#like milk in the sun in all honesty

[incorrectelswordquotes]

Ancient submissions that did not age well

remember when Add was exclusively and explicitly THE most overpowered character in The Game??? -mod wt

[spurbleu]

oldman!price x reader angsty (?) drabble

‧︎✳︎༚︎‧︎⁎︎°︎

age leaves john price in tantrum.

he despises what it’s done to his body. the creak in his knees when he walks, the strain in his shoulder when he reaches across the table. steam engine, ironclad and coal hot, neglected the rust on the belly of its stirrups. adopted a sudden fragility he cannot stand.

takes a literal force of nature to get him to retire, and he grieves it like a father. it, in all honesty, was one. taught him how to shoot straight, how to hold his men, how to be without feeling like he’s an imposter in his own skin. forced him to grow up- which is ironically exactly what ended their alliance.

nursed whiskeys, fattened ice kissing the base. smoked like somehow- fossilized in ligero- he’d find his youth again. blistered under reluctant mortality, indulged in fatal vices because if anything is putting him in the grave it’s a gun or a cigar.

a pot never boils watched, yet you stay at your designated post by the doorway while he broods (he’s a dramatic at heart), storm clouds stamped on the collapse of his shoulders.

if you were one of his soldiers, you let him fester.

but you were his wife.

it wasn’t like you hadn’t aged yourself, silver linings sprouting from your scalp, sun spots and bleached knuckles. even so, you found time to pick up his medications, comb through amateur food blogs for gut health and bone pain, roll the aches out of his shoulder before bed. you were kind- and it was insulting.

spitfire catching on the burs of his muttonchops- unfamiliar with dependence. he was a captain for Christ’s sake- alloy lighthouse, built by cement and sheer fucking will. he didn’t need to be hand fed vitamin C and dragged to yoga class. he pitched barbed wire, dug his shallow trench and intended lay in it.

until, one evening, thunder strikes him out of dewy acrimony. he clambers up the stairs, musk of tobacco and spite plants a grimy boot in the oak. he glances over the railing, and stills.

bathroom door, cutting swaddled atmosphere with thin bisque, a pyramid down the center of the hall that created the illusion of darker corners. centered in the odd, domestic scaffolding was you- shower damp and concentrated.

it was like watching a bird preen feathers. tugging at the sags, yanking at the silvers, skin pitching at the nostril and eyes narrowing into thin keyways. and if he squinted, sniper accuracy rendered tears. sallow river bed on your flushed cheeks, clumped lashes, a frown that broke hearts.

“you’re never struggling alone, John,” you had said one evening, when he had been foolishly apathetic, “i’ll make sure of that.”

he hadn’t said anything.

guilt squirms at the base of his neck. the stranger named comfort that swelled within your embrace unnerved him so much he had forgotten to introduce himself. and now, milking moonlit lighting, with a wife who thought he was hiding from her, he called himself what he had never been as a soldier.

a coward.

you were making tea the next morning, windows surrendering a warmth when the day was still docile. it was while you were humming that your husband, sneaky bastard, folds you into the plush of his chest, drowsy lips dragging on the cusp of your shoulder.

“you always look so beautiful in the mornin, darlin.”

and it was true. you’ve never looked better to the old man.

[gaywarcriminals]

Bby siren SJ & spoiled kid SY 

I cleaned up a ficlet from a sprint I did with @danmeichael while ago! Cw implied murder & cannibalism (none depicted, just normal siren stuff)

"My parents said I'm not supposed to get in the water," The young human— Shen Yuan, he called himself— explained with patience but no small amount of self-importance, as though Shen Jiu was the one being difficult and the human was being the bigger person by humoring him. 

"I can't play on land" Shen Jiu said with a put-upon pout, flicking his tail above water-- the small, short glimpses of his shiny scales were usually enough to beckon the human children closer. They were, in all honesty, usually quite easy to trick. Safer, too– even if humans were softer and weaker, Shen Jiu was still far too small to over-power an adult. When it had been the two of them, he and Qi-ge had been able to catch larger prey, but now– well now, Shen Jiu had to look out for himself, and that meant smaller kills, even if he had to venture much much closer to shore than he would have liked.

“We could, um,” the human paused, “I guess you can’t have games or books underwater…” he trailed off for a moment, before his face lit up with a charming smile. “I can read to you! I can read chapter books now,” the boy said with great aplomb, as though it should mean anything to Shen Jiu, “wait here, I’ll go get one from my parents!”

"NO!" Shen Jiu cried out. If the boy left, there was no guarantee he would return, or worse, he might come back with his kin trailing behind him. Shen Jiu hadn't eaten in weeks; he couldn't allow this chance to slip through his fingers.

Shen Yuan blinked at him, and then sat back down on the rocks, his cross legs out of reach of the lapping waves. Still not close enough for Shen Jiu to drag him under before the other humans heard his screams. Then, miraculously, and without any further beckoning the boy leaned closer. Shen Jiu's body tensed, tracking the movement, waiting for the boy to reach an angle where gravity would do most of the work to send him toppling into the waves.

"Are you lonely?" Shen Yuan whispered. 

Shen Jiu jolted. "What-?" The anger was immediate and instinctive. He snapped his teeth. His hand jerked up, but no, the human was still too far from the edge, from Shen Jiu, all Shen Jiu was doing was flagging his intentions as plainly as a whale, like an idiot--

"Hey, that's-" annoyance flickered over the boy’s face, and for a second Shen Jiu thought he had caught on, that he would run, and Shen Jiu too would have to flee, wasting more of his energy with a failed hunt– but then Shen Yuan was once again the picture of a young lord. The boy cleared his throat. "I mean, you don't have to be embarrassed. I would be upset too if I had no brothers or gameboy," he said with the air of someone delivering sage wisdom. 

Shen Jiu blinked. “Yes,” he repeated, perhaps unconvincingly, “I’m very sad without a ‘game-boy’ or… my brother.” he finished with a whisper. Shen Yuan nodded sympathetically. 

“Ah!” His eyes widened and then curved, sparkling in the midday sun. He shoved a hand into his clothes and dug around, before pulling out some kind of small white and blue object. 

“Da-ge always gives me milk candy when I fall and skin my knee. It’ll cheer you up!” He explained, dropping the thing towards the water. 

Shen Jiu fumbled to catch it, only for the crisp white and and blue paper to start dissolving in his hand. He dropped it on instinct— bright colors spreading through the water could only mean poison. He glanced up and sent the human a viscous glare. 

"Nooo, you have to eat it before it gets soggy!" Shen Yuan urged, seemingly oblivious to Shen Jiu’s ire. 

Shen Jiu considered for a moment. This creature was far too stupid to poison someone, and seemed to have been carrying this for some time without any precautions or fear of it. It probably was just food. Shen Jiu’s stomach grumbled. Cautiously, he grabbed the ‘milk candy’. The blue had fallen away to reveal a white pellet that sat nicely in his palm. He put it in his mouth. 

“Mm—“ Shen Jiu couldn’t suppress the noise. His head fins fluttered in delight as the creamy, sweet taste spread. He held it there carefully, letting it slowly melt over his tongue. 

“It’s good, right?” Shen Yuan asked, just a little smug. Shen Jiu reluctantly nodded. He reached down to pat Shen Jiu’s head, as no one had done in so long. “You don’t have to be sad. If you’re lonely, I’ll be your friend.” As the boy gently stroked the siren’s silky hair, Shen Jiu decided that lunging up to bite wasn’t worth losing the treat in his mouth. It was okay to stay like this, just for a little while.

[foldingfittedsheets]

hello just here in solidarity because i’m about the same shade as you and wanted to share things that have been said about my paleness, because i hear you, i understand, so amongst generally being asked if i’m anemic (i’m not, i’ve checked) these are some fun highlights:

• “oh fuck, you look like a porcelain doll… a haunted one” (why did they have to add haunted? ??)

• “your skin is like you’ve been dipped in milk (:” (said in the middle of a conversation about something else and then went right back to the other topic)

• “your legs physically hurt to look at, no i mean it the sun reflects on them and hurt my eyes why are they bright white like that?” (a general sentiment told to me by many people, wondering if vampire myths about them burning in the sun just comes from the pain of looking at sunlight reflect off of someone very pale)

all said in very lighthearted ways and this is all just funny to me so i wanted to share lol

Yeah, in all honesty I don’t mind being the color of a frog tummy. I’ve been pale my whole life and it just is what it is. Sometimes if we’re laying together in the sun my wife will start giggling while comparing our skin tones.

The only time I’ve been genuinely furious about a comment was when I was dealing with someone at the jewelry store who we exclusively called Creepy Sapphire Guy. The first time he saw me he gasped and demanded I look in his eyes. “Red hair. Green eyes. You’re like my kryptonite.”

I did not care for that. While I was gone to grab a sapphire for him to look at he told my manager I was “better than vodka.”

But the worst was when I was showing him a truly stunning purple sapphire he grabbed my hand and held the stone over me so he could, “see it against my alabaster skin.”

Hands down the only time I’ve wished violence on someone commenting on my skin tone.

[angeldreamsoffanfic]

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Steve hums as he feels the weight of the question settle in his chest, smiles though as his boyfriend wiggles closer. Cold feet brush against his calves, even colder toes wiggling as they start to leech all of his warmth. Steve shrugs though, a syrupy sort of slowness to his movement as he yawns.

“‘M dunno,” Steve finally responds. It earns him a huff of hot air against his shoulder, before he can feel Eddie nip a bite into the skin where his neck and shoulder meet. Eddie kisses the sore spot, but Steve can feel the smile that’s only just barely hidden.

Like it’s a secret just for him and him alone.

“You have to know,” Eddie’s voice is scratchy- just enough that Steve wants to try to search for the bottle of water that’s somewhere amongst all of the bedsheets. Steve blindly kicks his free leg out, the one that hasn’t been stolen by Eddie- and he grins when Eddie whines, before one of Eddie’s legs curls around his and tugs. “Stay still.”

“Sorry, baby.” Steve presses a kiss to the top of Eddie’s curls, and Eddie huffs out a soft and only slightly indignant noise. “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

“A famous rockstar,” Eddie’s fingers are cold as they press into Steve’s arm, and Steve hums all soft again as Eddie rolls. His back is pressed flush to Steve’s front, and Steve smiles as he hears the soft ‘ping’ as Eddie takes his rings off. There’s a little dish that sits on Steve’s nightstand for that very purpose, only so Eddie doesn’t have to sleep in the things. “Touring the world and all that.”

Steve hums again, presses a soft kiss to the very back of Eddie’s neck- and relishes in the tiny little shiver he’s granted. Presses another one, and it earns him a grumble as Eddie shifts backwards a bit. Eddie turns his head to catch Steve’s eyes in the early morning light, and Steve can’t help but smile when his eyes meet Eddie’s.

It’s too early, really, the sun beginning to bleed a bit over the horizon. Yellow-orange light a hair too bright over the skyline, and Eddie’s eyes go a sort of chocolate brown because of it. Steve’s not sure if it’s too early to tell Eddie he loves him. It most likely is, if only because Eddie and Steve haven’t been together for more than a couple of weeks.

He wants too though. Wants to tell Eddie all sorts of things- how he’s loved him for a while. How it was easy to fall in love with him— a sort of thing that was easy and then immediate because he fell all at once. He doesn’t want to scare Eddie away though, that’s the thing.

Doesn’t want to tell Eddie that he’s the first thing that Steve thinks of in the morning. Doesn’t want to admit that he wishes he’d never left Eddie and Dustin alone. Doesn’t want to admit that he holds himself accountable for the scars that now disfigure Eddie’s skin. Doesn’t want to admit that he thinks he’ll regret that for the rest of his days.

It’s easier to admit little things.

That he knows just how Eddie takes his coffee in the morning, with too much sugar and just a little bit of milk. That he knows that Eddie loves DnD and fell into it because of his home life from back when Eddie still lived with his parents. That he knows he is Eddie’s first real boyfriend, and if Steve has anything to say… he’ll also be his last.

But he wants. Oh how he wants. He wants to be able to tell Eddie just how much Steve loves him. Wants to equate Eddie to all the good things that happen to be in Steve’s life. Wants to explain that while Robin is part of his soul, he’s pretty sure that Eddie is his soulmate in every universe. It’s a lot, he knows that, Steve has always been a lot.

But he… Steve wants to be enough for Eddie.

He doesn’t know how to answer the question in all honesty- because… well.

“What do you wanna be when you grow up, sweet thing?” Eddie’s turned back around in his arms, and Steve smiles a little bit wider when Eddie is pressing a soft kiss against his jaw. Eddie presses another one against the corner of Steve’s mouth, and it earns the older teen an even wider smile as Steve sighs all soft and syrupy again. “Mhm?”

“Dunno.” Steve shrugs, and he trails one of his hands up Eddie’s back. Cradles a wide splayed hand against the back of Eddie’s skull, twists his fingers into his curls as gently as he can. Eddie is smiling, a little knowing twist to his lips that Steve wants to kiss away. So he does.

Presses his lips sweet and saccharine to Eddie’s, tries to explain all he can by the touch itself. Eddie is recipient, because of course he is- and Steve’s chest fills with a sort of warmth he can feel all the way down to his toes. Eddie’s wiggling closer, a cold line against his body as he tries to pull all of Steve’s warmth into himself.

Yours, his soul cries. Let me be yours.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” Eddie asks again, words whispered right against Steve’s bottom lip. Eddie’s eyes go warmer in the still bright light, the sun turning all gooey and soft as it continues to breach the skyline. “C’mon and tell me, please?”

“Wanna be yours.” Steve admits.

“Yeah?” Eddie’s grinning as he presses another little kiss onto Steve’s bottom lip. Steve hums as Eddie’s teeth catch it, a little heat behind the nice. It burns, twists and writhes in Steve’s chest. “You wanna be mine, sweet thing?”

“Yeah,” Steve breathes, eyes blinking open and revealing blown pupils. “Wanna be yours.”

Eddie hums, all soft and syrupy, a mimic to how Steve knows he sounded earlier. Eddie leans just a bit forward, scraping teeth against Steve’s jaw. Soothes the burn the bite leaves behind with a small kiss, and Steve hums himself.

“You already are, sweet thing.” Eddie promises, and Steve nods into Eddie’s neck as the older teen pulls him closer. “Mine, hm? That what you wanna be?”

“Yours, just… just yours.” Steve agrees.

Eddie smiles, eyes all dangerous and a little too warm- before he guides Steve’s mouth back to his. Steve lets himself be kissed, easily relents to being tucked into Eddie’s embrace. It shouldn’t be as comforting as it is, but oh how it is.

The sun is bright and blazing when Eddie finally pulls away, lips kissed all pink and just a little bit swollen. Steve smiles as he watches as Eddie’s tongue flicks out to swipe against his bottom lip. Eddie hums, sweet and soft, before he is careful as he cradles Steve’s jaw in his hands. Eddie leans down and presses one, two, three kisses quick right to Steve’s mouth- before he pulls away with a uncharacteristically shy smile on his lips.

“I wanna be yours too, sweet thing.”

Steve’s grin widens as he pulls Eddie down again.

[sashi-ya]

byakuya kuchiki x f! reader tw: suggestive language, not entirely nsfw. thinking of writing a full nsfw part tho. wc: 475 masterlist 🌱

DESERT ROSE. A sun that shines too brightly, too hot. the heat, rising up… almost boiling your blood, your skin, your eyes. “Are you feeling ok?” he asks, turning around to look at you. Byakuya looks visibly hot, drenched in sweat but still perfectly fine. “I… yes, Captain Kuchiki“ you lie. Of course you aren’t. Never in your soul years you have experienced such hot summer. But you can’t lack now, your captain trusted you to accompany him in this important mission for the very first time. Byakuya frowns. He knows you are lying; he can tell the way your skin has become hotter and hotter. How your breathing is becoming accelerated and drops of sweat garnish your temples. But, is he really worried just for your safety? Your lips, slightly opened in an O shape, letting hot air escape your insides, are making him nervous. Nervous, anxious, needy. “We should rest a little bit anyway” he suggests. In all honesty, orders. You nod, following the orders with no hesitation… as if being completely submissive towards him, wasn’t something you wouldn’t like to indulge in. He is using his gimpaku to cover his head, somehow it reminds you of those tales of the middle east. A beautiful Bedouin in the middle of desert. Following him has never been easy, but this time he waits for you to walk past him. There is a reason why Byakuya needs to walk behind you... Your uncovered back, the uniform you are wearing that used to belong to squad two. The shiny drops of sweat pooling on the small of your back, luring the eyes to wonder down, down your spine. The sixth division captain, far from being a pervert, somehow can’t help it this time; just today, one single time…let me lose control. A bottle full of water wouldn’t be enough to cool down his own inner workings… and that bottle full of water would look much better if it got poured on your beautiful anatomy. A cold relief makes you jolt.  “What?!” “I was worried you would end up passing out because of the heat” he murmurs, enjoying the fabric of your uniform get even wetter, sticking to your already dampened skin. You stutter. You are lost of words. Slowly, you turn around to face him. It is almost immediate; the little water left is now being poured on your lips. Like honey, like milk… like what he would absolutely love to drizzle on you. “Thank you, Kuchiki-sama…” you purr, looking up at him. Oh, you have understood exactly the metaphorical meaning of his actions. “I’m about to pass out, too… you know?” he lies; Byakuya hasn’t ever felt that strong and alive. “You must cool down too, Taichou…” you whisper, coming closer, using your hands to untie the white sash of his hakama.

[141goblin]

Brain worms :3

Blah blah blah, something about CEO Price and hot mess reader who is in desperate need of a job. In all honesty, I have no idea what this is or if I even like it, but it is writing :) I am planning on writing some more of this, so I hope someone likes it. Also, if anyone has any requests, my ask box is always open.

CW: Implied depression. Smoking.

I rotate between the same four apps for the millionth time that morning and then lock my phone with a huff when I see it’s void of any interesting notifications. It lands on my chest with a small ‘slap’ and I find myself staring up at my ceiling, looking at the small plastic, glow-in-the-dark stars and planets that I stuck up there when I was around eighteen. I almost want to laugh in sheer pity at the difference in myself from then to now. Years have passed and I'm somehow still in the exact place I was, just unhappier, older, and more lost. 

The delusionally ambitious alarm that I set the night previously starts to vibrate and chime against my chest, prompting me to turn it off and sit up in my bed with a heavy sigh. I manage to clamber out of bed, successfully avoiding the piles of clothes and shoes all over my floor, and into the bathroom. I brush my teeth and then take a long look at myself in the mirror, sticking my tongue out and seeing the light layer of foamy toothpaste on the surface. I spit once and attempt, the key word being ‘attempt’, to make my hair look relatively presentable. I don't have the mental strength to shower right now, so I settle for scraping it back into a bun and slapping it down with some hair gel. I flop back down onto my bed and again, attempt, to make myself look at least somewhat human with some makeup, covering up the bags under my eyes and painting some rosiness onto my cheeks so I don't look ninety-nine per cent zombie. I manage to find something clean and smart-ish to wear, (bonus) and I quickly throw a few things into my bag as I simultaneously try to get my shoes on without the use of my hands. The house is silent, as usual, because just like every other day, I'm the only one who's up and about before late afternoon. The silence hangs heavily and I find myself making little noises to fill it; coughing, sniffing, humming. In the thirty seconds before I have to leave, I find the time to scribble a note and pin it to the fridge with a magnet, the words “Need milk!!” messy and underlined. 

The bus journey is quiet and calm, which I enjoy. It helps to settle my nerves a little bit. I prefer it when it's like this, only a few elderly people scattered around a few of the seats, a journey without many stops. During the journey, I listen to some music through my headphones and give myself a mental pep-talk, trying to force myself to make a good impression. I need this job. Not only to pay rent on my shared apartment with my now ex-boyfriend but also to hopefully start to save up, so I can move out and no longer have to endure the horrors and awkwardness of living with my ex and his latest squeeze. 

I’m following my journey on my maps app on my phone, so when I get near enough to walk, I alight the bus and follow the directions to the large office building. Of course, because of my extreme time-related anxiety, I’m thirty minutes early. Luckily, there are a few metal benches outside the office building, so I take a seat and take my jacket off to cool down, having severely underestimated the weather conditions. It's always freezing in the morning time, but then at the slightest glimpse of the sun, it becomes almost sweltering. I rummage around in my hastily-packed bag, find my vape and take a few puffs, to both calm me down and pass the time before I go inside for my interview. I let the cherry flavour settle on my tongue as I stare up at the huge office building before me, trying to picture myself working here. Fitting in. Having a stable job. Making friends at work. My eyes roam up and down the countless glass windows as I fantasise about which one I'll be working in when a presence catches my attention in my peripheral vision.  

“Scuse me, Miss. Mind if I sit?” 

It's a tall, wide man with a sharp jaw and kind, blue eyes. If it weren’t for the eyes, I’d be heavily intimidated. I gesture to the other end of the bench and nod with a polite smile. The man sits down with a grunt, like the kind of sound a grandad would make, and then pulls out a cigarette, lighting it as it sits between his lips. The filter of the cigarette is covered by his moustache that slightly hangs over his upper lip and then blends into his neatly groomed mutton chops. Judging from his button-up, tie and slacks, he works here. His deep voice cuts through the air, deep and laced with a mouthful of smoke from his cigarette. 

“Don’t think I’ve seen you ‘round here before. Y’new?” 

I shake my head and angle my body towards him a little, not wanting to seem rude to someone I could possibly end up working with. I even take out my headphones. Every impression counts, I tell myself. 

“No. Not yet, anyway. I'm here for an interview. A P.A. position, if I’m not mistaken.”

The man nods and takes a mouthful of smoke like he’s mulling over my words, swirling the acrid smoke around his cheeks before blowing it up towards the sky. He asks who the Personal Assistant role is for and I reply, telling him it's for a Mr. John Price, who I remember from reading or skimming, is the CEO. He nods and flicks the last of his cigarette away, crushing it under his dress shoes before stuffing his hands into his pockets and rocking slightly on his feet, standing next to the bench I’m sitting on. 

“Heard he’s a right tosser.” 

I look up and search him for any trace of humour, I find none. Either he’s really bad at joking, or the CEO is a genuinely unpleasant man to work for. I chuckle awkwardly and take a hit of my vape, so I have a second or two to think of a response.

“Yeah? I’ll keep that in mind, then. Cheers.” I respond with a much too awkward smile. The man simply gives me a nod and turns on his heel, disappearing back inside the office building. Great, now I’m panicking. What if he actually is a tosser? What if he’s one of those bosses who makes crude comments to see me stumble and flush? I attempt to take a calming breath and check the time on my phone. My thirty minutes of waiting time is up, which means I now have to go inside and do this interview.

I stuff my vape into my pocket and put my jacket back on before making my way inside the office building and up to the front desk. There’s a girl there who looks a little older than me, with long blonde hair and manicured hands typing away at a computer. Her face lights up in a bright smile when she sees me approaching the reception desk, and I try my best to match it, despite my nerves. 

“Uh, hello there. I’m here for an interview with Mr Price, I believe?” 

She nods and collects some files, holding them to her chest with one hand as she presses a button on her desk with the other, that bright smile still on her face. That puts me at ease a little bit. If this was an unhappy workplace, surely the receptionist wouldn’t be so sweet and smiley, right?

“Yes, of course, you’re the new P.A!” She chirps, my brows furrowing slightly in confusion. I haven’t even had my interview yet and she’s practically giving me a name badge and showing me to my desk. Before I can ask any questions, she's gesturing for me to follow her down the hall, so I do. She’s chatting away about the weather and what work has been like today, but I’m honestly too nervous to listen fully, so I nod along and smile. Before I know it, we’re standing outside of an office door that she’s knocking on, almost excitedly. Out walks a man-- the man that I met outside, not even fifteen minutes earlier. He greets me with a warm, almost knowing smile before he turns to the chirpy receptionist. 

“Thank you, Allegra. You can go back to your desk.”

Allegra, the smiley receptionist, hands him the files and gives me one last smile before walking off down the hall again. I’m left standing in front of this man, confused as to who he is, and remembering his earlier words about the CEO being a ‘tosser’. He can seemingly read my mind because he chuckles under his breath and sticks out his hand.

“John Price, pleasure to meet you again. I’ll be conducting your interview.” 

I nod and manage to pull myself together, shaking his hand in my own slightly clammy one and offering my best attempt at a composed smile. This man is the CEO, the man I could be working for, the man I have to impress. My future and dare I say, mental state, rests on this interview.

“Right, of course. A pleasure to meet you, Mr Price.” 

After shaking it, my hand drops from his and he leads me inside his office, holding the files in one hand and closing the door behind us with the other. I mentally praise myself for not saying anything stupid earlier when he came outside to smoke. I couldn’t even imagine how awkward it would’ve been if I joked around about my potential boss being a ‘tosser’, right to his face. 

Mr Price takes a seat at his desk and I sit across from him, my bag on the floor, my jacket on the back of the chair. I make a mental note to learn how to dress for the goddamn weather because I currently feel like a big, sweaty mess. 

“Right, Miss. Let’s get to it, shall we?”

[prolix-yuy]

Chapter 1: I Once Had a Different Path

Pairing: Jack "Whiskey" Daniels x F!Reader "Sugar"

Summary: It's only been a year.

Word Count: 2.5k

Warnings: T, discussions of a bad relationship, drinking, little bit of angst, will be E in later chapters so full series is 18+ MINORS DNI.

Notes: Welcome back to Westworld Whiskey! Almost the moment I finished Cognitive Dissonance the idea for this fic leapt into my head, and I've been trying to figure it all out since! The outpouring of love for this story makes me unreasonably giddy, and I am so excited to share what Jack and Sugar have been up to.

This story takes place exactly a year after the events of Cognitive Dissonance. Honestly, the Westworld timeline is confusing as heck, and so much happens that the public wouldn't know or see, so in terms of the show it's taking place after the fall of the Delos theme parks early in season 3. I'm taking some liberties with how Westworld and the world around it works, but we should all have a good time because of it. For those not as familiar with later seasons, the "real world" takes place in 2053 in a modern futuristic setting.

Cross-posted on AO3

Decoherence Masterlist   ||   Whiskey & Westworld Masterlist

The glow of sun on your back, baking into your skin and spreading golden through your limbs, makes today feel like a really freaking good day. You’re wearing your favorite outfit, your shoes are comfy on your feet, and the air is just warm enough that you don’t have to wear a heavy jacket. When the door to the coffee shop schicks open, the uplifting scent of dark roast and cinnamon sugar practically dances on your tongue.

Strike that. A fantastic day.

Lacey is already at her favorite sitting spot, a low table with two high-backed armchairs jammed in a corner far from the automated baristas and hiss of milk froth. She catches sight and waves, bright peony pink in her chiffon dress. Curled in the chair she’s akin to neapolitan ice cream, and just as cool when she gestures to your waiting cup. Not before jumping up to give you a hug, though.

“I’m so glad to see you! It’s been too long!” she exclaims, a sentiment you’ve often heard from long-lost acquaintances but Lacey puts every ounce of honesty behind it. You give her another squeeze before settling in your proffered chair, cradling the thick retro ceramic mug in your hands.

“Well you’ve been pretty busy, Mrs. Hughes,” you sing-song, back, knocking your shoes off so you can settle more comfortably. “How was the honeymoon? The photos were gorgeous.”

You descend into vacation chatter, looking at photos on Lacey’s phone and laughing over whatever little anecdote she shares. The coffee buzzes pleasantly in your veins, bittersweet on your tongue. The sun streams in the café window and drapes warmth across your shoulders again. 

It feels like the perfect day.

"How's married life treating you?"

Lacey smiles, bright enough to crinkle her whole face, and the radiance of it blooms in your chest.

"Not much different really, which is probably for the best," she says, taking another sip of her coffee. You're prepared to ask her something else, some follow-up question, when she reaches over and squeezes your hand.

"You look really good, too," she says, her eyes softening. "I know it was hard, with the wedding and everything going on with Eric at the same time, but...you look so much happier."

Your throat tightens, but it's a welcome feeling for once.

"I am. Much happier."

She’s right. It was hard. Once you were alone with your thoughts, your decision made, all of the terrifying reality had crashed down on you. You’d sobbed in your car, half curled in the driver's seat, trying to will yourself to go inside and face Eric. 

It didn’t get any better once you finally did. The shouting, the accusations, the tears, and shockingly a chair kicked against the wall so hard it left an ugly dent. He never laid a hand on you, but the anger raked across your pounding heart, the cruelty sinking into your flesh like teeth. You grabbed just enough of your things to escape, his bellowing voice following you as your hands shook.

What the fuck do you mean you’re leaving?

What the hell did Lacey say to you?

Are you fucking serious? 

After all I’ve done for us?

I can’t believe you’re being so selfish.

What has gotten into you?

The words echoed between your ears while you laid in your motel room bed, too raw and ashamed to call anyone for a place to stay. You woke stiff and silent and achingly alone, and regret welled in your throat.

Were you being stupid? Were you giving up the life you were supposed to have?

But then the day passed, hours spent driving aimlessly with the radio on low, long walks on bike paths lost in your thoughts. And while failure burned behind your eyes, the dreaded whispers of why didn’t you try harder creeping into your brain, the vice grip in your chest began to unwind. A lightness you hadn’t felt in years began lifting your shoulders, your head, even the corners of your mouth. 

The neverending ache was finally gone. 

You slept better that night, and in the morning you called Lacey. She drove out to pick you up, her tight embrace ushering in a new flood of tears. 

“Oh sweetie, I’m so sorry,” is all she says at first, rocking you back and forth like when you were both young and upset about a schoolyard fight. Then more pointed questions, her face hardening as you detail the slow descent into unhappiness you’d been hiding from her for years.

“He never did anything bad. I just…I couldn’t…” You struggled to voice all the fears that still lingered until she squeezed your hands.

“He didn’t have to treat you badly to not treat you the way you wanted. And if he can’t change, or doesn’t want to change, then this isn’t right for you.”

A fresh wave of tears followed the well-worn tracks down your face.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

She rubbed at your face with a crumpled tissue.

“Everything is going to be okay.’

It took a few days before the tornado of Lacey’s true feelings pulled to the forefront. Later she’d tell you she barely kept her cool while you cried in her living room, Alan instructing her to punch it out at the gym rather than overwhelm you. But barely settled into your temporary housing, she rang you in the middle of the day. 

“We’re getting your stuff.”

“What…?”

“Eric is at work, Alan did a drive-by and checked. He’s waiting with the truck. I’m picking you up and we’re getting your things, then we’re going to leave your key on the table and never go back.”

She was chatting in low tones with Alan when you answered the door, face lined with concern. The stern expression melted into dismay when she took in your tired eyes and sloped shoulders.

“That motherfucker should be ashamed of himself for doing this to you,” she spits out, crushing you into a hug that almost suffocates you.

“Lace, I was the one…” you tried to say, but she cut you off with a sharp chop of her hand.

“I’ve got plenty to say about Eric and what I think about him when everything settles, but I’ll tell you this - I fucking hate him for making you feel like this. And we’re going to get your things and never see him again.”

So you did, emptying your drawers and shared closet - always less room allocated for you than him. Lacey shuffled through mail and tossed in anything that had your name on it in a bankers box. Later you’d have to disentangle your lives, but for now you could take solace in having your toiletries back, and placing your photos and family heirlooms safe in Alan’s truck. He helped move your grandmother’s hope chest into the truck bed, and silently drove as Lacey let you lean on her shoulder. Your childhood stuffed dog sat in your lap, and its gentle weight gave you a moment of relief.

Eric’s shouting through the phone later that night sliced across your chest, but only for a brief moment. You’d left the ring on the counter, and that thankfully shut him up.

The following months had been a blur of canceled engagements, severed services, broken agreements and bitter voicemails. Eric tried a few times to entice you back, forgiving you for having cold feet and wanting to get dinner, coffee, to talk. Your heart tugged at the softness in his voice.

We can still make this work.

But then the cold reality of the situation crept in. He wanted the picture-perfect life he thought he deserved. He wanted to have everything without working for it. And most of all, he wanted you to be grateful for him giving you everything he thought you deserved. Not what you wanted, but what he decided you should want.

That was never going to change.

Lacey and Alan helped where they could, but you didn’t want to taint the excitement of their upcoming nuptials. So you told them you were fine and signed a lease on a modest apartment while you picked out the barbs of Eric’s latest outburst. You picked out a dress for her wedding and were secretly grateful that she didn’t make you a bridesmaid. You didn’t think you’d be able to keep it together in front of all her family and friends. You drank too much champagne and considered a tumble with one of Alan’s single friends but instead threw up in your hotel room toilet and woke up fully clothed on top of the bed. The first thought that greeted you once you could see through your headache was, “Thank fuck I’m not getting married.”

The giggles were sharp against your sore stomach, but with that you finally felt something in you begin healing.

“...and I know I wasn’t around as much as I could have been, and it kills me that you were going through it alone, and on my bachelorette for crying out loud, how insensitive was that…”

Lacey’s diatribe brings you back to the café and your cooling coffee and Lacey’s earnest grip on your hand. You shush her with a few squeezes.

“You were a big part of why I finally got up the courage to leave. And I am so fucking glad I did,” you say, earning another smile that glitters with morning light. 

“I think someone else also had some influence,” Lacey says, looking pointedly over her cup as she takes an innocent sip. Your brow furrows briefly before the implication of her tone slams into your chest.

Jack.

“That was a year ago…holy shit, today,” Lacey exclaims, twisting her wrist to verify on her smart watch. 

“Wow, yeah,” you say weakly, swirling the dregs of coffee in your cup.

Yet again, Lacey isn’t wrong. Jack did open your eyes to a world that could offer the care and comfort you were yearning for. But you’d been forced to push memories of him to the back of your mind. 

Weeks after the breakup, with Lacey lying on your brand new bed in your half-empty apartment, you told her about your weekend with the suave yet gentle cowboy. She interjected with excited “I knew it!” and “Holy shit yes!” exclamations as you recounted the cattle run, the innocent lie, the dinner, and the lust-filled night (heavily redacted, met with disappointment). Once the story was told you laid beside each other, silence stretching until she finally said, “I’m so happy Jack helped you realize you deserve more.”

So were you.

“Did you ever think about booking another weekend?” Lacey asks, placing her cup down so she can more fully watch you, playful smirk making you roll your eyes. “I mean, before all the stuff in the news about them.”

Guests injured in the park. A veil of silence and NDAs falling over Delos. An uncertain return.

You chew on your answer for a moment. It’s easy to chalk up not going back to the current state of the park, but in recent weeks you had been thinking more and more about Jack. Maybe it was some old movie you caught late at night, horses riding across gloriously wide plains. A cowboy hat or two you swore you saw in a crowd, only to be tricked by perspective and light. Strong, broad silhouettes that reminded you of large hands, a clever mouth, a warm embrace.

Tell her the truth.

“No,” you finally sigh, putting your cup down a little firmly.

You couldn’t.

“Why not?”

“It’s all fantasy, I’m not into that more than once.”

You couldn’t bear to see him again.

“Not even a little more fantasy with a certain cowboy?” Her eyes drop to your left hand, and you realize you’ve been slowly rotating the turquoise band she gave you on your ring finger. When you returned the engagement ring it became a comforting weight replacing what you’d given up. You fold them instead under Lacey’s watchful eye.

“It’s not real,” is the excuse you give.

He’s not real, and you can’t have him.

Lacey shrugs, looking at the time again and gathering up her coat.

“Real enough that you changed your whole life over it,” she observes, not unkindly. You stand up as she gathers her purse.

“It was a perfect weekend. Going back would have ruined it.” 

Him not remembering you would have ruined it.

Lacey sighs but acquiesces, giving you a hug and confirming your next coffee date in a couple weeks. They’ve become a sweet schedule you look forward to more than you thought.

Once she breezes out the door, all summer blush and cosmopolitan chic, you join the line to get a coffee to go. The machine at work is dismal, and you’d much rather spend the four dollars. You enter your order on the cool blue holoscreen and step to the side to wait. The warmth of a good conversation bubbles in your veins, a beam of sunlight caressing your back. Even the brief memory of Jack you allow - his hands soft on your skin, the tender brush of his nose on your cheek, how safe you felt in his arms - fills your heart to bursting. A smile plumps your cheek. Today really is an exceptional day.

But oddly enough, your toes are wet. 

Looking down, you can’t help but let out an exasperated, “Oh c’mon you idiot,” as you realize you didn’t put your shoes back on, and have now stepped in someone’s spilled beverage. So maybe not the perfect day, but you’re close enough to home to swing by and grab a new pair of socks. Shaking your head, you spin on your heel to retrieve your abandoned shoes.

You could have done it a breath sooner, or later, and never been the wiser. Or you could have kept your damn shoes on - do we live in a barn, your mother’s voice echoes in your ears - and avoided the issue in the first place. But today, on an exceptionally perfect day, you turn and take a step just as someone passes behind you, propelling your frame into their broader form. You almost bounce, but the stranger catches you by your shoulders, large firm palms wrapping around your biceps.

“Whoa there,” a deep voice says, laced with a southern drawl. It tickles something in your brain, neurons firing at memories close to the surface. 

“Shit, sorry,” you mumble, stepping back to apologize properly to the man you almost bowled over. As your eyes begin their ascent the voice is clearer, sharp as a bullwhip crack.

“You okay Sugar?”

Your breath freezes in your throat, eyes snapping to the man’s face. He swims in your vision before the soft curl of his brown hair, the delicate trim of his mustache, the hawkish curve to his nose comes into focus. If that wasn’t enough for your short-circuiting brain to manage, his plush lips part in concern, deep chocolate eyes darting across your face.

Jack?

“I - oh,” he says, his grip tightening on your shoulders. You wrench back, stumbling a half step away, still locked on his face.

Jack Jack Jack Jack Jack

People are looking at you now, agape and struggling to pull in a full breath, your brain tumbling like Alice down the rabbit hole.

Can’t be.

Jack.

Not real.

Jack.

How?

Jack.

“I can explain…”

Then the whole world shifts, and you’re falling.

NEXT

[neetily]

↳ EVENT 16. Alex SDV (Dry Humping)

— ✧ warnings: Dry Humping, Ab Riding, Established Relationship, public — ✧ word count: 2,388

— ✧ A/N: reposting from my old account since i was asked to! formatting might be off, but it's still readable.

One of the best benefits that comes from living on the farm with you is the extra room he gets all to himself, separated from the rest of the place, secluded behind the admittedly large house in privacy. Sure, he had his own room back at his grandparents house too; but it was nothing like this! His favourite part is the little retreat you had made solely for him, an outdoor gym fashioned specifically for his own needs. It's great, even. Fucking fantastic to be able to walk outside early in the summer morning, the sun already beating down on him harsh enough to cause his shirt to suddenly go missing, sweaty back sticking to the bench under him as he lifts heavy weights above his head. This, is love.

It's perfect, in all honesty. And he couldn't ask for more, not when you've provided him such adequate space to get in all of his workouts, morning, noon, and night.

Except, as his workout continues and you still yet remain on his lap, squirming around in the heat, he has the audacity to ask for something else.

"Can you, uh... Can you get off, please?"

It's not that he's uncomfortable with you sitting there, the additional weight from your body on top of him provides an interesting challenge to his usually straight forward and routine work outs. It's just... Well, fuck, he's getting hard under you, isn't he? Sweat trickling down his toned body, muscles tight and engaged as he does his best to focus on not fucking dying by dropping the weights on his chest, and yet all he can seem to concentrate on is how his dick twitches so nicely against your clothed cunt, tenting in his pants if not for your ass sitting squarely on top, inadvertently grinding on him with his lifting movements. All he can think about is; already? You've just woke up, haven't you? And you need him already? So fucking hot to him, God.

And is request isn't so much of a complaint as it is just trying to stay safe, y'know? Wouldn't wanna accidentally hurt you if he were to drop anything. Confident that he wouldn't, but he cares too much about your safety to put you in harms way like this, despite the fact that it's your fault he's so hard right now. The summer sun surely basking you in all its warmth too, uncomfortably so, right? That's why you're wearing barely anything at all, his brows knitting together when you pout down at him so cutely that his tummy fills with butterflies. You know exactly what kinda buttons to push, don't you?

"Don't wanna." You reply simply, sharply. Stating, more like. Akin to telling him: no chance. Which is fine, really, he loves spending time with you just as much as you seem to enjoy making his life more difficult, his heart skipping a beat at the way you knowingly shuffle around on his lap, an exasperated sound escaping him in response. A moan? Probably. Though he'd be hard pressed to admit it when he's supposed to be working out. Which you can clearly see, obviously. And besides, he can't rightly fuck you in public like this, right? What if someone was to randomly show up while he's balls deep in your tight, wet, warm, little cunt. Milking himself inside of you, forcing your cute body into a tight mating press on his bench—

Fuck, he's not helping himself. Forcing his arms to push up again, letting them fall back down slow and controlled, determined to move forward with his workout in spite of your ass wiggling on his obviously rock hard cock. Cool pre tacky on his skin as your ass coaxes fat beads out, his eyes rolling to the back of his skull when you giggle sweetly down at him.

So you do know what you're doing to him. "Makin' it difficult for me, babe." He warns you, but his tone is light-hearted and full of love, ending with half laughter before he's lifting the weights again, huffing and puffing with the amount of strain and sheer focus it requires not to fuck up into your covered cunt with every bench press. But he resists, if only to make your life a little more difficult too. This, too, is love.

"I know." You beam down at him, and he's hit with a sudden realisation. He doesn't think he's ever loved anyone, or anything, as much as he does you. Especially right now, cursing you mentally over how well you know his weak spots, in love with the way your ass rides his cock so well, exactly how he likes. Despite it all, he feels lucky to have you, yknow. "Do you really want me to get off, or...?" You ask, gently digging your nails into his exposed chest, a pleasant pain that really helps convince him otherwise.

"God, no—" He ends up sighing, perish the thought. Bliss filling his lungs when you drag your nails down, leaving a pretty red streak over his abdomen, ending at his waist which you hold on to for stability. It's cute, actually, how heavily you rely on him for everything. For comfort, for stability, for getting off so early in the morning when you know damn well you have free reign to toys and pillows galore in the chilled farm house. And yet still, you decide to torture him with your pretty ass sat right atop his fat, throbbing cock. He can't say he blames you. If he had to choose between his hand or your cunt— it's not even a question. Your tight little hole wins every single time; but that's the thing—

You're not even properly riding him right now. Content enough to simply feel his outline pressed against your slit, biting down on your bottom lip so seductively that he can't help but gasp in response from how downright brazen you're being.

"Your training is paying off..." You eye him up and down suspiciously, but he knows what the underlying meaning of that look is actually trying to convey. He's given you the same one time and time again; you're fucking him with your eyes right now, aren't you? Pride swelling in his chest as you continue, blood rushing to his cock to throb against your cunt when you hum contentedly, as if just looking at his sweat soaked body gives you satisfaction. His tone is cocky when he offers you a lopsided grin.

"Yeah? Like what y'see?" He questions rhetorically, doing another rep just to show off his bulging muscles to your feasting eyes, smiling up at you when you nod your head so innocently despite straddling his covered cock. "I'd love t'show ya more later, babe. I'm almost done. Promise." He pants, placing the heavy bar back in it's home for a moments breather, though his hands still remain on the bar itself. Knuckles white from how tightly he holds it, an attempt to remain calm and collected in the face of your unbridled want for him.

But it's so hot seeing you like this, watching as you carefully crawl forward so that you're more sitting on his tensed tummy; which isn't a problem for him. He takes great pride in being strong enough for you, working tirelessly day in and day out to show you how fit and dependable he is for you. So as you take the opportunity to exploit his brief break by way of rocking your hips against his tummy slowly—really, barely noticeable! If not for how hard he stares at you with pure adoration—he feels a boost of confidence, his hands on the bar slipping a little not just from sweat, but from subtle need. Chest tight as you plant both hands there to keep yourself steady while you ride his abs, the sight of your bitten bruised smirk causing his cock to twitch some more, only he has the freedom of movement now that you're off his lap.

It takes him a moment to catch his breath, too in love with the sight of you literally humping his abs to know what to say, mind a little numb as he dumbly asks; "Havin' fun?" because of course he knows you are, he can see the wide smile you adorn, can feel the way your thighs squeeze around his ribs, your feet kicking up to reach his hips. But he just feels so frozen despite the heat, doesn't wanna disturb you too much in fear of missing out on the show of a lifetime. Pretty baby just needs to get off, don't you? Wanna hump his abs till you feel better, s'at it? A deep sigh crawling up his throat as he forces his muscles to remain engaged, a hard surface for you to feel every ridge and bump— shit, you're probably leaking all over his tummy by now, right? Those little shorts you've got on are more than likely soaked through from how long you've been sitting on him, turning his tummy all sticky with your slick. God, that turns him on so much, to just watch you have your fun while he's forced to endure the sweet sexual tension below you.

"Atta girl," He encourages you with a brief wolf whistle, gasping into the feeling of your nails once again digging into him, only he's not so stupid yet as to not pick up on the different meaning behind them this time round. Feels good, doesn't it? To have him submit under you like this, let you bully him and push him around a little, interrupting his precious workout time just so you can selfishly use him to get off. It's fine, he thinks. Because he's having fun too, allowing you to take control of the situation by hooking your feet under him, giving you more precision to rub your clit up and down his washboard abs. "C'mon, you can go a little faster, can't you? Wanna see you really enjoyin' yourself." He coos, dropping one hand from its iron hold on the bar to softly prompt you into a quicker pace. Home on your waist, manhandling you up and down his abdomen enough to help settle you into a new tempo, something more similar to when he fucks you. That should do it, right? The wide, pretty smile you wear sure make it seem like it will, the beads of sweat trickling down your face making his throat feel dry as he's made to sit and watch.

But there's pleasure in that too, right? Below, he holds all the power. God knows he could easily lift you up off of his tummy, flip you over so that you're the one laying on the bench, and fuck you so hard that they'd hear you sob his name all the way from the town centre. And he knows that you know that too, which is why it's so fucking infuriatingly sexy to him that you're testing him right now. C'mon, wanna fuck me so bad, right? he can practically hear you taunt. And he does! Fuck, he does. Lust pooling under your clothed cunt, cock aching from how hard he's begging to be buried balls deep in your pretty pussy. Wants to stretch your hole so bad, force you into fitting him in just as you're forcing him to remain still right now. They're about as painful as each other, aren't they? A shaky moan slipping past his otherwise sealed lips when you gasp his name through a pout, begging with your eyes for a little more help.

And all he does is tut in return. A simple sound, lasting no more than a second. But the look you wear upon hearing it has his shorts bulging more, a cool breeze travelling through them from how fat his cock gets. If anyone were to show up right now, they'd surely be greeted to the sight of his taut balls and pulsing cock peeking out from behind barely there clothing. And it's all your fault.

"Thought you wanted this, baby? It's okay, you can do it. I believe in you" He faux pouts up at you, mocking your frustrated attitude when all you do is huff in response, bucking your hips faster still against him, really grinding your clit down and up his abs, and all he can think about is how he wishes it was his cock instead. How he'd treat you so well if only you hadn't been so impatient, and if only you hadn't tried to exude some non-existent power over him. You wanted to fuck with him so bad? Congrats, you made your bed, now lie in it.

Still, he loves you. Loves you so much that despite his want to watch you suffer, he can't help but yearn to comfort you. So, his other hand leaves the bar to hold your waist too, eagerly helping you into humping him silly with large, rough hands. Setting the tempo himself, practically fucking you without fucking you as he helps you ride up and down, his hips matching your glides a little in an effort to pretend he's actually fucking you too. So down bad for you, can't you see? That even the act of mimicking being inside of your perfect little cunt is enough for his breathing to grow laboured, his grip of your hips tightening as he feels you shake from under his unfair hold. Perks of being your husband, he muses to himself. He knows how to get to you too.

It's not long before your staining his skin with cum, gushing all over his tummy with gasps of air, a pretty smile on your lips from how he helps you ride it out. Nice and slow, grinding your slit against him until you pat for him to stop, hearts in his eyes as he watches you collect your breath enough to calm down from the early morning orgasm.

And yet still, he's hard. Uncomfortably so, if he's honest. Bouncing behind your back in an instinctive need to be tended to, his head thrown back when you shuffle down far enough to rest your ass against it once again.

"Your turn?" You ask sweetly, as if it was ever a question.

"Please, babe."

[silverflqmes]

໒⦂ 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐇𝐂𝐒.

notes. reposted from wp!

genre. fluff + crack

ft. tooru oikawa, tetsuro kuroo, yuji terushima, yu nishinoya, shoyo hinata, daichi sawamura, kenma kozume, hajime iwaizumi, issei matsukawa + takahiro hanamaki, kotaro bokuto, tobio kageyama, atsumu miya, osamu miya, eita semi

gender neutral! reader

     ➫    𝓞𝗜𝗞𝗔𝗪𝗔   𝓣𝗢𝗢𝗥𝗨   ୨୧   ˎˊ˗

⌗  he would definitely take you out to get milk bread with him before taking you in his car to go to his special spot where he admires the stars

⌗  seeing as oikawa is a total geek who believes in aliens, i'm sure some part of him also finds astronomy interesting so he'll definitely start going on about that

⌗  "ahh y/n-chan! i'm so glad you're okay with this, iwa-chan's always making fun of me for liking this kind of stuff!!"

⌗  while you guys could just lay down on the grass — he prefers wrapping his arms around you and resting your head on his chest

⌗  "i'd say you're as pretty as the stars, but it'd take an infinite amount of them to compare to you, y/n-chan~"

     ➫    𝓚𝗨𝗥𝗢𝗢   𝓣𝗘𝗧𝗦𝗨𝗥𝗢   ୨୧   ˎˊ˗

⌗  cat café for sure, then movies at home;  i don't make the rules 😗✨

⌗  you'd think he was bringing you there to pet cats and stuff but in all honesty — he wants to do it just as bad

⌗  "oya? y/n-chan, you should totally try these ears on, hmm? it'd be a cute look for ya~ i'm sure the team would enjoy it. wouldn't you agree?"

⌗  the teasing would never end, i can tell you that at least..

⌗  after you guys finish up — with kuroo complaining about wanting to take all the cats home, you two end up snuggling on his couch with hot coco while putting on all the classic and iconic movies 😌

    ➫    𝓣𝗘𝗥𝗨𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗠𝗔   𝓨𝗨𝗝��   ୨୧   ˎˊ˗

⌗  i hope you guys know how to skateboard cuz —

⌗  you can't tell me he won't take you to a skating park. i mEaN loOk aT hIM😭

⌗  if you don't know how to skate he'll definitely take the time to teach you, ofc while holding your hand so you don't fall and hurt yourself. surprisingly — he's hella patient when it comes to you.

⌗  "don't push yourself too hard y/n, i wouldn't want you to fall for me all over again!" — he would totally laugh and use cheesy pickup lines but you still love his dumbass😌

⌗  once the sun sets, y'all would definitely take cute pictures before heading off to buffalo wild wings or sumn to get sum dinner

     ➫    𝓝𝗜𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗢𝗬𝗔   𝓨𝗨   ୨୧   ˎˊ˗

⌗  why go to one place for a date when you can fit like ten different dates into one?

make sure you slept the night before cuz this boy is taking you EVERYWHERE and you already know he has a never ending source of energy😭 you might need to stop for a coffee at some point — bUT DON'T GIVE ANY TO NOYA.

⌗  "y/n-chan we're totally going swimming, to the amusement park, the mall — OH AND WE NEED TO GET GARIGARIKUN POPSICLES!!"

⌗  he'll drag you everywhere, but you're happy to get tired as long as you're with him and having fun🥺💗

⌗  after going to like ten different places, the last destination would be at sakonoshita's where you guys would have your popsicles together and share a kiss ♡︎

     ➫    𝓗𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗔   𝓢𝗛𝗢𝗬𝗢   ୨୧   ˎˊ˗

⌗  the amusement park, that's where he's taking you — but first, he'll ask you to set for him at the park before going LMAO

⌗  on his way to pick you up he'll bring you meat buns while asking you to hop on his bike with him to go set at the park🥺

⌗  surprisingly the amusement park isn't all that far away and you guys manage to get there early enough to get stamps + tickets so you can try all sorts of rides out

⌗  just like he gets nervous for matches , he gets nervous for rides.. please take him to the bathroom before he finds another scary tall ass mf —

⌗  "y/n-channn this embarrassing.. i can go on my own y'know! i doubt dai ou-sama's here today.." — idc if he says no, go with him😐

     ➫    𝓢𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗠𝗨𝗥𝗔   𝓓𝗔𝗜𝗖𝗛𝗜   ୨୧   ˎˊ˗

⌗  alright dadchi here is hella classy, so he'd either take you to a really fancy dinner or — dinner at home cuz he can definitely cook :D

⌗  he'd pick you up from your house and say hi to your parents while assuring he'd take care of you🥺

⌗  he'd get you roses for sure or some sort of pretty flowers 😭💘💘

⌗  "wow i thought these were beautiful when i got them for you, but they could never compare to you, y/n" — he'd be blushing too, daichi doesn't use a lotta pickup lines 😭

because my man knows chivalry and how to be a gentleman, he'd pay and even get you a dessert to split together :'o

     ➫    𝓚𝗢𝗭𝗨𝗠𝗘   𝓚𝗘𝗡𝗠𝗔   ୨୧   ˎˊ˗

⌗  after successfully dragging kenma away from his gaming console, you end up taking him to an arcade. it's a small improvement, okay??

⌗  he's reluctant, but sometimes going to retro arcades can be fun and they have GOOD ASS snacks so he luckily wasn't all that difficult with you — you'd have to tell kuroo about this later cuz 🕺🏽✨

⌗  after playing a bunch of fighting games and even air hockey — you end up dragging his ass to dance dance revolution😭

⌗  "y/n you do realize i can hardly roll out of bed, you really expect me to do this?"

⌗  he complains a little at first, but after dancing a few rounds, you coulda sworn you saw his lips curl up a just a little 👀

    ➫    𝓘𝗪𝗔𝗜𝗭𝗨𝗠𝗜   𝓗𝗔𝗝𝗜𝗠𝗘   ୨୧   ˎˊ˗

⌗  i feel like iwa would take you to the park for a cute picnic. simple, but sweet

⌗  he'd bring a whole picnic basket with snacks and i headcannon that he can cook, so he definitely made sumn

⌗  because he isn't good with romance, he reluctantly went to tooru for help — who could NOT stop running his mouth.. he got hit with a volleyball afterwards tho😔

⌗  "so i went to that trashykawa for help, what does it matter?! i wanna be able to make shit nice for you!" — iwa are you blushing??🤨

⌗  i imagine there somehow being fireworks that night — don't ask me why and he'd totally lean in to share a kiss with you — while you're caught off guard ofc🚶‍♂️

     ➫    𝓜𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗦𝗨𝗡   &&   𝓜𝗔𝗞𝗞𝗜   ୨୧   ˎˊ˗

⌗  ramen date for sure cuz mattsun is lazy but wants some good ass food and who doesn't like ramen😗

⌗  lowkey feel like y'all would run into makki who just — ends up joining your date 😭 oh to be blessed by the presence of matsuhana✨

⌗  these two would seem normal at first , definitely no bad intentions until you see less noodles in your bowl each time you look from one to the other😐

⌗  "it was makki / mattsun —  " in sync :^

⌗  honestly your date with them is just pure crackheaded energy.. but you have a good time with them and they end up walking you home where you kiss both their cheeks before going inside🥺💘

     ➫    𝓑𝗢𝗞𝗨𝗧𝗢   𝓚𝗢𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗢   ୨୧   ˎˊ˗

⌗  y'all are going to get sum good ass bbq at a secret but underrated place in tokyo✨

⌗  this crackheaded owl will definitely show up to your house uninvited and drag your ass out cuz he's cool with your family😭

⌗  "y/n-chan i'm amazing aren't i?! even akaashi said this was a good idea!"

⌗  he would talk your whole ear off about his accomplishments in volleyball and would even start talking about akaashi LMAO but you find it cute to watch him be so positive and energetic

⌗  please watch your food cuz you already know he's gonna grab those chopsticks and snatch every piece even out of arm's reach🖐

     ➫    𝓚𝗔𝗚𝗘𝗬𝗔𝗠𝗔   𝓣𝗢𝗕𝗜𝗢   ୨୧   ˎˊ˗

⌗  mr. awkward here doesn't know any better so he bought tickets to a professional volleyball match😪

⌗  he's just a lil blueberry who loves his milk and you can't possibly say no to him, so of course you go. surprisingly it's extremely fun and watching him light up like a little kid is just the cutest sight

⌗  "  i.. dumbass, i'm not blushing!" yeah ok

⌗  you'd tease him for sure after the match finishes and in response — ah.. expect him to get you back for that later😭

⌗  since he found it a little selfish that he made you do something of his interests, he ends op offering to buy you ice cream at a cute vintage parlor so y'all can take cute pictures of sharing ice cream ✨

     ➫    𝓜𝗜𝗬𝗔   𝓐𝗧𝗦𝗨𝗠𝗨   ୨୧   ˎˊ˗

⌗  did someone say beach?

⌗  okay but fr — he wants to take you to the beach and even try out volleyball on the sand there too — aside from swimming ofc and possibly dragging you to try out some kind of crazy watersport😭

⌗  y'all would have some seafood in a cute little restaurant on the beach and have snowcones afterwards

⌗  "oh? y/n-chan, you've got a little something there," he says this as he wipes your cheek and totally gives you the side eye while licking his finger😐

⌗  you already know this man finna come from behind, wrap his arms around your waist and sprint to the shore as he tosses you in before joining🐒

    ➫    𝓜𝗜𝗬𝗔   𝓞𝗦𝗔𝗠𝗨   ୨୧   ˎˊ˗

⌗  i feel like osamu would like to spend your date together at home with takeout — probably chinese and i don't blame him😍

⌗  y'all would play some board games together — with you complaining halfway about losing monopoly to him for the 36289292th time🧎

⌗  y'all would stay up LATE just playing those games and then watching movies afterwards

⌗  LOTS of snacks and we can't forget that glorious takeout food. he'd make tea somewhere in between too

⌗  "y/n, i understand you want to win, but we can't play all night y'know — you need your rest for tomorrow."

     ➫    𝓢𝗘𝗠𝗜   𝓔𝗜𝗧𝗔   ୨୧   ˎˊ˗

⌗  do not tell me he does NOT have money — hE GOES TO SHIRATORIZAWA COME ON Y'ALL

⌗  he's taking you to the mall cuz he wants to shop for some new clothes and spoil you rotten, i mean it —

⌗  you'd try and hold the bags at the very least since he paid for everything, but in the end he ends up taking everything in one hand and uses his free one to hold yours🥺

⌗  "hey, if i'm taking out, i'll treat you like complete royalty," get your sunglasses ready for that smile you guys —

⌗  after a good two hours of shopping, he'll take you to a cute bakery nearby and split your favorite dessert with you ♡︎

notes. reviving the hq tag? ahahaha.. anyway don’t mind any typos these are old asf..

↳ return to main masterlist . request rules . send an ask

[ninapi]

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┊┊┊✧ ⁺ ⁺╚══ Owl clan path ╝

Premise: The promise of a cure had never been this close, being the wisest of the forest clans, the answer might be around the corner, but what if you didn’t want to leave the forest any longer?

Word Count: 4764

•��──────•°•❀•°•───────•

Your days in the Tengu village got cut short. Suga’s parents were very protective of their son and quickly snatched him away from you, even against his own wishes.

It would be a lie to say it didn’t bother you, you thought you’d get to be together for as long as your body would last, but you also understand how their parents might feel, they weren’t able to share his childhood with him, never saw him turn into an adult, it was only natural for them to want him back.

You stayed for a couple of weeks in Hinata-kun’s house as your wounds healed, they treated you like if you were part of the family, it was a shame you couldn’t stay longer, they resembled a normalcy you lost long time ago when you lost your parents to the sickness.

During that time, you grew closer to Tobio-kun, he had to do his morning deliveries around the village as part of his job, taking the freshly baked goods and milk as early as the sun would come out to every family. You were the first one to get up around the house and would greet him every morning with a smile on your face as you collected your daily breakfast.

“(Y/N), I must go up north by the end of the week. I’m running out of almonds for the milk production, they grow close to the Owl clan territory, would you like to go with me? Your condition seems to be getting worse every day I see you.” the permanent scowl on his face wavered with his words, he didn’t want to accept it, but he was starting to fear for your life. He’s gotten attached to you over your stay, this was the first time someone treated him this nicely, without judging him or scolding him every time he says something snarky. He didn’t want you to die just like that. The owls could do something, he at least wanted you to try.

“But what if it doesn’t work? I would rather die here with you guys than surrounded by the unknown…”

“I can stop by a few days later, after I’m done collecting the almonds. If you still hate it, you can come back with me. If not, then I go up there once a moon, I’ll go check on you and see if you want to come or stay after that. How does that sound?” he was really trying to get you to accept, it was unexpected coming from a man like him, but you could see the worry seeping through his entire self, and in all honesty, it sounded like a very good deal.

“Ok, let’s do this.” giving you a short approving nod, he left to continue with his morning route, leaving you to your thoughts, you didn’t have much to pack, but you had many new friends to say goodbye to.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

The hike was easier than you expected, Tobio had done it on purpose choosing the lightest path up the mountain to lessen the exert on your weakened body.

It was faster also, he had told you it would take an entire day of walking, but it only took half, even when you stopped a few times to eat your packed lunch and to drink some water.

It didn’t occur to you until later that day that Tobio could have flown there, but he chose to walk just so you’d be more comfortable, always going at your pace, always checking back on you.

The Owl village was very different from the Tengu one, you could see that clearly just by stepping in it.

The most obvious difference was how there were no bridges, nor sidewalks, there also didn’t seem to be any sort of establishment or entertainment areas. There was one house per tree, though each of them was even more eccentric than the other. Some had three to six floors and you assumed they belonged to very large families, but you were wrong.

Tobio brought you up the biggest tree, right in the middle of the village, you were waiting for him outside the house in a large fancily decorated terrace while he went to call his acquaintance. The view of the village from up there was breathtaking, it reminded you how this clan had a magical expertise, everything was glowing even in the sunlight, it was out of this world beautiful.

Though you could see a few pairs of glowing yellowish eyes coming from multiple windows, all staring at you curiously without engaging, it was somewhat unsettling.

“(Y/N), this is Konoha-san, he is the one in charge of intervillage relations. Our village does a lot of trading with them, and he is the one that handles all of that. I told him about you, he offered to take you to their most promising sage and see if there’s something he could do for you. I’ll be back in two days. You’ll be in his care until then.” without waiting for your answer, he soared into the sky, and you lost sight of him within seconds.

“A pleasure to meet you, Konoha Akinori is the name. Before taking you to our sage, I need to stop by our leader’s house, he needs to approve this sort of procedures first or the sage won’t take you in.” bowing politely at him, you hummed in acknowledgement, still a bit weary of meeting so many new faces.

He swept you off your feet and took you over to the second largest building in the area, it was quite far, and you’ve never flown this much, it was actually pretty fun, you were starting to enjoy not having bridges around.

The leader’s house was nothing like Hinata-kun’s cottage, this one was five stories tall, the first floor being a very large office surrounded by all sorts of trinkets and spell books, everything was intriguing, bottles filled with colorful liquids, plants moving their leaves on their own as if they were alive, a stove heating some water seemingly running on magic and the temperature of the room changed depending on the area you were standing on.

“Bokuto, I brought you a pretty girl.” you gasped in horror, was he not the leader? This was way different than your previous encounter with one. Why did it matter if you were pretty or not?

“A whAT? Where would you even find a- OH MY GOD IS A PRETTY GIRL!!!” right before your eyes he moved into space in a second, not something everyone can do.

“HI, welcome to my village, my name is Bokuto Kotarou. What brings such a lovely human so up north?” his dashing smile and close proximity to your face made you blush and stutter a reply. Konoha took over and explained the entire situation before you could feel too overwhelmed by his leader.

“I see, then she’s here to see Akaashi….I knew this was too good to be true.” letting a loud sigh out, he collapsed on the floor, pouting like a small child.

“If you don’t mind, Bokuto-san, I actually find your office very interesting, maybe after my conversation with the sage, I could stop by once more and make you some company?” this resuscitated the Owl-man, he got up instantly, holding both of your hands to his chest. “Would you really? I would love that, yes. I’ll go pick you up from his house by dinner time then!” life went back into his lungs, he danced his way back to his desk, humming a silly melody, while Konoha gathered you in his arms once more to head his way.

The owls were very unique, that you could tell already.

Konoha gave this air of nobility, his robes were of prime fabrics, buttons and ribbons covered in gold and sparkles, his hair was combed to perfection and his skin was glowing under the sun rays, almost an ethereal kind of beauty.

Bokuto-san was also not like anything you’ve ever seen before but in a very different way than Konoha. His hair was two toned, his eyes a little crazy looking, but his smile was so warm, it felt like being directly shone by the sun itself. His interests also seemed different and he was pretty fun to be around.

Though, you still wondered why the village was so cut out from the rest. They could fly from one tree to the other that was a fact, but it still felt a bit lonely.

The sage lived just two trees down to the left, sadly your flying time got reduced this time around, but his house was even more breathtaking than the other two you just witnessed.

“Miss (Y/N), I will go back to my office. Please feel free to stop by my tree if you need anything. I do think you will be staying with our leader, but if you need a place to stay, I do have more than enough space.” he shot you a little wink before flying into the sunset. So that wasn’t just the village office center, it was his tree. Makes sense now.

“Hello there, human girl. Akaashi Keiji at your service.” he bowed, holding your hand up to his lips.

Now, that was different.

This village had it all.

“It’s a pleasure, I’ve been told you’re the best sage around.” your grateful smile and the way your cheeks were beautifully tinted pink, made him fluster just a little. He wasn’t used to having guests, let alone cute girls in his house.

“That’s what they say. I must tell you I have never come across a sickness like yours. The leader of the Tengu village sent a piece of parchment to me the other day explaining what it was and asking for our cooperation. But you are the first human girl I’ve ever encountered, I will need to do some testing first.” nodding, you walked inside his house mesmerized by the tall walls covered in books. His house was also five stories tall, but unlike the leader’s one, this one had nothing in the middle, you could see the five stories tall bookshelves covering every available piece of wall. There were no windows, only one door. His bed was a makeshift futon on top of some more books littering the floor. There was a large table on the middle housing all sort of goo and flasks with glittery smoke coming out of them, neon-colored plants and dusts covering said table.

“I understand, please go ahead, just let me know what I need to do.”

He proceeded to take some blood samples and check you overall health, weight, height. You spent a good couple of hours being looked at through a looking glass while he took notes on a floating parchment. You knew the owl clan was known for their magic even before coming here, but it was still a bit overwhelming to keep up with it all.

“AKAASHI! I came for my price. Where is she?”

“What do you mean your price, Bokuto-san? If you mean our sick guest, she’s right here.” moving to the side you gave him a shy looking smile, trying your best to avoid unhooking any of the things coming out of you at the moment.

“What are you even doing to this poor creature. My beautiful human girl. Don’t worry, I will save you from this crazy murderous sage.” his theatrical outburst made you chuckle, Akaashi sighing on the background.

“There’s no murderous sage here, just someone trying to cure her from imminent death. Now if you don’t mind, we are busy.” he resumed checking your vitals while adjusting the neon pink liquid dropping into an IV currently connected to your arm.

“Oh, but I do mind. I had our dinner made by the most renounced chef of the village. My sister! She came all the way from the outer rim of the village just to cook for her. So, unplug her from all that crap. It’s an order.” his tone went from fluffy and light to heavy and demanding.

Akaashi couldn’t defy his commands, it was basically the only rule around, he had to listen.

“Bring her tomorrow morning, I need to run some more tests. I might have a plan developing but I need to be sure of some things.” now completely unhooked and ready to leave, you got up, though your legs gave in. “Gotcha.” Bokuto lifted you in his arms, like a princess in distress.

“Must be the wiglybee juice I was pouring into her bloodstream. She’ll be a bit dizzy for a while, but it’s the best we have now to delay the symptoms.” you gave him a grateful smile, holding tightly onto Bokuto’s neck.

“Let’s go, princess. Don’t worry Akaashi, I’ll take good care of her.” leaping into the sky, you squealed holding even tighter onto him.

“Are you afraid of heights?”

“I am not, but today was my first time flying, still not used to it.” an impossibly wide grin covered his face, he tightened his grip around you before diving at an exhilarating speed down to the ground, yet never touching it. He zipped through the trees, spinning around when reaching a nearby lake, letting your toes touch the water, it was blissful, like being in a dream. A dream very far away from reality.

“Well, how was this for your first time?” you giggled, cheeks flushed with excitement. “This is fantastic!!!” he lapped around a few more times before reaching his home, both satisfied with your impulse driven adventure. Setting you down on a comfy sofa gently, he moved his hands around making objects move on their own, trays full of food coming your way.

“Who would have thought today would end up being such a wonderful day! We must finish it with a delicious meal!”

The food was indeed delicious, it was your first time in a while to eat meat. You weren’t sure what type of meat was it if you were being honest, but it was the best thing you’ve eaten in your entre life. You also had some desert and a cup of tea once you finished.

When you left the Tengu village this morning you never would have thought you would be having such a fancy dinner lounging around in someone’s sofa. But Bokuto made it extra special by making you laugh constantly while you both stuffed your faces with delicious goodness.

“Bokuto-san, why is it that you all live alone in such big houses? I thought you said you had a sister; does she have her own family now or-?” you thought it was weird, Konoha had pretty much a castle for a house and he was the only one living in it, Akaashi’s house was bigger than a public library and still was all for himself, and Bokuto had five floors filled with all types of rooms and once more, it was all just for him.

“Well, the Owl clan works a little different than other bird clans. Because we are magical beings, our life span is larger. Cultivating our magic takes a couple hundred of years, so we are sent on our own from age two to two hundred. We must learn how to live by ourselves, how to develop and use magic, figure out what do we want to do with our life and such. Once we turn two hundred, we are free to form a family. But again, once the chicks are born, they are allowed to stay under their parents care only for their first year of life. You do get to stay with the mate you choose for the rest of your life, though.” Understanding the clans lore was complex, they were all so different, had opposing values and ways of living.

“Isn’t it harsh to kick out a baby to live on its own?” your eyes were glistening with unshed tears, a mental image of baby Bokuto crawling alone in this enormous house breaking your heart.

“Don’t cry, beautiful.” his thumb came over to your face to wipe the now falling tear from your cheek, “We work different than humans, by the time our first year of life is over our growth would be equivalent to a teenager in human terms. It isn’t as bad.” this reminded you of how fast your crow stopped being a baby, it made sense, they’re birds after all.

“I bet you were so lonely…” your hand landed on top of his which was still hovering over your cheek, leaning on it slightly, your watery eyes sparkling up at him.

In all truth, he was. That’s why he was so excited to have you there with him, even if it was just for a couple of days, but he knew he couldn’t be selfish, this was the destiny of every owl born in this clan, and he was born to be their leader, he couldn’t be seen as weak.

“Sometimes it gets a bit lonely, yeah. We do have each other’s back though; we can all fly here so we visit one another often.” knowing this eased your mind a bit, the weight pressing over your heart at the thought stayed there though.

“Let me take you to your room, you’re going to love it! I got it ready for you after you left.” the room turned out to be an entire floor. It had a ridiculously large bed, enclosed in what looked like silk falling from the ceiling, the wardrobe was filled to the brim with night gowns and dresses, all made with the finest materials there are to choose from. It also had its own bathroom, spacious, comfortable, had all the necessities a woman may need at any given point in life.

“Bokuto-san…where did you even get all this in such a short time…?” you were in awe checking every single corner of the room. The sheepish smile on his face making you smile right back at him.

“Well, I did majority of it with magic. The room was already empty, so it only took a few hours to prepare all this. Do you like it?” you were holding a dress while checking yourself on a mirror-like device on the wall, it was made for a princess, you’ve never worn something like this, putting your ragged kimono to shame.

“It’s wonderful, I’ve never seen such robes before, they look western. Are you sure it’s ok for me to wear all this and stay in such a luxurious room?”

“Of course I’m sure, I made it all for you! Now come on, I bet you’re tired. Have a restful sleep, I’m one floor above you if you need anything.”

Wrapping up your first day in the Owl village made you think of your first day in the Tengu one. They were both lovely, but so different from the other. If the other village made you feel like you stepped into another world, coming here made you feel like you stepped into a fairy tale, full of Knights, princes and a lovely King.

Who would have thought getting sick could bring so much joy?

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

You’ve been in the Owl village for an entire moon cycle.

Tobio had come for you twice now, and you were still unsure of leaving.

“(Y/N) I can come back for you next moon, don’t worry. You are getting better that’s all that matters.”

“But what will happen once I’m cured, Tobio? Do I have to go back to my world? I don’t think I want that anymore…” the treatment Akaashi has been giving you was doing wonders to your health, you still needed to be pumped full with that pink liquid daily, but the doze was getting less and less as days went by, eventually you won’t need it anymore and may even be able to use magic as a side effect of the magical herbs and plants used for your medication, according to the sage.

“You can do whatever you want, (Y/N). If you want to go back to your world, I can take you there. If you want to go back to our village, you can stay with me until Hinata finds you a cottage. But I think what you want is to stay here, and for that I do not have an answer. Have you talked about this with anyone here?” It’s funny how well he can read you when he can’t even read the mood in the room most of the times, but you were happy it was this way, you gained a really good friend out of this whole thing and that was priceless.

“I have not. I guess I’m scared of what they will say. What if they don’t want me here?”

“Then I take you with me, I do want you by my side.” his ears were a little red, his eyes moving around and laying anywhere but on you. You reached over his middle and gave him a little hug, smiling up at him. “Thank you, Tobio. I’ll see you next moon then.”

Akaashi was inside when you were having your heart-to-heart conversation with your friend, yet he could still hear everything with his enhanced hearing. You walked back inside once he left, your saddened mood showing on your face for everyone to see. “You know you can stay here if you want to, right? I mean, if things keep going like this, you should be fully cured before next moon, you won’t need my assistance anymore. But, if what you want is to stay here, I could use an assistant. Also a few power houses are reaching their two-hundred’, meaning they will be able to choose a mate, if that interests you of course.” the little gasp that left your lips brought the ghost of a smile to his lips, he knew he would get you with that.

“I-is that so…”

“Yeah, the leader is up the list. But Konoha-san will be available too ten days after him. They are both from good, powerful families and both like you quite a lot, if you ask me that is. But if you don’t feel attachment towards any of them, I can always make you my assistant. Sorry to disappoint you, I still have a bit to get to my two-hundreds.” his confidence display made you chuckle, he rarely talks but when he does, he is as fun as the others.

“I will keep my options in mind, thank you for your counselling, all mighty sage.” bowing at him with a smile on your face, a gust of wind caught you off guard, almost making you fall on your face.

“Gotcha.” behind you was Bokuto, tall and proud, holding you like a rag doll yet giving you a loving smile while doing so. “Can I take her home now, Akaashi? I got a surprise for her.”

“Yeah yeah.” he waved you away, too busy dissecting what looked like a poisonous frog.

Without wasting a second longer, you were in the sky, the wind hitting your face, playing with your hair. It felt so freeing being able to fly around everywhere, something you never thought you could experience.

“Bokuto-san, isn’t your tree on the opposite direction?” you were now almost able to see the lake you like so much, getting farther and farther away from the village every second.

“I told you, got a surprise for you.” winking, he dived on the direction of the lake, a spread of food was laying on a blanket, in it there was every single one of your favorites. He even went as far as to buy some imported chocolates from a clan that smuggled foreign human goods into the forest. He wanted this to be a day to remember.

“Oh wow. What’s the occasion?” the warm weather was now dimming down, the leaves of the trees beginning their yearly transformation into works of art.

“I…I wanted to talk to you about something.” as a chilly breeze swirls around you, he extends one of his wings to cover your back from the cold.

“What could be this important that required European chocolates?” you giggled, snuggling up to his side for added warmth.

“Well, you see. I heard your treatment is almost over and it’s going better than Akaashi had hopped for. Also saw your Tengu friend leaving the village earlier…I was wondering if…if maybe you...if maybe you wouldliketostaywithmemaybeforever?”

“If I maybe what?” you blinked, trying to piece together what you thought you heard from the owl leader.

“If maybe…you would like to stay…with me? You know after all’s done I know you don’t have to stay here, but if you want to, you have your room at my place, and that room will ALWAYS be yours, unless you want to share my own…” the last part was mumbled quietly enough for you not to hear it, yet his reddish face made it pretty easy for you to figure out what was in his head.

“Does this have to do with the fact that your birthday is just a few days away…? I heard from the sage that it’s your two hundred milestone.” you were innocently picking out some of the fruit on the plates, sharing it with a very flustered Bokuto.

“It does…but probably not in the way you t-think.”

“Hm?”

“Remember when I told you that in my clan you get to form a family once you turn two hundred? That you’re officially considered an adult by then and must choose a m-m…a…ma-….a…”

“A mate?” you tilted your head to the side, blinking cutely up at him. He wanted to throw up, but he couldn’t get your lovely face all dirty.

“Yes, that.”

“I remember, yes.” he didn’t need to know of your conversation with Akaashi earlier that same afternoon, seeing him all flustered was fun.

“So, Konoha presented a request for your hand. WHICH I DECLINED OF COURSE.” the strawberry between your fingers fell down, rolling away into nothingness.

“He did what-? He asked for me to be his mate? Why?”

“Well, why is not the question. Anyone with two inches of brain would. But the question I had in mind was different. Why did he, when it’s painstakingly obvious that I, his leader, want you for myself…?” he was rambling on his own, nearly forgetting you were hearing everything.

“You want me for yourself? As in me being your mate? The mother of your chicks?”

“Y-yes, as in my companion for the rest of my life, the one soulmate I get to chose for eternity. Would that be something you may be interested in? Or is Konoha more appealing to you? I know that castle could make someone’s heart weaver…” his crestfallen expression alerted you, he was going into one of his depressive moods.

“It interests me, yes. If that means that you love me, of course. And not that you just want the rare human pet others want for amusement.” you knew he wasn’t like that, not at all, but you wanted to hear his true feelings.

“OF COURSE I LOVE YOU!!  How can you even think that???? Amusement?? Pfft…I would hire some of those ugly weasels to jump around if I wanted amusement. I want you as my wife, the second in command, the one by my side till my last breath. I’ve never loved anyone like I love you, you’re the most wonderful creature I’ve ever met, I don’t even care that you aren’t an owl and the entire village will rave about it for years, all I care about is you.” you were speechless, tears clogging your throat.

“I love you too…”

“YOU DO? Does that mean you will stay with me, be my wife and give me babies? Cuz I want tons of babies, when can we start?” his affectionate outburst made you chuckle, leaning closer to rest your cheek on his while reaching over to lace your fingers with his. “Yes, I’ll stay with you, be your wife and give you babies.” he tackled you down onto the blanket, showering your face with kisses. “Thank you (Y/N). THANK YOU! I love YOU! So, so, much.”

And just like that, a new future was ahead of you.

A bright one at that.

Just a few sessions of treatment later the cure would be permanent and you would be able to live a happy extended life in the arms of your one true love, one you wouldn’t have met otherwise.

Akaashi received a parchment coming from the human world, Kenma had more information on your disease, it seemed like it was related to the curse, he advised to keep you enclosed while he gathered more information but he wanted you to go with their clan, there was a possibility to save the human world.

Bokuto got a hold of said parchment and burned it down to ashes before Akaashi could even read it.

Nobody would get in the way of his happiness.

○●○●○●○●●○●○●○●○●●○●○●○●○●●

Previous Chapter Masterlist

[cxtetootsie]

Dear Dolly,

Uptown girl…living in an uptown world…. If the soundwaves from the clock radio weren't enough to get me out of bed, then the skittering of nails against the floor and barking was. It was like the whole world was heralding me as I finally turned eighteen after five excruciating years of waiting. Despite taking the same steps yesterday, each breath and step I took felt as if there was an added weight to it. The dolls on my shelf grinned at me from where they sat. Dolls of wood, paper, and yarn sat like an eccentric rainbow. The smell of fresh poppies from the garden invaded my nose as I opened the window. I sat at my desk before pulling out a chisel and working on the hardwood before me. "Happy eighteenth birthday…" I said as I began to chip away at it.

"Happy thirteenth birthday." I sighed as I strolled down the street, the sun's heat pummeling me. My knees felt like they needed to be oiled, barely cranking high enough to do a full rotation. My hair felt like hay, scratching the back of my neck. Only one side was braided; my grandmother's fragile hands couldn't form three strands.

 In all honesty, she couldn't do anything anymore. My fingers curled into the basket as I took another breath, the wood pricking me slightly. I tried recalling the groceries Grandma sent me out to get. Eggs, milk, ham, cereal, bread, and cheese. Eggs, milk, ham, cereal, bread, and BARK!

 I reached down to pet the family dog, Annie. Grandma got me here to keep me company and support me after Mama died. She gave odd a smoky scent like the poppies mama, and I used to tend to. My toes wiggled slightly in my tiny red shoes, and I clicked them twice, shutting my eyes for a second.  

"Take me home…" I whisper. But Mama wasn't home. I looked down at the bright yellow streets and took a deep breath. Sometimes, I feel like Rumplestikin has already gotten to me. Put me on strings, and I spin gold daily with no sign of light. 

I continued to walk, and soon, the building turned into hollow dead trees with flying monkeys taunting me. My breath felt constricted within my chest, trying to break out and grasp onto something. 

Then I saw it, my little beacon of light. A bright green shop with a golden framed door; the paint was peeling, and the door handle was rusty…but it felt like it was just begging me to open it. DING! 

 The door closed behind me with a low thud, a cloud of dust greeting me. Paintings framed by golden bars and clicking grandfather clocks were scattered throughout the store, along with more antiques. Little dolls stared at me from the shelves, the hairspray just radiating off their hair. The gag-inducing smell of old peeling paint from the shelf caused me to scrunch my nose.

 A man with light grey hairs creeped out from the back of the shop, his back slightly hunched and a small but sturdy wooden cane supporting him as he walked over. He smiled softly at me, wrinkles creasing his forehead and around his lips. Despite his old age, he seemed to radiate life. His eyes twinkled like stars, and he stared at each antique as if Tinkerbell had sprinkled them with fairy dust, turning them into gold. He continued throughout the shop, picking things up and dusting them off before he finally came to the shelf where I looked at the dolls. 

 "What's your name?" He asked, breaking the layer of silence.

"My name is Elizabeth," I say. "I'm not very fond of my name… it's too proper. No adventurous lady has a name like Elizabeth." 

"Your name doesn't define you. You define you." He picked up a doll whose hair was wheat-coloured like mine and pointed towards the arms.

 "You see these wooden carvings? You'll never find the same pattern twice on these dolls. Similar, yes, but never the same, no." He pulled up the fabric and revealed the whole arm. Each swirl and curve looked like one of Vincent van Gogh's paintings.

 "They were made to be changed, unlike those dolls they sell nowadays with the clip-on clothes. No, you had to design your own out of the fabric you had, carve each defining line on it." He held the doll out towards me. "Just like how you define yourself. One line at a time."

I carefully picked it out of his hands, my fingers feeling the carvings as they dug into my skin. It seemed to radiate warmth like the warm embrace of my mother. 

"Happy eighteenth birthday, Lizzie!" my friend's voice rang from outside my window. I smiled as I ran out of my room, passing by my desk, where a little doll with golden-coloured hair, one braid, and little red pumps sat on a book called "Lizzie's Great Adventures." 

[toxickehlani]

𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆

║ ꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛ･* – 𝖲𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌

║ ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ･* – 𝖣𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗂 𝖺𝗍𝗍𝖾𝗇𝖽𝗌 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗆𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋'𝗌 𝖻𝗂𝗋𝗍𝗁𝖽𝖺𝗒 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍𝗒 𝗐𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝖻𝗈𝗒𝖿𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗇𝖽 𝖪𝖺𝗋𝖾𝖾𝗆 𝖽𝗈𝖾𝗌 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗎𝗇𝗌𝗉𝖾𝖺𝗄𝖺𝖻𝗅𝖾 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗀𝗂𝗋𝗅 𝗁𝖾 𝗆𝖾𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗉𝗋𝖾𝗏𝗂𝗈𝗎𝗌 𝖽𝖺𝗒.

║ ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ･* – 𝟦,𝟫𝟧𝟢

║ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ･* – 𝖺𝖽𝗎𝗅𝗍 𝗅𝖺𝗇𝗀𝗎𝖺𝗀𝖾, 𝖼𝗁𝖾𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀, 𝖻𝖺𝗍𝗁𝗋𝗈𝗈𝗆 𝗌𝖾𝗑.

║ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ/ᴘᴀʀᴛ･* – 𝖢𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝖷𝖷𝖵𝖨𝖨���: 𝖮𝖻𝗅𝗂𝗏𝗂𝗈𝗎𝗌

ᴘʀᴇᴠɪᴏᴜꜱ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ .༺ ♥︎ ༻ ࣭ ɴᴇxᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ

ꜱᴇʀɪᴇꜱ ᴍᴀꜱᴛᴇʀʟɪꜱᴛ

Destini's POV

   TODAY MY MOM is having a formal party for her birthday, and I'm so happy for her. My mom already had the caterer and the DJ booked. The party will be inside the venue company's building, and the colors will be red, pink, and white. In all honesty, I'm ready to have a fun time.

   I was getting ready to grocery shop with Alayah and Erika before the party. I left out of my room and walked to Alayah's room, and got her ready for the day.

"You ready to go to the store with mommy?" I asked, kissing her cheek after I finished doing her hair.

"Yes! I can get chocolate!" She cheered, nodding her head.

"All right, let's go." I smiled, picking her up.

   Carrying my daughter downstairs, I grabbed my keys, left the house for my white BMW X2, and strapped Alayah in her booster seat.

   I got in the car, fastened my seatbelt then started it up before driving to Erika's house. Once I got there, I honked my horn, and soon she came out of her house and got in the passenger seat.

"Hello, my beautiful niece." Erika smiled, greeting Alayah, who smiles back in the backseat.

"Hi, Auntie Erika." Alayah greeted me, waving at my best friend.

"What you've been up to, boo?" Erika asked me as I pulled up to a red light.

"Nothing much," I replied, driving once the light turned green. "What about you?"

"Got most of the planning out of the way. I have all the guest seats arranged and things like that." Erika explained, nodding her head. "The stressful part is over."

"I know that's right." I laughed, nodding my head.

   Pulling into the grocery store's parking lot, I parked the car and got out. As I walked inside, I grabbed a basket and then wiped the handle with a disinfectant wipe because you never know who's had it before. Anyway, I picked up Alayah and sat her in the front before heading inside.

"Okay, so I need to stock up on Alayah's fridge first," I said as I referred to the refrigerator filled with all her juices and milk.

   I grabbed a couple of boxes of Capri-Suns from the shelf and placed them in the shopping basket. Next, I picked up a case of Sprite and 7up to stock the kitchen fridge. Since the freezer aisle was opposite, I bought more nuggets and fries for Alayah. Also, I added a few frozen pizzas because I like them.

"Mommy, can we get those chips?" Alayah asked, pointing to the family-size bag of Cheetos Puffs.

"Sure," I answered, handing her the bag of chips.

   I picked up two bags of family-size Doritos because I wanted to make nachos tonight for dinner or maybe nachos and tacos. Pulling out my phone, I went to my messages and clicked on the group chat with Erika and Za'Niyah.

⇾ The Three Musketeers👑💖

How about nachos and tacos for lunch because I have to go to my mom's party tonight?

Right Hand✋🏽❤️ - Hell yea I'm there!

Sister By Heart💜🔆 - Count me in. I am always down for some food🤤

Right Hand✋🏽❤️ - We know with your fat ass😂

Sister By Heart💜🔆 - What chips are you using?

I'm thinking of using Doritos and regular tortilla chips.

Sister By Heart💜🔆 - Even fucking better.

I'm at the store now, but I'll be leaving soon.

   Sticking my phone back in my pocket, I met up with Erika in the cereal section of the store. She had a basket with food items in it for her house.

"So, nachos and tacos tonight?" Erika questioned with a grin on her face.

"Yeah, and Margaritas if you want," I answered, shrugging my shoulders.

"Oh, hell yeah. Let's do Don Julio." She suggested, bouncing on her feet in excitement.

"No, not Don Julio." I rejected, shaking my head.

"Why?" My best friend asked in a whining tone.

"Girl, I'll be upstairs getting my back broken when I have a whole child there." I retorted, making Erika bust out laughing. "And I'm attending my mom's birthday party tonight."

"Oh right, I forgot about that. What liquor are we putting in these drinks?" Erika inquired, cocking her head to the side.

"Jose Cuervo. Silver." I smiled, watching her facial expression. "I can't get too drunk."

"Okay, fine." She sighed, playfully rolling her eyes. "What time are you leaving?"

"Around six," I responded, scratching my cheek.

   Shaking my head, I pushed the basket and continued grocery shopping. Once I got to the cashier, I told the woman I wanted to buy the big bottle of Jose Cuervo, and of course, she asked for my ID. After paying for all my things, I headed out of the store and went to my car. I unlocked my trunk and loaded the bags in there. Finally, I buckled Alayah in her seat and drove out of the parking lot.

    Arriving at home, I parked in the driveway and took all the bags out of the trunk with the help of my best friend. After unpacking all the items, I began the tacos for tonight. Once the ground beef was seasoned and cooked, I sat it to the side and started making the shells.

"Erika, should I invite Marcos and his girlfriend?" I asked, leaning against the counter.

"I mean, it's up to you. If it were me, I wouldn't, but that's just me." Erika answered, shrugging her shoulders. "It would be good to tell them you're inviting them. If they don't show up, oh well."

"You're right." I sighed, grabbing my phone from the island.

   Unlocking my phone, I went to my messages and clicked on the conversation with Marcos.

I'm making tacos and nachos for lunch. You and your girlfriend can get some if you want.

Marcos❌ 😒- Okay, we'll come over.

If your girl doesn't drink, I don't know what to tell you.

Marcos❌😒 - Her name is Nazanin, and yes, she drinks.

Okay, we're having margaritas.

"So Marcos said he's coming with Nazanin," I said, looking at Erika.

"Is that her name?" Erika asked, arching an eyebrow at me.

"I guess." I shrugged, crossing my arms. "Can you finish the shells while I go shower?"

"You got it." My best friend nodded, taking my place in front of the stove.

"Thanks." I smiled, leaving the kitchen.

   Waking upstairs to my room, I went to the bathroom and showered. As I lay my clothes out for tonight on the bed, Kareem walks into the room.

"What's the occasion?" He asked, eyeing my outfit.

"Remember, we're going to my mom's birthday party tonight," I answered, putting my hands on my hips.

"Oh yeah. I forgot about that. Is your baby daddy coming?" My boyfriend questioned, cocking his head to the side.

"I think so," I responded, shrugging my shoulders. "My mother said she invited him and his girlfriend."

"Yeah, any chance that low life gets, he's going to take the opportunity to see you." Kareem scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Oh my god, come on, I'm tired of hearing this." I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration.

"I'm just calling it like I see it." He retorted, holding his hands up.

"For the last time, nothing is happening between Marcos and me but co-parenting," I assured him, giving him a sincere nod.

"Yeah, alright." He sarcastically scoffed, walking out of the room.

   Sighing, I rubbed my temples, not having the energy to argue with him about his lame-ass insecurities and jealousy. I entered the bathroom, stripped off my clothes, and entered the glass enclosure. As I stood under the water, letting it roll down my skin, I couldn't help but think about what Kareem had said. Marcos is by no means a low life in my eyes. Yes, he made a stupid decision, but he learned from his mistakes; we're all only human.

   Kareem has no right to call Marcos a low life because what if he walked in his shoes? He was wrong to call him that when he wasn't. It's not Marcos's that he has some fucked up parents, which is why he wants to be in his daughter's life, and I respect him for that. Alayah loves her father to death, always talking about him or asking me if she could see him. I'd never want to deny her of seeing him or see her hurt.

   Shaking my head, I snapped out of my thoughts and washed up. After cleaning myself, I turned off the water, wrapped a towel around my body, walked to my room, and dressed comfortably. Exiting my bedroom, I walked downstairs to the kitchen and saw Erika and Za'Niyah eating some tacos.

"Damn, you guys couldn't wait huh?" I laughed, pouring the nacho cheese into the pot to warm it up.

"First of all, I got hungry, but before I could eat, this one rang the doorbell," Erika explained, biting into her taco.

"Are they good?" I asked, stirring the cheese.

"Fucking fire. Especially with the spicy sauce I added." Za'Niyah replied, chewing her food.

"Thank you." I smiled, clapping my hands.

When the nacho cheese was hot, I turned the stove off but kept the lid on the pot. Suddenly, the doorbell rang throughout the house. I looked at the girls and walked to open the door. Standing in front of me was none other than Marcos and his delusional bitch Nazanin. The same broad who didn't want to apologize to me for calling my daughter a brat.

I stood there leaning my arm against the door, staring at them.

"Well, hello." I smiled, putting my hands on my hips.

"Hey, Des." Marcos nodded, greeting me with his hands stuffed in his pockets. His girlfriend stood beside him, staring at me. "Naz say hello."

"Hello." She mumbled with disgust written all over her face.

   Not wanting to start anything, I laughed and allowed them inside. I walked behind them after locking the front door with a grin because this was funny as hell. Marcos's girlfriend is mad that I whooped her ass for not apologizing to me on behalf of my daughter. Heading into the kitchen, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at Marcos and his delusional girlfriend. Erika and Za'Niyah's eyes met mine with a wtf expression, and I shrugged my shoulders.

   The tension in the air was thick until Kai broke it by saying, "Okay, let's play some cards."

"What about I declare war," I suggested, grabbing the card deck from the drawer by the kitchen sink.

"Heck yeah, let's go." Kai cheered, clapping her hands.

   Laughing at her enthusiasm, I motioned for Marcos and his girl to have a seat, and Kareem sat in the chair beside me. I rolled my eyes at his jealousy as Marcos and his lady sat across from us. Kai and Leo were at the end. Everyone had their drinks as I shuffled the cards and passed them out. Each of us has eight cards.

"So, on the count of three, we flip over the card on top?" Leo asked, looking at his hand.

"Mhmm." I nodded, taking a sip of my margarita.

"Noted." He replied, sipping his liquor straight.

"Okay. One. Two. Three." I counted, and each of us flipped a card over.

   I had a red king of hearts, Kareem had a black ace of spades, Marcos had a red three of diamonds, Kai flipped a red six of hearts, and Leo flipped a five of spades. Since I had the highest card, I took all of theirs.

"That's bull crap," Leo swore, keeping in mind that his niece was here.

"I forgot to mention that this is my game." I smiled, shrugging my shoulders.

"You're being cocky now, but just wait." Kareem smiled, shaking his head at my enthusiasm.

   I laughed, receiving all the cards and reshuffling them. We got eight more cards, and we all had them face down. On the count of three, we flipped the first card on top. Marcos pulled a five of hearts, Leo pulled four of spades, Kareem had a six of aces, Kai flipped over a two of hearts, and I turned over a five of aces card.

"God damn it." I groaned, throwing my head back, laughing.

"See, you should never celebrate a win too early." Marcos teased, grinning at me.

"Hush," I replied, rolling my eyes.

   My ex laughed as we placed three more cards face-down on the table. The fourth card I flipped was a seven of hearts, and Marcos's card was an eight of aces.

"Gotcha." Marcos cheered, clapping his hands together.

"That's fucking bullshit." I protested, tossing my entire hand to him.

I glanced at Marcos and couldn't help but feel giddy inside as our eyes locked. Getting up from the table and sat on the couch in the living room. Erika and Za'Niyah got up from their places in the kitchen and sat next to me.

"What's wrong?" Erika asked, playing with my hair.

"Nothing," I replied, looking at her.

"Do you not know that we know you like the back of our hand?" Za'Niyah laughed, rolling her eyes.

I sighed, knowing my friends wouldn't give up until I told them what was on my mind. "If I tell you, swear you won't say anything. Not even to Kai or Leo."

"Okay, tell us." Erika nodded, leaning her head against her hand.

"Having Marcos here and returning to the way we were makes me miss him." I quietly explained, shrugging my shoulders.

"I could tell by the smile you had on your face," Za'Niyah responded, confidently holding her head up.

"Girl, we all know how much you and him miss each other," Erika replied, laughing at me rolling my eyes.

"Right. Maybe you forgot, but we're all friends. Have been since high school." Za'Niyah laughed, comfortingly rubbing my shoulder.

"Yeah, we were there when you found out you were pregnant and for Alayah's birth." Erika pointed out, grinning at me.

   A few tears slipped down my face as I reminisced about those days. Looking back on those moments made me glad that I had them in my life. It made me not want any other friends besides them. I laughed, wiping my face as my best friends cracked up, wrapping their arms around me and hugging me.

"We love you." Erika crooned, smiling at me.

"Damn right, we do." Za'Niyah's crazy ass replied, waving her finger. "And will fight any bitch for you."

"I love you crazy ass girls too." I sniffled, pulling away from our embrace. "I don't know why the fuck I'm crying."

   My friends laughed at me as I gathered myself. We continued reminiscing before I walked to Alayah's room to get her things together since she was staying with Erika and Leo tonight. Marcos and his girlfriend were long gone; secretly, I was glad. I knew Alayah was tired, having been up all day without a nap, so I knew she'd be asleep when Leo got to his house.

Walking to my bathroom, I sat at the vanity mirror and did my makeup for tonight's party. I was already dressed in a creme corset long-sleeve ruched midi dress and Jefferey Campbell bijoux strappy ankle-tie heels. Once I put my accessories on, I was ready to go.

After doing my makeup, I kissed my reflection before walking to the bedroom. Once I grabbed my mini nude Chanel bag, I walked downstairs, where Kareem waited.

   He looked up from his phone and smiled at my appearance. "Damn, you look good. You sure you wanna go to the party and not upstairs?"

"Man, let's go and thank you for the compliment." I laughed, kissing his cheek.

As I walked out of the door, Kareem smacked me on the ass, making me jump and giggle. He unlocked the doors to his car, opened the passenger side door for me, and I climbed in, fastening my seatbelt. Kareem started the car and pulled out of the driveway before getting on the road. With a heater on low, I got as comfortable as possible in the dress and sat back for the ride. I softly sang along with the music playing on Kareem's radio.

His hand rested on my left thigh, rubbing circles in the skin with his thumb. After an hour of driving, I decided to check on Alayah. I pulled out my phone, went to Erika's contact name, and called her.

Right Hand✋🏽❤️ - Hello?

Hey babe, how's Alayah?

Right Hand✋🏽❤️ - She's on her way to sleep right now, but she's been good.

Thanks again for watching her.

Right Hand✋🏽❤️ - Girl, you know I don't mind. I love this little girl like she's my own.

I know, and you'd do anything for her.

Right Hand✋🏽❤️ - Damn right I will. Now have fun.

I will. Talk to you later.

Right Hand✋🏽❤️ - Smooches, love.

After hanging up the phone, I stared out the window at the city passing by. It was peaceful and relaxing. Arriving at the venue, Kareem parked in front of the valet and went around to the passenger side to open my door. As I exited my boyfriend's car, I saw my cousin from my mom's side, Xylia.

"Xylia? You look so pretty." I beamed excitedly, opening my arms to hug her.

"Hey Destini. Long time no see." My cousin smiled, returning the gesture. "Who's this?"

"Oh, this is my boyfriend Kareem. Babe, this is my cousin Xylia. She's from my mom's side." I replied, introducing them to each other.

"Nice to meet you." Kareem nodded, shaking her hand.

"Same here." My cousin replied, picking up the end of her dress.

She grabbed her date's arm before Kareem handed the valet the keys to his car. I slipped my arm in his, and we walked inside the building. Pressing the button for the elevator, I stood there and waited for the machine to come down. We stepped on and rode to the rooftop when the metallic doors opened. As I walked out, I immediately saw all of my relatives from my mother's side of the family, including cousins, uncles, and aunts.

Kareem and I sat at an empty table, and he placed his hand on my exposed thigh. I could feel his hand slowly trailing up my thigh to my covered pussy. It's a good thing I had panties on because if we were to get up, I knew I'd have a wet spot on my dress. I darted my eyes to his and gave him a knowing look.

"What are you doing?" I asked, arching my eyebrow at him.

"I can't help it. You look so fucking good in this white dress." Kareem complimented, biting his bottom lip.

"Thank you." I smiled, kissing his lips and wiping the lip gloss off when I pulled away.

"You're welcome kissing me like that with those luscious lips." My boyfriend flirted, gazing at my lips as lust clouded his eyes.

"You're such a horn dog." I joked, laughing at him.

"For you, I am." He smiled, flashing me his pearly whites.

As the night went on, I chatted with my family members, catching up with them. All seemed good and well until I saw my ex-boyfriend walk into the venue with his delusional ass girlfriend holding onto his arm. Honesty, I wasn't worried about her but about how he looked in that black suit. Although I have my boyfriend next to me, seeing Marcos dressed like that stirred something within me. Something that made me wish I didn't have Kareem here.

Our eyes met, and he grinned at me. I turned my attention back toward Kareem as he said something.

"I'm sorry. What did you say?" I asked, keeping a straight smile.

"I said, why is he here?" Kareem repeated, scrunching his face up at Marcos.

"I don't know. I thought my mom wasn't going to invite him." I answered, looking at him.

I could feel the jealousy and anger radiating from Kareem as he stared at my ex-boyfriend with hatred. The more I thought about it, the more apparent my mother’s intentions were when inviting Marcos and his ‘’wife’’ to the party. Nazanin’s eyes met mine, and she had a scowl as they took their seats beside my cousin Brandi. Kareem got mad and got up to go to the bar for a drink. He’s trying to avoid any contact with Marcos at this point.

When Kareem returned to the table, he handed me a clear plastic cup with dark liquor. I thanked him and sipped the cognac, which was Rémy Martin and coke. The two of us talked with my cousin, who was beside me, laughing at the childhood stories she told about me. Although Marcos sat on the opposite side of the table, I was enjoying myself as I ignored his presence. That was until Brandi, Marcos’s girlfriend, and Kareem left for the bar, leaving us alone.

“You look beautiful.” I hear Marcos compliment me, making me look at him.

“Um, thank you,” I responded, giving him a tight lip smile.

“So your boyfriend still doesn't like me?” Marcos asked, laughing at the thought.

“Well, you did show up at his place of business looking for a fight,” I replied, rolling my eyes.

“Okay, so I wanted to know more about who’s living under the same roof as my daughter. Is that wrong?” He questioned, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

“If you wanted to get to know him, you should’ve gone about it differently.” I sighed, answering his question.

“Well, it's in the past. I’ve moved on from it.” My ex-boyfriend chuckled, shrugging his shoulders.

“You’re fucking annoying,” I grumbled, shaking my head.

“How?” He arched an eyebrow at me.

“You’re missing the damn point. If you want to be in Alayah’s life again, don’t do anything to get you arrested again.” I explained, staring at him as I spoke. “Don’t go looking for fights that’ll cost you not being able to see her ever again.”

Marcos sighed, looking at his hands before speaking, “You’re right. I apologize for showing up to your boyfriend’s business, but he had no right to bring up my past as if he knew me.

“I’ll talk to him about that because that was wrong of him.” I nodded, making a promise to him.

Marcos's girlfriend, Kareem, and Brandi returned to the table with drinks. Once again, Kareem handed me a clear plastic cup, and I drank the contents inside. After forty-five minutes of waiting and socializing, the woman of the hour, my mother, finally makes her grand appearance. She looked stunning in her pink dress, which matched the party's theme. My dad followed behind her, smiling as she posed for pictures.

   Once she took photos, my mom gave a speech thanking everyone who attended the party and encouraging them to enjoy themselves. After she had finished talking to family members, I took the opportunity to speak with her. She saw me walking toward her and smiled.

"You look so gorgeous." My mom complimented, standing up to hug me.

"Thank you, and you do too," I replied, sitting beside her.

"Have you talked to Marcos yet?" My mother asked, making me roll my eyes.

"Speaking of him, I wanted to ask you something." I sighed, trying to think of the right words.

"Ask away." She nodded, smiling at me.

"Why did you invite Marcos and his girlfriend, of all people?" I questioned, staring at my mother and watching her facial expressions.

"Marcos is my baby too, Destini." She responded, crossing her arms in front of her body.

"I know that, but–Just because the two of you aren't together anymore doesn't mean he can't come around to gatherings." My mother interrupted me, rolling her eyes.

"You know they tried to fight each other the last time they met, right? And you put them at the same table for crying out loud?" I pointed out, shaking my head.

"Well, they're just going to have to hold those urges until the party is over," my mother responded, shrugging her shoulders. She stood up to her feet and looked at me. And besides, they wouldn't dare start anything in here."

   Sighing, I got up and returned to the table where Karen and my ex-boyfriend sat. Everything went smoothly for over two hours, and it was overall fun. Everyone enjoyed the good Italian food that my mom had paid for to cater the party. After the majority of the guests ate, the DJ started playing music, and they got on the dance floor. I didn't feel like dancing, so I stayed seated with my boyfriend and scrolled through my phone.

"I'll be back. I'm going to the bathroom," Kareem whispered, rubbing the exposed skin of my thigh.

"Okay." I smiled, pecking his lips.

   Kareem downed the remaining liquor in his cup before leaving the table. When he left, I began talking with my cousin Brandi.

"So, what happened between you and Marcos?" Brandi whispered, nodding towards Marcos, who was talking to his girlfriend.

"All I'll say is that he did some shit with an undercover officer and got two years," I answered, keeping my voice low but loud enough for her to hear over the music.

"Oh, okay. Did Marcos learn his lesson this time?" My cousin asked, sipping her drink.

"Marcos says he did. He's going down the right path to be in his daughter's life." I nodded, shrugging my shoulders. "So we'll see."

"It's good that Marcos's doing the right thing by being in his daughter's life," Brandi commented, nodding as she scrolled on her phone.

"Yeah, I guess it is," I said, downing the remaining liquor in my cup.

   A few minutes later, Brandi and Marcos's girlfriend left the table. "So, where's your boyfriend?"

"He went to use the restroom," I replied, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Damn, it sure has been a long time." Marcos chuckled, making me roll my eyes.

"Why don't you worry about yourself and not other people," I remarked, grabbing my phone to text Kareem.

Hey, where are you?

Kareem😍💞 - Stepped outside to get some air.

Do you want me to come outside with you?

Kareem😍💞 - No, it's okay. I'm talking to some guys having a smoke.

Okay, be safe.

   Locking my phone, I sat it on the table, and Marcos stared at me.

  Kareem's POV

   Stuffing my phone in my pocket, I groaned, leaning my head against the bathroom wall as Marcos's girlfriend sucked my dick in her mouth. Her mouth felt so good. I wonder how he'd feel if he knew his girlfriend was giving me head right now. My right hand threaded through her light hair, pushing her head further down.

"Fuck you have a good mouth on you," I grunted, listening to Nazanin slurp on my dick.

"As much as I like to suck your dick in this restroom stall, we don't have much time." Nazanin breathed, pulling away as she stroked me.

   Smirking, I pressed her against the wall and pulled the bottom of her dress up. Nazanin wasn't wearing any panties underneath, and she was wet, so there was no need for me to take her panties off and eat her out. I hurriedly unzipped my pants, pulled my dick out of the slit in my briefs before teasing her pussy and sliding inside of her. A groan escaped me as I felt Nazanin clench around me. She didn't feel like Destini did.

   Shaking the image of my girlfriend out of my mind, I thrust inside of the girl in front of me. Nazanin began moaning before I hit a spot within her, making her whine aloud. Quickly, I covered her mouth with my hand and pounded inside of her. Destini's face flashed in my mind again, and I said fuck it and closed my eyes, picturing myself fucking her instead.

"Damn, you feel so good," I grunted, picking up the pace of my thrusts.

   Her ass clapped back against me, and I imagined Destini in doggy as I gave her more back shots than she could handle. Soon, I could feel my nuts beginning to tighten and knew I was close. I shifted, pulling Nazanin back to push her ass out more, and thrust harder inside of her. Letting out a groan, I pulled out, jerked my dick off, and came on her ass. Quickly, I fixed my clothes before exiting the bathroom before Nazanin.

   Before returning to the table, I stopped by the bar and bought myself a drink. I sat next to Destini, who was talking to her cousin.

"What took you so long?" My girlfriend asked, looking at me up and down.

"I was talking with some guys outside. Don't worry." I answered, smiling at her before kissing the side of her head.

   As I saw Nazanin exit the restroom, I stared at her as she sat next to Marcos's bitch ass and kissed him on the lips. Throughout the remainder of the night, I finally got a plate of food that I took to go. Destini and I said our goodbyes to her parents before walking outside the venue, where the valet brought me my car. After Destini got in the passenger seat, I closed the door and climbed inside. Before pulling off, I rolled the windows down and drove away.

   Arriving home, I helped Destini out of the car before we headed inside. Destini sat on the bed, taking her heels off, while I took myself a shower. As we climbed into bed for the night, I prayed to God that what happened in the venue's restroom wouldn't get out.

[desiresign]

the fairy approaches god

a fanfiction about eternity larva and yuuka having a little chat. read on AO3 here. read below the cut for the fic!

It was a warm, sunny day in the Garden of the Sun, and with it, came the flittering of fairies playing about.

With the amount of life that seeped into every inch of the vast garden of flowers, it was no surprise the place was usually packed with fairies. All had learned by now to go gently between the flowers, careful not to snap a single stem, or tear a single petal. It seemed the universal language of fairies was childish giggles, from the amount they filled the air alongside decorative danmaku and bubbles. Laughing among themselves seemed like the only thing the youngest fairies did, as they joined their tiny hands and spread their iridescent wings to zip around together.

In all honesty, it was something Yuuka Kazami could hardly find any relating to, though keeping an eye on their antics was an amusing pastime. Akin to bird watching, she thought, and considering the childlike behavior and intelligence of fairies, she supposed it wasn't much more mentally invigorating as watching unaware beasts anyways.

Today, it seemed some of the older, comparatively grown-up fairies were huddled around one area of Yuuka's garden to the west, where they dove in and out of her view into the sunflower patches. She could just make out the colors of the blue fairy, one who she had personally encountered during an incident years ago, and stifled a sigh. That little brat could lose her temper while playing with her friends quite easily, being so simple to be baited into showing off her ice powers with little hesitation. If she had even a millimeter of frost upon a single petal, Yuuka would know instantly. The garden's lifeforce started and rooted with her, and as the sun warmed her body and refreshed her, she could feel almost every tickle of wind against the millions of petals. Far more than knowing her special connection to her flowers, the fairies knew how Yuuka could get when she was pissed off.

In the midst of her observations, a series of quick tugs at the end of Yuuka's dress interrupted her thoughts. Sharply looking down to her side with a glare, her gaze softened as she saw it was just a fairy. One of the bigger ones too, the one with the side ponytail and beetle wings whose name escaped her.

"Miss Yuuka?" the fairy asked timidly. "Can you help us with something?"

Yuuka attempted to look welcoming by putting on a slight smile, though the fairy's body language immediately became more nervous. "Um, we need your help getting our friend out from your plants, she won't move!" The poor thing sounded in distress.

With a snap of her parasol being closed, Yuuka chose to indulge the fairy in her assistance. "Alright," she said, taking off flying behind the fairy. "I don't want any of you hurting any of the flowers by trying to mess with your friend."

Sure enough, nestled between a particular spot of sunflowers, were the other big fairies that Yuuka had caught glimpses of before, each of them standing about with particularly concerned expressions. Laying on a patch of leaves with a cocoon-shaped bundle, the size just larger than the tallest fairy.

"It's Eternity Larva!" the blue fairy, Cirno, spoke up, anxiously rubbing at her arms. Her sharp icicle wings were jutting outwards from her in worry. "She said she was tired and wanted to take a nap, and now she won't wake up!"

"We weren't even playing for long..." another, Sunny Milk mumbled. "It makes no sense she got tired." As if to illustrate what Cirno said, the fairy stepped a foot down to nudge on what seemed to be Eternity's abdomen from where it was wrapped in the cocoon. "She's sleeping like a log!"

After watching this display bear no fruit for a few moments, Yuuka exhaled out of her nose. "Well," she said. "Not waking up isn't a big deal. She'll be back by tomorrow."

Cirno seemed to gape in offense. "Larva isn't dead!" she cried out. "I know it, why don't I just toss her around a bit? I'll show you!"

Before anyone could offer any protest, Cirno zipped over to the cocoon and shook it like mad, rolling it over at points. Yuuka's eyebrows raised in both confusion and amusement, and then shock as an exhausted-sounding mutter arose from the wrapped fairy.

Sure enough, poking her head out with a yawn, was Eternity Larva herself. Her eyes were bleary with sleep, and her leaf-tousled bedhead looked worse for wear. "Cirno...?" Eternity asked, interrupting herself with yet another yawn. Sitting up, she shed the leaf-wrapped cocoon, and stared blankly at those surrounding her. "Whaddya wake me up for?"

"You dummy!" Cirno said, tackling Eternity with a hug. "You fell asleep in the middle of our game again. And you wouldn't even wake up!"

Eternity shook her head and stretched before standing up, the sleepiness seeming to melt off of her body. Curiously, Yuuka noticed, as the butterfly fairy woke up, several actual butterflies suddenly joined the scene, flitting around her and quickly finding plenty of room on the various surrounding sunflowers. The other fairies gathered around Eternity as she stretched again, shaking out her wings.

"Well," she said, "I'm full of energy now! Let's go!"

Just as the group was about to take off, Yuuka grabbed a hold of Eternity's dress, preventing her from making any movement. Eternity flinched, the grip of the flower youkai stronger than it looked. "Actually, Eternity," the flower youkai said. "Can you stay with me for a moment? I would like to talk to you."

Nervously looking back at her friends, Eternity began to hesitate, before waving off for the other fairies to go on ahead. "What...what is it, Miss Yuuka?" A butterfly landed on her hair, twitching its proboscis.

"Since when do you have butterfly friends alongside you?" Yuuka asked, voice so calm it frightened the fairy. "I don't recall you ever having them follow you like that before."

"Oh...I dunno," Eternity said. "Ever since I started sleeping a lot, they're always there when I wake up."

"Sleeping a lot, huh?" Yuuka said, resting her chin on her parasol. "Come here."

With great reluctance, Eternity stepped closer to Yuuka. She examined the fairy's body, gently brushing past her wings, ruffling the leaves out of her hair, lightly prodding her osmeterium. (A foul smell soon followed, along with Eternity's fervent apologies.) The entire time, Eternity was rigid and still, frozen in place.

"Your power is growing," Yuuka said at last. "Your body is trying to compensate for it by having you rest to store up your power."

"That...that's it?" Eternity nervously said. Then, she huffed, a proud look on her face. "That's not so bad." She fluttered her wings, almost as if she were going to take off again.

"No. If you grow too powerful, you could grow beyond your connection to your nature," Yuuka said ominously. "You could grow beyond a fairy."

Eternity was silent for a moment, before looking upset. "I don't waaanna not be a fairy!" she exclaimed. Her face twisted in anger for a moment, a short burst of emotion unlike Yuuka had seen most fairies before. "Besides, what do you know?”

Yuuka hummed, a dark look coming across her face. "The years I've been alive, I've seen many things. I know firsthand about growing beyond one's element." The flower youkai paused, realizing thorny vines were creeping up on the ground just near her and Eternity's feet. Inhaling and closing her eyes for a brief moment, she calmed herself. "Why wouldn't you want to grow up? To be more than an unremarkable weak thing?"

Eternity looked scared, eyes wide and eyebrows narrowed in concern. It looked like she was thinking very hard. "I want to keep playing," she said at last. "I want to keep enjoying life in the sunshine with my friends!" Her shoulders slumped down. "Cirno told me that...this powerful lady hates me. That I'm her enemy. And I don't even know her!"

Eternity continued on. "I remember the days when this has happened before...when I was sleepy, when everyone flocked towards me, when everyone made me feel better than I have before... It must have happened many lifetimes ago! But I was still myself! And I don't want to be anyone else!" She looked up at Yuuka, a confident look in her eyes. "I want to stay valued by my friends. I want to stay!"

Yuuka was quiet. She snapped open her parasol, holding it behind her to absorb the sun's rays. "Interesting," she said. "You have a lot to consider as valuable to your enjoyment of life, don't you, little one?"

"Uhhh, yeah," Eternity replied with confusion.

"Long, long ago, thousands of years ago, I was born into existence as a flower youkai. I wasn't always that way, and wasn't always that strong. I, too, used to enjoy life in the sunshine." A couple of clovers and wildflowers bloomed at Yuuka's feet. "Believe it or not, I have frolicked in the same fields as you do."

"Were you..." Eternity Larva's wings started flapping slowly. Yuuka looked down at her. Eternity smiled. "I think I get it."

"Do you?"

"I-I thiiiink so?" Sure enough, that clumsy personality was back. "I want to stay as a fairy for now. Maybe one day I'll get strong...but for now, I wanna stay!"

A slight smile dashed across Yuuka's face. "Run along, then. Don't keep your friends waiting."

With a nod and no hesitation, Eternity turned around to fly off into the distant field. She approached her friends quickly and with no qualms. They embraced Eternity and welcomed her back with open arms, excitedly informing her of what their plans for playing and pranks were for the rest of the day. Laughs and giggles filled the air again, glittering wings buzzing and colorful dresses flowing in the wind.

[somewhat-insane]

Shadows of the Beach: Chapter Three

Here's the masterpost

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Belated Meetings

Pairing: Ao Lie/Sun Wukong/Macaque

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Tags: Idiot gays being idiots and gay, Playful Banter, Teasing, Awkwardness, Jealousy, Mildly Unreliable Narrator

A/N: I'm super sorry this took so long, my laptop charger broke and then editing took a lot longer than I anticipated BUT, luckily for all of you, this is a big(ger) one. About 4,000 words over what I usually try to post. Plus, we get some cute moments between Wukong and Macaque AND we finally get to meet Ao Lie!! Oh! Plus, there's a reference to OSP's JTTW recaps!

In all honesty, Macaque probably should’ve seen this coming.

Or, heard, at the very least, as the large army donned in heavy celestial armor wasn’t exactly known for their silence when marching.

But, of course, a certain someone couldn’t stay quiet to save his life, not when he was as wound up as this, at least. 

And for some reason, Macaque found himself tuning into Wukong’s rambled words, his glowing ears angled back towards the king, flicking as they picked up the distant sound of hurried footsteps but, uncharacteristically, the dark-furred monkey hadn’t thought anything of it, too wrapped up in his thoughts about what was being said to him.

Originally, Macaque had planned to listen and try to figure out the patterns the guards followed. He didn’t communicate this plan to Wukong but he feels that even if he had it wouldn’t have stopped the other from straying from it. And as far as Macaque was aware that would count as a new personal record for how quickly Wukong could stray from a plan.

Listening, apparently, was kind of difficult when your very unstealthy companion won’t stop rambling about how he’s going to “take you and Ao Lie for coffee” and then he gets sidetracked talking about how “wait, no, Ao Lie doesn’t like coffee” and how “it would be better to go for cheese tea,” even though “Ao Lie hasn’t tried cheese tea before- or milk tea. I wonder what he’ll think about it.”

“Quiet,” Macaque had hissed, smacking Wukong upside the head. This was, admittedly, a pointless endeavor but he did enjoy seeing the way Wukong pouted which Macaque definitely didn’t think was cute, and if anyone said otherwise Macaque would kill them.

He should’ve known from experience that Wukong wouldn’t listen. He never did. No matter how many times Macaque tried to warn him about something when they were younger, Wukong would always insist that Macaque was just being a “grumbletonian.” Now he just called him a buzzkill. Those shows Wukong liked to watch were surely the cause of Wukong’s declining vocabulary, but with the memes MK had been sending, Macaque wasn’t much better these days either.

Had you asked, Macaque would’ve told you–not without ample snark in his tone–that Wukong was just far too annoying and loud to tune out. But he knew his subconscious reasoning for listening to the other ran deeper than that. Perhaps the familiarity had been alluring enough that he found himself falling into old habits, or maybe Macaque was still in the mindset of trying to find Wukong’s weaknesses and was listening in the hopes that something would slip.

You could argue over the real reason forever but, either way, the baseline was that Macaque had been… distracted. Loathe as he did to admit it.

The monkey’s dark tail flicked at the air behind him as he tried to ignore how reminiscent this felt compared to past missions with Wukong. When they were younger. This was different though. He had to remind himself of that.

Back then he convinced Wukong to let him tag along specifically because he cared about his king and would do anything he could to ensure his safe return, but now he tagged along so MK wouldn’t be abandoned again (as much as Macaque insisted Wukong was still bad company, the kid cared for the fool and Macaque was weak when it came to what MK wanted.) 

And if Macaque also got to death glare Ao Lie when they finally found him; that was just a bonus. And it definitely, definitely wasn’t because he was jealous. Because that would imply he had something to be jealous of, and that definitely wasn’t true because he didn’t even want to be able to run his fingers through Wukong’s soft, golden fur like old times, and- … Okay, Macaque wasn’t really helping his case here.

When Macaque couldn’t convince Wukong not to travel to the celestial realm alone, he insisted Wukong at least let him come along to help him sneak around. (Additionally, when Wukong insisted he was ‘the Great Sage Equal to Heaven’ and prattled on about not needing to sneak around, Macaque was there to roll his eyes and point out that the celestial realm was most likely a bit scattered after the Jade Emperor’s death and might not be too receptive of visitors right now, especially not the likes of Wukong. (Wukong was incredibly offended by this.) Macaque even brought up the fact that they might try to pin the emperor's death on Wukong himself and while Macaque wouldn’t necessarily blame them, it would make things a deal more complicated.)

Having a more advanced range of hearing and the ability to travel by shadow greatly increased the chance they would get out of this without Wukong getting trapped under a mountain again, no matter how funny that would be to Macaque.

Idly, he wondered how the court would go about punishing Wukong in the emperor’s absence. Not that the emperor was very key in punishing Wukong in the first place. (Wukong would beg to differ, the furnace may not have killed him but being stuck in there was absolute hell, and he would know.) He wondered if they could even punish him.

Of course, unlike some people, Macaque wasn’t foolish enough to entertain such a thought process and swiftly banished it to focus on more important things. Such as, their current predicament: being surrounded by celestial guards in the courtyard with sharp-looking spears pointed at them, which Wukong mused was oddly reminiscent of the ‘warm’ reception he got at the Dragon Palace of the East Sea. 

If he wasn’t in such a jittery mood, he might’ve made a joke about looking so tasty everyone wanted to turn him into a kebob. Which surely would’ve rewarded him a punch in the face from Macaque.

Surprisingly, Macaque noticed, Wukong didn’t immediately lash out at them as he had expected. Macaque had prepared himself to have to be the voice of reason and keep Wukong from going on a murdering spree; something he was all too keen to do when he was younger. But, for once, Wukong was still. 

Well, mostly. Out of the corner of his eye, Macaque could see the way Wukong’s tail twitched impatiently, annoyed at this interruption in their plan but not necessarily surprised. And Macaque could tell Wukong was weighing his options, kill all the guards and find Ao Lie sooner but risk being punished or be patient and not find Ao Lie sooner but don’t get punished.

It was, indeed, a toughy.

Macaque must admit he was impressed by how much progress Wukong had made in controlling his impulses. 

Of course, he wasn’t about to tell Wukong that. Ever. That joke of a man soaked up praise like a sponge. And if he knew Macaque thought anything even remotely positive about him, Wukong’d never let him live it down.

The celestial armies had grown a lot less afraid of Wukong after his journey had tamed him, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t still capable of all that destruction that had once been whispered about behind closed doors and in banquets as kings bemoaned the status they had lost as a result of Wukong killing thousands of their men.

Not that they hadn’t deserved it, Macaque thought, but blood was always so hard to clean out of Wukong’s fur. Especially considering he was ticklish and would squirm out of Macaque’s hold. 

It was like trying to wash a cat.

Speaking of Wukong, said monkey took a deep breath in through his nose, closing his eyes to allow himself a moment of composure–something his master had tought him, no doubt–before he opened his eyes and plastered a strained grin onto his face that probably only added to the intimidation factor by making Wukong look unhinged. Though, that was probably his intent the entire time, “Fellas! Great to see you!”

His words earned nothing more than glares from behind helmets.

“Aw, why the cold shoulder? I thought we were all good!” Wukong pouts theatrically, making Macaque sigh and facepalm, grumbling a string of curses to himself. How did he constantly find himself in these situations? With Wukong no less. And they called him the theater kid, Macaque lamented, running his fingers through his dark fur as he took it upon himself to study the guards around them for weakness. One of the two monkeys had to pretend not to be an idiot, after all.

Despite their attempts to hide it and seem composed, Macaque noticed some of the guards sharing nervous glances. 

Wukong, the self-absorbed jerk he was, noticed this and couldn’t help but puff his chest out pridefully at the effect he had on the guards, happy his reputation still rang strong within certain groups. His fur ruffled like the feathers of a proud mother hen, and Macaque found himself rolling his eyes almost affectionately at the familiar sight.

One of the guards went to speak up after a moment, clearing their throat and straightening their posture, adjusting the spear in their hands and keeping it pointed noticeably at Macaque instead of Wukong. 

The idea that they would threaten Macaque to keep Wukong in line made the golden-furred monkey’s stomach twist uncomfortably as he grit his teeth, his tail lashing behind him. Despite whatever bad blood still rested within the unspoken words hanging between them, Wukong still didn’t like dragging people into his messes, and that included Macaque.

Admittedly, the tactic was smart, but he couldn’t help but wonder how they knew it would bother him so much. Though, of course, they were probably still working on outdated information from when Wukong and Macaque had been an inseparable duo. He had to swallow down his emotions to keep from spiraling, attempting to focus on the guard’s gruff voice, “What business do you have here, demons?”

With a still-furrowed brow, Wukong forced his scowl down into another grin that looked more like a grimace as he attempted a low whistle through his clenched teeth, “Demons, ey? ‘S been a while since anyone called me a demon. My name was always seen to be far more terrifying.”

Macaque didn’t say anything, just leveling Wukong with an unimpressed glare, something Wukong pouted in response to, though there was something playful about it as his tail swayed, his faux grin falling as he switched tactics, rolling his shoulders back and humming contentedly in response to the satisfying pop he was rewarded with, the noise making Macaque’s ear twitch and, at some point alone the line, his gaze had drifted away from the guards and to Wukong, studying his form that, to the untrained eye would seem casual and confident, but Macaque saw the small telltale signs that said otherwise.

Offering an exaggerated sigh, Wukong leaned against Macaque, much to the shadow monkey’s chagrin, “Oh, how cruelly the world doth treat us, my friend.”

Rolling his eyes, mildly amused with Wukong’s theatrics, Macaque let his companion continue, seeing it as the idle distraction it was. This, at least, Macaque remembered, and he was slightly amused it hadn’t changed. Essentially, Wukong was making a plan. And while he wasn’t the best at doing so, Macaque had to admit he was curious enough to entertain him in this. Just this once, he told himself, despite remembering thinking the same thing many years ago

Shifting his gaze to the nearest guard, Wukong spoke once again, “If you lot must know, we’re here to see Ne Zha.”

The guard that had had the guts to speak responded with a deep frown, the corners of his mouth creasing and Wukong could just barely see the muscles in his jaw twitch as he grit his teeth. Seems like this one was easily irritated, Wukong observed, trying to hide the mischievous grin that threatened to form on his face as the guard continued, “And what business-”

Wukong groaned, covering his mouth with his hand to hide his grin even as his tail swayed with amusement, something Macaque easily picked up on and, while he admired the dedication to the craft, he was left to wonder when Wukong grew patient enough to pull such tricks instead of just punching through all of his problems. Sure, Wukong had been confident before, but he was confident in the way that he would thoughtlessly challenge the Buddha instead of thinking things through. He always ended up succumbing to stage fright whenever he was supposed to act on something other than his impulses.

“Look, I don’t have time for this so let’s cut to the chase,” Wukong huffed, crossing his arms after he had finally schooled his expression into a frown, “if you let me, Sun Wukong, the Great Sage,” Macaque rolled his eyes at the name drop; as if the guards weren’t already well aware of who they were dealing with and what he could do, Macaque thought sarcastically, “and my friend, the six-eared Macaque,” this part gave Macaque pause as he wasn’t expecting to be included in Wukong’s attempts to intimidate them and he definitley wasn’t expecting to be referred to as a friend.

 “go about our business, we won’t kill you…” he paused, pursing his lips and squinting his eyes in thought, “probably.”

Macaque huffed out a dry laugh, finally playing along with Wukong by letting a sharp-toothed grin spread over his face.

“Speak for yourself,” he purred maliciously as he made eye contact with one of the guards, letting his eyes flash violet for a moment as he relished in the way they tensed and fumbled with their weapon. 

He felt Wukong’s tail brush against his leg as the appendage swayed more adamantly, not doing much to hide Wukong’s joy at the moment. Whether it was because Macaque was joining in or just because of the way the guard acted, Macaque didn’t know. Nor did he want to.

Normally, Macaque would’ve shot Wukong a glare for touching him, but instead, he just gave an almost fond sigh as he shook his head. 

Okay, maybe he understood why Wukong liked doing this. They were all just so easy to scare, it was honestly hilarious. Macaque’s thoughts were interrupted as another voice cut into the tense silence.

“We know who you are,” one brave-sounding guard said, looking ready to thrust his spear into Wukong’s chest.

Wukong hummed in amusement. Brave, but dumb, he noted, as that guard was one of the only ones pointing their spear at Wukong instead of Macaque. Obviously, they hadn’t done their research. Not that they would’ve needed to. It’d been a long time since he’d genuinely attacked the celestial realm… unless you counted stealing the map which he still insisted was necessary and no one died which was… impressive to say the least considering it was something Wukong was involved in. Welp, Wukong thought, might as well use this guard to teach the others a lesson. 

In one swift movement, Wukong moved to be closer to the guard and grabbed the spear, yanking it so the guard stumbled forward. Wukong let the glamours fall from his eyes, the ominous red glow bouncing off of the helmet and the wide eyes of the being in front of him. 

“And what exactly do you think this little toy is going to do to me?” Wukong spoke, his voice menacingly deep in a way that would shake someone right down to their core. Just the sound of it even had Macaque’s fur standing on end, though, possibly not from fear. Wukong grabbed the guard’s head to keep them still as he tore the spear from their grip, spinning it in his hold so the business end would be pointed directly at them. But before Wukong could plunge it into their skull, the sound of a familiar voice ringing out across the courtyard made him freeze.

“Halt!” it had called out.

The golden-furred monkey sucked in a sharp, almost pained-sounding breath through his teeth. And while Macaque and Wukong hadn’t been friends for centuries and had long since lost the ability to tell just with a look what the other was thinking, it wasn’t hard to guess what that reaction meant.

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me…” Wukong grumbled as he turned on his heel to regard the figure stomping towards them with a dog at his heels, his aggressive nature startling some of the guards who immediately parted to allow the imposing figure and his companion to step into the circle they had ‘trapped’ the two spiritual primates in.

“Erlang!” Wukong chimed through grit teeth, “How’ve you been old friend?”

“I assure you we are nothing of the sort, simian,” Erlang huffed haughtily, turning his nose up at Wukong in disgust, “for your benefit, I hope you have a valid reason for threatening my guards.”

“Mmm, yeah, see, you’re just gonna love this. Super funny story really I-” Wukong was about to respond sarcastically but paused, pursing his lips and furrowing his brow as he took in Erlang’s disheveled appearance, his hair unkempt and bags under his eyes, even keeping up his regal posture appeared to be exhausting to him. 

Despite the incredibly small pang of sympathy he felt toward the guy, Wukong couldn’t help but snort in amusement, whatever he was planning to say immediately leaving his brain, “did your gold fish get away or something?”

An amused grin played on Macaque’s lips in response to Wukong’s reference to “Guan-I-woke-up-like-this-yin”. 

Erlang lacked the grace Guanyin had even in those moments though.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Erlang sighed with clear annoyance at the situation unfolding before him. An understandable reaction to being in Wukong’s presence, Macaque mused, his grin still present.

“For the love of- I do not have time for your pathetic attempts at humor, monkey,” Erlang growled. And Wukong couldn’t help but wonder if Erlang found himself humorous, because if that was the case, well, Wukong had some news to give him.

“Clearly,” Wukong responded, gesturing to Erlang’s… everything.

With an incredibly irritated sigh, Erlang crossed his arms.

“Not that it concerns you,” Erlang grits out, eye twitching in irritation, “but not only have I been trying to clean up Azure’s mess–which I can only assume you had ample part in–but I also have to take over some of my uncle’s previous duties for the foreseeable future. Which, even with his power locked away, are not things that should be taken lightly.”

“Right, right, for sure,” Wukong hummed, nodding along but making it very clear he wasn’t actually listening, “so, obviously you have better things to do than deal with two michevious little monkeys, and we should just waltz on through and-”

Wukong was cut off as the guards all step closer to the pair, their spears glinting in the light and making Macaque subconsciously step closer to Wukong, bumping their shoulders together, making both of them tense at the contact. 

Something about this was far too reminiscent and the two immediately stepped away.

Glancing at Macaque, Wukong’s tail twitched as if wanting to curl around him in some form. When they were younger, he always had to be touching Macaque in some way, shape, or form, be it holding his hand and tugging him along or wrapping his tail around his ankle, wrist or tail. It was just instinct though and Wukong had to remind himself of that. He had to remind himself he didn’t want to be touching Macaque and even if he did, he couldn’t. The wall between them had very briefly been breached–on accident, mind you–but it was already being very quickly rebuilt. Stronger, this time.

“I’m afraid I can not let you do that,” Erlang finally responded, arms folded behind his back.

Wukong huffed, his grin growing more strained by the second as he kept his eyes on the spears closest to Macaque. While Macaque was ageless, he could still be harmed and killed. And for some odd reason, Wukong refused to let that happen again. He also refused to think about it too much.

“Yeah?” Wukong laughed humorlessly, unglamoured eyes glaring at the guards, “and why’s that?”

“To let two of the most notorious trouble-makers roam the celestial realm freely during the current circumstances would be incredibly stupid.”

“Good thing you’re incredibly stupid then,” Wukong grumbled before sighing, “look, man…” 

Erlang’s eye twitched at being addressed so informally by the monkey but he let it slide, if only so he could try and get the two out of the celestial realm as soon as possible.

“We just want to talk to Ne Zha,” Wukong continued, going for civil and unassuming. Succeeding about as well as you’d expect someone with his reputation could.

Erlang’s eyes narrow, “the celestial realm has fallen prey to your tricks far too many times, monkey, I plan to bring an end to that.”

“Pfft- don’t flatter yourself.”

Unsurprisingly, this earns Wukong a glare from Erlang. He expected a glare from Macaque as well but… Macaque had his hand over his mouth and an arm wrapped around his torso as he basically vibrated as he tried to contain his laughter. Well, at least he was enjoying himself, Wukong thought, trying not to show the pride that bubbled up inside of him at being able to make the other laugh though, for a moment he did consider the possibility that Macaque was, per usual, laughing at him but that was something that could wait until later.

“I would not suggest letting your hubris get the best of you. Currently,” Erlang hums, summoning a spear and expertly twirling it in his hold, “you are on… ideal terms with the celestial realm after your companionship with the great monk. Your friend… less so after that little stunt he pulled with the Lady Bone Demon.” This made Macaque’s fur bristle and he had half the mind to correct the celestial but he still held his tongue, knowing, from having read the Journey to the West, that Erlang was a force to be reckoned with. Wukong, despite his teasing nature, clearly knew this too as he stayed silent and allowed Erlang to finish his point, a grace Wukong was not willing to grant to many. “Even so, I assure you no harm will come to either of you if you return to the mortal realm. You are not the only immortals who are being kept out for the foreseeable future.”

“Ah, right,” Wukong hums, “gotta keep that Jade Emporer power safe, hmm? Can’t have someone stealing it. Especially not a little, harmless, monkey. I mean, that’s why you have to keep us out, right? Because otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to stand a chance against us.”

Erlang narrowed his eyes, “Keeping you out is a precaution, we are more than capable of detaining you again if it comes to it. It’s a very thin sense of respect that keeps us from doing so anyway.”

Wukong hummed, though it was clear in the way his brow creased that the idea of being trapped again struck a cord within him. His fingers twitched at his side and he ached for the weight of his staff in his hands. He wasn’t powerless by any means of the word, but it always felt nice to have a weapon he was confident in wielding. His fists were always a good substitute though.

“We would trap you under a mountain again long before we let something happen,” Erlang reiterated, mildly aware of the effect his words had on Wukong. Defiance and pride sparked through his eyes as he barely held back from snarking about how Wukong had lost his edge after all these years.

“Hmm, well, in that case…” Wukong’s brow furrowed as he closed his eyes, a rare thoughtful look pulling at his expression as if he was honestly trying to puzzle out a solution to this conundrum or just trying to calm himself down. Still, the look was fleeting, and within a few seconds, his eyes had opened with a challenging glint. 

At that moment Macaque was sure he saw a slight shift, almost as if Wukong’s frame flickered for a moment. 

As a companion to that sight, he heard the tell-tale chime of Wukong using his magic. 

Golden smoke swirled around Wukong’s feet to add to the odd spectacle but the monkey did his best to swat the clouds away with his tail, trying to hide… something. 

While suspicious and odd, it must have worked well enough considering Macaque couldn’t figure out for the life of him what Wukong had done before his attention was drawn away once Wukong spoke again, his ears pitching forward instinctively after being pulled so suddenly from his thoughts.

“Gotta catch me first!” And before either Macaque or Erlang could say anything to stop him, (as if anything they said would be able to stop him anyway) Wukong jumped up into the air and easily landed on his Nimbus, darting off in the opposite direction he and Macaque were originally headed. Which was just really annoying on top of impractical.

“What the- Get him!” Erlang yells, he and the rest of the guards quickly moving to chase after the elusive monkey, leaving Macaque alone in the courtyard.

Abandoned again, Macaque mused with a sigh as he crossed his arms over his chest, annoyance bubbling up in his chest at the familiar situation.

But that feeling was short-lived as none other than Wukong suddenly popped up beside him in a puff of golden smoke and grabbed Macaque’s hand, tugging him in the direction they had originally been headed, his face screwed into an expression of intense concentration as he used his knowledge of the celestial realm to map out exactly where they were and where it would be most tactical to head toward next.

“Wha- Wukong??”

“Clone,” Wukong responded, gesturing back toward the way his clone went and offering very little more in terms of explanation, leaving Macaque to feel mildly annoyed that Wukong didn’t even try to communicate that–the man has telepathy, it couldn’t have been that hard to just mentally tell Macaque “hey, I’m about to make a clone to lead them away but don’t worry, I’m not actually ditching you,” but like, whatever–as he dragged Macaque through a large ornate doorway and into a long and equally impressive hallway, briefly glancing at Macaque to offer a task, “tell me if you hear them coming back our way.”

Macaque opened his mouth to argue, his brows furrowing as he glared intently at the back of Wukong’s head when the golden-furred monkey turned his attention forward, but essentially he decided against saying anything. Instead, he let his ears fan out, closing his eyes and surprisingly trusting Wukong to guide him during his moment of slight vulnerability.

He heard the group's loud footsteps moving away and Wukong's clone's laughter, which abruptly ceased, accompanied by the sound of something poofing. There was a brief pause before Erlang groaned, his annoyance at having been bested by Wukong again incredibly clear, but he didn’t guide the army back towards where they had been before, knowing well enough that the real Wukong could be miles away by then. 

Reluctantly, he conceded and told a few of his best soldiers to keep their eye out for the mischievous duo. Macaque allowed himself to bask in a brief moment of satisfaction at that, ignoring the feelings that threatened to rise to the surface if he thought too much about the two of them being a duo. He blinked open his eyes and focused back on the Wukong in front of him, the real Wukong. Macaque pursed his lips in brief thought before huffing out a soft chuckle.

Well played, Wukong, he thought, well played.

Finally, after a while of running, Wukong slowed down and the two continued to walk in silence for a while before Macaque cleared his throat to catch Wukong’s attention. It worked and Wukong looked back at him with an unspoken question clear in his eyes, only for Macaque to respond by pointing at their still-connected hands.

The golden monkey, much to Macaque’s annoyance, stopped walking after looking down at their hands, his brow furrowing in confusion as he tried to puzzle out what was wrong with the situation. 

They were holding hands, so what? They used to hold hands all the time when they were frie- oh. Oh. Right. Right… not friends anymore. Just… barely allies. Wukong pointedly ignores the feelings swirling in his chest at that reminder.

 His face flushed slightly in embarrassment at his forgetfulness as he pulled his hand away, wondering why Macaque hadn’t pulled away earlier and instead chose to point it out to Wukong. Distastefully, Wukong wondered if Macaque was afraid enough of him to believe he would lash out at the action. However, that couldn’t be the case because Macaque regularly picked fights with Wukong and pushed him to his limits… still, the question lodged itself into Wukong’s mind and he knew he wouldn’t be forgetting about it anytime soon. He still couldn’t get that image of Macaque cowering away from his fist during the Samadhi fire incident of his head. Among… other images.

Wukong cupped his hand in the other, trying to ignore the lingering feeling of Macaque’s touch on his palm, and turned away from Macaque, fur noticeably poofed up as he grumbled something that almost sounded like an apology as he sped down the hallway to put distance between them.

Macaque couldn’t help but snort, rolling his eyes as he slipped into the shadows to trail after Wukong more easily. Once Wukong had finally slowed back down to a more natural walking pace, Macaque emerged, making his presence known to the distracted monkey by brushing his tail against Wukong’s, making him jump and whip his head around, his momentary surprise melting away as his gaze hardened into a glare.

“Jerk,” Wukong mumbled, crossing his arms and looking away with a pout.

“Coward,” Macaque responded playfully, watching in satisfaction as Wukong’s shoulders relaxed slightly and he brought his arms back down to his sides, still looking annoyed and, to be honest, Macaque couldn’t tell if it was because of him or because being in the celestial realm generally set Wukong on edge, as much as the golden monkey liked to pretend that it didn’t.

Another moment of silence passed, this one almost comfortable as they walked side by side, a noticeable distance between them that hadn’t been there when they were younger. 

Macaque was annoying, but Wukong had to admit he enjoyed the more casual banter they shared now that they were on speaking terms again. It was far better than having to listen to words chock-full of hurtful intent. No one knew how to get under Wukong’s skin better than Macaque did. And vice versa he liked to believe.

“So…” Macaque starts, once again being the one to break the silence, “what’s the plan?”

“Plan?” Wukong asks, prompting Macaque to raise a brow at him, “oh- right! The plan! Uh…”

Wukong stopped walking, pursing his lips in thought.

“Oh for-” Macaque grumbled, running a hand over his face, “you don’t even have a plan!?”

“I didn’t have time to make a plan!” Wukong insists, gesturing wildly in the air as if that would make Macaque look past his ignorance.

Macaque rolled his eyes with a snort, “Yeah, seems like a common thing with you.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Wukong huffed, gritting his teeth and crossing his arms. Okay, so maybe they weren’t fully past hurtful words.

“What do you think it’s supposed to mean?” Macaque asked rhetorically, glaring at Wukong as he mimicked him and crossed his arms as well.

Frowning, Wukong started walking again, eyes glued ahead as he felt anger boiling to life in his chest, “For the record, I did have a plan for the Samadhi fire.”

“Sure you did,” Macaque hummed with a shrug, following behind Wukong, the distance between them increasing and Wukong feared that was true in more ways than one. Still, despite knowing it would only deepen the ravine between them, Wukong couldn’t keep himself from adding: “And it would’ve worked if you hadn’t intervened!”

“Really?” Macaque chuckled darkly, stepping in front of Wukong and placing a hand on his chest to get him to stop as well, the touch making Wukong tense, looking at Macaque with a furrowed brow as a growl threatened to start up in his throat, “Even if you had gotten the ring out of the dragon girl and into you, you don’t have the same ‘dragon heritage’ that kept her alive. The Samadhi Fire is the only fire that can hurt you. For all we know, you could very well have died. And you would’ve taken reality as we know it down with you.~”

Wukong stared at Macaque for a moment with a shocked expression, his brows raised as he looked into Macaque’s eyes which glinted in cruel amusement, something that stoked the growing flame of Wukong’s conflicted rage, a mixture of shock that Macaque knew that and confusion at why he’d bring it up mixing in the emotional stew. 

Finally, Wukong’s warring emotions settled into bland irritation, though there was no doubt something more explosive brewing under the surface as his brow furrowed and he looked away, taking in a shuddering breath before grabbing Macaque’s wrist and looking back towards him with a glare, 

“I’m sure you would’ve loved it if that were the case,” Wukong grit out with a huff, pulling Macaque’s hand off him and shouldering past him aggressively. Macaque stayed standing there for a moment, a conflicted expression on his face as he chewed on the inside of his cheek, considering Wukong’s words. Not because they held any merit, mind you, but because he couldn’t figure out if Wukong meant the part about him dying or the part about reality being destroyed. Not that it particularly mattered which one since Macaque didn’t care for either. But it’s not like he could just admit that now, could he?

With a confused frown, Macaque decided it was not worth it to care and turned to continue following Wukong, leaving the tense silence to fester between them.

Admittedly, Wukong did seem to have some sort of odd method to his madness. One that only he could follow, no doubt, but it was there.

Having been in the celestial realm much longer than Macaque, Wukong had some sense of where things were and where Ne Zha would most likely be, so he had taken the lead. Up until this far, walking through a long outdoor hallway with ornate vine-covered pillars, they’d just explored various gardens and studies.

“Considering that kid can’t take a break for the life of him,” Wukong had said, momentarily forgetting about the words that still hung between them in favor of focusing on something he might actually have the power to fix, for once, “he’s probably tasked himself with guarding the Jade Emperor’s power.”

“If you knew that then didn’t we just go to the Jade Emperor’s power in the first place?” Macaque asked, much less willing to pretend that things were fine between them. Not right now, at least. It was easier to pretend when their common denominator, MK, was there. Or maybe in the rare moments where they sat on opposite ends of the couch, monkeys curled up on their laps and draped over their shoulders as they watched trash TV in mildly comfortable silence. But the tenseness between them right now was like a thick smog in the air, the type that stings your eyes and makes your throat close up. Nearly impossible to ignore.

Unless, of course, there was some sort of distraction, he mused. But that would never-

“Uncle?”

Macaque’s ears twitched at the familiar voice and he froze, looking up, raising a brow, before blurting out the first name that came to mind, “Red?”

They both started speaking at the same time, “What are you-”

They also stopped speaking at the same time as they blinked at each other before both chuckling. Red Son, someone Macaque was only semi-recently formerly acquainted with despite having known his parents for centuries, politely raised a hand to cover his mouth as he chuckled, both of them momentarily forgetting about the mildly confused witness standing awkwardly on the sidelines. 

Considering Red Son was very young when Wukong trapped his father under that mountain, he had never really seen Wukong as anyone other than the man who tore the Demon Bull Family from its foundations and left it as shaky scaffolding that threatened to blow over in the wind, only kept up by Red Son’s and his mother’s combined efforts, something that seldom seemed enough as in the beginning they were just two grieving demons; a child, young and stripped of his power, forced to relearn the core of his magic; and a mother, hollow without her husband and forced to raise her son alone. It wasn’t long before Red Son did his best to remedy the lack of manpower though, the first bull clones hadn’t been perfect but they were a good proof of concept. Nevertheless, point is, Red Son (despite vaguely remembering a time when he had sat upon strong shoulders–not as broad as his father’s–with his hands pulling curiously at golden fur, the owner of which chuckled, unbothered by the child’s actions,) had long since stopped seing Wukong in any kind of fond light. Macaque on the other hand, despite being physically absent, was still often brought up by Iron Fan in conversation, her tone fond and wistful as she would lament about how often Macaque had to get the other brotherhood members out of trouble. Her stories notably lacking Wukong. As a result of these stories though, Red Son felt closer to Macaque when he was being raised than he had ever felt to Wukong, and after meeting Macaque in person, and being introduced formerly to him by MK, Red Son was all too eager to reinstate the title he had once used for Wukong. And Macaque definitely didn’t tear up when Red Son called him Uncle. 

Of course, predictably, it wasn’t long before Wukong got antsy and interjected himself into the conversation Red Son and Macaque had started having.

“Red boy!” Wukong chimed, draping his arm over a now very disgruntled Red Son’s shoulders.

“Wukong…” Red greeted distastefully.

 “You’re not gonna rat us out are you?” Wukong asked, almost sounding genuinely anxious.

“If you don’t stop touching me I might,” the young demon scowled, prompting Wukong to chuckle nervously and back off with his palms held out in a placating gesture, which Red Son only huffed smoke out of his nostrils at.

“Noted,” Wukong hums, placing his hands on his hips and tilting his head, “so, what are you doing in the celestial realm? I thought your family was taking a break from conquering the world. I don’t think MK would be too happy to have to start fighting you again.” 

Red Son scoffs, his cheeks flushing slightly at that last part as he looked away, the reaction confusing Wukong.

“Like I would tell you anything,” the bull demon hissed.

Wukong is about to argue back but Macaque shoves a hand over his mouth and speaks up, not wanting Wukong to start something possibly explosive in the middle of the celestial realm, “What’cha doin’ here, Red?”

“Oh, that’s easy, I came to speak with Ne Zha.”

Macaque grins triumphantly, glancing towards Wukong and-

“DID YOU JUST LICK ME!?” He hissed, jerking his hand away from Wukong’s mouth and wiping the slobber off on Wukong’s sleeve.

“You’ll live,” Wukong huffed, wiping the spit off his chin as a cocky grin pulls at his lips, ever excited to cause Macaque discomfort, “I just don’t see why Red Boy can’t answer me but can answer you.”

“Oh, I dunno, maybe because you’re annoying,” Macaque grumbled, childishly sticking his tongue out at Wukong, pulling a dramatic, affronted gasp from Wukong.

“Well, I-” Wukong started, placing a hand on his chest as he pretended to be thoroughly scandalized by the display, only for his theatrics to be rudely interrupted.

“And an idiot,” the young bull demon added.

“Hey-” Wukong pouted, genuinely upset his bit was ruined.

“Oh, and-” Macaque chimed, only to be interrupted as Wukong punched him in the shouler, pulling a chuckle from him which was surely not the reaction Wukong was going for but he can’t find it in himself to be upset at the outcome.

It was honestly kind of funny. Sometimes they fought like children, and sometimes they fought like a married couple, Red Son mused with a slight smirk, but, unless he wanted to be hunted for sport, he could never say that thought out loud.

“So, what’s your business with Ne Zha, kid?” Macaque finally asked, tail swaying slightly from the lingering amusement of getting to mess with Wukong.

“Oh! I, uh… I came to ask for advice on what to get the noodle-” The demon’s eyes darted over to Wukong before narrowing as he slowly continued, carefully deciding his words, “my… partner as a, um, courting gift.”

Macaque nodded, unsurprised at this information, having been one of the first people Red came to when he first started attempting to court the monkey king’s successor. Based on the nervous look the demon had given Wukong, Macaque would bet that Wukong didn’t know yet. Which also wasn’t surprising, because Wukong was incredibly dense. Guess that’s what happens when your brain is made of stone.

Wukong snorted, clearly amused, “I wouldn’t go to Ne Zha for that kind of thing.”

“And why is that?”

Both Red Son and Wukong jolted slightly at the sound of the familiar voice, though more out of surprise than anything else. Macaque, having heard Ne Zha approaching but not caring enough to let Wukong know, merely allowed his gaze to lazily travel over to the lotus prince, giving a casual nod in greeting that was met with a slight shrug. Despite mostly hating each other, they had fun gossiping about Wukong together that one time and they both cared about MK so they resolved to, at the very least, not be hostile.

Macaque was only mildly surprised when, instead of backtracking as any sensible person would do, Wukong turned to Ne Zha with a brow raised as he huffed out an amused laugh and used Macaque’s shoulder as an armrest, much to Macaque’s dismay.

“Ey! Ne Zha! Old buddy! We were just talking about you!” Wukong chuckled to himself, clearly the only one who was entertained by this situation. With a hum, Wukong addressed Ne Zha’s question, “do you want the whole list or do you want me to just say some stuff off the top of my head?”

With a tired sigh that was usually reserved for exhausted parents, Ne Zha rubbed at his temples. Wukong, for whatever reason, took this as a sign to continue spouting his bullshit.

“First off, you’re like, what, twelve? Second, I doubt you know the first thing about romance, I mean, you’d probably be married to your job if you could be.”

Ne Zha’s eye twitched and he pinched the bridge of his nose. He’s barely even been in Wukong’s presence for fifteen minutes and he already wants to leave. But, alas, he did have a reason for appearing when he did. 

However… it wouldn’t hurt to set the record straight first, “just because I am not interested in romantic affairs doesn’t mean I am unaware of the concept. Nor does it mean I would be unwilling to advise the Demon Dull prince and- are you even listening, Wukong?”

“Mmm,” Wukong hummed, picking at the dirt under his claws, “not at all, why?”

Sighing, Ne Zha took a moment to breathe, opening his mouth to scold Wukong but paused as he was struck with an idea and a rare mischievous grin pulled at his expression, the look setting everyone on edge as they wondered what he might be thinking.

“Oh, no reason…” He turned his back on Wukong, which was a risky move considering what he was about to say, “I just thought you might be interested in learning where Ao Lie is…”

Wukong immediately went stock still, his tail, which had previously been casually swaying, stiffened to the point of almost looking petrified. Macaque and Red Son watched as Wukong’s face fell, only for it to morph into something else moments later as his eyes went red and he bared his teeth. His fur bristled and neither Macaque nor Red Son could even think to stop him before he went to pounce.

Unsurprisingly, Ne Zha expected the reaction and leaped out of the way, watching as Wukong stumbled, struggling to reinstate his balance after his target moved, leaving him to skid slightly before crouching down again, no doubt getting prepared to try again.

“Tell me where he is,” Wukong spoke, the previous casualness and teasing aura that he had before completely gone, replaced by this desperate kind of aggression that brought back unwanted memories for Macaque and startled Red Son. Macaque didn’t miss the way Red Son stepped closer to him. 

It made sense, Red Son had been a baby back when Wukong was on the journey, he’s never had to see this side of him before. 

It had always been clear that Red Son disliked the monkey king, but the fear he had was only because of hearing stories and knowing vaguely what he was capable of. Now that he got to see Wukong’s impulsive rage first hand… he just considered himself glad he survived the punch in the ribs he got when Wukong was possessed.

“He was going to, you idiot,” Macaque finally huffed, making Wukong pause in his attack for a second.

Ne Zha nodded, still tense as though expecting Wukong to try and pounce at him again, “I have no reason to keep his whereabouts from you.”

“You’ve kept them from me this long,” Wukong growled, referring to the time Ao Lie had spent trapped in the scroll, and the group watched as guilt flashed over Ne Zha’s expression.

“I was not aware of what had happened to your companion,” he spoke honestly, and Wukong’s fur flattened slightly, the glamour on his eyes returning, “not until I had to release everyone trapped within the scroll. It was as much a surprise to me as it was for you.”

Wukong glared at the ground for a moment, clearly wanting to take out his anger on someone but wanting to see Ao Lie more. So, he sighed and looked back up at Ne Zha, “take me to him.”

~

No one spoke for the rest of that walk. Red Son had gone back to the mortal realm, accepting that this wasn’t the best time to look for advice and deciding to either come back another time or ask his mother, though that ran the risk of his father finding out and Red Son was just… really not ready to have that conversation. 

That left Wukong and Macaque alone to follow their temporary guide, Ne Zha.

In the back of his mind, Wukong was surprised that Macaque had stuck with him this long. Maybe it was because he was distracted by other things but, no matter how much he thought about it he just couldn’t figure out why he was still there. 

More upsettingly, Wukong couldn’t figure out why he was glad Macaque was there.

He wasn’t given much time to mull over his thoughts before the three of them came to a stop in a long hallway with countless doors on each wall. “Guest rooms,” Ne Zha had explained, gesturing to one of the doors. He didn’t need to say anything for Wukong to understand what was being implied, and suddenly Wukong’s heart jumped into his throat and he was feeling uncharacteristically nervous. What was he supposed to say? Did Ao Lie even want to see him?

Wukong wasn’t someone who was used to acknowledging his feelings at the best of times, but especially not in a scenario like this. Ne Zha had hung back, watching as Wukong approached the door, Macaque following close behind and Wukong briefly wondered if he could sense how much Wukong needed him here. As embarrassing of a thought as that was, Wukong had to admit he was glad someone was by his side, even if that person hated his guts. This feeling was only amplified as Wukong once again felt something brush against his tail. He looked back to see the tip of a black-furred appendage briefly hooking around his tail before pulling back, not willing to offer any more than that. Wukong looked at Macaque with wide eyes, only to find Macaque unsurprisingly averting his gaze and glaring at the door, most likely pointedly ignoring the warmth in his cheeks. Wukong gave a soft smile, recognizing the attempt at reassurance and if he had more time to think it over he would probably bring himself into a spiral over it but, that could wait, for now… Wukong took a deep breath and raised his hand to knock at the door, not letting the breath out even as there was a loud crash on the other side of the door as if someone had tripped and then panicked shuffling.

He still didn’t breathe when the door was flung open to reveal a slightly disheveled-looking being. One that was very, very familiar to him.

“Ne Zha! Did you find hi-” Their voice cut off as their eyes met Wukong’s and for a moment, everything was frozen. Or, Macaque would’ve thought that was the case if he hadn’t been able to hear Wukong’s heart picking up and the way his breath hitched after he finally let out the breath he was holding.

Macaque took the moment of stillness to examine Ao Lie’s appearance, though he didn’t necessarily need to, having recognized him from years ago when he had been tailing the group to find out how they were keeping Wukong tied down. He looked the same for the most part, though his hair was slightly tousled most likely from the fall he had taken when scrambling to the door. 

The shadow monkey watched as Ao Lie’s lips parted to say something but he cut himself off when Wukong took a few shaky steps forward as if afraid any sudden movements would shatter this moment. Or, perhaps Wukong was afraid Ao Lie would try and kill him just like everyone else from his past has thus far.

Of course, Ao Lie didn’t attack Wukong and instead offered a kind, patient smile. The sight of which had a dopey grin growing on Wukong’s face before he pounced on Ao Lie and knocked both of them to the ground, knocking the breath out of the dragon. Wasting no more time Wukong almost instinctively nuzzled against Ao Lie’s cheek as he threaded his fingers through Ao Lie’s long hair, soothing a part of himself he hadn’t previously been aware needed soothing. 

Standing back, Macaque watched the exchange with narrowed eyes, an ugly feeling rearing its head in his chest as he watched Wukong clumsily attempt to groom Ao Lie’s hair. Macaque didn’t even know if Wukong was aware he was doing it.

Recovering from the air being punched out of his lungs, laughter bubbled up in Ao Lie’s throat, and the melodic sound had Wukong’s tail swaying against the ground as he answers with a pleased chirp, not even noticing the tears that began to run down his cheeks.

They laugh together for a moment, just holding each other close and reassuring themselves that this moment was real before they calm down and spend a moment of silence just basking in the others presence before Ao Lie sighs, shattering the silence and prompting Wukong to raise his head from where he had buried it against Ao Lie’s shoulder. Ao Lie reached up to cup Wukong’s cheeks and Wukong almost instantly relaxed into the touch, purring contentedly as Ao Lie’s thumbs caress his cheeks, brushing away any stray tears as Ao Lie takes the moment to study Wukong’s face.

“You look different,” Ao Lie said softly, his voice almost a whisper as he ran his thumb over the edge of Wukong’s prominent eye bags. Wukong’s eyes flutter shut as he takes a moment to just bask in the touch before opening his eyes and meeting Ao Lie’s affectionate gaze.

A soft chuckle bubbles up from Wukong’s chest as he responds, “you don’t.”

“Heh… being trapped in time for…” Ao Lie grimaces, realizing he doesn’t actually know how long he had been trapped, “uh… however long, will do that to you.”

Wukong frowns at the reminder, placing his hand over Ao Lie’s and apologetically nuzzling into his palm.

“If I had known,” Wukong mumbles against Ao Lie’s skin, “I would’ve stopped at nothing to get you back.”

Smiling sadly, Ao Lie pressed their foreheads together, “I know.”

~

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[ash-rik]

Saw this tag game, but I didn't want to bother anyone so it's tagless. Feel free to do this with your bg3 ocs and tag me or not 🙈

Name: Boon

Pronouns: He/They

Orientation: He's a transmasc enby who's demi and loves women. Sometimes attracted to men but rarely.

Nickname(s): 

Wyll humors Boon when he asks to be his sidekick. They're currently workshopping his sidekick name to go with the Blade of Frontiers because Crossbows of the Outback isn't cutting it. 

When Gale cooks, he tries to explain magic theory to Boon, but only some of it sticks. They refer to each other as master and apprentice for fun. 

Karlach will sometimes call him a rascal and ruffle his hair (they sibling bonded on sight). 

Shadowheart calls him the idiot bard or just an idiot when he does something really stupid, which is often enough that it could be considered a nickname (they're besties). 

Boon's heart warms whenever Jaheira calls him cub. 

He gets hit right in the kokoro when Lae'zel starts calling him “my joy”. 

Star sign: I dunno much about star signs but from a quick search maybe Gemini???

Height: 5'11

Race: Tiefling

Romancing: Lae'zel. They're the classic tale of opposites attract. Boon was drawn to her confidence and honesty, even if it's of a rougher variety. She speaks plainly, which is refreshing for someone in his line of work (thief). Her kindness takes a warped form due to her upbringing, but it's there. He sees it and tries to draw it out. He's gonna serenade that heart of stone of hers.

Favorite fruit: Grapes. He loves the crunchy ones and enjoys piercing into them with his fangs

Favorite season: Spring when it's not too hot or cold and he gets to feel the sun on his skin. Boon loves his crop tops and will go out walking barefoot in the grass or on the beach.

Favorite flower: I'm thinking violets. His mother was a follower of Lliira who favored them. She'd have violets all around the house. Boon has fond memories of tending to them with her.

Favorite scent: The smell of fresh bread and pastries always gets his mouth watering. His parents didn't have a lot of money, but the bakery was one place where they'd let him indulge on occasion.

Coffee, tea or hot chocolate: Coffee and tea. Coffee with a bit of milk and sugar helps him sleep. With tea, he loves that there are so many kinds and likes to try out new blends from different places. 

Average sleep hours: He'll sleep for as long as anyone will let him. So it's more dependent on what's currently going on in his life. Being a thief had him up at odd hours and made him a light sleeper.

Dogs or cats: Both. Every dog he sees, they're a puppy in his eyes. Young or old, big or small, he's happy to shower them in a ton of affection. And he'll spend forever finding the specific way a particular cat would like to be loved and do just that. But if he had to choose between dogs and cats, probably cats. He enjoys figuring them out and being chosen by them. Also, all the purring is very calming. 

Dream trip: Boon hasn't been to any cities outside of Baldur's Gate. He'd find it fun to take a road trip to the major cities along the Sword Coast.

Amount of blankets: Whatever number keeps him snug as a bug in a rug. He enjoys the feeling of being tucked in. Doesn't need as many if he's got someone to cuddle with.

Random fact(s):

Class: Bard/Rogue  

His tail is very flexible and is just as prone to theft as his hands.

He just broke out of prison after getting betrayed by his crew when the nautiloid snatched him up. The crew took him in when he was a kid after his parents were killed, but they didn't think twice to make him a scapegoat. And they didn't really treat him well, which is something he slowly starts to learn and unpack while being with the tadpole crew. Despite being a bunch of weirdos, the tadpole crew treat him far better.

He mistakenly thought Chicken was the name of the owlbear cub because that's what they called him back at the goblin camp. By the time Halsin tells him the truth, the owlbear already responds to the name. Just hoot hoots on over whenever he hears the word chicken. The little guy associates the word with getting loved on.

His dream guardian looked a lot like his mom, which is part of the reason he started munching on tadpoles. The main reason is because he felt incompetent compared to the tadpole crew. You've got a wizard prodigy, a hero of the Sword Coast, a githyanki warrior trained from birth, a vampire spawn, an archdevil's champion, and a Sharran spy/warrior. Then there's him, just some guy with a lute and sticky fingers. He wanted to keep up with the others, be useful to them, and not drag anyone down.

Sometimes when he tries to get out of doing something he doesn't want to do, he refers to himself as “just a little guy”, inferring that he's not up to the task. This ploy works 0.5 percent of the time. 

His parents named him Boon because he's a little boon to their lives given to them by the gods when they asked for a child.