#more life series people would appear eventually ;)

[dropthedemiurge]

Love for Love's Sake: Bоnus Stаge (spoilers!!)

Love For Love's Sake (Love Supremacy Zone): bonus stagе is a short spin-off story from the author of the original novel, released in June 2024 (after the drama series). It's about 19yo Tae Myungha (from Game World) being transferred into the future and him slowly realizing how 29yo Myungha has been living happy 10 years with Cha Yeowoon and friends.

I promised to keep talking about it and thank you, guys, for enabling me xD Before translating bits from chapters, here's the full summary of everything that happened in this story – for those of you who are not that patient and don't fear spoilers :] I'll put them under more anyway so those who don't want to read the summary won't read them accidentally!

Warnings: suicidal intentions

Let me know your thoughts about this spinoff *д*

Love for Love's Sake: Bonus Stage (summary)

"If your life was a book, what would you want it be about?" "How would the first chapter begin and what sentence would be the last one?" "I wish it was about love."

19yo Myungha (so before canon timeline) is playing games in PC cafe. He doesn't really have money but wants to spend time so he wouldn't have to live it

On the crossroad, he sees a child running before the signal changes, and he jumps to save them but instead of getting hit, he feels like falling. He sees sunbae who pushes him. Message [World has been changed] appears.

Myungha finds himself in the arms of a handsome man who knows him - but he doesn't know this man. Myungha runs away but the man is faster.

[Mission: Make Tae Myungha happy.] [Reward: Memory] [Clear until (0%) ♥♥♥♥♥] [Penalty: Can't return to the original timeline]

Myungha is diagnosed with amnesia. He should be 29yo now, so he just goes along. Yeowoon decides to start over again and introduces himself.

Yeowoon and Myungha have been living together for 6 years and dating for 10 years. 19-Myungha is shocked to know this.

Ahn Sia, Kyunghoon and Sangwon immediately run to check whether Myungha is okay, 19-Myungha is shocked that people worry about him and they've been friends for 10 years.

Yeowoon asked if Myungha would hypothetically date him - just to make sure - but he still wouldn't let Sangwon in before others come (he's sooo jealous)

Sangwon finds younger Myungha a lot of fun, Yeowoon wants to fight with him. Others come, so they try to figure out what's happening.

29yo Myungha is a teacher respected by kids. The girl in his class wanted to kill herself so she went to the rooftop, Myungha ran after her but ended up falling down, and Yeowoon caught him (19-Myungha)

Sia is a shopping mall CEO and a popular influencer now, Kyunghoon does photography/filming professionally, Sangwon introduces himself as 'the one who Myungha rejected when he was 18yo'.

Everyone wants to have chicken and beer but 19-Myungha is a minor so they have chicken and cola and a group sleepover at Myungha/Yeowoon's house :]

Yeowoon tried to sleep with Myungha in one bed but eventually ran away to the living room, flustered.

They all decide to do a trip down the memory lane, since Myungha is "having amnesia".

Yeowoon is a gold medalist now, and many kids go to Shinyeop school now because he made it prestigious.

They visit old Yeowoon's house, and Yeowoon quietly tells him they had kissed here for the first time (on the stairs) 19-Myungha is flustered because he feels feelings that he doesn't know the source of. But he never had his first kiss, never thought about ideal type or love so he's can't stop thinking about it. He tried to take Yeowoon's hand but ran out of time.

After this trip, in the car Myungha clears 20% of his mission and sees flashbacks from the 10 passed years: how they were grilling meat at the rooftop, how they played at the sea.

Yeowoon went to the store to get ice cream, while Myungha and Sangwon were left alone waiting. Sangwon told 19-Myungha about precious memories with him (dogs!), how he was his first love and he kept regretting what if he made a different first impression on Myungha – and now he can.

So he asks for one more chance to start over but gets rejected because Yeowoon was faster once again. Sangwon accepts that his first love is finally over and walks away.

Yeowoon says he likes Myungha more anyway, but 19-Myungha doesn't know it so Yeowoon says he'll teach him. They go to amusement park (closed again) by the sea.

Myungha insists on going to the popular cafe, Yeowoon is hesitant but doesn't reveal the truth until Myungha meets his mom there. Yeowoon takes him away in a hurry as 19-Myungha wants to talk to her in anger. Myungha cries. He thinks if he didn't have Yeowoon next to him now, his mom's reaction would be his last straw.

Mission is cleared to 40%. 19-Myungha sees 18yo Yeowoon crying and being comforted by "him".

19-Myungha thinks the person Yeowoon fell in love with is nothing like him, so he runs away. Yeowoon catches up with him.

Suddenly, they meet his fans. 19-Myungha is confused to learn he's quite popular and has 100k followers on his YT channel where he's been posting vlogs for 10 years (Yeowoon made him do it). He's used to being widely hated as a Crazy Dog, and not widely loved.

19-Myungha doesn't want to restore memories because he doesn't want to return to his original timeline. But he also feels acutely that 29-Myungha is a very different person from him. So he openly tells Yeowoon about the game mission, and Yeowoon believes him.

They return home, and 19-Myungha notices that Yeowoon still cherishes him like they were new lovers and not 10yo couple that usually feels like a family. Yeowoon was testing his reaction to skinship. Myungha calls him to sleep and teases him for having dirty thoughts.

19-Myungha is scared to sleep because he fears to wake up from a good dream. Yeowoon comforts him, while Myungha teases again and asks whether he's going to kiss. Yeowoon responds he'll wait until Myungha does it himself, like the first time (I guess, it's a bit different from drama?)

In the morning, Myungha learns that his grandma is still alive in this timeline and is in the hospital with injured leg. He rushes there and cries a little seeing her alive. He pleads her to come live with them but the grandma is like 'wtf this kid gone insane'.

His memories are cleared until 60% and he remembers time spent with his grandma.

19-Myungha watches videos on "his" Youtube channel and he sees what kind of life 29-Myungha lived and what kind of person he was. He finds they weren't actually that different and he could become him. He sees how liked he was and what kind of person younger Yeowoon was too.

They go to get groceries, and suddenly 19-Myungha is surrounded by kids that claim he's their homeroom teacher. Yeowoon saves him from awkwardness, it seems like they don't know Yeowoon and Myungha are dating. The kids say that their entire class will always love their teacher Myungha, and 19-Myungha understands why he chose this job.

Mission is cleared until 80%. He sees flashbacks from teaching kids, he still keeps in touch with the ones that left. 19-Myungha starts to smile.

But he still doesn't want to go home, he's also scared that original Myungha comes back and he will disappear. He doesn't want to leave.

Yeowoon tells him he'll be waiting for him even if he goes back to his time. He tells him to return and find 18yo Yeowoon, because he exists there and he will definitely like and choose Myungha.

Myungha is overwhelmed with feelings and goes to kiss Yeowoon. This time he's the inexperienced one.

The timeline written down by Myungha: "First meeting at 19, first fight at 20, living together at 23, passing teacher's exam, Yeowoon breaking the world record, Myungha becoming homeroom teacher, having 5 anniversary trip".

Last 20% are still missing. He's waiting for Yeowoon to come home, he returns with the cake and flowers. It's their 10th anniversary today, so Yeowoon insists he still has to celebrate, despite the situation. Myungha feels bad that he always forgets about anniversaries.

Yeowoon proposes to Myungha. He gives him his wedding plan and prepared funds.

Myungha laughs (while Yeowoon is annoyed :D) and gets positive buff, as he falls in love. [Mission is cleared until 99.9%]. He witnesses more happy flashbacks.

Because it's legally difficult, Yeowoon still wants to get married. Myungha tells him if he proposes again in 10 years, he'll accept. And teases him for being in such a rush to speedrun the relationship.

He remembers all memories from 10 years of their life and love together, he tells Yeowoon 'of course' and finally decides to return home and meet Yeowoon in his own timeline.

But Myungha is scared because there's still 0.1% to fail. He remembers the sunbae who pushed him before the world has changed. He wonders who that was.

He sees himself talking with sunbae, who asks him what is happy life to Myungha and if his life was a book, what would it be about.

"If your life was a book, what would you want it be about?" Someone is asking next to me. "...love. I wish it was about love." I wished that this thing, which was so common that I could hear about it everywhere but have never really felt it, could exist in my life too. The sunbae smiled quietly. "I just decided on a title".

Sunbae tells Myungha that humans are made of stars and apologizes that he was so late. He asks him to live the way he wants to.

He pushes him again. Message [The world has been changed] appears.

29yo Myungha wakes up next to Yeowoon and immediately goes to hug him. He finally feels like his soul and body are perfectly aligned, and he remembers how lonely he was when he was 19.

He tells Yeowoon they'll go see stars on their honeymoon trip. But first, they want to take a trip to Taiwan and the grandma is bitter they're not taking her with them because she's convinced they're gonna secretly get married there. But Myungha and Yeowoon want to get married in Korea.

[Mission: Make Tae Myungha happy is completed with 100%]

29-Myungha goes to meet the girl in his class who he saved on the rooftop. They both talk about how they don't want to die anymore and they should never give up. The girl also says Yeowoon suits him well, and Myungha promises to invite her to their wedding.

[END OF THE GAME.]

[LOADING]

19yo Myungha gets back to his conscience on the street, as someone asks him if he's okay. He is surprised to see Yeowoon, while Yeowoon is displeased that Myungha knows his name since they never met before.

Yeowoon walks away, but Myungha starts running after him.

[ENTERING THE LOVE SUPREMACY ZONE]

That's it 🥺 Of course, there are many amazing and touching moments in the story itself but I wrote down the main points. Aren't they precious?!

Tag list: @pickletrip @bunni-bun @illuminutiae @kaleidoskuls @delesaria-blog @maybe-boys-do-love

[sulatni-flerida11]

htbahb au dump !! because the brainrot is too strong

general context things

currently, the characters are in their college years. even though the plan is to have the main storyline happen when they already have jobs, their college years established dynamics between them. some dynamics luckily haven't changed over the years, but others may take longer to rebuild.

cleo owns an apartment close to uni, and they share it with grian & etho.

joel & scar live as interns on campus.

lizzie, jimmy, bdubs, and pearl are also interns, with lizzie & pearl as roommates in a different building and jimmy & bdubs living across joel & scar

au prolly takes place in a semi-rural area; it started as a town with a small population and lots of farmland, but it's slowly evolving to follow other highly urbanized cities.

the town hasn't gone fully urban since it takes pride in utilizing its land with locally manufactured agricultural resources and artisan goods.

courses/classes they're taking prolly

cleo - agriculture, major in horticulture (with sculpting at the side)

joel - agribusiness management & entrepreneurship (he's not super into it yet)

scar - economics

etho - agricultural chemistry (secretly also likes music)

grian - literature (also enjoys photography)

lizzie - music (likes to experiment with different art mediums tho)

bdubs - architecture

jimmy - agriculture, major in animal science (was formerly majoring in horticulture)

pearl - economics

and other dynamics between the group !!

lizzie sometimes pulls bdubs & cleo to her experiments. every summer break, they take an art related class together. so far, they've done painting and dancing. (bdubs has already enrolled them in a modeling class for the upcoming break, but the other two don't know yet.)

joel, pearl, and scar would discuss their business and/or economics related classes to grian, and grian just smiles and nods in respect (of them and their friendship) even if he doesn't understand most things they're saying. ("wait, what is a griffin good?" "griffen, grian, with an e.")

the real reason why joel, pearl, & scar talk about their classes to grian is because they like messing with him. (he's not as good with hiding his confused look as he thinks.)

whenever jimmy and cleo have floriculture assignments that involve getting flowers, they pick their flowers from a private flower field in another district of the city. sometimes, they'd discuss the flowers there, ways to care for them, flower meanings, etc. sometimes, joel and etho join them. as loud as they are, they've only had one instance where they almost got caught. (they never brought joel and etho with them since then.)

pearl & scar buy newspapers daily by the campus gate to chat about the current events, especially ones relating to their degree. they quickly befriended the newspaper vendor as he also had a lot of food for thought regarding the things going on. their discussions help them a lot, aiding them in their essays and analysis about economic policies and applications.

etho would sometimes ask lizzie about music theory. what was supposed to be a few messages would end up in hours of them talking about music. eventually, lizzie found out about etho's music hobby, and she's the only one that knows.

grian owns a polaroid camera, and he sometimes takes candid pictures of the gang. his subjects are usually cleo & etho, mostly because they're his roommates and he spends the most time with them, but there's also a handful of pictures with scar & pearl.

joel and lizzie started dating after scar, bdubs, & pearl convinced him to go to an open mic event in the dorms during their first year; lizzie happened to be one of the performers.

if you've made it this far, any thoughts on what music genres/artists each life series member listens to? totally not for oneshot purposes in this au,,,

[ambrosiagoldfish]

Adam x third spouse part 3 I’m begging pookie ❤️

like a time skip to when Charlie appeared and proposed the idea

Benifit of the doubt Pt.4

Adam x 3rd Spouse! Reader

Warnings: General Adam TW’s, a little bit sad for a moment but it’s ok. Gn! Reader! honestly that’s about it I think?? Wow this is the first time it’s been this short in this series.

Part 1. Part 2. Part 3.

Request Box: Open

Word Count: 4617~

A/n: So… it’s been almost 2 months… whoops. In all seriousness though I’m sorry it’s been so long. I’ve just not been in the mood to write and a lot of stuff has been happening (which is finally over) and I’m glad I could finally post this. I was also, if I’m honest, nervous to post this, cause I’m not sure if everyone’s ready for the direction of the story. But I have made it clear that I wanted to do a time skip to the show at somepoint and decided to do it now! If you enjoy this, please let me know cause I’m really nervous about (Not my words of affirmation love language coming out-) ALSO to the requester, I know you said part 3, but I used it for part 4. I got your request as I was making part 3 soooo my bad. Hope you don’t mind tho <3 this will be the last part before the angsty finale (and maybe an epilogue)

Reblogs are always appreciated!

Anyways this was NOT beta read unfortunately, I tried to get as many errors out during the writing process so hopefully it’s fine. Also, there’s probably some words I might have wanted to italicize or make bold that aren’t, but I’m too tired to care honestly.

Tags: @tired-of-life-86 @nervoussystemss @qopia @lovelyemily @hcneyiced @v3r41ynn @ghostdoodlen @nxptvne-13 @ximenavc-che @edgyfluff @ericityyy @diffidentphantom @faimmm @slasher-whore69 @1-randomized @ozzersauce @fanlovedlt @alientee (if I forgot someone or you want to be added just tell me !!)

Days turned to weeks, to months, to years. Until eventually an eon had passed. An entirety filled to the brim with an indescribable happiness and love, threatening to spill over at any given moment. You loved Adam and Adam loved you.

To say it was all happiness would be a lie, there were some moments of sadness and pain, but all relationships were like that, even ones that lasted for eternity. You both always bounced back, apologize and moved on with a stronger bond than before. And you loved every second of it.

A lot has changed in these last few eons. Adam formed a band and is now the most popular guitarist in all of heaven. You both made new friends, some got into heaven while others were made there. Emily was one of these people to you, she looked up to you for being older than her. You’ve existed for almost all of human existence so, of course she’d look up to you.

Adam had also made new friends, his band members, some officials in heaven, but someone he’s grown close to recently was Lute. You're really happy about his friendship with Lute. She seems like a strong and loyal friend, someone that can keep him grounded while still encouraging him to be more himself. Overall, you really liked her.

How they became friends though is something… less tasteful for you. All the way back when Heaven and Hell had their first meeting on what to do with the surplus of sinners in hell causing an uprising. Neither side came to an agreement in the end, you do feel partially to blame for that, but you still stand by what you did.

You never returned to any of the follow up meetings

But Adam did, surprisingly to you. In the end, you were called to talk with Sera and Adam. You were told of the agreement between Heaven and Hell, about the yearly “cleanse” that Adam and his “Exorcists” would have to commit. At first you were shocked, sure, you didn’t have the best experience with sinners and especially with the rulers of hell, but was death really necessary? You didn’t know what to say, and Adam clearly saw this.

“Babe, you alright?” He puts his hand on your shoulder rubbing his thumb in circles. You place your hand on his.

“Yeah it’s just a lot to take in. Are we sure it has to be done… that way?”

Sera looked down in pain “they’re… uprising and are becoming to much of a threat to heaven.”

You sighed as Adam took you in his arms. Adam was fully aware that you don’t share the same sentiment towards sinners as he does. His hatred towards the unholy souls down in hell was brought about by events that you simply cannot understand. Which he is thankful for, he never would want you to experience what he did.

“If there isn’t anything else we can do then… I guess we have no choice. But I don’t want to… kill anyone, even if they are sinners.”

Adam holds you closer “You won’t have to,” you smile at him, the now familiar flickering of his LED mask meeting your gaze before softly frown “you ok?”

You nod, “yeah, just…I wish there was another way.”

-

That was it. Adam would take his exorcists down to hell to kill as many sinners as they could each year. Adam knew you didn’t want him to talk about it , he kept it as separate as he could from your life. You did have to attend meetings regarding it, as one of the very few people to know about it, that was your duty.

You were fine with having that part of the job. You weren't sure if you could kill someone, sinner or not. So, for the countless years to follow, you played your part with every new extermination, attending meetings to deal with the repercussions of each cleanse.

Adam would also have to attend the occasional meeting. Which is exactly what today was. Sera had called you both in to talk.

“Thank you both for coming. I have to inform you that you will be attending a meeting tomorrow.”

Adam groaned “What! Again? This is like the 4th fuckin’ one this week! Ugh fine! Where is it this time? halo city? Cherub towne” Adam’s voice mocked the locations you’ve both been sent to countless times with a high pitched voice. Even you have to admit that the meetings could drag a bit.

Sera's face turned into a slight grimace as she looks away from you both, she sighs and continues “The meeting will be in… hell.”

“What!” Both your voices raise in shock

“Sera, you know I don’t want to go down there again!”

“Why can’t you just send the other fucking dipshits who know about-“ Adam crossed his arms defiantly

“Stop,” Sera raises her hand toward you both “no one wants to go there, and I know you both especially don’t.” She pauses “But you both are the only available angels who know of the cleanse that aren't busy. Please… I understand your disdain but heaven’s business comes first.”

“Who are we even gonna be talking to -Wait a damn minute- Don’t fucking tell me we have to talk to him.”

“I'm sorry…” You all sat in silence for a moment before Sera begins to speak again, “But you both won’t have to worry about physically being there, we have prepared holograms for you, so neither of you would be in any danger.”

“I'll have an Angel escort you to the ‘meeting’ room tomorrow, please, get some rest. I’m sure you both have had a long day.”

With that, you and Adam went home, you were definitely not feeling well about the meeting, but the fact you wouldn’t actually be there calms your nerves a bit. You had to be a little honest with yourself, hell wasn’t really the issue for you, it was more so the people. Lucifer for one, that made you feel uneasy.

The next morning, you and Adam got ready, you had to motivate him a little. He was clearly not excited for this meeting like you. The entire way there he held you close, even though nothing could have hurt you it made him feel better knowing how close you were.

On the way there, you also got Adam some ribs, his favorite. You thought it would help his nerves a bit. Turns out, Lute was the one Sera assigned to escort you both there. That also made you both a little calmer knowing a mutual friend would be there.

The three of you waited in the ‘meeting’ room for a while, about an hour. At first you thought the meeting might had been canceled or moved and you just weren't told. But then, Lute walked up to you both.

“Sir! The Seraphim has told me to inform you that there’s been a change in plans!”

“What? The fucks that mean?” Adam said stuffing a rib into his LED mouth

“Lucifer won’t be attending the meeting, instead… his Daughter will be here in his stead.” Lute’s mask showed a continuous frown and stern expression as she spoke.

“Daughter?” Your voice shook a little. This was news to you, as long as you’ve existed you had never heard he had a daughter while in hell. You look over to Adam to see His LED eyes were wide in shock but his mask turned into a smile as he sighed.

“Phew boy, we sure dodged a big ass bullet, huh Sweetcheeks?” He laughed as his arm pulled you closer. The whole thing caused you to join in. Suddenly your nerves felt a lot better than before.

“When should she be arriving, Lute?”

“Within the hour.”

-

Adam scarfed down another plate of ribs as you all wait for the “princess of hell” to arrive. The entire time you just had to wonder what kind of person she’d be. The daughter of Lucifer and Lilith. The more you thought about it, the more bizarre it seemed.

But suddenly your thoughts were interrupted by the sliding doors opening to the meeting room and a girl steps in, asking if anyone is there.

“She can’t see us?”

“Yeah, Sera gave me a long ass lector on how this stuff works before we got here. Let’s see here…” Adam pushes a button causing a click to sound out as he says “Sup!”

The girl jumps back and falls to the floor, shocked by Adam’s sudden appearance in the room. She introduces herself as Charlie. Adam offers her to shake his hand, only for it to go through.

“Ha! I fuckin’ got you! Did you fucking see that? Good shit.”

You let out a slight laugh, as you sit and watch the meeting happen. Well, you say “meeting” but nothing about it seemed very professional. Adam for the last hour (you honestly wasn’t sure at this point) had been talking about the most random of things.

You or Lute occasionally shakening your head yes or no while listening to him, while Charlie seemed quite tired already. Not that you could blame her, people who weren’t used to Adam’s banter definitely weren’t cut out for it. But You love every word that comes out of his mouth.

Eventually Adam decides that it’s time to get into what you all came here for. Pulling out a bunch of papers, Charlie begins explaining her solution to hell’s overpopulation. You were only really half listening at first, at least before she mentioned that her solution could stop the extermination which peaked your interest.

She explains her “Hazbin Hotel” and its purpose to rehabilitate sinners, you wanted to hear more of it but Adam cut her off.

The meeting didn’t really go that well, At least for Charlie. But the whole thing left quite the impression on you. The idea of ending the extermination was stuck in your head for so long, and now you had someone who had an alternative.

“Adam, are you sure that it couldn’t have worked?”

Adam looks at you in surprise “What? Do you think that shitshow could have actually worked?” He laughed as he placed a hand on your back. “Don’t even pay it any mind, alright Babe?”

“I know, it’s just… you know I don't like the extermination. So another way to lessen the population of hell should at least be looked into.” Your voice was soft enough to barely hear.

Adam’s gaze softened but he didn’t say another word, only wrapping his wing around you pulling you closer. You lean towards him, snuggling into his soft robe. No matter how much you wanted to ignore it, you couldn’t. You needed to do something, anything.

So that night, after Adam fell asleep, you asked to talk with Sera. Leaving a note for Adam saying you went to buy something just in case he woke up.

“What is troubling you?” Sera’s voice was clear and concise.

You looked toward the ground, your nerves feeling tighter than ever, as you struggled with how to put your words together. “You're aware of all that happened in the meeting with Lucifer’s Daughter, right?”

Sera nods her head “of course, all meetings are documented about as they happen.” She tilts her head slightly “What about it?”

“Well!” You steel yourself before continuing “I would like permission to observe Charlie Morningstar’s ‘Hazbin Hotel’”

Sera’s eyes widen, breaking her calm demeanor before giving a firm “No”

“But-“

“It’s too dangerous for you to be there, Adam wouldn’t want that anyways”

“He would listen if it was an order from you!” Your eyes felt watery but you continued “Please Sera… I know you don’t want the extermination to continue. Just let me do this!”

Sera looked away from you, her feelings evident on her face, any mask now down. ‘Just a little more’ you thought

“Sera, I promise you, I’ll be careful! We don’t even have to fully support them yet, just let me observe them. It would be devastating if so many souls parish if we failed to seek all options!” You beg

Sera sighed, shakingly “…I’ll see what I can do.”

Your eyes gleamed up at the tall woman “Sera, thank you, thank you!” You wanted to hug her but out of courtesy, you advised against it.

Sera tells you that she can’t guarantee anything but she will try as she sends you home to rest.

-

A few days past after that and you haven’t heard anything from Sera. It was a little worrying and felt like a bad sign to you. That was, until you were informed by Sera that your request was accepted!

“But.” Sera stops you before you can celebrate “You're only there to keep track of the progress and to make sure nothing is happening under our noses” You nod your head in understanding

“Also…” she pauses “If anything involving this hotel happens, you will have to take full responsibility, understood?”

You nod again “yes I understand. Have you… told Adam yet?”

She shakes her head

“Ok… can you… not tell him it was my idea, please. I don’t think he’d agree if he knew.”

Sera sighs before nodding her head “Very well, I’ll tell him after you leave”

“Thank you.”

-

You return home, when you got back Adam was already gone, Sera must have already called him to the office. You dreaded when he got back. You didn’t want to see him upset, it hurt you to know how worried he was for you.

A few hours later, Adam comes through the door in a panic. He stomps up to you and pulls you into a warm and intense embrace.

“Don’t go down there. I need you here with me” his voice hitches as his wings wrap around you both, curling you both into a warm and feathery ball.

“Adam…” you paused, was this really the best thing to do? No, It had to be. If this goes well, not only will the extermination stop but Adam wouldn’t have to go down to hell ever again.

“Adam, you know I can’t go against Sera’s orders.” You kiss his cheek “and I won’t be gone forever, I’m only supposed to be there till the next cleanse. Not to mention, I’ll always come back to see you.”

Adam grumbled a little “I know, I just… don’t like you being in the same place that bastard is, and in his brat’s stupid hotel! ”

You laugh softly “Adam…” grabbing his hand, you put yours in it, showing off the gold ring on your finger “I’ll never forget my promise. You know that, right?”

Adam looks at the ring, the gold wrapped around your finger with a perfectly snug fit. Everytime he looked at it was just a reminder of your love for him. That promise was something he could never forget. He slowly raises your hand to his LED mask, kissing the back of it. “Of course not.”

“Good. I promise I’ll be fine, ok?”

He nods. Hand in hand, you slowly lead you both to the bed. The both of you lay next to each other, your bodies linked together like knots. You slwoly remove his helmet from his head, laying it on the nightstand.

Your hands move up his body before landing on his face, cupping his cheeks before pulling him to a kiss before snuggling into his chest.

-

Finally it was Time for you to leave. Sera allowed you to create portals back to heaven in case anything happened and you were in need of assistance. Adam walked you to the front gate.

“Ok, do you have everything? You didn’t forget that fucking angelic dagger I had Lute get for you right-“

You shush him “Adam, I told you I’ll be fine!”

He’s sighs “Damn it- I know that but just make sure to text me while your there ok-

You kiss him deeply “Adam. I know, you’ve told me a hundred times.” You smile as you cup his face “I love you”

He sighs “Love you too Sweetcheeks”

With one final kiss, you give Adam a tight hug before waving goodbye as you went through the flaming portal. As you went through, you take a second to look at your surroundings. In front of you was a tall building. You take a few steps back to see LED lights of a sign flashing the words ‘Hazbin Hotel’

You let out a sigh of relief. You had been a tad bit worried you’d spawn somewhere random and you’d have to find the building yourself. But it seems heaven at least spared you of that.

The red skies of hell were quite different from the pristine blue ones of heaven. Even though you just got here, you could already hear the sounds of screams and explosions in the distance. How welcoming.

You steel yourself and with three hard knocks to the door, you wait for someone to open it. Muffled Scurrying sounds of footsteps approach the door before it creaks open revealing the young blond woman in the doorframe, Charlie Morningstar.

“Hi! I’m-“

The door is slammed shut, Before opening again

“Be not afraid-“

It shuts again…

Well, this may be a bit harder than you initially anticipated. You go to knock again only for it to open once more. This time, the door doesn’t close again, instead the girl mutters a quick “Hi” before going quiet.

“Hello! I didn’t mean to scare you!” You give a small laugh before continuing “I believe we met a couple days ago?” You bring your hand towards her for a shake, to which she reciprocates.

“During the meeting with.. Adam? Right?” She grimaced when she mentioned Adam, which you decided to ignore, you simply smiled and nodded. ”but I don’t believe I caught your name?”

You tell her about yourself, about how your there to stay and monitor any progress the hotel may have. You made sure to pronounce ‘may.’ While you were hoping for this idea to show some kind of positive results, even you weren’t sure if it’d would work.

“Charlie? who’s at the door- WhatHolyShit-“ a woman with a red X over her eye suddenly shouts in surprise. You look over at her, She looked very familiar…

“Wait, you are-“

“Vaggie! Charlie’s sinner girlfriend! And you are?!” The woman known as Vaggie, highlighted the word sinner while performing a “be quiet” gesture with her hand. Your eyes widen a little at the ex-Angel in front of you but you simply smile a nod “I’m Y/n, I don’t believe we’ve met, yes?”

Look, lying is the last thing you’d want to do as a citizen of heaven but you figured that it would be fine if it was to protect someone. Vaggie nodded, her face scrunched up in a tense look.

“You feeling ok Vaggie? You’re looking a little… red?”

“I’m fine! *ahem*, Hun, how about you give them a tour of the hotel.”

Charlie gasped “Yes that's perfect, you may as well get acquainted with everyone if you’re going to be here more often!”

Charlie ran off, telling you “this way! This way!” Over and over. Before you went to follow her, you leaned toward Vaggie and said a quick “Relax, I won’t tell anyone.”

She lets out a sigh before muttering “Thank you”

You both follow Charlie as she shows you the various rooms in the hotel before leading you back to the hotel’s lobby and lounge area.

“Hey! Hello everyone!” Charlie’s voice picked up a little “I’d like to introduce you to our uh… new staff member?” You nod in agreement with the title. The room in front of you was shrouded in looks of both horror and amazement.

“What the hell’s an angel doin’ here?” A lanky spider demon spoke up first

“It’sss an ambush! seek Cover!!” The Snake demon shouted, seemingly grabbing an army helmet from thin air before taking a deep dive behind the couch.

“No Pentious-” She sighs “they’re here to monitor the hotel! Heaven sent them to scout any potential progress the hotel will have”

“It’s nice to meet you all” you look at the people in front of you, to say it was a colorful cast would be an understatement.

“These two are our current tenants of the hotel! Angel dust and Sir Pentious!”

The snake slithered slowly from behind the couch up to you, while the Spider demon remained rested on the couch

“Oh… *ahem* Excuse me dear! I am Sir. Pentious! Formally known as ‘the Architect of destruction’!” He laughs, a slight hiss sounding in his voice.

He offers a handshake which you accept. To which you immediately regret. ‘ Slimey’ you thought, before wiping your, now wet hand on your clothes.

The spider demon, who you now know as Angel Dust, just gives a wave with one of his 4 arms.

“And-“ Charlie extends the word as she quickly walk to a bar by the entrance “this is the recreational area, run by our Bartender, Husk!”

The winged bartender seemed entirely uninterested in your presence or even Charlie’s. The most you got was a small glance before he takes a swig of his alcohol and walks off.

“He’s not the most… social guy in hell” she awkwardly laughs before moving on to the next person. “And this is Nifty, our one and only maid at the hotel! Nifty say hi.”

The short woman scurried moved around you, her eye quickly looking at every every nook and cranny of you as she moved. She made numerous attempts to touch and grab various things on you, your clothes, wings, and eventually she tried to climb up you to get to your halo. That’s when you finally grabbed her in place “you're a… fast one, huh? Nice to meet you!”

“And last but not least! This is Alastor, the hotel’s executive producer and our first -and only- overlord sponsor!”

Immediately, you could tell there was something off about Alastor. The entire aura he gave off was as if he was restraining something completely and utterly ungodly. The static that surrounded him was just one of many whispers you could hear from his soul.

“Hello! It’s quite a pleasure to meet someone of your… holy status!” He offers a hand to which you, hesitantly, shake. “And what do we owe the pleasure for your service?”

“They’re going to be here to keep track of the progress of the hotel…” Charlie paused “you know I’m starting to sound like a broken record- here, it’s late, how about we all get some sleep and we can talk about it in the morning!”

“Fine by me, I am waaay too sober to be having social interaction this late” Angel picks himself up and stretches “I’m gonna hit the hay”

“Here I’ll show you to your room!” Charlie smiles “We -obviously- didn’t have time to make your own so I hope you don’t mind using one of the guest rooms” she laughs

She and Vaggie walks you to your new room before leaving you be, The room was nothing more than just your average hotel room. Of course it did have its differences, a multitude of… eyes seem to be on the wall, staring at you. Well, that’s not the least alarming.

You place your stuff down and begin unpacking, you mostly just brought the basics. Clothes, hygiene stuff, your phone, and, most importantly, a framed photo of Adam.

You sat the photo on your nightstand, angling it just right so that it would always be visible to you. As you do so, you think about the memory the photo brings, you took it on one of the first dates you went on with Adam. It was a relatively tame date, you and Adam, having a picnic by a lake at night. You brought candles so you both weren’t completely in the dark, and you just loved the way he looked, his golden eyes watching the water. The dim candle light illuminating his face with a warm golden shade. Adam hates photos of him with his mask off but… You just had to keep that moment in time forever.

*Ding* *Ding* *Ding*

Speak of the- well, you know the rest. The bright light from the phone comes with the notification sound displaying Adam in bold letters. You smile as you read his messages.

Dixkmaster69

Heyy Sweetcheeks, it’s been a bit since you left

You there??

Fucking answer

You let out a small laugh at Adam’s barrage of messages. He’s not used to you being away from him for more than a day, huh? Not that you could blame him, this is honestly nothing compared to how you feel each year he has to do the extermination.

Sweetcheeks

Hey love

Everything’s fine, I’m ok.

Aside from not having you with me :’(

Dixkmaster69

Fucking finally

You know you don’t have to do this

If I bitch enough to Sera I can get you back by tomorrow

Sweetcheeks

Please don’t, Sera already has enough on her plate.

I promise I’m going to be fine

I’ll be back before you know it.

Dixkmaster69

I know

This shit just worries me

Gonna miss hearing your sexy ass voice at night too ;)

You blush at the message before sighing. Whenever you or Adam approached a topic that made him uncomfortable, he would always try to change the subject to something that made him feel better. You knew why, Adam’s someone who rarely talked about his feelings, even after all these eons together that was something he hadn’t changed. You knew exactly what he needed, even if he didn’t explicitly tell you.

Sweetcheeks

I already miss yours too <3

Do you want to help me fall asleep with that heavenly voice of yours on the phone?

Dixkmaster69

Whatever you want Sweetcheeks <3

You smile when, almost immediately, Adam begins calling your phone. You click the lights off before You make your way in your new bed, not even bothering to change out of the clothes you’ve been wearing. You grab the cover and pull it over you and tapping the answer button.

“Sup”

You yawn “Hey handsome, I missed your voice”

You hear his voice hitch before he caused on “Of course you did, no one has a better voice than the dick master. But uh, yours is a close second”

You’re let out a tired giggle, “such a charmer, you. How’s your day been huh?”

“Oh! don’t even get me started on that- Lute took me to get some ribs to ‘calm my nerves’ or some shit and they had me, ME, wait in line for like 15 minutes! The fucking audacity!”

You smile to yourself as Adam tells you about his day, the sound of his voice was like a sweet lullaby to your ears and you couldn’t get enough of it. But eventually…

“And then when I got home, I couldn’t find my damn charger and it took me like 40 fuckin’ minutes to realize it was under our bed, do you have any idea of how it keeps getting there?” He waits for you to respond only to be met with silence. “Uh bitch, I’m talking to you.”

More silence… well no, actually if Adam focused on listening, he could hear the faint sound of your snoring from the phone. Adam sighs,”Long day, huh?”

Adam lays back in your shared bed, getting comfortable. He sets the phone beside him, plugging it in while keeping it on speaker. He yawns, “Goodnight Sweetheart, can’t wait to see you again”

Slowly, the soft sounds of both yours and Adam’s snores filled each others rooms, a distant, but intimate connection. Even in slumber, you couldn’t stop thinking of your handsome and caring soulmate.

[doyoulikethis-videogame-song]

Hello,

I'd just like to clarify a few things going forward, because I think a few people might be upset or confused, and this is a silly gimmick blog, so I don't think there's any need for that.

I post submissions exclusively in the order I receive them. I have only added or inserted songs in three cases:

The first two songs posted on this blog.

#69, where I inserted 'Weight of the World' from NieR:Automata.

The song would not upload to tumblr, and I have typically replaced it with a random fromsoftware song off the top of my head, because I already have the OSTs on my computer.

When I receive multiple songs from the same game in a row, I try my best to space them out between multiple songs. This has typically been every 4-6 songs in the past. I am going to extend this number further as it appears to be a source of frustration for some. When I space out songs, I do not consider DLCS/Extras as new games, so they will be spaced out. I DO consider new entries in a series as new games, so they will not be spaced out. This means you may get a song from Dark Souls I and Dark Souls II right next to one another, but never two songs from Dark Souls I.

I also understand that many are upset that their submission has not been posted yet. At the time of creating the google form, I already had the first 1000 slots of this blog lined up. I now have 4581 additional submissions from the google form, so please understand that it will probably take me a while to reach your submission.

As for how I should remedy this:

Posting more songs each day. I am planning to increase the number of songs I post each day soon. However, I would strongly prefer to not exceed more than five songs a day. This is entirely a personal preference: I often found myself annoyed when my feed was filled with nothing but polls from the same blog, that would post 7, 10, 15 polls a day or even within the same time slot. I love poll blogs, but I also wanted to be able to enjoy taking the time to listen to the music on each one. I created this blog primarily because I wanted to hear new music and find out about new games I've never heard about before, and I wanted others to share that experience. In my opinion, if you don't have the time to listen to each song posted, then it sort of defeats the gimmick of the blog itself. That being said, I will increase the number of songs posted sometime within the next two weeks.

Closing Submissions. I did not want to ever have to close submissions (because I didn't really see a reason to if I was going to post all the submissions eventually), but I now understand it may now be necessary. Starting on 9/7/2024, I am going to close the submissions box, and I am going to reopen it for the first week of each month, every month, only. The google form will remain the only way to submit requests. Hopefully, this will allow individuals who are especially excited to see their request posted gain a bit of an upper hand.

In the end, there is only so much I can do. I am only one person and I do have a life of my own. I am very happy so many people are enjoying this blog, and I will continue posting for as long as I can. If you are not enjoying this blog for any reason, feel free to unfollow it, block it, and make your own. It's nothing personal.

[milswrites]

Hobbies Part 8.

~Azriel X Reader~

Summary: In an attempt to keep Azriel away from Elain, Rhys sends him on a sabbatical to the Day Court. With a lot more free time on his hands Azriel needs to find something to keep him occupied. Unfortunately he meets Y/N who has the annoying habit of not staying away. Can she teach him that there’s more to life than he thought?

Grumpy!Azriel X Sunshine!Reader

Series masterlist

Warnings: you know the drill - angst

Sometimes one of the hardest things to do when you’ve been hurt is to carry on living.

Y/N was no stranger to sadness. Growing up an orphan is difficult enough as it is, growing up a female orphan means your life is destined to fail.

But Y/N had always had a different outlook on life. She had always been an optimist. Positive that she would break the cycle and forge a place for herself in the world, even if she had been born into an unforgiving one.

And she had. Her ability to charm and influence people with her warming smile and kind nature had enabled her to climb her way up and into society. She worked well enough to have had her gentle disposition noticed by Helion who was more than willing to welcome her into his court.

Y/N had built herself a great life, one worth being proud of, yet now she found it crumbling around her. It’s hard to imagine that one person who had been in her life for such a short amount of time could change the trajectory of it forever. But Azriel had.

Y/N was simply the fool for allowing it to happen, knowing that he would eventually one day have to leave and return to his own life. Which he was more than happy to do without so much as a goodbye, not even leaving behind a damn letter.

Y/N had found that the well from which her tears flowed from had run dry. She refused to allow herself to mourn what could have been. If he hadn’t have been gracious enough to bid her the goodbye she deserved then he clearly wasn’t the man she thought he was. She would not allow herself to waste away over a man who had no interest in her.

So Y/N did what she knew best, survived. Once she had escaped from the meeting with Helion she had retreated home, overwhelmed by her emotions as sobs wracked her body. The tears from the shock of the shadowsinger’s unexpected departure eventually subsided and with swollen eyes she began to pack for her next job.

The easy option would have been to beg Helion for some time off work while she recovered from the shock of the events that had unfolded. But her broken heart willed her to move and take action. To leave to the rural villages that Helion had said required the attention of the Court. A break would be good for her, an opportunity to clear her mind and do what she was good at. Making people happy. Even if she wasn’t feeling it herself.

With no time to waste, Y/N packed her bags for the long trip, eager to leave when dawn made its appearance. She could at least be thankful for her lack of sleep the night before which was now taking its toll on her body, allowing her to drift off into a fitful sleep rather than mercilessly letting her stay awake with her thoughts. Her dreams, a cacophony of wings and shadows.

When morning finally arrived she was gone. Leaving her emotions and problems behind as she slipped on the smile she had become so accustomed to wearing.

~~~~~

Azriel had woken in his bed. Cassian must have brought him here last night, his last memory of the previous day had been his brother hugging him in Elain’s garden.

The knowledge that Y/N was gone weighed heavy on his chest, but what hurt more were the words of her neighbour who had recalled the state Y/N had been in. The state she was in because of Azriel who had failed to be there for her. Who had left her waiting.

He knew he had failed her. Azriel could try blame Rhysand for whisking him away all he liked, but the truth was that he should have returned to the Day Court as soon as his brother had winnowed him away. He had been too late to react.

Azriel was a coward. He had dedicated most of his life to a woman he would never have and then spent the past few months pining after another that he wasn’t allowed to have. And yet when the most perfect being alive had crashed into his life with no strings or rules attached, just an instant overwhelming attraction between them, he had blown it.

He had done what he had sworn not to do and torn away Y/N’s cauldron-blessed smile and led only pain in its wake.

Upon being home at last, Azriel discovered that his life here was awfully dull. Had it always been this way? The same monotonous routine day in and day out. Train, work, eat, sleep and repeat. He longed for something to do to fill his time and someone to enjoy it with. There being only one person who he wished could fill the void that had grown in the days since he had returned to the Night Court. The one person who he had no idea where in Pythian they were.

In a desperate attempt to find Y/N, Azriel spent most of his time eagerly waiting for his shadows return. His shadows which he had sent to scour the Day Court for Y/N. He wasn’t sure whether it was their inability to find her, or some disgust at what their master had done to her, but every night they returned with no news of Y/N or her whereabouts.

So Azriel continued living. A stranger in his own body as he continued to live the life he once had, not the one that he was allowed a taste of before it was ripped away from him.

He attempted to keep himself busy, to find something in this Court that brought him the joy he had felt in the past few weeks with Y/N. The rest of the inner circle were stunned to find Azriel baking in the kitchen one morning, seething in anger at his poor excuse of a cake. Not wanting to further upset the male who had already been so down, Cassian forced himself to eat the cake with an overly enthusiastic grin on his face, hiding his gagging which had resulted from the revolting texture. His bad acting didn’t even crack a smile on the shadowsinger’s face much to the General’s disappointment.

Azriel knew his friends were concerned about him, especially after his breakdown in the garden. They were all aware it was due to this mystery woman that Azriel had met during his time in Day, however, Azriel refused to share anything about her and they couldn’t understand why.

It took several days for Cassian to realise Azriel wasn’t going to open up about it, that he would tell his brothers about her if and when he wanted to. Grateful for his friend, Azriel welcomed Cassian’s silent and unquestioning company whenever he tried something new. It wasn’t Y/N and it didn’t heal his aching heart, but the knowledge of his brother being there for him was enough for Azriel to get by. One day at a time.

Two weeks had passed since Azriel’s not so joyous return to the Night Court. He had adjusted to being back in his home but the Y/N sized hole in his heart still existed. He wasn’t surprised the pain was still present, Y/N was his once in a lifetime type of love and Azriel had missed his opportunity.

He was sulking in the kitchen when Rhysand tentatively approached him. The same way he has been doing since his return, as if he expected Azriel to disappear once more only to never return. “Oh Az! There you are I’ve been looking for you” He said upon his approach, “Helion’s sent over a few of your things I must have missed.”

“You didn’t miss anything though?” Azriel frowned at Rhys’s words, wondering what Helion could have given Rhysand seeing as all his belongings had been brought back from Day court upon his arrival.

“Oh? Well they’re in your room if you want to check, I can always send them back to him if they’re not yours” his brother replied shrugging his shoulders as he exited the kitchen.

Curious, Azriel readily made his way to his bedroom, entering to see two items he didn’t recognise on his bed. A painting and a gift wrapped in black and tied neatly with a velvet bow. He approached his bed, heart rate increasing and tears welling in his eyes as the image painted on the canvas came into focus.

An inky black sky, littered with stars that Azriel could have sworn were twinkling, glowing warmly on the page like a lit candle. The beautiful skyline below of the Court he had come to care for, because it was the home of the woman he loved. He needn’t ask who painted this picture, the image a perfect copy of the same scene that was burned into his memory. A token from the best night of his life. With shaky hands, Azriel lifted the painting to appreciate it in all its glory. Scared to remove his eyes from the piece, he kept them locked onto the delicate strokes as if he stared at it long enough he’d be able to crawl through the canvas and escape back to that night. That he’d be given a chance to fix what had been broken.

He wasn’t sure how long he sat on his bed and admired the painting, but soon his attention was drawn to the wrapped gift which seemed to tug at his chest, calling him to it.

Tremor still present in his hands, he delicately pulled apart the bow and slowly opened the wrapping as if afraid to tear it. The dark paper fell away to reveal a cobalt blue tunic, decorated with silver thread that poured over the piece like liquid moonlight. A matching pair, Y/N’s dress and a tunic. His tunic.

Azriel took the time to run his scarred fingers over each whirl of thread that constructed the familiar lines of an Illyrian tattoo, making sure not to miss a single stitch out of fear of not showing the item the respect it deserves.

Once this task was complete he sped to the mirror in his room, stripping himself of his old black shirt and pulling on the tunic. Hands running down the soft material as he appreciated the way it looked on him, the way it was made for his body.

That same strange tug in his chest panged as he observed himself in the mirror. Not wanting to ignore its presence, or because he couldn’t control the need to interact with the strange sensation, he tugged at his chest as if pulling on a long thread.

Pulling and pulling until something inside of him finally released and it felt like his heart had burst open. His world exploded into violent shades of pinks, yellows and blues, the garish colours that he associated with Y/N. Azriel felt as though his senses had come to life for the first time, the vanilla scent of Y/N that emanated from the tunic was driving him wild.

Azriel had spent centuries longing for a mate, a need which had only grown greater when his brothers had found theirs. And now it had clicked for him too. The cauldron had tied him to the ethereal beam of light in his life. His beautiful smiling Y/N. She was his. His mate.

Azriel looked back to his now panting form in the mirror and crazed, frenzied eyes stared right back at him. He knew what needed to be done. Where he needed to go. And so Azriel left to go and find his mate.

Part 9

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

Notes: Hope I’m starting to make up for all the tears I caused 😭

Taglist:

@thelov3lybookworm @minnieoo @going-through-shit @iluvyewman-blog @laughterafter @amysangel @bigcreatorwombatdreamer @aaronwarnerobsessedmylove @justvibbinghere @honeybeeboobaa @willowpains @tele86 @mysticalfuncollectorus @mybestfriendmademe @starryhiraeth @gorlillaglue25 @moonlwghts @darling006 @anuttellaa @serendipityx150 @xxxalicerogersxx @that-one-little-soybean @scatteredstardustt @naturakaashi @nyx-the-alien @lostinpages13 @namelesssav @dreamlandreader @fightmedraco @maxmouse001

[lilacmingi]

MALEFICENT (DISNEY VILLAINS AU)

My works are 14+ ONLY. If you’re under 14 DO NOT interact with me or any of my works. NO SPAM-LIKING PLEASE

Pairing: Maleficent!Seonghwa x Princess!fem reader

Word count: 6,675

Note: Reminder to please not spam-like my works! Reading through a series and liking each part when you’re finished is fine but if you wanna have multiple works of mine saved to read later, like my masterlist instead! :)

In a kingdom tucked between rolling foothills and towering mountains was a beautiful princess who lived in a castle. She was the eldest of the King and Queen and was sought after by many men.

One day while out on a walk, she met a boy with horns and large wings that spread out past his shoulders. Though the boy seemed younger than her, his appearance was still intimidating and daunting.

The princess was terrified. She had never seen a creature such as he and cowered away in fear. He insisted he meant no harm, trying his best to assure her he wasn't a threat. He introduced himself so that maybe it would ease the girl's nerves. It took some patience and a bit of convincing until the princess hesitantly and cautiously began to approach the boy.

They somehow ended up talking and the princess soon found out he wasn't such a bad guy after all, in fact, he was pleasant to be around.

After that day, they continued to meet up, going on walks together, admiring nature, and sharing stories. The winged boy had fallen for the princess along the way, despite her being five years older than him. Seeing as he hadn't met many people, the age difference wasn't a problem in his eyes; she was the most beautiful person he had ever seen.

Time passed and eventually he couldn't take it anymore, couldn't hold back his feelings. He needed to set them free.

One sunny spring day, he led the princess out to a field overlooking the glistening streams winding and twisting throughout the valleys below. He poured his heart out, confessing the strong adoration he held for the princess.

Her bright smile faded as he laid out his heart.

"I'm sorry. I've already fallen for another." She told him.

It felt as if his heart was shattered—more like crushed.

He asked why, begged for a further explanation. The princess returned with a simple response.

"I love him."

That made the boy angry. They spent all that time together and she fell for another man?

"Is there something wrong with me?" He asked sharply.

"I'm sorry. I've only ever seen you as a younger brother. Even so, I don't think I could be with someone such as yourself."

"Such as myself? What's that supposed to mean?"

The princess began stumbling over her words, desperately trying to come up with an explanation.

"That's not what I meant." She tried to say.

The boy was already angry, but that comment sent him over the edge.

He lashed out at the princess, enraged that she didn't return his feelings and even more so that she referred to his appearance in a negative way. As he spit his words of poison, the sky turned gray; his powers unknowingly effecting the weather.

He told the princess he never wanted to see her again and disappeared, deep into the woods never to return.

Six years passed. The boy was now a man; 23 to be exact. Heartbroken and emotionally destroyed, he kept himself hidden in the forest, his home now surrounded by thorns to keep everyone away. He would never let his heart get broken again.

He hadn't seen another human in years so he assumed the wall of sharp spikes worked, until one day.

You meandered down the trails that lined the hillside. Life as royalty is suffocating, especially when you're always getting compared to your older sister. It's physically and emotionally exhausting and sometimes you just need to get away from it all.

You took in a deep breath, inhaling the fresh air; the many scents of nature mixing and mingling together in the most magical way. You trekked up the hill, admiring the beautiful flowers and wild plants that dotted it.

You reached a nice, flat area, sitting down in the lush grass and admiring the view. Scanning the horizon, your eyes landed on the tree line that sat on what everyone calls the boundary line. It was strange to you how the weather was different above the large cluster of trees compared to the rest of the sky. The clouds at the boundary line and beyond were dark and looked ominous. Not only that, but an area that overlooks the valleys was even affected by the dreary and bleak weather. No flowers or plants grew in that spot which you found odd.

You looked down at the tree line once again. There was something that tugged at your chest, drawing your towards it. It was an odd sensation that you hadn't felt before. Without realizing, you stood up, descending down the hill towards the edge of the forest.

You didn't think twice when you stepped over the boundary line and into the lush and mysterious grove.

The atmosphere became colder, darker, and even a bit eerie as you moved deeper into the woods—despite that, you refused to turn back, feeling like you needed to keep going.

You came upon a large wall of thorns that blocked the way. Your brows knit together as you tried to get a peek at what was behind it.

"What are you doing here?" Someone asked.

You let out a short gasp, spinning towards the voice.

Standing a few feet away was a man. His raven hair reached below his cheekbones, black tendrils hanging over his extremely handsome features, pointed ears peeking out from his dark locks. Emerging from the top of his head were two rather large horns, even larger wings on his back.

"Oh. I'm terribly sorry." You apologized.

"You need to leave." He spoke sharply. "You don't belong here."

"My apologies. I didn't think anyone lived here."

"Well, I do."

"What's your name?" You inquired.

"You don't need to know my name."

"But I'd like to."

He clenched his jaw, refusing to answer.

You tilted your head as you looked at the massive pair of wings on the man's back.

"I'm gonna call you Birdie."

"There's no need for that."

"So, you're gonna tell me your name?" You raised a brow.

"No."

"Okay then, Birdie."

He let out a long, drawn-out sigh.

"Seonghwa." He finally answered.

"What was that?"

"I'm not gonna say it again."

"Seonghwa." You repeated. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Y/n."

"I know who you are." He snapped.

"You do? But, I've never met you."

"I already asked you once. Leave."

You took a few steps forward, obeying his wishes only to stop when you got near him.

"Why do you live here? It's so dark and it seems a bit lonely."

"I like it that way."

You didn't respond as you walked away, leaving the strange man in the woods.

Seonghwa stood and watched you leave, wanting to make sure you didn't turn around—you didn't.

"Y/n L/n." He muttered under his breath his face scrunching in distaste.

He was glad you left. He couldn't hardly look at you without thinking of her.

Thoughts of the winged man in the woods filled your mind to the brim even after you returned home. You couldn't just forget about him, your good nature wouldn't let you. You knew something was troubling him. It was very clear that he was in anguish. You felt that tugging in your chest whenever you thought of him. That let you know you needed to go back to the man—and that you did.

Unfortunately, you weren't able to get away from the castle for a couple days thanks to your royal duties. However, today was perfect.

"I'm going out for a walk." You announced.

"Don't go past the boundary line, okay?" Your father called.

"Of course. I'll be sure to steer clear." You lied through your teeth, stepping outside.

The bottom of your shoes hit the grass rapidly as you raced across the field to the boundary line and into the forest.

"Seonghwa?" You called out.

No answer.

Assuming he was at home, you headed to the wall of thorns you were at just a few days prior. His house most likely resided just past the large barrier which you couldn't see past.

"Is anyone home?" You shouted.

Nothing.

"Seonghwa?"

Still no answer.

You let out a sigh and stepped away, going to search the woods. You very well could have just left, but something in you felt like this man needed you.

Leaves crunched beneath the bottom of your shoes as you trekked through the forest, determined to find the winged man.

Said man was out and about, flying above the trees. He loved the way the wind felt brushing past his wings and hair. He felt free and like he didn't have anything to worry about. That feeling, however, was diminished immediately when he saw you walking below.

You heard the sound of wings flapping above you. Lifting your gaze, you saw Seonghwa descending from the sky.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, his tone sharp and tinged with annoyance.

"I came to see you."

"You wasted your time. Go away."

"I just want a moment of your time. Please."

Seonghwa's jaw clenched. This was only his second time meeting you in person, but you infuriated him to no end.

Suddenly, vines emerged from the ground, wrapping tightly around your body and constricting your arms. You gasped, your heart jumping in your chest.

"What do you want?" He hissed, bringing his face closer to yours.

"I just feel like you need a friend."

"I don't need anyone." He seethed. "I'm not some charity case, okay? So stop treating me like one."

"That's not it. I just..." You trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"You just what?"

"I can't explain."

"Good." The vines loosened and retracted into the dirt. "I didn't wanna hear it anyway. Now leave and don't come back."

"But—"

"Leave!" His voice boomed.

You cowered slightly, shaken by his sudden outburst.

"Can I just ask you one question?" You asked weakly.

"If it'll make you leave, yes."

"Why are you the way that you are? Did something happen to make you this way?"

Seonghwa's jaw tightened. How could you ask something like that?

"That was two questions." He remarked.

"Someone hurt you in the past." You stated.

His eyes widened just slightly, but he was quick to recover, putting on his usual stony expression.

"I don't know who hurt you, but I'm truly sorry. I'm sure you didn't deserve it."

"I don't want your sympathy." He spat. "You don't know anything about me."

"That may be true, but I know someone hurt you deeply."

Your questions and responses were getting a little too personal for Seonghwa's liking. He wanted you out of his forest immediately.

"Get out of my sight before I burn you to a crisp." He snarled, green flames beginning to emerge from his palm.

You stared at the viridescent blaze before moving away from the winged man. You were afraid you had pushed him too far and you really didn't want to get yourself killed trying to befriend this strange forest-dwelling man, so you decided to give up.

"As you wish." You murmured, turning around and walking away.

The flames dissipated from Seonghwa's palm as he watched you get further and further away, but the more distant you got, the guiltier he felt. Why did he feel guilty?

He rolled his eyes and let out a huff before shooting off towards you. With a few flaps of his wings he was directly in front of you, stopping you in your tracks.

"I have a question for you." He spoke. "How do you know someone hurt me? It could be something else, so why did you say that?"

"Well, normally when someone shuts themselves off from the world and isolates themselves, it's because someone hurt them. When I said that, your eyes twitched. Actually, they widened slightly, but you were so quick to cover it up, it looked like your eyelids twitched."

The expression on Seonghwa's face changed slightly and you could tell he was surprised by your response.

"I'm very perceptive." You explained.

"Evidently so."

"Well, if that's all you needed, I should be going." You took a step forward only for him to stop you.

"Wait."

You turned to face him, watching as he slightly rolled his eyes, letting out a sigh as if he was dreading the words he was about to speak.

"I'm... sorry." He forced out. "I shouldn't have been so harsh with you."

"Thank you. I appreciate that."

"Do you want to come back to my place? I could... make you some tea." The offer was genuine, but he seemed hesitant about it.

"I would love that."

"Very well." He gave a short nod and headed back towards his place.

You followed behind until he came to a stop at the large wall of thorns, waving his hand over the prickly, dead vines. You watched in awe as they separated just enough for the both of you to pass. Behind the thorn barrier sat a quaint little cottage, which you couldn't even see if you were standing outside the wall.

The interior of the cabin was incredibly cozy and had a warm ambiance to it. There were dried flowers in frames on the walls, books lining the shelves, along with little trinkets and tchotchkes littering the shelving.

"Have a seat." Seonghwa gestured to a small table as he proceeded to the kitchen.

You twiddled your thumbs anxiously as Seonghwa prepared tea for the both of you.

You watched from the table as he worked until the hot beverage was finished. He brought over a teapot and two cups, pouring tea into each one. You quietly thanked him and took a small sip.

"Now, why have you come back here?" He inquired bluntly.

So we're getting right down to business. You thought to yourself.

"It's silly." You brushed it off.

"What's silly?"

"The reason why I came back."

"I'd like an answer regardless of how it sounds."

"Very well." You sighed. "I felt a tugging in my chest. I felt like I was being pulled towards you. I don't know why, but I assume I wasn't feeling that way for no reason. Maybe it was my conscience."

Seonghwa's thick brows pulled together in a almost suspicious manner as he eyed you.

To be honest, your answer didn't sound outlandish to him. In fact, you were probably right. Your conscience was telling you to come see him for whatever reason. That he could understand. What he couldn't understand was why it had to be you.

"Right. So, you had this tugging in your chest. Your conscience, inner voice, whatever drawing you here. Now what?"

"I don't know." You shrugged. "I was kind of hoping we could be friends."

Friends? Seonghwa thought.

Why would he want that? Why would you want that?

You took a sip of tea and cleared your throat, feeling a bit awkward due to the silence.

"You have a lovely home." You complimented.

"Thanks."

"So." Your nails tapped lightly against the glass of the teacup. "What sort of creature are you, if you don't mind my asking."

"I'm a dark fairy." He answered.

"Ah. I've heard of them, I've just never seen one before. Your kind must be rare."

"They are."

Well, this conversation is going nowhere. You thought, sighing internally.

Your eyes drifted down to the table, staring at the grain of the wood like it was the most interesting thing in the world. In that moment, it was.

"Sorry." Seonghwa spoke up. "I haven't spoken to another person in a while. I'm not used to having guests."

"It's fine." You brushed it off.

"So, do the king and queen know you're here? I'm sure they wouldn't want the princess hanging out with someone like me."

"How do you know I'm a princess?"

"I told you I know who you are."

"Right." You muttered. "To answer your question, no."

Seonghwa raised a brow. "Really? You're doing this behind their backs?"

"I am."

"Hm." He hummed. "Maybe I underestimated you."

"Maybe you did." You shrugged. "So, are you gonna tell me who hurt you so bad?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"It's not the time." He answered, simply.

The atmosphere became quiet again and you struggled to come up with something to talk about.

"I like the dried flowers you have framed on the walls."

"Thanks. I did that myself."

"You did?"

He nodded.

"You have some near knickknacks on your shelves as well."

"I collected most of them. They're all from different places. Some were even gifted to me by some of the creatures that used to dwell in these woods."

Your eyes sparkled as Seonghwa talked, he hated it. He hated it because it made him feel things. Feelings he hadn't felt in so long.

That's why it was so hard to just push you away. He couldn't help but want to be nice to you.

"The tea is really good." You mentioned.

"Thanks. It's my own tea."

"You make your own tea?" You asked.

"I do. I collect berries and stuff in the woods, dry them out, and make my own tea bags."

You found that extremely endearing for some reason. Perhaps it was because Seonghwa seemed so intimidating and knowing he made his own tea made him seem a bit softer.

You returned home from yet another "walk." That was the excuse you used when you went to spend time with Seonghwa. You felt that you had made lots of progress with him. He no longer seemed distant when you spoke and he had even smiled a few times. Something else that changed was the feelings you developed for the dark fairy. The two of you had only known each other for about three weeks, but it felt like much longer.

You pushed open the doors to the castle and stepped inside only to be met with your mother and father, who looked rather worried.

"Where have you been?" Your dad asked.

"I told you, I went out for a walk."

"You were gone for so long." Your mom mentioned.

"I guess I lost track of time. Sorry."

"Well." Sighed your father. "It can't be helped. Come here. There's someone I want you to meet."

Your parents led you into the common room where you saw a woman and a younger man sitting on the couch.

You vaguely recognized the two, but you knew they were royals from another kingdom.

"Y/n, this is Queen Son and Prince Dongju."

"Hello." You bowed, politely.

"We invited them over because there are things we needed to discuss." You dad explained.

"What kind of things?" You asked.

"The wedding." Dongju's mom mentioned.

"Wedding?" You questioned.

"Oh." His mom placed a hand over her mouth. "She doesn't know yet, does she?"

"Mom, dad, what's going on?"

"Y/n, Dongju is your fiancé." Your dad said.

"Fiancé?!" You exclaimed.

You hadn't meant to raise your voice, but this was news to you.

"Honey, please calm down." Your mom spoke quietly.

"You've never discussed an arranged marriage with me." You spoke more calmly, trying not to let your temper get ahead of you.

"We know." Your dad nodded.

"Then why? You both told me I could be with whoever I wanted."

"You're getting to the age where you should start settling down. We've been waiting for you to find someone, but you haven't."

"So, I took too long?"

"That's not why." Your mom cut in.

"Maybe I just haven't found the right person."

That was a lie. You had found the right person. You knew your parents wouldn't approve of him, though. Especially considering the fact that he lived behind the forbidden boundary line.

"It doesn't matter now. We've chosen Prince Dongju for you to marry." Your dad spoke. "He's a wonderful young man and you two getting married will be good for both kingdoms."

You sighed, knowing you couldn't do anything about it.

"Now, we would like for the two of you to get to know each other. Him and his mother will be staying with us for the next few days so the two of you can get acquainted. That means no more going on walks."

You felt all the blood drain from your face as your father said those last few words.

No more walks.

That means no seeing Seonghwa until the prince and his family leave.

The first day was torture. All you could think about was Seonghwa. You wondered how he was doing and if he wanted to know where you were. Was he waiting for you?

Millions of questions swirled in your head as you sat with Dongju. You were hardly able to keep a conversation going as your mind filled with more thoughts of Seonghwa.

"Oh. I have a twin brother."

You blinked a few times, zoning back into the conversation.

"Hm?"

"I have a twin brother."

"Really?"

"Yeah. He's my fraternal twin. His name is Dongmyeong. He's back home with my father. Someone had to stay behind and run things while mother and I made this trip here."

"Ah." You nodded. "Is it hard to being away from your brother?"

"Not really. We're close, but sometimes I need a break from him." He chuckled.

Meanwhile, the dark fairy sat at home, his fingers tapping against his table.

"Where is she?" He asked, aloud.

He wondered where you were and why you hadn't showed up yet. He quickly decided that you were probably busy and chose to brush it off. Plus, he was still in denial of his feelings for you and forced himself to think that he didn't care for you as deeply as he really did.

You sat in your room, a heavy feeling in your chest. You missed Seonghwa. You hadn't seen him in three days and you wanted nothing more than to go spend time with him.

A tapping on your window caught your attention. You glanced over at the glass doors to your balcony, gasping when you saw Dongju outside. Jumping from your place on the bed, you scrambled over to the doors, stepping out on the balcony.

"Dongju, what are you doing here? Did you climb up here by yourself?"

"I did." He answered, breathlessly. "I wanted to talk to you."

"And you couldn't use my door to do it?"

"I had to speak to you privately. I didn't want anyone to see me."

"What's so important that you had to climb my balcony to tell me?"

"I don't want this marriage either."

Your eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yeah. You're a sweet girl, but I don't feel that way about you."

"I feel exactly the same. You're really nice and I like you, but not in a romantic way."

"I'm glad we're on the same page." He smiled. "I've been wanting to tell you, but every time we get "alone" time, my mom or your parents are nearby. I just felt that I couldn't tell you this knowing they were around."

"I totally understand." You nodded. "So, what should we do about this?"

Seonghwa had become worried at this point. He hadn't seen you in three days. He went back and forth with himself trying to decide if he was going to see your or not. He really wanted to, but he hasn't left the forest ever, especially not after she broke his heart.

Before he could change his mind, he got up and hurried outside, taking to the sky.

He flew directly to the castle, hoping to see you—and he did. Upon his arrival, he spotted you and some guy outside on a balcony. You were chatting with him, looking more than happy as you did so. Seonghwa's chest began to ache as that all-too-familiar feeling of heartbreak crashed over him, except this time it was worse, so much worse.

"Okay. So we talk to our parents tomorrow and tell them we both don't want this marriage." You stated.

"Right." Dongju nodded.

"My parents are very understanding, so I'm sure we can get this sorted out."

"I hope so."

"Thank you for coming to talk to me." You thanked him, leaning in to give him a hug of appreciation, which he kindly returned.

As if things weren't bad already, you leaned in and hugged the guy. Seonghwa's heart felt as if it was being crushed. He wanted to cry, but more than anything, he wanted to do something bad—something horrible. He could feel the heat of his powers rising to the surface of his palms as small, green embers began to emerge from his hands. Then, your eyes met his.

Your brows raised at the sight of him. You hadn't expected to see him outside of the forest, let alone outside your home.

"Seonghwa!" You called out, parting with Dongju.

The prince turned his head to see who you had called out to, gasping when he saw the dark fairy hovering a few feet away.

Seonghwa grimaced at you before turning around and flying back towards his home.

"Seonghwa!" You called out to him again, but he ignored you, too heartbroken to even look at you.

You stared at the spot Seonghwa previously occupied, worry filling you to the brim.

"Who was that?" Asked Dongju.

You sighed, dropping your head. "Someone I've recently become close with. I've been sneaking off to meet him."

"What?"

"Yeah. He lives that way in the forest." You pointed, not lifting your head. "I'm not allowed to go past the tree line, but I have been for weeks."

The air became silent after your confession. You lifted your head to look at Dongju who had a soft expression on his face.

"You love him, don't you?"

Your eyes widened. "What?"

"I can tell." Dongju nodded.

"You're right." You sighed. "I do love him."

"You should tell him that."

"And how do you suggest I do that? I haven't been allowed off the grounds since you showed up. Besides, I don't even think I can. With both your mom and my parents constantly hovering over us, I won't have a chance to leave."

The next day, Dongju did his best to comfort you. You appreciated his efforts, but nothing could cheer you up. You stared at your plate of food, pushing it around with your fork.

"You need to eat your breakfast, Y/n." Dongju spoke, care and concern lacing his voice.

"I'm not hungry."

"You should eat something. Even if you just have a couple bites of toast."

You decided to listen to him, especially since his mother and your parents were watching from the other side of the table. You took a few bites of toast along with one measly bite of eggs which seemed to satisfy Dongju.

"They're getting along so well." Dongju's mom gushed.

After breakfast, your parents and Dongju's mother went out on the terrace to have tea and discuss wedding plans. For the first time since the arrival of the neighboring royals, you and Dongju were alone.

"Hey. Let's go on a walk." The prince suggested.

"I don't know." You murmured.

"C'mon. Some fresh air would do you some good."

You sighed, knowing he was right. "Okay."

The both of you got up and went outside to the terrace.

"King and Queen L/n, mom. Y/n and I are going on a walk together." Dongju mentioned.

"That sounds wonderful. Make sure you take one of the guards with you." Your mom said.

"Yes. It's better to be safe." Dongju's mom added.

"Of course." Dongju nodded.

The both of you made your way out of the castle, stopping momentarily by the guards.

"Princess Y/n and I will be going on a walk. We won't be needing your services today." He told the two guards.

"As you wish, your highness." They nodded.

With that, you and Dongju took off, embarking on your walk.

You weren't paying attention to anything as you trailed behind Dongju. You just followed him, dragging your feet through the grass.

"Where are we going?" You asked.

"It's a surprise."

You sighed, not in the mood for any surprises.

"We're almost there."

"Almost where?"

"It's a secret."

You shook your head, but allowed him to lead you to this secret location. You kept your eyes cast on the ground, watching your feet as you walked.

"Alright. We're here!" Dongju announced, prompting you go lift your head.

You gasped. You were stood in front of the tree line, the clouds looming above the sticklike branches of the trees.

"Why did you bring me here?" You asked Dongju.

"You have to talk to him."

You opened your mouth to say something, but he spoke up.

"You've got time. I'll be waiting right here."

You gave him a soft smile. "Thank you."

Taking a step forward, you passed the boundary line and made your way into the forest, determined to speak to Seonghwa.

You approached the wall of thorns that separated the dark fairy's home from the rest of the forest, hoping to see Seonghwa. You called his name, but he didn't show, leading you to believe he either wasn't home or he was ignoring you.

"Seonghwa." You croaked.

No answer.

"I don't know if you're in there, but I wanted to say I'm sorry. I know what you saw looked really bad, but I promise you, it's not what you think it is." You got no answer in return, but continued anyway. "You're very dear to me, Seonghwa." Your voice became shaky as you spoke. "You deserve the truth and that's what I want to tell you."

Seonghwa, who was on the other side of the wall listening, couldn't take it anymore. When he heard your voice crack, that was it.

Before you could speak another word, the thorns cleared and Seonghwa emerged from the opening, rushing over to you.

"Don't cry." He murmured, wiping your tears.

"Seonghwa." You sobbed.

"Shh." He shushed you, brushing your hair away from your face. "Please don't cry."

"I'm sorry." You whimpered. "I just thought I'd never see you again."

He let out a sigh. "I need to take you somewhere."

You didn't have time to speak as he scooped you up into his arms, causing a small yelp to escape you.

"Hang on tight."

Seonghwa shot into the sky, his large, inky wings flapping powerfully behind him as he carried the both of you over the trees.

You clung tightly to him as you gazed below you. Everything was so pretty from up there in the sky. It almost made you forget about your worries. Almost.

Seonghwa took you to the spot that overlooked the kingdom—the one that was always shaded by ominous clouds. Now, they had cleared, the spot now illuminated by the glow of the sun. He landed softly in the grass, setting you down.

"Let's sit." He motioned.

The two of you took a seat in the grass, admiring the view.

"Seonghwa, I have something to tell you." You spoke up.

"No." He stopped you. "I need to say this first."

You respectfully allowed him to say his piece.

"I think I've fallen for you." He admitted.

"What?"

The confession took you by surprise.

"I hated you at first. You were so persistent in trying to be friends with me and it was annoying, but eventually I started to enjoy your company. I began worrying if you showed up a little late and found myself thinking of you when you weren't around."

You frowned, your heart sinking.

"I'm sorry." You murmured.

"Let me guess. You can't be with a creature like me. Is that it?" He remarked, bitterly.

"No, not at all. It's not that."

"You don't have to lie, Y/n."

"I'm not. Seonghwa, I've fallen for you too, but..." You trailed off. "I'm arranged to be married. I was taking too long to find someone and so my parents are trying to force me to marry a prince from a nearby kingdom. That's who you saw me with last night."

Seonghwa looked relieved and saddened at the same time.

"Then why did you seem so happy. And why did I see you hug him?"

"He came to tell me that he didn't want to get married. He's just as against this as I am, and it made me happy. I hugged him because I was glad he came to tell me that. We actually planned to speak to our parents today, but he brought me here to talk to you."

"He did?"

"Yes. I haven't been allowed to leave because my parents want me and Prince Dongju to 'get to know each other.' but after what happened last night, he encouraged me to confess to you. In fact, he told our parents we were going on a walk and brought me here. I didn't even know this is where he was taking me."

"So he snuck you out just so you could come and explain everything to me?"

You nodded. "And to tell you that I love you."

Seonghwa leaned forward, bringing his hand up to cup your cheek, his thumb caressing your cheekbone. You saw his eyes dart down to your lips as if to silently ask permission to make a move. You answered by moving your face closer to his, your cheeks becoming warm.

Seonghwa lessened the space between your mouths, your eyes closing in response to the kiss. His lips were soft against yours, moving delicately and carefully. Your hands moved to his hair, grabbing onto the long strands at the base of his neck. It was a brief kiss, but it lingered even after Seonghwa pulled away.

"You remember when you asked me who hurt me so badly?" He questioned.

"Yeah."

"Well, that person was your older sister. I was in love with her—well, I thought I was in love with her. I brought her to this very spot and confessed my feelings. She told me she loved someone else and that she only saw me as a little brother. I reacted pretty badly and shut myself off from everyone." He explained.

Everything then began to make sense. When your sister started dating her now husband, you noticed how parts of the land were constantly covered in dark clouds, but you didn't ever think much of it. After that, your parents started telling you not to cross into the forest and that it was forbidden. It also made sense why your sister wanted to move away so quickly after she married. However, you never knew about any of this.

"Do you still have those feelings for her?" You asked, not wanting Seonghwa to be in love with you because of your older sister.

"No." He answered, lacing his fingers with yours. "I said I thought I loved her. I was just a kid. I realize now that I just liked her company and I confused it for love. The person I truly love is you."

Your heart swelled with warmth and adoration.

"I want you to come back to the castle with me."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Yes. Dongju is waiting down there for me. You can return to the castle with us."

"Okay." Seonghwa nodded.

He flew you back to the tree line where Dongju was waiting. He was surprised to see you come back with Seonghwa, but happy that it seemed the two of you had patched things up.

You then explained the plan you had, telling Dongju that Seonghwa would be coming back to the castle with you both.

Once you made it home, you noticed your parents and Dongju's mom were still outside on the terrace. You instructed Seonghwa to stay inside until you motioned for him to step out. He nodded, allowing you and Dongju to go outside.

"Mom." The prince spoke up as you both approached. "Y/n and I have something to tell you—all of you."

You nodded.

"We don't want to get married."

"What?" Dongju's mom asked.

"It's true. Neither of us want this marriage." You spoke up. "Plus, I'm already in love with someone."

"What?" Your dad asked in disbelief.

"You've never told us." Your mom mentioned.

"I wasn't ready to say anything. Now, I am."

You then moved towards the doors leading to the terrace, motioning for Seonghwa to come outside.

The doors opened and he stepped out, all three parents gasping.

"Y/n, why have you brought this man here?" Your father asked.

"Because I love him."

"Do you know who this is?"

"I do."

"Y/n, this is the man that caused your sister so much sadness."

"He did no such thing." You defended. "He was hurt, that's why he lashed out at her. And as for my sister, she moved on and moved away. She has a husband and a life of her own now."

"Your majesty." Seonghwa spoke up. "I apologize for anything I might have done to make you or your daughter upset. I was 17 and just happy to have found someone who wanted to spend time with me. I confused it for love and when your oldest daughter turned me down, it hurt me and I lashed out. I said some harsh things to her and I'm deeply sorry."

Your father scowled as he looked at Seonghwa, then his gaze turned to you, his face softening.

"Dongju, what do you have to say about this?"

"Like I mentioned earlier, I didn't want to marry Y/n in the first place. I much prefer her be with someone she knows and loves." He answered.

"You don't know this man, Y/n." Your mother spoke up.

"I do. You see, I've been going to meet with him."

Your parents gasped, aghast at this revelation.

"I've gotten to know him over time and truth is, we both love each other."

As you spoke those words, you reached out, lacing your fingers with Seonghwa's. Both your parents saw this gesture.

"Look at them, honey." Your mom spoke quietly. "Do you see how their faces glow? They really do love each other."

Your father seemed to go back and forth with himself for a few moments before nodding his head. "You're right."

You felt a little bit of hope spark within you as your dad approached Seonghwa. You were surprised when your father held his hand out to Seonghwa. The dark fairy took hold, giving your dad's hand a firm shake.

"I accept your apology." Your father stated.

"Thank you, your majesty."

"But, I want you to treat my Y/n right."

"I will, sir. Promise."

"Good."

The plans for the wedding were cancelled and Dongju and his mother went back home. Your parents allowed you to spend time with Seonghwa and the ban on crossing the boundary line was lifted.

The dark clouds that constantly hung over the forest cleared and all the creatures that dwelled there came out of hiding. You didn't even know there were any other creatures besides Seonghwa that lived in the woods.

The two of you sat in the lush grass in the same spot where he confessed to you. The sun shone down on the entire kingdom, cloaking it in warmth. You plucked another flower from the grass, placing it in Seonghwa's dark hair with the others. You had given him a makeshift flower crown, placing the blooms around his head.

"How do I look, darling?" He asked.

"Beautiful."

He grinned, pulling you closer to him.

He pressed a soft kiss to your lips, his finger resting under your chin as he moved his head ever so slightly to the side, deepening the kiss.

When you parted ways, you couldn't help but smile, still overjoyed that the two of you were able to be together.

You were so thankful you chose to step past the boundary line that day, because if you hadn't, you and Seonghwa wouldn't have met each other, and you definitely wouldn't have gotten the happy ending you have now.

Hongjoong: Hades ⟡ Yunho: Captain Hook ⟡ Yeosang: Evil Queen ⟡ San: Cruella de Vil ⟡ Mingi: Dr. Facilier ⟡ Wooyoung: Hyena ⟡ Jongho: Gaston

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[myladysapphire]

His Sapphire Princess (VIII)

After the night in the brothel Rhaenyra is married to Laenor Velayron to protect the birth of her child. who in the years to follow is the only one of Rhaenyra's children that is believed to be his, she is loved by all in the red keep, even queen Alicent adores the girl, so when Rhaenyra proposes a marriage between Aemond and Rhaenyra's daughter Visenya, Alicent happily agrees.

The children having been best friends in their youths are more than happy to be wed but when the incident at drift mark occurs things change, will it be for better or worse?

word count: 1,385

CW: angst

Fem!oc x Aemond Targeryen (can be read as x reader)

Masterlist | series masterlist | previous part | next part

disclaimer:  i do not own any of claim any of the A song of ice and  fire characters, all rights belong to GRR MARTIN, all characters are his except for my OC

a/n its been so long since i last wrote this, i had honeslty completey forgotton about all of my fics, i do hope the writting isnt too different and that you all enjoy! sorry its short!

Also the ages of the characters as i myself keep getting confused (and i've changed some of the ages a little): Visenya - 17, Aemond - 18, Jace - 14, Luke - 11, Aegon - 20 , Heleana - 19

Kingslanding

Visenya

With her mother being the heir, she had expected a much grander greeting. She pictured a courtyard full of eager lords and ladies, eager to see her mother after years away from court. And yet as her mother stepped out of the carriage the courtyard was barren; the few lords and ladies that were there seemed shocked and unaware of our arrival. It was clear the once welcoming feeling had gone with them when they had left for Dragonstone. 

Their greeting party solely consisted of lord Beesbury, seemingly the only council member still loyal to her mother, it even seemed that the keep itself was not what was for their return as shown by the replacement of Valyrian symbols with symbols of the seven. The home she, her brothers and parents knew was long gone, and the short years they had been away had changed the keep and people greatly.  The Hightowers had easily asserted themselves into power, and it was clear that they now ruled, perhaps in her grandsires stead. With the court laced with green gowns, and the higher necklines that Alicent seemed to adore, all influecne her mother had had been removed or hidden away. 

Not that it was surprising, as most who were loyal to her mother had too moved to dragonstone alongside them. It seemed Daemon was right about the red keep becoming a viper pit, full of hightower loyalsits. 

She had quickly left her family to go find Heleana, in hopes to see nothing had changed between them, though they exchanged letters, though less so since the birth of the twins, the letters she received now were filled with rhymes and poems in them, a part of her feared her dreams had become to strong and overtaken her. 

She knew all about Aeogns life, a little of their children, it appeared Aegon was the only one keen to keep her updated on anything in the keep and seemed eager to answer her letters, though they were mostly stained in wine and gods know what else. 

But it seemed that in her years away from kingslanding the halls had turned themselves into a labyrinth, the muscle memory of walking throughout the castel had vanished, and she was left a wandering mess. 

Though she had eventually heard the clashing of swords, orienting herself somewhat, as she realsied she was about to approach the training yard.

She first saw her brothers, watching the duel in awe, enough awe to capture her own attention and move her sights to said duel. 

Aemond.

He had grown into what she could only describe as a Valyrian god. With his long silver hair and sharp features, he was even more handsome than she imagined,  

and even more talented with a sword than she would have expected. 

He moved with such grace and finesse it was hard to predict his next move, nor his thinking behind them. Perhaps he was just used to ser criston having a sparring partner, but the way Aemond moved to defeat him could only be described, at least the Visenya was…hot.  His movements were a dance, as was the way his face light when we one, even more so when he saw her brothers. The smirk he wore could not be mistaken as welcoming if anything it was menacing, but also gleeful that her brothers, that lucerys the boy who took his eye, could see the man he had grown into.

she also smirked to herself, proud of him in some possessive way. Even more proud when his face went from gleeful spite to its own form of possession at the sight of her.

They had not seen each in years, ever since that fateful night of his thirteenth name day. 

And it was clear he had missed her, clear as he quickly stopped taunting her brothers with the offer to duel to move towards her, as if she was the very oxygen he needed to breathe.

And yet, she made no effort to move towards him. Despite the want and longing to see him again, the desire to be with him and now seeing him in his entirty, all she felt was hurt, abandonment and pain.

Visenya had never felt more alone than when she returned from Winterfell to Dragonstone. With only the letters form Cregan and Aegon as company. The only scrapes she would see of Aemonds life were Aegons complaints at him spending too much time with a sword or book, and when he was not with them he was with Vhagar.

Though she had had her family on dragonstone she always felt like an outsider. As if she was watching them love and be loved and she was simply an audience member, watching from the outside.

Hells her mother had treated her that way since Jace was born. 

But with Ameond he never made her feel like an outsider. And so too loose contact with the one person who made you feel truley seen, well it felt like she was dying. Drowning with no one to pull her back up to the surface.

And yet he looks at her and all of a sudden she is finally being pulled free and her life is hers again.

But she can’t help but still feel abandoned. Why did it take her coming to kings landing, for their wedding, to finally be seen once more.

“My bethrothed” He proclaimed, the smug expression once again returning to his face. “Have you come to see me defeat your brothers?” he questioned, sending Jace and Luke a taunting glare. 

Finally moving into the training yard, making sure to sway her skirts as she went, she proclaimed “I have not, bethrothed” she then smirked looking over to Jace “ i do not wish my bethrothed to be so humiliated as to befeated by his bride's baby brother” she sent him a glare. A glare she hoped was filled with  years of hurt and anger to him.

He laughed “oh Princess, i do not know if you understate me or seriously overestimate your dear brothers abilities”

she shrugged, a look of nonchalant crossing her face, “i do not care which, then again i do not care much to see the outcome of such a duel” 

She was sure she heard her brothers say something but neither her nor Aemond acknowledged it, their eyes and ears only focusing on one thing.

Eachother.

“Then why grace us with your presence if you do not wish bto be so thoroughly entertained?” he questioned, his smile remaining taunting.

“Am i not allowed to wonder where i please, in my own home?” she snapped.

“my my, back for a few hours and we are already calling it home, have you missed me so truly betrothed?” he questiond.

“what was there to miss? with no letters or name days gifts to remember you by, oh i could even argue i forgot you, especially with all the bids for my hand i have received since our bethrothal” she smirked

Aemonds eye turned visicous, his smile flattering. His eye too began to show the hurt that she hoped her eyes portrayed.

He stepped forward, his sword taken from him and placed on the rack. His full focus moved away from the tauting he thought to be fun and games, and now stood and looked almost worried, and all too serious.

“forgotten?” he whispered, “ I am truly that forgettable my dear Visneya?”  His voice was quieter, more hurt, and spoken so sofltley it was clear their conversation should be held under more private cirmunsatnces. 

“i-“ she  could not say it, not now, she frankly didn’t even want to think about it. To be so vulnerable, especially when she knew he wasn’t the same Aemond she had first been bethtothed to, that she had grown alongside. 

Luckily Jace inruptupted the two, eager to end what was begining. “Sister,” she said, grabbing her arm, “we should go to our chambers and settle in, should we not?” he spoke, his eyes begging to leave.

She turned to look at Luke, he looked on the verge of tears almost, worried that at any moment Aemond might snap and steal his eye in an act of revenge. 

She nodded, grabbing his arm, and sending one last look to Aemond.

next part

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[ellatoone7]

❄︎ One step at a time ❄︎

Alexia's favourite girls series

You don't know how to swim Warnings: slight smut, suggestive themes.

Alexia has always known you had a slight fear of water, assuming it was just one of those phobias that people have. She honestly found it adorable at how you would cling to her around huge bodies of water. Your girlfriend was more than happy to play the hero when it came to you.

What she didn’t know however was that it wasn’t your fear of water that stopped you from joining her in the sea or in pools. The blonde wanted to kick herself for not noticing sooner. It was your first holiday alone together when your schedules weren’t jam packed.

It has been a very important year for the two of you. You had just bought a shared flat in Barcelona and you couldn’t be happier. Having a place with no interruption was pure bliss for the both of you, as you both relished in your shared intimacy.

Alexia has surprised you with the trip, a two week getaway on this incredibly romantic island to celebrate the huge step in your relationship. It was hard when you were in England, although it was incredibly worthwhile and you had achieved everything you had wanted there, you couldn’t be more happy than to finally settle down with the love of your life.

The few days you had been on the remote island were pure bliss. Free from all distractions and responsibilities as you and Alexia just enjoyed being young. You were quite proud of yourself for being able to keep your secret for so long. You knew she would catch on eventually but you didn’t want her to think any less of you. Your insecurity of not being able to swim, a basic skill that most people had, was at the back of your mind.

It was only a few days in when Alexia started getting suspicious, she had pleaded with you to go for one swim with her but you brushed her if nonchalanty, feeding her some poor excuse about how you had just gotten your hair done and you wanted to keep the fresh looking glow. That seemed to placate your girlfriend and you were more than happy to sit back and watch her from the sun lounger.

A sight she was, toned and tanned arms pulling the rest of her goddess-like body out of the pool. You were surprised your lip hadn't busted with how hard you were biting at it as her abs flexed deliciously. Your girlfriend sent you a cocky smirk as she made her way over to you, “Like what you see?” You huffed at her teasing tone but it didn’t stop you from taking your eyes down her body.

“Just take me to bed, Putellas.” You sighed knowing that’s where you would end up anyway. Alexia chuckled softly before throwing her towel on the empty lounger next to you, catching you with no effort at all as your legs wrapped around her waist. Teeth tugging at your earlobe softly as she husked into your ear, “As you wish Princesa.”

Another added bonus of renting out a private villa was that Alexia could quite literally have you anywhere she wanted, at any time she wanted and she took advantage of that, many times. You thanked whatever god there was that they gifted your girlfriend with the ability to play football because god that woman had stamina for days.

You had gotten away with your secret for nearly half the week before she caught on.

Your soft moans echoed around the luxurious villa, knuckles going white with how hard you gripped the sheets. Your hips bucked up to meet her gentle licks as huge hands slithered out from the covers to cup your breasts. It was your third orgasm of the day which was nothing compared to how many times she made you cum yesterday. You didn’t hear any complaints from the woman as she happily partook in her absolute favourite activity, making you cum.

Once your body stopped shaking and your heart rate slowed down a fraction, Alexia decided to make her appearance. Head popping up from the covers as she begrudgingly wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She was a sweaty mess from being trapped under the sheets, baby hairs sticking to her forehead as she rested her warm cheek against the cool pillow, half lying on top of you.

Her hand rubbed soothingly against your equally hot skin, she turned her body slowly while tangling your legs and cradling you to her chest. She kissed your forehead and then your cheek as you nuzzled into her.

“Ay dios, I need a swim after that.” She breathed, gathering her hair into a ponytail as she slowly pulled herself from the sticky sheets. “Vamos, amor! I’m not taking no for an answer.” Just as you were about to make another excuse, Alexia picked you up and the panic hit you.

“Alé no!” Without noticing the terror in your voice Alexia laughed it off thinking you were just being slightly dramatic. “Bebita, you haven’t swam with me once and your fear of water needs to stop.”

As you inch closer to the pool, your panic rises even further, “Alexia, I’m serious, put me down!” It was her full name and the cry of panic that had her gently placing you on the floor.

“Cariño?” She asked softly as your nails dug into the skin of her forearm, “Que pasa?” You couldn’t even look at her as you fidget with the rings on your finger. You mumbled something under your breath that Alexia couldn’t for her life decipher.

She gave you a knowing look and you sighed before stepping back out of her embrace. The blonde's eyebrows furrowed with worry and you decided that enough was enough.

“I can’t swim.” Alexia’s eyebrows rose in surprise and a soft smile took over her face. “I know, it’s stupid.” Alexia seemed to crash back to reality as she was quick to quell your rambling. She placed a quick but firm kiss against your lips, “Amor, why didn’t you tell me?” You tucked your face in her neck as she wrapped her arms around you protectively. “Amor?” She was coaxing you gently as you muttered shyly into her neck.

“I was embarrassed, it's embarrassing!” You whined softly. Alexia cooed, fingers digging softly into your waist, a small reminder that she was your best friend and you could tell her anything. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.” Your hand crept up to cup the back of her neck, any point of contact comforting you.

“So you never had a fear of water.” You giggled into her chest, “No, I’m sorry.” Alexia smiled teasingly, “You need to stop apologising.” You nodded, going to apologise again before Alexia silenced you with another soft kiss.

The day flew by with mild teasing from your girlfriend as the two of you lounged in the hot sun. Alexia was making dinner as you went to freshen yourself up, not liking how sticky the sun made you. Alexia was reminiscing about your earlier confession, hand stirring the sauce repeatedly to prevent it from burning.

That’s when the idea popped into her head, a proud smile sitting on her face. It stayed there as you came down the stairs, clad in one of her Barcelona jerseys and shorts. Alexia’s smile brightens as your smaller body clings to her much taller frame.

You didn’t notice anything weird until you both sat down on the couch with your bowls. You happily accepted the bite she offered you, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to enjoy her meal if she didn’t give you the first bite.

The mischievous smile crept onto her face as you flicked through the channels. You gave her an apprehensive look as she tilted her head, a strong sign that she was about to suggest something that you wouldn’t like.

“Spit it out Putellas.” You raised an eyebrow, “Mi princesa.” She started, grabbing the bowl and placing it on the table so she had your full attention. You knew you really weren’t going to like it when her hand slid down to your bare thigh, fingers playing with the hem of your shorts.

“Let me teach you how to swim.” You were immediately shaking your head, “Here me out!” She guided your leg over hers as she manoeuvred you to straddle her. You didn’t meet her hazel eyes, knowing you would cave. Alexia knew you too well though, hand cradling your jaw to look down at her.

“Ale!” You whined as her lips grazed your neck. “Come on mi amor, I promise we can go slow.” She tried again, knowing that you were gonna agree. Her teeth sunk into the skin of your neck softly, “Fine.” You grumbled as she quietly cheered against the column of your throat.

You didn’t think much of it for the rest of the night, your girlfriend proving to be far too distracting to pay anything else even an ounce of attention. It wasn’t until you were rudely awakened by a piercing screech of whistle, you shot up in bed prepared to make your girlfriend fight the intruder.

The said intruder was your girlfriend. A gold whistle hanging from her mouth and sunglasses covering her pretty eyes. You stare up at her incredulously, “Why the fuck do you have a whistle!” Alexia blew it again, “Do not question your coach.” You scoffed before pulling the sheet above your head, you heard the older girl sigh, smiling happily to yourself thinking you had won until you were swooped up into her strong arms.

“You didn’t think it would be that easy, bebita?” You slapped softly at her tanned shoulder defeatedly as she walked the two of you out to the pool. “Can I atleast get a kiss?” You grumbled, cupping the back of her neck, “If I ever say no to that cariño, you can shoot me.” You smile playfully into the kiss, biting at her bottom lip for her effortless display of strength. She didn’t even quiver with the weight of you.

She let you down slowly, stealing one more kiss before going back into coach mode. “¡Vamos amor! Stretch.” You glare at her as she blows her whistle, and you sit on one of the beds, “If you blow that whistle one more time, I swear to god!” Alexia only smirks cockily with the whistle in her mouth, “You love it.” You tried to contain your smile but hers was infectious.

“I’ve just eaten Alexia, I can’t swim.” Alexia sends you a look, “That’s a myth.” You grumbled at her quick comeback, “It’s dangerous to swim when you're tired.” Alecia smirked at this and raised her eyebrows suggestively, “Bebita, You could be a lot more tired if I had my way.” You huffed again, standing up and hitting her shoulder playfully. You dipped your toe into the water and squealed, “It’s too cold!” Alexia sighs incredulously, “You’re just making excuses at this point.”

“Bien, bien. Come here.” She resigned, holding out her hand for you to take, which you did gladly. She picked up on your apprehension quickly, “Hey, I will be right here the whole time.” You stared up at her, “You promise.” She laughs softly, kissing your cheek, “Sí, the whole time.” You nodded, pursing your lips for another kiss which she was quick to give.

You only caught the pile of pool noodles when you looked over her shoulder, “Can I have a purple one?” You asked adorably. Alexia’s shoulders shook in a quiet chuckle, “Of course you can amor.” You let out a happy giggle before running over to grab one.

“Okay you ready?” You looked at her strangely, “Where’s my life jacket?” Alexia laughed as she guided you over to the ladder. It was when she saw your serious expression did she stop laughing. You waited patiently with your arms out. Alexias opened and closed her mouth a few times, genuinely not knowing how to respond.

She descended into laughter again but this time she had to bend over with how much her abdomen hurt from laughing. You crossed your arms and pouted, all you needed to do was stamp your foot and you would be having a full blown tantrum. “Lo siento, lo siento!” She laughed out, trying to catch her breath from her fit.

“You don’t need a life jacket.” You opened your mouth to protest but a slender finger covered it, “ Nope, you don’t need one.” Alexia eased herself into the water, trying to coax you in after her. “Alright, I’ve got you. Don’t worry.” Her smile told you that you could trust her and you knew that but you were still nervous.

You sat down at the edge of the pool, both of your feet submerging in the water. “Good job amorcita!” She waded over to stand in between your legs, a comforting hand sliding up your thigh as you tried to calm down.

“What if I drown?” You ask fearfully, eyes widening as you start to pull your legs out in a panic. Her hands tightened around your legs, restricting your movement and effectively stopping you from your panic. “I’m not going to let you drown.” She muttered softly, leaning up to kiss you reassuringly.

“Besides the water is five feet deep, I’m sure you’re going to be fine.” You giggled softly at her joke, wrapping your legs around her and pulling her that much closer. Alexia kisses your collarbone gently, before her hands slid along your hip bone. She gently lifted your body and eased you into the water. You sighed in relief as your feet touched the bottom comfortably.

“Don’t let go.” The blonde chuckled, guiding you to wrap your legs around her waist again. “Oh, I won’t.” Alexias kissed you deeply, temporarily forgetting what her job was.

After a few more minutes of heated kissing, Alexia decided to show you an example. She deposited you against the edge of the pool that you immediately clung onto. She laughed endearingly before showing you the basics of swimming. She effortlessly glided through the water and you bit your lip at how her muscles rippled with each pump of her arm.

You watched in horror as she ducked underneath the water and reappeared again. “I’m not doing that.” You warned as she shook and swiped a few stray strands of her wet hair back into place. “One step at a time.” She reminds you, holding out her hands for you to grab instead of mauling the wall.

Alexia gently guided you to the deeper end, you had strayed to calm down at her constant reminder that she wouldn’t let go of you for a second. Ever the coach, she had you laying on your back and floating in under three minutes.

The actual swimming part was harder than she had expected but she was so patient. Your legs flailed as you tried desperately to kick, getting more water in Alexia’s mouth than your own. Alexia had to put you in time out for kicking her square in the jaw, twice.

“You’re lethal.” You winced apologetically, stroking the sore spot on her jaw, “I’m so sorry.” She kisses your hand, a smile letting you know she was only teasing. “What have I told you about apologising bebita?”

Alexia convinced you to try again and this time you managed to stay afloat without any stray kicks to the face. You were eternally grateful with how patient she was as she encouraged you every step of the way. You were rewarded with kisses which only prompted you to do better.

Eventually it came the time where she had to let you go. Surprisingly you were determined to do it by yourself, wanting to impress your coach. “Are you sure you’re ready?” She had asked worriedly, “I mean it’s your first day!” You scoffed and prepared yourself, pushing her away softly. “What was it you said? One step at a time. Well I’ve reached this step and now you need to let me go.” Alexia bit her lip before nodding, pride shining in her hazel eyes as she stepped back.

You moved at snail pace but you managed to get to the other side, Alexia’s comforting words getting you there. Once you were safely clutching at the wall you let out a squeal of excitement, looking back at your girlfriend was making her way over with a huge smile lighting up her face. The blonde wasted no time in picking you and parading you around the pool,

“I’m so proud of you mi princesa!” She praised holding you close as she pressed her lips to every inch of your face. “Thank you for teaching me.” You sighed, kissing her soundly.

Once the excitement died down, you felt a little silly for celebrating something so basic. Alexia always read you like a book and this was no different. Instead of forcing it out of you she decided to wait for you to formulate your words, leaving soft kisses to your jaw.

“I feel like this is something I should have known..” You finally admit, fingers playing with the whistle around her neck. Alexia’s eyes softened at your deflated form before lightly scolding you, “Hey, It’s fine. There’s so many people who don’t know how to swim.” You didn’t look reassured so she gently forced you to look at her, “It's the first day, you’re not going to be perfect.”

You continued playing with the whistle as a small smile rested on your face. You were so in love with the woman in front of you, it was kind of ridiculous.

“I love you.” You breathed out, palm coming to rest upon her cheek as you pulled her down to rest her forehead against yours. She smiled lovingly, eyes shining with pure adoration as she kissed you yet again, “Te amo mucho my little fish.” You cringed as she laughed loudly, hand coming up to cover her mouth in pure embarrassment.

“You just ruined the moment Alé.”

All prompts used are from @novelbear 🫶

[yeonzzzn]

🕯️let it go: niki

a vampires bleeding series: six / seven

pairing: niki x afab!reader word count: 8.2k

synopsis: with the surrounding area of dorian's location being exposed, the seven boys continue to search where the missing pack members are while niki continues his normal school life, befriending you. the closer you and niki get, the more secrets that get revealed.

genre: friends to lovers/enemies, vampire!niki, vampire!reader, angst, some fluff.

warnings: mentions of blood, swearing, betrayal, cutie pie niki ♡

☾ jungwon(1) | jay(2) | jake(3) | sunghoon(4) | sunoo(5) | niki(6) | heeseung(7) ☽

Niki knelt down, his fingertips brushing against the grass. The wind blew his blonde hair across his face, his eyes narrowing down at the open water below him. Searching for any clue. 

Jake suddenly appeared beside him, his arm resting on Niki’s shoulder. 

“Find anything yet?” His Aussie accent rushed out. 

Niki nodded, “Yeah, a whole lot of nothing still.” 

Jake sighed, “Keep searching, the entrance has to be here somewhere.” 

Niki stared at his hyung, seeing the desperation on his face to find his mate. 

“I need to find her…” Jake whispered. 

Niki rubbed Jake’s back, “I know hyung, I know.” 

Niki understood how Jake was feeling, obviously not to the same degree, but still understood. 

That hole of having __ and __ being gone hit all of them. The only difference is Niki and the others don’t feel the pain that Jake and Sunghoon feel. There’s a pinch of something, but it doesn’t affect anything else. 

The worst part of all this was Niki couldn’t help but feel disconnected from everything that was happening. 

He wanted to get the girls back just as much as everyone else, but he also felt like this was major bullshit. 

Maybe it was because Niki didn’t believe in soulmates. 

Not like there were a lot of seventeen-year-old forever vampires anyway. 

A girl is the whole reason Niki ended up as this undead being in the first place. 

It was the day before Niki’s birthday. Snow was falling from the sky, it was the perfect day to confess his feelings. It was his first-ever crush. Walked her home from school that day and was attacked in broad daylight. 

Niki survived, she didn’t. 

The vampire venom spread through Niki’s body way too quickly, turning him into a monster. 

The first thirty years were hell. Niki couldn’t control his blood thirst and killed multiple people in the process. 

It wasn’t until another thirty years before Heeseung and Jay found him. He was on the hunt for human blood, the previous human blood stained on his clothes, face, and down his neck. Niki ran into the two of them on his way into the town. 

Heeseung could feel the bloodlust and Niki felt like he was in danger. The only vampires Niki ever encountered were the ones that almost killed him, and the ones he’s had to fight just to get a bite in. Heeseung could sense Niki was terrified, mostly because of how he looked. 

Vampires usually don’t like being exposed, and Niki was terrified his time was up. Heeseung and Jay would kill him, tear him to pieces, and burn his body.  

“It’s okay…” Heeseung whispered, “I can see what you’re thinking, it’s all over your face.” 

Niki backed away, holding a hand up, “Nah, don’t you fucking come near me.” 

And man did it take Heeseung and Jay a lot of time to talk Niki into calming down. Eventually, they adopted him into their pack. 

Niki remembers walking into the safe house for the first time, seeing four other faces stare at him, but welcoming him nonetheless. 

It was the first time Niki felt at home since he was turned. 

And hundreds of years later here he is. Fighting to protect an even bigger family. Even if he doesn’t believe in a lot that’s going on. 

Again, there aren’t many other vampires stuck in their teens anyway. The possibility of Niki even finding a soulmate (if they even exist), is very slim. 

“We need to go,” Jake sighed and snapped Niki out of the past memories.

Niki nodded, standing tall beside his hyung. 

Jake was holding back his emotions, Niki could feel it. That bond tugged hard. 

“Hyung, we will get __ back.” Niki reassured him, “Once we find where his entrance is and when __ can produce a stronger masking of our scent with her elf magic, the easier it’ll be to get in.” 

Jake nodded, rolling his eyes, “Aren’t I the one that should be comforting you? I’m the older one.” Jake chuckled, draping his arm around the younger’s neck, “Come on, let’s go.” 

—

Niki spun the soccer ball on his fingertips, tossing it up to the ceiling, spinning, tossing it again, and spinning. 

He was sprawled out on the couch, mind in a faraway place. 

The front door opened, and the sound of bags dropping to the floor and shoes being kicked off echoed in the apartment. 

Niki leaned his head over the armrest of the couch, “Welcome home hyung.” 

Heeseung glances down at the maknae, “Don’t you have your own home?” 

Niki sat up, spinning the soccer ball in his hands, “I mean, yeah.” 

Heeseung sat at the kitchen table, sliding out of his doctor's coat, “Don’t you have school tomorrow? I’ll have Sunoo come pick you up.” 

“Hyung no!” Niki pouted. 

Heeseung raised a brow, noticing a duffle bag sitting in the corner by the couch. 

“Niki..” 

“Heeseung, they annoy me.” 

Heeseung let out a small chuckle, “Yeah?” 

“It was fine when it was just me and Sunoo, but after __ moved in…” 

Heeseung sighed, he knew why Niki wanted to be here. Heeseung knew of Niki’s history and how it all took place, being around a cute cuddly couple probably isn’t his favorite thing in the world right now. 

There’s enough on his plate with unfortunately attending high school again, dealing with the major loss the pack has taken, on top of his roommate's mate moving in. The kid has a lot going on. 

“Plus, you’re here alone, so I am here to keep you company.” Niki smiled, trying to win his hyung over by acting cute. 

Heeseung wasn’t buying it. 

“Hyung, you’re my legal guardian anyways. This would just make it easier.” 

Heeseung knew Niki had a point. The only problem Heeseung worried about was Niki being alone. 

Heeseung always had to be at the hospital, and when he wasn’t, he was searching with the others to find the entrance to where Dorian was hiding. Niki didn’t always attend the search parties, so if he wasn’t at soccer practice, he would be at home by himself. 

Niki continued to pout until Heeseung gave in. 

“Fine, but nothing changes, you’re still attending school.” 

Niki didn’t like the school idea but was happy to stay with Heeseung either way. 

—

Niki dropped his head into his palm, staring off out the window. 

His classmates all talked amongst themselves about the latest trends and the soccer games coming up. 

Niki tuned out the noise, ready to just get the hell out of here. 

Niki knew his classmates gossiped about him, about how he always kept to himself unless spoken to. how he is really good at soccer and thinks he’s “the king” or something. They even make fun of his brothers, and that’s one thing Niki has to bite his tongue on. 

Niki didn’t see the point in trying to make friends at these schools. Niki will continue living an immortal life and losing friends along the way, so it’s best to not make any. 

Get in and get out as Jay would put it. 

There wasn’t any point to any of it no matter what, he’d just change schools again once he graduated or if his family moved again. 

“Okay class, settle down!” The homeroom teacher yells, the room of teenagers quieting down. “We have a new student joining us today.” 

Niki slightly glanced over to the entrance to the classroom, curious to see the new student just as much as the next person. 

Niki slowly lifted his head from his palm, lips parted and eyes slightly widened. 

You stood at the front of the class, glancing around at your new peers, eyes connecting with Niki’s. 

You were a vampire. Niki couldn’t believe it. Another vampire that was his age and just so happened to be in the same class as him? 

What are the odds? 

You introduced yourself to the class and then waited for the teacher to assign you to an open seat. 

You kept eye contact with the blonde vampire in the back of the class as you walked to your seat. 

Your new classmates already seemed to take notice, their whispers being “Do they know each other?”, “she’s the first girl that has gotten Nishimura’s attention”, “They have to know each other, there is no way.” 

You finally broke eye contact once you sat in your seat, looking amongst the teenagers around you, wondering how mortals can care so much about things that shouldn’t matter. 

Niki looked back out the window, once again dropping his head into his palm. 

Niki could feel your gaze on him throughout the school day. He couldn’t help but wonder if you too have struggled to find other vampires the same age. 

During lunch, Niki made it a mission to find you. 

You sat on the floor in between two bookcases in the library, eyes closed and earbuds blasting music into your eardrums.

A slight tap came to your shoulder, you opened your eyes and looked up, seeing Niki standing beside you. 

You pulled your earbuds out, raising an eyebrow at him, “Yes?” 

“Uhh…” Niki didn’t think this far. He pushed his hair back, looking at the other bookshelf in front of you, “Mind if I sit?” Damn, he was so cheesy. 

You nodded, “Go ahead fellow blood drinker,” you teased, a smile formed on his face as he sat across from you. 

Niki tried to read you, thinking if he stared at you long and hard enough he could figure out every answer to his question without actually having to ask. 

You looked him up and down, “Nishimura, if you have something to say just say it, I’m not going to bite.” 

Niki glared at you, “That’s the best vampire joke you could come up with?” 

You shrugged, “I saw the chance and I took it.” 

He took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. 

“Sorry,” was all he could say, “I have never met another vampire that was well…”

“Stuck in a seventeen-year-old's body for eternity?” 

Niki nodded, “Yeah…exactly.” He was in awe at how you understood. 

“Makes it harder for us to find mates, that’s for sure.” 

And you lost him. 

Niki slumped back against the bookcase, gently laughing.

You didn’t understand what was so funny, “What are you laughing about?” 

Niki shrugged, leaning his head against the bookcase, making eye contact with you, “I don’t believe in soulmates.” 

You furrow your brows, “You don’t?”

“Nope.” He looked away, reading the titles of the books.

“Do you not believe as a whole, or just don’t believe in a soulmate for yourself?” 

Niki lifted his head, seeing how serious you were about that question. 

He didn’t know how to answer it. All he could do was stare at you. 

“You’re in a pack,” you said, “And those in your pack have soulmates, that’s why you can answer my question.” 

It wasn’t hard to tell that Niki was in a pack. Pack hunters have a totally different energy. 

Niki decided to dodge the question, slowly leaning back against the bookcase, “What about you? In a pack? You kinda give off that solo vibe.” 

You tuck your bottom lip between your teeth, deciding how to answer the question, “I am indeed solo. Just do my own thing.”

“I was solo once, and it wasn’t fun.” It surprised Niki how easily he was able to talk to you to even bring up his old past.

You smiled at the embarrassment on his face, he was too cute. 

“Anyways, I am Nishimura Riki, but I go by Niki.” he held out his hand, “We didn’t properly introduce each other yet.” 

You stare down at his hand, then back up at his face, “What time period are you from, Niki? A handshake?” 

Niki rests his hand down, softly scoffing, “I’m two hundred and ten.”

You snorted a small laugh, “Damn you’re old.” 

Niki smiled, clicking his tongue, “Yeah? and you?” 

“I’m only a hundred and fifteen.” you gave him a silly smile. 

“Wow, a whole ninety-five years younger than me.” 

You both laughed, “Unfortunately we are still seventeen.”  you said. 

Niki nodded, “Yeah, well this is the first time I have been okay with being stuck at seventeen.” 

Your heart skipped a beat. Staring into his eyes. 

Niki quickly shot up, startling you. 

“Well, lunch is almost over, head back to class?”

Before you could answer, your phone buzzed in your skirt pocket, “Uhh I am actually going to skip the rest of the day, I have some moving things to do.” 

Niki clicked his tongue, “Damn girl first day and you’re already skipping the rest of the day?” 

You shook his head at him teasing you, “Shut up and get back to class Nishimura.” 

Niki smiled wide as he walked away.

“Oh! Niki!” 

He stopped and turned to face you, waiting for you.

“I am Y/N,” you softly waved a hand at your side, “I didn’t tell you my name earlier.” 

“Well, Y/N,” Niki said, “I’ll see you around then.” 

He disappeared, only to poke his head back around the bookcase.

“Actually, want to hang out? Like after my soccer practice today? Or even tomorrow? Or whenever you prefer.”

You nodded, “Yeah I would actually love to hang out. It would be nice to make some friends. But I can’t tonight, so tomorrow?”

Niki nodded in agreement, “Tomorrow then.” 

And he officially disappeared this time. 

You pulled your phone from your pocket and read the messages. 

dni: have time for a chat? you: oops can’t sorry! school work…bummer.  dni: Y/N you: ? dni: now

you sigh, dropping your phone in your lap. 

—

Heeseung stood by the table, Sunoo and __ were at his left, Jake and Sunghoon on the right. 

A notepad with directions and any hints to lead to Dorian was written on it along with a map of the surrounding area. 

Heeseung covered his mouth with his hands, staring down at the map. 

“What about here?” Sunghoon asked, pointing at a specific point on the map. 

“No, Niki and I already checked there,” Jake answered. 

Heeseung’s eyes searched every inch of the map, trying to piece together where to find Dorian. 

Sunoo groaned, “We’ve been doing circles. There’s nothing but open water. We’ve gone diving multiple times as well to see if it’s under but it’s clearly not.” 

Sunoo’s mate sighs as well, rubbing his back, “I wish I could help find a more specific area…”

“No, __ it’s okay,” Jake said, “You’ve already done so much to help.” 

Sunghoon dropped his face in his hands, frustration isn’t even close to describing how he was feeling. 

“Where are the others right now?” Sunghoon asked. 

Heeseung sighed, “Jungwon and Jay are searching the area right now. The girls are at Jay’s apartment and Niki…I don’t know.” 

“I am right here,” Niki says, overhearing as he was walking inside the apartment, “What’s going on?” 

“Just still trying to find where Dorian could be hiding.” __ said. 

Niki walked to the table, his eyes scanning the map, shaking his head, “I feel like we’ve looked everywhere.” 

Everyone nodded in agreement. 

Niki slumped down into a chair, his brain wracking the memories of running through the area, trying to pinpoint anything. But nothing ever came up. 

“Let’s call it a night,” Heeseung finally said, “We’ll change searching shifts for tomorrow and just keep looking.” 

“It’s unfortunately all we can do…” Sunoo softly whispered, looking over at his hyungs, seeing their heads hung low, just wanting their mates back. 

Sunghoon pulled his phone from his jacket pocket, staring down at the lockscreen photo of himself and his witch mate. He silently begged for any hint so he could find you. 

There was a small tapping sound just then. Everyone’s heads perked up, their ears on high alert. Eyes quickly roaming. 

The apartment fell silent and the six of them listened as the tapping continued. 

Niki slowly turned his head towards the window, his brows furrowing at what he was looking at, “A raven?” 

Everyone turned to look at the window, a large raven sat at the windowsill, with a paper rolled and tied to its neck with a red string. 

Sunghoon quickly shot up from the chair, “It’s from __.”

Sunghoon rushed to the window, opening it and letting the raven hop inside. 

The raven stood still while Sunghoon untied the paper from its neck and once it was free, it flew back out the window. 

Sunghoon watched as the raven flew away, his heart breaking. 

“What’s in the note, hoon?” Jake asked, appearing beside his best friend. 

Niki followed behind, hovering over his hyungs shoulders. 

Sunghoon unrolled the paper, a smile forming on his face. 

“It’s coordinates.”

“What?” Heeseung rushed over, taking the paper from Sunghoon’s hands, and reading the coordinates written.

Everyone rushed back to the map. 

Heeseung grabbed a marker, lining up where the coordinates led, and landed in the middle of the forest. 

“We found it,” Heeseung whispered. 

Jake fell to the floor, face covered by his hands, “We finally fucking did it.” 

Sunghoon grabbed his chest, clinging to his white tee shirt, “My hex girl risked sending a raven…god, I love her…” 

“Sunoo, call Jay and Jungwon, and let them know what we found.” Heeseung asked, Sunoo immediately jumped from the table and dialed one of their numbers, “And __, can you use the paper that __ wrote on to find exactly where the coordinates lead? To get a picture of what we are looking for.” 

The elf took the paper in her hands, rubbing her thumbs over the ink written on it, and nodded, “I can, but it might not be enough, I might get only a small enough vision, nothing we haven’t already gotten.”

Heeseung gripped the marker in his hands, feeling like their two steps forward were also a step back. 

“What if we also used this?” Sunghoon lifted a black feather up into the air, “Something told me to take a feather from the raven…that it would somehow help. Since it’s __’s raven, and the bird clearly had to have been in that area for her to call it and then send it to find me.” 

Sunoo’s mate rushed to Sunghoon, taking the weather and feeling it with her hands, she smiled wide, “This is plenty, it has __’s magic all over it. It will work.” 

Sunoo returned, “Jay and Jungwon are on the way here. I told them everything.” 

Heeseung nodded, “__, start the process of the searching magic, so once the other two show up we can fully start.”

Niki felt a rush of adrenaline, they had waited for so long to find Dorian and put him down. They still didn’t fully know what he was planning, or why he wanted the pack dead, but Niki couldn’t help but finally feel relieved that it would be over soon. 

Heeseung noticed a difference in Niki, that he was more upbeat and not as quiet as normal. 

“What’s with you?” Heeseung asked, causing Niki to stutter in his seat.

“Huh?” 

Heeseung studied the maknae’s eyes, “You met someone.” 

The others' attention looked at Niki, his face turning a soft shade of pink.

“I met another vampire today…she’s my age.” 

Sunghoon let out a whistle, “Well look at that.” 

Niki shook his head, “It’s not like that, she’s super cool.”

Heeseung could already tell what it was from Niki’s reactions, but he knew the maknae had to discover everything himself. 

The topic dropped once Jungwon and Jay showed up, their mates following right behind them. 

“Get us updated,” Jungwon said, leaning his body against the table, “Have we started the searching process?” 

“Not yet, we waited for you,” Sunoo answered. 

Jungwon nodded, “Let’s get started. Once we have a clear vision of where this place is at, we will scope it out tomorrow and then will make an infiltration plan and get that son of a bitch the following day.” 

Everyone was in agreement, and the hunt for Dorian officially started. 

—

You stood in the alleyway, blood dripping from your fangs as you licked your lips, wiping the remaining blood from your face on the back of your hand. 

You looked down at the sacrifice of your meal, feeling the small inch of pain of what you’ve just done, but had to do. You needed to eat to survive, after all. 

You tilted your head to the side, “It’s about time you showed up.” 

Dorian walked from behind you, looking down at the body on the ground, “Awe, you didn’t leave any for me?”

You rolled your eyes, “Again, you kept me waiting. Wasn’t going to continue playing with my food until you showed up.” 

“Watch your mouth, Y/N.” Dorian stepped over the body, leaning against the wall, his eyes shooting daggers into you, “get me updated.” 

You sigh, standing in front of him, “Nothing has changed. They still have no idea where to find you.”

Dorian clicked his tongue, “Not yet. Our pretty little witch prisoner sent out a raven earlier. That’s what I was dealing with and why I was late.” 

You crossed your arms, not caring about this war Dorian started with himself and one of the most powerful vampire packs. 

“Why go this far? I thought you said the falling out between you and them was ancient history.” 

“Oh it is, but that doesn’t mean I am over it.” Dorian walked closer to you, “I need their power, their mates. The moment I kill their mates in front of them and then kill them and take in every ounce of power they have…I will be unstoppable.”

You looked away from him, “All this just to be the Vampire King.”

“Exactly!” He said, taking your jaw between his fingers and forcing you to look at him, “That’s why you’re going to lure them in with their little one.” 

You shoved him off you, “I told you I don’t give a shit, fight this on your own.” 

Dorian was quick on his feet as he was now standing behind you and a knife was pressed to your cheek, “Did you forget your place? Hmm?”

You took a deep breath in, letting a soft “no,” leave your lips. 

“Good.” Dorian released the knife and his grip on you, “Win the youngest one over, I don’t care how you do it as long as you don’t mate with him.” 

You shook your head, “It won’t happen, he doesn’t believe in soulmates.” 

Laughter erupted from Dorian, “What a shame.”

You couldn’t get Niki’s soft smile out of your mind, how much hurt that was held in that smile from his past trauma, but also the happiness he held in it as well because of the ones who saved him. 

It felt wrong to hand over Niki and his pack to Dorian. You already knew he was going to use the mates as his wild card to bend them to his will. 

But you knew you also couldn’t defy Dorian. 

Dorian starts to walk away from you, his voice echoing down the alley, “Do your job and lure the youngest in. Their power will be mine.”

—

Niki nervously tapped his foot against the floor, his eyes darting to the clock every five minutes. 

The school day couldn’t go any slower. 

His heart raced every time he would catch you staring at him. The way you would smile at him and push your hair behind your ears. It was driving him insane. 

The school bell rang, and Niki was the first out of the classroom, you followed right behind him. 

“So blondie, what is the plan for today?” You asked, keeping up with his pace. 

“I have soccer practice first, so I figured we could hang out once I’m finished?” 

You nodded, “I’ll even watch the practice.” 

Hearing those words was enough to pull at Niki’s heartstrings, quickly shook his head and shoved that feeling down. 

Niki also noticed how everyone was staring at the two of them. You also noticed. 

The whispers filled his ears. One by one making comments on how he finally wasn’t a loner, that they wondered how much he paid you to hang around them. Pointless bullshit after another.

“Niki,” your voice tuning him back to reality, pushing the whispers away, “Just ignore them, they aren’t worth the time.” 

He knew you were right. Niki smirked to himself, remembering they are just mortals wasting their lives with pointless bullshit. They had a short time. Niki had eternity. 

You sat in the bleachers, watching as Niki and his teammates did their stretches and warmups. 

There was another crowd of girls gushing over how cute all the boys were. Niki’s name came up, catching your attention. 

“Nishimura is so cute in his practice uniform~” one giggled. 

“I know! Gosh, I wish I was brave enough to ask him out, think he would say yes if I did?” 

You groaned in disgust, feeling a small hint of jealousy. The girls were pretty, and you couldn’t help but think how nice they would look standing next to Niki. 

His arm wrapped around them, his bite mark sitting beautifully on her neck. 

You snapped yourself out of your thoughts but still passed a glare at the girls. 

Little did you know Niki watched the whole interaction. 

He smiled warmly at seeing you getting worked up over some mortal girls. 

The coach called the players over, telling them a neighboring school came for a practice match. 

Niki couldn’t focus. His brain was in a million different places. Mostly back with you. How you’re sitting in the bleachers watching him and how bad he was sucking right now. 

The other team was winning. Niki couldn’t stay focused long enough. His teammates were even giving him hell for not being on his “a game”. 

You could sense he wasn’t feeling okay. Your heart pulled to him and you wanted to run across the field and give him the biggest hug. 

But you knew you couldn’t. So you settled for the next best thing. 

“NIKI!!!!”

Niki turned to you when hearing his name fall from your lips. 

All it took was making eye contact with you, for that little stupid string of fate to wrap around you both from across this field. 

Niki stood in place just looking at you and how big your smile was. 

You felt it too. The pull of that knot of fate. 

Before the knot could fully be tied, Niki’s coach called to him, gaining his attention back. 

You let out a breath, slowly sitting back down in the bleachers. 

You stared down at your black Converse, and a thought crossed your brain.

“Dorian will kill me too.” 

—

You and Niki walked side by side, the cool night breeze blowing your hair into your face. 

Niki took the opportunity to pull your hair behind your ears, slowly rubbing his thumbs against your cheeks. 

You tried to not look at him, wanting to push whatever fate had in store for you away. You couldn’t do this. It would get you both killed. 

Niki noticed your difference in mood. You wouldn’t look at him. Talk to him. Barely agreed to walk with him. 

“Y/N.” he called for you, “Look at me, please.” 

“I can’t…Niki.” 

Niki sighed and looked off into the distance, “Is it because I told you I don’t believe in soulmates?” 

You start to say something, to tell him the full truth. But you stopped.

Niki looked back at your face, watching you struggle to look anywhere but him hurt. He wanted your eyes on him, and only one way popped into his mind. 

Niki quickly leaned down, placing his lips gently on yours. 

You backed away quickly, making eye contact with him, “What the fuck, Niki?!” 

Niki smirked at your reaction, getting what he wanted, “It got you to look at me.” 

You groaned, throwing daggers at him with your eyes, “So you think kissing me was the way to go!?”

Niki just kept smiling at you, “I think I am ready to believe in soulmates.”

You relaxed your body, looking at him with such care, “What?”

He nodded, “I am ready to believe in soulmates.” he walked back to you, closing the gap. One hand rests on your waist while the other holds your face, “It took meeting you for me to realize it. I thought long and hard after you asked me if I didn’t believe in soulmates for myself, and you were right. The night I was turned, I was going to confess to the first girl I ever loved. But I watched her get murdered in front of me, thinking I was next but well..here we are. I stopped believing in love and the only love I accepted was from my pack. But one by one I watched as they each found a mate. Maybe I was just jealous because I am two hundred and ten stuck in a seventeen-year-old body for eternity and there aren’t many others stuck in the same situation.”

You tried to hold back the tears after hearing Niki’s past story and what he went through. 

“So finding a soulmate felt useless to me, that was until you walked into the classroom yesterday…Y/N, I know you felt that knot too. That pull of those stupid ass strings of fate…”

You slowly nodded, forcing yourself right now to not give in to it. 

Niki brushed your hair out of your face and wiped the small tear that came from your eye, “be my mate, Y/N. We have eternity to figure everything else out.” 

The pull was stronger and harder to fight. 

You wanted to be with him. Wanted to show him love and care. To spend that eternity to figure life out with him. 

Niki leaned his forehead against yours, “I already stopped fighting it…let it go.” 

You closed your eyes, stood on your tiptoes, and connected your lips to his. The string of fate sealing its knot. 

Niki smiled into the kiss before giggling and breaking the kiss. 

You looked up at your soulmate, his cute face bringing every ounce of joy into your own soul. 

Niki’s phone started vibrating in his pocket. 

He quickly glanced down, seeing a spam of messages from Heeseung. 

heeseung: We found it. Sunoo and Jay just returned. Come home ASAP!! Like right now. 

“Everything okay?” You asked, quickly glancing down at Niki’s phone, seeing the messages. 

“Yeah, I just have to go home, my brothers are looking for me.” 

Niki planted a soft kiss on your forehead, “I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

And then he vanished. 

Dread filled you. They did it. They found where Dorian was hiding, where YOU were hiding. 

“Didn’t I tell you to not mate with the young one?” 

Your heart stopped, panic settling in. 

“No no, Y/N. Better calm down before he senses something is wrong.” 

You knew he was right. and The last thing you needed was Niki to find out everything. 

Dorian appeared in front of you, the biggest smirk on his face. 

“This is a very big turn of events, who knew this whole time you were falling for the younger one? Hmm?”

Dorian’s words angered you, “You’re the one that’s had me stalking them for who knows how long now! This is your fault!” 

“Oh no, sweet Y/N,” he softly snapped, pinching your face, “This is fate's fault. I had no control over it. Don’t you know you don’t pick your soulmates? Fate does.” 

You shoved him away, trying to keep yourself as calm as possible so Niki doesn’t sense anything. Or even worse, his whole pack sensing something wrong. 

“Now what to do, what to do.” Dorian circled around you. 

“I won’t do it. Whatever it is, I won’t do it.” 

Dorian stopped walking, “Excuse me?” 

You took a step back, but Dorian was way too quick. 

His hand met your throat, and your back to the pavement. 

“You really needed to be reminded, huh little one? Did you forget who created you?!? I DID!” Dorian’s voice growled. The memory of the night he nearly killed you but decided at the last minute that you’d be a perfect puzzle piece to his game.

You gripped both hands around his wrist, trying with all your strength to push him off you. But nothing worked. 

“Hahahahaaaa! See, Y/N? The power that I have obtained just from that dhampir and witch alone. Imagine the power I’d behold once that damn pack is gone!”

Your eyes widened, shaking your head, “No please.” 

“It’s too late, your little mate will be killed with the rest of them. But don’t worry, I’ll make sure to keep you alive until the world ends to suffer for the pain you just caused.”

Tears swelled your eyes. You just got your soulmate, and you’ll soon lose him too. 

“Now that I also know they have found where we live, I think it's time to lure them in, ya?” Dorian balled up his other fist, “You’ll go find your mate, show them what I have done to you, and lead them to our home. That damn elf of theirs has masked their scents, but since you’re connected to them.”

You blacked out after that sentence. Doing everything you could to hide the pain so Niki wouldn’t come running. 

—

Everyone ran around Heeseung’s apartment gathering all the supplies and weapons needed. 

Niki helped Sunghoon and Jake pile the supplies into backpacks. 

“It’s almost time,” Jungwon announced, “The earlier we hit his compound, the better.” 

Niki wondered if you could feel the stress he was feeling. The pain of being away from you. He wondered if his brothers had noticed. 

He wanted to tell them. To at least let them know. 

He shoved a few blood bags into the backpack, his brain on the fence about what to do. 

“Hey,” Heeseung tapped his shoulder, “Everything okay?” 

Before Niki could answer, he sensed you. 

Niki dropped the backpack and ran to the front door, swinging it open. 

You looked up at your soulmate and watched how his face shattered at how you looked. 

Niki pulled you inside, slamming the door behind you. 

He embraced you in his arms and all you could do was cry. Not just because of how badly you were physically in pain, but because of the fate that awaited you both. 

“Hey hey, Y/N, what happened?!” Niki tried to calm you down, running his hands through your hair. 

Jay and Heeseung were at Niki’s side in a second, removing you from his arms. 

“STOP!” Niki yelled, using all his strength to get his brothers away from you. 

They took a step back and they watched Niki drop to the floor with you back in his arms. 

And that’s when the others felt it. 

Heeseung sighed, “This is Niki’s mate.” 

Niki was able to calm you down and sat you on the couch while he knelt in front of you. 

This was the first time you’d been up and close with the rest of his pack. 

Now that you were connected to them, you could feel just how powerful these vampires were. 

Heeseung knew something felt off. If Niki and you were bonded together, why didn’t the rest know? Heeseung remembers feeling the exact moment when each member connected with their mates. Why was Niki’s story so different? 

Niki brushed your hair away from your face, his heart broke at seeing how you looked, how bruised and cut up you were. 

“Who did this to you?” Niki whispered, fighting back his own tears. 

You did as Dorian told you, “It was Dorian.” 

The room fell even more silent, and all eyes were on you.  

“He was stalking Niki and me tonight. He told me as he attacked me that he wanted Niki. He wanted the rest of your mates. I don’t know why or what for, I was just so confused. He let me go and I only felt safe finding Niki.” 

Heeseung clocked your story. Putting it to the side for now. 

Jay examined you, making sure your healing function was working and the elf mate offered to help speed up the process. 

Heeseung pulled Niki to the side, “When did this happen?” 

Niki raised a brow, “I told you all that I met another vampire.” 

“Not that.” Heeseung softly snapped. 

Niki knew what he was talking about, “It just happened, like right before you spammed my phone. There were other important matters and I didn’t want to distract anyone. We need the girls back and to destroy Dorian, mostly now that he was targeting me to get to you guys and now hurt my mate. I’m done playing games.” 

Niki walked back over to you, and all Heeseung could do was analyze. 

After you were healed up, the leader of your new pack was ready to move out. 

“We need to leave. Now.” Jungwon said, then turning to his soulmate and planting a soft kiss on her lips. 

Jay did the same, telling the girls to behave and not leave the apartment. 

Sunoo and his elf mate dangled their fingers together and were the first two out of the apartment. 

Niki watched Jungwon and Jay and say the final goodbyes to their mates, telling them they would be back soon. 

Niki knelt back down to you, “You need to stay here with them.” 

You shook your head, “No! I want to fight as well!” 

Niki kissed your forehead, “I can’t lose you.” 

You gripped his forearms, hands shaking. You need to be there to stop Dorian if he tries to hurt Niki. You can’t allow it. 

Niki released you from him, following his brothers out the door. 

You cursed to yourself, standing up and leaving the apartment. 

—

Finding the entrance to the compound was easy thanks to __ magic. 

Niki followed behind his brothers and they snuck their way inside. 

Jake and Sunghoon were on the lookout for where they could be keeping their mates. 

The compound was a lot bigger than they expected. Heeseung figured Dorian made it like this purposely to keep anyone from finding him. 

They eventually came to a throne room. The room was painted red and was barely lit. 

“Keep your guard up,” Jungwon said, “I have a bad feeling  about this place.” 

“As you should, Won.”

All the vampires hissed, seeing Dorian walk into the room. 

Niki’s fist tightened, seeing the man who was responsible for hurting you. 

Dorian looked at each of them, a small tsk releasing from his mouth, “I am so disappointed, where are the humans?”

Jungwon stepped in front of everyone, his fangs retracted and hands pulling out his weapon, “Don’t speak about our humans!” He hissed. 

Jay followed right up behind Jungwon, his jaw locked in place. 

Dorian laughed, “The only one who brought their mate was Sunoo, never thought you’d be into elves.” 

Sunoo gritted his teeth, pushing __ behind him. 

“Give me back my witch!” Sunghoon screamed, “Give her back to me!”

Dorian raised a brow, seeing Jake step beside Sunghoon, “I want my dhampir back as well.”!

“Hmm, well of course.” Dorian snapped his fingers, two portals opening. Two vampire women stepped through, holding the witch and dhampir at knifepoint. 

Sunghoon and Jake tried to rush to their mates, Jungwon and Jay grabbing a hold of them.

Heeseung analyzed everything. Something was off. Dorian wouldn’t just hand them over that easily. 

The women threw the witch and dhampir across the room, Sunghoon and Jake being at their side in seconds. 

Sunghoon embraced her, “Oh my beautiful hex girl.” He cried out, holding her weak body tightly against him. 

“You saw my raven?” she spoke, touching her hands to his face. 

Sunghoon nodded, “I did. We received the raven.” 

Jake pulled the dhampir up to her feet, her strength barely there to even stand. 

“Baby, my Luna Nova,” Jake pulled her to him, tears staining his face, “I won’t ever let you go again.” 

Jay and Jungwon pulled Sunghoon, Jake, and their mates behind them. 

That’s when Heeseung noticed it. 

“This is a trap.” 

Everyone looked at him. Dorian’s smirk gets wider. 

“Hyung!” Niki called out, “What do you mean this was a trap?!” 

Heeseung studied the room more. This wasn’t just some normal room. 

“He put a magic barrier in this room that only amplifies his power and weakens ours.” 

Jungwon gritted his teeth, “That's why you gave us the girls back so easily!”

“Oh, how correct you are!” Dorian snapped his fingers again, and a small flame appeared at his fingertips, “Your pack is the strongest out of all the vampire packs. Not to mention you now have a dhampir, witch, and elf in your ranks as well. You guys are a powerhouse!” 

Jay rolled his eyes, “Get to the fucking point!” 

“With you all out of the way, no one can stand in my way of becoming the Vampire King.” 

Heeseung furrowed his eyes, “You’re afraid one of us will take the throne?” he hissed.

Dorian shrugged, “Of course. The last thing we need is your pack in charge.”

“And what makes you think you’re so fit to be king?!” Sunghoon snapped, finally getting his witch back to her feet. 

“Because I achieved what no one else has. I killed an entire coven and stole all their secrets. Got the blood of humans to use and even stole some magic from your witch and strength from your dhampir. I inherited it all. I will kill each and every one of you then challenge the vampire king for his throne. The world will know no peace.” 

Niki clenched his fist, “No one will follow you!” 

The ladies at Dorian’s side giggled, clearly showing where their loyalty was. 

“Don’t worry, Nishimura. I have plenty of other people in this compound already devoted to me…ain’t that right, Y/N.” 

Niki’s heart dropped seeing you appear from behind Dorian. 

Your eyes were swollen from crying. You couldn’t even look at Niki. You already could feel the bond between you two shaking. 

Dorian pulled you to him, hand gripping your chin. 

Niki ran forward, Jay and Jungwon having to hold him back. He hissed as his fangs sharpened to a point. 

Heeseung knew the moment you stepped foot inside the apartment that something was off. You have the power to mask yourself from not just everyone but also your pack. 

“Let her go!!” Niki yelled, fighting against his brothers to get free. 

Heeseung quickly turned around, receiving a nod from the elf. 

She secretly was tearing the barrier down. It was time to fight. 

Dorian noticed right away, the feeling of his power fading. 

Everyone pulled their weapons out, ready to rush Dorian. 

“Wait STOP!” Jungwon screamed, seeing Dorian’s dagger connected to your throat, “He’ll kill her if we move.” 

Niki fought to stay in place. 

“Drop all your weapons. NOW!” Dorian yelled. 

One by one everyone got rid of their weapons, the women collecting them quickly. 

Niki kept his eyes on you, but the more he looked, the more he realized how he was played. 

His soulmate was his enemy. 

Dorian noticed Niki’s reaction, “Hmm you finally pieced the puzzles together huh? Your soulmate betrayed you. Not just right now either. She’s been stalking and following you guys around.”

Heeseung clenched his jaw tighter, “That's how our locations kept getting leaked.” 

Dorian nodded, “You even called it too, saying a mole was watching from a distance. Bravo.”

Niki took a step forward, but the dagger against your neck broke the skin, your blood collecting on the dagger. 

“Don’t move, I’ll kill her right here in front of you.”

Niki shook his head, the old memories returning. Seeing his first love being drained and killed in front of him. He couldn’t go through it again. He can’t. 

Heeseung’s eyes were roaming all over the room, noticing the women who were once at Dorian’s side were gone. 

That’s when Heeseung sensed it. 

Heeseung ducked down, pulling his hidden blade from his boot, grabbing the woman, and holding her to his chest. He stabbed the blade into her shoulder, and blood slightly painted his face, as her screams filled the room.  

Sunghoon and Jungwon were able to catch the other woman, tearing her apart. 

Dorian furrowed his eyes, anger filled him as he watched one of his followers get murdered. Eyes flooded back to Heeseung. 

“Release the girl!” Heeseung yelled, “And I’ll return your follower.”

Niki kept his eyes on you, waiting for the right second to grab you from Dorian. 

Everyone slowly moved forward. The witches and dhampir's strength slowly return. The witch set her hand a blaze, while the elf built a barrier around her pack. 

Dorian was back into a corner(literally). 

He snapped his fingers, and a portal appeared. 

Heeseung slowly shoved the blade further into the woman’s shoulder, her screams getting louder.

Dorian needed a better plan, mostly since his strongest vampire was being held against Heeseung’s chest. 

“Give me my follower back first, then I’ll let go of the little one.” 

Niki whipped around to his hyung, begging with his eyes to let go of the woman.

Heeseung knew the game Dorian was playing and took a step forward, his brothers following. 

Dorian released a laugh, “Oh well this was fun, but I have things cooking in another place. I was expecting the barrier to hold. Oh well.”

He put one foot in the portal but stopped at Niki’s cries.

“GIVE HER BACK!” 

Dorian laughed some more, releasing you from his grip. 

“Silly teenager, I created her. I turned her into what she is now. I gave her eternal life. Her loyalties are to me!” 

Niki moved forward, his arms stretched in front of him, “Y/N, please. We’re soulmates…choose me again. Please choose me again.” 

You wiped the blood from your neck, refusing to look at Niki. You knew Dorian wouldn’t stop until you all were dead. And the only way to keep Niki safe was to betray him. 

You didn’t move from Dorian’s side. 

“Y/N…” 

Dorian’s laugh filled the room, “I told you. Maybe your bond doesn’t run as deep as you thought.”

Dorian stepped through the portal, you following right behind him. 

“Y/N!!!” Niki screamed, causing your heart to break. 

You looked at him one last time, “Just let me go, Niki…you have to let it go.” 

Niki fell to his knees watching you disappear with Dorian. 

“Fuck.” Heeseung mumbled. 

Everyone stood in place, not knowing what to say or do. They could just watch their maknae stare off into the distance. 

“If you’re going to kill me, go ahead and get it over with!” the woman hissed, squirming in Heeseung’s arms. 

“Hmm…” Heeseung hummed, pushing the blade further in, “I have other uses for you.” 

They placed a bag over her head and tied it tightly. 

“Where to now?” Sunghoon asked, pulling his witch closer to him. 

Jungwon looked at Heeseung for confirmation, only speaking after he nodded, “The new safe house.” 

—

The woman was thrown into a chair and tied down, the bag being removed from her head. 

She blinked a couple of times to refocus her vision, seeing Heeseung standing in front of her. 

She squirmed in the chair, quickly looking around the empty room. 

“Where the fuck am I?” 

Heeseung let out a laugh, “That’s a fucking funny joke.” 

She gritted her teeth, the pain in her shoulder returning. 

Her blood was still attached to Heeseung’s face and clothes, and it completely covered her entire clothes. 

Heeseung placed his right boot between her legs on the chair, leaning on his right leg, “Tell us where to find Dorian.” 

“Go fuck yourself.” 

Heeseung pulled out the same blade from earlier out his back pocket, placing the cold silver against her jawline, it burned her skin. 

“This blade was made special for me. Made with the same type of silver that’s used to kill us.” He pressed the blade closer, watching as she gritted her teeth. Heeseung removed the blade, asking her one more time, “Where is Dorian.” 

She refused to answer, instead, laughter filled her lungs. 

“You won’t find him. He succeeded in his experiments to become the strongest vampire. And once he kills the vampire king, he will be stronger than you pack and kill you all.”

Heeseung chuckled, “What makes you so sure that he could kill the vampire king?” 

“Look at what he has achieved,” she tilted her head, “He’ll kill the vampire king, kill you all and save me.” 

Heeseung laughed more, “That’s pretty fucking hilarious actually.”

She furrowed her eyes in confusion. Staring up at Heeseung. The facial expression he was making scared her.

“How is this so funny?” she asked. 

“Because,” Heeseung tilted his head up, his fangs slowly came to a point, his tongue licking his right fang as his eyes turned a different color. It wasn’t the shade of crimson that normal vampires have, but it was bright gold. And the only vampire that has bright golden eyes was…“I am the vampire king.” 

She gasped, seeing how bright golden his eyes were. Seeing six pairs of crimson eyes glowing behind him. 

Heeseung smirked down at her, as the fear settled in.

[eff4freddie]

After She Left | One

Joel Miller x AFAB Reader Ongoing

Words: 3k Two | Series Masterlist

Series Summary: You've lived in Jackson a long time, finding a sanctuary of comfort and predictability at the end of the world. As Jackson's only teacher, your role is to foster the curiosity of the youngest residents. Including the newest arrival, Ellie, and her weirdly cranky not-Dad, Joel. They threaten to upend your life more than any fungus. Series Warnings: slow burn, smut, Ellie being a little shit but we love her, friends to lovers, grief and loss, complicated feelings, canon-typical violence, Joel is a good dad, Joel has a complicated history, so do you Minors DNI 18+

Chapter warnings: Canon typical violence, reader is a little ambivalent about being alive, grief and loss, no Joel yet but he will make his appearance next chapter

You’d been 18 when the world ended. Surviving the first few days thanks entirely, as it turned out, to your baby sister’s gluten intolerance, you’d boarded the back of a military truck with a bag of your belongings and her little hand tucked into yours. You’d been separated from your parents, their truck ahead of yours, and when it veered off in the other direction on the highway you never saw them again. You heard rumours about what happened to the other trucks, and if you allowed yourself any time to consider them you knew in your gut they were true. You’d known the moment your mum and dad’s lives were snuffed out, because you’d felt it in your chest, miles and miles away. You didn’t burn candles for them on the windowsill in the hope that they would find their way back.  

Old enough to get drafted into FEDRA, smart enough to stick around until the shit started hitting the fan, you kept your head down and your mouth shut and lasted years, until you were finding yourself lying more and more to your commanding officers just to keep yourself safe, to keep the people you cared tucked out of the watchful eye of your superiors. Until you were slipping scared families out the perimeter and wondering how long before you joined them.

Not long, as it turned out. You were 32 when the world ended, again. When your sister contracted something nasty, cut herself on a fence or stepped on a nail, the infection coursing red and angry up her veins towards her heart. There were no antibiotics, another shipment was due in a few weeks, but all of the higher ups were stockpiling, knowing that their time was limited, that eventually they would come to need the supplies to barter for their lives. You tried all your connections, you worked every rank you had to get her some, and when you failed you carried her into the bathtub and poured boiling water into the wound, her wasting body too exhausted to howl in agony at the burn. She died as you held her hand, stretched out on the bathroom floor beneath her. It was a mercy for her, you knew, and your penance for having propped up a cruel system, for having played a part in it at all.  

You carried her body to the centre of the QZ, not letting her burn in the pyres built for the infected, not letting her mix in with the crawling vines. You laid her at the bottom of the steps to FEDRA HQ and left her there, the entire QZ peeking out from behind their curtains to witness her, a signpost at the edge of an impermeable, intractable border; who you had been, who you had become.

You were threatened with hanging, and you didn’t care. Your patrol partner packed your bag for you and smuggled you out, your QZ-issued rifle strapped to your back. You had left the QZ without even really knowing it, your partner hissing at you to just keep moving as he pulled back the barbed wire to let you through, and you did what you had been doing since you were drafted, which was just exactly what you were told.

You stumbled through the landscape, all amygdala and hind-brain, alone and unable to feel anything but the absence, but the loss. Knee-deep in a ravine you contemplated filling your bag with boulders and letting it pull you down into oblivion. You were never sure, even years later, why you didn’t. It scared you that there was something you couldn’t name, were never sure what it was such that you could ever rely on it to be there again.

You kept going. You were reasonable enough with your rifle, and you ate what you killed, and you stayed on the move. Headed west because you liked following the sun as it set, feeling like you were trudging towards an end of something. You passed camps, watching for the warm glow of fires or smoke on the horizon and heading in the other direction. You’d heard about raiders, about the weird religious cults that had set themselves up all over the country. As the trees thickened up, as the paths became more overgrown, you grew less and less cautious, began to feel like it was just you and the sky. You did well, considering you didn’t know why you were bothering, or where you were going. Some days you sat in the warmth of the sun and let it filter down to your bones. Some days you were so weary, so heavy, that you slumped against trees with your bag strapped to your chest and let your mind empty itself completely. You knew that if you pressed too hard and too long on a limb it would go numb.

--

Before the end of the world your family had gone camping every summer, and out here you felt more connected to them then you had in years. You couldn’t be sure how long you travelled, but you watched the leaves going brown and red on the canopy overhead. Your Dad had taught you enough to survive until the cold came, you realised. Your entire knowledge of the wilderness ending with the summer solstice. You had no plan to survive the winter, nothing other than a tarp you would string up between trees for shelter, a box of matches you fought tooth and nail to keep dry. You didn’t mind the idea of your story ending out here, found yourself ambivalent about it. If there was a place to wink out of existence it would be here, alone with the birdsong and the gradually freezing dirt beneath you. You had done well to last this long, had picked up more than you’d realised in your years with FEDRA, in the end of the world.

The nights though, were different. You found you could be philosophical about your impending death in the daylight, but as the nights grew colder and the chill got into your bones you were forced to consider the realities of this particular kind of end. You remembered reading about hypothermia in school, that people go mad from it, from the cold and the disorientation as their body temperature drops, as their muscles stop working. That they go delirious, suddenly feel like they’re burning up, strip off all their clothes and hasten their deaths. You didn’t particularly want to be found naked, didn’t particularly wanted to be found at all.

You started keeping the fire going in the darkness, knowing your Dad would admonish you if he was there, tempting fate and the lurking dangers right to your feet. It wasn’t like you had all that many alternatives. You hoped that when you saw him he would understand.

So it was on one particularly cold night, when the wind whipped the branches above you and rippled the long grass, that you were joined at your fireside. You had heard the rustle of the footsteps, had your rifle over your lap. You were eating the last of the rabbit you’d snared the day before. You wanted to go with a full belly, wanted the victory of at least not having starved.

‘You out here alone?’ the voice said from the darkness, and you raised your hands above your head.

‘Yes,’ you said, your voice rusted over from disuse.

‘You hurt?’ the man said, and you were surprised by this line of questioning.

‘No?’ you answered, peering into the darkness over the fire. You could see that he was holding a gun on you, that he was peering at you through its sight. You weren’t afraid of him. The fire was warm on your face.

‘You’re out here alone in the night and you’re not hurt?’ he answered, and you nodded. ‘Why you out here at all?’ he asked, and you sighed, dropping your hands to your sides.

‘That’s a long and boring story,’ you said, and you watched as he stepped forward, sensing you were neither a threat nor treating him as one.

‘That’s FEDRA issued,’ he said, gesturing to your rifle. You nodded. ‘Kansas?’

‘Chicago,’ you replied.

‘Heard things aren’t great in Kansas.’

‘As opposed to everywhere else’, you said. You saw him grin at you. As he came closer you could make out his black hair, his wiry frame. He looked tired and cold, but better fed then you. You might be able to outrun him, but not out-muscle him. Were you in any way inclined.

‘You’ve made it far,’ he said, and you shrugged.

‘Have I?’

‘Yes ma’am.’ You noticed his southern twang, and you liked it more than you expected. ‘Tommy,’ he said, pointing to his chest. He regarded you for a moment more. ‘If you’re lost in the darkness…?’ he asked, his eyebrows raised.

‘What?’ you asked, and he shrugged his shoulders.

‘Nothin’, he said. ‘Just…wondering.’

For a long moment you examined each other. He had an entire pack on his back, a rolled-up swag and a knife on his belt. He swung his gun over his shoulder, an older rifle, duct tape strapping it together in places. You looked down at yours in your lap. You wondered if he was out of bullets, too.

‘Mind if I sit?’ he asked, coming forward again, his hands in the air. ‘Just want to get warm, the cold is bitin’ tonight.’

You put your hands on the barrel of your rifle, and he watched them, gently. ‘Ain’t gonna hurt ya,’ he said, and you swallowed. Maybe you wanted him to. You weren’t sure anymore.

‘Haven’t really been around anyone for a while,’ you said, because you were starting to realise you were being awkward, had forgotten how to be a person when all you’d been doing for months was hanging out with trees.

‘You don’t wanna,’ he said, and you smiled.

‘You included?’ you asked.

‘Nah,’ he said, raising his palms to the fire. ‘M’alright. We all done things, I guess.’

You didn’t particularly want to think about those things. Truth be told you hadn’t actually done that much, had made a fucking terrible FEDRA soldier, kept trying to do community liaison and relationship building to the ire and suspicion of your commanding officers. You’d tried to argue that people would trust them more, that there would be better outcomes for everyone that way, that FEDRA had a duty, something something serve and protect.

They had told you, quite squarely, that no one gave a flying fuck about trust.

Which wasn’t to say you hadn’t been around death; you had, it was everywhere. You had witnessed hangings, had seen people beaten to death in the streets, never really knowing if it was at the hands of civilians. But you’d never been selected for the quarantine centre, rarely had to venture outside the gates to patrol. You’d been on cleanup, had been on curfew, had stood at the top of the gates and stared at the perimeter until your eyes watered. But you weren’t a killer, as much as your superiors wanted you to be. They couldn’t put you on the line where you might hesitate. For the longest time you had been ashamed of it, had considered it a weakness. Out here in the long grass you felt your 19-year-old self take you into her arms and forgive you for it.

‘Where you headed?’ he asked, and you shook your head.

‘Stayin’ put,’ you said.

‘Out here? There’s nothin’ out here.’

‘I’m here,’ you said, and you were feeling like you wouldn’t mind if he just left you to it, actually. Shot you and took your stuff. Whichever, just to get it done.

‘You know, there’s a group of people you might be interested to meet,’ he said, and you gawped at him.

‘What about me right now makes you think I want to meet anyone?’ you asked, and he chuckled.

‘People are trying to turn the tides, on FEDRA, on the whole…QZ situation. You have any…unrest back in Chicago?’

You had heard whispers of uprisings in other QZs, of little pockets of resistance. Things were going badly in some of them, Kansas having to get more brutal to keep things under control.

‘Nothing organised,’ you said.

‘Mmm. I came from Boston, things are getting…hotter out there. I’m on my way, actually, trying to-’

‘Don’t recruit me, don’t even bother,’ you said. ‘I’m not one for community life.’

Even as you said it you knew that wasn’t true. There had been families in the QZ, little kids born behind walls and not knowing any different, their laughter reminding you of when your sister was their age. You’d brought supplies for families struggling to get to the breadline, held the hands of scared women as their husbands were sent outside the walls on patrol. Had got a widow and her two kids smuggled out on a supply run, a ransom in ration cards to get them tucked safely in the back of a truck and carried over the threshold. You had always wanted to help people, and you’d done it, had been good at it. You considered the fact that all this time alone had made you drift further from your centre then you’d noticed at the time.

‘If it doesn’t work out,’ Tommy continued, ‘I heard of another place. Out in Wyoming. You could get there before winter.’

You gazed at him, your face aching from having talked so long to another person. You clicked your jaw.

‘Why you tellin’ me that?’ you asked. He leant over to his pack, pulling out a map and marking it with dirt under his nail.

‘You didn’t shoot me on sight,’ he said, and he grinned at you. ‘There’s still a bit of the South in me, darlin’, and where I come from, we don’t leave women alone in the night without a way home.’

You felt a little turn of something in your belly, a flickering. The way he spoke made you nostalgic for the old world, for the time when a sentence like that wasn’t either insane or suicidal. You waited for the other shoe to drop, for him to laugh at you, for him to lash out. You took the map in your hands, felt the quiver in them, realised with considerable surprise you were nervous. Something, some feeling, was returning back to your aching limb.

--

It wasn’t that you had been a particularly strong student, back when schools were a thing. It wasn’t even that you really liked teaching, it was just that you quite liked kids, and the teenagers almost as much, and you liked to read and could kind of remember some chemistry, and you weren’t all that good on a horse. Barely in Jackson a week and you found yourself at the front of the all-ages classroom, trying to figure out how to explain the before times, trying not to wonder whether there was any point.

You’d made it just as winter set in, not really believing this little ramshackle town would exist even as you stepped through the gate. You could see that it had been a gated community in the before times, that work was going on to sure it up, to expand it. The original gates were being replaced and patrolled, and you offered to keep watch, the setting familiar to your time in the QZ. Maria, the daughter of the founder and chair of the Town Council, politely and kindly explained they didn’t let newbies protect the perimeter until they were proven. You understood what she was telling you. Until they were sure you wouldn’t go postal and mow them down in their beds.

You shared your first house with two other women, each of you having your own room. Maria had apologised, as if she hadn’t gifted you a chance at another life, and you almost laughed in her face. In the QZ you had shared a two-bedroom apartment with four other soldiers. This was an insane amount of space, of safety, enough that you felt lost in it, swamped by it, sleeping out on the couch some nights just to be closer to your roommates’ doors.

Maria promised more buildings were coming, and you could hear the sound of construction, of manual labour, every hour there was light. When you started at the school, you’d only had six students, total, but within a year you had eight. You moved into your own house, took shifts on the perimeter on nights when you weren’t teaching in the morning. You stayed close to your roommates, even as they all moved out on their own, ate in the mess hall and sometimes had a nip in the Tipsy Bison before bed. You waited, all that time, for the other shoe to drop, for the town council to turn despotic, for the peace to crack.

You celebrated your 34th birthday with a cake baked by your students, carefully avoiding the lumps of sloppily mixed batter in the pan. You felt yourself grow a little soft around your middle, watched the lines carve into the skin around your eyes. You met and grew bored with a couple of men around the place. Watched your best friend grow round with her baby, read books to her bump as she gave you shit for trying to teach a foetus.

You vouched for Tommy when he arrived, scraggly and worn and far less idealistic, making up a lie that you had heard of him from your time in the QZ, of the infamous best-shot-in-Boston, of the man with the perfect aim. You weren’t sure what it was that made it possible for him to stay; your outlandish tales, Maria’s instant attraction, or just the fact that he used to be a contractor before he was in the army, two facts you’d wished you’d known before you’d launched into an implausible and highly emotive treatise for him to stay. You had convinced no one, but Tommy had admired your attempt, and you’d let him crash in your spare bedroom until he got his own place. You watched the way Maria’s eyes followed him when he walked through town. It just so happened that he got his place faster than any other arrival you’d seen.

You had a couple more birthdays, watched the town grow to total self-sufficiency, to house an entire community. You watched the seasons turn from atop Jackson’s walls, your eyes trained on the horizon, thinking of how you were going to try and teach the periodic table in the morning. Thought back to the long grass and the tall trees, of a time when you were alone and travelling without a destination, of a time when you wanted to fade into the air around you, release your atoms back to the universe that created them.

You turned your face to the stars, crisp and clear in the night sky over Jackson. Informed your family they’d need to keep waiting, just a little while. Taglist (let me know if you'd like me to add you) @harriedandharassed

[crescent-blades]

Refusing to talk to him || Kokushibō

Pairings⌇Kokushibō × Y/N, ⌞Kokushibō and Y/N are in a pre-established relationship⌝

Warnings⌇ Arguments, Heartbreak, ignoring/ghosting || Making up afterwards

𖤐ˎˊ˗ Masterlist

  ▪︎You two rarely argued, if at all. Both of you were understanding of each other, and Kokushibo being a man of little words along with his calm disposition really made it nearly impossible to engage in any arguments with him.

  ▪︎But for the first time, you two had argued, so intensly infact- that for the first time you witnessed a side of him that you had never seen before-- he was so angry that for the first time- he had raised his voice at you.

  ▪︎after the argument, he himself was pretty heated. Frustration had boiled up within him, and in an effort to release the pent-up energy, he just started training himself, perfecting his strikes and accuracy; as the frustration built up within him would be released in a series of slashes

  ▪︎As time passed, the intensity of his anger began to fade, and he realized that the argument was ultimately all trivial anyways..

  ▪︎Almost an entire day had passed since your heated argument. As always, Kokushibo, your husband came home, expecting you to have forgotten things like him and moved on. Only to see that you were just completely ignoring him.

 Kokushibo would be slightly taken aback at your behavior, deep down, hurt even. Did he really mess things up that bad? No.. he could not--perhaps you were still grappling with the situation.. So he just dismissed it entirely, beleiving that you'd forget it all eventually..

▪︎Until that time never actually came. What began as one day stretched into two, then three, until almost a week had gone by, and you still chose to completely disregard him. Refusing to even acknowledge his presence.

..."How childish--"

▪︎He'd think.. yet deep down, he felt concerned. Why were you behaving like this? The only person who he had managed to form a connection with.. someone who he had genuinely learnt to care about had abruptly just cut all ties with him?

▪︎ A sense of pain began to settle in his chest-- in his heart.. yet still, he attempted to dismiss his feelings, regarding the situation as insignificant as he'd ventured out to release his frustrations through training, until even that ceased to provide relief anymore..

▪︎But the the thought of you- your words, the smile that lit up your face when you saw him, those comforting embraces, and your soothing presence—had vanished. All of it, the argument he once considered trivial now kept replaying in his mind over and over--

-> Your silent treatment had deeply wounded a demon who nobody could even lay a scratch on.

▪︎He understood that now even training wasn't helping with anything. Deep down, he sought your embrace once more.. he though the only way to undo all of this would be to make amends with you.

▪︎So the next day, he decided to reach out to you. He was infact, a man with little words. Conversing with people seemed trivial to him, but as for you, not conversing with you seemed draining-

"The moon.. appears quite lovely today.. does it not?"

▪︎ He'd try talking to you, bringing up conversations, hopinig to draw you out, yet you remained unresponsive..

"Y/n, my dear... I understand I must have said things that must have.. upset you.. but please let us forget about these trivial matters.. my heart.. longs for your presence.."

▪︎he'd apologise to you, for the hurtful words he had used. Definitely, having him yell at you like that, he brought out a side you never saw in him, and it definitely had hurt you. You would share your feelings with him, and he would listen attentively, do his best to understand you..

  ▪︎But in the end, he'd never let you stay mad at him for too long. He didn't want to lose you. He valued your presence in his life, as you were someone in many centuries that actually understood him, and he learnt to genuinely love you. And letting some silly arguments jeapardize your entire relationship was something he'd never let happen..

▪︎ He'd write heartfelt poetry for you, to cheer you up.. he'd write about your beautiful smile, your delicate touch among other cherished qualities. He would craft a beautifully written love letter along, with some beautiful flowers hed give to you from time to time. Although he may not be a man of many words, he is dedicated to ensuring your happiness in every possible way.

[majusialikesfastcars]

SHAMELESS

Carlos Sainz x Norris!reader

Summary: you knew that you shouldn't fall for your brother's best friend, but there's no going back.

⚠️Tw: smut

!English is not my first language, so please bare with me🙏🙏!

(carlos' version)⁵⁵

Series masterlist

🥀

🥀

"So many mornings I woke up confused,

In my dreams, I do anything I want to you,

My emotions are naked, they're taking me out of my mind,

Right now I'm shameless,

Screamin' my lungs out for ya"

🥀

Love is a complex emotion. People aren't able to control the feeling of utter devotion for another person. It is also not possible to choose your beloved, the person you are going to give every part of your soul, mind and heart. The heart that wants what it wants.

You always tried to stay away from your brother's friends cycle. They were simply too much for you. Not your cup of tea.

That was until you met Carlos.

Lando as oblivious as he is, never noticed the heart eyes you were sending to the spanish driver. But Carlos? Oh, he knew straight away, sending you his famous smirk. Your heart suddenly started beating faster, when he walked up to you, his cologne mesmerizing you even more. He introduced himself, took your hand in his and brought it to his lips, leaving invisible marks that were about to stay with you forever. Then simply walked away to talk to your brother, leaving you in a mess of feelings, that shouldn't even appear, but in the same time it felt wrong for them to vanish.

Carlos Sainz was like a forbidden fruit, but you wouldn't be yourself if you at least didn't get a taste of it, even if it meant being condemned to your personal hell.

🥀

The two years, that Carlos spend in McLaren consisted of needy glances and tension, you were so adamant to break. But you never acted out on your feelings and Carlos didn't seem devastated by that, so you let it be. Then he signed contract with Ferrari. And that was it. You didn't see him much after that and eventually you focused on your own life, old feelings long forgotten.

Until today.

Carlos was sitting on the couch, probably drinking some expensive drink, while club music played from the speakers, giving people the opportunity to show off their dance moves. He was watching you, the beautiful and confident woman, who had never left his thoughts since their first meeting. The black, tight-fitting dress hugged your body, showing off all your curves. The makeup enhanced your already breathtaking beauty. He wasn't surprised at all, that so many people were following you with dreamy eyes. He himself couldn't stop staring at you. You were a fucking perfection for him.

You were dancing with some guy, who was practically undressing you just by looking at you, and his hands were wandering too much for his liking. He scoffed, clearly unsatisfied. Everyone could see how much he wanted to be in his place and he really thanked God, that Lando wasn't anywhere nearby, because even he would have noticed the way he was looking at you, his best friend's sister. Jealousy was burning his body. But he did nothing for one and only reason. You were looking directly in his eyes, effectively grounding his body in a place he was. It was as if you were giving him a taste of what he could have on a daily basis. You were playing with him, and he wasn't going to leave it like that.

After a while, when one of the many popular songs stopped playing, the man wanted to keep you by his side, moving his hands to your hips. The glass from which the Spaniard was drinking his alcohol almost broke at the sight. He should be the one in his place. You brought your lips up, but when the guy was about to kiss you, you smiled lazily, whispered something into the man's ear and moved away to a safe distance. Leaving the horny guy in a stupor, you moved towards Carlos.

You stopped between his legs, looking at him with the same look that always made him want to bend you across the table, completely forgetting about Lando. This time was no different.

"Why are you sitting here alone?" Those were the first words that came out of your mouth. Your voice was like a beautiful melody to his ears. "Shouldn't you have a circle of girls around you?"

"I don't think it would satisfy me in any way."

"Have habits changed?" you asked, running your nails down his neck.

"Oh, maybe I worded it wrong. It wouldn't satisfy me because none of them are you."

You giggled at his words, plopping down on the couch next to him. Carlos almost choked on his saliva when he felt a gentle touch on his lower abdomen, just above the zipper of his pants. You slightly turned his head towards you, getting even closer.

"Oh, yeah?" you smirked, watching his reactions to your touch. "What happened to 'I would't do it to Lando'?"

"He isn't here, is he?" Carlos asked, placing his palm on your exposed thigh.

You licked your lips, enjoying the way his raspy voice and big hand made you feel. He chuckled when you closed your eyes, letting him move his hand higher, almost touching the end of your dress. Oh, how he wanted to already get you out of it. You nearly moaned when you felt the feather touch of his digits on your laced panties. He didn't stop there. His fingers slowly, even painfully, made their way to your core. It was like he was punishing you for years of your teasing. And you loved it. The sound that escaped from your throat, when he pressed the tip of his finger on your clit, suddenly made you aware of the very public surroundings. But people didn't pay you attention, too invested in their own world. But Carlos noticed, how you observed if someone was watching. Of course he did. He pushed a finger inside you.

"Letting me touch you like that in public?" he chuckled, feeling how you clenched at his words. "Such a needy girl."

He pushed another finger in, moving them slowly and you swore you could feel your insides burning. It felt so good you wanted to cry, because you knew he wouldn't grant you release so soon. His name rolled off your tongue easily, followed by a moan. Your nails were leaving marks on his arm from how hard you squeezed it. Carlos loved it.

"Carlos, please, I —" you couldn't even form a sentence, the feeling of his fingers deep inside had you mumbling incoherent words.

"Tell me what you want, niña bonita."

That. Fucking. Bastard.

He was teasing you and you were well aware, that you would have to beg for it to end.

"Carlos —"

"Words."

"Please, faster" you managed to utter. "Please, Carlos, I beg you —"

Words stuck in your throat, when he started thrusting his fingers faster and harder. You couldn't stop moaning, when you felt your release coming closer. His other hand found a way to your throat, squeezing it gently and forcing you to look directly at him. His lips caught yours in a delicate kiss, that turned out into a messy make out session in seconds.

🥀

Your back hit the door of his hotel room, when you finally stumbled out of the elevator, still caught up in a hungry kiss. You completely messed up his hair from constant grabbing. His hands roamed on your body and it felt heavenly. He finally managed to get his keys and gently pushed you inside, not breaking the kiss for a moment. He wasted no time and you were left only in your laced panties in a couple of seconds. But he was still fully dressed and you didn't like it. So you got to work quickly. His button up shirt ended on the floor, missing a few buttons. He pushed you on the bed, getting on top of you immediately. His lips fell on your neck and you were certain that the marks wouldn't fade within few days. He took your breasts in his hands, brushing your nipples with his thumbs. But you wanted more. When you tried to move your hips against the visible bulge in his pants, he pinned you down, earning a needy whine from you.

"So eager for me to fuck you." he slapped your thigh, your legs opening instantly. "Pathetic."

You were soaking wet at his words. Your panties were quickly discarded and you could tell, that you wouldn't be able to use them anymore. He grabbed your thighs, spitting at your core.

"Let me get a taste of you first, hermosa."

His head dipped down between your legs, bringing sounds out of you, that you didn't know you were capable of making. His tongue worked wonders. He was eating you like a starved man. You couldn't count how many times you came until stopped. He looked at you, completely fucked out of your mind and you could almost see how lust appeared in his eyes again.

🥀

yourusername's instagram

landonorris stop ignoring me, I see you respond to others

yourusername miami I love you

liked by yourbffusername, carlossainz55 & others

Comments:

yourbffusername u sure u talking about miami?? 🤔

yourusername 🤫

landonorris y/n.

landonorris pick up the phone

landonorris stop ignoring me, i see you respond to others

carlossainz55 🤩

user1 are going to ignore lando's meltdown??

user2 lando omg 😭😭

user3 carlos hiding in the comments 🤔

🥀

Carlos Sainz is the winner of Australian Gran Prix.

Two weeks after his surgery, he won another race. He really knew how to make a comeback.

Tears of pride started gathering in your eyes, when he once again arrived at podium's highest step, soaking in glory. He looked ethereal, divine even. He was in his element and your heart grew at the scene playing above you. He was proving what he was capable of, glowing in Ferrari red in spite of Lewis not finishing the race. Maybe his replacement wasn't worth dropping him at all? He really belonged here. But despite all this, during the play of spanish national anthem, he still looked for you in a crowd of people cheering for him. Because your appreciation and support mattered to him more than the rest. And he found you. Standing there in the middle of Ferrari's mechanics, in his team merch with his name spread across your back and lovestruck expression on your face. You didn't care about the cameras catching your longing stare. You didn't even care about your brother facing the reality, that his best friend had fallen for his little sister. He was the only one in your mind.

When he finally walked away from the podium, soaking in champagne with the biggest smile adoring his face, your heart started to beat faster, exactly the same way, like when you saw him for the first time. He almost run to you, crashing you in a hug, unaware of Lando's stare shooting daggers at him.

🥀

Author's note: thank you for reading!!!

[allthelovehes]

Breaking Barriers*

Summary: Y/N is in her mid-twenties and still a virgin, but she decides she no longer wants to wait for marriage as the tension between her and her best friend rises.

Pairing: Bestie!Harry x Virgin!Y/N

Word count: 9.1K

Warnings: Protected sex, smut, p in v, deflowering, virginity talk, first times, oral f receiving.

Taglist: @justmystyles @bitchybabyharry @harrysslut7 @swiftmendeshoran @lucasandharold @harrysbabycherry @htaylor18 @rose-garden-dreamz @myalovesharry @mellamolayla @hsonlyangelxo @yousunshineyoutempter @heartateasee @blueheisenbergtragedy @bikestyles @bohemianrhapsody86 Let me know if you want to be added to my taglist! 🤗

Support my work by joining my Patreon!

A/N:  Welcome to day 8 of posting daily! Ayooo, this was requested multiple times and I actually think it turned out sooo stinking cute omfg.

Being in her mid-twenties and a virgin is something not many people can say, let alone be proud of. It's something that Y/N chose and could have changed at any time. She could've given it away and tossed it to the next attractive man who looked her way but she didn't. She decided to save herself for marriage, even if it seemed stupid and cliché to some people.

For Y/N, her first time was important. It was a milestone in her life. Her body is a temple. It is to be cherished, worshipped, and honoured. Like most women, she wanted her first time to be something she wouldn't forget. She wanted it to be special and done with someone she loved and trusted.

So, Y/N waited. And if waiting for marriage meant skipping out on hook-ups? Then that was just fine by her. No sweat off her back. It took a while, but she was sure when she met the right guy it'd all be worth it.

Now, she wasn't opposed to making out and getting frisky. Y/N is as attracted to men as the next person and isn't afraid to have some fun with it, it just doesn't go much beyond hands. She sees kissing and touching that isn't penetrative to be healthy and normal.

Getting a partner, however, was the tricky bit. Most of them want to go all the way and have sex before they even get to know each other and the rest either take her for granted or have this kink about it, they like the thought of fucking a 'treasure' that no one's ever had or touched before.

Either way, she usually ends up losing interest in the relationship quickly. It seems the right man to spend the rest of her life with was a rare find. She didn't know if it was possible or if her expectations were too high. Or perhaps, being picky was the problem.

Eventually, she accepted it would take time for her to find someone. A time that she was willing and able to give. And right now, it was just a waiting game. To meet the guy whose arm she'd want to loop with hers for the rest of her life and create a beautiful life together in the process.

Just as Y/N was nodding off to sleep, a series of notifications on her phone rudely interrupted her sleep. Furrowing her brows, she sat up and lifted the device from her bedside table.

The screen lit up and showed who was texting her. It was her best friend, Harry. She slid her finger across the screen and a mess of messages appeared.

Harry Hi! *drunk selfie* So are we playing Scrabble tomorrow? I miss you and want to see you

Y/N If you still remember tomorrow and want to, sure.

Harry Sweet. Whatcha up to?

Y/N At home. About to go to sleep

Harry Oh sorry. You were probably sleeping

Y/N You're fine. I only just got into bed.

Harry What are you wearing, love?

Y/N Don't make me block you

Harry Ow ;( Why?

Y/N I'm too sober to have this conversation with you.

Harry *picture of him and Y/N* Look at us all cute, drunk out of our minds.

Y/N Very cute. Goodnight, Harry.

Harry Hey, one more question before you dooooooze

Y/N Go on.

Harry What are you wearing?

“Idiot.” She rolled her eyes and chuckled to herself. With a few quick button presses, Y/N replied with a picture of her in her silk pyjamas, and then sent an audio message: “I'm fully clothed, in bed, covered with my duvet, about to sleep and dream of ways to torture you.”

She puts her phone down so she can actually catch up on her rest. Just as her head hits the pillow again, she gets another message from Harry. Pouting, she swiftly opens the message and swipes up the audio.

“Aww, you'll dream of me?”

For some reason, Y/N can hear a smug smirk in his voice and decides to just ignore it. Putting her phone on silent and plopping it back down on her bedside table, Y/N yawns and snuggles deeper under the covers.

Just as her eyelids begin to shut for good, something within her is stirring that makes it hard for her to sleep. Y/N feels hot all of a sudden, making her shimmy and pull the duvet up further.

What had happened in those final moments of her text conversation with Harry, who was now busy scrolling through pictures of the two together and rereading their texts? Well, it seemed it's woken up a side of her she wasn't too familiar with. Resting her hand on the front of her silk shorts, Y/N could feel she was wet and aching for some touch.

“For fuck sake.” She cursed and closed her eyes. Why now? She thinks as she pulls her hand away, afraid to do anything. She knows why, but doesn't want to admit it.

It's because of Harry. His ridiculous flirting skills have managed to push a few buttons. This has never happened before. Why is he suddenly affecting her? She blames his goofy but heartfelt selfie. God, those hazel eyes looked perfect paired with that signature golden brown fluffy mop of hair, the stupid look on his face and the two fingers up in the air.

Y/N can't deny she is attracted to Harry. What wasn't to be attracted to? When it came to his personality, she was rather fond. He has always been sensitive, goofy and yet extremely smart and serious when needed. And, of course, she couldn't forget to mention how lucky he is. That boy was drop-dead gorgeous. From his curly locks to his biceps, she can go on and on and on about what she liked about him.

His looks definitely played a factor in his reputation with women and it was no surprise their friendship became somewhat of a hot topic with his fans. If only they knew the truth. There was nothing going on between the two other than a strong friendship.

Harry is an absolute gentleman to her. He took care of her in a way that set her standards very high when it comes to men, maybe that's why she still hasn't found a man. However, the sexual tension that had been building up lately between the two was another story.

It was no secret that Harry is a good kisser. The amount of stories she has heard made her feel a twinge of jealousy every time. She remembered thinking how nice it would be to feel what his lips were like on hers, how soft they would be and how they would taste. He's always bragging about the tongue action that gets women all hot and bothered. Then, she wondered how good he would be using his mouth elsewhere and- No. She can't think like this. Stop. It's creepy and weird. So just, stop.

Then, her phone beeps again in her hand, indicating another message coming from Harry. A rush of warmth spread through her stomach and Y/N noticed she was tense again. Biting down on her bottom lip, she opened the message.

Harry *drunk selfie on the side of his bed* I'm home, goodnight love

She stares at the picture, her stomach dropping. Heat swells through her body and the feeling overwhelms her, making her squirm against the soft sheets. Swallowing, she holds the phone up higher and glares at the picture intensely, the area between her legs clenching. It's not as if he looks amazing. No. He looks grumpy, his brows furrowed and a blank stare in his eyes. He just looks so cute, kissable even.

“Enough.” She whispers under her breath and shoves the device back down onto the nightstand. She gets up and goes to the bathroom, turning the faucet and splashing cold water all over her burning skin.

Tomorrow is going to be interesting. Seeing him after her fantasies of him invading her thoughts would be an interesting development. Hopefully, it will fizzle away quickly and everything will go back to normal. Y/N thinks, getting back into bed and fixing her pillows just so. With a drawn-out sigh, she puts out the lights and shuts her eyes. ***

In the morning, there was only one thought running through Y/N's mind, and that was seeing Harry. Even after she woke up, went about her day, she couldn't wait to text him to see if he even remembered the arrangement for her to come over and play Scrabble.

With each message sent, she left an expectant eye trained on her screen, waiting for the three little dots to bubble up and indicate a response. Meanwhile, she paced back and forth between her couch and the kitchenette, tidying up without knowing why. Everything was already spotless. She straightened pillows, fluffed rugs, sorted candles, and shuffled trinkets, anything to distract herself and keep from pestering Harry.

After a few hours of constant upkeep, she finally gets a response.

Harry Sorry I missed your messages, kinda had a wild night lol Are we still playing tonight? I have wine, you got the Scrabble?

Y/N We're playing but the question is... will you be in a fit state for it ;)

Harry Ha-ha. Funny.

Y/N Always. See you later. X

Harry See you. I'll leave the front door open for you. Byeeeee

And that was it. The brief conversation between the two fuelled her emotions. On one hand, she was completely thrilled to be seeing her best friend again. To be in his presence and enjoy a wonderful game night is very exciting.

On the other hand, she felt a wave of dread overcome her, her heart racing at the thought. She brushed it off. Ignored it. Why should she be dreading seeing one of her best friends? That's absurd.

Scrapping her plan of getting all dolled up to go visit him, Y/N finds herself only comfortable enough to get changed into leggings and a t-shirt. Although Harry has seen her in her casual attire, she is feeling oddly self-conscious right now. She doesn't know why and it's getting rather irritating.

He is her best friend for God's sake! If anything, she should be feeling as comfortable and confident around him as possible because he will always accept her for the way she is.

Shaking her head, she gets ready to make her way to his house. Despite it being 3 pm, Y/N grabs a bottle of her favourite white and puts it in her bag and with that, she is out the door.

Upon arrival, she reaches for the door and opens it. Peering around the door frame, she manages to catch sight of Harry stepping out of his bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist.

He is humming under his breath as he tousles his damp curls with the towel. Strolling across the room to his bedroom, he disappears behind the door.

“Hey, Harry!” She calls out to him as she enters. Smiling brightly, she drops her bag on his countertop.

“Hey.” He calls back. “Give me a sec. I'll be out in a minute.”

Y/N nods, despite him not being able to see it, and makes her way to his sofa, taking her usual spot at one end. Closing her eyes, she rests her head back and takes a deep breath. She already feels exhausted from the many random things she has done throughout the day.

“Do you want to eat first or play first?” Harry finally walks into the living room, wearing a grey sweatsuit.

Peeking through an eyelid, Y/N says. “I'm not hungry. It's still early“ while her inner-self cheered at his appearance, making her giddy.

With a nod, Harry pulled two glasses from the kitchen cabinet placing them on the coffee table. Sliding down next to her, he opened the bottle and poured their drinks. While he set up the board game, she relaxed and casually looked him over. He looked gorgeous as ever, and always put together even if he was barely dressed.

Green eyes flicking up to catch her gaze, Harry chuckles softly before asking. “Nervous?”

“Huh? Why would I be nervous?” Her mouth corners turn up, her heart fluttering.

“Last time we played you weren't very happy.” He shrugged, reminding her how he completely beat her at the game.

“Right. But this time, I'm going to beat you.” She confidently nods and picks up a bag of letters. Harry leans over with a smug smirk on his face as he pulls his own bag.

“Hmm, so confident.” He snorts, lining up his tiles.

“Mhm.” Y/N straightens out her tiles.

Quirking a brow, Harry wonders “Famous last words?”

With a sharp nod and a cheeky smile, she places her first tiles down on the Scrabble board. “Nah, you're going down.”

Harry chokes on his drink and starts coughing, his eyes burning a hole into hers. Staring back, Y/N raised a curious brow. Once he could speak again, he cleared his throat and let out a hearty laugh.

“Alright, so what if I am?” Harry's thick accent cut through as a deep dimpled grin blossomed on his face. She found her heart rate increasing and had to look away, willing her red cheeks to go away.

Swallowing, she began her game. The opening word of DOUBLE wasn't too promising for Y/N, seeing that that was her highest scoring word but she wasn't giving up just yet.

Over the first few minutes, they managed to put down a few good words and Y/N was ahead with a more than decent lead.

“Shit.” Harry breathed, leaning forward to assess his words. His eyes flickered around the board before sighing and ruffling his tousled mop. “I'm fucked.”

Y/N chuckles and rolls her eyes, taking another sip from her glass. Glancing over to Harry who was deep in thought, Y/N reached up and scratched the nape of her neck with one hand, her gaze drifting around the room. As she turned to face him again, she was caught off guard when their eyes immediately locked. Her heart stuttered.

Tearing her eyes away from his gaze, Y/N shifted uncomfortably, then decided to lean forward to select a letter at random. As she placed it on the board, she looks at him once more to find that the corner of his mouth curled upwards.

'Shit' she thought, Harry wasn't playing fair. Surely, he knew that looking at her like that made her drop focus. Attempting to save her dignity, she bit her bottom lip, suppressing a shy smile before raising an eyebrow.

“Is this your strategy to beat me?” Y/N challenged. “Suck me into your sexiness and take my turn? How lame.”

Harry spluttered, taken aback by her comment. He didn't really know how to respond, seeing his best friend make an unashamedly flirtatious comment for the first time. Looking away, he fiddled with his hoop earring.

“Wait. Was that... was that supposed to fluster me, Y/N?” He playfully scoffed. As Harry turned to look at her, he was surprised to find an amused grin playing on her lips. He thought he would find at least a small glint of guilt in her eyes for her playfulness, and was surprised when he didn't find anything other than playful curiosity.

Y/N crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, it looks like I've got the upper hand now.”

“You wish.” Harry stared back at her for a moment longer, a playful glimmer in his eyes. A mischievous smirk curled up on the corner of his lips. She was aware that the lighthearted banter had led to a bit more, making her senses go crazy.

Y/N decided it's best to end the conversation there and start her round. Scanning the board, she's looking for a spot to place her letters. Wanting to lean a bit into their flirty banter from before, she decides to continue their tension with a bit of teasing.

Sifting her hand into her bag, she pulls out a few letters. Placing them onto the centre of the board where they intersect, she spells out 'erotic' and draws four points from the tile rack.

Erotic was an interesting word to play, for sure. Especially when it's put into the context of the new sexual tension between the two. So far, Harry has been trying to fluster her with his smouldering looks and cheeky grins, but Y/N is unrelenting. She takes pride in her willingness to fight back against the flirting and his attempts to get her distracted.

She sits back in satisfaction, proud at what she has accomplished. Glancing over to Harry, she felt herself swell with self-pride to see his face light up with surprise, making him actually speechless for a change.

Clearing his throat, Harry gathers himself and sits up. “Hmm.” he hummed, rolling the idea around in his head. With a smug grin, Y/N could tell he's thinking of a response; a comeback. After a few seconds of consideration, he moved his body forward and added three letters to the word. Using the letters he had received on the double letter area, he spelled out 'climax' using the c of her word.

A slight shiver went down Y/N's back at the addition to the word. Laughing and rolling her eyes, she fished out a few letters and added another word. Subtly shifting a little closer to him, she placed her letters down on the right-hand side of his spelling, close to his hand. After putting down her 'desire', she snatched her eyes away from the scrabble board and fixed her stare on him.

Both of them stay awfully silent while their bodies are almost touching. Y/N is tense, trying hard not to breathe too heavily. Meanwhile, Harry was in complete silence, not knowing what to say or do. He is aware of the tension between the two of them but he also wants to respect Y/N's boundaries and maybe tone down his feelings a bit. There's an inevitable tension and she's showing no sign of easing off. Harry was only further proven by her gentle voice in his ear.

“Now whose turn is it?”

Unable to meet her eyes just yet, he focuses on the dizzying words on the board and releases a slow, staggered breath. It was so hard not to put his arm around her, tug her in close and inhale her beautiful scent. Or run his hands along her arms, giving them a gentle squeeze, he craved the touch so badly. He finally took a breath and peered down at his letters, trying not to get too distracted by the growing sexual tension.

Y/N couldn't deny the feeling of warmth that had settled in her stomach since their game began, the warmth that made her tingle between her legs. She felt tempted to reach out and touch him, make contact and hopefully send a good buzz all the way down to his lower body.

Harry's fingers fiddle through his letters, barely paying attention to the little pieces in front of him. His eyes glance at Y/N, then move back to the Scrabble board. He thinks of his next word to play, something that is a little more suggestive.

“Umm...” Harry holds up a little tile, rubbing his fingertip over the surface as he thinks, his dimples pushing into his cheeks. Then, they sink right back out. He shakes his head and returns to sifting through the multiple letters in his bag.

Throwing one piece back into the depths of the bag, his index finger picks up another tile. The corner of his mouth turns up and he is finally confident with what he wants to spell out on the Scrabble board, so he gets to work. He needs an outlet from the fluttering of his chest when she's this close.

Quickly placing down the letters, he spells out the word 'horny'. Biting down on his bottom lip, he feels satisfied by the suggestiveness of his word and glances at Y/N.

Pursing her lips, Y/N tilts her head and gives a disbelieving smile. Harry looks taken aback by her quiet response.

“What? Did I read the room wrong?” He chuckles nervously, brows furrowing.

Looking at his face, she has to bite back a grin. She can read the mixed emotions all over his face. He's afraid to scare her away and reveal his true feelings, especially after the intense game of teasing. He's right. But she's also very pleased with the growing tension.

With a cheeky chuckle, she shakes her head. “No, I guess you read the room correctly.” Biting her lip, she quickly leans forward, adding letters next to his word on the right to spell out the word, 'Fuck'. Harry looks from her to the board, biting back a smirk.

“Is this your way of suggesting we play strip Scrabble? Should I get ready to lose my pants?” he jokes, nudging her shoulder, fighting the urge to break his boundaries. Not able to cope, Y/N just lets out a forced chuckle.

“Shut up, H.” Her voice broke. All she wanted was to feel his hands on her and bury herself into his chest.

Neither of them is paying attention to the score or to the other's gaze, they just lock their eyes together and absorb the heat, trying to predict what happens next. Harry didn't know what to say, nor did he think Y/N would, yet again, follow suit and gently lean forward.

After breaking from their little intimate session, Y/N looks at the board, wondering what their next move should be. She has to admit, these last few moves were very suggestive, and she is slowly catching Harry's point of wanting to touch her and have some alone time.

“Are you going to be mad at me if I do this?” Y/N muttered.

“Do what?”

Staring at him, Y/N ignores the thought and puts her tiles in a new spot. Only this time, she's adding all the letters remaining in her tile bag. There is no going back now, considering the board was almost completely filled up now.

She spells out the word 'wet' next to her first word. Shooting Harry a nonchalant, calm expression and staring at him for a reaction, she saw his reaction immediately. His eyes dropped to the board, then shot back up to her face. Heat, lust, and want flashed across his eyes.

An amused, surprised noise escapes his throat, then his lips tilt up into a shit-eating grin. “For real?”

“Yeah.” Y/N laughs in a rush. “I guess my dirty mind kicked in.”

“Your dirty mind, huh?” A glint of excitement flashes through his eyes and he begins to eye her body up and down. He can't deny the growing urge to touch every inch of her but he can't break her boundaries. Trying to erase those thoughts, Harry grins playfully, then adds a few of his own letters alongside her tiles to play a different word even though he knows he already lost the game.

Giving her a mischievous look, he reveals the word 'boner' and Y/N inhales sharply. They sit in silence for a moment, then Y/N cracks and breaks the silence.

“Oh fuck.” She laughs, the deep seated sensation between her legs not fading. Her eyes scan down to Harry's crotch, attempting to see if what he said is true. It's getting increasingly obvious that Y/N and Harry aren't actually playing a game anymore. Harry places his hands on his lap, covering his crotch from her wandering eyes. He laughs nervously, avoiding her gaze.

“I'm sorry.” He mutters, afraid of her response and of what she thinks.

Y/N bites her lip, unsure of how to respond. He waited anxiously for her reaction. One thing was for certain, the sexual tension has grown to unimaginable levels, the game forgotten. Finally, she glances back up at him, and she couldn't keep herself in control any longer.

Leaning closer, Y/N rests her forehead on his. He is taken aback, not moving a muscle. Shutting her eyes, she leans in to kiss him. Their lips connect and they close their eyes, relishing the moment. After a couple of seconds, they pull back, not sure whether that was the right decision. Her insides tell her to keep going, to taste him more. So with half a mind, her arm reaches forward to grab his shirt, wanting him closer and craving the touch. She looks up at his face and goes in for a much longer, sensual kiss as she straddles his lap.

For a moment, Harry looks at her questioningly before diving back in. Pushing his tongue into her mouth, it deepens the kiss as they feel electricity course through their bodies. His arms make their way down her sides and he squeezes her thighs as she unconsciously grinds on him. One of his hands run up her back, gripping her hair lightly while the other hand grips her waist. A quiet moan escapes Y/N's throat at his grip on her, further adding fuel to his fire. He gives a low growl before breaking the kiss and trailing his lips down her jaw to her neck, leaving love bites down her skin.

“God, you're killing me, Y/N. Do you know that?” He groans into her, making her giggle a bit. Harry's heart burst with joy when he heard her laugh, she's the only person who could make him happy. He pulls back and grins at her then leans back in, kissing her sweetly and lifting her up. Y/N grips his shirt tightly, not wanting to be apart from him. Placing her on her back, he carefully gets on top of her, supporting his weight so he doesn't squish her, and his hands started roaming her body. Suddenly, she pushes him off of her a little and sits back up, feeling dizzy and wanting to gain her composure. Their hearts beat in synchrony and their breaths were heavy.

Harry is concerned by her quick push back, worry in his eyes. “I'm sorry, did I do anything wrong?”

“Are you kidding? That was great. I just... I..” Stuttering over her words, Y/N can't help but giggle as she ruffles her hair and leans against the throw pillow behind her. Harry is now assured that she is okay. Leaning forward, he kisses the side of her head, trying to soothe her so she'd be comfortable enough to tell him. “I want more.” She finally utters.

There was a beat of stunned silence. He shakes his head as his lips curve up into a small smirk. She mimics his expression. Lifting her chin up with his fingers, she meets his gaze. Both of them look down at her plump, red, and wet lips. Then he captures her lips with his, but not with so much restraint as before. He kisses her more passionately, hands cupping her face as he tasted her, kissed her harder, swiped his tongue against hers.

“Are you absolutely sure, Y/N? There's no going back from this.” He breathes against her lips.

Looking into his soft eyes, she can't think about anything else but him and his touch. Deep down, she always knew there was more. As she tilts her head to the side, she bites her lip and runs her hands through his hair. The feeling is a sweet relief, it is exactly how it looked and felt, just like in her dreams.

“I know. I think I've always known it was you. You're too captivating. You make me crazy.” She chuckles, blushing. “Also..” Placing her hands on his chest, she continues. “If I wasn't interested, I wouldn't be doing all this right now.” Y/N breathes, making him grin from ear to ear.

“What about waiting until marriage though? Are you sure you want to do this?”

Giggling, Y/N nods her head and bites her lip, wanting more. “Screw that.”

A shocked expression flickers across his face. Shrugging his shoulders, he leans closer. Y/N's breath hitches as Harry gently pushes her back down on the sofa, propping his forearms on either side of her head to support his weight, and placing his legs between hers. They felt each other's breath as their chests rise and fall with each in-take, anticipating what would happen next.

“Is this okay? Are you really sure, because once we start, I won't be able to stop.” His face inches closer, scanning every inch of her expression, her beautiful eyes and lips before stopping halfway.

Giving him a quick kiss, she nods and runs a hand through his hair again, then bites her lip while gazing at his seductive eyes. Her body trembles with excitement and nervousness. Trying to catch her breath, her mind is drowning in lust. She's just happy that they're alone and, after many years of dreaming about this day, the second it is finally here she is loving it.

“I'm very sure. In fact, why don't we go somewhere more...comfortable?” She whispers into his ear. Dizzy and sweating, Harry feels the bulge in his pants tightening, pressing against the fabric of his boxers as he smirks in agreement. Hastily lifting her in his arms, he crashes his lips to hers, missing their intoxicating touch.

Without pausing for thought, Y/N wraps her legs around Harry's waist as he supports her with his strong arms and makes his way towards his bedroom. Tossing her on the bed, she yelps playfully.

“Are you okay?” Harry's worried face appears in front of her. Shocked and caught off guard, Y/N bites back a smile as she pulls his shirt to collide his lips with hers again. She found herself breathing hard, unable to control it. He pulled back, meeting her eyes.

Y/N sat up slightly, reached down, and began slowly pulling Harry's shirt up his torso. The material bunched up under his arms and she broke the kiss, to slip the material off. With her pulse increasing as the intimacy heightened, she raked her eyes up his smooth, lightly bronzed, chest and torso. It was a beautiful sight. Pulling her eyes back up to his gorgeous eyes, his darkened with desire as he raised his brows in question. Instead of replying, Y/N pushed lightly on his chest, telling him without words to lie back on the bed. With his gaze never leaving hers, he lay back and waited.

Keeping the eye contact, Y/N pushed herself up and straddles over Harry's lap. His hands automatically came to rest on her thighs, the touch sending bolts of energy through her. Harry was such a tease and the way he touched her and glanced up at her was enough to get her off right there. All it would take is one little touch.

With excitement, Y/N pulls her own shirt over her head, exposing her bra for the first time to him. Of course, he had seen her in a bikini before. But the lace see-through fabric of her bra is completely different and it gets him wild. Harry watches carefully as Y/N bites her lip and leans down. Connecting their lips, she can feel his erection pressing against her.

Straddling his hips to meet his arousal, she begins to run her hands down his arms, squeezing firmly and drawing a low sound from his lips. Her body rubs up against Harry's erection and he gives a deep, low groan. Not once breaking the kiss, their hunger intensified for one another.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Y/N presses her chest up against his and his hand slowly roams around to grab her ass, giving it a soft squeeze, making her moan. His hands then reach a bit up, sticking his thumbs into the waistband of her leggings and pulling the fabric over her ass. Y/N arches her hips a bit, allowing her leggings to come off a little further.

Harry lets his hands roam up her back as Y/N nibbles on his bottom lip, slowly grinding her sex into his. His hand nudges against her thigh, motioning for her to get off of him so he can take the leggings all the way down her legs. He slides the fabric down Y/N's thighs and knees and her leggings pool at her ankles. Seeing her bare legs, he can tell just how wet she is right now. She hastily kicks off the leggings, letting them fall to the floor.

Watching her closely, his eyes scan her body, taking in the full view. She can't deny how happy she is to see Harry admiring her, appreciating what he sees, loving all of her. It's exactly what she wanted, a man to worship her, to feel loved. And Harry makes her feel those exact things and so much more.

Pushing his hips up, he quickly gets rid of his own sweatpants before he guides her back to straddle him again. One of Harry's large hands glides along Y/N's thighs to her hips before snaking around to her lower back, where he applies a slight pressure, encouraging her to grind against him.

“You're going to be the end of me.” Harry chuckles, bucking up slightly to meet her grinding hips. The feeling drives her wild as the fabric of his boxers brushes up against her lace panties.

“Harry.” Y/N moans, letting herself move in sync with Harry's perfect thrusts. Feeling Y/N's wetness seeping through her panties and onto his boxers, the friction building between their heat is burning, and he needs more of her. But he wants her to set the pace. His lips part and their eyes stay locked together. Their heart rates are picking up and their movement speeds up. The slow build was like a torture, but Harry looks so damn gorgeous and lustful, making it worth it.

“We're really doing this.” Y/N whispers out with a giggle.

“Are you okay?” He asks.

“Yes.” She mumbles, smiling. Y/N pushes herself up a bit, hands bracing on his chest, and spreads her legs a bit more so she can angle her center more. Then she slowly grinds into him. His teeth capture his lip and his eyes shift to take in the movement of their bodies. Harry's hands leave Y/N's hips and he grasps her ass, holding her as she rides him. Grinding harder and faster, Y/N is enjoying the sweet sensation it's giving her. Little sounds leave her mouth as she swivels her hips.

Sitting up and pressing her chest into his, Harry grabs her hips tighter and pulls her down, bucking his hips up for friction and creating a delicious burn. Looking up to her face, she has the hottest expression he has ever seen. If she keeps staring at him like that, he thinks he might burst. There is no way he's going to last much longer, which is why he needs to take care of her first.

Slowing down the pace, Harry slides his fingers up her back and takes a hold of her bra clasp. “May I?” He asks in a hoarse voice. A light glaze shines in his eyes as he keeps the eye contact with her.

“Yes.” Y/N smiles, nuzzling her face into his. Leaning down, she carefully kisses him before sitting back. “I want you so much, Harry.” She admits, to his surprise.

“Oh fuck.” Harry swears, bucking his hips up for friction. Groaning and rubbing his erection as well as he undoes the clasp of her bra and it loosens around her body. Slowly slipping it off, the fabric slides down her arms, exposing her breasts. Harry stops breathing for a moment, admiring the view and absolutely loving it.

“You're absolutely gorgeous, Y/N. I couldn't get you off my mind if I tried.” He confesses, meeting her gaze, causing the girl to blush immensely. Moving his hands up her sides and sliding them up her stomach to her boobs, her mind begins to race as she feels herself getting more and more wet.

Harry's calloused fingertips brush over her hardened nipples, his lustful eyes still gazing into hers as her jaw goes slack. Grinding her hips faster and moving them to a steady rhythm, the both of them pant as their desire grows, aching for more. Throwing her head back with a moan, Harry's lips suddenly latch on to one of her soft nipples. Her hand cups the back of his head, her fingers running through his hair as she sucks.

“Harry, I need you, please.” She whimpers, begging him. The desperate tone of her voice makes Harry shudder, a familiar hot tightness coiling inside him, threatening to unravel as she rides him. He is swift to lay her down on his soft bed, her head on his pillow, then gets back to her breasts, sliding a hand down to her panties. Harry kisses a trail of butterfly kisses down her body, leaving marks down her abdomen as he does so. Her fingers go back to grasping his hair and pulling lightly as he makes it to the top of her panties.

“Can I take these off?” Harry pants, yanking the waistband a bit. He slips his fingers inside and gently strokes her pubic bone over her panties, teasing her. Y/N eagerly nods her head, pulling his hair slightly and guiding him lower. He bites his lip and tugs her underwear down her thighs as she helps kick them off. The sight before Harry made his jaw drop, leaving him breathless.

Y/N is incredibly wet, her fluids are dripping down her thighs, no hair blocking the way for him. Harry inhales sharply, running his finger through her folds and collecting her juice. Raising his hand to her face, he shows her. Feeling incredibly timid all of a sudden, she blushes and squeezes her legs shut.

“Hush now. You're perfect, so beautiful and bare for me.” Harry insists and peppers her knees with kisses. She parts her legs a bit wider for Harry. “Good girl, Y/N.”

Licking his lips, Harry traces his thumbs up her inner thighs and kisses her exposed clit. A spark flows through her body as Harry closes his eyes, getting lost in the exquisite taste of her arousal. The feeling is completely new to Y/N, she's not sure how to respond or what to do. At the same time, everything he does feels so good. Harry licks over her folds, running his tongue from the bottom to the tip. Her hands turn into fists, tugging at his brown hair as she draws a sharp breath.

A little too shy to make any noises as Harry teases Y/N's clit with the tip of his tongue. Her legs start to shake and she quickly covers her mouth with her hand as she lets out a needy moan. Harry grasps her wrist, pulling it away from her mouth.

“Don't be afraid. I want to hear you.” The thought of Y/N covering her mouth or muffling her sounds and keeping quiet bothers him a bit. Y/N lets out a little gasp and nods quickly. Without breaking eye contact, Harry presses his flattened tongue against her clit and licks until Y/N's vision starts to swim.

“Harry.” Y/N moans as Harry flattens his tongue, licking up her slit while he inserts a finger.

“Keep telling me how you feel. It's incredibly sexy.”

“Feels... Incredible.” She manages to get out before she squeezes her eyes shut. Harry responds by wrapping his lips around her clit and sucking gently. Inserting a second finger, he curls them against her G-spot while he twirls and flicks his tongue quickly.

“Y-yes.” Y/N cries out when Harry discovers her sweetest spot. Harry smirks and presses his fingers deeper while he continues using his mouth.

Keeping up with the swift motions of his tongue, his nose rubbing her clit a bit, Y/N's toes begin to curl and her heels dig into his mattress. Harry can't help but let out a low growl as the girl in front of him moans at a high pitch.

“H-Harry.” She whimpers between quick pants. Her stomach suddenly tightens as a ball of warmth spreads, soon making her go weak in the legs. Flicking his eyes up to watch her orgasm, he lets the heat spiral through her. His thrusts slow down as her insides pulsate, and he gets dizzy, feeling pretty smug. It feels like an explosion between her legs, so Y/N can't stop herself from grinding on his face to prolong her pleasure.

“See how gorgeous you are when you come for me?” Harry breathes after she catches her breath, gazing deep into her eyes and rubbing soft circles on her clit with his middle and pointerfinger.

His eyes were soft, but dark with lust, the expression in them shifting slightly as she stared at him. She could see his hardened nipples and defining tent of his boxers. Still on cloud nine, her cheeks feel hot and her body is radiating immense pleasure.

She wants to initiate the next move but she simply doesn't know where to start. Instead, Harry decides for her. Getting rid of his last piece of clothing, Y/N watches closely as he reveals his completely naked self. He kicks off his boxers and climbs back on the bed, hovering over her.

“What do you want to do next?” He asks in between kisses. Biting her lip in nervousness, she places her hands on his chest and kisses him.

“I don't know. Do you want me to return the favour?” She suggests with a sheepish smile, but Harry shakes his head.

“I want you to feel good. No favours you need to return unless you really want to.” He returns her offer with a gentle smile. She feels herself blush as his words run through her.

“Do you think...” She pauses and Harry swallows hard at the sound of her timid voice. “Do you want to try it?”

For a moment Harry is confused before her words begin to sink in. She wasn't very specific but there was no need for that. With his heart about to jump out of his throat, he understands right away and nods.

His eyes catch hers, and they smile in relief, happy to enjoy each other. Her mind runs wild as he kneels up for a moment to retrieve a condom from his nightstand. When he does so, her eyes run down his abs and back to his dark gaze. He tears the foil and puts the condom on his erection, the sight of him doing it making her want him even more.

“Are you absolutely sure?” He wonders, adjusting her on the bed so they're both comfortable. Swallowing hard, she nods, wanting this to happen. He asks her over and over to make sure she's sure of what she wants. She admits she's a bit nervous to do this for the first time, but she's 100% positive she wants to go through with this.

“Tell me to stop and I will, I promise.” Positioning himself, Y/N feels his breath on her lips as she gives him an enthusiastic nod. Smiling down at her, Harry pushes into her tight hole, going at a very slow and gentle speed so he doesn't hurt her. She was nervous, but his touch and actions helped keep her calm. He pushes his hips forward slightly, making Y/N whimper. Reaching up to caress his cheek with a sigh, the intimate contact giving him the strength to push into her as carefully as possible.

Being incredibly gentle with her, he hovers over her, eyes looking deeply into hers and soft sounds coming from his mouth, staying like that for a long time. Burying himself deep within her, Harry is completely still for a moment. The feeling of fullness and the sudden pressure is the best she's ever had. Finally able to fully relax, Y/N presses her lips against Harry's.

“You can move.” She breathes, to his great joy. The feeling of the heat of her pussy enveloping his erection sent a shiver down his spine. Gradually sliding out slowly, she feels her body moving in rhythm. Inch by inch, he eases himself back into her with a low hiss.

Harry clenches the sheets beneath them as he slowly builds his pace to a smooth rocking, groaning with her when his cock hits the end of her, causing little electric sparks up her spine. Harry sits up and grabs hold of her hips, her arms flying up to cover her chest in the process.

“Jesus, your pussy's so tight, feels so good.” Harry comments in a strained voice as he holds her hips tighter and guides her to rock into his thrusts. Y/N moves her arms back down, her hands trying to find something to grip as her walls clench tightly, making Harry thrust a bit harder. Squeezing the sheets, Y/N moans again.

“H-Harry. Oh! Please, faster.” Picking up the speed, Harry begins to shake as he pumps his hips harder. She rolls her head back, mouth wide open as the sweet build of an orgasm starts to rise in the pit of her stomach.

Grasping her hips tighter, he's practically spilling out all kinds of wonderful things as she cries out again and again. The lust takes over, sending overwhelming waves of pleasure through her body.

His hand reaches down to rub her clit. Biting on her lip, her walls convulse and her breathing becomes heavy. They both stop breathing altogether when she arches her back sharply, getting in on their rhythm, pounding harder into her core. The warmth keeps building, coursing through her veins and through every cell.

“Oh, Harry. I'm gonna...”

“I know, baby.” He interjects as she writhes beneath him. Hitting that sacred spot inside her with each thrust, she doesn't think she'll be able to hold it in much longer. She wraps her legs around his waist, creating a deeper angle. It's absolutely amazing. She never wants it to end. Her toes curl and her eyelids flutter, taking it all in.

“I can't... Harry.” She exclaims breathlessly, and then screams out, repeating his name.

“You can, Y/N. Look at me. Let go and come for me.” Hearing his raspy voice and the sound of flesh hitting flesh, combined with the sound of his encouraging words drives her even more crazy, almost at the edge. She knows she'll fall down into a complete state of bliss any minute now. Grinding her hips harder, holding on for dear life and digging her nails into his back. She's squeezing him with her walls, everything seemed to melt together into an incredible cocktail of pleasure as she shouts out his name and comes on his cock. He keeps fucking her, keeping her orgasm going even after it came to an end.

When she regains the control over her body, she lowers her legs from around his body.

“Oh, Harry, that was amazing.” A lazy smile spreads across his face and their eyes lock, the both of them panting from her height.

“Do you want to try another position?” He inquires, leaving Y/N with a curious yet excited look on her face. Y/N nods with a faint “Yeah.” and the corners of his mouth tilt upward. With that, he pulls out, an unexplainable sense of emptiness filling Y/N, and she watches as he pushes her onto her stomach, taking a hold of her legs. Harry nuzzles his face into her neck, whispering sweet praises in her ear as he eases her into their next position.

Leaning up on her hands, he raises her onto her knees and steadies her position. He lines his cock up with her entrance from behind. Harry rubs the tip between her folds, he easily glides into her. Kissing her shoulders and down her spine, he doesn't hold back this time and she didn't mind because his wilder thrusts felt unbelievable, not to mention the sounds he kept making. Pounding his hips up against her ass with determination, his curses get louder and his moans turn into the most beautiful sounds she's ever heard. He's close. Y/N knows it.

“Y/N.” He manages in between hot pants and deep groans.

“Yes?” She asks.

“Where do you want me to...” She only had to think about it for half a second and nearly moaned at the mere thought.

“Keep going.” A fierce thud echoes through the room, matching Harry's skin slapping against hers as he rubs her clit once again and gives his final thrusts. Harry tightens his grip and Y/N can feel every muscle in his body get tense as he fills the condom. He's still for a moment, the throbbing of his cock noticeable inside of her.

Leaning up over her, he wraps his arms around her waist and her chin, tilting her head up towards him for a breathtaking kiss. Their tongues slow dance as Harry pulls out, carefully sitting the girl on the bed.

Harry leaves the room to his ensuite to toss the condom and clean up. He brings a damp washcloth and wipes her down, cleaning up the clear mess between her legs. Getting to her chest, he is gently and thoroughly meticulous. Doing everything as painstakingly slow as possible, Y/N closes her eyes in serenity.

While being touched so delicately, she lets out a small sigh and places her hand on his. Bringing her knuckles up to his soft lips, a faint smile plays upon his gorgeous lips. The intensity and lust in Harry's eyes are nowhere to be found, only adoration lingers now. He dresses himself in a clean pair of boxers and turns around to speak up.

“You're staying right?” He questions, slightly chewing his lip as Y/N makes direct eye contact, the thought of staying and sleeping beside him becoming increasingly tempting.

“I'd love to.” She responds hazily, the sleep already starting to take over her body. Harry chuckles at her clear exhaustion.

“I'll get you a shirt and a pair of boxers then. If you want.” He stutters in a nervous way, his confidence fading into a shy demeanor all over again.

“That would be great, thank you.” Sitting up on the bed, she watches as he opens the bottom drawer of his wardrobe, pulling out an oversized Rolling Stones t-shirt and a pair of plain black boxers. Harry hands the garments to her and heads out of the room.

She throws his Rolling Stones shirt over her frame and glances down, making a mental note to take this shirt home tomorrow. After slipping on the boxers, she lets out a heavy sigh, crawling into the bed and plumping the pillows behind her back, getting ready to put in her best effort to stay awake until Harry returned.

Entering the room with two mugs in his hands and a cautious expression, he can't help but smile at the sight of her body so carefully protected by his bedding. The overwhelming joy floods his body as he sits down next to her, gently handing her a mug, full of tea. A sincere smile spreads across her face as she accepts the mug, sipping the warm liquid and pulling the bedsheets up higher.

“Thank you. Do you usually bring tea after sex?” She jokes, Harry letting out a light-hearted giggle and grinning before replying.

“I just thought it could help you relax, or calm you down.” The honesty in his voice catching her off guard for a moment as she quickly recovers.

“Relax or calm me down?” Raising his eyebrows, he nods slowly.

“I know how intense and strong the emotions that are inside of you can get. I wanted you to have a tea that would help soothe your mind know you.” He explains, placing his hand on top of hers, rubbing circles as she nods. Placing the hot tea down on the nightstand, she turns back to him with wide eyes.

“That means a lot, thank you.” She whispers, pressing her lips to his ever so gently. The cup of tea feels like a confirmation that she made the right choice to give herself to Harry. He cares for her, makes her feel cherished and comfortable. That's a great thing in Y/N's opinion.

Snuggling up closer to Harry, they sip their hot tea. Harry asks her if she's feeling alright, to which Y/N answers that she feels fantastic, and Harry can't help but think back to the few hours ago when they danced around eachother, making his heart ache. He kisses the top of her head and caresses her face as he stares into her eyes.

“What are you thinking about?” He voices, cupping her face in his large hands.

“About how I wanna do all of that again with you.” She blurts out innocently, making the man laugh for the umpteenth time tonight and making her wish he would keep laughing forever.

“You're not the only one.” He says, setting his empty mug of tea next to hers. All of that tension, all of the stolen glances and awkward moments leading up to what happened tonight felt completely worth it. They both got some stress out and finally found the right times. Being held by the best person in the world, Y/N finds it easy to shut her mind down. Everything is good and she believes their friendship has grown into something far deeper. Maybe she finally found love, she thought before she surrendered to her heavy eyelids and drifted off, pressed against Harry's warm skin.

Sighing with relief and pure admiration, Harry lets his mind wander as he looks down at the most stunning girl he's ever laid eyes upon. He closes his eyes, pulling the blankets higher so her delicate form won't get cold in the middle of the night and lets himself indulge in the feeling of her soft skin brushing his. Not being able to believe what just happened between them, his body relaxes more than it had in months, maybe even years. Admiring her features and carefully placing a chaste kiss on her temple before he too drifts off to sleep.

[starryinkart]

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Hey guys!!! I said I would work on a Uzi human version to match with my N human version, so here it is!!! I decided to make her a mix of Japanese and Middle Eastern, since Nori means seaweed in Japanese and I’ve have a friend named Khan who was Middle Eastern irl!

Since you guys like the headcannons last time, have some about Uzi:

Uzi was born with blue eyes and black hair, like her parents had, though Khans eyes were a more icy blue. When Khan started to neglect Uzi, she decided to mimick the appearance of her mother instead, seeing her as a role model after everything cool she heard about her around the colony, dying her hair purple like her.

In this AU, Uzi knew her mother before she died for a short time as an infant. Of course, she doesn’t remember much, but she does remember the play dates she used to have with her cousin Doll anytime her aunt Yeva would come over.

Nori and Yeva were sisters, both genetically modified to have the solver inside of them, making Doll and Uzi cousins. Nori and Yeva knew the consequences of having offspring with the solver in their veins but were actively working on a cure before Noris demise.

Uzi, Doll, Lizzy and Thad used to be childhood friends, but after Nori died and Yeva began to pull Doll away from her cousin to protect her from any trace of the solver, Doll and Lizzy began to bully Uzi.

Uzi came out short, like her father Khan, whereas Nori was tall, partially due to the effects of the solver.

Uzi's favorite foods are Philadelphia Sushi Rolls, Shrimp Tempura Rolls, Shoyu Ramen, and Khan Plov (suprisingly)

Uzi's favorite dessert is Apple Cheesecake!

Khan and Uzi used to have a pretty wholesome father daughter bond, but when Nori passed, he distanced himself from his daughter around the time Doll and Lizzy started bullying her, due to fear the solver may have developed in his daughter. Unfortunately we all know what eventually happens in the series and how Khan picked the worst time in her life to try and rekindle a bond with her.

Uzi has a scar on her left shoulder from N stabbing her with his wing in the Pilot, but honestly she doesn't care if people see it, unlike N who's self concious about his scars, and she thinks it looks cool.

Once she begins to be taken over by the solver, her thirst for oil is uncontrollable, though she HATES the taste of it.

Uzi's favorite anime is Chainsaw Man, though N thinks it's to gorey.

N taught Uzi to fly with her wings, and it went...as well as you could expect the first few times, but eventually she learned.

Sometimes Uzi has moments where she doesn't remember certain events in the day like what she ate for breakfeast or what she did that day in school, and her mind sort of blips all over the place ever since her solver powers were activated. She doesn't know this, but whenever that happens the solver is slowly getting acustomed to her body, putting her conciousness to "rest" while it tries out her body.

N and Uzi's favorite activity is to watch the sun rise together from inside an abandoned building they have made their "treehouse" of sorts. V doesn't know about it, and it's filled to the brim with comfort items, furniture and decorations for whenever they decide to stay out too late and no make it back home to risk burning up.

Uzi's favorite animal is cows!

Uzi and N spoon each other often, even when they were just friends, because the warmth of their bodies makes them feel safe and loved.

Uzi's favorite subject is Science and anything to do with being hands on. She likes learning and school, but just "dislikes" likes and doesn't know how to speak to them without being bullied her peers with a passion.

Uzi can be very motherly and protective, and is actually very nuturing and kind underneath her edginess.

She'll NEVER tell V this to her face, but she's grown to love V as a big sister of sorts and cares about her as much as N.

Her favorite color purple. She thinks it makes her and N match look cool but you didnt hear that from her.

She likes alot of metal and hardstyle types of music, but acutally enjoy's N's upbeat and pop music from the late 1900's and early 2000's human era more than she lets on.

She doesn't like when N uses his deeper voice and whispers in her ear...it makes her feel...weird. But in a good way- wait what?

She loves to draw and totally doesn't have sketches of her, N and V as superhero anime characters, her and N building a neural network together in her sketchbook. EW. GROSS.

>> PS. This is part of my Murder Drones Skin and Bones AU!

I didn't know how to end this, but I will say Im totally doing the other characters! Next is V!

____________________________________________________________

ALSOOOOO…

THANKYOU ALL FOR 1,000 FOLLOWERS GUYS!!!

IM WORKING ON A BUNCH OF STUFF LIKE ANIMATIONS ON YOUTUBE, MORE AU THINGS, AND WORKING ON MY ABSOLUTELY FANFIC! I'm hoping to expand more on my comics on Tumblr like my @thedarknessyouhold and the Murder Drones universe as a whole, so stick around for some awesome stuff coming soon!

My commisions are also open! You can find them on my KO-FI HERE and HERE !

You can ALSO find updates and sneak peeks sometimes as well!

AND my LINKTREE HERE!

[theetherealbloom]

UNEVEN ODDS — CH. 1

Chapter One: These Questions Take Shape

Summary: The Reader is dragged into the Last of Us universe and has no choice but to watch the events unfold live in front of her or will she be able to change what was already written?

Paring: Joel Miller x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 6.1k

Warnings: Age-gap Romance, Violence, PTSD, Depression, Zombies, character death, swearing, angst, fluff, eventual SMUT, MY SCIENCE MIGHT BE WRONG, plot holes, rusty writing, alternate universe

A/N: I write?? Kind of?? Tbh, this self-indulgent for sure! We love maladaptive daydreaming :) Anyways, English isn’t my first language so please forgive me for any grammatical errors or spelling mistakes! Tbh I was just gonna write one chapter per episode but I got too excited :p 

Song: doomsday by Lizzy McAlpine

-> Next Chapter | Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist

YOUR OBSERVABLE UNIVERSE – 2023

It’s been three years since the pandemic, COVID-19 has taken a toll on many people. Millions have died over the past few years and you were one of the lucky ones who got by, survived, and received the vaccine as soon it was available. The world slowly begins to open up and awake from its slumber during those years of uncertainty.

So what do you do now?

You work, continue with your quantum physics research and try and make sense of your life. Someday you’ll be able to be under the mercy of light to choose your fate and your need to find certainties and concrete science. For now, you enjoy the comforting sounds of characters conversing with each other.

Immediately as the show credits show, you fold your laptop close and prepare for bed. Episode 3 of the Last of Us was the most emotional so far, Bill and Frank’s story reminds you that love will transverse in every universe. With these tired eyes, you’ve seen enough for tonight. Your eyes slowly droop down and close, luring you into a deep sleep in a state of wishful thinking, hoping that you would have that kind of love in your life. But for now, the watercolor vivid dreams will suffice.

TLOU WORLD – 2023

You groggily wake up and find yourself on the floor. Slowly as you sit up, you use one of your hands to rub away the sleep, “What the hell,” you mumble. The anxiety begins to creep in, you recognize the coloring of the walls and the type of flooring used.

You look down at yourself to check what you’re wearing, no longer in your sleep clothes but traded away for cargo pants, a shirt, socks, and black boots. What’s more concerning was the familiar voices just outside the tattered room you were in.

“There’s not gonna be anything bad in here?”

A gruff response comes, “Just you.”

“Oh, funny.”

No. God, no way. This is not happening. This isn’t possible. You must be dreaming, right? You quickly stand up, and as soft footsteps come closer, you see Ellie staring at you with complete shock, “Holy shit!” she screams.

The thundering thumps of footsteps quickly make their way into the room as you stand there in complete shock. Your eyes widen in shock as you are now face to face with the characters you’ve grown to love from last night through your laptop screen right in front of you. This feels like a very cruel joke.

Dark brown eyes, salt and pepper hair, tan skin, and lines that appear as Joel frowns at you, unimpressed and suspicious. While Tess is completely covering Ellie, she narrows her eyes at you and says, “Raise your hands.”

Slowly you follow her command and raise both your hands, not wanting to increase the tension between you and them. Then you try your best to steady the trembling voice that wants to escape from you and directly look at Joel to say, “I’m not infected.”

“Show us your arm and neck.” He replies with his thick southern accent, and you bring your hand to the collar of your shirt to show them your neck and then lift the sleeves of your jacket to prove that you are being truthful.

The tension between the four of you still hadn’t dissipated despite proving that you didn’t have Cordyceps. “You got any weapons?” Tess asks and you shake your head, “No.”

Ellie groans in frustration, “Guys, I need to pee.” And you bite back a smile, her attitude, and unintentional humor. You clear your throat and say, “Um, you two could interrogate me in the other room so she can, uh, relieve herself.”

Ellie’s two protectors give each other a knowing side glance and proceed to lower their weapons that were aimed at you. You take a deep breath and then follow Joel as he first leaves the room while Tess watches and follows you from behind, making sure you don’t try anything funny.

You stand in the center of the room, with lush green grass, and flowers,  you tilt your head up to look at the stream of daylight hitting your face. You take note of the overgrown plants and trees, mother nature taking back what’s hers. Eco-brutalists would be ecstatic about all of this, minus the fungi zombies.

Tess breaks the silence and asks, “What’s your name?” You give them your name and ask for theirs, even though you didn’t need to however, it is the polite and fair thing to do. You turn your head to look at both of them. They reluctantly tell you to give them their names as you try and manage to swallow away the fear and secretly hope this was all a dream or maybe a fucked up prank. Tess raises one eyebrow at you, “Where are you from?”

You purse your lips to a thin line and wonder how the hell you were gonna answer that question, you then settle for a, “It’s complicated.”

“Complicated how?” Joel gruffly asks you and you give him a light shrug in response and he scoffs.

Your shoulders sag at his reaction to your words, “I’m not trying to be difficult, I swear.  It is complicated and hard to explain, you wouldn’t believe me if I told you. And to be honest, I’m trying my best to wrap my head around this and find a way to explain it without sounding completely insane.”

Joel all but frowns at you but continues to ask, “You tryin’ to get to the QZ?” And without even thinking about it you shook your head in disagreement, and immediately followed your response with suspicion growing on their faces and a frown.

Tess looks at you in disbelief and says, “So, what the hell are you doing out in the city with all the infected running around? Going for a stroll?”

Not wanting to answer the question, you pivot to looking at his fractured hand and give him a light nod, gesturing to it, “Does it hurt?”

Tess glances at his hand and pushes Joel to sit on his chair, his hands shaking as he looks at his bloody knuckles. You also choose to sit on the plush cool green grass, the smell of earth fills your nostrils, and then watch the scene play out in front of you.

“Broken.” Tess states that Joel avoids eye contact with his partner in crime, “Maybe a hairline. It’ll heal fast.”

Tess looks down at the grimy floor and folded her hands in an attempt to calm herself, then raises her head as she whispers, “She made it through the fucking night, Joel.” He shakes his head at her, “It doesn’t matter. It’s gonna happen sooner or later. All right? We’re still close to the wall. We sneak both of them back into the QZ. We find a different way to get the battery.”

“This is our best shot,” Tess says unwaveringly with her decision while Joel scoffs, you watch them both like a tennis match and are surprised by the fact they didn’t even acknowledge your presence.  

“We take her back into the QZ, someone’s gonna notice her arm. They’re gonna scan her then they’ll kill her.”

He harshly whispers back at Tess, “Well, better them than us. You need to stop talking about this kid like she’s got some kind of life in front of her.”

It felt like extreme deja vu watching Joel and Tess argue, and on queue, Ellie walks back in and throws the magazine on the floor, and slides towards Tess. The kid plops down to sit next to you on the lush grass and you look at her with a small smile.

“You hungry?” Tess asks the both of you as she rummages through her backpack to find the energy bars, “You can share some of ours.”

“Thanks. Marlene sent me with my own.” Ellie says and takes out a chicken sandwich from her bag pocket. Tess looks at you, offering some and you politely decline, the older woman tilts her head and says, “When was the last time you ate?”

“Yesterday.” You say without a thought.

“You wanna try to explain’ how you got here? Cause when we checked, you sure as hell weren’t here. Or how the fuck did you manage to survive this long with nothing?” Tess says as she chews on the bark this world now calls food. You feel your palms sweat and pulse slightly increase, you take a deep breath and say, “This is gonna sound extremely bazaar and completely impossible but try to keep an open mind because literal infected are roaming around the streets so believe anything is now within the realm of possibility. Okay?”

You got a couple of hums with curious gazes and listened as you began to speak, “I’m possibly from a different universe or world where this is all just fiction and you’re characters based on a video game-made television series. No, I have zero ideas how I got here. I went to bed and fell asleep, and next thing I know, I woke up with this painful migraine and fatigue, different clothes and you three suddenly existing.”

You paused as you took in the group gaping at you and you sigh, “From where I came from, we had a similar thing happen, a pandemic. However, it was a virus, not Cordyceps. We called it COVID-19, it could be transmitted through an infected person's mouth or nose in small liquid particles when they cough, sneeze, speak or breathe. The outbreak started in December 2019 and 6.84 million people died in the last three years during that time. We were able to make a vaccine at a rapid rate since our technology had advanced, and we were able to distribute it globally, so in the current year which we both share, which is 2023, we’re slowly trying to find our footing again as the world opens up.”

You feel your eyes glaze over, and you then shut them as you continued, “I know it sounds fucking impossible, trust me, a lot thought so too. My scientific hypothesis is that the multiverse does exist and somehow sleep or dreaming is connected to it. I really don’t know, it was all just theoretical.”

“Prove it.”

You open your eyes and look at Joel, completely surprised he spoke, “What?”

Joel’s baritone voice and defensive stare felt like electricity through your bones, “I said, prove it.”

If there’s anything you were good at, it was reading a ton of books in a short period and memorizing the important details and plot points. Visual memory paired with the love you had for these characters had you rewatching the three episodes over and over again. Quietly, you thank the younger you for being so nerdy.

You look Joel dead in the eye and turn to the kid beside you quietly looking at you while eating her sandwich, “Your name is Ellie, you got bitten by an infected while you snuck into the mall and then Marlene found you soon afterward. Those two,” you point your thumb in their direction, “need to get you to the state house in exchange for a battery so they can go find Tommy who has been missing for almost a month.”

“Holy shit. She knows my name.” Ellie said with her mouth full of her food.

You turn back to look at Joel and Tess, and then glance at his broken wristwatch, “And, um, Joel, I know how your watch broke, I’m so– .”

“Stop.” Joel lowly says, his stare as cold as ice and distrusting of you. You avert your gaze, and a blanket of silence covers the room. Shakily Joel eats his bark of food and Tess stares at you and Ellie as she chews and swallows, “Is that chicken?”

“Yup. Marlene said they get it from smugglers.” Ellie then thoughtfully tilts her head, “Guess not you guys.”

That does it for Tess and stands up to walk towards you and the kid, “Hey, hey!” Joel says as he stands up after her but Tess holds her hand out to stop him and to signal it’s fine, “Why are you so important to Marlene? And don’t lie to me, or we’ll take you back.”

“Like she said,” the kid gestures to you, “If you take me back, you don’t get your battery.” Tess scoffs, “You heard that?” and Ellie shrugs at her, the older woman mock laughs, “Then you must’ve heard he wants to shoot you.”

Ellie looks toward Joel and he doesn’t deny it, he simply stares back at her.

“If you do that, it would be the dumbest shit you’ll ever do.” You mumble while frowning, Tess turns to you and harshly says, “Zip it, this doesn’t concern you.” And you take what she said in stride and don’t push it any further.

She then crouches down to talk to Ellie, “I’m gonna talk to you like you’re an adult. Okay?” She then takes Ellie’s silence as consent to continue, “Joel and I aren’t good people. We’re doing this for us because apparently, you’re worth something. But we don’t know what you’re worth if we don’t know what we have. So answer my question.”

Ellie rolls her eyes, rubs her face, and mumbles to herself, “She told me not to tell anybody and now I’m telling the first people that I…” She lets out a sigh and reluctantly speaks, “There’s a Firefly base camp somewhere out west with doctors. They’re working on a cure.”

Joel immediately groans in frustration, “I’ve heard this before.” Ellie continues, “And whatever happened to me,” and at the same time she and Joel say, “is the key to finding the vaccine.”

He sighs in exasperation, “That’s what this is? We’ve heard this a million times. Vaccines, miracle cures. None of it works. Ever.”

Ellie stands up, “Fuck you, man. I didn’t ask for this.”

“You and me both.” The grouch turns to his partner and says, “This isn’t gonna end well, Tess. We need to go back.”

You then remember after all those essays and news articles about your pandemic, the time when everything felt so hopeless and scary. You look at Joel and you see a reflection of your own, his fear and panic, “It’s possible.”

They both turn to you and you continue, “Theoretically, it’s possible to create a fungi vaccine, however, I’m not even sure you have the technology to produce it. And it would take finding out what Ellie truly is. Either Ellie’s immune system mutated and created antibodies to fight against the Cordyceps or something else… But either way, a vaccine or maybe a cure could be possible now because of her.”

Tess stands up, as do you, and looks at Ellie for a moment, then to Joel to say, “Let’s just finish it. It doesn’t matter if she is what the Fireflies or what an alien says.”

“I’m human.” You grumble and Tess ignores you, “If they believe that she is then we get what we want.”

Joel gives a glare at Ellie and then shifts his gaze to you, he sighs and shakes his head, “If she so much as twitches.”

Ellie proceeds to make gurgling noises and movements to pretend as if she’s turning into an infected. Tess turns to look at her and scolds in a motherly fashion, “Don’t.” You try and hold in your laugh and the young girl clears her throat, scratches the back of her neck, and mumbles, “Yeah… okay.”

Tess then turns to Joel, “Okay?”

Defeated, Joel swings his arms open and whispers, “Okay.”

The foreshadowing of the fact it will not be okay in the next few moments had you feeling nauseous. The churning fear begins to bubble inside of you, Tess is going to die, albeit a noble and honorable death, but it still would hurt Joel, and Ellie as she slowly grows more fond of the older woman. Then, it hit you, is it possible to change what already was written? Could you save them all? Well, you’re already here, might as well try.

The three of them begin to pack their belongings as you awkwardly stand there with your hands in your pockets and watch as they prepare for the journey to the State House. The sound of Joel picking up his gun catches Ellie’s interest, “Can I have a gun?”

“Absolutely not.”

“No.”

“Okay. Fine. Jesus. I’ll have to throw a fucking sandwich at them.” Ellie then shoves the leftover sandwich into her bag and Joel goes to the giant bookshelf, which is blocking the door, to the side, then peaks out of the door to check if it’s safe. You hear the sound of birds chirping and feel the warmth of the light flood in the abandoned building.

“It’s clear.”

Following Ellie from behind, you begin walking slowly toward the light and into the apocalyptic city. Your eyes take in the sight of tilted, destroyed, buildings, overgrown plants, trees, abandoned cars, and trucks. A hauntingly beautiful sight if you were being honest.

Ellie gasps in wonder as she takes it all in, “Woah.” Tess looks over at her and says, “Yeah, looks different in the daylight, huh?” Joel quickly scans the area, “We should get moving.” Tess begins to take the lead, followed by Ellie then you, while Joel trails from behind.

“It’s like a fucked up moon.” Ellie moves towards a crater and peers over it, “Is this where they bombed?”

“Yeah, they hit most of the big cities like this. They had to slow the spread somehow.” Tess says and Joel continues to walk past it, ignoring the crater and any kind of conversation. “Worked here, but it didn’t in most places.”

Unconsciously, you begin humming to the tune of a Linda Ronstadt song. The last song you ever heard before sleeping. Continuing up to a ruined building, with debris blocking your path, “So the State House is across there. It’s about a ten-minute walk if you could go straight.”

Ellie looks at both of them and you wonder how the fuck you were gonna defeat the clickers later on with no weapon, “So…”

“Long way or short way?” Joel asks Tess, she holds the straps of her backpack and the wind blows through her hair, “I mean, it’s a long way or the we’re-fucking-dead way.”

“Well, I vote a long way just based on that limited information,” Ellie says dryly, and Joel stares at her, a puzzled expression on his face, then his eyes lands on you, waiting for your input.

You frown at him, “No, don’t look at me like that. I’m not giving you any spoilers.” Joel clenches his jaw and turns to Tess, “We have to check it from the hotel first.” She begins to walk away, “Okay.”

You walk along the highway in somewhat comfortable silence, you carefully look to the ground and see a giraffe plushie, the symbolism doesn’t escape you, knowing all too well what it meant. Moss and different kinds of plants grow over the cracks of the road, you spot branches atop abandoned cars and dust covers the windows of each door.

Tess and Ellie begin conversing in front of the group, while you and Joel follow from a distance. You look at Joel and say, “I’m sorry if I overstepped a while ago. I couldn’t prove it unless I told you something only you knew.”

He looks at you in an emotion you can’t quite understand, but still responds in his grumpy demeanor, “Just don’t bring it up again.” You quickly nod, “Mhm, noted.”

It was quiet for a bit until, to your surprise, he asks you, “What did you do for work?” The smile was so difficult to hold back, you chuckle and raise your eyebrows, “I’m… well, was a Quantum physicist. You were a carpenter right?”

“It kinda’ freaks me out how you know that off the top of your head.” His Texan accent heavy as he spoke, you knew that it would take time to build his trust. His reserved and security-oriented nature would prove to be a challenge, but something you wholeheartedly would take on, “I’ll try not to do it as much, I’m sorry.”

“You apologize too much.”

“It’s a habit I’m trying to break, to be honest.” You chuckle nervously, putting your hands in the pockets of your cargo pants, and continue to walk, watching and hearing bits of conversation from Tess and Ellie.

“I thought you were some sort of’ performer, a singer maybe, with all that hummin’ you were doin’ awhile ago.”

That catches you off guard and you feel the confusion form on your face and you begin to feel your face feel warm, “What?” Joel continues, “You were hummin’ to Linda Ronstadt, right? Haven’t heard that song in a while.” You stared at him in complete disbelief, “You heard me humming?”

As he was about to reply, you and him managed to catch up to Ellie and Tess to overhear their conversation, “How old are you?” Ellie replies, “Fourteen.” Tess hums and smirks at the kid, “Wow. Well, I mean you got some balls on you, sister.”

“Thanks,” Ellies says and follows after Tess, climbing over the flipped rusted car. You follow their movements and Joel does too.

Tess curiously looks over her shoulder at Ellie and continues her walk forward, “Nobody is gonna come after you, right? Like Mom, Dad, boyfriend?”

“I’m an orphan, and, uh, no.” Ellie takes a look around her surroundings and lets her hand brush on the tall grass growing from the cracks of the pavement, “Everyone said the open city was crazy. Like, swarms of infected running around everywhere.”

Joel humors her, “Not exactly like that.” Tess smiles, “You know people like to tell stories.”

“So there aren’t super-infected that explode fungus spores on you?” Ellie curiously asks with a somewhat happy tone, as if all of this doesn’t scare her. Fearless is what you conclude, a trait that could be good when at its best but dangerous and reckless at its worse. “Shit, I hope not,” Tess says.

“Or ones with split-open heads that see in the dark like bats?” Ellie asks and that causes a shift in Tess, Joel, and your demeanor. Fucking clickers. And on queue, you hear the screeching of the devil’s spawn in the distance. The whole group stills and Ellie shakily asks, “What was that?”

Joel doesn’t reply, instead, he just says, “Let’s keep movin’.”

Joel pushes the doors of the hotel open, loudly shrieking as he does, and all three of you are greeted with the sight of the flooded hotel. It was almost swamp-like due to the green water, lily pads floating, and the ducks and frogs swimming.

Ellie takes a spin and looks at the view with a childlike wonder you wish you still had, “You’ve got to be kidding me! You ever stay in a place like this?” “Uh, no, a little out of our league.” Tess says and Joel looks at Ellie and asks, “How do you even know what this is?” Being the smartass that she throws him a look and says, “Have you heard of books?”

You chuckle as Joel shakes his head and walks down into the murky water, “Wait we’re going in there?” Ellie asks, and Tess nods, “Yeah, we gotta get to the stairwell on the other side.” The kid takes a step back, “Well, I don’t… I don’t know how to swim.” Joel lifts an eyebrow, “Seriously?”

“Do you think we have pools in the QZ?” Ellie says with narrowed eyes. “No, smart-ass. I mean…”, Joel does a little jump into the water, it does a small splash when he does. “I don’t know how I was supposed to know that,” Ellie says as she walks down the steps and into the water, you follow behind her and Tess.

You four wade through the green murky water, “This is so gross.” Ellie says with a huge smile on her face and you can’t help but laugh, “This is disgusting.” The fourteen-year-old spots the concierge desk and makes her way over, “Oh, check it out!”

You place both of your hands on your hips and  watch her mess with the call bell, “Ding, ding.” She begins to do her form of roleplay for her entertainment and to cure her boredom, “Yes sir. I would like your finest suite, please.”

“Yes, ma’am. Would you like me to take your luggage?”, she proceeds to answer her own question and pushes the hotel bell cart through the water, “Yes, ma’am. Right away ma’am…”

“You’re a weird kid.” Joel states, Ellie turns her head to look at him, “You’re a weird kid.” Something falls over, a sloshing sound indicating that it had fallen in front of Ellie causing her to jump back and bang the piano behind her and yelp, “Oh, fuck!”

You and Joel are quick to come to her side to see what it was. A skeleton lay there unmoving and rotten, your eyes raise to look at Ellie panting and clutching onto the hotel bell cart, “Oh, my god.” Joel kicks the skull and the kid mumbles, “Uh, sorry.”

Joel offers his hand to help Ellie back up and the sound of the honky-tonk piano creates sharp notes as she stands, Joel pulls back his hand once Ellie can manage on her own and begins to walk away.

You look to Joel, “How’s the hand?” He looks down at it as it shakes again, “It’ll heal.” Your face forms a frown and you shake your head, “That doesn’t answer my question.” Joel doesn’t respond and decides to continue and you simply follow.

“You okay?” Tess asks Ellie, and the young girl wades through the water like nothing happened, “Yep. Fucking Fabulous.”

After ten flights of stairs you finally made it to the top floor, Joel goes through the doorway first, while Tess takes a moment to catch her breath, “Fuck. Holy shit.” 

You’re a little breathless, but not as much as Tess since you were a bit younger than her. “Come on, it wasn’t that bad.” Ellie says teasingly and Tess shoots her a look, “You try climbing ten fuckin’ floors with our knees. See how you feel.”

You turn right to a hallway, to see a giant obstruction made out of the rubble, “Well, when the fuck did that happen?” Tess tries to push the door to her right, only to be blocked. You try to check the door to the left to find the same outcome, you sigh “No.”

“All right, well, I mean, maybe I could climb up there. Work my way around and open it from the inside?” Ellie peers around the rocks, “Uh, no. Well, I’m the smallest, so it’d be easier for me to get through.” Tess hums, “But you die and we get nothing. You stay.”

“I could help.” You say a little meek, Tess is a little intimidating and you feel so out of place like you’re intruding. Technically, you aren’t supposed to be in this mess. She takes a good look at you and says, “Yeah, no.”

You deflate a little and avoid trying to argue, Tess turns to Joel and asks for help, “Can you give me a hand?” Joel pulls back Ellie with the strap of her backpack and she sighs, then Joel tugs your jacket sleeve to do the same. Your face warms a little bit, it’s the first time he’s ever touched you.

Joel boosts up Tess over the pile of rubble and she climbs over, “You good up there?” Tess analyzes the mess she needs to clean up and replies, “Yeah. It’s a bit of a mess, so I’m gonna need a few minutes.”

Joel turns around to face you and Ellie, he adjusts his gun and lets his back slide against the wall to sit down across from both of you. Ellie has her arms resting on her knees while you decide to sit comfortably cross-legged.

Ellie takes out her knife and decides to play with it, tossing it in her hands as if it were just a pen and not something that could easily cut her if she commits a mistake. You watch everything play out just like it did in the episode—character development.

“Nice knife,” Joel says as his eyes follow the movement of Ellie’s tossing. She only glances at him with acknowledgment. “Where’d you learn to do that?” he asks, you gotta hand it to him for trying to make an effort.

She replies with a monotone voice, “The circus.” 

Joel looks away exasperated and completely done with her bullshit. You try and hide your smile, but the slight crease in your eyes gives away your amusement. Ellie folds her knife, and as Joel sighs, the kid decides to give an olive branch, “Where are you from?”

“Texas.” He replies, and Ellie continues, “What about Tess?”

“Detroit. It’s in Michigan.”

If there’s anything she hated most, was the fact people underestimate her intelligence, she rolls her eyes and Ellie’s reply comes out harsh, “I go to school. I know where Detroit is.”

Her response causes a wave of silence between the three of you. Your eyes drift from Joel to Ellie, she then decides it’s your turn to be interrogated, “Are you from the future?”

Your mouth twists a little to the right before deciding on a good enough answer, “Sort of? Your technology stopped advancing in 2003, so, I guess I am?” This piques her interest, “So, what’s it like over there?”

You pick the dirt off the underside of your fingernails, a little nervous, or if not nervous then cautious, as you respond, “Almost the same. Our technology is way different though.”

“Different how?” She asks.

You give her a soft smile and respond, “Well, for starters, we have touch screens for phones, laptops, tablets, you name it, it probably has a touch screen.”

“No way,” Ellie says with her eyes full of amazement and wonder, “What else?”

You give a hum as you teasingly tell her, “I don’t know… it might blow your tiny little mind.” She blows a raspberry in your face and you stick your tongue out in retaliation.

“Come on! Wait, you said we were just characters in some kind of story?” She says dramatically and tugs the sleeve of your jacket and continues, “What did you mean by that?”

Your eyes shift to look at Joel, who has his full attention on you; simply waiting. You blink owlishly at him, once, then twice before settling on a response, “Yeah, um, it recently aired.”

“So, do you know the future? Like our future? What’s about to happen? Will we be able to make a cure or a vaccine?” You couldn’t keep up with her rapid questions, and your mouth slightly parts open. Should you tell them? 

Can you change the fact Tess is practically minutes away from death? That Joel is about to make the worst mistake of his life? That Bill and Frank are… that they…

Luckily, you didn’t need to answer Ellie, Joel who senses your unease, steps in for you, “Ellie, stop askin’ her about her life, she doesn’t wanna give anythin’ up.” You look at him apologetically and shut your eyes for a while. This migraine keeps bothering you, a sharp, heavy, thump in the side of your brain hasn’t gone away. You tell yourself that it eventually will. Maybe.

Ellie focuses her attention back to Joel, “So you two like a…”

“Pass.” He says.

Ellie continues, “How’d you end up in Boston?”

“Pass. No more questions about me.” Ellie rolls her eyes at him and racks her brain for a different question, “How long do infected live?” Joel mocks Ellie in reply, “Oh, I thought you went to school.”

“It’s a really shitty one.” She snarkily replies. You smile at their banter with your eyes closed, enjoying the conversation that they have going on. Joel thinks for a moment before answering her, “Well, some last about a month or two. But there’s other’s been walkin’ about 20 years.”

Ellie fidgets with her knife again, “You ever kill one?”

You hear the slight sorrow in his voice, “Yeah, I’ve killed lots of them.” Ellie asks the most human question as she looks at the older man, “Was it hard? Like, knowing they were people once?”

You open your eyes to watch his gaze look away from the kid, memories come back to him, what he’s done and will continue to do, and he nods, “Sometimes.”

“What about that guy last night?” She asks, and you frown while he gives Ellie a stern look. You knew Ellie liked the fact Joel hurt the FEDRA guard to protect her. She loved it. Luckily Joel doesn’t have to respond, you could hear the sound of something approaching you. The loyalist immediately stands up, and you and Ellie get up to stand next to Joel, he puts his finger to the trigger of his gun, ready to protect you both from whatever is out there.

“You can put the gun down, Joel,” Tess calls out from a distance, and a tingle of jealousy moves through your bones like electricity. She knew him so well, to the point where she knew what he was going to do before doing it. They both loved each other without admitting it, and it hurts you. They never stood a chance. 

You hear the quiet rumble of Tess pushing away the debris to open the door, the loud creak of metal reveals her face, and it’s full of worry. Joel reads her like a book, “What now?” Then Tess nods her head, signaling to follow her.

As you make your way upstairs, you take notice of the abandoned wine glass and dishes, the dust that coats every inch of the hotel, and the fallen chairs. Tess pulls back a plastic curtain for you and Ellie to walk through, only to be greeted by the view of hundreds of infected down below.

“There’s so many,” Ellie comments in disbelief, you can hear the cries and wailing of each Runner as they roll and crawl. The young girl leans a little forward to get a better view. Tess nods, “The last time we were here they were still deep inside the buildings. Then I guess enough people came through looking for the QZ they went inside seeking shelter, and that’s how they get more and more of the city bit by city year after year.”

As the clouds pass by, the sun shines through a little, overwhelming light shines over the infected, they screech and roll away, like a domino effect. “They’re connected,” Ellie says, and Tess nods in confirmation, “More than you know. The fungus also grows underground. Long fibers like wires, some of them stretching over a mile.”

If you weren’t so focused on listening to Tess explain the cordyceps, you would have felt Joel staring at you the whole time, observing how you were taking all of the information being shared. You were surprisingly calm, despite the fact zombies are now real and you could die. And possibly a little worried like you were anticipating something bad was going to happen.

Tess continues, “Now you step on a patch of cordyceps in one place and you can wake a dozen infected from somewhere else. Now they know where you are, now they come. You’re not immune from being ripped apart. You understand? It’s important. I’m trying to keep you alive.”

Ellie nods and you do too, even if the question wasn’t directed at you. “So we’re not going that way.” She states, and Tess agrees, “No.”

“What do we do then? Short way?” Ellie asks and Joel looks at Tess, and speaks the dreaded words you’ve heard before, “Museum.”

A/N: Trust me, I’m working double time on the next one if this is received well :,) Thank you for reading! See ya in the next chapter <3

Next Chapter ->

[avelera]

Ok I now realize why I had such a positive view of Marius even though the show stating that he groomed Armand and prostituted him has the fandom out for his blood. Because for me at least, the idea that Marius prostituted Armand against his will was a surprise based on what I remembered.

- In “The Vampire Lestat” we get a mini-version of Armand’s biography and in it, we explicitly learn that Marius did not prostitute Armand after freeing him from the brothel where Armand was abused.

- He explicitly tells Armand he does not need to sexually please him to have his regard. He puts Armand in his art school with his other mortal students, though it’s clear Armand is a favorite, and is eventually sort of put in charge of the boys like a teacher’s assistant whenever Marius needs to go see to Those Who Must Be Kept.

- He tells Armand before he turns him to have as full of a life as possible even though Armand is constantly begging to be turned sooner. He tells him to, “Know the love of a woman, know the love of a man!” But on his own terms. There is no mention at all of Marius coercing (directly or indirectly) Armand into prostituting himself to his guests.

But this is TVL and The Vampire Armand expands upon his background and that book I don’t remember as well, though I do know there’s sex in it that Marius and Armand participate in together along with others, but I don’t remember if there was an element of prostitution or coercion. “Pandora” also gives Marius a bit of a bad name but more insofar as Marius and Pandora drift apart, just as many vampires do in the series, especially after one turns the other because vampirism changes people.

Once again, the prostitution could be in Vampire Armand and I just don’t remember it. Also the show could be adding this element or rather strengthening it, implying that Marius was all along planning (and therefore grooming given his young age) Armand to make a vampiric companion and lover out of him even though the mini biography in TVL implies the opposite, that he rescued Armand for his beauty yes but also because he was living in horrific conditions and them becoming lovers and Armand his fledgling was unplanned and came much later.

Or it could just be a hurtful thing Louis is throwing in Armand’s face during their fight because Armand in the books did worship Marius and did everything he could to please him, so saying it was grooming would be a deliberate jab at a painful subject for Armand. And we do have Armand saying explicitly that he was prostituted and heavily heavily implied against his will while at the museum, obviously.

I was just more perplexed at myself that this line caught me off guard and made me question my own memory. In general Marius is very much a protagonist in the Vampire Chronicles, if sometimes prone to bouts of jealousy and irritation, he’s not perfect, but those imperfections are presented as just a human part of him. And the fact that, at least in TVL if not in TVA, Marius protected and educated Armand and specifically told him he didn’t need to prostitute himself and it was Armand asking to be a vampire with Marius appearing reluctant until Armand had lived more of a life. So at least I didn’t remember it wrong from that book.