#love a good face journey from a fellow who never stops smiling

[forgotmyroots]

Alastor's smile before and after Sir Pentious hits him with that "when I've slain you the almighty Vees will finally acknowledge me as their equal!"

[paddockletters]

shattered hearts | lando norris

pairing: lando norris x reader

summary: you break free from a toxic relationship, embarking on an exhilarating journey of self-discovery

warning: emotional abuse, infidelity, toxic relationship, angst

author's note:this was hard, so hard omg... as I always say, english is not my first language so sorry me if there are mistakes —feel free to tell me— and my requests are open!👀

I met Lando when we were barely out of high school. Back then, he was just a kid with dreams and a mischievous smile that made you feel like you were the only one in the world that mattered. For a while, I believed that was true. But as the years went by, I learned that Lando's smile wasn’t mine alone—it was shared with others, stolen moments behind my back. And somehow, I was always the one left picking up the pieces.

Our relationship was a whirlwind, the couple everyone thought would either crash or last forever. We did crash—over and over again. But somehow, Lando always found a way to convince me to come back.

“I’m sorry,” he’d say, voice low and pleading after one of his inevitable affairs. “But you know you’re my number one, right? None of them matter like you do.”

He’d wrap his arms around me, pull me close, and somehow, I’d believe him. I had to because after eight years of being with him, I didn’t know who I was without him.

The first time he cheated, I was devastated. It was in his early F1 days, just as his fame started to sink in. He swore it was a one-time thing that it didn’t mean anything. And like a fool, I believed him. But it didn’t stop. It never stopped. There was always another girl, another excuse, another lie wrapped up in the promise that I was still the "main one."

One particular night, I remember the argument that nearly broke us for good. Lando had been out late, and I found out through a mutual friend that he had been seen with another girl. Again. When he came home, reeking of alcohol and guilt, I confronted him.

“You said you were going to change, Lando!” I yelled, tears streaming down my face. “You promised me, over and over again, but nothing ever changes!”

“Why are you making such a big deal out of this? You always come back. You always forgive me,” he shot back, arms crossed, his face a mask of irritation.

His words stung like a slap to the face. I wanted to scream, to leave right then and there. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. Because a part of me still loved him, or maybe it was the idea of him—the boy I met before the fame, before the lies.

As the years rolled on, our friends saw the cracks. One night during a get-together at a bar, I tried to put on a brave face. I thought maybe if I acted normal, I could convince myself everything was fine. But when Jess pulled me aside, her expression serious, I knew I couldn’t hide anymore.

“Why do you keep letting him treat you like this?” she asked, frustration evident in her voice. “You deserve so much better, and he’s just going to keep doing this until you realize it.”

“Maybe he’ll change. I can’t just throw away eight years,” I replied defensively. “We have a history.”

“You mean a history of him cheating on you? You have to stop putting up with this, or you’re going to lose yourself,” she insisted, shaking her head.

I didn’t have an answer for her, not really. I just wanted to believe that things would get better. That Lando would see how much I cared and finally choose me over everyone else.

Our mutual friends began to pick sides. Some supported me, while others were loyal to Lando. It was suffocating, a constant tug-of-war that made everything feel so much worse. I felt more isolated than ever, even when surrounded by people.

Then there was the jealousy. Lando was incredibly possessive, especially with his fellow drivers. During one race weekend, I was talking to Charles, who had just finished his session. Lando walked in, and his eyes darkened.

“Why are you always chatting up the other drivers?” he snapped, pulling me aside as Charles walked away, giving us a questioning look.

“Because they’re my friends, Lando! Just because you’re in F1 doesn’t mean I can’t talk to anyone else. You’re not my warden,” I shot back, feeling the anger rise in my chest.

“Don’t act like I’m overreacting. You know how it looks,” he hissed, jaw clenched, frustration bubbling beneath the surface.

I knew he was being unreasonable, but I was too exhausted to fight back. Our friends watched the tension build, hoping to intervene. I overheard Max once whisper to Lando.

“You need to chill, mate. You’re pushing her away.”

But Lando always had an excuse for everything, often deflecting blame onto me.

“You just don’t understand how this world works!” he’d shout, leaving me feeling small and defeated.

The cycle continued, and I found myself in the same painful arguments over and over. One night, after he came home late from a party, I had finally reached my breaking point.

“Do you even care about how I feel?” I shouted, my voice echoing through our apartment. “You’re always out with other girls! How am I supposed to trust you?”

“I told you, you’re the main one! None of them matter!” he retorted, but his words felt hollow to me.

We spent that night in silence, and I knew I had to make a decision. I just didn’t know how to let go.

The more time passed, the more I began to distance myself from Lando. Therapy helped. I began to see the truth behind his words and actions. The way he manipulated me, made me feel guilty for his mistakes. The way he made it seem like I was the one at fault for staying, like I was to blame for the pain he caused me.

During one therapy session, I shared my frustrations.

“I don’t know why I keep coming back to him. He’s hurt me so many times, and I just can’t let go.”

The therapist asked me one simple question: “Do you love him, or are you just scared of being without him?”

It hit me like a ton of bricks. I didn’t know the answer.

One evening after another brutal fight, I finally left. For good this time. I packed my bags while he watched, silent for once. Maybe he thought I’d come back, just like I always did. But this time was different. I walked out the door, leaving behind eight years of memories, both good and bad.

The nights were long and lonely, and I often found myself thinking about the happy moments we had. One flashback struck me particularly hard: it was the first time he had taken me to the paddock during a race weekend, and we laughed like kids as he showed me around.

“Can you believe this is my life now?” he had said, beaming with pride. “I never would have thought I’d be racing in F1.”

“I always knew you could do it,” I replied, squeezing his hand.

But now, those memories felt tainted, and I needed to focus on myself. It wasn’t easy. There were nights I cried myself to sleep, wondering if I had made the right decision. But with time, and with the help of my therapist, I started to heal. I began to see that I deserved better, that I deserved someone who would love me the way I had always wanted Lando to.

One evening, after finally leaving Lando for good, I found myself at a racing event with friends. It was a chance to distract myself from the whirlwind of emotions I was navigating. As I wandered through the paddock, I was drawn to the sound of laughter.

“Are you lost, or just overwhelmed by all this?” a smooth voice asked. I turned to see Pato O'Ward, the charming IndyCar driver, grinning at me. His eyes sparkled with warmth, and for the first time in a long time, I felt a flicker of something hopeful.

“I guess a little bit of both,” I replied, smiling back.

“Come on, I’ll show you around,” he offered, his energy contagious. As we walked through the paddock, he shared stories about his racing experiences and the thrill of competing. It felt so refreshing to be around someone who was passionate and genuine, without the weight of expectations or drama.

Days turned into weeks, and I found myself spending more time with Pato. He was everything I had needed—funny, respectful, and utterly devoted. He listened to me, understood my past, and never once made me feel like I was in a competition for his attention.

One night, after a thrilling race, he took me to a quiet spot overlooking the track. “You know,” he said, “I’ve been thinking a lot about how important it is to find someone who truly sees you. I see you, and I want to be that person.”

His words resonated deep within me, filling the void Lando had left. In that moment, I knew I had found something special with Pato, something I had longed for but never thought I could have.

Meanwhile, Lando had his own set of problems. He was still juggling relationships, using his charm to keep people around while juggling jealousy over his fellow drivers. I heard from our mutual friends that he was still stuck in the same toxic patterns, always in and out of relationships, always claiming that I was the one who got away.

I remember a race weekend when Charles and Lando got into an argument. I was watching from the sidelines with Pato when Charles approached me, concern etched on his face.

“Are you okay? I know things with Lando have been… complicated,” he said, his gaze shifting to Lando, who was across the paddock, still fuming.

“I’m fine, really. I’ve moved on,” I assured him, but I could see the doubt in his eyes.

Later that evening, I got a message from Lando, who had obviously overheard the chatter.

“I know you’re happy with him, but you’re still mine. You always come back to me, remember?”

It took everything in me not to respond. I had a new life now, a new partner who respected me and didn’t cheat. Lando’s words were just echoes of the past.

Fast forward to our wedding day. I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting my veil, my heart racing with excitement. Pato had become my rock, my partner in every sense of the word. I knew this was the right choice, and my heart was finally at peace.

Then, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Lando.

“I heard you’re getting married. Just wanted to say, I hope you’re happy. But I still think about you. We could’ve had it all, you know.”

I stared at the message, my heart pounding. For a moment, I considered replying. But then I remembered all the sleepless nights, the tears, the heartbreak, and all the promises he had broken.

“Too late,” I typed back, hitting send before I could second-guess myself.

As I walked down the aisle, Pato’s face lit up with joy, and I couldn’t help but smile back. When he took my hands in his, I felt a sense of completeness I hadn’t known in years.

The ceremony was beautiful, I felt a sense of completeness I hadn’t felt in years. When Pato took my hands in his, I knew I was finally moving forward.

As we exchanged vows, Lando’s presence lingered in the back of my mind, but I let it go.

“I promise to love you through every challenge and to celebrate every victory,” he said, his eyes shining with sincerity.

“I promise to choose you every day for the rest of my life,” I replied, my voice steady and full of conviction.

We sealed our vows with a kiss, and I felt liberated. Lando was no longer my story; I was the author of my own life now, and it was a beautiful beginning with Pato. With him by my side, I was ready to embrace the future we would build together, thriving in a relationship based on trust, respect, and love.

As time passed, I learned to appreciate the small moments—the laughter, the late-night talks, the shared dreams of a future together. Pato supported my passions and encouraged me to pursue my own ambitions, something I had never fully experienced before.

One day, I received a message from Max: “Lando’s been a mess since your wedding. He didn’t handle it well.”

I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of satisfaction. He had always taken me for granted, and now, he was the one left behind.

I hoped Lando would find peace eventually, but I also knew I couldn’t go back to the pain of our past. Pato was everything I needed, and I was determined to focus on our life together.

As our first anniversary approached, Pato planned a surprise getaway. “I want to celebrate us, everything we’ve built,” he said, a bright smile on his face.

We traveled to a beautiful beach destination, where we spent our days relaxing, laughing, and simply enjoying each other’s company. One night, under a sky full of stars, Pato took my hand and said, “You’ve changed my life for the better. I want to keep building this amazing life with you.”

I couldn’t hold back my tears. “You’ve shown me what real love looks like, Pato. I’m so grateful for you.”

His expression softened as he leaned in, kissing me gently.

Then, one day, I got a call from Lando.

“Can we talk?” he asked, voice shaky.

“What do you want, Lando?” I replied, my heart racing.

“I just need to explain… things didn’t go as planned after you left. I’ve made mistakes, and I want you back.”

I paused, memories flooding back. “You had your chance, Lando. I can’t keep going back to the past. I’m happy now. I’ve moved on.”

“But I still love you!” he pleaded. “You were always my main one!”

His words echoed painfully in my mind, but I stood my ground. “You had your chance to prove that. You made your choice.”

The phone call ended, and I sighed with relief. I looked at Pato, who was sitting beside me, and smiled. I had made the right choice.

I felt a sense of peace wash over me. Lando was no longer a part of my narrative. My life was filled with the warmth and love Pato brought into it, and I was excited for the future we would continue to create together.

With Pato, I had learned to love again, not just him, but also myself. And that made all the difference.

Lando’s chapter had closed, and I was finally ready to start anew, with someone who truly valued me, not just as the ‘main one,’ but as the woman I had become.

[2-dsimp]

Hi, NightFlurry Anon again!  Sorry for being on hiatus for so long. I’m busy with school, and lack of inspiration stopped me from sending in more ideas for my fantasy au yandere Genshin game.  I’m trying to make good comments and ideas for Genshin, but they either slip past me or I can’t think of any, so I’ve been stuck.  Thankfully, it came to me, so I wrote some people I could think of.  Sorry, I hope you aren’t mad. I love your work!  Also, I appreciate any thoughts or comments on my writings. Also, can you please add me as an anon or give me an emoji?  Thank you!

Kazuha

As stated, Kazuha is a traveling knight in the fantasy au nicknamed among his fellow wanderers and travelers as the “Maple Leaf Mercenary,” nicknamed the “Wind Whisperer,” or rumored as the “Descendent of Miyamoto Musashi.” He is known as a hero as he saved many victims from violent thugs and greedy robbers throughout his travels, saving the day.   

Many witnessed Kazuha's bravery first-hand in battle, the mercenary who was as light as a breeze as he quickly made due to his enemies seemingly with ease.  Graceful like a gale, he danced without a care in the world among the rain of arrows aimed to kill, acting as if he was in no danger; instead, he was simply avoiding the arrows as if avoiding the rain.  Merciless as a typhoon, he masterly stroked down his vast enemies no matter how large they were against his tiny frame or how many against one knight. They all fell against his sword one way or another; no one had ever seen such a massacre created by Kazuha.  Kazuha was hailed as a hero by many. Still, instead of receiving gold or hands of marriage by thankful nobles, he insisted upon a decent amount of money and a temporary home to stay in before continuing his travels. 

Among his fellow travelers, they gossip about how they hear the sounds of the wind whispering near the mercenary whenever they pass by him, and they rumor that the winds whisper to him directions on where to go in a hidden language only familiar to the mercenary.  A traveler gossiped that the wind was a companion because one day, the traveler noticed that Kazuha was talking to no one but the wind and chatting to it like the wind was an old friend.  Many pondered how the young mercenary understood the wind as many tried to show an ear to hear what the wind may say, only to receive a low whistle or leaves in their face. They decided that not all mysteries were meant to be solved and let them go like the wind.  He is nicknamed the “Maple Leaf Mercenary” because people have sworn that whenever they pass by him, they can smell the hint of maple coming from the young mercenary despite the hardships of dust and storm that befell the wanderer. 

Many say that if you look closer, the mercenary leaves a trail of maple leaves in his wake despite not being autumn season; some even say that when he fights, the maple leaves guide him on the battlefield and fight alongside him.  Despite the many churning rumors and bellowing gossip, not one person has any clue about the mysteries that cloud the hidden background of the knight known as Kazuha. Kazuha keeps everyone at arm's length despite being friendly among his fellow travelers, and many speculate that he hails from the kingdom of Inazuma with his clothes similar to the Inazuma fashion. His code of manner is similar to how samurai carry themselves in Inazuma. 

However, whenever nosy travelers try to pry information from Kazuha, they are only greeted with the same-everlasting smile as he says that the only link he has to the kingdom is his trusty sword before looking at the distance with a sad gaze.  Kazuha, the wanderer, never had a place to call home, constantly bouncing from one place to another, and nobody to call a friend, always temporary companions he’d meet on the road until he departed along his journey, never seeing them again until he wandered into his new destination, the kingdom of Seizon-sha, hoping to make a quick pit-stop before continuing his journey. 

One day, Kazuha, unfortunately, came across a rather impatient noble who started shouting out how his day was ruined because an airheaded peasant couldn’t keep his eyes on the road and ultimately sullied his clothes till it was useless. He must pay a lifetime for his crimes so that he can pay for his clothes that could cost not even a dumb low-life like him can understand,’ even though the noble bumped into him first. There was minimal damage to his clothes despite a mini stain that no one could see unless you looked hard enough.  The tension was high enough that Kazuha could cut it down with his sword before the situation worsened; an angel appeared in the form of Their Highness to settle down the angry noble, then came in between the two to calm and lessen the problem. 

Kazuha never had someone who protected him, only relying on his wits and skill until their Highness stepped in, shielding Kazuha with their body despite the noble being twice their size and height. Their Highness stood courageously against him as they used their knowledge to counter every remark the noble had thrown at them before finishing off their enemy.  Kazuha thought it would be the last time he’d see his guardian angel until the reader took his hand and asked him if he was alright. Kazuha had never seen such a pair of eyes more beautiful, bright like their highnesses; not even the stars could compare to their beauty.  Those eyes, they must only look at me and me alone.

The rest of the day was a blur as their Highness dragged Kazuha all across town so they could give him a proper welcome to the traveling mercenary despite Kazuha’s protest that a simple tour would suffice, but their Highness insisted.  The two celebrated the day wandering around the town, pointing out each landmark, escaping from the royal guards (their Highness snuck out of the castle to wander), and enjoying each other’s company.  Eventually, their trip was cut short when the royal guards found the couple and had to bring the reader home, but before they left, the reader gave him a keychain to remember this day, thus ending their day as Kazuha looked at the back of the reader with starry eyes.  Or should I say obsessed eyes?  Readers thought this was the last time they saw the mercenary until they saw him again, but kneeling, pledging his loyalty as the reader's bodyguard so he could honor their Highness’s kindness and bravery when they saved him from the wrath of a noble.  Despite Their Highness’s many protests, Kazuha’s mind was settled; thus, the traveling knight Kazuha became the second bodyguard of Their Highness.  Kazuha swore he’d only be loyal to Your Highness and them alone. By the samurai's honor, he’ll serve His Highness’s side till the day he dies.  You’ve dug your grave, your highness.  Don’t you know that if you give a starving man food, he’ll keep wanting more and more?

Kazuha is so sweet and thoughtful, always thinking of you first, giving you his jacket when the night’s been frigid that you could see one’s breath. Despite your many protests, he would get sick. He always shrugged it off with a smile, saying you need it more than him.  Making you his priority whenever thugs or robbers decide to test their luck and then try to rob you, even comforting you during this traumatic moment by using his leaf whistle to create a serene melody and telling stories of his home.  Shielding you away from haughty nobles who sneer at your figure as they gossip about your kingdom’s state and comment how it’ll all be better if a useless heir like you would marry off to some old pig and be done with it.  Funny enough, the nobles that sneered at you died gruesomely several days later. One had all their limbs cut off, and their corpse was found by a maid who heard screaming in the dead of night; another was burned alive in their mansion. Unfortunately, they couldn’t make it because their door was bolted shut; luckily, everyone escaped safely, and finally, their waist cut off the last one, and their corpse was hung outside their mansion gates with the message “Useless Heir.”  The only person who could’ve known those words would’ve been Kazuha.… no there’s no way it could’ve been him.  He’s too sweet!

Kazuha, who had such a way of words, a voice as smooth as silk, words as sweet as sugar, and his sentences would make any poet green with envy.  You couldn’t stay mad at him when those sweet words came out of his mouth, making it sound better, and you shouldn’t worry about a thing.  Even if he picked a fight with another knight (*cough*Xiao*cough*), he sounded so sorry for his actions, and his face looked like a kicked puppy!  Say sorry, you monster!  Kazuha, with his calm and collected attitude, could calm even the roughest nobles and the grumpiest of knights and easily lessen the tension no matter how impossible.  Honestly, you’ve never seen him angry before. It’s like nothing seemed to deter him.  Don’t be fooled by his honeysuckle face and sugarcoated words; he knows you fall for his soft looks and sweet words and abuses this power. If you interrogated the knights who saw Xiao and Kazuha fight, you’d learn that he started it first by threatening him, but of course, you’ll never know because silence is bliss.  Your Highness, underneath that soft demeanor, is an obsessed, lovesick samurai ready to kill in your honor.  Pray to whatever god you believe in because you NEVER want to see him angry. he may not lash out or scream, but he’s just as dangerous since he’s a silent wrath.  Be on your guard.

“Your Highness, if I never met you that day…I would still wander aimlessly from country to country without a clear goal.  My only home was a prison; my friends were unfamiliar, my family was gone, and I had nothing that meant anything to me, so I wandered.  I had my feet carry me from place to place, never stopping unless to rest.  The winds being my only company on a lonely journey across the world, the sounds of the wind and my footsteps being my only conversations.  Never a home, family, or thing I could look forward to until you came along.  You’ve brought a beautiful symphony to my wandering soul. Without you, my life had no meaning but to wander, but now I have a purpose which is to serve by your side.  So, please, your Highness, allow me to continue staying by your side I’ll dedicate every battle in your honor and bring down whatever enemy that stands in your way.  Use me as a tool, make me your trophy, play with me as a doll for your entertainment, but never get rid of me.  Just let me stay by your side, my dear guardian angel.”

Note: Sorry if it didn’t sound as yandere as you hoped. I wanted a slow build-up to Kazuha’s yandere-ness like it starts soft and sweet, then it turns obsessed.  Also, I'm working on Wanderer's, Heizou's, and Zhongli's profiles so far.

I hope you enjoyed Kazuha, the wandering knight’s background for the Fantasy AU. Next is Wanderer, the Grumpy Visitor; Heizou, the Consulting Detective; Diluc, the Brooding Bachelor; and Zhongli, the Lonely King.  Please let me know what you think, and I want your opinion, even if it’s ten paragraphs long. I love feedback!!!  Thank you! 

NightFlurry Anon

P.S. In the last posts, you said ‘good food,’ ‘go’s brr,’ and ‘turns to rot,’ but I don’t know what it means.  Sorry, I’m not social and don’t understand slang like this.  *-*  My sister used TTYL on me, and it took me three whole days to figure it out, mainly because my older sister told me what it meant later.  ^-^  Also, which of my writings is your favorite part so far?

Welcome back NightFlurry! This is absolutely wonderful!

Also it matters not wether it’s as yandere as I hoped or not! (In my opinion, i really liked the in depth background you gave Kazuha and his mannerisms/general attitude before he met the reader) But continuing on, what’s truly important is what you think and feel about your own writing style/pieces!

Because everyone has their own perception of what a yandere is. Which is pretty awesome in itself! Because it opens up a wide variety of topics/ideas delving into the genre. o(≧v≦)o

But I’ll be happy to try and give any and all advice with writing in general! I’m no expert but I’ll do my best to help out (>^ω^<)

[myfavouritelunatic]

The Blacksmith

Before my week gets too crazy again, here’s an update! Hope you enjoy! ❤️😘 

Pairing: Halbrand/Sauron x Female Reader

Word Count: 2.1k

Warnings: Light/brief smut!

Links to Chapter One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty, Twenty-One, Twenty-Two, and Twenty-Three!

Chapter Twenty-Four

Despite your sullenness, the next few days were actually pleasant ones, days that made you forget who you really were. For you and Halbrand had remained true to your desire to be false with your new companions. At least for the moment. It was inevitable that they would discover the truth about the two of you once you reached Pelargir, as the Southlanders, perhaps Bronwyn and Arondir, would hopefully rejoice at the return of their king. You were deceiving them more for the normality it provided, the lack of tension, and perhaps sparing yourselves of the less favourable treatment that being completely honest would bring.

Garion was a very talkative fellow though, asking questions about where you hailed from, and what your background was. 'Hal' answered for the both of you, stating you were Númenóreans, heading back to Pelargir to make the journey home. When Garion pressed about the reasons for your trip to Middle-earth, you simply said, "Our business is our own." to which Halbrand deftly added, "What my love means to say, is that we were here visiting some of her family that left Númenor when she was a child. It was more emotional than she had anticipated. Some were lost."

Garion's face turned sorrowful and he offered his condolences. This put a stop to any further questions about your purpose in Middle-earth, a fact you were grateful to Halbrand for, as you did not wish to lie to these people any further. One afternoon, seated in the wagon, you looked on back as Halbrand was attempting to teach one of the children, a girl named Arianwen, how to ride your horse. You couldn't take your eyes off them as they slowly walked then trotted along on your steed. Olwenna caught you staring. "I used to looked at Garion like that, when I first met him." "Like what?" The lady laughed at you. "You know very well what like. Unless...” You smiled at her, blushing. "I have never felt this way about anyone I've ever met." "How long has it been now?"

Your brow furrowed a moment whilst you considered her question. All the days and nights had bled together, the passing of time was something you had not been keeping track of. Not since Halbrand had come into your life. "Maybe a month, close to two... I'm honestly not sure." "That's when you know it's been good. Days only need marking when something bad befalls us. So we don't forget our past, and we can learn from it." Olwenna spoke sagely. There had been some dark days of late, scattered amongst the bliss. Yet despite standing out in your memory more than the joyful occasions, they still fused together with them, your time loving Halbrand had been all encompassing, the good and the bad. The image of Halbrand before you, encouraging this young girl, smiling, looking proud as ever, it was a complete contrast to the image of him from only days before, covered in blood, cackling with devilish glee, destroying all life around him. They seemed to be two different people, yet they were one and the same. He was both king and dark lord. And you could not deny you loved it all, regardless of whether or not you should.

As luck would have it, your party came upon an inn on the side of the road, just as the sun was preparing to fall beneath the horizon. It was modest in appearance, the wood that formed it perhaps not constructed by experts, yet it didn't look like it would collapse either. The double storey building came across as both daring and impressive. It seemed a place welcoming of all kinds of people, no matter your standing or what deeds you might have committed before you crossed it's threshold. A bath... a bed... Your eyes gleamed at the thought of these comforts you had not had for quite some time. You prayed they had space enough for you all. Coming to a stop, Garion and Padrig made sure to secure the wagon and horses, before leading the way through the doors of the inn. Halbrand and yourself hung back, happy to let Garion do all the talking, preferring to hopefully go unnoticed amongst your companions, lest anyone recognise you.

"Evening, squire!" his affable voice boomed at the fellow stood behind the bar. "Would you happen to have room enough for us? Just for the night." You watched over Garion's shoulder as the barman counted your group, nervously clinging to your love. Making his assessment, he then made his offer. "I've got two rooms that should fit you alright, though it might be a little crowded." "Perfect, we'll take 'em. Thank you." Garion placed his payment at the hands of the barman, who proceeded to guide you up the stairs to your accommodation. "Once you're settled, you’re welcome to come downstairs for food, my cook is about to serve supper. Oh and there is a washroom down the hall should you need to take a bath." The barman smiled before wandering back down to his post, leaving you all to figure out the sleeping arrangements. The rooms were small, comprising of two beds in each, and a small wardrobe to store your property. This inn was modest inside and out.

  "It seems the only way to do this is down the middle, five in each room. The kids have one bed, then Gisal and Owin in the other. Which leaves Padrig, our new friends, and Olwenna and myself. I'll take the floor, Padrig you can have the bed." "Uncle, I can sleep on the floor, I don't mind." "You're young, boy! I don't want your body achin' before it has to. Now, does that suit everyone?" There were smiles and nods all around, especially from the kids. It seems you were all grateful to have some respite from the wagon, only if for a night. Halbrand took your bag, placing it beside his in the wardrobe. The others headed down the stairs to feast, yet as you turned to follow, you felt Halbrand's touch hold you in place. Pulling you flush against him, he wrapped himself around you, kissing your cheek, your neck, before resting his head on your shoulder. You sighed, happy for the embrace.

"At last... a moment of isolation." he spoke, his voice low. "Oh how I've missed this feeling... just you and me... alone... your body against mine..." Halbrand's hands were wandering to places you ached for him to touch, his lips on your neck again. "My love..." "Yes?" he replied, barely interested in what you had to say. His mind was focusing on... more important matters at hand. "The door... it's open... oh..." you told him, gasping as his hand found where your womanhood lay beneath the layer of your dress. "And...?" he questioned, biting your ear lobe. You shuddered with delight and turned around to have his mouth collide with your own. It had been days since you had been able to lose yourself to him like this, and you missed it as much as he did.

  The clearing of a throat entered the room, forcing the two of you apart, making you jump. "The children want to know if you'll be joining us for supper?" asked Olwenna, the biggest smirk on her face, trying not to laugh. "Sorry." Feeling your cheeks redden, your eyes averted her gaze as you answered her. "Of course. We'll be down in a moment." "Wonderful." She practically clicked her heels as she exited the room. "Oh goodness..." you exclaimed, Halbrand laughing at your embarrassment. You gave him a playful tap with the back of your hand, and he kissed you again, not wanting the moment to end. "Come on," you spoke between touches of lips, "Let's not keep your admirers waiting." Locking your fingers with his, the two of you made your way down to join the others.

  This supper was the best food you had eaten since your feast with Elrond and Galadriel back in Eregion. Juicy meats filled with flavour, freshly baked soft bread, and boiled vegetables drenched in butter which included, of course, potatoes. It seemed one of the advantages of an inn situated on a road such as this meant that there was a constant flow of food and supplies passing through, and the people carrying these were more than happy to trade some of what they had for a warm bed to rest in.

  The atmosphere was a cheerful and lively one, the tavern area filled to bursting with the occupants of the other rooms. A boisterous group of men were consistently clinking their cups of ale, laughing at the stories they were telling each other. You didn't catch every word of it, but it seemed they had been on some uproarious adventures. Across from them were a pair of women seated with two young boys, whose interactions you watched with fascination. The boys, clearly siblings, carried on with playful fuss that ceased the moment one of them started throwing peas at the other. Chastised by the woman that could only be his mother, you looked on as the other woman put her arm around her, which was acknowledged with a loving kiss to the top of her hand. They were a family. You couldn't help but smile at them.

  Halbrand followed your eyes to what was holding their gaze. "Is there something else about you I do not know, my love?" he spoke cheekily, sipping his ale. "Have you known the love of a woman?" Blushing, you moved your smile to him, unsure of what words might pass your lips. "No... I haven't. But-" "But?" "I cannot deny I have desired it. There's just something..." you glanced back over at the women as you spoke, "There's a different beauty within them... a warmth, a tenderness, an elegance..." Your voice trailed off, your mind lost in thought. Catching yourself, you turned the discussion back on your love. "And what about you? You can't tell me you've existed as long as you have without laying with another man?" Halbrand chuckled, taking another swig of his ale. He admitted nothing, but he didn't need to, for the look on his face spoke volumes. You smirked at him, sipping your own ale, very satisfied with the exchange that had just taken place.

There were rumblings amongst the children for some kind of dessert, to which Garion adamantly replied, "We cannot take advantage of their hospitality. We should be grateful enough for this feast and not let greed become us." "Pleeeeeeeeease! Please please pleeeeeeease! Please!" Their voices in unison, a shrill cry to their leader that was clearly unwavering. Olwenna leaned over to her love, interjecting, "Perhaps you could at least inquire with the barman? It couldn't hurt, let them have a little treat, Garion, they've been through too much."

"Well I can't say no to you, can I?" Garion sighed. "Alright, alright, I'll ask." The kids cheered and you and Halbrand laughed at their joyfulness. It had been quite sobering to be around these innocent little creatures for the past few days. Almost as if they were a shield of light keeping the darkness at bay. A shield that grew stronger the further down the road you travelled, the further away from the shadow you were. Garion waltzed back over to your table, looking deflated. "I'm sorry children..." The collective 'awww's' from the young ones were not pleasant, but it seemed Garion was not done speaking. "They've only got blackberry pie!" The children cheered as the barman brought out three plates that held the sweet treat, and all of you were laughing at Garion's heartwarming deception.

  "Anyone else?" offered the barman. A few of you rose your hands, and he counted again like before, taking his leave to quickly return with more servings. "None for you, Hal?" quizzed Garion. "No, I am quite full after that feast." spoke 'Hal', rising from his seat. "In fact I might take a bath before retiring for the evening." he announced, glancing at you, hinting. There was some unfinished business after all. Halbrand gulped the last of his ale, politely bowing his head to your companions before wandering over to the stairs. Olwenna caught your gaze then, as she was trying to make subtle facial gestures to encourage you to follow him. You stood rather abruptly, declaring to your companions, "Yes, I think I might do the same as well. Goodnight." you nodded, Olwenna unable to stifle a snicker at just how unsubtle you were. Hastily making your exit, you swore you could hear Garion mumble, "She could've just said she was going upstairs to-" "Shhh Uncle!" Padrig cut him off, groaning. "You don't need to say it!"

You couldn't help but giggle as you caught up with Halbrand on the stairs, and taking your hand, he lead you straight to the washroom, locking the door behind you.

Tagging: @starlady66 @denzit @restless-tides @coraleethroughthelookingglass @hikarielizabethbloom @heronamedhawks @michon-ne @vaguelyvibin @anemarie 

[officialleehadan]

Feared Arrival

Hello darlings! Today's second story was brought to you by CJessie! Darling, thank you so much for all your support!

Prompt: Stone Kisses, with an unexpected arrival.

+++

There was someone new in the school.

Visitors were not uncommon as far as things went. Most of the time people came and went freely as they stopped in on business. Trade caravans kept the school in supplies and left with a wealth of magical enchantments to sell on the return journey. They even got the occasional hero through, seeking information, directions, or magic.

This visitor, however, was very different. He came with a retinue of battle mages, so powerful that even Headmaster Sadrixan took pause when they approached the open gate. It wasn’t that the mage school couldn’t defend itself. Eikh alone could probably bundle up the whole troop without lifting more than a finger or two. It was what their presence meant that was more alarming.

They all wore the livery of the Warlord of the Southhold.

Their leader was a face Alivir knew well, although the last time Alivir saw him, he was sitting on a  podium, watching a thousand innocents lose their heads.

Alivir and Tallinvar, with Dainea between them, joined the rest of the students to see who had come to their school so boldly.

That was, it turned out, a mistake.

“I have heard rumors of a very fine young mage here, seeking more than this… institution can offer,” the Warlord of the Southhold said, arrogant and satisfied with himself, and for good reason. After all, there were very few mages who would refuse such a handsome offer of employment from someone so powerful;. “I have come a long way. Where is Tallinvar Wishtain?

As one, Alivir and Dainea stepped in front of Tallinvar, who blanched pale at the sound of his name. Eikh, standing nearby, caught Alivir’s eye and nodded pointedly for the door. He would handle this. Their job was to get Tallinvar out.

“Walk slowly,” Alivir whispered to his fellow student, who was frozen with terror. “Come on. Head for the work rooms. Don’t run. They haven’t seen us.”

“I can’t- I-“ Tallinvar stammered in a whisper, but when Dainea took his hand, he let himself be pulled, step by step, towards the work rooms. They were near the back of the crowd, and shaded by a pillar. Although the other students were looking around for him, Tallinvar would be hard to see as long as they didn’t linger. “They’re here for me. His mastermage- he’s- I know him.”

“Don’t care,” Alivir muttered, although it wasn’t much of a surprise. He knew more than he wanted about that mastermage. There was a reason the man served his warlord, and his cruelties were terrible to hear of, let alone see. “They can’t have you. Come on. Keep walking.”

“You!”

Spotted. The warlord’s voice snapped through the air like a whip and Tallinvar flinched so hard he nearly fell. Only Dainea’s hand in his and Alivir’s arm around his ribs kept him on his feet.

“Go,” Dainea whispered to Alivir and pulled away from them, already with a sweet, charming smile on her lips even as she gave her gown a calculated tug downward to bear another inch of perfect cleavage, and yanked the bone pin out of her hair. “Get him out of here.”

“Don’t-“ Tallinvar said, but she was already gone. Alivir hesitated, but he trusted her, his beloved lady, and she had told him to go. Eikh would never let any harm come to her. “Dainea-“

“She’s going to buy us a minute,” Alivir said and yanked Tallinvar through the door. He stole a glance over his shoulder and saw Dainea sink into a low, perfect curtsey before the warlord, her long hair a flattering tumble that framed her lovely face. Her smile made all sorts of promises without her ever saying a word to the fearsome man. Alivir was astonished by her bravery and loved her even more for it. “Eikh will look after her. Come on.”

“They could hurt her.”

“Not in front of every teacher in the school they couldn’t, and they’re not here for her,” Alivir pointed out. The door closed behind them and he threw the bolt without hesitation before dumping Tallinvar onto a nearby bench. He knelt before his fellow student and studied him carefully. He was breathing so shallowly that he was about to fall over, and every breath wheezed through a throat too tight to let him get enough air. “Right. Deep breaths. Count to three, slowly, as you breathe in through the nose. Three out as you breathe through the mouth.”

“I can’t breathe,” Tallinvar whispered, still pale as a ghost and closer to disheveled than Alivir had ever seen before. “They’re here for me. They won’t leave unless I go with them. I- I always knew it would happen. Knew I would be a slave but I didn’t think it would be so soon.”

“We’re not gonna let them take you,” Alivir told him, surprised at his own steady certainty. He took Tallinvar’s hands and tucked them together in a meditation pose. Almost on reflex, Tallinvar fell into a meditation breathing pattern. It was shallow and too fast, but better than those painful-sounding gasps. “You’ll see. The Masters will settle everything, and if they don’t…”

He found himself hesitating over the words and pushed himself onward.

“Nobody will ever be able to get anything past me,” he said resolutely. “I’ll See it all long before it happens as long as I’m looking for it. So I’ll keep an Eye on you, and on them. They won’t take a step I don’t know about.”

“You can’t sustain that,” Tallinvar told him, but his breathing was starting to slow. “And we don’t dare offend him.”

“Eikh told a god to piss off for us. You think he’s going to let a human push him around?”

Tallinvar had no answer for that, so Alivir pulled him to his feet and nudged him down the hall.

“Come on,” he said firmly. “Let’s get to Eikh’s workshop. I don’t care who they are. They won’t get you there.”

“Thank you,” Tallinvar said with a tiny, pained smile and a tight squeeze to Alivir’s arm that felt like pure desperation. “Even if you can’t stop them, thank you for trying. It’s more than anyone ever did before.”

+++

Stone Kisses:

Save Me

Spell to See

Kiss to Save

Dust-Streaked (Special thanks to Brandon for the commission!)

Fall Over Fall Back

Reflective Reflection (Subscriber Only!)

Water Runes (Subscriber Only!)

Burning Papers (Subscriber Only!)

Wink out the Light

Catlike Tread

Courtyard Ruined

Down the Hole (Subscriber Only!)

In the Deep

Blinding Sight

Emerge from the Dark

Smoke-glass Lamp

Stone to Mud

Midnight Screaming

Breakfast Discussion

Tome-Scribe

Shouting Calm (Subscriber Only!)

Feared Arrival

Mirror Matrix (Subscriber Only!)

Tested Flame (New!)

+++

MASTERLIST

[smenayetk11]

The Best Funny Working Mom Quotes

Being a working mom can be both challenging and rewarding. Balancing a career and family is no easy feat, but many women manage to do it with humor and grace. The best funny working mom quotes capture the often chaotic, yet hilarious, moments that come with juggling work responsibilities and family life. These quotes serve as a reminder that laughter is the best medicine when it comes to navigating the ups and downs of being a working mom. The best funny working mom quotes have become a popular way for women to find solace and camaraderie in their shared experiences. They provide a lighthearted perspective on the everyday challenges faced by working mothers, from multitasking like a pro to finding creative ways to combat exhaustion. These quotes not only bring a smile to the faces of working moms but also serve as a reminder that they are not alone in their struggles. With their relatable humor and wit, these quotes offer a sense of empowerment and encouragement to all working moms out there. Working moms have a special kind of humor that keeps them going through the chaos. Here are some funny quotes that capture the ups and downs of being a working mom: "I love being a working mom. It's like having two full-time jobs that only pay in hugs and tantrums." "Working mom life: Where you can't find your keys but can locate a tiny Lego piece in the dark." "Being a working mom means having a messy bun and a messy kitchen, but still slaying at both." "I'm not just a mom, I'm a multitasking ninja who can change a diaper while on a conference call." "There's no such thing as work-life balance when you're a working mom. It's more like work-life juggling with occasional drops."

Source: staticflickr.com

Discover the Funniest Quotes About Being a Working Mom

Being a mom is no easy task, and when you add a career into the mix, things can get even more challenging. But as working moms, we find humor in the chaos and laughter in the everyday struggles. Funny quotes about being a working mom capture the essence of our experiences, from juggling work deadlines to chauffeuring kids to various activities. These quotes serve as a reminder that we are not alone in our journey and that it's okay to find humor in our daily lives. If you're a working mom looking for a good laugh or if you want to share a chuckle with your fellow working mom friends, this article is for you. In the following sections, we'll explore some of the best funny working mom quotes that will make you burst out laughing and nod your head in agreement. So, get ready for some comical moments as we dive into the world of hilarious quotes about being a working mom. ## The Challenges and Joys of Being a Working Mom Navigating the Daily Struggles with Humor Life as a working mom can often feel like a juggling act. From managing deadlines to organizing school pickups and drop-offs, we face a myriad of challenges every day. But instead of getting overwhelmed, it's important to find the humor in these situations. Funny working mom quotes not only bring a smile to our faces but also remind us that we're not alone in our experiences. They help us embrace the chaos with a laugh and find the joy in the journey. One such lighthearted quote by Phyllis Diller says, "Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing up is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing." This quote perfectly captures the never-ending struggle of keeping a clean and organized house while raising kids. It reminds us not to stress too much about the mess and instead focus on creating memories with our children. Another funny quote by Erma Bombeck highlights the constant battle between work and parenting: "I've exercised with women so thin that buzzards followed them to their cars." This hilarious quote portrays the unrealistic expectations society often places on women to look perfect while balancing career and motherhood. It's a gentle reminder to embrace our natural selves and not succumb to societal pressures. These quotes, along with many others, provide a glimpse into the everyday struggles and joys of being a working mom. They remind us that it's okay to have a messy house or not always look put together. After all, what truly matters is the love and laughter we share with our families. Finding Balance in the Chaos One of the biggest challenges faced by working moms is finding the right balance between work and family life. We often find ourselves overwhelmed with the never-ending to-do lists and guilt-ridden for not being able to give our full attention to either work or family. However, it's important to remember that we're doing the best we can and that it's okay to prioritize ourselves every once in a while. A funny quote by Jane Sellman humorously captures the struggle of finding balance: "The phrase 'working mother' is redundant." This quote highlights the fact that being a mom is already a full-time job in itself. Balancing work alongside parenting adds another layer of responsibilities, making the phrase "working mother" seem almost comically unnecessary. It's a witty way to acknowledge the immense efforts put in by working moms. Another humorous quote by Unknown says, "I have an everyday religion that works for me. Love yourself first, and everything else falls into line." This quote serves as a reminder to prioritize self-care and self-love amidst the chaos of work and family life. It's essential for working moms to take care of themselves to be able to give their best to their families and careers. These quotes remind us that finding balance may be challenging, but it's not impossible. By embracing our imperfections, setting realistic expectations, and taking time for ourselves, we can navigate the chaos of working mom life with humor and grace. ## The Importance of Laughter in the Journey of Motherhood The Power of Laughter in Overcoming Challenges Motherhood is a rollercoaster ride filled with ups and downs, and laughter serves as our safety harness, keeping us grounded and resilient. Funny working mom quotes have the power to lift our spirits, bring a smile to our faces, and remind us that laughter is the best medicine, even in the face of challenges. One quote by Jill Churchill perfectly encapsulates this sentiment: "There's no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one." This witty quote acknowledges the reality that perfection is unattainable and instead encourages us to focus on being good mothers in our own unique ways. It brings a sense of relief and reminds us not to take ourselves too seriously. Another hilarious quote by Amy Poehler emphasizes the importance of finding humor in motherhood: "I believe in joking around and having fun. It's a great outlet. I also believe in laughing at yourself." As working moms, we often encounter situations that are comical in hindsight. Laughing at ourselves and finding the humor in our own mistakes can help us navigate the challenges of motherhood with a lighter heart. These quotes, along with many others, remind us that laughter is a powerful tool in overcoming the challenges of motherhood. They encourage us to find joy in the journey, embrace our imperfections, and share a good laugh with our fellow moms. The Bonding Power of Shared Laughter Shared laughter has the unique ability to forge connections and build bonds among individuals. Funny working mom quotes provide a sense of camaraderie as they resonate with the experiences of working moms everywhere. Sharing a laugh with other moms not only brings joy but also creates a support network where we feel understood and supported. One quote by Phyllis Diller humorously captures the camaraderie among working moms: "A mother is a person who, seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie." This funny quote highlights the selflessness and sacrifice often exhibited by mothers. It brings a smile to our faces and reminds us that we're not alone in the daily negotiations and compromises we make for our families. Another quote by Tina Fey underlines the support and laughter shared among moms: "I think every working mom probably feels the same thing: You go through big chunks of time where you're just thinking, 'This is impossible-oh, this is impossible.'" This quote captures the moments of doubt and overwhelm faced by working moms, but it also reassures us that we're not alone. By sharing our stories and having a good laugh, we find solace in the company of other moms who understand the challenges we face. These quotes serve as a reminder that laughter has the power to create strong bonds between working moms. They encourage us to reach out to other moms, share our experiences, and support each other through humor and understanding. After all, we're all in this together. End this article with a paragraph.

Source: victorianprint.co.uk

Frequently Asked Questions

If you're looking for a good laugh about the experiences of working moms, you've come to the right place. Check out these hilarious and relatable funny working mom quotes that will surely brighten up your day. Here are some frequently asked questions about the best funny working mom quotes: 1. What are some funny working mom quotes about the daily struggles? Working moms often face daily struggles that can be both challenging and humorous. Here are some funny quotes that capture the essence of these struggles: "Being a working mom is like having two full-time jobs, except one of them doesn't pay, and the boss is always crying." "I'm not just a working mom, I'm a professional juggler. I can juggle work, kids, and a million other things all at once!" 2. Are there any funny quotes about the balancing act of being a working mom? Being a working mom often involves a delicate balancing act between work and family. Here are some humorous quotes about this juggling act: "Being a working mom means I'm a master of multitasking. I can change a diaper while responding to emails and eating a snack all at the same time!" "Balancing work and motherhood is like walking a tightrope, except the tightrope is on fire and there are people throwing flaming swords at you." 3. What are some funny quotes about the chaos of mornings as a working mom? Mornings can be particularly chaotic for working moms as they try to get themselves and their children ready for the day ahead. Here are some funny quotes that perfectly capture this morning madness: "Mornings as a working mom: Wake up, drink coffee, put on yoga pants, find missing shoes, change a diaper, lose keys, spill coffee, find keys, spill more coffee, find shoes, spill entire coffee pot." "My mornings as a working mom can be summed up in one word: mayhem. It's like a tornado of cereal spills, lost socks, and last-minute spills every single day!" 4. Are there any funny quotes about the guilt that working moms often feel? Many working moms experience feelings of guilt for not being able to spend as much time with their children as they would like. Here are some funny quotes that shed light on this common dilemma: "As a working mom, I have a PhD in guilt. I can feel guilty about anything and everything, from missing a school event to not making a Pinterest-worthy lunch." "Working moms are like undercover agents, sneaking in quality time with their kids whenever and wherever they can. Guilt is our constant companion." 5. What are some funny quotes about the challenges of finding time for self-care as a working mom? Self-care is often put on the backburner for working moms who are constantly juggling multiple responsibilities. Here are some funny quotes that highlight the challenges of finding time for self-care: "As a working mom, 'me time' is now called 'bathroom breaks'. It's the only time I can escape for a few minutes of solitude and sanity." "Finding time for self-care as a working mom is like trying to find a unicorn in a haystack. It's a mythical concept that seems impossible to achieve!" Being a working mom can be challenging, but it's also a source of endless humor. From balancing work and family life to dealing with unexpected situations, working moms have a unique perspective that often leads to hilarious moments. Here are some of the best funny working mom quotes that will make you laugh and remind you that you're not alone in this crazy journey: - "Being a mom means having the strength to cancel plans because your child fell asleep at an inconvenient time." - "My boss asked if I could stay late at work. I replied, 'I can only stay late if you can pick up my kids from daycare.'" - "Before I had kids, I had hobbies and interests. Now, I just chase kids and try to find time to pee alone." - "I love my kids, but sometimes I fantasize about having a 'mute' button for their constant chatter." - "I'm not a regular mom. I'm a cool mom who wears the same stained shirt three days in a row." These quotes capture the daily struggles, funny moments, and sheer exhaustion that working moms experience. They serve as a reminder that laughter is the best remedy, and that despite the challenges, being a working mom is a journey filled with joy and unexpected surprises. Read the full article

[stargazer-balladeer]

Jealousy [Genshin Impact]

Characters Included: Aether, Albedo, Childe, Scaramouche, Xiao & Zhongli

Notes: Ngl,, this is a mess 🤣🤣 just like my mind- ;;w;; hope ya’ll like this! 

Reader’s Gender: Neutral

Warning: swearing in Scara’s part :(

Tagging: @genshin-obsessed

Aether isn’t a jealous-type at all, he trusts you that you won’t go behind his back. When he does get jealous, it’ll be either because he’s tired or someone interrupted his precious time with you or he just got back from his journey. But the one thing he hates the most is someone interrupting your date. 

His time with you is precious, every hour, every minute, every second, he cherishes them all. After all, he doesn’t know how much time he has, so he tries to make up every second in time with you. So if someone tries to interrupt his precious time with you, he’s pissed and pouty-

He’ll have a pout on his face as he glares at the person talking to you, wanting them to go away already. He doesn’t care if you reprimand him for scaring that person away, he doesn’t care if that person was important (like Jean or Diluc-), they're all the same in his eyes. When that person goes away, either scared or amused (Kaeya), Aether would immediately bring you into a hug as he peppers your neck with light kisses. 

If Aether sees that you are having fun with someone else, he can’t help but let his insecurity rise up. What if you left him for that person? What would he do with the shattered pieces of his heart? He’ll have a dark and sad look on his face, like a kicked puppy- he’ll walk away with his head hanging low. You better realize that Aether is gone or I swear I’ll--

Overall, his definition of jealousy is just being pissed by someone- 

“Tsk. That person really has the nerve to try to take away my time with you… I’m not jealous.”

Albedo, at first, would be confused at the sudden foreign feeling inside him when he sees you getting friendly with the other Knights. He doesn’t know what he’s feeling at that moment. Should he go there and drag you away? Why the sudden urge of kissing you in front of them? Why is his chest twisting painfully inside him? He really doesn’t understand-

He would consult Sucrose about it, and Sucrose concluded that he might be experiencing “Jealousy”. At first, he rejected the idea, saying it was a childish thing to experience. And that he has no time for that. But as the days pass, he soon realizes that Sucrose was indeed correct. 

Whenever someone would approach you, he would be staring (more like glaring) at them in the distance. His eyes would narrow if he sees that person casually touching you. But Albedo would only intervene if someone took it too far or if he sees that you’re uncomfortable. 

Albedo would never tell you that he’s jealous. It is kinda hard to see him jealous but the slightest change of his eyes and how his lips quirk into a dissatisfied frown made you realize that he’s jealous. Also, his mood sours if he’s jealous. He might ignore you for a while, don’t worry, he’s not mad! He’s just a bit pouty because he was just right there, why were you talking to that person?

Overall, won’t admit he’s jealous and might ignore you for a while.

“Why are you here? Shouldn’t you go back to that person? It seems like you two were having a pleasant conversation after all.”

Childe, similarly to Aether, is not a jealous type of person. Even if you try your best to make him jealous, it wouldn’t work. He can always see through your plan, so making him jealous purposely is always gonna fail. 

But here’s the thing. Childe is good at hiding his true emotions, the mask he has now was carefully carved and shaped by him. So he’s good at hiding his true motive, good at hiding his emotions, good at hiding his thoughts. This means that you wouldn’t know that he’s jealous. Though he’s still rarely jealous. He has a high pride towards himself that he wouldn’t get replaced easily. If there was ever a competition, he would happily compete with them for your heart- (competition and fights are what he lives for-)

He wouldn’t get jealous of you simply hanging out with someone, but if he sees that you’re having fun with the person. His jealousy meter is rising, he would hide in the shadows as he watches you and the person happily talking with each other. Once his jealousy meter reaches a certain meter, he would casually appear beside you and drag you away from that person while exclaiming that you two have something to do.

Like I said earlier, even if he was jealous, you can’t tell. So it’s 9 out of 10 chances that you were able to see his jealousy. If you tease him about it, he would just shut you up with a kiss- Also, there’s also this 50% chance that he’ll make out with you in front of the person. And he wouldn’t stop, he would just continue. You wouldn’t notice the person leaving, too caught up in your makeout session. When you two pull apart, he has a cocky smile on his face. 

Overall, secretly jealous but wouldn’t show it-

“There you are, sweetheart! I was searching for you everywhere! Come on! We have something to do! If you’ll excuse us, stranger, I’m going to have to steal away my (princess/prince)~”

It’s very obvious that he’s a jealous/possessive type. He would glare at anyone who dares to even go near you. No one can steal you away while he’s with you. Those who are stupidly brave (Childe-) will get zap by his Electro as Scaramouche drags you away while huffing. 

But he’s like this because he never has anyone to care for him before, your love is the only thing he has. Never has he experienced being loved before. He was despised by his fellow Harbingers and Fatui. He was hated by almost everyone he met. No one showed him any sort of affection unless they were simply using him for their own gain. You, who was undoubtedly naive and stupid to trust a Fatui Harbinger, manage to not only befriend him but make him fall in love with you. 

He gets jealous easily. Even if you two are the same gender, he’ll get jealous. He’ll immediately appear by your side and whisk you away, ignoring your complaints and the stare of the person. Sometimes, if someone is flirting with you, he’ll make out with you in front of them. Even though he doesn’t like kissing you in public, he will make this time an exception. The flustered look on the person’s face brings him such satisfaction-

Scaramouche would glare at that person who you’re talking to, doesn’t matter if you were the one who started the conversation, he would be seething with rage. How dare they talk to you?! Your attention and time should be spent on him! You might need to talk to him about his rather alarming behavior. After that, he’ll mellow down a bit. But that doesn’t stop his glares on that person. 

Overall,, even though he manages his anger issues, he’s still jealous if you spend time (even if it’s only a minute) on another person- 

“I told you to stop associating yourself with those low-life people, my beloved. You shouldn’t waste your breath on them……. Of course, I’m fucking jealous! You should’ve seen how they eyed you! I wanted to kill them on the spot for looking at you-” (chill scara- do you want some snickers-?) 

Xiao wouldn’t admit it but he’s jealous. He would rather die than ever admit that he’s jealous of you hanging out with your fellow mortals. Especially if you are on your way to meet him and a person starts to talk to you, somewhere, Xiao is glaring at the person and you are talking with a small pout on his face. He might not appear to you at all unless you decided to give him some Almond Tofu. 

Similar to Scaramouche, he never felt love before and doesn’t care much about it. He thought it was weak to love somebody, imagining giving everything up just for one person? Gross. But when Xiao met you for the first time, he thought time stopped. At that moment, he knew he would make you his. You manage to capture his heart just by appearing in front of him, so take full responsibility-

You can immediately tell if he’s jealous because he has a scary face on with an (adorable) pout. He’ll glare half-heartedly at you, grumbling that you should go back to whoever that was. Even though he acts like a baby at that moment, he was just insecure. You were a mortal, he was an Adepti. You can die any time while he lived for millennia now. Wouldn’t you prefer to date a mortal like yourself? One who will grow old with you, one who isn’t as cold-hearted as him? You might need to reassure him again-

Xiao trusts you, yes, but he doesn’t trust the mortals much. He actually prefers if you spend your time with someone like the Traveller, one he knows and trusts. He’s just being wary and cautious. Don’t worry. Even if someone decides to corner you in an alleyway or somewhere, Xiao would be there immediately, raging with fury-  

Overall, an overprotective, insecure baby that gets jealous if you don’t notice him-

“Did that mortal harm you? I saw how they grab you.. They should pay for their sins- how dare they hurt someone like you.” 

Zhongli is also not much of a jealous-type. He trusts you whole-heartedly and allows you to talk to anyone freely. He would only be alarmed if that person makes you uncomfortable or decides to harm you in any way. But other than that, he lets you be. As long as you return home in one piece.

But he would be annoyed if someone (its always Childe-) decides to interrupt your date. He prefers having alone time with you because he is constantly busy with work. He would not-so-subtly try to shoo away that person. But if you intervene and let them stay, he decides to let them be. But be prepared to have another date tomorrow to make-up the date ruined.

Even if he’s jealous, you couldn’t tell. He just his usual face on, with a rather malice smile on his face. If you look away for even a second, the person you’re talking to is already gone when you return your head. You blink, a bit offended at that person for suddenly leaving in the middle of the conversation. While Zhongli besides you just pat your head. (shh.. You don’t need to know that he scared off that person,, it’s our little secret-)

BUT! His jealousy will only show if you spend the entire day with another person, and completely ignoring him- when you return home, prepare for your punishment for spend your day with another person and not giving him his daily dose of kisses-

Overall, a rather calm guy that rarely gets jealous

“How rude. You’ve been ignoring me the whole day, and yet you spend your entire time with another. I’m your lover, am I not? And to add to the wound, you forgot to kiss me. Oh well, guess it’s time to get them now.”

[x] Main Page || [x] Mondstadt Page || [x] Liyue Page || [x] Fatui Harbingers Page

[coweye]

Guys My Age - PT.1

Pairing: Francisco ‘Catfish’ Morales x Miller!Reader Word Count: 1.5k

Summary: After four years away, you return home to realise that maybe everything you’ve been looking for was right in front of you all along.

Warnings: Mention of depression, Slow burn - no smut yet but it will eventually be horrifically filthy 18+ only pls gang, LEGAL Age Gap. 

Note: This bad bois been worming its way to the surface for a while now, hope you enjoy! 💕 I apologise in advance for the slow burn.

⇢MASTERLIST

Life was strange sometimes.

Here you were, back in the hometown you’d sworn never to return to after four years away, flanked by your older brother Benny. 

Two thirds of the Miller gang back together, reunited or at least you had been.

“I’ma get us a table, you order the drinks.” Ben muttered distractedly whilst scouting out potential tables.

“Hey, I’m supposed to be destitute, the least you could do is get the first round in.” The sad thing is, you’re only half joking. He rolled his eyes at your expense, before handing you his credit card and continued on his journey to get a table, presumably with a great view of the blonde woman he’d spotted upon entry to the bar. Benny was predictable if nothing else, it was part of his charm. 

So, you pushed your way forward through the throng of warm bodies, Friday night at Flanagans was a nightmare but you had agreed to be sociable as Santiago was in town, so you’d made the sacrifice and took a night off from your crushing depression to don a nice t-shirt and apply makeup for the first time in the two weeks since moving into Will’s back room.

You smiled what you hoped was a somewhat friendly lift of your lips at the bartender and ordered two beers, as you were waiting you heard the familiar call of Santiago Garcia - the man who you’d spent your teen years obsessed with. 

He was gorgeous inside and out, though your crush had morphed into something a lot more wholesome and you had a genuine platonic love for the man, as an extension of your brothers.

“How have you been, guapa? God, long time no see!” He all but cried, clearly already a couple of beers in as wrapped you in a strong hug, pulling you onto your tiptoes. He wasn’t lying, you hadn’t seen Santiago in two maybe three years ago now. 

Time had gotten away from you and your visits had become less and less frequent, especially with the boys being deployed, you couldn’t say you were happy to be back, but it was certainly nice to see them all again.

“I know, damn, you got old!” You chuckle as his face straightens out in feigned hurt. “Like fine wine, Santi, Fine wine!”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Stop flirting, you two.” Will grumbles as he slides through the crowd to lean on the bar beside you, lifting three fingers up to the bartender who had already placed the pints of beer before you. 

“Where have you been?” You question raising an eyebrow “I’ve been back at least two weeks.”

“I’ve been in Australia for a little while, it's nothing serious but-”

“Pope’s got a girlfriend now, Squirt.” The low voice is a new one, but only one person used to call you that awful nickname. 

You turn to see Francisco Morales behind you, his eyes are older than the rest of him but still irrevocably kind and he has an easy smile painted on his lips. You can’t quite remember him being this handsome as your eyes drink him in, perhaps you’d been blinded by the effortless beauty of Santiago as a teen but my god, Catfish had almost floored you. 

“Frankie!” You smile - all teeth, trying somewhat successfully for an air of normalcy despite your brain processing the change that five years has had on your taste in men and pulling him in for his own hug. 

You tried to stop yourself, you honestly did but as you breathed in, the smell of him overtook you, the spicy scent of cinnamon and sweet vanilla; the man somehow smelled like a goddamn cupcake and you had the biggest sweet tooth. 

Locking your inner sex offender deep down inside a box so as to not assault the man you’d held in a hug for what was becoming longer than appropriate, you pulled away. 

“A girlfriend?” You question, your brain scrambling for something to talk about other than those brown eyes. You can’t help the smirk that sneaks its way across your lips as you tease the man before you. “Santiago Garcia, have you gone soft on me in your old age?”

He huffs as he grabs his beer. “Fuck off, baby Miller.” 

The three of you chortle in response to his defeated tone as he walks towards the table Ben has secured. Will grabs at his wallet, hand coming out to stop you in confusion when you hold out a card to pay. 

You shake your head and shrug. “Ben’s treat.” 

That kills any argument on his tongue as he picks up his drink and follows Santi’s lead. You can’t help but chuckle at your brothers, you had missed them both so much. 

You’re very quickly aware of Frankie lingering to your left, waiting for you to finish paying, ever the gentleman. 

You turn to him as the machine processes the transaction. 

“Your-”

“How-” You both chuckle, the two of you have always been the quiet ones of the group, more observant with witty one liners thrown in than the loud mouths currently chatting at your table. 

It seems years apart haven’t helped either of your awkwardness.

“You go…” You dismiss with a quick laugh when he waits for you to speak.

“I was just gonna say, it's nice to have you back!” He shrugged before gesturing to side of him ���After you,” 

Frankie creates a barrier with his body for your fellow thirsty patrons who want your spot at the bar. You pick up yours and Bens drinks and turn to find the guys. 

Frankie’s hand finds your lower back as he guides you through, its innocuous enough, hell if you hadn’t been drooling over the man minutes before you wouldn’t have given it so much as a second thought, but that palm guarding you from the brunt of the crowd was like molten lava slowly burning your flesh. 

“W-Well, it’s good to be back! I’m not going anywhere in a hurry!” You pretty much shout over the deafening ambient chatter around you. His low voice is in your ear when he replies, you force yourself not to close the distance and push your spine into his chest, Frankie isn’t like that; Hell, he has a girlfriend and baby at home.

He’s just being friendly - he’s known you since you were seventeen. 

“You miss your friends back home?”

“They’re not my friends. None of those assholes let me sleep on their goddamn sofas.” Trying to break the tension only you seemed to be feeling with a joke, it seems to work as he chortles.

“Well you’re more than welcome to my sofa if Will ever gets too much, Squirt.” You couldn’t explain the things that this man saying the word squirt to you was doing. No matter the context, even if it was because you squirted slurpee from your nose when laughing too hard when you were a teenager. 

“I may hold you to that - he bit my head off the other day because I didn’t wash a glass the second I used it, I swear-” You’re cut off when you find the booth rather quickly, the raucous laughter from the rangers acting as a siren call.  You slide in beside Ben and turn to your other brother “-I was just telling Frankie, how much of a control freak you are.”

And because God hates you, Francisco slides in beside you. 

…

You were a grown woman and you had a ridiculous infatuation.

It wasn’t for a lack of trying either, after sitting in that bar you had made an effort to block out the sensation of his thigh against your own or when he leaned back against the plush fabric and wrapped his arm around the back of the booth.

But so help you god you were only human, you couldn’t help but laugh a little harder at his jokes than the others or the warmth that flooded your belly when you’d meet his eyes as you told a story and find his chocolate orbs transfixed on you as if you were telling a great tale - rather than an anecdote about how you dislocated your tailbone last year when you were drunk on some stairs.

It wasn’t even as if it was just his looks - though you were big enough to admit that initially that had been a large part of it.  It was the ease you felt around him, the kindness you could see clear as day painted on his face. 

Though you knew, deep down in your toxic heart of hearts, buried beneath your daddy issues and depression, this deep desire was because he wasn’t all that interested. 

It wasn’t as if he ignored you, no. He was friendly, but he had no interest in you besides just that, being a friend. 

He had a baby and a girlfriend and you weren’t a home wrecker.

He was your brother's best friend, an extension of your family. 

These were all things you reminded yourself about as you lay in bed alone staring up at the ceiling the morning after.

You could just be his friend, right?

⇢ Next Part

[sorryimananti-romantic]

Take Me Home (Chapter 4)

faerieprince!park seonghwa x oc (yena)

genre and warnings: fantasy, fluff, angst, violence warning

word count: ~20k

synopsis: prince seonghwa, the faerie prince of dark, has been having dreams about his own death by the hands of his friend, prince hongjoong of light, his only hope the girl with an incredibly familiar face appearing in those dreams telling him she'd go back in time to save him- the girl being yena, who's lived her life without memories of her childhood and a block in her mind, now out on a journey to get herself treated, where she'll encounter the princes and find her life changed in ways she never thought, discovering her powers and her soulmate along the way, love strong enough to survive through multiple timelines.

series masterlist

Everyone was busy planning for the Grand Feast in honour of the 8 Princes gathering, including the princes themselves- along with the princess. In the Great Hall, there was the feast for the court members and in the private chambers, the princes would have dinner like usual. 

However, that didn't stop any one of them from making sure the feast for the court members and all that dwelled in the castle was lavish enough. Outside the castle, people looked forward to tomorrow- when the 8 princes would go out and meet with their people and spend the whole day with them, hearing their stories, playing with the kids, giving training tips to the younger faeries, trying their food, and whatnot. 

All was good- but Seonghwa couldn't wash the feeling of dread away- it felt like deja vu; he felt like all of this had happened before, and he was reliving the same situation, awaiting something- what? He did not know yet.

He had been spacing out throughout the plans the rest made for the night and for tomorrow, and Hongjoong noticed that. Telling him that he didn't feel so good, Seonghwa decided to call it a night.

Seonghwa was on the way to his room when he saw Jinki passing by, the two sharing a nod before he hurried off to whatever errand he had to run. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen much of him since they had arrived here. Seonghwa shook his head, wondering if his introverted Right Hand had finally made some friends here with the other court members. It took him quite some time to warm up to his own fellow court members.

The hair on Seonghwa's body raised, his heart sinking. What was this feeling? As if there was someone with a familiar magic nearby-

"Prince!" Soyeon's voice sounded from the end of the hallway, and he looked up as she approached him. "You don't look well."

"Ah, just not feeling too well, might be the weather change," Seonghwa shrugged, referring to the warm weather here. Back in Hamal, it was mostly cold. 

"The weather made me feel sick too a few days before," Soyeon said, "I'll send for a healer- you should be feeling better if you have to go outside tomorrow."

"Oh no," Seonghwa waved his hand, "I'll take care of it, don't worry. Enjoy the feast."

"Thank you," Soyeon smiled before walking away. 

Seonghwa thought for a second before turning, "Jinki, has he been doing well with the others?"

Soyeon turned, "Jinki? I barely see him anymore. I thought he was with you all this time?"

Seonghwa shook his head, "Must be some other friend he made in the palace."

Soyeon shrugged too, frowning in confusion. 

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

Yena looked in the mirror. Her black dress flowed down to the floor, lace on her neck and arms that joined the waist with a belt. Her hair was twisted like a crown, a few curled tendrils falling over her face, black liner decorating her eyes with a hint of shimmer. Her lips were a light peach.

"You look like a princess," Seulgi passed her a knowing look. "Doesn't she, Jaebeom?"

"A Dark Princess," Jaebeom grinned as Yena slid on her heels.

"You're all making fun of me," Yena laughed. "I think this dress is too much for a simple dinner."

"Wait till you see the princes," Jaebeom snorted. "You'll feel underdressed."

"Really?" Yena looked from him to Seulgi, who nodded. "That's new."

"You should wear these earrings too," Seulgi said, digging something out from her purse, handing her the dainty pearl earrings, and Yena looked at them in awe. 

"These are so pretty!" Yena smiled at Seulgi, thanking her. 

"Come on, Yena, I have errands to run," Jaebeom laughed at the two women admiring each other in the mirror. "You can look at yourself all you want when you're back."

"Boomer," Seulgi muttered, and Yena stifled a laugh as she approached Jaebeom. 

"I don't understand why I need an 'escort' though," Yena said to Jaebeom as they walked to the dining. "I'm pretty sure I can reach the dining hall with my eyes closed."

"Blame Hongjoong for keeping up with the traditions," Jaebeom replied. "He really likes to keep things fancy. But it's more because of 'security reasons'. Who knows what might happen on the short way to the dining hall?"

They looked at each other and grinned as she realised he was being sarcastic. When they finally reached the door, Jaebeom opened them and let her inside, where Yunho and San had already arrived.

"Ho, ho, look at that!" San approached Yena, greeting Jaebeom who took his leave, "Someone took their time today!"

"Look at yourself!" Yena scanned his outfit- a greyish blue jacket over a black shirt, with silver chains decorating the front. San simply grinned in response. Yunho was smiling at them.

"You look like the Princess of Death," he commented and Yena narrowed her eyes at Yunho. 

"You're wearing black too, we match."

"Wait and you'll see I'll not be the only one wearing black," Yunho shook his head, "I always tell them to wear bright colours, but they end up wearing black."

"That's rich coming from you, Yunho," San laughed. 

Wooyoung entered, running a hand through his streaked hair. "I feel underdressed," he said as he scanned the three.

"Welcome to the underdressed gang," Yena raised her hand. He was wearing a suit and the only fancy thing was the ornamental brooch instead of a tie. Wooyoung gave her a high-five.

Mingi came next, in all-white, 'blinding their eyes' according to Yunho. Yena stared at his red hair. "Are you sure you're not using magic to make your hair look like fire?"

Mingi laughed, and Yena thought he looked adorable laughing- his eyes crinkled and his gummy smile was cute. "I'd burn my whole face if I tried that."

"You're not immune to fire?" Yena looked at him in surprise. 

"I am, but sometimes I burn myself."

"That's on you being hot-headed," Wooyoung said.

"At least I didn't accidentally blow myself along with the storm," Mingi scoffed, and the rest started laughing as Wooyoung pouted.

"Never put Wooyoung and Mingi together in a fight," Jongho announced as he entered, clad in a navy three-piece suit, his hair slicked back, "Wooyoung literally fans his flames."

"And he's back with the puns," San shook his head, grinning.

Yeosang entered next, wearing a black three-piece suit, looking quite regal. "Make space, peasants," he said, flaunting his suit.

Yena made space beside her, and he took a seat, looking at her. "You look beautiful."

"You look pretty good yourself," Yena smiled at the compliment. "We match!"

"Kang siblings never disappoint when it comes to looks, keep that in mind," Yeosang told her, making everyone laugh.

They started recalling the last Grand Feast that was held in Yunho's castle, where Yunho had surprised them by arranging a beach party. Yunho had ended up baiting them- he used his water powers to make sure they couldn't surf properly and kept falling in the sea, to everyone's amusement. 

Hongjoong came in, looking quite princely in a red fancy jacket, complaining about how Yunho had made sure they tasted salt water in their mouths the next three days. Seonghwa followed a few minutes later, dressed in a black fancy jacket much like Yunho's.

"The power couple of today," Hongjoong pointed at them both.

"Yes, we brought these together, what about it?" Seonghwa challenged them.

"Alright, take a seat," Hongjoong patted the empty space on his sofa.

They kept on recalling the previous feasts, the funny incidents that happened, huge smiles on their faces. Seonghwa kept glancing nervously at Yena, and Yena felt like he wanted to talk to her about something, seeing how he kept locking eyes with her. It made her nervous.

Did he know then? Of the memory she saw?

They moved to the dining room, Yeosang and Yena at the head of the table as Hongjoong raised his glass, grabbing everyone's attention as he toasted.

"To Kang Yena of Space, our Lost Princess, finally back home. To Yena!"

Everyone raised their glasses to Yena, who stood with her arm in Yeosang's, overwhelmed with happiness at the sight. They took their seats then, digging into the variety of food on the table, making small talk.

Seonghwa kept glancing at Yena throughout the dinner too, but whenever their eyes locked, he looked away. It looked like he did not know whether to call her right then, or wait until after the feast was over. Yena gave him a subtle nod, hoping he understood.

After dinner and the lavish desserts- where Yeosang and Yena stole everything that had chocolate in it, Hongjoong said he would be back, and Seonghwa took that chance to sit near Yena.

"Can I talk to you when you're free?" He asked.

"Sure, is everything okay?" Yena frowned at the worry on his face.

"Yes, it's just- never mind. I'll tell you later."

Yena nodded, but she had a feeling he was having a hard time holding it back- whatever he had to say. She was contemplating whether she should excuse herself and just ask him, when Hongjoong came back.

"Seonghwa, can you come with me?" He asked, and everyone looked at each other.

"Is something wrong?" Yunho asked.

"No, it's just something I have to oversee in the Great Hall," Hongjoong dismissed them, and everyone went back to what they were doing.

But Yena was pale.

That was not Hongjoong. 

Or was it?

"Did you feel what I felt too?" Yeosang asked her in a whisper after noticing how pale she had gone. She looked at him in surprise, nodding.

"That was not Hongjoong, was it?" She asked.

"It didn't feel like him- because of our magic, we can feel," Yeosang shook his head, "Does that mean..."

"We have to go, Yeosang, we have to go now!" Yena said, getting up abruptly. 

Yeosang briefed the rest that the person who had come in was definitely not Hongjoong, ordering them to call the court members, and they rushed out of the dining room, Yena and Yeosang following the direction where they sensed the black magic coming from.

The same black magic she had just freed herself from.

Turn after turn, they ran, until they approached a door made of thick, frosted glass.

"That's the throne room," Yeosang said, trying to open the door. It seemed to be locked, but he could feel that Seonghwa was inside.

Yeosang was trying to open the door with brute force until Yena suggested making a portal and jumping inside. 

Inside the throne room, Seonghwa was kneeling in front of Hongjoong as he pointed his sword at him. 

"Why, Hongjoong?" Seonghwa asked, but Hongjoong's face was stone. 

"I'm taking over, is all you need to know," Hongjoong said, and Seonghwa was about to get up when he put his hand forward, binding him down with-

Black shackles.

"You're not Hongjoong," Seonghwa breathed, struggling to break free. It was the same magic they had used on Yena, to diminish her powers.

"Stop!" Yena shouted as soon as she saw them, rushing forward, and before she could portal herself, Hongjoong- or whoever he was- sent a wave of black magic at her, Yeosang creating a defensive shield just in time.

She was too slow as she saw Hongjoong- Junyoung, it had to be Junyoung wearing Hongjoong's skin- stab Seonghwa in the heart.

Seonghwa went utterly still, throwing up blood, but he couldn't even fall to the ground- the shackles still held him.

Yena didn't hear herself scream as she portaled to where Junyoung was, who, as if expecting it, sent a black wave right for her stomach, and it felt like a kick, throwing her back a few feet away. Yeosang sent a twin wave of blue magic at him, hitting him in the shoulder, earning a shout of pain.

The doors broke open, and Yena saw San and the rest watch in horror at the scene that unfolded in front of them- Seonghwa, kneeling on the ground with blood oozing out of his mouth, Yena lying limp next to the wall and Yeosang and Hongjoong engaged in a fight.

San rushed towards Seonghwa, noticing the black bracelet-like cuffs that held him down, realising what it meant. "That's not Hongjoong!" he shouted, "Get him!"

But Junyoung shifted, and disappeared in a second.

"Where did he go!" Yeosang looked frantically here and there.

Yena crawled towards Seonghwa, Jongho helping her up, where Seonghwa was taking his last breaths. Yena didn't realise her face was streaked with tears as she held Seonghwa's face in her hands, his eyes locked with hers.

"Heal him, somebody heal him-" Yena sobbed. 

Seonghwa brought his hand slowly to her face, cupping it and bringing her closer as he whispered in her ear.

"When the time comes, tell me what to do. Tell me... to go back in time for you... Tell me... to save you."

Yena frowned at what he said, but then he went limp.

Yena kept holding him, not aware of the princes who had tried to heal him- but because it was a wound to the heart, they could do nothing. Not aware of the princes sobbing. Not aware of Hongjoong- their Hongjoong- rushing to them, falling on his knees as he saw his best friend dead.

—-------------------------

Yena knew what to do then, clarity starting to take over her. 

Yena knew what to do- Seonghwa had told her. 

He knew it was going to happen- somehow he knew. 

Hongjoong had broken the shackles from his magic, and Yena told him then. Yena had to shake him wildly for him to come to his senses- he looked like he was in a trance.

"Hongjoong," Yena said, holding his face, "Seonghwa knew this was going to happen, and I know how to bring him back."

"What do you mean?"

"He told me how to. He said I have to travel back in time. This was meant to happen, but now I have to travel back in time. I had... a dream too, of this happening, but I thought it was a nightmare," Yena shook her head. "You have to teach me how to time travel- now."

"Yena," Hongjoong was shaking his head in disbelief, looking at his dead friend, "Is it possible?"

"It is," Yena assured him, and Yeosang, who was beside her, nodded.

"Our parents left some records on the time travelling- but we don't have enough time to bring those from my home. What I know is that it is possible and they avoided it because of the fear of creating alternate realities and doing something that could not be undone. But... If Seonghwa knew about this, and Yena saw it too... It means it has already happened."

"What do you mean?" Hongjoong frowned.

"There are three types of realities flowing, intertwining with each other; the past, the now, and the future. In the past, Seonghwa is alive. How we change the past will change our now and the future. But if you've had those dreams, that means the future-you has already travelled back in time."

"Isn't it too risky?" Hongjoong asked, "As much as I want him back, we have to make this decision being level-headed."

"It is, but it is not impossible," Yeosang sighed, "And if there's a chance, a slight chance even, I say Yena do it. Go back in time. Do what you are meant to do, because it is gonna end up happening either way."

"How do we even do this? What do we do, Yena?" Hongjoong looked helplessly around him. "Do we tell the people he is dead? Where do we train? How do we handle this, Yeosang?"

"I may have an idea," Yeosang said, scratching his chin and looking focused. "An alternate dimension where time travels faster than here-"

"Isn't it the other way round?" Yena interrupted.

"Where you have been, it is," Yeosang said, recalling how she told him about her time travel incident. "But there's a twin dimension to that, except opposite. You can spend months there while only an hour would have passed here."

"Sounds like a plan," Hongjoong said, his eyes filled with hope. "We leave now, then. I don't want to waste time."

"And if I fail?" Yena gulped.

Hongjoong's eyes were sorrowful as he looked at the other princes, "Prepare for a funeral."

Yena portaled everyone to Hongjoong's room, and the Princes lay Seonghwa on a bed, putting blue roses around his body as Hongjoong briefed them about their plan, and what they were to do in their absence.

"But Hongjoong," San said, "If Junyoung did that, it means he's one of the court members, possibly. Who do we trust here while you're gone?"

"Trust no one," Hongjoong said, "Yeosang is doing the calculations- we'll set a time limit for us. You shouldn't have to wait more than until tomorrow morning- everything should go back to normal by then. Do not let anyone enter this room- keep your guards up. And stay safe."

Yena hugged San, who caressed her hair to comfort her as she cried. "You can do this, Yena. I know you can, and I believe in you. And if you cannot... If it's too much," San broke the hug, wiping her tears. "You come back, and tell me, okay? Tell me if it's too much for you. Seonghwa wouldn't want you to push yourself to the edge."

"Thank you, San," Yena breathed. "I can do this. I know I can. Wait for me."

Yena hugged Wooyoung next, who couldn't stop crying. She assured him they would bring him back. She hugged the others one by one, all of them assuring each other and holding on.

While Yeosang and Hongjoong, who had finished their work, hugged the others in a short farewell, Yena went to where Seonghwa lay in the bed, motionless. She sank to the floor, taking his cold hand in hers.

I'm coming for you. And I won't let you go.

"Yena," Hongjoong's voice called, and she got up, inhaling. She stood straight, her face set.

"Let's go," she said. 

Yeosang took both their hands in his and Yena joined hands with Hongjoong, closing her eyes. Yeosang closed his eyes too, and Yena felt a familiar sensation- it was much like travelling through the portal, but then she was between the fold of time- where Seonghwa and Yena had gone during one of their healing sessions, and then she felt her stomach twist and turn, almost making her nauseous.

"We're here," Yeosang announced and Yena opened her eyes.

It was the same room they had been in, except there was no one else and there was a shimmer to the air-

"This looks exactly like our world, doesn't it?" Hongjoong asked, breaking contact and roaming around the room. "Except it's only us three."

"Yes," Yeosang said, "It's where I sometimes trained, when something needed more time."

"Quite convenient for you," Hongjoong smiled. 

"We don't get hungry here, we don't feel sleepy here- nothing humane," Yeosang went on, watching Yena stand by the bedside. "We just get tired and pass out because our magic needs to replenish. We'll feel like time is flowing like normal here- but in the real world, only a few hours would have passed."

"That is convenient," Yena looked at Yeosang. "Can I travel here too, without your help?"

"Of course you can," Yeosang said, "You can do so much. If only you'd grown up with me, you could have been the most powerful of us."

"Oh," Yena pursed her lips, "I guess we'll have enough time to learn now?"

"Oh yes," Yeosang smirked. "We have all the time in this world."

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

They got to training Yena right away. Yeosang told them that magic worked the same here, so he started with explaining the science of time travel, the idea of loopholes, wormholes, anomalies, etc. Hongjoong had done his own research too, so he provided whatever info he had.

Yeosang told Yena her assignment- time travel 2 minutes in the future. When she could accomplish that, she would disappear in front of them for two minutes and then arrive.

"Okay so if I travel in the past," Yena asked, "What would happen to the Yena that is already there?"

"She'd be there too," Hongjoong said, "There would be two Yena at the same time."

"Isn't that... weird?" Yena shuddered. 

"Until the course of the events change, there will be two Yena," Yeosang said, "The worst that could happen is that the events remain the same, but someone else dies. A factor could swap itself. But if you succeed, that won't happen and when the past changes, the old Yena would evaporate. You, with all your memories, would be the only one who remembered what happened."

"I see," Yena said, "So after all this, I would be the only one who would know that Seonghwa died? That's not fair, is it?"

"It's a burden you'll have to live with," Yeosang sighed, "I wish I could time travel and go in your stead, but unfortunately, you're the only one who can do that. Believe me, if I could take your place, I wouldn't hesitate."

Yena nodded, understanding. She knew he would have, and she could see that it ate him up to ask this of Yena.

"What if... I end up making a mistake and you all forget me? Like, suppose I save him, everything goes right, but none of you would have the memories you made with me. What then?"

"We'll make new memories then, I guess," Yeosang bit his lip, thinking.

"But..." Yena faltered. "The time I spent with San, Jongho and Wooyoung. The time I spent with Hongjoong and Seonghwa and Yunho- even if it was only a week. I don't want them to forget!"

"Seonghwa has the ability to show memories, right?" Hongjoong said, and Yeosang nodded. "He could do that, probably. You could show him your memories."

"I thought it only worked one way," Yena said, surprised.

"I'm not sure either," Hongjoong sighed. "But it would be your only option in case that happens."

Yena sighed. How had her life become so complicated?

"Hongjoong- back there, that was Junyoung. Only Yeosang and I realised. Where were you when all that happened?"

"I was in the Great Hall," Hongjoong said, his eyes narrowing. "Jinki called, saying they had a situation there, but when I went, everything was normal. I was looking for him to ask what sort of situation it was-"

"Jinki said that?" Yena frowned.

"Yes- do you think he was an accomplice?"

"I don't know," Yena began. "I actually know Jinki from back in Fomalhaut- his name is Seoho. He left everything back, even his name, to start afresh in Hamal."

"That's suspicious," Yeosang said.

"But he- he has earth magic-"

"Have you ever seen him do that magic?" Hongjoong asked, and Yena opened her mouth to answer, but realised that indeed, she had never actually seen him use his magic. "You should watch out for him- he could be an accomplice, or worse."

"I don't believe he is, but fine, I will. Let's focus on the training now."

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

It took eight days in that alternate dimension for Yena to be able to travel in the future- but she only managed to travel 30 seconds in the future. Yena was becoming impatient and frustrated now.

"I don't think this will work," Yena said, lying down on the grass. They were in Hongjoong's garden, where they spent all day and night. "Maybe I'm not meant to do this."

"You cannot give up right now, it's only been eight days," Hongjoong was reading a random book he had grabbed from the library.

"Only?"

"We spent years trying to master one technique," Yeosang said, "I think eight days are nothing compared to that."

"I can't spend years here," Yena rolled in the grass, frustrated.

"Of course not, we only have four months here, Yena, and I expect you to have a good grip on that magic by then," Yeosang was playing with the flowers.

"Four months. God help me," Yena muttered, lying on her stomach as she tried it again.

She had to somehow create a split in time itself- focus all of her magic in there. That meant staring into the distance intensely. Yena was reminded of the time San had trained her.

"Even San was a better tutor than you both," Yena said after five minutes.

"I feel insulted," Yeosang said, Hongjoong agreeing by putting a hand on his heart, faking hurt.

"He was the one who got me to open portals quickly without using my hands," Yena said, "His tip was to visualise phantom hands. And what are the tips you give me? Imagine the world cleaving apart. Horseshit."

"Someone's angry," Hongjoong teased.

"How long did it take you then?" Yeosang asked mockingly. 

"About a month," Yena said, "I could open portals before that, but not without using my hands."

"A month?" Yeosang couldn't believe his ears and even Hongjoong gaped at her. "A month only?"

"How is that 'only'?"

"Yena, do you know how long it took us to master our magic without the use of hands?" Hongjoong asked and Yena shook her head. "The shortest time it took was two years, and that was Mingi."

"Two years!?" Yena's eyes were wide as she looked from Yeosang to Hongjoong, "Why didn't San tell me?"

"That must have been when he realised that you were indeed one of us, with the amount of power you have," Yeosang thought. 

"And that means," Hongjoong said, his blue eyes twinkling, "That you should be able to master at least half of it within the four months we have."

A spark of hope lit in Yena's heart. "Really? You guys think so?"

"We know so," Yeosang was smiling proudly at her, "Take your sweet time, Yena."

Yena slowly nodded, letting all of it sink in. Then she sat, crossed legs, straightening her back.

She was going to make this work.

She was Kang Yena of Space, she was powerful, and she could do it.

—--------------------------

A month and 3 days later in the alternate dimension, Yena was able to travel exactly 1 minute and 24 seconds both in the future and back to the past. She would always pass out for a good whole day because of the exhaustion.

Hongjoong and Yeosang made sure they kept her motivated and encouraged- she worked better when they believed in her and supported her, though sometimes, they would tease her and watch her roll around the grass in frustration.

"How come it's been more than a month and I don't even smell?" Yena sniffed her armpits, "Even my hair isn't oily."

"I never thought about that," Yeosang sniffed his own armpits. "That's crazy."

"How come I," Hongjoong began, "Who falls asleep even when there's a carnival going on, hasn't had a wink of sleep here? I'm going crazy."

"We should all just move here," Yena said, "Have a vacation here every now and then. It would be wild."

"And that is exactly why I never told anyone about this dimension," Yeosang looked at her pointedly. Yena grinned.

Yena went back to practise mood- focusing and endless focusing. She was practising her jump into the future, and it was always a jump of around one minute. She was standing now, and after a few seconds, she saw a spark in front of her.

"It's happening, guys, see you in a while!" Yena said as she jumped in the opening, forcing herself to move and move upwards in the dark swirl of time-

Another opening, and she fell to the ground on her knees. "How much time?" 

Yeosang and Hongjoong were looking pretty grim, to Yena's surprise, but they both screamed when they saw her, rushing towards her, Yeosang engulfing her in a hug that had her frowning.

"Yena!" He laughed, patting her head, Hongjoong engulfing both of them in a hug.

"Come on," Yena broke apart. "What's wrong?"

"How long do you think you travelled?"

"I am in the future, right?" Yena asked, and they nodded. "2 minutes? Is that why you're so happy?"

"No, silly, think more," Hongjoong said.

"3 minutes?" Yena wondered.

"Oh god," Yeosang buried his face in his hands as Hongjoong said, "It's been two months, Yena. Two months that you were absent."

Yena felt like someone had splashed a bucket of cold water on her. "Two months?"

"58 days and 4 hours to be precise," Yeosang muttered, and Yena let out a string of colourful words.

"We were so worried," Hongjoong said, bringing her in to hug her again, "Yeosang wouldn't stop crying after two days passed. We decided to wait until the four month limit, and then see what we had to do."

"Oh my god," Yena realised how worried they would have been- she had disappeared for two months after all, "I'm so sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Yeosang said, "I don't think you should do this anymore."

"No, Yeosang," Yena went to where he was sitting, running her hands through his blonde unkempt hair, "I have to. I can't live with myself if I don't save Seonghwa."

"Do you have to? It's not that I don't want Seonghwa back, but... you are my sister, and I don't want to lose you too."

"He's right," Hongjoong said, though it physically hurt him to say it and Yena could see the pain on his face. "I'm not prepared to bury a friend. It would take me years, maybe never that I would be okay with what happened to Seonghwa- but if something happens to you too- I won't be able to live with it."

"That's sweet and all, but I have to," Yena said, "We have what- less than a month now? I can do this. I'll focus on sending things in the future and the past, like San taught me with the portals. Then the very last day, the very last minute, I'll travel back. I only have to travel back a day, right?"

"Yes," Yeosang said, "We should be able to avoid Seonghwa's death and avoid an anomaly if it's a day."

"Easy peasy," Yena assured them, though she had her doubts as well.

So she trained, and trained, sending books, flowers, her earrings, anything- back and forward. She was getting better at it everyday. She was less exhausted with the time magic every passing day. During the time she got fed up with doing the same thing over and over again, Hongjoong taught her the basic healing- which every prince had affinity for. Healing, she found, was a lot easier.

Yeosang told Yena the stories of the Kingdom of Gemini- the Kingdom meant for two, divided into two states; Castor and Pollux- for Yena and Yeosang. Yena's castle was in the city of Alhena, close to the Pearl Sea named after their birthstone, and Yeosang's was in Mebsuta- close to Mingi's Kingdom. They had beautiful landscapes and forests, and even more beautiful beaches. 

Her castle and his were built the same- more modern than the ones she'd seen of San and Jongho, but less modern than Wooyoung and Hongjoong’s. He told her the castle was built more like a big, big home, inspired from the architecture back on Earth. He sometimes lived in the castle in Alhena, sometimes in his own castle in Mebsuta. And every year, on her birthday- June 15th, the people of their kingdom would send sparks of magic in the sky which looked like lanterns, in honour of the lost twin. The people would be surprised when they would realise it was a princess.

Days passed until their last day in this dimension arrived, Yena nervous but determined, Hongjoong and Yeosang fussing over her, still considering if they should allow this. But Yena paid them no heed. She was going to do this, and no one would stop her.

With a long hug to Hongjoong and an even longer hug to Yeosang, who told her they were proud of her, she got ready. She was going to do this.

"For Seonghwa," she said, and they nodded back.

"For Seonghwa."

Yena opened the portal and jumped into it.

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

Yunho woke up with a gasp, his forehead covered with sweat.

He had a nightmare- it was a nightmare, it had to be.

He had seen a girl with blonde hair, clad in a black dress, drowning. With a weight tied to her waist.

Something about her felt familiar- he couldn't put a finger on what it was, but he couldn't wash away the unsettling feeling, and he decided he would go out for a walk.

Telling the guards not to follow him, the Prince of Water walked out of the castle, and found himself walking to the beach near his home. It was like something was tugging at him- something telling him to go there.

His instinct had never been wrong. So he reached the beach and waited for sunrise.

Meanwhile, Yena found herself on a boat out of nowhere, in the middle of the sea- but she could see land in her vision.

She had jumped back in time, but where the hell was she?

"Demoness," A voice sneered, and Yena turned sharply, a harpoon pointed at her. "Who are you?"

"I'm-" Yena looked at the old man- his skin wrinkled everywhere, a scar on his face, pointing the harpoon determinedly at her, his blue eyes glowing despite the grey hair half covering it. "Can you tell me what day it is today?"

"It's the day you die," the man growled. "You jumped out of nowhere on this boat in the middle of the sea. Stand up!" 

Yena obeyed, willing a portal to open but nothing happened. Her magic was too drained. She panicked- the question wasn't where she was, but when.

"If you just tell me what day it is, I'll leave-"

The man motioned with his hand, and Yena realised with horror that his power was that of telekinesis. A rope tied itself around Yena's waist, and Yena looked at him, confused. Why hadn't he bound her hands?

With horror, she got the answer, and she tried to hastily open the knot- but to no avail as the other end of the rope tied around a boulder, and the man said, "Adios", pushing her out of the boat.

Yena fell.

Fell deeper and deeper into the sea.

She was going to drown and die. 

~

On the beach, Yunho watched the sun until it was like that in his dream, and Yunho jumped in the sea. Being the Prince of Water, he could have lived under the sea too. He swam and swam, among the fishes, among the life, not knowing where he was going but he kept going forward.

As if he was looking for someone.

~

Water.

Water filled her lungs, and she couldn't breathe.

Her insides were on fire, and pain, raw pain, threatened to explode from inside of her as she thrashed her limbs around, anywhere, but it was no use. She tried to untie the ropes around her waist that were dragging her down because of the boulder tying her down.

Not fair, her last thoughts said. Not fair that she would die in this infinite ocean, with no one to mourn her.

She couldn't hold her breath any longer. So she let her arms and legs float, let herself float as she sunk deeper, her golden hair a halo above her head. She could see nothing in the darkness anyway, so she closed her eyes. This was the end.

She breathed.

And it was nothing compared to the little gulp she'd accidentally downed earlier. This was real hell.

She didn't feel the weight disappear from her waist. Neither did she feel two arms wrap around her waist, where the shadow of the weight had been as she was dragged upwards.

She felt none of it.

But she saw it- the strawberry blonde hair, when she opened her eyes. She immediately knew who it was.

Yunho.

Maybe all hope wasn't lost.

—------------------------

The girl with the blonde hair had been out for days now. She had rarely stirred in her bed in the healers' ward, and she had been fed tonics to keep her functioning. 

A healer came to perform her routine checkup on the girl. She pushed the silk of her brown hair behind her ears as she picked the washcloth from the bucket and cleaned the girl's face after checking for fever. Thankfully, she was fine.

The mysterious girl had been brought in the ward in quite a frenzy; some guards had burst in, saying she'd been unconscious on the shore, and it looked like she had gulped quite a bit of the seawater, from the bucket of it that she had been forced to vomit before she passed out again. 

So the Head of the Healers had assigned Lia to look after her until she regained consciousness. Lia wiped at her hands, wishing in her heart that the girl would wake up.

As if the forces working above had heard her voice, the girl stirred, groaning. Lia's eyes went a little wide, her whole body freezing as she watched her eyes flutter. 

She was awake. Finally. 

Lia looked around to see if anyone was passing by and could call the Head but there was no one around right now. So she poked at the girl until she looked at her. 

The girl's stone grey eyes went wide as she looked around the room, realising she was in a bed and not sinking. God, she thought, she was supposed to be dead.

Her hands went to her waist in a panic and Lia understood. "You're okay now," she assured her, though from the looks of it, it didn't seem like things were entirely okay with her. 

"Where am I?" The girl asked, "How did I get here?"

"You're in the healing quarters. I was your assigned healer. You were brought in by some guards. They said you had just washed up on the shore, unconscious. Do you remember what happened?"

"I was.. sinking. I had been tied to weight- how did I get out?" The girl seemed to be questioning herself. She didn't want to say that she had given up so she could drown to her death back in the sea. Who the hell had saved her?

"I'm afraid no one knows that," Lia huffed. "Let me get you water while you gather your wits."

She watched the healer- Lia- get up and rush to the jug that lay on the table across the room, filling a glass and rushing back, handing it to her, helping her up a little. She took a sip- and gulped the entire glass in seconds. She was very thirsty.

"What's your name?" Lia asked.

What was her name?  She almost panicked before a tendril of memory flowed in her brain, and she managed to say it.

"Yena. My name is Yena." She nodded. It felt right on her tongue. But something was wrong. "I can't... remember my surname. I can't remember anything-" Panic washed over her as she clenched her hair in her fists.

Lia rubbed her back. "It might come back in a few days. It's okay, Yena. You can rest here, let me call the Head Healer so she can examine you. If you're okay, you can go today!"

"Where will I go?" Yena asked, and Lia knew it was a question directed at herself. "Where's my home? Do I have a home?" Her head fell down. She was in trouble.

"Just- wait." Lia took off and Yena fell back on her pillows. Her heart beat wildly.

In a moment, the Head Healer, an old woman with flowing white hair was all over her, inspecting her everywhere. She asked her a few questions in order to rock her memory but to no avail. 

"Well, my dear," the Head began, "I think you're well enough to go. I'll do a little research on your condition and call on you. You can stay in one of the guest rooms, I'll send a guard with you. Try not to roam around the castle, will you? You could easily get lost."

"The... castle?" 

"Oh. We're in Prince Yunho's castle. I guess you wouldn't know that."

Prince Yunho. Yunho, Prince of Water. Yena jerked as a flash of plain in her head blinded her momentarily. It looked like she remembered something. 

Soon, a guard clad in navy blue uniform came to escort her to the said guest room. She had to go past several rooms and compartments, take stairs down twice before they arrived.

"This is where the guests stay," the guard mumbled. "There's a dining hall down this corridor where you'll get your meals."

Yena quietly thanked the guard and went into her room. It was pretty much empty save for the furniture. There was no sign of someone having lived here. She figured when she left, there would be no signs left either since she had no personal belongings for now.

Yena ran her fingers across the couch, her eyes taking in the queen sized bed. A desk and a chair lay in a corner, with a few papers stacked with a few pens in a box. She lit the candles; it was getting dark. Peeking out of the window, she sucked in her breath in surprise. 

Gardens stretched as  far as she could see; fresh green grass, trees lining the castle wing, flowers blooming in a few decorative patterns throughout. She opened the window and could hear the sound of the distant waves and could smell the salt of it.

She shut the window, going to check the toilet. It had a bathtub, but she shivered.

She wouldn't be using that for a while now.

Wondering if it was meal time, Yena walked across the hall, past the shut doors, taking in the scent of roast chicken and potatoes. Her mouth watered a bit as she approached the dining hall; several long tables stretching, the room lit by a chandelier as well as candles. 

A few people and more guards were seated on the tables. No one noticed her as she seated herself in the corner after taking a scoopful of potatoes and a big piece of chicken from the kitchen itself. She figured she would enjoy the food and worry later. Her stomach needed something solid after days of having only water.

She bit in, and god, was it delicious. She was suddenly hit by how familiar it tasted. She inwardly smiled, applauding herself.

Nice acting.

As she ate, she recalled what had happened- Prince Yunho had somehow saved her. She had to find out how he knew to save her. And she had to find out what day it was. Asap.

After finishing her meal, she randomly asked a guard what date it was today, and as he told her, she almost fell on her knees right there. It took all her effort to thank him and go to her room, where she collapsed on the floor.

24th April. 

The Grand Feast had been on... 15th May.

She had made a huge, huge mistake- but maybe this was meant to happen.

For now, she had to find out how Yunho had known to save her, and befriend him by one means or another so he would take her with him to Seonghwa's home, after which they would leave for Antares a week before 15th May.

Where she would ask Seonghwa to look into her memories. 

But for now, she had to figure out if Prince Yunho somehow recognized her the way San and everyone else had. And she had to plan the future. 

Yena took a pen and a notebook and started scribbling.

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

The next morning when she awoke, she figured it was quite early. The sun seemed to be rising. 

Or was it setting? She almost panicked. It had to be sunrise.

She went to the toilet, and while washing her hands, she looked at the mirror and jolted at the reflection. 

She had forgotten what she looked like. 

Her grey eyes were dull. There was a mole on her nose that she thought was a spot and tried rubbing off. There was one beneath her right eye. Her hair was a dull blonde too. 

Or maybe it was the lack of light making her look dull.

She sighed, going out of her room but halting when she found a package at the doorstep, with a note. It was a pearl white plain gown from Lia, promising she would get her something nicer later.

She appreciated the gesture, and she realised while changing into it that she had forgotten that she had no clothes. After she deemed herself presentable, she decided she would like a walk in the empty gardens very much.

It took her a few wrong turns until she finally reached the exit by following one of the guards. The fresh air tingled her nose and blew her hair away from her face as she walked, taking in the scenery. Her eyes felt like they were being healed, and she was glad for the lack of people.

Only a few minutes had passed when she heard someone humming. She looked left and right, but there was no bush to hide behind, and the source of sound was already here.

It was Yunho, dressed the most casually she had ever seen on him. His eyes fell on her, and Yena wondered if he would tell her that he had saved her.

For a moment, they stared at each other, taking in each other's presence. His ears raised a bit as he finally smiled. "What are you doing here?"

"Just walking- do you know me?" Yena suddenly asked. It was the way he had said that, as if he knew who she was.

"Oh, no I don't. Should I?" He cocked his head.

"No, it's just... nothing. I was in an accident and now I remember nothing. Since I had nothing better to do, I decided to walk."

She could have sworn something flashed in his dark eyes as he said, "Oh, that's unfortunate. I'll help you if I can. It must be hard. I-"

They heard the sounds of various footsteps rushing towards them and for a moment, Yena panicked and looked at the male. But he was grinning, and he said, "I'll see you later" as he ran away from her.

The guards soon followed, shouting at each other and she caught some words.

Naughty prince.

Always manages to sneak out.

We're here to protect his ass.

Yena stifled a laugh. It was Yunho, alright. Carefree Yunho. One of the people following him was Woosung- she recognized him from the breakfast they had together in Hongjoong's palace.

She had a feeling of hope- it looked like he did recognise her, somehow he did. Maybe he felt she was familiar. Maybe her magic reached out to him.

An idea struck Yena- she knew what she had to do.

—------------------------

It was with no surprise when Yena found out that her now full wardrobe and dressing had been a courtesy of the Prince.

She had been walking in the gardens and exploring more of the library, refreshing her existing memories, and when she came back, she found a woman arranging her clothes. At first, she had almost said that this was a mistake, but then the woman turned, explaining the Prince had sent her to take care of Yena. 

How the Prince and this woman came to know of her name, the question was clear as day on her face. The woman let out a little laugh as she said, "News travels fast. Everyone in this castle heard of a young faerie washing up on the shore. It's not everyday we get that."

Yena nodded. That made sense. 

"I'm the person assigned to take care of your needs. I'll come every morning to help you dress up and all, give you company, the usual. You can call me Yeji."

Yena observed the woman. She was taller than her by a good few inches, her slender figure mostly hidden in the sky blue gown she had seen other court members wear too. Her black hair was tied in a bun, and her brown upturned eyes twinkled as she spoke. 

"I don't think you need to- I mean, I can manage on my own." Yena thought she should have worded it better, but Yeji seemed to understand.

"Oh please, you insult the Prince if you reject his hospitality."

"Is that so?" Yena raised an eyebrow. 

"I almost forgot, dear," Yeji turned, "You are to meet the Prince tomorrow after you meet the healers."

Yena almost stumbled on her feet as she was going to sit on the desk, trying her best to appear nonchalant as she asked why exactly did she need to meet the Prince.

"I shouldn't, but to put it simply," Yeji said, shutting the cupboard close and facing her, "You are a threat. You could very well be a spy pretending to be a victim of some unfortunate incident."

"Well," Yena cleared her throat. "Do spies travel here with a weight tied to their waist and almost drown to their death before being saved by a random soul?"

"I guess some are more creative than the others," Yeji grinned and Yena let out a laugh, realising this was her first time laughing in a long time. "But it's a valid point, and he must have looked into your background or something. His Highness must have some questions."

"Doesn't he keep some people for questioning?" Yena wondered. Yeji narrowed her eyes at her, waving a hand in dismissal as she waved bye and went out.

Well, she thought. Something to look forward to.

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

Yena woke up with a jolt- she must have had a bad dream. She was drenched in sweat, and she felt sticky. So she got up from her bed, running to the shower. It was morning anyway, and Yeji would probably soon be here.

She let the warm water relax the unexplainable tension in her body. After scrubbing with the lemon scented soap she found, she got out of the shower and dried her hair with a towel. Wrapping herself in a towel for now, wearing only her underclothes, she sat in front of the window, letting the sunlight dry her hair. 

Yena looked at her notes- trying to figure out what she could do without disturbing the timeline much. The Yena of the present should be in San's company. She kind of wanted to go to Altarf and give them both a scare.

A knock sounded before Yeji entered, smiling too brightly so early in the morning. "Good morning, dear."

"Dear? Good morning to you too," Yena smiled. It seemed like Yeji was fond of using such terms to refer to her. 

"Let me dress you."

Despite her objections, Yena was dragged in front of the vanity, dressed in a deep purple silk gown with flowers in black embroidered on it. Yena was left to stare at her pale face as Yeji twisted her hair and pulled it back, leaving the rest flowing in gentle waves framing her face.

When Yeji was finally done fussing over her- and reminding her again and again that she should smile more because her constant frowns gave the wrong impressions- she was escorted by the guard to the healers first, and then up several levels before she reached two large brown doors slightly open. She didn't dare peek.

"Your Highness?"

"Come in," the familiar voice said. The guard opened the door for her and she took a deep breath before walking inside. 

The room must have been for the Prince's entertainment; there were several tables, some meant for games. Cards were strewn across one of them, dice on the other. The Prince himself was seated on a very comfortable looking velvet sofa, the maroon of it emphasising what she assumed was his royal clothing; a dark blue uniform with silver accessories and belt.

"Have a seat, Yena," he pointed at the sofa in front of him and Yena did so, bowing before she seated. "I heard you lost your memories?"

"It seems so, Your Highness," she answered, straightening her dress and willing herself to stop fidgeting. "All I can remember is bits and pieces."

"Do you remember where you are from?" The look in his eyes was that of curiosity and mild amusement as he cocked his head.

"I don't, but Fomalhault seemed familiar to me; I was refreshing my history."

"And what of your magic?"

There. What she was trying to avoid thinking of.

"I don't think I remember," Yena was staring at her hands as if waiting for a hint. 

"That's a pity," the Prince fell back on his sofa, "That would have been an obvious clue. Do you remember... me?"

Yena frowned. Had she heard him correctly?

"You're the one who saved me, right?" Yena asked, and she saw Yunho's eyes flash- considering if he should tell her or not.

"I had the strangest dream, and something urged me to go to the beach and in the water, where I found you drowning with a weight tied to your waist," Yunho said, and Yena was surprised he told her. "Your magic... it seems familiar."

Yena gulped. Yunho... It looked like her plan was about to change.

"What if I told you that I am Kang Yena of Space?"

Yunho almost fell from his seat- she did look like him- Yeosang. And her magic, it felt familiar. As if reaching out to him. "How can I believe you?"

"Well, I have the birthmark," Yena said, turning and drawing her dress back to show Yunho the red burn like mark on her shoulder blade, and Yunho stifled a gasp. "You do recognize it, don't you?"

"I do, but... how are you here?"

"It's a long story, Yunho," Yena sighed, and with the familiarity she had said his name, he knew it was.

"I have time," he sat back, staring at her.

Yena told him then- told him the stories he had told her about the princes. Told him she came from the future- showed him a portal through which she threw a dice at him. Told him that he needed to take her to Hamal, where Seonghwa would be able to verify her claims, and where she could show him of the times they had spent together.

"So Seonghwa.... died in the future?" Yunho rubbed a hand over his face. "And you've come back to save him, but accidentally ended up here?"

"I think when it comes to time travel, some mistakes are meant to happen," Yena said, "I think it's no coincidence that you knew to find me- maybe someone planted this dream in you. Maybe... 'water has memories', right? Wooyoung told me that."

"Oh my god," Yunho shook his head. "Who killed Seonghwa?"

"I have reasons to believe it may be someone from his own court, or maybe even your court. We can't trust anyone- be aware of everyone, please."

"Even you?" Yunho said.

"Once you remember me, I am gonna slap you, Yunho Bear," Yena glared at him, making him look at her with his eyes wide.

"Yunho Bear?"

"You'll know," Yena waved a hand at him. "When do we leave for Hamal?"

"I was meant to go in 5 days," Yunho said. 

"I guess it's just you and me then for the 5 days," she smirked. Yunho felt a good form of dread creep up on him.

"You sound too much like Yeosang, you know? I don't quite believe it yet, but god, if you're Kang Yena... Where have you been all this time, Yena?"

"Oh you'll hear the stories when you reach Antares," Yena waved a hand at him, "Or... are you good at acting?"

"I'm the best," Yunho grinned.

That was how Yena ended up telling him he better be excellent at acting, because when they reach Antares, he'll have to pretend to be seeing that Yena for the first time.

"I'm really curious about what sort of a plan we cooked, because if I am in the past," Yena explained, "that means Seonghwa also knew me. Oh my god, my brain is turning to mush."

"Tell me about it," he said. "How did we seem back then?"

"Like you had a secret," Yena admitted. "You didn't speak much, and I wondered why because you were supposed to be the loud funny person. Probably because you were busy thinking about the 'me' here. And Seonghwa... he couldn't stop staring at me during the first dinner we had together- my appetite almost ruined because of him-"

Yunho let out a pfft and Yena continued, "He even showed me the memory of us when we were children, and he acted... like he knew me. Like, he was 4 when I got kidnapped, right?"

Yunho nodded, "So he shouldn't have remembered much of you."

"Exactly," Yena clapped. "He acted like he knew me, that sneaky bastard."

"You acting like you know me right now is very weird too," Yunho said.

"Get used to it. We have 5 days, Yunho, and we need to make sure if your court members are innocent. You only brought Ryujin and Woosung to Antares. I saw Woosung yesterday, and he can't be Junyoung-"

"I still can't get over the fact that Junyoung is alive-"

"Because I didn't feel the magic from him, so it must not be him. I'll check Ryujin tomorrow- but they could be accomplices too. I want you to look into their background, look into where they have been the past few months."

"I don't like the idea of taking orders from you," Yunho said, kicking her leg lightly.

"I wish I was older than you too, so I could pull rank."

"Good thing you're not," Yunho grinned.

"Anyways, you better show me around Sheratan too. I won't miss this opportunity- who knows if I'll ever be able to come back here again?"

"Alright, alright," Yunho laughed at her endless demands. "We'll do everything, princess, just let me sleep in peace for tonight."

"Princess?" Yena laughed.

"Aren't you?" Yunho smirked.

"Are you mocking me?" Yena glared at him.

"No, it's just... I believe you, I feel that it's true, but I suppose I won't feel entirely okay with this until Seonghwa tells me it's okay. I might have lost it, you know. This might be a delusion. You're real, aren't you?"

"You did lose it," Yena laughed, pinching his arm to tell him she was real alright. "Sleep. Tomorrow we start working."

—----------------------------

"This reminds me of Altarf," Yena smiled.

"Does it?" Yunho asked, glancing at the marketplace in front of him.

Yena had managed to convince Yunho to take her sightseeing around Sheratan, and though Yunho had insisted that Sheratan was a simple city with a beach the only attraction, Yena had enjoyed walking through the green streets- she could see the hills in the distance, which Yunho explained lined the borders of Hamal. The city and its people were warm, and there was a homey feel to it.

Yunho treated her to street food, which again, reminded her of her time back in Altarf- she missed Sana and Mingyu. She wondered if she would make friends here too- seeing how suspicious she was of everyone lately, including sweet Yeji and even sweeter Lia, she wanted to slap herself for doubting such angels.

The whole day, they walked around the city while Yunho told her of the history of this land, how the people themselves had built everything from scratch and now proudly dwelled, how Yunho had helped provide them material, made sure they had fresh water, made it rain when they wished for it during the dry season, etc. Yena told him he was a very decent prince, and told him of the stories she had heard back in Fomalhaut- the Prince of Water who could kill you from the water that ran in your body. Yunho only laughed at that, but seeing how he did not deny it, Yena had to gulp to settle herself.

She also told him that people suspected he had gills to help him breathe underwater- at which point they both had to stop walking because they were laughing too hard.

As they talked more about the Kingdom of Aries, Yunho told her Mesarthim was 'the real deal'- built of several islands, they were all joined into one, connected by several hundred bridges. He told her the real beauty lied there, and Yena said that if he was so insistent on praising its beauty, he could take her there too before they went to Hamal.

And he did- the very next day. It truly was the city of water- the people travelled by boats, and Yunho told her the architecture of it was inspired from Venice on Earth. Yena asked if he would ever like to go to Earth, and with a devilish smile, he said that since she could portal so well, maybe they could have a vacation there one day. And for a second, Yena thought she was talking to the Yunho she had grown closer to in Antares.

After spending the two days leisurely, they spent the next two digging information on Ryujin- turned out she was as normal as she could be, and she hadn't stepped a foot out of the castle unless Yunho send her or an errand- which, as the Prince's Right Hand, was rare. And Woosung was a very kind soul- as the Captain of Guard, he was usually busy. Yena felt sorry for them both so she tried talking to them, and found out that they were as humorous as Yunho, if not more. Yena loved them, and spent much time in their company.

The very last day- or rather, night, since Yunho had been busy wrapping up everything at the castle, Yena heard a knock on her door. 

"Are you busy?" Yunho asked, entering. He was clad in a simple black T-shirt and jeans, looking very casual. And comfortable. 

"Not really," Yena said, putting her notes aside. She had figured out what she had to do. 

Yunho glanced at the notes, frowning at her indecipherable writing. "I can write better in my sleep."

"I'm sure you can," Yena shook her head, "What's up?"

"We're leaving tomorrow morning," Yunho said, and Yena nodded. "I hope you've packed."

"Oh, I have," Yena said.

"Then get up. Let's go to the beach."

"Someone's in a good mood," Yena grinned, glancing down at her clothes. She was wearing a navy shirt with flared trousers. Good enough. Donning her slippers, she followed him out.

It was almost midnight, but the city was lit thanks to the purple sun. "The moon glows brighter here," Yena observed.

Yunho noticed the term she had used- only the princes called it 'the moon'. "Thanks to Seonghwa."

"Nice," Yena said, kicking pebbles as they walked, the beach growing closer in sight. It looked like the beach was well lit too-

"Wow!" Yena ran in the sand towards the shore, her eyes wide as she gaped.

Yunho laughed, "The Topaz Sea. Quite a sight, isn't it!"

"Yes!" The sea reflected like gold- it looked like fireflies over the sea, and she was reminded of Antares- this truly was Hongjoong's sea, "It's beautiful."

"You've seen the Diamond Sea, right?" Yunho asked, and Yena told her that she had- it had been the first sea she had seen.

They walked along the shore, the waves washing over their feet. "Hongjoong told me that during the previous feast here, when they all came to the beach, you made sure they couldn't surf and they ended up tasting sea water in their mouth for three days straight," Yena recalled with a grin, making Yunho laugh.

"How could I miss the opportunity? They asked for it, if I have to say."

"Oh please," Yena said, "Don't justify your evilness."

Yunho waved a hand and a spray of water hit her face, making her gasp. "Jeong Yunho!"

Yunho only laughed as Yena bent to cup water in her hand and throw it at him- only it hit his shirt instead of his face, making him laugh harder.

"You giant!" Yena bent again, this time throwing water with both of her hands through a portal, making his hair quite wet. He stood, surprised.

"How did you do that?" He asked.

"Portal, baby," Yena smirked, throwing another handful of water on his face. 

A smile creeped over Yunho and he sent a bigger spray on her, wetting her hair too. They went back and forth, doubling over in laughter, until Yunho raised a hand and Yena almost had a heart attack as a huge wave towered over her, waiting for the order.

Yena was quicker- before it could fall on her, she portaled, grabbing Yunho and portaling back to where she stood previously, resulting in the wave falling on them both, Yunho caught by surprise, coughing because he inhaled the water.

"A taste of my own medicine," he laughed, but caught Yena by surprise as he threw her over his shoulder, going deeper into the water as she kicked and screamed, and threw her in.

"I'm gonna time travel your ass to when you're old and wrinkly," Yena threatened, drenched with water now. Yunho, feeling victorious, laughed proudly but helped her get back to shore, and to her surprise, Yena found out that he could dry the water off her in an instant too.

"Since Ryujin and Woosung are innocent," Yena began, "That can only mean it's either Soyeon or Jinki."

"Do you think Jinki could be Junyoung?" Yunho asked.

"Junyoung is supposed to have amber eyes and black hair," Yena said, "the Jinki I know had brown eyes and red hair. It could be an illusion- but I think he's more likely to be an accomplice than Junyoung himself."

"But," Yunho turned towards her, "Now that the black magic is out of your mind, you should be able to sense Junyoung, right? What if he's able to mask his magic?"

"That's the thing," Yena sighed, "Even if Jinki is Junyoung- and I don't believe he is, I've known him since we were children- he could easily confuse me into thinking he's innocent. Same goes for Soyeon- she could be an accomplice and we'd never know."

"How are we supposed to figure it out?" Yunho stretched his neck.

"Back in the previous timeline," Yena started to realise. "Seoho- Jinki acted like he'd seen me for the first time. He really was surprised. If I'm meant to go to Seonghwa's castle, that means he never saw me there. How is that possible?"

"Maybe he won't be in the castle," Yunho suggested, "Or maybe we keep you hidden from him. What do you think?"

"I don't know, but what I'm sure of is that at no cost should Soyeon or Jinki see me. How do we do that?"

"I might have an idea," Yunho said, explaining his plan. Yena agreed that it was the only way it could work.

They sat on the sand then, staring at the two suns in comfortable silence for a long time, each clearing their own head before they decided to go back.

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

The next day, along with Ryujin and Woosung, they went to Hamal. Yunho instructed the two that under no circumstances were they to tell anyone that Yena had been in their company- they had to act like there was no Yena. 

Yunho had sent a message to Seonghwa- how it reached Seonghwa before they reached him, Yena didn't know, and despite her insistence, Yunho didn't tell her. It had to be some secret way they communicated, and since he said 'he couldn't exactly trust Yena fully', Yena had to stop asking. But she did remind him that if she was a 'spy' or whoever he thought she was, he had fallen right into her bait. Yunho told her that saying such things only made him more suspicious of her, but he couldn't hide his smile.

When they reached Hamal, which was a journey of barely two hours, Yunho and Yena dropped off the carriage, letting Ryujin and Woosung go ahead, saying if anyone asked, he had 'some business in the market'.

What they actually did was wear cloaks and try to move without attracting attention, though Yena couldn't help but look around in awe. Hamal was much like Sheratan, but colder thanks to the frosted mountains of Bharani she could see. 

Yunho told her that every castle had a secret path that led to the prince's room that only the prince himself could access, and to his surprise, Yena told him she had seen the one in San's castle. They approached Seonghwa's castle then, the two circling the wall of the castle until they arrived outside the keep, where Yena portaled them inside, and the two sneaked all the way to where Seonghwa had told Yunho he would be waiting, hiding behind trees and trying their best not to giggle as they purposely pushed each other whenever a guard came.

Yena was feeling extremely nervous during the few minutes they waited, and Yunho noticed her fidgeting. It was as if she had finally realised that Seonghwa was alive and would appear in front of her in a few minutes.

"You... care for Seonghwa, don't you?" Yunho asked, surprising Yena.

"I do," Yena admitted. "I came back for him. But I would have done the same for any of you."

"How did we take it- when he... died there?"

Yena glanced at Yunho- it was like he, too, finally believed that Seonghwa had indeed died in the future. "I think the only reason you all took it better was because of the hope that by morning there, he would be alive. You all... I can't imagine what it must have felt like," she shook her head. "I've only known you all for a short amount of time, but... you understand, don't you."

"I do," Yunho said, "And I want to thank you for doing this for us."

"No need for a thanks," Yena smiled. "It's what I was meant to do."

At that moment, a passage opened in the wall and she heard the familiar voice say 'hurry!'. Yunho helped Yena up, entering the tunnel, and before Yena could catch a glimpse of Seonghwa, the door to the passage shut, making it utterly dark.

"I think you forgot that you're the only one with night vision," Yunho commented, noticing the lack of light- and the fact he hadn't even brought a candle with him.

"Sorry," Seonghwa said, taking Yunho's hand in his. "Grab her hand, I'll lead you."

Yena grabbed Yunho's hand and they walked slowly, and the only thought plaguing Yena's mind was that he was alive, he was alive and well. He was here.

Walking in silence, they finally started to see light pour from the room after about two minutes. Finally, they entered the room- which belonged to the Prince, and Yena looked at Seonghwa.

It felt like she had forgotten his face and had just seen it for the first time- after all, she did spend about 5 months without him. His black bangs were swept back, leaving strands on his forehead, his grey eyes dark as he stared back.

"This is Kang Yena of Space," Yunho said, "Or at least that's what she says."

"The only reason I allowed this," Seonghwa's voice was cold, "Is because of you, Yunho. If it turns out that she is lying, I won't hesitate to throw her in the dungeon, or worse."

Every word hit like a punch. Yena frowned as she said, "You could just look into my memories, you know-"

"I won't," Seonghwa said, "Some people are able to manipulate memories, so you can forget about that."

Yena looked at Yunho- their plan was falling apart. "I think you should hear my story first before you make such decisions, Prince."

"Alright," he said, "Have a seat."

Yena told him as briefly as she could about all that had happened in the previous timeline. "You remembered me, Seonghwa," she said as she neared the end, "You showed me the memories of our childhood that I had forgotten. You knew about my birthmark on my shoulder-" Seonghwa paled as he heard of that, and Yena, satisfied, continued, "You helped heal me, helped remove the magic that had violated me. You died, and you told me to travel back in time to save you. I spent months with Hongjoong and Yeosang in that alternate dimension to master that magic."

"You have to admit it makes sense," Yunho said, and Yena silently thanked him.

"And you can't deny that you feel the familiarity of my magic," Yena challenged.

"Alright, but it will take some time for me to wrap all of this around my head," Seonghwa sighed, rubbing his face. 

"Fine," Yena said, "I still don't understand why you won't just look into my memories. We could go back to being normal-"

"I met you for the first time today, in case you forgot," Seonghwa reminded her. She had indeed forgotten. She realised it then- to him, she was a stranger. To her, he was...

"You said we should suspect Soyeon and Jinki," Seonghwa asked.

"They cannot see me under any circumstances, or else the timeline could change in irreversible ways."

"The only place they don't come in is my room," he said, "And my parent's room. I don't feel like letting you stay in either one of them."

"You know what?" Yena sighed in frustration. "I can't wait to tell Yeosang about this."

Yunho snorted, but Seonghwa was having none of it. "I'll mask your powers and you can stay in my parent's room, just... don't touch anything."

"Right," Yena muttered. 

This was going to be hard.

—--------------------

After an extremely quiet and awkward dinner, Seonghwa showed Yena to his parent's room, which was right next to his own room. The living room where they just had dinner was where she was allowed as well, but he strictly told her not to leave these two rooms, and not to enter his'. 

Upon entering, Yena noticed that the room looked abandoned. It seemed like all their belongings had been packed in the various boxes she saw lining one of the walls in the room. The bed was king-sized, to her pleasure. There was a dressing in one corner, and a bathing chamber attached to the room. She hadn't brought anything with her, except some basic necessities in a shoulder bag that she had brought in Sheratan, so Seonghwa said she could use his mother's dresses, since he couldn't exactly go out shopping for women's clothes without looking suspicious.

She had less than two weeks here before they went to Antares. Two weeks to make Seonghwa open up for her and just have a look at the memories they had made. She prayed that once he looked, he would remember her too, though she knew it was impossible. It made her wonder if seeing her memories here would be the reason why Seonghwa would be like that towards the Yena in Antares- like he knew her from before. 

Her heart clenched when she recalled the memories they had made in Antares from this perspective- he had healed her the most willingly, he had shown her the memories so willingly as well, and... Yena didn't want to feel like a fool saying it but...

He looked at her differently. Differently than the other princes.

And the reason he did could very well be because of how they would be spending the two weeks together.

Yena couldn't quite sleep that night.

~

Seonghwa knew it was Kang Yena from the moment he saw her.

And he wanted to beat himself over how rude and what an absolute jerk he had been to the Lost Princess, to his childhood friend. And he knew Yeosang would be disappointed in him when he learned of his behaviour towards her.

But... he also recognized her from elsewhere. The girl in her dreams, the one that told him that she would save him.

He didn't know what to think, how to make sense of all that she had said and all that he knew. 

He didn't know what to do, and how to feel about all of this. And most importantly, he couldn't dismiss the tugging at his heart that began as soon as she had arrived. It was making him anxious.

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

Two days later, Seonghwa finally agreed to do whatever needed to be done- he had been busy the whole day apparently, though Yena was suspicious if it was because he was avoiding her. After Yena had breakfast, she sat in the living room with Yunho and Seonghwa,  the latter staring at her non-stop.

"You know," Yena began, running a hand through her hair. "It's rude to stare."

"Just tell me what needs to be done," he said.

"Well, for starters, you need to look into Soyeon and Jinki's background- I know much of Jinki's background-"

"You do?" Seonghwa asked, surprised. She hadn't mentioned anything about it yesterday.

"He's Seoho. He has earth magic, or so he says- I've never seen him actually use his magic. Anyways, we used to live in Fomalhaut. Then he left everything behind and moved here, where he became your Right Hand."

"Soyeon grew up in the castle," Seonghwa said, watching Yunho who was playing with one of the pieces of chess lazily, "Her parents passed away when she was little. She lives with the healers now- girls her age. She can't be an accomplice. As for Jinki, he's never given me a reason not to trust him and depend on him."

"It would be better if you make sure," Yena said.

"Somehow, I don't like the idea of taking orders from you," Seonghwa narrowed his eyes.

Yunho clapped, "That's exactly what I said."

"Yet you're here," Seonghwa raised his brow, and Yunho smiled sheepishly.

"Anyways," Yena cleared her throat. "Just look into their background, make sure there's nothing suspicious. I can only meet Jinki face to face when we're in Antares- he won't suspect anything then. I can't take the risk of meeting him here."

"Okay," Seonghwa said, "Suppose they're clear. Then what?"

"Then... it's going to get complicated. Then it would mean we have to suspect everyone in Antares other than the princes."

"And you," Yunho said.

"Obviously," Yena muttered.

"What if the same thing happens again?" Seonghwa put one leg over another, "What if you fail?"

"Then I'll have to try again."

Seonghwa stared at her, and Yena stared back. "I don't know what to do," he sighed. "I don't know if I should trust you."

"It's about your life," Yena groaned, "Why do you think I spent months practising time travel? Why do you think I even made an effort?" When Seonghwa didn't reply, Yena said, "It's because of you. I care for you, even when you're being a hot-headed stubborn uptight bastard. If you want to be lazy and don't want to believe me, fine. You can go to Antares and die."

"Yena-" Yunho began.

"If you can't wrap your head around the fact that somebody cared enough to travel back in time, risking everything, just so they could prevent your untimely death-" Yena breathed, getting up, Seonghwa's eyes wide, "Just-" Yena threw her hands in the air and groaned loudly, going in her room and making sure she slammed the door hard enough.

Yunho clapped. "You're really stupid sometimes, you know that Seonghwa?"

"Shut up," Seonghwa sighed, falling back on the sofa and staring at the ceiling. "I'll look into them both," he finally muttered.

"Good," Yunho said, getting up, "And do be a little civil with Yena. It seems like she's been through a lot. And she's right- Yeosang would be disappointed in you if he knew how you've been behaving with her."

"Thanks for the reminder," Seonghwa shook his head. "I've been having strange dreams, Yunho."

"Strange dreams? About what?"

"About what she's saying will happen," Seonghwa put his face in his hands. "That's why it's hard for me to wrap all of this around my head. I've been having dreams of Hongjoong pointing his sword at me and telling me to kneel. Then I was dead, lying in a bed with blue roses around me... it's weird because she told us this would happen."

"I had a dream too," Yunho admitted, and Seonghwa looked at him, "When I found her, she was drowning with a boulder tied to her waist. I had a dream about it- it's how I saved her. She is Yena, and if she died that day..."

"In my dream, she told me to tell her to save me. She told me to tell her that she should time travel."

Yunho sighed audibly, "It's complicated, isn't it? How did we know? Why did we have those dreams?" 

"I don't know..." Seonghwa pushed his hair back. "Tell her I'll check into both of them."

"If she comes out," Yunho stared at the door.

Inside, Yena rolled around in the bed, almost crying out of frustration, cursing herself because she time travelled wrong. If she had just travelled a day ago, she could have prevented everything, and everyone would have carried on with their lives.

But apparently... that wasn't meant to be.

All day, Yena worked on making sense of the timeline- and then there was the thing with Yunho dreaming about saving her. It could have been because of the water memories, but she felt dread every time she thought of the possibility of another timeline- that would mean she made a mistake in this one too.

She wished Yeosang was here. Or Hongjoong- they would know what to do. So Yena cried for the moments she might never have back.

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

It was night time when a knock sounded on the door, but Yena didn't stir. Seonghwa opened the door silently, peeking in.

She looked like she was sleeping.

Seonghwa entered with a tray of food in his hand- it was already embarrassing to be asking for extra food with the excuse that 'he was working out so got hungry more'; the ladies in the kitchen had blushed and giggled, which was mortifying.

All my effort for nothing, he thought. He would wake her up- she didn't have lunch either.

Seonghwa set the tray on the side table, sitting on the bed where Yena was sprawled, her face covered with her hair, a notebook lying near with indecipherable scribbles over it. 

Seonghwa was about to call her name when he noticed the scar on her wrist- both the wrists- twin scars, like she had shackles-

If she really was Kang Yena, she had been through hell, it seemed. It looked like her scars were left untreated. She had told him briefly about her being a captive and the block in her memory and magic, saying he would learn the details later, but it looked like these scars were a reminder of that.

Kang Yena... he thought. The Princess who kept captive for years, violated in ways he couldn't imagine.

Yet she was here- for him.

Yena stirred, and Seonghwa cleared his throat, calling her name. She opened one eye.

How was she so comfortable around him? It looked like she really did know him.

"I brought food," he said, "You shouldn't be skipping your meals."

"I'm not hungry-"

"I brought food, so you should eat," Seonghwa insisted, and she rolled her eyes, sitting now as Seonghwa handed her the tray, and she drank water. "I'm looking into them both."

"Glad to hear," Yena said, taking a bite of the rice. Seonghwa watched her eat. Even her eating habits were similar to Yeosang- even when they had grown up apart.

"I think I believe you," Seonghwa managed to say, and Yena looked up. "I... I had dreams. I saw you before you came."

"You had dreams? Oh no."

Seonghwa frowned, but he told her about the dream. Yena sighed, realising that they were indeed going to make a mistake in this timeline, which she had to prevent. Or-

She could attempt time travel right now- but would they be able to catch Junyoung? Just how powerful was he supposed to be?

Yena finished her food as she processed all this information, and finally said, "Suppose that Junyoung- with his illusion magic and whatnot, got the same training as you princes. Suppose he grew powerful- worthy of being the 9th Prince. Just how powerful do you think he could be?"

Seonghwa blinked. "We are very powerful, as you probably know?"

"I've already heard about how you can make a person go blind in broad daylight and kill him by giving him nightmares in the day."

Seonghwa let out a short laugh, surprising the both of them, "That's not true- but that's creative. I'll have to try it one day."

Yena gulped. "Suppose you had to kill one of the princes- suppose you had to kill, I don't know. Hongjoong. How would you do it?"

"He's the Prince of Light, so me being his opposite... we're equals. I'd need more than just myself- probably help from one- maybe two or even more princes."

"Right," Yena nodded. "That means we can't kill Junyoung- not with just the three of us. Or can we? We need to do some research on General Lee's magic."

"We have records in the library."

"Let's go," Yena said. 

"You too? Isn't it risky?"

"You just have to sneak me in," Yena said, "I can portal back here then."

Seonghwa thought for a second, before saying, "Alright. It's a private library anyway, so it'll only be the two of us, but- if you see anyone coming or hear-"

"I will portal right back," Yena promised.

Seonghwa stared at her for a second. "Fine."

"Sweet," she said, getting up and going to the vanity to tie her hair back, "I needed fresh air anyway."

Seonghwa shook his head, but a faint smile was creeping up on his face.

—-------------------

Seonghwa had the ability to turn himself into a shadow.

Seonghwa had the ability to turn others into a shadow too.

"Can't I somehow learn this?" Yena whispered as they were walking to the library, and Seonghwa shushed her in warning. "I'd like to creep up on people like this."

"You could use your portals for that."

"I can't really eavesdrop through a portal now, can I?"

"God really knew who to give this power to, it seems," Seonghwa said in a mocking tone, making Yena grin.

They reached the library, entering through the steel doors. Yena didn't forget to bring a single candle and matchsticks, since Seonghwa had night vision and wouldn't even need light to read.

"It looks like it's been rebuilt well," Yena commented. Upon seeing Seonghwa's confused face, she explained, "Didn't San once wreck your library because Yunho gave him a little scare?"

For a second, Seonghwa forgot how she knew about this before it hit him, "Oh yes. I made him take care of the damage."

"Serves him right," Yena grinned, following Seonghwa to another room in the library, which he told her could only be opened by the elemental magic- which meant the princes, and Yena asked if she could try opening it.

"It should recognise my magic, since I'm Yeosang's twin, right?"

"Technically, it should," Seonghwa stepped back, curious to see if it would work.

Yena put her hand on the door and sent tendrils of blue magic- exactly like Yeosang's- through the door.

For a second, Yena panicked because of the lack of response. 

Then the door opened with a groan, and Seonghwa had to stifle a gasp. "If I can open it," Yena said, "Can Junyoung open it too?"

"No," Seonghwa said, "When it was programmed, you were still here, I think. Or maybe it's because your magic is exactly like Yeosang's."

"Right," she sighed in relief. Seonghwa told her to start searching, and she put the candle on a table, looking at the few shelves.

It was going to be a long night.

~

"This says General Lee can mask scents of not only himself but others," Yena read from an old scroll, "You can do that too, can't you?"

"I can," Seonghwa said, not looking up from the thick book he was holding.

"When all of this is over," Yena said, "I'm gonna come over here and compile and categorise everything properly. You find only one piece of information after 10 books."

Seonghwa didn't comment on how she casually invited herself over here. "While you're at it, can you sort out the other library too?"

"Sure," Yena scoffed. "It's not like I'd have anything better to do, right?"

"Right," Seonghwa smiled faintly.

Yena smiled too, picking the other relevant book she had found. So far, they had learned in detail of the illusion magic and how it worked- as good as real was the basic conclusion of it. The extent of it was such that they could make you believe you lived in another world entirely. 

Dangerous. Very, very dangerous.

"'General Lee could make one believe he wasn't there when he was standing right in front of the person'," Seonghwa read from the book, "Doesn't that mean if Junyoung can do this, he might very well be here?"

"There should be some sort of a drawback if you read further," Yena said, "Not every magic is perfect."

Seonghwa shrugged and started reading, "It requires too much magic, and you can only do that for a few minutes when you're at your full energy."

"Wait," Yena shut her book, "That's what he did! When he killed you, and Hongjoong almost killed him, he disappeared. He could have done this- unless he can portal, but I didn't see a portal open. Or unless he can shapeshift into a microorganism... which is unlikely."

"Maybe he shapeshifted into a mosquito," Seonghwa shut the book. "Do you realise the opportunity you may have missed? All it would have taken is to crush him between your hands."

"Easy there," Yena fanned him. "I think we would have noticed if a mosquito appeared out of nowhere. We would have felt the magic."

"I still don't get why you can't just roam around the castle and search him out through your magic now that you can-"

"And risk creating a wormhole in time? I'd rather not," Yena sat back, "You do realise there are two Yena in this world right now?"

"I forgot," Seonghwa muttered.

"One Yena is with San right now. They'll meet Jongho and Wooyoung in that continent, and Wooyoung would tell her that she smells like Yeosang-"

"That's a very Wooyoung thing to say-"

"And then they'll go to Rukbat, because he smelled it on her. There, she'll find the house she was kept captive in, and realise that she is indeed, Kang Yena of Space. And then they'll go to Antares the day we go. You'll meet her there."

"How are we supposed to hide you from the Yena there?"

"Good question," Yena sighed, "I guess we'll see when we get there."

"We should really be thinking about that," Seonghwa said, going back to reading.

They spent another hour finding more information, until Yena said that he might be a night owl but she wasn't, and she portaled back to her room to sleep.

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

"So you're saying he can go completely invisible for a few minutes?" Yunho asked when they finished telling him what they found the next afternoon. "Does that mean he was right in front of us but we missed it?"

"Sadly, yes," Yena said, "And that means we have to somehow catch him before he can do that. Isn't there someone who can bind magic? He used those shackles to make Seonghwa unable to use his powers, the same way he did to me," Yena glanced at her wrists.

"I think if anyone might be able to do that, it's Hongjoong," Seonghwa said.

"That makes sense, since he erased the magic in me too. You should really try going in my head, Seonghwa. You'll feel remnants of your magic too."

"No thanks," Seonghwa shook his head, "I'm good."

"I still don't understand why you're refusing to let me show you the memories," Yena sighed. "If you're going to be stubborn, can't I show it to Yunho through you?"

"I'd like to see," Yunho raised his hand.

"It doesn't work that way," Seonghwa shook his head, and the two slumped, and Seonghwa thought he heard one of them mutter 'useless'. He decided to ignore it.

"Anyways," Yena began, "Why would Junyoung want to kill you? I don't understand."

Seonghwa and Yunho looked at each other. They hadn't thought about it either. 

"I mean, why you? Is it because your powers are similar? Or is it some sort of a twisted agenda where he begins with the oldest prince and works his way downwards?"

"It could be," Yunho agreed, "He must feel betrayed that we thought he was dead-"

"Why did you think he was dead?" Yena asked.

"He did die," Seonghwa said, "I remember some of it- he died- at least that's what we were made to think. That means someone replaced his body and used magic to make us think that it was Junyoung who died."

"But the only person who could have done that," Yunho was leaning forward now, "Is someone who shares the same blood."

"His uncle," Yena realised with a jolt. "Could he have done that?"

"General Lee's brother?" Seonghwa stared into the distance as he thought about it, "He did share some of his powers, but he was never as powerful."

"But was he powerful enough to make you all believe that it was Junyoung you buried, through his illusion magic?" Yena asked.

"Maybe he was," Seonghwa was nodding. It was definitely the only explanation they could think of.

Yena thought about the few memories she had when she was being kept captive, "General Lee's brother, Joon Hyuk, he- he wanted to rule this world alongside Junyoung. He was using Junyoung to do all those things to me, in hopes that I would turn to their side. He wanted the time magic from me, maybe to bring back General Lee."

"Is there a chance that Junyoung is not our enemy here?" Yunho wondered.

"Maybe," Yena said, "We should look for Joon Hyuk too. Maybe we've been looking for the wrong person this entire time? If their magic is the same, it's possible that we might be confusing them both."

Seonghwa sighed loudly, "Didn't he live in Rukbat?"

"Wooyoung said apparently he moved without leaving an address, so it's possible that he's hiding."

"What are the chances that they're still working together?" Yunho looked at Yena. "And what are the chances they're not working together anymore?"

"Junyoung would have come to us if he wasn't doing something wrong," Seonghwa sounded sure. "He should know we would have recognised him and welcomed him."

"Would he?" Yena wondered. "If you all found out that he was the reason Yeosang lived without a twin all those years, would he be welcome anymore?"

Seonghwa cocked his head as he looked at Yena, "Would you forgive him if he did come back?"

Yena pursed her lips, glancing at her wrists, "I don't know."

"If he was indeed being used by his uncle, wouldn't the right thing be to forgive him?" Seonghwa was looking at her wrists too now.

"I might be able to forgive," Yena said, looking up at Seonghwa. "But would I be able to forget?"

"Just what have you been through, Yena?" Seonghwa found himself saying.

"You'll find out," Yena said, "When you're in Antares."

"And why won't you tell me now?" Seonghwa dared to ask.

"Seonghwa-" Yunho warned, sensing the tension in the air.

"If you're so desperate to know," Yena began, "Why don't you look into my memories, Seonghwa?"

When Seonghwa didn't react, Yena let out a short laugh, "Thought so. I wonder what you're so afraid of, Prince."

With that, Yena got up and went into her room, leaving Yunho shaking his head in disapproval at Seonghwa. "Why are you being like this, Seonghwa?"

"I don't know," Seonghwa groaned, burying his face in his head as Yunho laughed at him, "I don't know what's stopping me from just looking into her memories and finding out the truth."

"What are you so afraid of?" Yunho asked gently. Seonghwa shook his head.

"I don't know, Yunho," he looked down, "I'm afraid she remembers me- remembers us and is disappointed that we didn't find her first-"

"We tried everything," Yunho reminded him.

"We did, but... I am the oldest, Yunho. I should have done more. She's Yeosang's twin, and she's the only princess. I should have done more."

Yunho patted his back to comfort him, "I don't think she's the type to think like that. The few days we spent in my home, she didn't sound like a person disappointed in us."

"Is that so?" Seonghwa looked at Yunho.

"Yes," he nodded, "The way she talked to me, it felt like I was talking to a long lost friend. She didn't sound anything like a person disappointed in us. Rather... She sounded thankful."

Seonghwa wondered what made her so forgiving. He rubbed his face, sighing loudly. "Also, I have this weird feeling right here-" he motioned above his heart. "Whenever she's near."

Yunho sat back, slightly smirking, "Maybe you have a teeny tiny crush on here?"

"It's not that," Seonghwa glared at him, regretting why he even said it out loud, "It's something... different. Like I'm on the verge of realising something."

Yunho stared at the eldest prince- he had been acting so out of character ever since he met Yena. "I do have a far-fetched idea... but-"

"Don't say it, whatever it is," Seonghwa sighed, getting up, "It's probably nerves. I should take a cold shower."

~

Yena was contemplating going to the future.

To hell with wormholes and anomalies in the time and whatnot. She could go to the future, prevent that incident with Junyoung and live happily ever after.

To hell with the rules Yeosang had told her- specifically the one that told her not to time travel while there were two versions of her in this world.

To hell with the consequences.

Seonghwa... He wasn't the same Seonghwa she knew. The Seonghwa who had healed her so willingly and comforted her in so many ways- through showing her the memories, through waking up all night and talking to her, through holding her hand when even she didn't know she needed it.

This Seonghwa... he didn't look at her the way her Seonghwa did-

This Seonghwa was cold.

Sometimes when he smiled faintly at something she said... it almost felt like he was back. But it only lasted a few seconds.

Yena was so tired.

She missed everyone.

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

Yunho realised Yena had shut herself out now. It was the way she didn't pass a comment, a remark on anything. It was the way she wasn't making jokes anymore. It was the way she kept zoning out, the way she wasn't even eating properly.

Seonghwa hadn't bothered to come into his chamber after morning- he was busy with winding up the work for the two weeks he would be taking off soon. Plus, he was looking into whatever he could find about General Lee's brother- but he was careful to do that himself, and not ask any of his court members. He couldn't trust his own court, which made him queasy. 

He had to go to the library with Yunho and search in the registered faeries section to make sure if General Lee's brother was the only one of that family who was alive, and if he had any children. After hours, he managed to find out that he had never been married. Then there was the matter of whether he would have even bothered to register any of his offspring.

Yena wasn't really coming out of her room, and the circles beneath her eyes grew darker. She needed to go out and get some sun. It wasn't any good keeping her inside. 

"Do you want to go out?" Yunho asked Yena, who was playing with her food.

"I can't risk going out," she simply said.

"There's a balcony in Seonghwa's room," Yunho told her, "You really should get some sun."

"He told me specifically not to enter his room, if I remember correctly."

"Well," Yunho grinned. "He didn't say anything about me taking you there, so get up."

Yena narrowed her eyes at Yunho but she was smiling. She got up, and Yunho opened the door to his room. "He didn't even bother locking it," he laughed.

Seonghwa's room... It was elegant. Everything was in place, there was no speck of dust- and she hadn't seen any cleaners come in since the day she arrived. It seemed like the theme of the room was monochrome. 

"You know, just because he's the Prince of Dark doesn't mean he has to avoid colours," Yena laughed. "And what's with this room being so clean?"

"He's a bit of a neat freak, if you haven't noticed yet," Yunho said, running a finger on the table. Indeed, not a speck. "He's obsessed, if I have to say."

"I'll ask him to clean my room today then," Yena said and they both shared a grin.

Dark curtains drawn a bit apart to show the glass windows let in some light, and Yunho went to draw them further apart, revealing a wide balcony that stretched in a semi-circle.

"Ta-da!" He laughed, opening the window. Yena stepped outside, the light and the breeze instantly lifting her mood. Yunho dragged two chairs and they sat near the window so nobody could see them.

"You should come here everyday," Yunho said.

"Now that I've seen this, I can portal here at night and give him a little scare, what do you think?"

Yunho laughed, "That might not be a very nice idea."

"What do you think he would do if he got scared?" Yena wondered, rolling up her sleeves.

"He'd probably turn himself into a shadow, but I'm not taking any chances with him," he raised his hands in the air.

"I guess you're still traumatised from when you scared San," Yena scoffed.

"Oh yes, I am," Yunho said, realising he never told her about it. "That one time was bad enough."

"I think you princes should train yourself on handling jump-scares," Yena shook her head. "I've heard enough stories about it."

"Let me tell you another story," Yunho began, and they talked for about an hour, recalling incidents from their lives and having a nice laugh over it. Yena thanked Yunho for lifting up her mood before Yunho went to run some errands of his own.

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

A knock sounded on Yena's room that night.

Yena opened the door, expecting Yunho, but was surprised to see that it was Seonghwa. 

"Have you had dinner?" He asked.

"Yes," Yena breathed, scanning him. He looked tired.

"It looks like you've been in my room," he said, and Yena almost ran but she saw a faint smirk.

"Blame Yunho for bribing me with that spectacular view from the balcony," Yena mumbled.

"Well, I would have let it go, but," he opened the door wider. "You should really see the view at night."

It took Yena a second to realise that it was an invitation. Nodding, she followed him into his room, to the balcony, and stopped dead in her tracks.

It looked like this was a sight meant for the Prince of Dark only- the purple sun glowed, and so did the orange sun, but the sky-

There were so many stars.

"Is this some sort of magic?" Yena managed to ask. Seonghwa motioned for her to take a seat.

"It's not, but it might very well be," he looked at the sky. "The stars glow brighter here, it seems."

"A gift for the Prince of the Dark, if I have to say."

"Truly," he smiled. Yena relaxed, still looking at the stars, and Seonghwa said, "I'm sorry for my behaviour."

"You don't have to be," Yena looked at him, "Despite everything, I understand. But it wouldn't hurt if you were a little friendlier."

Seonghwa smiled, "I'll try," he said, crossing his heart. 

"This, sitting like this here with you- it's giving me major deja vu," Yena said.

"How?"

"Well, you're a night owl alright, but I couldn't really sleep well during my days in Antares, because of the healing and the memories coming back... I would spend the night in Hongjoong's garden and you would give me company."

"I did?" Seonghwa asked, surprised.

"Yes," Yena was smiling as she looked at the sky, the moon illuminating her face, "You'd tell me about my parents, about my childhood, stories of the princes... and you'd apologise every night- which I hated."

"Apologise for what?" Seonghwa frowned in confusion.

"You know that, don't you?" Yena asked, turning her face to him. "You know that, Seonghwa."

Seonghwa didn't say anything, just continued staring at her.

He hadn't realised how beautiful she was. 

Yena turned, catching him staring at her, making him look away abruptly. "Can I... ask you something?"

Seonghwa nodded, and Yena asked, "Your wings- what are they like?"

Seonghwa frowned, "Out of nowhere-"

"No, it's not that I want to see, though I wouldn't mind," Yena corrected herself, making him laugh a little. "It's because of all of this... darkness- it's reminding me of something."

"What?" He asked, curious now.

"I... I used to have a dream," Yena admitted, "I never told anyone- not even San. It was about a man- I don't exactly remember what he looked like, but I remember him being... cruel. And by that I mean he radiated that vibe," Yena shifted, turning towards him, "Oddly, he looked like you, I think..."

Seonghwa snorted, "Do I radiate cruelty?"

Yena laughed out loud. "No, it's not that," she shook her hands violently, "It's because you're all... black hair and black clothes- it reminds me of him. Anyways, he had bat-like wings."

"Bat-like wings? We faeries don't have wings like that-"

"I know," Yena said, looking back at the sky, "I don't think he was a faerie at all. Even though I felt that he was cruel, I remember that he smiled at me, and said I would return his favour someday. I don't remember why he said that- whenever I wake up, I only remember some of it."

"That's strange," Seonghwa frowned. "Are you sure that it's a dream?"

"I don't know," Yena sighed, turning to face him. "That's why I thought I'd ask you. Because the only person I suppose could have bat-like wings is the Prince of Dark."

Seonghwa scoffed, "You must think I sleep hanging upside down then too."

"Am I wrong?" Yena smirked, making him laugh. "So you don't."

"I don't," Seonghwa said, looking at the stars now, "My wings are... normal. Silver. Like Wooyoung's."

"I haven't seen Wooyoung's too," Yena sighed. "Can't you show me yours?"

"Nope," Seonghwa shook his head. "In your dreams."

Yena shook her head, and the two stared at the beautiful starry night sky.

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

"Here's what I found," Seonghwa threw the notes at the table, sitting in front of Yunho and Yena, "Jinki- he isn't registered."

"He's not?" Yunho asked in surprise.

"No. She says he is Seoho, but there are no records of him being Seoho too," Seonghwa looked through the papers, "It's as if he doesn't exist."

"Should we just ask him?" Yunho groaned.

Yena slapped his arm, her eyes wide in warning, "Don't even think about it." Yena looked at Seonghwa, "Do you think that when we go to Antares, I should... feel him out? See what he's up to?"

"Isn't that too risky?" Seonghwa frowned.

Do you care?  Yena almost said, but she held herself back, "I know him as Seoho. I just have to pretend to catch up with him, or something. We could talk about the old times. It won't be that hard."

"What if he is Junyoung?" Yunho leaned forward, "And you realise it? Do you think you'll be able to keep a straight face?"

Yena stared at Yunho as she thought about it. "Maybe I should practise my acting skills."

The two broke into giggles, making Seonghwa gape at them. "I can't allow this. He was able to overpower me-"

"He took you by surprise, you thought it was Hongjoong-"

"Still, he did," Seonghwa's eyes were fierce. "It's too dangerous. When we go to Antares... You stay with us. You don't go out unless we figure out how to trap Junyoung, or how to avoid my death."

"In case you forgot," Yena began, "You both were in Hongjoong's chamber. Any one of the Princes could come parading in your room."

"Not if I always lock my room," Seonghwa smirked.

Yena's jaw was set. "So you're gonna confine me there? How am I supposed to figure out how to make the timeline okay if I cannot do anything?"

"I'll report everything to you, and we'll plan it," Seonghwa nodded at Yunho, who had the most smug expression at how the events were turning out, "You should be agreeing with me. Imagine if somebody sees two Yena."

Yena slumped back on the sofa, folding her arms and pouting. He was right. She had to be the most careful...

"Fine," she threw her hands in the air, "I'll do it."

Seonghwa sighed in relief. 

—------------------------

Seonghwa was on the way to the library to double-check the family records, when he encountered Jinki, his Right Hand. 

"Prince," he bowed his head slightly, "You're up late."

"I couldn't sleep, so I decided to find a book in the library," Seonghwa lied, "What are you doing here?"

"Just had to double-check the reports with Soyeon," he said, wiping his forehead. Seonghwa just couldn't imagine him being Junyoung- he was such a hard-worker. And his power... It did feel like Earth magic, like Yena had told him Seoho claimed to have. 

But Junyoung being the master of illusions could make him believe anything.

"Do sleep on time," Seonghwa said, smiling at him, "I feel like you work too hard."

Jinki huffed, smiling, "It's nothing, don't worry. You should sleep on time too."

"I'll try," Seonghwa said, moving ahead, suddenly caught by surprise when Jinki held him by his arm. Seonghwa looked at him with questioning eyes.

"Just wanted to ask if... we're having the council meeting tomorrow."

"We are," Seonghwa assured him, and Jinki muttered goodnight before going off.

He turned, making sure the prince was out of sight, and sighed as he relaxed against the wall.

What he had felt when he touched him...

Yena. It was Yena, but... not her at the same time.

It was not the magic he was familiar with- this was more powerful.

Wasn't she supposed to still have the block in her mind? She hadn't reached Antares yet, last he checked.

She was... different. It couldn't be...

His eyes went dark as he went ahead, into the darkness. It looked like he would have to improvise.

—------------------------------

Seonghwa was in the library, going through the scrolls, when he thought he heard a voice and felt something.

Yena was here.

She must have portaled, he realised. He put the scroll aside, sneaking to have a look at what she was doing here. His feet made no sound as he peeked from behind a shelf.

She was... in the history section.

He hadn't perceived her as a reading type of a girl. History wasn't a fun subject- at least not to him. He watched as she looked with wonder in her eyes at all the stories piled on the bookshelves. She picked a few in her hand, setting them on the floor. She seemed like she couldn't decide.

Seonghwa didn't know why he was hiding still and why he was smiling like an idiot as he watched her. She looked like she had her guard down- she must not have sensed him.

He watched as Yena set the candle on the floor and started reading one of the stories, a faint smile on her face. He shook his head, amused, going back to his scroll.

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

Yena hadn't seen much of Seonghwa the whole day. 

Yunho had gone shopping too, and had asked her if she wanted something- she told him some comfy shirts and trousers would do- she was getting tired of wearing dresses. So he had brought a bunch of T-shirts, much like the ones she had worn back in Yunho's castle, and a variety of trousers. She had earnestly thanked him, glad for the change.

She had wanted to steal Seonghwa's clothes, but she wasn't sure if he would like the idea. Plus, it looked like he mostly wore formal dressing- she was done with dressing formally for a while.

Yena had brought the books back into her room, and all day, she had been sprawled on the bed, in a cycle of read-eat-sleep-repeat. She stretched, going to the window, wishing the view was the same as the one from his terrace.

She had just completed Volume I of Earth: A History of Faeries on Earth. She really wanted to visit that planet one day- it sounded fascinating- and partly horrible, but she supposed everything came with a flaw. Yena considered sleeping more or going to the library to look for Volume II- she went for the latter, portaling herself-

And finding Seonghwa right in front of the bookshelf in the history section- she clasped a hand on her mouth to stop herself from screaming.

Seonghwa laughed, and Yena realised she had forgotten to bring a candle too- it was dark. Seonghwa touched her forehead then, making her vision get better.

"Wow," Yena looked around. "You could have done that earlier, you know?" 

"It won't last for long," Seonghwa said.

"Are you also interested in history?" Yena asked, going to the shelf from yesterday, looking for her book.

"No-" Seonghwa realised that admitting that he was here because he was curious about what she was reading might sound awkward. "I was just passing by. What are you looking for?"

"A History of Faeries on Earth, Volume II," Yena said, scanning the books. Seonghwa spotted it, but didn't mention it, watching her look around.

"Do you like reading?" He asked, feeling stupid when he knew the answer.

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't, would I?" Yena said almost nonchalantly. 

Seonghwa decided to give her the book- he picked it from the top- she couldn't have reached it. Yena thanked him, examining the cover.

"Can I ask you something?" Seonghwa asked.

Yena looked up at him- he towered over her with how close he was standing.

"What type... of person was I to you? When you knew me?"

Yena felt herself smile, "Well, Prince Seonghwa of Dark, what made you finally curious?"

"If you're not gonna answer, just say so," he sighed.

"You... you made me feel queasy enough when I first met you- you wouldn't stop staring," Yena laughed. "I suppose it was because you had a hard time acting like you saw me for the first time."

"I might be a little bad at acting," Seonghwa admitted, and Yena nodded.

"I felt it, you know. Like you knew something- like you weren't telling me something. It was the way you talked to me, looked at me. Like we had a connection and I didn't know."

Seonghwa was staring at Yena, his lips parted, "How?"

"You were the most kind," Yena admitted. "I thought it was because of you seeing my memories and pitying me, but it was not... you showed me the memories, which I was grateful for... you kept me company during the nights I couldn't sleep. And most importantly... we could sit in comfortable silence."

"Comfortable silence?" Seonghwa scoffed, "I guess the Yena I meet there will be a lot different from the Yena in front of me. I don't think we can share comfortable silence yet."

"Can't we?" Yena jimply smiled, shrugging and moving to go away, but Seonghwa caught her hand. Yena looked at him in surprise. 

"I want to see," he finally said, "I want to see your memories."

"Do you?" Yena cocked her head, "I mean, you could just wait. It's only a matter of days now."

Seonghwa almost groaned in frustration, his heart thumping out loud as he realised he was still holding her hand. "How did I show you my memories?"

"You said 'direct contact'," Yena glanced at her hand still in his- and there it was- the familiar heart-tugging feeling, "Joining our foreheads. Does it have to be the forehead?"

"I think so," he was feeling short of breath now.

A half-smile grew on Yena's face as she tossed the book on the stool nearby, turning to grab his face in both her hands, "I guess I'll test something out then."

With that, Yena stared at his plump lips, glancing at his silver eyes that were shining, taking his hands sliding to her waist as a 'yes' as she kissed him.

His hands on her waist immediately tightened, pulling her closer, her neck craned to reach him. She pulled him down, and he broke apart for a second, drawing them both to the floor, seating himself against the bookshelf, her legs between his as she kissed him again, this time pushing her memories against him too.

He saw it then, through her eyes. He saw himself staring at her throughout their first dinner, healing her- the pain he felt during those sessions. He saw the friendly conversations they had with others, saw the intimate conversations they had when they were alone at nights, saw him looking at her with that look in his eyes-

He saw him show her his childhood memories, joining their forehead, and not breaking apart even when they were done. Saw how he stared at the scars on her wrists and caressed them unconsciously whenever he held her hand.

He saw the way he had looked at her during the feast- and saw the way he looked at her when he was taking his last breaths.

Yena hoped he was seeing it all- otherwise, this was going to be awkward- but...

He was kissing her back. Fervently. 

He was bringing her closer, one hand on her back and one behind her neck, and oh- she was afraid she was accidentally going to do something stupid with her magic- he was making her lose it. Her heart was aching.

Between kisses, not breaking apart, she realised at some point that he was done seeing the memories, yet still he continued. 

She was reminded of that time when he wasn't able to draw back when he had shown her his childhood memories of her.

They broke apart, only because they were out of air, their breaths mingling. Yena was cautious- one of her hands was still cupping his face while the other was on the floor for support- she couldn't move away.

Seonghwa locked eyes with her- making her heart sink. His chest sank and rose, and Yena dared to tuck his bangs back.

Seonghwa gulped, cupping her face, staring at her- Yena. She was Kang Yena. He kissed her slowly this time, allowing himself to let his guard down a little. But he realised it then-

In the future- during that time in Antares-

He would fall in love with her. 

The way he had looked at her-

Seonghwa broke apart suddenly, staring at her, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"I... I need to go," he managed to say.

Yena nodded, sliding away from him, grabbing the book and portaling instantly, leaving him staring at the distance and he put his face in his hands, frustrated.

What was he gonna do?

Was he going to fall for Kang Yena all over again?

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

I am the most stupid.

I am Kang Yena of Space. I should be Kang Yena of Stupid.

Yena dug her fingernails into her hair as she rolled around in the bed, wishing lightning would strike her somehow and erase her from the face of this planet.

She wasn't concerned about what Seonghwa thought of her- no, actually, she was a little bit, but that concern was nothing compared to her worrying if this was going to somehow change the timeline in an unpredictable way.

I could have just showed him my memories the normal way. Yet my stupid ass had to go and test the direct-contact theory. 

She wondered if this was somehow going to be the reason Seonghwa was that way during Antares- all nice and friendly. She hoped it was, because that would mean she hadn't made a mistake.

But then there was the matter of Seonghwa allowing this to happen. He could have stopped her, he could have pushed her away.

Before she had even kissed him, he had somehow taken part too. He had held her. And even after she was done showing the memories, he hadn't stopped. 

She didn't want to think why.

Maybe he's been alone for too long, she thought, maybe he just felt like kissing. Maybe he would have done that to anyone.

She knew Seonghwa wasn't that type of a person. She knew.

She didn't know what to think, what to make of it, how to face him tomorrow.

And for a moment, she contemplated going back in time to kick herself into oblivion. She stood, calling her magic, making the sparks ignite in the room.

But Yeosang's voice rang in her ears, and she could see the disappointed faces of him and Hongjoong, shaking their heads at her.

I swear if the timeline changes just because I kissed him, I'm gonna kill myself.

With that promise, Yena turned off the lamp, burying her face in the pillow, trying to sleep.

Hoping she would wake up tomorrow and realise it was all a dream.

She would be disappointed if it was a dream.

taglist: @sweethoneykcals @jjoonggurt @sincostansan @bewitchedinyourhunger @bultaollaburn couldn't tag: @soliyaa @ansko

[tvseries-writings]

hi sorry i don’t really know how to use tumblr so I hope im making this request in the right way. But anyway can you make a fic where instead of Peggy getting impaled by the rebar in 2x05 it’s the reader and they drive to violets house and she takes care of her, but here’s the thing the reader and peggy are in love but because of the time they have to keep it a secret. p.s. I love your fics sm keep it up - a fellow italian <3 (I saw that in your bio and I loved it)

Love is not always easy

Peggy Carter x reader

Marvel Masterlist ~ Buy me a coffee☕️

"We got the rods, where are you?" Peggy's voice resounds in the device on the ground and a small smile appears on your lips, seeing the irritated gaze of the blonde in front of you.

"You interfering ..."

"Last chance, Miss Frost"

Your determined gaze doesn't leave her face as she looks at you with hate.

"Same to you, Agent y / n"

You jump forward and try to hit her in the face but she grabs her arm. A black substance begins to come out of her hand and spreads over your skin. A groan of pain escapes you from her lips and you try to get away from her grasp quickly, you head and kick her away with a kick in the stomach but you lose your balance. The wooden railing breaks and you fall, grabbing, thanks to who knows what miracle, a wooden plank on the ledge. You try to hold onto yourself with all your strength, ignoring the thorns that enter your hand.

Whitney gets up from the floor and walks resolutely towards you. A smile appears on her lips as she places her hands on her hips and she watches you be there, poised.

"Oh I'm sorry Agent y / n. Not everyone's cut out for Hollywood "

Whitney kneels, holding out her hand so you can grab it, but your grip slips before your fingers brush and you fall.

You hear someone yell your name and see a man take Whitney away, shocked by what happened. You tilt your head and look at your body, understanding the reason for your pain.

An iron rod has literally stabbed you and blood begins to flow from the wound, dyeing your white shirt red.

"Y / n!"

Peggy runs to your side and you start moaning in pain. She takes out a handkerchief and with trembling hands, she presses it around the wound trying to stop the bleeding as much as possible.

"Please, stay with me, stay with me y / n"

The rest of the journey is confusing, you just remember Jarvis and Peggy dragging you into the car and then nothing. Just dark.

When you open your eyes again, and you do it for the pain, you realize you are on a sofa, in a house you don't know.

"Well awake ... the heartbeat is quickened" a blonde, who you recognize to be Sousa's girlfriend, speaks, before looking at your wound. She pulls away your shirt causing you a lot of grunts of pain and then she speaks.

"The bleeding is under control, it would be better if I went to the hospital"

Her tone is worried but you shake your head.

"No! No"

"Then, deep breaths, y / n ... because this is gonna hurt."

As she tilts the bottle of alcohol, you scream in pain as she comes into contact with the open wound.

"Aahh!"

You think you have passed out. When you wake up, Violet is no longer in the living room and Peggy's voice resounds in the room.

«Yes Sousa, she will be fine. Thanks, I'll tell you "

Peggy ends the call, putting the phone down.

She turns to you and, when she sees you awake, her eyes light up and a small smile purses her lips as she comes towards you.

"The uranium rods are safe," she tells you, sitting on the chair opposite the sofa as she helps you sit up.

"Good. So, being skewered like a piece of meat on a spit did something. "

Peggy gives you a dirty look while she gently caresses your face.

"Don't joke y / n, you really made me worry."

"I know and I'm sorry Peg" you close your eyes, enjoying her caresses.

"I almost lost you today ... I can never live such a thing again"

You open her mouth, wanting to tell her it's not her fault, but she shakes her head. Peggy puts her face close to yours and you look at her confused.

"Peg, we can't ... not here"

You whisper those words with your heart sinking with every breath. Her words said too many times, in too many situations and with too much pain. Words repeated over and over, every second of your relationship while hiding from prying eyes, gossip and evil looks. A secret well hidden in the four walls of your room, a secret pact between you, a secret and crazy love. A secret that would have led to your death if not something worse if it had been discovered.

A secret that had to remain so, then.

Peggy smiles and collides your lips. The kiss is sweet, full of hidden love and that feeling that you have been forced to repress for years now.

«I don't care what happens ... I will fight for our love. Today, when I saw you lying there, I thought about all the times we had to hide and I promised myself that we would never have to do it again. Life is too short to love in secret. "

Peggy hugs you in a hug and you relax in her arms.

"I love you Peg"

I look at her softly and your hand reaches her, intertwining your fingers.

"I love you too y / n"

You two stay like that, you look intensely in the eyes. Yors eyes are full of love and you start when someone clears their throat.

"Miss Carter, Miss y / n… Mr. Howard told me that he has booked for you, given today's unpleasant situation, a trip to Italy as soon as Miss y / n feels better."

“Jarvis is wonderful, thank him. From both of us"

The man nods and turns, about to leave the room but stops. He turns back to you and a shy smile appears on his face.

"And Miss Carter ... I wanted to tell you that that was an excellent speech"

Peggy blushes and you giggle, seeing the blush that dyes your soul mate's cheeks.

"Thanks Jarvis"

Peggy murmurs and as soon as Jarvis leaves, he buries his head in the crook of your neck.

“Ugh… it was so embarrassing. Howard will come to find out soon and then- "

"Peg, Howard already knows"

You smile amused and your smile widens even more when you see her shocked face.

"WHAT!?"

Thanks for reading! I hope this is more or less what you asked for. Anyway let's write to each other sometime, it's nice to know that there are Italian people on Tumblr XD. Have a great day!<3

P.s: se vuoi te lo invio in italiano :)

P.p.s: Hello people! In five days it's my and my sister's birthday (yes, we are twins) and since I don't know if I will be able to collect all the money to send her to London (it has always been her dream and I just want to make her happy), I wanted to ask you if you could donate something to buy her a sweatshirt she likes so much. It's a sweatshirt with a cute Larry fanart and it's signed by Harry and she's been dreaming of it for a while and I wanted to make it for her for our birthday. It costs about 70 dollars but I only earned about twenty between one job and another so I wanted to ask you if you could help me. She is very important to me and her happiness matters more than anything else. Thanks so much for your help. <3

Taglist: (send me a message if you want to be added) @mmmmokdok

[lxngbottom]

Cramps. | N.L. (+ D.T & S.F.)

in which the reader is having a really bad period, so her three best friends come and check up on her.

warnings: pain, periods, bleeding, swearing, we know how it is.

i’m on my period rn, & these three boys are my fav characters so this is mostly to comfort me (and idk if you guys can even relate, but my periods get THIS bad) (edit: this was NOT supposed to be this long but oh well i love these three)

gryffindor reader! (but anyone can read obv)

—

somehow, you had managed to make it through the previous school day. but, the whole time your stomach felt like it was completely turning on you, and with every step you took, the bleeding was so heavy. you couldn’t even remember the last time you went through so many pads and tampons in one day.

on top of that, you were an absolute emotional wreck. and, that became apparent to neville when seamus laughed over tripping over your shoe lace, and you looked up at your three best friends with tears in your eyes.

“merlin, y/n! i was only messing with you! what’s wrong?” seamus furrowed his eyebrows at you, only for you to bend down and groan in pain as you attempted to tie your loose shoe laces.

“i can’t do it!” you whined, a tear finally escaping your tired eyes. you stood up, and sniffled, not noticing the genuine concerned looks plastered across the three boys’s faces.

and then, if things couldn’t get any worse, you felt someone tap your shoulder. you turned around to meet a terrified looking ron and harry, staring down at your legs,

“y-y-y/n... blood! t-t-there’s blood running down your legs!”

you looked down, and sure enough, there was a bunch of it. you automatically began to cry, and the sobbing only got worse as you realized that this was happening in front of not one, not two, but five boys.

“nev—neville... p-please give me your jacket...” you choked out, rushing as the blood seeped between your thighs. he did so quickly, tossing it to you, and your tied it around your waist before running into the nearest bathroom.

“why would you point that out?” dean asked ron, eyeing him,

“what?! would it be better for her to stay like that the rest of the day?” the ginger snapped back, still not putting two and two together. ron wasn’t exactly wrong, but his execution was awful.

the boys sighed, deciding that maybe waiting outside the bathroom would do you some good. but, unfortunately, as 15 minutes passed, you never came out.

“m-m-maybe someone should go and get hermione. or lavendar. or one of the parvati twins?” neville suggested, scratching the back of his neck. seamus shrugged, honestly clueless on how to handle the whole situation.

luckily, a saving grace skipped by, grabbing the attention of all of the boys,

“ginny!” ron called out, and she stopped in her tracks, “thank merlin you’re here!”

the look on her face was questionable as harry, ron, neville, dean, and seamus all stared at her.

“w-what?”

dean spoke up first, more than concerned, “y/n went in there. she—she had—blood running down her legs. and, she started crying...”

that’s all it took for ginny to nod her head, “okay. you guys go ahead. i’ll take care of her!”

they did so reluctantly, more so your three best friends. as ron and harry wanted to be away from the whole scenario as soon as possible.

and, that was the last they heard from you yesterday. today, they waited for you to come down from the girl’s dorm, but you never came.

they waited for you in the great hall, but again, you never came.

little did they know, you were curled up in a ball on your bed, sobbing from the excruciating pain that filled your whole body. this cycle was hitting you like a truck, and you’d wished that somehow you had been more prepared for it.

hermione had left you reluctantly that morning, never seeing a fellow girl having such a bad period before. you had cried all night, and you and her both had barely gotten any sleep. so that’s why when neville saw hermione drifting off to sleep during a shared class, he was absolutely baffled.

as that same class ended, the three boys caught up with hermione,

“hey, granger! where’s y/n?” seamus asked, and she rubbed her eyes.

“she—um—“ a yawn interrupted her response, “she’s in our dorm. she doesn’t feel well.”

neville’s mouth went agape, and he finally put two and two together.

“i wouldn’t go and see her, though. you guys embarrassed her yesterday. she told me all about ronald, and ginny, and seamus. she’s really upset, and... she’s just in a lot of pain. so, just let her be for a while.”

and with that, she left the three boys. they gave each other weird looks, mentally questioning each other.

you on the other hand at this time, were crying as you changed out your bed sheets for the second time that day. it wasn’t necessarily the most comfortable experience to have to explain to a house elf why you needed a bunch of new clean sheets.

dinner soon came, and even then, the boys expected to see you sitting with them, eating and laughing. but, you still hadn’t left that dorm.

so, neville packed some extra food, and the three made a journey to gryffindor tower, just to see if they could break the rules to make sure you weren’t dying. (of course, all three of them were convinced that you were on your death bed.)

they slipped past the prefect, climbing up the stairs to your dorm.

dean was just about to knock when they all heard your voice,

“stop, hermione! please! i don’t care that i missed my classes! i’ve been puking all day, bled on my bed, almost shit my pants four times, so, i really don’t care about snape and what he said about me! piss off!”

seamus’s lips curled, and the sound he let out could only be described as pure disgust. but, neville nudged him,

“she can’t help it. don’t be like that...” he whispered, still not sure if you were alright with visitors at the moment.

“well, i’m sorry! but, dean, neville, and seamus are all worried about you! they—“

that’s when they heard a blood curdling scream, and it sounded exactly like you. it made them jump,

“I WANT TO KILL MYSELF! FUCK!”

“don’t say that! it’s only for a few days, y/n! i told you i would help you with anything you needed!”

“then you can start by fucking off! go away!”

the boys looked at each other,

“maybe—“

“yeah—“

“later.”

they all mutually agreed, and ran down the stairs before hermione had the chance to see them.

they settled in the common room, deciding to do their homework until they knew it was a safe call to go and see you. they all worried about you tremendously, as they had never heard you talk to a fellow friend like that. you simple weren’t that type of person in their eyes. you had always been patient with people, so it was a wonder to them how you loved them so much.

they spotted ginny, walking up to the girl’s dormitories with a glass of ice cream in hand. they naturally assumed it was for you. and truth be told, when ginny entered with a sweet smile on her face, holding the cold treat, you realized you had never been more happy to see a weasley before.

as pathetic as it sounded, you cried to ginny while eating the chocolate ice cream. you sobbed to her about all the events of that day, and the day before. your crush on neville and how you believed he didn’t feel the same, the way that seamus chewed too loudly, and how hermione was too uptight sometimes. she simply listened, knowing that’s all she could really do.

finally, the three boys saw ginny coming down the the glass now empty, and they ran up to her,

“is she okay?”

“what’s happening?”

“can we go and see her?”

she chuckled and shook her head them, “she’s fine, you guys. calm down. i’m not so sure if she’ll want to see you guys, but you guys can sure try.”

they all three looked at each other, slightly terrified.

but, they sucked it up and made their way up again. of course, seamus couldn’t hold back from making a snide comment,

“i swear, if i get a book thrown at my head and end up in the hospital wing with a concussion, i’m blanking it on neville.”

“why me?!” neville scoffed, throwing his hands up in the air,

“because! you fancy her and are the most worried about her! she’s just on her period! is it really that big of a deal?”

before neville could answer, dean cut in, “yes, seamus. it is a big deal. maybe not to us, but to her it is. try bleeding out of your dick for a week while your inside are ripping apart!”

if you would’ve been present, you definitely wouldn’t hugged dean for that one.

they finally arrived, and they argued for a moment over who would be the once to knock on the door. it felt like they were stepping into a death trap. finally, neville agreed to do it.

he did so gently,

“what?” you asked, “who is it?”

dean and seamus eyed each other, definitely panicking.

“erm—it’s... us...”

you groaned, and looked down at your state. you were only in your bra and underwear, trash bucket in your lap, nausea getting the best of you... again.

but, you figured seeing your three best friends would bring you some comfort. this wasn’t their fault, and you didn’t want to take it out on them anymore.

“um... you can come in, but warning! i’m—“

before you could warn them, the door flew open,

“naked...” you breathed out, looking down at the trash can.

they all went wide eyed, and neville covered dean and seamus’s eyes with his hands, and closed his own.

“close the door, you gits!”

neville did so with his foot, still covering everyone’s eyes. you let out a small chuckle at the fact, and shook your head.

“you guys can look, you know. you act like we haven’t been best friends since first year.”

“b-b-but you’re—naked!” dean responded, through neville still keeping his own hand over the boy’s face.

you pursed your lips as you felt vomit climbing it’s way up your throat, “who—“

that’s when they heard it. the violent sound of puking. neville thanked merlin that his eyes were closed, because he probably would’ve puked too.

“who cares?” you breathed out, wiping the slobber from your chin. that’s when seamus took neville’s hand away from his eyes, and realized how you looked.

you looked unrecognizable almost. you looked exhausted, pale, and like you had just been hit by twenty cars at one time. your eyes were all puffy and red from crying, and your hair was definitely not put together like it usually was. makeup was smeared all down your face, makeup from the day before that you simply didn’t have the motivation to get up and wash off. but, seamus couldn’t help but notice your bra and underwear.

“you—“ he chuckled, “you have teddy bears on your undergarments, y/n?”

you clenched your jaw, and tightened your grasp around the trash can, narrowing your eyes at him. his eyes widened,

“kidding! i was only kidding! they suit you well!”

finally, dean shoved neville’s hand off as well, and neville opened his eyes back up reluctantly. neville and dean took in your state, much less of a laughing matter to them, as they were more of the calm friends.

“merlin, y/n... are you alright?” neville asked, approaching you slowly. you shook your head,

“i’m dying...”

the three boys gasped, and you looked at them funny, “i’m kidding... but i feel like i might...”

that settled their nerves a bit, the theory of you dying slowly fading away. you spit in the trash can, and set it back down on the floor. of course, seamus being the curious cat he is, looked in the trash can.

“don’t look at my vomit, finnigan! don’t you have any manners?”

he jumped back, and nodded his head.

“what are you guys doing here, anyway?” you asked, laying down fully on the bed, stomach and legs exposed.

“well—we know—you—you sorta—“

neville sighed at dean’s awkwardness about the whole situation, “we know you’re on your period. and, we know that you’re in a lot of pain. and, we just wanted to come and check up on you.” he glanced at the other two boys, “right?”

“yeah, definitely!”

“totally!”

you giggled at seamus and dean, “oh, what gentlemen. how could i ever thank you?”

seamus couldn’t hold it in. the comment just slipped from his lips,

“well, seeing you in your bra and underwear is thanks enough in my book!” he joked, nudging dean.

surprisingly, the only one who laughed beside seamus... was you. this surprised the boys, as you were sure that would earn seamus that book to his temple, or at least a smack to the face. but, it didn’t.

“see? i told you guys she’s fine! she’s laughing like she always does!”

neville seemed to look over at you for reassurance, just to make sure that seamus hadn’t crossed a boundary with one of his crude jokes. it was something that seamus had done quite a few times, without even realizing it, but it was simply because he didn’t know how to put a filter on. you knew at the end of the day that seamus wasn’t trying to disrespect you. plus, it was something you had go get used to, being one of his best friends and all.

at one point, the boys had eased into the floor, getting things for you if you needed it. seamus even asked why exactly girls even got periods, and you explained it to him in full detail.

“so... like—the inside of your uterus is actually tearing? i thought dean was joking about that!”

you shook your head, “unfortunately, it’s not a joke, finnigan. it’s very real...”

“well, is it this bad for all girls?”

“no, actually. some girls only bleed for a couple of days, and it’s very light. they can go without cramps, puking... lucky bitches!”

that’s when the boys fell silent, even seamus himself. until he raised an eyebrow,

“is it bad that i’m kinda curious? you know—to see how it feels to... bleed... down—there...”

dean furrowed his eyebrows, but neville nodded his head in agreement.

“well, boys... i can’t make you bleed out your dick for seven days straight... but, i can punch you guys in the stomach with full force and show you how cramps feel!”

collectively, they all disagreed, which caused you to fall into a fit of laughter.

“but—it can’t be that bad, right? i mean, everyone can get a stomach ache...” dean questioned, but unsure of what he had just said.

“let me put it to you like this, thomas. imagine the weasley twins sneaking a muggle laxative into your morning pumpkin juice...” you started, “but that stomach pain for a whole week.”

dean put his head down, finally understanding. no wonder you had talked about almost shitting your pants.

that’s when the door swung open, revealing a surprised hermione,

“y/n! where are your clothes?! boys are in here! and plus, they’re not even supposed to be in here, anyway!” she snapped, immediately storming over to your closet, and pulling out a random shirt, throwing it at you.

“but, it’s too hot! and, any tightness hurts!”

“i don’t care! i couldn’t imagine sitting around with ronald and harry with my—lady parts hanging out!”

you chuckled at her hidden shaming, quite used to it by now. “oh, whatever, granger! it’s the same difference as a bathing suit! lighten up!”

seamus and dean snickered at the look on her face, and the way she stormed out.

“she’s right, y/n. not about—you know, we don’t care... but, just—seamus will be talking about it for the rest of his natural life if you keep your clothes off any longer.” neville stated, standing up and taking his sweater off. he passed it to you, making sure not to touch you in anyway that would make you uncomfortable.

you smiled at the kind gesture. sure, it was a sweater, and you probably should choose the lighter t-shirt that hermione had snagged out for you. but, it was neville’s sweater, so, how could you refuse?

you slipped it on over your head, and pulled your hair through the hole. it was quite comfortable, and you were just the right amount of warm and cool. so, it worked out in the end. “thank you, longbottom. that was sweet.”

his face turned red at the small grin etched upon your face, but he shook it off and sat back down on the floor.

you all began talking again, not even noticing when seamus had gotten bored and ancy, and started snooping in your drawers. but, his eyes went wide at the sight of something in your drawer. he picked it up, and stared at it for a moment.

“uh... y/n...” he started, voice a bit shaky, “what’s this?”

he held it up, and you, dean, and neville all looked over.

“that’s a tampon, finnigan. i use it when i’m on my period so the blood doesn’t leak out.”

he took a beat of silence as he connected the dots, and his eyes seemed to widen even more,

“and... you have to put this where exactly?”

[fairyoftbz]

it's never too late... | b. jacob

🏀 pairing: crush! basketball player! jacob x fem!reader 🏀 genre: high school!au, fluff, (sort of) strangers/acquaintances-to-lovers 🏀 word count: 5.2k 🏀 tw: very cliché 😳 and it goes kinda fast lmaoo 🏀 a/n: lisa I'm sorry I took this long to do your request, but I hope you'll like it nonetheless!! ALSO: to my fellow Americans, here football = soccer!! 🏀 requested: yes! thank you lisa!! @skrtbabe

╰☆☆☆☆╮

You had waited for this time since the beginning of your academic journey there. Graduating from high school was two months away, and it felt just as exciting as weird.

It felt like you had started your first year last week, but the amount of work and time spent in those dull buildings makes you feel like you’ve been there for at least five years.

It was exhausting to attend classes and see the same people every single day of the year, with repetitive subjects, annoying or cool teachers depending on your luck and everything that followed. The homework, the assignments, the small -or not so small- fights between classes or groups of people, you were praying that university wouldn’t sound like that.

However, at the same time, you were almost starting to feel nostalgic for this time. The last years where you could remain a bit silly before entering the adult world, being in your last teen years with people that you appreciated and met there. You chose to do this before letting them go and live your own lives, memories that will disappear if you don’t cherish them enough.

So, with Soyeon, your best friend, you decided to enjoy the time that you had left to do things together while still studying and revising for the exams, which was sometimes not easy to do. Yes, you shared classes, but personal and private activities sometimes came in the way and prevented you from hanging out.

“It’s life after all,” she said one night over the phone as you shared your opinion on this topic, “it’s good that we can be together almost 24/7, but sometimes, things don’t allow us to be together. It might be for the best, we never know,” she said, trying to be positive no matter the situation she was in, but you knew her well. As much as she wants to appear strong, you had found her many times crying on her own. But it was her personality, and no matter how hard you tried to change her, what's bred in the bone comes out in the flesh.

Soyeon wasn’t your only friend, you were getting along well with most of your girl classmates, as well as the boys that weren’t suffocating under the number of pick-me-girls that were populating your school and your class.

Sadly for you, you’ve been eyeing the most popular (and prettiest) boy in your whole school since you crossed gaze with him at the very beginning of your first year there. Jacob, your crush, was also the star basketball player of your school, and constantly surrounded and attracting cheerleaders or rich, random, good-looking girls, which had a knack for getting on your nerves. He was always spending time together with his pals and teammates, but other people as well. Everyone wanted to be his friend because you know, he had a promising career ahead of him, so it was always nice to be friends with a potential future celebrity.

As defeated as you were, there was still a small voice in your head telling you to do something before he left to go back to his home country, South Korea, where he had a career already planned and traced out.

You were confused as it was almost impossible for you to get a chance with him since you were not one of those girls and you simply couldn’t compete against them, but Soyeon and her boyfriend Sunwoo were always there to praise you and reassure you about your potential chances of dating him. Never convinced by your friends’ words, you had tried many times to get him out of your head and focus on someone else, but it never worked. Everything came back to him. He was unique and oh so nice, everything reminded you of him, and it was sickening at this point.

“He won't get out of my head, it’s getting on my nerves,” you shared your thoughts to your best friend as you braced your head in your hands, slapping your cheeks as if it were going to change anything and help you throw Jacob out of your brain.

“Why do I keep this stupid boy in my head when I know I don’t stand a single chance against those girls,” you slapped your cheeks harder and whined as Soyeon’s hand landed on your wrist.

“Y/N, stop your nonsense. You are perfect, you don’t need to change anything for him!”

“It’s easier said than done, you pulled the football star player!” you exclaimed, and she rolled her eyes, shifting closer to whisper.

“He pulled me because he knew that I am pretty, and that wouldn’t change a single thing for him. If he’s not happy with who I am, he can leave,” she shrugs, signalling you to do the same if you dated Jacob.

Sunwoo was also among the popular boys, but your friend remained the same, not even trying to fit in with the popular girls. She claimed that Sunwoo fell in love with her for her true self, so she didn’t see the point of changing to please other people. And you wished you had her confidence and her strength, admiring her for not changing anything about herself to please others.

Back to the present.

You felt stuck, desperately in love with an unapproachable boy who was too popular and way out of your league to be lucky to have his eyes sparing you any sort of attention. Even if he was a sweet young man, he was always surrounded by popular people, who were trying to hook up or use him for his school fame and sharp features.

One day, while studying with your best friend at the library, Sunwoo and one of his friends, Hyunjae, the football captain, burst into the library and come not so quietly to your table.

“For the love of God, can you both be quiet for once?” Soyeon whispered-yelled but her voice got toned down by Sunwoo vividly pressing his lips on hers, an arm wrapping around her shoulders. Hyunjae laughed but quickly gagged as they didn’t stop the kiss as quickly as the captain wished.

“Gosh, please, get a room,” he mumbled before hugging you, your knee resting against his as his arms pressed you against his chest.

Your friendship with Hyunjae felt more like siblings, he was genuinely nice and caring with you, making sure that you were okay and that you had enough of everything before allowing you to go home. Despite all the teasing and a few rumours going around school, you were not dating and didn’t have any romantic feelings for each other. He simply checked that you had an older brother figure since you were the first-born child, and it felt relieving.

The thing you did not know was that Jacob and a few of his basketball teammates, Juyeon, Eric and Younghoon, were a few tables away from yours, your back facing them, the future star looking at you and Hyunjae from the corner of his eyes. He nodded at his friend at your table, who gave him a wink as an answer, Jacob’s eyes burning holes into your back as Hyunjae was close to you. Too close to you for the basketball player not to feel something churn in his stomach.

Two long, manicured fingers snapped in front of his eyes to get him out of his reverie, lazily looking at the girl that sat across from him, who he was supposed to get help from.

“Jacob please, pay attention to meeeeee,” she whined and pouted, giving him puppy eyes that he couldn’t give a single fuck about, too busy in his mind to hear what she had to say.

She had volunteered to help him study History, but she wasn’t any better, probably worse than he was. It was already the third time Juyeon corrected her basic knowledge without being an expert himself, not even caring about the death glares she kept sending him. It only made him smirk as he knew it irked her dearly yet amused the rest of the table a lot.

They all sighed as she finally took the hint and left their table, Jacob bitterly chuckling as Hyunjae rolled his eyes when she walked past your table, his demeanour making you laugh.

╰☆╮

“Bro, do you think I should ask Y/N for help? Isn’t that a bit… lame?” Jacob sat on one of the soccer balls, hands joined and panting as Sunwoo practised his dribbling skills before shooting the ball in the cages, aiming for the up-right corner. He trotted to his friend and collapsed on the grass next to him, the last rays of sunshine offering his skin a wonderful, honey glow. He ruffled his hair after plopping down, checking his phone for any message before answering.

“If you need help, you shouldn’t be afraid to ask her. I mean, she’s super smart in every subject, but she’s just the boss in History. Her presentations are always golden, and she explains things a lot better than some of the teachers.”

“I got Smith as a teacher,” the basketball player grimaced, his left hand holding his right wrist as his gaze wandered in the grass.

“We’ve got Antal, and I can tell you that she’s always mad when Y/N does a presentation because they honestly just sound better than her lessons,” Sunwoo chuckled as Jacob pondered his friend’s words, the gears of his mind working at full speed.

How is he going to be able to approach you and get to talk to you?

╰☆╮

“Bestie, no. I swear I saw that in the other book,” you said as you found yourself back in the library the following week, bending over the table to grab the book your best friend was resting hers on. You started flipping some pages when a loud, masculine chortle followed by some whispers of annoyance drawing your attention.

“Hi, babe! Hi Hyunj- Oh hi Jacob!” your neck almost snapped as you abruptly lifted your head up at the mention of your crush’s name, a small, embarrassed smile making its way on your mouth. You were a bit sad that your brother best friend was not here with Sunwoo, but you weren’t going to complain to have your crush instead.

“Can I sit here?” the basketball player asked in a soft voice while pointing at the empty spot next to you, making you quickly nod and gather your stuff to make him some space.

You resumed searching for the precious paragraph you were searching for your project as if it were nothing, trying to ignore your stammering heart in your chest and the couple eating each other's mouths. The only thing you hoped was that Jacob couldn’t hear the loud, irregular beats in your ribcage because it would give in your attraction to him.

“Hum, Y/N?” the voice next to you made you flinch, surprised that he knew your name and that he said it aloud.

“Y-Yes?” you said, cursing in your head as you stuttered.

“I heard that you were the Ace when it came to History,” Jacob started, and you couldn’t look at him in the eyes, fire spreading in your chest up to your face.

“I can’t really say that I’m the Ace, but I really love that subject, so yeah I have some… knowledge,” words tripped over your tongue, and your best friend pulled away from Sunwoo and scoffed.

“Some knowledge? Are you kidding?” she said, Sunwoo placing a hand on her mouth as she was louder than intended. She removed his palm and furrowed her brows at him, before turning her head back at you with the same angry expression.

“She knows so fucking much that Antal hates her because she feels humiliated compared to Y/N. So let me tell you one thing, Cobbie, if you need help, you’ve come to the right person. Y/N is just a living encyclopaedia,” your best friend proudly smirked as you glowered at her, Sunwoo chuckling at his girlfriend’s behaviour before immediately stopping.

“Wait, did you call him Cobbie? How come you call him like that when I get nothing other than babe or baby?” Sunwoo argued while pouting, and your best friend sighed, ruffling his hair before pressing her lips against his one more time, making you slightly grimace as envy flooded your veins.

You sighed and dared to look at Jacob, who was reading the beginning of your essay written on your computer, leaving Sunwoo and your best friend bicker like the cute couple they were.

“Do you have this project too?” you asked, and he shook his head, eyes remaining glued on the computer screen.

“It’s so interesting what you wrote, I like your way of writing and explaining stuff,” he offered a small smile as he looked at you, clearing his throat. For someone that was super popular and constantly surrounded by friends or people at parties, he behaved and sounded quite like an introvert.

“W-Well, thank you,” you said with a smile and turned your head to the side for a second, taking a deep breath before looking back at him, opening a new tab on your computer after he gestured to you that he was done reading.

“What do you need help with?”

╰☆╮

You were astonished at how quick-minded Jacob was. Behind his fit, muscular appearance and obsession with basketball, he had the soul of a thinker and grasped the knowledge of historical concepts quite easily and rapidly. He just wasn’t good with the way Smith was teaching, the method not suiting him.

“You retain things well for someone who hates History,” you joked, and he shyly smiled, scratching his neck. His smile looked gorgeous, and you were pleasantly surprised at how much of a genuine person he was.

“Well, History is not my cup of tea, but it might be a bit more thanks to you,” he said, and you tried to stifle a smile, thankful that your best friend was no longer sitting across from you because she wouldn’t have let you two live.

“It’s nothing. You can come back to me if you need help, I really don’t mind. I actually like explaining things,” you said, and he nodded, clicking your pen close before placing it in your pouch.

“Thank you, really. Sunwoo was actually the one that told me about you, so I have to thank him as well,” you stood up and slowly started to pack your stuff, shutting down your computer with a smile.

“I’m glad he did so, I just hope it was positive,” you giggled, and he quickly joined you, twirling his pen in between his fingers as he cleared his throat.

“You know, it’s Sunwoo. It can only be nice and positive,” you genuinely smiled at him and fall in silence, throwing glances at each other from time to time as the conversation was slowly starting to die down.

“And... How’s basketball going by the way? Is everything going well?” you asked, and his heart skipped a beat at your question as it took him off guard.

“I-It’s going pretty well, I’m excited to finish high school to be able to focus on basketball. I’m gonna have to take some of my last finals in South Korea because the season and the training start pretty early in Summer so…” his voice trailed as his eyes widened, a hand slapping his mouth as you both stood up.

“What?” you quizzed, confused by his sudden change of behaviour.

“I… was meant to keep this a secret,” his voice trailed, the end of his sentence falling in a whisper as he started panicking. “Can we pretend you didn’t hear what I said?” he asked as you placed your bag strap on your shoulder, taking your sweater before pushing the chair against the table.

“Said what?” you replied with a smile, and Jacob sighed in relief, somehow feeling like his secret was safe with you, even if you’ve talked to him for the first time at the beginning of the afternoon.

╰☆╮

The rest of the month rolled off smoothly, yet the stress and the revisions became more intense as the days went by. You didn’t hear anything back from Jacob, but you’ve caught him staring at you a few times, offering him an awkward wave and a smile as not to get noticed by some of his “fan girls”, as they called themselves.

You still had a whole month left before finals, and you felt blessed as summer decided to start a bit earlier this year. It was only the beginning of May, but you were already able to wear shorts and dresses. It felt good to see the blue sky and being surrounded by the warmth of the sun hitting your exposed skin after the cold, lonely winter and spring you’ve just got out of. Everything looked prettier and warmer, and it did nothing but make you happier and brighter, despite the stress of the finals piling up on your shoulders.

So, to get rid of this pressure, you decided to leave town with Hyunjae and let him drive to one of the lakes that surrounded your town, knowing that the beach and parks would get crowded in no time. It was a place that you used to go to with your parents when you were still a child, memories that you shared with your friend coming back flooding in your mind.

Hyunjae and his family tagged along to give you some company and take care of you as your parents were busy looking after your newborn twin sisters, Hyunjae and his younger brother acting like elder siblings to you.

After driving for a few dozens of minutes, you settled your stuff in the shade, right under a weeping willow that offered you freshness throughout the entire day. Your best friend napped almost the entire time you were there, hand lingering on his abs while the other plucked out some grass until he dozed off, trying to store as many hours of rest as possible before finals. By his side was you, reading a book and enjoying the chilly water to cool down from the hot temperatures of early Summer, playfully nudging the young man next to you each time he was starting to snore.

It’s near the middle of the afternoon that you heard another car pulling up near the lake, a bunch of excited teenagers coming out of a van. You didn’t pay much attention to them, only sighing as your peace was about to get ruined, their screams when they jumped in the water woke your best friend up.

He abruptly sat up next to you and rubbed his eyes, some sleeping marks lingering on his face, making you giggle. Being the short-sighted idiot that he was, he squinted to try and recognise some people, but he didn’t have to.

A young woman screamed and started jumping up and down, waving her arms above her head in your direction, hearing her scream something towards you.

You looked at each other with Hyunjae, confusion painted on your faces, hearing your phone buzz in your small bag hidden by your folded clothes.

“Hello?” you said as Hyunjae’s phone started vibrating too, picking up the call as well.

“Y/N, it’s us! We’re on the opposite side of the lake! Come and join us!” you heard your best friend yell in your ear, hearing her as well through Hyunjae’s phone, who picked up a call from her boyfriend.

“Okay, we’re coming!” you excitingly said as you hung up, waving at your best friend from your spot as you started packing your stuff to get back in the car and meet up with your friends.

Your best friend excitingly jumped in your arms as soon as you got out of the car,

“Tt’s crazy how we’re so connected! Did you also think that the beach would be crowded?” she asked, and you nodded with a smile, happy to see her this joyful to see you.

The inseparable duo was here, as well as Younghoon, Jacob, Eric, Juyeon and Sangyeon, the striker of the football team. They all engulfed you in a tight hug, Jacob staying in the background the entire time.

“Hi Jacob!” you brightly said and wrapped your arms around his neck, hugging him close. “Hi Y/N,” his answer vibrated in his chest and had repercussions in yours, sending your heart flying in your ribcage.

You looked so good being this carefree, it was thankfully a sight that he managed to imprint in his mind despite the shortness of the moment. Being surrounded by all your friends felt so good that you forgot to be awkward and worry about the stupidest things, and Jacob adored seeing you this natural and smiling in the company of your friends. He was a bit sad that he wasn’t fully the reason for your smile though, but he still managed to enjoy the rest of the day with you and your mutual friends, whether you were on the ground or in the water.

Sangyeon, Younghoon and Juyeon copied Hyunjae and joined him in a restoring nap, while Eric, Sunwoo, Jacob, Soyeon and you played different games in the water, improvising a volleyball match with an imaginary net and the ball Sunwoo took with him as the volleyball, but it did the job. It was just a bit hurtful for the liberos since it wasn’t as soft and bouncy as a volleyball, but the joy of the moment allowed any type of pain to become bearable.

The evening eventually started to settle in, and you all got out of the water, drying yourselves before deciding to spend a part of the night here. You helped Sangyeon build a bonfire in the safe area by bringing some different branches, the eldest placing them correctly before lighting them with his pocket lighter.

“Hyung! I didn’t know you were a boy-scout,” Sunwoo exclaimed and made everyone laughed as you all were sliding some marshmallows on a stick, Sangyeon smiling with modesty at everyone.

“Ya, don’t say this,” Sangyeon mumbled, and you smile, rubbing his upper back as he sat down next to you, thanking him when you handed him over his marshmallow stick.

“Oh no! Mine burnt,” Soyeon pouted when she retrieved her snack from the flames, and her boyfriend was quick to give her his sweets, Eric cooing at the gesture of affection.

“Give it to me, I like them burnt,” he mumbled as he bit in the fluffy texture, immediately regretting it as it was boiling. His girlfriend handed him water as he stood up, bouncing up and down to try and reduce what felt like flames in his mouth.

“Oh my, thanks babe,” he muttered with his mouth stuffed when he gulped down everything with a pained expression on his face. Eric’s eyes filled with boredom locked into yours and you both chuckled, your friend shaking his head.

“When is it gonna be my turn,” he huffed and Sunwoo hit him playfully in the back as you all laughed around the bonfire, relating to your friend.

“When you’ll stop being obsessed with football and mango juice,” Eric grunted and folded his arms over his chest as Sangyeon called him out, making you coo and playfully run to him, holding him against you as he fake-cried on your chest while everyone was laughing at him.

Except for Jacob, who only offered a weak smile, but you didn’t catch it, too busy having fun and being light-hearted with your friends.

After your stomachs were filled with sweets and soda, Sunwoo pulled out his guitar and strummed a soft melody until some became heavy-eyed or fell asleep against the other, his girlfriend succumbing to his musical talents first. Jacob looked exhausted as well but forced his eyes open, finding him even hotter with hooded eyelids and his hair slightly curling with the humidity of the air and the lake water.

When it was time to go home, Hyunjae, as well as Younghoon, Sunwoo, Soyeon and Eric decided to jump into Hyunjae’s car to go to the beach, feeling the urge and the thrill of going skinny-dipping. On the other hand, you and the rest of the boys were too exhausted and modest to do this, only wanting to go home and get some good rest.

Just like they had arrived, Sangyeon was behind the wheel while the rest was either next to him or in the back seat. And you didn’t know how it happened, but you got stuck between the window and Jacob, who was struggling to keep his eyes open.

“You good?” you asked, and he turned his head towards you before offering you a tired yet sweet smile, moving his head up and down.

“I'm just exhausted, tonight was simply amazing,” he mumbled, and you expressed your agreement by a happy hum and a nod, bringing your attention to your eldest friend.

“Are you sure you’re awake enough to drive?” you enquired on the current situation and Sangyeon looks at you through the inner rear-view mirror, eyes forming two crescent moons as he smiled.

“I just jumped in the water, I’m nothing but awake,” he clapped in his hands to motivate himself and started the engine, your best friend’s car already gone.

Jacob rested his head against the headrest and closed his eyes, his head rolling to the side each time Sangyeon took a turn. You settled yourself on the window and let the vibrations of the car lull you to sleep, the small talk that Sangyeon and Juyeon were having in the front seats acted like a background noise, which helped you dozing off.

However, when the car pulled up in front of your house, they didn’t expect you to have your head resting against Jacob’s shoulder, his hand on your knee. The two men smiled at each other before Sangyeon got out of the vehicle, drawing the door open. As he was about to carry you to your doorstep, Jacob’s arm was quick to wrap itself around your waist, keeping you close to him.

You woke up confused, blinking a few times as you saw the striker standing next to you with a wide smile on his face. He removed a limb around your body, and you felt someone groan under your right shoulder, noticing in dread that you snuggled up to Jacob for some warmth in your sleep.

“You gotta go before the beast wakes up,” Sangyeon joked and winked as he helped you get out of the car, closing the door behind you. It opened again a few seconds later, Jacob looking just as confused as you were.

“Come on, lovebirds, we don’t have the night.”

“Lovebirds?” Jacob and you asked in unison, the basketball player rubbing his eye with the back of his hand. He jumped out of the van and gestured to Sangyeon to get back in.

“You can go, I live just around the corner,” he drowsily said as he vaguely gestured behind him.

“You sure? Your house is on my way back home, I can drop you off,” Sangyeon suggested but he refused, offering a handshake to the striker before letting him go.

Being more awake now, you waved at your friends driving away before turning to your crush, who looked even more adorable as he was super sleepy and just woke up.

“Are you sure you’re gonna be okay? You look really tired,” you asked, voice still laced with sleep yet sounding caring, which made Jacob’s heartbeat fasten. He nodded and weakly smiled, taking a step closer to you. His attitude was a bolt from the blue as he wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you to him, nuzzling his face in your neck.

“You felt so warm during the ride, it’s almost like I could get used to this,” he tiredly said with a smile, gently pulling away to stare at you, his fingers leaving your back to come and slide a wild piece of hair behind your ear. Your whole body stiffened at his words as he stared at you in the eyes, noticing a small, washed-out smirk plastered on his face.

“Don’t you think it’s a bit... late to start something with someone? I mean, we have finals and then y-you’re le-leaving for South Korea and-” you started stammering as his thumb gently stroked your cheek, loving watching you lose your composure at his display of affection.

“It’s never too late when you love someone,” he whispered, feeling his warm breath tickling your lips in such a delicious manner that you have to resist the urge to move forward and press your lips against his.

His words punched the air out of your lungs, leaving you breathless as he kissed your cheek, mouth slowly moving to the side until it reached your lips. The kiss was soft yet a bit on the rougher side as if he wanted you to understand every feeling he had for you. Instinctively, your arms wrapped around his shoulders, and you kissed him harder, deeper, his hands on your lower back pulling you flush against him.

You had dreamt, wondered about what it was like kissing Jacob, but it never felt as good as you were experiencing it now. Fireworks and butterflies were erupting in your stomach, leaving you dizzy with love and passion as one of his hands came and cupped your cheek, the pad of his thumb gently caressing the skin.

Once you pulled away for oxygen, you held onto his shoulders for your dear life and he chuckled, his mouth slowly travelling down to your neck.

“I-I think my… my- oh my god, my parents will worry,” you gently pushed him away and he stared at you with a smile before diving in to capture your lips in another soft kiss.

“I'm only letting you go if you're free tomorrow. Let's put that off to tomorrow, shall we?” he asked, and your eyes widened at his suggestion.

“We can go back to the lake if you want, but only if we’re alone,” he said, his hand caressing your cheek while the other was busy stroking your upper back up and down.

“I want to enjoy this with you and you only,” he added, mumbling against your mouth and this time, you’re the one pulling him for a kiss.

“Come and pick me up at 10, then,” you said as you pulled away.

“I’ll be there, I promise,” he answered and started walking towards your house, closing the front gate behind you, waving at him with a smile.

He sent you a flying kiss with a smile and you waved at him one last time before closing the main door of your house behind you, both sighing with a huge smile and warmth painted on your faces.

You peeled the clothes off your skin and went straight to the bathroom to take a shower, shaking your head left to right while chuckling as you recalled what just happened in your last month of high school.

Nothing was making sense, you didn’t know how you got there, but you were happy.

And that’s what mattered the most.

[mrpenguinpants]

Xiao: String of Fate [Soulmate AU] HCs

Hey anon! Okay, I’m just gonna level with you. This request? This request right here? Probably one of my favourites. I went feral over this at 3am and my monkey brain fabricated an entire life story for Xiao when he’s not even out yet.

I sorta combined this request with my feral plot idea (which is honestly a 20k word fic at this point), but ahem, I hope you like and np^^ gotta make so many offerings so Xiao hopefully blesses me. Have a lovely day anon!!

--- Xiao Semi Series

[ Friendship ] [ Falling in Love ] [ Cuddles ] [ Protective ] [ Affection ] [ Jealously ] [ Opposites Attract ] [ Fainting ]

[Masterlist]

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[taglist]  <- if you want to be added, please read this first.

@mikeysbike @unionwitch @musekala @stanzastic @akaasea @xoneaboveallx @adoring-ghost @asheseiler @childelover @dilucsz @dai-tsukki-desu @thicmitten @sunnshiii @hanniejji​  @snowy224 @mayumintsu @tigerpriestess @yuu-yuukurotsuki @legionqueensav​ @youaskedfurret​

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Xiao: String of Fate [Soulmate AU] HCs

The red string of fate is a concept that those who are connected by a red string are destined to meet and fall in love. Regardless of place, time, or circumstances. The red string can never be broken unless one connected passes away.

Alatus

For the past few days, Alatus would wake up early and scale the mountains of his small village to pick Qingxin flowers. The morning dew would still be on the petals before the sun came by and evaporated everything. It became a bit of a small joke that the elders used to make, that a earth spirit would appear at the break of dawn to place the flowers for harvest. Not that Alatus minded, he was grateful that whatever celestial spirt was out there made sure to replace the ones he took. Remembering to always offer a prayer of thanks and a small offering, you would scold him if he didn’t.

He quickly scaled and vaulted over the wooden beam and slipped into your room. He winced at the sound of his shoes landing on the wooden floor but you didn’t seem to stir. You were still sleeping peacefully as Alatus took the fresh flowers to add to the ones already in your small vase beside you. They were your favourite flower after all. He reminisces about when you were both children and how you would drag him to mountains and tell him all about how at the very top there was his beautiful white flower. But you were both too young with small limbs to even attempt to climb it, plus if you somehow managed to do it, it would take too long and both your parents would be worried. It never seemed to deter you as you reasoned that a wind spirit would help your journey. Come to think of it, you always put a lot of faith into celestial beings. But he goes along with your plan, never one to contain your desire to explore.

He’s suddenly snapped out of his memories when he hears a soft knock on the door. It quietly opens to reveal your mother. She gives him a small smile as he looked a bit guilty for getting caught breaking in before waving him over to hand him something. You left him with a small bamboo package that you had wanted to give on his birthday. On top of the bamboo, you had wrote a short but warming message that you were worried about him always running off outside and that he might catch a cold. He smiled softly at your words, ingraining the way your ink brush flowed down the bamboo sticks into his mind. He offer’s a small thanks as she gives him a comforting hug. Whether for him or her he doesn’t know and she leaves.

He carefully untied the brown string keeping the package together to unravel a blue, white, and gold sleeve. He silently marveled at how beautiful it was and held it up to the light, it almost seemed to shine with subtle highlights. He has no idea how you managed to create this, he had never even seen the dye of red or gold used in clothing before. Perhaps the celestial beings decided to bless you for your prayers and devotion. He gives one small squeeze of your hand as he ties the sleeve to his arm and he slips out through the same window he came from. He looks up at the mountain’s he’s scaled before setting on the tallest one. One so tall the elders say that it could reach celestia.

As he scales the mountain he can feel a taint tug on his thumb, before it slowly disappears. He closes his eyes for a brief moment, breathes in deeply, and continues upwards.

The Golden-Winged King

One of his first adepti duties was to investigate the place he once knew as his home. There had been a dream eating demon that had been spreading curses onto unsuspecting youths. Putting them into eternal sleep before they bodies finally succumbed and they passed away. It was horrible and Alatus swore he would do everything in his power to make the dream demon suffer. Unfortunely, seeing as this was his first time venturing out back into the moral world and still recovering from his trials, he was assigned to work with a senior anemo adepti. One who was well-versed in using polearms that could “show him the ropes” as mortals would say.

This other adepti was too loud and erratic for his tastes compared to the calm and peaceful friend he once knew. Always getting side-tracked and flying around Alatus like some overgrown pixie. Never taking anything serious even though the both of you were tasked to destroy evil. But he held his tongue since this was his senior, gripping his sleeve when he was especially annoyed. This only seemed to spur the other anemo adepti further and inquire about the sleeve. Naturally, Alatus was hostile and guarded. That was first time he ever raised his voice which instead of becoming offended or angry, the other adepti was impressed.

From then on the other adepti seemed to want to interact with Alatus at any given moment. From checking in with him on his latest mission or if he heard about how the delicious flowers tasted. Who even ate flowers? Either way, every instance of communication was brushed aside, he would always make some weak excuse that he needed to train. Which lead to the other challenging him. The both of you were the same element so it would be a good time to see who was the best at wielding it. Overtime he began to look forward to your weekly spars. Even finding a bit of joy out of them. Ever since he had climbed up the mountain it had been constant training and hardships but when it came to these spars. It was fun. Alatus began to open his heart a tiny bit, let’s himself relax and fall into amusement when he see’s his partner’s face pop over him as they hovered over him.

He even began to feel his locked up heart start to beat a bit faster whenever he saw his partner perk up and wave at him. Whenever you threw your arm around him he never brushed you off like he used to, just basked in your presence as you rambled about how this stuck up bird was running everyone through the ground with her demands. It was amusing for fresh adepti’s to see you both interact. The ever stoic and aloof Alatus that taught them through strict rules loosen up immediately and smile whenever your head popped up to scold him for his training methods.

It was fun. Until the day he became possessed and killed you with your own weapon.

Guardian Yaksha

Guizhong was concerned. Ever since Rex Lapis had saved the poor adepti man from his possession, he had locked himself in. He still fulfilled his duties with alarming accuracy but it seemed that he completely on auto-pilot. He could stand in the pouring rain without realizing it or he always seemed to be in such a rush. Asking to do anything that needed to be done rather than relax. He was going to end up running through his long years at this rate. She brought it up to Rex Lapis and his fellow Yaksha but none of them had the time or want to check in on him. It was a time of war after all. Except one.

You watch him stand in the rain. Any attempts from you or Guizhong to ask if he was better always failed and you didn’t want to push. But this was already past the point of simple concern. So the next time you saw him relapse you walked over and embraced him. He usually carried himself as stiff as possible but you swore you were holding one of Rex Lapis’s pillars. You braced yourself to get thrown off or at the very least be questioned but none of those things happened. He just stood there and to be honest, you weren’t sure if that was even more concerning. You both didn’t say anything even when the rain stopped until Rex Lapis had summoned you both over.

You and him never developed a close friendship but he never seemed to brush you away whenever you sat beside him ever since you hugged him in the rain. A bare acknowledgement on good days but that was alright. Just sitting in each other’s presence when the war wanted to be quiet somedays was nice. On harder days when fighting took too much of a toll on your body you would lean your head on his shoulder. He never shrugged you off or seemed bothered by it, in fact, it almost seemed as if he leaned back against you. You both never spoke during these moments, just a silent understanding looming over you both.

Then when Morax announced that Guizhong had passed away, you felt as if you somewhat understood how Xiao felt. You didn’t even register that you had walked back to the same place Xiao was standing back when he was in the rain. The war was finally over but after everything that had happened to get to this point, it was hard. You knew that a few of your other Yaksha’s were ready to return to Jueyun Karst or return to earth. You blink quickly as you feel two arms wrap around you and you realize how funny fate seems to be. You choke out some unintelligible noise that’s a mix between a laugh and a sob as you cling onto him and let your bottled up emotions pour out.

He’s the last person you see in the newly established Liyue, wishing him luck in the rest of his journey, as you return to the earth. You aren’t sure what you’ll turn into but you hope that the peaceful atmosphere you both created will remain.

Xiao

It was completely out of the blue when you asked if he wanted to come on an adventure with you. You were both sitting under the tree that held the Wangshu inn up when you suddenly sat up and pointed in some far off direction across Liyue. Asked if he wanted to come with you after the lantern festival was over. He was a bit taken aback, you were a traveler first and foremost but you never asked if he wanted to come with you. You had always assumed that he wanted to stay as a protector of Liyue but after what Morax, now Zhongli, had said and how it was time to him to step down. You decided to ask him. It didn’t have to be far, you both could go to the stone gate if he wanted, just if he wanted to come with you anywhere.

His first instinct is to decline but you end up cutting him off before he can say anything.

“I know you have your reasons and loyalties to stay as Liyue’s protector. That’s why I’m not asking for you to accompany me across Teyvat. But I don’t know when I’m going to be back and after what happened in Liyue, I thought it would be nice to just, take a break, and go anywhere. You don’t have to accompany me if you don’t want to but I think it’d be nice to wander together,” you say as you continue to look across the land from the balcony. He can’t see where you’re looking at exactly but he ponders your words.

To wander and go anywhere. Just the two of you. He’s never even considered leaving Liyue even after all the demons were replaced with weak hilichurls and slimes. He gazes up at the tree’s leaves, looks further to see celestia, and even further back to his home. Guizhong always said he needed to relax and live in the moment of now rather than running past everything but was he really ready for that? 

“Ah, sorry was that a bit too forward? I really didn’t mean anything ba-”

“Yes. Let’s go,” Xiao cuts you off as his eyes shine in a new light of determination, “Wherever you want to go, I will come with you.”

You blink once, twice, before a bright grin stretch's across your face as you quickly ask if he’s joking. He’s not, and you cheer excitedly as you list off different places you’ve wanted to explore. Perhaps the shoal? Maybe even further into the chasm? Actually wait, the electro archon has closed that area off so maybe not there. Xiao patiently listens to you ramble as he smiles softly. Your excitement is addicting and he can feel his heart flutter just a bit. How long has it been since he felt this way? He can feel a small tug on his thumb, he looks down but he can’t see anything, but there’s a comfortable weight that he’s felt has been missing for a very long time.

---

If this seems interesting and people seem to enjoy it, I can post the actual fic when Xiao banner drops as a bit of a catalyst. It’s basically the same idea.  Though it’s kinda long so I have no idea when that’s going to be finished. It might turn into a thank you gift instead. (or ahem, you know, if you wanna commission me and see it earlier there’s that haha just kidding;;).

Honestly, I took a lot of liberties. I read the lore on adepti and Xiao but most of this is my monkey brain and previous semi xiao fics (which you don’t have to read but it would be helpful to see extended parts). Phew, this took a lot of time. It’s not as cute as my other fics but hopefully you all enjoyed it^^

Actually, nevermind. I hate this. I’ll keep it up since I haven’t posted this week yet but I hate this. 

[latte-fairytaekwoon]

𝓟𝓻𝓮𝓽𝓽𝔂, 𝓟𝓲𝓷𝓴, 𝓐𝓷𝓭 𝓟𝓾𝓯𝓯𝔂 (𝓢𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓜𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓲) 𝓡𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓭

𝑷𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈: 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒊 (𝑨𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒛)× 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓 (𝑭𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒆)

𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆: 𝑺𝒎𝒖𝒕, 𝑭𝒍𝒖𝒇𝒇

𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝑪𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕: 4.2K

𝑺𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒚: 𝑩𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒘 𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆, 𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒊 𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒔𝒐 𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐𝒚𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒊𝒎.

𝑾𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔: 𝑼𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑩𝑫𝑺𝑴 𝒕𝒐𝒚𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒊𝒑𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒔/𝒗𝒊𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒅/𝒑*𝒔𝒔𝒚 𝒑𝒖𝒎𝒑𝒔, 𝒔𝒊𝒛𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒌, 𝑫𝒂𝒅𝒅𝒚 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒌, 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒃𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒈𝒆, 𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒍 (𝒇𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈), 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏, 𝒔𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒖𝒏𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒆𝒙 (𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏) 𝑺𝒐𝒇𝒕 𝑫𝒐𝒎! 𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒊 × 𝑺𝒖𝒃! 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓.

𝑻𝒂𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕: @little-precious-baby @multidreams-and-desires @galaxteez @yunhofingers @yunhoiseyecandy

❀••══════◄••❀••►══════••❀

Thanking the kind delivery person and wishing them a safe journey, Mingi shut the door behind him and stared at the package he was currently holding. Recognizing the logo of the company, he excitedly walked in a speedy form across the hallway and back into the bedroom, where his girlfriend, Y/N, was still in the same position as he left her: laying on the bed, a pillow tucked underneath her chest as she hugged it whilst staring up at the movie playing on the television. Mingi couldn't help but find her cute as one of her legs swung up and down, telltale sign she was enjoying the movie so far.

"What'd you get?" She asked when she felt the bed dip behind her when he sat on it.

"Oh just some cute little things I found on the internet. I'm just going to check and make sure they're not broken or something."

The girl simply hummed out at his response and resumed her focus back on the movie, ignoring the tearing of tape and shuffling of wrapping paper behind her. Carefully taking out each item one by one, Mingi set them down on the soft mattress, arranging them in an orderly fashion. His heart beat faster with each article he touched, palms getting sweaty as he began to imagine all the possible ways he could use all the items he bought. Soon enough, the corner of the bed where he sat at was arrayed with some of the various toys he had purchased: rope, blindfolds, soft and furry handcuffs, vibrators that ranged from bullet all the way to rabbit ones, mouth gags, floggers, assorted dildos, a collar with a leash set, different types of anal plugs including one that had a faux cat tail attached to it, and nipple clamps, all in a pretty pale pink color. However there was still one more item he had not yet taken out yet, still hidden inside the box. Pushing some of the leftover paper over, Mingi's hand slightly trembled as he looked down at the bright dark pink device that he had bought on a whim after he viewed some very explicit content on the internet the other day. His finger gently touched the plastic cylinder that was on one end of the toy, mind already thinking about putting it to use. Slowly, he turned his head to look over at his darling girlfriend, who was still absentmindedly fixed on the screen in front of her. Her leg had long stopped moving around, her body now completely relaxed.

"Perfect." Mingi thought.

Setting the box aside, he shifted so he was sitting right where her legs were. His fingers began grazing the hem of the babydoll lingerie dress Y/N was donning, the color matching with the toys he had bought. He had always loved the light shades of pink adorned, not just on her, but on her body, sometimes bordering on red if he got a little too carried away when he had his way with her. Lifting part of the dress up to reveal the matching lace panties, his hand cupped part of her left butt cheek, which resulted in a tiny giggle from her.

"Mingi? What are you up to?"

When she tried to shift around to see him, his hands immediately pressed her back down to her original position.

"Just stay like that princess and relax for me ok?"

Noticing the change of tone and his use of that particular nickname, Y/N did as she was told, eagerly anticipating what he had in store for her. Mingi slid his finger across her covered slit, probing around a little longer near her opening, slightly pushing part of his finger in there. When pulling it back, there was a wet arousal spot left there. Smiling fondly down at her, Mingi placed his arms at either sides of her body, lowering himself enough so he could start placing kisses along the nape of her neck and traveled them to the start of her back. She began to let out soft hums when his hands began caressing her sides, running them around the outline of her waist.

"My pretty baby. I hope you don't mind, but I bought you a few things."

Ears perking up and with glimmering eyes, Y/N allowed her doting boyfriend to help lift her up and sit her on his lap, making her face towards the rows of toys displayed out on the bed. A faint blush spread across the apples of her cheeks, fascination spreading around her body. Full of curiosity, her hand leaned out to hover above the items, some of which she knew what they were and some which were unfamiliar to her.

"It's ok babygirl. You can touch them." Mingi's soothing voice assured her when she hesitated to touch the nearest ones in her reach.

Gaining a bit of courage, she picked up one of cuter looking wands, her palms cupping the dome shaped top. Brushing some of the hair out of the way, Mingi pressed a chaste kiss to her shoulder.

"You like that one?"

She nodded.

"It's cute."

Giggling softly, Mingi nuzzled his nose against her neck.

"Just like you princess."

Y/N let out a soft squeal as Mingi gently tackled her down onto the bed, his hands intertwining with hers. Starting with her forehead, he began peppering kisses all over her face before eventually reaching her lips and placing small tiny pecks on them, smiling occasionally against them. After a while, Mingi's kisses became more heated, his hands which were holding his girlfriend's hands in place were now gripping onto her thighs, running them down and up them before eventually wrapping them around his hips which were currently rolling themselves against hers. Y/N's faint moans were being swallowed up by Mingi's mouth as his tongue roamed the inside of hers, swirling her tongue around his before eventually tugging it out slightly so he could give it a tiny suck. Y/N's hands were already tangled on the back of Mingi's dyed red locks, messing them up just a tiny bit. When he pulled away, they were both left breathless, a tiny string of saliva that connected to their lips suddenly breaking apart as they stared in each other's eyes.

"Princess, will you let Daddy use some of the new toys on you?"

He didn't need to ask twice as Y/N was already nodding, also curious and aching to try out some of the toys. Raising her arms up and arching her back slightly, she allowed Mingi to strip the babydoll dress off her body, her panties soon following suit as they layed scattered on the floor next to the bed. Mingi admired her naked body, never getting tired of seeing her underneath him, legs spread as she let him view her in her most vulnerable state, always feeling like the first time he had her in such a position. Reaching for the same wand vibrator she had picked out before, Mingi turned it on, a slight buzzing noise coming out of it. Making sure it was on the mildest setting, he lowered it down and pressed it between her breasts, her body shivering slightly when she felt the vibrations hit against her skin.

"How does it feel so far princess?" He asked first before attempting to move it anywhere else.

"G-good. Feels good. But I want it somewhere else." She admitted.

Mingi chuckled at her answer.

"Somewhere else? Where exactly babygirl? Perhaps here?"

Y/N let out a sharp gasp as Mingi moved the vibrator over to caress one of her nipples, immediately making it poke out. Mingi held the device on her nipple briefly, often circling it around the rest of her breast before pressing back against her sensitive little nub. He made sure to repeat the same actions to her other nipple, not forgetting to let it receive the same treatment as its fellow twin. Once he felt her nipples had received enough attention, he began to move the wand down her stomach, inching it closer and closer towards her mound. Y/N's hands clutched onto the blanket underneath her.

Mingi began teasing her as he made the vibrator roam around her inner thighs, getting dangerously close to her core before pulling it away and dragging it further from where she wanted and needed it most.

"Mingi!" She whined at him.

"Yes princess? Is there something you want?" He tilted his head at her, smiling mischievously when she batted her eyelashes at him.

"Princess you gotta use your words. Daddy isn't a mind reader."

Taking a deep breath, Y/N dragged one hand down her body, cupping one of her breasts, her fingers toying with her sensitive nipple.

"I want...want the toy-" She bit her lip in frustration, eyebrows furrowed up at him.

"This?" Mingi retracted the device from her body, holding it up and swinging it around his hand. "Where does my princess want this now?"

He let out a pleased smile when Y/N grabbed his free hand to place it right on top of her clit.

"Here. I want daddy to put it right here." She answered as she moved his fingers so they could rub against her genitals, producing more slick to accumulate inside of her.

"Right here? You want daddy to put it right there?"

She nodded furiously, spreading her legs even further to get her point across. The buzzing sound of the vibrator got louder as Mingi turned it up a level. When it made contact with Y/N's clit, a breath got stuck in her throat. It pulsated so powerfully against her mound her body began to instinctively move away, but Mingi's hand pressed her down onto the bed, holding her in place as he angled the wand so it could hit all over her nerves.

"Don't baby. You said you wanted it right here and that's where it's staying."

Mingi had to admit watching her squirm underneath him, trying to escape his grasp while he watched in earnest as her pussy began turning a light shade of pink whilst it throbbed against the wand had the tent in his pants tightening even further. She was already leaking so much and her pussy looked so delicious it made him wonder just how much prettier it was going to look after he used the special device he bought for her. Y/N's legs began to tremble the longer Mingi held the vibrator next to her mound, her breathing becoming labored as she felt that familiar coil build up at the pit of her stomach. Just as soon as it was fast approaching, Mingi selfishly turned off the wand, putting an end to the addicting vibrations she was just enjoying. Mingi let out a subtle snort when he saw her glaring up at him.

"I'm sorry baby, but I just couldn't help to think that... it feels like something's missing. I think you'll look much prettier if you had something adorning you."

Scanning over the many articles layed out before him, Mingi picked up the tail butt plug. Stroking the fluffy part across her chin, he waved it in front of her face. Y/N however was confused about where it was supposed to go. Noticing her confusion, especially when she pointed at it, Mingi lowered it down so it was rubbing across her slick folds.

"This little toy right here babygirl....goes right here."

When Y/N felt the slightly cool metal piece rubbing against her rim, she widened her eyes and immediately retracted her body away from it.

"Mingi you are not sticking anything up my ass." She firmly declared.

His bottom lip poked out.

"Are you sure about that?"

"I'm very sure. Don't you dare." She continued.

Mingi nodded, not going to press her any further with something she was saying a hard no to. Going back to the clutter of toys, his fingers picked up two nipple clamps that had a white bow with a pink button attached to them. Holding them out in front of her breasts, Mingi smiled in satisfaction when she gave him the thumbs up to put them on. She would have thought that they would pinch a lot harder but surprisingly the didn't. The clamps seemed to be squeezing her nipples just right, applying the perfect amount of pressure on them. Testing them out, Mingi flicked his index fingers across them, getting an immediate reaction as Y/N grunted softly at his ministrations.

"How do they feel?" He inquired.

"They feel nice. Do they look pretty?" She rose her chest a bit.

"Oh they look absolutely beautiful on you princess. You look beautiful."

When his hand came down to caress her cheek, Y/N leaned into his touch, enjoying the small and gentle gesture of affection. Leaning down, Mingi kissed her forehead and then looked at her straight in the eyes.

"And you're going to look even more beautiful after we use a little something special I bought."

Mingi reached for the box that had been pushed aside yet had not been forgotten by him. Casting the box aside, he finally revealed what had been kept hidden inside:

A bright pink vaginal pump.

Y/N looked at the sex toy with fascination. It looked pretty and it was nothing she'd ever seen. Although it slightly intimidated her, she found herself drawn to it.

"What's that for?" She pointed towards it.

Glad that she'd ask, Mingi cupped the cylinder piece and gave it a tiny squeeze to show her it was flexible.

"See darling, I'm going to put this little piece right over here on your pretty little pussy. And then this part."

He picked up the other end with his other hand which was medicinal-ball styled pump and smelled down at her.

"Is going to suck those pretty lips of yours until they're left swollen and sensitive to the touch. That way when I fuck you I'm going to have you cumming over and over again."

Y/N was intrigued by his words so she just obeyed Mingi and patiently waited as he began lubricating the edges of the plastic cylinder dome. Once that was done, he meticulously positioned it on top of her mound, pressing it down to make sure it would stay put and would seal around it.

"God I bet you're going to look so pretty." He couldn't wait to see the results.

Picking up the pumper once more, he reminded her their safe word in case she felt uncomfortable or, heaven forbid in pain, and he'd immediately release the emergency valve so it'd come off her body instantly. Y/N nodded and then took a deep breath to steady her nerves, reminding herself to just relax and trust Mingi. When Mingi squeezed the pump for the first time, she felt her pussy get sucked into the cup, her breath hitching as it felt like those times Mingi would go down on her and would suckle on her clit. But this felt even better as she felt it not only on her clit, but all around her.

"You ok?" Mingi wanted to make sure before proceeding.

"I-I'm good. It's good, keep going." She encouraged him, which delighted him greatly.

Mingi pumped the valve 2 more times, watching in earnest as his girlfriend's hips arched up as the toy suctioned more of her inside. Her eyes were closed and her mouth which was agape was spilling out tiny moans as the blood flow was increasing throughout her nether region. She could already feel it become more sensitive and she could only imagine how it would feel afterwards.

"Please more." She cried out to her boyfriend, wanting to feel it suck her up even more.

Obliging to her request, Mingi pressed the pumper 2 more times, dick hardening as he watched her pussy lips cover the entire space around the rim of the cup, nearly bulging out at the sides. With the way Y/N's legs curled up he knew it was enough for now. Pressing the release valve, the cup began emitting a hushed hissing sound as it began detaching itself from his girlfriend's body, plopping down on the bed in between her legs.

"Holy hell." Mingi couldn't hide his shock when he saw the clearly visible results:

Her labia folds were engorged beyond anything he'd ever seen, her inner lips had a reddish tint to them and could be seen protruding out slightly, her clitoris was swollen and her entire region was pink colored due to all the pressure it had been under. Y/N curiously looked down to see and she herself was surprised by how her pussy was looking.

"Oh fuck." Her hand came up to cup her mouth.

Mingi couldn't stop staring at the image. She looked utterly delicious that he couldn't help himself as he began lowering his face until it was right in between her legs. Testing the waters first, he stuck his tongue out, laying it flat against her clit. When she felt his wet muscle touch her, Y/N let out a small whimper, her body moving slightly away from him as the sensation was too strong, her pussy feeling completely delicate.

"Too sensitive babygirl?" Mingi lifted his head up to take in her reaction.

"Like crazy." She had a tiny pout on her face which had Mingi smiling.

"I'll be sure to be very gently then princess."

With complete tenderness, Mingi began to place small kitten licks around her clit, sometimes flicking his tongue out, hitting her overly reactive bundle of nerves that had her shivering to an extent. With a slow movement, he dragged his tongue down one side of her puffy lips, once reaching her entrance he made sure to shove his tongue inside it, moderately thrusting it and out of her hole, muffled animalistic groans spilling from his luscious lips as he lapped up the secretions that were exuding from her body. Y/N began writhing more and more as Mingi dragged his tongue back up her other lip, teeth slightly grazing across it.

"Princess if you keep trying to push me away like that how am I supposed to fuck you?"

Biting down her lip, Y/N gestured with a roll of her eyes towards the pile of toys next to them.

"Tie me up daddy." Her voice came out as a challenge.

Raising an eyebrow at her, Mingi already began reaching for one of the silk ties that were available to him.

"You want that darling? Want daddy to tie you up and hold you down as I fuck your swollen pink pussy?"

Y/N's eyes nearly rolled to the back of her head as she imagined that.

"Oh God yes. Please fuck me."

Hearing her beg in earnest for him had Mingi fumbling to rid himself of his clothes. Y/N chuckled as it sort of reminded her of the very first time they were intimate. How he was super awkward yet eager to please her in any way he could. In a way, nothing really changed. The only change was that Mingi got more and more confident over time, clearly evident in as he began tying her hands together, one of them gripping her bound wrists to keep her arms above her head while the other began lining himself against her opening. He couldn't resist himself as he slapped his tip against her clit, seeing it twitch as Y/N whined in his ear, her thighs squeezing together from the overwhelming sting she felt. Giggling rather evilly, Mingi pried her legs open staring intently in between them as he began to push his length inside of her. Her walls were practically clinging onto him the more he stuffed himself inside her, her body involuntarily clenching around his cock as it was overly and intensely sensitive, her folds practically throbbing against his raw intrusion.

Pushing out slowly, Mingi moved very carefully, wanting to see first how much could she handle before he got more rough with her. Y/N was already releasing blissful pants, eyes shut as she began to get lost in the utterly obliterating pleasure she was receiving. It seemed whenever Mingi would pull out, it'd get harder as her cavern would hug him even tighter, craving him back inside where it belonged. Before she knew it her previously orgasm that was taken away slowly crept up once more, rapidly spreading down to the pit of her stomach, more so since her intimate parts were more receptive to any touch, but were especially reacting to the way Mingi's cock was sliding in and out of them. When Mingi's mouth began to suckle on the side of her neck, Y/N could feel like she was going to lose it. She didn't want to cum so early and on so little, but Mingi's kisses and his hot breath on her skin weren't helping her case.

"You have no idea how absolutely adorable your swollen lips look hugging my big cock. I wish you could see it."

Grunting softly as he picked up his pace, he bit down onto her shoulder, leaving behind a purple blotch.

"Maybe I should grab my phone and record it all for you to see. Would you like that princess? So you can see how daddy's fat cock looks against your engorged pussy?"

Before she could even comprehend what was happening or how, Y/N trembled under Mingi's body, her hips jolting up as she began spasming from the high she was currently reaching. Mingi looked at her in utter amazement, unable to believe she really just came so fast. Sure he knew the toy would make the sex feel even better...but he never imagined it'd be that good. Even so, he couldn't help the relentless teasing he was going to give her.

"Awww princess..you came so fast, it's such a shame."

Smiling darkly down at her, Mingi began to ram his dick deep inside her, hips snapping up at a brutal pace as his pelvis brushed against her throbbing clit each time his bulbous tip hit that sweet spot inside of her. Y/N began squirming and writhing, her body both pleading to get away from him but also wanting to keep the feeling from continuing. The room was becoming filled with the sound of their skin slapping against each other, the frantic wailing coming out of Y/N's lips and Mingi's sinful growls that protruded from his throat. The hand that was holding her hip down moved to place itself on top of her stomach, pressing her down further onto the bed while simultaneously rubbing the bulge that was clearly outlining his length which was currently destroying her insides.

"So small, such a tiny precious baby. You're so pretty my little one."

He couldn't hide the smug grin on his face as she began clenching once more around him.

"You love it when I remind you how much bigger I am in comparison to you right? Of course you do. Otherwise you wouldn't let me be here now, with my cock buried so deep inside of you princess even if it'll leave you shaking and limping for days."

Y/N couldn't contain herself as she began cumming once more under him, her toes curling and mind going numb as all she could focus on was the immense amount of pleasure Mingi was giving her. Her vision was brimmed with tears, some of them beginning to roll down her cheeks as she began whimpering and crying out at the intensity of it all.

"Awww princess. Dirty talk makes you become a mess all over me? How cute. I don't think you've cum this much in so little time."

Moving from her abdomen upwards, Mingi tugged on the nipple clamps still adorning her chest slightly, her body beginning to fret even more with the increased sensitivity he was putting her through.

"Can you cum a third time for me? I'm going to cum soon too. Cum all over your pretty, pink and puffy pussy. Cover it completely with my cum, I'm going to ruin you my little angel. I'll make sure you're a crying mess too."

Y/N's back arched as Mingi's hand began to rub against her clit which had turned from a pink shade to a more light red hue. The overstimulation from her two previous orgasms, her swollen lips that were sensitive even to a simple blow of air, Mingi's cock ramming deep inside her and his fingers working in between her legs, she began to shake and quiver as tiny splashes of liquid came rushing out, staining the blanket underneath them and some of it spurting onto her boyfriend's abs.

"Holy shit! Yes- just like that princess. Make a mess all over daddy's cock like the filthy girl I know you are."

Giving her just a couple more thrusts, Mingi pulled his glistening cock out and began pumping himself furiously, a stream of white liquid squirting out and landing on her thighs and on her enlarged lips. He raspy and carnal grunts were emitted by him as he finished himself off all over his girlfriend's reddened mound, the girl completely laying still as she had a look of being completely fucked out, her eyes staring intently at the ceiling. She regained her senses when she saw something coming over to cover her eyes, effectively rendering her blind for the moment.

"I'm not done yet princess. Daddy still wants to try more toys on you."

❀••══════◄••❀••►══════••❀

[thishintoflove]

“I Think He Knows” - A Kingsman Fanfic

TSwift Songfic Week Day 5

Pairing: Agent Whiskey x M!Reader

Warnings: 18+ Explicit (Pining, dirty talk, hand jobs, oral sex)

A/N: I feel like there’s a lack of M/M in the Pedro cinematic universe fandom, so here’s some bisexual Whiskey having a good time with a fellow male agent.

Summary: You and Agent Whiskey are paired together for an out-of-state mission. On your last night, your pining and his flirting finally come to a head.

I think he knows his hands around

A cold glass

Make me wanna know that body

Like it's mine

The mission was long but you were finally finished with it. Three weeks in Dallas were more than enough for you, and you were looking forward to getting home to your own bed and your own office in Kentucky. You were aching for the privacy it offered, after spending almost a month sharing a hotel room with your fellow agent. This time you’d been paired up with Agent Whiskey, and because of that you were glad the trip was almost over.

It’s not because Agent Whiskey- Jack - was incapable. Quite the opposite. He was extremely efficient and good at his job but he was also… extremely attractive. Which was a huge distraction.

You took pride in being a capable agent but Jack and his pretty face compromised that. You’ve never been in a situation like this before. Lusting over your coworker felt extremely unprofessional, but it was impossible to ignore him. He was an in-your-face kind of guy, always butting in with a comment or joke, always using his body as a weapon. He’d lounge around your shared hotel room in nothing but a thin towel, his wet hair draped across his forehead, and you swear he did it on purpose. The man knew how attractive he was and he obviously loved flaunting it.

He was tall and tan, with soft brown hair, a pair of beautiful round eyes that seemed to sparkle with amusement, and a smile that made your knees weak. The downside was that his smile made just about everyone weak. You were living in your own personal hell. Every single day having to watch Jack be attractive without even trying, and then watch as everyone in his vicinity tried to flirt with him. Tonight he was wearing a black leather jacket and extremely tight jeans, looking more like a movie star than an undercover agent. The man could pull off anything. It’s actually unfair.

You were out at some dive bar, celebrating the end to a successful mission before flying home tomorrow. It was Jack’s idea of course, but you’d agreed because you needed a stiff drink after these three long weeks and honestly you couldn’t say no to him.

“Another round, kid?”

You glanced up and saw him staring at you, a twinkle in his bright eyes. His hand gripped his empty whiskey glass and you eyed your own half-full drink. You couldn’t throw it back like him.

“I’m good for now,” you answered.

He nodded and slapped you on the shoulder as he stood up, “I’ll get you another one anyway. You better finish that by the time I get back.”

You sighed as you watched him walk away. His ass looked fantastic in those jeans. All the training and harsh exercise routines that Champ put the team through really worked for him. No wonder he could get any pretty thing he wanted.

Speaking of which, he seemed to have turned his affections on someone else. You groaned, your eyes never wavering from where Jack stood. He was currently making small talk with the pretty brunette bartender. He was giving her the full Whiskey treatment- gazing at her with those soft, mocha-colored puppy dog eyes and giving her a charming half-grin. Watching him flirt was simultaneously entertaining and torturous. He threw his head back, laughing at some dumb joke the bartender must have said, and you almost growled out loud as you hungrily stared at his neck.

Stupid horny bastard.

He got that boyish look that I like in a man

I am an architect, I'm drawing up the plans

It's like I'm seventeen, nobody understands

No one understands

You were getting really sick of hiding your partial hard-ons and jacking off in the cold shower, but everything the man did was hot. The deep voice and accent alone were enough to get you going on most days. God, you hadn’t felt like this since high school.

If Jack noticed you staring or caught on to the fact that you took extra long showers, he didn’t say anything. You were openly out at the agency and your sexuality wasn’t a secret. When you first joined the Statesmen, you felt you had something to prove at work, as if you had to demonstrate your masculinity by keeping up with the largest members of the team. But you’ve excelled in your role for years now and you were beyond proving yourself at this point. You were just glad that Agent Whiskey wasn’t one of the people who cared that you liked men.

In fact, he treated you just like he treated everyone-- this meant he wasn’t shy about flirting and teasing you. Sometimes it seemed like he was coming onto you, but you had to remind yourself that he was like that with everyone-- you weren’t special and there was no way he was actually interested.

Before falling asleep each night, you’d listen to Jack’s soft snores and run scenarios through your head of every possible way that you could share your feelings. You thought about all of the things you could say, and all of the ways Jack could react. It was agonizing but your analytical mind couldn’t stop. You wished you had the courage to just ask him out. The worst that could happen is he’d say ‘no’ and maybe request to never work with you again, but then at least you’d be free of him.

Wanna see what's under that attitude

Like, I want you, bless my soul

And I ain't gotta tell him

I think he knows

A loud laugh suddenly interrupted your thoughts and you looked over to the bar again. The bartender was giggling and grasping at Jack’s arm. The sight made your stomach turn, and you made a quick decision to get out of there before you had to watch them start making out over the bar.

You stepped up next to Jack and finally drew his attention away from the girl.

“Hey, hold off on my drink. I’m gonna head out,” you told him.

“What? Come on now, it’s so early!”

“Yeah. I just don’t really feel like hanging out anymore. I’ll see you back there.”

Before Jack could respond, you threw down some cash on the bar and turned away. You were already across the floor and on your way out the door when a hand on your arm stopped you.

“Hey. Are you pissed at me or something?”

“No,” you muttered, trying to ignore the shot of arousal you felt when he grabbed you, “I just don’t feel like sitting in the corner, watching you flirt with some chick.”

You tried to turn away from him, but Jack let out a quiet “ohhh” of understanding. His grip on your arm tightened.

“We’ve been on this mission for weeks now, and on our last night you finally decide to say something?” Jack laughed, turning you around so you were facing him again. He invaded your personal space, ducking his head and trailing his nose along your neck and jaw.

“What?” you asked, confused because he couldn’t possibly mean...

“You're so slow, that’s what,” Jack mumbled, his lips tracing along your neck. It felt amazing, but... was Jack- your fellow agent and known womanizer- really nuzzling your neck right now?

“I'm confused, are you really into this?” you asked again, trying to hold back a moan. Jack pulled away and looked at you with huge eyes.

“God, you’re an idiot. I've been sending you obvious signs, makin’ eyes at you and showing off what I got, and now I'm literally biting your neck, and you're still asking?” Jack said incredulously. You searched his face and saw eyes that were filled with desperation and lust.

“I just assumed…”

“I like it both ways, kid. Is that clear enough for you?”

He then took one step forward and kissed you fully on the lips. There was only a moment of shock before you melted into the kiss, pressing your bodies closer and running your hands over Jack’s shoulders and back. All of your worries disappeared then. You didn't feel the terrible anxiety that constantly filled you with dread. Your mind stopped frantically thinking about every possible worst case scenario. Everything stopped. There was only Jack.

“Oh ohhhh right. Yeah I’m an idiot,” you quietly mumbled against his lips, “Want to go back to the hotel?”

“Fuckin’ finally,” he replied with a grin.

Lyrical smile, indigo eyes, hand on my thigh

We can follow the sparks, I'll drive

So where we gonna go?

I whisper in the dark

You weren’t sure how you made it back to the hotel so quickly, but as soon as you tumbled through the door, Jack had you pinned to the bed underneath him. His hands roamed all over your torso, and he pulled the shirt over your head and tossed it aside before quickly doing the same to his own. The room was filled with your little whimpers every time Jack ground his hips against yours. You stared up at him, his lips swollen and red bitten and eyes blown with lust, and you were positive that you looked just as debauched. He looked just as beautiful hovering over you as you’d always imagined, and you wanted to feel him everywhere.

“More,” you whined, canting your hips up into Jack’s.

He groaned and trailed his hands down your chest, his fingers brushing against your nipples, causing a moan to slip from your mouth. He continued his journey down until he reached the fly of your jeans.

“Lift up,” Jack mumbled, leaning in to kiss your neck as he tried to tug your pants down. You obeyed and soon your pants and your boxers were off, leaving you completely exposed.

“Fuckin’ hell,” he moaned, his fingers barely brushing over your erection, “You’re even prettier than I thought, darlin’.”

You groaned, pushing your body closer to Jack’s. As his hand slowly learned the feel of your cock, your own hands wandered all over his body. From his strong shoulders to his muscular back, to his waist, his hips, his thick thighs. You slipped one hand into his jeans to grab his ass, finally getting the chance to touch the part of Jack’s body you’d fantasized about the most. You could feel his clothed erection rubbing against your thigh as Jack continued steadily stroking your cock.

“Jack,” you whimpered, gazing into his dark, lust-filled eyes. You were barely able to control your thoughts properly since Jack’s pace was getting quicker and way too distracting. He grinned down at you.

“This good, baby? You want it a little rougher?” he asked, a groan slipping from his lips as you squeezed his ass in response.

Jack pushed forward and kissed you harder this time, moving his hand faster along your cock. Then he kissed his way down your neck, sucking and nipping all your sensitive spots. Suddenly he bit down hard on the skin between your neck and shoulder, following it up with a long lick with his wide tongue. That show of possessiveness was enough to push you right to the edge. You cried out as pleasure tore through you, coming in ropes all over Jack’s large hand. You gasped for breath, your chest rising and falling as your head lolled against the pillows.

Jack hovered over you, continuing to kiss your neck and upper chest as you came down from your high. “I’ve been told I’m good with my hands, can I get a confirmation on that, darlin'?“ he asked with a cocky grin.

Your eyes blinked open and you smirked at him. “You’ve got the confirmation all over your hand.”

“Ooooh, so he’s mouthy all of a sudden. Guess I just had to get you in bed to see the sassy side of you, huh?” Jack tutted.

“I’ll show you mouthy,” you muttered, blushing at the stupid euphemism even as you trailed a line of kisses down Jack’s sternum and belly.

When you reached the top of his jeans, you surprised your fellow agent by flipping him over and yanking his pants down in one fluid motion. Jack growled at the switch, but when you took his cock into your mouth, he gasped and surged forward. You enjoyed the desperate moan he made as you swallowed him completely, his hips bucking into your mouth. But you wanted to take your time with this. You grasped his hip bone with one hand and held him down, before pulling off his cock and moving to lightly lick his balls. Jack was making beautiful, desperate noises and you loved the idea that this strong, confident agent was falling apart because of you. You smiled against him and swiped your tongue along the bottom of his shaft before taking him fully into your mouth again.

“Holy hell, you’re fuckin’ amazing,“ Jack groaned as you bobbed up and down on his cock, “I’m so close-”

You sucked harder and reached your other hand down to fondle his balls again as Jack thrust into your mouth. Soon he was arching forward and shouting your name. You let him come in your mouth, swallowing his seed down like it was another shot at the bar.

When you looked up at Jack from between his legs, you grinned. He had his head tilted back, one hand thrown across his mouth as he stared at the ceiling, breathing heavily. When he felt your eyes on him, he looked down at you with a satisfied smile.

“Damn, that was…”

“Amazing,” you cut him off, “Even better than I imagined.”

“So you imagined it, huh?”

Unable to control the urge any longer, you leaned forward and pulled Jack into a sweet, affectionate kiss. You ran your fingers through his soft hair and you could feel him grinning the whole time. When you finally pulled back, he was still smiling but he also looked a bit confused.

“Why haven’t we done this sooner?” he asked.

“I was convinced you were straight. I’ve been a fucking mess trying to decide if I should say something or not,” you replied.

Jack hummed and reached for you, but you chuckled and pulled away.

“You need a shower,” you said, “Then we can talk some more.”

“Only if you join me, sugar...”

I want you, bless my soul

I ain't gotta tell him

I think he knows

[secret-rendezvous1d]

spence seeing you with kids and he’s just 🥺🥺🥺🥺 need to put a baby inside her asap!!!

Oh, god... just him being so informal towards the whole ‘I want a baby with you’ conversation has me reeling-

It’s inappropriate.

Not the fact that he wants to have children with one of his fellow agents, one of his friends who he had a lot of time and space for, and not because his thought process always ended up along the lines of wanting her squirming beneath him as he fucked into her real hard and real deep. Of course, really, it wasn’t ideal in their situation but what she didn’t know wouldn’t kill her. In retrospect, it would kill him before it killed her. But he knew it was incredibly inappropriate to have a specific thought, that involved the intimate nature, during a murder case that involved a child in the middle... 

But she handled it so well. The case that was usually hard-hitting and the crime that was so disgusting and the unsub but she took a bite of the bullet and put all her vulgar thoughts, simply about what her kind of punishment would be to a suspect who thought kidnap was the best option to suffice their emotional loss and murder to aid the jealousy, to one side so she could care for and look after and hold the small child who had been through hell until they arrived. 

It always surprised him how she wasn’t a mother yet.

Let alone, a wife to a man who he would deem as the luckiest man to walk the planet. 

There was nothing sweeter, nothing more heartwarming, than seeing her be so gentle with a crying child who needed someone to give comfort. YN was always that person; the person children seemed to confide in, the person that children seemed to content with, the only person that could break through and truly dig deep until the truth came out because she was so nurturing. 

*

She worried for him sometimes.

He was her best friend, and she was his, and they new each other like the back of their hands. They knew what triggered the other and they knew the signs of their upset, they knew each others expressions, they knew when they needed time to themselves and they knew when they needed time away from work to gather whatever sense of sanity they still had after a tough day. 

So when he sat by himself on the journey home, picking at his fingers and biting his nails and barely looking up from his lap, it made YN’s mind query and worry because it had been a tough case and if he needed to talk then he could do so without being judged. Not that any other member of the team would judge him for feeling down... she knew, because he never fell short in telling her, he felt safe when talking to her than he ever did talking to Hotch or Rossi. 

“Are you feeling okay?”

Spencer’s torn from his thoughts by the sweet sound of YN’s voice and all he can do is smile at her and nod. 

He was feeling okay; the case never bothered him, it wasn’t one that failed and it wasn’t one that resulted in something for him to feel guilty over. His sickness wasn’t back, his migraines were long forgotten about, and he truly felt like he was at his prime for health. His mind was fuzzy, full of her, and it wasn’t fair to her if he told her, just what he’d been thinking about for the first half of their flight back to Virginia, in the quiet and rather tightly confined cabin of the jet where their conversation would have been amplified for all to hear. 

“Spence, you can tell me.”

“I’m fine,” he says with a smile, his dimples peeking out upon his cheeks and his eyes crinkle as his mouth curves up into the sweetest grin he could muster up and give to her, “I promise, I’m fine.”

She stops with the conversation when she gets the hint that he just didn’t want the conversation to progress any further. She could feel the eyes of Derek that bored into the side of her head, her gut was telling her that JJ and Emily were whispering about the two of them and it didn’t take long for Hotch to pick up on the atmosphere and join in with the glances and the gentle smirks that everyone had upon their faces. 

“I’m okay,” he whispers, squeezing her hand softly and turning his head so he could look at her with sincerity in his features, “thank you for worrying.”

*

Goodbyes.

YN always thought it was a pointless conversation to have, after they touched down and arrived back at the unit, because it was less than twelve hours before they would be seeing one another again. But, even though it wasn’t protocol, it felt like it was compulsory to bid adieu to one another with a hug or a shake of the hand or a kiss on the cheek with someone making a promise to bring coffee and bagels back to the office in the morning. It was a lovely conversation but it only really needed a ‘see you later’ because they really did see one another later in the day. 

As she said goodbye to Garcia and watched the elevator doors close, and she turned on her feet to walk back into the bullpen, nerves clung to her insides in a way that made her feel sick. Which she though was strange. She never felt like that whenever she and Spencer were left alone because she loved the extra minutes she got with him. Personal minutes that allowed them to be themselves and not worry about being told off or bringing HR into the office because they did something they shouldn’t have.

But she needed to ask him. She’d go home and sleep better knowing the truth rather than believing him and questioning whether he was truly fine.

“We’re alone now,” she points out and he looks up from the paperwork sitting on his desk to take a look around the room, “do you want to tell me what was bothering you on the jet? Because something had you picking at your nails.”

He gulps thickly.

“Spence? You can tell me.”

He stands to his feet and makes his way down the aisle of the bullpen, desks on either side of him and desk chairs untucked and left in their positions from where the occupant had left it upon their exit for the night, computers turned off and pens left on the desktops because no one was as organised as Spencer was when it came to tidying up at the end of a long day. And YN watches him as he walks and she wants to follow him to wherever he was going. His bag was still tucked under his desk and the paperwork was half-finished and his desk was still disorganised so she guessed he was only going for a coffee.

That was until he came to an abrupt halt in the middle of the room.

“Spencer? Are you-”

He turns on his heels and his feet drum thuds into the floor, echoing around the room, and it was almost like he was charging towards her and she couldn’t get the rest of her sentence out. His face was set in stone, his jaw rigid and his eyes dark and the soft look on his face (which she, and everyone else, was used to) had dissolved into something so lustrous. His tongue licked over his lips and he dampened the pink flesh that seemed so plump all of a sudden, inviting and soft and she knew they would taste like him, her heart thumping in her chest at a pace she was surprised he couldn’t hear... or see. It felt like her ribs would break.

“Spencer-”

Usually, when she stands beside him, he’s tall but it’s not intimidatingly tall. He teases her for barely reaching his his shoulder but all she does to him is nudge an elbow into his side and leave it at that... it’s banter. Their kind of banter. But, when he stands before her, it’s intimidating and he towers over her and she wants to push him away and laugh because it’s just something he would do to her when he wants to play jokes. Yet, the heavy breathing and the puffed out chest and the dark look in his eyes... she couldn’t help but quiver under his gaze.

“Spence-”

He lays a finger upon her mouth and he drops his chin a little closer to his chest and he never lets his stare leave her face. Her cheeks flush, her thighs tighten and she can feel flutters in her stomach that, really, shouldn’t show towards him. She was professional, he was professional, yet there they were. 

“Why has no one claimed you yet?” He whispers and there’s a gentle crack in his voice that keeps his words coming out in a course and croaky manner, “you deserve to be someone’s. Why has no one done that?”

“I don’t under-”

He shakes his head and she brings her sentence to a halt. She’s confused, she doesn’t know what to make of the situation, but she’s not complaining... there are times when all she can think about is Spencer and taking control and having her where he wanted her.

“You deserve to live a life of happiness. You deserve the kind of life that brings you kids, a husband, a good career. Why hasn’t anyone given you that?” And she shrugs as her answer but it’s a rhetorical question, and she knows it was a rhetorical question, but he made her feel like she needed to give an answer in a life or death situation. “Why hasn’t anyone fucked you yet? Why hasn’t anyone fucked you, put a baby in you, claimed you for life? You deserve a good fuck.”

Her eyes widen.

She needed to double take, rewind and re-hear just what he had said. Spencer Reid speaking dirty? Being in control? Speaking vulgar? Telling her she needed a good fuck? The ground should have been swallowing her whole right now but she was sure that she would’t let it.

“Spencer-”

“You need it. You should have a baby fucked into you,” he whispers lowly, kind of like a growl that rolled off his tongue so deliciously, and his breath washed over her face. The smell of coffee lingering on his breath, “don’t you think? You and kids go well together, you’d be a great mum, and no one has given that to you yet.”

Her throat goes dry but that doesn’t stop her from gulping back the lump in her throat that sat heavy and made her feel suffocated.

“I could fuck you here. Right here, right now, against your desk. Fuck you good, hard, like you deserve, yeah?” Her silence wasn’t voluntary because she knew what she wanted to respond with. She just couldn’t get out the right words to say, she didn’t know how, because her mind was still clouded by the scene that stood before her. “You want that, don’t you? You want me to fuck you here?”

Consider me a fool, she thought to herself as she nodded her head. xx