#my plan was to basically forget about it til we get closer but they keep reminding me... girl i'm already hype i cant take much more

[gachaparadise]

I'm so excited for this collab I may explode. The trailer also confirmed Archer (with his original va) will be there which is so so soooo great.

[terrm9]

Father’s Day

Ethan makes sure to celebrate the Father’s Day with his daughter. (Ethan X Chiara X Matilda)

Words count: 4 000

Warnings: two swear words, fluff

Author’s note: I don’t know what happened here guys. I am so sorry, this fic lacks plot and point, depth, quality, this truly is one fluffy piece of shit. I had a good feeling about it when the idea appeared in my brain and then I started to write and nothing seemed right. And I just kept telling myself ‘just keep writing and it will start making sense. It will get better’... and suddenly the fic is finished and it still doesn’t make sense. I was so close to not posting it, but then I thought that sometimes mindless fluff can make my mood better and so maybe it can do some good to you too. Love you all and I promise I won’t be angry or hurt if you hate this:D

Also Ethan is ~47 in this fic, if you thought I wouldn't mention his graying hair, I am sorry but I did

Also also, I didn't find the strength needed for a proof reading this and so I didn't proof read it. If you see a mistake, please pretend you don't see it

The sun was long set at the time Ethan stepped into the apartment and even though he rationally knew that it was late, he couldn’t quite give up on his hope that maybe Matilda was still up. On the days like this, when more patients came in than out of the hospital and there was so much of a paperwork that he has to bring it home with him, there is nothing Ethan loved more than to put his daughter to sleep and then spend a nice quiet evening with Chiara.

But of course, Matilda was fast asleep – judging by the silence filling the whole apartment – and so Ethan was looking forward to skipping to the part of sharing an evening with his wife.

Chiara didn’t notice him as he stepped into the living room, her nose slightly crinkled as she was filling some papers spread on the dining table, white earpods in her ears.

Looks like I am not the only one to bring work home with me today.

Ethan stopped in his tracks for a moment, just inhaling the familiar scent of Chiara and home and absorbing the picture in front of him. Even after alsmot ten years since he met her for the first time, even though she was his wife now, someone he woke up next to every morning, Chiara still – always – managed to knock the air out of his lungs. How her smile only gained more brightness through the years and how she looked almost like a girl with her hair braided on one side.

Had he been an artist, he would call her his muse.

But he was just a man, a doctor with any artistic words stuck in his throat and so he just kept staring at Chiara and thought, inspiration, that’s what she was, because even the most rational of men could get inspired.

„I can feel you standing there,“ Chiara exclaimed suddenly, putting the earpods off and turning to him with that bright smile.

„My apologies,“ he smiled faintly and crossed the distance between them to give her, what Chiara called ‚a proper greeting‘. He kissed her softly and it only took the feeling of Chiara’s warm body under his hands to ease the tension in him almost completely.

„Matilda missed you tonight,“ Chiara murmured into his chest, not willing to break their embrance.

„As I missed her,“ Ethan sighed. „Did you have an eventful afternoon?“

Chiara chuckled at that, parting from him at last to switch her phone off and leave the work on the dining table.

„Just the usual. The teacher asked them to draw themselves in the future and she couldn’t decide which version of that future she should draw because she wants to be everything.“

Ethan could imagine the conversation very well. Matilda, at the age of five, knew exactly what she didn't want to become when she grows up - a doctor. She kept shifting between wishing to be a travel blogger like her aunt Kyra or a photographer like aunt Alicia. After a weekend spent in Providence, she proclaimed that she could also imagine being a cable repairwoman like grandpa, because grandpa has the coolest coworkers that came over and let her eat chocolate cookies and watch football with them. And if by any unfortunate coincidence she should become a doctor after all, she would definitely be a surgeon like uncle Bryce, because he actually cuts people and that's much more interesting than her parents' job. All they do is talk about the patients.

„I promised her you would take her to school tomorrow. You have rounds in the morning but I can taker over,“ which would only be a service for you, she thought to herself. „That would certainly make her feel better.“

„Was she that sad that I didn’t come home earlier?“

"Oh, she was more sad about the Father's Day program at her school – you know, the one where kids and their dads go together - but I explained her why you had to miss it."

Ethan furrowed his brows, confused for a while.

"Why do I have to miss it?" he asked as he picked Matilda's stuffed llama from the floor.

"It's the Wednesday when you are at the conference in Seattle."

Ethan put the toy on the couch next to Til's favourite blanket and sat down before responding, his voice carrying no sign of hesitation.

"If there's a Father's Day program at her school and she wants me to be there, I'll be there."

Ethan knew all too well why he was so persistent on being there.

He wished he didn’t know, but he did.

Because he knew what it felt like to spend so many of his Mother’s Days programms with his teeth gritted, wishing it could all just end.

He could still remember the first Mother’s Day without Luise, how his teacher walked into the class and told them that they would create nice postcards for their moms and how Ethan’s classmate pointed his finger at him and said: „And what is Ramsey going to do? It’s not fair that he doesn’t need to do anything for the whole hour.“

It was the first time Ethan punched someone.

There was no way, no way, that he would allow his daughter to feel any of those feelings.

His thoughts were interrupted by Chiara, now sitting right next to him, a soft concern visible on her features.

„Alan and Naveen would go with her, you know. She wouldn’t be alone.“

„I am her father.“

„And you are also an author of the study this whole conference is going to be about.“

Ethan knew Chiara was right, just as he knew that she was doing this not because she didn’t want him to attend the programm, rather because she respected and supported his career.

But her arguments were of no use. Ethan’s mind was made up and he only wondered if this is what it felt like, all those years ago, when he pushed Chiara away in order to support her career. The idea of putting career first was making him uncomfortable and all he could do was to think, how did Chiara see it all those years ago?

Or rather, how did he not see it back then?

He had no answers, only his gratitude that she stayed and showed him the world through her eyes.

„Aurora is just as much of an author as me. She can handle the conference without me just fine. You can go with her.“

„Me?“ Chiara asked incredulously.

„Sure. They don’t really care which Dr. Ramsey will come.“

Ethan aged well. More wrinkles circled the corners of his eyes and the grey hair on his temples were not an optical illusion anymore (and Chiara has never found him more handsome than now) and his gaze changed too, the cold blue of his eyes almost forgotten, as his eyes were warm and soft almost all the time he was with his family.

Ethan aged and changed and yet there was a thing that didn’t change in the slightest in these last years. His insufferable stubborness.

And so Chiara knew that he won’t change his mind and that there was no point in trying to and while it warmed her heart to see how in love with Matilda Ethan was, the study was important to him.

Obviously not important enough, however, and Chiara decided not to push him any further. Instead, she asked curiously.

„And what are you going to perform? What if Matilda wants to do something crazy?" Chiara raised an eyebrow.

"Of course she won't want anything crazy. What if it were my father and Naveen taking her?"

Chiara laughed wholeheartedly at his question, because for someone so brilliant, sometimes Ethan was desperately clueless when it came to people around him - and what they were willing to do for their daughter.

"Please, this is Naveen and Alan you are talking about. Matilda could say she wants to sing Hakuna Matata and they would come dressed as Timon and Pumba."

"Ah," Ethan exhaled, obviously only now realizing that Chiara was, indeed, right. And singing - or dancing, for God's sake - was not part of his plan. "Well, she can play some basic compound on the piano, she has learned some already. And I could accompany her on the cello."

Chiara choked on the water she was just drinking, turning to look at Ethan so swiftly, his brows furrowed in a concern for her neck.

"On a what now?"

“A cello. I thought you knew that I used to play the cello as a kid.”

“Of course, but the as a kid part is important. I mean, I played a piano as a kid and now I couldn’t play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star if my life depended on it.”

Ethan laughed, wrapping his arm around Chiara in a half-hug and had to bite his tongue not to tell her that maybe Matilda could teach her, as she already could play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star exceptionally well.

“I might have stopped playing actively when I was ten, but I found a certain sense of serenity in music – and playing – for a long time after that. I-,” Ethan stopped himself, mulling over his next words. It was not like he didn’t want to tell Chiara anything, but talking about his years at med school was not something he did often. “I befriended a music shop’s owner back in Baltimore. He was a nice guy, barely older than me and so very different. He had musical instruments for sale there and as we became closer, he let me borrow the cello and play a little in the back of the shop. It became a thing that helped me clear my head when school became too stressful and it also helped me not to forget how to play. I think Matilda’s level on the piano is very close to what I can remember with the cello.”

Now all he had to do was to find someone who would borrow him the cello.

*** *** ***

Ethan always found it amusing, how his mornings with Matilda differed compared to Matilda’s mornings with Chiara.

He made sure to wake her up earlier than usual, so that they could cook breakfast together and have some time to spare.

Chiara – the person that hated mornings more than eggplants – did all she could to stay in bed for as long as possible. She would rather prepare Matilda’s breakfast in the evening and run to the school than wake up before 6 AM.

And it seemed like Matilda realized this difference quite soon, for all the times Ethan came to wake her up, she knew she could ask him to join her in bed for a few minutes.

"Hey, little Rookie," Ethan whispered, softly stroking Matilda's curls out of her forehead so that he could press a gentle kiss on it. "Time to wake up. We don't want to be late for school."

The little Rookie nickname was first used when Til was perhaps one year old and it made her giggle so hard Ethan kept using it. Chiara found it extremely funny, always pointing out that Matilda was nothing if not Ethan’s exact copy – and she was right. With her big blue eyes and long curly dark hair, there was no doubt that she was Ethan’s daughter. Not that the similarities ended in her physical appearence – she was phenomenally subborn for a five year old (to which Ethan always argued that she could as well inherit that from Chiara) and sarcasm was her second language. She also might have used ‚fuck‘ once or twice and Ethan knew it’s not Chiara she heard that from.

You should call her little Terminator, Chiara always teased and partly, she was right.

But there were many traits and marks of Chiara in their daughter, marks not so visible but unmistakely hers. How Matilda’s smile was always bright and warm and sincere, something only Chiara could pass on. How she came home one day from school and asked Ethan if he could make cupcakes with her, because her classmate loves cupcakes but his parents are too busy to make them for him and so she would love to bring him some to school. How she appreciated the most common of things, like sun shining because it makes her skin warm and also rain falling because she can jump in the puddles. Her genuine curiosity and open heart and just her general need to make people around her feel good.

That was all Chiara’s mark and Ethan loved his two girls so much it sometimes still surprised him. That he was capable of such love.

It also made him want more sometimes. More people to love that much.

„Snuggle time, please?“ Matilda smiled, her eyes still closed and Ethan was prepared, he knew this request would come and so he didn’t even need to check the watch to know that he could lay down next to her, the tiny bed making his position rather awkward.

He snuggled Matilda from behind and between her slow stirs as she began to wake up and his soft kisses put on the back of her head, he whispered how excited he was to attend the Father’s Day program with her.

*** *** ***

Ethan didn’t even need to try hard to persuade Matilda that a piano-cello duet would be better to perform than a dance. She liked the idea from the beginning and after going through her music sheets with Chiara, she happily exclaimed that they could try to learn Hedwig’s Theme together. Her eyes were bright and full of excitement and Ethan knew the decision was already made, because he couldn’t resist that face.

And so they performed and for a girl who was five and her father, who was almost fifty, they did a great job. Seeing Matilda’s pure, unadultered joy and excitement and so much gratitude that her dad could be there with here, was something Ethan would consider one of the best moments of his life forever.

Tillie was almost jumping up and down with the happiness as they watched her classmates and their fathers or grandfathers or mothers in some cases or maybe even uncles perform their numbers. She was clapping hard after every single one and she kept waving at everyone, her smile so wide Ethan thought for a while that she resembled Bryce more than anyone. The thought made him chuckle, because Matilda would love to hear that, as Bryce was her hero and possibly the best person she could spend her sleepovers at.

Ethan could hardly say that he enjoyed being surrounded by so many people, but he sincerely did enjoy spending the day with his kid. He didn’t regret choosing making a fool out of himself in front of bunch of kids instead of the conference. He almost forgot about the conference altogether until Aurora’s call interrupted the bustle full of laughter around them.

She only called him to let him know that all went well and she was off to have a lunch with other diagnosticians that helped with the study.

"Yes, alright. I'll see you on Monday. Good job, Aurora," Ethan put the phone back into his pocket and turned to Matilda.

"I am sorry you missed the conference because of me, dad."

Ethan knelt down so that he could face his daughter, the very same blue eyes he knew from mirrors, looking back at him, wide and curious.

He smiled softly, kissing Matilda's forehead before responding.

"I am not. No conference is that important, and just between the two of us," Ethan lowered his voice and put his best serious face on, causing the mischievous sparks ignite in Tillie's eyes "Conferences are so boring. You saved me from a torture."

She giggled and threw her arms around Ethan's neck, squeezing him as hard as a five years old could.

"Now let's go, I think there's an ice cream that needs to be eaten."

"But daddy you said ice creams are sugar bomb!"

Ethan chuckled at her shocked expression - not sure is it was a genuine one or an act - and took her little hand into his.

"I'll pretend I don't see you eating it."

Matilda squealed and before her ‚no sugar in this house‘ dad could change his mind, she stormed off in the direction of the ice cream truck.

Before she could reach her destination, however, she stopped in her tracks and tugged on Ethan’s sleeve, pointing at the little girl sitting under one of the trees – alone.

„That’s Dorothy! She is my best friend.“

Yes, Ethan remembered Matilda mentioning Dorsey, her best friend, quite often, but he never got a chance to meet her before. The girl was tiny, much smaller than Matilda – which inherited Ethan’s significant height, too – her hair almost white and her eyes similar to Matilda’s, big and blue but not even close to being as bright.

„She doesn’t have a dad,“ Matilda added, her voice much less excited now. „She didn’t want to come here but her mom has to be at work.“

Ethan’s heart tightened at her words, the description of Dorothy’s situation reminding him of his own when he was a kid way too much.

„Why don’t you go and ask her to join us for an ice cream?“ Ethan smiled at Matilda faintly.

Before he could as much as blink, Matilda was gone and in the very next moment, both girls were back, smiling up at him, his own kid widely and Dorothy very shyly.

„Hello, Dorothy,“ Ethan knelt down and smiled at her encouragingly. „I am Ethan. It is my pleasure to meet you, Matilda talks about you a lot.“

„Hello,“ Dorothy muttered, not meeting his eyes and Ethan noticed she was holding Matilda’s hand.

Without any other word, he stood up and led both girls to find an ice cream truck, only half-listening to what they were talking about – enough to recognize that Dorothy was much more open when talking to Matilda, but not enough to register particular words.

Maybe that’s why Matilda’s next question took him off the guard.

„Right, daddy? I was just telling Dorsey that you could be her dad, right? And I would be her sister!“

Ethan’s eyes widened and before he could find the right words – gentle but also firm enough to explain that that’s not exactly how these things work, Matilda spoke again.

„She could come over anytime and we could have sleepovers like the ones I have with uncle Bryce or grandpa and we would play together and I could borrow her my toys, right?“

Ethan nodded and smiled, of course Dorothy is always welcome to stay at our place, and let the topic go, because there was nothing wrong about his daughter having best friend that would come over.

Thirty minutes later, all three of them sat at the grass and ate their ice creams and it was easy to forget the previous converstaions.

*** *** ***

Until he came into his office, a week after the Father’s Day and found Chiara waiting for him, her arms crossed at her chest and her expression unusually stoic.

Before he could ask what was wrong, Chiara spoke.

„Matilda’s teacher just called.“

„What?“ Ethan stepped closer, automatically reaching into his pocket to make sure his phone, wallet and car keys are there and he is ready to leave and pick up Matilda at any moment. „Is something wrong? Is she in trouble? Sick?“

„She is absolutely alright,“ Chiara shook her head sligthly, her face unreadable – something that scared Ethan more than her visible anger. „She just called me to let me know about the rumors going around Matilda’s class these past few days. She thought it would be better if I found out from her rather than from other parents.“

„Rumors?“ Ethan asked, utterly lost and confused.

It took all the willpower Chiara had not to let her facade slip and keep her expression neutral. But teasing Ethan was one of her main hobbies, even after ten years, and so she tried her best.

„Apparently, Matilda and Dorothy Wilkins told everyone that they are in fact sisters. They have different mommies but the same dad – no other than the famous Dr. Ramsey,“ now, it was really hard not to laugh. Ethan’s whole face paled and the confusion was quickly replaced by recognition. „The other kids shared the news with their parents and now those parents talk.“

Ethan didn’t know that Matilda told Chiara about her idea of Ethan becoming Dorothy’s dad the very same evening she shared it with Ethan himself and even though Chiara tried to explain why that idea is not going to work the way the wished it would, Matilda was stubborn. Meaning, Matilda adopted Dorothy as her sister anyway and didn’t mind sharing her dad with her.

„Fuck,“ Ethan whispered, pacing around the office, not really looking up at Chiara.

If he did, he would catch her grinning.

She cleared her throat quickly and added: „Some of the parents came to tell the poor teacher that they appreciate how civil the mothers of Matilda and Dorothy are about the whole thing and that it must’ve taken much strength of our spirits to put out kids into same school.“

She couldn’t anymore. The first chuckle escaped her and when Ethan’s eyes met hers, the mischievous sparks were dancing on full display in her irises, her smile wide and so amused.

Ethan exhaled a sigh full of relief and rolled his eyes and when he looked at Chiara again, she was laughing softly, badly trying to cover her laugh with the hand over her mouth.

The bizarreness of the whole situation and his wife’s reaction made Ethan laugh too and he slumped down on the couch, pulling Chiara with him.

„We should give some kind of explanation, right?“ he whispered when they both calmed down.

„Oh, I don’t know. I am the civil one,“ Chiara smirked smugly. „And with a strong spirit!“

Ethan laughed again at that, thinking about how any kind of rumors about him and Chiara startled him in the beginning of their relationship and how over the years, Chiara managed to teach him to just let people talk.

„She really wants that sibling, huh?“ Chiara broke the silence, poking his side softly.

„Yes, she does,“ Ethan nodded.

„And you would...want that too, right?“ Chiara asked again, this time much more seriousness in her voice.

Both Chiara and Ethan were decided to adopt a child back in the days they believed they would never have their own. After Matilda was born, they didn’t really talk about it anymore – they felt too blessed, too lucky that they’ve gotten her and they were happy.

But the thoughts of adoption never truly left their heads and Chiara knew that especially Ethan considered the option often. She could see him talking to Matilda when she asked for a sister or a brother for her birthday, she saw the dreamy smile as they spoke about little kids.

And it was not like she was against the idea of adopting a child – quite the opposite. She grew up with two siblings and her brother and sister were one of the best parts of her childhood. She wished she could give Matilda the same feeling, the same love she recieved at her age. She just felt like she would be asking for too much, like it would be selfish to want another little human that would make them happy, when they already had one.

Those thoughts were not rational, but they were there and they slowed her decisions down.

„Yes, I would,“ Ethan nodded after a long while, looking straight into Chiara’s eyes.

He would never push her. But he wouldn’t lie either.

Chiara nodded and leaned in to press a soft kiss on Ethan’s mouth, pouring her emotions into it, her excitement with the idea just as strong as her anxiety.

Deep down, she knew that the decision has just been made. That no matter how openly they talked about it or expressed themselves, all three Ramseys wished to share their love and happiness with another soul.

[loser-writings]

Continue the omega bakugou one with OmegaBakuharem ft alpha reader x omega bakugou x alpha kirishima (poly)

I hope you enjoy! I was hoping I would get a request like this since I did mention that Bakugo would’ve been willing to date either of you in his little scenario.

You and Bakugo Courting Kirishima

Once everybody got to the dorms, word spread like wildfire that you and Bakugo had started courting. Some made jokes about how it took being kidnapped was what it took for you both to get together, but you quickly told them that they were being insensitive and needed to put a sock in it. Despite the teasing, everyone seemed happy for you honestly. Mina congratulated you both, Denki teased but quickly stopped when he heard Bakugo growling, and hell, even Deku congratulated his friend on getting a mate. It was honestly kind of weird since neither of you really saw it as a big deal, but many others did.

It was only the first night when you heard Bakugo huffing in his nest that sat in the corner of the room. His burnt Caramel scent was stronger than ever. “Baby, what’s buggin’ you?” You asked and sat on the edge of his bed before noticing that he was holding onto one of Kirishimas’ hoodies as if his life depended on it. “You miss Kiri?” You asked as you slowly got off of his bed to crawl in the nest with him. “Shut up, I don’t fucking miss him.” He rolled away from you. You chuckled a little and moved to play with his hair. “I mean, I do. Did you see how his face fell when they started gossiping about us courting?” “Yeah! They fucking act like we are married or some shit. It’s not THAT big of a deal. Like how the fuck did they know we were together anyway?” You chuckled and softly tugged on the tangled blond locks, making him calm down and a purr come from his omega. “Dunno baby, but I don’t like that they’re making it such a big deal.” He huffed and hugged the hoodie a little closer. 

“I didn’t like seeing Kirishima like that.” He mumbled softly. “It made my Omega want to hug him and reassure him that everything would be okay.” You nodded before sighing softly. “Me too. My alpha hated seeing him look so down.” Bakugo huffed, focusing on your hands in his hair before a thought came to his head which only made his cheeks darken. “Whatcha thinkin of, Omega? You turned awfully red just now.” You teased a little, poking at his cheeks which only made him groan and roll his eyes. “Fuck off.” He sat up and moved to the other side of the nest, throwing a pillow at you as you started to make your way towards him again. “Oh, It’s on.” He saw you smirk and knew that he was in trouble, your hand reaching over to grab a pillow and try to hit him with it. He managed to block it and grabbed another pillow, continuing the pillow fight. It only ended when you threw yourself on top of him, pressing him down into one of the corners that was piled up. “Okay! Okay, you win.” he said before wrapping his arms around you, pulling you down against his chest with a huff. You could only chuckle and take one of his hands to hold.

“Since I won, you have to tell me what you were thinking that made your Omega purr that loud and those cheeks so red.” “What?! Bullshit I do not!” Your laughter as his cheeks turned red again only made him huff softly. “Asshole.” He mumbled as you settled down, wrapping your arms around his neck with a happy grin. “You love me though, so tell me. I promise I won’t judge.” He huffed, feeling you rub the scent gland on your wrist against his neck to try to coax his words out of him. He hated that it was working. “I thought...Of possibly adding Kiri to the relationship? N-Not that i don’t love you, Alpha, but...I think I might like him too.” Your alpha originally rumbled with jealousy at the thought of Bakugo with another alpha before you thought about it, the deep growl slowly disappearing. It would explain why your alpha wanted to comfort him when he was sad, and why it hurt when the other Alpha hid in his room for the rest of the day. “Alpha?” Bakugos’ eyes showed concern despite his almost annoyed expression. “Now what are you thinking?”

You hummed before slowly laying back down beside him, taking his hand in your own. “Your hand is as sweaty as ever.” He groaned and rolled his eyes. “Shut up, answer my question.” You chuckled a little before sighing. “I think I want that too. It’s never really been just us, and the three of us always seem to work best together.” Bakugo tried not to react to your words, but his happy cinnamon scent and purrs threw him under the bus. “Do you want to like...Court him together?” You only smiled a little before nodding. “As much as I adore it being just us, I miss having the boulder with us too.” 

You both continued to talk for a while after, discussing what you both could do and reassuring each other that yeah, this is what you both wanted. It was decided that the actual date where you would bring it up would be at the end of the week. Each day you both would both give him courting gifts til Friday. Then you would have Bakugo make a huge nest for the three of you to snuggle in while watching the movie. Once you both had a basic plan, you gave him a quick kiss. “Now get the hell out. I’ll see you tomorrow, make sure you don’t forget it.” He barked at you which only made you laugh. “Of course baby. See you tomorrow.”

Monday: Bakugo made all three of you breakfast before class, griping about how you both tend to skip breakfast. Kiri seemed a bit more quiet at first, but slowly relaxed when he started to realize that this could work? You both acted the same as you did before being mated, so maybe he could handle it. Then after a bit of training, Kirishima left his jacket in the locker room only to have Bakugo hand him his, huffing about how he needs to keep track of his shit. If he wasn’t courting you, he would’ve sworn that this was courting. He only smiled sadly while wearing it for the rest of the day. When they got to the dorms for the day, Kiri was shocked to see that you had his jacket and when you gave it back to him, it seemed to be heavily scented. His Alpha almost melted when he put it on, thanking you for getting it for him.

Tuesday: Same breakfast routine, but this time you and Kirishima seem to gang together to try to make Bakugo laugh. It was successful since you both managed to get a few chuckles, and a snort as well. Bakugo was a blushing mess after, but it was so worth it. Then you managed to get your hands on tickets to go see that Movie Kirishima wouldn’t stop talking about. Surprising both him and Bakugo, you had Pre-ordered them just in case this happened. When you got to the movies, Kiri bought you both popcorn and drinks, and after the movie the three of you goofed off in the arcade until you decided to go home.

Wednesday: Breakfast, Training, and all three of you studying together for a test. You and Kiri joked a bit as Bakugo barks at you both to stay on topic. This only ended in taking a break that resulted in Bakugo grabbing the both of you by your hair, tugging it a bit to assert dominance which only ended up with him getting tackled against the bed and tickled until he was almost in tears. It was a soft side to the man he only allowed you both to see. Once Bakugo gave in, he hugged you both tight, suddenly becoming extremely aware of your three scents mixing together and how each Alpha managed to snuggle against both scent glands against his neck. His Omega burst in loud purrs and he kept you both there for a few minutes before snapping out of it to push you both off of him and demand you go back to studying. His cheeks were flushed and his hair seemed a bit messier, and it only made both Alphas proud of what they did. What surprised Kiri was that his Alpha wasn’t jealous about you being that close to Bakugo, but actually enjoyed how your scents seemed to stick to him.

Thursday: Bakugo scolded you for the night before yet you only goofed about it, claiming that he loved it. He avoided agreeing to it before moving to make breakfast. Kiri managed to stumble out early to join you both, a goofy and tired grin on his face that made Bakugo melt. He huffed when he sat the food in front of the tired alpha, tangling his hand in the bright red locks that had yet to be styled for the day, mumbling that he needed to eat well for the test that day. When you walked around to sit beside him, he felt your hand rub his back before you reassured him that he would do good. He could only smile sleepily, thinking of how lucky he was for having you two in his life. Kiri then mentioned the fair that was in town only for Bakugo to mumble that he’s never been. It made both alphas gasp and decide that you both would be going after school. Bakugo walked in between you and Kiri, listening to you both chat about everything that you would do while holding your hands. You both teased him about his sweaty palms which only made him point out that neither of you were letting go. Once you got to the fair, you ate junk food, went on many rides, and saved the best for last. As Bakugo was getting something to drink, you asked Kiri if you both should take him down the game area. Sure, it was almost deadly to surround an Omega with so many stuffed animals, but you both agreed and decided to turn it into a little game.

 After Bakugo came back, you both put your plan in action. You held your hand on his lower back as he held Kirishimas hand, both alphas noticing how the Omegas eyes scanned all of the stuffed animals. It was almost with disinterest until he saw a large shark plush, then his eyes locked onto it and he bit his lip a little as he resisted the urge to beg his alphas to win him it, yet he didn’t have to say a word as you approached the game. “I got this.” You smirked, knowing the secret and science behind the ladder climb. Bakugo and Kiri were in awe as you managed to win it on the first try. “How the actual fuck?” The Omega asked as he released Kiris hand to hug the toy to his chest, instantly purring with it in his arms. “These are all rigged. I did a big study over these one day cause I wanted to impress somebody one day.” “Well mission accomplished cause I am confused as to how the hell you did that so easily.” Kiri said as they started walking again. As you walked, you ended up noticing something that the other two didn’t and quickly abandoned them before going to the basketball game, eyeing a Red Riot action figure. By the time the other two had managed to find you, you had it in your hands before thanking the man behind the counter. “Holy shit!” Kirishima smiled as you handed it to him with a grin. “Don’t use the backboard. You need to use a high arch since the hoops are usually smaller than normal, sometimes an oval shape, and the backboards are extra bouncy.” This continued as you all continued to play, telling the boys how to win each game. Throw harder on Darts because they’re usually dulled and the balloons deflated, hit the middle of the pad on the high striker so it has a higher chance of hitting the bell, and hit the bottom two bottles on the milk bottle toss since they’re often weighted. By the time you all were ready to go, your arms were all full of prizes. When you got back to the dorms, you all decided to share the majority of the toys since you didn’t need them all, and the happiness the other two had was enough to make your Alpha stand proudly, especially when Kiri and Bakugo were snuggled up against each other, examining their All Might and Red Riot figures.

Friday: Breakfast that was full of smiles and stories about the night before as well as a discussion about possibly going with the class on Saturday to show them how to win the games. Then Bakugo casually mentioned that you all should have a Movie night since you had nothing better to do, and both Alphas instantly agreed for about 5pm in Bakugos’ room. Kirishima couldn’t help but look forward to it all day, but he wasn’t expecting to find you and Bakugo snuggling in one of the biggest nests he had ever seen. He blushed before shutting his door, noticing how strong Bakugos’ scent was. “Damn, what put you in such a good mood Bakubro?” He chuckled and took off his shoes, moving to head to Bakugos’ bed instead of into the nest. “Just happy I guess. It’s been a minute since we did somethin’ like this” “We literally watched a movie on Tuesday” “Casually, you smartass. I mean that it’s been a moment since we’ve relaxed privately.” He bickered with you as Kirishima chuckled softly. “It’s nice. I was worried that you guys courting would make yall forget about me.” His voice had a hint of sadness as he crawled across the bed, sighing softly. “But I guess that was stupid for me to think that. You both would never just abandon me like that.” You frowned a bit and felt Bakugo squeeze your hand a little bit, clearly upset by his words. “Kiri, why don’t you join us in the nest?” You suggested as Bakugo let go of you so he could go grab the remote for his TV. “Wait...You sure?” “Yeah, we already discussed it before you came in. I made it bigger so you’d have room.” 

Kirishimas’ alpha almost howled at the idea of being accepted into his nest, but he managed to keep himself calm as he got out of the bed to sit beside you in the nest, feeling his nerves calm down when you softly took his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze before Bakugo joined you both, pushing you both apart so he could sit in the middle of you both. It made you laugh as the Omega huffed, angry expression contrasting the loud purring his omega was doing. “You feel better next to your Alphas?” You teased, poking his cheek as his blush started getting darker. “Would you just shut up and help me pick a movie?” “Awe come on Bakubro, it’s nothing to be ashamed of~” Kiri quickly joined in the teasing, moving to press his nose into the Blonds’ cheek. You watched as Bakugos’ brain stopped working for a moment, processing what was going on. “Yeah Omega, Don’t you enjoy having your Alphas here to hold you? Making sure that their Omega is all safe?” You added fuel to the fire, seeing him blush so hard that the tips of his ears started to flush. Despite him looking as if he wasn’t reacting, His omega was purring the loudest he possibly could which only caused the Alphas’ to feel pride at their ability to make the normally angry man so happy.

“Y-Yeah...I do.” The omega admitted as Kiri pulled away with a big grin. “We know~” You watched as Kirishima looked back at the omega with nothing but love and adoration, and it made your Alpha almost purr knowing that both boys were so in love with each other. You moved to softly slip your arm around Bakugo, making him jump and turn his attention to you. “Now?” He mumbled, eyes wide as if looking for you to guide him through the next step of the plan. Your small nod only made Kiri confused, even more when Bakugo turned to face him and huffed softly. “Kiri, we wanted to ask you something.” You had moved away from the nest, walking into Bakugos’ closet to grab the gifts you had planned.

 “We don’t know if you noticed, but we had been courting you!” You said rather boldly before walking back into the nest, sitting down with a box on your lap. “We wanted to give this to you as our final courting gift.” “Save the best for last.” You handed the box to Kiri and he just looked down at it for a moment, chuckling when he noticed the different styles of decorating. “This meathead wanted to have it based on their interpretation of our hero costumes. I tried to keep it on you, but they couldn’t help themselves, right?” Bakugo cringed at the box, referencing the orange and black bow that matched his hero outfit that his Omega had tried hiding from you. “Yep! I think it looks good” “It just doesn’t match with the rest of the-”

 “I love it.” Kirishima had cut you off, neither of you having noticed how he had opened the box and was holding the 3 necklaces in his hand. You both turn your attention towards him as he examined the 3 bands that were connected to the chains, each engraved with a simple “We love you” and a charm showing which one was for who. “We thought you’d like something you could carry to remind you that we could never forget you.” Bakugos’ voice was soft yet serious and you assumed he was referencing what Kirishima had said earlier. The red haired Alpha smiled again, trying not to get emotional as he sat them down. “Come here Omega, Let me put it on you.” His voice trembled a little, but he was clearly trying not to cry.

Bakugo quickly did as he said, sitting in front of him so the other could put the chain around his neck. He then did the same to you before Bakugo did Kiris. You were about to speak before Kiri started wiping at his eyes, alarming both you and the other. “Why are you crying?” Bakugo asked and moved to one side of Kiri, taking his hand, you followed his lead and doing the same with his other side. “I just..Hah fuck this is so not manly,” He chuckled and moved to squeeze your hands. “I got so scared that you both would leave me. I love you both so fucking much, and now I have you asking to court me.” He chuckled and carefully pulled his hands away. “It’s like a dream yknow? I’m scared that I’ll wake up.” 

You grinned a little and moved to pull them both back into the nest fully. Bakugo knew what you were going to do and just hugged him close, scenting him to try to calm him down. You left quickly and came back with a blanket from your room, laying it across both boys before kneeling in front of them. “I’m getting snacks and shit. You both stay here and relax, I got you.” You cooed and quickly pecked them both before running off. Kiri only sniffled again and held onto Bakugo tighter. “I just...Can’t believe this is real.” Bakugo shoved Kiri in his neck, hoping his scent would help him relax. “It is, and we love you Kiri. Please stop being so damn hard on yourself.” He mumbled, playing with the red locks to help stop the tears.

When you got back to Bakugos’ room, you found Kiri snuggled up next to Bakugo as they searched for a movie. “Feeling better?” You asked as you sat down everything. “Alpha, we didn’t need a fucking feast. Just some popcorn would have worked.” The blond mumbled as Kiri grinned, seeing some steak fried rice that you made for him. “Is that what took you so long?” He asked as he took the bowl in his hand, grinning at the smell. “Well I assumed that a small meal wouldn’t hurt anyone.” You chuckled before handing Bakugo a bowl of ramen. “Thanks babe.” he mumbled, still looking for a movie. You grinned and quickly pecked Kirishimas cheek. “Besides, that smile is so worth the little work it took.” Kiri melted and smiled bigger as you curled up beside him, opening a bag of chips to eat. “Don’t get crumbs in my nest. If I feel that shit when I’m sleeping I will not hesitate to attack your ass.” You knew the threat was empty. “Okay babe.”

“I’m thinking horror” Bakugo mumbled before taking a bite of his noodles. “Good or bad?” Kiri asked, opening a soda for himself. “Don’t matter to me. I think somethin not so serious would be best though. We need a good chuckle.” Both boys hummed at your words as they searched. “Well I know Tucker and Dale vs Evil is pretty charming?” Bakugo hummed and found it quickly and started it up. Kiri couldn’t help but notice how you both calmed him down to an overwhelming degree. Your hand resting on his thigh and Bakugos’ hand in his own just made him take a deep breath. This was real, and he couldn’t be more happy. The night continued on with movies that were eventually abandoned for group cuddles, random kisses, and eventually falling asleep together in the large nest. 

[acemoppet]

and kiss you, and kiss you, and kiss you ('til monday)

Written for @drowningbydegrees ‘s artwork for @geraskierreversebang! I had a lot of fun with this one- thank you guys for everything!

Pairings: Geraskier

Tags: Fluff, Kissing, Enby!Jaskier, Fake Dating

Summary: Geralt looks at them dead-on. “I’ll tell you the details later,” he says, “but basically, we’d have to go as lovers.”

Or: Monster of the Week requires Geralt and Jaskier to pose as lovers at a banquet. Only, will they *really* be posing?

They’re just eating breakfast- eggs and ham! A far cry from the bread and jerky they usually scarf down while on the road- when the messenger arrives.

“You the witcher?”

Geralt looks up. “A witcher, yes,” he says, and Jaskier hides a snort into their eggs. “Why?”

The man grins. “Viscountess Alana is looking for you,” he says, dropping a parchment onto the table.

Geralt quickly looks it over- from across the table, Jaskier can just barely make out the outline of an official stamp- before turning back to the messenger. “Now.”

The man just keeps grinning, and gods but isn’t that unnerving. “Now would be nice.”

Geralt and Jaskier exchange a look before Geralt gets up. “Seems we don’t have much of a choice,” he rumbles. “Show us to the Viscountess then.”

Ah, my eggs, Jaskier thinks sadly as Geralt and the messenger step out. Still, they restrict themself to one (1) forlorn sigh before packing up their belongings and joining Geralt and the messenger outside.

It seems the viscountess lives nearby- the town they were just dining in is under her jurisdiction, which is how she must have heard of their presence after they’d entered last night.

“I thought you said there were no jobs in this town,” Jaskier murmurs, just low enough for Geralt to hear them.

“There weren’t,” Geralt replies, eyes still on the messenger merrily leading them.

“Ah,” Jaskier says. “A nobility-specific problem then. Wonderful.”

“Hm.”

The two of them have shared many things over the years they’ve traveled together- food, drink, and on one memorable occasion, even clothes- and a healthy dislike of nobility is just another of those things. Nobles tend to give shit jobs with a smile and threaten to ruin Geralt’s reputation if he so much as talks back- even Jaskier’s hands are tied around them.

All in all, neither of them are looking forward to this job.

In the midst of their rumination (and Jaskier’s mental funeral to the hot breakfast they’ve left behind), they arrive at the Viscountess’ manor. Jaskier would go on to describe it, but honestly when you’ve seen them once, you’ve seen them all. It’s grand, it’s bland, and neither of them would like to be anywhere near where it stands.

Still, it’s not like they can turn this down- if not because of Geralt’s morals not letting him not take a job (and he does have them, the principled persnickety bastard), then because of the risk of being arrested by the lawmen this Viscountess Alana can no doubt influence.

“Onwards,” Jaskier whisper-shouts cheerily, trying to cover up the lack of enthusiasm on both of their parts. Geralt just rolls his eyes- rude!

They enter the manor and are quickly directed to a sitting room. “The Viscountess will be in shortly,” the messenger says, and gods but Jaskier is still hung up on his incessant smile.

“Don’t his cheeks hurt?” they say to Geralt after the man leaves the room. “I mean, really, the man’s got to stop at one point!”

Geralt side-eyes them. “Yeah,” he says, “You’d think.”

“Yeah and- wait.” Jaskier narrows their eyes. “What are you implying, Geralt?”

Geralt looks away, but not before Jaskier sees the curl of an amused smile on his lips- which, rude! Very rude! Before Jaskier can call out his unspeakable rudeness, however, the Viscountess enters the room.

“Witcher,” she says, nodding at Geralt. Then she notices Jaskier. “And bard. I hope I’ve not kept you waiting.”

Surprisingly she hasn’t. “Not at all, my Lady!” Jaskier says, laying on the charm. The Viscountess smiles, amused. Gods, what is it with people finding them amusing when they’re not trying to be?

In the midst of their irritation, Geralt takes over. “You said you had a problem,” he states- Jaskier knows it’s a question though.

“Yes,” the lady says, gesturing for them to sit as she takes a seat as well. “As I said in my note, there’s been an alarming amount of disappearances from my parties recently…”

Jaskier tunes out the rest of the conversation- Geralt is more than adequate in social situations when he wants to be, and he tends to want to be on jobs. “Takes less time to deal with, and it’s less troublesome,” he says. Which, Jaskier can get behind that.

They take the opportunity to appreciate the room- it’s a very airy space, with tall windows that the morning sun spills through. The furniture is… decadent, for lack of a better word. While Jaskier appreciates the aesthetics, they’re less inclined to do so when they’ve gotten interrupted in the middle of their breakfast. The eggs and ham of nary an hour ago seem so far away, and Jaskier’s stomach cries out in longing- metaphorically of course. Ooh, but there’s an idea for a song…

Jaskier is pulled out of their splendid composition (it’s called “Ode to Warmth”, which is both pretentious enough for Oxenfurt and simple enough for tavern fare, so win-win all around) when Geralt says, “I’ll need to attend the banquet then.”

Geralt? Wanting to attend a banquet?? Ohohoho, this they’ve got to know more about.

The Viscountess nods. “I understand, but how will you lure the- what was it you called?”

“Bruxa.” Oh shit. No wonder the Viscountess is worried- bruxas are bad news.

“Right,” the Viscountess says. “How will you lure the bruxa? If they’re attending my parties as you say, they must be intelligent enough to understand that you’re a witcher.”

Ooooh, clever Viscountess! Jaskier takes a closer look at her- she’s beautiful, actually, with skin a smooth, red-brown ochre and eyes dark and twinkling with intelligence and- ok, so maybe Jaskier has a bit of a competency kink: they chalk that up as a product of imprinting on Geralt- who is, for all of their teasing, the most competent person in all the land- at the tender age of eighteen.

Geralt, as if sensing their attraction, kicks their ankle surreptitiously. They kick back and nearly miss Geralt’s reply. “I can disguise myself,” he says. “Especially if Jaskier attends with me.”

Jaskier takes back every insult they’ve ever bestowed on this man. “Really?” they say, excited at the prospect of fine clothes, fine wine, and fine… company.

The Viscountess looks uncertain. “I’m not sure how that would disguise you,” she says. “Everyone knows that Jaskier the Bard is followed by Geralt of Rivia, and vice versa.”

Truly?! Oh, this day just keeps getting better and better- it’s almost enough to make Jaskier forget the tragedy of this morning’s uninterrupted breakfast!

On a more serious note… “Yes, how do you plan to disguise yourself, Geralt?” Jaskier asks their friend. “We can… maybe do something about your hair? I have some Zerrikanian henna in my bag, but that’s not going to help you lure the bruxa in, is it?”

Geralt looks at them dead-on. “I’ll tell you the details later,” he says, “but basically, we’d have to go as lovers.”

L-lovers?!

“Oh!” The Viscountess says, looking flustered. “I- I did not realize you two were-”

“We’re not,” Geralt says, even as Jaskier starts to finally process his words. “But from what you’ve told me, the bruxa is tending to pick off your guests when they go out with their partners for… fresh air. If we make them think Jaskier and I are going to do that, then they’ll follow us, and I can dispatch them safely.”

It’s… a sound plan, if a bit elaborate. “How will you excuse my presence there then?” Jaskier asks. It’s not like they can use their ex-title as a Kerackian Viscount here.

Geralt turns to them then with a mean smile. “You still have that one doublet from Cintra, don’t you?” he says. “The one that made me look like-”

“‘A sad silk trader,’” Jaskier repeats. Then they freeze. “Geralt, but that’s not my color at all!”

“Tough,” Geralt says, still smiling at them. “You’ll go undercover as a merchant, and I’ll go in as your lover.”

On one hand, having to wear something bland. On the other hand, playing at a relationship with their best friend and secret love of at least a decade now. Truly, it’s a no brainer.

“It’s a good plan,” the Viscountess says. “The banquet is later tonight- I trust you’ll be ready by then?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll show you to your rooms- best of luck.”

---

By rooms, the Viscountess clearly meant one room. “Sorry,” the increasingly-smiley messenger says. “We’re short on rooms because of the banquet tonight- it’s a wonder we even have an empty one!”

And what a room it is! The walls are made of the finest timber, carved with elaborate curlicues that make Jaskier’s head spin. The fire is already on- which is nice, if unnecessary, given that it’s just hitting mid-morning now. But the main attraction is the bed.

Oh, now this is a bed worthy of praise. It’s soft and fluffy, like the clouds outside their balcony (yes, they have a balcony too). The bed is made from what looks like a richer wood- Geralt would know more, as Jaskier cares little for the knowledge of timber used in this area. To top it all off, there are curtains. For the bed.

First they’re going to a banquet, then they’re going as Geralt’s pretend lover, and now they get to stay in a room such as this? Can this day get any better?

“I’ll call some breakfast for you,” the smiley man says as he heads out of the room. ”The meal’s already done for the other guests, but the cooks should be able to serve some eggs and ham, at least.”

Jaskier gasps in delight. Best. Contract. Ever.

Behind them, they hear Geralt huff. They turn around to see him looking at them in familiar amusement and… fondness?

That’s odd, they think, before pushing that thought away. “Gods, what a day, Geralt!” they exclaim, falling back on the bed. “And it’s not even noon yet!”

Geralt hums. “Don’t fall asleep,” he says, shrugging off his armor and swords. “We still need to work out our plan.”

“Ah, right,” Jaskier says, sitting up. “Our plan to… I’m sorry, are we luring the bruxa in or seducing them into a ménage à trois?”

Geralt chuckles- success!- and shakes his head. “Only you, Jaskier,” he says, eyes glinting with mirth as he sits down beside them on the bed. “No, we’re luring them in. Which means we have to convincingly act like lovers.”

Once again, the word “lovers” makes Jaskier’s face go red. “A-ah,” they say. “R-right then.”

Geralt looks at them, amused. “Shying away, bard?” he teases. “What, are your acting skills no good?”

“My acting skills are terrific, thank you very much,” they reply automatically. “Still, it’s not everyday we get to pretend we’re… together.” That’s as close as they can get to the word “lovers” without blushing like a tomato again. “Which is why we should practice!”

...Shit.

Geralt furrows his brows. “Practice?”

“Y-yeah,” they say. They can still salvage this, maybe by saying that they could practice dancing- “You know, like kissing and stuff!” Fuck, ok, never mind.

“‘And stuff?’” Geralt repeats, amused. “I see your reputation is over-inflated.”

“It is not!” Jaskier protests, indignant. “Take that back, you donkey’s arse!”

Geralt scoffs. “Or what?”

“Or I’ll make you!”

Geralt raises a cocky eyebrow, leaning in. “Yeah?” he says. “How?”

There’s a moment where the world stops, narrowing down to the spaces where they breathe and the way Geralt’s eyes seem glued to Jaskier’s mouth. Then Geralt’s lips are on theirs, and Jaskier's head spins.

They clutch at Geralt’s arms, trying hard not to fall over as he kisses them, slow and gentle. It’s soft and wet and so fucking good that Jaskier feels their brain melting out of their ears.

Control yourself, Jaskier thinks wildly, scrabbling for sense as they try to keep their reactions bottled. Then Geralt pushes his tongue into their mouth and Jaskier groans.

“Fuck,” they pant when Geralt finally pulls back. There’s a line of spit connecting their lips, and Jaskier goes cross-eyed trying to follow it before Geralt brings up a finger to break it.

“Speechless, bard?” he teases, a smirk pulling at the corner of his lips, and oh that’s not fucking fair.

“Y-you wish,” Jaskier says, trying to catch their breath. They try to come up with a witty line, but upon finding nothing, they say fuck it and yank Geralt back in for another kiss.

This time, they’re the one pushing their tongue into Geralt’s mouth, swallowing Geralt’s surprised groan with glee. They bring their hands up, originally to pull on Geralt’s hair just for being a bastard, but then Geralt’s hand is on the back of their neck, thumb rubbing soft circles over the first bone on their spine, and they change course to cradle Geralt’s face instead.

The kiss turns soft, softer than Jaskier ever thought possible. Time melts away as Geralt pulls them into his lap, hands tucking into the spaces at their waist. At one point, Jaskier breaks away for just a breath but dives immediately back in nip at Geralt’s jaw. The sound he makes is addictive, and Jaskier does it again, and again, and again until there are faint lovebites across his entire jawline.

“You know, Geralt,” they murmur, whining when Geralt’s lips find their throat. “If we keep doing this, we’re not going to be pretending to be lovers at the banquet tonight.”

Geralt hums, and fuck if that doesn’t feel good against their throat. “I don’t mind,” he rumbles, nipping at Jaskier’s pulse and making them shiver. “Do you?”

Jaskier pulls his face back up. His eyes are half-lidded and dark, but the fondness in them is clear as day. “Not at all,” they say, smiling as they lean in to kiss him. “Not at all.”

The End.

Okay, fine, not the end. The banquet goes smoothly, even though Jaskier is giddy enough to hurl- they can’t help it! They’re lovers now! Still, Geralt manages to reel them in- it helps that he’s always touching them, soothing their frantic need for touch.

They find an opening at one point to duck out of the party. “You have your dagger?” Geralt whispers, feeling them up behind a stone arch in the garden, and ohoho there’s so many jokes they can make there. Then Geralt’s hand cups the back of their neck, and they’re suddenly overwhelmed with the need to kiss him.

“Yes,” they say before mashing their mouths together. Geralt huffs but kisses them back- he smiles though, laughing at them.

“Stop laughing, you arse,” they mutter into Geralt’s lips, and Geralt’s shoulders shake. “No, seriously, it’s hard to kiss you like this.”

“Can’t help it,” Geralt says, though he stops laughing. “You’re so eager.”

“Oh, like you’re not.”

Geralt hums but finally, finally starts kissing them properly.

Which is of course when the bruxa jumps out.

There’s a screech, and suddenly Jaskier is shoved away. They fall to the ground and immediately turn around, eyes straining to see in the dark night.

There’s the sound of a sword being pulled out of its scabbard- must be Geralt, please be Geralt- a flash of metal, and then one last ear-piercing screech that gets cut off as Geralt most likely cuts their head off. Something lands with a wet thunk some feet ahead of them- must be the head- but Jaskier stops focusing on that as Geralt walks back into view.

“Are you alright?” they say, jumping to their feet. “Fuck, there’s blood on your face-”

“Not mine,” Geralt rumbles, though he allows Jaskier to wipe it away. “I’m not injured- you?”

“Fit as a fiddle, my dear witcher,” they declare. “Though, perhaps my lips ache a bit- would you kiss them better?”

Geralt snorts, and then laughs. “Seriously?” he says, chuckling. “Is that the famous charm I keep hearing about?”

Jaskier scowls. “Well,” they say, pretending to be huffy- yes, they know the line is bad, they’ve found that Geralt’s a sucker for shitty pick-up lines- “if you don’t want to-”

“I didn’t say that.” Geralt steps into their space and tilts their chin up. This close, they can see how Geralt’s eyes flood with adoration- it’s too much and not enough, and Jaskier knows without fail they’ll always feel this way when it comes to this man. “You’re right, should probably kiss you better. Just in case.”

“Just in case,” Jaskier agrees. Then Geralt’s lips find theirs, and the world washes away once more.

[cottoncandyjester]

How would your Yandere Ocs react to Y/N enjoy having friends? They are not into having a romantic relationship but they enjoy giving out platonic affection to their friends. Platonic cuddles, kisses, and hugs.

Anyone ever have those moments where not writing feels weird and unnatural? That's my current mood so decided to write this ask at 7am lol

Warning this contains: talk of sex but nothing nsfw, toxic relationships, yandere behavior, manipulation, blackmail

Theodore

As your friend he urges you to not do that

His scolding feels more like a worried father

He shows you the logical side

"what if someone catches feelings when you do that? Wouldn't be good"

He just wants your kisses to himself

If you become affectionate with him he will love it

Honestly though jealously will set in quite fast

You're not his but you basically are

You just don't know it

His suggestions turn into a warning if you keep it up

After seeing you kiss other people for so long it won't be long until he's snatching you up

Taking you away from that situation the only way he knows how

He makes sure to manipulate you, after all theodore works hard to make sure you see him as the voice of reason

He's so smart and reasonable he's only trying to help you don't you see?

"they really said that?"

"I'm afraid so, but it's okay you have me"

Theodore smiled at you gently, his news about your friends hating you shocked you to the core but you were unsure if you were to believe such a thing after all that simply couldn't be true you had a close bind with them

"maybe I should talk with them, we can work it out or some-"

"you know that not the correct answer dear"

Theodore pulled you in for a hug a long sigh escaping him as he held you close, his voice whispering in your ear

" you know it's true, be logical now. The facts simply line up..all those times they told you that they were all going to hang out only to ditch you, or those moments or the fact that they start to whisper about you when you just aren't aware, I see all those things darling"

Theo was a snake, he was able to make you unsure about it all. Placing a small seed of doubt was all it took to ruin everything, of course he did the same little trick on your friends making sure they doubted your friendship as well.

In the end all those friends you adored for some reason stopped hanging around you, you did never understand why but that was okay cause theo stayed by your side no matter what cause..that's what friends are for

Hikaru

Oh honey

He knows this game all too well

Hell he's played it before

It's so easy to befriend your friends

Win them over and win you over as well

It's all in the plan

Of course he wants to slam your friends' heads into a brick wall for touching you but that's besides the point

Flashing around his debit card was all it took to win your friends over

Once they were his..he corrupted them

Spreading rumors and gossip is his favorite hobby

From fake dark secrets about you to gross remarks

It wasn't long until all your friends thought you were a little whore

They all stopped hanging out with you after that

You have no idea why

It honestly broke you

And now hikaru could break you even more

"what do you expect from greedy little bitches, [y/n]?"

Hikaru had to hold back a grin at the sight of you teary eyes about your friends telling you that they don't want to be around you anymore. All that hard work paid off and he was way too happy, you were all his now but this wasn't enough

You had to want him as much as he wanted you.

"honestly though, maybe we shouldn't be fr-"

"No! Please! You're my only friend left!"

Hikaru eyes you with a cold stare now walking closer and gently pushed you down to your knees

"beg for my friendship, after all you're gonna need allies. I think one of them posted a nasty tweet on Twitter and it's going around. But with my help I can definitely make sure you're safe"

Your eyes widened and you honestly had no choice, it was either have your whole friends and family think awful things about you or become his best friend

Hikaru wasn't too bad..right?

"p-please, be my friend hikaru..I need you"

Hikaru couldn't hide a grin anymore as he leaned down roughly grabbing your face forcing direct eye contact

"that's right, you need me. Without me you will be alone and you don't wanna be alone..right, [y/n]? So be a good little bitch and do exact what I say"

His threatening tone terrified you but it scared you more to think what will happen if you didn't do as you were told.

Axis

Goes straight to guilty tripping

He should get the most affection cause he's your bestest friend ever

He needs you!

Please treat him far more special than the rest of your friends

He becomes extremely clingy

He is always around you..like always

He doesn't really get along with your others friends quite as much

He isn't smart like the others

This blind bag of rocks thinks being a brat will solve it

It does annoy your friends and they complain about him to you

If you try to break your friendship off with him he will break down sobbing

Will say anything to prevent you from seeing him in a bad light

"w-what are you saying, [y/n]?"

"we can't be friends, you're scaring my other friends"

Axis felt shocked but quickly knew what to do, tears rolled down his face as he sniffled now playing the pitiful pathetic role. Seeing his heavy tears made your eyes soften and you stepped towards him unsure of what to do

"it's cause I'm blind isn't it? It's cause I'm not like them right?"

That single sentence sent you in for a loop and you were quickly comforting them male before you knew it

"nononono! That's not it I swear! They all said that you've been threatening them and that you being clingy with me is weird"

"lies lies lies! It's not true! I just wanted to be friends, why do they hate me [y/n]?"

Axis suddenly reached out clearly wanting you to grab him so you did and he wrapped his arms around you hugging you close

"h-how come they can be clingy with you but I can't? That's not fair..they hate me cause of my disability, people like that are the worst"

Seeing how fragile and vulnurable axis was made you bubble up with anger, how could your friends treat him so poorly? There was no way he was making threats towards them!

He was such a sweet guy and having him sob into your arms made you confirm that! Axis wasn't a danger to anyone and your friends were selfish and cruel..is what you believed

Axis sniffles softly now hiding a small smile as he hugged you close, his sweet [y/n] will be all his someday, so what does it matter if he told a few lies or spilled a few tears.

Prince

So that's how you wanna play?

Okay!

Of course he's jealous but he isn't going to have a bitch fit over it

He knows what to do

He proceeded to seduce and sleep with your entire friend group

Gender does matter

Sexuality doesn't matter

He somehow did it

Once he did that it was only natural for things to fall apart

Your friends liked him

Loved him

Wanted to screw him

And he used that to his advantage

Having them fight each other was just amazing

It didn't take much for jealously to kick in amongst your friends

A simple hand hold with one of your friends made the others very jealous

You were blissfully unaware

You didn't understand why your friends were so tense around another

Then they started to bad mouth each other to you

It was utter hell and chaos trying to keep the peace

Prince of course was there to comfort you every step of the way

"babe, some people are just toxic y'know?"

"y-yeah, but this came out of nowhere like we were all fine I have no idea what happened"

You sat with prince in his room he let you vent our your troubles and you needed that. All your other friends were fighting with each other every chance they get and you still don't know why

"what do you think, P?"

"ehh, I dunno? People are weird huh? Well whatever it is dont stick your nose in it or they will snap at you too"

"yeah, I should wait til this all blows over, it will be fine I mean we are all best friends"

Prince held back a chuckle as he watched you, you trusted him and he loved that. He leaned close planting a kiss to your cheek

"how about you spend the night yeah? We can just chill and eat food yeah? You definitely need that"

"yeah sounds good"

Checkmate. You were his.

Yuki

Okay..do it to him

Kiss him too

Hug him as well

When he sees you go to hug or kiss someone else he quickly stops it by distracting you

Whether it be tugging your shirt to get your attention or showing you a random video on his phone of a cute animal

He will distract your mind for that moment

He end up stealing all the kisses and love

Your lap is just perfect for sleeping

He does have to dispose of your friends though

After all you two were 'dating' and cheating isn't a good trait

He does it by intimidation

Blackmail does the trick nicely

Blackmailing all of them has scared them away

But that's okay cause yuki will take all their affection

"I think she blocked me, I'm not in the group chat anymore what about you?"

You spoke to the male who rested his head in your lap, you two were in your room relaxing and as always yuki had his head rested in your lap looking like he was about to fall asleep

His light grunt answered the question for you and you gave a long sigh, your fingers now running through his hair and he's a satisfied groan from him

Yuki was a quiet one but you liked that about him, he reminded you of a cat.

"guess I'll try again later, a nap sound good huh?"

Yuki turned to his side his face buried in your stomach now as he held you close nuzzling his face into you with a pleased him. He wasn't sure how long the blackmail would work but it was working that's all that mattered to him

"forget them...'m here"

His soft whisper shocked you but you grinned as you leaned down kissing your best friend on his cheek

"yeah I could always count on you huh?"

Of course you could, he was your future husband!

[creamofweep]

Dear Steve

ooh she’s an angsty one

it was so hard for me to write the beginning and end of this I kept crying

mostly Post Endgame

Word count: 1876

“Don’t do anything stupid ‘til I get back,” Steve smiled.

“How can I? You’re taking all the stupid with you,” Bucky chuckled. I watched as the two men hugged. Nearly choking on his words, Bucky told Steve he would miss him. 

“It’s gonna be okay, Buck,” he reassured. Steve then turned to me. He had told me and Bucky what he planned to do and though it hurt me that I wanted to be with someone else, I understood. He made a promise. He never thought he’d get the chance to go back and be with her so who am I to stand in his way. 

“Y/N... I love you. I always will.” He held my hand tightly. We had already said our proper goodbyes earlier.

“I know. I love you too. I just want you to be happy.” I struggled to hold back my tears so I pulled him in for a tight hug so I could hide my reaction from Sam and Bruce. We stayed like that for just a moment more so I could compose myself. When I pulled back, he held my cheek and gave me one last loving kiss before turning to leave.

I stepped to stand next to Bucky as Steve picked up Thor’s hammer. Bucky put his arm over my shoulder to comfort me and I slipped your arm around his waist to do the same for him. I heard Bruce and Sam exchange words but couldn’t bring myself to listen, too focused on watching Steve. He looked at me and Bucky as his helmet came on. Knowing what would happen next, I turned to hug Bucky tightly and hide my face on his shoulder. I just couldn’t watch.

Suddenly, I heard the machine make a loud sound and I knew he was gone. I heard Bruce and Sam’s voices afterwards but couldn’t hear what they were saying past the sound of my heart pumping out of my chest. Bucky pried me off of him and turned me around. 

“Guys...” 

I saw what he saw. The back of an elderly man, sitting peacefully. Waiting. 

Sam, Bucky, and I walked towards him, stopping a few meters away. 

I still held on to Bucky’s waist tightly but lifted my other arm to give Sam a gentle pat on the back.

“Go ahead,” Bucky encouraged. We watched as they talked. As Sam picked up the shield. As the world got a new Captain America. Then, Sam looked over at me. He nodded his head for me to come over there. I exchanged a quick look with Bucky before he gently pushed me towards Steve. Sam began walking back and gave me a pat on the shoulder as he passed. 

“Hi Steve.” I sat down next to him and studied his face. It felt crazy how even though it had so many new little features, it was still the same face. The same Steve Rogers.

“Hi Y/N. I’ve missed you.” His voice was so soft and gentle. 

“That’s right... It’s been a long, long time for you huh? Did you enjoy it?”

“It was beautiful. Thank you for letting me have that,” He put his hand over mine and squeezed it with gratitude.

“I’m really happy for you. You deserve the world Steve.” 

“Before I forget, I wanted to give you my address. I know it sounds silly, but I don’t get much company these days. Keep in touch while I’m still around won’t you?” He handed me a folded piece of paper. 

“I will. I promise,” I gave a bittersweet smile and scooted over to give him a gentle hug. 

---

Dear Steve, 

I’ve realized I probably won’t get the chance to come visit you much so I figure I could write some letters. It just feels more personal than a phone call and you always said you loved letters because you could reread them and if I remember correctly you said, “after a while I can hear someone’s voice in their handwriting.”

Honestly, I thought that was the cheesiest thing ever but I loved it and it made me love you even more. So anyway, I’m in Chicago now. So many people here were left homeless when they came back from the blip. It’s the same situation everywhere but looks like the big cities have it worse. I’m working hard to find people homes. 

Big cities get a bad rap for being tough and cold and maybe it’s being gone for five years that made them nicer, but I don’t think that’s quite right. I think that the people that survived just learned to be kind and grateful and having more of that love in the world is changing things. It’s changing the people that came back and rewarding the people that had to change on their own. It’s really quite beautiful. 

Sorry for such a short letter but I figured I should write while I have any time at all. I’ll visit you as soon as I’m back in New York. Also, don’t write back! I’ve been at a different address basically every week and any response would probably just get lost. Also I know those hands don’t write or draw like they used to. 

I’ll see you soon. 

Love,

Y/N

---

Dear Steve, 

Nothing against the Avengers, but I’ve never felt more like a hero than I do these days. Sometimes I get scared that I’m doing all this good work just to feel good about myself and not because it’s the right thing to do. If you were here I bet you’d say, “Y/N you can’t be so hard on yourself. I know you’d be doing this even without any recognition or thanks.” 

And I know you’d be right. I know I’m a good person. You were the one that showed me that. You made me see myself how you saw me and it changed me. Practically saved me from my own self-destruction. 

Anyways, do you remember when you took me to meet Peggy? Gosh that must feel so long ago for you now. I still remember it like it was yesterday. I just want you to know that I already knew then that you belonged with her. Before you went back, you kept telling me you were sorry and that you’d stay if I asked. You should know that I really truly did want this for you. I hope you got over the guilt you had for me when you saw her. 

Also, maybe it’s weird thing to hope for but I hope you told her about me the way you told me about her. Not in a way that makes her jealous, but in a way that makes her think, “I’m glad you had someone like that in your life.” I hope I made enough of an impact on your life for that. 

Sorry for another short letter. I have a feeling that’s probably going to be pretty normal coming from me. I should be back in New York in a couple weeks though! I only have a couple days to spend there but I’ll be sure to see you.

 Love, 

Y/N

---

Dear Steve, 

It was great to see you. For an old man, you sure are witty. I guess you’ve had a lot of practice being old though. After all, I met you in your 90s and that was a solid few decades ago for you.

I’m down in DC now so I’m a little closer to you. I’ll definitely visit more often. I’m really happy and proud of the work I’m doing, but sometimes I wonder what my life would’ve been like if I had gone with Sam and Bucky. I certainly wouldn’t have any time to write to you that’s for sure. I hope they’ve visited you. I’m sure they’ve at least maintained contact. 

I won’t be the one to sugar coat it. You’re getting old. For real this time. You and I both know you don’t have a ton of time left. I just want you to know I’ll be there until the end though. I also want you to know that because of you, the world is okay. You don’t have to worry about us. It’s okay.

Maybe I shouldn’t have taken such a somber turn, but it had to be said and I don’t know that I would’ve been able to get the words out in person. Anyway, I’ll see you soon. 

Love, 

Y/N

---

Dear Y/N,

If you’re reading this, it means my time has come. I feel like there’s not much I could say to you that I’ve already said.

Thank you for looking out for me. Thank you for loving me so much you let me go. Thank you for inspiring me to keep my hopes high. Thank you for teaching me how to be unconditionally kind, how to give love to anyone that needs it, how to find a star in the darkest sky.

When I was young, someone told me that I was who I was because I was a good man and not a perfect soldier. I believed him for a long time but then I met you. I don’t think I was a truly good man until you came around and showed me how to be one. 

Even now, you’ve done your time helping the world out. I watched you fight Thanos’ army fearlessly with my own eyes. But in all the letters you send me, you tell me about how you’re still hard at work saving people. I think that’s what makes you not only a hero to the world, but a hero to me. You never stop finding ways to make the world a better place. You never hesitate to help someone in need. 

I just hope you know how proud I am to have met you. How proud I am to have been able to love you. You gave me this life and I will always be grateful. Thank you.

Love, 

Steve Rogers

---

Dear Bucky, 

Thank you for being there for me after the funeral. I feel like it should’ve been more like me being there for you considering your history with him being much bigger. Anyway, I hope you know that I am here for you still. Steve doesn’t have to be the only reason we know each other.

Every day I think about him. I continue doing the work I do for him. To make him proud. To make sure that all his work wasn’t for nothing. Do you feel that way too? Like every step you take, you take in honor of him? I’m sure Sam feels that way. By the way, tell him I think the shield looks great on him would you? I’m sure it hasn’t been easy for him to feel like it’s his. 

I don’t really know what else to say. I guess I really just wanted to say thank you. What’d you always say with him? That you were with him ‘til the end of the line? Well I know I’m no replacement and I’m not trying to be, but you the same goes for me. I’m with you ‘til the end of the line. 

Don’t be a stranger. He wouldn’t want that.

Love, 

Y/N

[offtopicoverload]

how would your ideal LI season go?

oooh thank you anon this was really fun and definitely too long and entirely unrealistic because of all the variables but oh well i had fun lmao

Okay I’m just going to start by talking about LIs

I think one of Season 3’s biggest successes was making AJ available from the start, I think that definitely kept those who play for the girls interested

HOWEVER i also think we need one of each: an AJ, a Talia, and a Marisol

Someone you can couple up with right off the bat, someone that takes a bit of time to warm up, maybe around the halfway mark, and someone that isn’t available til the last or second to last recoupling, maybe because they’re only bicurious or its just in their character to take a while to warm up in general, they spent the season in friendship couples or blowing their shot because they didn’t want to move too quick

I know the amount of LIs in Season 2 is a huge attraction, but it obviously wasn’t maintainable, since so many LIs lost their personality after CA

Again, I think Season 3 did great on ideas, but bad execution on drama and actual plot

So I’d probably keep it about 9, maybe 10

And ideally one of them would be trans, probably a trans guy with top surgery scars. Someone makes a joke on the first day and he explains no problem, is open about it and his experiences, maybe he was kicked out as a teenager and is all about positivity and loving people for who they are because of it

I’m all on board for a enby or gnc character or MC, but I honestly think Love Island’s too binary for someone like that to thrive

OH! And an ace LI that’s probably sex neutral and really comfortable with it. They’re up front with their sexuality but have no problem with how sex-focused Love Island is, like they’re fine with the flirting and intimate stuff, they’re just not attracted at the end of the day

Or have this season’s slowburn female LI be demi? I’m not demi, only ace, so I can’t speak on that experience, but I think that might work pretty well, maybe she goes in knowing she’s demisexual and comes out of it knowing she’s demiromantic too? Id love that but idk

I want to touch on customization too, since there’s nowhere near enough

Definitely body types

I forget who said it, but have the typical thin type, a muscular type, and a plus sized

And don’t get me wrong, I know it’s extra work for the artists, but I personally think it’d be worth, but who knows

Make fantasy hair colours possible - blue, green, purple, pink, silver - with the type of variety S3 had, in a style closer to S2

Also tats! And piercings! Just like a septum or some ear piercing, maybe a lip, nothing too difficult

And allow for actually different personalities and careers

I get that most people who apply are going to be outgoing and influencers, but this is all fake anyway so who cares

Have your personality impact LIs, certain LIs are easier to get hearts with with a certain personality, while others have more negative reactions to that personality

Lot of coding but this is just my make believe, what’s the harm

Okay into each day

Id have 20 days, since I agree that that’s a pretty good sweet spot

And Im definitely on board with MC being a bombshell, but instead of introing her on the first day, Id do the second

First half of the episode is spent as a recap of the first day, 5 couples like usual, let’s call the Islanders Bobby, Harry, Camilo, Bill, Rohan, AJ, Talia, Elladine, Miki, and Erikah, I’ll explain later, it’s pretty much for one single reason each

So MC’s first day is the Islander’s second, she shows up like Lucas & Henrik, before all the Islanders are up, and she has an option to say hi to someone early, add a gem to be upfront about being interested or something, during the second half of the first episode

Second episode starts with all the Islanders finding MC and saying hi, whoever you chose to have a chat with’s partner is kinda salty, if you chose a guy

MC ends the day choosing between any of the guys and two of the girls, AJ and Talia

For the guys, like Season 3, three are endgame, ones a red herring like Rohan in Season 1, and one’s up front about it being a friendship couple from the start, since I definitely think we need actual friendship couples - this friendship couple guy is Bobby, but without the pushy crush

Rohan is initially interested, but like in Season 1, he gives it up after a while

AJ is super into it and happy if you pick her and has no problem with it, while Talia has a “no thanks” thing and makes you pick again

Basically, youre not supposed to pick Talia because she’s not open to that yet, and that tosses you off her route or makes it really difficult to fix, maybe only a few dialogue options over the next few days or a specific personality gets her to forgive you. If you don’t pick her, you can couple up later as normal

Day 2 is like it usually is, you’re LIs original partner starts grafting on your LI if you have a male LI, Bobby doesn’t care if you steal AJ, you just have to have a talk with him and he’s fine

You can attempt to reconcile with their original partner, and if you succeed they’ll stop, if not your LI will step in and tell her he’s not interested

Day 3 finds a whole Villa recouping with a dumping. If you have a female LI, then girls are choosing, and AJ will pick you, however there is no dumping for future numbers sake, I know it doesn’t make much sense for the guys to be safe but whatever

If you have a male LI, the boys are choosing. If youre with Bobby, you get stolen and have to help Bobby decide who to dump.

He’ll always choose to dump Miki, regardless of who your LIs ex was or what you say. His reasoning is that she hasn’t made a connection and she was accidentally mean to him once and this Bobby’s hella sensitive

Bobby kinda struggles with it and has a rough few days - You have the option to be sympathetic and keep him available as a friendship couple option, or be a jerk and lose the option to be in a friendship couple

Day 4 is a bit of a filler day, with a fun challenge and some actual conversations.

You learn about your LI and someone else of your choosing, whether that’s a friend, like Ell or Erikah, or another LI youre romancing, like Talia or another of the guys

This is the first time Talia starts to be honest with MC about maybe fancying her and being open to seeing what happens

Day 5 has bombshells: a guy and a girl. The girl is our Marisol of this season, which can also explain away why she’s so slow to open up, she feels like an outcast since she came late and MC can empathise better than anyone which is how they initially bond

The guy is also a LI, but far more bold than Marisol, he has no trouble grafting in front of MC’s LI and trying to steal her or win her over - I’m just going to call him Lucas

Day 6 has another boys’ choice disaster recouping, but with the threat of a dumping on an AJ route

No matter how you reacted to Lucas’ flirting, he picks MC, whether you were going to couple up with him or not, he still steals you from your LI just like Season 2, for simplicity’s sake

The other couples get mixed up, a Nope-adjacent couple are split up, let’s say Erikah and Camilo, but they don’t make it all about them. One of the girls had been pining after a guy but he chooses someone else even though she’s available (Elladine, but Bobby’s oblivious), the girl Bobby was planning to couple up with gets stolen (Talia, but regardless of your route, she doesn’t fancy him), so he couples with Marisol

On a male LI route there is no dumping because the couples are already even

On an AJ route, Rohan is the deciding factor between AJ and Miki. Miki is always dumped because she was barely involved the past few days and Bill isn’t that interested in her even though they were coupled up

Day 7 is the start of Casa Amor, but much shorter this time. Two of the guys are endgame - let’s say Arjun and Carl, two are interested in other girls - let’s say Graham and Nicky, and there’s one you CAN get with, but cheats and gets dumped later on, essentially a Rocco, and one just isn’t interested, another friendship couple opportunity if you don’t want to share with one of the LIs - let’s say Seb

Day 8 is still Casa, you get to know the boys or can crack on with any of the female LIs, though this is still applicable to Day 7

You get a chance to either commit to AJ further or say you want a break to crack on with someone else

If you reassure her, she’ll pie off all the guys and you can stay on the daybed together, essentially ignoring the disaster recoupling and pretending youre still together. But if you dump her, she’ll crack on with Seb if you’re not paired with him, and Arjun if you are, just as a sort of revenge

During CA you can get closer with Talia, cheeky winks in public and getting kinda nasty during a challenge

You get sneaky scenes with Marisol where you learn where her head is at and how she has a hard time opening up and letting people in. You can reassure her and say you’ll be patient or pie her off and she’ll get with the season’s Graham, though they’ll have a different dynamic and ACTUALLY MAKE SENSE AS A COUPLE

Im sorry but boaty mcboat face and MARISOL?? i just dont get it, im sorry

You can graft on Arjun & Carl, tell them where your head is at, and they’re far less pushy

They try to impress but they’re not like poking you until you tell them you’ll take them back to the Villa like in S2

Day 9 is the final day of Casa, with a stick or switch

You can take back Arjun, Carl, Seb, or Rocco, although Seb is a platonic option but you can pair with him the rest of the season as aromantic representation

AJ never switches to save Rohan, and to be loyal if youre on her route

Talia doesn’t switch no matter the route, she spent Casa just hanging out which honestly isn’t the best idea outside of her route

Erikah switches, because like Season 1 Erikah, her head turns quickly, it’s just a matter of time. She switches to Rocco if you’re not on his route, and Arjun if you are. This is going to absolutely blow up in her face

Elladine switches because she gets worried Bobby will, picks Nicky and they actually get on really well

Marisol switches to Graham if youre not on her route to stay safe again, though they dont last anyway, and sticks if you are because she spent Casa with MC instead of the guys

Bobby sticks cuz Bobby

Harry always switches to someone, let’s call her Cherry cuz why not

Camilo sticks to get back with MC or Erikah - Erikah switched, effectively dumping him and really upsetting him

Rohan switches to someone, lets call her Shannon, no matter the route

Bill always sticks

Lucas switches to someone, lets call her Blake, no matter what, just for simplicity’s sake and because I’m already ripping from S2 so who cares

Day 10 is aftermath, much like Season 2

You can talk with your previous LI, 

Day 11 has a massive dumping where you vote to save a few people

One of the original Villa boys stays, Camilo is the default but if youre on Harry or Bill’s route, they’ll fill his place

Rohan and Bobby survive

If you brought back a Casa boy, you pick between him and Lucas to be dumped 

If you didn’t, Lucas is safe automatically

Rocco/Arjun survive, they’re coupled with Erikah

Either Nicky survives to stay with Elladine or Graham is saved for Marisol if she brought him back, Nicky automatically survives if not

For the girls, Erikah, Elladine, Marisol, and MC are safe

You vote between Cherry, Blake, Shannon on who to save, Shannon is the encouraged option because her and Rohan are actually really cute, but he’ll be nice to any of the girls for the rest of the season

You have to vote between AJ and Talia, sorry queers, i hate it too

Day 12 has a recouping where Talia is finally available if you saved her after everything from Casa Amor

You can reunite with your LI from pre-CA or simply stick to youre CA pick, it’s girls choice, MC is somewhere in the middle

Day 13 has two bombshells - both guys, let’s call them Levi and Tai

Levi grafts hard on MC whereas Tai takes a backseat and MC has to go to him instead if shes interested

Day 14 is a grafting day, you can graft and bond with your LI, Levi, Tai, or Marisol

Day 15 is the second to last recoupling, where you can get with every LI 

If youre romancing Marisol, you have a fight in the morning because she still won’t commit and she hasn’t really had an drama on her route yet

Day 16 is an explosion of drama

It’s another Roccogate but on an even bigger scale

If you’re on Rocco’s route, you suffer the backlash, and if you’re not, Erikah does but it still blows back to MC in order to keep her involved

Rocco makes a move on Erikah when MC’s with him, and MC when Erikah is. If he makes a move on MC, she can reciprocate or blatantly shut him down and Erikah will always reciprocate it when he’s coupled with MC because whaddaya know her head can turn at the littlest thing

If he made a move on MC, she can tell her LI who will chew him out privately, or keep it to herself

They basically get caught in the act by Levi, who doesn’t say anything until the afternoon - a lie detector that reveals a bunch of stuff, ill discuss later

He’s asked if he has any drama and he lies, saying no but eventually spills that Rocco made a move on MC/Erikah, and regardless of whether MC reciprocated or not, he says she did

If MC’s with Rocco, she can attack Erikah until someone steps in, maybe Bobby? Or Arjun? and reasons with her. She can get most of the Villa on her side about Rocco being a prick - except for Levi, no matter what, he’ll always side with Rocco and say it’s part of the show

If MC’s not with Rocco and denied him, her LI will accuse her of lying and she’ll have to essentially win them back by the next day or try and get Rocco to clear her name, which she can if they have a high relationship

And if MC didn’t deny him, her LI will dump her on the spot if they have a low relationship, or still win them back if they have a high relationship - but it will still be remembered

Back to the lie detector

There’s the typical S1 questions, cheating is revealed, you can commit to your LI

BUT 

If youre on a Marisol route, your LI asks you about her and MC has to confess, which drives a rift between her and Marisol because yeah

y i k e s

Day 17 is the final recoupling

Marisol basically storms into the kitchen when MCs making breakfast and says they’re coupling up and just leaves again. MC has the option to be like “yeah okay, chill” and go back to her breakfast or “what the fuck? no” and chase after her and pie her off

If you don’t pie her off, she chooses MC herself, because that scene in S2 is just really cute and I want another

There’s a double dumping of two boys - Levi and Rocco, and you have no say in it

Erikah, MC, or her LI will essentially turn the Villa against Rocco, while a few of the Islanders resent Levi for his take, mainly the girls

It’s a couple vote, and even if you vote for someone else, they still get dumped because they have the most votes

Day 18 is filler and fluff, meet the parents and final dates, with a surprise dumping where you can get a say and can help them pack, but its a strictly platonic goodbye

There’s so many possibilities and I don’t feel like listing them out right now, but it’s a single couple between three at-risk ones

Day 19 another surprise dumping, why not stick with prom? I just really dig the art, and but maybe make it closer to Season 2? And more personalized speeches!!!

And have a Lottie/Hannah moment! 

Idk who all would be here, I don’t feel like listing it out, but I think I have all the dumpings listed below the cut

You can pick between both people dumped who you want to help pack, and can have a moment with either of them, opening a “runaway” option after the finale or reunion

Day 20 is the finale, with the Islanders gossiping and stressing in the morning as some filler content

The afternoon is the announcement, and your placement depends on your couple - If you were loyal the entire time you were with them and have a max relationship you get 1st, if you were loyal but dont have max hearts, you get 2nd, if you weren’t loyal but still have max hearts, you get 3rd, and if you have neither you get 4th

If you win, your LI gets the money no matter what and it’s not based on relationship, it’s based on where in the relationship you are - if MC agreed to be their girlfriend on Day 18, they split the money, and if MC didn’t, then they don’t see a future and keep it

The last episode is the finale party with options to dump your LI for good, make plans to move in, reconcile and explain why MC didn’t say yes on Day 18, or get with someone else entirely

Oh and I want two of the dumped guys to show up together and have started dating outside of the Villa

Cuz I can’t think of another opportunity for mlm in this chaos

This is really messy so I’m going to list out couplings under the cut to try and make sense of this, I think I got everything but probably not its a disaster

LIs

AJ

Day 1 - MC or Bobby or Single

Day 3 - MC or Bobby or Bill

Day 6 - Rohan

Day 9 - Rohan

Day 12 - MC or Bobby or Dumped

Day 14 - MC or Bobby or Dumped

Day 17 - MC or Bobby Dumped

Talia

Day 1 - Rohan or Single

Day 3 - Rohan or Bill

Day 6 - Camilo

Day 9 - Camilo

Day 12 - MC or Bobby or Dumped

Day 14 - MC or Bobby or Dumped

Day 17 - MC or Bobby Dumped

Marisol

Day 6 - Bobby

Day 9 - Single or Graham

Day 12 - Graham or Harry/Bill/Camilo

Day 14 - Graham or Harry/Bill/Camilo

Day 17 - MC or Graham or Harry/Bill/Camilo

Harry

Day 1 - MC or Elladine

Day 3 - MC or Elladine

Day 6 - Elladine

Day 9 - Cherry

Day 12 - MC or Elladine/Marisol or Dumped 

Day 14 - MC or Elladine/Marisol or Dumped

Day 17 - MC or Elladine/Marisol or Dumped

Camilo

Day 1 - MC or Erikah

Day 3 - MC or Erikah

Day 6 - Talia

Day 9 - Talia

Day 12 - MC or Elladine/Marisol or Dumped

Day 14 - MC or Elladine/Marisol or Dumped

Day 17 - MC or Elladine/Marisol or Dumped

Bill

Day 1 - MC or Miki

Day 3 - MC or Miki or Elladine/Erikah

Day 6 - Erikah

Day 9 - Single

Day 12 - MC or Elladine/Marisol or Dumped

Day 14 - MC or Elladine/Marisol or Dumped

Day 17 - MC or Elladine/Marisol or Dumped

Lucas

Day 6 - MC or Erikah

Day 9 - MC or Blake

Day 12 - Blake

Day 14 - MC or Elladine/Marisol or Dumped

Day 17 - MC or Elladine/Marisol or Erikah or Dumped

Arjun

Day 9 - MC or Erikah or Dumped

Day 12 - MC or Erikah or Dumped

Day 14 - MC or Erikah or Dumped

Day 17 - MC or Erikah or Dumped

Carl

Day 9 - MC or Dumped 

Day 12 - MC or Dumped

Day 14 - MC or Dumped

Day 17 - MC or Erikah or Dumped

Tai

Day 14 - MC or Single or Elladine

Day 17 - MC or Erikah

Rocco

Day 9 - MC or Erikah

Day 12 - MC or Erikah

Day 14 - MC or Erikah

Day 17 - Dumped

Levi

Day 14 - MC or Single

Day 17 - Dumped

Other Islanders

Elladine

Day 1 - Harry or Single

Day 3 - Harry or Bill

Day 6 - Harry

Day 9 - Nicky or Harry/Camilo/Bill

Day 12 - Nicky or Harry/Camilo/Bill

Day 14 - Nicky or 

Day 17 - Nicky or Tai

Erikah

Day 1 - Camilo* or Single

Day 3 - Camilo* or Bill

Day 6 - Camilo or 

Day 9 - Rocco or Arjun

Day 12 - Rocco or Arjun

Day 14 - Rocco or Arjun

Day 17 - Tai or Lucas/Casa

Miki

Day 1 - Bill or Single

Day 3 - Bill or Dumped

Day 6 - Bill or Dumped

Day 9 - Dumped

Day 12 - Dumped

Day 14 - Dumped

Day 17 - Dumped

Shannon

Day 9 - Rohan

Day 12 - Rohan or Dumped

Day 14 - Rohan or Dumped

Day 17 - Rohan or Dumped

Blake

Day 9 - Lucas

Day 12 - Rohan or Dumped

Day 14 - Rohan or Dumped

Day 17 - Rohan or Dumped

Cherry

Day 9 - Harry

Day 12 - Rohan or Dumped

Day 14 - Rohan or Dumped

Day 17 - Rohan Dumped

Bobby

Day 1 - AJ or MC or Single

Day 3 - AJ or MC or

Day 6 - Marisol

Day 9 - Marisol or Single

Day 12 - AJ/Talia or Elladine/Marisol

Day 14 - AJ/Talia or Elladine/Marisol or Single

Day 17 - AJ/Talia or Elladine/Marisol

Rohan

Day 1 - Talia or MC

Day 3 - Talia or MC

Day 6 - AJ

Day 9 - Shannon/Cherry/Blake

Day 12 - Shannon/Cherry/Blake

Day 14 - Shannon/Cherry/Blake

Day 17 - Shannon/Cherry/Blake

Graham

Day 9 - Marisol or Dumped

Day 12 - Marisol or Dumped

Day 14 - Marisol or Dumped

Day 17 - Marisol or Dumped

Seb

Day 9 - MC or Dumped

Day 12 - MC or Elladine/Marisol or Dumped

Day 14 - MC or Elladine/Marisol or Dumped

Day 17 - MC or Elladine/Marisol or Dumped

Nicky

Day 9 - Elladine

Day 12 - Elladine or Dumped 

Day 14 - Elladine or Dumped

Day 17 - Elladine or Dumped

[chappedandfadedvds]

Nov 16th, Monday 15:39

The phone landed somewhere to his left on the bed, when he had let it fall from his hands. Though he badly  had wanted to throw it against the wall.

Unfocused Jens tried to calm himself. He knew he overreacted, that it wasn’t actually something bad, that it wasn’t meant to attack him. He wished just that his body would understand this too.

Instead his lungs felt a little too tight to allow him to breath freely. His room was too bright, so he pressed the heels of his hands to his closed eyes.

Fingers then grabbed his shoulder.

„Jens?“

That was Lucas.

Right. The boy next to him was almost about to leave. Just after they finished this online class. Which remined him that he probably should have listened to that instead of chatting away on his phone with the broerrrs.

„Did something happen?“ The fingers moved to cup his face and turn it, causing his eyes to fall free from the self induced pressure. He blinked his eyes open, trying to look at Lucas, who appeared to be puzzled, but not less worried. „Is there something I can do to help?“

„No, I’m just frustrated.“ That was a lie. Or was it? He definitely felt some sort of frustration, but he was sure it was more directed at himself and not at any of his friends.

„Okay.“ Lucas didn’t believe him, but didn’t say anything else, instead he his thumb began to slowly brush over his cheek. Jens was glad. That’s what he told himself. Aa a part of him wanted Lucas to ask him further. To question it. Even though Jens wasn’t sure if his answers would be honest. So perhaps frustration was the right word in the end.

„Moyo and Aaron are just assholes, saying stupid stuff about me having to go grocery shopping and Robbe hasn’t replied for an hour to defend me.“ Said out loud, it actually sounded childish and dumb. He felt incredibly stupid right now. God, what Lucas must think of him right now, getting worked up over some stupid comments.

For a moment there was only the sound of their teachers voice from the speakers filling the room.

„What did they say?“ Lucas looked at him, still being serious. He wasn’t laughing at Jens as the older boy had expected somehow.

„Nothing bad really. Just why I always have to do so much and have no time for them and our group any longer. Asking if they are no longer important to me. Bullshit like that. We spend basically all saturday playing games together. And Moyo often has to take care of the household and his little brother too. So why does he have to bitch about me? Bullshit.“ Jens groaned. He knew that it was unfair to compare them, like his friend had done in chat. That it was different. 

Yes Moyo had a lot of responibilities at home too. And he fullfilled those diligently. But usually just a couple days a week, not for months straight. And Jens wouldn’t even be in the position if he just simply told them. He was at fault he realised. He probably should apologise for texting them to fuck off and leave him the fuck alone. His exact words from five minutes ago.

He still was angry, so perhaps he could do that a bit later, when he wasn’t so damn emotional.

„That sucks.“ Lucas said, looking a bit at loss for how to handle the situation, Jens couldn’t blame him for that. Obviously he didn’t know the broerrs all that well yet and it did come a bit out of nowhere.

So Jens tried to smile, it had already been enough help, that Lucas had been around and listened to him. Jens actually felt already a bit better. Eating up feelings definitely never was a good idea, he had seen Robbe succumb to that last year. And now he proved them to be not better. 

Why was it so much easier to handle stuff as an outsider looking in and not vice versa?

„Do you want me to call and cancel the appointment with the caretaker? Because I would have to leave in like five to ten minutes otherwise.“ Lucas asked, pressing a kiss to Jens’s temple, brushing through his hair, before he leaned back and closed his laptop. Class was over, it was announced over chat. Lucas never took his eyes off of Jens though.

„Nah, I’m good. Otherwise I’ll call you later and complain for hours how fucked my life is. And you are not allowed to hang up until I say so.“ Jens slowly found his usual self again, smirking at Lucas, who nodded and smiled back.

„Deal!“ The boy proclaimed and then they both got up from his bed, Lucas to collect all his things, he had somehow managed to strew about the whole room, and Jens to put his schoolwork back on his desk. He would go grocery shopping first and do his homework later. Truth be told, later meant obviously not today or when the clock was running towards midnight.

„So I’ll see you on wednesday then?“

Jens almost was about to agree, when his eyes fell on the calender by his desk, the one he rarely used. Only to write his mothers appointments in, because they were important and he didn’t allow himself to forget about them. He couldn’t.

„Thursday?“ He replied therefore, daring to look at Lucas, who was busy packing his things. The younger boy sighed a little sad, but returned a smile at Jens nonetheless.

„Sure.“ He said briefly. Too brief?

„My mother has an appointment, that I accompany her to. I promised her. Sorry. It wasn’t on my mind til now.“ Jens felt the need to explain, unsure if Lucas would be dissapointed otherwise. Obviously he wouldn’t have been, as he looked over to Jens, before he got up and went to meet him at the desk. His arms wrapping around Jens’s middle.

„It is okay if you have other things planed, Jens. I do too, like with today or my own mom. So stop worrying. I can see it on your face. And I don’t want a wrinkly boyfriend, because he frowns all the time. Okay?“

Jens nodded, all his troubles shrinking away as he was being kissed by Lucas. He was so lucky to have this boy, who seemed to understand so easily. With Jana, Jens was sure, they would have fought every day. That made him notice something else.

„Did you just call me boyfriend?“ Jens asked, leaning back to see Lucas eyes go wide, as realisation hit him.

„I...yes?“ He tried cautiously, smiling awkwardly, as his cheeks blushed a faint red. „I mean. I don’t plan on seeing anyone else.“

„Me neither.“ Jens let the other boy know. „But it’s all a bit fast, isn’t it?“

Lucas shrugged.

„What isn’t with us?“

That was indeed a fair point the dutch boy made. And Jens was sure, that in his heart and mind they already were the first time they kissed, though never outspoken. They still didn’t know each other that long.

„My boyfriend then.“ Jens said, the world feeling odd on his tounge. Boyfriend. Who would have thought? Definitely not him. Weirder even, he loved the sound of it immensly. He could say it again and again. On repeat.

„Boyfriend.“ Lucas agreed, giggling softly as he let the word escape his lips and fill the air between them.

„Alright, you can go now.“ Jens declared, nodding towards the packed bag of Lucas next to the bed.

„Very lovely of you.“ Lucas joked, absolutely not offended in the slightest. They kissed again. And maybe one more time, before they broke out of their embrace.

„I guess I can finally start to be my worst around you.“

„So just the usual, huh?“ Lucas said, eyebrow raised, leaving Jens speechless. This boy always had something to hit back with. Always some last word to shut him up. So he simply followed Lucas out of his room and downstairs, giving him the victory.

They stood in the doorway of the entrance, Lucas dressed and ready to go, and yet both of them busy kissing lazily, enjoying their little intimicy.

„See you on thursday then?“ Jens whispered against Lucas’s lips, partly as a reminder for himself, pulling the boy’s closer. If it was even possible, but Lucas hadn’t yet stopped breathing, so perhaps it was still fine.

„Mhm.“ Lucas assured him wordlessly, pecking to more kisses to Lucas, smiling happily away.

„Alright, my beloved boyfriend, Mr. Van der Heijden, off you go.“ Jens tried to put some authority into his voice, ready to let go of Lucas, who, only clung stronger to him in return. Making them both laugh.

„I love when you do that.“ Lucas said quietly, looking away, as he did.

„What?“

„Call me by my last name. I don’t know, makes me happy and maybe a little excited.“ The dutch boy said, his confidence not yet back as his eyes searched for Jens’s again. 

Now that was something Jens hadn’t expected. He just started using it to make light of a situation, to get them back to the real world and do whatever they actually should be doing. Apparently it did had a different effect on Lucas.

„Dully noted.“ Jens said, his eyebrows raised mischievously. He could definitely make use of that. He snorted at how quick Lucas was to step out of his arms and open the door. It looked a bit like fleeing, if not his giggling betrayed him to let Jens believe Lucas was okay. So he let the boy leave.

„See you thursday. Can’t wait.“ Lucas shouted over his shoulder, walking up to the street.

„Me neither, Mr. Van der Heijden!“ Jens yelled after him, laughing as he watched his boyfriend trip over his own feet, trying to keep balance. It earned him a very agressive middlefinger before the door fell shut. 

The incident with his friends, not even an hour ago, completely forgotten.

__ __ __

tagged: @odi-et-amo85, @tayspots

[doritopaw101]

Arc1, book 2: Chapter 5

It had been a whole half-moon since that day. Things had been eventful to say the least.

Riverclan as expected called out Splashsong's murder and Bluestar defended Graypaw saying it was an accident, leaving out why Thunderclan cats were there in the first place of course.

Brokenstar had been quiet throughout Bluestar's hissing match with Leopardclaw. The golden molly demanded blood but Willowpelt nearly tore her throat for demanded her son's death. "The only thing you'll get from Thunderclan is fox dung" Willowpelt had snarled "This death is your fault not Graypaw's"

He had to corner Whiteclaw to tell him what happened to Silverpaw and Silverstream. Silverpaw has recovering, his eye will heal, not the best but he'll be able to use it.

When Windclan showed up, Brokenstar looked like he was going to rip Duskstar's throat out. When Brokenstar asked what they were doing back here Bluestar cut in and said.

"Starclan sent an omen and said Windclan would return right?"

Duskstar and Stormstar agreed with her words, it was a wise choice. Brokenstar was furious but Palecloud said that he had the omen but didn't say anything. Brokenstar basically called the gathering over and left in a huff.

He heard from Weaselwhisker that Shadowclan tried scaring off Windclan again but Duskstar wasn't going be driven out again and they won the fight. Luna wasn't fully convinced with clan life but she said she would stay til her kits, Marblekit and Thornkit become warriors, she held the name Moonclaw for the time being.

Piling on with Riverclan and Shadowclan biting at Thunderclan's heels, winter had arrived already and there was a greencough outbreak in the camp. Adderkit and Leapkit currently had it as did Birchstep.

Swiftpaw and Lynxpaw had been apprenticed a few days after Cinderpaw, Smokepaw, Lichenpaw, and Brackenpaw were. Swiftpaw to Fogtail and Lynxpaw to Willowpelt respectively.

Brindleface's litter was certainly interesting. The rest of the clan thought they only had three kits when they had four. Brindleface had snuck out of camp the night of the birth,the clan lead them but Bluestar asked Icebelly and Embereyes to watch them, they agreed. Blackfoot was the sire of the kits and took the only kit that would give them away, Elderkit. Icebelly couldn't have been to sure whether Brindleface saw him but it felt confirmed when the pale gray cat made sure to stay out of his way at all times.

Though with the filling nursery came with the decrease in food for the warriors and apprentices.

The nursery in general was packed with: Frostbite expecting kits sired by Tiger-roar for her and Mossthorn, Yellowkit was growing big for her age, Willowpelt's litter was also growing well, Miststrike's kits: Yewkit was getting bigger by the day but Leapkit was still so small and wouldn't be ready, Doekit, Adderkit, and Volekit were close to apprenticeship. Robinwing's litter was growing well and should make lovely apprentices. Bluestar had also given birth to her litter: Maplekit, Snowkit, Mistlekit, and Aspenkit, one had been born still and Bluestar named the kit Starkit. Icebelly had been all over the four kits from the get go.

His own apprentice, Cinderpaw was definitely a pawful but he was determined to train them well like Tiger-roar trained him. He was glad he got to have Tiger-roar and Nightshade to lean on for advice as well as Miststrike and Leopardstorm. Cinderpaw worked well in a group setting rather by themself so being around Sleetpaw and Smokypaw helped alot.

Ravenpaw decided he wanted to be a Silverblood. His help certainly lighten Thymeroot and Yellowfang's workload. The tom seemed more at peace in the medicine den than he did in the apprentice's den.

Though things could've been better:

-Flashback-

His belly had been aching all day, he just thought he ate something bad but apparently not. He definitely didn't let Cinderpaw fight him with the chance to kick his belly.

Chestnutclaw looked ready to claw his ears off "Go be weak in the herb den with herb cats" he hissed "I don't want Smokepaw's training falling"

He had went to see them, feeling like he was being kicked all over. Thymeroot examined him and her tail curled up in surprise "Well, you're not sick Icebelly?"

"Then.." Icebelly trailed off, knowing the answer.

"Congrats" the seer purred, her green eyes shining "I know you've wanted to have kits for a while"

'Not with his kits' he hadn't mated with Chestnutclaw as planned, he had been busy training Cinderpaw and had pushed the plans til Cinderpaw had finished her training. He wanted to forget what had happened to him but Brokenstar seemed determined to make sure he never forgot like the scar on the side of his throat.

"If I may be so bold to ask, who's the sire?"

Icebelly looked away "I...he's..."

"Not of Thunderclan?"

Icebelly couldn't bring himself to really answer with words but Thymeroot took his silence.

Thymeroot licked his ear "It's alright, you'll be fine"

"I hope so"

-Flashback ends-

"I never realized how it must suck having short fur during leaf-bare, how do Sandstorm and Ravenpaw deal with it" Cherrycloud mewed, nudging into his chest breaking his thoughts

Icebelly hummed "Find a fluffy cat to huddle and snuggle with"

"Oh is that what I am" she rubbed her head along his neck "A cat to snuggle with"

"Or course not, I'm fluffy as well if not more than you though we've been doing a lot more than 'snuggling' lately" He smirked 'It take my mind off the fact I'm carrying Brokenstar's kits, please let some of them be Chestnutclaw's' he shouted in his mind

Cherrycloud purred with amusement

"Icebelly Cherrycloud" Redtail's voice sounded rough and tired. Icebelly could see the deputy looked exhausted he couldn't blame him. Him and Bluestar must have a hard time dealing with their clanmates concerns about the Shadowclan attacks, Riverclan's new hostility and now the greencough outbreak.

"Can you two take your apprentices out?"

"Sure" Cherrycloud mewed getting up

"Any place in particular?" Icebelly asked shaking his fur

"We need prey try going near twolegplace or the owl tree"

Thymeroot popped her head from the medicine den, some feverfew and tansy were stuck on her pelt. "If you find catmint get as much as you can"

"Gotcha sir deputy sir" Cherrycloud purred "And you miss medicine"

A smile appeared on Redtail's face and a chuckle escaped from his throat. "You are a blessing in this time Cherrycloud"

They woke Cinderpaw and Brackenpaw up and headed for twolegplace. The experience could do them good.

Cinderpaw pounced on a squirrel, a swift bite to its neck. "Got it!" they called

Brackenpaw looked down, while Cinderpaw had managed to catch four kills now all he caught was a "lousy shrew" in his own words.

Cherrycloud noticed and bumped against her apprentice "Hey cheer up, everyone has off days, I'm sure Mossthorn or Frostbite will love it"

"Maybe you're a better fighter than Cinderpaw, you got Lionheart's large build while Cinderpaw got Mossthorn's lean one" Icebelly added, though he wondered if that was true. When he first took Cinderpaw out he taught her some basic fighting moves and increased the harshness since. Cinderpaw complained of sore pads the first day but was ready for it the next day. The eagerness of this young cat made it worth while.

"We'll try to battle train soon though" Cherrycloud mewed "For now let's make make Redtail proud that we all caught at least something"

That seemed to cheer Brackenpaw up. The all had caught some good and worthy kills. Cinderpaw found catmint and couldn't wait to see the look on Yellowfang's face when she brought it.

"Look!" Cinderpaw pointed with her nose at a molly padding along across the forest floor. It was a fluffy white molly with blue eyes. 'Princess!' Icebelly thought with shock. Her belly was swollen, heavy with unborn kits. "Kittypet!" Cinderpaw sneered, their fur fluffed out "Let's chase her out"

"No" he mewed pulling the gray apprentice back by their tail "She's a kittypet afterall she's no threat, stay here"

Princess may have a collar but it had many teeth and fangs it it to protect her throat and he knew his sister was far from helpless, Bone taught her well.

He padded slowly over to her "Princess!" he called

Princess's back fur spiked up and she bared her teeth but she got a closer look at him. "Splinter?"

He nodded and nuzzled her.

"What on earth are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing, far from the city"

"I got picked up, Snake found me" Princess mewed

"We''ll talk tomorrow" he mewed "Stay around here, my other clanmates would shred you trust me on that"

"I'd kill them when they stood if they tried" Princess drawled "But I have kits to think about, be around here tomorrow by dawn, I have to get back to Bloodclan soon" She heaved herself over one of the fences.

"Problem solved" he said heading back "Let's get back to camp shall we?"

/

Icebelly woke at dawn with the image of his sister still clear in his mind. He pushed his way out of the den, hoping to get out of camp as soon as he could. It was another cold, frosty morning. Though his fur seemed to get fluffier where it was more tolerable. Leopardstorm and Fogtail were waiting near the camp entrance, preparing to leave on patrol. Mousefur padded past on her way to join them and greeted Icebelly with a cherry mew. Fogtail called for Swiftpaw, who came racing out of the camp.

He padded across the clearing, wondering if Cinderpaw was awake yet. Brindleface was just squeezing out of the narrow nursery entrance. Ashkit followed her, Tulipkit close to his dam, then Fernkit followed tumbling out and falling onto the ground. Brindleface picked Fernkit up by her scruff and placed her gently back on her paws.

"Are they well?" he asked

"So far yes" Brindleface replied, green eyes avoiding his "We've had no other cases in the nursery so far and we hope to keep it that way"

"How's Embereyes?"

Brindleface sighed "She's keeping it together for Volekit and Doekit but she's worried for Adderkit, Nettlemist has been helping her relax"

Icebelly nodded as he heard Cherrycloud's pawsteps behind him. He turned to greet his friend, stretching his head to touch Cherrycloud's nose, and asked, "Could you take Cinderpaw for the day?"

Cherrycloud looked curiously at Icebelly "Why?"

"Oh, nothing important" Icebelly replied "Just wanted to check something and plus they'll need the battle training I can't really do in my state"

"Alright" Cherrycloud mewed, whiskers twitching with amusement, he knew she didn't believe anything he said but was going along with it.

"Thanks, Cherrycloud!" Icebelly bounded away toward the camp entrance.

As the houses came into view through the trees, Icebelly dropped into a crouch. He opened his mouth and breathed in the cold morning air. No sign of a Thunderclan patrol, and no human scents either. He relaxed a little.

Slowly he approached the fence where he had seen the molly disappear. He hesitated at the bottom and looked around, sniffing the air once more. Then he leaped, landing on a fence post in one easy jump. No huamns to be seen-just an empty garden with its strongly scented plants. Icebelly felt exposed on the post but he didn't have to climb when he heard the cheery voice of his sister.

"Splinter!"

Icebelly jumped from the fence landing flat on his paws right infront of his littermate. "It's Icebelly now, how are you doing?"

"As well as you could expect with me expecting" Princess mewed, her collar had more teeth than the last time he saw her

"Who'd you kill?" he asked

"I forget as time goes by" Princess replied, she sat down firmly resting her budging belly "Seven now, got three claws from that one"

"Is this your first litter?" He eyed her belly

"Yes, finally decided I wanted to help Bloodclan's legacy with my kits"

"Smudge?"

"Yep, I'm due very soon"

Icebelly sighed, rubbing his face with his paw "At least I'm not alone in parenthood"

Princess looked confused and cocked her head to the side "What?"

"Luna's had kits and joined Duskstar and Jake in Windclan for the time being, I'm also...expecting"

Princess's eyes widen "Seriously? You having kits?"

"Yeah"

"Well we know we'll do better than our birth giver" Princess stated

"Also Filou is part of Riverclan she's named Flamepaw, Nutmeg's in Shadowclan under the name of Dewflare with our new siblings. Also we have an older brother, Gingerblaze"

"What?"

"Yeah. Nutmeg was a clan cat, she lived in Thunderclan before she had us"

"I'd like to meet him"

"I'll work something out"

Princess moved closer to him, pressing her fur against his flank. This is what he missed, the feeling of someone who related to him.

"You've mentioned these clans"

Icebelly nodded

"I've heard things from dad already before but what's it like? Is it different than Bloodclan or the other groups round here?"

"In the clans, we take care of each other, Younger cats hunt for elders; warriors protect the hunting grounds from the other clans. I trained all spring and summer to become a warrior from training under Tiger-roar. I have an apprentice of my own now Cinderpaw"

"Was that the pointed dark gray cat I saw yesterday?"

Icebelly nodded "They're great, full of energy but knows the skill well so far" he looked around "where've you been staying?"

"This house doesn't have humans you know, I relax here and go inside if needed which I'm doing right now"

Icebelly looked back at the forest "I have to get back to my clan and you'll have your paws full soon enough as will I. I'll come back to see you in two days, I'll see if Gingerblaze will come"

"Great" Princess called over her shoulder. She was already trotting back to the house "See ya Icebelly?"

"See you soon" Icebelly called. His sister disappeared from view, and he heard the swinging flap slap shut behind her.

Once the garden was silent, Icebelly crept through the bushes to the fence. He jumped over it and ran into the forest.

/

When he finally returned to camp, he carried a vole and a wood pigeon in his mouth. He missed a few pigeons along the way when his vision started to blurry. The sun was setting, thank Starclan, and the clan were gathering for their evening meal. Graypaw sat alone beside the nettle clump, a fat chaffinch at her paws. She looked like she wasn't sleeping he was about to go over when Nettlemist laid his tail on his back "I got this" he whispered and Icebelly nodded to him as he padded across the clearing to the pile of fresh-kill that had already been collected.

Tiger-roar, Lionheart, and Leopardstorm was sitting near by, the dual colored tabby's amber and blue eyes narrowed. "I noticed that Cinderpaw spent the day with Cherrycloud" he mewed as Icebelly dropped his catch onto the pile. "Where were you?"

Icebelly returned Tiger-roar's gaze, he was good at not flinching at the gaze after being around Tiger-roar for so long. "It seemed like a good day for hunting-too good to waste" he replied

"Considering your vision's acting up and that you were alone" Icebelly could tell that Tiger-roar's voice contained a great amount of amount of concern which which didn't surprise him. Tiger-roar had been his mentor so he knew when he had any of his problems. "I'm guessing you missed a few catches on your way back"

"Why did Bluestar let him be a mentor" Lionheart muttered to which Leopardstorm nudged him in the shoulder harshly

Icebelly forced his fur flat and tried not to curse the golden tom "Bluestar trusts my abilities, have a problem take it up with her" Icebelly tried but couldn't resist " Or maybe you're a little bitter that Frostbit seems to have dumped you for Mossthorn, or that she's pregnant with Tiger-roar's kits rather than yours"

Lionheart's eyes narrowed at him

"But hey you're not mateless, you have Leopardstorm and Tiger-roar it seems. The great two-colored tom he is allows you to worship his great di-"

"Icebelly" Tiger-roar warned

He regretted nothing and he knew Tiger-roar knew that as well. "The clan needs all the fresh-kill it can get at the moment, I may have missed but I got something at least" Icebelly replied calmly

Tiger-roar nodded, suspicion darkening his eyes "Yes, but we also need warriors if we're going to put Shadowclan back in their place and send Riverclan back into their rivers. Cinderpaw's training is your responsibility not Cherrycloud's, she already has Brackenpaw to worry about. Redtail wants apprentices in as top shape as possible"

Icebelly nodded "I understand, Tiger-roar" he dipped his head respectfully "I'll take them out tomorrow near the Riverclan border"

"Good" Tiger-roar said seeming satisfied

"Make sure they doesn't get into any trouble with Riverclan, we already have enough of it as is already" Leopardstorm added

"Of course Leopardstorm"

/

Three of Morningflower's claws snapped off when she met rock and clay. She didn't even flinch she was used to her claws snapping off when tunneling, it still felt good to be back down here after moons in a rotten twoleg tunnel. She still swiped the dirt with her left paw, standing firmly on her hind legs.

"Morningflower, take a break I got this" Deadfoot called, his twisted paw covered in mud

"You should go see Barkface for that paw" Mudclaw added "We don't need infections right now"

'Like I'll leave our kits without their mother' Morningflower dropped down to all fours, shaking her fluffy coat. "I'm fine, just a broken claw"

"Now's not a time to be stubborn, rest, go the nursery with your kits" Deadfoot stated

"Yes deputy sir" Morningflower mewed rolling her eyes. She padded past the tom, head held high as she made her way up the tunnel.

Things in Windclan haven't been the best since they've been back. Prey was scarce as it is in leaf-bare and Shadowclan thought that was the best time to attack them. Duskstar was firm and saying Windclan won't be driven off again. Let's hope they'll survive to newleaf.

Morningflower padded out of the tunnel, eyes shut from the blinding sunlight. As a tunneler, her eyes were more sensitive to sun than a moor-runners.

She quickly headed to the nursery where Barkface was waiting. Ashfoot and Rabbit-tail were asleep in the corner of the den while Moonclaw was in a nest close to her with Marblekit and Thornkit. Whitetail was quiet and at peace, her new born kits suckling gently.

She laid down in her nest, her kits latching on as she did. She let Barkface treat her bleeding paw as she watched her kits nurse. They were growing well thank goodness, Briarkit gave her a scare but she hung on.

She didn't expect Runningpaw to start mushing her belly. She was about ask but Runningbrook beat her too it.

"It's to stimulate milk" the gray tabby mewed "Frogleap told me he tired it with Fallowtail and it worked well"

Morningflower sighed just letting them do their work, it wasn't too bad. It felt nice to be honest

"Have you thought of names yet?" Thrushwing padded into the den, her plump belly showing brightly as she sat close to Whitetail, placing more wool in the nest "It's been a moon" Morningflower wasn't surprised to see her sister already back into the ways of the clan. She wore the jewels a high ranking moor-runner as well as a star-keeper in training.

'Important to the clan' Morningflower thought 'That's what mother wanted for us, for you most of all Thrushwing' she was aware their mother wasn't pleased when she became a tunneler, even more so when Stoneclaw became one was well. She wanted them all to be proud moor-runnners like her and their late father Grasstail.

"Icekit" Whitetail replied, softly licking her son's head "For the cat that helped me when I needed it and the cat who helped bring back Windclan when he didn't have to"

Morningflower could see her sister's annoyance at their nephew being named after a Thunder cat rather than his late father but thankfully her sister seemed to know she wouldn't win.

"Lovely" she said, Morningflower could tell it was forced "And the other tom? He reminds me of the sun with his golden fur"

"More like a Lion" Runningpaw commented "Fluffy like one too."

"Fluffy isn't a term used for Windclanners" Thrushwing retorted.

Morningflower wondered if her sister would talk about Runningbrook being half-clan. The clan already had a time when they found about Ryestalk's code breaking with Marshcloud, she fought hard to make sure Runningpaw didn't face anything.

Runningpaw cocked their head to the side "Is thick-furred better?"

Before Thrushwing could reply Whitetail interrupted "Lionkit it is" she purred "My little lion"

"Maybe he'll have the strength of Lionclan" Runningpaw mewed

Thrushwing narrowed her eyes at the gray tabby "Lionclan is Thunderclan's circle we have Leopardclan as ours Runningpaw"

"That you have to share with Riverclan" Moonclaw sneered "Shadowclan gets Tigerclan all to themselves"

"Don't mention them here" Thrushwing shushed "It could bring bad fortune for the kits, Tawnykit's future as a seer could go bad"

"What?" Tawnykit whimpered "I can't be Barkface's apprentice?"

"Wait no no you'll still be my apprentice" Barkface quickly soothed the kitten "You'll be a great seer Tawnykit"

"That she will" Rabbit-tail purred.

Rushkit, Ryekit, and Robinkit looked out of place the attention was once again returned to their sister/cousin.

It was peaceful for a few moments, but of course it couldn't last forever because nice things can't happen.

"Shadowclan is coming up near the east badger den" she heard Sorrelflight cry "I see Dewflare leading them"

"Oh it's on, a score needs to be settled" Moonclaw rushed out before anyone could stop her.

"Why can't they leave us alone, it's leaf-bare" Runningpaw whined

"That's their goal" Whitetail answered

"Moonclaw!" Thrushwing called

"Don't" Rabbit-tail hissed "I'll watch Moonclaw's kits" she drawled "Who else will I be watching?"

"Mine" Ashfoot mewed "Eaglekit's easy to watch"

"Mine too" Morningflower replied "I need to stretch my legs"

"I'll get my marigold" Barkface signed as they rushed out.

Morningflower and Ashfoot were on their paws and racing out of camp leaving Rabbit-tail in charge of their kits. "Send them back in their marshes" Deadfoot yowled leading them on.

Morningflower smirked at the command.

Windclan won't be chased from their home a second time.

[julesnjd]

rēˈbərth -- Juliet

The trees have dressed themselves in the fresh, bright yellow green leaves that only suit late springtime. These leaves wave softly with the breeze. The lakewater ripples blue-green, the kind of color that can only be produced by dyes, though it’s darkened with dirt from the floor and there are still leaves scattered from the autumn. Tiny fish dart back and forth in an eternal dance with the sunlight, water, and leaves. The water is just cold enough to shock at first, but it becomes more comfortable the longer she’s submerged. Juliet’s face is the only thing above the water as she leans back, soaking her hair. She listens to the rush of water flooding her ears happily. It’s a comforting kind of white noise. 

It’s so comforting she forgets to open her eyes.

A hand wraps around her ankle. One by one, fingers touch her skin. 

Juliet screams, trying desperately to get away, but every stroke against the water just pushed her backwards instead. A laugh shatters the image. The laugh grows louder, high-pitched and punctuated: Ha ha ha ha! It sounds so amused it leaves a metallic sting in her teeth. 

A hand curls in her hair and plunges her face into the water again. Right when her lungs start to ache, she is pulled back up. Raw, amused gray eyes meet hers. His lips curl into a vicious, too wide, toothy thing. She can’t tell if he’s baring his teeth or smiling. “You’re so fun to play with. Andy messed up my instructions but he gave me some fun shit. Maybe he does deserve a reward.” He shoves Juliet under again for a couple seconds, then laughs again when she comes up gasping and wiping water off her face with water-soaked hands. He readjusts his grip on her hair and holds her chin in his fingers. “You’re a pretty one, y’know?” He winked at her. 

Juliet just stares at him, breathing hard through her nose. She doesn’t dare to open her mouth. Especially not after that. 

“You wanna know my name, sweetheart? Kalos.” Kay-loh-sh. “It’s Greek. It means good. Isn’t that ironic?” He laughed again and Juliet feels her stomach convulse. His nostrils flare in his amusement. He pulls harder at her hair when her knees slip in the mud. She gasps at the feeling of follicles tearing, staring up at him. Her face is wet with tears now. “Aw, she’s crying. I love when they cry!” He reaches down and traces her cheek, up to her eye. She keeps it open, staring at him. Daring him to do something.

His smile falls at her stubbornness. “And I hate when they stare. Didn’t anyone ever teach you that staring is disrespectful?” He grabs her jaw so hard something cracks and pain shoots up her cheek. “The fuck is your problem?” 

“You,” Juliet spits out at him in a sudden surge of power. Her jaw hurts like hell from it, but it’s worth it. “Where am I?” 

“Oh, come on. Religious girl like you should know where you are.” He shakes her head lightly, pressing his fingertips into her jaw where he’d shattered it. “Though this is more like a spell on your soul than it is an actual place. I’m just your watcher.” He smiles again and taps her nose. “You want an explanation, brat? I’ll give you one.” 

He drags her onto shore by her hair, not giving a single shit when her face falls under the surface of the water or that fact that she’s scrambling trying to follow him without being literally dragged by her hair. She sucks in frantic breaths when he finally stops and shoves her down against a tree before plopping down next to her. He points at their wrists side by side. A pair of handcuffs appears to connect them. 

He points again and a small white board like the kind Juliet would use in elementary school appears in his lap with a red marker. “You like red, right? Me too. It’s the best color.” He draws a little stick figure girl on one side of the white board propped on his knees. She was smiling. “That’s you.” He draws a guy with horns and an angry smile. “That’s me. No, I’m not the devil, but I’m pretty close.” He grins and draws an X over the girl. “You’re dead, and—“ He circles her. “Trapped in this spell. Basically you’re fucked, destined to relive your worst nightmares and your death and whatever else I want you to imagine and experience.” His voice picks up speed as he continues. “I could rip your arm off. I could tear out every hair on your body one by one. I could hang you upside down and bleed you into a bucket, pull out your fingernails, pluck out your eyes, staple your lips, extract every single tooth in that mouth— Basically I can do whatever I want with you, because you’re mine now. Got it?” He smiles at her as she stares at the girl on the whiteboard. “You’re dead, your corpse is six-feet under, and your soul is here. Suck it up, princess.” 

Juliet shakes her head. She’s not fully dead. She can’t be. “Mason’s gonna save me,” she breathes. “She will. I know her. We have to—“ 

Kalos laughs again and lifts his hands to hold her face. Her hand lifts with his. “Oh, girl, you are rich. This shit is strong. You really think you can just be broken from this by a cute little witch? She hasn’t even mastered illusions! She hasn’t even been a witch for a year! You are hilarious!” 

Juliet shakes her head more. Panic is welling in her chest. “That won’t matter! She’s— You don’t know her and you don’t know our friends and you don’t know shit about me!” 

“I don’t know shit about you?” Kalos snickers and tosses the whiteboard and marker to the side. They disappear. He stands up and drags her up with him. He faces her, so close Juliet could smell every word on his breath. They smell like cigarette ash and rotten meat. “I have seen you through every lifetime you’ve had. I have seen you as Jullian Hill, transgender rockstar. I have seen you as Jullian Hill, transgender single father. I have seen you as Jullian Hill, male superstar, male lead singer, male hockey player, male art teacher.... I have seen you as Juliet Hargrove, stripper, Juliet Hill, famous actress, Juliet Hargrove, popstar. You changed your last name then, you couldn’t stand your family. You tend to favor music, sweetheart. It’s funny that the one time I catch you, you don’t seem to give a shit about making it. I’d been planning some wicked shit with destroying your vocal cords.” He wraps a hand around her throat. His sharp, claw-like nails dig into her skin. They draw blood that drips down her neck slow and warm. Images of every lifetime drip into her mind. “Mason found you in every different dimension, too, that bitch. Of course she did. I’m not surprised; she’s strong. So did Aurora, and boy, I can’t wait til she sees this spell and what her new boy toy did to you and tears herself apart trying to fix it. I can’t wait to have her in my grasp again.” 

He stares at Juliet for a second, then smirks. “Aw, that’s so sweet. You’re curious about my work?” He taps her nose again and leans in closer to rub his against it. He stays that close. “Well, baby, let’s just say you should really behave. You’re gonna be here a long time. Juliet Hill, Hargrove, Jullian, Mona, whatever you go by? They don’t exist anymore, sweetheart. You don’t exist. There’s no reincarnation, no other dimension, no time jump, no getting fucked into another life to keep safe this time.” He lets go of her, but she stays right where she is. Her palms flatten against the tree bark. “Juliet Hill is no more. Juliet Hill no longer exists!” 

After cackling again, he smiles wide at her speechlessness. “Good girl.” He lifted his hand near her eyes and snapped his fingers. “And back to your regularly scheduled programming!” 

Juliet gasps, eyes opening to the ceiling of the motel room. Next to her, someone whispers. 

“Juliet… Are you okay?”

[ofdevin]

( quintessa swindell. they/them. non-binary.  twenty-two. )  Looks like it’s DEVIN O’RILEY turn to host movie night. I wonder if they’ll forget the popcorn and make us watch ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF A SPOTLESS MIND for the billionth time. THE CYNIC amongst the Lunch Club and they are a vital part of the ten, in my humble opinion. Makes a lot of sense when you consider they majored in PHILOSOPHY and spend alot of time REHEARSING BALLET ROUTINES . I know to alot of people they seem really NIHILISTIC but the club knows they’re PERSUASIVE deep down. All I’m saying is the road trip would not be the same without them. Hopefully, we have time to swing by NEW ORLEANS. I know they’ve been just dying to go there. (  raq. cst. she/her. twenty-one. )  

tw: none... i believe we’re good here.

hiiiii it’s raq here and here’s devin -- yes i changed their name like 2/3 times we won’t discuss it. i’m thinking the vibes will be immaculate with or without plotting but if any specific ideas come to vibes don’t hesitate to hit me up! 

basics / quick information 

full name: Devin Erin O’Riley

age:  twenty-two

pronouns:  they / them 

date of birth: july 10th 1998

place of birth / home town: oklahoma city, oklahoma 

zodiac: cancer sun, capricorn moon, cancer rising. 

occupation: cashier at a local grocery store 

label: the cynic

top four songs: dance (’til you love someone else ) by sam smith, glass and patron by fka twigs, in time by fka twigs, I THINK by tyler the creator. 

aesthetics: late night walks by a darkened lake, worn in black pointe shoes, beautiful classical music hauntingly playing softly in an empty room, bending every rule just enough to get away with it,  wisdom written in intimidating silence, prominent cheekbones and hollowed cheeks. 

tl;dr: devin is your classic pessimist who grew up hiding outside of being onstage. twenty-two now,  they’ve only recently grown comfortable with being fully themselves ( going away for college and being away from their family being the largest culprit for that ). They might have to let go of ballet soon as the threat of school ending soon and finally having to face “the real world” is coming closer. They’re realizing this other life they’ve built for themselves outside of their family can’t stand alone once they graduate. 

𝘔𝘜𝘚𝘐𝘕𝘎𝘚 ( X )   

background: 

Justin O’Riley and Yolanda Lindsay thought from the moment they met that they weren’t going to last long. The two were clearly very different. Justin was a construction worker wereas, young Yolanda a pre-law student ( who never finished ) who was in town just for school.  Granted time, cozy complacency, and two kids had shown other plans for the pair thus keeping them together ( even when they clearly shouldn’t be ) for twenty-four years. For better or for worse, as they say, Justin and Yolanda put up with eachother despite having very much in common aside from the life they stumbled into building together. Not without struggle, of course. Consistent bickering at family functions and tense silences whenever the two were forced to be together for longer than an hour came with the territory of their mismatched union. A visibly unhappy marriage easily observed by just about anyone who paid attention.  However, their relationship with their children was drastically different from their marriage. 

Born two years after their brother Thomas, Devin O’Riley’s childhood went relatively smooth. Well, as easy as it could for a nonbinary child in the middle of Oklahoma. Easy to navigate a life so long as they remained quietly behind their brother. Though, they never really felt comfortable in themselves for the majority of their childhood. They were the quiet kid in the back of class, withdrawn from most of the kids their ages. Devin was put into ballet at a very young age in an effort to push them out of their shell. It seemed to be one of the only hobbies they enjoyed and stuck to. While they didn’t quite build the friendships their parents were hoping they would, they shined astonishingly in ballet. 

Through it all, their brother had become a cheerleader of sorts. The only person who Devin ever felt really comfortable confiding in. Around fourteen, they came out as non-binary to Thomas. Which built their confidence for them to come out to close family members and their few friends. They were already a black sheep of their family and while their parents don’t quite... affirm their identity their reaction could’ve been worse.  The older they got the more their relationship with their parents grew distant as they begun to need them less. And, ( for better or for worse ) their coming out didn’t really change that clear apathy Justin and Yolanda carried.

Money wasn’t easy to come by in the O’Riley household and Devin’s costly ballet lessons weren’t getting any cheaper. Thomas tried to help put aside as much money as he could  with his part time job and, once they were old enough, Devin would begin to work in an effort to put themselves through their classes once they parents just couldn’t pay anymore. When the decision of college came around, they made an effort to go to Julliard. Though, despite admittance and ballet scholarships -- Devin still couldn’t quite afford moving and the remainder of tuition. 

Insert going to college in Arizona. It was a back up. Well, a back up to the back up to about four more backups. All they new was they had to get out of Oklahoma. And they did -- just not as far as new york. The school had a decent enough ballet program and ( the most important aspect ) a big enough aid package for them to go.  Turns out, going to school there was one of the best decisions they could’ve made. 

current life: 

College has allowed Devin to grow and blossom into themselves beautifully. Not a drastic difference --  they’re still relatively to themselves still but they’ve found the lunch club and a handful of debate club and philosophy majors  students who they’d call friends. They’re strongwilled and bolder than ever before. They’re about to graduate with a degree in philosophy considering taking the L-SAT and going to law school ( in an empty, unconscious effort to make their mother proud ). 

[notbecauseofvictories]

do you have any advice for a 19 year old college freshman? i'm excited for college and i love the freedom/being challenged, but i'm overwhelmed by the sheer workload that my course (graphic design) is giving us and i feel really skittish and unprepared when it comes to things like lectures, papers, and essays! i kinda wish i was back in preschool making potato stamp art :(

1. Get Organized

When I feel overwhelmed it’s because I don’t have a clear idea of exactly what I need to do and when. I’m usually thinking about everything at once, every single little thing I have to do, every deadline from here ‘til December, and every bit of life I have to take of in the meantime. When every single wheel is spinning in your brain all at once, it can feel suffocating—and the natural result is to be anxious and overwhelmed.

But it’s not a good use of your time to care about every deadline from here to December (especially if it’s keeping you from getting things done in the present.) So my first advice is always: Take a Step Back.

Step back. You are a human being and you cannot do everything all at once at one hundred percent. To try is to invite failure and misery. (You cannot properly focus on lectures if all you’re thinking about is the next paper; you can’t think about an assignment when you’re hyperaware that the laundry is all over the floor.) So take a step back, and figure out:

What do I have to do today?

What do I have to do tomorrow?

What do I have to do this week?

What do I have to do this month?

I recommend writing all of this down. Actually answer those four questions---in excruciating detail (include chores, laundry, extracurriculars, etc.) and do it in handwriting, if you can. Get a bunch of pieces of notebook/printer paper and write out all the various bullet points, with associated dates. Genuinely figure out what your days, weeks, and months look like. Maybe even transfer all those scribbled notes onto a calendar, so you know that when the clock strikes 12:01 AM on November 10th, you have to start thinking about your final project for Graphic Design 101.

And then---and this is the tricky part---worry only about those things that have to get done today/tomorrow/this week/this month. Once you have a plan, don’t let yourself get distracted by the panicky whirlpool of oh-god-I-haven’t-started-my-Graphic-Design-101-project-yet. Your problem for that day is just to get your laundry done, attend lecture and take lots of notes, and outline an essay for one class. Don’t get sucked into the Sisyphean nightmare that is “I could be doing more, and doing it better”---instead, focus only on what you can concretely achieve, being faithful to how you study and learn best. 

No one can do everything all the time perfectly. Figure out what’s achievable for you, what positions you the best for success, and work from there.

2. Work Your Network

The beautiful thing about college is that there are a lot of people there who genuinely want you to succeed. You have professors who would love you to come to their office hours, grad student TAs who take immense pride in working with students, and classmates who would do murder for someone to commiserate and proofread each others’ essays with. Take advantage of all of them. 

Go to office hours! Every single office hour, professors’ and TAs’, especially if you feel like you’re struggling in a class. Bring your marked-up homework, questions from the lecture (which includes “I didn’t understand X, could you explain it again?”) or even more far-ranging questions like, “I really admire you [and maybe secretly want to be you when I’m older], could you tell me more about the industry/your background/this article of yours I read?” Every person in the entire world loves talking about how they Made It, and nothing will endear you faster than asking them for advice. (Just make sure to take it with a grain of salt!)

If your college has other resources, I recommend at least trying those as well. My university had grad student “tutors” who basically hung out in the library waiting to help college students with essays and problem sets. In law school, we had “mentors,” where you would be paired up with an older student who could tell you about certain professors and share outlines with you. All advice is personal and should be taken with a grain of salt, but I bet there are a lot of human resources available to you---even just to freak out with.

3. You’re Still Making Potato Stamp Art (No, Really)

It’s easy, in the overwhelming rush and whirl of college, to forget why you went in the first place. You catch it only in glimpses: a professor whose lecture style makes you feel things; an assignment you feel particularly proud of; a conversation you have, halfway through the semester, where you realize you actually have been learning this whole time. The pursuit of knowledge, of learning and improving and making something new, gives the whole collegiate endeavor an electric feeling that in my experience isn’t present anywhere else in the world---but it’s always, always hard. (For all my problems with higher education as a system, I’ve never doubted the value of knowledge-for-knowledge’s sake. Much like art-for-art’s sake, it’s easy to espouse and yet somehow tremendously fragile, threatened, once you look closer.)

The thing is, it’s easy to look back on the learning and growing we’ve already accomplished and think that that was the happiest time of our lives. It was so easy! It must have been easy, because we’ve passed through it---it’s especially easy to think so now on the other side, where we’re presented with even harder challenges to overcome. So the challenges left behind...well, they must have always been easy.

But making potato stamp art was once hard. You once looked at your unevenly-cut potato, slathered with too much paint (so much so that it squished on the paper) and knew on some level that this was not the best art. Otherwise you wouldn’t have tried to improve---you wouldn’t be here, studying graphic design, unless there was a part of you that looked at your macaroni art, potato stamps, and “family portraits” painted in wet acrylic, and thought, not good enough. 

You’re still making potato stamp art, it’s just more sophisticated than it was. As it should be: you’re much more sophisticated too. Growth, learning, making...these things are always hard at every stage, turn, and twist. So if you’re going to look behind you, then I’m going to insist that you do it in frank admiration of how far you’ve come, and how much further you’re going to go.

[faedawayyy]

THIS IS POST 2: CHARACTERS WHO HAVE SOME STORYLINES AND PLOTS ALREADY BUT AREN’T NEARLY AS ESTABLISHED AS THEY COULD BE. THEIR PLOTS WILL INCLUDE MORE LOOKING FOR LOVE AND MESSINESS BECAUSE THEY DON’T HAVE AS MANY COMMITMENTS AS THE ONES IN POST ONE.

MILES

the only carmichael boy who is officially single from his household. i feel like this has definitely caused his mum to push her attention on to him, particularly because he lives at home. she definitely wants him to settle down with somebody and at the moment, he fake dates arabella to keep her happy but there’s more i can get out of this. SOOOOOOO...

- HIS PLANNED GIRLFRIEND/WIFE: this was charlie at one point but she has more with leo now so it doesn’t really make sense. somebody from a wealthy family who his parents wanted him to end up with. maybe they’re constantly pushing them together but the two of them HATE each other with a passion and do everything they can to mess up their parents plans. - FWB: he’s been in the shadows for quite a while which isn’t a surprise given how much leo, mason and brody have going on. but, now he’s getting a bit older, i think he’d be more confident in himself and i can totally see him hooking up after events and stuff and having a few fwb. it’d be cool if these had different dynamics too like unrequited crushes/people using him for fame etc.  - MALE FRIENDSHIPS: he’d definitely hang out with people in his family’s circle but also people who are different and come from different walks of life. as a general rule, he’s chill and not big on aesthetics and appearances if that helps anybody! 

NATE

HE’S LIKE MY 2021 DALLAS AND THAT’S THE DIRECTION I WANT TO MOVE HIM IN. he’s a rising star in terms of his music and also has a minor acting and modelling career. he definitely gets the right amount of hype too so i think he’s the best choice out of my new guys to really give like the whole ‘rising star’ thing. i have QUITE A FEW ideas for him bc i’m excited! 

SIDE NOTE: him and imogen aren’t officially end game. like they might be? but what i’m trying to say is me and nadine haven’t plotted anything like that. their official plot is that they were dating behind charlie’s back when imogen was with charlie. now imogen isn’t w.charlie, they flirt and hook up but are p.toxic and argumentative. 

- FWB/RUMOURED PARTNERS:  this one goes w/o saying. i think i’m going to cap the plot at about 3 (not including imogen). maybe 3 different girls he’s linked with and has his own thing with. bonus points if one of these is a PR arrangement and it doesn’t go any deeper than public appearances.  - SECRET SHARERS: so with his career getting bigger, i think he’d be more serious about keeping his secret which is basically back in high school, him and a few of his friends are responsible for leaving another guy in a coma (he’s still in it now) after they spiked his drink to stop him from exposing them for cheating their way into st judes. i need maybe 3 or 4 people who all had a hand in this but we can work it out together. 

- FRIENDS/PEOPLE HELPING WITH HIS CAREER ETC.

EZRA

i’m kinda stuck with ezra. i have ideas but i dont know what the best way to execute them will be? so, he obviously has his son - nicolas - who is being raised by his mother atm. he’s natalie’s son; ezra and natalie were high school sweethearts but have gone their separate ways, they coparent as much as they can. this year ezra has got closer to madison and then felicity but in both relationships found they weren’t really satisfied with just him and flirted with others...so he’s kind of in a weird place. - PLATONIC FRIENDSHIP: maybe someone who knows all about his son and has helped ezra raise him/keeping it all a secret. it would be strictly platonic. i think she/he would be ezra’s best friend and they wouldn’t have any grey area. there’s no romantic feelings but the bond is strong. 

- EX: in between natalie and then felicity/madison. maybe they broke up because he wanted to focus on nicolas and didn’t have enough time for their relationship but there’s still feelings there. i just want somebody who genuinely loved/wanted him at one point and doesn’t always find someone better :’) we could develop how things unravel in 2021.

LUKE

luke’s father is the head of film at st judes and he has a lot of pressure on his shoulders to do well. at the moment, he’s in his good books because he’s a key part of the harry potter movies which is really pushing him and boosting his profile. he’s very focused on his work but also wants to branch out and make more connections. he’s currently interested in athena but i want to dig into his past a little more.  - EX FRIENDS/RIVALS: a friend that luke grew up with and they both went into acting, that’s when the friendship became toxic. they were always trying to outdo one another and it’s continued on to this day; they both have good careers but aren’t satisfied unless they’re doing slightly better than the other one; this can be m or f. 

- HIGH SCHOOL GIRLFRIEND: he went to gallagher high school. i think it’d be interesting if they were dating and looked as if they’d be typical high school sweethearts. maybe the plan was to live in one of his parents place, get regular jobs and settle down but then he chose his career/st judes and broke it off because it got too serious too soon. bonus points if she still hasn’t fully let him go bc she truly did love him. 

- COMPLICATED EX: an ex he dated at the beginning of st judes and it just got toxic very fast. maybe the reverse of his high school girlfriend - she fell out of love with him/was stringing him along and now there’s a lot of tension.

- WILDER FRIENDS: he’s very clean cut at the moment and has pressure to be a good example for others bc his dad is so linked to the academy, but maybe friends who tempt him to go out more and enjoy this time/make memories/do crazier things.

TAEWAN

ok ok i’m getting bored but for taewan, it’s very similar to luke. BTS are really going to be pushed to be the best next year and this is going to create both new and break old connections for him sooooooo take a look.

RIVALS/INDUSTRY ENEMIES - artists who work just as hard, if not harder, than BTS but don’t see half of the benefits with advertisement and getting prime performance spots at award shows. i think there’ll even be rumours than BTS buy some of their awards. he’d 100% have enemies by this time next year and would lowkey be sad about it bc he knows BTS are in the wrong, but also his career means too much to just admit it. P.R. GIRLFRIEND - a girl who’s a rising star too and he’s placed in a fake relationship to boost both of their profiles. it’d need to be a relationship where they clash and do not get along with one another bc i think that’d be fun. maybe they grow to like each other or be at least friends in the end but !!! the more tension the better tbh.

LOVE INTEREST/BEST FRIEND - i feel like he’d have one person who is currently his best friend and they’ve always kind of had feelings for each other...but now BTS are blowing up and management are getting involved with who he’s seen with and who he can be with, their friendship is breaking down massively and they’re drifting.

BRIELLE

brielle has just moved in with imogen and park and she’s been thrown into like, the world of old money and the richest family’s in violet springs. she’s experiencing so much new for the first time. imogen and her friends have kind of taken brielle under their wing & her life has kinda separated into two.

PEOPLE WHO KNOW HER FROM THE STRIP CLUB - i’ve literally been begging for this connection since i had her. her main source of income is stripping and dancing at a sketchy club in london. i’d love to have someone who sees her regularly and even pays for her to perform for their. i feel like it could either be they become infatuated with her through it OR they lowkey do it as blackmail to make the point that they’ve always got something over her.  OLD FRIENDSHIPS - people who have NO connection to the richer families and are friends with brielle from before. they know about her getting closer to imogen and the hamiltons and brielle is almost like their eyes on the inside, and they meet up and just gossip about everything that brielle has experienced. maybe one of these friends get a little jealous at some point and accuses her of forgetting who her real friends are/changing? NEW FRIENDSHIPS - people who DO have connections to that whole circle. maybe they get closer to brielle through events that she comes to with imogen OR they kind of mock her and treat her like an outcast. i definitely think she’d encounter some mean girls.  ALSO new friends with benefits because why not! there’re so many possibilities. i’m just getting tired of typing LOL

YULIA

yulia currently lives in the home of the family she nannies for. this job funds her scholarship at st judes, but she tells everybody that those people are her parents and sisters. she gives off the impression that she was born rich and doesn’t mention her real family to anybody because she’s ashamed. she has a lot of self hatred when it comes to where she came from and is v.much continuing with ‘fake it ‘til you make it’.

GUYS SHE USES FOR PUBLICITY/MONEY - i think yulia wants nothing more than to be legitimately rich, so she’d be very picky about the guys she flirts with and gives her time too. she’s probably more determined to get a rich and famous boyfriend than she is about having a successful film career. her priorities are all over the place. 

SOMEONE WHO HELPS HER CONTINUE HER LIE - maybe one or two friends who know she’s a nanny and they aren’t her family - but she doesn’t know that they know that. however, because they like her and/or feel bad for her, they play along and help her continue her lie.

ELOISE

eloise is the oldest calloway sister and even though she’s technically a “half” sister, she’s been raised with the other girls and is very close to them - especially zara. she’s the sensible one and often has the most level-head. she doesn’t take much shit but is also a hopeless romantic and loves to be in love. she really doesn’t have much at all right now so i could do with lots of different plots:

childhood friends, people who were like sisters to her when her real sisters weren’t. 

an ex boyfriend and her first boyfriend. i feel like the break up would’ve hurt because she’s v attached to people 

a close friend who has a ridiculously big crush on her atm; boy or girl idm! i feel like eloise wouldn’t know at first and maybe freak out when she finds out and we can see what happens from there 

maybe friends/guys who have used her to get to her sister(s)

MARGO

MY BABYYYYYYY. margo is legit my favourite and thats saying a lot bc you guys know how much i love issy and hensley. she’s basically signed herself out of rehab and takes advantage of the fact that dallas is working SO hard to get everything done. she has a huge tendency to buy and drink her feelings away SOOOO.....

ENABLERS - i kind of want her to get in with ‘the wrong crowd’, and by that i mean like...people who don’t rly care that she’s an addict and want to have fun with her. i have a really specific connection in mind where they’re fwb but it’s no good for her; BUT she’s kind of easy and happy to have sex hjkl; so they just keep her on standby.

OTHER FWB - i really want her to just go through a massive sleeping around stage. i haven’t really found someone she ‘clicks’ with. she relies LOTS AND LOTS on park and even though they’re not romantic, he’s her safe space. but i think there’d be a lot of other people in her life who she gets different things from. some ideas could be excitement, or people who baby her, or someone who maybe cares a lot about her & its their only way of being in contact.

EX FRIENDS - friends who gave up on her after she went to rehab and became a mess. she’d hate them bc as tough as she acts, she HATES HATE HES being abandoned. that’s why she clings to park and disney sm, bc she knows that they’ve been her friends since the beginning. 

[etherealwaifgoddess]

No Better Feeling In The World

Summary: Part of the What He Wants universe. You enjoy a lazy morning in bed with Bucky thinking of how lucky you are to have found him. 

Warnings/ Content: So many feels ya’ll.

Word Count: 1.1k

Author’s Note: Hello lovelies! Did you think we were done with the What He Wants universe? Nope! Every so often I think of our darlings and their amazing lives together and I just need more. So please enjoy yet another one shot into their lives. XOXO - Ash

No Better Feeling In The World

The early morning sun filters in through the gauzy curtains of your bedroom. It’s early, entirely too early in your opinion, but Bucky is carrying in steaming mugs of coffee on a small tray after having let Poe outside for his morning potty break. He is the best puppy-daddy. It’s obnoxious sometimes how naturally he took to caring for Poe. Bucky never complains about having to take Poe out in the early morning twilight for potty trips, even when it was frigid cold and snowy in March. He laughed at muddy paw prints on the freshly washed floor when spring arrived, re-washing the floor without complaint and then giving Poe a bath too. He loves cold, wet, puppy nose kisses in his face and the hours spent training the pup on basic commands. You’re thankful Bucky has Poe to shower with all of his paternal instincts, he needs it more than he lets on.

“Mornin’.” Bucky says quietly, pressing a kiss to your forehead as he hands you your coffee.

You inhale deeply over the mug, letting the scent of coffee wake you a little more. “Morning.” you echo, throat still a little rough from sleep. 

“Poe is napping on the sofa so we should have a little while ‘til we get invaded.” Bucky says sliding into bed next to you, setting his mug on his nightstand so he could wrap an arm around your waist. He pulls you close, resting his chin on the curve of your shoulder. He loves when you first wake up, when you’re still all warm and sleepy and sweet. 

“Thanks, love. I want to relax a bit before we have to run errands.” 

Bucky presses a few soft kisses to the side of your throat. “I can run out to the store if you don’t want to. You’ve been running yourself ragged all week at work.” he offers.

“No,” you shake your head, setting your mug aside so you can roll over and face him. “We can go together. I just want to be lazy for a bit, that’s all.” 

“That sounds like a good plan.” Bucky nuzzles your neck, wrapping himself around you so you can cuddle as close as you’d like. 

There’s no need for words for a long while. The pair of you resting quietly in your big bed as the sunlight grows brighter in your room. It’s early June and you can’t wait until later in the morning when you can open all the windows up and let the still cool summer air blow through your little apartment. You still can’t believe sometimes that this is your life. That your little hidden apartment out in the woods has become a real home, with a husband and a life that you love. Your breath stutters for a moment as you’re overcome by your love for the man in your arms. 

Bucky notices the change in your breathing, how it’s almost the start of a sob but not quite. “You okay?” he asks, tilting your face up to check.

You nod once, soft emotions still playing across your face. “I just… I can’t believe I have this. You know?” 

Bucky quirks a brow at your statement, quiet and letting you continue when you’re ready.

You let out a long sigh, trying to find the words you need to go on. “I think I dreamed of you before I met you. I would have these moments, out of nowhere, where my heart felt so full that it was breaking. It was like I had all this love for someone but didn’t know who they were, or if I’d even meet them someday. Like my heart knew you were out there somewhere and it ached from not being able to love you yet.”

“Oh, my love.” Bucky’s eyes are glistening as he pulls you impossibly closer to him. 

“I’m not trying to be depressing first thing in the morning but I just get overwhelmed sometimes. All those years I’d accepted being alone forever, I still had a decent life. But those moments of just aching, hoping for more. For someone I could love and care for and be loved back by. And now I have it, I have you. It’s like I could finally start living the life I was meant to when I met you.” You sniff roughly, refusing to cry. You’re not the crier in this relationship, that’s Bucky’s job. 

Predictably, Bucky sniffs as well. “I’m here now, and I’m never going anywhere.” he assures you. “I think I was too afraid to dream of you.” 

“What?” you lean back to look him in the eyes. You knew a bit of his life after HYDRA, but not that.

“You remember how I was when I met you. Closed off. Hurting. Even before Steve died I wasn’t the easiest to be around. I didn’t think I was capable of loving someone anymore. And I didn’t want to inflict myself on anyone else with all my baggage. It didn’t seem fair. So I let myself forget that loving someone was an option. It was just easier that way.” 

“God, what a pair we are.” you laugh humorlessly. 

Bucky smiles wryly at you, “But we found each other. In that horrible little bunker in the middle of nowhere. And you were just... a force. I couldn’t believe you were real. You were so fiercely concerned about me when I didn’t even give a shit about myself. You made me want to care again. You saved me.” 

“You saved yourself. I just reminded you that you could. You’re so amazing, even the bits you think are still broken, and I’m going to spend the rest of our lives reminding you of that.” You tilt your head up to kiss him deeply, comforting you both with the contact. And it’s there again, that overwhelming feeling of love so deep you could burst. But now it has a direction, an outlet. You know that this all consuming love is for him, the perfect, wonderful man in your bed. Years of keeping it yourself are finally over and you can share it with him wholeheartedly. And in that quiet moment in the early morning sun, you’re convinced there’s no better feeling in the world. 

[hecohansen31]

Don’t Fight Fire With A Sword

Alfred The Great + Kathleen (OC)

“Bite my tongue, bide my time Wearing a warning sign Wait ‘til the world is mine”

“You should see me in a crown” by Billie Ellish.

(A/N): Hello there, lovelies!

So a few weeks ago, I had a bit of a writer block towards the ‘To Kill a King’ series, and I have to say that sadly I just felt like I couldn’t write it, but at the same time… I wanted to writ that world…

At the same time, I developed a small crush on our Alfie boy over here (l am an whore for men with long hair, don’t judge me) and I just felt like I had to do something about it.

So I created this small spin-off series to the main one, you don’t have to have read the first series to read this (although I’d suggest it), and neither you have to read this to continue the series.

It is my first ever OC insert, so please be kind!

SUMMARY:  Trying desperately to save their sister, Kathleen and Abigail slowly try their best to come up with a plan to open the eyes of king Alfred, but not everything is as easy as it seems. ... even more when feelings are involved.

WORDS: 3K

WARNINGS: Mention of Violence and Domestic Abuse, Court Plotting, Arranged Marriage, Historically Inaccurate and maybe character being a bit OOC (I am sorry for that).

Kathleen couldn’t just realize that you wouldn’t have been there anymore.

It had all hit her when she had gone back to retrieve some book from your room, shouting lovingly ‘to get your butt up’, because it was morning and you’d be missing breakfast.

It was unlike you not to be already awake, but maybe you had fallen asleep with a book over your head, which shielded you from the sun peaking through the curtains.

It had happened only once before.

But it had happened.

She had shouted your name, giggling silly till realization had hit her: you were gone.

You were in a Viking camping, scared and alone, probably under the hands of a vengeful husband, made to act like nothing more than a trophy.

She just couldn’t believe it.

She just…

She couldn’t breathe.

Abigail found her by the end of your made-up bed, empty, although your scent still stood in the air.

Her sister gently cradled her in her arms, almost motherly.

Although Abigail had been the youngest of them and had never known her mother, she acted in such a motherly way that made her much more grown up than her fourteen-year old body.

Kathleen had never known if it was that lacking of a mother figure that had imposed such a growth on her lithe body or if it was the fact that neither you or Kathleen had ever donned her with the same attention you had for each other.

Although you were a strong trio, the power claims and boundaries had been set before you by your own father and your mother’s death had only certified them.

You would have never accused Abigail of being the death of your mother, but she had been largely weighted down by the pregnancy, enough that you spent every living minute with her, ignoring the squealing baby in the crib next to her.

This had probably prompted Abigail to create a personality that would make nobody forget her, energetic and positive, completely clashing with your silent one and Kathleen’s rightful one.

And although Kathleen dreaded the thought, she almost hoped it would have been Abigail the one chosen by Ivar.

Did that make her a horrible sister?

She hadn’t even been able to stop her sister from her own unhappiness.

“… I know what you are doing here” mumbled Abigail, stealing her from her thoughts “… I also woke up thinking… wishing she was still there”.

“It smells like her” Kathleen’s voice croaked lightly, made rough by the commotion and the tears shining in her eyes as she raised her head to meet Abigail’s “… I just… two days ago she was here… and now…”.

A choked sob, forced her head down, hiding her own fault.

“… now she is a wife of a prince” completed softly Abigail, taking her hand, a steady look of gentleness on her face and for a moment Kathleen was reminded of her mother’s soft gaze “… I know that you think she is unsafe, but you heard his promise… he won’t hurt her”.

“Father did the same promise to mother, in front of our own God!” shouted back Kathleen, pushing herself closer to a trembling Abigail, who backed up lightly “… you know how fickle the world of a man is”.

“He isn’t our father” spoke Abigail, something whispered in her tone, completely aware that she wouldn’t be able to change Kathleen’s word.

“You are right” replied the older sister, adjusting herself to be sat onto your empty trunk, the only one left in the room, not a single thing reminding her of you, except the precious smell, something darker than you looked “… he is worse”.

Abigail just shook her head, huffing a loud sigh, before she turned, moving to your desk, freed of any paper that stood on it, as she also sat down, but decided to change the topic of your discourse.

Abigail would have made the perfect court wife: poised, gracious and smart enough to know when to talk back, she would have made much more of a trophy for a king.

But Kathleen couldn’t help but think that with what Ivar had in mind, he had chosen the quiet sister for a reason.

And she couldn’t still understand whether it was to humiliate the Saxons or for some genuine emotion.

The one he had seen in his eyes as he swore that he wouldn’t have hurt his sister.

‘Can you keep a promise, my prince?’ she had wanted to reply, but Heahmund had stilled her movements and words with a steely gaze, almost already saying ‘I’ll have to report this to the king’.

She had almost wanted to give him the finger and tell him to report that.

‘You are a man without honor, Heahmund, all you have is your God’ she had uttered as he had helped her out of the chariot, before her and Abigail ran to their rooms, locking themselves inside.

“… what do you think that we are to do without (Y/N)?” asked Abigail, so casually, inspecting her nails, but Kathleen could see the effort in her body to keep such a trivial pose.

“What we could do is take over this damn castle and storm the army to the camping to get back our sister” her tone held a white rage and a conviction that scared Abigail, as fear showed in her eyes and she adjusted herself to face her sibling.

“… something that we can actually do, Kathleen” the way she pronounced her name, spoke of her annoyance to the entire plan and to her desperate resistance to embrace the truth and the reality.

Again, Abigail was the mature one, if you were gone.

“I am not joking, Abigail” she commented her tone moving to sarcastic determination “… you can raise your skirts and distract the soldier, as I ran father through my…”.

“That’s murder, Kathleen” now Abigail seemed disappointed, her tone switching to an accusing one “It’s our father, Kathleen!”.

“For all I care he is no father of mine” and she had come closer to a trembling Abigail “… fathers would never sell their daughter to the best price or hit them... they should protect them…”.

Something had broken in that moment in Abigail’s eyes.

Although you and Abigail were all aware that Kathleen’s bruises weren’t because of her clumsiness, you were the sole one who knew that they were willingly inflicted as a torture by your father.

Abigail had always been kept in the shadows.

An uncomfortable silence settled between the two of them, and Abigail seemed to simply be able to shift in her chair, showing her uneasiness, not knowing whether she should have comforted Kathleen or… simply forget about what she had just said.

“… I might have a plan” Abigail commented softly, her tone too similar to a whisper “… prince Alfred will be here tonight”.

“Those phrases just don’t match together” mumbled Kathleen, surly, sucking lightly on her bottom lip “… so I don’t think that you have a plan”.

“The only person who can exceed our father is Alfred, you know it” Abigail explained softly, uncaring of her sister’s tone “… we just need to convince him that our sister never wanted any of this”.

“… and then he’ll say the word and we’ll have our sister back in our arms” mumbled Kathleen with a silly tone, before glaring her way “… this is a very doable plan indeed”.

“I know that I am not nearly as smart as… (Y/N)” now her sister was fidgeting with her hands and Kathleen couldn’t help but realize that maybe… just maybe… she had used the wrong tone with her poor sister, who was just trying to help her “… but I am trying my best here”.

“I am sorry” commented softly Kathleen, coming closer to her, as she moved her hands onto her shoulders “… it is just… this entire thing is making me…”.

“… nervous” completed softly Abigail “… oh, I hadn’t noticed it”.

“Didn’t know you had this ‘tricky’ side to you, sister” Kathleen couldn’t help but move her lips in a silly smile.

“… well somebody had to be the ‘humorous sister’ “ also her smile was small, but it still shone, as her sister put an hand over Kathleen’s “… now let’s get breakfast, we can think about some plans to take back our sister with our stomach full”.

“That, sister, is an amazing idea”.

---

Although Abigail’s idea had distracted Kathleen for enough time to actually consider the ‘Alfred idea’ that dreading feeling of not having done enough was now mixed with the knowledge of having ignored her smaller sister.

And that she had been the one who had taken in a protector role for this entire shit.

Kathleen was basically failing greatly at being an older sister.

And this made her think about all she had always feared of becoming: her father.

She had always been constantly scared of following in her father’s footsteps, a failure to her own family with a heart of ice.

Although her father had always despised her, he had trained her to become him one day.

His wife hadn’t given him any male heirs, but he had made everything in his power to obtain his future role for his daughter, maybe adjusting a puppet king next to her, but it would have been his bloodline that ruled.

Even if he had to put on the throne the daughter he had always hated.

He had always had some kind of appreciation for you and Abigail.

You had been the one who had won him over a treaty with Vikings and Abigail was the perfect wife material, and Kathleen was surprised he wasn’t allowing any suitor to court her yet.

But he had always hated Kathleen.

She was the useless first daughter, too stubborn for a husband and too bold for his liking.

Unlike you or Abigail she didn’t back down from a fight and didn’t know when to hold herself back.

She was a thorn in his side.

And yet he had downed every small lesson onto her.

He was a cruel man, rightful in his mind and cruel in everyone else’s.

And Kathleen couldn’t help but think the same of herself.

And when she felt like that, all she could do was fight her mind till it exhausted itself and no thought appeared in it, in a blankness of it that made only her body memory guide her.

The sword Ivar had gifted back to her was beautiful, but she hadn’t been able to use it, since it almost seemed some kind of perverse deal back for her own sister.

She preferred to use the consumed wooden sword she used for practice, twirling it around with expertise, as she remembered the pose and tried out a quick fighting with an imaginary enemy.

… till it become a real enemy.

A dark-haired boy was staring at her from the threshold of her room and immediately she thought it was a simple servant, but then as she looked closer at him, she found out that he was dressed in impeccable clothes.

Definitely not a servant.

“… I… I meant no harm, princess” he spoke slowly and slowly she recognized that voice and were shocked to discover that who you had in front of you was king Alfred, having gained quite the not impressive moustache and lost his luxurious hair “… I just do think that I lost the reunion room, princess Abigail gave me precise instructions, still…”.

At the mention of Abigail, Kathleen almost huffed, lowering her sword and bowing lightly her head, before muttering a simple ‘it’s an honor, prince Alfred’.

“… I do think that you mistook the left and right, my room is on the left and the reunion room is on the right” her tone was algid and the boy seemed almost shook by it, trembling lightly, before he reassumed a tight posture.

“… ahh yeah, I must have… I am sorry, my princess again” and he made to exit but Kathleen thought that there wouldn’t be a better chance for them two to talk and to prove to Abigail that she trusted her and cared for her opinion.

“Prince Alfred, might we have a private word, later?” he seemed shocked and immediately puffed up his chest as any mate ready to court a female did, just to be shot down by another glare of yours “… about statecraft and my sister”.

“Oh, I talked with Abigail, she see…”.

“My sister, (Y/N)”.

“Ohhhhh….”.

How the hell was she supposed to save your sister with the help of this idiot.

“… I usually take a small stroll in the garden after lunch to help digestion, you should join me”.

And like that she slammed the door in his face.

She had a diplomatic date to attend.

---

“You are not the humorous sister, you are the cunning one” mumbled Kathleen as she came by Abigail in the dining room, the maids quickly excusing themselves as their meals waited steaming on the table.

“Oh c’mon! You should have expected that I wouldn’t have relented so quickly” commented Abigail, quickly moving to the table and eating a small bite of food with her own hands.

“… you should have handled Alfred” mumbled her sister sticking on the threshold of the door “… I am not good with men I have no patience for fickle things”.

“Well sadly sister, you are the older one, he’ll believe you more” she muttered softly, and Kathleen couldn’t help but be impressed by how thoughtful her younger sister could be, almost more mature than her.

Not that it took too much.

“… I’ll ruin it” she insisted, but Abigail had already started eating fiercely and even the greatest warrior would have been discouraged from distracting her from eating.

“Just look at him in the eyes, meanwhile he says how strong he is” she suggested softly, between a few bites in a very unladylike way.

“… I’ll more likely throw up”.

“Not on his polished boots”.

Kathleen let out a small laugh, before moving to sit beside the sister, gently reaching out for her hand.

“… you are a true blessing Abigail”

“… never thought you’d say that, did you?” teased her Abigail, but gripped back her hand “… now let’s practice what will happen between you”.

---

Kathleen had almost forgotten the walk as she had had too many laughs with Abigail and when the bell of memory had rung in her mind and she had rushed in the gardens, almost tripping a few maids, as Abigail followed her desperately, trying to stop her.

‘Your braid is completely disrupted! And don’t trip in …’ and Kathleen had almost fallen down the stairs indeed ‘… your skirts’.

‘I’ll adjust it as soon as I can’ she had screamed back but had barely been able to tuck in her hair before prince Alfred had also barged in her, almost crashing in her.

“Two times in a row, king Alfred, somebody will think that you are courting me” and from the blush on his face you had hit some sore spot.

“… I… I actually was expecting somebody to watch over us” he mumbled softly, adjusting his own royal robes, and you just looked up at the small tower from which Abigail was spying on you.

“Don’t worry, our loyal and just God will look at us from above” and like that you had yanked on his arm to make him start moving before your father realized your absences.

A control maniac like him would have hated it.

“… you don’t… that seems a bit insulting” he replied lightly, raising an eyebrow.

“Are you going to tell Father Peter?” you joked back “… because I was never his favorite, I constantly annoyed him with silly questions as if you are supposed to seriously stone a woman if she decides that she has enough of having one man”.

“I take it that you don’t believe in God’s rightful law”.

“I do believe in it” Kathleen mumbled, turning to look at Alfred with a stern look, one that would have put the fear of God in each man “… I just think that some of it is ridiculous”.

“… what about the one where it says that men should pluck out their eyes if they ever stare upon a woman?”.

The entire phrase took her aback.

But she hid it well, although on Alfred’s face appeared a victorious smirk.

“… you have read the Bible, good for you”

“Are you educated to such disrespect or are you simply made this way, princess Kathleen?” he spoke lightly, that hideous victorious smirk on his face lighting up his face.

And for a minute she couldn’t help but think about how handsome he looked.

“I was dropped on the head as a child” she shot back “… what is the excuse for your dullness, my king?”.

You were half-expecting him to faint for your boldness, but he simply started laughing loudly, having to crouch down to calm his breath as Kathleen almost wondered whether she should have done something.

But then again, king Alfred’s eyes caught her, this time actually making you back up at the intensity of his stare, such a genuine and natural look in the shining pools of light that Kathleen almost wondered whether he was an angel with no wings.

“… you are one of a kind, princess Kathleen” he mumbled, as his laugh disappeared from his tone in a softer one “… you ask me to meet here unattended and believe me I thought you’d try to seduce me..”.

“Don’t flatter yourself my king, I have better taste” shot immediately back Kathleen.

“… and then you insult me” he smirked, ignoring completely Kathleen’s statement and reaching softly for her hand “… you have me completely enchanted, my princess”.

And he wasn’t lying by the laughing and adoring glance he sent to her.

And for a moment Kathleen understood why women liked fickle things as men.

If they looked at them like that…

It made her feel powerful, but also comfortable…

“… I hope I have your ears, because I need to talk with you, my king”.

---

@queenboosha​ @lovelylangdonx​ @rls905​

[dregstrash]

in another time, in another place

A/N: This very long one-shot is dedicated to @kestrel-of-herran​ who basically encouraged me to write a zoyalai fic based on one of our favorite songs of Bastille’s album ( “Another Place” on Doom Days). Also thank her for this ending, cause I definitely was going to leave it at a different mood.

Also, thought I’d mention, this isn’t rated M, but this has a little bit more sex talk than usual for me. 

Word Count: 4.8k+

-

I am bound to you with a tie that we cannot break With a night that we can't replace I'm lost but found with you, in a bed that we'll never make It's a feeling we always chase

-

There were alternate universes out there. Nikolai was really quite sure of it.

There was a version of himself that was a dashing pirate that only plundered the rich and the dangerous, and gave safety to those who didn’t need any better.

There was a version of himself that was a self satisfied prince who would rule his country with a fair hand, and he would take tours throughout his country where every village opened welcoming arms to him.

There was a version of himself that was a carefree musician.

Or maybe a universe that saw him as a small town librarian.

Or maybe a wizard. Or maybe a dragon slayer. Or just an entire dragon.

There were alternate universes out there, he was almost positive because he refused to believe that the reality he lived in was the only one that existed. 

Surely, there was a timeline where he wasn’t trapped in a loveless marriage that his parents had orchestrated for him. In this alternate reality, his wife treated him like a husband instead of a roommate that she held in contempt 99% of time. He would go home after a long day of being in meetings and making sure his company were keeping everything on the ethical side, and he’d see his wife and drop a kiss on her cheek and offer to cook dinner. He would see her smile and he’d try to make her laugh with some stupid joke he came up with. Her laugh would go straight through him and he’d wrap his arms around her waist and feel her warmth sink into his bones. Because that’s what people who were in love did. That’s what people who were happy felt. 

He had to hold onto that hope that some version of himself had all those things, because knowing that his life began and ended in the shadows would be testing the limit of his optimism. 

As for his current state of existence... he made the best of it.

Like he’s done for most of his life.

When his brother tried to beat him up. He made sure that he knew how to defend himself.

When he found out that his dad may not really be his dad, he laughed through it and was glad that he’d never inherit the receding hairline that was already creeping up on Vasily. 

When Ehri didn’t even look his way the night they got married, he respected her space and slept in the guest room of their loft.

When he realized that she expected him to do that for the rest of their lives, he painted the walls a light blue and moved all his clothes into the room’s walk-in closet. He didn’t shut up about it to Ehri, but she wasn’t in the loft often enough to truly get sick of his light griping. 

When he came home one day and heard through the thin walls of Ehri’s bedroom that she wasn’t entirely alone...well Nikolai tried to make the best of that too. 

There really was no love lost between them. Hell, they hadn’t even consummated the marriage. And he didn’t know her intimately enough to even be hurt by the idea of her sleeping with other people. In all honesty, he almost expected it. 

But that didn’t mean that he’d do the same and sleep his way around New York. He may have had his fun in college, and enjoyed exploring just how far his charms took him, but he was a married man. That had to mean something, right?

He wasn’t his mother or his father. He wanted to be better than them-- wanted to prove that he could keep it in his pants and in his marriage. Even if his wife seemed uninterested in doing so. 

But then Zoya Nazyalensky came into his life-- or well she stormed through his life. An environmental consultant that was inspecting the land that he was planning to to be a homeless shelter. She was all edges and no give. She was a fire that had no qualms about burning him alive. She was a puzzle piece that he wanted to fit into his life. 

He’s not entirely sure how that first time had happened. It had been a late night at the office. He was trying to prolong his departure to his comically empty home, and he had been buried in a new design for a potential boat that could take him far, far away from his life. And it wasn’t until he had heard a knock on his office door that he realized that he wasn’t the only one in the building. 

Zoya had been working late in her borrowed office. She had been pouring over the endless reports and field samples, and had come to ask him a question regarding the type of materials he was going to use as foundation. 

He had lifted his gaze from his sketch and felt like the air had left his lungs when he caught her gaze. IThey had been dancing around each other for months now. 

He’d tease, she’d snap. He’d compliment, she’d roll her eyes. He’d look, and she’d look away. 

She’d suggest something, he’d listen. She’d tease him about his soft-heart, he’d call her ruthless. She’d stand firmly on certain practices, and he’d respect it.

Whatever words that were left unsaid during those months seemed like a cosmic force that tugged them closer and closer together, until they arrived in that moment. The dense air, the blazing stare, the first movement.

It all was a blur when their lips collided together. He could only recall impressions and sensations. Teeth pulling on lips. Hands wandering across bodies. Shirts being untucked. Pants being undone. Backs hitting flat surfaces. Moans and grunts a soundtrack to a night that made Nikolai forget his name and the ring on his left hand. 

That first time was everything Nikolai wanted. That first time was something that couldn’t happen again. 

Zoya could never be truly happy with him-- a man that was tied to another. And Zoya deserved to be happy. So, Nikolai had made some off-hand comment about Zoya’s talents, and she had called him an idiot. They had cleaned up and straightened their clothes, and had tried to part as casually as possible. 

But there really was nothing casual about it. Nikolai felt unmade and he had a sneaking suspicion that he’d always be unraveling. 

-

So lie to me tonight and pretend 'til the morning light And imagine that you are mine 'Cause when the sun will rise with the truth coming out your eyes We'll be good in another life

-

That first time quickly developed into a habit. Because Zoya decided to take more jobs throughout New York. She decided that there was a lot of opportunity in this city, and Nikolai had been one of the only friends she had in a city of millions. 

Nikolai would be a bad liar if he even tried to deny the happiness that danced in his chest when she had texted him about her temporary plans. 

He had planned to keep it as friends. Anything more would be selfish on his part. She couldn’t be just a vehicle for his sexual frustrations. He wouldn’t let her be. Friends he could do. 

But like most of his plans for his life, it failed almost immediately. 

Because as much as he tried to fight the attraction that leapt at him every waking moment of his day, he was one unhappily married man against an incredibly formidable woman. It was a fight he was destined to lose.

He had told Zoya about his arrangement with Ehri. It was over coffee and they had somehow gotten into a conversation over lost loves. Zoya had laughed in her very Zoya-way and claimed that it didn’t exist. While Nikolai had smirked and said that it did, it just didn’t exist in his marriage. They had stayed in that coffee shop talking all afternoon until an emergency at his office had him rushing out of there and completely missing the lingering look that lingered in Zoya’s eyes.

The next time they met up it was supposedly to watch a movie. 

They both knew it was an excuse.

They both knew that the movie they ended up playing wasn’t going to be watched. 

That’s how it was for them. Lies that were passed off as excuses so that they could have a reason to see each other. Some substantial thing to hold onto as they fell into each other’s arms and let the heat of their bodies consume their twin souls. 

It was after one of these nights that Nikolai had lain awake. His body was sated and spent, and he rubbed circles on Zoya’s lower back as her head rested against his bare chest. She had been too tired to put on any clothes, and he could feel every inch of her curled into his side, and his fingers trailed over the scars of her back ( “I got them from a stray cat in middle school. A bunch of kids dared me to poke it.” She said as his hand had trailed over every ridge and bump. “Let’s say, I shouldn’t have turned my back on it. I just tell everyone else I slept with I was a tiger wrangler.” Nikolai had laughed as his hand dipped lower. “I’d say it’s the same thing.”). 

For once, he seemed to be....happy. Or as close as he could get to it. Because his company was doing well, his parents’ partnership with Ehri’s parents were solid, and he just spent the last two hours exploring every inch Zoya Nazyalensky had to offer. There was a lightness in his chest that had never been there before.

So, of course, it didn’t last because he heard the front door to his loft open and shut softly and the gentle pitter patter of feet that could only mean Ehri had decided to grace their home with her presence. He heard another door open and shut, and he assumed that she was in her room. 

It wasn’t until that moment that Nikolai’s situation came crashing back down around him. He was a married man who could offer nothing to the woman who was sleeping contentedly at his side. For all intents and purposes they were fuck buddies. And he didn’t want to be. He wanted to be able to take Zoya out into daylight, and be able to hold her hand without the fear of his parents bringing the hammer down and berating him for jeopardizing a partnership that was funding their need to have five homes and a Fortune 500 company that ran itself. He wanted to be able to have his own feelings and his own life. He didn’t want these stolen moments and casual hook-ups. He wanted a relationship. A relationship with Zoya. He wanted and wanted, but at the end of the day that’s all they were: wants and wishes.

As gently as he could, he pulled away from Zoya and threw on his boxers. There was no way in hell he was going to go outside with the risk of seeing Ehri, but his room did have a balcony. 

And that’s where Zoya had found him. Staring at the New York skyline, half-naked, and on the brink of brooding.

“Pining over lost love again?” She said as she stepped up beside him, wrapped in the button-up he had been wearing.

He managed to pull a smirk onto his face, “I don’t pine, Zoya. Though I think even you have to admit that I look damn good brooding in the moonlight.” 

She smacked his arm, “Fine, you arrogant ass, then why are you out here?”

Nikolai looked down at her, and the sight of Zoya in his shirt and looking at him with that unwavering focus made his heart flip. There were words he wanted to say to her. There were words that he had been wanting to say for a long time now, but they halted in his throat. 

He knew Zoya pretty well now. He knew that commitments and real feelings were topics that held landmines that could blow their strange relationship into ruins. So he swallowed once, and looked back up at the sky.

“Just trying to see if I can read my future in the stars.” He sighed dramatically. “I figure I’d cut the whole psychic bullshit and just do it myself.”

He could feel her skeptical gaze on his skin, and he was glad when she chose to let it go. 

“You’re looking for lies, Nikolai.” She said. He felt her head on his shoulder and like a reflex he put his arms around her smaller frame and cocooned her body in his own heat. 

“I guess, I am. Do you have any for me, Zo? I could use a good lie.”

By the time she started to speak, his eyes had drifted downwards and into the silhouette of her face.

“I used to have an aunt who was clairvoyant.” She said. “So I think I’m more capable at reading your stars. And what I see is good.”

He snorted, “Really?”

She turned her head slightly, and shot him a shut up kind of look, “Yes. I see that eventually, you and Ehri will get a divorce without risking your parents disinheriting you. Then you’ll meet a woman that you actually love and she’ll love you back. You’ll get married for real and have dozens of children and save the world one building at a time. Then you’ll be happy for the rest of your life.”

His heart clenched at every single word that fell out of her mouth. He resisted every urge in him to correct her. I want you to see that it’s you, Zoya. You’re the one who I want to fall in love with. You’re the one I want to save the world with. You’re the one who could make me happy forever. 

But instead, Nikolai laughed and dipped his head down to kiss her temple. 

“Ehri leave me? Me, happy? You are a terrible fortune reader. A better one would come up with something actually believable.” 

Zoya turned to fully face him, and she smirked, “Fine. Here’s another prediction.” She leaned further into him so that the space between them almost became nonexistent, “I can see you kissing me because whatever is going on in your head is driving you insane. And I can see myself kissing you back because for some reason I can’t get enough of that annoying mouth. And then you’ll lead me back into that much warmer bed, and then you’ll kiss me again and again until I can’t breathe. Do you want me to keep going?”

Nikolai’s blood was practically humming, and as a way of replying he leaned down and pressed his lips sweetly over hers. 

The next hours were utter oblivion and bliss. Nikolai let his mind believe with every kiss, each thrust, each languid movement that this could be forever. That when he woke up next to Zoya the next morning her lies would have come true. That he was free from this marital prison, and he could start to entertain the idea of being with her-- maybe even marry her. As Zoya got closer to the edge, so did Nikolai and his mind narrowed down to the lie that there could be an infinite amount of tomorrows with her. 

He felt Zoya’s final muffled cry vibrate into his shoulder, and she fell on top of him in a heap while he followed soon after as she placed one last heated kiss into his mouth. 

His heart pumped from the exertion and his muscles shook from the pleasure that Zoya coaxed out of him. For the second time that night, Nikolai was sated, but he still couldn’t sleep. So he settled for tucking Zoya back into his side, and watching the sun come up in the horizon. He watched the sky lighten and the lies of the night disappear completely with the rising light. 

-

Feels like something's special but it never felt like love Wonder what we could be living in another life

-

Nikolai had to hand it to the universe. When it wanted to tear down his life, it was really determined to raze it to the ground.

At their one year anniversary, Ehri announced that she had enough and she didn’t care about the consequences, she served Nikolai divorce papers (that he was all too happy to sign), and he had very graciously helped move her out of the loft they barely shared. Then he had to go and turn out the news. 

That’s when he saw that his family was the top story in the business world. Apparently, his brother had committed tax fraud and his father had been caught helping him. Nikolai’s eyes widened as the news anchor listed the allegations that were leveling against his family, but he didn’t quite believe it until he saw the familiar figures of his dad and his brother being handcuffed and led away while his mother held onto a handkerchief looking distraught.

Nikolai wasn’t unintelligent. He knew what this meant for him. Even if he barely talked to his family, this meant that all of his assets were going to be frozen. He was going to get interrogated. His files were going to investigated. He was going to get kicked out of his loft. There were going to be fines to pay, people to deal with, and whatever life Nikolai thought he had was gone.

So, he did the only rational thing that came to mind: he went to Zoya.

Unfortunately, by the time he got to her apartment her apartment was ajar and there were boxes stacked against bare walls.

“I meant to tell you.” Zoya said coming out of the master bedroom, not even looking the slightest bit sorry. His whole body went numb as the puzzle pieces started to complete a horrifying picture. His family was gone. His career was probably near ruin. And Zoya was leaving.

In his unusual silence, Zoya started to talk again, “I have this promotion at our corporate office in California, and it was too good to pass up. I don’t leave until next week, but I needed to start packing up. I was going to tell you today, but then I saw the news and--”

“You didn’t know if I had been arrested too.” Nikolai’s voice sounded so strange to him. It was strained and hollow.

“No,” Zoya protested, a frown pulling at her lips, “I just thought you had enough to deal with--”

She was cut off as Nikolai barked out a laugh, “Since when are you ever considerate?”

He supposed he would have winced if he could feel the muscles in his face.

Zoya’s frown twisted into incredulity, and she crossed her arms in a defensive position, “Hey, don’t take that kind of shit to me. I know you’re probably just freaking out about what’s happening, but don’t start projecting on me. I’m your friend not a therapist.”

“Right,” Nikolai felt a smile on his lips, but there was nothing remotely amusing about this situation. He started to pace and pull at his hair. “ You’re my friend. That’s all you are a friend that I have sex with quite a bit.” 

“Exactly.” If it was possible, her voice had turned icier. “Just sex. Granted it was really good sex, but that’s all it was. I thought you knew that, Nikolai.” 

This stopped him in his tracks and he felt every muscle in his body tense. He did know that. He knew that from the very first time they had decided to go all the way. But it wasn’t just sex. There were the in-between moments that they shared too. The moments where he’d make her breakfast or bought her coffee or her visits to the office. The in-between space where there were some nights that they did actually just end up watching a movie and she’d fall asleep on his lap and the other nights that they talked about their day. Though, he had tried to keep his heart from the inevitable fall, it had seemed fated for him. He was in love with Zoya Nazyalensky. 

“What if it isn’t just sex, Zoya?” He almost whispered the words, but he needed his voice clear. He needed to look more solid than he felt, because this was his last chance to feel whole “What if I--”

“Don’t.” She cut him off sharply with a move of her hand. “Don’t make this into something that it’s not. You were lonely, Nikolai. You were lonely and-- and sexually frustrated. Whatever you think you’re feeling it’s not real.”

“And how would you know that!” He hadn’t meant to yell, but he was losing control of his voice.

“Because I’m not lying to myself!” She yelled back. Her face was distant and closed to him, and he wished for all the world to be able to know what she was really thinking, “Maybe in another life, Nikolai. In another time where I was someone you could actually love, and where you aren’t so- so- vulnerable then maybe it could be a possibility for something else. But right now? You don’t-- you don’t love me. Because I don’t love you.” 

Nikolai would look back at this moment, and realize that while Zoya was a good liar there was something about that last sentence that didn’t sound quite right. An untruth buried in her tone. But at this moment, all he could hear was the sound of his entire heart shattering completely. It was a physical pain that tore at his chest when he took one step away from the coldness in Zoya’s eyes. His body flushed with hot then cold. His vision was blurring slightly, and maybe that was the only good thing to come out of this because then he didn’t have to look at her stone-still face.

He didn’t know how he had managed it, but he finally forced his feet to remember how to walk. Just one foot in front of another, that’s all it was one foot in front of another. It didn’t take a lot of brain power, which was just as well because his brain was too busy trying to keep his heart from failing entirely.

-

In another time And in another place

-

It took the better part of a year before Nikolai had managed to stitch his life back together. 

He had given his testimony in court. He willingly gave up his files from his own development company. He tried to look after his mom. He talked and paid for all the lawyers.

And after all of that, his dad and his brother were charged with tax fraud and corporate espionage and sentenced to fifteen years in prison. The FBI found nothing incriminating in his company and was cleared of any suspicion. His mom had run away to be with Nikolai’s real father who lived in Norway. And by the time the lawyers were all paid, he had just enough to salvage the rest of his money in his company. For all intents and purposes, things were beginning to settle down.

Sure, he was now living in a substantially smaller one-bedroom apartment. He’s had some lean months where food came in the form of fake noodles cooked in boiling water. But he’s at peace. He had taken a new partner in his company, and while David Kotsyk was a little eccentric he was a genius. And it seemed like his wife was the one that carried all the conversation and charm, so he had no qualms about hiring her as their official PR director. 

In hindsight, he was almost glad that his half his family was thrown into jail, because it seemed like the universe’s way of giving him a second chance. A way to be a different person. A different life. 

As long as he kept his thoughts from straying to a certain dark haired, blue-eyed woman, he’d say that he was content. 

By the time Summer rolled around, Nikolai’s company was back on the upswing. He was able to buy more buildings in some of the rougher areas in New York and cut a deal with the state that let him rent out the new buildings that were adjusted to the income of the average citizens that lived in the area. He hoped this way, it stopped potential gentrification and let the locals try to live away from the more run down apartment buildings. 

Their annual barbecue was in full force, and Nikolai was sure that Tolya was drink away from standing on a table and performing Shakespeare. Which would have beat his last year’s announcement that he was going to run away and audition to be Hollywood’s first Asian Hamlet. 

“Nikolai!” Genya’s voice cut through the crowd, and he smiled as he caught sight of his friend holding up two beers in triumph. He didn’t know how his favorite drinks were always the first ones to disappear, but he was sure it was some kind of conspiracy. 

“You’re a hero, Gen.” He said as he toasted her. 

She laughed, “Do tell that to David, will you? I think he lost the list of compliments I had given him, and he seems utterly at a loss for words.”

Nikolai grinned as he spotted his other friend reading under the shade of the only tree planted in this saintsforsaken park. 

“That doesn’t seem too out of--” Whatever quip Nikolai was about to say stuttered to a complete stop when he caught the sight of a familiar figure walking regally towards him and Genya.

This must be some heat induced hallucination. Or one of his employees had fed him an edible. Or he was dreaming. Because there was no way that Zoya was here. At this moment, looking like she’d rather be somewhere else. 

“Zo!” Genya waved excitedly at her, and Nikolai felt his mind split into different levels of shock. Genya knew Zoya? Zoya knew Genya? Zoya was here? 

When Zoya reached them, she paid Nikolai no mind, and crossed her arms, “Tell me again why you insisted I be here?”

“Hello to you, too.” Genya sighed. “Like I told you, it’s good to have more than me and David as friends since you’re moving into the city permanently. Anyway, have you met Nikolai? He’s--”

“I’ve had the pleasure.” Zoya’s laser gaze finally landed on him, and despite the utter swirl of confusion that raged inside his chest, Nikolai still managed to pull out a smirk and give a half bow.

“Oh believe me, the pleasure was all mine.”

Zoya was as impassive as always, but it only made him grin a little more. Even if after all this time, he missed her.

Genya coughed beside them, and made a weak excuse to leave the loaded silence that sparked between her friends. 

After a few more beats, Nikolai stuffed his hands into his pockets and offered a friendly smile, “So you’re moving back, huh?”

She sighed and then shrugged, “Got promoted again. They made me the Eastern Regional Director, and it’s pretty permanent.”

“Congratulations, Nazyalensky.” Nikolai exclaimed a warm pride filling his heart, “Though I wonder why you didn’t think to tell me?” 

Zoya scoffed, “I don’t owe you life updates, Lantsov.”

“Fair enough, but like our dear friend suggested, it’s good to have a friend in the city.”

“Friends?” There was no mistaking the scorn in her voice, “Last time I checked, we weren’t friends.” 

That horrible day when Nikolai’s life fell apart replayed quickly in his mind, but he forced it away. That was then. This was now. The course of his life changed because he had the courage to keep going. This magnetic pull towards Zoya was no different. 

He boldly took a step closer to her and was relieved that she didn’t move away. Instead, she just continued to stare at him. 

“That may be true, but I also remember that the last time we talked you also had said that in another time we could be more than friends.” He spread his arms out to the change of weather and the shining sun, “Given that this is a completely different time, is that true too?”

Zoya held his gaze for a long time, and Nikolai waited patiently under her scrutiny. She had haunted too many of his dreams in the last year. She was the biggest what if of his life. Now that she was standing less than a foot away, he’d wait for an answer even if he had to wait another lifetime. 

Without breaking eye contact, she grabbed the beer from his hands and brought it up to her lips. After taking a pull, she glanced out at the party and said, “Ask me out properly this time, Nikolai, and we’ll take it from there.”