of Double D. He takes Double D's face in his hand, still cool from the face wash and moisturizer he used in Eddy's bathroom. Using one of his cleaner sponges, he starts applying primer, careful not to get any in Double D's exposed hairline. His sparse, dark hairs are held back by Eddy's makeup stained cloth headband, giving him a rare look at the full shape of Double D's face.

"Why do you wanna wear makeup?" Eddy finally voices the question that's been in the back of his mind since his excitement diminished.

"Well, why not?" Double D answers his question with his own question. "You wear makeup sometimes."

"I meant why all of the sudden."

"All of a sudden, Eddy." Double D corrects him while trying not to move his face too much.

"All of these nuts in your mouth." He mutters, hands unfortunately too busy for him to emphasize the point by grabbing his own crotch.

"Eddy, please."

"Just answer the question, Sockhead."

Double D pouts and is quickly scolded by Eddy into keeping his face still. "Just a whim, I suppose. Am I not allowed a whim now and again?"

"I just wouldn't exactly describe you as whimsical."

"Well. We all have our moments."

A silence follows the exchange, Eddy far from satisfied by Double D's answer. He's too distracted by contouring Double D's weird head to interrogate him further, though, too used to working with his own square shaped face. Thankfully for him, it's not too hard to get answers from someone who typically doesn't know how to shut the fuck up.

"Did you ever think you might be a woman?"

"Huh?" Eddy pauses at the sudden question, backing away from Double D's face, applicator hovering in midair.

Double D puckers his lips as if he tastes something sour, pulling the elastic of his sock further away from his shin before letting it snap back. "I mean... with your long standing fascination with clothing, hair products, and fragrances, and then dresses and makeup more recently. Didn't it ever cross your mind?"

He frowns at Double D's simplification of gender, though he understands what he means. Thinking to himself quietly, he goes back to shaping Double D's chin, taking a moment before answering. "Sort of, I guess. Briefly."

"Really?" He asks, voice tinged with hope.

"Yeah, back when I was still having my big ol' gay crisis. Pretty sure sexuality and gender crises go hand in hand. I mean, I liked boys, and I wasn't supposed to because I'm a boy. Makes you question shit."

"Just how much were you questioning?"

Eddy waves his free hand noncommittally before capping the applicator and reaching for the foundation he selected. "Eh. Enough to make me sweat over it for a bit. I kept asking myself which would be worse: being a gay man, or being a woman?"

"Oh." Double D says with a wince.

"Yeah, oh." Eddy agrees with his distasteful cringing.

"Do you still question yourself?" Double D hedges.

"Nah. Eventually figured I didn't want to be a chick, I just wanted to have a boyfriend. I hadn't fully realized there was a difference."

"But you still wear makeup and dresses."

Eddy shrugs. "Yeah, 'cause it's fun."

Double D raises the brow Eddy just shaped. "How so?"

"It's like... a joke, kinda." He answers after chewing on the question for a moment. "It's what people expect from a gay man. So fine, I'll do it. And I'll be smokin' hot and have fun with it. Hopefully make people really uncomfortable along the way, 'cause fuck 'em.” He punctuates his statement by popping open a tube of concealer. “That, and I spent my whole childhood being terrified over being masculine enough. It's a relief, knowing drag doesn't make me any less butch when I'm not in drag."

Double D hums. "Yes, I suppose even when you're in drag or just makeup, I wouldn't exactly describe you as feminine."

"Me neither. Is that what this is about, then?" Eddy asks, gesturing at the makeup on his bed and on Double D's face, starting to get the picture of what’s been making Double D so fidgety.

"Oh, me? No, I- well... perhaps. I don't know, it's all so confusing, Eddy.” He has to pause in his makeup application while Double D’s face goes through a wide range of expressions, Eddy huffing in frustration before forcing himself to be patient and listen. 

“It's something I've been teased about my whole life, to the point where I'm starting to feel there's something about me other people know that I don't.” Double D admits, face settling on a small frown and wrinkled brow. “While I can admit I've always been a tad feminine-"

"Who says you're feminine?"

"Oh, come on, Eddy."

"I'm serious, Dee. What, 'cause you don't like sports? You spend more time reading than tossing a ball around? You're into bugs and nature and organic food?" He starts waving the concealer wand around like a conductor’s baton, jabbing it in Double D’s direction with each question asked.

Double D gives him a flat look, unmoved by his impassioned gesturing. "Eddy, you have accused me of being a sissy time and time again for those very same supposedly nonsensical reasons."

Eddy crosses his arms, careful to not get any concealer on his shirt. "Yeah, when I was a kid. I'm a different man now." He bristles, offended by Double D’s implication that he’s still some bigoted preteen.

"We're still kids, Eddy." Double D’s voice is almost too quiet to hear, as if he’s admitting something shameful.

"Speak for yourself."

Silence falls again, and Eddy takes the opportunity to get back to work. His mind wanders as he goes through the practiced motions of putting on makeup, going off of muscle memory as he tries to figure out just why Double D is being so cagey about this. He’ll never forget how casually Double D came out to him and Ed, only in eighth grade when he told them one sleepover that he was ‘fairly certain I’m bisexual.’ Buttery popcorn had fallen right out of Eddy’s hand and onto Ed’s sticky basement floor, feeling like someone just put his head through a brick wall, ears ringing from the non existent head wound and leaving him too unfocused to pay attention to the questions Ed asked in response. He continued to perform his best impression of a gobsmacked cartoon character until Double D had called out his name in the same tone he uses when he thinks Eddy is about to do or say something stupid. It took him a couple more seconds to recover before he was able to mutter out a ‘whatever floats your boat, Sockhead,’ quickly changing the topic of conversation afterward.

He didn’t sleep a wink that night—just lay awake staring at the glow in the dark stars him and Double D had put all over Ed’s ceiling two birthdays ago, trying to figure out how the hell someone could admit to something like that so easily. Wasn’t Double D terrified? Wasn’t he disgusted? Didn’t he hate himself? And why in the name of Christ and fuck and shit was part of him goddamn happy about this?

It had taken two more years for Eddy to be able to even say he’s gay out loud to himself, never mind to anyone else. When he did eventually come out to the other Eds, it was after a night of nervous binge eating, hours of trying to ramp himself up to it only to stuff his open maw with more junk food instead of letting the words come out. Eventually, Double D had suggested bedtime, and stabbed through the heart with panic as if he’d never get a chance again, Eddy stood, ready to spill his guts out—only to run for the bathroom to puke them out instead. Ed and Double D followed him close behind, and he whispered his confession into the porcelain, sniffling wetly and getting a lungful of vomit smell as he watched his tears drop into the mess below. He was a pathetic disaster, Ed’s attempts to soothe him with a bedtime story going ignored as he hyperfocused on the feeling of Double D’s cool hand running up and down his back. They went on their first date two weeks later.

So now he’s totally thrown off, the ill-fitting shoe on the other foot as he discusses gender identity casually while Double D works at picking a hole into his sock and looks anywhere but at Eddy. Double D never seemed to be insecure about his masculinity before, at least, as far as Eddy knows. If anything, Eddy had been insecure enough for the both of them, frequently pushing Double D to lift or run or take up boxing, anything to up his man cred. Double D had always been resistant, stating each time that his abilities simply lie elsewhere. Had he been self conscious about it all this time and Eddy just never picked up on it?

"Perhaps I was speaking only for myself. I fear you're far more mature than I am, Eddy."

Eddy leans back, startled not just by Double D talking after such a long silence, but by the content of his sentence, too. "Hold up.” He makes a show of digging his pinky into his own ear before tilting his head and slapping the side of it as if he’s trying to get something to fall out the other end. “I know I didn't hear that right. I've never heard you say I'm more ANYTHING than you. Other than loud or rude or messy or other negative shit."

"Well it's the truth!” It’s the loudest Double D has spoken tonight, his hands thrown up into the air dramatically. “I've been left behind in the proverbial dust, Eddy. You and Ed are so sure of who you are. Even you, who used to be the most insecure, awkward, and desperate for inclusion out of the three of us."

"Gee, thanks." Eddy replies, voice dry as the desert and hollow as Ed’s head.

"And now you're able to just... be!” Double D continues, ignoring his own accidental insult towards Eddy. “Without worrying about what others expect or want from you. The only reason you remain in the closet locally is to avoid consequences at home. But with yourself, or in the city, you're so genuine, so unashamed. Yet the older I get, the more unsure of myself I become, as if puberty somehow made me immature. I have no idea who I truly am. I'm rather jealous of you, Eddy." Double D’s excitement peters out as he goes on, slumping forward in defeat as his hands return to his knees.

“Oh. I get it.” And he does, finally. This isn’t just a gender crisis, it’s a growing up crisis, which is much more on track for Double D’s neuroses. Whether he becomes a woman or not, he’s still not gonna be a ‘boy’ anymore.

“Get what?”

“Shut up and listen, because I got something to say and also because I need you to not move your face for a while. I’ll try to put this in words your weirdo crazy bananas brain can understand.”

Double D follows Eddy’s instructions, tightly pressing his lips together and freezing his face into an impressive stock-stillness.

Eddy nods his approval, capping the concealer before grabbing a brush to start blending. “Okay, so. It’s like… we’re just molecules. I said don’t move your face!” Eddy scolds Double D for his poorly repressed grin, apparently finding Eddy’s attempt at using scientific jargon just so goddamn funny. “I know what a fucking molecule is, ya know. I’m not that shit at school.”

“Anyway,” he continues once Double D wipes the smirk off his face, “we’re molecules and atoms and junk. I don’t know who I truly am because there is no ‘who I truly am.’ You could break me apart into the smallest possible pieces looking for it and all you’d find is a bunch of loosely connected random shit.” He grabs a smaller brush to blend in the nooks and crannies of his face. “I never tried to look for who I am. I just spent my life trying to be someone everyone liked, which is impossible, and wanting to be something impossible just made me miserable and mean and shitty. I couldn’t be a complete person.”

Double D opens his mouth like he wants to protest, brows drawn in concern, but Eddy raises his hand to silence him. “It’s in the past. Then there was the whole running away fiasco, and then puberty hit me like a sack of bricks and life was already hard e-fucking-nough, so I tried to dial it back, just be someone that most people will like. That shrunk down to some people, then to just the other kids in the neighborhood, and one day I asked myself, well shit, why not be someone I like? I’ve never liked myself before. Should probably give it a shot.” 

“Oh, Eddy.” Double D won’t be silenced this time, grabbing Eddy’s free hand and squeezing it tightly as he gives him his usual concerned mother face. Eddy sighs through his nose and squeezes his hand back, running his thumb in the junction between Double D’s thumb and pointer finger.

“Like I said, it’s in the past.” He slips his hand out of Double D’s and carefully applies lip liner while holding his chin. “All I’m saying is you gotta stop spending so much time up here,” he taps Double D’s forehead, “and try spending a little more time in here,” he finishes, placing his hand over Double D’s chest.

Double D looks down before glancing back up with a smirk. “In my udder?”

Eddy rolls his eyes at the callback, taking his hand back to get to finishing up. “Yeah, your udder. That’s where you’ll find the person you want to be.”

“So you’re a gay man because you wanted to be a gay man?” He asks flatly.

“Well. No. Okay, so, some of it is probably generic.”

“Genetic.”

“Whatever. The bulk of it, though? How we act, what labels we choose, what clothes we wear, whether we wear makeup or not—that’s all from exposure and desire. We’re all just cobbled together, Dee.”

“Is it really that simple?” Double D asks, sounding equal parts hopeful and doubtful.

Eddy shakes his head. “Nope. Having a true self you could look for under a microscope is what would be simple. Real life’s a lot more complicated than that.”

Double D widens his eyes, breath catching softly in his throat as he stares Eddy down. Eddy narrows his eyes back at him, unsure if he should feel complimented or offended by Double D’s reaction.

“Eddy… since when did you become so wise?”

Offended, then. “Since when did you only give me compliments that were backhanded? Just kidding, you’ve always done that. Now for real, hold still and shut up. Lemme do your eyes.”

Double D complies, trying his best to keep his wincing to a minimum as Eddy pokes and prods his lids. As long as he doesn’t start mumbling about pink eye, Eddy can put up with the occasional fidgeting. Once the eyes are done, all that’s left is the lipstick, and Eddy purposefully takes his time with it, Double’s D’s chin clutched between his fingers as his eyes slip shut, a soft blush glowing through the layers of makeup. Fuck, he’d kiss him it wouldn’t mess up his work.

“Okay, done.” He gropes around his night stand until he finds his gold painted hand mirror, shoving it in Double D’s direction. “Go ahead and lay on the praise for my incredible skills.”

Double D takes a deep breath before lifting the mirror and opening his eyes, face freezing at what he finds. Silent seconds slowly tick by as Eddy waits for any sort of appraisal, positive or otherwise, arms crossed and finger tapping against his arm.

“... I look like my mother.”

Eddy’s wince is automatic and unstoppable. “Mmrh. But, like, a hot version of your mom, right?”

“Eddy, my mother is-” Thankfully for Double D, for Eddy, for the reader, for the author, and for the universe at large, he cuts himself off before finishing that sentence. “And it’s so conservative.”

Eddy shrugs. “Yeah, well. You don’t usually go for gaudy.” He had picked a color palette he’d never pick for himself, all natural colors that would mix well with Double D’s skin tone, highlighting his innate beauty and giving his face a more feminine shape without making him look like he was about to start lip syncing to Shania Twain. The only splash of color he gave him was the lipstick, a deep cherry red and one of Eddy’s favorites.

“I don’t. You put so much thought into this, Eddy.” He murmurs, the content of his sentence not at all matching his dismayed tone.

“You hate it.”

“No, it’s not that. You did an exceedingly good job, your high skill is abundantly obvious, and I am still very grateful.” He quickly explains, still staring at himself in the mirror. “It’s just… I didn’t expect… I thought-” he takes a deep breath and sighs, putting the mirror down. “I feel the same.”

Eddy takes a deep breath through his nose and purses his lips, readying himself to be an ‘empathetic listener’ as Double D often describes it. At least he doesn’t have to put on the fake empathy face for him like he does for other people. “Okay. How did you think you would feel?”

“Different.” Double D gives the obvious answer, and Eddy has to hold himself back from saying ‘no shit.’ He waits instead, keeping his face neutral and his eyes on Double D as he fiddles with his blanket, twisting his fingers into the fabric. 

“I don’t know. Anything, really. Elated, horrified, enlightened, disgusted, at peace, unease. Anything would have been better than still just feeling confused.” Double D starts to clutch his own arms as he talks, fingers digging into the fabric of his winter cardigan. “I still don’t know who I want to be.”

“What, you thought it would happen overnight? I’d share my ‘wisdom’ with you and your big brain would just work out the rest?” He puts scare quotes around wisdom, withholding the impatient huff he wants to give. “Shit takes time, Sockhead. It took me years of self loathing and fear to get to where I am.

Double D looks less than thrilled by the prospect. “Uh. But who knows, might not be that bad for you. You’ll figure something out eventually. You always do, Dee.”

“I do, don’t I.” He gives Eddy a small smile, only slightly forced as he takes his hands in his own. “Thank you, Eddy. You’ve been very sweet to me tonight.”

“‘M always sweet.”

“Of course you are.” He leans in to give Eddy a peck on the corner of his mouth, a chaste and innocent gesture, but when they part Double D stares at Eddy’s mouth for a worrying amount of time.

“Huh? Oh.” Eddy finally figures out what he’s staring at. Double D always opposes messiness. “Yeah, I didn’t use any lipstick sealer. Figured you’d be taking it off right after, so-”

He’s cut off by a far less chaste kiss, Double D sealing his lips against Eddy’s before he starts shifting against them, hands flying up to grab Eddy’s shoulders in a bruising grip. Eddy can do nothing but flounder, his surprised exclamation muffled against Double D’s mouth. Seeing as there’s absolutely no reason not to, he surrenders himself, arms snaking around Double D’s smaller frame, pulling him closer until their bodies are flush against each other, putting up zero resistance when Double D pushes down to the mattress. Glass and plastic makeup containers tumble and clink against each other as their shifting weight creates new divots in the mattress, followed by the soft hush of something smooth sliding over Eddy’s silk sheets, landing on the carpet below with a dull thud.

‘Hope my mirror didn’t just break. Glass is a bitch to get out of shag carpeting.’ That’s all the brain resources he has available for the integrity of his cheap mirror right now, the rest of it occupied by the overwhelming presence and persistence of Double D, hands grabbing and squishing the usual suspects, i.e. Eddy’s stomach, thighs, and love handles. Shortly after Double D’s hands start to rove, his lips start to travel, too, across Eddy’s jaw, cheek, then neck, pulling back a little bit each time to gaze down dazedly at the gory red trail he’s left in his wake. Eddy lets him, making no moves to take control of the situation, just breathing heavily beneath Double D’s ministrations.

Eventually, Double D slows to a stop, sitting up with his knees on either side of Eddy’s stomach as he lightly traces the path of kiss marks decorating Eddy’s heated face. His eyes are unfocused, lids hooded, body loose and face relaxed, not at all the ball of nerves he’d been since their walk home.

“I still don’t know who I want to be.” He admits softly, giving Eddy one last kiss on the cheek before he lays on top of him and nuzzles into the side of his spacious neck. “But I know who I want to be with.”

Eddy wraps his arms around him again, tilting his head to the side to brush a kiss of his own against Double D’s ear, an always hypersensitive part of his body. It brings him close enough to be drawn in by the allure of Double D’s hypoallergenic laundry detergent and natural deodorant, shoving his nose in his shirt and huffing fumes that can really only be described as smelling ‘clean.’ He embraces and is embraced in return, wanting and wanted, loving and loved.

“And I already have you, Eddy.”

[hollywoodxwhore]

Ours | Chapter Twelve

Colson x Presley (Original Female Character)

Synopsis: Presley and Colson fell in love accidentally, but they were meant to be. Now that all the obstacles have been removed, they're moving in together in LA. Now, they have all the time in the world for Colson to teach Presley all of the things he knows. This fic is the sequel to Mine, which can be found in my masterlist!

Warnings/Content: ANGST (it's going to get worse after this chapter so please check content warnings), swearing, depression, col over reacting, col & presley arguing, mentions of domestic abuse, MF being a dumb asshole

Colson

I’ve been walking around like a zombie for the past three weeks.

I feel terrible about it. I should be celebrating our album, celebrating the fact that I’m married, celebrating my birthday that passed by weeks ago, but I can’t. April turned into May and as the weather warms and the days get longer, I just can’t pull myself out of this hole. 

I barely talk to anyone, even Presley. She’s understanding and kind and patient but I know how much it hurts her. We fall asleep together most nights but we haven’t had sex since before Megan’s post came out. I miss her, of course I do. 

I find her in the kitchen, finishing up dinner, and before she notices me, I take a second to watch her. She looks like she’s lost some weight from her already thin frame. Her hair is in a messy claw clip and she wears sweats and a giant t-shirt. Come to think of it, she’s been acting depressed, too. Probably because her husband has turned into a depressed lump whom half the world hates. Maybe half the world is dramatic, but it feels like it.

I haven’t been on social media and I’ve only been replying to those closest to me. Even then, my replies are few and far between. I can only imagine what’s being said about me. My lawyer told me Megan was forced to delete her post, but it’s not like it matters. Everyone already saw it. Everyone already drew their own conclusions. 

As Presley turns around to place our bowls on the island, she spots me. She straightens up a little and her face, a mask of misery and exhaustion, transforms into a weak smile. She’s trying so hard for me but I can tell she’s also feeling broken. I imagine I’d feel the same way if she was going through something painful. I sigh and walk over to her. She turns to look up at me and I slide my arms around her waist, pulling her in.

“Col,” she murmurs, nuzzling her face against my neck. I say nothing. I stand there and hold my wife, trying my best to draw strength from her. But nothing is better and everything is fucked up and I’m so scared. I just need Presley. I need to be close to her, to forget the rest of the world. 

I bend to scoop her up and her legs go easily around my waist. I settle her on the island and press my forehead to hers, my hands sliding over her thighs. “Pres,” I say roughly. Her hand delicately rests on my cheek. “I’m sorry I haven’t been myself.”

“Colson,” Presley tries, shaking her head, but I continue.

“It’s not fair for me to shut you out. I just don’t have anything productive to say,” I mutter.

“Talking about your feelings isn’t unproductive, Col,” Presley gently points out. “I just want you to tell me what you’re feeling. What you’re thinking.”

“I’m…I’m fucking scared,” I say haltingly, like the words don’t want to come out. “I don’t know what this is going to mean for my career. It could kill me, Pres.”

Presley chews her lip. “Quite honestly, there are a ton of abusive men in Hollywood and they’re pretty much all forgiven.”

My brow furrows. “But I’m not an abuser,” I say tightly.

“No, Col, I know that,” Presley says, shaking her head. “I didn’t mean–”

I push away from her, shaking my head. “Don’t even compare me to those assholes,” I say, anger and fear rising in my chest. 

Presley’s eyes widen as she hops down from the counter. “Colson, I’m not–”

“You fucking believe her, don’t you?” I scoff, frowning deeply at my wife. 

“Colson, you’re–”

“Nah, that’s fucking cute, Presley,” I say shortly, tearing a hand through my hair. “Thought you of all people had my back.”

“Colson, stop!” Presley pleads, crossing her arms protectively across her chest.

“Let me guess, you’re going to ask for a divorce soon,” I scoff. I know I’m being unreasonable, but I don’t want to be blindsided again. If she’s going to leave, I need to be prepared for it.

“Stop. You just want to hurt your own feelings,” Presley shoots back, her eyes narrowing. “You know I don’t feel that way.”

“Maybe you fucking do, though,” I mutter, and Presley explodes.

“Oh, fuck off!” she snaps, her eyes wide and fierce with anger. “I’ve been nothing but supportive and patient and sweet to you. I don’t force you to talk. I don’t tell you what to do. And now you want to put shit on me?”

“Presley,” I say, heart sinking. 

She shakes her head, holding a hand up. “You can wallow in your own fucking misery by yourself tonight,” she says. “I’m going to Cash’s.” With that, she abandons the kitchen and takes the stairs two at a time up to our room. 

Panic rises within me and I want to follow her but I feel frozen in place. She comes downstairs a few minutes later. I open my mouth to speak but nothing comes out. Presley slips into a pair of slides, shoulders her bag, and slams out of the house. 

And now, I’m completely alone. 

Presley

I wake up at Cash’s place the next morning with my eyes so swollen I can barely open them.

I don’t let Colson see how much this all impacts me because he’s the one really dealing with it. I’m just the wife. But I’m also the one who sees what’s being said on social media. I’m the one that interacts most with Jason, Colson’s lawyer. I’m the one who responds to texts from friends and emails about interviews. I don’t think Colson has any idea how much I’ve been doing since this all happened.

I’m completely exhausted. I miss my husband. I miss how things were just a month ago, before Megan ruined everything. She can’t stand seeing Colson happy with someone else. I see it for exactly what it is, but too many people still see Megan as this sexy, perfect woman and how dare MGK even breathe the same air as her! 

I hate her, and I don’t hate people. Usually, I’m pretty indifferent to anyone I don’t know. I’m protective of those I love, but I’m pretty good at just brushing people off. But I actually hate Megan. The fact that she’s making allegations like this for attention, for revenge on Colson for not taking her back when she was the one who hurt him in the first place. Colson is right – he’ll probably never come back from allegations like this. 

Jason is at a standstill with things; Megan’s lawyer isn’t very communicative, but I wake up with a strong feeling that I have to do something about this and very fucking soon. I stare at the ceiling for a long time, fingers twitching. “Fuck it,” I mutter, snatching my phone off the nightstand. Do not disturb is still on, so I ignore any notifications and scroll down, finding her original text to me. I type up the message and stare at it for three minutes before I finally hit send. 

There. Can’t take it back now.

It’s raining as I navigate LA traffic, hoodie pulled over my head. I must look wild right now, no makeup, messy hair, sweats and a hoodie. Slides on my feet. But I don’t give a fuck. This ends today. 

I send a text to announce my arrival and the gate slowly creeps open. It gives me some satisfaction that her house is smaller than ours and nowhere near as nice or unique. I park in front of the garage and walk up to the front door. I should be nervous but I’m not. I’m angry. I’m motivated. She doesn’t get to do this.

Before I even walk up the steps, the door is open. Megan stands there, one hand curled around the door, her long nails like talons. It’s funny – I used to have such a crush on Megan Fox. She was that girl-next-door kind of sexy, a little daring in the things she’d say but still coy enough. But up close, it’s clear just how much surgery she’s gotten done, and it doesn’t suit her. She can do whatever she wants; anyone can. But that doesn’t mean it looks good.

We nod at each other and I step inside as she moves out of my way. “Shoes off, please,” she says, and I leave my slides by the door. I follow her into a stark white dining room area. It’s the exact opposite of comfortable here. How does anyone live like this? 

“Have a seat,” Megan says, gesturing to one of the stiff chairs. I need to play this the right way, so I do as I’m told. She goes to the other side of the table and has a seat, slowly pushing her long hair off her shoulder. Her eyes find mine and she regards me for a second. Then, she smirks. “Colson has a type.”

“I don’t think he does,” I say, unable to help myself. “Where you’re a cold, vindictive bitch, I’m actually nice and I care about him.”

Megan snickers, quirking a brow. “Good to know you have some bite to you, Presley,” she says. “Why did you want to come here?”

“I thought we could have tea and girl talk,” I say, cocking my head to the side. “Why do you think I’m here, Megan?” I’m trying to keep it together, but now that I’m across the table from her, my anger is an entity in the room with us. 

She smirks but then it fades. She’s an actress but not a very good one. She’s trying so hard to look broken and sad but I see right fucking through it. “Has he hit you yet?” she asks.

“Cut the bullshit,” I say, tone clipped. “You and I both know Colson never laid a hand on you.”

“Oh, he laid hands on me several times, if you catch what I’m saying,” she says, that smirk reappearing. “Does he tell you you’re the most stunning woman he’s ever seen while he fucks you?” She leans forward, pressing her huge, fake breasts up. “He once told me I have the nicest body of any woman he’s been with. Has he said that to you?”

She’s trying to hurt me. She’s trying to get me to snap. This is what she does. I absolutely refuse to give into her games.

“So you’re saying any time he touched you, it was consensual,” I say.

Megan rolls her eyes. “Of course. You guys are all idiots,” she says. “Colson can posture all he wants but you know he’d never hurt a fly. But it’s so easy to get people to believe it. He has a reputation, after all. Aren’t you quite a bit younger than he is?”

“And aren’t you ten-plus years older than me and trying to scare me?” I shoot back. There it is – a tiny crack in the persona. A flicker of insecurity. It empowers me. “Why can’t you just let us be happy? You didn’t even want him. You left him, remember?”

Megan leans back, crossing her arms. “And now I want him back,” she says, eyes burning into mine.

“Do you think this is the way to get him back?” I ask, incredulous. “Holy shit. That’s so sad.”

“Don’t do that,” she says, a sour look taking over her features. “Don’t try to make me feel pathetic. It won’t work.”

“You need to admit that Colson never hurt you. Or his lawyer is going to sue you for everything you fucking have,” I say coldly.

“So what?” Megan snorts. “He can go right ahead. What’s done is done. No one will ever forget that I put that post out there.” She shrugs.

“But he never hit you. He never physically assaulted you,” I say.

“Of course he didn’t,” Megan scoffs. “Like I said, he was a pussy.”

My nostrils flare in anger but I’m almost done. “I want you to admit it,” I mutter. “To me.”

“Really?” Megan says, a grin broadening on her face. “You want me to admit that Colson never hurt me? He didn’t. In fact, I hit him. Several times. He deserved it.” Another crack in the exterior. A cold, desolate anger that I’ve never seen in anyone else before. This woman is fucking scary. 

“You’re sick,” I say, getting to my feet. “Leave us the fuck alone.”

“We’ll see about that,” Megan says from where she sits. I slip into my shoes and leave. 

As soon as I get in the car, I stop the audio recording, a smile growing slowly on my face. I toggle to the end of the recording, stopping it right before her confession. I got it. I fucking got it.

This ends now.

Taglist: @triplexdoublex @jaxbreaker @mgklove99xx @jinx-on-mars-19xx @iamnotanearthlingmotherfucker @anonymousme86 @whiteleoqueen @feroniakutenpuu @hxllywoodwhxree

[shyvioletcat]

A/N: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! It’s my birthday today and my gift to you is this chapter that took me far too long to finish. I really hope you like it and I’m not going to delay any longer. 

~ Made of Ashes Masterlist ~

~~~~~

Rowan’s day started like any other, he got up, checked his emails, got ready for work and ate his breakfast. It wasn’t until he was half way through his cereal that he realised anything out of the ordinary. A notification lit up his phone and he assumed that it was just an email but a quick glance told him it was a text from his mother. He wasn’t one to have a preview on his lock screen, so he unlocked his phone to read it.

Happy Birthday, son. Hope you have a nice and relaxing day. Love, Mum. 

He blinked once, and then remembered that today was, in fact, his birthday. Rowan had forgotten, and he didn’t care. There were other things that needed to be done today instead of acknowledging another year on the earth. Without any effort Rowan sent a simple thank you text back. Today was just another day, there was nothing special about it, nothing to celebrate.

When he got into work Rowan barely looked up from his phone. Partly due to the copious amount of emails in his inbox and partly because he didn’t want to interact with anyone. No one should know about his birthday, he wasn’t exactly the most social being in this office. Essar might, but that came with the inside knowledge of being the head of HR. And they were friendly, but not friends. A casual birthday wish was all Rowan expected of her if he couldn't avoid it. 

So when he walked into his office and there was an obscenely large gift basket sitting on his desk Rowan was taken aback. 

Slipping his phone into the inside pocket of his jacket he approached the desk, circled it while inspecting the gift basket. From the items he could see he could tell this thing wasn’t cheap. The bottle of whiskey in there would have well over a hundred dollars on its own. Rowan stopped by his chair, peering over the layers of clear cellophane for a card. It was tucked under one of the corners of the physical woven basket and he didn’t bother to wait with his suspicions any longer and slid it out from underneath the substantial weight. He tore at the envelope and flipped open the small card. 

For the third time today, his birthday had presented him with yet another surprise. 

Inside the card was an elegant and simple message of birthday well wishes—from his boss. The text was printed so Maeve hadn’t signed it off herself, and Rowan doubted that she had even come up with the words herself they were so generic. Still, she had gone through this much effort to give him a gift. Regardless of whatever thought and effort was put into the obscene jumble of items, Rowan picked up the basket and moved it off his desk to one of the couches in his office. He had work to do, so he would be returning that later. 

Later turned out to be just before close of business. It would be the worst time to carry the thing through the office when everyone was cramming to finish what they could before they were allowed to go home. Instead Rowan waited, using the quiet moment to see to more personal affairs. He pulled out his phone, checking his messages. There was another one from his mother asking about his day, and a text along with a missed call from his father. A few texts from friends, which he took a glance over. He was about to reply when a ding from his computer drew his attention away. Rowan had expected it to be a client or co-worker sending in an email desperately before he became unavailable. But it wasn’t, it was from someone completely unexpected. 

It must have been morbid curiosity that made him click on it. What he should have done was checked in on the small empty box beside it and deleted it. But instead, his mouse found its way onto the subject heading and it opened on his screen. It was just an e-card, outdated and cheesy. But ever since they had started dating she had sent one to him. What had started out as a joke had become a tradition and now Rowan stared at something that had been waiting a full year to be delivered to him. 

The photo was of him and Aelin, taken on his last birthday and he was sure if he looked for some kind of date stamp he’d find that the entire email was created just hours after it was taken. She did it that way so she wouldn’t forget, so that he wouldn’t be forgotten. The irony of it was that she had forgotten, after everything this had slipped her mind and hadn’t been cancelled. 

Rowan couldn’t help it, he stared at the joy on their faces, the way they so easily stood with their bodies so close together. The hand Aelin had on the collar of his jacket was tight and he remembered how she had pulled him in for a kiss with that grip. The joke of the e-card had been how badly it was done, Aelin annually tried her hand at his job, presenting him with a horribly designed card. He worked in advertising, anything he presented to the public was flawless. But with its garish and clashing colours and comic sans font, this was awful. It was the text that drew in his focus now. 

Happiest of Birthdays to you, Buzzard,

Can’t wait to celebrate with you later ;)

I love you, forever and always.

Aelin.

For the first time in a while he felt the weight on his chest that he had worked so hard to remove. He had to tell himself that all this was a reminder of what he’d had, a part of his past and nothing that was part of his future. Not after what Aelin had forced him into. That familiar anger settled on him, something that was so natural to him after these months of silence. With an easy click on the trashcan icon the email was gone. There wouldn’t be another. 

Rowan was officially done with the day and he knew Maeve would be in her office, rarely one to leave early despite her position. So he once again picked up the gift basket, and walked it through the mostly empty office space. No one paid him any attention except Maeve’s secretary when he stopped outside the door. She was new, Rowan hadn’t learnt her name yet. 

“Mr Whitethorn, you can go in,” she said with a trained and pleasant smile. Rowan didn’t return it, he just nodded. 

Maeve was sitting at her desk, glasses on as she annotated whatever she was going over. She didn’t look up until she was ready, always holding the upper hand. When she did glance up she did a double take before she lent back in her chair to see him better. 

“Ah, I see you got my gift,” she said smoothly.

“I did, but I can’t accept it,” Rowan told her, not wanting to draw this out. “It’s too much and I don’t care for my birthday anyway. It’s just another day.” 

“That’s unfortunate.” Maeve didn’t push the matter of the gift, just gestured for him to put it down. Although he didn’t miss what he thought was annoyance flash across her face. “If you won’t accept the gift, can I interest you in dinner instead?” 

Rowan put the ridiculous hamper on one of the chairs by her desk. “Not tonight.” 

“Are you sure? I could get us into Spring Rose, I know the chef,” Maeve persisted.

The name of the restaurant brought him up short. Rowan knew the place, he had taken Aelin there when he’d brought her to visit her parents. She had met him after work, dressed to the nines and beautiful. 

“No,” Rowan said flatly. “Thank you for the offer but I can’t.” 

Maeve laughed humourlessly. “You’ve just told me that you don’t care for your birthday and you’re returning my gift. It’s not likely that you have plans for the evening.” 

She was weaving a web to catch him and right now it was pissing Rowan off. He just wanted to go home and be done with today. “I understand, it’s a generous offer. But not tonight.”

“I might hold you to that,” Maeve said casually. “It's unfortunate that you don’t want the hamper, but I understand. I’ll just have to enjoy it myself.”

Rowan was relieved that she relented, arguing about his boss about his birthday was not something he wished to do. “Goodnight, I’ll see you Monday.”

“Goodbye, Rowan,” was all Maeve said and then she went back to her screens.

He grabbed his things from his office and then he headed for his car, thoughts invading his mind. The email stung in a way Rowan hadn’t expected. It was a reminder to him that he and Aelin had always thought they were in it for the long haul. How wrong they had been. A few messages popped up on his dash, most likely birthday well wishes. Rowan planned to ignore all of those, and just reply to his mother. She didn’t deserve his foul mood. He replied to her on the ride up in the elevator and then threw the phone into his laptop bag with the full intent of not looking at it until tomorrow. 

His apartment seemed quieter than usual, something about his solitude more oppressive. The email had provoked something in him. Rowan began to wonder if Aelin ever thought about him, or if she had to fight so hard to banish him from her thoughts like he had done. Work was his remedy for that, what was Aelin doing to distract herself?

Rowan sighed, going to his fridge and got himself a beer. There was nothing to be done about this, and just like everything else he had done regarding Aelin, he shoved the thoughts over the email out and away. They served no purpose, he didn’t need them. He sat on the couch and reached for the remote, taking a long sip of his beer while the TV booted up. Something mysterious and crime filled would be good to distract him, to give him a good puzzle to solve.

He chose a series he’d heard cursory good reviews about. While the opening credits played he went to the fridge, grabbed out a cold container of pasta and another beer. Rowan made good time, sitting down just and the director’s name faded from the screen. He set his next beer on the low coffee table in front of him and yanked the lid off the container of pasta. It would be better heated up but he just couldn’t be bothered. Reaching for his beer, clinking it against the unopened one, the glass making a sharp ting over the sound of the TV.  

Rowan sighed and took a long swig of his beer before saying, “Happy birthday to me.”  

~~~~~

Leaving the house with a little baby was still such a strange thing. Aelin had done it a few times now, not once by herself, until today. Childbirth had wrecked her more than she had expected and it had taken her longer to recover than she would realise. Elide had tried to warn her—Aelin had been too cocky. She had pretty much spent the first 6 weeks of Elsie’s life in her apartment unless someone came to pick her up or visit, and there had been plenty of visitors to keep her sane. Today at least she had driven by herself, albeit a little slower and a hell of a lot more cautious than she usually would. 

She was meeting Elide, Lorcan and Korbin at the local shopping centre. They had plans to get some lunch and then do some casual shopping. Aelin was running late, but chances were so were they as well. Children tended to cause that. Popping the boot Aelin pulled out the pram and unfolded it with practised ease. Because Aelin had been practising ever since she bought the thing, she had no plans to be fumbling around trying to fold or unfold it in a desperate situation. Flicking on the break, Aelin went to the back door and got Elsie out of her car seat. She was dozing, her brow furrowed like she couldn’t decide if she wanted to be awake or not. 

“Oh, come on little Elsie,” Aelin cooed, scooping the infant out of the car. She went to put Elsie into the pram but as soon as Aelin started to ease the baby onto the padded bassinet she loudly proclaimed her displeasure. “Ok, not doing that then.”

Aelin dropped the nappy bag into the pram instead and rested Elsie on her shoulder, pressing a kiss to her beanied head. The pram was easy enough to manoeuvre with one hand—another feature Aelin had tested out. A short walk and an elevator ride later they were in the large courtyard that was surrounded by a variety of restaurants. Aelin’s eyes landed on the Italian place selected for luch, because Korbin’s current favourite food was pasta at the moment. It was across the courtyard through the autumn sunshine. It was a very rare sunny day in late November, by now winter usually had the city in its thrall, but today was very nice. 

When Aelin reached the door of the restaurant a waiter rushed to open the door for her. She nodded her thanks and then looked around for her lunch companions. Korbin gave them away, Aelin heard his loud laugh and then saw his dark head of hair pop up over the booth then quickly disappear again. Whatever game Korbin was playing made Aelin smile and she navigated the pram through the tables. 

“Hey guys,” Aelin said as she got closer. Korbin waved an enthusiastic hello, hyped up on all the activity. 

“You right?” Lorcan asked, starting to rise out of the booth to help as Korbin peered over the seat again. 

Aelin shook her head and flicked on the pram brake. “No, I’m good.”

She slid onto the seat next to Elide, sighing like she’d just been through a whole ordeal instead of walking from the car to the restaurant. 

“Gimme,” Elide held out her hands for the baby.

“Oh, it’s nice to see you too,” Aelin joked but handed the baby over anyway.

Elide grinned, air kissing at Aelin. “You know I love you even more.” With the next sentence her voice changed into baby talk. “This one is just so squishy.” 

Aelin rolled her eyes playfully, because she totally understood where Elide was coming from. Then she turned to the little boy who was trying to climb on his dad's shoulder. “Hey, Korby, look who Mum has.”

Korbin turned, eyes landing on Elide and they all watched as his face morphed into something that could be described as disgust. Lorcan chuckled and Aelin grinned. It was common knowledge that Korbin was not a fan of the new baby, and if the toddler had the capability to hate anything, he hated when Elide held her. 

“You two are not helping,” Elide scolded, rubbing Elsie’s back. “We’re supposed to be encouraging him to like the baby.”

“Ells, he’s nearly two,” Lorcan said. “He’s going to do what he’s going to do.”

“Still,” Elide pressed.

Aelin laughed. “He’ll come around, he doesn’t have a choice. I’m sure they’ll be friends… eventually.”

With the teasing done with, Aelin turned her attention to the menu. By the time they had ordered Elide had gotten Elsie to sleep and was happily holding her until the food arrived. Korbin immediately started eating his nuggets and chips, losing interest in games and the baby. But Elide would need two hands to eat her steak sandwich. Aelin was about to offer to move Elsie to the pram but Lorcan got there first. He leaned over and easily eased the infant over the table, holding her close as he stood up. Very gently he put Elsie down in the pram, taking the time to tuck her in and make sure she was comfortable. It was still odd to see Lorcan be so… soft. Especially when it was somehow related to Aelin. The truce between them that had started on the way to the hospital was still holding strong it seemed. 

The lunch was nice and Elsie blessedly stayed asleep the whole time. With a few interruptions from Korbin, Aelin was able to hold nice and casual adult conversations that didn’t always revolve around the baby. It was nice, it felt like things were getting back to normal. They finished, paid and then headed to the main shopping complex to browse the stores. Women’s clothes didn’t particularly hold Lorcan’s attention so he wandered off, leaving the mothers and children for a bit. 

“This would look fantastic on you,” Elide said, holding up a simple but elegant red dress.

Aelin shrugged. “I’d have nowhere to wear it.”

“Yet,” Elide said pointedly.

“Elide, Elsie is six weeks old. No one is going to be interested in this mess,” Aelin gestured to herself.

The brunette scoffed. “One, you are not a mess.”

“I am,” Aelin countered.

“A hot mess then. And two, I never said anything about a date, you could wear the dress anytime. Sometimes it’s just nice to put clothes on that don’t have stains on them,” Elide explained. “It’s just nice to do something just for you. That’s all.”

Aelin looked at the dress and considered, she even completed trying it on, but then Korbin ran into Elide’s legs a distinct smell following him. 

“Oh, that’s not good,” Elide muttered, taking Korbin’s hand. “Come on, let's get you changed then. Meet you back here?”

“No, I’ll just wait on the seats outside,” Aelin said.

They moved out of the store together, but then Elide hurried away towards the bathrooms. Aelin went to the couches that took up some of the in between spaces in the middle of the different stores. She had just sat down when she heard her own child fussing and pulled the pram close so that she could get Elsie out. Pushing back the visor Aelin saw Elisie’s fists waving around, the rest of her body still tucked securely in the blanket from Lorcan’s efforts. 

“I bet you’re hungry,” Aelin said, and reached down into the nappy bag under the bassinet of the pram. She’d packed a bottle to prepare for this, the thought of feeding in public was a little daunting and Aelin wasn’t sure if she was brave enough to attempt it. Public nudity wasn’t on her list of things to do today. 

Aelin kept sifting blindly through the nappy bag, waiting to feel the smooth lid of the bottle. But she didn’t. As Elsie started to cry louder Aelin pulled the bag into her lap, visibly searching. 

“No,” Aelin hissed. “No, I didn’t…” 

Now she was pulling things out of the bag because she couldn’t believe how she'd forgotten something so essential. While she stared at the wet wipes and extra onesie in her hand and the half empty bag, Elsie decided to start screaming her lungs out with desperate and hungry cries. If that went on any longer Aelin might end up with a boob problem and soak through her shirt triggered by her baby’s needs. Aelin probably had about thirty seconds before this went into a full blown crisis and she might be scared off coming out by herself again. 

The parents' room was all the way at the other end of the shopping mall. It would take her at least 5 minutes to get there, longer if she couldn’t get an elevator. The panic was setting in and if only made Elsie fuss more. Aelin only had one choice. Going on instinct and what was now muscle memory, Aelin cradled Elsie while she unbuttoned the top few buttons on her shirt. There was no time to grab a wrap to drape over herself and she wore a maternity singlet under her blouse so realistically she would barely be exposed. But still her cheeks burned with embarrassment as Elsie sought out her meal. Maybe once she was settled Aelin would be able to grab something. 

As Elsie started to feed Aelin felt her anxiety start to ebb and she sunk into the couch a little more. It was fine, everything was fine, and now Aelin could start to think. Making sure not to disturb her now content daughter, Aelin leaned towards the pram to get the muslin wrap that sat in the bottom basket. It wasn’t easy and leaving Elsie to her task was the main priority. And the little baby did not like the disturbance.

Cheeks burning, Aelin sat back up at the request of the impatient whimpering. It was fine, this was fine. She was just doing what women had been doing for millions of years. There was no reason to be embarrassed. That didn’t stop her shoulders from tightening when she caught an older woman looking at her, disapproval written all over her face and that just transferred to the friend next to her.

Aelin glanced down, feeling so self conscious. She was barely showing any skin, what she wore hid most of it. It wasn’t like she was parading around topless. Her stomach dropped as one of the irritated women started walking over. Mummy blogs were full of horror stories of women breastfeeding in public. Aelin was about to live one.

“Excuse me, sorry,” the woman said, stopping right in front of Aelin. 

Aelin’s voice caught in his throat. “Yes?”

“I would really appreciate it if you covered up.”

And there it was. Aelin tried not to flush, but her cheeks were burning red. “I’m just feeding my baby.”

“I can see that,” the woman’s blue eyes narrowed. “I just don’t think—“

“Is there a problem?”

Aelin hadn’t noticed Lorcan approaching, she had been too focused on the woman intent on embarrassing her. But there he stood, looming over the both of them with his arms crossed, a challenge on his face. Aelin tried not to smile as the unsolicited advice giver blanched a little. 

“I meant no disrespect,” the woman said. “But—”

“Then you’ll have no problem leaving,” Lorcan cut in. 

The woman weighed her options for half a moment and then thankfully left. Aelin let out a nervous laugh mixed with a sigh, and realised there might be tears of relief gathering in her eyes. Lorcan definitely pretended not to notice as he landed on the couch next to her. He kept his arms crossed and the do not approach expression on his face, glaring at anyone who even glanced at Aelin wrong. It was almost comical, and Aelin might had laughed—if her throat would stop feeling so tight. 

“Thank you, Lorcan,” Aelin said eventually. She hated the way her voice shook just a fraction. 

Lorcan shrugged one of his massive shoulders. “Kid’s gotta eat.” 

Then something very weird happened. Lorcan offered his fist for a fist bump. Without hesitation Aelin knocked his knuckles with hers, a new feeling of camaraderie bloomed between them. Lorcan had her back, and it was a strangely comforting feeling. 

It wasn’t long before Elide found them too, by then Elsie was sitting on Aelin’s knee with assistance. Aelin patted the infant’s back, hoping the burp would be more air than vomit. 

“What’s going on here?” Elide asked while Korby ran circles around her knees. 

“Oh, Lorcan’s just defending my honour,” Aelin said.

Elide turned a questioning glance at her husband, he gave her the slightest hint of a smile. “Some people need to pull their heads out of their arses.”

“Ohhh-kay,” Elide said, with no idea of what was happening.

Aelin would have explained further, but Elsie chose just then to burp up half her lunch. Lorcan was there a second later, whipping out a burp cloth from the pram to catch it. 

“Truly my knight in shining armour,” Aelin added, as lightly as she could. This was heading into a new and slightly weird aspect of their relationship.

Aelin knew that Lorcan had taken Rowan’s side in things, he had chosen to tolerate her for so long she really had to commend his dedication to it. When Korbin was born things had gotten better, but she always felt that wall there because he was Rowan’s friend and not her’s. But now, it was almost like they were fringing into the realm of friends. If their general banter was any indication they might already be there.

“Here, let me take her,” Lorcan offered, reaching out for the infant. “Go do your lady stuff or whatever. I’ll take these two to the park.”

With a few extra thank yous Aelin and Elide resumed their shopping expedition. They were in a homewares store when Aelin felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She looked at the notification taking a moment to figure out what it was. It was an email, telling her her e-card had been sent. For a moment Aelin just blinked at it as she remembered exactly what it was. It was Rowan’s birthday and her annual half-assed card she had curated for this year had been sent. 

Aelin hadn’t even realised what the date was, on one hand she had trouble keeping track these days and on the other she really didn’t care anymore. She just hit delete and didn’t bother to give it another thought. Without her making a new for next year the tradition would die. That didn’t matter, she had better things to focus on now. And yet some simmering bitter part of her hoped that Rowan got it. It would be early evening in Doranelle now, maybe it would catch him just before he left for home. Aelin hoped that it would make him think of her and he would regret what he’d so readily thrown away. 

~~~~~

Iris and Evander had told Aelin they would be in Orynth a little over a week. They already had a few things they’d planned to do before the unexpected revelation of an unknown grandchild had disrupted that, and asked if they could fit in seeing Elsie in between. After that first outing in the park and considering how well that went, Aelin agreed. Guilt might have been the main motivator but it was easy enough to see that they were quickly falling in love with their granddaughter. 

The easiest way to sort it all out was for Iris and Evander to drop by the bakery in between galleries and sightseeing. They had done that at least once a day over the past few days, they had even managed it twice yesterday. Iris would send a text and Aelin would bring Elsie out from her office. The little girl was excited to see her new friends and would happily go along with them, leading them to a table, and Aelin would go back to work. That’s where they were now, tucked into one of the tables in the corner out of the way. Today the grandparents had bought Elsie a colouring in pack and she stood on a chair with Evander sitting close by to make sure she didn’t fall as she created whatever her heart desired.  

Aelin watched as she waited for Emrys to finish making her coffee, needing a little buzz as afternoon rolled around. When it was done he pushed it over the counter and nodded to the commotion in the corner. 

“You never did tell me who they were.” 

Aelin cringed. She hadn’t and that may have been a little purposeful.  “Do you remember that guy who came in a while ago and things were a little weird?”  

Emrys hummed as a way of saying yes. 

“He’s Elsie’s father and those two are his parents,” Aelin gestured with a hand to the occupied table. 

Emrys tightened his grip on the dishcloth he held. “I thought you called him an unfeeling and pathetic bastard.”

“I did say that, yes.” That was one of the more tamer things she had called him. 

“And that he was long gone,” Emrys added.

Aelin shrugged at that. “Not as much as I was expecting.” 

“Well, that explains some things,” Emrys said. 

Cringing again, Aelin turned back to where Elsie was holding court. She hadn’t been the best employee over the last few months while she dealt with this situation. She’d been distracted and late or worked from home without much notice. Emrys had never said a thing, probably assuming Elsie was the cause. And she was, just in a roundabout way. 

Untying and dropping his apron on the counter Emrys said, “I should go introduce myself.”

Before Aelin could even think of protesting, Emrys had Iris and Evander’s drinks in hand and took them over to the table. She watched as he approached and once Elsie saw her face lit up in a bright smile and she started showing him all the things she had created. Emrys smiled, fixing one of Elsie’s clips that had come loose, smiling and nodding along. He very much had been something of a surrogate grandfather to the girl, and very protective of the two of them. It was touching that he would be so concerned for them. It just reminded Aelin that Emrys was a good and kind man. 

Emrys introduced himself to the grandparents, shaking hands with both of them. Everyone was all smiles, not that Aelin expected anything less. It was just strange to have the life she had left behind meet up with the one she had forged for herself. Aelin tore her eyes away and ducked behind the counter, picking out a small chocolate tart for herself. Eating behind the counter wasn’t exactly sanitary so she put it on a plate and went to sit down and have a chat with the elder Whitethorns. 

She passed Emrys on the way and he stopped her with a gentle hand on her arm. “They seem nice. They adore little Elsie.” 

Aelin nodded. “They’re good people. And they really do.”

The admission made unexpected emotions surge to the surface. She couldn’t help but feel like she had stolen time from them. They were Elsie’s grandparents, and if these past days were any indication they would have been fantastic grandparents. Iris and Evander had never done anything wrong by Aelin in the time she and Rowan had dated, so had it been wrong to keep Elsie from them?

That was a question that kept hounding her and that she continually ignored. It felt like one that might send her tower toppling. So, once again she did ignore it and worked a conscious smile onto her face. When Aelin sat down at the table it took her daughter a moment to notice that she had, and in fact she noticed the tart first. Elsie’s eyes landed on the chocolatey goodness, then followed the hand up the arm to the face that owned it. 

“Mama!” Elsie said, her face delighted. “I some?”

Aelin’s smile turned genuine and she nodded, scooping up a spoonful of tart to offer it to her daughter. 

“We’re not pulling you away from work, are we?” Iris asked. 

“No, I don’t have anything urgent to get to,” Aelin answered. “I had something to ask you anyway. On Saturday there’s a get together at a park, it’ll be us and the Salvaterres, and my cousin will come too. We get the kids together to play every so often and the weather will start getting too cold soon to take them outside. Anyway… would you like to come?”

Aelin had rambled a little but her thoughts were all a bit jumbled today and she just needed to get the offer out. She had already cleared it with the others, Aedion hadn’t met her maybe would have been in-laws and the perpetual busybody he was, he'd insisted out of curiosity alone. 

“Oh, Saturday?” Evander hedged. 

“Yeah, Saturday,” Aelin confirmed. 

It was Iris who picked up the conversation after that. “We had plans with Rowan on Saturday.”

Aelin was going to drown in the amount of awkwardness that swept over her. “Ah.”

Iris looked at Elsie like she was contemplating something, her lips tight. Aelin just waited, she didn’t want to butt into this situation. She would leave it up to them to make the choice between their granddaughter and their son. That was a choice Aelin had no business interfering with, regardless of what she thought the better decision was.

“Might I suggest something, and I want you to feel no obligation to agree,” Iris said. 

“Of course,” Aelin tried not to let the hesitation she felt into her voice. 

“Would you consider inviting Rowan? I know things are awkward between you, and there’s some tension when you inevitably run into each other,” Iris stated, obviously having been filled in on his side of things. “Might it be good to meet on neutral ground. Have an official introduction of sorts, let Elspeth explore her curiosity with him in an environment that doesn’t encroach on your sanctuary.”

Aelin sat for a moment, just processing Iris’ idea. She had made some valid points. Elsie had a very obvious interest in Rowan, and Aelin had noticed it multiple times. The moment in the bakery most noticeably, it was like she couldn’t keep away when they ended up in the same vicinity. And that was something Aelin didn’t want to look at too closely at—the why of Elsie’s behaviour. If Rowan came there wouldn’t be the pressure of just him and them. There would be other people to buffer interactions and create distance. Iris and Evander would be there, Rowan could be their situation to deal with. And with how gracious they had been over the whole secret grandchild thing… maybe Aelin could allow them this.

“Yeah, okay,” Aelin said at last. “That sounds like a good idea.”

Aelin knew it would be awkward and she would need to do some damage control with Aedion, but this could be the icebreaker that she needed. Probably how the baby shower should have gone if they had been more prepared. In the truth of it, Aelin was losing her fight. The vigilance and the anger was exhausting, and on more than one occasion it was evident that Elsie had been affected by the strain. Maybe a move toward neutrality wasn’t such a bad idea. 

~~~~~

His mother was a saint, or maybe she was just gods blessed. Either way Rowan didn’t know how she’d accomplished it or how he was going to thank her for doing what he couldn’t. As grateful as he was, it didn’t banish the nerves over what was happening today or the situations he’d find himself in. In his mind the whole thing seemed uncomfortable and awkward. What was he supposed to do at a playdate at a children’s playground when he had no children himself? Well, he did. At least biologically.

Aelin would be there, so would the Salvaterres and the Ashryvers apparently. Iris hadn’t mentioned if Aelin’s parents would be coming, but Rowan hoped they weren’t. That would be the one inconvenience that might send him running. His last interaction with Rhoe Galathynius had been tense to say the least and Rowan was not looking to test the limits of that man’s patience again any time soon. 

Rowan had driven his parents to the local playground, the cool early autumn air invading his lungs as he tried to keep his anxiety from showing.  Getting out of the car hadn’t been as ebay as it should have been. 

“Calm down, son,” Iris said to him, squeezing his arm once as they started walking away from the parked car. “Your nerves will do you no good.” 

The playground was fairly busy, but Elspeth was easy to spot. Her curls and bright laughter drew Rowan’s attention immediately. She was being chased by Fenrys who had Korbin on his shoulders. Ruben ran interference to keep Fenrys back so that Elspeth could win whatever game they were playing. It was a sight to see, but it just left Rowan feeling conflicted. Another reminder that he was very much on the outside of this. With a quick glance around it was a relief to see that the elder Galathyniuses were not in attendance, but there was still Aedion to contend with.

“Let’s go and say hello,” Evander said, leading the charge to one of the shaded picnic tables that the group was gathering at. 

“What’s Fenrys doing here?” Iris mused and Rowan stopped short. He was one part of the tale that had been left out. “Aelin never mentioned him coming along, does he have a kid too?”

“Um,” Rowan stammered out. “No, he doesn’t.”

“Then why…” This time his mother stopped, her words trailing off as she watched the scene unfold, looking to where Fenrys had stopped playing with the children and was now wrapping his arms around Aelin. She beamed up and he dropped a kiss onto her cheek. “They’re together.”

The three of them were halted now, still far enough away that they hadn’t been noticed and the hushed circle that was forming wouldn’t seem rude. Iris’ eyes narrowed, suspicion and confusion shining there. Rowan had been there, and imagined he would have looked much the same when he had first spotted the couple in the grocery store. 

“Yeah, they are,” Rowan offered lamely.

Iris gestured in their direction. “You’re okay with this? He was your friend?”

Rowan didn’t think this was the time or place to recount how not okay he was with it, he’d have time to admit his sins later. “I’ve had to accept it.”

Iris shook her head. “What a dick move.”

Any other time Rowan would have laughed at hearing a term like that come from his mother’s mouth, but right now he was too tense.

“Now, we don’t know the circumstances or the reasons,” Evander came in, ever the measured calmness to the tempers of his other family members. “It’s not our business and not why we’re here. So, shall we?”

With a final shake of her head, Iris took the lead this time, Rowan following stiffly behind. It was time to face his fate. 

~~~~~

Aelin tensed as she saw the Whitethorns walking over. It was the moment of truth. Her boyfriend’s arms were still around so he felt the shift in her body language. He peered over her shoulder, obviously having seen who was coming as well, and tilted her head up with his fingers.

“You say the word and I’ll very politely ask them to leave, or just one of them anyway,” Fenrys offered. 

He hadn’t been enthusiastic about the idea of Rowan coming, and it had Aelin explaining it twice for him to come around. Fenrys still wasn’t thrilled, but he trusted her judgement on this. 

“No, it’s fine,” Aelin assured him. “It’s something that needs to be done.”

“Is it?” That comment came from Lysandra who was currently rocking the youngest member of their party. Eamon Salvaterre was very much contentedly asleep.

For all of Fenrys’ understanding Aedion and Lysandra had been doubly opposed. They thought the best course of action was to ignore Rowan completely, even when that was clearly not working. 

“Please try and be at least polite, and Iris and Evander don’t deserve any ill feelings,” Aelin told them. “Just… be nice.”

“You chose to do this in public so we couldn’t cause a scene didn’t you? Smart.” Elide said and Aelin hushed her viciously as the others came into earshot.

“Hello, hello,” Iris said pleasantly. 

Aelin disentangled herself from Fenrys and stepped over to where Iris was standing so that she could introduce everyone. “Hi, Iris. This is my cousin, Aedion, and his wife Lysandra. And this is Elide who married our dear Lorcan, but we have no idea why. Had two of his children too, which is another mystery entirely. Fenrys you know, of course.”

There were waves and hellos exchange, and Aelin noticed Fenrys’ features fall a little when Iris wouldn’t quite meet his eye. Rowan lingered at the back looking so awkward and out of place Aelin almost pitied him. Almost, there was the whole abandonment thing holding back her compassion. 

“Elsie is playing with the other kids, but I’m sure once she sees you she’ll come and say hello,” Aelin said, not sure of what else to do now. 

“Right,” Evander nodded. “Rowan, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”

Bless Evander and his tact for leading Rowan away, most likely to talk about nothing. It relieved some of the tension but not all of it. Aelin was sure that she wouldn’t relax until she was safe at home again. She looked at the play equipment and saw Korby and Rue helping Elsie across the ropes arranged as a spider’s web. It was quite sweet how those boys doted on her. 

“So, you married Lorcan, did you?” Iris said, starting up a conversation with Elide. 

Aelin felt a tug on her hand, and was being drawn off to the side. It wasn’t a child though. 

“I don’t think Iris is very happy with me,” Fensys whispered. 

“I’m sure you’re imagining it.” Aelin did not sound convincing. 

Her boyfriend sighed. “I’m not sure what I was expecting. I guess Rowan left out the little tidbit about us.”

“Mama!” This time it was a child that took Aelin’s hand. “Mama, not watching.”

“No, sorry, I wasn’t,” Aelin dropped into a crouch, wiping off a smudge of dirt on Elsie’s face. “Did you see that Iris and Evan are here?”

The pigtails on top of her head whipped around as Elsie turned in search of her newest friends. She grinned when she spotted Iris talking to Elide. 

“Wanna go say hi?” Aelin asked.

“Yes, ‘peas,” Elsie said, not waiting for her mother before running for Iris’ legs. Luckily she didn’t collide too hard and Iris just placed a comforting hand on the little girl’s head. 

“You want to do this now?” Fenrys asked as Aelin stood. 

“Might as well.”

There had been extensive conversation about how The Introduction, as they had dubbed it, would go. Aelin wasn’t exactly comfortable sending off Elsie by herself, and on the flip side she also didn’t feel comfortable being the fifth wheel in the situation. Fenrys offered to do it instead, despite the history between him and Rowan. That had mellowed out anyway and the boys would have to be on their best behaviour with Rowan’s parent’s around. It wasn’t a question of trust, Aelin knew Elsie was entirely safe. She just wanted someone who would be wholly on Elsie’s side and be a way out if she needed it. So it was decided Fenrys would do it, keeping his distance and not interfering, but just to keep an eye on things.

Fenrys went over and charmingly sorted out the situation himself, following as Iris took Elsie’s hand and walked towards where Rowan and his father had been waiting. He kept his distance, like he said he would, hands in his pockets as he spoke to both his companions. They reached their destination and Aelin watched it all happen as Rowan crouched down to talk to Elsie. She couldn’t see Elsie’s face, but Rowan’s lit up. He smiled, it looked slightly stunned, but it was there. They talked for a few moments before Korbin darted over, full speed as he used the momentum of coming off the slide to propel himself. He spoke to Elsie, completely ignoring the adults. The little girl at least gave her audience a wave before she ran off as well. 

“I don’t know why you agreed to this.”

Aelin threw a glance over her shoulder and saw Aedion scowling in Rowan’s direction. Out of everyone Aedion had been the most vocal and oppositional to Rowan attending today. Even though Aelin had explained the reasoning for it multiple times and with her cousin being as stubborn as she was, refused to alter his opinion. 

“It’s my business, not yours,” Aelin snapped. 

“Sure, whatever,” Aedion dropped Ruben’s lunchbox on the table and then started walking away. 

“Wait, where are you going?” Aelin had her suspicions. 

Aedion turned still, stepping backward, a devilish smile on his face. “I’m just going to have a little chat.”

~~~~~

One thing Rowan didn’t want to do was force the interaction, so his father kept him company while he kept his distance from the rest of the party. He was wishing Lorcan had come, but it was only Elide with their two boys. It would just make the whole situation a whole less awkward with someone who was willing to talk to him. Rowan was definitely the outsider and he wasn’t going to push his luck. He also didn’t miss the baleful glares that Aedion was sending his way. 

“He’s her cousin, right?” His father asked and Rowan nodded. “Big brother is more like.”

“They’ve been close since they were kids,” Rowan explained.

Evander hummed something, then sat down on a nearby bench. “Looks like your mother is working her magic.”

Rowan turned, his breath catching at the sight of his mother leading his daughter by the hand—coming right for them. Elspeth was nearly bouncing with uncontained energy. Her grandmother was saying something and the toddler listened with rapt attention. Rowan was so focused on Elspeth that she didn’t notice at first that Fenrys was with them, keeping his distance but looking very much the protective Uncle. It seemed Aelin had sent a bodyguard along, Rowan wasn’t sure if he should be insulted or impressed. They all stopped a healthy distance away 

“Elsie, I want to meet someone,” Iris said. “This is my son Rowan, I think you’ve seen him around.”

Elspeth looked in between the two adults, before she settled on him and gave Rowan a wide smile. “Hi, hi, Ro-yen.”

His heart flipped in his chest to hear her try and pronounce his name in her sweet little voice. Rowan couched down so that he could see her better. “Hi, Elsie. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Officially.” 

Elspeth laughed, hugging Iris’ leg. Rowan couldn’t help his own smile at the toddler’s vivaciousness. 

She babbled something too fast for Rowan to follow along, so he just nodded instead. The moment they were having was broken by Korbin running over. “Elsie come play. Rue will catch you on the slide.”

“Yeah!” Elspeth took the hand Korbin offered, but she turned back to wave, “Bye! Bye!”

Iris gave Elspeth a little wave as Rowan stood, she said to anyone that would listen, “She’s such a darling.”

Fenrys politely excused himself. “I’ll head back.”

With nothing else to do, Rowan sat down on a bench to give his parents a break from babysitting him, telling them he’d be fine and to go chat. He started going through some emails for work when the unexpected happened. A shadow fell over him, and looking up Rowan saw Aedion standing in front of him. They hadn’t interacted since the day Rowan had arrived in Orynth and he didn’t expect this conversation to go any better than that one. The look on Aedion’s face had Rowan standing, just even the playing field.

“I don’t know why she's doing what she’s doing or what your game plan is here, but you have no idea what  Aelin has been through these past three years without you.” Aedion crossed his arms just to look more imposing. “So don’t get comfortable.”

“Your opinion is duly noted,” Rowan said, reminding himself he wasn’t here to start a fight, especially not with Aedion. Not when this whole charade was his first chance at real connection. He wanted to comment on how it actually hadn’t been his fault that he was excluded from Elspeth’s life, but that was an inflammatory comment. Luckily Rowan was saved by his phone ringing. “I have to take this.”

Aedion just nodded and let him be. The call turned out to be from a telemarketer but it still gave Rowan the out he needed. He sat on the bench again, seeing that his mother was with Elsie, the two of them searching in the grass for something. From where he sat, Rowan could hear her squeal of excitement and he couldn’t help but smile. He began wishing she’d come over to him again, or maybe he could go over to her, a few sentences wasn’t how he imagined this day going.

“Do you mind if I sit?” Elide asked, pulling him out of his thoughts. 

“Of course not,” Rowan replied, moving down the wooden bench to make room for her. She had her youngest with her, sleeping despite the sunlight and the noise. 

“Single guy at the park,” she clicked her tongue. “Not a good look.”

“Hey, I could be some single dad with no friends and one of those kids could be mine,” Rowan said wryly. “Hold on a second.”

Elide laughed but quickly stopped herself when it disturbed the baby in her arms. 

“I come in peace, I swear,” she said as she sat down. “I never thanked you properly for what you did for Lorcan after Eamon was born. It really helped us out. Life with a newborn isn’t easy and you throw a toddler into that…” she made an exasperated sound. “You made my life a lot easier.” 

“Don’t mention it,” Rowan said, and he meant it. He didn’t know what to do with that line of conversation. 

“Rowan, I also wanted to apologise. I was not nice to you when you arrived,” Elide said. 

Rowan shrugged. “You had a perfectly good reason not to.”

“Still… I don’t know.” Elide sighed. “This whole thing is a mess.”

With nothing to say, Rowan just nodded along. A silence stretched out, it wasn’t particularly awkward and he was grateful for whatever solidarity Elide was showing him right now. 

Out of nowhere she said, “Do you want to hold him?”

Rowan’s gaze snapped over to where Elide was gently gesturing to her son. A bubble of nervousness rose in him, he hadn’t really ever held a baby before, not since he was younger and his little cousins had been placed on his lap. But regardless of all that, Rowan found himself wanting to.

“Yeah, if that's okay,” he said lamely. 

Elide in all her wisdom read every bit of nervousness he had and smiled. “I’ll help you.”

She stood so that she could rest the baby in Rowan’s arms easier. Once he had a firm grip on Eamon, Elide gently prompted his arms to where they needed to be for a more comfortable hold. The infant was cradled in his arms, looking so small and peaceful.

“Breathe, Rowan,” Elide chided. “That won’t wake him up.”

Rowan hadn't even noticed how shallow his breathing had gotten until Elide pointed it out. He did what he was told, letting out a large exhale. And she had been right, the baby didn’t wake up. Eamon wasn’t heavy, but it was a comforting sort of weight in Rowan’s arms. There was some clarity and peace that came from holding a baby that he had been totally ignorant of. 

“Ro-yen!” 

That little voice almost startled him, and Rowan might have jumped if not for his determination not to wake Eamon. Elspeth was running for him cutting across the grass and the concrete path. 

“Hey there,” Rowan said. “What are you doing Elspeth?”

Behind her, his mothering was following, just a bit slower than a rambunctious toddler. 

“I have a thing,” Elspeth declared. Then she noticed the baby in Rowan’s arms. “Oh, baby.”

So gently, she patted Eamon’s dark hair.

“Here, I’ll leave you to it,” Elide said, taking the baby back and leaving him and Elspeth alone. 

Elspeth looked up at him, green eyes shining as she smiled. “I have a thing.”

She climbed up onto the bench next to him, and even though Rowan was compelled to help her he didn’t. In the end she managed absolutely fine on her own. Now, Rowan could only watch as she reached out, picking up his hand from where it had rested on his knee. He let her pry his fingers open and put a small white flower in the middle of his palm. Elspeth’s tiny hand rested on his wrist, her finger contracting to hold him better. Rowan was still as anything, like the smallest movement might scare her away. 

“For you,” Elspeth declared. 

“Thank you,” Rowan said, still not moving a muscle. “It’s beautiful.”

“Like you!” she said, sitting back on her knees. “Mama say that everyone is beautiful.”

“Yeah,” was the only reply Rowan could come up with. 

“Just so you know,” his mother said, having finally caught up. “I in no way shape or form encouraged this.”

That stunned Rowan even further. 

“Iris is my friend,” Elspeth said. “You can be my friend too, Ro-yen.”

With that simple and heartfelt declaration Elspeth was off, back to chasing Korbin around the playground. Rowan looked down at the flower in his hand, not wanting to lose it he pulled out his wallet and slipped it inside. 

“That went well,” Iris said, smiling after her granddaughter. Rowan didn’t have the words to reply, he just nodded. Noticing his pensive state, his mother offered, “Time to go?”

Rowan gave an awkward general goodbye to the overall group, not noticing who returned it. Elspeth gave him an enthusiastic wave however from the top of the slide and he returned it. On the drive back to the hotel his parents were staying in, Rowan managed to keep up small talk all the way up to saying goodbye. He blacked all feeling until he was back in his apartment, thankfully not running into anyone else that might live in the building. 

Once inside, a myriad of feelings hit him. He could still feel the phantom touch of Elspeth touching him, like his brain was determined to remember it, to hold onto that feeling as long as he could. Rowan could also the remember the feeling of Eamon in his arms, and he began to wonder if she had felt like that. He would never know, he never got the chance to know her when he was that small.

Rowan braced his hands on the kitchen counter, barely remembering how he got there, as it felt like his chest was caving in. Today had been a tiny glimpse of what he had missed, of a little life he hadn’t had the privilege to be a part of. Something inside him longed for it, and he wasn’t afraid to admit how much that terrified him. 

Questions flooded him, close to overwhelming him. Why hadn’t Aelin told him? Why hadn’t she reached out and let him be a part of this? Why couldn’t he shake the rage that was welling inside him?

A fist slammed on the counter and Rowan hissed at the pain. It offered him some clarity enough to realise it had been him. He had been an absolute bastard, and the fallout may not have been entirely his fault but he shared the majority of it. Enough was enough, some twisted lines of fate had given Rowan this opportunity and he wasn’t about to waste his second chance.

It was time that he proved himself.

~~~~~

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[twotitsjohndecaon]

You And I

Surprise bitches, more shit. I believe I meant to post this on August the 19th (holy day) but here we are now. Happy late birthday to John Richard Deacon and thank you for all of the feedback on my other shit so far :) <3

Word Count: 1.9k

Warnings: nothing for once just cutesy shit :)

It was the first warm day all year. Truly warm, and a bit strange to have so early in the year. Daylight savings hadn’t even happened yet so the sun still set early in the day, though not as early as it had been recently. Even a few extra minutes of light was nice. And it was still cold, but no longer freezing cold most days, and a select few tufts of grass and clumps of flowers suggested a bloom was oncoming. But today was a bit of an anomaly. It was extremely warm, warm enough to dress however you wanted, and as luck had it you had the day all to yourself, which was fantastic, as you had no idea how you’d spend it inside. Not when the sun was warm and the air was thick with promise like it hadn’t been since summer.

John, your boyfriend, did not have the day off, however, but he didn’t seem to care. He took the day off anyways, disregarding the angry and incessant calls from Freddie he’d probably receive, but they’d manage. He could just do his parts later. John wasn’t going to miss out on this day with you.

You both arose that morning later than usual, tangled in your clean sheets and each other, and slightly less bundled up than usual because you didn’t have to be for once. For a while you kissed each other with closed eyes, softly wherever you could reach until they could be opened, blinking the sleep away slowly into just as dreamy of a sight. John took longer to wake up, nuzzling into your neck to hide into your sweet scent and to attempt to keep his eyes closed for a little longer, but even he couldn’t resist the excitement of the day to come eventually. Lots of smiles, giggles, soft kisses, and cuddles consisted of most of your morning, and then a nice shower. As you finished getting ready for the morning, digging a summer dress out, you headed to the kitchen to grab something to eat, where you found John, now dressed, already making something. He was smearing some sort of spread onto a piece of bread, assembling sandwiches, and just as you reached to try to take one, you were stopped.

“Ah ah ah,” he scolded.

“Why not?” You pouted a bit. John booped your nose with his free hand and smiled, raising his brow.

“These aren’t for right now. They’re for later. But you’re more than welcome to help yourself to anything in the fridge.”

“Wow, John, thanks, for reminding me I’m aloud to eat my own food in my own home,” you commented sarcastically, but with a light tone to show him there weren’t actually any hurt feelings. You headed over to the fridge to grab a nectarine and sat to eat it on the counter nearby. Your feet dangled off of the edge as you reached over quickly to brush John’s hair over his shoulders to not get in the way of his food assembling. “So what are the sandwiches for later for?” you asked, taking a crisp bite of the fruit. You had just seen them in the shop for the first time in a while, the first of the season. 

“Well,” John began, his focus still on the sandwiches. “I thought since I have the day off, and you have the day off, and it’s so nice outside, we should spend some time out this afternoon,” he explained.

“A picnic?” you asked excitedly. John hummed in confirmation and you gasped excitedly. John looked up from his sandwiches at this point. Your excitement was so adorable to him he had to take you in. Before he could look for long, you set your nectarine down and drew him into a big hug, holding your hands out straight a bit awkwardly to not get the sticky juice on your hands in his hair. John chuckled a bit, moving the knife into his other hand farther from you and grabbing your side to complete the hug, filling you both with warmth. It was a bit of an awkward jumble, but it didn’t matter, and you two could do a proper one soon enough. John pulled away.

“Thought it’d be a nice idea,” he smiled. 

“It is a nice idea!” you said, continuing your breakfast. You finished and washed your hands, standing in front of John. “Ok. What else do we need?”

“You don’t have to do anything, love, just relax, I’ll take care of it,” he said softly.

“Nice try, Deaky,” you teased. You started helping him on your own accord, adding more fruits and grabbing some wine, cheeses, and crackers to add to the picnic. John had finished the sandwiches and grabbed the basket kept in the back of your closet, and the two of you started assembling the basket, you admonishing him for throwing everything in instead of making it look as nice as possible.

“But love, it looks very pretty this way, but the cheese and crackers will fall out if you put it this way,” he said, beginning to undo what you’d done. You whined. John stopped and gave you a kiss.

“How about we arrange it for practicality, and once we’re there we can pick some flowers and you can make it look even more pretty on the blanket?” You were satisfied with this, giving and “ok,” and kissing him back. 

“I’m just saying though, if you’re going through the effort of a picnic, why not put the effort into the picturesque quality of it?” You reasoned. 

“I completely agree, love,” John smiled. The two of you put on your shoes and grabbed a blanket. He held out his hand. “Shall we?” he asked, and you grabbed his hand, smiling as you walked firmly together. The two of you walked to the park nearby, a nicely sized one with flowers peaking out and a pond. The two of you found a sunny spot and set everything up, John picking you flowers as you arranged everything to your liking. You gasped in joy as you saw the gorgeous flowers he’d gotten you, and were flattered he chose such nice ones for your date. Finally, the two of you sat down with satisfied sighs, and John didn’t hesitate to pull you to sit between his legs, to which you squealed for a moment but adjusted happily. The two of you got to work eating, talking, basking in the sun and each others company. There wasn’t a worry in the world, and there were laughing children playing nearby, dogs running around happily, and ducks slowly marching by before taking a cooling dip in the sun. The weather remained perfect, not too hot and you never got chilly either. It was nice getting time to catch up with John too. He wasn’t on tour, so you had been seeing him, but still not as much as you would have liked with the next album starting up. Neither of you had any big things to update each other on, but it was still just as satisfying to talk about the hum-drum ordinary things in your life from recently. John fed you some chocolate adorably and you tucked a flower behind his ear, loving the sound of his voice and his presence touching you. Both of you were finally relaxed too, not that you stressed each other out normally, but from other aspects in your lives. You could really see the difference with John. His shoulders weren’t hunched, his jaw not tensed, his hair silky smooth and not mussed from running his hands through it out of nerves. His smile too, he wasn’t afraid today to bear his toothy smile which loved, the small gap between his two front teeth and the way the sides of his eyes would crinkle so adorably. Eventually, the sun set and moon rose, still early, but neither of you wanted to move. It wasn’t any less colder, but a transition still felt needed. The two of you packed everything up quickly, but decided to stay out a bit longer.

The two of you strolled down the streets, weaving in and out of parks and along the river when you found it, down past shops and row houses and lights along the city, talking or enjoying the ambiance, never a dull moment. The two of you did stop when you hit the river again at one point, you stopping and grabbing the edge of the rail to look out onto the city, the moon glinting brightly moreso than the city lights across the water, glittering and sparkling, even beyond the sun. John saw you, looked at you in the moonlight, saw how your hair moved softly in the light breeze, and took you all in. He came up behind you, holding you close and breathing you in. You smiled, leaning into him, giving him a kiss.

“I love you so very much,” he said quietly. The two of you were nearly forehead to forehead, smiles all around.

“I love you more than anything,” you told him. John hummed happily and the two of you looked out onto the river together. 

“You’re it for me, Y/N,” he started. You looked to him a bit confused, but he just smiled more and explained. “There’s never going to be anyone else I’ll love more than you. I know it. Because it’s impossible.”

“John,” you whispered, turning around in his arms, touched. He kissed you and grabbed your hands. He seemed thoughtful, almost concerned for a moment, but decided to go for it.

“Would you marry me one day?”

“Are you… proposing?” you said, now wide eyed, but unsure what he was saying. 

“No. Not right now. I just mean, is that where you see us going? Is that what you want with me? Because that’s what I want with you. Only you. And I know that for certain now,” he explained. Warmth filled your heart.

“Of course I would marry you, John. I’d marry you right here right now,” you said, the biggest smile on your face.

“Well… good,” John chuckled, unsure of how to continue, but both of you were completely pleased and even more secure in your relationship. You chuckled, and then noticed he still had the flower behind his ear which you’d put earlier. You pulled it out, fixing his hair, and sniffed it, taking in its lovely fragrance before looking deep into John’s gorgeous eyes.

“To us?” you said, raising the flower like you were making a toast. John chuckled. You were so adorable and perfect to him, for him. He grabbed your hand, fitting it over yours to also hold the flower.

“To us, for always,” he said, sealing your promises and dedication to each other with a kiss. You continued to hold the flower as you walked home together hand in hand, happy beyond belief. The two of you stayed up a bit and went to bed. But just as John fell asleep, you were still awake. You took the flower which you had set down once you got home, grabbed a book, and pressed it so you could keep it forever, because today, this time and this feeling with John wasn’t something you’d ever want to forget. You set the book back in place, and it looked almost like it didn’t contain something so important, and hopped into bed with John, who immediately grabbed you close, pulling you into him and whispered a sleepy “goodnight,” as the two of you drifted off to sleep once more, always together.