#kino angst

[thegothicchangeling]

What kills me about Ambessa is that she believes she can protect her children through conquest, and even when she's proven wrong, she can't see it. She makes enemies everywhere she goes, and that led to Kino's death. Instead of realizing that, the loss just reaffirms to her that war is necessary. And now, she's losing her daughter for it as well.

[sadarcaneposts]

If Ambessa were around to read Mel's letter that is on her champion page she would dismiss it as sentimental. She would say that Mel's compassion made her soft, made her weak.

She would smile when Mel told her she was right. She would shed a tear knowing that her little wolf will be ok. She would pull a box of matches from her desk, an old mahogany thing, as elegant as she is, and light a candle. Holding the letters in one hand, needing to burn it, needing to avoid the compassion that Mel clings to.

But she can't do it, destroy the final words of the last person in the world she has any move for. So she locks it in the top drawer of her desk, but not to forget it.

She reads it, over and over, until the ink smudges and the corners dull. Her own tears dripping onto the page.

Kino is dead, and in a way, so is Mel. Neither of her children will be there to lead the Clan Medarda. She has no room in her mind for regret. But when she gets wine drunk, late at night, she pulls out the letter and wishes that things were different. She wishes Mel well. Writing her own letters, never apologising, but needing to get it off her chest.

And she burns all of them but Mel's original letter. Because Ambessa Medarda is alone. And in her heart, she knows she deserves to be.

[sandywitchboi]

Bet Mel wrote letters back home to Noxus for her brother, Kino. Maybe expecting a reply letter before Ambessa informed Mel of his assassination.

[r4rw1ngd1n0]

Life is inevitable.

(Coloured version in works)

[multiphandomunnies]

pentagon

reactions

accidentally seeing their gf naked

found out the wrong way social media au intros

found out the wrong way part one

found out the wrong way part two

found out the wrong way part three

found out the front way part four

s.o getting shy when they kiss

imagines

jinho

hongseok

flustered

hui

e’dawn

365 so stress

how cute

shinwon

yeo one

yanan

too much effort

kino

yuto

something special (*M*)

technology free

lovers night

wooseok

give it a rest

[summercreolefanfictioner]

friend: so you're writing about the diabolik lovers modern college au, right? they don't have any traumatic experiences in there, right? me: friend: right? me:

[jinkoh]

lie to me

hyunjae x gn!reader

wc: 0.4k, tags: angst, exbf!hyunjae who is still v much in love with you, late night phone call that leads nowhere, hurt/comfort, SFW

a/n: found this in my drabbles & since it's already there might as well post right?

listen to: 5 seconds of summer - lie to me

masterlist

Hyunjae knows how stupid all of this is. It's been months. But when he saw you at Hyunggu's party last week you looked so happy, smiling brightly as you sipped on your drink and now he can't get it out of his head. That smile used to be for him and he would have never gotten tired of how pretty it is, but at some point you stopped showing it to him. Or maybe he simply stopped being a reason for you to smile. He misses it, he misses you, so much it's slowly eating him up. That's why he is sitting on his bed again, phone in his hand, thumb hovering over the call button. All of this is so stupid, he knows, but he calls anyway. It feels like the dial tone is mocking him, laughing about him with every millisecond that passes. There is no way you would pick up, there is no way you could possibly want to talk to him—

"Hyunjae?"

He almost chokes on the sound of your voice, soft and tired.

“I saw you at Hyunggu’s party.”

“Yeah, I saw you there, too. We even said hello, remember?” You almost sound like you’re talking to a child, indulging him and his silly idea of having this conversation.

“Yes, yes, of course. It’s just—you looked really happy.”

“Mhm,” you hum, “it was fun.”

He takes a breath. He isn’t sure what else he should say or ask, doesn’t even know what his plan was when he decided to call in the first place. Maybe it was all just to hear your voice. 

“It’s late. I think I should probably get going,” you say after a silence that dragged on a little too long. Hyunjae doesn’t want you to, not yet.

"Do you love me?" He bites his tongue the moment the question is out.

"Jae—"

"No, don't. Don't be honest. Just lie to me,” his voice is trembling, “please."

A pause. And then, "I do, I love you." He thinks he can hear the soft smile in your voice or maybe it’s just a projection of his memories. Either way, it sounds real to him and it hurts. He shouldn’t have asked you to lie and he wishes you hadn’t yielded to his request so easily. 

He lets out a bitter laugh. "Yeah, me too. I love you." Another moment of heavy silence. “Good night, y/n.”

“Yeah, good night, Hyunjae.”

He stays in the line for a moment longer, foolishly waiting if you’ll say anything else. But you don’t. It feels like the disconnect tone is mocking him.

masterlist

[thegothicchangeling]

I need the fandom to understand that Mel didn't just lose her big brother, she lost the only person she felt safe being emotionally vulnerable with. And for that, the loss is that much more devastating.

[graciedollie]

Precious

pair: ambessa medara x wife!reader

summary: You were awaiting in bed for your beloved wife to arrive home from her duties—knowing she’d love to be with you after an eventful day. When she did come home, her face wore a clenched, worrisome expression pacing slightly. What ever could be troubling your dear wife?

warning(s): none really, angst ofc(?)

A/N: I’ve been craving to write a fic about this lady here so here ya go🫶🏾 (kinda my first time writing angst. bare with me).

It was getting late with the moon hanging in the dark sky, dazzling stars peppering the dark abyss with its brightness. You laid lonesome in the large bed that was adorned with silky ruby sheets, missing the certain warmth. The room filled with an eerie silent besides the sounds of the clock ticking, soldiers—that Ambessa had ordered to guard you while she was away—footsteps outside the door, and your own crowded thoughts.

You couldn’t help, but feel that something was wrong—though, you couldn’t put a finger on it. It was only later on that the bedroom door creaked in along with heavy footsteps—knowing those sounds all too well. Your eyes snapped up, seeing your wife step in the room as she shut the door behind her, but her face..

Her expression was one of frustration and disappointment, knowing that expression all too well. Her body was visibly tense as she paced around the room, not even batting an eye at you until your voice snapped her out her rambling mind.

“Sweetheart, what’s troubling you?”

She only stayed silent as her hardens gaze snapped to you before softening with a hint of vulnerability��such a miracle to see as she was pretty guarded. A heavy sigh flowed from her dark lips as she strolled over to you by your spot on the edge of the bed, plopping down on the bed with her shoulders slumped and her legs in a manspread position.

Her forehead laid on the palm of her large hand, looking troubled and upset at who knows what. You place a hand on her shoulder before drifting to her cheek as your thumb ran across her cheek, seeing her eyes glance over at you.

“It’s Mel…”

There it was: the first to second thing that popped in your head as soon as you saw her troubled expression. Your eyes searched for hers as she looked down at the floorboards, seeing her jaw clench as she spoke, “God knows I’ve tried to guide her—guide her to make only the right decisions.”

You listened to her explain her situation, knowing her and Mel didn’t have the best relationship to really begin with. Your eyes flickered with understanding—you knew your wife thought she was helping her, but she was going at it the wrong way—and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“I know you do, my love, but she can make her own decisions. She may not need your guidance, but I know she wants her mother, not a general, My Dear..”

Her eyes flickered over at you, brows furrowing as her lips turned into a scowl as she scoffed, “Such nonsense. Of course I am her mother and I am only guiding her to make the right choice to protect, doing whatever necessary to keep people safe—war is to come. That child…”

A sigh flowed from your lips as she continued on, knowing that she possibly thought she’s doing right thing, but it’s only drifting her further from Mel. She never understood what she did wrong—she was only doing best for Mel…

Though Ambessa had her moments with Mel, she still loved her with everything. Her priorities stood straight and devoted to her people—even if meant at the cost of what was dear to her heart.

Sure, Ambessa loved Mel with everything in her body, but unconsciously, she used Mel—which even she knew herself. Being too distant with Kino costed her, now it feels as if getting close to Mel felt the same.

You gently caressed her cheek, turning her face to meet yours—seeing the glint of a worrying mother. Your thumb brushed past her cheek as you spoke, “Darling, you and I both know you care for her deeply, but you have to remember—the way you were raised and showed how to do certain things may not work with her. I know that may seems nonsensical to you as it may have worked for you, but remember—just because one thing worked for someone, doesn’t mean it’ll do the same for the other, My Love. Only leading on the impossible to be insufferable.”

Her expression slightly hardened at your words, soaking in your words before she turned away with a small sigh, “She thinks she can avoid war…violence is never ending, at each and every corner.”

You could only shake your head, seeing at how much she was blinded by her good intentions, that she couldn’t even see the pain she caused. Your wife only wanted best and to protect the ones greatly to her heart, even if it cost her.

She only thought that what she did was only for the greater good—just as how she was raised. Though it wasn’t ‘good’, she was undoubtedly true and just never understood that what she did was never enough.

“Have you ever considered on how she ever felt? Let her do her own things—what she think is right for her people?”

Your words left her silent —looking at you as if you were some sort of ghost. Her jaw clenched as her brows furrowed together, letting your words seep.

“Of course I do. What mother would I be if I didn’t do such? I care deeply for her—even as I did him. Both of them. Carried them in my belly, nursed them from my bosom. Nothing but the sweetness in my heart he was…”

Her voice trailed off into a shaky undertone as her body tensed before quickly straightening up, not wanting to dig further into the wound that would never close.

Even after all these years.

You couldn’t but feel the ache in your heart at her words, knowing how deeply she felt for her children. They were but her precious beloveds.

Your hand placed on her shoulder, giving her a sense of comfort to ease her nerves. She could only glance at you with that hint of sadness and vulnerability before placing her head in your lap.

“I’ve lost something so dearly once and I fear to lose Mel…and you, Dear.”

Her words left you utterly stunned with emotions, sensing how she deeply loved the ones close to her, but something always backfired as though she was partly to blame. You rested your hand on her cheek, grazing over the blessed brown with a soft touch.

“Oh, I know, my Love..”

“What have I done to deserve you, My Precious?”

how do we like this one guys…

[peachdues]

ALL THE THINGS WE LEFT UNSAID — PROLOGUE + TEASER

Tengen’s Bundle of Joy • Secret Pregnancy AU

A/N: surprise! Have a first look at Tengen’s installment of my Bundle of Joy series.

This fic will be multi-part canon-AU. It is a non-linear story (alternating between Then and Now) and double surprise! It will be a slow burn (just because they fuck doesn’t mean they’re in love!)

CW: MDNI • this story features explicit sexual content • secret pregnancy • angst • mentions of injury/head wound • these two are stubborn as fuck lmao

PROLOGUE

“The Sound Hashira is rumored to be in this region. Some mission.”

Your comrade’s off-handed comment freezes you in your step.

“Where.”

Your fellow Kinoe shrugs, unaware of the way your eyes dart anxiously around the clutter of wooden homes and ramshackle shops, as though you half-expect the silver-haired swordsman to leap out from the shadows at any moment.

“It’s not like we get details of the Hashira’s missions shared with us,” he brushes you off with a yawn. His arms fold behind his head, his gait lazy and far too casual for someone of his position as he struts lazily along an uneven path that leads to the small building marked with a fading, painted wisteria crest. “We might be Kinoe, but we’re still bottom feeders compared to them.”

You hum in half-hearted agreement, but your attention to your fellow Slayer — to your mission — flounders as the knowledge you’ve worked desperately ignore explodes out of the mental bottle you’d shoved it into.

Beneath the ever-tightening buttons of your uniform shirt your stomach has begun to swell. Slight; not yet noticeable to the naked eye, but sure as hell prominent when you’re fighting to close the last two buttons or fasten your hakama pants.

You thumb absently at your belt — now loosened two notches. Perhaps you’ll take a cue from the Love Pillar’s book and opt for a skirt. At least the waist would sit higher up, the pleats, offering cover you’ll need while you figure out what the fuck it is you’re going to do. It won’t be long before your secret is exposed; before word inevitably reaches the jewel-crusted ears of the very one you want most to avoid.

You’d be more useful dead.

A callous thing to say to a subordinate, let alone someone who’d risked their neck on more than one occasion to preserve his. And, for all the testiness that had built between you over the years, a resentment born of your mutual inability to confront the other honestly, you hadn’t expected him to resort to that.

You’d known he regretted his words the moment he hurled them your way, but it was too little, too late. And it hadn’t stopped you from leveling his ire with your own, your response a series of poisoned darts you were only happy to launch right back his way.

I look forward to meeting your expectations.

But it was his regret, perhaps, that led him to grab you by the bicep as you’d tried to leave, that yanked you back to face him, breath heavy and pupils dilating.

The crack fissuring across your chest had been dulled by the way his hand swallowed your arm; how his mouth crashed into yours, and the powerful movements of his body. But once he’d collapsed atop you, panting and spent, the wounds he’d inflicted turned raw once more, the salt of his sweat preventing your blood from clotting where he’d torn your chest clean open.

You manage a furtive shake of your head, dispersing the memory of his body and his violence from your mind. This is not the time for you to pick at the scab over your heart, not after you spent the better part of the last two months trying to force it to form. For now, you need to focus on getting the hell out of here; to get as far away from this desolate corner of the earth before the universe decides to throw you back at him.

Before he knows.

Your comrade prattles on, bragging over how he’s been lucky enough to see the Sound Pillar in battle, oblivious to the smirk settling on your lips in spite of yourself. The Kinoe you’ve traveled with seems unaware that in detailing the way the Corp’s great Uzui had appeared out of thin air to save him and the handful of other slayers cornered by a particularly fearsome avian demon, he’s admitting to his own ineptitude in finishing off the beast on his own.

The Hashira don’t come unless hope is lost; the fact Uzui had appeared at all meant they’d been done for. Yet, he wears the boast of having needed his ass saved by one who’d undoubtedly disposed of the demon with a painful swiftness like a badge of honor.

You know better.

For all the ways your fellow swordsman brags over having witnessed the Pillar’s great display of strength, you’ve seen him weak. Not only that, but you’d been the direct cause of such weakness; you’d broken him down, made him give into temptations he believed he’d suppressed.

But that weakness has led you here — chewing on your thumbnail in a fit of anxiety your comrade remains woefully ignorant of as you try banishing the memories of the Sound Pillar’s weakness from your mind.

More, you’d begged him, sweaty and panting and delirious. More.

He’d obliged you — enthusiastically so. And the way you’d fallen apart in his arms showed you that you were just as weak as he.

Not once had he bothered to apologize for what he’d done; what he’d said. And his too casual pronouncement that your death — as gruesome and violent as your profession demanded — would be a better convenience than for him to work through his own bullshit was a slash through your chest even his most fervent apologies wouldn’t be able to stitch back together.

Not that you thought he ever would offer one — but the image of him dropping to his knees and begging you for forgiveness you wouldn’t allow yourself to give was a small comfort to your bitter heart.

Besides, you’d claimed the privilege of having the last word by not saying any at all. Instead, you’d crept away from the inn, leaving him asleep on the discarded heap of his uniform in the room you’d been forced to share.

You’d given him exactly what he’d given you — nothing. And that vindication had been as sweet as it was short-lived. Now, you’re stuck with the consequences of your own pride and weakness without any idea of what to do about it.

Feigning indifference where Tengen Uzui was concerned, however, is your speciality; a skill you’d perfected just as surely as you’d mastered shadow breathing. Thus, the mask of cool neutrality is easy to slip on as you listen to your comrade continue prattling on about skill levels and techniques to improve breathing styles, chiming with a mildly interested nod when necessary.

And you plot; plot your escape from this tiny fishing village, plot how best to guard the secret you know won’t remain such for much longer. Running away from your problems had always been far easier than forcing yourself to choke them down, and this time will be no different. Of that much, you’re certain.

Coward, a voice that sounds suspiciously close to Uzui’s hisses in your head. Coward.

And so, you continue to strategize your best chance at avoiding the storm brimming on your horizon as your fellow Kinoe continues, too consumed by his blustering to notice how your had drifts to your stomach, resting on the hidden curve where the Sound Hashira’s child grows.

—-

BONUS

“The baby — the baby —“

“Where?” Tengen surveys the wreckage scattered around you, ears carefully pricked for any cry, any smaller, weaker heartbeat, but for all his strain, he can discern none. “Was it a village kid?” He jostles you as much as he can, trying to force your eyes into focus. “Where, Y/N?”

But you only keep muttering the baby, your brow furrowed, your head twitching as though in dissent, though it remains limited where it is braced in the crook of Tengen’s massive arm.

He swears under his breath as your eyes roll into your head, your lips straining to form the mantra you cannot stop repeating, even as your breath turns shallow and raspy. Two fingers find the pulse point in your neck, and Tengen swears again at weakened beat of your heart.

“You don’t get to die.” He snaps at you, hand slapping lightly at your bloodied cheek. “You don’t get to run away. Not now. Not again.”

He needs to figure out where else you might be injured — that way he can help, can stabilize you before the Kakushi arrive. You’re not taking the easy way out this time. He would stand at the gates of heaven or hell itself to block your way, ready to haul your ass right back to life so he could chew your ass out the way you so obviously needed. And once he did, he can put this volatile, tempestuous thing between you to rest. He can free himself of the bonds you’d snapped around his wrists the moment you first sized him up and cut him down with a few, caustic words.

Then, he might finally be able to let you go.

Gritting his teeth, Tengen surveys your body. Your head wound is the most prominent, but no matter how much blood mats in your hair and streaks down your face, he knows better than to assume that it’s the worst you’ve sustained.

Gently, his hands smooth along your body, and he notes every odd bend, every lump along your joints that does not belong.

“The ba — baby —“ your voice grows fainter with each word, and Tengen can only see a sliver of white peeking out from between your eyelids.

Beneath the dark crimson of your blood your skin has turned ashen.

“Y/N.” The hoarseness of his voice has nothing to do with the smoldering flames and thick smoke that has burned the village to its skeleton. His hand slides to your abdomen, ready to position you in his arms so he can run with you, can tow you to the nearest Kakushi. You will not die; he forbids it, he forbids you from even trying —

His hand settles on your navel and freezes.

Beneath the flush of his palm is a curve; an outward swelling of your stomach that had been hidden under the loose fit of your uniform shirt, but under his touch, it is unmistakeable.

A bump. A sizeable bump extends from your abdomen.

The grunts and groans of the houses and structures giving way to the crackling flames fall away, his ears filling instant with a high-pitched ring that pulses in time with his thundering heart. The sweat rolling down his neck turns cold, his chest tightening until his lungs burn. Slowly, his eyes drag back up your body until he finds your graying face once more.

For one, brief moment, your eyes flutter open and search wildly before landing on his, wide and frozen in his horror.

“The baby.” You say once more, in explanation and confession. And then your eyes roll back into your skull and you turn limp in Tengen’s trembling arms.

[r4rw1ngd1n0]

“YOU BETTER NOT DO THIS TO ME, AMI!”

[kissingmilfs]

⚔︎ 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 | 𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 ⚔︎

summary: ambessa’s ruthless tactics in pledging your loyalty to her and her only. even at the expense of her daughter, mel.

18+ minors please dni

content warnings: slight angst, fingering, manipulation

⋆༺𓆩⚔𓆪༻⋆ ⋆༺𓆩⚔𓆪༻⋆ ⋆༺𓆩⚔𓆪༻⋆ ⋆༺

your sandals echoed on the marble floors as you followed the familiar path. your fingers hadn’t stopped touching the spot on your lips where mel kissed you. it almost burned through the soft flesh. the kiss completely took you off guard. one second you’re in the garden, head positioned on mel’s lap and reading/reciting sonnets. the next second mel’s face blocked the sun and her lips brushing against yours. the kiss was so brief. yet so tender and filled with emotions you couldn’t understand.

the undoubtably expression of shock twinged with guilt crossed your face. mel must’ve ignored the look. or perhaps her excitement clouded reality. you hadn’t stopped her when she pressed another kiss on your lips. in fact—you found yourself giving her parted lips. the kiss, likewise, lasted all but a few seconds. mel bashfully offered you a smile and uttered under her breath, “i wanted to know what it felt to kiss you.”

now as you walked the halls of the expansive medarda palace—your thoughts carried with memories of the fresh kiss. you didn’t need to think to find yourself in the familiar corridors. you had done this journey far too many times. your heart beat in anticipation the closer you arrived. the events of the kiss replayed and you worked through them—wondering how you could twist the story.

you don’t even need to raise your hand towards the door or announce your presence. ambessa senses you—hears you—before you’ve pulled yourself out of your thoughts.

“enter.” the only words ambessa offers as you took a shaky breath and listened.

as you cross the threshold, your entire disposition changes. your shoulders roll backwards and you place your hands behind your back. entering ambessa’s personal office, you bow your head in respect. ambessa carefully scrutinizes every aspect of your beginning. your posture, the neatness and cut of your dress, the slight part of your lips. her eyes zoom in then. something appears different.

“come closer.” ambessa commands again.

you nod your acknowledgement before letting yourself move towards ambessa’s desk. you stand behind it—unsure of how close she desires you.

ambessa admonishes you with a disappointed scoff. “you know that’s not what i meant, child.” ambessa scoots out one inch from the desk. her eyes pointedly drops to the open space on the wooden desk.

you refuse to let yourself become effected too soon into the encounter. your face remains expressionless as you round the corner. you take calculated breaths as your feet bring you closer. between ambessa’s long muscular legs and the size of the desk—you carefully maneuver the tiny gap. the second you reach between ambessa’s thighs—the woman grips your hips and effortlessly sits you on the desk. ambessa hums lowly.

leaning into the plush backing of her chair, ambessa takes another opportunity to look you over. your hands tuck underneath your thighs—feeling the desperate urge to pick at your nails.

ambessa props her elbow on the wooden arm rest, cradling her chin on her knuckles. “how is my daughter doing?”

it has started. time to report. you did not have enough time to concoct a lie about the kiss. or how to weave it in a manner that doesn’t potentially get you sent away.

“mel is doing well. she’s adjusting to kino’s departure.”

ambessa golden eyes bore into yours with passive expression. “i wouldn’t necessarily call it a departure but continue.”

you almost stutter over your words at her interruption. “yes, my apologies. mel is taken more interest in the arts as you suspected. i do not anticipate her having more interest in combat training.”

“why is that? her instructors are the best. i would train her myself but she refuses.”

“mel is not a fighter.” you immediately come to her defense. both you and ambessa sense the urgency in your words. she arches a careful eyebrow. “she only continues her training because she knows the expectations you are placing on her.”

ambessa taps her fingers against her cheek. “she is a medarda. anything less than perfection is not allowed. how can she rule without an iron fist? without the necessary training and protocols? she must continue the medarda legacy and continue the conquests of our family.”

your throat aches uncomfortably at ambessa’s words. the reminder of the truth of the medarda’s never gets easier to swallow. ambessa’s conquests had found you at her mercy only five years ago.

you can still feel the fierce grip of her hand underneath your chin as you attempted to scramble and scratch your nails into her skin. her eyes engrained in your vision. the zealous flame of war in those darkened eyes. how you were so convinced of physically seeing ambessa’s spirits engorged with the high of a successful mission. the undeniable sheen of murder written all over her face.

and then she had done the unexpected thing. ambessa showed mercy. she had watched the fight in you. cackled even as you managed to draw blood. your feet attempting to find steady ground but your thrashing never ceased.

“you’ll do well, little one.” the words rung through your head as she had one of her men place chains on your wrists and ankles.

your thoughts don’t stray for long. it takes only ambessa brushing her knee against yours to snap out of the haze. “mel does not wish to rule as you and those that have come before. she prefers to give you a little in hopes you’ll eventually come to see her side of things. combat training is useful. mel understands that. but she will not take more interest besides that.”

ambessa eyes fall to your lips. you can feel your lips burn in the intensity. it almost, as if, ambessa is actively drawing mel’s kiss out. she has never paid such close attention. you anxiously await her response to your previous revelation. instead ambessa mindlessly parts your leg with one of her knees.

there’s no protest from you. in fact your other leg widens in return until your calves pressed on the outside of ambessa’s knees. it’s second nature at this point.

“is this my daughter’s first time kissing you?” ambessa nonchalantly asks the question as if the conversation naturally steered there. you blink your response. you’d almost convinced yourself, in this brief moment, you must’ve alluded to it somehow.

ambessa pinches your inner thigh when you don’t respond. “i don’t have all day.”

you jump slightly at the pinch which earns you a slap in the same spot. “what makes you think mel kissed me?” your question is immediate in response to the stinging pain. there’s always a looming fear in these encounters with ambessa. however, for the first time in years, you feared ambessa would discard you.

“your loyalties lie to me. not my daughter.” ambessa reminds. with one hand ambessa tears the fabric covering your modesty. her tone still seems so passive. it’s hard to differentiate if ambessa is upset, amused, or indifferent.

your mouth instantaneously waters with the anticipation. yet you let ambessa’s words dig into the pits of your stomach and uneasily churn the contents of your lunch. you hadn’t anticipated having any types of affections towards mel. she thought you her friend. and overtime you convinced yourself you were her friend.

you did leave out information gradually while reporting back to ambessa. you had grown fond of mel’s insistence in her own freedom and fate—separate of the medarda clan. ambessa’s watchful eye was not necessary for mel. at the age of 23, mel had a deeper and stronger understanding of the world around her than most scholars years into their studies. mel never presented as reckless or thoughtless. she took after ambessa in that way.

your fondness of mel in the end may get you more trouble than anything else. you curse yourself for your weakened resolve. years under ambessa’s reign left you more interested in your own survival at the end of the day. her hand settled on your mound—producing a uneven sharp intake of air.

“mel has never kissed me before today.”

ambessa rewards with one of her fingers sliding into your pussy. she watches you carefully. gauging your reactions for any hint of deceit. once she finds nothing, ambessa nods and you continue.

“i’m not sure why she did it either. nothing about our…relationship…indicated she saw me as something more.”

ambessa curls her finger against the plushness of your g-spot. she almost smiles seeing your fingers grip the edge of the desk. but you don’t moan or even screw your face in pleasure. your breathing is the only thing that gives you away. ambessa wanting to see you crumble—adds another finger. she basks in the feeling of your hole stretching in accommodation.

“did you like it?” ambessa questions after she begins a slow pumping motion inside of you.

“the kiss?” you exhale slowly. when ambessa doesn’t respond or nod—you take it as a yes. “i’m not sure. i don’t really understand it.”

ambessa laughs deeply and you can feel the vibrations all through her arm and at the tips of her fingers pressed deep inside of you. “have you really been so devoid of normal social interactions that you forget why people partake in kissing?”

the question swirl around in your head. but you don’t have enough time to properly understand the full implication before ambessa slowly drags her fingers out of you. but she doesn’t fully extract them and instead slams them back into you. the heel of her palm colliding with your clit. an unexpected choked gasp comes out of you.

ambessa laughs again. “it’s clear my daughter desires more than a friendship with you. how intimate are you with her?”

“intimate? i’ve never touched mel that way.” your nails accidentally scrape on the underside of ambessa’s desk. her fingers were moving in and out of you with a steady rhythm. any normal person would’ve already stuttered over their words.

“i’m aware. intimacy means more than sex, child.”

you furrow your eyebrows at that. you were around mel 24/7. if you were not in ambessa’s office that is. you had learned her favorite meals, how she liked her hair styled, the scents she preferred to bathe in. all by ambessa’s design, of course. you were mel’s closest friend and confidant.

“i suppose we are very intimate then. we have even slept besides each other on numerous nights.”

ambessa hums. her other hand comes to your clit and begins circling her thumb. she is processing the information—using your body as means to work through her thoughts. ambessa lifts her eyes when she hears a breathy moan come from you. almost as if your sounds of pleasures are distracting her from thinking. her thumb and two fingers work in perfect tandem. neither of you can see what she’s doing but it’s been done far too many times. the vein in ambessa’s lower arm is most likely prominent as her fingers continuously curl deeply.

the more ambessa fucks you—the longer she pumps her fingers against your velvet walls—the more your inhibitions slip away. she knows she has you right where she wants you. the sounds of your cunt fill the tiny gap between you both. even with the covering of your dress—it’s no denying the noises of her fingers stretching you out.

ambessa takes note of the subtle way you try to deny the sensations. your legs twitching ever so often. the undeniable sound of your nails scratching the wooden desk. but she’s bored of your self restraint. something in her today wants to see you let go. boredom fuels creativity, right?

she slows her fingers enough and you feel a third finger nudging against your entrance. you find solace in biting your bottom lip as her ring fingers joins the other two. you’re unable to hold back now. you both know it. your head drops backwards and a moan leaves your lips. the stretch of three normal fingers is already a feat but ambessa’s fingers aren’t the average size of woman. and when she starts working her fingers again, as if nothing happened, as if you can even barely register anything but the feel of being filled and fucked.

her thumb returns with languid circles on your clit. your palms press flat against the desk as you attempt to widen your legs. even the widening of your legs does nothing to soothe the ache. but it’s an ache you crave time and time again. you become aware of ambessa’s voice finding your ears. it takes a second to re-emerge from the depths of your pleasure.

“…you’ll continue as you are with mel. nothing shall change. if she desires to kiss you again then so be it. you must, however, convince her to spend less time daydreaming of love poems and more on her training.” ambessa’s fingers never relent. if anything as she doles out her assignment—the three fingers move with more haste. your wetness allows them no resistance and ambessa easily buries her fingers to the knuckles.

you nod your understanding. even if you did not agree or did not understand—you couldn’t bring yourself to do anything but follow along with ambessa’s plan. you’d continue giving yourself to mel however she desired or needed you. ambessa content with your placidity—presses her thumb firmly on your clit. your back arches in response.

“good. now come for me, pet. you’ve served your purpose for today.” ambessa’s voice is even and unwavering. it’s hard to believe your panting, gleam of sweat covering your forehead while ambessa remains almost unaffected.

her command settles in your core and within a blink of an eye—your vision is clouded with a flash of red as you squeeze them tightly. her fingers continue their relentless pumping, the steady rhythm of her fingers hitting that one spot over and over. your moan of coital release lodges in your throat as your tremble atop ambessa’s desk. you whine feeling yourself leak out all over wood and down your legs.

ambessa does not hesitate curling her fingers once more before she withdraws them from your cunt. you stare up at the ceiling, panting. you don’t have long to recover and leave ambessa’s office. you’ve never not left looking freshly fucked. ambessa closes your legs and pats the side of your knee in dismissal.

swinging your legs off the desk, you smoothen out your dress as your limbs wobble in attempt to keep you upright. your hole throbs and pulses with the desire to be filled again. as you’re rounding the desk ambessa grabs your wrist. you find her eyes immediately. you wait for her to say something but she simply reaches upwards and wipes her thumb against your lips. as she pulls away, ambessa presents the thumb for your viewing.

mel had left her mark on you. her signature lipstick now smudged on ambessa’s thumb. you held that strange feeling in your chest and exited ambessa’s office.

as you closed the door behind you, your eyes met with disbelieving green eyes. they widened as they inspected you with the same scrutiny of her mother’s. you stood frozen in place.

mel said nothing. she did nothing. after what felt like eons, mel walked away leaving the silence to tell you what you already knew.

tag list: @natashalance

[dblk-archives]

Hihi Hailey! I was wondering what the diaboys and Yui's hugs would feel like??

If you hold me till dawn.

Summary: What does it feel like, to hug them?

Characters: Shu Sakamaki, Kou Mukami, Ayato Sakamaki, Yuma Mukami, Laito Sakamaki, Kanato Sakamaki, Ruki Mukami, Subaru Sakamaki, Reiji Sakamaki, Azusa Mukami, Yui Komori, gn! reader.

Tags/warnings: fluff, sweet hugs, very very mild angst if you squint.

Author's note: Hi, Mags and thank you so much for your request! I'm sorry it took so long to write it, but I wanted it to be as perfect as I could make it. I didn't include Kino and the Tsukinamis since I don't know enough about them as of now. I still hope you like it ♡

❀ Shu Sakamaki – First dawn.

“The quiet of the world beneath gilded auroras and lingering dreams.”

Shu’s hugs are, first and foremost, warm.

Perhaps it is in his touch when he’s not fully woken yet that he conveys what his words don’t.

Sometimes his shows of affection make you crack a smile, when he claims “I was cold while sleeping” and casually wraps his strong arms around you.

Turning around in his hold, you trace his handsome features with your fingertips.

That is, until he takes your hand in his.

Eyes the color of the sky at the time when the world hasn’t risen yet meet yours.

He softly bites the tip of your finger, before his grip on you tightens and he goes back to sleep.

Neither of you have a blanket.

And yet, you don’t need it.

Not when his embrace is like the molten rays of first dawn.

❀ Kou Mukami – Cornflower blue mornings.

“The beauty of a pure blue sky, with the cheerfulness of sunlight. Yet sometimes, that light is fractured, leaving behind the desperation of cerulean patches amidst stormy clouds.”

Kou’s touches and embraces are another part of the charm with which he puts you under his spell.

And you’d be lying if you didn’t say you fell into it willingly.

His hugs are playful, lighthearted, loving, and at all times. Doesn’t matter if it’s in public or in private, he just needs you in the same way his lungs need the oxygen he breathes.

Kou adores teasing you and flustering you. He loves hugs in the morning, when he’s still sleepy, his messy hair tickling your neck and not letting you leave bed.

When he holds you like that, you feel like you’re in a rose colored world.

Except when the peace shatters and nightmares come to haunt him.

In his sleep, the sparkling idol is nowhere to be seen, leaving in his wake the scared boy he once was, desperately reaching for a promised sky that did not exist.

This time, however, his hand finds another.

Ready to never let him go again, to stay with him, even if the storm won’t cease.

You are there, reaching for cornflower blue mornings with him.

❀ Ayato Sakamaki – The blazing midday Sun.

“He is the intensity of noon’s heat on your back; the searing sensation of Icarus’ wings melting, only to plummet you into the arms of your beloved.”

Ayato is the personification of intensity. The picture perfect image of confidence.

That is palpable in the way he holds you too.

He is not shy to initiate physical contact with you, especially in public, to let others know you’re his.

His embrace is tight, but not so much that you can’t pull away if you so desire (though he’d sulk if you did that - there, there, Ayato).

Then there’s times when he just silently embraces you from behind, no words exchanged.

It’s usually on moments when he knows you’re struggling or feel sad.

So if you’d rather not talk about it, he’ll at least warm your wavering heart, just as the blazing midday Sun on your back.

❀ Yuma Mukami – Fiery afternoon.

“He is both the intensity of a crackling fire and the gentle light that filters through the window as you sit before the swirling flames.”

While he may seem a little rough around the edges, Yuma loves deeply and is one of the most loyal guys you can find.

That is very obvious in the way he embraces you.

It feels comfortable to lean your head on his broad chest or be enveloped by those strong arms of his that would protect you from anything.

You feel safe, and when he softly leans his head on top of yours, it’s as if time stopped at that moment of day when the world dyes in gold.

There’s other instances, however, when you have to ask him not to squeeze you so hard or you won't be able to breathe.

The sheepish smile he offers you in return is too cute, so it’s totally worth it. Like staring skywards even if you’re busy working at the garden, just to catch a glimpse of the fiery afternoon.

❀ Laito Sakamaki – Sensuous sunsets.

“The sinful secrets concealed in the half light of twilight; a fox-like stare that reads the sweet nothings you want to hear.”

The truth of the words he whispers carelessly hides behind the deadly sin of lust.

Due to his upbringing, Laito sees affection as just a state of pleasure, something physical.

Until you came along.

Now he is at war with himself.

This is not what he usually feels. This warmth in his heart… Is this the meaning of those words he throws like nothing?

His touches are still suggestive every time he hugs you, fingertips lingering a little too long over every spot he knows will make you shiver; those lips of his that used to tell you pretty lies now map out every inch of you in a softness you didn’t know he was capable of.

In between Laito’s arms, your eyes meet his.

You wonder if he can see right through you.

You want to hear him say ‘I love you.’

And, above all else, you want him to mean it.

His hold on you tightens.

Leaning against his chest, you watch the golden hour slip away.

His heartbeat is a little erratic.

And when, in the sensuality of an ephemeral sunset, he voices his next words, you know he means every single one.

‘I love you too, Laito.’ Is the silent response you give him with the world’s softest kiss.

❀ Kanato Sakamaki – Vices at dusk.

“An autumn night’s first light, through naked trees; A graveyard that looks as eerie as it is beautiful; As long as you stare into his lilac eyes.”

Kanato holds you like one would his soulmate on the brink of death; he hugs you like you’re going to slip away; his arms tighten around you because you’re only his.

He doesn’t want you to put your attention on anyone else but him, but he is also viscerally terrified of losing you.

Like a child cradling his new favorite toy for the first time, the sweet scent of raspberry pudding intoxicates you eternally now. And you’d be lying if you said you could live without it from now on.

As Kanato holds you, he is both gentle and menacing; the wordless warning that if you leave his arms you won’t make it out alive.

Why would you ever want to walk away, however? When he is the vice you want to drown in, today and every single dusk until the day you no longer breathe?

❀ Subaru Sakamaki – First moonlight.

“Luminescent white petals, guarded by thorns; And yet so delicate on the breeze of witching hours.”

Needles to say, Subaru is not the most physically affectionate at first.

Except when he can’t keep denying his heart has been yours for longer than he remembers.

He finds himself constantly seeking you out, because he is ‘supposed to protect you since you’re such an annoying idiot’ or so he claims.

The deep rosy hue of his cheeks tells you otherwise, however.

And now that you’ve found out he likes you, you won’t let him live it down.

As you constantly seek him out and nestle yourself in between his arms, Subaru finds he likes this quiet closeness; crimson eyes avert, as strands the color of starlit roses cover his shy gaze.

But you know what he means with those flustered expressions. And the way he hugs you a little tighter expresses the words he sometimes struggles to let out.

Though, if you listen, you won’t miss his whispers of “I love you” as the first moonlight sets on fallen ivory petals.

❀ Ruki Mukami – Zenith of polaris.

“In marine eyes, turbulence and tenderness hide. The wings he was denied, he gives to you. Your anchor, when you’re lost at sea.”

To know Ruki is to dive into a tempestuous sea; treacherous on moonless nights, yet captivating and radiant when it mirrors the stars.

His aim at first was to simply discipline you. Who did you think you were, other than his mere livestock?

And yet, there’s this aura around you, like a warm light; like the wings he was robbed of.

And still, he is the one who falls prey to you, wanting to show you heaven

In your darkest auroras, Ruki is your guiding star. His arms around you feel like seraphic feathers, still beautiful despite being crooked and ashen.

His lean figure, where you rest, listening to his steady heartbeat, akin to a forgotten lullaby penned in silver ink.

Ruki holds you as if you’re holy, the oath he swears his life on. He holds you delicately when starlight threatens to fade from your night sky.

Other times, however, he is the devil incarnate, pushing you down on his bed, hovering over you like a man starved.

And either way, you want him as he is. Forever you angel, wings or not; the zenith of polaris in your murkiest oceans.

❀ Reiji Sakamaki – Stillness in the dead of night.

“Some venoms don’t have an antidote, and you’d gladly drink them.”

When you first met him, you’d have never fathomed the idea of his arms around you.

Unless it was to keep you still as he stole your blood, that is.

You remember too vividly, that heinous scent coming off the cup of tea he offered you with a smile that was nothing if not cruel.

Now, that same cup brings a sense of warmth as you sit in his study, watching him work.

Here, the light is warm, in sharp contrast to the darkness out the glass panes, the windows little less than mirrors of darkness at this hour.

You revel in the calm of midnight.

A svelte hand takes your teacup away.

Reiji sets it on the nearby table, not without taking a sip from it first, the marks of your lipstick smeared by his lips.

Lips that then gently brush against your jawline, strong arms looping around your waist from behind.

In the dead of night, utter calm envelops around you.

If you were to be poisoned right this instant, you’d have no regrets; as long as it was by his hand.

❀ Azusa Mukami – Minutes before dawn.

“In his clear eyes, the instants held between night and day reflect. His wounded arms, forever destined to protect you.”

At times, when you spot him admiring his scars in the last minutes of night, he seems so fragile, delicate even.

Akin to daisy petals bathed in the dew of dreams about to end.

You wonder, how can someone capable of constantly drawing blood from his own flesh hold you so gently?

Much in the way he talks and always lingers close to you, his touch is the softness of kisses over fresh bandages.

You wish he wouldn't hurt himself. Your heart shatters a little at the gentleness with which he treats you, knowing how he breaks himself little by little.

So, in this moment, you hold him flush against you, squeezing delicately yet vehemently, letting him know this is your love, no bloodshed needed.

In the minutes before dawn, his opal eyes meet yours.

Through your unshed tears, his smile is brighter than morning stars.

❀ Yui Komori – The first breeze of spring.

“Some would argue she is too soft, cherry blossoms succumbing to snow. You know better. For, after the blizzard, that same tree blooms.”

Yui, the girl who will always put others before herself.

The girl who chooses to see the good in others, even in those who hurt her.

Yui, who loves unconditionally.

And who looks at you as if you hung the very stars in the sky.

She holds you warmly. Hopeful first cherry blossoms after a snowy February.

In her arms, your world dyes in shades of rose; your heart feels at ease, worries flying away like petals beneath an early March sky.

Yui is the tender touch of flower blooms in the first breeze of spring.

Your smile widens as she stares at you with her doe eyes.

Her own lips mimic yours.

Winter is over.

[1920sladydectective]

Best Friend's Mother Ch.4 3.9K

Here's chapter four of the @shinyshayminflower prompt story!

I hope you like it! Love you lots and lots, you can find the other parts on this account or on AO3.

Angst and Feels, no smut for this chapter.

Not again? You were going to throw up. You knew she didn’t love you, but you were foolishly surprised she had fucked Mel’s friends before. 

“Why?” Mel’s tipsy voice was hoarse, eyes shining as she looked between you, “Why couldn’t I have one thing that was mine”

You wanted the ground to swallow you, you wanted to kill Ambessa, you wanted to word vomit apologies and explanations. Your tongue was lead in your mouth. 

“Mel,” Ambessa’s tone was neutral.

“And it had to be her,” Mel whimpered, “because who other than the only best friend I’ve ever had? Only the best for Ambessa Medarda,” 

“I’m so sorry, it’s my fault too,” It ripped from you, suddenly spurred into action,”God, I-I, Mel I love you,” 

Her eyes darkened, a stuttered breath, “And that’s why you stuck your tongue down her throat, is it?”

“No, no,” Your whole world was falling apart, “I didn’t want this to happen, you’re my best friend,” 

Her bitter laugh killed you. You stood there, slaughtered, as the two Medardas began to argue in hushed tones. As quickly as her fight had ignited, it had died a distraught death. Alcohol and anger merging to create a half person. You barely caught what was said, though Mel’s muffled sobs were obvious, as was Ambessa’s motherly tone. 

It felt like a joke, some bad sitcom. Your lips were still warm, smudged crimson. 

She had moved off of you, swaying towards her daughter as if to calm her. Hushed whispers swirled around you. You lent, shivering and destroyed, against the fridge as they held one another. Their relationship would survive, of course it would, they were mother and daughter. They had a place for one another in their hearts. 

Where did that leave you then? Chopped liver, used and discarded at a moment’s notice. It was clear that this was not going to be discussed properly tonight, so you were an unnecessary detail they had shelved for later. Water sloshed about in your vision, sharp feedback ringing in your ears. 

Icy hands wiped pathetically at stray tears as you gulped, walking around the kitchen island with a slur from your lips about leaving them to it. You had the good sense to pat an incoming Rictus on the shoulder. 

“Lock the kitchen door,” It was hurried, “Mel and Ambessa are having a bit of a moment,” 

“And you?” His quiet tone made you gulp. 

“I am going to bed, tell Kino I drank too much and started throwing up so you helped me to bed,” 

“Yes Miss,” He’d never called you Miss before.

Unsteady, foal legs propelled you up the stairs as you sucked in small, stifled gasps for air. The sight of your room dropped you into the abyss, vision blurring as everything dialed to a thousand. This was it. You were so beyond fucked. It took black spots dancing around your eyes for you to remember to breathe, nails cutting your palms as you rocked back and forth on the plush carpet. 

Her face, shattered and pleading, was burned against your eyes like an old TV screen. Permanently fixed, the colours faded and warped. She had been so quick to hate her mother, her fury for you burning slow and low as it waited in the wings. You were no fool, a cat fight and some wine was not going to solve this. She had chosen you, allowed you into all areas of her life, and you had obliterated that trust, whether it had been your intention or not. She would never know how much you cherished her for now each word would be laced with guilt, rendered insincere upon arrival with little more than a cursory glance. 

Then, bitterly, your heart remembered Ambessa. You had never been special, had never been anything and you hadn’t even been the first. Mel had trusted you despite her mother’s history, because it was you and you were her best friend. You deserved every bad thing, grunting as your palms crushed your streaming eyes in an attempt to staunch the flow. None of this had gone to plan. You couldn’t understand why she’d kissed you in the first place, the memory of her kind eyes like a hot poker to the heart. You’d ended it, later than you should have, but you’d done the right fucking thing. 

Stripping naked, you crawled under the spray of icy water. It dulled you, skin becoming numb to the shower’s harsh droplets. Your cries were silent, measured, as if afraid to take up too much space. Golden glitter rotted away to reveal the monster underneath. You stayed like that for longer than was healthy, delirious limbs pulling you out as you drifted in and out. Cosy, fluffy pyjamas warmed you through as you sat, silent and empty on the bed staring at your laptop screen. 

Ever practical, you had shoved it all down in favour of a plan. First of all, you needed new student accommodation. There was no way Mel would want you living with her now and you needed to get ahead of that curve. You were sitting in a Manor house, scrolling through spare room listings like a zombie. It was three days till Christmas. You wanted to disappear. 

At some point you passed out, body slumped and shattered. 

Flecks of sunlight woke you, throat dry and face stinging. On autopilot you got ready for the day, and then just kept going. All your things were neatly folded, stuffed into a tired suitcase and sealed away. You would give Mel whatever conversation she needed and then you would leave, because it was what was necessary. 

Mel had sent you one text. Seeing her name made you dizzy. 

Breakfast Table, 10am. 

                                      Be right down. 

The house was empty save the three of you, you would learn. Rictus had dragged a hungover Kino out to facilitate this chat. You arrived in the kitchen to Mel and Ambessa sitting quietly side by side with mugs, one for you placed on the opposite side. 

A united front, two against one. Fantastic. How the fuck was that fair? What happened to how could she? 

“Morning,” You hated how unsteady your voice sounded, sitting primly in the wooden chair. 

“Sleep okay?” Mel asked, eyes unsure. 

You would have rathered if she called you a Cunt. Pleasantries had no place here. “FIne,” 

“Shall we start then?” Ambessa said, gaze focused on her daughter. 

Like it was a business meeting, and you? Their troublesome employee. 

It started rather structured, Mel had access to more facts than you’d anticipated. You were clearly not important enough to be there at the start of this conversation then. She knew when it started, when it stopped and when it started again. She was pragmatic and clearly emotionally dissociated, the events of the past twelve hours wrecking you all. You fought back a bit there, there was no restarting. 

“She kissed me,” You grumbled, barely able to look at her. 

“You kissed back, quite hard” It would have been teasing, your mind wished it was. 

“Mum,” Mel’s voice was clear, her look piercing. It was hard to gauge the dynamic here, they were on the same side but Ambessa faced far more aggression than you did. Repeat offender problems, perhaps.

“Neither of you cared about how this would make me feel,” It was the same tone from the night before, cutting harshly from a sober mouth.

“I did,” You cried, hands beginning to tremble again, “I do,” 

“If you did, you would have told me months ago,” Mel snapped.

“I know,” your gaze was distant, trapped in memories, “I made the wrong choices and have no excuse for them,” 

“We’ve both made mistakes Mel,” Ambessa’s tone was honey, “We love you, we want to know how to move past them,” 

Her use of ‘we’ made you twitch. As always, she had no problem speaking for you. Still, it seemed she was searching to heal your relationship with Mel as well as her own. Your heart glowed, you shoved it in a safe. 

“You can move past them by keeping your hands to yourself, Mum,” She snapped. In another, better timeline you would have giggled. 

Ambessa simply leaned back, taking a swig. 

“I just want to know why she did it,” Mel muttered, more lost than you’d ever seen her as she turned to you, “Mum I get, she’s done it before, but why did you?”

It was the worst question to ask, because you’d realised somewhere in those wallowing autumn nights that the love had bloomed even before she bent you over that island. Your motivator had always been love and that felt more pathetic than anything. It was the first time you looked to Ambessa on purpose, eyes panicked, yearning for even a dust speck of the comfort she was giving Mel. To your ultimate surprise you found it, crinkled eyes steady and holding you up just for a second before they looked away. That was the final nail in the coffin. 

Mel saw it before you even attempted words. You subconsciously braced for screams or laughter, but were met with a pained gasp. 

“Oh no,” Mel’s voice was soft, pitying “You didn’t,”

“Spare me,” It was a scoff, the cry of a wounded animal, “I know how stupid I am, kay?”

“Mum, go check on Mina,” Mel’s voice was dismissive, practically shoving a protesting Ambessa away. 

Ambessa left begrudgingly and the scales shifted, evening out. 

She didn’t speak for a long time, her face fixed in contemplation. It was the same face that crafted winning debates, negotiated designer deals and commanded attention of your student house chore chart. Each moment dragged, your eyes unsure where to stay as you grappled with your life. Was she going to tear you to shreds? Dismissing Ambessa so there were no witnesses to your murder? Or worse, was she going to outright admit that she despised you. 

“You fell in love,” It’s said in a hushed whisper, like gossip shared in a lecture hall. 

Your lip wobbled, the tsunami threatening to make itself known, as the plainness of the truth was said by the one person you’d wanted to tell. “Yeah, yeah I did,” 

She was on you in an instant, warm arms pulling you against her as you froze in place. 

“That was fucking dumb,” She huffed, her own voice watery, “Even dumber that you did it alone,” 

You gurgled in tears, laughter forced out as you looked at her incredulously. She was actually comforting you, as if this was normal. She was better than either you or Ambessa deserved and as she rocked you, you waited for the other shoe to smack you in the face.

“I hate you right now,” 

“Makes sense,” You sniffed, wanting to block the sound of those words out forever. 

“But right now doesn’t mean forever,” She huffs, trembling fingers taking your own, “Just need time to be furious, time to grieve I suppose,”

“I’ll give you whatever you need,” It was a babble now, “I’ll move out obviously and I c-can head home, you deserve a nice Christmas,” 

She looked at you like you’d grown a head, “No babe, none of that will be happening actually,”

“But,” 

“You have hurt me in an indescribable way,” Her voice was firm now, as if she were adult and you were child, “But I have decided I want you in my life despite that, and you are going to respect that even if you don’t understand it,” 

“I really, really don’t,” You squeaked, “But I’ll try, I want to earn your trust Mel, more than anything,”

“That’s good, because it’s Carol Concert Day and I would hate to sit next to Kino instead, he’s always so fidgety,” 

Fuck. Kino. Your face must have betrayed your panic. 

“Mum and I decided we won’t tell him, this,” She gestured between you and the space her mother had occupied, “died last night and therefore is irrelevant,” 

“Okay, whatever you want,” 

“It might also help things if you have a chat with Mum, actually talk about whatever’s happened,” 

“Easier said than done,” Your stomach twisted, “It’s a mess,”

“Try for me?”

Manipulative posh brat. You loved her. You’d do anything she asked, “FIne,” 

“I’m sorry you love her,” Mel said, gaze settling somewhat “It’s a shitty place to be,” 

You gave her the space she requested, finding the Matriarch supreme with Mina who was uncharacteristically quiet. 

“An olive branch?” You were actually holding out an olive flavoured breadstick, a hastily grabbed prop. You were staring down the barrel of a gun, unsure if it was loaded. Involuntary, awful Russian Roulette. 

She took it with a raised brow, offering you the chair you were already lowering yourself into, “How was that?”

Your rattling chest finally took in a full breath, “She wants to be my friend,” 

“You sound surprised,” 

“I am,” a cough, “and grateful and surprised I still have a head,”

“I was thinking much the same,” Mina crunched the end of the breadstick slyly, “Right, unacceptable,” she was flung off and it was as funny as always. God, you wished she was more awful somehow, make it easier. 

“And you? Seemed I missed a lot of the conversation,” 

Ambessa hummed, “I saw no point in lying to her, and this was regrettably a familiar conversation for us, it was better she learnt it from me, I am easier to be furious with,”

It felt stupidly chivalrous, like she’d done the heavy lifting so you could reap the rewards. Your assessment of how things would pan out had been so wrong you were half certain you were still in that room, looking through house listings. 

“Feels good to get it out?” You didn’t care about her answer, though you found you couldn’t not ask.

“Oh yes,” A snort, “It feels brilliant to be utterly degraded by your own child,” 

“You deserve it,” 

“I know,” Her tongue clicked, body tired.

“She wants us to patch it up,”

“Patch what up, the casual sex or the emotional turmoil?” 

“Don’t mock me,” Anger flared, dark and red. 

“I’m not,” A weathered sigh, “I respect my daughter enough to take this seriously, Darling,”

It was the worst thing she could have said. There was no respect for you, yet again. No desire to actually hear you, just a wish to please Mel. You were a middleman now to her, your feelings important if they impacted her child. 

“Well, we had a fun summer fling,” You were distant now, “It ended poorly for me, as usual for you I take it?”

She at least had the decency to wince at that, an almost disbelieving nod. 

“You tried to reignite something, I refused and then, like a fucking demon, you kissed me anyway,” 

“You kissed me back,” 

“So you said,” 

“Pushed me away too, well done,” 

“It was a test?” You wouldn’t have been shocked if she nodded. 

“That’s dramatic, even for me,” She licked her lips, “It was a lapse in judgement,” 

“Have a lot of those, do you?”

“Around you, yes,” It was lighthearted, eyes tempting as ever. This was not what patching it up meant, your tell tale heart shining through the safe’s cracks. 

“I think I hate you,” It was gentle, confused. 

“I have that effect on people, Sweet Girl,” 

You made an agreement to actually stick to the odd friendship you’d gained. Your priority was Mel. Her priority was Mel. A common goal that pushed you through the sticky residue of the remaining tension. 

Pushed you through that is. Ambessa Medarda, eyes fixed on your tentative smile, was firmly on the other side pondering something awful. She knew you were a problem. 

Kino returned, shaky and none the wiser, stumbling into the library. 

“There you are, Princess,” He called happily, “Glad to see you’re still alive after last night,”

Oh Kino. You don’t know the half of it, you idiot. “Thank Rictus, he held my hair back,” 

“He just took me on a boys breakfast,”

“A what?” You bit your cheek, your eyes meeting Ambessa’s bemused ones.

“I dunno,” He scratched his head, “Said he’d missed me, was really nice actually,”

You were nodding to compensate for the laughing rushing in you, she was doing the same.

“Fantastic!” You said in unison, as he pulled up a chair and crushed any remnants of your conversation. 

The rest of the day was smooth, surreal in its normalness. You were giving Mel space, but that wasn’t all that different to how you normally wandered about the place. The few presents you had managed to buy, now unpacked from your destroyed exit strategy, were placed under the tree and you got through a couple of hours of work before it was time to leave. 

Mel curled into you on the train, eyes fixed on the outside world rushing past though her thumb did its usual rhythmic strokes. The barriers your actions had placed sliced at you, bit by bit. Still she reached through them, cutting herself too, in an attempt to mend what you had broken. 

The Royal Albert Hall was picturesque, Christmas cheer infectious as you sat in your box. The view was unparalleled and yet they didn’t seem to fussed, messing about with the food and drink on offer. Fucking rich people. A little plate was handed to you by Ambessa, all your favourites plus things she thought you’d like to try. You nodded. It was actually normal, well your new normal. It made Mel smile, proof that you’d done as she asked. 

Carols in a place such as this were transcendent, wrapping you in comfort and applying balm to your battered mind. Kino and Mel were insistent on irritating each other, flicking at hair and chattering at each other before Ambessa smacked them both on the arm. You received a smile. You were the golden child, enjoying the music calmly whilst the others squibbled. 

Ambessa couldn’t keep her eyes off of you. You were much more interesting to watch. The music was known to her, but your reaction to it was a strange new delight. Stolen smiles she would hide behind sips of wine and hesitant coughs. She did respect Mel, loved her in a way that she had long since grappled with as all consuming, and yet she just could not look away. It made her stomach churn, each meeting of your gazes a zap of electricity to her chest. She was privileged to receive some of your quips, a calmness settled over you in the aftermath of destruction and you had taken to the changes like a duck to water. She didn’t know whether to be awed or worried, so she settled for the pulsing, confusing beat in the middle. 

You and Mel spoke quietly on the train home, some fibres knitting back together as Kino attempted to argue with his mother about why Die Hard was a Christmas film. She was showing you some furniture she wanted to buy for your house and it was domestic and safe and only slightly off. You hated the armchair and you knew that she knew that. 

“Looks great,” You lied meekly, “Love the colours,” 

“Thought you would,” She smirked, “I’ll order it now then, and the matching blanket,” 

“Awesome,” 

She started to laugh,”Are you just my bitch now?”

“I can cope with an ugly chair,”

“And cope you shall,” She showed you the delivery confirmation, phone pushed forward proudly. 

Bugger. You’d hoped she was bluffing to fuck with you. Your slow grimace made her laughter louder, and you flicked her with the lid of your Diet Coke bottle. 

Christmas Eve had arrived. 

It was a day filled with energy, board games and gingerbread houses. You learnt you were shit at biscuit engineering, unable to keep two walls standing let alone a whole house. Rictus had rescued you, the Medardas too caught in their own projects. With a steady hand he assembled the gingerbread flat pack and laid the piping foundations for your chocolate buttons and sprinkles. Yours looking shit would have been funny, if it weren’t for the masterpieces before you. 

Ambessa felt that odd buzz again, eyes raking over your shaky hands as you tried to pipe icing, or reposition walls. You seemed to naturally excel at everything she had seen, so watching you fail was almost cute. Your frustration took over your face, eyebrows scrunched with an open, wincing mouth. 

“Now, what the hell?” 

Kino snorted, adding the final touches to his stained glass windows, “I don’t think art is your calling, Princess,” 

“Or architecture,” Ambessa added with a smile.

“I think it’s good babe,” Mel said, squeezing your shoulder, “In the same way a five year old’s would be I guess,” 

“Rictus?” You said hopefully. 

“You can’t ask for my opinion, I did most of it,” He snorted, fixing a window pane across the room. 

Your gingerbread house was sacrificed to be eaten, the others deemed too sacred. It did at least taste good, Kino had said. You’d then bitten him on the arm, suggesting it would be a miracle if he tasted better than he looked. You were separated, Mina placed between you like a barrier. 

As the hours grew later, you drank your tea and prepared for bed. You were promptly stopped at the stairs. 

“We haven’t prepared for Christmas, into the living room,” Ambessa gripped your arm, pushing you into the space. 

Mel and Kino stood, wide smiles on their faces, organising a little plate. 

It had mince pies, a cookie and a glass of milk on it. 

“What are you doing?” It slipped out incredulously. 

“If we don’t do this, Mum doesn’t give us our presents,” Mel said.

“I don’t give you anything, Children,” Ambessa said, outraged, “That’s his job,” 

“Where’s the thimble of port?”

Kino placed down a large wine glass, rolling his eyes, “Father Christmas prefers a full glass apparently,” 

“Yes he does,” Ambessa smirked, before turning to you, “And can pop down the reindeer’s carrots,”

You looked at her, disbelieving eyes boring into her gleaming irises, “Why would they need carrots? I’m sure they’ve had enough already,”

Her eyes darkened, “They have a long evening ahead of them, do you want them to get exhausted halfway through? What if every house thought as ridiculously as you? What if they’re running on empty?”

You barked a shocked laugh. Of all people, Ambessa Medarda was not someone you anticipated continuing this tradition into her children’s adulthood. Grabbing some carrots, you left them next to Mel’s plate. 

“Happy?” You gestured grandly. 

“I’m sure Rudolph will be overjoyed, Dear,” She walked over kissing you each on the forehead, with a tenderness that startled you, “Now, off to bed little wolves or he shall leave you with an empty tree,” 

The tree already had presents underneath it, placed by the three of you. You hadn’t consciously clocked the lack of hers. 

You felt fuzzy, overwhelmed by Christmas and the first tendrils of contentment that had been unburdened by your lies. A long road lay ahead, but if Mel’s conspiratory giggle as she grabbed the open port bottle and tugged you to her room was anything to go by, you were going to make it out the other side. 

“Hey,” Mel said, passing the port back to you to finish, “What’s the time?”

You grabbed your phone, arms wobbly with intoxication. 

12:02am

“Merry Christmas!”

[ariadnasdiary]

Mun Ari: OMG! I screamed at such a beautiful tag!!! IS EVERYTHING I EVER WANTED AND LIKE!! I BECAME OBSESSED!! 😩👌🏻 thank you @mino-diabolik for the tag!!!

Arino first meeting, in love and brute ending

I went crazy over the endless possibilities of scenarios bdkssjsi >////<

🌹Azusa & Me 🌹

Azusa: “ You will… always be… my precious rose… forever…. I will not… let you go.”

Guys!! Neka just come out with a new couple pose art edit and it’s so cute!!! I Tag: @cutelih @yuriko-tsukino-rp @ruki-mukami-dl @eve-komori @sakamakibride @afra-blueraz @animefan2123 @emillyfhs3 and whoever wants to do this with your favorite Diaboy. 🤗

NEKA ART EDIT

Note: I did add a filter to my photo to be able to lighten my hair color since the blonde shade in the Neka app was to dark.

[thegothicchangeling]

"Thinking about how Mel's abandonment issues probably impact her relationships." - probably? They absolutely do. That scene where she wakes up alone in her bed after she and Jayce hooked up..........she looks so sad when she realizes that it's only her,it broke my heart a bit. Especially when she most likely fell asleep holding onto him (probably in an attempt to make sure that he couldn't leave her. At least,not without her knowing). Mel doesn't seem like the type to just sleep with someone on a whim, which makes his leaving even worse. She gave her heart and body to him, just for him to leave her in the night. I know Jayce had his reasons, but that was shitty.

Then on top of that, Mel is 100% a cuddler. She's a natural lovebug. Look at how she immediately ran to Kino for a hug despite not seeing him for years and being told that he was dead. I bet she was like that with her dad too (she was probably that kid that's always clinging to their dad 's ankles). That girl never once slept in her own bed as a child and they allowed it. Probably just wanted the warmth and human contact most of the time, but Ambessa (being who she is) chose to read it as her being clingy and spoiled and reacted the way she does to everything she doesn't like - harshly.

Yes, absolutely. Mel's love language is touch, and you can see in the concept art and the Medarda portrait in the show that Mel and her stepfather were close.

And yeah, Mel and Kino cosleep a lot in my fic Foxsong, and Ambessa very much hated it. The night before her mom kicked her out of her home and country, she slept in big brother's bed for the last time and tried to stay awake as long as she could so morning would come slower.